Tag: weeknotes

Weeknotes #82: Disused railways, Next To Normal

Engaged in social activities, theatre, and enjoyable media moments.

Week commencing Monday, 12 August 2024

A London Underground roundel at Holborn, the last one featuring Kingsway in brackets on the sign
The only surviving one mentioning Kingsway

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 6/7; Exercise 4/7 and Move 5/7. (71%). Morning walks: 0/5 (days in the office don’t count). Plant diversity: 45. Total steps: 57,194

Life

  • Excellent internal presentation on the history of software. Shame I can’t share any of it.
  • Wednesday, really? We all jump now that management ask questions when I have been asking for weeks? This is how it works. But it shouldn’t be.
  • Wednesday, I learned that there is an optimal temperature to give blood, meaning the current hot spell requires the blood service to rent large cooling units at my local donation centre.
  • Thursday morning, I fear I came across as annoyed in a meeting where the team didn’t appreciate I was trying to protect them.
  • Drinks with old friends on Thursday. Always the best.
  • Saturday night, Next to Normal is a rock musical that explores the struggles of a suburban family dealing with mental illness. Not the usual West End musical jolly, but sensitively done.
  • Pre-theatre dinner was at Mildreds: I was determined not to have anything faking something traditionally meat-based. That ruled out the burgers and anything with their “chick+n” in it. Grilled Roman artichoke & hemp Caesar salad was wonderful.
  • Sunday morning, up and out for a 10 am Hidden London tour of Holborn station, where two platforms from the former Strand (Aldwych) branch line are unused and hidden from day-to-day operations.
  • Finally, bye-bye London’s Kiss 100. Back when we did silly things, my work email inbox played the jingle “1 Kiss will make it better”. It drove people mad.

Media

Weeknotes #81: songs, carnival and a hat parade

A week of carnival culture, sport, and mindful Tai Chi practice.

Week commencing Monday, 5 August 2024

A collection of photos feature people dinging, in the carnival parade and wearing eccentric hats
Songs, carnival and a hat parade

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 5/7 and Move 5/7. (81%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Plant diversity: 40. Total steps: 52,988

Life

  • After stabbings sparked riots, the situation escalated. The courts intervened, and communities united.
  • Related, we are becoming a nicer nation: For every five crimes in England and Wales in 1995, there is just one offence committed today.
  • Monday, Lucy May Barker performed a live and intimate show at The Crazy Coqs: lots of beautifully performed songs and enthusiastic showbiz chat.
  • I don’t think I’ve watched so much sport since 2012. The Olympics really is the tapas of sport. This week: sport climbing, kayak cross, and breaking.
  • There was more sanding and varnishing of doors. Unfortunately, some of the wood had rotted and required wood filler. It’ll take several coats to get the colours to match.
  • It was a warm Wednesday evening for Tai Chi, although we practised inside. The group was a bit smaller, probably due to the holidays, so we focused on ‘harmony’ as a single group—it was quite an interesting exercise and really focused my mind. When I go, I find it very relaxing.
  • To Ryde. Really nice to see the transport interchange work is complete. Not so great to read that the bus shelters are already due for replacement due to seating issues, and the bus station road has had to be resurfaced due to damage.
  • A nice discovery while we were there: the Tapas place is excellent.
  • Saturday night was Shanklin carnival: A fire engine led the parade into town, and then all sorts of groups contributed floats. There was a marching band and, towards the end, a fantastic group of drummers. A Chitty Chitty Bang Bang float seems to be Shanklin’s official 2024 carnival float. There was everything from an Olde Tea Shop to a smoke-breathing dragon, in front of which a group were dancing to a mix of music including songs from Steps followed by The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
  • Sunday, the Hat Parade was back in Sandown.

Media

Weeknotes #80: warm days and two strangers

Enjoyed warm days, a local walk, and a barbecue with family.

