Tag: weeknotes

Weeknotes #97: Christmas and my leg

A lively week with food, fun, and festive adventures!

Week commencing Monday, 25 November 2024

A gigantic illuminated Christmas Bauble in the grounds of Waddesdon Manor as part of the light show
A nighttime photograph of trees in the Waddesdon Grounds illuminated by red, blue and green lighting
Outside Waddesdon Manor, the house is bathed in projection telling the Sleeping Beauty story
The snooker table at Waddesdon Manor, decorated to tell part of the sleeping Beauty Story

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 6/7 and Move 7/7. (95%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 63,828

Life

  • Observant readers will note this is the first week in a while where my exercise streak has been broken. It’s frustrating, but there’s a reason.
  • Related, at the start of the week I renewed my gym membership, even though I have hardly visited this year because of my shoulder. I vowed to do better next year.
  • Relatedly related, I injured my leg on Wednesday (ironically on the way home from my Tai Chi class). Somehow my leg disappeared from under me on some stairs (did I slip, miss a step?), and I was suspended above ground by holding onto the railing. I have been unable to walk without pain for the rest of the week.
  • Before I fell, I’d been stuck on a train that didn’t move for about an hour due to delays. Waterloo was in chaos. People were angry. I always feel sorry for the platform staff on nights like this.
  • There are Christmas songs on the radio.
  • Delay repay update: Transport for Wales did receive my delay repay request forwarded from Avanti, but won’t process it until they know how to pay me. Even though they may conclude not to pay me.
  • I hobbled around the office on Thursday before heading to Carnaby Street for Thirsty Thursday drinks. I was early, so enjoyed my first Five Guys burger.
  • Related, the Carnaby Street lights are a bit disappointing when compared to last year’s colourful extravaganza. Apparently, they are energy-efficient and will be reused for years.
  • Friday, dinner at the new branch of Scott’s in Richmond was delicious. Their festive lunch menu is served until 5:30 pm, and the fillet of pollock with cauliflower and woodland mushrooms is lovely.
  • Related, the fried Brussels sprouts with kimchi dressing are even better.
  • Relatedly related, the off-festive-menu oysters were better again.
  • I was taken to a comedy show at Richmond Theatre. I’d never seen, or heard of, Henry Rowley before. Described by Sky News as “The British ‘posh boy’ who became one of the year’s breakout TikTok stars”. I really enjoyed it.
  • Related, didn’t feel old. So, that was a win.
  • In spite of my inability to walk well, Christmas at Waddesdon is fantastic. The interior has been decorated for Christmas, inspired by the Sleeping Beauty story. There are more Christmas trees than I have ever seen in a single house. An outdoor light trail, projection, and Christmas market are great.
  • First mulled wine of the year has been ticked off.

Media

  • Listened and watched quite a bit about green energy, starting with Zero Bills homes: Getting rid of energy bills for good, a podcast by Octopus Energy. The basic idea is that modern, well-insulated houses, with the right set-up, can offset their entire electricity bill by providing power to the grid at times of peak demand.
  • Which led me to an episode of the Everything Electric Show about a B&B that runs with very low running costs thanks to a low-energy set-up: Low Energy Bills! This B&B Makes It Possible!
  • Related, Just Have a Think: Global Energy Market Disruption. This man has THE PLAN!! discusses Octopus Energy’s CEO Greg Jackson and how the company plans to revolutionise the UK energy sector.
  • On a train, I finished listening to Toto Wolff (Team Principal & CEO of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team) on High Performance – a fascinating insight into how to be better.
  • My new favourite podcast is Dish! I am working my way through the back catalogue. This week Sara Cox was cooked mackerel with a watermelon rojack, but you know she’d have been just as happy with chips and gravy.

Weeknotes #96: hats and Christmas

A lively recap of trains, media, and seasonal delights.

