So I woke up today at 9.18, exactly. Well, if we're being truthful this was actually the second time I'd woken up this morning, but there's something irresistibly easy about turning off an alarm and going back to sleep, so let's discount that. 9.18 - which would be fine, except the meticulously careful planning I had made the night before to go and visit Andrew in Cambridge specified a leaving time of 9.15. Great, so breakfast is already out of the question then. But as I rushed to clothe myself and get out of the house I realised that although I could dodge breakfast I couldn't dodge a throbbing headache. Paracetamol please! Except there wasn't any - not before I'd raided dad's supplies anyway. But soon I was away, hopping from tube to tube until I arrived at King's Cross with a perfect 10 minutes to spare...

...perfect, until the machine rudely refused to sell me a ticket. As did the next one, and the next one... and it was at about identical ticket machine #4 that I realised perhaps the problem lay with me. Cashpoint please! Except instead of precious money it served me with a simple yet chilling message: insufficient funds. Oh, dear

Thankfully, I was able to locate an internet café in close proximity, transfer appropriate funds across in the blink of an eye and then manage to make the next train: so, only half an hour late. And it was all worth it in the end, for Andrew laid on a highly successful barbecue + wine combination. But I can't stay away from London for long, and indeed must now log off from the life-saving internet café of joy (I still had time leftover, naturally) else I'll be late for my next engagement. Phew!