Week commencing Monday, 29 July 2024

Theatre, BBQ, Cinema and a nice walk
This week in pictures

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 5/7 and Move 6/7. (86%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Plant diversity: 41. Total steps: 48,826

Life

  • It’s warm and muggy. Working from home means I can wear shorts. I do not approve of them as workwear.
  • Monday, a two-handed play at The Criterion: Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York. Dougal, a naive Brit, arrives in New York for his estranged father’s wedding and meets Robin, the busy, unenthusiastic sister of the bride. With songs! It was very well done but I thought Dougal was a bit bland.
  • Thursday, Bruce Willis is not bland in the not-really-a-Christmas-movie, Die Hard. I’d never seen it and the opportunity arose to see it at TT Cinema, which specialises in cocktails and cult classic cinema. When collecting our cocktail, other customers expressed shock that I hadn’t seen it. It holds up well.
  • Nice to be back on a local walk on Friday night. We decided a walk around the Cannon Hill Common would be good, just like we used to during the lockdown months. Lovely.
  • Family round for a barbecue on Saturday. A lovely afternoon with delicious barbecue food and plenty of drinks. Nothing burnt. The barbecue chicken kebabs turned out to need an oven and not a grill, which was surprising given the name.
  • We began sanding and varnishing the doors on the back of the house. We should have gotten out the varnish last year, as parts of the doors need significant attention. Nonetheless, we sanded one door and applied a couple of coats. In hindsight, it was a pretty quick process, and we should have done all the sanding at once.

Media

  • Lots of Olympics watching. I am continually watching the medal table.
  • The Jetty, a BBC drama one of PY’s colleagues recommended. For most of the episode, it was just OK, and I wondered why it was highly regarded. The twist at the end had us hooked, though it was too late to binge the remaining episodes.

Weeknotes #79: Better at pub quizzes and a surprise

Joint fifth at pub quiz, Banksy gallery visit, surprise birthday trip.

Week commencing Monday, 22 July 2024

A collection of photos from the week: Banksy, Love Motion Festival and birthday lunch.
Banksy, Love Motion and a surprise meal

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 6/7; Exercise 6/7 and Move 6/7. (86%. Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Plant diversity: 35. Total steps: 56,048

Life

  • The pub quiz is getting better. We were joint fifth, but with just two more points—if we’d been less gung-ho in the wipeout round—we’d have been second.
  • The Art of Banksy, a gallery on Charing Cross Road, is really good. We went when it was quiet, and you could spend plenty of time looking at the work. There’s a lot of social commentary in those pictures—what will people of the future think of us?
  • When we got home, PY randomly looked at Paris 2024 Paralympic tickets for a date in September. Now we have a Eurostar booked and a day off work.
  • On Friday, we went to the Love Motion festival at Crystal Palace to see Grace Jones, who was brilliant as always. There were delays getting in, and Róisín Murphy cancelled, so we mainly sat for four hours listening to DJs before the main act. Luckily, we were early into the venue and grabbed a seat for much of the waiting time.
  • Related, we didn’t get to see the Olympic opening ceremony. I thought we would catch up at some point. We haven’t so far.
  • I was up early on Saturday for a surprise trip for Dad’s birthday. Although the restaurant hadn’t recorded our booking, they made it work. A nice barbecue in the evening involved a croquet game with my niece. The 7-year-old beat me.
  • On the train home, I finished reading Politics On the Edge by Rory Stewart. I’d recommend it, but it’s a bit of an indictment of the British political machine..

Media

Weeknotes #78: Wifi issues and a birthday party

A week of journeys, tech challenges, and interesting new discoveries.

Week commencing Monday, 15 July 2024

A view of Hammersmith Bridge, just before dusk
Hammersmith Bridge

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 6/7; Exercise 2/7 and Move 5/7. (62%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 44,085

Life

  • Bringing back a pungent Subway sandwich to Raynes Park on a table-less train wasn’t the most enjoyable experience!
  • On Saturday, we went to the Riverside Studios Bar & Kitchen for dinner before E’s birthday celebration at a nearby pub. The lack of the Underground to Hammersmith delayed us because we took the replacement bus service. We found a smarter route home.
  • On Sunday, we had a nice walk around Wimbledon and stopped at a health food shop for things I never knew existed.
  • The barbecue came out of the box for the summer. Lovely. When it’s just the two of us, we often decide to grill in the kitchen and eat outside. So, today, we agreed we’d do it properly and use the barbecue to grill some burgers that were the freezer.
  • The rest of the week wasn’t eventful except for my Wi-Fi, which was causing issues. I bought another range extender to create a better mesh, but I am convinced something else is happening because it’s intermittent. I did confirm that the speed to the router is good; the drop-off is frustrating.