Week commencing Monday, 18 November 2024

A tea cup and saucer hat. The slogan "Sandown Is Just My Cup of Tea"s is written on the front of the cup.
Cup and saucer hat

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 7/7 and Move 7/7. (100%). Morning walks: 0/3 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 2/5. Total steps: 55,436

Life

  • Avanti Trains rejected my delay repay request because they said the delay was an issue with Transport for Wales. Is claiming intentionally hard?
  • Unusually, I was in the office on Tuesday as colder temperatures hit. More train delays and quite a cold office.
  • Also on Tuesday, Zoe Ball announced she would leave the Radio 2 breakfast show next month. It seems short-notice news, but it must have been in the works for a while as, simultaneously, Scott Mills was announced as the new host. Finally, he has a national breakfast show of his own.
  • Jaguar cars showed-off their rebrand and everybody has an opinion. I have no idea if it’s good or bad, relevant or irrelevant. I am just amused by The Internet’s reaction.
  • I don’t know if this is really the tone of the impartial journalist, but the Isle of Wight Observer’s article about the departure of Red Funnel’s operations director did make me laugh; “It remains uncertain if Ms Lakes’ new role at the RNLI will allow her to continue working from her comfortable home in Scotland, where she is said to be overlooked by a painting of a highland cow above her fireplace.”
  • Regular readers will recall I mentioned the wonderful Sandown Hat Parade back in the summer. This weekend some of those hats were on display at Quay Arts and it was fantastic to read the story behind them.
  • I am officially in the Christmas spirit after have a wander around Christmas World. A lot of money could have been spent if I’d wanted my house covered in Christmas.

Media

Weeknotes #95: diaries and delays

Reflective week balancing personal, media, and creative activities.

Week commencing Monday, 11 November 2024

A nighttime photograph of Lord Hill's column in Shrewsbury and the roundabout in front of it with no cars circulating.
Shrewsbury

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 7/7 and Move 77. (100%). Morning walks: 0/4. Office days 1/5. Total steps: 60,568

Life

  • Hedge trimmers turned up on Monday morning about two hours early. I was in the shower, but PY let them in. They were completed within forty minutes, and there is way more light to the back decking. Wish I’d done it earlier in the year.
  • Related, we met the neighbour whose hedge was technically being cut. He was delighted we were doing it.
  • Quiz night: we got a few more correct puzzles this time, so we’re improving. We are still in the middle of the ranking; we cannot compete with our score the first time we went.
  • I re-read How I ship projects at big tech companies several times this week. It’s a useful reminder to focus on getting the project out and telling people about it.
  • Down memory lane, I found a blogpost written in 2004 after I’d been running a training course. It made me hunt my diaries for who I was training and what was the dinner. And I found the answer.
  • Related, later in the week I wanted to write a blog post about diary writing, so I did.
  • Relatedly, related, the article I mention in the blog post is compelling, touching, and fascinating. I urge you to read it.
  • Train delays to Shrewsbury on Thursday night and back on Sunday afternoon were not great. But the weekend was very enjoyable.
  • Sad news about Howard Hughes. He was The News Voice of Capital in the 90s.

Media

Weeknotes #94: fireworks and music

A lively week full of events, media, and minor challenges.

Week commencing Monday, 4 November 2024

The stage lit up with the words 'Come On and Take Me, Come On and Shake Me' as part of the Eurovision On Tour performance in London.
Eurovision On Tour – London

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 7/7 and Move 77. (100%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 60,073

Life

  • I coughed a lot. And it gave me a headache. Not the greatest week for feeling good.
  • Later in the week, Boots cancelled my pre-booked flu jab for the second time. I walked into another local pharmacy, and they did it there and then. And they were really lovely about it.
  • I didn’t watch any of the on-the-night coverage of the US elections after I’d watched the opening 5 minutes of Channel Four’s coverage, and it was already shouty and argumentative. I found out the result when I woke on Wednesday. People were visibly down at my morning stand-up.
  • It was a last-minute decision to see the fireworks in Wimbledon Park, and I am very glad that I did. The queues for food were very slow.
  • Thursday, I stayed a bit too long at work drinks before getting to Eurovision on Tour. Then we had to leave early for dinner reservations. In between, the music was fun, but I didn’t know many of the songs. The meal was lovely at the Old Compton Brasserie, mainly because the service was fab. It was my second ‘smash burger’ in a week. I didn’t know what they were this time last week.
  • The 007 at Burlington Arcade, celebrating 60 Years of Goldfinger, has removed the golden cars shown on the site (replaced by festiveness). Inside was less of an exhibition than expected. The cocktails, while expensive, were lovely. If you worked there, you’d have to like the Bond themes.
  • New Writers showcase previewed a lot of great new musical songs. I hope they get picked up.

