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It's been a hard week. And besides, what else was I using my desk for?

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Reeve is sixteen today.

I speculated yesterday about how often pancake day and Valentine's Day were the same. Then I looked it up. It seems that, whilst very feasible, it hasn't actually happened in my lifetime. The last year it occurred was 1961. However, it should next happen in 2040 and then 2051. So, hopefully, I will see it happen.

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Dom and I went to see them today.

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GameFAQs have published my review of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. 

Beautiful, interesting story, sad and very FFVI - FFVIII.

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I really loved A Memory Called Empire, and its sequel A Desolation Called Peace, when I read it five years ago and it was my favourite book that year. So when Arkady Martine's novella Rose/House finally arrived in a format I could buy (English and Kindle or paperback) I got it. 

"There is a dead person in Rose House. The house says so. It is not Basit Deniau [its deceased creator], and it is not Dr. Gisil [the only person allowed in]. It is someone else. Rose House, having completed its duty of care and informed Detective Maritza Smith of the China Lake police precinct that there is in fact a dead person inside it, dead of unnatural causes—has shut up."

And... it's fine, but a little disappointing. It's a bit shorter than I hoped and is much more concept than story. Plus I wanted a better ending. I liked Maritza, quite liked her police partner Torres and was OK about Dr Gisil but it felt unfinished and as though there should be more of it. An interesting take on an AI building but only a sketch rather than a whole picture.

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When I went off to sixth form, decades ago, I found an Agatha Christie in the library (Cards On The Table). I read it, enjoyed it and then made my way through all her other books. Including The Seven Dials Mystery.

I really, really, loved The Seven Dials Mystery. It wobbles in a large number of places, but Bundle - the protagonist - really won me over to the rest of the book. Particularly her scene in the club.

So, on Friday we watched the three-part Seven Dials series on Netflix. And, it's good, but not amazing. Bundle is still awesome, they have amended her main questionable issue (her partner choice) and they have mainly kept the more memorable scenes. But they have changed the ending, almost entirely.

I'd still recommend for anyone else who is #teambundle. But don't expect it to follow the book.

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We finished watching Pantheon last night. It's animated sci-fi and is two seasons long (16 episodes in total). It is very nicely done, the plot is interesting and the computer science plausible. I liked the first season better than the second, but both are very watchable. Would recommend.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11680642/

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This morning.

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I met Liz W for dinner in Tas near Waterloo. It was good to catch-up (and drip-dry).

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Going out this morning it was below zero.

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Just back from three nights in Cambridge. 

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We went to Perilla.

It was interesting and good.

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This was apparently my year.

https://s.team/y25/fhvkdcd?l=english

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WH40K cake. 

I'm hoping someone else has the video.

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We did Christmas at Kew again this year. 

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The first day of advent and the lower floor tree was at Waterloo Station. The photo I thought I took this morning isn't in evidence, but I grabbed another on my way home.

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For Bea's birthday the two of us went to see Hampton Court Palace as neither of us had been before. 

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Today's Awayday. 

There were a lot of queues (lunch was the worst) and also it was on the chilly side. However, it was somewhere I've never been to before and the sessions were good. Plus I got to see a lot of people in person from UK offices other than London.

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We had a family trip to Costa today to try out their Xmas range. Dom had the Caramel Nutcracker Latte, Bea went for the Chocolate Orange Hot Chocolate whilst Ryan and I had Gingerbread Lattes. The others all went for savoury options to eat but I chose the Festive Spice Muffin. I thoroughly enjoyed both my drink and muffin and I'm rather sorry that they aren't available all year round.

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With Christmas trees popping up in shops even before Remembrance Sunday, it feels as though the charge to Christmas has begun. However, we're not even half way through November and winter weather seems a long way off. So far autumn has been mild, pretty but with a few train issues.

Work has become rather more challenging as I have picked up an area of work considered the worst in the team which has generally resulted in postholders moving on rapidly. However, my boss knows this and I have instructions not to work more than my hours. So, we'll see. As it is, there are various bits and pieces between here and the end of the year that should make it interesting including a team day and a full directorate day before the end of the month. Neither of my usual Xmas work events are in December this year, one is in the last week of this month and the other at the end of January – which will be something to look forward to as it often feels rather flat after the Christmas decorations come down.

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I took Dom to see Parody of the Rings. It was funny and worth while (based on the films, rather than the books). 

Best bit for me was Merry and Pippin portrayed by a couple of hand-puppet muppets.

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On the last full day we went to Canterbury and saw the Cathedral.

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Last Monday we were at the Big Cat Sanctuary to see, and feed, big pusses.

I fed this one.

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Fort Amherst Tunnel Tour last Sunday.