Heat

Whenever I come back to the UK, I like to do various excursions into London.  It's been a long time since I've come back to the UK in the peak of summer.  And one of the reasons I don't like it is because it's too hot to do much walking.  Especially after 50 plus days without measurable rainfall, or whatever it is.  I did my first excursion into London today, and it was exhausting.  My main aim was to go to the RAF Museum.  But with the cost of an off-peak one day travel card now at an ungodly amount, I felt I had to get my money's worth so I followed up my museum trip with one of the walks from my book.  And it was a struggle.  I probably tried to do too much in one day.  I need to pace myself a bit better, and make better use of drinks and refreshment - after all, this should be something that London is good for.  With no discernible rainfall in the forecast, I don't think conditions are going to get better any time soon....  I'll aim to post some photos in the upcoming days.      

Godalming

Godalming.  Famous (maybe I should use inverted commas: "Famous") for the world's first public electricity supply and birthplace of Titanic wireless operator Jack Phillips (who went down with the wreck).  And also, as of this year, as the site of the largest Marks & Spencer standalone food hall in the world.  And having walked around this store, you will be blown away.  Not.  It is decidedly unspectacular.  It just seems like it offers the same stuff that you might be able to get at any other M&S store, but spread out a bit more.  And you are actually more likely to notice the things that this store does not offer: clothing, a cafe, even just a toilet.  When you are literally located within view of a Waitrose on one side, and a Sainsbury's on the other, the location is nonsensical.  As is the fact that the store is clearly big enough to sell clothes - something that is majorly lacking in the Godalming area.  Seems like a huge missed opportunity.  What a joke.  I don't think it is sustainable.  

BA BS

I composed this on my Notes app on my phone during the flight yesterday... it is a bit of a moan, so sorry about that.

Although I’m happy to be back in the UK, it was not a pleasant flight here.  I’m utterly fed up with British Airways - when I checked in, I had no seat choice.  A window seat in the corner of the back row of the premium economy section.  A seat that I wasn’t able to change at the airport, despite asking both at the check-in desk and at the gate.  And arguably one of the worst seats in the section (eg too close to the toilets). I blame BA for downgrading my membership tier, so I couldn’t select a seat a week before my flight and instead could only do so a day before.  I notice also that I was never offered a drink before the plane took off.  That was something that I’m sure we got in premium economy before.  BA has gone seriously downhill.  I think this might also be the last time traveling back to the UK in summer.  I hate airports at this time of year.  Too hot, too busy, too crowded.  The terminal was a nightmare - and I was sweating through my clothes as I was walking around.  I clearly didn’t use enough deodorant this morning.  Very unpleasant.  I was on a full flight, and I think this might be the first time I was never asked if I might be interested in paying x amount to upgrade.  Perhaps even the business section was full?  There are clearly way too many people with way too much disposable income in this part of America to be able to afford flying business class.  Anyway, I have got to book flights back for Christmas soon.  I will definitely be considering airlines other than BA for that trip.

I must have written this early on in the flight, because later on I actually noticed there was a free aisle seat in the premium economy section, which is all I asked for.  Which takes the p*ss.  And add to that a massive long wait for my checked bags after breezing through immigration.  Yep, I feel like I might be done with BA (until I find out they have the cheapest priced flights...)  

Blighty

Yep, I've made it back to the UK once again.  Too tired to compose a meaningful post.  But, surprisingly, I think I actually got some decent sleep on the flight over - though in typical airline fashion, it was very fitful sleep.  And don't get me started on British Airways itself.  Let me save that for tomorrow.

Smoke

It seems I've timed my trip back to the UK quite well.  It has been quite nice here, apart from one major exception over the last few days which I'll be glad to leave behind.  And that's the wildfire smoke pouring into our region.  You can noticeably see and smell the smoke in the air.  Does make for some very photogenic orange skies - especially at sunrise and sunset.  But it does mean we have a severe weather alert for air quality.  In addition, it looks like there's a heat advisory tomorrow and Thursday.  Heat and smoke together is a very toxic combination.  I think all the smoke is coming from some big wildfires in the east of the state.  Apparently there have been tens of thousands of forced evacuations around Spokane, with huge areas affected and lots of buildings destroyed.  And that's just one of many.  What makes it worse, the Spokane fire was caused by arson - which is disgusting.  I guess climate change doesn't really matter when you have the idiocy of humanity.   

Trail Cam Fail

Having seen a lot of deer over the last week, I was planning to post some photos from my trail cam today.  But when I went to check it, something was wrong.  Apparently my SD card has crapped out - and my laptop doesn't even recognize it when I plug it in.  And even the trail cam has issues with the SD card.  So there might have been some decent photos captured over the last month or so, but who knows since I cannot access them.  And I have absolutely no idea if and how I can recover them.  Grrrr.   So I had to make an emergency run to Walmart this evening to get a new SD card.  I want to have my trail cam working before I depart.  Another unplanned expense - there seem to have been quite a few of them recently.  

Derailment

A very unsatisfactory day today.  I got up nice and early intending to take the light rail into downtown Seattle.  I wanted to do some shopping, plus take a short ferry ride to Bainbridge Island - somewhere I haven't been to for ages.  But I thought I'd check for any service alerts before I set off - and I'm glad I did because that's when I discovered the big news.  A train had derailed in downtown Seattle last night, and they had shut down all the downtown stations.  So the line was only running to a certain point, and then you had to take a shuttle bus.  That's a big nope from me.  And I didn't really feel like driving downtown and finding somewhere to park.  Especially knowing that without light rail the traffic would be horrendous, even for a Sunday morning.  So I never went in the end.  What bad timing.  So apologies for anyone I might be staying with on my trip back to the UK, since I wasn't able to get you a souvenir.   

Lists

I've got a list of things I need to do before I fly to the UK, a list of things to do when I'm back in the UK, and a list of things I need to do after I fly back from the UK.  I do have a habit of making lists.  Am I just trying to be organized?  Is this a symptom of ADHD or autism?  Or is this a symptom of OCD?  Who knows.  I wouldn't say I compile or complete lists compulsively, but I do like the focus, control and satisfaction of checking off things on a list.  And if I write something down, then at least I don't have to stress about trying to remember it. 

