All these things that I have done

Have discovered that I have learned something on all those Microsoft courses after all - who would have thought it! This afternoon, I earn the respect of my peers by fiddling with the registry (under strict guidelines I hasten to add!) and creating services via bat files provided by the software company. Basically it was a fly by night install of a piece of software which was on a machine which fell over and died. So in order to transfer it over we find ourselves doing manually all the things which normally you'd have a nice little install shield to do for you and I discover that I'm the only person on my table who knows how to edit the registry. And its a table of techies. Sad isn't it. In fact I was quite surprised by this as even before I was a proper techie I knew what regedit was for and how to work it in a basic sense as well as being well aware that it was something that you steered well clear of if at all possible! Still, as I say, I have earned the respect of my peers and in the current climate anything which makes me look good/competent/useful is a Good Thing.

My parents have once again headed homewards via a diversion of a visit to my Nan in London. Once again both she and my granddad have managed to go from being in a really bad patch a couple of months ago when Granddad had broken his hip and Nan was quite depressed to being really perky again. I think they may be secretly indestructible. You can always tell when Nan's feeling good because she starts decorating the house. Its become a bit of a mania really - every time shes up she gets the nice chap to come over and re-do some room which was only done a couple of months ago. Much to his credit, last time she called him over he tried to talk her out of it himself! I guess that having done it only 18 months ago he felt it was a bit of a waste. But she insisted - shes ever so stubborn is my Nan. I have to say that I think he was right - it was better before - but never mind. One of the only downers about not living in London is that its tricky to get to see Nan and Granddad again because they live on the outskirts of London just nicely positioned so that to get there from Oxford you have to come all the way in to the centre and then out again - not ideal as you can imagine. It ends up being about 3 hours. Its the only time I wish I had a car as it wouldn't be too tricky at all then (ok not quite the only time but pretty close).

We're going to see another free play tonight - the Carpenter by Harold Pinter. I had a sudden urge when I looked through the program to go and see something by Pinter and this seems like as good an opportunity as any. That's one of the good things about this reviewing gig - I wouldn't go to something like this speculatively if I was going to have to pay £15 for it but if its free I can indulge my whims. I doubt it'll be as good as the Stoppard but then Stoppard is particularly attuned to the sort of thing I like. It'll be nice to go together as well. Alex has been very affectionate over the last week or so - just little things like the occasional extra hug or snuggle or something. Its really nice - it's a shame we've been so busy the past couple of weekends. I think we're going to try and have a weekend all to ourselves some time soon if we can just manage to fit it in around all the other people who want to see us! Fingers crossed. He seemed to have fun with my parents as well - they get on really well which is good. His sarcastic sense of humour really suits them and of course he and Dad are both into music so they're never short of conversation. I still haven't written to his Mum to say thanks for the housewarming pressie actually which is very bad of me. I'll have to put it in my Visor otherwise it'll never get done...

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'Do you remember when we made love in the roses
And you took my picture in all sorts of poses'
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