Things have been busy recently, which would help to explain the dearth of entries since ten days ago. The pressure to finish the RDI paper is on, as well as the need to produce a poster from it. Off to College on Friday, and then to Edinburgh on Monday (once it's all booked -- eep!). The boss-lady is back next week, too, so I think things are going to tighten up (sphincters not excepted) around here for a few weeks again. Somewhat ironically, as I've got quite a bit done recently, with the absence of distractions (staff- and student-related) in the last few weeks.

Anyway, have much to do now, so I'll update when I've got too tired to be productive (but not so tired that I don't realise it).

Went actual rock-climbing (as opposed to actual rock-climbing) lastnight at the Uni Surrey sport centre! Have cleverly removed some skin using a rope, it took Hazel and Abi about half-an-hour to hammer into my head how to belay (the trick, we worked out, is not to think about it too much). But I managed to get the hang of that and also climbing some of the easier walls. Hands and arms got a bit tired (as I'd always feared) after about an hour of all this, but I had a grand time, and will go back. Better yet, Hazel's Fraser has (she thinks) size 11 feet (another fellow freak, hurrah!) so I'll even be able to use proper climbing shoes next time. How handy!

Was all followed by retiring to the newly refurbished White House (now with nice decor) and thence -- inevitably, in retrospect -- to Bar Zuka. Where Abi's friend Gav (not the Scottish one) was playing. What a co-inkey-dink! So Abi and Hazel danced in a white-wine kind of way, while Fletch, ChrisHousemateOfFletch and I sat and took in the atmosphere, and beer.

A good night was had by all (I'm guessing)

More run-based pain lastnight. Very probably going clambering with NiceHousemateLady tonight. Where will this New Healthy Lifestyle go next??

So, Val gave me the news this morning: the albatros has finally been published.

Would you believe it? I went back to running lastnight. Only half an hour (was supposed to be 20 mins, but the holiday watch is bust) alternating between 1 minute running and 1 minute walking.

Baked potahto, tuna'n'onion brown roll and thai stir fry fer meals. The New Healthy Lifestyle is back on!

Although, hard to believe that I first started on that running business around May/June last year... Dropped it in July when I lost my Sony SRF-M95 (might have to get a slightly over-priced version from Dixons, as Amazon aren't going to deliver for weeks at the moment).

And thanks/no thanks to Andy for taking this. I take no responsibility for my hattedness.

Would you believe it? I went back to running lastnight. Only half an hour (was supposed to be 20 mins, but the holiday watch is bust) alternating between 1 minute running and 1 minute walking.

Baked potahto, tuna'n'onion brown roll and thai stir fry fer meals. The New Healthy Lifestyle is back on!

Heh heh.... that was a cracking birthday weekend! Alan was down from Nottingham, Mr Bridger popped over from Camberley (where they have pushchairs, rather than three-wheeled buggies), Chris'n'Jane'n'Jane's Nephew made it, G&J came along fer the bowling, as did Fiona, The Swiss and Russian (Ukrainian) Embassies came bowling, too -- first time for Egor, ever! ....All the usual faces were there.

The birthday week is now officially over. The new healthy lifestyle starts this week. I.e. today. Bugger.

Sure haven't I just been for a haircut and had a lie-in this morning after watching the first three episodes of Six Feet Under lastnight till half-one. Great.
I could get used to this Sainsbury's-be-good-to-yourself lifestyle!

"In't being twenty-seven BRILLLIANN'?", as the fast-show kid might say... Well, no -- not yet. It's been mixed. Rubbish happenings at work (e.g. the COSPAR deadline zooming quietly by), but I've had a good drawing-out of the birthday experience so far. Up in That London to visit broken-ankled Neil on Tuesday night (as he couldn't make it to the Tup on Saturday for the birthday drinks), watching Fawlty Tars as the drunken levels increased. Which was good, and I even managed to not fall asleep on the train (as I did between the last two blog entries), thereby saving the �36 it would've cost to get home from there.

Then lastnight I investigated the Tup with Abi, Haze'n'Frase, Wildman and a post-ju jitsu Fletch for some on-the actual-birthday drinkage. Seems a nice place, so we're going BACK on Saturday for the Official Birthday Show (without HiThisIsWes).

Today was going swimmingly until a) we had a meeting that lasted much too long to be useful; b) I realised I had me shorts on back-to-front; and c) I remembered that somehow yesterday, I had broken RDI_CAL. How unlucky is tha'? I've reverted to Friday's version 2.3, which works. But doesn't do much else. Need to fix that after I've refereed a bit. Just realised whose paper it is too! Blimey. Can't say here, obviously....

Dr Buxey is coming Daaan Saaaf on Friday night to see his dad, once he's disentangled himself from all those network cables, and will be popping up for Saturday efternoon's bowling'n'boozing.

Meanwhile, I'm not clambering tonight, as I've got to get this report done. I'm being leant on from afar.

More shite later.

Oh, and I got a kite for me birthday! Will be brought along to Cornwall and all other places that have hills or beaches. Hurrah!

Happy St David's Day!

The two weeks of radio silence were rounded off this weekend with Abi's birthday. Out in Olivo on Friday night -- quite merry upon departure, quite not-merry on discovering the �3 price tag for just getting into Bar Zuka. That's before the ambulance-inducing cost of (to the extent of my knowledge) dry white wine and bottles of various beers.

Then, on Saturday, after a very nice hot bacon roll from the 24-hour cafe on Newlands Corner at 12:30, I dun me first EVER bit of rock-climbing action at Bowles Rocks near that (Royal) Tunbridge Wells! With Jen at the top and Gill holding on to the rope (which in turn was holding on to me) beneath.