Archive for February, 2004
Thursday, February 26th, 2004
One of the new rules handed down in work upon moving into the new building was that only directors are allowed to front door. The plebs must use the back door. What is the point of such a rule, when most of the parking is at the back? All it does is make the staff resent the directors. They aren’t better people than staff, they are no more deserving of going in the front door than anyone else. Things like this really get on my nerves. With this in mind, I’ve been wearing a suit all week in work, as you can see -
I’ve not actually had a reason to walk through the front door, but I’m just biding my time. I’d be interested to hear any reason why I can’t use the front door? Because I’m not smart enough? No chance of that anymore. We’ll see how that goes.
As a side effect of the suit, I have been waxing my hair into various styles during the week. It’s reasonably long at the moment, and Mum keeps telling me it’s too long for whatever I’ve done to it on that particular day. I quite like it though like this (although you can’t really see it in that pic), so I’ll just keep growing it until I get bored of it – got to get it long at least once before it inevitably falls out after all!
Lots of people on my links page seem to have gone on hiatus of late – which makes reading them quick work, if a tad dull. I guess they’ve discovered real life. Writing away on something like this is fairly theraputic, but I often wonder why I do it. Some people seem to be consistently funny on their pages, or interesting, but I don’t think mine is either most of the time. Which is strange really as I think of myself as quite a funny person in real life, but I think quite a lot of my humour is reactive, and you need someone else around to start the gag off.
Reciprocal linking is quite a strange business. Two people who read each others sites, but have never actually met. I think I’ve been doing this for over a year now, and most of the links for people I’ve not actually met are links of this kind. It’s a funny side to today society when we can get in contact with anyone at the touch of a few buttons anywhere in the world, yet I know more about some people I’ve never met and only read about on their sites. I guess maybe it’s related to this whole celebrity culture, which is really more of a nosy parker culture. We like to know what other people are doing, except we’ve moved from twitching the curtains to reading websites to find out about those we don’t know. Personally, I would love to meet and get to know everyone on my links page. I read their sites because they interest me, and I generally get on with people who interest me. I think other people probably think the same thing, but no one does because they prefer the lovely impersonal nature of weblogs.
Not that what I’ve just said makes much sense, I’m not the most lucid person when it comes to writing, and often forget words or sentenances because I’ve thought of the next one before typing the first. So sorry if it’s a bit nonsensical.
This entry was brought to you by David Holmes – Gritty Shaker
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Tuesday, February 24th, 2004
Today I am sad. Not sad in a depressed way, more sad in a wry grin sort of sense. Not very much has happened today, work was mostly getting some restrictions lifted from my user account that were applied after the big move to the new building. Had to be done, but still irritating as I didn’t get much of consequence done. My mate Kev came in for an interview, got a job, which is cool. Had a baked potato at the new Bistro in the office, and very nice it was too, and cheap, hurrah!
The sadness came from an e-mail I got, giving me less reason to go up to Manchester for Mike’s party at the weekend – I was really looking forward to this weekend, but now no-one seems to want to go, and I don’t really fancy going on my own.
Maybe Neal was right and I should have waited, but I had to take the chance. It is the first time I’ve been properly interested in someone as a person for a good while now, and so maybe it doesn’t go anywhere, but not now does not mean, not ever. I guess most people of my age are either in a relationship or recently out of one, so maybe now my interest has been registered, when the time is right I can be there. I don’t regret any of my actions. We’ll see what happens, you never know, after all. That’s why it’s a wry grin sadness, it could have been better, but it some ways this is still good.
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Monday, February 23rd, 2004
I work you standard 9-5:30 job. I have a desk, a computer, and usually have at least some work to do that keeps me occupied. Failing that, I have some activities to while away the hours.
I am contracted to work 37.5 hours a week. Unfortunately, I have worked 20 hours of overtime on Saturday and Sunday, leaving me cream crackered. It’s been a surprisingly good weekend though – went for a few drinks after work in Hereford and had a really good time. Got plenty of things done, everything should be ready for today. Sadly, I missed out on making a phone call I wanted to make as it was 10:30pm by the time I got home, and the recipient of the call would have been in bed I expect. Still, I shall make the call this evening instead, yes. Sorry to the crypticness of these entries, I just feel in a cryptic mood.
