Yak & Natter

I read a lot, and mostly crime or thrillers at the moment. I’ve discovered a few new authors recently – Peter Robinson (Strange Affair, Cold as the grave and The Summer that never was – all of which are excellent are revolve around the same characters), Tess Gerritsen (Body Double) and Karin Slaughter (Indelible), all of which are proving to be good reads. Any other authors I should be looking for?

Yesterday, despite it being April, we had snow in Sussex. Nothing in Brighton, but quite a lot in Crowborough. These are photos taken from my office window with my phone which is why they’re pretty poor quality.

Thank you, who ever you are, the person who found our walkie-talkie on the mountain at Brekenridge and took it in to lost property. I’m sending good karma to you…..now.

Sometimes I find it tricky identifying the dishes going past on the sushi conveyor belt. That’s part of the fun. But it’s good to know sometimes it takes a huddle of three sushi chefs to name-that-dish if you ask them….

Those people who have travelled with me know that I’m the one who tends to get “extra attention” when going through security. On our way out to Colorado my bag spent quite a lot of time in the x-ray machine. Security personnel explained that I was carrying a pair of scissors. Not a little pair of nail scissors, but a big pair. This was a shock, as I was pretty sure I hadn’t done something that dumb, but I started to doubt myself when people armed with big scanning technology forcefully insisted that in fact I did, and I’d have to hang around for a search. The way she said it implied that I really should know better, and that they see people like me all the time, and although clearly not a terrorist, I shouldn’t even bother to try to fool them, or expect to get something as obvious as scissors through security, I mean who do I think I am, and what was I thinking, wasting valuable time, and frankly I should be ejected from the airport now, as a simpleton, and have my airport privileges removed for life. Hmmm…yes, that about captures her tone.

There were no scissors in my bag. The security guy swabbing my bag (in that “I’m just checking your bag as an objective and open-minded observer, but I know you’re hiding something” way they do) was very surprised. I wonder who’s bag they mistook mine for, and which flight the big scissors went on?

Which all reminds me: Apologies to my fellow traveller yesterday, a lady at Gatwick North security, who I punched in the forehead while I was putting my jacket back on.

But…Colorado. It’s a remarkable place. Arriving at Denver you see what appears to be the flattest expanse of land anywhere, but turn around and… wow! There are The Rockies. At this point, I didn’t feel any different, but Denver itself is already 1.6km above sea level, and some of the places we were visiting were getting on for 4km up. As a result some shortness of breath and other problems followed. But nothing serious. It does, however, explain why supermarkets stock oxygen.

Congratulations to Julie and Craig on a great party with some lovely people, oh, and also on getting married. A roast for dinner (mmmm) and the band were cracking. Later, when the disco kicked off, being the designated driver, I was able to contemplate the physics of “It’s raining men“, and I conclude it’s messy. Ah-uhuh.

What else… plenty of men in kilts, which was possibly something to do with their surname. Allegedly the best man would show you the contents of his kilt if you asked nicely. How friendly’s that?!

I’ve used melatonin a few times, especially when flying between the UK and North America. I’m pretty sure it’s helped me re-adjust to UK time, but new research says I’m wrong.