Happy New Year!

 A special somebody wants to wish you a happy New Year!

Kensington

As is obligatory for every visit back, I must do a London walk.  So yesterday - one of the few days on this trip back when it wasn't tipping down all day - I took a walk around the West London suburb of Kensington.  And this was one of my favorite kinds of walks - not necessarily photogenic, but once you get off the beaten path then you discover these attractive neighborhoods.  Historic squares, streets and houses in a variety of different architectural styles, lots of plaques memorializing random people or historical events that I've never heard of.  Obviously the passage of time cannot be avoided - historical sites get modernized, converted to flats or whatever, or simply destroyed and built upon.  But fortunately enough remains to make the walk worthwhile - this mix of old and new, in much the same way that we have this mix of people and cultures, is what makes London such a great place to visit.  The photos below probably come across as fairly ordinary without context, so sorry about that.

Christmas Day ratings

The top 10 most watched shows on Christmas Day makes for some tragic reading:

The King's Christmas Broadcast - don't care

Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special - you're having a laugh, nope

Doctor Who - stopped watching years ago

Ghosts Christmas Special - last one ever?  maybe the only one on this list worth watching

Call the Midwife - lame, never seen

Michael McIntyre's Christmas Wheel - not a chance in hell, I hate Michael McIntyre

EastEnders - 30+ years ago yes, now no

Toy Story 4 - I mean it's not bad, but it ain't a Christmas film and I've already seen it

The 1% Club - the only non-BBC one in the top 10, and it's just a bog standard quiz show

Tabby McTat - no clue, is this a kid's thing?

At least the godawful Mrs Brown's Boys didn't crack the top 10.  Though the fact that it still aired a Christmas special is criminal.  

Peter Pan Goes Wrong

Went to the theatre today:

And it was good family-friendly silly fun.  It's really a pantomime with a bit more physical comedy.  Kids will love it.  And if you haven't seen this on TV, adults will love it as well.  Unfortunately, I have seen the TV version of this.  And relatively recently (probably about a year ago), even though it came out back in 2016.  And also, unfortunately, the version from the theatre does not deviate from the TV version much at all.  So it felt like watching a repeat, where the familiarity made everything not quite so funny the second time around.  Still funny, but not really funny - and I didn't feel I was enjoying it as much as some of the other, and certainly younger, audience members.  But I like the kind of shows that Mischief make, so will happily watch more.        

TV Theme Tunes #61

One of the greatest theme tunes of all time.

 And the full version (which reached #1 in the charts!):

Boxing Day

... where playing memorable, enjoyable and competitive games of cards with relatives is something we always used to do, but sadly appears now to be a thing of the past.  It's the time of year where I think of and miss my grandpa the most, who was always the life and soul of these games.  I feel most sad for my mom, who I think really wants to relive this but cannot as there just isn't the same desire to do so in the modern iteration of our family now.  Which is a real shame. 

Merry Christmas

I'm stuffed.  Nothing beats a home-cooked traditional Christmas dinner.  Perhaps one day I'll be able to cook my own.  I need to start by seeing if I can cook myself a Sunday roast.  Improving my culinary skills is definitely something I'm going to add to my new year's resolution list.  Merry Christmas!    

Sainsbury's

Note to self - don't ever go to a supermarket on Christmas Eve.  The Godalming Sainsbury's was absolutely heaving at 10 am.  Even though the store supposedly only opened at 10 am.  I suspect that was a lie - and that the store in fact let people in before then.  I've never seen it so busy.  So busy in fact that the self-scanning system went down, causing even more queues at the checkout.  It's shocking to me that so many people left doing their Christmas food shopping, and indeed probably also their Christmas gift shopping, until this late.  At least I had an excuse since I only flew in yesterday.      

An Unexpected Upgrade

I'm back in the UK, and feeling a lot more rested after my 10 hour flight than I thought I would be.  And that's because, unexpectedly and for the first time in a very long time, I got an upgrade.  And flying in business class does make a world of difference.  You can chill out at the airport lounge rather than mingle with the riffraff.  You can help yourself to free food and drink in the lounge.  You get a LOT more space and a lot more privacy on the flight.  You get better quality food and drink, and better quality service on the flight.  Your seat reclines fully horizontally for a better chance of sleep.  And your checked baggage is given priority by being first on the carousel.  It's not all perfect.  The bathrooms in business class are just as bad as those in economy.  You still have to deal with screaming babies during the flight.  And, at least in Seattle, the lounge was so small and crowded that I actually ended up finding a quiet area in the main terminal in order to read my book.  I still don't think I'd shell out to pay for business class, but I certainly won't turn down an upgrade if they give me one.  And with the number of flights I've taken between Seattle and London, I should probably be able to use some of my accumulated points to get an upgrade.  

