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There Is Life On Mars
Apr. 19th, 2009 11:27 amFurther to my last post alluding to a busy couple of days coming ahead, it’s happened. You see, it’s been quite a notable weekend.
Friday, and I went to Cambridge then onto Milton for work. Busy, as expected, and I offered to stay a little later to clear up the day’s administration. Having said that, one call stuck out. Not because of it being anything notable (and I can’t mention the specifics obviously), but because of what happened after it was done – the caller phoned back. To thank me for the suggestion, which resolved both of her problems. I’m not letting all this praise go to my head, but it’s maybe something new to me. I mentioned before that where I’ve worked in the past, management have passed on the complaints, but never the compliments. Oh, and no slip-ups (I didn’t fall over), but there was one problem with the train from Cambridge (the train comes from London express, that splits into two at Cambridge, one for Kings Lynn, and one goes back stopper to Kings Cross) that held me up on the way home for about ten minutes. Never mind, C was quite happy to wait for me, and we went for muchies afterwards!
So, after a long day at work, stopping for pizza, I’d barely had time to digest the days mail and web happenings, but I had to be up and out very early on Saturday morning. Out for the 0743ish train to Hitchin, before taking whichever bus that came first (in the end it was a 700 to Stevenage) into Hitchin town centre. I’d planned to get the 0840, but after arriving at Hitchin, St Mary’s Square at 0808, thought I might be able to run through to Bancroft for the 0810 – but no, never mind. Time for a quick wakeup snack before getting the M1 to Bedford, Stagecoach “Mars” Service M1, to Bedford, and Dart 34827.
There was a reason for the trip to Bedford, at early on Saturday morning. I’d been invited to a Executive Committee Meeting of the Bedford Area Bus Users Society (BABUS). I’m currently catching up with joining a number of local groups across the south and beyond, and this was one that I’d found out about via the link on the Stagecoach in Bedford local website, two years ago, when I was using the X5 every Friday from MK Coachway to Cambridge, to spend the weekend with Caroline. Anyway, I digress. This was the group that I mentioned had asked me in with a view to asking me to consider assisting with their website and bulletin board. The previous person who did the site has not been able to look after it any longer, and told the group some time ago, so the need has been somewhat urgent. After arriving at Bedford bus station, followed the directions (misread one, but got back in plenty of time!) to the Friends Meeting House.
This was a meeting of an extraordinary nature, largely as a result of my presence. Additionally, further related discussion was of the manifesto (something else that they want to go on the web), and issues with Service X5 (predominantly the stop at Parkside in Cambridge and the lack of local signage/facilities). One other person was also invited in on a similar basis to this, and we discussed a number of issues with the current service – although it was agreed the new coaches were very good, and a huge improvement on the earlier coaches (some being former Perth National Express vehicles, so they were on their last legs). There were a number of other issues re the X5 (in advance of their meeting with Stagecoach on such matters), including problems with the WiFi, and also the requirement for wheelchair users to book 48 hours in advance. I wondered why Stagecoach Scotland only require half of that time… we shall see.
I digress again. The main reason that they were there was to try and ask me to possibly look at the website and bulletin board. The chairman is one of my members, and I’d recognised the secretary from being sat in front of me earlier on the M1, I wondered when he was reading a Bus Users UK magazine, but decided not to say anything at the point. After a brief discussion, I agreed, and turned the tables around to ask what THEY wanted their website to do, and what I could do for them. The sec followed this up with “all our Christmas’s have turned up at once”. A discussion followed, and they decided to co-opt myself (and one other person) onto the Committee – in my case, with special interest and responsibilities for the website.
After all that came to an end, back to Central Bedford. Met Caroline off the Park & Ride - after a little while of not being in the right places - not helped by me leaving my phone somewhere! I defiantly had it on the M1 as I remember getting a message from Caroline to say that she had received her Gender Recognition Certificate, so I did want to congratulate her. Anyway, until I get my mobile back, no point in ringing or texting it!
