Why does shared misery make you feel better?

This week's bad weather has created all kinds of interesting transport situations. This morning I had 2 trains cancelled and was on my third platform of the morning waiting for the third train. It was scheduled to be the second train on that platform. All good. Then, suddenly, just as a train approached the platform there was a correction to the schedule and my train was now going to be the first train to arrive. ie. The train now approaching the platform. So was it really? Was this one going to stop at Twyford where I wanted to get off or take us all the way non-stop to London. Dunno really. The info screens have been so screwed all week that I just can't trust them. It was freezing on the platform though and the worst that could happen really was that I'd get a trip to London on a nice warm train. So I thought fuck it, I'll get on.

So I'm sitting down and I get my book out but this blonde girl sits down behind me and asks if the train stops at Twyford and Maidenhead.  I said I hope so 'cause that's where I'm going but I don't really know 'cause I just got on and I'm in the same boat as her. And she's happy. And I am a bit more happy too. Whatever happens, we both know that at least one other person is going to be screwed if we're on the wrong train so it's not so bad. 

If you're going to have some shit happen to you, it's best if you have company. Is it the same with redundancy? Does it make you feel better or worse if your work friends are made redundant with you?

First Class

UK train users will be familiar with our ridiculous system of train fares that mean you journeys where you rock up and buy your ticket on the day are very expensive, but journeys where you book in advance can be ridiculously cheap, as long as you get one of the cheap tickets before they sell out.

What you might not know is that sometimes the first class advance fares can be the same price as the standard open return fare. So if you miss out on the cheap tickets in standard class, why not just book yourself into first class for the same price? Massive seats, loads of room, no oiks (other than you). No fighting your way through crowds of people all standing down the train only to find out someone's sitting in your pre-booked seat already and you have to ask them to move. It's brilliant. Free tea and coffee on lots of services too. 

On the downside any non-first class journey after that is totally shit.

We're going to Bristol at the weekend, First Class, and I'm actually looking forward to the journey for once. 

What is the hilliest city in England?

I think the hilliest city I've ever been to in England has to be Bristol. Is this why the government has made it Britain's first cycling city? I can't think of many cities that'd be more crippling to cycle around. Well, half the time, half the time it'd be the easiest city to cycle around I suppose.

On average it's flat... shit that sounds dangerously like maths, and I promised Danny no more maths.

I'm off again!

Off to Engerland.

What a world traveller I am. A jet setting playboy of the highest order.

Since I'm hanging out with nerds and my cohort of laziness, I imagine I'll blog at least once. I said the same thing when I went to Malaysia and look how well that worked out. No seriously, go look. I'm not going to tell you.

Preparations

Next week my fellow lazyblogger, Danny, is flying over from the Good Ol' USofA for a week. Excited Reader: "That sounds great! What are you going to do?"

Er. A very good question. Between us two of us we have the organisational motivation of a sloth recently tasked with shipping himself to the Abbatoir de Sloth, Paris where, upon arrival, he will be skinned alive and prepared to be made into a series of unpronouncable French delicacies.

I have already done a huge amount of things to prepare though. I thought before I started writing this blog that I'd done hardly anything, but in fact I've done loads, or at least I've facilitated loads.

I have told other people who know Danny and are stupid enough to want to see him whilst he is in the country that he is coming over. Well, some of them anyway I probably forgot a lot of them. Some of them are even coming to visit.

I've booked tickets to a football match... well, I say I booked them. Technically I faffed around like a bufoon trying to sort something out until a crack team of my friends kindly dived in to save the situation. (this is meant to be a football analogy, not a comment related to any recent drownings).



I've also arranged a party for the Saturday night he arrives. It's my girlfriend's birthday around that time, and we haven't had a housewarming party so we figured that was enough excuses to have one. Well, I told some people it was happening but have only just put some details on the interweb so that people actually knew when and where they were coming. Facebook Events FTW! I also ordered a lot of booze on the internet, using the excellent Majestic home delivery service that I think I've recommended here before, which arrived last night. I also started drinking it last night but hopefully there'll be some left by Saturday.

I got the guy who organises our weekly Sunday afternoon 6 a-side football to upgrade our booking to the double size pitch so Danny can join in.

I've arranged an evening in the pub with some other internet nerds in London.

I've even thought of two whole cities other than London that we could visit whilst he's here.

I'm exhausted! To be fair to Danny, he's been busy too. He's packed a shirt and a pair of jeans already.