Rebooting...

No, still not quite there yet - think I need to get back into my routine (which starts... well, today). I better start catching up pretty quick, 'cause in the next week we get Dredd 3D and the new football season... and also I get one week closer to the end of my Mission 101...

Lunchtime. Stuff will make more sense again then. Or at least it bloody better do.

Operation Haphazard - The Analysis: Part 1

Okay, here goes with the holiday report...

Sunday: Travelling. Thank the gods for a fairly relaxed "kick-off", and the smart move of taking a taxi to the airport, allowing everything to go smoothly, and with as little grief as possible. Arrived at the hotel with a chunk of afternoon left, allowing for a comfortable cool-down, despite the overlap with a Asian wedding reception!

A too-big dinner to round things off, then bed. How tomorrow goes depends on how Parental feels, but a plan is forming...

Purchases: None.

Monday: This was supposed to be the "free day" into which I'd pack much of my shopping and stuff, but plans seem to be made only to be blown out of the water. In order to make things a little easier for Parental, and reduce stress later in the trip, this morning became the slot for "the tour" of her old neighbourhood. A little bit of rain at the start didn't slow things up too much, but as the day wore on, things did drag a bit, and a halt was called to things in Harrods. Next to no shopping opportunities, but at least I got to take a dump there (in the facilities provided!).

Interesting aside: Just fifty yards away is the Ecuadorian Embassy, current refuge for Mr Wikileaks. Nice to see he won't starve - who's going to be eating cold beans out of the tin when you can send a diplomatic menial down the road to grab a hamper or two? And why wipe your ass with mere toilet paper when there's a steady supply of Hermes scarves just next door - don't worry about impoverishing Ecuador, 'cause this is their moment to flip the bird to the US...

...oh, and rape victims everywhere. Let's not forget that.

The day ended with a "posh" dinner at the hotel, and again, the helpings are a bit on the American side. Not a strong day for achieving what I wanted to do, but part of the plan has been completed early. The mood improves.

Purchases: A new phone! I've finally gone "smart"... or at least I would if I could get the damn thing to work. Also, I missed a shopping opportunity during The Tour that I only realised several days later. Oh well...

Tuesday: A day assigned to family engagements, on my sister-in-law's side. A cruise down the Thames to Greenwich and a visit to the refurbished and restored Cutty Sark were the order of the day, including another sizable (but not uncomfortable) meal. A very nice day, I must admit, even though there was no opportunity to squeeze anything else in afterward - and boy did I regret there was nothing to fit in in the evening - The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, I'm looking at you.

Purchases: Greenwich souvenirs. Nothing really exciting.

Tomorrow: Part 2 - Things Get Interesting...