Long Day

It's going to be a long rest of the day.  The Seattle traffic to the airport looks horrendous.  The local news has already warned us that the airport is going to be crazy busy.  I see that my flight has already been delayed, which doesn't bode well (though the delay is more on the departure time than the arrival time, at least for the moment).  And I suspect the flight will be full of families with their noisy kids, or worse their noisy babies, going to the UK for Christmas.  For some reason, I'm particularly not looking forward to this flight.  I didn't sleep well last night, and I doubt I'll get some decent sleep during the flight.  I hope this isn't some kind of "Final Destination" type premonition.  And the package I'm expecting today hasn't arrived yet (tracking says it is going to arrive by 8 pm, which isn't much help).  

Christmas Cards

I think it's fair to say that Christmas cards are increasingly becoming a thing of the past.  At least in my experience, though I suspect I'm not the best person to judge.  I post less cards each year, and receive less in return.  And I've hardly ever exchanged cards with anyone in the US.  But this year has been something else.  I'm flying back to the UK tomorrow, and I haven't received a single card yet.  And I'm not going to lie, that makes me quite sad.  But I suspect I'll have a load of cards blocking up my mailbox when I return.  After all, it seems like the delivery services this year have been particularly bad.  I've ordered stuff that I was hoping to bring back with me to the UK, or that I don't want left outside my front door (or wherever they decide to leave it) for all the time that I'm away, that haven't been delivered yet - including a birthday/Christmas gift for my niece.  It's due to be delivered tomorrow and I need to leave around 2 pm to get to the airport and catch my flight - so my chances of getting it in time are on a knife edge.  

Free Lunch

It's over.  No more free lunches at work.  Today was the last one.  So yet another reason to not want to come into the office.  Even as they insist that we do.  And I hate that.  Mind you, the quality of the free lunch has deteriorated over time into the school canteen kind of lunch it was today - it's been clear that the budget had been slashed, and now it's gone altogether.  It's reflective of the general neglect of employee appreciation that my company has been guilty of over the last few years.  No swag, no end-of-year gifts, even as our company still makes loads of money.  We really should have something more substantial than just a video from our CEO thanking us for all our hard work.  Which was just insulting.  No wonder I've once again started to question my future here (though quiet quitting, as I'm doing, may be as far as I go).        

TV Theme Tunes #60

Another one of those shows that I hadn't thought about for ages until recently.  I remember this being on when I was growing up, but I don't remember anything about it.  But I happened to come across one of those "Where are the stars of xxx show now" articles recently on this one and it jogged my memory.  As an additional bonus, the theme was performed by none other than Dexy's Midnight Runners.

And the full version:

Fireworks

It's been a while - mainly because the Seattle Seahawks had lost 4 in a row - but heard some fireworks being set off tonight, despite the very wet weather, after the Seahawks won their Monday night game.  It was a big one - they had to win to keep alive their chances of making the playoffs, with a backup quarterback, and against the reigning NFC champions in the Philadelphia Eagles.  A good victory, but I suspect they still won't make the playoffs.  I think the last time I heard fireworks wasn't even from the Seahawks winning but when the Washington Huskies beat the Oregon Ducks to win their college football championship and finish the season undefeated and as the #2 seed in the country (which is a big deal, and they have a big game coming up on New Year's Day against Texas in the Sugar Bowl).  

Countdown

A week until Christmas - is that all?!  4 days of work.  2 days in the office.  5 days until I fly back.  I'm used to giving myself a bit more time back in the UK before Christmas, but not this time.  I think that's why things are feeling a bit more hectic this year.  And I don't even have kids to deal with.

Paywall

There is nothing more annoying than when you click on a story, you get a message saying you have reached your monthly article limit.  It seems to happen all the time on websites that I frequent quite a lot - for example like the Seattle Times for local news, and Vulture for pop culture.  Yes, I guess I could pay the money to access unlimited articles on either of these sites.  But I don't believe I should ever have to do that.  Perhaps it's this attitude that is killing journalism.  Or at least good journalism.  I'm sure there's probably ways to get round the paywall - and indeed, I opened an incognito window and was able to view the article I couldn't before.  I'll have to see if that works again in the future.     

