Well, not the Mediterranean really - a carpark and the arse-end of an office block. Oh the glamour of my life... Normally, I sing the praises of the Jury's Inn chain but today hasn't been their normal standard. Last time I stayed in the Birmingham branch, my train was late and I ended up arriving after 2200h when food stops being served. I called to ask what time this happens as I wasn't sure and when I said I was running late, the girl on Reception organised a sandwich for me...and when I arrived, said toasted sandwich was still hot and freshly made and they would not charge me for it - how kind is that? Today the service has been fine and the food a good as usual (high-end "fish-finger sandwich" (actual battered fish in a ciabatta-knock-off with green shit in it - not a fish-finger - some manner of "goujon" I suspect), fries, onion rings, Eton mess (very interesting take on it - winter berries with spices in them - was delicious and a recipe I will try and make myself), lime and soda, if you're interested!) but the place is so noisy! I've struggled to get my work done to be honest. It's not noisy people, it's paper-thin walls and some kind of roaring that seems to happen every 30 minutes, which I thought was people next door watching a war movie but it's more like a plane going overhead yet from inside the building and no, not the aircon - it's very odd. Moving rooms is a pain in the arse so going to leave it for now. Trip Advisor tells me it's noise from the lifts - I'll mention it when I leave. I didn't notice it last time I was here but I was further down the corridor.
Today was a hectic and messy day - first of all, since Dawlish fell into the sea last month, I had to undertake the horror of Rail Replacement to Bristol Parkway - we left late because we for some reason had to wait for a train that was connecting to the bus yet of course if the bus is late, the following train won't wait for us - silly system. We ended up arriving early so I managed an earlier train and made my meeting good and early. Then I realised my phone cables were at home and no means to get the internet/music/etc and I needed to get into my email to download Figures for my seminar tomorrow - thankfully the Apple Shop in the Bullring shuts at 2000h so I made it to buy a new one. £15 for a metre of wire basically - Apple, you are very good at overpricing - somehow the 0.5m and 1.0m cables are both £15 but the useful 2.0m cable is £30 - strange pricing structure. I had the 1m one (got my moneys worth for £15!) and a charger, also £15. Mad. System in Apple Stores of no actual counter - just find a drone to process it for you but not all of them seem to be able to so you need some level of psychic powers to know who is able to charge and who isn't. Not very customer-focussed.
Calmed down after that and got to work. Seminar and more meetings then back home. Time to go brave the supersquishy hotel bed and then of course prepare to become a Breakfast Buffet Gannet in the morning!!!
Just read Tom's Blog - I fucking love it - it's such a brilliant picture of fieldwork and how you just have to get on with it no matter what gets thrown at you. I realise I miss him being in the lab - he and J are a double-act and having them separated just doesn't feel right - they play off of one another and bicker (like a married couple) and have little domestics and fall about laughing and so on but when separated it just doesn't seem quite the same. Hopefully Minion I and Minion II will be reunited someday soon!
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