Don’t panic
Monday, April 21, 2008 ~ 17 Comments
Watching the news, watching the cars queue at the garages, sucking them dry.
Which is all fine aside from the fact that OUR tank is close to empty. The car computer reports we have 94 miles left, so let’s presume we can squeeze that to around 120 miles (at the very very most). Given that we put about 55-60 miles on the car each day for our daily commute (kill the planet!!) and… yeah, I’m a little concerned. I will be going out later to fill our tank.
And next time we buy a car, we’ll be getting a hybrid of some sort. Performance be damned (mark my words please, I’m quite serious about this and have been watching the developments Honda are making with keen interest). To be honest, if it was more affordable I’d consider converting our existing car.
We are completely reliant on having a car. It IS possible to get to my work on public transport but it would (presuming everything ran on time) take just short of two and a half hours. One way. I’d really rather not spend five hours of my day commuting, which is, of course, hugely selfish of me.
Perhaps we should move.
But we like it here. We like our little house and, besides, we can’t actually afford to move. Have you SEEN the house prices? I know what our house is (allegedly) worth and it is, quite frankly, mental. I certainly wouldn’t have paid over £100k for it. Mental.
But things seem to be changing, and I’d really rather be a little ahead of the game, and remove some of our reliance on oil sooner rather than later.
Floored (plus other items of note)
Sunday, April 20, 2008 ~ 5 Comments
I’m lying on the bed, laptop perched on a tray, watching TV. It’s a little tricky to type because I’ve got a cut on the middle finger of my left hand, and my arms and hands are sore. Why? Laminate flooring.
Previously the laminate flooring ran from the hallway through to the kitchen, it’s a galley style kitchen so was the easiest way to get some cheap flooring down when we moved in. The new kitchen meant new flooring to compliment it which meant lifting and cutting the few boards that span the doorway. Not a simple job, as it turned out, particularly when you have a bad knee which is something I hadn’t really factored into the work. Meh.
However that’s the hall all done, and the kitchen floor shouldn’t be too bad. I’ll maybe tackle a little of it tonight, see how my knee is I guess.
I’ll happily admit that I don’t really understand why a man would want to dress himself as a woman, but frankly I don’t really care, each to their own and all that. I’ve been reading Becky’s blog for a couple of years, and it’s been interesting to hear about her life, how she came about and how Simon lives his life.
So I was thrilled to read a well researched and thought out piece on Becky and Simon, which featured in the Norwich Evening News (another joy of the internet, who’d have thought I’d EVER link to a newspaper from Norwich). You can read Simon’s thoughts here.
It’s well worth a read.
I occasionally link to Wikipedia. If there is an obscure topic that I think you might need some more info about then it’s a fairly reliable source (with the usual caveats of course). So, it’s interesting that Encyclopedia Britannica has opened access to bloggers, which I guess is a move to try and re-establish not only the Britannica brand, but it’s place as THE source of reliable information. However I think they might be too late…
Contemplating upgrading our Sky system to HD. We’ve started watching movies again, started with some old favouries (Matrix, Face/Off and so on) and if the trend continues it’ll be worthwhile. Mind you, I might need to start saving up to get an iPhone if the much-rumoured new version is announced in June.
Time will tell.
Are you pondering what I’m pondering?
Wednesday, April 9, 2008 ~ 13 Comments
Sshhhhh.
I’m thinking.
I’m thinking about what to write.
I’m thinking that I’m not sure where the tub of Polyfilla is, I’m hoping it didn’t get thrown out.
I’m thinking that I shouldn’t really be writing this post as my entire week is chock full of meetings and I need to grab every single available moment to ping off some emails and keep up to date with what’s going on outside of the meeting rooms which are currently almost a semi-permanent home.
I’m thinking that finding a better way to do things AFTER you are committed to a particular way of working is a little daft…
I’m thinking that having all 103GB of my music here at work is actually a bad thing as I spend WAY too much time flicking through tracks to find something that suits my mood.