Media

  • I saw my first Christmas ad. It was for Waitrose and is a pudding mystery. Will there be a second part? Nice idea.
  • I really enjoyed watching the first four episodes of Ludwig this week. David Mitchell’s accidental detective was exactly what I expected. PY noticed the similarities, especially in music, to Disney’s Only Murders.

Weeknotes #93: Halloween, Beetlejuice and Christmas

A lively week of outings, media, and festive anticipation

Week commencing Monday, 28 October 2024

Close up on the cut out eyes of a Halloween pumpkin
Spooky

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 7/7 and Move 7/7. (100%). Morning walks: 0/4. Office days 1/5. Total steps: 55,438

Life

  • Monday, it’s very noticeable in the supermarket that Christmas is coming. There was a tiny section focused on Halloween, but entire sections of the store are already providing festive inspiration.
  • There does not appear to be a consistent way to describe the size of replacement fridges. Oh for standardisation.
  • Impromptu drinks and some baba ghanoush in Mora Meza on Tuesday. Yay.
  • Wednesday. The budget. On big plans, HS2 to London is good and might impact me directly, assuming I am still around when it’s finished.
  • My office day was followed by our regular last-Thursday drinks. Outside the pub, I actually watched somebody use a distraction technique to try to steal a phone. Very clever, but we saw and he ran off; the phone was still with the owner.
  • When a trip to a supermarket is my Friday night entertainment, maybe I need a reset.
  • Due to poor service in the restaurant, our family lunch moved across to the Street Burger, where the service was exceptional (and the food good too).

Media

  • Saturday night was my annual viewing of The Nightmare Before Christmas: although closer to Halloween than Christmas this year. It set us up for …
  • … a really nice way to spend a Sunday morning: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice captured the humour and eccentricity of the original film, while making the film feel more modern. This is not a recycled nostalgia trip. Recommended.
  • When The Evening Standard went weekly, I found a collection of new London writing, and it’s all excellent: The London Minute, London Centric, and The Londoner.

Weeknotes #92: Love Me For A Reason and Spooky Nights

Fridge saga, pub quiz, and enjoyable media discoveries shared.

Week commencing Monday, 21 October 2024

A nighttime photo of Shaknlin Chine, across to the cafe building. The coloured light illuminated the plantlife.
Shanklin Chine Illuminated
A pumpkin face lights up to scare visitors to Shanklin Chine Spooktacular
Spooktacular
Two animatronic witches talk at Shanklin Chine Spooktacular
Witches Brew
Jamies, Alex and Danny perform at Osmonds Night at The Cozy Cows
Osmonds Night

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 7/7 and Move 7/7. (100%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 66,573

Life

  • Back in the UK and noticeable that nights are darker earlier. The mention of my fridge a couple of weeks ago jinxed it. Another technician, another two minutes, and now it needs replacing. I don’t understand how this is efficient for the Hotpoint group of companies. Two visits, two engineers, and two different conclusions. Less than five minutes looking at the device. Previously, I said The ice pattern was the clue and it appears it was just a clue to something completely different than the first engineer said. So a whole new fridge saga commences.
  • Monday was pub quiz. Our worst performance by some margin, but it remains all good fun.
  • On Wednesday I asked for support from a smart home tech company. Super surprised that their response arrived in less than 24 hours. Seventy-two hours later, I’ve done nothing with their response.
  • Train south on Friday night all worked and allowed us to see Shanklin Chine’s ‘Spooktacular’. Just a whole lot of fun.
  • Railway works meant a coach back to London. Nice and relaxing. I wish I’d known it stopped in Wandsworth so we could have planned to get off there.
  • The Crazy Coqs Osmonds night featured four people who’d all been in the musical. Another lovely way to end an evening.

