So I woke up this morning at the crack of ghastly to a roomful of Australian girls waking each other up.

Lovely.

Pried myself from my bed, packed up all my crap, jammed some soggy cornflakes down my maw, and checked the hell out of there.

The plan was to change hostels, get settled, then contact Gideon Defoe, go for coffee, then contact Scott and do...what ever.

Ran a little behind. The address I was given for the hostel was not actually correct, but it apparently happens a lot, so they sent a car to get me and the Spanish guy who was also in the wrong house.

The new hostel is nice! Big, bright, the people are really friendly. The kitchen is clean and full, the laundry is reasonably priced, the security is really tight. The bathroom even has a bidet! First bidet I've ever seen. It doesn't look like it's been used in a while...

Then went down and had coffee with Gideon Defoe. I didn't take any creepy stalker pictures of him, so you're all gonna have to just believe I didn't make him up, and buy copies of his books and sign them myself. See? Here is a picture of his inscription in Pirates! An Adventure With Whaling. Could I have drawn such a terrifying squid myself?

I THINK NOT.

The walrus he drew in Pirates! In an Adventure With Napoleon is too terrifying to photograph. It has angry eyebrows, and thinks I've got it going on.

I had a vurry nice coffee. Except not coffee because I don't like the coffee. But I had a very nice various-lemon-flavoured-beverages.

Then Gideon departed to go buy tickets to Enron (yes, somebody made a play about Enron; I kind of hope it's a musical) and I went to locate Scott.

Scott and I wandered around. Poked things. Drank beer in a pub. Wrestled tourists. Found this classy little shop.

I laughed pretty hard when I saw it, actually. Nothing like advertising precisely what you're selling.

Then he had to go to work, and I went and rode the tube.

AT RUSH HOUR.

Maybe I caught it late, though, because it wasn't as cramped as Calgary gets. I don't think anyone impregnated me on my ride, which usually happens in Calgary.

And tomorrow?

Well, today I intentionally didn't do any laundry, so I wouldn't have any socks, so I can't go out. I have my trashy romance novel to finish, and a stack of fresh pirate books to re-read. And I can get my laundry fully done and tumble dried and oh, it shall be marvelous!

(Gah! The girl on the bunk below me has the most terrible dreads in the world! I've never had dreads before, but I think just from growing up in Nelson I know more about making and maintaining dreads than most dreadheads I've seen.)

And now!...I sleep.