Trail Cam Nov-Dec

Here are some of the better shots captured by my trail cam over the last month or so.  The usual suspects - a lot of squirrel and rabbit action, plus some bonus sightings.  Sadly some water got on the lens and ruined a lot of the shots. 

Over-reliance

Had a major panic attack today when I thought I'd lost my phone.  It's kind of tragic how much it freaked me out, and clearly a sign that I'm way too over-reliant on it.  In the end, discovered that it had slipped down one of the gaps between the seat cushions on my sofa.  Which should really have been one of the first places I looked.  Been thinking of ways I could've located it quicker.  I guess I could have called it, but I had it silenced - but I might have been able to at least detect the phone vibrating.  Lesson learnt - don't just throw down your phone willy-nilly on the sofa.   

Delivery Drivers

I think I'm at the point where anything I order has to be delivered to my office rather than to my home.  I am so frustrated with delivery drivers.  Whether it is their incapacity to stay on my driveway and leaving ugly tire marks on my grass (on one memorable occasion getting stuck in the grass when they tried to do a u-turn).  Whether it is leaving a package by my conservatory door (where this isn't cover) instead of undercover by my front door, meaning the package got soaked.  Whether it is leaving a package outside my neighbor's door instead of mine, and me looking like a package thief as I retrieve it.  Or - a new one that occurred today - where they couldn't even be bothered to go up my driveway and left the package at the bottom of it.  Which is open to the elements, isn't within eyesight of the house, and it's an absolute miracle that no one stole it as I'm sure anyone driving past could see it.  And this isn't just Amazon drivers, but FedEx and UPS are also guilty of these crimes.  Yep, I get that they might be busy and under a lot of pressure to get deliveries done during this festive period.  But there is no excuse for this sloppiness and lack of professionalism.           

TV Theme Tunes #59

Another Ronnie Hazlehurst classic.  From a sitcom that I'd like to rewatch as I think it's themes would really resonate now.

Banh Mi

It's a Christmas miracle!  I've found somewhere that does cheap sandwiches near my office.  Well, more specifically, cheap banh mis.  When the French colonized Vietnam, perhaps the only good thing they did was to introduce baguettes to the Vietnamese.  There's a bubble tea store that opened a few years ago just down the road from my office, but since it just sold tea it didn't hold any interest to me.  But I think it came under new ownership recently, and they've added some food options - specifically banh mis.  Had my first one today, and it was delicious - fresh, tasty and satisfying.  And, surprisingly for the area, relatively cheap.  Although the options are limited (a choice between beef, chicken and pork banh mi) - it might still become a regular spot to grab a lunch if I'm going to be in the office 3 times a week, especially if work stops offering any free meals (something they're threatening to do).      

TV Recommendations

Despite the writers' strike really decimating the TV schedule, there are a couple of great shows currently airing.  We have the 5th season of Fargo, which seems to be a return to form after a meh 4th season.  And then we have the new show The Curse - which is the very peak of cringe, in a very black comedy way.  I keep on saying I should cut the cord, and with another increase in my TV/internet bill coming next month then this might be the final push I need to do so.  Or not, I need to do the math(s) to see whether I would actually save money or not.  If I change my viewing patterns, I certainly could - though there would have to be sacrifices (e.g. live sports).         

Palace 1-2 Liverpool

Despite my increasing indifference to the Premier League,  I am officially worried about Palace now.  1 win in 9.  4 home defeats in a row.  Roy Hodgson inexplicably having a go at the fans.  A tough set of fixtures coming up, starting with Man City next week.  Recent losses to teams we should be beating, like Bournemouth, Luton and Everton.  A lot of injuries.  Today's Liverpool game was particularly frustrating because it was a game we should have won - before a stupid red card ruined things.  I'm circling the game against Brighton on the 21st as the key indicator of where Palace stand - a comfortable mid-table team, or a team that could get sucked into a relegation fight.       

Planet Earth III

I'm currently watching Planet Earth III.  I normally love these David Attenborough-narrated nature documentaries.  But for some reason, this one is not holding my attention in the same way that previous series did.  And I've been trying to work out the reasons.  Because the cinematography is as spectacular as it's ever been.  As good as it looks, maybe it's because the accompanying audio is so bad.  Clearly fake, and often takes away from what you're seeing on screen.  And it doesn't feel like I'm watching much new footage.  Perhaps I am, but it doesn't feel like it because I've seen so much similar stuff in the recent past.  But what I specifically don't like in Planet Earth III is the amount of time spent on humanity.  I watch these shows for the amazing footage of animals and nature.  I don't watch them to see humans destroying our planet.  Yes, this is important - but it's mighty depressing, and it's not what I'm here for.     

