Ok, I admit it, I'm a fat bastard.
Another leg on my bed has given way. For the past few weeks my bed had been propped up on a set of plastic storage boxes, ever since one of the legs gave way on me. Now the other leg at the top of the bed had disappeared, leaving me sleeping on a slope once again. Whereas last time I was in danger of rolling out of bed, now I am in danger of cracking my skull on the side wall.
I have three options. I can remove the boxes, which will even out the height of the bed at the top, but leave me sleeping with my feet higher than my brain. This could result in the blood rushing to my head and making it explode.
I could remove the boxes, but sleep in the bed upside down. This would make the blood rush away from my brain, leaving me less intelligent than normal, and also with heavily swollen feet.
I could move the boxes to the middle section of the top of the bed. This should even out the height, but if I put to much weight on the edge the boxes will act like a pivot and I'm liable to tip the whole thing over.
In the end I decided to go with option three, but in the process I think I destroyed half the slats underneath the mattress. It's not easy trying to lift a bed and mattress on your own whilst simultaneously positioning a stack of boxes underneath. Now I've finished, I'm basically relying on a lumpy mattress, supported by a broken frame of plywood off-cuts......
...oh well, who needs sleep anyway.
October 29, 2008
October 28, 2008
New Feature
You may notice a tiny change at the bottom of each blog entry now. There is a little section where you can select what emotions you felt reading my thoughts.
As far as I can see it's completely anonymous, and I don't even think you have to sign in to make a selection, you just click on one of the 4 options to make the counter go up by one. I'd be interested to know if what you feel reading it is what I felt writing it.
If it proves pointless, I can always remove it at a later date.
I've also added a couple of extra blog links to the bottom of the page. Ali is currently travelling around the Far East and is writing a wonderful blog as she goes. Well worth a read if you get spare time.
My good friend Karl is a proud follower of Cheadle Town FC and supports them home and away all season. He also keeps a fanzine going online and it's a great read for fans of non-league football.
I'm off to The Isle of Man on Saturday, so I'm sure there will be a couple of new entries for me to add next week. In the meantime, have a nice weekend everyone and I'll see you all soon.
As far as I can see it's completely anonymous, and I don't even think you have to sign in to make a selection, you just click on one of the 4 options to make the counter go up by one. I'd be interested to know if what you feel reading it is what I felt writing it.
If it proves pointless, I can always remove it at a later date.
I've also added a couple of extra blog links to the bottom of the page. Ali is currently travelling around the Far East and is writing a wonderful blog as she goes. Well worth a read if you get spare time.
My good friend Karl is a proud follower of Cheadle Town FC and supports them home and away all season. He also keeps a fanzine going online and it's a great read for fans of non-league football.
I'm off to The Isle of Man on Saturday, so I'm sure there will be a couple of new entries for me to add next week. In the meantime, have a nice weekend everyone and I'll see you all soon.
October 27, 2008
Kitchen Concoctions Part II
I've been down south for over a year now and I haven't once made the effort to cook myself a Sunday dinner. It always seemed like too much hard work just for one person....
... Well I have now!
I finished work at lunchtime yesterday and nipped into the little Tescos near the office to pick up something for lunch. I didn't have any pre-conceived ideas of what to have, I suppose I was just going to pick something out of the freezer section. Then I spotted a pork joint.
It was sat on a shelf in the chiller, looking really lonely. The price had been reduced to clear because the 'best before' date was fast approaching. It was a nice size, would have been enough to serve at least 4, and it was good value. I popped it in my basket without a second thought and moved towards the checkout.
TOP TIP: You should never buy food on the spur of the moment. It was only while I was queueing up I realised I didn't have anything to serve with it, nor did I think I had enough kitchen utensils to cook it with. I ducked out of the queue, and went over to the fruit and veg. I knew I had a few spuds back at the flat, and frozen peas, so I picked up some carrots as well. That'll do won't it? Pork, potatoes and two veg.
And so we get home. Time to work out what kitchen equipment I'm lacking. I don't have a proper roasting pan, but my grill pan will do, (with the grill part removed of course). With that in use for the joint, the spuds will have to be boiled or mashed. No chance of making my lovely roasties this time. I have pans for the veg so we're all set. I did make the school boy error of putting a tiny bit of oil in the roasing tray to try to help prevent the joint form sticking. After about thirty minutes of cooking, the kitchen was filled with acrid smoke. Good job the air vent works!
