Doing more literature-review for summer project, currently concentrating on use of internet by nordic municipalities (smallest units of local government). Smallest might be a misnomer: Oslo municipality has 530,000 citizens while Utsira island has 213. (i.e. Oslo seems not to be divided into smaller units, unlike scottish community councils which cover districts/neighbourhoods/areas of cities and counties or complete islands such as Arran.)

Anyway, I came across this which frightens me shitless!

1. To Napier
2. From Napier to hospital for routine check-up
3. Back to Napier

The government says I’m safe to work with children. The only flaw is this arrived about a month after I’d finished doing so.

Finally got to Napier to do some work. Here’s today’s cycling map

To see what I mean, download this.

Cos these need to be public!

• 2012_06_14: centre of Worcester to home in the rain
• 2012_06_14: home to centre of Worcester
• 2012_06_13: home to centre of Worcester
• 2012_06_13: home to centre of Worcester
• 2012_06_12: post-hospital destress: home to Hallow to Broadheath to home
• 2012_06_12: hallow post office to home

I can’t put off moving to iCloud much longer. However, this post is a delaying tactic.

Anyway I got back to Edinburgh about 2pm yesterday. I was feeling quite spaced – Edinburgh didn’t seem real. Perhaps this was lack of sleep, perhaps this was because just 4 hours ago I’d been in deepest Birmingham.

A cycle around Edinburgh in the rain sorted that. Nothing like 5-inch deep puddles on cycle-paths to bring me into the here-and-now. Here’s the inevitable cyclemeter map.

My brother has just had a VAX delivered. Unfortunately, it’s the sort that sucks.

A less mad day

• Nicky Wire had to intone brain-dead mutherfuckers for at least 2 minutes for me to surface.
• Did sister’s tax credits claim.
• Did sister’s tax refund online.
• Introduced parents to Lev Davidovitch.
• Met sister in town for lunch prior to meeting with bank.
• At bank, didn’t have enough time to cover all points and issues – will need to return tomorrow.
• Went to polish shop to buy rye bread.
• Went to bike shop to get replacement handlebar end-stop and talk about front panniers. Turns out I was being served by the person who hadn’t been issued with a braincell today. However, my braincell was also malfunctioning – it took me until then to notice that someone had helped themselves to Lev’s rear skullies. I bought what I thought was a pair of rear frogs only to discover one of them was a front light. I’d already undone the wrapping, so there was no chance of giving it back. So now Lev has 4 front lights and one rear light.
• Back home, sister signed tax credits claim and approved tax-return so it was submitted online. Scanned and filed claim and other stuff from bank.
• Slowly cooked mixed-lentil dahl from a recipe in mum’s ‘indian recipes for diabetics’ book. (It turns out to be very bland.)
• Phoned lady – she’s had a difficult day.
• Can’t sleep – it’s gone 2 and I need to start doing things at 9 tomorrow

My sister’s normal pay rate is £6·42 per hour. Her holiday pay rate is &£7·13 per hour. She’s paid more for not working than she is for working!