A Belated Birthday Post

Even More Photography On The Citadel

Howdy all,

So cast your mind back to Thursday the 12th February, otherwise known as my birthday(frankly it should just be called Alex’s Day, for convenience). Now I realize that the 12th Alex’s Day was ten days ago, but I did have a good reason for delaying this blog post; one of Vanna’s presents for me wasn’t delivered on time (thanks Presidents’ day…) and it didn’t feel right to publish a birthday blog until I had all my gifts.

Admittedly I didn’t expect my final present to take this long to arrive, but as I was committed to giving Vanna full credit for her efforts, I had to hold off even after my intended deadline (last Monday). So for those of you who were really desperate to hear about my birthday (all of you, in other words) but had to wait for an extra week, I do…

View original post 1,529 more words

The Man Cave (Oh, And Some Wild Turkeys)

Even More Photography On The Citadel

First I should clarify the Wild Turkey’s are not in the Man Cave. I’ve already got kitten up here…that would just be a disaster.

Also, sorry for not posting this yesterday (or Thursday). Our internet has been incredibly sketchy of late. We couldn’t even watch Gracepoint or Dr Who (uh, I haven’t mentioned how much we like/love those shows before have I? Um, well not being able to watch them was a big deal) so there was no chance I could upload photos to the blog. I only managed to sort it out for today because I brought my laptop to Brainerd. So frustrating.

————————————————————————————

SO, we (Vanna and I, with the help of our friends Meg and Larry) moved all the furniture up into the loft space yesterday. I was dreading the sofa – we’ve moved it before and it was awful – but surprisingly it was the recliner…

View original post 210 more words

Urgh, Technology Problems

Even More Photography On The Citadel

It has been a frustrating day today. I woke up determined to get things done, but annoying everything just hasn’t quite panned out how I hoped it would.

What’s gone wrong? Well…

Norton

It is that dreaded time of year where I need to renew my anti-virus subscription. I have several codes but no matter what I did (uninstall the software, make a new account), they wouldn’t work. I’m now on a thirty-day trial while I try to figure out my next move. Urgh.

Windows 8

A few months ago I managed to lock myself out of my Windows account. I could still sign into my computer and emails, but I can’t download apps from the App store, sign into my music, use my OneDrive etc etc. It was a minor inconvenience, so I didn’t rush to fix it. But as I was trying to sort stuff out today, I…

View original post 251 more words

XboxOne, XboxOne, XboxOne, XboxOne, XboxOne, XboxOne!

I’m so excited! Buying an Xbox One does mean I have to move all the furniture upstairs (part of the deal with Vanna was that in return for buying the Xbox instead of food etc, I must game out of sight in the loft) but I’m still super pumped!

Three days! (Okay, more likely to be 4-6 but still, less than a week!)

This does mean I will have to play and complete Assassin’s Creed Revelations AND Assassin’s Creed 3 in the next three days, but eh, that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

Why haven’t I completed them yet? Well Revelations annoyed me with its tiny control changes, so I stopped playing it. As I like to play a series in order, I consequently haven’t started AC3. And now I’ve got two more Assassin’s Creed games waiting for my attention, bringing the total to four (plus I need to recap on what happened in the three games prior…oh man). Good thing it is nearly winter I suppose; that’s my entertainment sorted for the next 5 months!

Ah, so excited. I was going to tell you about my Halloween weekend, but that story can wait until the Xbox high dies down a little. I need to upload the pictures first anyway, and there is quite a few to go through. I look pretty fantastic though, so they are worth waiting for. Possibly.

 

 

A Day Of Tomorrows

Before I begin, a quick apology once again. I don’t intend to be this sporadic with my posts, I really don’t. Uh, maybe things will be better in November? I don’t know. Sorry all the same. I’ll try harder in future.

So, A Day of Tomorrows. A little bit of terrible word play to start us off. You’re welcome.

What am I talking about? Well, of course the biggest tomorrow is the actual tomorrow to today. Unless you’re in Australia or Asia (aren’t timezones fun?!), then it is today, and this whole tomorrow thing is lost. Damn. But for everybody else (in America and Europe anyway) tomorrow is the 31st of October, aka Halloween, and this makes sense!

(Got there eventually didn’t I? See, isn’t the title totally worth it?)

Ah yes, tomorrow is that magical time of the year when Americans celebrate and everybody else just gets on with their lives. Isn’t it fantastic?

