Out, Blinking, Into the Sunshine... 22 years ago
Posted in Railways on Monday 1st March 2004 at 9:49pm
Woke up still feeling gruesome, but determined to get out and about. Set about getting to Alton, exploring some more tricky bits of Hampshire, and to perhaps potter around some more South West London surburban routes.
It was an incredibly beautiful day to be out travelling. For the first time this year, the sun was actually beginning to warm things up a little, and the clear skies left it cold and crisp. In normal circumstances, perfect weather for me, but today the cold seemed to aggravate my persistent (and embarassingly over-dramatic sounding) cough!
To Reading first, then a series of little hops to get to Alton. This included a stop at Aldershot, and the least convenient Convenience Store I have ever visited. Well, I suppose it might be convenient if the only things you needed were the very limited range of items he had in stock! At Alton, paused for a much needed bacon sandwich and a brief look at the Mid-Hants Railway's preserved stock. Narrowly missed returning on a pair of SWT's new Class 450s. Rebooked and headed towards the captial, getting a wonderful view of the vast Victorian cemetary at Brookwood, which was the terminus (appropriate term!) of the Necropolis Railway.
More short hops, included short waits in the sunshine at West Byfleet and Virginia Water, which were really quite pleasant! Back to Reading on one of the comfortable, but sadly already vandalised Class 458s.
Noticed I was losing my voice, so booked tomorrow's ticket at Bristol just in case, before heading home. Not sure a day out in the cold was entirely the best thing for my health today, but I certainly feel much less irritable and frustrated, so it can't all be bad!
Finally completed reading and started work on essay. Realised how flabby the old academic muscles have become over the last lazy year. Rattle off an introduction and some brief sketches of how I'd like to procede. Lost confidence and concentration about the same time. Attempted to find diversion which would keep me loosely on the trail - ended up reading almost the entirety of H G Wells "Love and Mr Lewisham" Sleepy. Much essay guilt.
Daylog Entry for Friday 01/03/2002 24 years ago
Posted in Updates on Friday 1st March 2002 at 12:00am
This is absurd - I'm so used to being uptight and worried about the immediate future that I'm having a seriously hard time not worrying. Spent today viewing possible new locations, chattering on the phone, lurking on IRC and just being lazy. Accepted a dinner invitation, and ended up on a rare and unexpected Weston night out. A passable blues band and a great deal of Guinness allieviate the possible traumas, and I cope admirably with my reintroduction to the local social scene. Arrived home late to find that, to my great dismay, my VCR had failed to grab "Black Books" for me...hmm.
Daylog Entry for Thursday 01/03/2001 25 years ago
Posted in Updates on Thursday 1st March 2001 at 12:00am
Weird day. Some interest in Principia which makes me feel very happy! Later, a confusing and deeply boring time. Weirdly, practically everyone I know is busy elsewhere tonight, leaving me to discuss internationalisation (or i18n to the kids!) on #gnome. A little wiser, thanks to Kjartan Maraas, but still unsure what I've fscked up to prevent Luigi's Italian translations from installing.
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.
