A Distant Memory Now

Why did I buy that huge coffee when I stopped for petrol this morning on my way up the M6 to Manchester? It took me ages to get onto site this morning due to awkward security staff. By the end I was bursting.

Interesting talking to a new colleague today who is into meditation and Chi Kung. Although I've tried recently to increase my sitting practise, I've really let the Chi Kung slip.

Only back at work two days and I'm knackered already! I really got to a very relaxed place during last weeks holiday. It's a distant memory now.

Good To Be Home

The last full day of the holiday was thankfully dry and sunny and spent at Crealy adventure park. The kids had a great time on everything. Harriet discovered a love of the Pirate Ship ride much to my discomfort as I had to go on with her again and again. Finished off the holiday with fish and chips at Rick Steins chip shop in Padstow. Absolutely yummy. Best ever.

Early start on the homeward journey this morning. Dreadful traffic and roadworks. Took about eight hours to get home. Knackered. Mom and Dad brought the pets over. Great to see Pebbles again. Took her out for a walk tonight straight back into the normal routine. Good to be home.

Blue Bar

Down at the Blue Bar in Porthtowan, just a mile from our holiday cottage. Jacq brought her MacBook down to take advantage of the free wi-fi. Better weather today. Having fun.

Goonhilly

Blogging from the internet cafe at Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station in Cornwall. The holiday cottage is great and the weather a bit grim but we're having a great time.

See You In A Week

Work has been a bit of a grind with the ammount of travelling so working at home today certainly eased the load. A luxury to pop down to TGI's for lunch with t'wife. Tonight we went to parents evening at the school and both kids got great reports. So proud of them. I want them to do well of course, but mostly I just want them to have as nice a time as possible as they go through the system.

Tomorrow we're off down to Cornwall for a week in this cottage. We're all really looking forward to it. Don't suppose the weather will be that great but the change of scene will do us all good. Packing my laptop and hoping for a creative boost from being in an inspirational area.

See you in a week.

Steve Albini Owns Me Right Now

Weekend just wizzed-by, party-style. Dylan and Harriet were both out at parties on Saturday afternoon. I took Dylan to the local sports stadium for a 'multi-sport' party at which he had a great time. Meanwhile Harriet was up town with her friends taking in a movie and a pizza, very grown up. Sunday Jacqs family came over for the usual get together.

Working in Stafford today as the M6 is closed and it's not worth trying to get up to Manchester. A shorter day but at least I've got an internet connection so I can catch up with some personal productivity as well as the day job. Hence this post.

Music-wise my iPod is churning out a lot of Big Black at the moment. Not sure what triggered this decent into noise as I'd recently been listening to lots of quiet stuff like Eno and Budd. But anyway, Steve Albini owns me right now. Tiny King Of The Jews is the best track ever right now and has overtaken my previous fave, Kerosene.

Parties Coming Up

Enjoyed a lovely bottle of German wine tonight given to me yesterday by one of the guys I'm workng with up in Manchester. This guy has a hotel in Hambug which he invited us to. What a nice chap. It must be said that all of the German guys I've been working with over the last 12 months have been incredibly friendly. I'm sure us English don't come across as such.

My blogging of late has been wanting but that's mainly down to lack of internet during the working day. Still driving up and down to Manchester which is a drag but pays well. The excessive driving time is being filled with podcasts by the splendid Leo Laporte and Merlin Mann.

Harriets birthday next week. Eleven. Gosh.

Lots of parties coming up.

Why Wasn't This Band Massive?

The Wolfgang Press. Awesome. Fact.

Fisheye

Saturday morning I dropped Dylan off at the Sea Life Centre for his friends birthday then I had a couple of hours to myself around town. In the Ikon Gallery I saw an exhibition by Marijke van Warmerdam with some real nice film loops. 'Dream Machine' was a mesmerising slow motion loop of milk droplets in a glass of clear water eventually resulting in a whiteout screen. I watched it for ages. In the Ikon shop I picked up a 35mm fisheye camera made by Lomography. Looking forward to taking some fisheye shots.