The Lion and The Eagle

The Royal Mint recently produced a coin to commemorate the bond between Britain and America:

You'd think this would be right up my alley.  A nice little memento to represent my own union (or, maybe more accurately, my own dichotomy!) between the two nations.  But there is one little issue making me reluctant to purchase it.  And that is... the design is pretty horrible.  I mean come on, is that the best image of a lion and a eagle that they could come up with?  It just looks basic and stupid.  So, nope... that's a hard pass.    

Welfare Check

We've had some serious rain recently.  So much so, that yesterday evening I got a welfare check from work.  Snohomish County - where I live - reported flooding in multiple locations, roads closed and water rescues.  However, I think this was mainly in the east of the county in the foothills of the mountains - which is a long way from where I live.  Nonetheless, I got a text message, an e-mail and a phone call from work to check in - basically I needed to reply to let them know whether I was affected by the flooding or not.  Which I wasn't, but good to know that they cared.  I don't remember ever getting one of these notifications before due to rain.  I think I've had one before when we had some particularly snowy and icy weather, but that's been it.  We're expecting another round of heavy rainfall on Saturday.  Yikes.  At least with this atmospheric river originating from the subtropics, it has felt much warmer.

TV Theme Tunes #58

"Ooh Betty!"  Fun fact, this is never actually said in the show.  Still, this is one of my all time favo(u)rites as a kid.  Maybe as an adult as well, though I haven't seen it for years.  Classic theme - though this particular version seems to have an entire non-whistling section that I don't recognize.  Another fun fact - the opening melody of the theme spells out the name of the show in Morse code.  Ronnie Hazlehurst was a genius.

Chromebook

It looks like I have to get a new Chromebook next year.  A message has popped up on it saying that I will no longer get automatic software or security updates from June 2024.  Apparently Chromebooks only receive 10 years of updates - but it feels like I haven't had this Chromebook for 10 years.  Whatever.  It's not a big deal - part of the reason for getting a Chromebook is that it is so much cheaper than a Windows laptop.  And I was thinking about getting a new one anyway.  But still, I don't particularly like having a set expiration date forced on me.  And a quick search on my Amazon order history does indeed reveal that I got this Chromebook in 2019.  So it seems even more outrageous that I will stop getting automatic updates after less than 5 years.  Big tech sucks.    

Sporcle

I've been doing a lot of music-related quizzes on Sporcle recently.  I've discovered a couple of things.  Despite owning and having watched loads of films, I am utterly useless at identifying movies from their theme.  I am even worse at knowing song titles.  And all the music from the 2010's onwards is absolute trash (but I didn't need an online quiz to know that last one). 

Fishing

This is what I encountered earlier this week on a frigid lunchtime walk around Lake Union:

Wind

After a week of high pressure and some cold, dry weather - we are about to be slammed by some intense fronts.  We are under a wind advisory tonight with gusts up to 50 mph expected.  Not so much worried about losing power - if that happens, it will hopefully be when I'm asleep - as I am about some of my outdoor Christmas lights coming down.  And with excessive rainfall, we are also under a flood watch.  That doesn't normally impact me directly, apart from some local street flooding.  But wet and windy weather is not exactly good motivation for getting out for some exercise.     

Ghosts

With the writers' strike having disrupted their normal programming, network TV has had to find other ways to fill up their schedule.  Typically, this has been by a slew of terrible game shows.  Cheap to make, all the networks have been churning these out.  And I suspect that will continue even though the writers' strike has ended.  But there are alternatives.  For example, the network that airs the US versions of Ghosts has been filling in one of their half hour gaps by airing UK episodes of Ghosts.  You'd think that would be great, but there is a major problem.  Because the UK version airs on BBC, each episode is about 30 minutes long without ads.  But the 30 minute slot on American network TV has to include ads, so every single episode has to be edited down.  And not by a small amount - by nearly a third.  And some of the editing has been shockingly bad - making for some really disjointed episodes.  I've got no idea how successful these episodes have been on US TV, but I guess it's a good thing that the show is still on - unlike another UK show on another network.  They started airing Everyone Else Burns, a half-hour Channel 4 comedy, quickly announced it's been renewed for a second season, then just as promptly pulled it from the schedule after just a few episodes.  For no discernible reason.  This is the same network that did exactly the same thing with Taskmaster a few years ago.  Crazy.        