We’d sat down at a Wetherspoon’s pub, but the kitchen had just been closed due to a pipe burst, so we ended up in an independent café/bar place the other side of the arcade behind the bus station. Food was nice, the place itself was okay. One more stop I think (when I spotted the former VT99 coach now repainted, and in use on the X5 – someone asked me for that the day after I was in MK last), and then back to River Street for Dart 33183 back to the Park & Ride.
After resting yesterday (a day without slip-ups, and one near thing - so very good, despite my knee still hurting quite often, and not being able to put any weight on it), caught up with paying things due (two domain renewals, hosting, etc.) plus a few other bits and pieces bought. This morning, via iTunes, purchased the National Rail app for my iPod Touch (for some reason, the free one is no longer usable, because Kizoom’s data licence has expired, just in time for National Rail to sell their own at £4.99 a time!), as well as Kelly Clarkson’s latest album. Her most recent song is stuck in my head, quite a lot of the time. However, once again for her, the lyrics matter – my life would suck, without my someone special! I also purchased one other track from quite a while ago, that I’ve heard a lot through the Magic Radio Player online at the moment – you may wonder why I’m after Neil Diamond, but have a look at the lyrics…
Where it began, I can't begin to know when
But then I know it's growing strong
Oh, wasn't the spring, whooo
And spring became the summer
Who'd believe you'd come along
Hands, touching hands, reaching out
Touching me, touching you
Oh, sweet Caroline
Good times never seem so good
I've been inclined to believe it never would
And now I, I look at the night, whooo
And it don't seem so lonely
We fill it up with only two, oh
And when I hurt
Hurting runs off my shoulder
How can I hurt when holding you
Oh, one, touching one, reaching out
Touching me, touching you
Oh, sweet Caroline
Good times never seem so good
Oh I've been inclined to believe it never would
Ohhh, sweet Caroline, good times never seem so good
She’s my Sweet Caroline, and I love her so much, for making all this in my life possible! Yes, My Life Would Suck Without You!
You can see the couple of pictures from Friday, and all the pics from Saturday, online now.
Friday, and I went to Cambridge then onto Milton for work. Busy, as expected, and I offered to stay a little later to clear up the day’s administration. Having said that, one call stuck out. Not because of it being anything notable (and I can’t mention the specifics obviously), but because of what happened after it was done – the caller phoned back. To thank me for the suggestion, which resolved both of her problems. I’m not letting all this praise go to my head, but it’s maybe something new to me. I mentioned before that where I’ve worked in the past, management have passed on the complaints, but never the compliments. Oh, and no slip-ups (I didn’t fall over), but there was one problem with the train from Cambridge (the train comes from London express, that splits into two at Cambridge, one for Kings Lynn, and one goes back stopper to Kings Cross) that held me up on the way home for about ten minutes. Never mind, C was quite happy to wait for me, and we went for muchies afterwards!
So, after a long day at work, stopping for pizza, I’d barely had time to digest the days mail and web happenings, but I had to be up and out very early on Saturday morning. Out for the 0743ish train to Hitchin, before taking whichever bus that came first (in the end it was a 700 to Stevenage) into Hitchin town centre. I’d planned to get the 0840, but after arriving at Hitchin, St Mary’s Square at 0808, thought I might be able to run through to Bancroft for the 0810 – but no, never mind. Time for a quick wakeup snack before getting the M1 to Bedford, Stagecoach “Mars” Service M1, to Bedford, and Dart 34827.
There was a reason for the trip to Bedford, at early on Saturday morning. I’d been invited to a Executive Committee Meeting of the Bedford Area Bus Users Society (BABUS). I’m currently catching up with joining a number of local groups across the south and beyond, and this was one that I’d found out about via the link on the Stagecoach in Bedford local website, two years ago, when I was using the X5 every Friday from MK Coachway to Cambridge, to spend the weekend with Caroline. Anyway, I digress. This was the group that I mentioned had asked me in with a view to asking me to consider assisting with their website and bulletin board. The previous person who did the site has not been able to look after it any longer, and told the group some time ago, so the need has been somewhat urgent. After arriving at Bedford bus station, followed the directions (misread one, but got back in plenty of time!) to the Friends Meeting House.