I’m thinking that I really REALLY enjoyed the Pixar book I finished reading yesterday (it was a Christmas present) and that I should post up my thoughts/review but I don’t currently have the time.
I’m thinking that I should stop thinking and get something done!
What are you thinking?
A few random things…
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 ~ 7 Comments
Twitter continues to absorb, offering an instant outlet for tiny thoughts and today was Muxtape day. As ever, Meg was near the front of the list, but I soon followed along. Completely illegal I’m sure so I don’t expect it to last…
Asaph has caught my eye as I continue to find a way to gather together my online life, although I’ll happily admit that these days I’m not as bothered, or driven, to find a ’solution’ as I’m not really seeing it as a problem.
I have two blogs, a Twitter account, a Flickr account and follow copious amounts of sources via RSS. I’ve stopped watching feeds that aren’t full (with very rare and limited exceptions) and I’m quite happy with my ‘online life’. I’ve made my peace with not reading EVERYTHING that crosses my path, letting my own internal filters deal with it as best they see fit. Hey, I also delete emails… shocking I know.
I’m enjoyable busy at work, and currently looking at things like Drupal and Joomla, and possibly Ning as part of a slight shift in my role.
I’ve still not sorted through my books, but we have some time this weekend so I might take a stab at it at some point. We are off into uncharted territory on Saturday, visiting Peggy, and Sunday will be the last day without a kitchen. My letter of complaint is primed and ready (still to send it to the people who generously offered to comment on it, must remember to do that).
Building work has started opposite our office, and the piledriver started today, leaving a nice shockwave rippling across to our office and shaking my monitors ever-so-slightly. You know, just enough to make me feel nauseous. Every 5 minutes or so… bleuch.
Also need to get car tax sorted, order some Florints, organise the tiler, figure out how I’m going to do the flooring in the kitchen, do a little tidying up in the garden and… so on and so forth.
As usual, a lot of little things going on. Most of which I won’t ever mention again!
Kid for a day
Sunday, February 3, 2008 ~ 4 Comments
Cue dream sequence.
wibblywobbly ~ wibblywobbly ~ wibblywobbly
When I am grand poobah, leader of all and ruler of the land, my first act will be to create a new law which will read: “You, my loyal and humble subject, are entitled to choose one day of the calendar year during which you will be free from the constraints of adulthood and allowed to act and think like a child.”
Actually, that’s not strictly true.
My FIRST act as grand poobah, leader of all and ruler of the land will probably be to order a bigger robe and crown, then do a little jig in celebration of my, somewhat unexpectedly, acquired position.
After I’ve calmed down, beheaded a few oiks in Burberry justbecauseIcan and had a good hearty meal, for one should never make rash decisions on an empty stomach (just ask Alfred von Schlieffen who’s SECOND plan was “have dinner”), I will then proceed to lay down the law. Don’t worry though, I will be a benevolent ruler. Unless I don’t like the cut of your jib of course, whereby an entirely different law will be invoked and you shall be cast out along with the Spice Girls (except Baby) and made to watch endless repeats of Saturday night family TV.
My law will free adults of their responsbilities for a day, remove the persistent nagging in their head and allow them to revert to childhood. Throw tantrums and food, stomp in puddles, lie about in a field staring at the clouds, or create elaborate structures from nothing but dirt and twigs. My subjects would worship me, and I’d get to have one day eating nothing but marshmallows.
wibblywobbly ~ wibblywobbly ~ wibblywobbly
This idea, the law, not my sudden ascension to becoming grand poobah, leader of etc etc (although, why not?) came to me the other morning as we were driving into work through the sleet and snow. The weather had changed suddenly and as soon as the first flakes appeared I immediately started thinking about the driving conditions and that I’d maybe have to scrap the ice off the car later on and how the journey home could, if it kept snowing, be a royal pain in the arse, and so on and on…
The thing is, I can still (just) remember a time when all it took was a single snowflake to flutter down from the sky to illicit a single thought, in a distinctly pavlovian manner, from my brain. SLEDGE!