Seattle to London

Looks like there is going to be one less airline for me to choose from.  American Airlines has cut it's nonstop flight between Seattle and London for the duration of the winter season, and may not even bring it back for summer.  I don't think I've ever flown this route with American Airlines before - I always go with British Airways, apart from flying Virgin Atlantic one time.  But after years of an increasing choice of carriers to fly home with, this is the first indication that the market may be oversaturated.  And if my company's emphasis on reducing business travel expenses is any indication, perhaps the other tech companies based in Seattle (Amazon, Microsoft, etc.) are also dealing with tighter budgets - no longer making this route so profitable.  So that just leaves British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Delta left.  If you're reading this British Airways (unlikely) - if you upgrade me on my Christmas flights, then I promise to fly with you every time.          

TV Theme Tunes #57

For no discernible reason, I've been watching some reruns of this show recently.  For the most part, it holds up and remains quite enjoyably watchable.

Disabled

As part of my company's recent emphasis on accessibility, inclusion and diversity (i.e. woke culture) we were asked to update our personal information as it relates to disabilities.  At least that's what they told us, but a quick look at the form suggests that the real reason for updating the information is because the law requires companies to provide equal employment opportunities to qualified people with disabilities.  They've even attached a goal to this - of having at least 7% of workers as people with disabilities.  OK, can't say I agree with attaching a specific number to this but whatever.  I've never considered myself as disabled, so it shouldn't take long to provide the information.  And the form states a disability is "a condition that substantially limits one or more of your 'major life activities'".  OK, that doesn't sound like it applies to me.  But then they list some examples of disabilities, and one of them stands out like a sore thumb.  Diabetes.  Yes, diabetes is listed as a disability.  I have diabetes.  Therefore, am I disabled?  That's not something that has ever crossed my mind before.  Is this just a way to fudge the numbers, so that our company can say it employs more disabled workers than it really does?  Or is this real?  Can I get disability benefits?  Can I get a disabled parking placard so I can park in handicap parking spots?  A quick internet search reveals that diabetes is indeed considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act.  And, under certain conditions which I don't currently satisfy, I could be eligible for disability benefits.  But sadly I won't satisfy any of the qualifying conditions for disabled parking, at least based on diabetes symptoms alone.        

Bruised

We've had some really nice weather over this mini Thanksgiving break, so I've taken the opportunity to put up my outdoor Christmas lights.  Since I had the ladder out, I decided to also clean the gutters that I could reach.  This is a particularly unpleasant task - I don't enjoy having to deal with the disgusting concoction of tree debris and dirty rainwater that inevitably blocks the gutters.  I could probably have asked my landlord to do this, but whatever.  But what I didn't take into account is the fact that the clear skies we've been having have caused the temperatures to drop below freezing overnight.  So the disgusting concoction was frozen solid.  In some ways this was good - bit easier to dispose of a block of ice than a soggy mess.  But conversely, it took a lot of work to actually get the ice free.  So I ended up probably spending more time up the ladder than I should have done - and my legs are really sore and bruised because I think I was leaning too heavily into the ladder to maintain my balance and to get the purchase to be able to break the ice.  Whoops.  But at least the gutters are clear now and my Christmas lights are up.    

Flight Over London

It's a bit tenuous, but I did recently complete another Lego set to add to my "London" collection (some of which you may be able to see out of focus in the background):

Yes, this is really more about Peter Pan than about London - but nonetheless I have made space on my shelf for it.  And, as an added bonus, some of the pieces (the moon and the clock faces) glow in the dark.

Joke

How does Good King Wenceslas like his pizza?

Deep pan, crisp and even.

And this is why Christmas (or, in this case, Thanksgiving) crackers are not an American thing.  And the crackers that you can get here on Amazon are typically non-snap - which is just crazy.  I can easily buy a gun, but heavens forbid that I can buy a Christmas cracker with a pop.

Yard Sign

I came across this yard sign in my neighborhood, and I totally agree with it's message.  But I'm almost certain that if I was to buy something similar and leave it at the bottom of my driveway - where nobody, including me, can see it apart from people driving by - then it will either get stolen or vandalized.  Such is the vitriol that anything even remotely political can stir up in certain Americans.  I should know, because it's the same feeling I get when I see a Vote Trump sign or flag.