Actually, there's not much else to tell. The meal turned out superbly (even if I do say so myself). The pork was cooked just right, still very moist throughout. The crackling on the top was so crispy it almost shredded the roof of my mouth! The carrots were timed well too, slightly al dente, still full of flavour. With the potatoes I decided to go with mash. After boiling them I added a little bit of butter, salt and pepper for seasoning, some oragano and lightly mashed until the lumps had gone....
...any one for leftovers? I have two thirds of a pork joint to finish now.
... Well I have now!
I finished work at lunchtime yesterday and nipped into the little Tescos near the office to pick up something for lunch. I didn't have any pre-conceived ideas of what to have, I suppose I was just going to pick something out of the freezer section. Then I spotted a pork joint.
It was sat on a shelf in the chiller, looking really lonely. The price had been reduced to clear because the 'best before' date was fast approaching. It was a nice size, would have been enough to serve at least 4, and it was good value. I popped it in my basket without a second thought and moved towards the checkout.
TOP TIP: You should never buy food on the spur of the moment. It was only while I was queueing up I realised I didn't have anything to serve with it, nor did I think I had enough kitchen utensils to cook it with. I ducked out of the queue, and went over to the fruit and veg. I knew I had a few spuds back at the flat, and frozen peas, so I picked up some carrots as well. That'll do won't it? Pork, potatoes and two veg.
And so we get home. Time to work out what kitchen equipment I'm lacking. I don't have a proper roasting pan, but my grill pan will do, (with the grill part removed of course). With that in use for the joint, the spuds will have to be boiled or mashed. No chance of making my lovely roasties this time. I have pans for the veg so we're all set. I did make the school boy error of putting a tiny bit of oil in the roasing tray to try to help prevent the joint form sticking. After about thirty minutes of cooking, the kitchen was filled with acrid smoke. Good job the air vent works!
Actually, there's not much else to tell. The meal turned out superbly (even if I do say so myself). The pork was cooked just right, still very moist throughout. The crackling on the top was so crispy it almost shredded the roof of my mouth! The carrots were timed well too, slightly al dente, still full of flavour. With the potatoes I decided to go with mash. After boiling them I added a little bit of butter, salt and pepper for seasoning, some oragano and lightly mashed until the lumps had gone....
...any one for leftovers? I have two thirds of a pork joint to finish now.
October 26, 2008
Kitchen Concoctions
I've been at it again, making my own flavoured bread.
Two to be precise. First off was another chilli loaf, but this time, using two finely chopped fresh chillies, rather than pre-prepared jallepino ones. Much hotter this time, but still not too fiery to blow your head off. I should try marketing this receipe.
The second one wasn't so successful. A celery loaf. One full stalk of celery roughly chopped into small chunks and added to the mixture. The bread itself came out fine, but the flavour of the vegetable was completely lost in the baking process. All it provided was a bit of texture to the loaf.
The hardest thing about ad-libbing in the bakery is getting the amount of water right. If any of you have tried baking your own loaf, you'll know the water level is critical. A few millilitres short and the bread won't rise and will be dry and crusty. A few millilitres too much and it will rise too much, stick to the roof of the machine and make a mess. If it's just a plain loaf you're making then there isn't a problem, the water level is pre-determined. If you are adding an ingredient for flavour however, you have to predict how much extra water it will provide.
Chillies for instance contain very little moisture, so you don't have to leave much water out. Celery on the other hand is a very watery vegetable, so I could easily have come a cropper here if I hadn't left some water out of the bake....
...I got it spot on :)
So what next? A cheese loaf seems the obvious next step. I can add a large handful of finely grated mature cheddar. Or perhaps an onion loaf? They sell those at the farmers market, but it would be much more fun to make my own. I could try a tomato loaf, but I think I'd need to use puree rather than fresh tomatoes, just for the intensity of flavour. If any one has any suggestions I'm always open to new ideas.
p.s. on a side note, I saw on a cooking programme recently how easy it is to grow your own chilli plant. You just need to leave a fresh chilli til it goes off, and the seeds rattle inside. Cut it open, plant a couple of seeds in a small pot and wait. When they sprout, keep the largest one, and remove the others. Got to be worth a go, now I've sort of proved I've got green fingers by keeping Bob alive for nearly a whole year!
