Further wafflings

I might say that I seriously doubt anyone is reading this. Maybe when I actually have some 'exciting' stories about muggings or drunkenness it will be worth my friends' while to read it. But I am regarding it as a bit of a personal diary as well, just one which can't be too whiny or embarassing as it is theoretically public. ;-)

So this is just me rambling a bit. Nothing embarassing, but this is probably even less interesting than most of the stuff so far.

I got pretty lucky with the snow really. I was in Skegness last night and decided to take a gamble on the snow allowing my Dad to give me a lift to Peterborough in the morning so I could get into London before 5pm (the first train from Skegness on Sunday - well, this Sunday at least, I don't know in general - doesn't even leave until 2pm). And last night was pretty much the first night in ages it didn't go below freezing and the roads were fine.

I got to my flat about 12:30 and the cleaner was already in doing the final clean before my check-out on Tuesday. He said he was going to be there until about 4, so I went and had a pint and a curry while he finished off.

I was a bit worried about the time as I was meeting a couple of friends in Richmond at about 6 (one of them was ill and was staying out because I'm off soon, as well) and I had to get over to the hotel in Shepherd's Bush first to check in and drop my stuff off. But the cleaner and his friend offered me a lift to Shepherd's Bush, the hotel was pretty easy to find and despite Goldhawk Road tube station being closed, I managed to make my way down to Hammersmith on the bus pretty easily, and despite a false alarm earlier the District line was running down to Richmond.

A decent drink and a chat later, I got a tube back almost immediately, walked part way and jumped on a bus (I think I could have walked it all, to be honest) with no trouble. Perhaps most reassuringly, my 'bump of locality' appeared to be functioning and despite getting off the bus somewhere I didn't quite know (right outside the Walkabout) I easily located the hotel. This is the sort of skill I need to cultivate for when I'm in sunnier but possibly less safe climes. :-)

Never been outside the Shepherd's Bush Walkabout at this time of night before. A surprising amount of noisy drunkenness given most people were presumably on their way in, but no trouble.

Oh, and although it may not be a coincidence, I brought Paul Auster's "The Music Of Chance" with me, as a friend gave it me for Christmas but I didn't remember I had the present until while I was packing up my flat. I've read the first chapter and it looks like the perfect book to be reading in my situation. Nice choice Jon. :-) Depending on how the book turns out, I hope it doesn't unpleasantly parallel later parts of my trip... :-)

Anyway, I think that's enough self-congratulation for one night. ;-)