2013 — 12 October: Saturday

I was listening to an owl earlier this morning1 but am now contemplating — in no particular order, but with mild bewilderment — both my initial cuppa and the claim that it's the 34th anniversary of the publication of the Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. (The BBC Radio 4 broadcasts came first, of course.) Plus, it seems, Luciano Pavarotti would have been 78 today. And Peter and Peter's g/f are aiming to descend on me. Is that a free meal I sense in my near future?

I live, I fear, in...

... not only an area of poor mobile phone coverage, but also something of a musical cultural desert (notwithstanding the splendid efforts of Shelagh Lee just across the road):

Radio 3's musical map of Britain

Those Freuds...

... seem to get everywhere. I'm not sure I would have enjoyed the company of this one:

Lucian Freud

I must say, Cressida Connolly's review of this new biography by Geordie Greig paints an unflattering picture.

As(s)inine?

As in "The Law is...". Remind me to avoid legal entanglement in Ohio. ([Un]reason.)

This piece of European...

... legislation, meanwhile, has the potential to upset a very (very) large number of people (many of whom have a firm [but misguided, in my opinion] belief in the existence of an invisible overlord who for some arcane reason demands the ritual removal, at eight days, of a male piece of skin) as its ramifications sink in. (Link.)

Meanwhile, having Dysoned quite a bit of dust — alas, the cute sucker now desperately needs a battery transplant for which I've long lacked a round tuit, but its larger sibling sucks on merrily — Junior has just called some two hours after sleeping through his 08:30 alarm clock so I've agreed to move the free lunch up to a free evening meal (if necessary). That leaves me catching up on the last of the recent Michael Garrick acquisitions. No problemo.

And, a mere £50 later, I now have a replacement battery on its way for my Dyson DC-16. Call it an early birthday present.

Overdue...

... hint to self: you can lock the Win8 system with the key combination "Win" + "L". Well, I never knew that! I also finally figured out how to remove the mini Dyson's existing rechargeable battery. Said useful sucker is now gently drying out on an ancient Grauniad Sports section after a very thorough swilling. I think this is the second time I've cleaned it in just over six years. I spoil my domestic kit.

Lunch (in "The Three Tuns") was very nice, though I had to send my initial set of sausages back as they had been well and truly cremated. I gather the chef was taken out back and shot. I then suggested we return via Carlo's ice-cream joint.

  

Footnote

1  I trust they weren't hoots of derision :-)