On the Train (posted a day late)

Note: This took place on the 25/02/2009 - I posted it a day late.

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So, for the first time in years, I have a notebook that is actually worth a damn while on the train. So I am writing a quick blog post and feeling rather funky, to be perfectly honest! I have 30 mins left as I spent the first part reading the London Paper, and then filling in a Facebook note to publish when I get a net connection.

Ok, so I should explain further than my tired storytellings and slight rantings from last night. I don't understand how people do it - how they actually justify windows beyond the cost. Oh, the gaming. Apparently. 'Cos, you know, there aren't consoles to do that. Oh, you want to actually play Crysis? Well, fine. I bet my Macbook Pro, once it has dualbooted Windows (damn! Meant to get a copy of XP from work and forgot to pick it up!), would run it, as it is amazing.

(oh, just so you know, Apple, your eight hours battery is better than you say. Mine is currently clocking in at 8:18 remaining, so if I were a writer trying to finish my book before my battery died, I'd have plenty of time. Ok now it's saying 9:29. Maybe it's gone mad. I'll ramp up my brightness and see what it says. Ah, now it says 6:47. Phew! I mean, I like being surprised, but that was mad. Ooh, I can get it to put the time in the menu bar instead of just the icon. Shiny. 7:01. Go dimming screen go.

Aha, I'm in Reading. Hurry up train, I have a pancake party to get to.

There is a bloke with an IBM (coughLenovo) ThinkPad over there, typing away. He looks official. I am here in my Nintendy hoodie on my machine that is probably a dozen times the cost of his. Well, maybe not THAT much, but it's an ugly piece of crap. I mean, I love ThinkPads, they are very, very rugged. But seriously?! It looks like he's put it through the washing machine and it's coming out alive but changed forever! But he has a mobile broadband dongle Hmm. Must pay for mine, actually.

Ooh, I can see my reflection in the window. I always look cool while typing. Muahahaha.

I got to use my Oyster card for the first time today, it was SO exciting. Woo!!!

No-one in work was as impressed as they were supposed to be with my virtualising Kubuntu inside OS X. BOOO. And after I paid for (welllll expenses) a copy of VMWare!!! Grrrr.

Ooh, Tilehurst. It looks exactly like Radley. And Ealing Broadway.

Can't quite tell what ThinkPadMan is looking at. It was Google a while ago, now looks like something bookish. Ooh, now Outlook. He has WAY too many emails. I am so nosy.

Oh my GOD 9:40. Shit how do I do a screenshot!?!! NO I took so long faffing trying to take a screenshot that it went down to 7:24. Now is up to 8:19 again. Maybe it will pop back up to over 9 hours again! This is funny. Ooh, 8:49!!!!! Getting there! Come on amazing battery of amazingness.

I think I missed a station stop so I could be legging it off the train to Didcot Parkway shortly. Hmmm. We shall see.

Ooh, 8:52. Come on battery!! You are doing SO well!!!!!! Shall I chance another screenshot? 8:53... Come oooon..... YES success. It went down to 7:31 trying to do the screenshot, but I nabbed it in time.

Ok. pulling into a station now, ooh, it's Pangbourne, I think that's the last one. Perhaps I'd better sign off otherwise I will miss my stop/break my macbook trying to get it into the case so I can run off the train. Neither would make me happy.

Peace out, peeps!

Epilogue - ooh, no. Goring and Streatly came first, and just pulled away from Cholsey, which is DEFINITELY the last stop before Didcot Parkway. After a lidclose-enduced sleep and awakening, we're at 8:49. This is very entertaining, although I wish I'd gotten the amazing 9:40 screenshot. Oh well!

Ah, now at Didcot Parkway, woohoo for free internets. Waiting for a pickup from peeps who went to Sainsbos for more milk. Sigh. 7:41, curse you Wi-Fi.

Lots of children mucking about in photo booth. Actual photo booth. Feel left out so load up Photo Booth and take picture of self looking out the door for my lift. It is not there. Boo. People really annoying with Photo Booth. Wondering if they'll nick my laptop. Maybe better had put it away. Wi-Fi signal is crap anyhow. Where is my lift?!! At the tills probably. Sigh.

Damn, it's cold. I smell of sweat :( so much splash self with perfume. Only perfume in car is male Gucci stuff, but anything better than BO. So will have to do. Hurry up car, I am cold and the bloody doors keep opening, stupid automatic doors.

Man, fuck that Macbook Air. Why anyone wouldn't have this behemoth is beyond me, it is brilliant. WOOO

OH there is my lift!!! Gotta go!