Thursday: Chatting and Networking

I guess it depends on your standpoint how you view meeting up with colleagues or friends - as for me, well I call it 'one-to-ones' or networking, gossiping or a bilateral, either way it's a good use of time.  Me, well I like to keep my ear to the ground on what's happening around me, so informal networks are a must.  Today's highlights were:

• A formal mutual colleague was spotted on his day off wearing a suit and anorak atop Beachy Head
• The right kind of insulin ensures continuity to all Type 1 sufferers
• There's very little point in keeping in contact with former colleagues who have taken redundancy as they tend to crow that they can rise at 10am every morning and then moan about how many CVs they've sent to potential employers to no avail
• Loans take years to pay off
• It's difficult to sustain any kind of physical relationship if you only meet up once a month and both live with your respective mothers

I caught an early train in the afternoon to take full advantage of the Oyster saving - basically if you touch in before 15:59 the fare's £2.90 instead of the peak £4.70 - God knows why I know that, I really should get a life.   However, some of the train's passengers were a bit chavvy - three tattooed and shirtless fellows boarded at one station and proceeded to swig from a wine bottle and smoke cigarettes.  Luckily they moved down to another carriage but alighted at the same station as me.  Unfortunately, despite my best efforts to keep a safe distance from them, they kept tarrying to consume more liquor but before long they donned their tops and headed into the bookies on the main road.  Phew!

I was then walking down the road behind another pair who were smoking roll ups and supping from Foster's cans when one engaged me in conversation, so rather bizarrely I chatted to a young man from Latvia who stated that he was pleased that I was 'no snob' and we discussed the relative merits of the area and it's various hostelries.  I declined to provide him with my number though, but I'm sure it was flattering to be asked at my advanced age.