Busy busy weekend! (in backwards order...)

Running note: spring has sprung. Not only did I see my first daffodils (yay!) but I competed in my first Nike Run... Nike is sponsoring a series of 5k runs around London, leading up to their annual 10k. I think it's a great idea - as long as it's nearby. I registered for the first one, in January, which was
a) reeeeally cold
b) the morning after a party
c) in Regent's Park (2 tube rides + a 20+ minute walk away)

So.... I missed that one.

This Sunday, however, they held it in Gunnersbury Park a mere 15 minute walk from the flat - so I couldn't say no.

The runs are really well organised, however considering I hadn't done a run in aaaages - I think perhaps there was something wrong with their measurements - I finished in 32 minutes! I just do not believe that. I'll have to enter the next one to compare...

Full steam ahead

Ashley & I finally visited the Kew Bridge Steam Museum yesterday -- only 15+ months after moving to this area. As you can see if you visit the extensive website, "Steam Power comes alive at London's Kew Bridge Steam Museum" And it did - there was a massive 90 inch Cornish Engine running while we were there - by random chance, we visited on the 1 weekend per month it was running. (no - I didn't know what that was either, before going... basically a huge steam-powered piston or some such thing - but I'm no engineer!)

I was more intererested in the history - there were several displays illustrating the progression of water engineering in London - from water carriers to piped infrastructure. I particularly liked the story of the woman in Kent who, in 1959, insisted she did not want to be on the water mains for the town, but "The Council forced her to take water".

I was also impressed with the display explaining water purification, through sand and other layers - reminded me of my friend Beth's thesis project as part of her engineering degree from Swarthmore, the mini-water treatment facility, very cool.

So - with all the interesting and educative displays, the grammar police in me was extremely disappointed to find this museum was the site of the most egregious displays of apostrophe abuse I've ever seen in a public place. So much so that I quickly became distracted looking for more instances! I wasn't the only one to notice these - as in a few places at least someone had used a pen to try to cross out errant apostrophes... sigh - it's tough to be an apostrophe cop in this modern world...

PS

It it just me, or is it just wrong, by the way, for the CIA and MI6 to have websites? How secret of a service can they be? And you can read the MI6 one in Russian! And Chinese!! And Arabic!!! Whatever happened to good old fashioned isolationism & covert ops?

Euphemism of the day

Make that Euphemism of the Year! Ad spotted in this week's Economist: "You can make a world of difference. National Clandestine Service Careers", from the CIA. Umm - shouldn't that say "Be a spy!" Or at least "operative"... I mean - if I were a spy, I'd definitely want to call myself one - not go around telling people I'm in the National Clandestine Service. I don't remember hearing Valerie Plame was an undercover National Clandestine Service Officer...

I wonder if the MI6 has a "clandestine service"...

Which name?

Wulfagar? Or Agarstieg? If you were combining Agar & Wulfestieg, that is... I know which I prefer!

quote for the day

Quote for the day...

"If only we'd stop trying to be happy we could have a pretty good time."

Edith Wharton