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Thursday, February 19th, 2004
It was announced today that Mark & Lard are to leave Radio 1. This is a black day for Radio in general now that the biggest show is going off the air.
I started listening to Mark & Lard back when they were doing the 10pm-Midnight slot on Radio 1. I hadn’t listened to Radio 1 for a while, but I would tune in fairly regularly to listen to them. When they started on this show it was more seriously about the music, but they were sure entertaining.
When they moved to the Breakfast Show, more offbeat humour crept into the show, and it was frankly brilliant. When they moved to the afternoon slot, I was in 5th form in school, and I shall never forget the day I was sitting in the day room, with the radio on, and just as I looked over at Adam Donovan (who sadly went to live in the States) a random trumpet played over whatever was being played. Something like Oasis I think, but this trumpet had us both in stitches for ages, and whenever something similar happened I would burst out laughing and remember that day. They are truly the kings of pop, the purveyours of the finest show to hit the airways.
What is all the more saddening though, is to hear they Mark is off to Radio 2, presumably to do a show similar to the 10pm show, while Lard is off to 6Music. These two belong together, and it just won’t be the same having one without the other. Maybe I can intercut their two shows. Doubt it though.
With this in mind, I have created savemarkandlard.org and I ask you to publicise this site everywhere you go. Hopefully we can pursuade some sense back into this madness. Big-eddy-big-eddy-bong so it is!
However, I only registered that name this evening, so it make take some time to appear. Remember, go forth and save Mark & Lard!
Also, as I have been listening to my MP3 collection of late since finally installing the latest Winamp on this XP install, I thought I would enlighten you with the tune currently playing. Which is – Stalemate by Limp Bizkit.
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Tuesday, February 17th, 2004
Today is the anniversary of the patent of the “Engaged-Vacant” Toilet lock apparently. Nice useless fact I heard on the radio this morning.
Speak of which, I am pretty much engaged for the next month now, which is kind of cool really – I keep muttering to myself that I don’t really have much to do around here, so it’s funny how suddenly I’ve got really busy. Tomorrow I am off to The Raceway, Kings Cross for a kart race. Then this weekend I will be working helping move into the new premises. Next weekend is a party up in Manchester, and I’m planning to go to the Trafford Centre and waste some money while I’m up there. Mum keeps telling me I need to waste money on shoes as it is.
Then the weekend after that I’m going to Nottingham for the weekend, to include a fried breakfast (at about 4am) party to celebrate the start of the new F1 season over in Australia. It won’t be at my house, so all are invited, haha! Then later on that week it’s The Offspring in London, need to sort out who will be using the second ticket soon. That will require some thought…
Fixed the RSS feed now, so livejournal should hopefully be picking this up again. Need to check it looks ok later on though. XHTML validation is proving a bit more difficult, I’ll need to write some code to pick out links and encode them properly, which could be messy. Nevermind, I suppose it’s something I need to sort out – I have started having vague intentions to publish my blogging system when I get some more features in. Or offering some hosting using it if I ever get round to changing hosting.
Comments seem to have slowed down a bit of late – maybe I’m just being dull. Still, at least some photos got comments since yesterday! Or maybe I’m posting too often. Sorry!
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Monday, February 16th, 2004
Quite a good weekend – didn’t do anything on Valentine’s Day other than clean the car as it had got covered in bird crap when parked under a tree in Hereford on Thursday night. Sunday was also quiet, but took some more pictures of the car and some crap of the droplets on the bonnet. Spent all of Sunday afternoon procrastinating over making a phone call, nervousness usually getting the better of me. Dialled the number a few times, and in the end actually made the phone call. She was having her dinner.
Damn.
Could I call back in an hour? Phew! Ended up chatting for nigh on 2 hours, which was quite cool. Not entirely sure what the next move should be, she’s so nice… I’m sure I can work something out, made the first step after all – if this doesn’t work out, at least I know I can chase something I’d like, hehe.
Have also noticed that both the RSS feed and the Validation appear to be b0rked. Must fix tomorrow…
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Friday, February 13th, 2004
Today, I was sitting at my desk talking about some technical issue with a colleague when Cez comes round with the post. There was one for me, a long, narrow, silver envelope.