I miss those days. I want them back. Hence the “when I am grand poobah… new law… etc etc”.
Who’s with me?
Come on, let’s start a revolution. Don’t you miss quaffing entire Sherbert Fountains in one go? Playing catch with a tennis ball for hours on end? Spending entire afternoons exploring the local burn?
Five things
Tuesday, January 15, 2008 ~ 3 Comments
I haz been tagged. In fact I’ve two meme duties to fulfill, so let me get this one out of the road first (it was way easier than the next one).
The idea of the meme is to list five things in your life now that you would have never thought would be in your life when you were 25.
1. A cat
Louise and I both grew up with dogs. That is we both had dogs in our families, we weren’t raised, Mowgli-like, by packs of wild canines. However as we both have full-time jobs, and are out of the house during the day time, we knew it wouldn’t be fair to get a puppy. However we both like cats, entertaining a neighbourhood white persian on occasion, and the possibility of getting Ollie came up we jumped at it.
Last night I fell asleep with toasty warm feet, and the soft purring lullaby of our little black kitten (he’s not even 5 months old yet, even though I think he’s older).
2. A posh car
Having spent a fair number of years commuting by train, I switched jobs and needed a new car. Something reliable and functional, and bigger than our previous car (a great wee Peugeot 206). The Honda Civic wasn’t the first choice but other than a few minor niggles I have to admit that it’s been brilliant. Yes it is a little more expensive to run but I gain on fuel economy (it’s a diesel and I’m fairly economic when I drive, most of the time).
Note: it’s not THAT posh but it’s the first time I’ve had cruise control, A/C and other ‘nice to have’ stuff. Plus it’s easily the most expensive car we’ve owned, and by FAR the fastest… er… allegedly…
3. A Mac
Well I HAD to have a techie thing in here, didn’t I.
Nine years ago, Apple were a bit of a laughing stock, and whilst I’d always been impressed with their software, I wouldn’t have gone near it with someone else’s bargepole. Roll back to last year and I was positively itching to get a MacBook. I’ve been loving it ever since. I only wish I’d decided earlier and gotten a MacBook Pro to replace my previous PC. Still, there is always next year…
4. Jogging
I hesitate to list this one but the long-term aim is to get back out there and, considering I’ve been through various spells of trying ways to lose weight and get fit, jogging is the one that I’ve enjoyed the most. To be fair that is all down to jogScotland as I still don’t really enjoy going out alone but twice weekly sessions with a group of people sharing the same desires and abilities (plod on!) made a huge difference.
God I really need to get back to it, come on knee, get with the programme!!
5. All of you
OK OK, it’s a little twee but I spend so much of my time writing this blog, and reading yours, that I have to list you guys and gals that take the time to read what I write as I waffle on. It amazes me that, as I head for my tenth year of online publishing (that CAN’T be right!) I still have people willing to read what spews from my head. Thank you. Sincerely.
And, being a meme I now get to tag 5 people. How about Lyle, NML, Jane, Cat, and Bob. And yes, that is a very carefully chosen list!
Shhhh, can you hear Santa?
Monday, December 24, 2007 ~ 7 Comments
It’s Christmas Eve which means it’s time for our traditional watching of the Muppets Christmas Carol, a few glasses of wine and possibly even a mincemeat pie*.
I hope, whether you celebrate it or not, that you are having a peaceful time with you and yours, and I hope that Santa is good to you (not YOU obviously, you’ve been bad).
It will be a little quieter than normal here, with posting based largely on my ability to recover from the several hangovers I have planned… well, I’m not planning the hangovers, more the drinks the precede the hangover. And yes, I could drink a little less. In fact I could drink a lot less but this is when I get my binge drinking done so shush.
Right, I hear the sound of cork popping so I’m off.
Have a wonderful day tomorrow, and remember that it’s all about the people you love, not the presents you get or the turkey you burn.
