Time off

 

Tuesday 14 Jan 2025 - 

I got Chris from work to get me from the office to Newark Castle Train Station for the 7:36am train, which left at 7:48am. 

Normally that 7:36 train gets into Nottingham at 8:10am, giving me fifteen minutes to get from one platform to another, so that I can then get the Nottingham to Mansfield train. 

What instead happened was that the train that left Newark twelve minutes late instead pulled into Nottingham half an hour late, making me fifteen minutes late for my connection, and having to wait for forty-five minutes until the next train was due. 

A cup of tea and an almond croissant in the cafe between platforms 1 and 3 it was then, while catching up with the lady at the cafe, who told me once again that their hours were being cut, due to less people using the cafeteria when they were at the station, that was a usual thing in the first couple of months after the Christmas Break. 

Instead of the 8:25am Nottingham to Mansfield train I was having to catch the 9:25am, and even despite the tea I had at Nottingham, I was finding it difficult to stay awake on the second of the two trains. 

The Newark to Nottingham train was okay, but I was tired there too. I chatted for all of that journey with the book lady I usually speak with. I probably shouldn’t have done, but I gave her my copy of The Apple Tree by Daphne DuMaurier, as I had finished with it. 

I felt a little let down by that book - good lead up, but the ending was closing in on meh territory. 

Because of the train problems I didn’t get home until twenty past ten, as opposed to twenty past nine. Why don’t the staff on trains do their safety checks long before they’re due to be going? That way I wouldn’t have gotten to Nottingham 15 minutes after my connecting train as opposed to the usual 15 minutes before! 

My first day off absolutely f***ed over. Thanks a million. Good job. *sarcasm* 

I did some research for Toppermost of the Poppermost.

We watched Charro, a 1969 western that starred Elvis Presley and Victor French, and also featured the recently passed James B Sikking. 

We watched New Amsterdam season five episode one entitled TBD. Season five has not long since become available on Netflix for free, as opposed to other places, where you have to pay for the episodes. Hey, we’re paying for the subscriptions already, and then you want us to pay more? 

Recorded some bits for Toppermost of the Poppermost - extra bits for January 1965, and our discussion about February 1965’s UK charts. 

Wednesday 15 Jan 2025 - 

Tired! 

More editing of January Side B of Toppermost of the Poppermost, and I got some research in for podcasting purposes. 

I finished watching The Bad Batch season three episode 9. 

We watched The Tiny Chef Show season 2 episode 6 Fruit Chews/Opera Cake, and episode 7 Ice Cream/Pasta and Sauce. 

We watched the film Dear Santa, starring Jack Black. A film that we enjoyed much more than expected! 

We watched New Amsterdam season 5 episode 2 Hook, Line and Sinker, and episode 3 - Big Day. 

Thursday 16 Jan 2025 - 

What happened on Thursday? I don’t know, and I’m writing this the day after! 

I finished the first edit for January 1965 Side B, and sent the stems off to Ed for him to do his special kind of editing magic. 

We watched something, but I can’t remember what it was. 

I got a taxi from home to Mansfield Train Station, where I caught the train to Nottingham, and then the train to Newark. 

The second of the two trains saw me chatting with the two people on the same table as me, where we firstly spoke about the music student’s course work and opinions on sound. We then transitioned to a discussion about travel, and then the rich/poor disparity in African countries.