Whither Canada?

What is the earliest time in the morning that can still by any stretch of the imagination be called Christian? Whatever your answer is, I'm sure you will agree that it is after 6:00. Which is when my train to Heathrow leaves, via King's Cross and Paddington's. It will be a long day.

Now if I were home, home in Hengelo that is, I would get on my bike at 5:40, luggage and all, and easily make the train after putting the bike away safely at the station. Here, I was dithering: should I try the natural solution? Can I rely on my mode of transportation still waiting for me after one week of abandonment? In the end I ordered a taxi, but it makes me kind of nervous to have to rely on this. Another source of nervous tension is having to wake up in time, meaning 5:00 AM. I'm pretty sure I packed my alarm clock when I went here, but I do not know what I did with it since, so I will have to rely on my phone.

The place I am going (for work, I hasten to repeat!) is called Banff, a curious name, but one I have learned is immediately recognised by cogniscenti as belonging to a high-class ski resort. I realise what this sounds like - and I don't care! It's like going to a world chess tournament in, shall we say, Merano, or Bangkok: It's a drag, it's a bore, it's really such a pity to be looking at the board, not looking at the city, but then: I don't see you guys rating the kind of mates I'm contemplating. (I did say I liked musicals.) The pictures I have seen of the place are absolutely stunning, it is indeed a pity I'll be mostly indoors during the hours of daylight. Although, to shave off about 900 Euro from the flight ticket price I'm going one day early, so...

As a contribution to the workshop, I promised to give a tool demo and a short position statement, and to pose a challenge for the other participants. I spent most of my time today preparing for those, until it was time for the regular Friday Body Pump. Afterwards, to bring back some variation in my daily routine I did not go straight home but dropped by the Deramore Arms, in the vague and in the event fruitless hope of seeing some known faces there. I had a Ploughman's Lunch, which must be one of the most traditional types of bar food (though probably not for dinner). No invitations to fly to Dublin tonight. Just for the sake of adventure I might have professed a deep love of Guiness and gone for the challenge of flying up and down to Ireland on Firday evening and then to Canada on Saturday. Ah well, you can't have everything. Or rather, don't I already have everything?

P.S.

I will award one point for identifying any of my last three blog post titles without looking them up; three points if you get two of them, and six points for all three!

I expect several threes. Six, anyone?