This was a meeting of an extraordinary nature, largely as a result of my presence. Additionally, further related discussion was of the manifesto (something else that they want to go on the web), and issues with Service X5 (predominantly the stop at Parkside in Cambridge and the lack of local signage/facilities). One other person was also invited in on a similar basis to this, and we discussed a number of issues with the current service – although it was agreed the new coaches were very good, and a huge improvement on the earlier coaches (some being former Perth National Express vehicles, so they were on their last legs). There were a number of other issues re the X5 (in advance of their meeting with Stagecoach on such matters), including problems with the WiFi, and also the requirement for wheelchair users to book 48 hours in advance. I wondered why Stagecoach Scotland only require half of that time… we shall see.
I digress again. The main reason that they were there was to try and ask me to possibly look at the website and bulletin board. The chairman is one of my members, and I’d recognised the secretary from being sat in front of me earlier on the M1, I wondered when he was reading a Bus Users UK magazine, but decided not to say anything at the point. After a brief discussion, I agreed, and turned the tables around to ask what THEY wanted their website to do, and what I could do for them. The sec followed this up with “all our Christmas’s have turned up at once”. A discussion followed, and they decided to co-opt myself (and one other person) onto the Committee – in my case, with special interest and responsibilities for the website.
After all that came to an end, back to Central Bedford. Met Caroline off the Park & Ride - after a little while of not being in the right places - not helped by me leaving my phone somewhere! I defiantly had it on the M1 as I remember getting a message from Caroline to say that she had received her Gender Recognition Certificate, so I did want to congratulate her. Anyway, until I get my mobile back, no point in ringing or texting it!
We’d sat down at a Wetherspoon’s pub, but the kitchen had just been closed due to a pipe burst, so we ended up in an independent café/bar place the other side of the arcade behind the bus station. Food was nice, the place itself was okay. One more stop I think (when I spotted the former VT99 coach now repainted, and in use on the X5 – someone asked me for that the day after I was in MK last), and then back to River Street for Dart 33183 back to the Park & Ride.
After resting yesterday (a day without slip-ups, and one near thing - so very good, despite my knee still hurting quite often, and not being able to put any weight on it), caught up with paying things due (two domain renewals, hosting, etc.) plus a few other bits and pieces bought. This morning, via iTunes, purchased the National Rail app for my iPod Touch (for some reason, the free one is no longer usable, because Kizoom’s data licence has expired, just in time for National Rail to sell their own at £4.99 a time!), as well as Kelly Clarkson’s latest album. Her most recent song is stuck in my head, quite a lot of the time. However, once again for her, the lyrics matter – my life would suck, without my someone special! I also purchased one other track from quite a while ago, that I’ve heard a lot through the Magic Radio Player online at the moment – you may wonder why I’m after Neil Diamond, but have a look at the lyrics…
Where it began, I can't begin to know when
But then I know it's growing strong
Oh, wasn't the spring, whooo
And spring became the summer
Who'd believe you'd come along
Hands, touching hands, reaching out
Touching me, touching you
Oh, sweet Caroline
Good times never seem so good
I've been inclined to believe it never would
And now I, I look at the night, whooo
And it don't seem so lonely
We fill it up with only two, oh
And when I hurt
Hurting runs off my shoulder
How can I hurt when holding you
Oh, one, touching one, reaching out
Touching me, touching you
Oh, sweet Caroline
Good times never seem so good
Oh I've been inclined to believe it never would
Ohhh, sweet Caroline, good times never seem so good
She’s my Sweet Caroline, and I love her so much, for making all this in my life possible! Yes, My Life Would Suck Without You!
You can see the couple of pictures from Friday, and all the pics from Saturday, online now.
