...as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know.

D H Rumsfeld (1932-)

Still a bit surprised at the strength of my reaction to Paignton yesterday. Dug back through old versions of this site on The Internet Archive to find I described my last visit as "the strangest weekend of my life". Particularly remember a muggy, thunderous Easter Monday. Sitting on a bench in Victoria Park looking at a ship at anchor in Torbay, wishing I hadn't eaten a breakfast which was now fighting my attempts to digest it. I also remember walking feverishly around the bus station, and alongside the tracks toward the level crossing and Goodrington Sidings in order to find a usable mobile phone signal to try to fix the mess I'd made of things. Then, a speedy dash back home on the train because I'd realised what a bad idea it was to go to Paignton in the first place! All the way back I worried about who would help me get a decent shirt for my Election photograph. Strange days indeed, and who'd have thought they would stay so vividly with me four years later.

I suppose I'm more sensitive to 'place' than I ever thought, which is perhaps manifested in the attraction I have to Peter Ackroyd's ideas of 'privileged space'. All sorts of strange questions and wonderings rattling around my head this past couple of days as a result of that trip, and the strange coincidences that follow. Fact is, I thought I knew what I wanted - or at least what I thought I didn't want. Perhaps its all much simpler than I thought, and I in fact don't have any self-awareness at all? At times like this, Mr Rumsfeld worryingly begins to make sense.

Achieved quite a bit today. Major tidying exercise in anticipation of flat inspection. Also added the missing bits of the Inkblot puzzle. I ought to give it some sort of useful home on this site, rather than expecting prospective users to wade through my dirty laundry to find a link! I also, rather excitingly, invented a way to stuff a duvet into its cover which didn't take me 20 minutes and result in near-tearful bouts of frustration.

Combined with the relative success of the last couple of weeks at work, I feel sort of 'on course' for something - not entirely sure what, but its more comfortable than any of the alternatives I'm sure. Looking ahead now to my upcoming London trip.

Loyal readers will remember when all the daylog entries were as self-obsessed, painfully trite, and pointlessly oblique as this one. Call it an Independence Day special!

I want to start a band, for the sake of being called "The Wednesbury Unreasonables" which is possibly the best name I've ever heard. Otherwise, next week I plunge back into the morass of School Appeals. Had a stray one today, which against all the odds was dismissed! I almost wanted to lose one - since just now I have a clean sheet, and with a whole lot (over 40) decisions due on the 17th July I felt like it would be a good idea to break my duck now, rather than then. Late stay at work gives occasion for some encouraging pep-talks however.

First day of my two-day holiday from getting testy with students and their kinfolk. Decided to take a spin down to Exeter - firstly because I've never really given it more than a cursory Sunday-morning glance, and secondly because of the associations I discovered in "Born in Exile". Leisurely 10:30 start, arrived by 11:15. Long circuit of the northern suburbs, then down into the city. Wandered around the Cathedral Close, and visited some of the shops. Amazed by a couple of elderly holidaymakers making mental notes on which supermarkets were available (but later had a worryingly similar conversation!). Walked to Central Station, and then around Northernhay and Rougemont Castle gardens. Pretty exhausted on my return. Lazed around all afternoon. Happily relaxing with cider now.

Midweek, and exhausted. gtkdial is frozen for translation. Work is confusing and bewildering just now, but can only get clearer. Walked home a couple of times this week, which is no doubt good for me but leves me pretty knackered. Incredible storm last night - lasted for almost six hours by my reckoning, and was as vicious when I was waiting for the bus at 8am as it was at about 2:30am! Follwed by chaos and power failures. Lambchop tomorrow.