Of course what I forgot to mention in all of that entered last night was the debacle of Saturday's lunch. We thought we would try the new Italian coffee and Sarnie place that just opened in Felixstowe - Pucinos. So I dutifully trotted in to town in time to meet Joan for her break at one. She didn't finally get out until nearly quarter past but that was OK as she still had an hour to play with. We went up and found a table. After 10 minutes we snagged a menu off the table next door and decided what we fancied, however that still didn't produce a waiter and as we were running to a timescale decided to move on after 15 minutes with no sign of life from the staff. Now, I acknowledge that the place was busy and that it was their first day open, but you would think that any sound business plan would anticipate being busy on your first day and arrange staff accordingly. At least someone to come over and say "we're a bit busy but will get to you eventually" would have been nice. When we gave up we met some friends outside who had waited 25 minutes just for a coffee earlier in the morning.

We settled on Bumpers after that as at least we knew lunch would be OK and prompt. Seems we were wrong there as well. After we had sat for 30 minutes with no sign of food we collared the owner and he discovered they had lost our order. We got our money back and left as Joan then had no time left to eat and had to go back to work instead. I was by this point in an equally mixed state of anger, frustration and general gloom. I only just kept myself in check until I got home where it all came flooding out for a few minutes. Not a great situation. Oh well, over and gone now.

So, the Springsteen album (The Rising) is superb. Nice to hear the full E-Street Band back in full flow and also the, dare I say it?, experimental bits. I.E. strings, eastern singers, hurdy gurdy, dancey beats and stuff like that. Will have to listen to it again very soon. Possibly even tonight as Joan is out getting aromatherapied.

And now I'm back at work for another week. At least I'm not stuck at the desk for 5 days - Thursday is an ATCO meeting in Thurrock and on Friday I have to go to Norwich for the morning. So far I confess to not having done very much today - a bit of tidying up on my Park & Ride Newsletter - really must get that finished this week - and one simple timetable change. Have also spoken to Joan at home and she has booked me in with the Doctor. Not until the 19th but at least I now have a target to monitor feeling tired until. And yes, I could use a couple more hours snoozing today.

Have also had a bit of a bad head this morning so took a stroll out in the sunshine after lunch (as well as a good dose of Ibuprofen!) and that seems to have sorted it out. That included a stop in the Library to take back last week's CD borrows and grab a couple more (Orbital and OPM) and one at HMV for the new Chumbawamba album Readymades which I am listening to a the moment. So glad we got PCs with CD drives in. Anyway, they have taken loads of samples from classic British folk tunes and added a danceish feel to them with a smattering of the usual Chumblie sound. Top notch so far.