Media

  • We’re back in Bridgerton mode this week. Although we’re on series two, we’re powering through them.

Weeknotes #77: we were on a boat

Celebrating, enjoying nature, music, and exploring with great company.

Week commencing Monday, 8 July 2024

Raising a glass in celebration while on a boat on the Thames

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 4/7 and Move 5/7. (76%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 74,672

Life

  • I didn’t mention it last week, but on Sunday, we arrived at Friary Island in Wraybridge, where the family was staying to celebrate C’s 80th.
  • On Monday, we took a small boat onto the Thames, and the weather was mostly kind to us. Phil superbly navigated Romney Lock, Windsor, Boveney Lock, and Bray Lock while I enjoyed the view and, later, the bubbles.
  • Tuesday’s trip to Windsor was more inclement. But the Starbucks was really friendly, and the Windsor Farm Shop provided lunch.
  • The train home was on Wednesday morning. It was a bit of a walk from the accommodation to the station, but we made it in good time. The afternoon was spent clothes shopping.
  • Thursday was another day at the office, followed by an extended drinking session in Shepherd’s Bush. But thanks to Uber, I made it back.
  • On Friday, we went to see Stevie Nicks at Hyde Park. The whole site was wonderfully themed, the support from Brandi Carlile was excellent, and Stevie Nicks was brilliant. Harry Styles joined her at the end, which sent a gasp rippling through the audience.
  • To The Island on Saturday via Gunwharf Quays, where they did not have the shoes I wanted.
  • On Sunday, we went to the dinosaurs at Fossil Beach. It was a lovely walk, although we didn’t quite take the whole cliff-edge path to Freshwater. Later, the walk to Yarmouth was sunny; the café we found at the end of the walk will be revisited.

Media

  • Sunday, we watched the Euros final. Runners up in Europe is excellent. The nation seems disappointed.

Weeknotes #76: mixed meals & voting

Enjoyable week with family, good food, and memorable events.

Week commencing Monday, 1 July 2024

Polling Station sign for the 2024 general election at Raynes Park library
Polling Station

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 4/7; Exercise 1/7 and Move 4/7. (43%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 0/5. Total steps: 38,383

Life

  • Mum and Dad arrived to make use of the anniversary gift and enjoyed the afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason. The day before, dinner at a local Korean restaurant was mediocre.
  • While they were eating finger sandwiches and buying tea towels, I went to the physio about my shoulder. It was supposed to be a seminar but because so few people were booked on it we all got a personal consultation. I think I will have some kind of injection to see if it helps.
  • Wednesday, we all had delicious Mediterranean but, perhaps, I ordered too many dips. I enjoyed it.
  • Mum & Dad took the train back on Thursday morning. I went to vote. I am not sure if it was tactical or what I would have done anyway.
  • Evening drinks at The White Horse meant I was spared the big 10pm exit poll TV shenanigans. When I got home I did stay up watching too many results while flicking between channels.
  • Friday, Closer to Heaven at The Turbine theatre is good. Frances Ruffelle excellent as Billie Trix. It’s the third version we’ve seen and I’d recommend this one. We had cabaret-style tables but kept the little card to say no interaction. In hindsight, that was the wrong decision.
  • Sunday, Thames-side to an Airbnb in Wraysbury for C’s birthday. The house is nice with a view of the river, the pub had great service and great steaks.

Media

Weeknotes #75: sunshine is here

Enjoyable weekend filled with friends, events, and sunshine.

Week commencing Monday, 24 June 2024

A London Pride poster on the big advertising board at Piccadilly Circus
London Pride 2024

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 6/7; Exercise 4/7 and Move 6/7. (76%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/4. Total steps: 65,855

Life

  • Exhausted after the weekend. Hot and sunny by the sea. Brunch a lovely collection of seafood. The Dell’s crab gratin is wonderful.
  • It was still hot on Tuesday when we were home. Outside the thermometer registered 24ºc. I ate my lunch sat on the garden bench.
  • I learned that you do not need to be a fan of the streaming juggernaut that is Stranger Things to appreciate the theatre experience, but you do need to be prepared to sit in a theatre for almost three hours of performance.
  • Drinks after work on Thursday somehow ended up in a pub on Regents Street that was remarkably quiet for a Thursday evening.
  • Bucks Fizz. The Fizz were remarkable fun at Indigo O2 on Friday night. There was quite a bit of energy on stage that I might have been lacking.
  • Saturday to a friend’s kitchen shop opening in North London: we might have really been the first through the door.
  • Back home via Pride in London. Lots of happy people in the sunshine. Good vibes.
  • We might have been dancing until the early hours at M&Rs. Sorry to their neighbours.
  • Sunday night was Pride at The Crazy Cows. Always a good fun.

