Thursday 23rd November 2017, 2.40pm (day 2,282)
OK, I know, I know, Manchester, building site…. But, at least, a well-lit one. With piles of red things that look like some big kid’s construction set. In the end, that’s what this is anyway.
Being 42
Life, one day at a time
My colleagues
Wednesday 22nd November 2017, 2.05pm (day 2,281)
I’ve worked with all four of these people (Susan, Gary, Mike — and, on screen, Marilena) for quite a while. Which is why we probably all look so excited at the prospect of a two-hour meeting with each other…. Only kidding.
Entry to the Etihad
Tuesday 21st November 2017, 7.20pm (day 2,280)
For a birthday present for father and nephew (both Manchester City fans) I got them tickets for tonight’s UEFA Champions League game versus Feyenoord at the Etihad stadium, and went along myself.
It was a stellar exhibition of football genius and entertainment, as befits the most exciting sports competition anywhere in the universe, played by Gods who walk the earth in human form. At least, that was the media narrative. Personally I thought it was a rather tedious game, played out by a bunch of uninterested guys who knew it was essentially meaningless and that they’d get their £250,000 each this week whatever the result. And you couldn’t even get a beer at half-time.
Full-on CTS (Cattle Truck Status)
Monday 20th November 2017, 7.20am (day 2,279)
Monday morning, and it’s raining, and you’ve just bought a weekly ticket for the first time in ages (meaning you’re going into Manchester every day this week) and the 06:59 turns up as a two-carriage piece of obsolete shit as it always does, only today the previous service through was cancelled so by Littleborough it’s already achieved full CTS (Cattle Truck Status) and we haven’t even had the Rochdale passengers on yet. Happy Mondays.
November trees
Sunday 19th November 2017, 11.40am (day 2,278)
Seems superfluous to add much commentary. A truly beautiful late autumn day today.
Waiting
Saturday 18th November 2017, 12.25pm (day 2,277)
In 2017, particularly since early June, I have been quite mobile, with lots of photos taken elsewhere. Where there have been bouts of time spent mainly at home they haven’t lasted long. But for the rest of the year, at least, this will change; if I do go elsewhere it’ll be for a walk or a football match, and that’ll be all. We are on Hebden time for a while. I hope I seem happier about this than this dog did today.
Red Helen
Friday 17th November 2017, 9.25pm (day 2,276)
Red Helen DJs at the Nutclough City Limits night at the Trades Club every couple of months or so. She used to run the legendary Brighton Beach nights in Leeds. We are lucky to have her. This woman is one of the few people in the world who can get me dancing. As happened tonight.
Walking home
Thursday 16th November 2017, 5.10pm (day 2,275)
It gets darker and darker in the evenings so going home at this time feels later and later — even if it is the time most of us drones go home from work, of course.
Cober Hill
Wednesday 15th November 2017, 8.35am (day 2,274)
Venue for our conference, which ended today, Cober Hill was built as a private house by some rich Victorian nob, but in 1920 was bought by the Rowntree Foundation and has been a venue for educational, residential courses and conferences ever since. And a fine venue it was, too. Why can’t more conferences be held in some nice house out in the country somewhere? Far more inspirational than some pokey rooms up on the third floor of some anonymous campus building somewhere. Good move on behalf of the organisers if you ask me.
Lego library
Tuesday 14th November 2017, 11.45am (day 2,273)
After the cider tasting, the Lego therapy. i2c2 is a conference devoted to (as its name suggests), “Innovation, Inspiration and Creativity”… and Lego seems as good a way to get this kind of outcome as anything else (as the wife would doubtless agree). Asked then to create the ‘ideal librarian’ in Lego, I (as a non-librarian) decided the epitome for me was someone who could help me navigate the maze of info: hence this model. At least my Lego avatar looks happy at the prospect, anyway.
Being 42 