As promised I’ve uploaded my review of the Ministry of Sound MP028 MP3 Player. All critiques welcome.
We’re going round to Daryl’s this evening before heading off into town to see in the new year in the usual way, i.e. crammed into High Street with a lot of very loud revellers.
Some chocolate to see in 2004: Hippo Snack.
Bf went to an AA meeting here. He didn’t say much about it so obviously it must have served some purpose satisfactorily. Right now he’s washing henna out of his hair - some Lush Caca Rouge which he’s had on for about six hours so we’re all expecting (possibly embarassing) flaming red effect.
He also bought a pair of wellies. Something of a new experience as they don’t seem to have them in the US.
More scariness: British spies ‘misled’ media on Iraq.
Visited the National Gallery today with bf, as well as wandering around London taking pictures which will go on his webpage.
So called ‘Air Marshals’ are to accompany flights to and from the US. A ridiculous idea but made worse when the US Government state it is a requirement only a day after the UK ‘just happens’ to decide to do it. Why does this Government even try to give the impression their decisions aren’t already made for them in Washington?
While in rant mode, let me prattle about how corporations are unable to respond to general email comments/suggestions without decending into meaningless business jargon. This reply from Tesco about not stating on their website that the local store here is now 24hr:
I fully appreciate your comments. We aim to provide the best possible service for our customers and any feedback or suggestions made are always very welcome.
The relevant department dealing with such matters has been notified and I can assure you that this will be taken on board at the next review meeting.
It’s been busy busy with bf over the past few days. Yesterday we went to a Garden Centre so he could find a present to take back. We also got two small pot-plants for my flat. I’ll have to make something of an effort not to kill them off.
Today we braved frighteningly cold weather (and God-awful train journey) to visit the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. Bf seemed to enjoy it all - here’s him in front of the Palm House. We went to all the enclosures. Cool plants.
I gave bf a book on British cooking and now he wants to make classic ‘Fish & Chips’, having recently made Rice Pudding.
Finally, as promised, a pic of my Xmas tree before the loot was opened.
Happy Xmas. This entry would have been yesterday but the database at my hosting provider fell over. Something always goes wrong there whenever they leave the office for more than ten minutes. Definitely time for a change.
Bf cooked Christmas dinner and it was fantastic, seconded by our dinner guests: Valentina and Catia. I received bumper presents, including a watch, lots of bath products, some books, a dishmop, lots of choc and a 4ft inflatable, illuminated pumpkin from bf.
P.S. Phil H - email me.
Bf is in the kitchen preparing xmas dinner for tomorrow. We have a comfortably sized turkey (as Valentina and friend are joining us tomorrow) but also a surprising quantity of mushrooms - different types too. I suppose he knows what he’s doing.
Yesterday we went into London to meet up with Denise and see the Olafur Eliasson installation at Tate Modern. Very impressive. I’ll add some pictures later (i.e. when I can be bothered). Also I’ll put up some of our xmas tree here and the excess of presents around it.
He has been fine throughout. Not ill and not ‘tempted’. This could very well be a cool yule.
Bf is such an excellent cook - I haven’t eaten so well in ages. What is so impressive is he does this with food I already have in the fridge and cupboards but would never think of cooking in the way he does (which is a coded way of saying herbs & spices and flavouring).
He’s piled up four bags of presents under the xmas tree. In retaliation I’ve added three more to what I’m giving in return.
Also he’s managed to meet more of my neighbours in two days than I managed in a year. It’s the social networking side-effect when going outside for a smoke.
There’s a bf in my bed, sleeping peacefully. He arrived safe and sound (and sober and sane). We drove back in the rotten weather and he’s unpacked, putting his stuff in fairly random places in my bedroom as I forgot to make space for him on my rail 
Anyway, we popped into the centre of town and bought chicken breast for dinner and a large cooking pot as he wasn’t particularly impressed with my ‘rather small’ cooking equipment. It’s big enough to do two corn on the cob, one of the few vegatables I like, which we’ll also have tonight.
Now he’s tired out by all the events (surviving the flight much better than I do) but otherwise doing fine. I hope things stay that way.
Sod civil liberties, says Dominic Mohan. I wonder if he’d still be saying that if he found himself locked up without a reason based on evidence and without any right of appeal.
How the Interweb works, part 23: I emailed my credit card provider, who shall remain nameless, to point out that emails they sent missed out the Date: header field (and so weren’t RFC822 compliant). This meant they always ended up at the bottom of the list in my mail client. I received this classic response:
Please be advised that [we] do not input the date on emails. This is something that is completed by your email provider. Also the date of when the email has been sent should appear in your inbox, before you select the email to read. If you do not have this facility or wish to change this then please contact your email provider.
House is now all clean and ready for three weeks of festive fun/scariness.
In all this excitement I’d forgotten about the daily choc-o ration: Firkløver.
Bf is packed and ready (already). I’ll be meeting him in Arrivals at Heathrow Terminal 3 on Saturday. Hopefully, I’ll be able to find a space in the short-stay car park.
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