Introducing James, the random american

I've had to take a week's leave to use up holidays before the end of financial year (which, for some reason that still confounds me, is on March 31).

Was desperate to get away somewhere, but even more desperately want to buy a laptop, so I'm holidaying at home. And I'm having a lovely time!

I've recorded music for the first time. Well, I call it music. My friend Guy, who sound engineered for me, says it's brilliant, but then he recorded it. Anyway, I had fun and will post a link to a myspacemusic site as soon as I get organised.

I've also had long lazy lunches with my chums Sophie (who makes the most heavenly green pea soup!) and Helen, who works at Oxford Uni Press, which has a dead posh building that looks like a cross between a college - complete with quad - and a fortress.

I'm digressing already. So, am enroute home after liquid lunch with Helen and passing the Eagle and Child pub, which is famous for two things:
1. it's where tolkein, cs lewis et al used to drink
2. it's almost impossible to get a seat in one of the two tiny 'snugs' at the front of the pub.

Being mid afternoon and quiet, I thought I'd try my luck and, shazaam! there's a seat in the snug. Hooray for me! I was shortly joined by James the Random American, who had been in the UK for all of 2 hours, but having flown all the way from North Carolina to spend 6 days in Oxford studying CS Lewis, his first port of call after finding his hostel was the Eagle and Child.

I was so impressed I offered to show him around. Over the course of the afternoon we found Magdalene College, Christ Church Meadow, the cheap internet cafe and some landmark pubs, including the Bear, and the Head of the River.

Friday we hooked up for more drinksy goodness, taking in the Kings Arms, the Turf Tavern and one of the Mitres. I didn't mean it to turn into an 8 pint jag, but it did, and I was really grateful for the £3 burgers they were dishing up at the Turf.

So I'm sticking to my resolution about going to the gym every day, but at the end of the week, I'm heavier, not lighter. Damn cider...