Media

  • Finally, we caught up on the last episode of Lost Boys and Fairies. No shame in the tears.
  • Also got around to finishing Bosch (S3). It’s so long since I watched an episode that I’d forgotten the plot lines.
  • Heartstopper S3 appears to be as wonderful as the last two. I wish I’d had this series growing up. Or as Jonathan Bailey said, “It’s for every person who is a member of a family who has a member of the LGBT+ community. It helps all of us”.

Weeknotes #91: holiday and a previously unvisited country

Enjoyable experiences in Paleokastritsa and crime dramas explored.

Week commencing Monday, 14 October 2024

Greek and Romain ruins at Butrint National Park, Albania
Butrint National Park
Inside the Old Fortress, Corfu
Old Fortress, Corfu
Sunshine over one of the bays at Paleokastritsa, Corfu, with shimmering blue sea and mountains on either side.
Paleokastritsa, Corfu
Sunset over the Paleokastritsa bay, Corfu
Paleokastritsa Sunset

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 7/7 and Move 7/7. (100%). No office days as I am on vacation. Total steps: 92,938

Life

  • A week in Paleokastritsa. The hotel might be dated, but the weather was hotter than expected; the food was great and the view wonderful.
  • Corfu Town was a comfortable bus ride away. The Old Town has been a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 2007. We were served a kumquat liqueur at the end of the meal: a strong-flavoured, sweet orange-coloured drink which we both thought was delicious.
  • The donkey trail was very hard going, but the view from the top was worth the pain. Down was a lot easier than I imagined.
  • A day trip to Albania ticked off another country. The National Park of Butrint was amazing. Another UNESCO World Heritage site.
  • On Friday, the waters were too choppy for a boat but lovely views. Around 4pm we set off for the climb to Paleokastritsa Monastery. It’s on a cliff at the end of the bay. We saw a cross in the distance on the edge of the cliff. We decided to take a look and made our way along the path. I feel modern health and safety rules would have the path improved and add railings. The view was lovely but debatable if it was worth the effort.
  • The bar on Saturday afternoon was a hundred steps down to a rocky outcrop. The beer was nice, but I couldn’t shake the feeling I’d drop something over the edge.
  • The Sunday morning minibus had pickups in some lovely areas down winding roads. They felt a bit cut off to me.
  • The return flight was late, but home before 5pm meant we had an evening. We kept the holiday vibe with a kebab.

Media

Weeknotes #90: The ice pattern was the clue

Life updates, gym visit, travel, and media reflections shared.

Week commencing Monday, 7 October 2024

A back and white photograph of a cocktail on a table.
Cocktails

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 7/7 and Move 7/7. (100%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 69,521

Life

  • Warning. This is not a drill. There were mince pies in the shop. I didn’t buy them.
  • I went to the gym. On a Monday morning. That hasn’t happened for a long time. Don’t come back expecting that to happen again any time soon.
  • My fridge has turned into a freezer. The person sent to investigate opened the door and said, “It’s the thermostat” and closed the door. The pattern of ice was the giveaway. I am annoyed that somebody was sent to do that when I could have described the problem and, instead of waiting for a repair, they could have brought the parts and fixed it.
  • Related, apparently it’s a good refrigerator brand that keeps spares for older machines around for years. As I was told, ‘you’ll have no chance if that oven breaks in two years’.
  • Caught up with a colleague I haven’t worked with for more than 20 years. He’s doing interesting stuff for one of big tech that he can’t talk about. So, we talked about the systems we used to work on. It was way more fun.
  • Related, Cahoots makes a very spicy Bloody Mary.
  • I have an occasional visit for something that is simultaneously medically good for me and indulgent pampering. The professional and I have the same shoulder issue. On Friday, I discovered hers is healing faster than mine and I was too embarrassed to ask for the name of her physio.
  • Saturday, twilight bag drop at Gatwick Airport is a wonderful thing. Sunday, at a ridiculously early hour, I walked into an airport with a small bag and boarded a plane hoping my bags had been safely stored for the night. Spoiler, they had been.
  • I think Southern Vectis’ bus service on The Isle of Wight is fantastic given the island’s population is around 150,000. 22 new electric buses are on the way and that’s a good thing.

