Traffic

Met up with a friend for lunch today.  And the freeway traffic getting there was absolutely horrendous.  If there are any positives to working from home, then not having to deal with traffic is definitely up there.  I think it has gotten considerably worse over the last year or so.  It's not helped by the vast amount of roadworks going on around the Seattle area.  It seems like every weekend there are several major closures.  Indeed, when I look it up then there are 7 major traffic disruptions planned this weekend.  Yikes. 

In-N-Out

The good news - In-N-Out have opened a second location in Washington state.  The bad news - it is located in the far south of the state, just like it's first location.  So unless I fancy making a 300+ mile detour, or making a pit stop on the way to Oregon, I won't be going there anytime soon.  Which is a shame, because if you've ever been to In-N-Out before then you know how good its burgers are.  There is a reason it is consistently rated as one of the best fast food restaurants in the country.

NASL

Especially with the World Cup in the US coming up, I'm surprised that there hasn't been a reputable sports documentary - I'm specifically thinking of 30 for 30 - about the rise and fall of the North American Soccer League.  I think it would be fascinating - from stuff like trying to popularize and Americanize "soccer", to bringing in all these big names (Pele, Beckenbauer, etc.), to its eventual financial collapse.  It feels like the perfect story for a sports documentary.  And I think it gives a great insight to the American sports fan's psyche - like how they don't do draws, and how fickle they are.  Americans suffer from delusions of grandeur (which is not just confined to sports), to the extent that they think they're actually going to win the World Cup this year.  Which they 100% won't, and which I will 100% enjoy when they don't. 

Celebrity Traitors

Even though I'm not going to be back in the UK when Celebrity Traitors Season 2 airs, thanks to AI and my internet history I'm sure that I'm going to be unable to avoid news about it.  I know that it is going to be available to stream over here, but I don't know how soon those episodes will be available after they've aired in the UK.  I'm sure there's going to be a lag, just like there was for Season 1, so I'll know who has won before I'm able to watch here - which kind of defeats the point of watching.  Perhaps I need to use a VPN and watch it on BBC iPlayer.  I have seen the Celebrity Traitors lineup - and just like Season 1 it is stacked with lots of big names.  Of the 21 contestants, there are about 6 who I don't know.  Which is about on par with Season 1, and a pretty good ratio (especially compared to the US version, which is full of some real z-list "celebrities" - think obscure influencers and reality stars - none of whom I recognize).  In the season 2 lineup there does seem to be an awful lot of comedians, along with a lack of sports people.  Although that is not necessarily a bad thing - perhaps they are trying to replicate the chemistry in Last One Laughing - the problem is that all these comedians appear on the same shows and so they must know each other quite well, so I suspect they'll know when one or more of them is a traitor.   

Insects

I always seem to get more than my fair share of insect bites - likely due to the high sugar-content of my blood.  But this year seems to be one of the worst I've ever experienced.  I don't know if this is specific to me and/or where I live, some consequence of the weather we've had this year so far, or something else.  Either way, I have a rapidly increasing number of insect bites - to the extent that I've bought a load of insect repellent spray and I'm using it every night.  Because I've got so many bites on my legs, I've got it in my head that I've got bed bugs or fleas or something equally worrying.  But I think I'm just paranoid.  Every single sensation on my skin feels like it is probably an insect, and it's driving me crazy.  What I think I've got to do is stop scratching the insect bites and making them ten times worse.  So I've also bought a load of anti-itch lotion.  None of this is fun to deal with.

Chase the Sun

No, not an entry about the current hot spell we are experiencing.  So hot in fact that shorts were worn today for the first time this year.  No, this is an entry about the song Chase the Sun.  What song is that I hear you asking?  Well every darts fan will recognize it instantly.  And I'm currently watching the Colorado Avalanche playing in the hockey playoffs, and their goal song is the same darts song - which is very weird.  And as I write this they have already scored 5 goals through 2 periods, so I've been hearing this song a lot!  It's interesting how different the actual song sounds with a singer - when I'm used to just darts fans singing "Oi oi oi" after the hook.

Washing Machine Fail

Oops, I forgot to post a blog yesterday.  I was distracted yesterday evening because I was having problems with my washing machine.  It's not draining the water out properly.  So when I finish a wash, water comes out when I open the door (it's a front loader) and I can see it pooled up inside the liner outside the drum.  It is probably a simple case of clearing a filter or drain, but I'll let my landlord fix it when he comes round later today.  The advantage of renting and having a landlord who lives next door and just came back from his vacation yesterday.  At least I hope it's a simple fix....   

Loyalty

How many times have I flown with BA over the last decade plus?  Countless times.  But clearly not enough so that they want me to keep me as a loyal customer.  I found out today that my British Airways Club membership has dropped to Blue.  Which is the level you get when you first join.  So instead of gaining benefits like lounge access - which I think I've earned - instead I've lost benefits that include free seat selection 7 days before my flight (I can now only select my seat for free when I check in 24 hours before by flight - when I doubt I will have any choice), I can't check in at the business-class desk (which sadly means queuing up with the rest of the muggles), I don't get priority boarding (not really a big deal, so long as there is enough space in the overhead lockers for my hand luggage when I do eventually board), and I don't get priority baggage tagging (which means waiting even longer for my suitcases at the carousel).  But ultimately what this really means is that I'm going to look at other airlines a lot more closely when I book my next flight - so well done BA, you've screwed up by screwing me over and you've potentially lost a regular flyer.   

Disc Golf

I took a lunchtime walk today through a park that also had an 18 hole disc golf course.  If "hole" is the right word for the metal nets that catch the discs.  It was a sunny day, so even on a weekday lunchtime I saw plenty of people out on the course.  I wish this was a thing when I was younger, because this is something I could see myself doing - after all, who doesn't like throwing around a frisbee.  But I think it's a young man's game - all the people I saw carrying backpacks full of discs were under 20.  And how many discs do you need?  Is it a bit like golf where you have different discs for different distances?  I could understand having a few spare discs, because I saw plenty of people chucking their discs deep into undergrowth.

SNL

I've seen a few clips of SNL: UK online, and was kind of curious how it was doing.  After all, SNL is an American institution.  Admittedly it's not one that I really care for - I don't think I've ever seen an episode in its entirety, just some of the better known sketches.  That's always been the problem for me - SNL is very hit or miss.  And I suspect that is probably the same problem with SNL: UK.  Which is why this kind of show is always going to do much better with online views - where you can be selective in what you watch - compared to actual viewership ratings.  What I've seen is funny enough, but not particularly memorable.  I was never quite sure whether this kind of show would work in the UK - so it will be interesting to see whether it lasts beyond its inaugural season.  