Two to be precise. First off was another chilli loaf, but this time, using two finely chopped fresh chillies, rather than pre-prepared jallepino ones. Much hotter this time, but still not too fiery to blow your head off. I should try marketing this receipe.
The second one wasn't so successful. A celery loaf. One full stalk of celery roughly chopped into small chunks and added to the mixture. The bread itself came out fine, but the flavour of the vegetable was completely lost in the baking process. All it provided was a bit of texture to the loaf.
The hardest thing about ad-libbing in the bakery is getting the amount of water right. If any of you have tried baking your own loaf, you'll know the water level is critical. A few millilitres short and the bread won't rise and will be dry and crusty. A few millilitres too much and it will rise too much, stick to the roof of the machine and make a mess. If it's just a plain loaf you're making then there isn't a problem, the water level is pre-determined. If you are adding an ingredient for flavour however, you have to predict how much extra water it will provide.
Chillies for instance contain very little moisture, so you don't have to leave much water out. Celery on the other hand is a very watery vegetable, so I could easily have come a cropper here if I hadn't left some water out of the bake....
...I got it spot on :)
So what next? A cheese loaf seems the obvious next step. I can add a large handful of finely grated mature cheddar. Or perhaps an onion loaf? They sell those at the farmers market, but it would be much more fun to make my own. I could try a tomato loaf, but I think I'd need to use puree rather than fresh tomatoes, just for the intensity of flavour. If any one has any suggestions I'm always open to new ideas.
p.s. on a side note, I saw on a cooking programme recently how easy it is to grow your own chilli plant. You just need to leave a fresh chilli til it goes off, and the seeds rattle inside. Cut it open, plant a couple of seeds in a small pot and wait. When they sprout, keep the largest one, and remove the others. Got to be worth a go, now I've sort of proved I've got green fingers by keeping Bob alive for nearly a whole year!
October 23, 2008
October 23rd
Does today's date mean anything to anyone? If it's your birthday, then 'Happy Birthday'! Anyone else?....
Well, it was on this day in 1739 that Britain declared war with Spain. The war later became known as 'The War of Jenkin's Ear'
In 1987 on this day Lester Piggott started his 3 year jail term for tax evasion.
In 2001 on this day the first ever Apple iPod went on sale.
and in 2007 on this day I started my new job in Southampton.
Yes, it's exactly one year ago to the day that I packed my bags, jumped on a train and moved to the south coast. What a year it's been. There's been tears, laughter, experimental cooking, quiz machines, missing lightbulbs, my first trip to The RoseBowl and to St Mary's, new staff, pubs closing and re-opening, finding a new girlfriend and losing her again, meeting up with old friends, growing a beard, overdosing on Midsomer Murders, adopting Bob the Triffid, having my first ever Christmas dinner in a restaurant, making my first ever trip to Ireland, starting a novel...the list goes on!
Who knows what the next 12 months has to offer. Malta is back on the agenda, but not until the New Year. I hope to have my book finished and who knows, maybe I'll be working on the sequel...
...Happy anniversary me!
(p.s. The pic is Bob as he is now. Still looking healthy, with two flowers and two more on the way.)
October 20, 2008
My Magnificent Octopus Part III
This is going to be harder than I ever imagined.
Ok, so I have my basic story. I have characters established and I have plot lines. I have red herrings I can introduce and I have a sort of love interest. I have locations and I have some interesting twists. What I can't do so well is get it down on paper and make it readable.
I was onto chapter 3 with my first draft. I was writing it from the perspective of the main character in the first person "I did this, I did that etc". At first I thought it was working, and it was really easy for me to 'flow'. All I had to do was put myself in his position and write about what I would do. But now I have read my first draft back with fresh eyes and it's rubbish. I wouldn't give it shelf space.
So now I'm onto draft 2. I'm back writing in the third person "He did this, he did that etc". It means I can detach myself from the detective whenever I want to and write about something else. I'm onto chapter 2 so far, and this time it is much fuller. In draft 1 I was trying to get every piece of information into the first few lines, but now things are being introduced more gradually. I think it sounds a lot better, but I'll know better when I read it back with fresh eyes in a few days time.
I'm tempted to get someone to read the first few chapters when I think I'M happy with them, just to see if I'm not being blinded by my own writing. If someone reads it and their response is they want to read the rest I know I'm on the right lines. If their response is they struggled to get through it and couldn't care about the ending, I know it's back to the drawing board.
