Yawn

Well after a long day of wrestling with the wonders of web2.0 I am now well and truly knackered. First post.

Disorganised as ever

Bugger. Just got to the station. Not only am I late for the 6:58 but I should have got here early so I could get photos at the machine for my driving license replacement form (about time I replaced the one Tempest ate). I left the form at home as well, so I couldn't have done anything with it even if I had remembered to leave in time to get the photos… I'm pathetic.

Blogtastic

Entries for everyone today. Have a design I quite like for techblog now (still haven't finished the coding though), Vox is moving along nicely now I've decided on a topic and I always have plenty of random drivel for here. Look at me! I have 3 blogs and they all link together. Am I an attention seeking self important karma whore? Probably. Don't care. Almost too crowded on the train to write this morning. At least everything's running approximately on time this morning though. That'll come back to haunt me. Flying visit from Louise yesterday. Got home busting for the loo, said a quick hello, dashed upstairs and when I got back she was gone. Without music yet again. Really need to try and remember to charge up the mp3 player today. Probably about time to change the mix too. Hint for GMP32005 owners (if anyone else was stupid enough): If your player won't recognise the music directory even though its there and full of files, reformat the device from your pc. When you fire up the player it will recreate the needed directories and you'll be able to put music on it again. Wasted too many hours figuring out that one… Bloody cold this morning. Need to find my hat. Game recommendation: Canis Canem Edit (Bully in the US). Think GTA in a boarding school or Scum without the potting shed. Pay back the bullies and jocks. Help teachers hide their alcohol problem from the headmaster. Classic. Haven't used any of my skateboards in months. Need to get back in the saddle so to speak. Although if morning frost is setting in it might be best to leave it for a while. Need to find my bearing cleaning materials. Need new shoes, these ones are mostly ok for walking. A couple of days of foot braking would probably kill them though. Announcement just mentioned that you need a first class ticket to sit in the first class compartment. Does that mean you could stand in there without one?

Wrong type of Frost?

Coldest morning we've had for a while but no snow. What happens? The trains are screwed. Big time. Started at St Albans. Got to the station just in time; no time for a coffee, but enough time to cross to platform 3 for the 6:58 without having to run for it. Or so I thought. Check the boards: 06:58 cancelled. Announcement: Apologies for the three short notice cancellations due to technical faults. Oh well, at least the 7:04 is marked as on time. Masses of people on the platform. I started at the front, had to walk the full length of the train to squeeze into a carriage. Got to West Hampstead dead on 7:23 — which is when my connection is due to leave at the silverlink station a hundred metres up the road. West Hampstead Silverlink. 7:38 finally pulls in at about 7:45. Get to Willesden Junction: "Sorry for the delay. There is an electrical fault on the train and a technician is investigating". Ten minutes later we are on the move again. Sighs of relief around me but not I. I've danced this dance before. We'll get as far as Gunnersbury then they'll turf us out. As it is written, so is it done. Only have to wait about 5 minutes for a district line train to take us the rest of the way to Richmond. Richmond at 08:35, 08:36 departs at 08:37. As usual Southwest trains is the most efficient part of my journey. Will probably be about half an hour late. Not too bad considering the number of delays / cancellations today. Not exactly a shining beacon to tempt people to train travel either though. This train may be the closest to running on time but that doesn't excuse the fact that it smells like shit. Someone didn't flush and of course we can't open the windows; we just have to wait while the air-conditioning recycles the stench gradually absorbing the smell into its filters. It will probably be barely noticable by the time the train reaches Reading. No such luck for those of us getting off sooner though.

Eventful

Another break from the blog with plenty going on. Had my second meeting with the trick cyclist. "Did you phone up to make this appointment?" "No, I got a letter through the post". Not a good start. He then spent about 15 minutes looking through my mood journal and asked me a few questions. The conclusion: I'm a drama queen and shouldn't be wasting their time. I should go back to the GP and keep taking the happy pills until I can snap out of it. On the positive front: I went along to the St Albans Beekeeping Association meeting and enjoyed it. I've going to sign up as a member and put my name down for their beginners course in Feb. See this vox post for more info. Nasty cold has kept me away from work for the last couple of days. Still not 100%. Very drained. Also a little light headed but thats probably because I forgot my medication again this morning. Train is crowded so I've been standing the whole way so far.

Waiting Room Blues

So I'm sitting in the waiting room waiting for my turn with the psychiatrist. Not sure what to expect again. Last time was the psychiatrist and a social worker, I guess to save time if I need sectioning. This time its just the doctor. Will probably involve going through the assessment which arrived yesterday. I misheard him last time and went to the Mind Gym instead of the Mood Gym. I currently have a differential diagnosis — recurrent depressive disorder or cyclothymia. Not sure if today will be trying to narrow that diagnosis down or something else. My time is up and no sign. Drop in my stomach again. He hasn't forgotten me. He's not doing this on purpose. He's busy; they get a lot of crazy people through here. Starting to feel a little dizzy too. Probably because I took my medication late today because I had a lay in. Quick scrub up this morning after the "unkempt beard" comment in the assessment. Not sure why; its in my best interest to show how I am every day rather than putting on a front. Shrug. Amazing how long five minutes last when you're waiting for something. I was in there for well over an hour last time, if he had a 10:30 then I caused this wait to someone else…

Castles from Junk

Missed the Richmond train at West Hampstead due to a late connection. Got the Clapham train to Willesden instead so I can wait under cover. I'm glad I did. Just across the way is a massive pile of junk. There are three guys in lifters (look kinda like those grabber things at the amusement arcade). They seem to just be picking up junk from the ground at the edges and dumping it higher up towards the middle like making a sand castle out of old filing cabinets and bathtubs. Kinda fun to watch; almost hypnotic. On closer inspection they are more organised than I initially thought. The first guy is picking stuff up at ground level and dropping it about a third of the way up. A truck just came and replenished his ground level stores. The next guy picks up from the first guy's leavings and drops higher up for the last guy who drops on the top. Maybe I should get a few workmen with cranes rather than bee hives? ;)