Tuesday, 26th June, 2007

12:46, Lancaster

"Being Prepared", the sign says. I tried to get on the 11:46 which was going all the way to Glasgow, but it was absolutely crammed. People were pushing themselves in through the doors, ladened with suitcases and shopping, and I figured that seeing as my feet are still killing me, I couldn't face the thought of standing for three hours.

This one goes no further than Lancaster, so, using tried and tested Curran Logic™, I'm hoping that it won't be crammed with people going all the way to Scotland — and that I might just get a seat.

"If I want to upgrade", I asked the woman behind the ticket counter while she was selling me a return instead of the single I asked for, "do I just sit in First Class and give the conductor fifteen pounds?"

"No, that's only available at the weekends" she grunted, handing me the precious bits of orange cardboard.

Like I said though, she gave me a return instead of a single — and it only cost a couple of quid more. That means I've got a ticket to London in my pocket that's valid until the end of the month.

Maybe I can get a super-cheap single for the return journey, and have another trip down this way sometime soon.

...

Coach A, seat 33. Quiet Zone, non-reserved seat.

I'll regret typing this, but I don't really care too much if someone with an iPod sits next to me.

I just want to get home.

...

How strange, I must have picked up a wireless signal a few moments ago when I was sat outside Euston having a coffee. Several emails and some RSS feeds unread.

...

I've been having a weird recurring dream this weekend. It's not one of those dreams that comes half-way through a deep night's sleep, but one of those half-asleep oddities that occurs just before you drop off, or wake up.

It's not a profound one, or anything. I've been dreaming of the perfect Flickr display within Second Life.

I think that makes me sad.

...

Gradually coming into Crewe, at least I think we are. Just went through Stafford.

Outside, I keep seeing vast expanses of water, where I guess fields used to be, their edges lapping temptingly at the edges of property, and I have to wonder if the homeowners are looking outside, wondering if they're about to be consumed by the floods.

...

Anyways, home now. Going to try and chill for a few days

Lucky that you had a network of friends to call upon

I wanted to write about that yesterday, but I didn't feel up to it. Basically, I wanted to say something along the lines of how wonderful it is that this disembodied presence that we all have, can transcend the boundaries of its own medium. And just how lucky I am to have a bunch of honestly glorious people at the end of an HTTP Request.

With a large caveat of "I know this sounds corny", I just wanted to hint vaguely at how much I appreciate the links that have grown up over the past few years, and how much I value them.