Media

Weeknotes #89: A lot of out and about

Weeknotes covering events, thoughts, and social activities.

Week commencing Monday, 30 September 2024

A view of the concrete blocks of the National Theatre, with the statue of Laurence Olivier in the foreground
Coriolanus at The National, darling.

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 7/7 and Move 7/7. (100%). Morning walks: 2/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 70,420

Life

Media

Weeknotes #88: social and sea views

A productive week filled with events, reflections, and engaging media.

Week commencing Monday, 23 September 2024

Motor boats on land in the foreground, the sea and blue skies beyond.
Pub with a sea view

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 7/7 and Move 7/7. (100%). Morning walks: 0/3 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 2/5. Total steps: 66,251

Life

  • I could write about train delays and missed connections, but I won’t. Except to say it happened Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Although I also made the last train home on two of those days.
  • In the office for two days this week. Tuesday was a divisional ‘All Hands’, and there were sponsored drinks afterwards, which was nice. The later drinks started to border on discussions about agile development practices. I’ll admit I was part of it and shouldn’t have been (see below).
  • Thursday, there was a small team ‘All Hands’ followed by a leaving do. It was emotional at times.
  • Friday, a carpet was fitted. I saw it when I arrived in the evening. It’s very nice underfoot. We had more fish and chips.
  • Saturday involved a rail replacement service where we were the only ones on board, a nice walk, and lunch in a pub with a sea view.
  • Sunday was almost identical, but the pub and sea views were different, and the bus was the regular service bus (winter timetable starts today).

Media

Weeknotes #87: out and about

A lively week of events, tech, and entertaining media experiences.

Week commencing Monday, 16 September 2024

Fish & Chips with a sea view
Fish & Chips with a sea view

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 6/7 and Move 7/7. (95%). Morning walks: 3/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 62,572

Life

  • Christmas countdown is progressing. Now, less than 100 days.
  • Millions watched last week’s Apple launch. When Om Malik wrote that they seem to have the same place in the modern zeitgeist as fashion collections being unveiled every season, it resonated.
  • There’s a feature on my phone that tests to make sure I am using the most appropriate silicon tips for my ears. Turns out, I should be using a different-sized one in my right ear. I think the fit is better and the sound improved. Impressive technology.
  • Monday: Dinner with former – and current – colleagues. Everybody is doing well.
  • Open House volunteer party was a lovely event, and I met nice people. We had a Street Burger afterwards, which was better value than expected.
  • Some social drinks were cancelled, but I made up for it by staying at the post-work drinks longer than I planned. The first day I did not complete my exercise goals in over a month.
  • Related, after a long night out, a delicious kebab delivery arrived, satisfying my midnight cravings.
  • To Kingston and back in under an hour. The new watch is nice.
  • Left early to make the 7:20 pm ferry, but it was cancelled. Took the also delayed car ferry, which turned out to be nice.
  • The weekend company, location, and hot tub were lovely. The Fish & Chips with a sea view was wonderful. The BBQ was delicious. The sausages were spicier than suggested, and Sunday’s carvery contained a lot of food.

Media

  • The last episode set Dead Boy Detectives up for a series that isn’t coming. It wasn’t aimed at my demographic, but I enjoyed it and thought it was original.
  • Full Disclosure hired an actor to voice The Secret Barrister – it was an excellent episode.
  • I also heard the episode with the Labour MP for Rhondda, Chris Bryant, which is all worth a listen.