AFL

We are nearing the end of the regular season of Australian Rules Football.  And I am so disappointed with the US coverage.  They are showing maybe 3 or 4 live games every week.  Which is great.  But the choice of games is so bad.  I am missing out on so many games between contending teams, because they are not being shown in the US.  Instead they are airing games featuring teams who are not in post-season contention, and so who are not playing for anything.  It is nonsensical.  Perhaps it is intentional, perhaps it is not, but I don't recall this being an issue earlier in the season.  But they really should be airing the marquee matchups.  Mind you, I'm going to miss the final 3 weeks of the season whilst I'm back in the UK.  I think I'll try to still record any of the better games, and watch them when I get back.  Unlike English football, it shouldn't be a problem avoiding the AFL scores.     

Busy

With only a few work days left until my vacation, it is a bad time to get busy.  And a load of stuff has come up recently at work that needs to be dealt with before I go.  Which means that the next few days are going to get incredibly busy - both with work, and with everything I need to do before I fly out.  The last thing I want to do is work during my holiday, something that most Americans wouldn't think twice about, so I'm going to force the issue by not taking my work laptop back with me.  That might not go down well with some colleagues, but I don't care.

Count Binface

Yes, the 2026 Clacton by-election has even made the news over here.  No surprise really when the only serious contender to Nigel Farage is a guy with a trash can on his head.  It is ridiculous, but quite amusing - and extremely confusing to an American audience who don't get these joke candidates in their elections.  Of course Farage will win the by-election, but I think he is already a big loser in the court of public opinion.  Even more so than he already was.  I note that Nigel Farage has stopped accepting Cameo requests - I wonder if the video clip I got from him (I hasten to add this was something a friend paid for and got for me as a joke, since it is definitely not something I would do for myself) is still available?  

Commonwealth Games

It has only come to my attention recently that the Commonwealth Games is going on.  An event that has exactly zero coverage over here.  And frankly, I don't why it's still a thing.  It just seems like an expensive waste of time.  So expensive, that the original 2026 hosts (Victoria. Australia) withdrew due to financial concerns.  And isn't this a really watered-down version of the Games with just a handful of sports?  This sure is no Olympics.  It is just an outdated relic from the British Empire.  Something we maybe shouldn't honor any more.  

Travel Bug

Because I've been trying to make some plans for when I come back to the UK, I've been thinking about travel a lot recently.  I think I lost the travel bug a long time ago.  And that's a real shame.  Lots of reasons for that: age, a lack of travelling companion, a lack of vacation days.  There are still so many places in the world I would like to see.  I've always said to myself that I would love to take a sabbatical from work and do some traveling when I turn 50.  I'm almost there.  But will I actually follow through with that?  I doubt it.  It's one thing to get laid off, but it's another to quit.  And I'm not sure it's in my best interests to quit my job right now given the state of the job market.  Perhaps I need to make better use of the vacation days I currently have.  Most of them tend to get used up from trips back to the UK.  But I think I need to be a bit more selfish and take a holiday for myself.  To somewhere I want to go to, somewhere I've never been to before.  It may be somewhere within the US, it may be somewhere abroad.  I doubt it will be anywhere particularly exotic, because it's somewhere I have to be comfortable going to and doing stuff by myself.  That is surprisingly restrictive.  Maybe it's time to start completing my goal of going to every single National Park in the US.  Particularly before Trump shuts them all down so that they can be ruined by mining/drilling/data centers.    

Gun Violence

And so Seattle makes the headlines, with a major shooting event near the Space Needle this evening with multiple deaths reported (it actually flashed up as a news alert on my phone, which is when you know it is a big deal).  And, naturally, the US government will do absolutely nothing to address yet another incident of gun violence.  Just useless thoughts and prayers.  And it won't be long before this particular incident is forgotten about, and the same thing will happen somewhere else.  It's a never ending cycle.  And a tragic state of affairs.  What is wrong with this country?  So much.  

New TV

I still want to get a new TV.  But I was shocked to discover today that the model I had my eye on is already unavailable.  It was a 2025 model, and has already been supplanted by 2026 models in a couple of the stores I was considering purchasing from.  They don't muck around do they - what a swizz.  So I need to reconsider my needs, and I guess which new model I want to consider getting.  And naturally, these 2026 models are a whole lot more expensive.  Though their specs are only marginally better, hardly justifying the increased cost.  However, I'm sure the price will come down over time.  Or, as I've observed with the TV I was originally thinking about getting, there will be the occasional flash sale.  So it's all about timing.        

Shower

It's typical that in the hottest week of the year, my shower decided to break today.  Well I say break, it just appears that my shower hose has sprung a leak.  So I've ordered a new hose.  This isn't the first time I've had to make this repair, and not something I need to bother my landlord with.  But without a shower today, I felt even more sweaty and horrible than I normally do. 

Sunset

I could have sworn the sunset was still after 9 pm.  But nope, it was officially 8.55 pm today.  And quickly getting earlier and earlier in the evening every day.  I only noticed it because my phone switched to dark mode much earlier in the evening than I was expecting.  A quick Google search tells me that the latest sunset in Seattle this year was at 9.11 pm about a month ago.  A month ago already... before you know it, summer will be over.   

Algorithm

I don't know how the YouTube algorithm works.  But my feed is currently full of clips from international hide and seek game shows featuring "professional" hiders.  And I approve.  They seem to be quite entertaining.  There seems to be a Japanese show where people hide in a school and the students try to find them.  And there also seems to be a Russian (?) show where people hide in an old house and a hunter has to find them.  I'm kind of surprised there isn't a US or UK version of these game shows - it seems like a missed opportunity.  Especially since it's like a real-life version of Meccha Chameleon, a viral hide and seek video game that is also prevalent in my YouTube feed.   

Heat Advisory

We are currently under an official heat advisory until tomorrow evening.  What does this mean?  It's bloody hot.  Too hot to go outside during the day, and too hot to get a comfortable night's sleep.  I've got both my portable AC units running in my bedroom.  It may get quite noisy, but it does make it a bit more comfortable.  Though I'm still sleeping on top of my duvet rather than underneath it.  There is not a single drop of rain in the forecast until I come back to the UK.  Perfect wildfire weather, and we've already started to be affected by wildfire smoke causing hazy skies.  The smoke is coming from wildfires in Canada and in the east of the state.  It's probably one of the reasons why Trump has increased tariffs on some Canadian goods.  Though at this point, everyone knows these tariffs are just stupid and arbitrary - and it's the consumer who suffers. 

Jimothy

Seattle has a famous (well, internet famous) raccoon now:

This weird-shaped raccoon (due to a spine abnormality) has been seen in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle and has been named Jimothy.  Yep, now that the World Cup has finished this is the kind of content you can expect in my posts now.

