WeatherGirl’s Station

We spent last night in Birmingham, UK so as to make this moring a little easier. We had to be at the airport by 8am so it was definitely worth driving down yesterday. The plane ride was uneventful though we did seem to be surrounded by hen and stag parties. The ladies were in pink which wasn’t too bad but the guys wore the most gadawful insulting shirts. (Time to avert ones eyes and pretend you can’t see them.)

We had allowed plenty of time to cross Madrid on the underground which proved wise. The trek from Terminal one arrivals to the tube station was epic. We then took three different underground lines to reach the appropriate railway station. Every thing was well labelled and since much of it was constructed in more modern times walking with luggage was not as problematic as the tube.

We had a couple of hours to wait before our train left Madrid so we found a restaurant and had a little late lunch. We started out on the street but it began to rain which drove us inside with all the smokers. Boy do the Spanish smoke like chimneys. I haven’t seen so many people lighting up in a long time.

The train from Madrid to Toledo was only half an hour and very comfortable. I had a nice nap. The Toledo railway station is beautiful. Hopefully I’ll have a chance to take photos before we leave.

Our hotel is right in the centre of the old city about a minute from the cathedral. We wandered a little checking out where things were, like a grocery and bank etc. We had a great leisurely dinner sat outside on a side street. As we dined the Corpus Christi procession came by which was quite something.

Brilliant. I haven’t laughed so hard at a movie in a long time. The bouncing back and forth between side splitting humour and deathly seriousness was quite a feat. It made me laugh even harder as my brain kept going, ‘You shouldn’t really be laughing at this.’ Brendan Gleeson was incredible. I have so much love for his character, I can’t tell you. The rest of the cast wasn’t half bad either. Another must see movie.

Current temperature: here 5C/41F, there 64F/18C

Fabulous. This movie was so intoxicating I still haven’t come down yet. Holy cow that was something else. Visually it was stunning though it did take a few minutes to get used to the visual stimulation, it was so bright. The acting was pitched just right in tone and the balance between live action and CGI was perfect. This was definitely one of the best movies we’ve seen this year. Wow! You must go see it.

Current temperature: here 12C/54F, there 55F/13C

So Phi and I married 19 years ago and a college friend of Nic’s, Eric, was our best man. After a couple of years in the same apartment complex in Austin, Texas we ended up going our separate ways. We headed north to Minnesota while Eric headed out on a more global adventure. 17 years later we both end up on the same side of the pond and essentially a stones throw away from each other. So Eric, Margaret, Katie and Kyle came to visit and we got to catch up and kibitz and laugh and share a whole lot of conversation. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait another 17 years before we meet again.

Current temperature: here 20C/68F, there 55F/13C

Last night we joined a group of locals on a walk through Colchester Castle Park led by members of the Essex Bat Group and park rangers. We leant much about the life cycle of the different species of local bats.

Bat detectors were handed out at the beginning of the walk so we could try and identify where to look to see the bats. They’re tricky little buggers to spot and being able to make their sounds audible helped us look in the right direction. At first nobody picked up anything on the detectors but as we walked around the park and the light dimmed the detectors registered more and more signals. By the end of the night the detectors were constantly sounding as the bats swooped around us and we were able to spot at least one bat every minute or so. It was quite something and well worth going along for the 1.5 hour walk around the Castle Park.

Current temperature: here 20C/68F, there 55F/13C

Another Mercury Theatre production. (We’ve been incredibly lucky to live in a community that has its own professional repertory company.) Based on the play by R. C. Sherriff it is set in an officers’ quarters in the trenches during World War I. I found this particular play more engaging of my intellect rather than my emotions which was a little disappointing. The problem for me was I’ve seen all these characters before, they came across more a cyphers than fully rounded human beings. The greatest impact for me came from the scenery which was incredibly. The claustrophobia that was created was intense. The stage at the Mercury is both tall and deep yet the production managed to make the space disappear. The final dénouement managed to be quite shocking even though it was entirely obvious how things would end.

Current temperature: here 21C/70F, there 54F/12C

Enjoyable. Robert Downey Jr as a superhero rocks! This movie was great popcorn fun. I didn’t feel like falling asleep once which is always a good sign. We even got to watch with a fairly full auditorium which isn’t usually the case and that amped up the atmosphere. Plus I was finally rewarded for my obsessive habit of staying to the end of the credits. Can’t say that I found the movie entirely consistent, arms maker/dealer forswears weapons of mas destruction yet uses weapons of war to fight the good fight. Hmmm? Yeah.

Current temperature: here 21C/70F, there 54F/12C

So I’m feeling very virtuous right now as I’ve done my civic duty and voted in the local council elections. It’s been so long since I’ve had the opportunity to vote in an election I’m quite giddy with delight.

There were four candidates to chose from though in reality only two I would consider voting for. X marked the spot.

I’m all for the old fashioned sheet of paper and pencil. This is one realm where we need to resist the creep of modern technology and it’s aptitude for corruption.

Current temperature: here 13C/55F, there 61F/16C

Fascinating. A very cool movie about the lead singer of Joy Division. Another exploration of the disintegration of a human being. Great insight into the creative process. Loved the music.

Current temperature: here 13C/55F, there 61F/16C