For Thanksgiving, I am thankful that there are still a few people out there who actually see common sense.

Blackout Wednesday

I think everyone knows that the Friday after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday.  But did you know that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is called Blackout Wednesday or Drinksgiving?  I didn't.  It is supposedly the biggest night of the year in America for drinking.  Not really a surprise when nobody is working and nothing is open tomorrow.  It might be one of the rare midweek nights when even I have a drink.  

TV Theme Tunes #56

I encountered my first pro-Palestinian anti-Israel protest today.  Why they were protesting outside a small, quiet, suburban supermarket at 10 am this morning I don't know.  Very strange choice of time and location.  But it did make me think of this theme - the stereotype being that a lot of the protesters are like this.

Wordle Update

I seem to be going through a very rough patch with regards Wordle.  There are days when I forget to even do it, thus I'm totally incapable of putting together a decent winning streak.  And even when I remember, there have been maybe 2 or 3 occasions over the last few weeks where it's taken me the full 6 attempts to resolve it.  I consider anything more than 4 to be a failure.  I'm probably not helping myself by choosing an obscure word in my first attempt.  Perhaps this is my way of challenging myself, but in reality it's more like a long shot of my trying to get the word in 1 or 2 attempts.  And it's failing miserably.  I wouldn't say I've totally fallen out of love with Wordle just yet, but I can understand why it's popularity has slumped as it has gradually disappeared from my daily routine.      

60th Anniversary

This week will mark the 60th anniversary of JFK's assassination.  And so there have been lots of documentaries that have aired recently on JFK and the assassination.  And I have watched, or will watch, the best ones.  It's an important, and shocking, historical event.  And it is maybe the defining event of the 60's - certainly to Americans.  Unfortunately, I fear my main knowledge of it is through Oliver Stone's film JFK.  Which is generally debunked by historians.  Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great film.  Indeed, I think a collector's edition of the film is coming out next month which I'm tempted to get.  But I'd like to get a more accurate understanding of the events that took place - not clouded by the bunch of conspiracies espoused by the film.    

Wildlife Update

My trail camera caught quite a lot of action over the last month.  Here are some highlights (including a great shot of a coyote):

The Workplace

Some random photos I've taken on my regular neighborhood office walks:

Swag

We used to get loads of swag at work - but this seems to have evaporated over the last few years.  Now we rarely get anything.  I'm not even expecting to get anything at Christmas.  Is this a sign of the times?  Is this a concerted effort to cut costs?  Is this some new approach initiated by upper management?  Whatever the reason, it is very disappointing.  And is not exactly the best way to maintain employee morale.  We should be celebrating a drug approval or positive quarterly financials.  And we used to.  But not anymore.  And what is perhaps more telling is that even when we have a few opportunities to get some cheap swag - think things like pens and post-it notes and the like - I'm not interested.  I used to try to get as many of these as I could, but I no longer care.  I think that says a lot about how I feel about work right now.   

Six Decades of 007

I had advanced notice of this, but today the Royal Mint announced a new seven-coin collection to celebrate 60 years of James Bond.  So yep, that's more money down the drain for collectors like me.  I didn't go for the 2 oz gold proof set (which for the full collection would cost just over 37 thousand pounds), but have shelled out on a silver proof set.  Probably another unwise investment.  Maybe I should spend my money in better ways.  Like buying a home.  Whatever.   

TV Theme Tunes #55

Surprisingly I don't think I've featured this theme tune before, considering the show somewhat parodies James Bond.  And it is a classic.  Good grief.

The Neighborhood

Some random photos I've taken on my regular neighborhood walks:

e-Bay Snipers

A frustrating evening where I got outbid on a load of James Bond trading cards.  Most at the last second, so that you don't have a chance to make a higher bid.  Some comic book seller had acquired somebody else's collection, and was auctioning it all of.  So there was a lot of good stuff to be had - including lots consisting of a load of common cards but also some really nice rare cards in amongst them.  Unfortunately I wasn't the only one to spot these hidden gems.  And there was clearly a sniper, or multiple snipers, with much deeper pockets than me bidding huge amounts on these items at the last possible second (probably with some kind of sniping software).  So of the 13 auctions I was interested in, I only won one.  Admittedly most of these I was only interested in if I could get a good price.  But still, there were several that I really wanted that I didn't get.  Disappointing, but I will persist in filling out my collection at a reasonable price (which is probably still unreasonable to most people!).   