Random Song

Why did I suddenly start singing this song this morning?  I was doing absolutely nothing to jog some long lost memory.  I probably haven't heard the song for 30+ years, and I didn't even know it was a Rod Stewart song until I found it on YouTube.  I simply don't understand how my mind works.

Endorsement

I think there is a very simple way that we can get Nigel Farage and Reform UK out of British politics.  And that is to get J D Vance to publicly endorse them.  He might be one of the most reviled politicians ever.  I think even Trump doesn't like him.  To get an idea of just how unpopular Vance is, just look at what happened to Orban in the Hungarian election.  I think he could do the same to Nigel Farage in the next general election.  What a joy that would be.  I don't think even the current Republican party could consider Vance as a presidential candidate in 2028.  But frankly nothing in American politics would surprise me any more.   

Anzac Day

I'm a day late, but Happy Anzac Day!  A day that I wouldn't know existed apart from seeing it honored when I was watching some recordings of Aussie-rules football games over the weekend.   I know that it occurs on the date of the first Gallipoli landings in the First World War.  Yet another tragic campaign in that war that resulted in heavy casualties, despite the heroism and sacrifice of so many.  And obviously not being from Australia or New Zealand and never having been there (though I hope to go one day), I do not commemorate it nor do I really appreciate it as much as I probably should do.  But if Anzac Day is not well known in the UK, then it is practically unknown in the US - especially since the US didn't enter WW1 until well after the Gallipoli campaign.  But apparently a special dawn service was held yesterday at the Museum of History & Industry in Seattle, close to where my office used to be.  I don't know how many years they've been holding such an event, but I've never heard of it in all my time here.  But then again, why would I...     

Conspiracy

It wouldn't surprise me if this most recent shooting incident involving Trump is staged.  It feels like it.  Just like his "assassination" attempts.  The timing just seems too suspicious.  And even if it was "real", I don't believe anything Trump says and I certainly have no sympathy for him.  He only has himself to blame - he is the boy who cried wolf.  

Relentlessness

The only thing more relentless than my workload right now is the media coverage of Trump.  It feels like he hasn't been out of the headlines for a single day in about the last 10 years.  It's unceasing and thoroughly deflating.  Trump Anxiety Disorder is a real thing, and a real problem.  And I imagine I don't suffer from it nearly as much as an awful lot of other people.  There's a certain irony in talking about mental illness caused by Trump, when Trump himself suffers from narcissistic personality disorder, malignant narcissism, delusional disorder and cognitive decline.

Concerts

I was having a look at the Coachella lineup this year, and it shocked me how bad it looked:

I only recognize a handful of the artists who performed, and even less of those that I would actually have been interested in seeing perform - especially of the headliners.  Is this a case of Coachella really declining in quality, or simply a case of me getting old and out of touch with current music?  I honestly don't know, probably a bit of both.  Now I have been to Coachella once before.  It was a long time ago - and indeed I tried to work out when it was based on who was performing.  I think it was in 2008, though apparently it wasn't particularly memorable because I barely remember it at all.  And this was the lineup that year:   

I'm fairly positive I went on Saturday because I would have wanted to see Portishead.  And this would have been when I was living in California, so it would make sense to go then.  But when you compare headliners between then and now, it was so much better 15+ years ago.  And I certainly recognize more of the artists 15+ years ago, but not as many more as I thought I would do.  Perhaps I've never been up with current music trends.

Soundbar

I somewhat spontaneously ordered a new soundbar for my tv over the weekend, and it got delivered today.  And I'm wondering whether I've been too hasty.  It doesn't support DTS audio - and I own quite a lot of physical media that plays DTS.  Admittedly it supports other audio formats that to my untrained ears probably sound just as good, and it plays Dolby Atmos which is better (but not available on most of my physical media), but still wish I'd known this before.  I'm worried.  I'll probably still set it up (or try to set it up) with my home entertainment system this weekend, but I may have made a mistake.  If I can't get it working satisfactorily over the weekend, I will have to consider returning it.  And besides, I think my priority should be buying a new telly rather than a new soundbar - so I'm not quite sure why I even ordered this.  D'oh. 

Ice Hockey

As I was watching some of the Stanley Cup playoffs, I kind of wished I had played some ice hockey when I was younger.  After all, I played field hockey and wasn't a bad player - and I think maybe the inherent aggression in ice hockey may have suited me.  But there was, and is, one major drawback - I cannot skate.  Yet another activity to add to that long list of things that I have never been able to do - roller skating, skateboarding, skiing, etc.  I remember at secondary school there were a couple of times when we played a form of ice hockey indoors (and obviously not on ice) - and I was really good at it.  When I Google it, it says it's called "ball hockey".  I wish that was a bigger sport.   

Bad back

After 2 weeks of having a bad back, I rotated my mattress back round to how it was - and had the first comfortable night's sleep for a while.  I can't stress enough how much better one feels after a decent night of sleep.  It's not just the mattress, we're also at that time of year when we have perfect temperature.  Warm enough during the day to enjoy the outdoors, cool enough at night to help you sleep.  Unfortunately, it's also the time of year when insects reappear.  Perhaps I was a bit too hasty in killing all those spiders I've been seeing inside the house.  My legs have already been ravaged by insect bites.  Thankfully it's not quite shorts weather yet.     

Playoffs

A good weekend for sports.  The (ice) hockey and basketball playoffs started.  Though I cannot say that I approve of playoff games being shown exclusively on streaming networks.  And we had some good action in the Premier League as we come to the business end of the season.  I must admit to immensely enjoying Man City beating Arsenal and making the title race a lot more interesting.  It's not that I care for Man City, I just really hate Arsenal.  Which also makes the plight of Tottenham Hotspur kind of confusing - because my hatred of Arsenal means that by default I quite like Spurs.  But it would be refreshing to see a big club get relegated, so I'm looking forward to seeing how the run-in plays out.  And I'm glad that Palace are going to have a strong say on both the title and relegation battles - we have got games against both Man City and Arsenal, and if West Ham beat us tomorrow then Spurs are in real trouble.  And I think there is every chance that might happen, since our focus should be on Europe and winning the Europa Conference League rather than the Premier League.     

Star Spangled Banner

Could you please stand up and remove your headwear for the playing of the American national anthem (a special cover of the anthem, appropriate for Trump's America).

 

Tornado

There was an unusual weather event on the water just outside Seattle earlier this week:

Yes, that is a tornado.  Well, technically, it is a waterspout.  But tornado sounds better.  I wish I could take credit for the photo, but I cannot.  I wish I lived somewhere with a water view.  But we had some unusually stormy weather that caused this phenomenon.  The weather is nuts - around the same time there was a tornado west of Seattle, if you headed east then I think Snoqualmie Pass was closed due to heavy mountain snow.  Very uncommon for mid-April.        

