Getting Things Done

Yesterday was a day for getting things done -- ticking items off my mental list, you might say.

First, I communicated with the travel agency handling our trip to South America next summer. I had to give them passport information, and Dave (who is 6'3") wanted to know whether we could get the equivalent of premium economy seats on our flights, so we're not squeezed into the smallest space available all the way across the planet. I'm still awaiting an answer on that second question.

Then I walked to the bank to deposit my £2 worth of pennies. I felt I had to walk, even though the closest branch of our bank is in St. John's Wood, because if I took the tube I'd spend more than I was depositing to get there. Plus I figured the walk would do me some good. I walked half an hour each way, waited in line about 20 minutes and all in all, it was the least efficient use of my time I could possibly have imagined, financially speaking. But at least those pennies are out of my life.

While in St. John's Wood I noticed that a huge area of land off Queen's Terrace has been cleared of buildings. Past the shopfronts where they filmed the TV show "Pistol" a few years ago, there was a long brick building that used to be military barracks. (You can see it in some of the photos in that linked post, as well as here on Google Street View.) All of that is gone, and this massive development is going to be rising in its place.

I was glad to see the Knights of St. John's Tavern has been preserved. You can see it behind that yellow crane (or whatever it is). I think this little row of shops, along with the pub, is historically protected.

I had to buy some light bulbs, and a card for our dog-walker. Then, when I got home, I had to install said light bulbs, and now there's enough light in the hallway for the cleaners to see whatever mythical dust they need to clean when they arrive tomorrow night.

Finally, I sat down and made our annual charitable donations to the ACLU, the Southern Poverty Law Center and Planned Parenthood.

I think that was almost everything on my list. I'm more or less caught up on life!

(Top photo: In Hampstead Cemetery on Sunday. Bottom photos: Leaves found on my walk along Finchley Road yesterday.)