The Patent Dragon's Zone of Soul Retraction

Sooooo..., Operation Haphazard - success or train-wreck? Actually, does it really matter? In general, a good time was had by all, and yes, I could have done a good deal more had I been on my own, but there was plenty of Good Stuff, so I'll stop whining right there. It was all relatively painless, I completed a few Mission Tasks... oh, and the new phone I got has all the features I was looking for after all. Yup, a decent "win"

Now that I've got that out of my system, there's plenty more to look forward to: Dredd 3D at the weekend, an extended outing the following weekend (and more Mission completion action)... and maybe even some writing as I work towards WORLDS COLLIDE. There's even *gasp* the imminent release of NEW Elfquest...!

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.

I am still recovering from the trip home, so don't expect me to be even remotely coherent for a bit. I am so glad I'll be taking Monday off, as I am seriously going to need that break...

Oh yeah - there was something fairly major yesterday - Doctor Who 701: Asylum Of The Daleks! I'm still too worn out to pull together a proper review, but I rate this one a 8/10 - the Daleks get some menace back, and their relationship with The Doctor goes through some unexpected twists and turns, and... hold on...

***SPOILER WARNING*** ...hey, wasn't that the new companion, who's supposed to make her first appearance in the Christmas Special? ***END SPOILER WARNING*** This was something that had been kept so secret that damn I'm seriously impressed. It'll be interesting to see how The Moff and his crew follow this up...

...and then it's midnight. Bah.

On The Outside, Looking In concludes, and things are changing for our heroine. Brighthawk realises that "to imitate the action of the tiger" may be her only choice, with the universe changing around her...

Release Notes... Mission accomplished. Coming next: the continuation of the lead-up to WORLDS COLLIDE!

In Other News... Hm. Raining. Lovely. Of course, an entirely different weather forecast will be the focus of my attention over the next week, and that looks "fair" to "decent". Not feeling 100% right now, but maybe some of that's excitement about the trip - nothing would be worse than going some place for a break, and being "KOed" the whole time.

Most of the packing is done, bar the locking of the cases, and the preparation of my carry-on. An early night remains likely - but that may be due to me waking up at Stupid O'Clock today...

Okay - time to fetch some dinner, then a part-relaxed, part-frantic evening. Not looking forward to getting semi-wet, though. I may be back to wrap things up, then if all goes well, the next post will be from the other end of the journey!

"Launch Day" -5... Here comes "the final stretch"! I'm thinking I'm just about done with the holiday planning - whatever else comes along is just going to have to be "spur of the moment".

Development News... The next Brighthawk story is approaching completion, and should be posting daily from tomorrow, in order to be all done by "Launch Day". It will fit, even if I have to double-up!

And then, of course, comes the working-out of whatever the hell comes next, 'cause things are changing in a hurry. WORLDS COLLIDE is still on the way, and part of that is next on the list, but... well, just wait and see.

Words from Under The Mountain continues, as Brighthawk treads a cautious path on the road to helping her friends deal with their tragedy, whilst trying to handle some alarming news from Tai-reh'tara. The old order changeth - or is it "the old order returns"...?

Release Notes... Keeping up the rather congested posting schedule, in spite of everything. Finishing TDD-706 in time could be a tricky proposition, but I don't intend to mess things up just to get a story posted. Everything in its proper place, and time.

Operation Haphazard News... The preparations continue, and things are picking up pace with one week to go. Yikes!

I'm not "into" this holiday thing as much as I think I should be. There - I've said it. The buggering-around with what was a pretty firm schedule has blown a big hole in my plans (have I already said that?), and fixing that hole... has honestly not happened. I would have liked at least one whole day to myself, but that's not going to happen, no siree Bob. I guess I'm not that much of a "family traveller", which should be no surprise given that I've not had much in the way of opportunities to do that, and this will most likely be the last time.

There's a definite feel of being "dragged around", and I understand there's got to be some "give and take", but... *argh* this isn't the "get away from it all" I'd hoped for. It's more like "more of the same, just in a different place, and with less computers"...