Kraken

It was the last game of the season for the Seattle Kraken today.  They blew their chances of playoff hockey with a pretty dreadful second half of the season.  They've still only made the playoffs in one season of their existence - which is rather sad.  And perhaps even sadder, I still haven't been to see them live.  That has to change.  I did look into getting tickets earlier this year, but was quite surprised at how expensive tickets were - especially for quite a mediocre team - and didn't really pursue it further.  I suspect I might get better value if I try to get tickets at the last minute.  Next season.

Lapidary

In a clear sign that I am getting older, I was looking at lapidary saws online today.  Yes, I am seriously considering buying one.  I want to be able to smoothly cut through agates, rather than smash them into bits via a hammer.  And then perhaps I can get into polishing rocks.  Is this all rather sad?  I don't know.  But I've always been kind of interested in geology, and this is just a continuation of that.  In much the same way that I regret not studying history beyond GCSE, I think I can probably say the same thing about geography.  The main difference being that I only got a B in GCSE geography, unlike the As I got in history and the sciences, so I never seriously considered it.  But then one of my biggest life regrets is studying subjects that I was good at, rather than ones I enjoyed.  Something I wouldn't recommend.  That feels like the kind of good advice I wish I could pass on to someone. 

God Complex

Should we be more disturbed that this is how Trump sees himself, or that this is how other people see Trump?  Incidentally, this is also another reason why we need to put the kibosh on AI and AI-created imagery. 

 

HBO: current shows

I've been watching quite a lot of HBO recently.  Here are my recommendations of what, and what not, to watch:

Worth watching: DTF St Louis (highly recommended - quite weird, highly watchable, should win acting awards), Rooster (charming, Ted Lasso-like), The Pitt (outstanding), Born to Bowl (a great documentary on professional bowling) 

Not worth watching: The Comeback (critically acclaimed, I tried watching but just couldn't tolerate it), Euphoria (nope, not my thing)

And, somewhat disturbingly, HBO have started airing adverts for their Harry Potter series.  Already.  It doesn't air until Christmas.  This is going to get a LOT of hype.  

  

Boring

I've never been the most interesting of people.  But I think I've become really boring.  Even more boring than ever before.  I don't do anything exciting, I don't go anywhere exciting.  I live a very plain and uneventful life.  And I don't like it.  I'd like to do much more and make much more of my life, but I'm really not motivated enough to do anything about it.  I've become even more introverted.  I've become incredibly reluctant to step outside my comfort zone.  In all aspects of my life.  And that's a real shame.  Is this an age thing?  Partly.  Are there other factors at play?  Partly.  For example, I think working from home has ruined my work life balance.  I think if this was 10 years ago, I would have done more about my current situation - quit my job, relocated, etc.  But things are very different now - the job market for my kind of position is nowhere near as abundant as it used to be, I think I'm a lot more fussy about where I live, and I've just kind of settled for what I have.  Which is not necessarily a good thing.  I know this is not a particularly positive blog entry, but I like to speak the truth.  And I've been feeling quite down recently.  But my depression tends to be quite cyclical in nature, so I hope I can pick myself up sooner rather than later.        

Statue

They recently revealed a new statue outside the ballpark of the Seattle Mariners, to honor one of the best players to ever play for Seattle - Ichiro Suzuki.  See if you can spot anything wrong with the statue:

 

Arc de Trump

Trump has asked for a budget of $10 billion to spend on Washington DC projects, like this planned eyesore:

That is four times the proposed budget for the National Park Service.  Which is a disgrace.  In the meantime, Operation Epic Fury is costing the US about $1 billion every day.  And who is paying for the war and Trump's stupid vanity projects?  Why the US taxpayer of course.  The cost of living is rising, led by the significant increase in gas prices.  I'm going to have to start filling up exclusively at Costco gas stations, which are generally the cheapest around.

Bad Back

You're supposed to rotate your bed mattress 180 degrees every 3 to 6 months.  I rotated mine last weekend, and now I'm suffering from a bad back and lack of sleep.  What a mistake.  I think I'm going to rotate my mattress back to how it was this weekend.  This is not the first time this has happened.  I don't know why one side of my mattress is so messed up compared to the other.  I've even tried sleeping on the other side of the bed, but that hasn't helped.  I think I've just created that perfect, comfortable depression in the mattress on one side - and nothing else will do.     

Spiders

Do spiders hibernate?  Apparently they must do, because after a winter of inactivity I've been seeing loads over the last few days.  It really is quite unsettling.  Like they've been biding their time over winter until a certain temperature is reached again and they are reactivated.  All of them.  At once.  And not uncoincidentally we have had some nice weather this week.  Disturbing.

Balrog

It should come as no surprise that I've been building a Lego set to help deal with the current stresses of work.  I've just completed this one:

Happy Easter!

No Easter eggs for me this weekend.  Disappointing.  I'm teased by the presence of Cadbury Creme Eggs at the grocery stores - but I'm not tempted because the ones for sale here are made by Hershey and taste significantly inferior to the ones back in the UK.  Just like all the other Cadbury-branded products they sell here.  It's an absolute disgrace.  No wonder that whenever I come back to the UK, I'm forced to return to the US with loads of chocolate in my luggage.  Which inevitably doesn't last as long as it should.    

Sunday Roast

I had a really bad craving for a Sunday roast today.  Like I could drive a ways just to get one.  It's kind of tragic that there isn't anywhere in the Seattle area that I can go - at least that I'm aware of.  There are a few British/Irish pubs - but most of them are just British in terms of decor, and don't offer British food.  And the few that do, I don't see Sunday roast being offered.  They are the kind of places that offer shepherd's pie, but made from beef so they are not really shepherd's pie but cottage pie.  I just did a Google search, and I see somewhere in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle that offers a traditional Sunday roast.  But it looks to be a fairly high-end restaurant where reservations are necessary, and the price of the roast dinner is definitely on the high end.  Not exactly the British pub type roast I really desire.

Hummingbirds

I haven't been seeing, or hearing, many hummingbirds recently.  I didn't think much of it - it's that time of year when there are plenty of other food sources for them.  But they must be around because the levels in some of the feeders have been going down.  So I went to refill my feeders yesterday.  And was devastated to find a dead hummingbird on the ground by one of the feeders.  No idea what the cause of death was or how long it had been there.  But if this was the dominant hummingbird controlling the territory around my house, then no wonder things had been quiet.  It'll probably take a while for other hummingbirds to return.  And let me also say there is something fundamentally sad about seeing such a small and lifeless body of a hummingbird.  You realize just how fragile these creatures are, and what a privilege it is to have them around.   

