Timothy

Timothy 1 chpt 6 verse 5 - 11. That was the scripture from yesterdays service. I am no religious expert or scholar but it is about be content with what you've been given, the love of money being the route of all evil. When I got home it brought it home to me. My place is okay, function but my wonderful wife has made nicer, of course. But, the love of my wife is more important than anything else. No one deserves a 'free lunch'. Be happy with what you have. As the pasture said the TV program, 'who wants to be a millionaire', has great viewing figures because it plays on human greed which we all have.

Looking at the news today, greed and the failings of greed are clear enough I think for all to see. I saw a bit a sensible political news the only link to transport here. The Conservatives pledge not to build a third runway at Heathrow and instead build a 180mph rail Link from London north to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. Now that is a sensible suggestion.

Sundays

Church

It is so nice having a Sunday and not working. Being able to walk to church, feels so nice. Without and stress or worries. Walking along I couldn't help notice the traffic just queuing, making use of a bus lane on Sunday to get ahead by four car lengths before a bus, of all things, stops and they have to try and cut back in making themselves more stressed motorists and probably annoying the cars that they have just over taken who have to let them in. What a a pointless things to do. Traffic jams are just a fact of life. I was reading in National Geographic magazine about the GQ. The golden Quadrilateral road motorway in India. Interesting piece and yes, there traffic jams and volumes are rising and getting worse. Who am I to say they must stick to the bus / train though? Ironing of shirts beckons now.

Computers

What a slave we are to these things. I have been only half working for the better part of this week because of PC computer profile problems at work. Where I work for is not relevant, its a major organisation that is top of the pile, well it would like to think so and in many respects does a what it does well, efficiently any way.

All stuff is profile server fed and its all getting worst and worst. The call centre is in Bangalore or somewhere, the IT bods (or bodesses) take over what ever computer I'm hot desking at and they fix something and then something else break or does not work. All very frustrating. In fact the principal two applications I should be using are broken. Then there is a power cut as some utility contractor puts a JCB digger through the power cable and everything stops for no one's computer works. What the heck is this, just go home as you can't do any work. I guess there will be more to do next week but that is assuming my profile has been fixed. Now why not give me a work laptop and let me work from home, then no traveling to and from work every day. Think what I could save on commuting costs plus time.

24 hour day

Yesterday I was shattered. I had completely forgotten that I had said 'ok' to working a double shift. I had not surprisingly completely forgotten about this. I dropped by trousers in the dry cleaners the previous morning to pick them up yesterday. The Monday evening it suddenly dawned on me I had to get up at 5.45am next day and I would finish work till 10pm. Oh boy, one problem was no dry cleaned trousers but also sleep or lack of it. A double shift after less than 6 hours sleep was a killer. I did get the chance to visit a number of members of the public, that in itself was interesting. Just in retirement £ having lots of it can get you a much better quality of life that having none of it. Also I will remember one thing, memory reduces with age and mine is not too smart anyway, it is this. Clutter, get rid of it. At present out humble flat has no clutter. Some older people have chairs and 'stuff' everywhere. Irrespective on size of property keep it free of clutter. Other than that it gave me the chance to saviour a decent coffee at a nice cafe. Then bus it back to work. Sharing the bus with the school kids. Now it is good that they are not getting picked up in a car but if I was an old man would I have been able to 'fight' onto the bus? No chance of a seat, and well as a old man the bus would be 'free'. Paid for by general tax payer of which I was probably the only fee payer on the bus, why not have all buses 'free' to all people?

Certain People

Travel always involves being in close(ish) proximity to your follow traveller in all types of public transport. That is actually something quite nice, to be sitting / standing next to people you know nothing of all in the same situation as you. It makes you occassionally think you'd rather not be exactly where you are. Last night a bloke who must for (like me) whatever reason need to travel south on the Bakerloo line. I have sat in the same carriage as this person maybe half a dozen times. I saw where he was sitting when the train drew into the platform and deliberately moved to a different part of the carriage. A ground of young Asian women sat in the area where he was sitting and next stop all got up and moved to stand in the carriage. This person gets out before me. He actions are sometimes harmless shaking / blowing on a newspaper frantically for no reason; talking to himself. But sometimes to men and women it is a bit more personal. Whilst walking up the escalator after leaving the tube I accidentally against or was pushed by a female passenger who had been sitting opposite him. This made me talk about this passenger to her, yes she was NOT happy / slightly scared by his behaviour. So if you don't know how to travel just don't. If you want advice take a book and keep yourself to yourself, if you act out of order again I will report you to the station staff.

weekend away

There is always something really nice about visiting the parents, a chance to get out of London, a chance for a little bit of change of scenery. The food, cooking like it should be. But getting out of London reveals what driving is about. There are tourist films and images of driving along English country roads, fields on each side, open spaces. Well that is also what I love about visiting my parents. It is the actually pleasure of driving. In London it is okay at best, judge the time to leave, thread through the traffic watching out that the speedometer does not put you with a massive fine. TomTom is an amassing thing. SatNav just over a £100. This is such a thing taken for granted but to think of what we are using. We have Satellites (24 for US satnav) in orbit and these are what TomTom in the car links to. The fact you know the route is not the reason not to use it. If there is a diversion then known route is useless. But as mentioned I kept speed on way back to 70 mph. I averaged over 38mpg on the way to my parents I averaged about 60 mph and only improved fuel consumption by about 1 mpg which I was surprised about. I just expected 4 - 5 mpg reduction on way back plus I had just tanked up with 60 litres of petrol which must be some weight. All this proves not too much, except with me and my awesome other half it is still cheaper to take the car over the train, plus much easier to lug all the stuff from A to B.

long weekend

Managed to get a 3 day weekend so off to my parents with my wonderfull other half till Sunday evening, by car of course.