Superbowl 60.5 As It Happened

World Cup final?  More like Superbowl 60.5.  I almost missed the game because the starting times for these World Cup matches have been all over the place, and I assumed it started at the same time as the England game yesterday.  Nope, that would be too easy.  And it meant I missed the American national anthem before the game.  Because obviously that has to be sung, even though the US is not in the final.  Because this is the Superbowl.  The winners are even getting Superbowl rings.  I wonder if they showed a shot of Trump saluting during the anthem - which is always insulting, because he is a draft dodger.  I'm looking forward to seeing if he is going to ruin the medal ceremony and celebration, just like in the Club World Cup.  

Obviously I'm supporting Spain.  I hate Argentinian players and Argentinian fans.  I respect their passion for their country and the game, but far too often they cross the line into something ugly.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, Argentina are the masters of the dark arts.  You just need to see the way they niggled the England players and intimated the referee in the semi-final.  And they committed the cardinal sin of mixing politics (the Falkland Islands) with the beautiful game.         

It's halftime.  Got to say I'm not really watching the game much, it's not particularly exciting.  Seems like it's mostly Spain controlling possession, but no real clear cut chances.  Not unlike the England-Argentina game.  So I guess this suits Argentina for some last minute heroics.  I've already been distracted by YouTube, so I paused the game and now I'm about 30 minutes behind the real game time.  I'm turning off my phone because it will flash up the final score before I'm ready.  At least I can fast forward all the half-time nonsense.  Including the Superbowl-like half time show and Alexi Lalas' useless analysis.  He is up there with hydration breaks as one of the worst things about this World Cup.

This game needs a goal.  Or a red card.  Or something.  I mean we're 80+ minutes in and Argentina hasn't registered a shot on goal yet.  I think I've got more of a chance of getting a golden boot than Messi.  I hope this doesn't go to extra time.  I've got chores to be getting on with.  I'm sick of all this drone footage and ref cam - adds absolutely nothing to the coverage.  Other than a distracting drone shadow across the pitch.  It's kind of sad that the American audience has to be reminded that there is no golden goal.  And they keep on displaying this match momentum plot during every game, that has to be one of the most useless football stats I've ever seen.    

And so we go to extra time.   And Argentina down to 10 men.  Did you see the way all their players were surrounding the referee after the second yellow card.  That's the kind of thing I hate them for, and I thought it was the kind of crap that FIFA were trying to cut out of the game.  You somehow still feel that if they can hold on for penalties then they will win.  Do you reckon Trump is going to hang around for another 30+ minutes?  They haven't shown many shots of him during the game.  I have no doubt he has been "resting his eyes" during the game.

Into extra time.  It looked like Spain had a perfectly legit goal disallowed.  Just going to show more Argentine bias throughout these knockout stages.  This definitely feels like it's going to penalties.  Despite all of Spain's possession. Spain might have a worst record in penalties than even England.  They have to really push for a goal.  And it is perhaps their achilles heal that they don't have a decent reliable striker.

GOAL!  Thank god.  Finally Spain have broken the deadlock.  20 shots on goal versus 0, they deserved it.  Now Spain, don't do an England.  Don't sit back, don't become defensive.  They've controlled the ball, and that's what they need to keep on doing.  Now is the time for some tiki-taka football.  Is there one bit of Messi magic left?

Nope.  Congratulations Spain.  You were the most consistent team in the World Cup, certainly defensively, and probably deserved it.  Though I think we could have given you a good fight.  And look at the bad sportsmanship from the Argentinians after the final whistle.  Why am I not surprised.  Bad losers.  

It's going to be tough to come up with other things to blog about after this World Cup...

England ?-? France

It's the third place game.  Who cares.  It doesn't matter what the score was or how good a game it was - it has no consequences, and is even more meaningless than a friendly.  Which is why I didn't bother watching it.  The only reason we have the game is because it's another FIFA money grab.    

IMAX

I haven't been to the cinema for ages, but I am thinking I want to go see The Odyssey on the big screen.  And I mean the really big screen - I'm no expert on the various different film stocks, but I really want to see this film in 70mm IMAX for the ultimate viewing experience (it was filmed entirely in IMAX, and this is apparently the best way to see the film).  One problem with that, there is no such screen showing that format in the Seattle area.  There used to be a big IMAX screen at Seattle Center (where the Space Needle is, and where I've seen films before), but it got sold and is now closed indefinitely.  Which sucks.  There is a downtown cinema showing the film in 70mm, but not on a screen with the proper IMAX aspect ratio.  But then it dawned on me that it's not that long until I'm back in the UK.  So I could wait until I'm back, and go watch it at the BFI in London (just one of the few locations in the UK able to handle 70mm IMAX).  But I've just been on the BFI website, and on the dates I'm back all the showings are either sold out or the only available seats are way at the front or way to the side.  Can I be bothered?  I don't know whether it's worth it.

Deja Vu

I was watching the film From the World of John Wick: Ballerina this evening, and I had the distinct feeling that I had seen it before.  Definitely the second half of the film.  Very weird.  And it's not like it's a particularly good or memorable film - like most John Wick films, just a lot of fighting and shooting (2 stars).  I wonder if I had seen it before.  Maybe on a flight, maybe just while channel-hopping.  I don't know.  And it's not helped that I kept on falling asleep during the last 15 minutes.  Not a good sign that I couldn't stay awake during the final climactic scenes.

England 1-2 Argentina

Well, that was disappointing.  I'm sure the British media will do the job of laying into Tuchel for making England way too defensive after we scored.  I didn't think we deserved to lose before that.  But neither did we deserve to win.  It was a fairly well matched game (low on scoring chances, high on niggle) until it turned into an attack versus defense training exercise.  And what was so frustrating that even with all the defenders, we seemingly still couldn't stop them crossing the ball.  It somehow felt inevitable.  Perhaps it is better that we lost this way, rather than lose in extra time or worse by penalties.  I think Argentina hates us more than we hate them.  So I hope Spain crushes them on Sunday.  And perhaps we need to remind them who still owns (and will continue to own) the Falkland Islands.  I won't bother watching the England-France game - the third place game is such a waste of time.     