Not So Good Friday

A rough day at work to end the week.  Or, to be more accurate, another rough day at work to end the week.  The usual culprits - too much to do, too little time to do it, blah blah blah.  I wouldn't say I'm suffering from burnout just yet, only that the job is causing me stress and I'm not handling that stress very well.  But I think I've said all this in previous posts, so I don't need to repeat myself.  I just hate the fact that Easter Monday is not a public holiday here, so it's just a regular weekend before back to the grind on Monday.  Sigh.       

World Cup tickets (Not)

It hasn't even started, and I'm already over the World Cup.  The last official stage of ticket sales is underway, and I just checked and there are no tickets available for any of the Seattle games.  It was first come first served, so this isn't really a surprise.  I tried checking when the window first opened, but I didn't seem to get very far in the queue I was placed in - so I gave up.  Not that I would have bought a ticket at the outrageous prices they are going for now.  So I'm not going to see a World Cup game in person, which is a bit disappointing.  But maybe not, because I think this World Cup is going to be a total bust.  Too many games, too many mediocre teams, an England side that I don't think is going to do particularly well, and the large unwelcome shadow of Trump and his policies lingering over the entire tournament.  

Dramas

There seems to be a preponderance of episodic biblical dramas that have come out this Easter.  Certainly more than I've seen in previous years, and with significantly bigger production budgets.  I'm not sure what that says about the people making these dramas, or the people that consume them.  I suppose one shouldn't be surprised considering the lack of original content being produced by studios.  I am no fan of faith-based content, so I haven't watched any of these shows and cannot comment on their quality - but I can't say I'm surprised at their popularity in the US.

Italy

They may have beaten us in rugby and made the World Baseball Classic semi-finals, but at least we qualified for the World Cup.  Again.  Shocking.  

You Shall Not Pass

 "You shall not pass!"

DVR

I've found another reason to cut the cord.  I was having a look at the recordings on my DVR, and I noticed some episodes of a TV series that I had recorded a while back were no longer there.  And something else felt off - like there were other recordings that were missing.  And then I realized what had happened - which I was able to confirm online.  My DVR automatically deletes recordings that are a year old.  Something which I didn't know it did.  This is outrageous.  Yes, perhaps it is telling that I have not felt the need to watch something for a year.  But that doesn't mean that I don't want to eventually watch it - and it should be my choice if and when to delete it from my DVR.  Especially a DVR that is nowhere near full.  Now I needlessly feel the pressure to watch some of the older stuff on my DVR before I lose it.  

Spam

I don't think it's just me, but I've been seeing a noticeable increase in spam recently.  E-mails telling me to click this link because I've won a prize, text messages telling me that I need to pay a speeding fine, phone calls from numbers I don't recognize that even my carrier recognizes and flags as "Spam likely", even e-mails that tell me they've hacked my webcam and have compromising videos of me that they'll send to all my contacts unless I pay up.  We can probably thank AI for all this.  It feels like a thankless task continually blocking and reporting all these e-mails - but I shall persist.     

State Visit

Why haven't they canceled the King's state visit to the US yet?  Trump continues to slag off the UK leader and the UK military.  There have to be consequences.  Trump's behavior is pathetic and embarrassing - he is throwing toys out of the pram because nobody supports his war.  And the consequential rises in gas price are making him unpopular even with his own base.  There is another "No Kings" protest planned for tomorrow - expect it to be a big one across the country.  I'm no fan of large crowds, especially large crowds with the potential for violence, but I'm even tempted to join this one.

More Sports Thoughts

It was opening day of the baseball season today.  Don't care.  March Madness is going on right now.  Don't care.  I see that the final set of World Cup qualifying games are underway.  Don't care.  No, there is only one sport I care about right now.  And that is the welcome return of Australian rules football.  I think it has now officially become my third favo(u)rite sport, behind only football and rugby union.  And unlike football, where I frequently fast-forward through games just to get to highlights, I tend to watch AFL games in their entirety.  I think it's now top of my bucket list to see a match in person.  In Australia.  One day I hope.  I still don't really support a team in Aussie rules - there are teams I like, and there are teams I dislike (mainly due to certain players I dislike).  But I think it's okay just being a fan of the game rather than of a particular team - particularly a niche sport that is only played on the other side of the world.       

Supersonics

Good news on the sports front.  We are one step closer to Seattle having a basketball team again.  The various team owners have voted to pursue expansion teams in Seattle and Las Vegas.  Nothing is set in stone yet - but the chances of the Seattle SuperSonics returning to the NBA in a few years time seem good.  Fun fact which I didn't know - Seattle is actually considered the largest metropolitan area in the US without an NBA team.  There are definitely a couple of opponents that I look forward to Seattle facing - the "local" derby with the Portland Trailblazers, and what will likely be an intense rivalry with Oklahoma City Thunder - where the SuperSonics relocated to in 2008.  

Windy

An embarrassing incident this evening.  I popped out to get a few things at the local grocery store.  It's been a windy day, so I wore a baseball cap (my SPECTRE one as well, one of my better ones).  I stepped out of the car, and a big gust of wind took the cap right off my head.  And proceeded to blow it halfway across the car park.  With me chasing it like an idiot.  Humiliating, and just glad I was able to eventually catch up to my cap and grab it before someone ran over it.  My takeaway - I clearly need to tighten up the strap.

Interior Design

I rearranged the furniture in my living room over the weekend.  Exciting stuff right.  What does that really mean?  I swapped the positions of my sofa and loveseat so that the seat with the busted recliner function is on the end and the one I'm least likely to use - so it can stay unreclined.  Although the new seating arrangement will take a bit of getting used to, it works.  And, somehow, it has made my living room feel a bit more spacious.  Though that didn't stop me looking at new sofas online today...

Last One Laughing

I've been seeing lots of clips of Last One Laughing UK on YouTube, so when I found out the full episodes were on Amazon Prime then I decided to check it out.  And it's pretty good - enough for me to binge the first season this weekend, and I've just started on the second season.  More than pretty good, it's actually really enjoyable - frequently making me laugh out loud.  It's basically a competition where a bunch of comedians try to make each other laugh.  A simple premise, but the quality of comedians is what makes it work.  It's a murderer's row - all the usual suspects that you see on every popular game show and panel show.  But that is what makes me worry about the longevity of this show.  In the first season, there was only 1 of the 10 comedians who I didn't know.  In the second season, it was 2.  By that logic, I'm not sure I want to watch by the fifth season when half of the contestants will be unknown to me.      

Mousetraps?

I've currently got 4 mousetraps set up under my house.  I had baited them last weekend (my bait of choice - peanut butter) but no takers when I checked today.  Which I think is a good thing - it means there are probably no critters under my house right now.  But last weekend when I checked the traps for the first time in months, I achieved a 50% success rate.  But interestingly, I didn't actually capture a mouse with my mousetraps.  No, in fact it was a couple of moles.  Which shouldn't have surprised me given the amount of mole activity I've seen outside the house.  I've almost given up trying to fight the moles, it just seems to be an endless battle - so this was a rare win for me.