I am determined to finish it, even though I know it's unlikely to be published. It will just be something I can look back on and say 'I made this'....
...plus it'll be a cheap Christmas present for my Mum! :o)
Ok, so I have my basic story. I have characters established and I have plot lines. I have red herrings I can introduce and I have a sort of love interest. I have locations and I have some interesting twists. What I can't do so well is get it down on paper and make it readable.
I was onto chapter 3 with my first draft. I was writing it from the perspective of the main character in the first person "I did this, I did that etc". At first I thought it was working, and it was really easy for me to 'flow'. All I had to do was put myself in his position and write about what I would do. But now I have read my first draft back with fresh eyes and it's rubbish. I wouldn't give it shelf space.
So now I'm onto draft 2. I'm back writing in the third person "He did this, he did that etc". It means I can detach myself from the detective whenever I want to and write about something else. I'm onto chapter 2 so far, and this time it is much fuller. In draft 1 I was trying to get every piece of information into the first few lines, but now things are being introduced more gradually. I think it sounds a lot better, but I'll know better when I read it back with fresh eyes in a few days time.
I'm tempted to get someone to read the first few chapters when I think I'M happy with them, just to see if I'm not being blinded by my own writing. If someone reads it and their response is they want to read the rest I know I'm on the right lines. If their response is they struggled to get through it and couldn't care about the ending, I know it's back to the drawing board.
I am determined to finish it, even though I know it's unlikely to be published. It will just be something I can look back on and say 'I made this'....
...plus it'll be a cheap Christmas present for my Mum! :o)
October 16, 2008
2 Steps Forward, 3 Steps Back Part II
Why is it that people in debt never get the breaks.
Two days off. Spent almost all of it in bed, watching films, developing bed sores, couting the swirls in the artex ceiling etc. On the first day though I got some post that knocked me for six. The Isle of Man Tax office has finally tracked me down.
Back when I first worked two jobs I wasn't paying enough tax. I sort of knew it at the time, but would you have said anything if you were in my shoes? I needed every penny I could get just to make ends meet, but they eventually found me and I had to borrow the money to pay the huge tax bill.
The following year I made sure I didn't make the same mistake again. For the whole 12 months I assumed I was paying the right tax and I survived on the money I took home. Sadly, on the day I was leaving the Island to move to Southampton, I got my tax assessment.... I owed them about 600 quid. I was paying the right tax for each of my jobs individually, but my combined salary put me into the higher tax bracket, meaning I was falling short on my payments every month.
What to do? Well I did the only thing I could do, I ignored it. I hadn't passed on my address to anyone in the Isle of Man, I was no longer going to be paying IOM tax, so I ran away from it. I wasn't planning on returning anytime soon - if Southampton didn't work out I was more likely to go cap in hand to my parents house. Now though, they have got my address.
I assume it's because the UK tax office has passed on the info. If it's by any other means there must have been a breach of the Data Protection Act somewhere along the line. At the moment it's just a form they've sent me, asking me to confirm my details and prove I'm no longer an IOM resident, but there is one tiny section that I know is going to haunt me...
"Please provide a contact phone number or email address. We may need to contact you if there are any outstanding matters concerning you and the IOM Treasury"
Well I'll complete the form and send it back, but only at the last minute. By the time they send me the outstanding bill (which I'm sure will now have charges and interest added) I should have got my Christmas bonus. I was hoping to treat myself to a new pair of glasses with that...
...looks like that'll have to wait for another year.
Two days off. Spent almost all of it in bed, watching films, developing bed sores, couting the swirls in the artex ceiling etc. On the first day though I got some post that knocked me for six. The Isle of Man Tax office has finally tracked me down.
Back when I first worked two jobs I wasn't paying enough tax. I sort of knew it at the time, but would you have said anything if you were in my shoes? I needed every penny I could get just to make ends meet, but they eventually found me and I had to borrow the money to pay the huge tax bill.
The following year I made sure I didn't make the same mistake again. For the whole 12 months I assumed I was paying the right tax and I survived on the money I took home. Sadly, on the day I was leaving the Island to move to Southampton, I got my tax assessment.... I owed them about 600 quid. I was paying the right tax for each of my jobs individually, but my combined salary put me into the higher tax bracket, meaning I was falling short on my payments every month.