Weeknotes #74: festival

Positive week with highlights from Isle of Wight festival

Week commencing Monday, 17 June 2024

Shuttle bus heading to the Isle of Wight festival.
Festival Bus

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 4/7 and Move 5/7. 76%). Morning walks: 0/3 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 0/4. Total steps: 76,589

Life

  • Did you return last week for the thrilling finale of the Washing Machine saga? I forgot to add it to my weeknotes. They sent a new machine. It’s remarkable how, when it’s not working, the effort engulfed my day-to-day. Whereas after they had replaced it, not a second thought. This one has a digital countdown—genuinely 21st century.
  • I read today about Sir Rod Stewart’s need to defend his support of Ukraine after he was apparently booed at a concert in Germany on Friday night. Sad world in which we live.
  • Related, I mentioned Rod Stewart this week 22 years ago. I just came across it by accident. Not sure why you’d be interested.
  • According to The Mirror, a sitting Prime Minister has never lost their seat at a general election. Could tactical voting mean it happens this time? I suspect not, but I do wonder who might lose their seats.
  • Wednesday evening to the Isle of Wight. There were some tight connections but I thought I’d make the 7:20pm sailing only to be thwarted one station away. So, I went and did my grocery shopping. Apple Maps’ directions to Tesco were lousy (including trying to send me through a park with locked gates).
  • Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Isle of Wight festival. The weather, atmosphere and music were all great. My feet hurt from the amount of standing I needed to do. It was a painful walk to back to the bus on Sunday evening. There were a lot of highlights. I need to write up the experience.
  • Related: Souther Vectis ran an excellent service.

Media

Weeknotes #73: Ninth

Busy week: quizzes, musicals, social events, and media highlights.

Week commencing Monday, 10 June 2024

Wonderville cabaret space in central London

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 1/7 and Move 5/7. (62%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 43,073

Life

  • Back at the Monday night quiz. I mentioned before that there are prizes for 1st, 2nd and 9th. Last time we lost 9th on a tiebreak. This time we won it. I am remarkably delighted about being very middling.
  • Tuesday night to see The Finellis Musical at Wonderville. It’s a fun show with great performances and wonderful vocals. It does need trimming but don’t let that put you off: every musical starts somewhere and you’ll see the potential and watch great singing. If anything, it feels big for the venue but go and say you saw it there.
  • Last week, the British Prime Minister left D-Day 80th anniversary events in Normandy early. It’s still rumbling on for Rishi.
  • Thursday night out with work and I ended the evening in a bar on Regent Street. It was remarkably quiet.
  • Also social Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Friday, dinner with family at a pub in Woking, we ended up measuring each other’s ears. Sunday afternoon with friends was warm enough to sit in the garden.
  • We only watched a bit of the football. And then a repeat of Midsomer Murders.

Media

  • I watched The Rest Is Politics: the Channel 4 screening of the podcast. I saw it live on Tuesday. Two smart people talking but I think it works better in audio. They will make a good pair as part of election coverage.
  • On catchup, Jonathan Groff in an excellent Doctor Who was better than the all live #BattleForNumber10 which was the big election piece of the evening.

Weeknotes #72: musicals week

Washing machines, musicals, expensive drinks, 80s music, and TV shows.

Week commencing Monday, 3 June 2024

Heathers: The Musical poster outside the theatre

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 2/7 and Move 4/7. (62%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 46,266

Life

Media

  • On the train on Thursday, I tried to catch-up on the remainder of Sounds of the 80s when Jason Donovan joined Gary to co-host on his birthday! As always, wonderful 80s music. I didn’t quite finish it.
  • Started watching Lost Boys and Fairies billed as, “The tender, glittering story of gay couple Gabriel and Andy’s journey to adoption”. There’s a bit at the end of the second episode that makes me not want to start the third because I am not sure I want to know.

Weeknotes #71: I saw a human fruit machine

Enjoyable week filled with activities and discoveries.

