Started by shopping and cleaning. Moved things around a bit here in the flat to accommodate the second machine on a semi-permanent basis.
Set about fixing bits and bobs on this site. In the process got a 'search' function going, which attempts to highlight the occurences of the string entered in the results. Also fixed the webcam image to reflect the camera not being online at all times. People have asked several times about a release of Areopagitica - frankly, I'd be ashamed to let this out with so many loose ends and hacks.
Back to work tomorrow, and perhaps a little calm before the storm? Trying to plan the weekends ahead in order to visit the Family Records Centre and the London Metropolitan Archives. Also think I might be coming down with a cold...
The last couple of days seems to have flown by. Since leaving work on Tuesday, I don't seem to have stopped for a moment.
Yesterday finally completed present shopping I planned to do weeks ago. I really had good intentions this year, and hoped to put more thought into the 'New Year' gifts. The chaos of the last couple of weeks has led to me being utterly selfish and not thinking about (let alone buying) gifts at all.
Quick visits then over to Burnham. Brief wander around town pubs with the Funky Uncle. Met a few interesting people from the past, which was fun. Burnham doesn't change much in many ways. Spent an uncomfortable night with little sleep.
Started Christmas Day with a brisk 'Historical Highbridge' walk, followed by presents and lunch (and a far too early start to the liquid entertainments).
Taxi back to Weston, then a second lunch and even more drinks. Added bonus of a chance to listen to some splendid guitar playing (and even join in vocals on occasion!).
Retired early, in extreme need of sleep after last night.
Inexplicably, a house in my street has huge sheets of seemingly blank paper pasted on its windows. Passing last evening, with the lights shining out from inside, the following words were visible scrawled in ballpoint pen:
Michael Jackson Is
Tidied up this page a bit, and put the Creative Commons licensing stuff on, which I'd intended to do for sometime. I don't for a minute think that anyone would want to reproduce stuff from here - I just feel that the more casual browsers see these licenses, the better for everyone.
I also got around to setting up DynDNS properly to point at mikegtn.net. Vanity? Yes indeed. Convenient nonetheless.
The utter frustration with work has prevented much productivity here, and left me less than disposed to even talk to people lately. Consequently I've been thoroughly miserable. I don't think I could ever quite achieve the 'tortured loner' effect, because I get too curious about what's happening to people. Hence, did some catching up over the last couple of days which has improved my mood no end.
Long and rather strange day at work. Seemed to be busy for a great deal of it, much of it involving answering slightly disgruntled emails from 'customers'. Looks like at least one long awaited office storm is about to break...
Went to see The Return of the King tonight. I've never been on the first day of a film before - I figured it would be busy, but I was unprepared for the sheer volume of people squashing into Screen 1 of Weston's rather tiny Odeon. The crowd control problems meant a late start to a long film, but I really didn't notice the moments passing by. I enjoyed every second of the movie - certainly more than I did The Two Towers. I was pleased to see enough 'background mythology' intact to prevent geeks like me being disappointed.
I was surprised by the audience reaction - I'm British, and I'm certainly not used to outbursts of emotion, particularly in the cinema, but there was a great deal of hooting, cheering, clapping and sighing.
As for the much reported problem of people not knowing quite when the end was, I did detect some confusion among the audience. OK, the Shire wasn't scoured, but otherwise I was touched to see that things were seen through to their conclusion, and not ended with a cheesy freezeframe when the ring is destroyed, which was a relief.
Sounds silly, but after over two years, I can't believe the trilogy is over! What will I look forward to next Christmas?
Lost::MikeGTN
I've had a home on the web for more years than I care to remember, and a few kind souls persuade me it's worth persisting with keeping it updated. This current incarnation of the site is centred around the blog posts which began back in 1999 as 'the daylog' and continued through my travels and tribulations during the following years.
I don't get out and about nearly as much these days, but I do try to record significant events and trips for posterity. You may also have arrived here by following the trail to my former music blog Songs Heard On Fast Trains. That content is preserved here too.
