Friends and family

Yesterday began with me catching an earlyish train to Newcastle. The ninth and final volume of the manga "Genshiken" was as bittersweet as the rest. Had lunch with AP, PG, DG, GH, MB and AG at the Anatolia Turkish restaurant in Hamilton. Dinner was a barbecue at JH and SH's house, rejoined by AP, GH and MB. We huddled around the PC for the eight-minute "Doctor Who" charity special "Time Crash", in which the fifth and tenth incarnations spar amusingly.

Today was spent at the family home, with my parents, Japan sister and nephew, and Brisbane sister and brother-in-law. TM had Dad and I try boiled peanuts, which I found strange but not unpleasant. They're boiled in the shells and need to be peeled. The nuts inside have a slightly different texture to the dry variety and are extremely salty. A cold wet bar snack would take some getting used to! Meanwhile, we're halfway through season three of TV's "Deadwood"...