Weeknotes #86:

Enjoyed art, fitness, and reflections with positive experiences

Week commencing Monday, 9 September 2024

Takashi Murakami's contemporary work has been described as playful and profound as he brings together elements of Japanese manga, anime, and Western pop culture in a movement and style known as "Superflat".
Superflat by Japanese contemporary artist, Takashi Murakami

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 7/7 and Move 7/7. (100%). Morning walks: 3/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Plant diversity: 30. Total steps: 67,509

Life

  • We were fourth in the quiz this week. I was frustrated when “tin” correctly answered the question about periodic elements not containing letters in the word “mackerel,” and I only realised this after we had submitted our answers.
  • Tuesday promised an hour of free electricity for consumption above our average for the time of day. I plugged everything I could think of into a power source. I am not sure how to tell if anything was free.
  • Trying to work out if my over-ear headphones need refurbishment. I’ve been testing them. It’s an odd experience working in the house with music right in my ears rather than from a speaker behind me as I couldn’t hear anything else (including message alerts from my computer and the doorbell – I only knew somebody was at the door because my phone popped up a message from the bell).
  • Wednesday: the hotel refunded the money for the power cut night. Hoorah.
  • A miscount at my Tai Chi class suggested next week it’s 13 weeks to Christmas. A miscalculation (it’s 14). I am not sure either count is what we want to hear.
  • I credit my Apple Watch with motivation for exercise. Check out the last few weeks’ Quantified Self. So, I went all in for the new one that was announced on Monday. Did I fall for some Apple spin?
  • Roger French’s These closures need closure highlights recent issues with The Island Line. Without a regular service, passengers will surely move to buses and it would be sad to see this line close.
  • Birthday evening: Moco Museum London for some impressive modern art, and then Six By Nico for the Tokyo menu. The food was wonderful.
  • Saturday volunteering for Open House at The Royal Society’s Grade I listed HQ. Stunning building with a lot of history and lovely people.

Media

Weeknotes #85: Paralympic Paris 2024

Eventful week with travel challenges, sports highlights, and impressive sights.

Week commencing Monday, 2 September 2024

Paralympics Paris 2024 collage with images of Paris South Arena and Para Table Tennis
Paralympics Paris 2024, Paris South Arena

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 7/7 and Move 7/7. 100%). Morning walks: 0/3 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/4. Total steps: 81,490

Life

  • I was going to put Mum & Dad on the train at Raynes Park. Glad I stayed with them as delays (into Clapham) and a removed stop (Vauxhall) necessitated agile planning. They had to cope with additional cancellations at Birmingham.
  • Then on Friday, my train had to run slowly to Guildford and, therefore, a missed connection. Really frustrating. What’s happening to our railways? A refund claim was submitted.
  • Monday night at the hotel. Total power blackout. We were shown to our room by the light of somebody’s phone. Not sure we should have checked in. The lights startled us when electricity was restored. And then the TV came on, seemingly at full blast, at 2am.
  • Tuesday, early Eurostar start for a day at Paris 2024 Paralympics: GB lost in the Boccia, France lost in the goalball, and Israel won, GB won (twice) in the table tennis. So much to see and so much existing sport.
  • Related, we saw the Paralympic flame in the balloon-cauldron from behind the barriers, in the rain, before they had raised it to the sky for the day. And it was still very impressive.
  • Relatedly, sometimes I felt there was too much “where did it go wrong” when we just won a silver medal.
  • Wednesday night, the pub had a branded lager. Thursday night, a different pub was noisy, so we sat outside in the rain. What did the table next to us really buy, if it wasn’t the rose they later gave us and we, in turn, passed along the tables?
  • Saturday, Galeón Andalucía was docked in Cowes. It’s very impressive close up, but we didn’t pay to see inside. Inspired sail past with the Pirates of the Caribbean theme.
  • Sunday it rained and thunder was predicted. When we got to the top of the Spinnaker Tower, the skies turned blue and we watched the boat traffic on The Solent while having a wonderful afternoon tea. Recommended.

