Scribblings from the Mitchy Side

So today I planned to scamper into London and go to Dragonmeet. There were two possible plans. Plan A involved lithium_doll and doccy arriving from Exeter, meeting them, going to say hi to folks at the meet, and then taking over a nearby pub for the afternoon/evening. Plan B, in the event that LD and Doccy couldn't make it, was to go and say hi to folks at Dragonmeet and then scamper into the city centrer to do some shopping.

Alas lithium_doll couldn't make it, poor thing, so Plan B came to pass but oh, British Rail, how do I hate you? Let me count the ways! Today was Rail Replacement Service Day, when the main line from Welwyn Garden City to London was closed for "essential maintenance". So I had to catch a sodding bus from WGC and suffer for an hour and a half getting to Alexandra Palace, the first station on the line that was open. To put this in context, even the slow train from WGC to King's X only takes 40 minutes. Bah!

I was late to start off with, having given into the tiredness that's plagued me all week and snoozed longer than intended. By the time I made it to Kings X, it was well past 12 noon. My mood was not improved on finding that the two main lines from KX to High Street Kensington were closed for "Channel Link engineering works". Argh!! Basically in order to go West, I had to go South first *grits teeth* I soldiered on and finally made Dragonmeet. I was tired, cranky and hungry. Consequently, I didn't stay long, just said hi to some London By Night folks, and thank them for the work they were doing plugging the site, and to wish Dan, Daz and Gav luck with their games stall. I completely missed Troo and Chris, dammit, and also failed to see bibliogirl though I have no idea if she was there at that point. Ah well.

Heading off to Oxford Street, I then attempted to buy clothes. What possessed me to attempt shopping on a wet Saturday in December on Oxford Street, I will never know. All I proved was that Ann Harvey and Evans are as sucky in London as they are in WGC. I will have to resort to online ordering, I think. I did, finally, manage to get some London souvenirs for Soren and Patricia and jatg and I did it without killing stupid tourists who loiter in too small souvenir shops. I deserve a medal! I also raided Waterstones successfully, buying two presents for others and two pressies for me! Hee! They're re-releasing the Modesty Blaise graphic novels!! Department of Utter Joy!! I also picked up a graphic novel of Queen and Country, Greg Rucka's series about MI5 operative Tara Chance. Very good indeed.

Sick of getting elbowed, barged into and trodden on, I turned off Oxford Street and mooched down towards Leicester Square. Was quite fun and I think I soaked up enough detail to do a great mood post on London by Night later :) Went through LS and headed to Trafalgar Square so I could see the tree. I've posted before why I love the tree and I still do :) *tailwag* After that, I decided to reward me with food, so wandered up The Strand and went to Pizza Express. Food was duly scoffed and I headed wearily back to King's Cross for the tediousity that was the journey home. Despite stopping at less stations on the way back, it still took about an hour and a half because, natch, it was rush hour in London by then. Sigh.

But now I'm home and I have tea and I'm role playing and all is better in the world of Mitchy :)