Well here I am at my new desk doing my new job. Well, sort of doing it anyway - I have written some letters pertaining to my new patch and have a thick report to read but am now looking at timetables as before. Same old same old, as they say. Anyway, at least I'm being paid more to do it so I won't complain.

So, a week since last post. What have I been up to? Wednesday was just another day of plugging away at Timetables and sorting stuff out prior to the move (and a thrilling meeting about timetable cases at the roadside), then we had five days off together.

OK, so Joan had been off all week but I couldn't manage all the time so just two days off work was what I had to settle for. We originally had grand plans to get away for a couple of nights - I got as far as sorting some brochures for short breaks but we never got round to booking anything. Still, cheaper that way! We also intended to take a few day trips, but the weather was generally dreadful (Thurs, Fri, Sat and the Bank Holiday Monday were all rainy, quite heavy rain in fact while Sunday was glorious sunshine and I got sunburnt rather than soaked) and the furthest we were able to manage was here in Ipswich. Quite literally here on Thursday in fact as we paid extensive visits to The Range and Dunelm Mill at the end of the street from the office. Just like a normal day's travel for me
then!

Other highlights of the break included: Ma, Pa & Richard coming to dinner on Friday night, more Ipswich shopping, some wandering around Felixstowe and some nice meals here and there. And also getting hold of the new Chumbawamba album Un which is superb. In the same vein as the last one but using internationally sourced samples rather than British folk music. Needs some more listens to fully get under my skin but initial thoughts are highly favourable.

Sunday, the nice day, was also the annual Ipswich to Felixstowe historic vehicle run. So that explains the sunburn from standing on the corner watching everything go by then wandering down and along the seafront for another couple of hours (with an ice cream of course, although not Joan as she elected to stay at home after the corner bit). Another bunch of lovely old cars, trucks and buses etc and another reason to be grateful for digital photography. I think I have now just about covered the cost of the camera in not paying for films and developing charges. Plus it is very nice to be able to take a few different angles and choose the nicest or to preview the finished shot while still stood next to the subject.

And we also managed to watch a few films: 8 Mile which was a lot better than I expected. I seem to be growing to appreciate rap more and more as the years go by even if the lifestyle and a lot of the subject matetr (that is when they actually have a subject other than themselves) doesn't do much for me. Kill Bill Vol 1 which was superb, if totally ridiculous at times. In fact we might actually go and see Vol 2 at the cinema now rather than waiting for the dvd release just so we don't have to wait to find out the ending. And Sleepy Hollow which we had seen before, but it was on the tv so we thought we'd give it another go. Still fun - and Johnny Depp and Tim Burton are a great combination.

Back to work now...