Jaws

I feel like I succumbed to a bit of peer pressure to obtain this new addition for display.

I probably overpaid for something that is a lot smaller than I thought it would be.  But at least that means it fits on my shelf quite nicely. 

Statistics

A well known quote on statistics goes: "He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination".  A perfect recent example:

I suspect this "poll" consisted of interviewing 1 person who happened to be a Trump-supporting MAGA imbecile.

Doomscrolling

I was just watching a YouTube video of a very excitable Australian cleaning drains, and it dawned on me that perhaps I'm watching way too much inane online content.  I seriously need to cut back - and watch a film or read a book instead.  Sadly when it comes to self-improvement, this is just the tip of the iceberg. 

Sleep

I might as well write something else, just to make up for the one I missed yesterday.  But for the last few weeks I've been doing something I don't think I've ever done before.  I've been consistently sleeping through my alarm.  Which is weird.  I think this is partly due to the clocks going forward, but my sleep patterns have also slightly shifted so that I'm going to bed later and waking up later.  I thought that when you get older you're supposed to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier - so I have no idea why I'm doing the opposite.  But I don't like it.  I feel like it might be a reflection of my stressed out state of mind, or my very sedentary lifestyle.  I need to get into healthier habits - in particular exercising more regularly.  Maybe the lack of exercise is causing me to be less tired in the evening.  But even if I go to bed late, I think I'm still getting good quality sleep.  So it's not like I'm suffering from lack of sleep.  Weird.     

Whoops

Just noticed I didn't write a blog yesterday, and I nearly went to bed today without doing another.  I don't really have much to say and I don't really have much motivation to write anything.  Perhaps I'm just saying that because it's so late.  Perhaps it's also because I'm still incredibly busy and stressed out with work.  I'd hoped things might have eased up a bit, but nope.

Refund

I completed my tax return today, earning a bit of a refund which is nice.  However since I've been making estimated tax payments throughout the year, this is maybe not as good as it sounds.  All I know for sure is that (a) rather than complete the tax return myself using tax software, next year I think I'm going to pay a little bit extra for someone else to do it for me, and (b) I decided to celebrate completing my tax return by ordering a pizza from the local pizzeria.  I was already wary about how expensive it was (the prices have maybe doubled in the last few years), but the quality seems to have gone significantly downhill as well, so I don't think I'll be eating from there again. 

Backyard Action

I realized I hadn't checked my trail cam for a few months, so here are the highlights.  Lots of deer action - no surprise since I've also been seeing them often for myself when I look or go outside.

Winter Has Come

Despite the clocks having gone forward and it almost being spring, look what I woke up to this morning:

This is the view from my bedroom windows.  It's quite unusual to have our first lowland snow of the winter so late in the year.  And boy was it coming down thick and heavy.  Fortunately it was warm enough that it didn't really stick to the roads or driveway.  

Shaving

When I was working in an office, I shaved roughly every other day.  Then when I started working from home, I shaved roughly twice a week.  And the last few months, I've been shaving only about once a week.  I think that's a fair reflection of my state of mind and how much I care about my appearance.  That's not good.  I'm also in serious need of a haircut.  And my clothes suck.  I really need to start caring more about how I look.  

Wake Up

Look what I ordered which finally got delivered today - a flashy 4K release of a cult classic film from 25 years ago, and one of my personal favorites.  I haven't seen this film in a long time, so I'm very much looking forward to rewatching it.  And another great addition - or more accurately an upgrade, since I already owned the film on Region 2 DVD - to my film collection.  A collection that I'm really proud of.

Income tax

Washington is on its way to introducing a personal income tax for the first time ever.  Fortunately it shouldn't impact me - it's being called the "millionaire's tax"because it proposes a 10% income tax on households earning over a million dollars a year.  Which I don't have a problem with - but I think a lot of people do (unsurprisingly, mostly Republicans).  I don't mind as long as it's not a gateway to imposing income tax on everyone in the state - one of the key benefits of living here.  It's one of the few states that doesn't have income tax - but makes up for that by having one of the highest sales tax rates in the country (10.6% where I live).  With the taxes and the Iran War, we now also have one of the highest prices of gas (petrol) in the country as well.  All this tax talk reminds me that I haven't done my tax returns for this year yet.  Which is always a "fun" way to spend a weekend, and something I need to do before the end of the month.      

AI Questions

We've got an all-hands meeting this week with the topic of "Scaling and adopting AI to transform how we work".  Horrifying.  In advance of the meeting, we have been asked a couple of questions to "help shape the discussion" and to create some stupid word clouds.  Here are the questions, and the answers I submitted:

Q. What word(s) come to mind when you think of an organization that is successfully utilizing AE?

A. Singularity

Q. What word(s) come to mind when you consider the AI change journey ahead?

A. Layoffs

It said that the responses were anonymous - I really hope that's the case.   I just checked the word clouds, and neither of my words appear anywhere.  Of course AI is going to ignore my responses.

Spring Forward

So now the sun sets at 7 pm, thanks to our clocks springing forward this morning.  Which should mean the start of nicer weather.  Nope.  Today was a rainy, miserable day - one of many coming up over the next few weeks.  And the day was made worse by losing power this afternoon.  There was no indication that this was coming, but something knocked out the power for my entire neighborhood for a few hours.  Maybe a convergence zone formed?  That is when westerly winds that are split by the Olympic peninsula converge and cause intense localized weather conditions.  There was definitely a brief period of quite windy weather during the outage.  Maybe that was enough to knock some trees down and take out the power?  Either way, the power cut has had one positive effect in that my TV signal seems to be a bit better now.  Let's see how long that lasts...!   

Oh yes, and a happy International Women's Day.

Cable TV sucks

I finally got someone from the cable company to come round to my house today to look at my ongoing cable box issues.  For the last few days, my TV signal has been noticeably bad.  Not bad enough to stop me from watching TV, but bad enough for the picture quality to affect my viewing experience.  The "technician" was here about 5 minutes, and all he did was swap out my cable box.  I've now got a wireless one.  But has it fixed my issues?  I'm not sure it has.  As far as I can tell, the only difference is that instead of my picture breaking up, now the screen goes black briefly whenever the signal drops.  So I think there is still a fundamental issue with the signal strength coming into my home - which I don't think the "technician" who came here even checked.  And if it persists, I'm going to have to see if I can get someone else out here.  Hopefully someone who actually knows what they're doing.  And if there is still a problem after that, then I am officially cutting the cord.  Something I should probably do regardless.   