What to do? Well I did the only thing I could do, I ignored it. I hadn't passed on my address to anyone in the Isle of Man, I was no longer going to be paying IOM tax, so I ran away from it. I wasn't planning on returning anytime soon - if Southampton didn't work out I was more likely to go cap in hand to my parents house. Now though, they have got my address.
I assume it's because the UK tax office has passed on the info. If it's by any other means there must have been a breach of the Data Protection Act somewhere along the line. At the moment it's just a form they've sent me, asking me to confirm my details and prove I'm no longer an IOM resident, but there is one tiny section that I know is going to haunt me...
"Please provide a contact phone number or email address. We may need to contact you if there are any outstanding matters concerning you and the IOM Treasury"
Well I'll complete the form and send it back, but only at the last minute. By the time they send me the outstanding bill (which I'm sure will now have charges and interest added) I should have got my Christmas bonus. I was hoping to treat myself to a new pair of glasses with that...
...looks like that'll have to wait for another year.
October 13, 2008
TV Critic
I'm not one for writing reviews of Television programmes. For me, most of what is on 'the box' is mindless escapeism and you either love it or hate it. Just thought though I'd pass a small comment about two things I watched last night.
First, the light-hearted side. Peter Kay's spoof of the X-Factor had me in stitches. Not sure if I was laughing because it was genuinely funny, or just for the fact that someone has finally mocked this style of show so accurately. It was helped by some well used cameos of famous celebrities too, Rick Astley's duet with the disabled girls was inspired. I was crying at stages with laughter, it was the perfect remedy for the blues.
The second thing I watched was much deeper. Alistair Campbell, Tony Blair's famous 'spin' doctor opening up about his mental breakdowns. I'm not a fan of his, in fact when he was in the limelight I physically loathed him, but his honesty and manner has to be commended. Made me think a lot about myself. Maybe even I realised my depression might not be as easy to overcome as I thought. So many of his stories and anecdotes had similarities to incidents in my own life, it was frightening. His addiction to alcohol was shown to be a symptom of his mental illness, not the cause.
At one point he spoke of how his wife had forced him to consult a GP. This struck home the most. I haven't registered with a GP here in Southampton, I don't want to. In my head I feel that other people's problems are far more important than mine, a doctor shouldn't have to waste time dealing with me. It took me nearly 10 years of living in the Isle of Man to register when I was there, even then it was only because of my foot.
After watching the programme, I had to take a minute to compose myself. If you didn't catch it, I'm sure it'll be repeated (think it was on BBC3), or if not it'll be on the BBC iplayer online. I wouldn't say I 'highly recommend' it, that would seem inappropriate, but it was certainly a well made, and honest documentary. It's given me a slight respect for Campbell...
...and a great respect for anyone suffering from clinical depression.
First, the light-hearted side. Peter Kay's spoof of the X-Factor had me in stitches. Not sure if I was laughing because it was genuinely funny, or just for the fact that someone has finally mocked this style of show so accurately. It was helped by some well used cameos of famous celebrities too, Rick Astley's duet with the disabled girls was inspired. I was crying at stages with laughter, it was the perfect remedy for the blues.
The second thing I watched was much deeper. Alistair Campbell, Tony Blair's famous 'spin' doctor opening up about his mental breakdowns. I'm not a fan of his, in fact when he was in the limelight I physically loathed him, but his honesty and manner has to be commended. Made me think a lot about myself. Maybe even I realised my depression might not be as easy to overcome as I thought. So many of his stories and anecdotes had similarities to incidents in my own life, it was frightening. His addiction to alcohol was shown to be a symptom of his mental illness, not the cause.
At one point he spoke of how his wife had forced him to consult a GP. This struck home the most. I haven't registered with a GP here in Southampton, I don't want to. In my head I feel that other people's problems are far more important than mine, a doctor shouldn't have to waste time dealing with me. It took me nearly 10 years of living in the Isle of Man to register when I was there, even then it was only because of my foot.
After watching the programme, I had to take a minute to compose myself. If you didn't catch it, I'm sure it'll be repeated (think it was on BBC3), or if not it'll be on the BBC iplayer online. I wouldn't say I 'highly recommend' it, that would seem inappropriate, but it was certainly a well made, and honest documentary. It's given me a slight respect for Campbell...
