Studying Profusely (ongoing, until complete)
In just a fraction of the alloted time have I completed all of the studying for the previous block (and an accidental one week of the next) in my course, Approaching literature, and yesterday made a sparkling start to the assigment, TMA05 - 'A discussion of the ways in which narrative method and the perspective from which the story is told are used to address the theme of female marginalisation in patriarchal society, with reference to Alice Walker's The Color Purple and Jamaica Kincaid's 'Girl''. Still this is the priority until completed, when I'll have some genuine time to contact my friends after being on my travels, to mix these recordings I've done with Yarema to put on OurSpace, and to get the website into a visitable state. Ah! and to sort out all the photos we took in Dubai and Goa to put on a DVD for Stan.
Kikujiro Coincidence (some evenings ago)
Would you believe that when Kikujiro first asked little Masao to suggest two numbers to bet on at the races, the first two numbers to come into your head, both Masao and I suggested '6 and 3'.
Electric Fences (over the following days)
An interesting development since coming back has been that our dishwasher seems to be on its last legs, and keeps tripping the electricity, rendering the downstairs sockets unusable (and unturnbackonable) until the system has cooled down a little.
Also on the subject of electrical failures, I managed to screw up the Linpus Linux Lite installation on my Acer Aspire One, inspiring me to upgrade (here is a proper usage of the word - I have in the past been advised to 'upgrade' from Fedora 8 to windows xp, in order to 'keep up to speed' with somebody else's ancient systems); I say, this destruction of LLL inspiring me to upgrade to Fedora 10. Beautiful Fedora 10 'Cambridge'. XFCE is the desktop environment of choice, with the thin panel on the left hand side to compliment the widescreen display. SLiM has been chosen to manage my logins, and Fluxbox is a thought which keeps occurring, for future installation and even less power consumption (if using less RAM equates to using less electricity).
Transport Lottery (last and this Friday)
Have you noticed that the trains (at least around Greater Manchester) have taken a nose-dive in their user-friendliness ratings? The conductors, ticket checkers and shop attendants (and, we must assume, the modestly hidden train drivers themselves) are all as friendly, if not friendlier than they ever have been, but the times of the trains have been shifted so as to make it fairly awkward to make journeys more than one leg long. Nevertheless, I've had a reasonable amount of luck with them since my return. Last Friday, upon undertaking my first train journey since being oversees, I'd got to Hazel Grove Railway station at about bang on 17:31, with the train due to go at that time, asked the gentleman in the ticket office if I'd missed it, was told not and that I could go and try to get it, ran over the bridge in state not too dissimilar from desperation and found the conductor on the platform next to the train, waiting for me to board. Getting to Piccadilly for the next leg to Guide Bridge was less lucky because the intended one was cancelled, leaving a half-an-hour's wait. Getting back from these damn rehearsals (two, since returning) has been pretty unlucky, too. Both times I've missed the intended train from Guide Bridge, forcing me to go for the bus (the 219, if I recall), and then it's been hit or miss whether I've picked up a train from there to home. Yesterday worked out to be a mixture of both bad and good luck. Bad luck because I got to Platform 10 for the 21:52 just after the doors had closed, with the next and last one to Hazel Grove being at 23:10. Sodding that for a burden, I went for the 22:20 to Stockport, and then, after learning from the taxi drivers that it'll cost a whopping £10 to take me from Grand Central to the Fiveways, (here's the good luck) I walked through Grand Central itself to the A6, saw a 192 (which I was heading for) setting off homeward from the stop, got right to the A6 and there was a 199 waiting for me. I hopped on and asked the lovely driver if she could take me to the stop just before Mill Lane on Buxton Road. She knew the one I meant, and ten minutes later, let me know we were there, and I was soon home.
Unlikely Cassanova (yesterday evening)
But earlier in the evening, while I was still at Piccadilly Railyway Station on my way into Ashton, I had something of a small adventure. After sorting out my toileting and getting a Twirl from Sainsbury's for 49p (Daniela could keep the penny), while meandering my way to Platform 1 for the 19:18 to Hadfield, turning the corner onto the platform proper, I heard a voice slowing receding into the distance saying 'Excuse me', to me! thought I, and turned around to see what was up. Three girls were sitting down, and as I advanced, the middle one said, 'Could she have your number?' indicating her friend to my left. The request was declined (not for any personal reasons you must understand, my darling!), and off I went with us all on amicable terms. A few minutes later it turned out that they also were getting on the 19:18 to Hadfield, and after exchanging grins with my admirer we boarded (separately), and they all lived happily ever after.
Cricketing Confusion (last night)
Some late night hilarity, as I discovered that England won the first ODI in the West Indies, after the Windies going off for bad light while being one run behind according to the Duckworth Lewis System. Nice.
Word of the Week
Coincidence
coincidence /kəʊˈɪnsɪdəns/ n.
1. a. The fact or condition of being coincident; the occupation of the same place or part of space.
b. (with pl.) A case of coincidence.
2. Occurrence or existence at the same time; simultaneous occurrence or existence.
3. a. Exact agreement or correspondence in substance, nature, character, etc.
b. (with pl.) An instance of such agreement or correspondence.
4. A notable concurrence of events or circumstances having no apparent causal connexion.
5. Of persons: Agreement or concurrence (in opinion or sentiment).
6. Falling together, conjunction blending. Obs.
7. a. Physics. The indication of the occurrence of ionizing particles in two or more detectors simultaneously (see quot. 1958). Also attrib. Cf. ANTI-COINCIDENCE.
b. Computers. Equivalent signals received simultaneously in an electronic circuit; the reception of such signals. Also attrib.
Definition courtesy of the OED Online
Let us see if we meet again.