TV Recommendation

A rare TV recommendation for this time of year, when there is generally not a lot on (I'm not watching House of the Dragon - which is probably the biggest show on right now).  The 7th season of Dark Side of the Ring is currently airing.  One of the best documentary series out there.  You don't have to be a fan of wrestling to enjoy this - this is more about some very flawed characters being involved in some very insane stories.  It reminds me why I enjoyed professional wrestling when I was younger, and just how watered down and lame wrestling is nowadays.    

Fasting

Because I had a doctor's appointment late this afternoon that would involve a lipid panel blood draw, I didn't eat anything other than a banana for breakfast.  So imagine my disappointment when my appointment, which was scheduled for 4.20 pm, dragged on until after 5 pm.  The reason for the disappointment: the lab where you get your blood taken closed at 5 pm.  So I fasted and suffered hunger pangs for nothing.  And I've got to go in again tomorrow to get my blood taken.  What a pain in the ass.  Note to self - stick to early morning doctors' appointments in the future.    

Hummingbirds

Kind of sad today.  I had to deal with another hummingbird death.  This was one that regularly used the feeder outside my kitchen window.  I knew something was wrong because yesterday I had seen it perched on the feeder looking a bit worse for wear - it's feathers were messed up and it was breathing heavily.  I went outside to have a closer look, and it didn't fly away - which is unusual.  My first thought was this was a good opportunity to take a photo of a hummingbird, so I went inside to fetch my phone and returned outside.  But this time the bird flew into the nearby tree, so I assumed it was just a bit tired and everything was okay again.  But later in the day as I was topping up the water in my feeders, I noticed the same hummingbird on the ground underneath the feeder.  It did not look in a good state.  It was alive, but barely.  Didn't know what to do.  Should I try to help it, or should I put it out of its suffering.  I picked it up with the plan of taking it to the feeder.  And that's when I noticed it had a leech or a slug attached underneath it.  Not good.  I removed it, but there was blood.  Yikes.  The bird was still alive, but not for long. I wonder if I could have done better - I don't think I could have done anything to save it, but I wonder if I could have eased it's suffering earlier.  The moral of the story - don't ask me to make any end of life decisions.  But on the bright side, just this evening I saw a different hummingbird using that same feeder outside my kitchen window.  Hummingbirds are extremely territorial, so it didn't take long for another one to claim this feeder. 

England 2-1 Norway (aet)

I should feel elated when England win a World Cup quarter-final.  But nope, that is not the emotion I feel.  Instead, it is a sense of exhaustion and relief.  Much like the match against Mexico, they don't make it easy do they.  Another tense and nervy win.  And this one included quite a lot of luck.  We were largely outplayed, they hit the crossbar, our goal should never have counted since the ball hit an overhead wire in the lead up, and there were a number of dodgy officiating decisions that went our way.  But we somehow did it - helped by the fact that we have one or two superstars that can make the difference, such as Bellingham.  I think the conditions didn't exactly help make this a free-flowing match - why you have to hold a quarter-final in a hot, humid, outdoor stadium rather than one of the many air-conditioned indoor stadiums I don't know.  I suspect there is politics and corruption at play again.  It feels like of all the World Cup quarter-finalists, we are the ones that have had to travel the most and play in the worst conditions.  

Trail Cam June-July

A few of the more interesting photos captured by my trail cam over the last 3 weeks or so.  No bears, but lots of birdlife, something small that may be an opossum (something I have seen before in my yard, but never photographed), a coyote that appears to have caught something big (maybe a chicken - since I know some neighbors have them in their yards) and a pair of raccoons that were apparently going up my driveway this morning. 

The Bayeux Tapestry

I note that the British Museum is soon going to have the Bayeux Tapestry available to view in an exhibition.  That is something I would like to see.  Unfortunately I don't think I will.  It appears that all tickets are already sold out this year.  Which is kind of annoying, to say the least (not that I would be around much to see it!).  Maybe I can still get tickets for next year, but realistically the only time I could go is very early January.  I fear I will miss out.  And although I'm considering it, I'm not even sure whether it is worth becoming a member of the museum just to increase my odds of getting a ticket.  Oh well, there are thousands of other important historical artifacts that I should probably try to see instead.      

Rest Day

What's this... no football today?  It feels like the first time in an absolute age.  Without the distraction, I did find I had a much more productive day of work.  What is interesting is that with the World Cup going on, I have totally neglected to follow any other sports.  For example, I have absolutely no idea what is going on in Wimbledon.  When I checked this evening, I was shocked to see some British guy I've never heard of in the semi-finals.  What have I missed? 

Fiber Internet

Some good news today.  I found out that I can now get fiber internet installed at my place.  This wasn't the case last week.  I phoned up to check availability, and they said they'd look into it.  I guess they did, and now it seems like it's a possibility.  Though they never got back to me to let me know, which seems like an oversight.  Nonetheless, I will definitely get it installed - probably right after my trip back to the UK.  It will be so good to finally drop my cable company - who I've had so many problems with over the years, and who I pay way too much to, and who I hate.       

USA vs Belgium As It Happened

Pre-game: I have decided I want Belgium to win.  It's an absolute disgrace that Trump got involved to get that US player's red card rescinded.  Stinks of corruption at the highest level.  I don't care whether he deserved the red card or not in the first place, that's not the point.  This is yet another example of one of my biggest fears about this World Cup - that politics will get involved.  Just like the Somalian referee getting denied entry into the US.  This is about the integrity of the game.  In much the same way that there should be a third political party in the US but there never will be, there should be a legitimate challenger to FIFA in hosting the World Cup.

Quarter-time: Damn hydration breaks (though, in fairness, they have probably helped England).  Some random thoughts.  Lumen Field (Seattle Stadium) normally has artificial turf, and the grass on this pitch looks artificial.  But I haven't read about any player complaints about the surface, so I assume it is OK.  Belgium deserving the lead - they have looked the better team.  The US have looked nervous.  And I don't think they are anywhere near as good as all the US pundits and coverage would suggest.  It comes across as arrogance, and Belgium had already been overlooked before the game started - even though I think this game is a toss-up.  

Half-time: apparently the US are the only team I've seen at the World Cup that are actually a free-kick threat.  But didn't take long for Belgium to respond.  The US defense looks very shaky.  The presence of Chris Richards reminds me that there are so many Crystal Palace players, both former and present, at this World Cup,  This fact has even come up in US commentary at times.  Nice.  It seems like a weird atmosphere in the crowd.  Almost a disbelief that they're losing.  It's where having a passionate, knowledgeable and natural fan base is lacking.  These are mostly fair weather fans, especially knowing how much many of these people paid for their tickets.  Ludicrously expensive.  Fox persists in using Alexi Lalas in their studio analysis of the game at half-time - even though everyone hates him.  But then what do you expect from Fox who are also trying to shove James Cordon's post-show down our throats, even though everyone hates him as well.    

Three-quarter time: soft, soft goal to concede.  Don't see the US coming back now.  To be honest, grown a little bored of the game, and got distracted by my iPhone.  My friend was downtown today, and said that the bars were the most crowded he has ever seen.  And he has lived in Seattle all his life.  I think I'm at an age where uncomfortably watching a game in a packed pub doesn't appeal to me in the same way it used to.  I'd much rather watch the game in front of the telly with a small group of friends.  I think what this game needs is a bit more edge.  The problem is that neither of these teams excel at the dark arts.  As much as I hate them, they are part of the game - and a big part of why Argentina are so good.  It also made the France-Paraguay game a lot more interesting than it should have been!

Full-time.  Wa-wa!  Goodbye USA.  You were not good today.  Be interesting to see the reaction.  Someone will take the blame - probably the manager.  And I'm also curious what happens after all the US hype has evaporated.  This could be a big blow to "soccer"'s popularity in the US - the US people don't like losing.  Even though they had absolutely no realistic chance of winning the World Cup.  Seattle will now be known as the location of one of the biggest failures in US soccer history.  I say Trump and FIFA should be blamed.  After all, they gave Belgium more motivation than a team talk could ever do.    

England 3-2 Mexico

My god, England don't make it easy do they.  Can't we just have a nice comfortable win.  This game was so full of incidents and momentum shifts and was so torturous to watch.  Especially that last 20 minute rearguard action.  Did you stay up to watch the game?  I doubt it, especially after the start was delayed for an hour.  But it is worth watching the replay, especially knowing that we hung on.  And I managed to teach one of my American friends who I was texting with during the game a new word - sh*thousery.  I need a lie down now.       

Happy Birthday America

A happy 250th anniversary to America today.  A celebration that I feel should be bigger than it is.  But unfortunately Trump has made the celebration more about him than about the country, and ruined it (at least on a national level) for everyone.  Nonetheless, there have been a lot of local events today and I'm expecting even more fireworks than normal to go off tonight - even though it is still illegal in my neighborhood.  I've been hearing a lot of explosions throughout the day - it seems nonsensical to me to set them off during daylight, but whatever.  All I know is that I hate what all the noise does to the wildlife - in between the explosions, I hardly hear any bird song like I would normally.  It's always a bit weird how I feel about Independence Day.  I don't really celebrate it, and it only seems to emphasize how non-American I feel.  I've been asking myself whether the US feels like home to me.  I'm not sure it does - sure it's my residence, but I think the UK will always be my home.  That's probably not a good thing to say when I'm considering American citizenship one day.       

Confused

For most of today, I was convinced it was Saturday.  Maybe it's because this was at the end of a week without working.  Maybe it's because it was at the end of a week when I watched far too much football.  Maybe because it's the 4th of July holiday.  And a special 250 year anniversary at that (though Trump has kind of ruined this).  Whatever the reason, it's left me somewhat discombobulated.  And all too aware that my week off has passed way too quickly and that I probably haven't made the most of it.

Boring

No world cup post today.  Just composed a post about a customer service interaction I had this week, but it was incredibly boring so I deleted it.  Let's just say that trying to update the phone number associated with your supermarket club card so that you can access your online account is not as easy as it should be.  Exciting stuff right.  

USA 2-0 Bosnia

I don't have any comments on the England game, after another extremely underwhelming performance against an inferior opposition that they somehow managed to scrape a win from.  I'm actually looking forward to their next game playing at altitude against Mexico in front of 90,000 Mexican fans at the Azteca.  That should be a great spectacle, and a great atmosphere.  Instead, a few comments during the US game:

- Hilarious that they continue to play a sped up version of the Star Spangled Banner as the national anthems

- It's not just extra commercial breaks, but I noticed during the US game that they had a sideline reporter.  This is very common in US sports, but weird during "soccer" games and an example of the further attempted Americanization of our game

- I notice that when Alexi Lalas is not in the studio, Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovich are SO much more relaxed and happier.  I thought it might just be an act for publicity, but no I think they genuinely don't like him (which I can thoroughly appreciate - I have to mute the telly or change channels whenever he is on)

- It seems like David Beckham appears in every other advertisement during the World Cup (especially during the hydration breaks) - advertising everything from Home Depot to Bank of America.  It's bewildering since he has so little personality.

- I still don't like the expanded format of this World Cup.  But I fear it is going to stick around, because it has made for some very tense and very enjoyable matches.  While some of the bigger teams like England and Brazil flatter to deceive, a number of the "smaller" countries have really shown up.  And the host countries have done surprisingly well to all still be alive.  But I'd be really surprised if it isn't another France-Argentina final.

- 3 knockout games in 1 day is way too much.  It should be 2 matches a day at most, featuring the games where the winners play each other in the next round.

- Seattle will now host its biggest ever sporting event, and the biggest "soccer" match in US soccer history, on Monday.  And another reason to enhance its reputation as the best World Cup atmosphere in the US.

Sleep

I really should get a new mattress.  But as a temporary (?) fix, I have got myself a mattress topper.  And not a cheap one - but that's OK, because I think I can claim it as a wellness expense at work.  And so far so good.  I haven't been waking up with back or shoulder pain, something I had been suffering from prior to having the topper.  The one drawback, the memory foam mattress topper I got must have a depth of about 3 inches.  So that on top of my mattress makes my bed look weirdly tall, and it also means that my fitted sheets don't really fit properly.  But that is a compromise I can live with if it means a better night's sleep. 

Penalty Kicks

I had forgotten about the sheer brutality and cruelty of penalty shootouts.  And we had two of them today.  How did I ever survive England's numerous penalty shootout losses from the 1990 World Cup through to the 2020 Euros?  What anxiety and heartbreak to endure.  I remain convinced I will never see England win a major tournament in my lifetime.  Tragic.  

Cutlery

I seem to have an alarming habit of (accidentally) throwing away cutlery.  At least that is the only explanation I have for why some of my forks keep on mysteriously disappearing.  I have seemingly lost one over the last week.  And this isn't the first time.  I could've rooted through the trash trying to find it, but I suspect it's long gone in the last trash collection.  It's not like I have a particularly expensive or noteworthy cutlery set - we are talking Amazon Basics rather than silver sterling here - but still rather annoying.