...and a great respect for anyone suffering from clinical depression.
October 12, 2008
Definition of an Eejit Part VII
I've gone and done it again!
Remember the tale of me walking round with a casserole trying to find out if a fuse had tripped, well I've gone and done something else just as silly involving the fuses in my flat.
It all began on Thursday. I made another casserole in my slow cooker, and by the end of Friday I had eaten most of it. I had drunk a few beers, watched a couple of movies and channel surfed the TV. At some point past midnight I decided to call it a night. Naturally I couldn't sleep, and for some reason I was thinking about carbon footprints. Actually that's not strictly true, I was thinking about ways to reduce my electricity bill. I know I am guilty more than most of leaving appliances on 'stand-by', leaving lights on in rooms I'm not in etc. It was in this moment of clarity that I decided to do something productive about that.
First thing I did was go round my room and the lounge turning off everythng I could find at the plug. DVD player, TV, hand-held vacuum, you name it, I powered it down fully. Next I moved into the kitchen....
...of course I didn't turn the light on, that would defeat the purpose. Who needs it anyway, I know where the plug points are, so I can easily flick them off without looking at them. That is exactly what I did.
Fast forward to Saturday evening. I come in from work and go to the fridge to make myself a beef salad sandwich. The fridge light doesn't come on. The sliced beef isn't cold. The fridge isn't humming....
...If you look at the attached picture, you can see exactly what I did in the dark. Instead of switching the sandwich toaster and slow cooker off, I turned off the bank of fuses that are also on the wall. The first two control the plug points and the cooker, so there was no problem there, but the third one is directly linked to the fridge-freezer. It's been off for about 16 hours.
Thankfully the seal on the freezer is in tact, so nothing in there defrosted. Doesn't appear to be any damage in the fridge either, except I'll probably have to eat my yoghurts a bit quicker now. Good job I fancied a beef sandwich when I got in from work....
...otherwise most of my Tesco delivery would be in the bin by now!
October 11, 2008
Updating the Masses Part III
Just a note to tell you all what has (and hasn't) been happening in the idiot world recently.
Last Saturday I got some very sad news concerning a close friend. It's not my place to pass on details, but it's left me very down for the past week.
Also since last weekend I've been drinking heavily. Hand on heart, I don't think these two stories are linked, but perhaps subconciously they are. Feels like I've spent the last 7 days with a permenant hang-over. I'm off again on Tuesday and Wednesday next week so hopefully I can spend at least one of them in bed and shake of the headaches.
Despite the drinking I've been eating quite well. Made a huge casserole two days ago which I'm only just coming to the end of. In between I've had several salads, bio-yoghurts and fresh fruit. Sort of a surprise really. Usually when I'm drinking I go without food, or else rely on junk. Treated myself to some of the nice cheeses from the farmers market too.
I've booked my travel for my return to Fraggle Rock. That's definately something to look forward to. I haven't been over since I was with Sarah, and that's going back to early summer. Talking of Sarah, she's kindly offered me her spare room, so that means I get to see Caoimhe again. I'm glad. Wasn't sure if I'd get the chance otherwise.
I've been playing quite a bit of online Scrabble. Again, most of it has been against Sarah, but I've also been playing random females too. As usual I end up flirting with them, and in a couple of cases they've flirted back too. Lyn from Milton Keynes seemed the nicest. Have to be careful. This is sort of how I met Jayne from Widnes a few years ago, but that ended up in tears.
Other than that it's been quiet for the past few days. Work has ticked along steadily, thankfully with less errors too. My boss is due back in Southampton next week so I have to tidy the flat (it looks like a pig-sty at the moment) and the pub next to the office has re-opened....
....but the quiz machine is broken!
Last Saturday I got some very sad news concerning a close friend. It's not my place to pass on details, but it's left me very down for the past week.
Also since last weekend I've been drinking heavily. Hand on heart, I don't think these two stories are linked, but perhaps subconciously they are. Feels like I've spent the last 7 days with a permenant hang-over. I'm off again on Tuesday and Wednesday next week so hopefully I can spend at least one of them in bed and shake of the headaches.
Despite the drinking I've been eating quite well. Made a huge casserole two days ago which I'm only just coming to the end of. In between I've had several salads, bio-yoghurts and fresh fruit. Sort of a surprise really. Usually when I'm drinking I go without food, or else rely on junk. Treated myself to some of the nice cheeses from the farmers market too.
