Nick

Gout under control, another 400 mile round trip for a funeral.

First time I've worn a suit in months.

That seems like a dream scenario here, but yeah, just storing pain for later.

Right. Boiler fixed, and now I have gout. I am now the stereotype of a fat middle aged guy.

You can have some of mine...
Teams needs to die.

A boiler displaying low pressure, which I RTFM'd and got sorted, but a drop to 0.4 bar after 3 months suggests a possible leak that plumber needs to fix. It also reminded me that after 3 months I've not had the Gas Safe installation certificate, which is a useful threat should he not play nice.

True, and in this case a quick investigation in the loft later, it's back in service, and the plumber has questions to answer come Monday.

Can't recommend it, training was totally inadequate for the job.

Rest of week off was predictably eaten up with Stuff.

Trip to Cheshire and Liverpool to visit her college friend who is having a bit of A Time Of It, and to help empty her stepmother's flat now the lady herself is in a home for dementia care.

Come back, 3 month old boiler is not working. Joy!

Ah, the gospel according to St Delia of Norwich. Always good to meet another of the faithful.

Very few bad days have cake in, and happy birthday to Himself even if it's not actually today! 🎈

Went to look at the sea, had lunch at seaside cafe, and made pancakes, but also had serious, um, intestinal distress from something yesterday- so little from column A, little from column B, cheers.

How about you?

I didn't achieve much today either, but did tour all the west end tourist zones, and bought baklava to fetch home as a treat.

Yeah, but now you have drugs, and that's a fairly definite Something you've done.

Walked from Victoria to Kings Cross and back via all the tourist zones, got very sore feet, and now just.. going home.

Only now, after spending money on a ticket, and getting to Gatwick, do I realise I don't really want to spend a day alone with no plans in London.

Better start searching for things to do.

Looks like the guard has given up chasing people out and just declassified that area.

Next tactical blunder, I ended up on the first off peak train. It's full up, including teenage girls trying to get a first class upgrade by sitting there and telling the guard they need to be there so they can sit together. I can hear it, wish I could see it.

Ok, I'll take one for the team.

Surely she's seen it before?

Part 1 of sorting stuff out is done. Eye test, replace shoes, new jumper, haircut all sorted out.

The haircut is #1 all over, and I'm getting closer to shaving it properly soon.

I've booked a week off to get over some shit, and like the idiot I am, have booked half term.

However, I'm still going to London tomorrow.

Oh, bother. That's a scary horrible thing.

2026, the year of "Fuck it all" in every possible way. Might as well be in a good way.

Although my favourite job to mention when young folk are asking is "putting the stripes in toothpaste."

It was only a week or so of a summer job, but still...

Five jobs I've had:

1) Concrete batcher
2) Theatre technician
3) Mainframe operator
4) Counter-fraud investigator
5) Broadcast IT bodger

Commiserations.

I have memories of the University of Essex, where you could walk in at ground level, go through endless corridors, down flights of stairs, and still come out at ground level. I'm sure there were areas I never found in all my 3 years.

Happy anniversary! Nestiversary?

I'm sure he's on his way. Enjoy the chips.

The successor to "TL:DR" is "V:CR" - "Video: can't read."

Yeah, the ai-generated transcript isn't going to cut it here. Not in the same league as an actual document written by actual people to be read. Sorry.