Happy Veteran's Day!

You call it Remembrance Day or Armistice Day or Poppy Day - but here in the US it is called Veterans Day.  It is recognized as a federal holiday, but I don't think we get a day off work for this one, which is a shame.  I always kind of wondered how Americans distinguish between Veterans Day and Memorial Day - according to Wikipedia it is that Veterans Day commemorates the service of all US veterans, whereas Memorial Day honors those who have died in military service.  I guess that's a subtle difference, with some significant overlap.  I've been wearing a poppy brooch all week - but absolutely nobody has acknowledged it.  Either Americans don't notice, don't understand or don't care about what the remembrance poppy stands for.       

Caramac

RIP to the Caramac, which Nestle have recently announced they are axing.  A bar which I quite liked, even if I didn't have it very often and not for a very long time.  Given my new scrutiny on sugar intake, it's not exactly something I'm going to miss a lot.  But I don't like the idea of my favorite bars starting to disappear from our shelves.  It's like losing some of your favorite childhood memories.  Perhaps I'm getting oversentimental because I know I'll never be able to enjoy these kind of treats to the same extent ever again (though I confess to having enjoyed some Halloween candy recently that people had brought into the office, without any untoward side effects, so perhaps I can still occasionally spoil myself!).    

Masters of the Air

I just found out today that there is a follow-up to Band of Brothers and The Pacific, called Masters of the Air, and that it's coming out in January.  That's great news, because both Band of Brothers and The Pacific were excellent - and I am a sucker for a quality war miniseries.  But then watching the trailer for Masters of the Air, I was struck by two major concerns.  Firstly, this looks to be another horribly American-centric view of the war.  This was also something of an issue with Band of Brothers, and I think is always going to be a problem when following an American unit in World War II Europe.  So I can probably live with it as long as the show remains historically accurate.  But the bigger concern - why the heck is this being shown on Apple TV+ and not HBO?  I don't subscribe to Apple TV, so am I going to have to subscribe just to watch this?  That's an expensive hassle.  Band of Brothers and the The Pacific were both on HBO, and I subscribe to HBO, so it's really disappointing that this isn't either.  If HBO showed it on Sunday evenings, I almost guarantee it would be a massive hit like loads of other successful HBO shows.  Apple TV's only successful show is Ted Lasso, which is almost the polar opposite to Masters of the Air, so that makes me nervous.        

Going into the office

I'm still being forced to go into the office 3 days a week.  And I hate it.  So I've set myself a few conditions.  I don't leave for the office until after 9 am at the earliest, when hopefully the morning traffic has eased up.  And I leave no later than 2.30 pm, to avoid the afternoon/evening traffic.  The only exception to this is when it's a nice day.  Then I might go for a long lunchtime walk, and stay in the office until late.  I did this today, but even leaving around 6.30 pm I hit a load of traffic and the commute home was horrendous.  But I don't generally want to stay late if it means driving home in the dark - which is why I hate the clocks going back.  And especially when it's dark and wet.  So unless someone has a problem with my hours in the office, that's the schedule I'm going to try to keep.  At the moment, I'm going into the office Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  But I'm thinking of changing that up as well - maybe to Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  Or maybe to no fixed days, so that I can play it according to weather, workload, meetings and my mood.  Ultimately, I'd rather just have the choice of going into the office as much, or as little, as I want - but sadly that's just not an option.   

TV Theme Tunes #54

I don't remember anything about this show apart from the concept and the theme tune (and that may be from one of the many spoofs, rather than the actual show).

Redmond Watershed Preserve

In a break between weather fronts, managed to go out for a hike at Redmond Watershed Preserve on Sunday morning.  Another of my semi-regular haunts, again this one is just a little bit too far to make it a practical lunchtime destination when I'm working from home.  But I have to remember that it is a worthwhile trip here to catch some fall colors.  I maybe missed peak fall foliage by a couple of weeks, but still made for a good trip - though it can get busy here, especially at weekends.  But this is one of the few places where the trails are dog-free (though that hasn't stopped me encountering a few especially entitled dog owners), and has the bonus of being near the British shop where I can stop to get a sausage roll on the way home.  I don't think I was on my A game when it came to taking some photos this time, but this particular trail doesn't readily lend itself to obvious photo opportunities.