This envelope had a hand written address on it, and it was for me. Just to clarify, someone had taken the time to send me, a long, narrow, silver envelope. I completely forgot what I was talking about – I still can’t remember.
Upon opening said envelope, there was a card. A card for me, which I removed from the long, narrow, silver envelope. “This must be some mistake”, I thought. “Someone must have accidentally put a card for someone else into a long, narrow, silver envelope and accidentally put my name on”, which seemed to make the set of circumstances I was in make sense.
Opening the card, the day just got more and more bizarre. It was made out to me too. With a poem. About me.
Now, to continue this incredibly badly written self indulgent entry, a little background. Apart from the requisite exchanged card when in a relationship, I have never received a spontanious card, so this, frankly, is shocking. It is beyond comprehension.
Anyway, I do not know who the card is from. I am 99% sure that it is from someone at work, as they mention an orange shirt, which I only wear in work. I can’t work out who though. I’ve been trying to steal sneaky looks at people’s handwriting, but haven’t turned up anything yet.
Finally, what I had planned to write before all this madness with the card.
Those of you who are spending your Valentine’s Day with a loved one, make sure they know how you feel. Treasure the moments you spend together, and show how you appreciate each other. And more, but I’m useless at writing down this sort of things!
Plan for this weekend is to add polls to the site, and do something probably a little daft, (no, not involving her), so sue me.
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Sunday, February 8th, 2004
It’s been a good weekend. Went down the pub after work for a cider or 4, apparently I got quite loud, but I say pfft to that. I had fun, so who cares?
Got up early Saturday (8am) and washed the car (new photos are here) then headed off to Cheltenham to visit Chris and demo the car – there are some really good roads around there! Had a rather nice BBQ Steak wrap for lunch at The Toad in the Hole I think it was called. Tried to find a Birthday present for Mum, but nothing was forthcoming. I’ll sort something out this week.
The car passed the running in point on the way home, but the tyre pressure light came on so I couldn’t try it out. One tyre turned out to be 4psi down, so I guess the sensors are pretty accurate!
Been to Cardiff today with Mum and Dad to look at cars, Mini is definately looser now and even seems to be getting more miles to the gallon. Then headed off to Bristol is visit Neal and view Scary Movie 3, very, very funny movie. I recommend it. Knocks the first 2 into a cocked hat, probably down to the involvement of the gang from Hot Shots! and The Naked Gun. I keep meaning to ask Neal about Helen, but I can never really work out how to phrase it. I’ll work something out eventually. I think I know the answer to the question I want to ask about her, but I won’t know for definate until I do ask. Aargh! I supposed to be going to a party up near where she lives at the end of the month, so I really need to do something by then.
On my way home from Bristol it was really cold, so I took it steady, which was a bit dull so I took some photos along the way. It was a pretty bizarre trip home. It dropped from 2 degrees above on the Severn Bridge to -1.5 degrees on the roundabout to Chepstow (about 1 mile apart), then in one place I stopped to take a photos I think there were a couple canoodling in a Punto. Then there was a small kid wandering by the side of the road with a blue torch. There was also an Audi parked in a really odd place on the A40, and about 400 yards further on 2 police cars stopped on the dual carriageway next to a burnt out Astra in the barrier.
While putting those photos on I’ve sorted out various photos of the cats and uploaded them. So enjoy!
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Thursday, February 5th, 2004
Yes, this a cheap cop out for an entry, however, I have been wasting my time watching the frankly brilliant John Lydon on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. Now he’s gone I won’t be watching anymore. Anyway, here is what I have wasted my money on in the last couple of days.
In addition, some other things I shall waste my money on.
- Renewing www.frostbladesreviews.co.uk – god knows why…
- Some cool trousers
- Some long sleeved shirts
- Maybe some shoes
- Karting
- Pouring more petrol into the car. I really should invest in a petrol company if I were you!
Coming soon, a proper entry. Or entity, as I originally typed.
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Tuesday, February 3rd, 2004
E-mailed many people. I mean seriously, I e-mailed loads and loads of people.
Today I got no replies. You bastards.
Go here and sign up immediately and consider yourself forgiven if you didn’t reply. Otherwise, do it anyway.
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