Meet the Inanes

Folks visited this weekend! I think they liked the flat, they have left a deposit for a new sofa, and they were encouraged by my ever improving cooking abilities! (The best sausage and mash in the world, provided with the help of a certain Jamie Oliver). Glad they came down, as I don't see them as much as I would like - was great to entertain in my castle too, finally... ;o)

All in all, a relaxing weekend, during which I also inanely...

had a curry in Blackheath
got a new stereo
found an alternative and faster way to Lakeside (the easy way)
cooked up a feast
fixed pictures to my walls (probably against the rules but that the hell)
moved the last of my boxes out of the way

...and met a neighbour...

Well, did try to introduce myself to the old lady downstairs, but it was all a bit too much for her (bless)

Also, the flat below, which I think has been empty this last week, is now occupied... will investigate further...

Rolling in drunk on a Sunday evening! A sunday evening no less! Which means I have found at least one pub not too far away that will do.... ...also did my best to annoy the neighbours (unintentionally, of course) by playing loud music/TV late, cooking like a drunken demon to satisfy the palate of a booze hound who had nothing but a bacon butty and a bag of crisps yesterday...

Makes up for the racket upstairs was making on Saturday - he was watching Glasto-by-Sea on the TV until gone two, and as I was in the living room (having sacrificed the bed to the folks) I got to hear it all - still, glad I wasn't there this year, unlike him - music was good though, as ever...

Planning a quiet one this evening

Penge update

There are some further comments to this earlier entry including a response from Southern railways... ...perhaps some sort of campaign is in order?

Stange happenings

Friday:

Was woken by the sound of paint being scraped off doors below at 7am. Not that I was that botheredm, as it wqas a beautiful day and I had to be up not long after anyway, but who starts work at 7am? Had a nosey through the window on the way out and saw workmen were painting the flat (it's a bit shabby in there!) - obviously empty too? So what happened to the student type? Also, number of "For Sale" boards has doubled so could be a whole new ground floor soon...

...still no sign of occupant of flat oppossite, although City boy is continuing to come and go at erratic hours...

Later: returned from pub to remember cupboards were nearly bare so popped into 24 hour Tesco for a few items - have just found the receipt and this is a classic list of items purchased by someone pissed:

Ketchup
Fresh milk (2 pints)
Stayfresh White Loaf
Hawaian Pizza
Pepperoni Pizza
Nesquick - Strawberry
Walkers Beef and Onion crisps
Sausages

I only found the ketchup last night, after thinking earlier that I didn't even have any to go with my sausages... that's what six pints of the fantastic Samuel Smith's Ayingerbrau (a.k.a. Man in a Box) will do to you!

Saturday:

Flat heats up - candle melts of its own accord - hangover kicks in

On my way out of Los Lewisham (rechristened there and then on account of the heat), past all the topless scrawney extra-white guys outside the pub, and down to the bus station, I pass over The Quaggy - Lewisham's own little river, which in appearence is remakably similar to Los Angeles' own storm drain. Honestly. It being a pleasant day, I spyed a tramp daring to wade through the strong current of the Quaggy, looking for cash deposited by small children in the way of wishes on its bottom. Either that, or he was a troll from under the bridge collecting his taxes...

Later, attended Footballer's Wives theme party in Balham (I'm not going there, except to say that I looked very dapper!) - ended up drunk (again), and had a long discussion about the merits of Carravagio...

Sunday:

Ate Shepherds Pie on the hottest day of the year - very strange!

Today:

I was in the haunted loo at work - nothing ghost related to report, but someone started whistling the Imperial Theme from Star Wars, only it was the version from the end of EpisodeII/Episode III - this left me troubled as I'm not sure as to which one of us was the sadder for knowing that....

So tired - so hot at night and cannot sleep - enjoyed forty winks by St Pauls and woke up thinking I was in Australia (eh?)

Lewisham

Continuing on a theme of blogs with place names....

Inane has moved flat! I'm in (you guessed it) Lewisham, which is in south-east London, close to Greenwich and Blackheath, not forgetting New Cross, Isle of Dogs and Charlton, plus lots of other places either beginning with "Lee" or ending in "Green"...

Love the flat - one bed - really spacious - I've been living it large (in a modestly quiet and relaxing way) for a few days now. Neighbours in the building - well, I have not had time to introduce myself yet or see them, but they are there! From what I know, there is a girl opposite who looks after the building, but Jess thought she saw her leaving in a hurry the day I arrived (does my reputation proceed me? am I that difficult to live with??) but to date I have seen no-one else - although I have heard what my landlord described as the "City type" (I met him on the weekend so I was able to disguise myself) pottering around upstairs (rises at 6am, comes in at 3am), I can hear/smell old lady downstairs (likes her TV loud and doesn't open her windows - she's moving on soon, in a residential rather than a mortal sense...) and I thought I got a whiff of the "Spanish/Hungarian" (which?!) "student type" in the flat below (he had a smoke on Monday at lunchtime - if you know what I mean...)

Lewisham - well, it's good for trains but the pubs are dire, unless you like talking to old men en masse - will investigate the locale further... ...but as The Overlord says, don't diss the Sham man...!

Looking forward to clocking off and pottering around the flat later - just pottering, nothing more, well, maybe some wine to go with the pottering...

Chesham

It's a small town at the very end of the Metropolitan line - I had to go there yesterday which wasn't that bad as it was a day out of the office and the weather was great. Funny part of the world that - definitely not London, but definitely not countryside either. Has a Metroland/1930s feel to it...

Was amused by the number of schoolies on the tube at that time of day too (was a very early start for Inane as I had to be out of the smoke and up there by nine) - especially amused by the two lads sat opposite most of the way, studying for A-Level Chemistry, only to be interupted and embarassed by their chemistry teacher getting on board - I really thought the teacher trying to freak them out by saying nothing was hilarious, and you could tell he was loving it! Suddenly realised that not only was I sharing in teachers' jokes on the kids, but I am now also friends with a few teachers myself - concequently, it dawned on me that I am quite a lot older than I used to be...

Regents Park

I highly recommend that next time you are in the Great Portland Street/Maryleborne area, spend some time in Regents Park. Also, if you leave the park via the Chester Gate, take the time to take in the architecture, and enjoy a pint/food in The Queens Head and Artichoke. Lovely.

Penge

Sometimes I visit Penge. It's between Sydenham and Crystal Palace if you dont' know the area or have never made it that far out of town. Although recently I can't blame you... ...seems everytime I try and get here of late there's a delay...

Tonight, there was a fire at Penge East.

I use Penge East because it's easier than using Penge West because recently someone burnt the station at Penge West down, leaving it without useful things that staions need like ticket machines, clocks, lights, things that make one feel safe etc...

Now, I could rant on about that for hours, especially how it has taken two months for the authorities to do absolutely nothing about it (except put a few of Ken's new signs up, only for them to be vandalised again) but I won't... I mean, what's the point, nothing gets done, no matter how many commuters mutter under their breath in the direction of the station staff, who let's be honest, are doing their best in a crap situation...

It's no-one's fault (not even the chavs who caused this mess) except our own.

Why?

Because we are happy to put up with it - whether it's rising crime, vandalism, arson, cruddy railways, decaying hospitals, rubbish schools, smug politicians...

(...the same politicians who until four weeks ago were only too happy to be photographed outside all of the above...)

Perhaps we should reconsider what we are happy to put up with and mutter louder...?


I need a beer...