Newcastle

Had an excellent trip to Newcastle. When you have the car, you tend to cover lot of places, but you don't explore these places that well. So, it was highlights of Newcastle that we caught - some of the best at Quayside. The weather was fine and the company was awesome.

Also went further north along Amble coast, Alnwick, Warkworth castle and Big Waters. Things have been intense for a while - some important people threatening to leave the program, someone trying to sabotage the good work others are doing, a shrew not knowing how to close a conversation and making a spaghetti mess of a fruitful discussion. It's been great learning working in this project. But as usual, new challenges keep popping up on the sidelines and it becomes difficult to concentrate completely. I am getting the feeling that this is going to the norm of professional life rather than an exception. Later, it would be kids, and their schooling, and promotions, and takeovers, and then finally finding a landmass to pitch on in a water-world.

Been reading Heat by George Monbiot. I know Monbiot as an author who features in Outlook and anyone who writes in Outlook, I respect (btw, anyone sees any similarities - personality wise between Anirudhdha Bahal and Anurag Kashyap). The book suggests that we should cut carbon emissions by 90% by 2030 in order to keep the temperature rise below 2%. Above 2%, it spirals into an environmental disaster (heating causes more heating and earth starts releasing more carbon dioxide than it can absorb).

Have to stop aimlessly surfing the net and TV.

Baddy is going along well, but still not in full control of the smash the back-hand. There are some pros playing along side and just watching them is tremendous experience. Baddy and football together are taking a toll on my tibia and it's sending shooting pain signals up my leg. Need to take it a bit slow. But still. I am loving it.