Commuting

So, the new job.

Having allowed myself time after my trip to Barcelona, I was rested for my first day commuting up to London. I needed to be, cos at least an hour and a half each way of travelling (if I walk to the station) can take it out of you, even if you are sitting for most of it. But I'm getting used to it. Actually, it means I now get time to read, listen to podcasts again or my music - which I haven't done much of for quite a while. Particularly reading.

This is a good thing ^(tm) because while exploring London in the first week I found the official Douglas Adams biography, and being a fan of Hitch-Hikers Guide I had to get it - for the £4 I didn't care if I could have got it cheaper online. It's proving a good insight into the man, and well enough written that I'm getting into it although the flow could have been improved: I think Mark (Webb, the author) has tried to put too much into it as part of the text. Don't get me wrong, some of the snippets are fascinating; but it felt like there were too many or they were more deeply explored sometimes than I cared about. Maybe it depends how big a fan you are for the more trivial items. Good use has been made of footnotes for some of them so it's not as bad as it could be (very occasionally footnotes fill half the page!). I always loved the books and radio series and the TV version was cult sci-fi although nowhere near as well made or as funny. Very much looking forward to movie no.2 though, "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe".

So, I'm getting through the book, catching up with Adam Curry / Reel Reviews / others and making use of my Travelcard with free zone 1-6 travel in London (ouch.. £285 a month to commute). The job's going fine, I'm settling in and getting to know the project and the people I'm working with a little better, and looking forward to the increased socialising opportunities. Not quite sure whether anyone from work hangs out with anyone else in the evenings ever, but I did come across a few having a drink in the pub right next door to us last Friday noon. I've been busy every weekend since (parties! - but that's another blog post) so I haven't really considered asking them if they want to go for a drink, but I'm sure I'll get to know them better in due time.

One other sidenote I had to mention was being able to add one more shirt back into my arsenal as a direct result of the new job. I had a light purple one two years ago that I kind of had to retire to the back of the wardrobe purely because it was too like my work uniform at the Post Office. Now I don't work there anymore, I don't feel like I'm at the P.O. everytime I wear it. Hurrah!