England 2-0 Panama

Mental health is important.  It's something I struggle with and need to take more measures to address.  Well, it started today with a small step.  At quarter time of the England-Panama game, I switched to watching the other game going on at the same time.  Watching England play is bad for my mental health.  Their ineptness is incredibly frustrating, incredibly stressful, and incredibly unhealthy.  They absolutely suck, and I hope they don't progress far (which they won't based on the last couple of performances).  I'm supporting Team USA from now on.

Pride Night

As I write this, Egypt and Iran are currently playing at "Seattle Stadium" in the World Cup.  I'm not actually watching the game, I'm watching the other one that is being played simultaneously.  But I wanted to mention the Seattle game because it is somewhat controversial.  It is the only official "Pride Match" in the World Cup.  A fact protested by both Egypt and Iran - where homosexuality is criminalized.  Nonetheless, and somewhat surprisingly, they've allowed rainbow flags in the stadium.  Much to the chagrin of the two teams.  But probably making for a very colorful spectacle.  But as I say, I have no idea as I'm not watching the game and I haven't seen any pictures or highlights from it either.  I don't actually know how well attended the game is either.  But I imagine it's quite a heady mix of Egypt fans, Iran fans, pride supporters and protesters downtown this evening.

Grrr Work

It's been horribly busy at work this week.  And it has ruined my World Cup watching.  Incredibly annoying.  Because as much as I hate FIFA and I hate the US hosting the World Cup, I am watching a lot of the games.  At least it's our company shutdown next week, so I can watch as much or as little as I want then.  Unfortunately the week after the shutdown is going to be hellishly busy.  I'm really not enjoying my job right now.  It's stressing me out, and my already poor work-life balance plus lack of healthy routine is not doing me any good.  The week off couldn't be timed better - so long as I don't think about work during that week.  Which is easier said than done.       

Houston

I don't know how much this made the UK news, but the BBC managed to become a laughing stock in the US during the World Cup.  The reason?  During the World Cup coverage, at one point the studio background featured the Houston skyline plus a mountain range.  Only one problem with that.  Houston is, famously, nowhere near any mountains.  This background was clearly AI-generated.  

Cue a LOT of social media roasting.    

England 0-0 Ghana

Yes, this is the England I expected to see.  Frustrating, turgid, uninspiring, absolutely incapable of breaking down a defensive opposition.  And absolutely horrible to watch - an offensive flurry in the last 5 minutes does not make up for 85 minutes of awfulness.  And the worst game in the World Cup so far.  England's first game performance was clearly an aberration.  This is the norm - and eerily similar to what happened in the last World Cup when we drew 0-0 in our second game against the US.  With the players we have, some of the team selection and formation remains baffling.  I saw absolutely no evidence of improved tactical nous that might be expected from our new manager.  I still expect England to top the group, but on the strength of today's outing it confirms my belief that we have no chance of winning the World Cup.  I wore my England top today.  I'm embarrassed by it, so if I go out later then I think I will change.    

Concerts

It's been ages since I've been to see some live music.  This thought crossed my mind as I was watching some live concert footage of Muse today.  One of the few bands that I have seen live before (though a long time ago) and probably the best band I've ever seen live.  This is very much a universal opinion, not one just shared by me.  For the hell of it I checked to see if they had any live dates coming up, and was pleasantly surprised to see that they are actually performing locally later this year.  Well, I think I have to go.  But then I check the dates.  August.  Well dang it, I'm back in the UK when they are here.  That sucks.  What especially sucks is that the alternative radio station that I listen to - and which very occasionally plays Muse - has made absolutely no mention of this upcoming concert.  It makes me wonder just how many other possible concerts of interest I might have missed out on.  Elbow are another band who I missed seeing live locally last year because I didn't know they were going to be here - not that I could have gone because I was back in the UK when they were here.  My timing of home visits is apparently spectacularly bad.       

Geography

A clear sign I've been in the US too long - my geography knowledge has regressed.  A lot.  Give me a globe, and I couldn't tell you where Cape Verde or Curacao are (both countries are in the World Cup).  Indeed, I wasn't even sure which region Curacao qualified for the World Cup from (in fact, it's the same as the US - if the US weren't one of the hosts).  I'm also not sure I care for some of the "renaming" of countries during the World Cup - I'm used to Czech Republic instead of Czechia, and especially Turkey instead of Turkiye.  Hilariously, the Turkish government doesn't want to be associated with the bird - hence requesting the name change.  That seems rather shallow.    

Trail Cam Update

I'm sorry to say, no more bear sightings over the last few weeks.  But there is definitely a coyote in the neighborhood.

USA 2-0 Australia

Congrats to the US for making the knockout stages.  But as I've been telling friends and colleagues, I still don't think you're anywhere near good enough to win the World Cup.  But try telling that to the fickle, fair weather American fan.  Especially after another win.  Another win against a very mediocre opponent.  But I'm glad Seattle did good.  The crowd was hot, the city was rocking, the weather cooperated, and all the scenic shots made Seattle look amazing.  This was probably the biggest sporting event to ever take place in the city.  That might be eclipsed later in the tournament, when we have 2 knockout games being held here.  Those are the ones I really tried to get tickets for, but I just couldn't justify it at the price they were offering.  I doubt that price will come down much at all nearer the games.  Tickets for today's game were going for at least $2000.  And that's for the cheapest seats.  Nope.  But I'm glad I didn't have to go anywhere today - apparently driving anywhere near the city was horrendous (and I've already had to deal with driving loads over the last couple of days just to attend a couple of team lunches).  I think they close a lot of downtown to traffic during the World Cup matches.  It looked absolutely packed.  And it looked like a great atmosphere, but I can't deal with those kinds of crowds.  I'm happy to watch the game at home in "RealTime4K" on TV. 

Awkward

From this:

To this:

Billy no-mates.

England 4-2 Croatia

Well, I don't think I'm going to make any more World Cup predictions.  This game did not go how I expected it to go.  At all.  I missed watching it live as I was at a Chinese restaurant for a team lunch (among the culinary delights that I did not partake in - sea snails and jellyfish).  But it was impossible to avoid the score - we had a banquet room upstairs, but there was a big screen downstairs showing the game.  A good result for sure, showing some encouraging resilience and some surprising attacking flair (predictably, we are always going to be a threat at set pieces) - but there is an awful long way to go in the tournament, so I am not going to read too much into the performance.  In past World Cups, you didn't mind if you started the tournament slowly as you really wanted to peak in the later rounds.  But with this stretched out tournament, including an extra knockout round, I don't know if you can really build up that momentum in the same way.  But a win is a win, and it does somewhat take the pressure off for the next couple of games - which cannot be a bad thing.