After 21 Halloweens where I’ve done either nothing or next to nothing (I’ve went trick or treating twice, I think), this year I’m actually going to make an effort, mainly because I’m now in the country that loves Halloween more than it loves some family members, and I’d certainly be outcast forever if I didn’t. Okay, probably outcast. Hmm, possibly then, possibly rejected from society? All right, it is highly unlikely that I will be struck out. But still, it is not worth the risk.

It is going to be strange. Normally Effort and I don’t often go together (I prefer to settle in with Lazy), but as Vanna loves Halloween, what choice do I have? I’m expected to join in. I tried arguing (“can I not just go as an Englishman? I’ll be the only one there!”) that it goes against my culture, but she played the ‘wife card’ on me which, as all husbands know, is more or less applicable for, well, everything. Something to watch out for, future grooms.

So I’m dressing up as well. In fact, I have two different costumes, one for Friday night and another for Saturday night (seriously, Halloween is like a second Christmas in the States). One is a couple costume that I have no idea what is going to turn out like (it involves face paint…), and the other is a half-assed superhero costume. If you need more than one guess to work out which superhero it is, then you should be ashamed of yourself.

(Even if you don’t know me, you should know. And no, not Batman)

How about some pictures of the costumes? Or at least some more details? Not yet, sorry. I’ll provide both after the event. Why not this weekend? Well, Vanna and I are going up to Bemidji tomorrow to ‘party up’ with her friends there (I’m going to be the cool guy in the corner shouting ‘party up’ to everybody) and won’t be home until Sunday.  I plan to bring my camera so hopefully there will be some decent pictures by the time we head home. The full (well, abridged) story will then follow once I’m home and I’ve sobered up (Tuesday maybe?).

Now you probably think that Halloween is the most exciting date in our calendar. But you’d be wrong! So wrong! Even more exhilarating than the day I wear makeup (ugh), is November 28th, which happens to be exactly four weeks tomorrow.

(Now do you get the title? Another tomorrow! Told you it was worth it.)

The day after Thanksgiving (another new holiday experience for me), Vanna and I (along with her cousin Britt) will be going to see In This Moment and Starset (they are both bands, old folks/my dad) at Myth (a club, I believe) in St Paul!

Super, super pumped up for that. In This Moment and Starset (who you may recall from the Trivium gig in March) are two of our favourite bands, so we can’t wait for that. The fact they are touring together is fantastic (once we saw ITM’s Black Widow Tour was going to Minnesota we were interested; once we saw Starset were involved we were incredibly interested), so yeah, definitely excited to see them play. The fact they are at a venue less than five miles away from Vanna’s grandparents is just an added bonus.

There are two other bands with, but I haven’t listened to either yet so I’m not sure whether I’ll like them or not. I just hope Starset get a better reception than they did last time they were in MN. Given their recent upsurge in popularity (I think ‘My Demons’ was the longest number one in 2014 on Loudwire radio) and the fact they aren’t supporting a heavy metal band should mean the crowd are more receptive to their presence. Either way, I’ll be wearing my Starset T-Shirt to show my support.  Thanks to this blog, I was once on the sixth row of google images for the band, so maybe the band will recognize me. If not, I have a mildly interesting fact to tell them if I manage to speak to them afterwards. Better than just saying ‘thank you’, right?

(I’ll talk more about the bands, their respective albums – Starset’s I have owned for a while but forgot to talk about, while ITM’s comes out in a few weeks – and the gig closer to the event. So excited!)

And finally, there is something potentially even more thrilling than Halloween and the gig. How could there be, I hear you ask. What could be better than wearing makeup without judgement (urgh) and a concert involving two of your favourite bands, I hear you exclaim.

Well, people, there is one thing even greater than those two things: an Xbox One. After weeks, months, years of waiting, I might be on the cusp of owning one. Nothing guaranteed, but maybe, just maybe, I’ll have bought an Xbox One sometime next week. How fantastic is that? I know it doesn’t quite fit with the ‘tomorrow’ theme, but it is worth mentioning, no?

Will update you on any developments. Hopefully it’ll happen soon.

Speak to you later,

Alex

If Your Partner Says They Have A Good Idea…Don’t Listen

Yesterday, Vanna suggested that she and I should have a picnic somewhere in the woods. Though it was beginning to get cool (it was after 5pm), it was a pleasant and sunny day. With winter approaching, Vanna reasoned that it would be wise to take advantage of the nice weather while we still could. She had a point; soon there will be snow and we won’ t have another picnic opportunity for months.

