After work on Tuesday I met up with Matt, one of my university flatmates, who was in Ipswich for the day. We had a few beers and a curry, and a good catchup. I reckon we probably see each other a couple of times a decade or so on average, and as usual much of the conversation was reminiscing about various daft student goings-on, though my recollections at least are getting increasingly blurry with a scarcely believable 30+ intervening years.
I appear to have given up on #48in24 – the difficulty suddenly jumped up a few weeks ago when it went from fizzbuzz-level stuff to “solve this logic puzzle”, and I kind of ground to a halt, defeated by a battle to remember how to write Prolog (and with the knowledge that the other two languages would be far less suitable to the problem). Ah well.
Another Friday 5 this week – our club’s home race in Kirton. I struggled from about halfway again, but still finished quicker than the first two. A fair bit slower than the past couple of years though, but I suppose I am getting older!
I went to Bury St Edmunds on Saturday to see Pet Needs (again), at the Apex. I took the train, and went a bit early so I could have a wander round the Abbey Gardens first. I nipped into the local Wetherspoons (the Corn Exchange) for a pre-show drink and some dinner (thanks to a special on beef madras, if you pretend I would have paid full price for the 660ml bottle of Brewdog beer that I picked as the included drink, the curry itself only cost £2.50). While I was eating I looked up to see the band walk past my table, and Johnny mentioned the pub on stage, describing it as the poshest Wetherspoons he’s ever seen. No word on whether he knows where all the plug sockets are though.
The other bands on the bill were Slughouse, Gabby Rivers and Gaffa Tape Sandy – I think I’ve seen Slughouse before, but not the other two.
My phone battery ran out shortly after I got on the train to come home, which could have been an issue as it had my ticket on it. Fortunately I’d leant back and shut my eyes when the ticket inspector came through the train, and he presumably thought I was asleep and didn’t wake me to ask to see it. Also the barriers at Ipswich station were open, so I didn’t get accused of fare-dodging (I assume this happens to people all the time and there’s a process, but no doubt it would have been a pain of some sort).
Today I was sitting drinking my morning coffee when I slowly became aware that the odd behaviour from Badger cat by my feet was due to him having brought me a sparrow. I quickly got Badger out of the room, but while my back was turned the bird took the opportunity to hide. I managed to find it, by which time it had regained enough composure to start flying round. I eventually caught it, was about to let it out of the window until I saw Ninja cat lurking outside, so thought better of it and released it in the front garden instead. I’m pleased to report that it took off from my hand and flew across the road to some trees, apparently no worse for the experience.