Goal Music

There may be many things I dislike about this World Cup, but one of the things I do approve of is the playing of some music in the stadium when a team scores.  It seems like each country has their own choice - so for example when Mexico scored, we got some mariachi music.  I believe the US plays the guitar solo from Lynyrd Skynyrd's Free Bird.  I'm wondering what will be England's goal music?  I pray to God it isn't Three Lions.  I hope we get to find out tomorrow.  Just for reference, this was apparently our choice in the last World Cup (though I don't remember them playing it after every goal):

Roasting

We are currently enduring a mini heatwave.  This is the third consecutive day where we are under a heat advisory.  I've had to drag my portable AC units out of hibernation for their first use of the year.  But they are not helping me sleep well.  But I think that is as much to do with my mattress as it is with the hot temperatures.  I've just ordered a mattress topper to see if that helps - otherwise I fear I will need a new mattress.  The heatwave was also unfortunate timing for the first World Cup match being held in Seattle (Belgium vs Egypt) today.  Perhaps one of the few games where the hydration breaks were actually necessary.  Apparently the match was well attended but there were still some empty seats.  And the ticket prices were still outrageous.  They are going to be even worse for the next game in Seattle, featuring the US.   

Irrational

I'm still getting my head around how I feel about this World Cup.  It's not hatred I think, more just distaste.  The actual games haven't been too bad so far.  However, it feels more like a "soccer" world cup than a "football" world cup.  If that makes sense.  Perhaps it's all the little tweaks and rule changes being implemented in this tournament (the worst of which is the hydration/advert break dividing the game into quarters).  Ian Wright said that the US has no idea about the spirit of the game.  I am in total agreement.  I would go further.  FIFA also has no idea about the spirit of the game - they are driven solely by corporate greed and corruption.  Yet I still end up watching way too many games.  And the more I watch the more I find to get on my nerves.  From the really annoying shadow of a drone flying about above a game, to the clearly artificially enhanced crowd noises on the broadcasts, to the absolutely unwatchable studio segments, to the fake attendance figures (I bet if I show up at Seattle stadium tomorrow for the Belgium vs Egypt game, I could probably get a free ticket just so that there is one less empty seat), to the ridiculousness that Scottish fans had to stay up past 4 am to see their team win (with so many games, how they couldn't find a more accommodating time slot is outrageous).  Did you know that Fox are doing a daily post-game talk show with James Corden.  James Corden!  I thought he was canceled - everybody found out that he was a total prick, and so nobody likes him.  I can't imagine this show gets any viewers whatsoever.  But the broadcaster is Fox, so this shouldn't really come as a surprise (hence why also one of the game analysts is MAGA-loving Alexi Lalas - an excruciatingly horrible presence in the studio even without the politics).  As I write this, we still haven't had a 0-0 game.  I am utterly convinced that England's first game will be the first 0-0 of the tournament and the most dour game of the tournament so far.      

Con Job

My cable and internet bill keeps on going up every month, and I'm sick and tired of it.  And it's time to do something about it.  Rather than go through some AI customer service on the internet or on the phone, I made an appointment at the local store yesterday so that I could speak to someone face-to-face.  Mainly what I wanted was some estimates for how much I was going to pay if I reduced my internet speed and/or if I reduced my channel selection, or even if I cut the cord totally.  For the time being, I have reduced my monthly bill - but at the cost of eliminating a couple of my premium channels.  I feel a bit like I got fleeced - and whatever option I go with, it still feels like a rip off.  What is more aggravating is that I found out that all my surrounding neighbors, including my landlord, have access to fiber internet - but I do not.  I would switch to that in a heartbeat, but instead I'm stuck with getting my internet through my cable company.         

USA 4-1 Paraguay

I suspect there are going to be a lot of posts about the World Cup over the next 3 months, or however long this darn tournament is going to take place.  Apologies for those of you who don't really care for football.  Of course, the US winning their first game in convincing fashion was probably the worst possible result.  It's going to make Americans even more insufferable than they already are.  I do not care for the American fair weather "soccer" fan to start with, and now there are going to be even more of them thinking they are good enough to win the World Cup.  Nope.  Let's see how they actually do against a half-decent side. 

I had to snap a photo of this when it popped up on the screen during the US game:

WTF is "match momentum"?  Jeez.  It looks like another attempt to Americanize our sport.

Commercialization

I now know why the World Cup games are having forced hydration breaks.  It's absolutely nothing to do with making sure players are hydrated enough.  It is all so that Fox can have an extra few advert breaks during the game.  And I'm sure the length of the hydration breaks is being dictated by the sponsors.  Absolutely disgusting.  I think it's the first advert break I've ever seen whilst a game is still being played.  Not even a picture-in-picture advert break - nope, we fully cut away from the game.  It feels very American to try to turn the game into 4 quarters rather than 2 halves - and this is the first step in that direction.

World Cup Preview

We're finally at the eve of the World Cup starting.  Some thoughts on the tournament:

- I hope the US has a really bad World Cup.  Like not even getting out of the group stage.  It's not the team's fault, but thanks to their president they are the pantomime villains and everyone hates them and wants them to lose.

- I don't think England are going to have a good World Cup.  They won't get past the quarter finals.  And their games are going to be painfully frustrating to watch.

- In fact, I think generally the quality of football is going to be very low during this World Cup.  This is courtesy of searing temperatures and a bloated tournament full of too many countries who shouldn't really have qualified.

- Trump has and will ruin this World Cup in much the same way that he is ruining America's 250th birthday.

- This World Cup will be looked on as a disaster, and the US as a terrible host.  The football will be overshadowed by all the off-the-field issues.

- Attendance will be poor at many of the early games, and I fear a Superbowl-like artificiality to the atmosphere of most of the later games.

- I don't have any predictions on who the actual winner will be.  One of the usual suspects.

- It's going to be interesting to see whether the pitches hold up.  Most of the stadiums normally have artificial turf, so they've had to replace this with specially engineered grass - which has the potential to be awful.

