When a dude leaves a house...

So we're between housemates right now.  The next one's arriving this month, but if you'd like to apply for the position anytime ion the future I can promise you lots of baked goods and a spiffy leaving present like this one.

The last guy we shared the house with had three great loves: skateboarding, collecting cactuses, and eating whatever baking Katie and I produced.  (Seriously, he'd always manage to come in late at night, just as we were putting away a fresh batch of cookies, or a still-warm cake.)  In a stroke of genius we combined all of these three things!

A map drawn in water

I've been away.  Where?  Everywhere!

As part of my job, I'm required to spend a month going round the UK.  We're doing some marketing with the companies we want to work with, and the university students we'll be working to help.  It's just me and my colleague Paul, and I've got the task of planning the entire thing, from where we'll park right down to where we'll sleep.

This is both hugely stressful and inconvenient (as will be away from my home for the best part of a month, and doing lots of work in the evenings), yet also very exciting.  It appeals greatly to my sense of adventure, and I'm intrigued to see the parts of England I haven't thought to visit before.

This sculpture at Roker is based around the idea of navigation.  The centre encircles the lighthouse, while the constellations are picked out around the outside.  Appropriate.  And good to sit in.

 We're travelling the length and breadth of Merrie Englande in an obnoxiously orange MINI which I, being a few weeks shy of the age needed to go on the business insurance policy, don't have to drive.  This suits me fine as I'm a terrible city driver anyway (I'm too polite) and it means I get to look out the window a lot.

Although most of our stops are whistle-short, it's often enough to get the taste of a place.  What I'm enjoying most so far is seeing the different geographies of Britain.  Since I don't have to drive I can stare out the window a lot.  There's so much variety, but one commonality in it all...