Nevertheless, I was reluctant. It sounded a nice thing to do…but what about mosquitoes? Vanna shook her head at this question; because it was no longer warm or humid, the mosquitoes in the area would no longer be a problem. As I had no other objections, we set off for our early evening picnic.

After driving for about ten minutes, Vanna spotted an abandoned snowmobile path. We stopped the car and set up our picnic blanket in a nearby clearing. It was a neat little place…but we were soon swarmed by mosquitoes. Urgh.

‘No problem’, Vanna said, ‘they are only baby mosquitoes. They can’t hurt you.’ I doubted this logic, but I wasn’t going to ruin our little outing by complaining, so I did my best to ignore the swarm. While Vanna told me about her day, I listened to her stories, I ate my salad…and I got bitten. A lot.

We had a great picnic though. It was a really good idea. If you ignore the fact I spent the entire time flailing my arms around in an unsuccessful attempt to shoo the mosquitoes away, that is. What fun we had!

*sigh*

Cut forward to this morning. I got in the shower and surveyed the damage. Two bites on my neck, two more on my arm and numerous others no doubt waiting to flare up when I’m least expecting it. Weirdly my legs, which were bare, don’t have a single bite on them. Somehow these baby mosquitoes – the ones that can’t hurt me – managed to get me through my thick shirt and nowhere else. That was nice of them, wasn’t it?

I suppose the moral of this very short story is, as the title infers, not to listen to your partner when they get a clever idea. It never ends well for you. Or in this case, me.

Vanna, incidentally, didn’t get a single bite. Funny how that works, isn’t it?

————————————————————————————

To show she isn’t all bad, Vanna picked up a copy of Destiny last night for me. I have talked quite a lot about it recently (I want an Xbox One and I want Destiny with it) so in a kind gesture (ie, a way to shut me up) she stopped by the Redbox machine in Pequot to rent it for me.

Destiny is…not what I expected. At all. I don’t even know what to think. Is it good? Bad? At this moment, I don’t really know. But I have until Friday to reach a conclusion, so if I can voice my thoughts on it in a coherent manner I’ll post something about Destiny this weekend.

If I don’t…uh, forget I mentioned it.

Alex

 

Indecisive About The Xbox One

*disclaimer: if you have no interest in the Xbox One/gaming in general, this blog post probably isn’t for you. Here’s some old kitten pictures for you to check out instead. You’re, uh, welcome.*

Understandably, I can’t talk about everything that happens in my life. But there are certain things I have wanted to discuss (some I’ve mentioned in passing, others I’ve saved up all secretly…like The Great Gatsby) yet never got round to doing it (in some cases, it has been a while…). Well, that ends today, people!

Okay, maybe not for all my life events (by events, I mean playing games, reading books and watching stuff), but some of them. It’s uh, better than nothing, right?

So, to kick off a (infrequent) series of blog posts about things I’ve been meaning to talk about for ages but haven’t…here are my thoughts on the Xbox One!

Since the Xbox One release last year, I’ve tried it out personally twice; last November (yeah…told you this was long overdue) shortly after launch when I went to see Gary, and then again a few weeks ago when I was at Gary’s house again. Those brief visits are my only Xbox One experiences. Otherwise my knowledge is limited to say the least; I haven’t watched E3 for a few years and I haven’t read any gaming articles for a long time (I think my interest waned when I stopped writing for Solidus/Eject Disk).

Hmm. I suppose that’s not my excuse for talking about the Xbox One sooner, as I said I would check out reviews for it first tom, you know, sound more knowledgeable about my judgements. But when I realized I wasn’t going to get an Xbox One (until I moved to the US, that is), I didn’t bother researching, hence this delay. I still haven’t looked online mind (and I didn’t play Gary’s much either), so I’m not entirely sure how good this piece will be…but I’ll go ahead with it anyway.

Right, with that glowing endorsement over with, let’s do this. I reckon a basic pro/con list in bullet points with a conclusion to finish is the best way to do it…mostly because it is also the easiest/least trying method. Nothing but the best for you guys. So, how about those negatives?

Xbox One Negatives

• Price

The Xbox One is far too expensive, frankly. Well, at least it is too pricey for me. And my reluctance isn’t helped by how the Kinect, a device I don’t want, is a compulsory inclusion.  Oh, you can buy them separately now, but it still costs the same as if you got the Kinect too. Wow.