I've booked my travel for my return to Fraggle Rock. That's definately something to look forward to. I haven't been over since I was with Sarah, and that's going back to early summer. Talking of Sarah, she's kindly offered me her spare room, so that means I get to see Caoimhe again. I'm glad. Wasn't sure if I'd get the chance otherwise.
I've been playing quite a bit of online Scrabble. Again, most of it has been against Sarah, but I've also been playing random females too. As usual I end up flirting with them, and in a couple of cases they've flirted back too. Lyn from Milton Keynes seemed the nicest. Have to be careful. This is sort of how I met Jayne from Widnes a few years ago, but that ended up in tears.
Other than that it's been quiet for the past few days. Work has ticked along steadily, thankfully with less errors too. My boss is due back in Southampton next week so I have to tidy the flat (it looks like a pig-sty at the moment) and the pub next to the office has re-opened....
....but the quiz machine is broken!
October 05, 2008
2 Steps Forward, 3 Steps Back
When I came back from my little jaunt to Ireland, I was faced by a box full of e-mails from my boss.
Everytime I spend time away from the office, I seem to come back to a whole host of problems. Mistakes the rest of my team have made that have cost the company money. When I'm in, nothing ever seems to go wrong, or if it does, we spot it in plenty of time. Just feels like I can't take time off anymore, but that is exactly what I want to do. One of the benefits of having a team of people with me was the 60 hour weeks were supposed to be behind me.
Already I've had to change the rota to give up a day off next week. Looks like I'll have to do that for the next few weeks too, so the office always has two people in at any one time. I've been told to sack one of the new workers, but so far I've refused. I'm not giving up on them that easily.
God knows what the next few months will hold. I have no idea now what I can plan for Christmas. I want New Years Day off too to go to Tara's birthday party back in Shannon.
That was all, just wanted to let off steam a bit...
...The plant has stopped listening to me.
Everytime I spend time away from the office, I seem to come back to a whole host of problems. Mistakes the rest of my team have made that have cost the company money. When I'm in, nothing ever seems to go wrong, or if it does, we spot it in plenty of time. Just feels like I can't take time off anymore, but that is exactly what I want to do. One of the benefits of having a team of people with me was the 60 hour weeks were supposed to be behind me.
Already I've had to change the rota to give up a day off next week. Looks like I'll have to do that for the next few weeks too, so the office always has two people in at any one time. I've been told to sack one of the new workers, but so far I've refused. I'm not giving up on them that easily.
God knows what the next few months will hold. I have no idea now what I can plan for Christmas. I want New Years Day off too to go to Tara's birthday party back in Shannon.
That was all, just wanted to let off steam a bit...
...The plant has stopped listening to me.
October 02, 2008
If Only I'd Gone Last Week....Part II
The time in Ireland
Tara met me at the airport and drove me back to her lovely house. I met her husband and her two gorgeous daughters and we had a family meal together. We spent the rest of the night chatting, watching telly, having a few beers and generally just chilling out.
Next day Tara took me for a drive to show me the local countryside and we ended up at the Cliffs of Moher. The drive was through torrential rain, but by the time we got to our destination it had moved on. Moher is a stunning set of cliffs and rock stacks that is truely breath-taking. Actually, 'breath-taking' is quite appropriate as we found ourselves climbing up a long flight of steps in gale force winds. I just about managed to keep my balance (thanks largely to my ample frame) but Tara found herself being blown around like a crisp packet caught in an updraft! I tried not to laugh, but it wasn't easy :)
Before lunch we went for a walk on the beach. Still blowing like a tornado, but it was such a beautiful setting. I can imagine it being a very romantic spot if the weather is a bit more accomodating. This is a good moment to explain the blog title. Between them, Tara and David (her husband) must have used the phrase 'shame you weren't here last week, the weather was lovely' 30 or 40 times. Became a running joke by the end. There is something else I need to add here....I fell on my arse trying to walk down a slipway to get to the sand. Lets forget that bit now and move on.
We had a spot of lunch in a pub back in town. I almost wrote 'in an Irish pub' then, but that'd just be silly. I had my first Irish pint of the black stuff, and it was very nice, but not exactly that different from those poured in the UK. Perhaps we just didn't find the right bar.