Week commencing Monday, 27 May 2024

A view out to see with Bembridge Lifeboat Station, Isle of Wight in the distance. A sunny day with a few clouds in the sky.
Bembridge Lifeboat Station, Isle of Wight

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 6/7; Exercise 6/7 and Move 6/7. (86%). Morning walks: 0/3 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/4. Total steps: 74,977

Life

  • A general election was called last week. Apparently, the man in charge of everything didn’t check the weather forecast before announcing it in the rain. Several hours after the event, I was told, and I still haven’t seen a picture of him in the rain. I didn’t mention it in last week’s notes because the only thing that will change between now and ‘the date’ is that I’ll despair more about the people in power. As a result, I resolved to spend more time in my garden.
  • Bank holiday Monday to the Bembridge street fair. Just thinking about the human fruit machine, and I am still laughing. Lots of people and packed buses. Lovely community spirit.
  • Related, we walked out towards the pier and lifeboat station. Lovely scone with a peaceful view of the water.
  • I discovered, by scrolling to some obscure part of the NHS app, that my physiotherapy referral for my shoulder had been cancelled because I didn’t have an appointment. I called to ask why I’d not been asked to make one. After much computer clicking, I finally have an appointment (albeit for a telephone consultation). It’s a start. Yay.
  • Are you here for the washing machine content? This week, a different engineer was sympathetic to the saga. New drum. The machine is not working—parts are out of stock. I can’t face the call queue.
  • Difficult meeting on Wednesday. It will not be resolved quickly. Work to put in, so I went for a walk on Cannon Hill Common. It’s looking very lush and green.
  • Friday night to buy paint to patch up some walls.
  • On Saturday, we tried to picnic on the beach, but the wind was against us.
  • On Sunday, I sat in the marina-side bar and drank wine before the train home. The sun shone. A lovely way to end the week.

Media

Weeknotes #70: saga continues

Week includes blood donation, media highlights, and weekend trip.

Week commencing Monday, 20 May 2024

The photo captures a tranquil sunset over Gosport's waterfront. The sky is painted with soft hues of orange, yellow, and blue as the sun descends towards the horizon, casting a golden reflection on the water's surface. In the distance, silhouettes of buildings, cranes, and masts of boats can be seen against the bright sky.
Tranquil sunset on the Solent

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 4/7 and Move 6/7. (81%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 60,984

Life

  • Interesting new project on the agenda at work this week, but it feels like a tight timeframe. Let’s see.
  • The washing machine saga continues. This week’s engineer didn’t even open the machine before declaring a different part was needed. Booked for next week. By the weekend, my complaint had resulted in some compensation, but the machine remains unusable.
  • Related, the call centre I spoke to told me, no, I could not speak with a supervisor because the person I was talking to was “perfectly trained to help me”. I believe she had heard my, “but you’re not” response before.
  • I gave blood again on Wednesday. I hadn’t thought the pain in my shoulder would stop me, but the staff were wonderful, checking that the “giving” position wouldn’t hurt me.
  • Related, the nurse and I both agreed that a shoehorn was an amazing invention.
  • Relatedly, related. Can you get orange-flavoured Club biscuits anywhere other than blood donation centres?
  • Friday night train not as busy as expected. The ferry, on the other hand, was much busier. A sunny weekend on the Isle of Wight.
  • The drinks and snacks at the place with the award-winning chef were nice, but not stocking Island produce because it’s ”everywhere” was, in my book, poor form.

Media

  • We’re going to see Heathers, The Musical in a few weeks. I hadn’t watched the movie before, so we did. It’s dark and very 80s. You wouldn’t get away with some of that today.
  • Previously, I wasn’t liking this series of Doctor Who. This week, 73 Yards was a masterpiece.
  • Andy Burnham, on James O’Brien’s Full Disclosure podcast was a great listen.

Weeknotes #69: a party in a garden

The week involved events, AI, and weekend challenges.