• Aesthetics

It is an ugly machine, it really is. I reckon it is slightly better looking than the original Xbox, but that isn’t much of a compliment. I know it isn’t a beauty contest, but surely Microsoft could have produced something cooler? It is awkward, blocky. A little disappointing.

• All In One

The Xbox One was sold on how it would be the full entertainment package; T.V shows, films, music and gaming. I understand why they’ve marketed it like that (more sales, bigger audience), but it doesn’t appeal to me. I’m a gamer. I care about gaming. The Xbox One is a gaming console, and that is where the focus should have been. But the media campaign was all about the accessories, all about Skype, how you could link the console up to your television and blah blah blah. I don’t care about that, Microsoft! I want to hear about the games and how the Xbox One is better than the 360! Their priorities in development were wrong, in my opinion. At the moment there isn’t enough, gaming-wise, to encourage me to invest. I’m not going to spend hundreds for features I already do on my laptop (Netflix, music etc).

• Poor Xbox 360 Communication

As far as I’m aware, you cannot talk to gamers on the 360 while you’re on the Xbox One. You can’t send your friends messages or join their party. Again, I understand the reasoning for why this is the case, but it causes a divide. And that sucks.

• Poor Xbox One Communication

Interacting with fellow Xbox One gamers is really clunky too, a poor system that has failed to improve on the 360. If anything, it has regressed; parties, messages and your friend list aren’t as easy to access now. The Xbox One has added unnecessary extra steps to what was once a simple process. Gary has had his for almost a year, yet he still finds it more awkward than the 360 version. I tried it, and I didn’t like it.

Also, pressing the Xbox button when you have a notification takes you to the dashboard. This is a cool feature (I’ll explain later) but I find it irritating that your game closes (albeit temporarily) when you want to check your messages. In comparison, the 360 had a pop up menu, which I think I preferred.

(I would go into further detail here on what bothers me, but I can’t remember it all from memory…I just know it was stupid)

• No Auto Sign-In

Okay, this might be Gary not checking the options, but it seems like you have to sign into your profile every time you turn the Xbox One. Stupid.

• No Automatic Headset Compatibility

For my headset to work with the Xbox One, I’d have to pay for an expensive (at least it was expensive when I first checked it) adapter. Cheaper than buying a new headset, but still a pain.

—-

Okay, I appreciate a lot of these problems are little things (some which may have been fixed now), but it is the little things that determine your enjoyment. The little things are what annoy you most.

—-

Xbox One Positives

• The Xbox One Is Quicker And Quieter

My 360 is noisy and slow, and has always been like that. The Xbox One is a ghost in comparison. I was impressed.

• Dashboard Button

I must admit, being able to close your game to check something else out (maybe watch a film or something) and then launching your game instantly as you left it, is pretty cool. You try that on the 360 and you have to launch your game up again completely. A very useful feature.

• Record Footage

Not sure I’d do it, but yeah, I like the idea of doing something amazing and then being able to save the clip instantly.

• Improved Kinect

I don’t want it, but I was impressed with how it worked in November. Don’t ask me for specifics, but I wouldn’t protest too much if I had it (providing I hadn’t paid extra for it, of course).

• Amazing Graphics

They made my 360 look rubbish.

• Improved Controller

The Left and Right Bumpers took a bit of getting used to, but otherwise I liked the controller. The thumbsticks and D-Pad are a lot better than before.

• Memory/Downloading Games Improvement

I’ve run out of memory on my 360 and I have to keep deleting stuff. Looking forward to not being able to do that. And downloading games seems to be easier too.

• Titanfall

I want that game so badly. It is completely different to anything else I’ve played (multiplayer-wise). If Gears of War 4 (whenever that comes out) is a disappointment, Titanfall will soften the blow.

—

Not the most comprehensive list of positives, I grant you, but as I’ve only played the Xbox One for a few hours, I haven’t been able to really explore the console. I can only comment on what I remember, which admittedly, isn’t much.

Conclusion

Well, there are a lot of good features to the Xbox One (most of them I probably haven’t even covered), but plenty of stuff that irritates me too. The biggest isssue is how they’ve spent too much focus on entertainment, which makes it harder for a hardcore gamer like me to justify the purchase (especially when Vanna is so skeptical of gaming in general). And though I was impressed by the graphics and the memory etc, I can’t say I left Gary’s thinking yes, I really want this. I’m still very indifferent about it.

