Aaaaand pause

Phew! What a busy few days. London was brilliant - catching up with friends is always fun. We spent a good deal of time dodging raindrops and racing map apps to direct ourselves on Saturday, which included a trip to Little Venice, a trip to the wrong platform at Paddington, and a giggle at the V & A museum - packed with raindrop-dodgers. We also admired the Olympic park from friend's flat. (And the several taxi cafes we spotted.)
Sunday was brunch and a wander around the Notting Hill Carnival. It was huge, and the crowds were incredible. I don't think there were any stereo speakers left anywhere else in London - so loud. Great costumes, but slightly perturbed by the chocolate and paint throwers - really not sure what that was about. A quick dash down Marylebone road and I made my train with minutes to spare.

Taxi cafe no. 1

Heatherwick silly seats at the V & A

Snazzy brickwork and garden courtyard at the V & A

It's got to be another Heatherwick at the entrance to the V & A

Taxi cafe no. 2 - with taxi

View from friend's flat of the Olympic park

People as far as the eye can see at Notting Hill

Wicked bird costume - there were puppet flamingoes earlier in the day!
Note the boarded-up windows behind!

Big Ben as a carnival bird

Not sure why but friend insisted...

Taxi cafe no. 3 (Huuuge piles of rubbish in the carnival zone, but even
giant bins would have been overflowing.

Not enough hours

There really weren't enough hours in the day this week. Finally succeeded in getting temporary work - not the most fun job ever. I think the total tally of phonecalls across three days was 650. 350 on my first day. Now I'm off for a weekend with some friends in London town. Before next week I'm also meant to have: finished the painting in the conservatory, prepared a task for one interview, do some prep work for another, done a list of tasks for my career coaching progress, and the laundry basket pile mounts ever higher.
Watch this space for London photos... and an exhausted writer.

Weekend antics

Busy little weekend! Saturday was a jaunt out to Leamington Spa to attend the Latin festival hosted by HabanaLoko. Fabulous weather ensured a big turnout, and we enjoyed our friend's dance performance as well as the spontaneous salsa moves by various groups in the pump room gardens. The samba performance left me wanting to go and find the nearest music shop and buy the biggest, noisiest drum possible! (Maybe once I can afford it...)
Sunday brought iffy weather and a jaunt down the the University of Birmingham with some friends to take part in the Birmingham skyride - a closed-road course of about 10km with 17,985 other cyclists! I liked the kid with the shark-shaped helmet, the knight and princess and their trusty steeds, and the man dressed as easy rider! We managed two laps, bolstered by freebie fruit and malt loaf, but flopped for a leisurely pub garden lunch later. Long naps were required after our return! Hope the chap with the compound fracture to his wrist feels better today...

The clock tower

A few of the be-bibbed cyclists and the newest addition to the red brick semi-circle

Links
HabanaLoko
Sky ride events

Knitting

More photos? Go on then. Sticking with the knitting, I've recently purchased an anti-moth box for storage of all the crafting-gubbins. Yesterday, I found a proper knitting project bag - a battered sainsburys 'bag for life' just wasn't cutting it.

Sneak peek of my current project - a ruby red scarf

Definitely being limited by training though. The lovely jewel green cape/shawl has been put on hold as I got the stitches completely wrong. (The beauty of knitting is that you can get away with it, but I'd rather know what I should be doing!) The other problem with that is because the stitches are so complicated, I can't undo the bad bits for fear that I'll muddle up the ok bits!
I've got two separate sock projects that are paused too - I'm at the point where you have to decrease for the toe - I think it might end up being a knitalong with a youtube video! It is quite funny to try them on while unfinished though...

I'll never be a foot model...

As promised

I went and saw the steam train - and yes, there were trainspotters there too... And on saturday I ran away from some swans.

The Bard (for once, not surrounded by tourists)

Don't go to Stratford with a loaf of bread

On the way

The Shakespeare Express - being driven backwards for some reason...

Sorting

When you have moved in with someone, it can be helpful to try and be tidy with your things. I made use of the offer of filing cabinet storage space today, and in so doing, found the stash of paperwork that returned with us from Canada. Duly sorted, and I also found the bumper selection of postcards that were sent across the waves. Would you like to see?

Note the quantity of 'English' themed cards...

We had good reason to be concerned about our luggage allowance on the return leg...