"Jeez, what a selfish bastard" - but it is my holiday too, and both of us need a break from all the hassle since - and during - The Move. I'll probably feel a whole lot more upbeat when 1) we get to the airport, and 2) I get to crash out in my room for the first night.

I have one personal event in mind, for one early evening. It needs booking, and I'll probably arrange that tonight - then bar one prearranged night which I'm entirely at peace with, and looking forward to a great deal, the nights are my own, and maybe something will catch my eye.

All in all, the holiday can't start soon enough, hopefully sparking my excitement - and enjoyment - at just the right time. After all, there's a long, drawn-out autumn ahead, between we and Patent Saturday 2012...

Okay, it's all over now. The London 2012 Olympics have come to an end, and what an ending - a disappointing ending, that is...

There are two sides to the whole discussion - those pro-London 2012, those against, and sometimes venomously so. That's not what I'm going to write about here - I'm one of those in the middle, who end up herded into one camp or the other, as a "typical British whinger" or a "wind-up clapping monkey, gleefully doing your masters' bidding and applauding their 'only for the rich' projects". I loved the Games. I thought the opening ceremony was brilliant, after harbouring fears that it would be just like our Bejing "presentation" - hollow, and painfully "British", all bicycles and double-deckers. The closing ceremony? Let's just say I haven't used Twitter so much in at least a year, and most of that was retweeting comments by others just as unimpressed by proceedings as Yours Truly. Somehow, we managed to channel that Bejing abortion, and the necromancy theme could not have been more evident than when they wheeled out (quite literally) those abominations that are The "Girl Power" Pop Group That Must Not Be Named.

Oh, and there's now a new name on my Hate-List. "That Thingy J Woman" - yeah the one who was sadly chosen to take Freddie Mercury's place when Queen went into "We Will Rock You". Where was Russell Watson when you need him - an operatic voice who can do more popular material when the need arises (the Enterprise theme, for example)...?

It just wasn't a night for wishful thinking.

I have enjoyed these Olympics SO MUCH that I was expecting to be in tears as the flame was extinguished - and those would've been tears of sadness, not the tears of frustration and embarrassment that the closing ceremony came close to producing. Yes, I know I can't have everything "my way", and that you have to take all ages and generations into consideration... but last night, the organisers didn't do the audience that courtesy. Anyone over thirty didn't seem to have been invited, until Brian May, Eric (Did he really get the "life's a piece of shit" line in?) Idle and The Who showed up. And as for any other form of british music, well, forget it, 'casue this event seemed to suggest that Britain rose, fully-formed like Venus, from the waves just before The Beatles got going...

*sighs* I'm finished with this matter. Sadly, the "warm glow" of Olympic excitement appears to have been as thoroughly extinguished as the flame, and not just by the astonishingly abrupt return to "traditional British Summer weather" - grey, windy, rain; all conspicuous by their absence over the last two weeks.

I will be delighted to set foot in the Olympic Park for the Paralympic swimming in just under three weeks. Maybe I can recapture some of the joy then. I may be in desperate need of it...

Until then, it's back to work, back to writing - and a rock solid guarantee that a story WILL be posted in the week leading up to Operation Haphazard!

ITEM! I'm giving Holiday 2012 the code-name Operation Haphazard. Why? 'Cause I can...

ITEM! Thinking about my Mission 101, and the gaping chasm caused in my efforts by work and moving, I'm seriously considering giving myself a one-year extension. All my failed or unstarted Tasks, over the official period, still count as failed or unstarted, and I pay the respective penalties, but I will continue those tasks that haven't been entirely and irrevocably failed, and see if I can make up some ground. The fail penalties will remain the same...

...and now that I write this, I feel really positive about it. I'll see what "the local community" have to say on the idea...

ITEM! Last full day of Olympic competition today. I will miss it, I must say. I will compile a list of events I have watched for the final day - and anyone who says the whole thing has been a flop is talking out of their arse. The Patent Dragon has spoken.