disorganisation
Nov. 20th, 2005 05:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
perlmongerWe've just got home from a night in Lunnon. It was all planned out; ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
stevewpalmer is back in the UK ex-Seattle for a bit and, even like unto how we done it last time, a bunch of ex-![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
cixen staff and similar were going to meet up in a Tapas bar in Kingston.
This turned out about as well as could be expected.
Bruce (WINOLJ), who was organising everything, couldn't make it. Hugo and Julian (WANOLJE) pulled out too, leaving just five of us (me,ramtops, stevewpalmer, wendyg and Alan, who used to be etriganuk). By this point, Mac and I were already in Kingston and in that transitional state between a proper hotel and Chiba City coffin hotel that is a Travelodge, so we ended up coördinating the rump, as it were. Mac rang up the Tapas bar to see if our reservation could be brought forward a bit from the planned 9pm and found that they claimed no knowledge of our booking at all...
Ho. And hum. By now, Steve and Wendy were en route from Kew; Alan likewise from Soho, so it was down to us on the ground to sort out food for five, at about 6:45pm on a Saturday night. Not holding up much hope, we wandered into the first restaurant in sight: Little Italy (who don't appear to have a web site), approximately 2 minutes' walk from our hotel. Busy it was, but amazingly yes: they could indeed fit us in at 8:15.
And the food wasn't bad either. Nothing profound or extraordinary, but enjoyable, workmanlike Italian grub in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Recommended, in fact, for a casual evening out if you're in the area. So, in spite of all, we had a very good night out together and finally wended our separate ways, just as underdressed Kingston youth were queueing in the freezing fog outside the clubs to get even more pissed than they already were.
After a night in what was possibly the most uncomfortable bed I've ever splept in, we met up with Alan (he stayed at the Travelodge too) and breakfasted in the greasy spoon over the other side of the Kingston racing track. Grease good. We dropped Alan off at Surbiton station, then headed home, only stopping at St Philips Marsh to buy their least crappy kettle[¹] and a new freeview box[²]. Oh, and Mac, in her new post-kalunina-makeover state bought some rather good hairclips, dangly earrings and beads.
Home. Cats. Empty food bowls. Vomit on the floor. TEA.
We have tickets for Rory Bremner at Colsonall tonight, but looking at the freezing fog descending out there (and reading a less than glowing review of last night's show), I reckon we'll be staying in.
¹ to replace our Brita filter kettle which, unless internally stimulated down its throat with a teaspoon and poured very slowly, sends most of its output down its side onto the worktop, the floor, the internals of its power base &c.
² the one we have is a Pace, and does what Pace boxes do best, which is mostly lock up and crash.
stevewpalmer is back in the UK ex-Seattle for a bit and, even like unto how we done it last time, a bunch of ex-cixen staff and similar were going to meet up in a Tapas bar in Kingston.This turned out about as well as could be expected.
Bruce (WINOLJ), who was organising everything, couldn't make it. Hugo and Julian (WANOLJE) pulled out too, leaving just five of us (me,
ramtops, stevewpalmer, wendyg and Alan, who used to be etriganuk). By this point, Mac and I were already in Kingston and in that transitional state between a proper hotel and Chiba City coffin hotel that is a Travelodge, so we ended up coördinating the rump, as it were. Mac rang up the Tapas bar to see if our reservation could be brought forward a bit from the planned 9pm and found that they claimed no knowledge of our booking at all...Ho. And hum. By now, Steve and Wendy were en route from Kew; Alan likewise from Soho, so it was down to us on the ground to sort out food for five, at about 6:45pm on a Saturday night. Not holding up much hope, we wandered into the first restaurant in sight: Little Italy (who don't appear to have a web site), approximately 2 minutes' walk from our hotel. Busy it was, but amazingly yes: they could indeed fit us in at 8:15.
And the food wasn't bad either. Nothing profound or extraordinary, but enjoyable, workmanlike Italian grub in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Recommended, in fact, for a casual evening out if you're in the area. So, in spite of all, we had a very good night out together and finally wended our separate ways, just as underdressed Kingston youth were queueing in the freezing fog outside the clubs to get even more pissed than they already were.
After a night in what was possibly the most uncomfortable bed I've ever splept in, we met up with Alan (he stayed at the Travelodge too) and breakfasted in the greasy spoon over the other side of the Kingston racing track. Grease good. We dropped Alan off at Surbiton station, then headed home, only stopping at St Philips Marsh to buy their least crappy kettle[¹] and a new freeview box[²]. Oh, and Mac, in her new post-
kalunina-makeover state bought some rather good hairclips, dangly earrings and beads.Home. Cats. Empty food bowls. Vomit on the floor. TEA.
We have tickets for Rory Bremner at Colsonall tonight, but looking at the freezing fog descending out there (and reading a less than glowing review of last night's show), I reckon we'll be staying in.
¹ to replace our Brita filter kettle which, unless internally stimulated down its throat with a teaspoon and poured very slowly, sends most of its output down its side onto the worktop, the floor, the internals of its power base &c.
² the one we have is a Pace, and does what Pace boxes do best, which is mostly lock up and crash.
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(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-20 06:34 pm (UTC)Have to recommend Prima ClearBoil.
http://www.electricshopping.com/shop/shop.do?pvSKU=PGK200
We've had one for about six years. Does everything *just* the way you want it to, especially it will turn *on* again *right* after it's been boiled, and, what is more, when we managed to break the lid, they sent a new one out for the cost of a SAE jiffy bag.
The above URL is a more modern model but I'd be confident they're still good. I note they do a 3Kw one too for when you really really can't wait for that cuppa...