That night they took me out for a quick pub evening meal and then David left me and Tara to get slowly drunk while he went home to baby-sit. A few more beers, a few more glasses of Guinness and we were both gone. We put the world to rights, sang songs, made fun of American tourists and in the second pub we got to warm ourselves by a real log fire. Evening ended with Tara putting her ipod on and attempting to dance without falling over. A great night.
It was a shame it was so short, but it won't be the last time, and I hope she can come back to Soton again....
...She's one special lady.
If Only I'd Gone Last Week....Part I
I'm back from my short trip to the Emerald Isle. I'll split it into two entries for you. Aren't I kind.
Ok, The travel. I was doing all the travelling in one go, rather than stop half way at my parents house. Getting there was a fairly boring train ride to London. Strangest thing was the ticket inspector thought I was travelling on the wrong train. I had to explain to him how the ticket system worked. Then onto the Underground to get to Euston. I love the Underground, but it's quite an experience at rush hour. From the top of the stairs to getting on the tube I felt like a baked bean in a tin. We all moved forward as a unit, piled onto the trains til the doors closed, and at each station people piled out again until there were very few left. Considering it's been around since Victorian times, the London Underground is still a wonderful concept in transportation.
Euston to Manchester was on one of those leaning trains. With a reserved seat, a book to read, a couple of beers and and empty seat next to me, it was the perfect way to travel. It's moments like this that make me proud of our railways. (Just those moments mind you - next time there is a delay or cancellation I'll be ripping strips off them!)
The trains home were quiet. Getting across the Underground was a lot less like a Heinz experience, and much more relaxed. Only problem was it was the end of a long day, I was tired to the bone but I can never sleep on trains. Really glad to make it back to the flat and get my head down.
And inbetween the trains.... the flights. It was my first time with Ryanair and on the whole they were everything I expected. On both flights I managed to get the emergency exit seats with the extra leg room. Both flights gave me an empty seat next to me and on both flights we got on and off with fairly little hassle.
With it being a budget airline though, the hour long journey time was nothing more than the stewards trying to sell me things. Food, drink, non-duty free gifts, scratch cards, newspapers. You name it, they had it. It can get a bit tiresome after a while. Then again, if it helps me get to Ireland for less than £40 return I can't really complain.
Shannon airport was a bit of an experience. There was no problem getting through security, but I found myself in a hall with 250 US army personnel, all in camoflage gear. I thought at first there had been a terrorist alert, but it appeared not...
...They all had pints of Guinness in their hands.
Ok, The travel. I was doing all the travelling in one go, rather than stop half way at my parents house. Getting there was a fairly boring train ride to London. Strangest thing was the ticket inspector thought I was travelling on the wrong train. I had to explain to him how the ticket system worked. Then onto the Underground to get to Euston. I love the Underground, but it's quite an experience at rush hour. From the top of the stairs to getting on the tube I felt like a baked bean in a tin. We all moved forward as a unit, piled onto the trains til the doors closed, and at each station people piled out again until there were very few left. Considering it's been around since Victorian times, the London Underground is still a wonderful concept in transportation.
Euston to Manchester was on one of those leaning trains. With a reserved seat, a book to read, a couple of beers and and empty seat next to me, it was the perfect way to travel. It's moments like this that make me proud of our railways. (Just those moments mind you - next time there is a delay or cancellation I'll be ripping strips off them!)
The trains home were quiet. Getting across the Underground was a lot less like a Heinz experience, and much more relaxed. Only problem was it was the end of a long day, I was tired to the bone but I can never sleep on trains. Really glad to make it back to the flat and get my head down.
And inbetween the trains.... the flights. It was my first time with Ryanair and on the whole they were everything I expected. On both flights I managed to get the emergency exit seats with the extra leg room. Both flights gave me an empty seat next to me and on both flights we got on and off with fairly little hassle.
With it being a budget airline though, the hour long journey time was nothing more than the stewards trying to sell me things. Food, drink, non-duty free gifts, scratch cards, newspapers. You name it, they had it. It can get a bit tiresome after a while. Then again, if it helps me get to Ireland for less than £40 return I can't really complain.
Shannon airport was a bit of an experience. There was no problem getting through security, but I found myself in a hall with 250 US army personnel, all in camoflage gear. I thought at first there had been a terrorist alert, but it appeared not...
...They all had pints of Guinness in their hands.
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