Media

Weeknotes #84:

A week filled with summer moments and enjoyable experiences.

Week commencing Monday, 26 August 2024

A parade of people dressed in bright colours as human peacocks at Ryde Illuminated Carnival 2024
Ryde Illuminated Carnival 2024

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 7/7 and Move 7/7. (100%). Morning walks: 1/3 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/3. Plant diversity: 42. Total steps: 70,180

Life

  • Hello, September. Let’s have a little more summer, please.
  • Last week I omitted the scooter rally from my weeknotes. It was impressive and a reminder of why modern engines are much better for air quality.
  • Bank holiday Monday by the beach was lovely. I observed that low tide was very low.
  • Former Met Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu: “So I like to call it bullying being the disease and the isms being the symptoms. And I noticed that whenever I’m in an audience, you know, women, black, brown, women, the disabled, the neurodiverse, LGBTQ+, anyone who’s in the audience who’s of difference will just be nodding furiously because our outcomes are all the same. Our journey is quite different, but our outcomes are the same.”
  • Wall-to-wall Paralympics coverage is a recent phenomenon, unheard of in many places until recently. Thank goodness we have Channel 4. I’m as addicted to this medal table as I was to the Olympics.
  • Tuesday, to the theatre for Why Am I So Single, the new musical from the creators of Six. In its current form, it’s too long. I bet this will be addressed before the official opening night.
  • Thursday, Holland Garden is a lovely, tranquil place for people to spend an afternoon.
  • Friday, picked up the train tickets for the weekend and realised I’d missed one railcard off the booking, so had overpaid. I get annoyed at myself for things like that.
  • Saturday, Ryde Illuminated Carnival was as wonderful as its Shanklin sibling. The classic buses from the museum a nice addition.
  • Related, of course, we ordered the Secreto Ibérico and Berenjenas Fritas, as they were our favourites from last time.
  • The café queue at Quarr Abbey moves slowly. But the place is another tranquil spot and perhaps the queue shouldn’t move all that quickly.

Media

  • Bank holiday Monday, Steve Wight in his own words. A lovely tribute to a radio pioneer.
  • Wednesday, Paralympics opening ceremony: enjoyable, even if it didn’t feel as energy-packed as I would hope an opening ceremony would.
  • Thursday and Friday, Test Match Special: unexpectedly good company that I tuned into because Mum and Dad were at Lord’s for the first day. I gather England had quite a good day. Joe Root was the standout, scoring 143 runs. At least one reference to cake.
  • I finished Tracker, the Disney Plus series I mentioned last week. Wondering if the new season will be shown here.

Weeknotes #83: shoulder time

Enjoyed theatre, musical, gym, and new TV series.

Week commencing Monday, 19 August 2024

The physiotherapy waiting space at The Nelson Clinic - orange and yellow everywhere.
Waiting room

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 7/7 and Move 7/7. (100%). Morning walks: 4/5. Office days 0/5. Plant diversity: 53. Total steps: 80,235

Life

  • Monday, going to the theatre, I learned Operation Mincemeat was a successful British deception operation during World War II, aimed at misleading the Germans about the Allied invasion of Sicily. I only scored 3 out of 9 in the pre-show quiz because I knew none of this before.
  • Related, the story of the operation was adapted into the musical we saw, combining history and satire, and winning awards for its blend of comedy and drama. I thoroughly enjoyed (and recommend) it. There’s a ticket ballot getting you reasonably priced show if you look.
  • Tuesday, I restarted my morning walks (see quantified self, above) and I went to the gym. Why does it always seem they are rebuilding it? Bets on how long this will last?
  • Thursday, I expected the injection to be more painful; instead, it was more of an ache than a pain. It was not comfortable, but I was tense for more pain than came.
  • I wish there was audio for this. I let Siri read it to me instead. Ros Atkins, The UK TV Industry in 2024: Globalisation, digital advertising, and technological advancements are reshaping UK television while public service broadcasters face challenges maintaining their cultural relevance and visibility.

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