- Some of the new rules being implemented for this World Cup will be ridiculous, and I expect at least one major VAR controversy.

- The US "soccer" coverage is going to be interesting.  I've already seen that the first US game will have a 3 hour pre-game show.  Good grief.  But at least the studio host is Rebecca Lowe, who has been the Premier League host here for ages and does a great job at that.  And I notice that Zlatan is going to be one of the pundits - which should be entertaining at least, even if he doesn't exactly provide any interesting insights.  I don't hold high hopes for the quality of commentating - but thankfully they are mostly British.  

   

Team Meeting

I've got a dilemma.  There is a team meet up taking place next Wednesday in Seattle (well, strictly speaking, in Bellevue - but that's the same distance away from me as Seattle is).  I don't really want to go.  It's at some Chinese restaurant where I don't think I'm going to like the food.  But some key people in my department are going to be there - including my manager's manager's manager's manager, my manager's manager's manager and my manager - so I feel some obligation to attend.  I don't really know why some of these people are flying up from California to be here.  This feels like nothing more than a brown nosing event, rather than them actually having some news (good or bad) to impart.  But there is an extra factor to consider.  England are playing their first World Cup game on the same day.  And I would miss it if I was to go to this meeting.  So I honestly don't know what to do.  I can almost guarantee that someone will spoil the score if I record the game and go.  But do I really care that much about watching the game live?  And how important is it for me to go to this meeting?  At no time has anyone said attendance is mandatory, but I feel like it is.  Or at the very least, my absence would be noted.  But do I really care?  As stated previously, I wouldn't mind getting laid off.  I've got until tomorrow to decide whether to go or not.  Let me sleep on it.   

Home Entertainment

I've taken my first steps to substantially upgrading my home entertainment system.  I've just ordered a new soundbar.  I found it new for less than half the retail price, which was too good a deal to pass up on.  And this is, by all accounts (or at least according to many of the online reviews) one of the best systems out there.  Even at the reduced price, it wasn't cheap.  But it features a 11.1.4 channel setup, which should result in some incredible sound.  Calling it a soundbar doesn't do it justice - it's more like a home theater system, with a wireless subwoofer and wireless rear speakers to go with the actual soundbar.  Now I need to pair it up with a high quality telly - I've got my eyes on a particular model, but it ain't cheap...

Vertigo

I can talk about this now, because I'm more or less over it.  But for about a week, I have been suffering from dizzy spells.  Not the more serious low blood pressure, fainting type of dizziness.  No, this was more like occasionally experiencing a spinning sensation.  In certain situations where I moved my head suddenly - especially when I moved position in bed, something I do a lot of - then I was getting really dizzy.  There is something deeply, fundamentally disturbing about experiencing a really spinning room while you're stationary and gripping hard onto whatever you can before things settle back to normal.  Fortunately these spells only lasted for a few seconds, but still very unsettling.  I think I was suffering from something called BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo) - where, apparently, tiny calcium crystals get dislodged and go into the wrong part of your ear canal.  Isn't the human body a crazy thing.  But apparently this is quite common, especially for people over 50 (which I nearly am).  And fortunately I didn't have to live with this condition for too long.  But an unwelcome reminder that I'm going to experience more stuff like this as I get older.  

An Unexpected Visitor

I moved my trail camera in the hope of seeing new wildlife.  Well, my decision has paid off.  And in quite spectacular fashion:

Yes, that is a black bear going up my driveway towards my house.  And quite a large one at that.  I had absolutely no idea it was even possible for there to be any bears in my neighborhood.  It's not like my neighborhood is overly developed, but neither are there any big wilderness areas nearby.  I certainly haven't seen any bears here before, and I haven't heard about any here before either.  And judging from my landlord's reaction when I sent him one of the above photos - "Holy sh*t!!!" was the text I got back - I suspect he hasn't either.   

Watch Repair

It took me 3 days to notice that my watch had stopped running.  And I'd been wearing it for most of those 3 days.  Is it weird that I don't look at my watch that much?  Either way, I need to get a new battery fitted.  I took it in to a jewelers today, and the price they quoted just for a battery replacement was outrageous - almost the cost of the watch itself.  So I declined, and instead went home and ordered a very basic watch replacement kit from Amazon instead.  I'll do it myself - I think (hope) it isn't too complicated.  I think I just need to use the right tools to unscrew the back of the watch, and simply replace the battery (which I also need to order from Amazon).  It'll probably end up being a lot less easy than that, especially with my very limited expertise when it comes to doing fiddly things, but we shall see.  

Cleaning

Note to self - don't use any cleaning products that contain bleach.  Whenever I use them, I have an uncanny ability to stain things that I don't want stained - in the worst case, ruining some item of clothing that I'm wearing.  Just in the last week, I have contrived to get bleach stains on two of my washcloths.  Nope, I am done with using bathroom spray containing bleach.  I'd rather use an inferior cleaning product.   

Gambling

It seems to me that the US has a serious gambling problem.  Both the Stanley Cup final and NBA finals are going on right now, and the preponderance of sports gambling websites and apps being advertised during these games is shocking.  And the number of things you can bet on just over the duration of a single game is unbelievable.  I've noticed that even the news ticker on sports channels has started showing betting odds, and an increasingly larger amount of pre-game coverage is explicitly dedicated to gambling.  It doesn't seem like there is much regulation of this industry here, which I guess shouldn't surprise me given the current administration.  And it's not just sports, but even platforms that allow you to bet on almost anything (such as political, military or social events) seem to have massively increased their presence.  And profits.  Because ultimately, the house always wins.       

A New Angle

I've made the big decision to move my trail camera.  It is now on the edge of my driveway, pointing down towards my driveway entrance, but hopefully far back enough that it doesn't capture traffic on the road.  Why did I move it?  Mainly to see if it captures any different animal activity.  But also because one morning last week, I found some neighbors' discarded mail at the bottom of my driveway.  Some of the mail was opened, so I suspect a mail thief was opening it down there.  I hope not, but I don't have any other rational explanation.  It makes me thankful that early on when I moved here I asked my landlord to get me a locked mailbox.  Anyway, the trail camera in its new position will hopefully capture any unwelcome activity like this in the future.  It does have the unfortunate consequence of capturing all my toing and froing, in addition to that of my landlord and his family who also occasionally use the driveway.  My landlord has already knocked down the camera once when he was out in his mower cutting the grass.  So I wouldn't be surprised if it gets run over one day.  But the early indications are that I will get some good new images.