I will eventually get one, however. Not just because the 360 will become obsolete at some point, but also because Dragon Age Inquisition comes out in November and I want to play that on the Xbox One. There is also Destiny, and Ryse, and Titanfall…plus all the other amazing games I’ve not yet learned about…

…Hmm. Maybe I’ll start putting money to one side.

Alex 

 

Waiting For Tomorrow

Good news! Earlier today I received an email from the embassy containing the tracking number for my visa/passport delivery. I was told it would take two weeks, but I thought I would go on the courier website anyway to check it out…the package will be here tomorrow! It hasn’t even been a week! Given that my medical was the end of April, it has taken just over a month to go through the final few visa steps. Can’t complain about four days, can I? Very impressive. It’ll be even better if it can get here before two o’clock so I won’t be without my passport (and my only form of acceptable identification) on my trip away.

What’s that? I hear you ask. A trip away? Where?

Let me tell you! You see, this Friday isn’t just important for the visa, oh no. Tomorrow (that’s Friday, by the way) I will be heading down to Harrogate for another lads weekend! It will probably be my last one (or at least the last one for a while…not that I’m thinking too much about that), so I plan to make the most of it. Friday to Monday…it’s going to be great.

How couldn’t it be? Time with mates. Go on the Xbox One again (oh yeah…I never reviewed it did I? Well, maybe I will have a stronger, more defining impression once I get home), meal in town, trip to the cinema perhaps, and obviously some, uh, moderate consumption of alcohol. What else could you ask for?

So yes, I’m very excited. As well as seeing Gary, Ben et all again, I’ll be meeting Kev, another Xbox guy (I refuse to use the term ‘friend’ in this context), for the first time. I’ve known him for years, but we’ve never coincided trips. Providing I can understand his Glaswegian accent, we should have a good time.

Now, this trip does mean there won’t be a blog until next Tuesday (assuming I’m in a fit state by then). But on the plus side, I am bringing my camera with. Providing I manage to get some appropriate pictures, I’ll upload them once I get back. Plus there is the long-awaited Xbox One review to come (sorry about that), and my general thoughts on the weekend. And, of course a visa update, which I wasn’t expecting to happen so soon. Lots to look forward to, right?

Right then. I should pack and get everything ready. Speak to you again next week!

Alex

 

 

Goodbye Again!

In less than an hour,  I’ll be on the train to York to visit my friend Gary (plus a few others) in Harrogate. Unlike my other journey in November, I’ll only be on the train for a thankful two hours instead of six, so I didn’t have to get up super early this time. And if I’m quick I might even shorten that time by getting the early second train, which not so thankfully comes a minute after mine from Durham.  If not, I’ll have to wait thirty minutes for the next one, which is particularly annoying given that train takes ages (forty minutes!), stops everywhere and is always busy.

But, uh, except for my discontent at the train system, I am excited for the trip. It’s been a year since I last saw my Yorkshire buddies (and that was Alton, which wasn’t exactly…great), so this has been a long time coming. And I’ve planned it perfectly with the launch of the Xbox One, meaning I’ll get plenty of time trying out the new generation of Xbox this weekend. Looking forward to that. Gary has a nice selection of games too; Fifa 14, Call Of Duty Ghosts, Battlefield 4 and Forza 5. Not bad at all. And As I won’t be buying the console until I’m in America permanently, this signals my only chance to watch it for…well, potentially quite a while. I’ll make sure to do a little review when I get back, especially as I never managed to get round to blogging about it before…ahem.

Uh, what else? Well naturally there’ll be lots of drinking going on, perhaps a nice meal, joking around…you know, a typical lads weekend.

As a result, I won’t be blogging until Monday, but Vanna might step up in my absence. But I am bringing my camera, so if we do venture somewhere, I’ll make sure to take pictures of whatever it is I see. No guarantees (it is Xbox One launch weekend after all) but I’ll see what I can do. Failing pictures of interesting things, I’ll photograph Gary’s supposedly magnificent beard that he’s been growing over the past couple months. So you know…that’s something to look forward to. It’s probably more impressive than my attempt at ‘Movember’ (or no shave November, whatever it is called) anyway.

*I would have a picture here, but it turns out my webcam on this laptop is broken, and my camera is packed. Uh, I’ll get one later*

…Well, I should probably go. I’ll speak to you on Monday. Have a wonderful weekend!