Week commencing Monday, 13 May 2024

Members of the Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard (The Beefeaters) at Buckingham Palace
Garden Party, May 2024

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 6/7; Exercise 3/7 and Move 4/7. (62%). Morning walks: 1/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 43,881

Life

  • The highlight of the week was The King’s Garden Party. And it was in the bright sunshine – glad I took sunglasses. I didn’t know what to expect. I dressed in full-on mourning suit and didn’t feel out of place even though I was in a minority. I feel honoured to have been there. A bunch of famous faces seen and on the correct side of the line for the King to talk to the people I went with.
  • Related, the top hat was new to me and I probably shouldn’t have bothered, but it was an experience and I don’t know if I’ll ever get a chance again. In the evening, my back hurt from the upright posture required to keep the hat on. Jealous of the people who make it look effortless.
  • Relatedly related, I might have been the only person to transport my top hat to and from The Palace in a Sainsbury’s foldable shopping bag.
  • Obviously, I had to have cucumber sandwiches when eating at The Palace. Excellent.
  • Otherwise, a very normal week.
  • Related, trains on the way back were so disrupted they removed Clapham Junction from the stops. Thank Uber for the ride home.
  • The washing machine saga continues. On Monday, an engineer discovered a fault with the machine that required a new part. An hour later, the insurance company rang. I thought they wanted to talk to me about the repair, but it was an excuse to upsell me more insurance. I declined several times for the recording.
  • Monday night was quiz night. After our disappointing performance last time, we did good. Pulling Terry Jacks, Seasons In The Sun, out of the hat helped make us joint ninth. Ninth is a specific goal of this quiz. We lost it on a tiebreak.
  • The UK’s sunniest place has been named (and it’s not Cornwall), says Metro. Yay for Shanklin!
  • Fun with ChatGPT. I asked what’s good AI. It said ethical AI should properly attribute but couldn’t provide attribution for its responses. I asked if OpenAI was, therefore, unethical. “Not necessarily” was the answer. It amused me.
  • I watched the Google IO event and was impressed by the Gemini capabilities. Then I asked ChatGPT and Gemini to describe an image. Only one AI came close and it wasn’t Google’s.
  • Weekend, to the Isle of Wight. The fridge has stopped opening while we have been elsewhere. The resulting stink from off food was unpleasant. One nudge of the temperature button and all was functioning. Less said about the weekend the better.

Media

  • Doctor Who: We watched Space Babies and The Devil’s Chord. These feel very different to anything that’s been before. In particular, The Devil’s Chord had no sense of jeopardy and the Hairspray finale was more High School Musical than time travelling Doctor. Thankfully, Ncuti saved the episode by being brilliant.
  • Trying to get through Trigger Point. Will persevere.

Weeknotes #68: eurovision and neon

A vibrant week filled with diverse experiences and enjoyable moments.

Week commencing Monday, 6 May 2024

A decorated car outside KOYN Japanese: a celebration of the artistry of Japanese cuisine
KOYN Japanese

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 6/7; Exercise 5/7 and Move 7/7. (86%). Morning walks: 2/3 (happy to have restarted the trend). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 67,658

Life

  • Bank holiday Monday. It rained, quite a lot. I stayed inside, quite a lot (but not entirely).
  • As it turns out, the washing machine was not fixed by fluke as I thought last week. Awaiting another engineer.
  • Tuesday was sunny. I did a morning walk again and it felt good. It felt even better to do it again on Wednesday.
  • Even if you don’t like Eurovision, you should have watched it for the amazing sets & Petra Mede. Sweden knows how to do it. The final was fun and, for once, the winner was in my top 3.
  • Related. For the first time in many years we watched it away from our house at the home of friends. As we were not entertaining, and as they provided a helpful scorecard, we watched every song. Some of them felt much longer than three minutes. The accompanying food was lovely.
  • Dinner with Greg on Wednesday night was Japanese (Koyn) and wonderful (both in company and food). Also, expensive. But as it’s our once-every-two-years meet-up, I’m OK with that.
  • By the end of Thursday I was tired so skipped the work karaoke session. Probably for the best.
  • Went to hire a mourning suit in Wimbledon on Friday evening. They were closed. Met PY and sat in the – very small – beer patio at All Bar One. Spontaneous and fun.
  • Managed to do the hiring on Saturday. But it will be delivered the day before it is needed. Nervous.
  • Sunday, on the way back from our Eurovision stay, to God’s Own Junkyard: a treasure-trove of neon. Wonderful, evocative and bright.

Media

  • Shardlake on Disney+. Although it was the monks being investigated, I couldn’t get Cadfael out of my head. This is probably more gruesome. Good characters, interesting plot. Set-up for a second series?