Midsummer

This is most definitely the longest day of the year, you know. It's just getting dark outside now, here in San Diego, and the sun came up a good 24 hours ago back in Birmingham. It's like being at the North Pole is probably like! I'm extremely tired after a long and extreme journey, but that's good, because I've got two days to get over the jetlag, and it's practically the right time to be going to sleep now, Pacific time. Good omens are accumulating for the competition - my memory for names is clearly better than ever, judging by the way I know who all four of the people Facebook told me had a birthday today are (memory-men Phil and Phill, recent former work colleague Adam and cousin Andrew; happy birthday one and all!) which compares favourably with the usual daily list of 'friends' who I can't remember befriending. And I'm quite picky about accepting Facebook invitations, too.

Another omen related to Facebook - when I see the five of diamonds followed by the ace of diamonds, in my head it's Richard Dutka, a boy I went to primary school with and don't really remember anything about except that his name helpfully started with the syllable 'dut'. Thirty years since we last communicated, he sent me a message on Facebook last week! If that's not a good omen, I don't know what is.

Well, maybe this is - when I arrived in America and had my passport scrutinized (always a worrying procedure), Border Patrol Officer Lopez was familiar with my name from Moonwalking With Einstein, and had a cheerful friendly chat about memory techniques! It was like being a celebrity welcomed into the country!