Alex

Where Are The Men’s Mini Shampoos, Boots?

Boy, that title was a grammatical nightmare for me. But that’s probably because I have just woke up from a mid afternoon nap…I’m like an old person. It’s becoming rather troubling, if I’m honest with you…

ANYWAY, hello everyone. Today I had to do some shopping, as next week I’M LEAVING HOME! Only for a couple of days, but still, I need to be prepared. I don’t want a repeat of my last long weekend away, where I forgot my toothbrush and had to use my finger. *shudders* Awful. I don’t recommend it.

So, where am I going?

Well, next Friday I’m visiting my friend Abbie during her reading week. She’s at university Down South (you know, that huge area below Yorkshire). I haven’t seen her for months, so it’ll be good to catch up before my next America visit (hoping to buy my tickets soon, but more on that later!).

Now seeing Abbie is the main reason I’m going, but the trip is also a good blogging opportunity. Why? PICTURES! She lives in Canterbury, which by all accounts (I’ve never been) is a very pretty place with lots of old buildings and uh, interesting stuff (what, you want specifics? Go online…I’m not a travel guide!). Obviously I’ll have my camera and extra batteries with me. Don’t worry guys, I’ve got my priorities sorted.

Ahem.

But the trip to Canterbury is not the only exploit I have in the next month. I’m also going to see my mates in Yorkshire later in November. Again, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen them, so I’m looking forward to that. I doubt there will be any pictures for you guys though, as I’m coinciding my visit with a very important date; the release of the Xbox One.

That’s right. Gary, the guy I’m staying with, is getting his console on the Thursday I come down, so I’ll be right there to see what if it is as good as Microsoft say it is (I’m not buying one yet, for various reasons that I’ll explain at some point). No doubt we’ll have some drinks and go out on a pub crawl of some sorts too, because, why not? It’ll be like the Lads weekend, but longer and with no ridiculously expensive theme parks! Wahey!

So, today was all about getting ready for these trip. As I refer to in the title, I went to Boots (our version of Walgreens, Americans!) to pick up some much-needed toiletries. How needed? Well my deodorant has been wheezing at me for a few weeks now, so that was one thing that definitely needed replacing. I don’t know why I’ve been so reluctant to chuck it out and buy a new can. I suspect simple laziness and being cheap were the main factors, but I’m sorted now. No risk of me stinking up the place (hopefully).

The other two things I wanted were shower gel and shampoo. As I’ll only be away for a few days, it seemed pointless bringing two big bottles of stuff, especially when I’m only bringing my rucksack. So I looked for the travel size bottles. Shower gel was easy enough, but shampoo was a completely different story. Apparently, only women use shampoo on holiday because the only bottles I could find were incredibly feminine. I know nobody will see the bottle (I’m not going to start running down the train carriages shouting ‘look what I got’), and that it’ll do the exact same job as the man shampoos…but still, I’m a prideful person, people!

Well…I have some pride.

Of course, I’d be fine in Canterbury, but Harrogate…would you want several manly Yorkshire blokes to see your pink shampoo? No, no you wouldn’t. So Boots…think about us guys, will you? We travel too, you know! And some of us have hair that needs regular washing!

Eventually I did manage to find an orange bottle of something that on face value, looks sorta manly. It’s squarish…men like squares? I don’t know. In the absence of Head & Shoulders, it was the best I could do.

I also got a Gillette razor because I hate the electrical shaver I have. It’s awful. It just gives the worst experience ever. It doesn’t release the foam like it should, so I have to do it dry. And it is horrible. You have to go over stubble about five times for the shaver to get them, and long hairs are dragged around in the most excruciating way possible. I think when my eyes are tearing up, and my skin is raw red for hours after, I should probably try something else. My awful shaver is probably why I keep growing scraggly beards. The pain is always going to be bad, so I may as well prolong it. Tragically I end up using nail scissors for most of the job.

But yeah, excited for next Friday. Leaving super early in the morning…and I’m on the train for 6 hours…and it includes a change in London which I could do without (I hate London; too busy, too confusing, too sweaty)…but other than that I’m excited. It’ll be fun.

Of course, when I’m back home and write my blog, you’ll only hear about the inevitable miserable experience I have on the train down (and return! don’t forget about the return journey!), and all the things that annoyed me over the four days. But really, you should expect that now. There’ll be pictures though. They count for something, right?

Alex