This week

For the first time this week, I've actually managed to remember to write a blog entry before I go to bed.  Says a lot about my state of mind this week.  Totally fried by work.  I feel like they're wringing every drop out of me before laying me off.  And I'm getting into some bad routines and bad habits when I'm busy and stressed like this.  But at least the clocks change this weekend here - a welcome sign of longer daylight hours and better weather.  Though the upcoming forecast would tend to disagree - not a single sunny day in the next 2 weeks...

Downtime

A fun day at work today.  Loads to do, and our programming environment was down most of the day.  So couldn't and didn't get anything done.  Do we get any leeway in our timelines for a delay that was out of our hands?  Of course not. 

Nostalgia

I've just been watching a new episode of Scrubs.  I didn't think I'd be saying that in 2026.  And as far as reboots go - if it's even called a reboot when most of the original cast have returned - it's pretty good.  But it feels out of place - apart from the cast looking a bit older, it seems almost exactly like an episode that would have aired 20 years ago or whenever it was.  Not something that belongs to the America of today.  In the same vein, we've got new episodes of Malcolm in the Middle being released next month - again with most of the original cast returning.  It just goes to show that there are hardly any original ideas in Hollywood any more.  But I don't mind these kind of reboots if the original was good and the reboot is also good and does justice to the original.

Cold

I was wondering why I was so cold in my home today.  So later in the day I checked my thermostat, and realized that I had never turned on my heating this morning.  Despite me doing that every single other day.  A worrying lapse.  And perhaps a reason why I should program the thermostat to turn the heating on and off automatically without me having to manually turn it on every day.  But for some reason I like the control of doing it myself - particularly because the times I get up and go to bed have been all over the shop recently.  I've noticed I've done the same thing a couple of times with the heating in my bedroom - but what I've also discovered is that I sleep a bit better when the temperature is lower.  So I will happily sacrifice waking up cold if it means I got a better night's sleep.  I guess I should be thankful I live alone in this respect - because all of these little quirks (and this is probably just the tip of the iceberg)  would probably drive someone else crazy.  

Pancakes

Dangnamit, I missed Pancake Day this year.  It's not really a thing in the US and so I keep on forgetting it's on Shrove Tuesday.  And even then, I don't know when Shrove Tuesday is.  Apart from it being on a Tuesday, obviously.  I think what is also confusing me is that tomorrow - a different Tuesday - is National Pancake Day here.  Why that isn't also on Shrove Tuesday is a mystery.  And nonsensical.   

Sport vs Entertainment

I've just been on the ESPN website, and the headlines and highlights feature the usual assortment of popular US sports.  But it also includes features on WWE - simply because ESPN recently bought the rights to air some of the WWE pay per view events.  Wrestling is not a sport, and someone needs to let the people in charge of ESPN know that.  The clue is in the name - World Wrestling Entertainment.  It is entertainment and not sport - and it should be treated as such.  It is closer to pantomime than it is to sport.  Don't pretend otherwise.  But then it has just dawned on me, what does ESPN stand for?  Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.  Hmmm, maybe I'm the one in the wrong here.  They are only delivering on the "Entertainment" part of their name.  Still, don't try to treat professional wrestling like it's a real sport - it just comes across as stupid and naive.

Deserving Winner

Launching an illicit and unnecessary attack against Iran seems like the perfect opportunity to once again congratulate FIFA on awarding Trump its inaugural FIFA Peace Prize.  That's not embarrassing.  At all.  And if Trump really thinks he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize after this, then his grasp on reality is even worse than we could ever imagine.  I don't think anyone in America wants this, not even MAGA, so the decision to go ahead with "Operation Epic Fury" seems nonsensical and unpopular.  Iran is scheduled to play one of its World Cup matches in Seattle.  I bet I won't need to pay $600 to get a ticket for that game.  If it even takes place.  The cynical part of me thinks this might even be a distraction from the administration's main aim to "nationalize" voting and steal the mid-term elections, plus every other election going forward.  Of all the despicable things this administration has already done, the threat to American democracy is very real, very alarming and perhaps worst of all.    

Veridis Quo

A small tribute to my favo(u)rite show currently on, whose season finale airs this weekend and which has been renewed for a fifth and final season.  The rare show that makes me feel stupid (I sometimes have to put on subtitles to make sure I get everything).  I'm not going to explicitly name the show, if you know you know.  A major hint - it airs on Monday nights on BBC One (though I think it's more of a Channel 4 type show).

Another World Cup tickets update

I had a chance to buy a ticket for a World Cup game today.  I had first got an e-mail on Tuesday from FIFA with an "exclusive ticket window" in which I could buy tickets for a game being held in Seattle.  But the e-mail didn't actually specify when the window was - so that was absolutely bloody useless.  But then I got an updated e-mail yesterday specifying that my "exclusive Seattle ticket window" was 10 am this morning.  So despite being in a teleconference at work, I logged into my FIFA account (an account that I feel like I should now delete) and there were some tickets available.  Well I say "some", more like very few and only in the most expensive category of ticket.  I'm not going to pay $600 to watch a crappy game between two countries I don't care about, so I didn't buy anything.  I've really soured on the World Cup - I think it's too bloated, it's going to be used as a political pawn by Trump (just like he is trying with the US men's ice hockey team), and it's going to suck.  It disappoints me to say this, especially as I don't know if or when I'll have another opportunity, but I'm no longer bothered about watching a World Cup game.  

Algorithm

I don't know how the YouTube algorithm works, but I've gone from my feed being dominated last week by clips from a guy tuning pianos, to this week being dominated by clips of turtles having barnacles cleared from their shells.  AI is cray cray. 

State of the Union

It was Trump's State of the Union address this evening.  I didn't watch it and I couldn't give two hoots what he says.  Much like everything else that comes out of his mouth, it's a load of bull****.  And it's kind of tragic that all the networks have to air the address, and so give him a platform for all his lies.  All I do know is that he prattled on way too long, and so a couple of TV recordings I had scheduled for later tonight are messed up.  Yet another reason to impeach him.  I'm not even going to bother reading any of the analyses of his speech - such is the speed of the news cycle under Trump, this will quickly be forgotten about and we will have moved on to other things (like bombing Iran).  

Hertford

There are a few of these to be found on YouTube, but here is a short video of some of the "attractions" in Hertford - the town where I grew up in.

I find this interesting because (a) nothing seems familiar to me, and (b) I'm reminded why I grew up thinking Hertford was kind of boring.  And after all these years, it may have a few nice places to eat and drink but I stand by my teenage opinion.  Nevertheless, a part of me would quite like to take a day trip back there - just out of curiosity to see how much has changed.  A quick look at the street view on Google maps suggests that even the area around my childhood home has changed a lot.  It's been around 25 years since I was last there, so I guess this shouldn't come as a surprise.

