This morning there are a lot of grey clouds about, and it does look like rain could be possible. The forecast actually shows a 10% chance of rain for a few hours this morning, and I have just noticed 12% for 11am - so possible, but unlikely. We do seem to have lost the sunny spells we had earlier. This afternoon is shown as dull, and rather cool at just 17° C. From 7pm there may be a few hours of full sunshine - nice, but a bit late to do much with it. Tomorrow may feature almost a full day of light rain, and it will be even colder with an afternoon "high" of 15° C, but midday may be 16° C !!
 
  Yesterday was one of those days that had it's moments, but a lot of it seemed a bit bland. It was a day when I felt extra lazy, and barely managed to do the washing up, and cleaning and polishing of the beer glasses in time for a Thursday afternoon beer tasting session.

  It is hard to remember because it was hard to believe, just how easily time seemed to slip by yesterday. If I recall correctly, it was fairly late when I finished writing yesterday morning, and I didn't even seem to have time for my usual post writing lie down and snooze. one thing that took up 20 minutes (plus or minus 10 minutes - I was not timing it) to have a shower.

  Nothing seemed to happen until just after 3.30pm when I got a message from Jodie to say she had missed her train, and would be on a later train. I think it was bright and sunny here, but apparently Jodie went to get her train when the heavens opened on her, and she rushed back home for a coat and more waterproof shoes. Fortunately she had her lunch with her, and she didn't need to divert to Lidl or Tesco to buy her lunch as she often does.

  It must have been just gone 4pm when Jodie arrived, and we made a very slow start on some beers. Michael joined us about an hour later. Michael was in a good mood - good for Michael that is ! For all that it was not a very memorable beer tasting session, but I did take a few test shots using my new Sigma lens on my Canon 600D camera.
  I must admit that I was not feeling in the right frame of mind to pretend to be a professional photographer. It never occurred to me that Jodie was very strongly back lit by the daylight coming through the window behind her, and I forgot to set the colour balance for indoor lighting. Fortunately both were partly correctable. The picture does not really show of the capabilities of the camera or the lens, and any half decent mobile phone could have taken this picture.
  This is Michael, and once again it is not a great picture, and once again I could have just used the camera in the phone in my pocket.
  At least this picture serves as a better memento of the beer tasting sessions with Jodie and Michael, but once again it was not stretching the camera or lenses capabilities.

  I think it was almost 7pm when Jodie and Michael left. Jodie was getting the 320 bus to Bromley, and Michael just staggered off home mumbling that he hoped he didn't pee himself before he got home. Maybe he doesn't like my toilet, but he knows where it is, and doesn't have to ask to use it before he leaves. Fortunately he only live 5 minutes walk away.

  By the time every one left the sun was setting, and from my bathroom window I could see a vivid line of cloud glowing bright orange/red/pink. I decided I had to get a picture of it, but taking a photo through the narrow slit of my bathroom window is not easy. I decided to go slightly into my back garden for an easier view. The trouble there was that that brightly coloured cloud was low enough in the sky to be hidden by other building from ground level. I did my best....
  This was almost a better test of the new lens. The picture is so bland that any dust, or whatever in the lens would really stand out, but it seems to look clean. There is still a bit of pale colour to be seen on a few clouds, but it is not a very exciting photo.
  This picture is looking approximately west, to where the sun would be setting, and it shows more colour in the clouds. Yesterday I liked the way the tops of the trees are just silhouettes, but it does not look as good this morning as I thought it did last night. Maybe the booze helped a bit - not that I had enough to feel any more than the merest hint of any alcohol effect.
  I was semi pleased with this picture. The lens I was using only has a zoom of 70mm, and that is hardly any zoom at all. This silhouette of a plane looks a bit bigger since cropping the image down. The very dim sky still looks blue and the amount of noise (or in film terms, grain) is quite high, but overall it is a better picture than I could have imagined. It is still crap though.

  My dinner last night was some BBQ spare ribs, and nothing else - not the healthiest of meals, but at least it was tasty. After dinner I watch some more TV, but when it came to 10pm, and QI, I had to turn off. One of the guests on QI was Johnny Vegas. He is either an incredibly good actor, or he really is as thick as shit. I can't stand the bloke. Oh well, at least it gave me a little more time to read in bed.

  Although I could have read a lot more, I found I was feeling sleepy after just a few pages. It is hard to put any time on it, but I think I am safe in saying I was fast asleep before 11pm. It was certainly nice getting under the duvet, because so far, this June must be setting records for being very cold. Once again I came very close to turning the heating on. The fact that I only seem to have very hazy memories about my sleep suggests I slept well. I would be very surprised if I didn't get up to pee 3 or 4 times in the night, but I am not sure I remember a single time.

  I seem to think I had one, and maybe even two erotic dreams in the night, but I think I might be confusing last night with the night before. On the other hand, the dream from the previous night was about cuddling a black girl. The very hazy memory from last night involved a pair of trousers, sports pants, or even yoga pants being pulled down. I am very sure it was a woman wearing them, but the reason for it, and what may have happened after has evaporated into the aether.

  I do remember snatches of another, non erotic, dream. It was a dream set at a a variation of work, or really a medley of several places I have worked. My memory is all mixed up, and maybe the dream itself was very erratic, but I remember I was "acquiring" a scrap electronic item from work. In some places that was a bit naughty. I evidently felt I had a good reason, and carried the opened box with a circuit board exposed inside it, in a carrier bag, and walked passed the storeman, who would have been responsible for it's disposal, several times, and he never said a word. The particular company I worked for where he was storekeeper had much stricture rules than the storekeeper followed. He was experienced enough to know what was useless junk (to most people) , and what was an asset to the company.

  That piece of scrap equipment was not really the main thread of the dream. It was another dream where there were certain staircases you had to use to get to certain places. I was on my way home when I remembered I had left something behind. I went up the nearest staircase, but it went past the floor I wanted. I either had to go back to the ground floor again, or, if I could remember what door it was hidden behind, there was a service staircase access through what was basically a broom cupboard. I think I probably woke up before I got back to where I wanted to be.

  This morning last night's beers, and all I ate to buffer the beer, have left their mark on me. I have gained 100gm of weight, and while I am going through a period of high weight, that is not good. My blood glucose is good, good and quite bad. Two of my blood glucose meters agree on a reading of 8.1mmol/l, and that is good, but a tiny bit too high to be called very good. The third meter said 9.0mmol/l, and that is bad, although not extremely bad. I tried that meter twice, and that was the lowest of two readings (I think it was 9.4mmol/l on the first attempt).

  Last night I was thinking I might go shopping in Aldi this morning, but in the cold light of day I wonder if that would bring too many temptations while my weight is so high. Another thing I was thinking about was going to a gig tonight. I really do feel like I need to tast my Canon camera with new Sigma lens at a gig. There is a band called The 3 Masons playing at the Swan in West Wickham tonight. I have never seen them before, but I read they do classic rock covers - as a three piece. They might be interesting, and because they seem to be not well known around these parts, it may not be too crowded - which would be a bonus. It is a moderately easy pub to get to - a train to Eden Park station, and then a 194 bus up the hill. I can walk down the hill to West Wickham station to come home.

  I am still considering the pros and cons about going out tonight. It could even be dry and sunny while travelling to the pub. There is a fair chance I will not know anyone, or the band, and that will make it a less than enjoyable experience. On the plus side, if I look at it purely as a camera and lens test I need only stay for half an hour or so, although I would probably make it at least an hour. I could still, and would probably would anyway, leave as early as after the first set. Oh well, plenty of time to decide if I am going or not. Don't be surprised if it turns out to be not.