Birthday lows and highs

In the lists of things to do on your birthday dragging your carcass out of bed at 6:30am isn’t going to rank particularly highly. But that was the prospect today, since I had to do a video interview with the British head of a very big chip manufacturer; my last such one in the UK.

I’ve known the subject, P, for over a decade. I’ve got fond memories of his days as a flack in the late 1990s. When a rival firm beat his company to the first one GHz consumer processor during the chip speed wars of that decade I was expecting him to dodge the issue, but instead he looked me square in the eye and said “Well you know, speed isn’t everything,” without cracking up. I thought to myself that this man would go far.

He has, but not as far as central London. Despite getting into the office at 8:45am he failed to show, making me a tad grumpy. His PR was very good about it, and I consoled myself with a fry up at Balans, before leaving to pick up the van.

After a busy day at the tip I clocked off early and went for a birthday nosh up at one of my favourite restaurants Bar Shu with my sister and S. It was a memorable night and we fed well on fantastic Szechwan.

After saying goodbye I wandered down to Charing Cross. It was a lovely night, warm without being cloying and the buildings were lit up beautifully. I stopped off for a whisky on the way home and reflected on how much I’m going to miss this wonderful city. Then off to bed, the tip awaits again tomorrow.