Palace 1-0 Wolves

That feels like an incredibly important win for Palace.  It doesn't matter how ugly it was (against the bottom side, who missed a penalty, and only scoring in the last minute), a win is a win.  Especially a first home league win since the start of November.  Even if it is only a momentary respite from what has turned out to be a really downward spiraling season.  The prospect of relegation was unthinkable when we were in the top 4 - which doesn't seem that long ago - but here we are.  But a lot has happened since then - not least selling our best player and captain (without replacing him), our main striker being injured and wanting to leave, our manager already saying he's going to leave at the end of the season (if not forced out before, which is wild to think about considering how well regarded he was), a pitiful run of form (including an extremely embarrassing FA Cup exit), and having a new awful co-owner of the club.  What an epic collapse in such a short amount of time - I guess this is what it really feels like to be a Palace fan.         

Annual Pay Raise

This year, my annual pay raise was 2%.  Perhaps the lowest I've ever had.  Rest assured that it's not a reflection of my performance - which was "strong".  No, I think this is because I'm already one of the top earners at my particular level.  And yes, I could probably rectify this by getting a promotion - but I really am not seeking one, because I don't want the extra stress and responsibilities that come with that.  I did get a fairly decent bonus to make up for the measly increase in base pay, but still this pay raise is less than the current US inflation rate - which means that it is effectively a pay cut.  Which is disappointing to say the least.  Not surprising, but definitely disappointing.  Even more so when you consider how hard I've been working since the start of the year, and how stressful it's been.  But what can you do.  There just isn't the abundant job market out there for my kind of position any more.  

Hockey

I tried to watch the USA vs Slovakia ice hockey semi-final today.  Perhaps the only occasion I've ever wanted a US team to win, mainly because I really want to see a showdown between Canada and the USA in the final (with every chance of lots of fights, lots of hard hitting and some serious political undertones).  However, the game today was unwatchable because the US and Slovakian jerseys were the same colo(u)rs.  I couldn't tell one team from the other - they both played in red, white and blue.  Including the same color helmets and pants (excuse the Americanism).  Utterly ridiculous.     

Winter Olympics

I've been watching a little bit of the Winter Olympics recently.  Not much, because the American coverage is nauseating.  But enough to know that I hope we beat the cheating Canadians in curling.  But let's be honest, curling is not worthy of being an Olympic sport.  It is ridiculous.  If curling is good enough for the Olympics, then all other kinds of "sport" should be.  My other observation is that this isn't really the Winter Olympics, more like the White Olympics.  Because the vast majority of sports seem to consist entirely of Caucasian athletes, with perhaps a few Asians thrown in for good measure.  Apart from the Jamaican bobsleigh team, are there even any black athletes competing?  Forgive the stereotyping, but you'd think there would be more black athletes in something like speed skating.  Instead speed skating is inexplicably dominated by the Netherlands.  Didn't we used to be quite good at it?  If we're going to win more medals, that's the kind of specialized and niche sport that we should be throwing more money at.  Like skeleton.  Fun fact was finding out my alma mater - the University of Bath - is where they train in skeleton.  I don't remember those facilities being there when I was a student there.

New Bond

I don't think this has been officially confirmed yet, but it appears that Jacob Elordi is going to be the next James Bond.  I'm not sure how I feel about this.  Admittedly I know very little of him as an actor.  But I know he is Australian - which is a serious red flag.  He wouldn't be the first Australian to portray Bond, but George Lazenby is arguably the worst Bond (or at least the worst actor to portray Bond, I actually think On Her Majesty's Secret Service is one of the best Bond films).  As I look up Jacob Elordi's filmography, I haven't seen anything he's been in.  I have recently seen him in some trailers for Wuthering Heights, but that doesn't tell me anything.  And he apparently appears in Euphoria - a show that I started to watch but stopped after a while as I just couldn't get into it.  But I guess he must have a good American accent, as he portrayed a high school American football player in that show and has also portrayed Elvis before.  Let's hope he also has a good British accent.  

Lunar New Year

Happy (Lunar/Chinese) New Year!  I didn't celebrate it.  I would barely acknowledge it if it wasn't for my Chinese colleagues.  Apparently I should have cleaned my house before today, in order to sweep out bad luck.  Perhaps I should have, as I didn't feel very well today.   

President's Day

Happy President's Day!  Another of those weird US bank holidays which are too early in the year to really capitalize on.  However, because I need a break after what has been a very intense period of work, I am also taking off Tuesday and Wednesday.  And with typically spectacular timing, this looks like it is going to coincide with the coldest days and some possible lowland snow for the first time this winter.  Great.  I was thinking about driving over to the Olympic peninsula to do some hiking over there on one of those days off, but that seems very unlikely now with the forecast.  I hope I can at least make it to the coast. 

Why do I still have cable TV?

Grrr, I hate my cable box.  I was watching some Winter Olympics coverage this evening - well I say watching, it was more like having it on in the background (naturally, no coverage here off any of the sports where GB actually won some medals).  When all of a sudden the sound cut out and the screen went black.  I rebooted the box, and was greeted by a Select Your Language screen as if this was the first time I had ever used this box.  What?!  And my remote didn't work, so I couldn't even select a language.  Went on the app to try to get some assistance, and the AI help was absolutely useless.  After rebooting several times with no change, checking all my cables were tight again, and generally despairing, I resorted to the internet.  Thank god I hadn't lost my internet connection.  And one of the things I discovered was how to pair the remote with the TV box.  Even though the remote was previously paired and working fine.  So I paired the remote again, and mercifully it seemed to work now.  So was able to select English as my language and go through all the introductory steps you normally would as if this was a new box and you were setting it up for the first time.  And ta-da I'm able to watch TV again.  Indeed, all my previous settings (such as favorite channels, etc) were there.  So I have absolutely no idea what happened.  And how worried should I be that it happens again.  Incredibly frustrating.  If this isn't yet another sign that I need to cut the cord, then I don't know what is.  

Valentine's Day

What was already one of my least favo(u)rite days of the year today was made worse by (a) not bidding on an eBay item that I really wanted.  I was outside cleaning my car upholstery, had totally forgotten about this item, and left my phone inside so didn't hear the phone alarm I had set up for the end of the auction.  (b) whilst doing some washing-up, noticed an ant walking across my kitchen surface.  No idea how it got there, it appeared to be by itself but now I'm paranoid that my kitchen is going to be invaded by a load of ants any time soon.  And (c), for no discernible reason I experienced a power cut early this morning.  The weather was absolutely fine, so I have no idea what caused it, how widespread it was, and no explanation was provided by the utility company.  I hate Valentine's Day.

