Here I am at Aidan's place and he's at work. Matt's here. I'm actually speaking to him, having something resembling a conversation, which is kind of cool and unusual. My nose is annoying. It keeps running and sniffing and sneezing and these guys never have tissues!

Last night was sort of weird. We went out for dinner, supposedly with Aidan's workmates, and half the people there turned out to be people he didn't know, and the people he (and I) wanted to be there, weren't. So it was awkward, uncomfortable, and somewhat pointless for me. Given that I was there for the express purpose of meeting his workmates.

After dinner we went for a walk on the beach. The beach was empty, chilly, dark. It was awesome. There is something about the ocean at night - it has a mystery and power I can't understand. It is unknowable, ineffable, and beautiful. We walked and talked about many things. Evolution, conservation, ethics, Michael Jackson. Intriguing mix, I know. God knows how we covered all those things in one short walk. Fun though.

I love that Aidan and I can actually talk about things like that. It's not just "Lovely weather" and "How was work?". I also love that he can teach me or show me other viewpoints. A conversation with Aidan is never boring. It's never an arguement; I never lose and I'm never wrong, I just learn and take on board another idea.