I dunno, you spend the best part of a Metallica CD humming and ha-ing over what to write and completely forget to mention what you did last night. Yup, we went to the production of Camelot referred to on Tuesday. Apart from it being in a tent (with very squeaky frame making a lot of racket in the high winds) rather than strictly outdoors it was very good indeed. Not seen the film or a previous production so it was all new to me too. I do enjoy a bit of live theatre from time to time, and the amateur groups round here all do a stonkingly good job. Plus we won two prizes in the raffle!

Saturday's not what it used to be, so goes the Kingmaker song, and I'm inclined to agree. I seem to recall back in the dim and distant past that Saturdays were to be treasured as the first day of two away from work but it never seems to feel like that any more. If Joan is at work then I crack on with housework (and yet all my efforts never seem to make a difference - I may iron for hours but the pile never seems to go down or get rid of several sacks full of rubbish but there is always more to be found) and if she is off then the chances are we just work together. Or go shopping. Neither of which options seems to leave much room for the realxing, going out or having fun I'm sure weekends are supposed to consist of. We shall have to see what happens tomorrow, but I bet both shops and cleaning will be involved at some point. Possibly in an interconnected manner of course - especially if Joan agrees with my diagnosis that the new Dyson is making a strange racket as that may end up going back for another replacement. Makes me mad the way new things just don't work properly. Anyway, back to nicer things.

The trip to Rome seems to have been really good. OK, so Joan came back with some terrible blisters and a bit put off by the way some of her fellow travellers were a bit full of themselves but otherwise she had a really good time. Saw the Colliseum, Vatican and a bunch of other top sights, had some nice food and lots of sunshine. So that was good.

Wednesday we had a lazy day - went in to town and had lunch at The Office which opened around Christmas and we have been meaning to try it ever since. Very nice (we both had savoury pancakes) even if the portions were just too vast. Not a lot else doing though - just got her pictures done (and also the last few from Switzerland which were also in the camera - the perils of going digital meaning we have only used 1 normal film in a year!). Then another two days of work before today.

I did manage to finish A Short History... on Wednesday too. Really enjoyed it and I think I will have to go deeper in on some of the topics covered again at some point. Which may be helped by having re-joined the book club of course as at least now I might get to hear about some of the interesting science or engineering or historical books that I would otherwise miss. Never enough time to browse for them properly in the real or virtual worlds so a gentle reminder every month or so is nice. Am now about half way through The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie which I confess I only bought because it was cheap and I like Hugh's comedy work on the screen. Turns out to be quite good but not laugh out loud funny as implied by the quotes on the cover. Sort of spy thriller but based on an accidental involvement with the plot rather than a career spy. If that makes sense. Not going to become my favourite book but also not likely to never be read again...

Once again I wonder, where has the time gone? As I write this Joan is somewhere in the air between Rome and here having had a really good time as far as I can tell from a handful of text messages. She got picked up OK at 3 on Sunday morning and was there by 9.30. Really can't wait to get home tonight and hear all about it (not sure who will get home first as yet). So what have I been doing in the interim? Not much other than work to be truthful.

In fact I started early on the work front by coming in on Saturday for a change. Done it once or twice in the past when deadlines have loomed but don't intend to make a habit of it. However, I really needed to spend some uninterrupted time with Chris working on timetables and this seemed the best way to acheive that. Plus it means I get to take tomorrow off to spend with Joan without using up any of my accumulated flexi-time. Which is nice.

Sunday I just pottered about the house and got through some of the backlog of ironing (thrills!) before going round to Ma & Pa's for dinner. Wasn't intending to go round and act all helpless with Joan away, but they insisted so who am I to turn down a free meal! Dad was actually out most of the time I was there (he is stage-managing a production of Camelot due to take place at Landguard Fort later this week and is heavily into getting things to work at the moment) so only three of us anyway.

Then back to work yesterday with more tinkering with timetables and so forth. This afternoon we have a feedback visit from the firm who did the timetable distribution for us. They were a bit put out by some of the work last week when I spoke to them on the phone, but hopefully they will have calmed down a bit now and be OK to continue with the work. Fingers crossed and all that as I don't want it back again!