Bass Line

I can't decide if this 80's hit is a catchy but cheesy tune, or a bona fide classic:

What I do know is that I can't stop listening to it, and that the bass line is insane and superb.  Especially when the funky bass line comes in on the sax solo - that is a genuine chef's kiss moment.  I'm definitely a sucker for a good bass.

Snow Drought

We are on track for a winter with no measurable snow in Seattle.  Rare, but it has happened before - but only once in the time that I've been in Seattle (twice if you count under 1 inch).  I'm not a skier, but apparently this has been one of the worst ski seasons in Seattle history - a combination of warm and dry weather, plus what precipitation there has been falling mostly as rain rather than snow (and in December, flooding damaged the roads leading to the ski areas).  Perhaps we should get used to warmer winters.  I think the more likely outlook is more extreme weather - we might get no snow this winter, but then we might get record amounts of snow next winter.  Naturally, the local headlines are fears about wildfires and water shortages this summer.  Yikes.  And shocking when you think about the record rainfall we had back in December.

An Unexpected Find

I went to Costco the other day (yes, I renewed my membership) and was shocked to discover the following:

Of course I was going to buy this.  "British recipe" baked beans made in England - what an unexpected surprise and pleasure.  And yes, there is a vast difference between British and American baked beans.  American baked beans tend to be a lot sweeter - surprise surprise, the baked bean sauce is full of sugar. 

Sofa

I've made a decision.  I need to get a new sofa.  I can't keep on going with my current busted sofa.  Some cable has snapped so that one of the handles you pull to recline doesn't work.  So my main TV viewing seat is permanently reclined.  It's been like that for a while and I've simply got used to it.  But it's not practical.  And, rather alarmingly, it has started creaking a little bit when I sit in it.  That's not a good sign.  So this summer, I will get a new sofa.  I'm waiting until summer because that is when I can open up my doors onto the patio and yard which is so much easier for removing my old sofa and moving the new one in.  I say sofa, but strictly speaking it's my "loveseat" - consisting of 2 seats, with a little console in between.  I've also got a sofa in the living room.  And indeed a reclining chair.  But that doesn't face the TV, so doesn't get much use.  If I replace just the loveseat, then that will mean 3 different brands of furniture in the living room.  It's a good job I care a lot more about practicality than I do about aesthetics.         

World Cup update

I got an e-mail yesterday that officially confirmed I wasn't successful in getting any World Cup tickets in the most recent draw.  This didn't come as a surprise when there were, apparently, about 500 million requests for tickets.  I've kind of accepted I'm not going to watch any World Cup games in person.  And I'm fine with that.  I hate FIFA, and I've got a feeling that this World Cup is going to suck.  And the way that tickets are being sold is an absolute disgrace - I suspect most of those 500 million ticket requests are not by true "soccer" fans but by scalpers.   The ticket prices are outrageous, and it's not just FIFA hoping to fleece money out of true fans of the game.  

GO HAWKS

Congrats to Seattle Seahawks - Super Bowl LX winners!  I can't say I watched much of the game - I can't stand all the nonsense that accompanies the Super Bowl and makes it even longer than a regular American football game.  And I certainly don't care for the halftime show - as much as I am indifferent to Bad Bunny, there was no chance in hell I was going to watch the MAGA halftime alternative with Kid Rock.  I'd rather watch the Puppy Bowl.  But really happy that Seattle won.  And, by all accounts, dominated the game.  Not quite as happy with all the (illegal) fireworks going off after the victory, but that was to be expected.  It's not quite as satisfying as beating a Brady-Belichick New England Patriots, but any victory over the cheating Patriots is always a welcome one.

Crooked

I'm thinking of changing my phone network.

I'm also thinking I need a new watch, new footwear, a new red hat (preferably saying Trump 2028), a new bible and a lobotomy.  Totally unrelated to this, two words that crossed my mind - emoluments and impeachment. 

Day 1

Day 1, and I already hate the Winter Olympics.  I've just noticed that all the Premier League games are being moved to streaming, because Olympic coverage has taken over all the channels that normally air the games.  And I hate watching the games on streaming - because you either have to watch live (which is too early for me) or wait ages for the game replays to become available later in the day.  And even then, you can't so easily fast forward through most of the games like I normally do.  I really wish they did a Match of the Day type highlights show here, but surprisingly (and stupidly) they don't.  Not that I get much enjoyment out of the Premier League now thanks to Palace's woes.   

Waterfall for Sale

Fancy owning a waterfall?  One has gone up for sale in Oregon:

Currently the waterfall and pool is accessible to the public, but the absolutely first thing I'd do if I won the auction would be to put a stop to that.  It would be nice to have a private 90 foot waterfall all to myself.  No idea what the going price is for a 40 acre forested lot featuring such an iconic waterfall.  But it seems quite tragic that it's going up for sale to the public, and couldn't be offered to some kind of preservation trust or made into protected land.

Winter Olympics

So, the Winter Olympics officially begins on Friday.  On Superbowl weekend.  Someone has messed up.  America will not be watching the Winter Olympics - American football has priority.  At least this weekend.  Especially here in Seattle.  I don't know how much of the Winter Olympics I'll end up watching.  I enjoy a lot of the events, but the American coverage - especially its prime-time coverage in the evenings - is almost unwatchable.  And if I thought the Olympics coverage was jingoistic before, I dread to think how worse it will become now in the current political climate.  Does the UK have a chance of winning any medals?  I have no idea, and if I'm going to be honest I don't really care.  Winter sports is not really our thing.  I'm not sure I'll even bother to catch any of the balls-to-the-wall action of curling.

Some Work Memes

 

Knight of Seven Kingdoms

I don't think I've mentioned this, but I am really enjoying A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms currently airing.  It is SO much better than House of the Dragon.  Going to prove that you don't need massive and expensive set pieces to make a show like this work.  Just like the best moments in Game of Thrones, this thankfully focuses on the characters as much as the storyline: with excellent dialogue, some much needed humo(u)r (something REALLY lacking in House of the Dragon) and some actual heart.  3 episodes in (and 3 relatively short and easily digestible episodes at that) I am really invested in the characters in Knight of Seven Kingdoms now.  I confess to knowing some of the story from the books, so the "twist" at the end of the third episode didn't come as a big surprise, but that hasn't stopped my enjoyment of the show.   

Padilla Bay Trail

A bonus entry, to make up for the missed one yesterday.  Here are a few photos from a shoreline trail I did earlier this month.  Managed to squeeze this one in between some rainy weather, though there was a serious breeze coming off the water.  I had to really tighten up the baseball cap on my head because it was in danger of flying away otherwise.  This is a trail I've done many times before, but not for a while.  Flat and about 4 miles there and back, it's not particularly challenging so makes for a pleasant trek.  And, as I hoped, I got to see a bald eagle - though too far away to get a decent photo (it's the blob in the tree in the photos below!).