Nick Jordan

My new contact lenses have just arrived! I’m so glad, and not just because it means I’ll be able to ride the bike safely again, but also because my specs are ancient and manky and get very uncomfortable to wear after a few hours.

A little while ago I cancelled my monthly contact lens payments in order to save a few quid. When my supply of lenses wore out I went back to wearing my specs full time. In most ways it hasn’t been a problem but I’ve found that riding the bike isn’t nice because I don’t have proper peripheral vision, which makes looking behind me a complete waste of time.

I’m close to ordering some new lenses but, in the meantime, I think I’m going to have to stop riding the bike for reasons of safety. Not being able to see what’s behind me before I turn or change lanes is a major issue.

I’ve just got around to activating the Akismet plugin for Wordpress and, I have to say, I’m very impressed with the performance so far. Why didn’t I do this sooner?

Last night I played Magic: The Gathering (yes, I’m really that geeky) for the first time in years and was solidly trounced. Not that it mattered, I enjoyed myself. Playing games is a social thing for me, not a competitive one. A meal and a beer with friends is more what it’s about.

The other day I tried to upgrade Wordpress to the latest version (2.1) only to find that the version of MySQL that my hosting company had supplied wasn’t up to it. I duly contacted my host, asking what the possibility of an upgrade was, and not really expecting much help. In fact, they very quickly responded that they could set up a new database for me on a more up to date server, which they have done. As a result, the upgrade has gone without a hitch and I’m really quite pleased. Well done, Easyspace.

A very good time was has last night in the company of Aphie, a friend from Australia who is, sadly, flying home today. Wine was drunk, food was eaten and the world was, at least partially, set to rights. What more could you want from an evening?

Not only am I really hungry, but I have a strange craving for parsnips. Curious. Seeing that parsnips are quite hard to come by unless I go out and spend a fortune on a full roast lunch, I shall probably have to content myself with some hot sausage rolls from Greggs.

I had a particularly good day yesterday, despite a poor start. I woke up with intermittent stomach cramps, which continued until the late afternoon. I thought perhaps I was having contractions! Anyway, undeterred by those, I headed out and met a friend for lunch in Crouch End. There really is no pleasure quite like a leisurely meal in good company.

After that a bit of a wander around the shops and then on to Archway for a bash organised by the local SCA, who are all very nice people indeed. There was music, singing and dancing (although I didn’t participate in the latter - I don’t dance). Beer was drunk and general chit-chat was indulged in. I even got a lift home, which was extremely kind. I had been worried about the stomach cramps but they stayed away nicely.

All in all, a splendid way to spend a Saturday. I should have days like that more often.

Yesterday was so windy that I did the sensible thing last night and left my bike in the West End, taking the tube home. The only problem with using the tube, especially when wearing a dirty great bike jacket, is that it’s almost unbearably hot down there. Still, a bit of sweating is preferable to a wrecked bike and serious pain. It was a bit of a relief to walk past the bike on my way into work this morning and see that it appears to have survived the night unscathed.

Renaissance council house. A painter and decorator has recreated famous works inside his council house, and I think it’s fantastic. I wouldn’t necessarily want to do the same, even if I had the skill, but it gives me immense pleasure just to know that there are people out there who do things like this.

I spent an extremely pleasant day yesterday wandering around the Museum of London with friends. It was typically grey and wet out but that didn’t really matter as we didn’t spend all that much time outdoors. I did seem to manage to drink a fair bit along the way, although I’m not entirely sure how that happened…

I’m back at work today after a nice long Xmas break, but suffering from lack of sleep after the New Year celebrations. An early night for me tonight, I think. Anyway, I hope everyone has a very happy New Year. More from me when I’m in a fit state.