Thursday, Jul. 09, 2009 - 23:06

A (Cross Country Trains) train from Birmingham to Leeds, Monday afternoon

OK, so I didn't really intend to bring my work laptop along in order to do any work whilst on this couple o'days trip back up to Yorkshire - it was always going to be more likely that I'd end up using this piece of equipment for leisure activities such as typing my diary entries or watching DVDs. So it has proven to be, barely an hour or two after I left work. I had such good intentions though, honest I did!

Not had the best start to my trip actually - the train broke down (or some scummy pikey gits pulled the emergency cord) barely fifteen minutes into my four hour journey, causing a good three-quarter hour delay to proceedings. I seethed inwardly - though not at the delay, but at the fact there were some cockmuncher chav c-nuts dressed in Henley t-shirts strutting about demanding to be let off the train and have a refund. Wankers - it's not the British way to complain, after all! Certainly, it's wrong to imagine the world revolves around you and that the train staff (who are busy trying to fix a problem) have time to listen to your retarded demands :-)

Slept really badly last night. Due to a combination of Sunday evening resentment at it being another working week soon, various columns I wanted to read on The Guardian website, procrastinating about having to iron some shirts, and then the warm weather when I *did* get to bed.. well it was close to two by the time I fell asleep. Not ideal, when you're up at half five for work!

If you'd told me twenty years ago that this day of my life, I'd be sitting on a train in Burton-on-Trent listening to Bonnie Tyler 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' and eating sweet'n'sour rice Pringles.. well I wouldn't have known what to make of it. Partially because I'm not sure Pringles had been invented (or at least, not yet made it to the UK), but all the same. Does anyone remember Frank Pringle, who played for Newcastle United? Grey haired bruiser of a Dane, I thinks.

On an earlier connecting train, I saw an ex-pupil who I taught four or so years ago. Actually it was nearer three years back - World Cup year. Anyhow, I alas couldn't remember her name, and hence had to fathom out whether I should show acknowledgement (assuming she remembered me) and/or whether this'd lead to an awkward conversation. It wasn't like I disliked her when I taught her - she was just quiet and belligerent (sp?) and didn't do the work I set her. Mardy moo.

I wish I'd copied Shredder (or another of my chess engines) onto this laptop. I did think of it at one point in the past week, but clearly forgot about the idea by the time I was actually home and able to access the disk with the software on it. Ack bum poo, I'll just have to.. um.. watch a DVD or read a book this evening instead.

Speaking of which (ish), I wonder whether there'll be any semblance of socialness during this course, in the evenings, so to speak? It might be nice to go for a pint or something with some of the other people who are on the course with me (making assumptions about their non-fuckwittedness, that is), share best practice and the like. Hmmm.. I guess I'll just have to see how it pans out.

LISTENING TO:- I've just discovered a track saved on my memory stick by Curve called 'Weekend', which I never knew I had. It's damned fine proto-Garbage electro sorta stuff. Mighty nice indeed :-)

That's all for what I wrote at that point.. more later perchance!