Unlucky Felix

Poor thing, he's got sore gums and can't eat properly, and looks inelegant.

He's got squamous cell carcinoma, which means a sodding great lump in his mouth.

We have been giving him squashy things to eat (yum yum) and regular flannel-baths (yuck).

Here he is in happier times:





Update (6 Feb). He's been getting increasingly alarming of appearance (pulling his own fur out because his tongue's not working) and thin as well. As well as that, he's hungry ALL the time. We are in the midst of making the most difficult sort of decision ...

Beauty is in the eye of the stock holder

Got approached by StockphotoPro through my Flickr Mail, (Dear Matt, your photos are classics, add them to our archive and make us lots of money, you vain person) on the basis of these images:







Flattered, obviously, though not sure how much critical response was there. Suspect a bit of filtering has been done based on the number of Faves each image has already attracted. This wisdom of crowds method probably suits something as intentionally bland and average as stock photography.

Grid

Grid
Originally uploaded by Drift Words

I saw something shining in my face, oddly. It was the Euston Road, which I was in the process of crossing, once again. Interrupted from my thought (how far away we are now from the beginning of the fresh day) I fumbled with the machine, and aimed and pressed the switch. Just before the light changed.

Later, it provokes some unusual quotations from, what, Philip K Dick?

Mahabarata

Rain stopped other play, so to Brighton to see a production of Mahabarata. Previously at Sadler's Wells.

Baffling story that I'll read up later, and great walky/dancy movements. Strong, shining music and colourful swishy design. But where was the puppet/video stuff? Tall pokey bum-numbing theatre. Cheap seats you see, or rather you don't see because they are half a mile from the stage.

Still, not complaining, and the old lady by the sea's always good for a laugh. Now, if only we can work out a smoother way of getting there. I'm thinking a pincer movement to Shoreham, and a little hop on the train.

Image courtesy of Swami Gaurangapada

Beer going around

There in the crowded room, the guy I'd never met before pulls out photos that I had taken. Apparently top google for the term "Farnham Beerex", the official dead web-1.0 non-social site not cutting it at number 3. Last night I had a lot of the good natural stuff, a few too many burgers and no cigars. It's a remarkably peaceful night considering it's a vast room – the Maltings – crammed with drunk men (98% of them). Like the building, most of the punters are into middle age and aren't interested in showing off. So this friend of a friend is telling me all about this character Drift Words and this site called Flick or Flack.

More coincidence. Another friend twice removed turns out to be my over the road neighbour, whom I thought looked familiar. Ahh, the social properties of liquid bread!

Why Rye

Rye is a geography lesson that you can live in. We chose not to, though stayed at this cobbly little Sussex town for a couple of days after Christmas. The geography part of it is that the sea keeps moving, and they have to keep moving the harbour. The present one is still a good distance from the high water mark, and a substantial channel has had to be built to keep it going.



more pictures

We stayed at Jeake's House, on Mermaid Street, which like the town, has been converted nicely to its present use. It's a bit twee, but not too much. We also liked eating at the Landgate restaurant, the Apothecary coffee shop and a few other places.

Driving there and back was easy. Sat nav = no arguments!