Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Note to self

When running out the door at the end of the day, try to remember that you came to work in pair of shoes better suited to walking long distances before you're halfway down the road.

I currently have two pairs of comfortable shoes lying uselessly under my desk at work, and have yet again come home in the wrong pair.

Monday, September 24, 2007

A short aside

There can be few more disconcerting feelings than thrusting your hand into a coat pocket that you've completely forgotten you filled with conkers at lunchtime...

--

Labels:

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Harveys Wharf

Harveys Wharf, Discovery Quay, Falmouth

You go in through a bar area with red leather banquettes, to a dining area that I should think is lovely during the day, as one wall is glass looking out over the harbour. The noise level was very high - popular place on a Saturday night - but it did mean you had to almost shout across the table to make yourself heard, and also the waiter had trouble hearing what we were ordering.

As a starter I had the potted shrimps - now I've had these elsewhere, and I'm fairly sure they're meant to taste of more than just the butter they were embedded in. It was a huge pot, relatively speaking, therefore very, very sickly. And why is it when a place offers something in this line that they never, ever provide enough bread to go with it? What am I supposed to do with the rest, smear it on my thighs? Don't answer that.

C. had ribbons of smoked salmon, which looked nice though.

For the main course, we both had rib eye steaks, and the waiter did his best to convince us we wanted a sauce with it - "but it really makes it" -"a red wine sauce? peppercorn?", "why don't you share one?" No, really, we don't want a sauce, we just want a nicely cooked steak, if it's all the same to you.

They were good though, when they came - I had mine medium rare, and it was lovely. If a bit fatty. I left a pattern of chewed fatty bits along the edge of my plate (yes, I know, lovely). Either C's steak was better, or he just ate the fat, but all his disappeared. The chips were nice, crisp and fluffy. It also came with a tangle of watercress, which I'm sure is a bonus if you like watercress.

C. had a chocolate caramel sundae for dessert, which seemed to go down well, and a hot chocolate, and I had a black coffee to finish off. All that, and a bottle of very nice wine for £60-something.

Oh, and when they brought the jug of water I asked for, the waiter said "would you like to keep hold of it?" and seemed faintly surprised when I said yes. I felt like saying, why, are we supposed to share? Apparently so, as he was doling it out a glass at a time to the couple on the next table, just wandering up and down with the jug. I'd like to pour my own when I need it, if it's all the same to you...

The loos were bright and clean, which is always a bonus. I set a lot of store on the state of a place's loos. Although the black and white chequered floor and walls were a little alarming - I thought I'd wandered into some deadly Dr Who booby trap, in danger of electrification if I trod on the wrong square...

So - pretty good. I'd go again, but I think I'd want to sit in the bar area, and I'd go straight for the main course.

--

Labels:

Friday, September 21, 2007

It's a million to one chance - but it might just work

We have, in the department, a walk-in cupboard lined with files. One wall of this is dedicated to one particular construction project, covering about ten years, in overlapping series with no index. Occasionally someone wants something, and we can never, ever find it. This morning, I was dispatched into the cupboard of doom to find a document, with no indication of who produced it, what it looked like, when it was dated, or, indeed, if it actually existed.

I took down a file at random, and there, the first document in the first section, was what I was looking for.

So - do you reckon I should go and buy a lottery ticket?

--

Labels:

Thursday, September 20, 2007

An Appraising Look

Oh, heavens to betsy.

I have my yearly appraisal next Friday. This involves filling in a large form beforehand, to discuss with my line manager at the meeting.

It involves such taxing questions as:
"What do you enjoy most about your job?" (the cake)
"How do you think your department's objectives will affect your role?" (well last year they couldn't come up with any)
"Who/what could help you achieve your long term career plan?" (I don't have one)

It probably doesn't bode well that I've just had to ask said colleague "what's your job title?" and "what's our department called these days?" to fill in the first page (to be fair, we have just been re-orgainsed...)

--

Labels:

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Season of scarves and cosy wistfulness

It's cold. It's the first really cold day of autumn. I suppose I've been clinging on to the idea that it's still summer, because we didn't really get one and the recent days have been deceptively sunny. But the rowan berries are fully red and the blackberries are almost over, and this weekend brings the equinox. From now on, the nights will be longer than the days, the mornings will taste of frost and the evenings will smell of woodsmoke.

I like this part.

--

Labels:

Monday, September 17, 2007

Yo.

I don't know, you spend the day fighting demons in a pocket dimension, and come home to find a month's passed. Damn time dilation effect.

So, what'd I miss?

--

Labels: