By Slanted Light

Here's a pic for all the people I know will appreciate it - rainy London!
I seem to be back in the UK, having barely posted about not being in the UK, which is a shame because I was not in the UK alot. The thing is, of course, not being in the UK meant either being off doing things, or else being too tired after doing things... But I have four days in London (well, three now), and although I must do some work and various chores, I will try and post some pics, cos I had a lovely time and ended up visiting five different countries too. Yeay travelling!

Oh, have the view from my window tonight too... And the bliss of it being cool!

It was another grey day, and rain was forecast, so I decided to head for indoorsy things. The first was not too far away, at a place called Symmonds Yat (love the name) - a butterfly house! I love a butterfly house. *g*



( Then it was off to... )

...and I am leaving Boxegeddon behind, to go on an adventure!There will be castles, forests, green men, and a medieval banquet - at least that's the plan. I'm determined not to even think about packing and so on while I'm away, because there's sod-all I can do about it over Easter, and I booked this mini-holiday ages ago. So I'm going to enjoy it!

Anyone care to join me...? It's about time I started to take some proper photos again, I reckon. Maybe there'll even be writing... *g*

Okay, I am determined to hit Post on this today - I've been faffing with it for ages and getting nowhere, and I want to post to lj again! I will grant you that Job 2 and holidays abroad, on top of the 10+ hour working days made it a little tricky to find time that I didn't want to spend just collapsing somewhere, but really, this is getting silly.

So. *g* Random stuff first! Probably backwards...
- I remembered to go out last night in case the skies were clear enough to see the Perseids this year, and mostly they weren't (moon, herring clouds...), but there was also briefly a patch with just a few stars, and I saw five gorgeously bright, momentarily sparkling-trailed shooting stars!
- I have recently bought books and joined the "Library Xtra" scheme, where you get to use the library when it's closed, so I have a joyfulness of books to read in the next few days weeks. *g* I'm currently almost finished K.J. Charles' latest, Spectred Isle.
- It's the school holidays, which means I have to work with two girls both wanting attention at the same time, and without a break during A's nap
- It's the school holidays, and so my job involves finding nice places to hang out with two wee girls instead of staring at a computer for ten hours a day. *g*
- I have buggered up two weeks of the school holidays by needing a course of B12 injections. I imagined when they first mentioned them that it was one every few months - no, apparently three times a week for two weeks, then one every month. But maybe I'll get my energy properly back! (and my brain, such as it ever was...)
- Actually took some writing along to the SF/F/H writing group this month, which was quite well reviewed. I was told to get on and finish it. Maybe I really will, with the prospect of monthly feedback... *g*
- Job 2 seems to be properly finished [...and as I typed that I realised it wasn't, and that I'd forgotten to start the preparation for Job 2.2, so I went and did it, and now it's much later again. But I will post tonight!]
- Blimey, there must be much else that I can barely even remember, and it's been ages since I took photos for photo's sake, but I did take some when I went to Germany... *g*

I've not sorted them all yet, but let's see if I can manage to post my holiday as it happened, but a few weeks later. So - and you'll have heard about much of this elsewhere, but hey-ho! - let's start with the weekend I left bonny old England... *g*
( It was a Friday... )

I am very near the end of two-job madness, not least because from today I am on holiday from Job 1 - hurrah! And I am currently sitting at Birmingham airport with a latte and lemon tart (actually I've just eaten the lemon tart, but pretend it's here looking picturesque...) :)

I was so organised this time, nicely packed the night before, partly packed a couple of days before that. Things booked and printed, and even the express lane booked for the airport and everything. I leave within my allocated time slot - okay, at the tippy end of it, but still, not late. I drive... Motorway...

Motorway closed between junctions... Oh no! Where is that? Where am I? Why didn't I buy the posh version of my Sat nav that told me things like that? More importantly where am I??? Back to trying to read a map and drive at the same time...

And of course my Sat nav just wants me to go back to the motorway, and the diversion isn't brilliantly signposted and it's full of giant trucks getting in the way of seeing the coloured-in triangles anyway... So I go the wrong way once, but catch it and turn around, and go-go-go...

And I get here. The barrier won't recognise my number plate this time, and no one's answering the button, but the other barrier has just worked, so I try that one. Nope. Drive back to the first one, and wonder if the cctv is recording the crazy lady... There's a ticket spat out... Is it mine? No idea, but there's no one else there, so I take it and hope I won't be charged twice...

And I eventually find a spot, and hurrah, luck, the bus is just arriving! So off to departures, with most of my time-for-emergencies used up.

And thank gods I booked the express lane (I am always doing that!), because there's massive queues, even at silly o'clock. I actually do whizz-express through - at least until I beep and have to do the nekkid-view scanner, then have my sandals swabbed, and then my bag has to be triple-checked (just when I thought I'd been so careful!)

Okay, through! Rush, rush, rush...

Flight delayed by an hour.

So ack, but on the other hand, breathe and post... :) And look forward to another week in Germany. Yeay!

How're you doing? It's been ages...

Welcome to the Giant's Causeway!

( Which was... )

The road trip around Ireland continues... *g*

Stopped to look at some Ogham stones (but sadly it turns out they were put there on purpose to show people what it looked like - lines carved on rocks, of course! - so no staring around wondering what people were trying to communicate in that spot...)

( Apparently coming over... )

Who's coming with me for the rest of the day...? *g*

When we saw her last, our heroine had just left Hook Lighthouse... ...from which she went past Loftus Hall, which I would have visited if it had been open (candidate for the most haunted house in Ireland - and B&B landlady said it was creepy even in the daytime!)

( Can't resist a... )

I write to you from a snazzy new smartphone, from the front of a boat bound for Ireland! Having not driven up yesterday at a relaxed pace, stayed the night comfortably nearby and then had a wander before catching the boat, but having got up before 6am and driven for nearly five hours, I may be a little mazed... *g* But lets see if this works!
Just to prove I'm here!

Let's try a camera pic too... There's suddenly blue sky! Ooh, and engines starting! I'm torn between keeping my seat (that's the problem with travelling on your own) and going out on deck to watch... I'll try posting this first, anyway... (Hmm, the preview isn't quite what I formatted, but close...)

Apparently every second day I can manage two posts... *g* We had a relaxed start to Friday, after the epic Black Forest drive, but by Friday afternoon we were off again. If you take out one of the ss from the name, and you happen to have read the Astreiant books, you might know why I just had to visit Esslingen... *g*

Today's road went through buildings, and past distant vistas...

And look who we found - another balancer!

( A river runs through... )