Punch line: I’m fine. Some stuff got taken.

Current status: My door has been fixed, and should be stronger than it was. The door frame has been replaced, and reinforced with metal. They took my graphics tablet (grr!), one of my monitors, a laptop, some USB bits and bobs, some chargers, a camcorder that didn’t work too well, a small tripod and my ADSL router.

Next steps: My landlord says he will fit a second lock (so there’s not just one point of failure on the door). I am going to start looking for a new place, probably closer to my new job. Might buy some of the locking things they use in the labs and lock down everything I own as I no longer trust doors. A new ADSL router is on its way.

Explanation: Not entirely sure if this is actually the catalyst, but I ordered a new monitor from ebuyer.com. Thought I’d specified a Saturday delivery (when I’m in) but their system decided on Thursday. On Thursday, I checked the UPS website, and discovered the delivery had been signed for and delivered. Get home, no monitor, just a UPS card saying it had been signed for by someone, with a flat number of the flat above me. Flat above me is open and empty, as far as I can tell.

(Subsequent investigations lead me to think that probably the upstairs neighbour did sign for it and leave it by my door. I’m not blaming him, I’m blaming the UPS delivery person, who should have known not to let anyone else sign it without instructions to do so).

Note: no instructions for the delivery people to allow anybody else to sign for any deliveries of mine.

Friday, I come back from work, and discover my door’s been kicked in. The door’s more-or-less-intact, but the frame on the lock side has failed. Much of the plaster next to the frame all over the place.

It looks like they only took what they could easily grab, and they probably don’t know that much about what they took – for example, they took the graphics tablet, but not the pen that actually makes it work. They didn’t take any of the actual computers or the CRT monitors; apart from the ADSL box (My Internet! My precious, precious Internet!), life can pretty much continue as before.

I am well aware that a sensible person would have found a better way to communicate with friends and family; to an extent, a lot of contact info is on my monitor-less computer, and quite frankly didn’t feel like doing any heavy lifting this weekend. And I also think a phone call might induce panic. I dunno. Like I said, a sensible person would have found a better way.

So, in summary, not hurt, apart from my faith in humanity and doors.

However, I’ve been particularly away recently, as I’ve been Down South visiting my family. This was triggered by my youngest sister Rachel making me an uncle, which in turn caused my next-youngest sister to haul herself all the way from Australia to visit our new nephew. Thus, it seemed a good time to roust myself from my settled nest and go a-visiting.

I have been staying with my brother, Damian, in Oxford, with occasional forays into Guildford, which is where almost everyone else is based – Rachel permanently, Mum and Kate for the duration. Kate managed to get herself a bit ill, so that complicated things, but I got to see and cuddle little Alex (the nephew) and see members of my family I haven’t seen face-to-face for up to eight years.

Photos can be found here – these are from Damian. I didn’t have a camera at the time, although I now do. We’ve just been down to see Dad, and photos from that should be available soon.

It’s been tiring, but a lot of fun. But I shall be home soon.

You are The Sun

Happiness, Content, Joy.

The meanings for the Sun are fairly simple and consistent.

Young, healthy, new, fresh. The brain is working, things that were muddled come clear, everything falls into place, and everything seems to go your way.

The Sun is ruled by the Sun, of course. This is the light that comes after the long dark night, Apollo to the Moon’s Diana. A positive card, it promises you your day in the sun. Glory, gain, triumph, pleasure, truth, success. As the moon symbolized inspiration from the unconscious, from dreams, this card symbolizes discoveries made fully consciousness and wide awake. You have an understanding and enjoyment of science and math, beautifully constructed music, carefully reasoned philosophy. It is a card of intellect, clarity of mind, and feelings of youthful energy.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Blame Chocolate Muffin.

I still have a few things to work out, like putting my own image up in the corner there, but it looks like it works all in all, and it even keeps the old Blogger permalinks (because I know you all have every single one of my posts bookmarked so as to forever capture my deathless prose).