No - not gaming, or downloading video, or skype conversations with the global digerati…but getting hold of the instruction manuals in .pdf format for our alarm and central heating system so I could finally fix them. The revolution will not be televised…mainly because most of it is remarkably mundane.
OK, after six months in our new home, and a logistical operation on a Napoleonic-scale, we finally have broadband. I feel like going on a massive domestic bandwidth consumption splurge - just because I can! Hopefully, it will also see me blogging a bit more, but as we’re expecting twins in March…don’t expect anything more than single syllables for some time yet.
This morning at Horsley station, the local church group were handing out free coffee to commuters. Even to Jewish atheists such as myself..now that never happened in Hackney..not even on the 73 bus.
Life often puts us in places we never thought we’d find ourselves. And when it happens - you can often surprise yourself at how you survive under the circumstances.
And so, for what has to be the tenth time in as many weeks, I find myself on platform 8 at Guildford station, waiting for the 08.37 to Reading.
It’s not that I’ve started going to the same place in Reading (or its delightful environs) at the same time - just that every meeting I seem to arrange seems to involve me taking this train at this time.
Today, for the first time ever, it’s set to be on time. The first time, it was delayed because of a horse on the line at Dorking (I kid you not). Last week, there were some signal problems…don’t worry, that’s as far as I’m going with the reasons for delay.
Anyway, being here, now is a by product of two previous decisions: one to live in Surrey, the other to go and work at GMG (which includes our regional titles). Had the estate agent said: ‘you do realise that given your new job, if you decide to live here you will spend a lot of time on platform 8 in Guildford station waiting for the train to Reading, I might have had a rethink. Or maybe not..
It’s not that there’s anything wrong with being here - as stations go it’s perfectly charming..it’s just one of those stark reminders of how life changes.
A decade ago, I might have been on at least nodding terms with barmen in some of London’s more credible establishments. These days, I find my self saying hi to the people selling cappuccino at various Surrey train stations…and so on.
I’ve been waiting for my new Brompton about as long as I’ve been waiting for my home broadband connection (four months, to be precise).
I ordered it on one of the hottest days of the year, and collected it today in a complete downpour. Still, it survived it’s first ride from the office to Waterloo in the pouring rain.
I never thought I’d be a Brompton rider, but once I started commuting there was no alternative (well, yes, there was..but they were all a little too fiddly or time consuming for my liking).
My first one was bought on eBay. There is nothing wrong with it - except I needed a few more gears to deal with some of the Surrey hills, and a little less heft was only going to help as I hiked it on and off the train every day. So, this one has titanium everywhere, ultralight everything and, if I’m honest - cost more than the car I throw it in the back of.
So why did I have to wait four months for it? Because there was such huge demand during the summer, and I wanted to have normal handlebars on the ultra-light frame - which is basically a custom build (I feel I might as well have ordered a Morgan for the time it took).
My fear is that Brompton (who manufactur everything in the UK) eventually get taken out of the market by japanese imports..rather like our motorbike industry. My tip - if you fancy one for the summer, buy one now (most places have got them in stock).
Oh, and I recommend Bikefix on Lamb’s Conduit Street.
So in an attempt to get rid of a couple of bugs on my previous incarnation (comments not working/ para breaks not showing) I thought it would be a good idea to upgrade to the latest version of Wordpress.
I did this - the par breaks came back, the comments remained broken, and somehow I’ve lost all the admin functionality as well…hence my (latest) bout of silence. Oh, and please dont’ tell me I should have backed everything up - because I sort of did, but obviously not quite well enough.
So, I’ve done a new install of WP here, and then made my archives still linkable here (and obviously through google)
I could spend the next X months flapping - or, more likely, I’m just going to build a new blog at sw.net/blog or something like that, which will probably be quicker…I could just delete everything here, but you know what I feel about permanence.
On a more domestic front, we went to our house-to-be on Saturday. I can’t actually believe I’m going to be living there. It’s one thing looking at places, another going through the stressful hell of a sale/ purchase. And even now, staying at our in-laws in Surrey, it still doesn’t feel like we’ve left London - but standing in what will be our garden, hearing how the Aga and the Oil tank (no gas) work,I suddenly realise this is a long way from life in (much loved) Stoke Newington.
Music? I mentioned Hot Chip’s The Warning [iTunes] in passing - which got pretty good reviews everywhere, but I don’t really know how it’s done in the charts. It’s a great, great album. Everyone should own it for the summer. They’re very smart and talented - but let’s be honest, they don’t look very good - and haven’t managed to dress it up into a geek chic thing. This is why you always seem them photo’d in moody lighting. But the album is a belter - perfect accompaniment to a barbeque.
Nouvelle Vague are back with their bossa-nova versions of new wave/punk classics (this time more the former) [iTunes]. This remains a dinner party classic. Everyone is sitting there chomping away on their linguine thinking you’ve finally given up on music by playing some easy listening pap when someone suddenly goes: ‘is this Too Drunk to Fuck?’ etc etc. Anyway,
The Feeling? [iTunes] Well, you have to really. Primal Scream? Ditto - although you could just get your old Rolling Stones albums out to recreate the same affect. (Incidentally, did I tell you I saw Bobbie Gillespie at the childrens playground in Clissold Park? Very early on a Sunday morning. I can pretty confidently say there will be no gangly Scottish rock gods in Surrey).
Also on music - Martathonpacks has done a mix of his best songs from 2006. Even if he’s no longer offering a download, by them all up and copy it as a playlist- IMHO he does the best compilations on the net.
M Craft, Silver and Fire? [iTunes] It’s a nice album, but there isn’t a song on it as beautiful as, oh god, what was it called? Dragonfly?What took him so long, I ask? Was it label problems? Or is he playing the tortured genius? Have you noticed how singer songwriters these days are banging out album after album: Sufjan Stevens, Ryan Adams, Ed Harcourt , Devandra Banhardt- it’s rather like Michael Owen’s caps. One minute they’re fresh faced new boys, the next they’re veterans. Let’s hear it for musical productivity, I say.
Oh, and finally, on a completely disconnected front - I’ve been having huge fun Lomo-ising photos in photoshop (tutorial here - and elsewhere). I don’t think I’ve quite got it right - as it makes nice clean snaps look like grubby old postcards, but it means I’ve learned to do a little bit more with this program than tweak levels.