Bits and pieces

There have been several events of note, none worthy of a headline. At uni, apart from the odd lecture and my research, I attended an optional talk given by dietitians working for Nestle Nutrition - yes, the same company that makes Quality Street also makes prescribable nutritional products for people in hospital.

In the real, not academic world, Mr A has bought another bike in anticipation of a mammoth odyssey that he is planning - riding to Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) and back, with a friend, next summer. His bike of preference up until now is a fairly esoteric make (Cagiva Elefant) which isn't suited to this type of journey, so he has bought a Honda Pan European. It's the first time I've ever viewed one of his bikes and thought "I wouldn't mind riding pillion on that one". Up until now, pillion seats have been razor thin and I've needed a ladder to get up there - this one's like an armchair in comparison. Not that I'm likely to be riding anywhere with him, but you never know.

We have also been visited by The Boy, who is now marketing himself as a freelance web designer while attempting to 'make it' in the world of young people's music (but I couldn't tell you exactly how the music is produced). He imparted some valuable insight into his life: he has moved to Bristol where the music scene is a bit more accessible, he is not romantically attached to any one female, he hopes to set up a tour of Europe and/or America in which he will be paid for gigs. He is good company and he seems to be doing OK, so that's fine.

I haven't mentioned the bathroom for a while, but it was finished at the same time as the exterior painting. It is now a vivid shade of blue-green-turquoise that still surprises me as I come up the stairs. It now needs pictures, to tone it down a little.

I have played in two more badminton matches with a new partner who is very tall and can smash rather well. We have won one or two of our games each time, but overall our team always loses. My previous partner had a foot ligament problem, which he ignored until he was accepted as a special policeman, and now I believe he's getting it treated. Either that, or he hasn't got time for badminton any more. If I am posted in some distant backwater for my next clinical placement, I will have to give up my local badminton - I will need to find a replacement club for those three months.

Lastly, I had an 'incident' in the car on the way home from school last Thursday, when a car pulled out into my lane and hit the back of my car. Not very hard and not much damage was done, but annoying because now there's quite a lot of admin to do. I spent 45 minutes on the phone to the insurance company at 5p a minute, and will definitely find a cheaper way to communicate next time.