Friday feeling

Today is Saturday, and a smile is creeping back to my face after the hideousness of yesterday. Let us commence the tale.....

Once upon a time Jon-ster was living alone in his rented house, all nice and dandy with no problems except for the fact that there was no-one else there. Then along came the evil landlady.

Basically, on Thursday evening I had a phone call but owing to the usual event of 'using-your-mob-when-someone-else-calls' lead to me accidentally hanging up on this phone call. Never mind, I checked my call register and didnt recognise the number, but worked on the principle that if it was important, I'd receive a second call. Not so, so I just put it down as a wrongie or a cold call, never mind.

Friday morning, after lots of coffee, show tunes and general buzzing around like a big bald idiot (and as camp as anything, I'm so ashamed), I get a message left on my answering machine from landlady saying that she's outside my house and cant get in because the key doesnt work. This was a major surprise, since my keys have been working fine and also I was not aware she was coming. I rang her to discover that she'd called out maintenance guy to sort it out, and they went in the dodgy back door to get in and obviously set of the alarms.

Now, with the subsidence at the back of the house, the back door is rather wedged and very difficult to make sure it is properly closed and locked. And also, the secondary locking system is buggered. This is in fact a very good thing, because since they entered at the back, the secondary lock would have prevented them AND they'd have set the alarm off. As it is, they went in that way and apparently had no problems.

Anyhow, I was absolutely paranoid that they'd not shut the door properly, or do something equally daft like leave the windows open like the time before. Since I'm away this weekend, peace of mind forced me to return home on the train to check, and then go back to work - a wasted time of about 2 hours, courtesy of bloody landlady. And all this without actually informing me they were coming. Let me copy and paste the precise e-mail I found in my inbox once I'd checked for it to be there;

Coming tomorrow am to bring some people. Why cant I get you on the phone??? Nina

Now, isnt that nice and polite? Considering it was sent Thurs evening regarding Friday morning, that doesnt sound like 24 hours notice to me. Also, if you fail to get through on phone or dont leave a message after one try, isnt it a good idea to at least try to ring again a second time? Apparently not.

So, all my stuff had been rearranged carefully - I'd have moved some of it myself if I'd know she was coming, to include;

• anything on kitchen surfaces put away in cupboards. Daft - a place that's a shared house ought to look at least lived in, no? And chucking it all in the cupboards gives the impression of absolutely no storage space. Plus, I dont see the problem with having a bottle of cordial, cooking oil, salt, some wine, s+p, a bag of rice, a jar of coffee and a mortar and pestle on display in a fucking kitchen;
• My motorcycle boots, previously placed on and next to a shoe rack in the corner of the living room, quite out of the way, are now lined up in the entrance hall and stand out as being in the way. To 'make it look more like a living room', well, now it looks like a living room that nobody goes into and like I'm an idiot who blocks up the hallway;
• My coats hung up in the damp cellar next to the mouldy old ones left behind by landylady's daughter;
• Blinds in the front room looking onto the street opened wide for all and sundry to look in - normally these remain closed for a spot of privacy, and so that people cant tell if anyone's at home or not, but I bet now they're still wide open advertising the fact that there's nobody in.
  

The woman, for all the fact that she has quite a housing empire and has been doing it for years, is a bit of a numpty. 24 hours notice means 24 hours, and a single phone call attempt the evening before doesnt actually work. Hey, how about using the postal service and recorded delivery, then we definitely receive it? And while we're on the subject matter, get your mail forwarded to your own address if it's that important rather than leaving me to do it.

After all this, I showed inhuman quantities of self-restraint when cold-called in the afternoon by Orange wanting to offer me broadband. Somehow, I managed not to swear profoundly at the poor woman doing the calling, but just lied my way out claiming I have no computer. Did not help the calmness levels.

AAAAAARGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!

Right, back to the normal stuff.

So work-wise, Friday was a bit of a wash-out. But I'm now feeling less like I'm treading on toes, it's all a bit more relaxed. I still need to do my job applications lark, but it's just so depressing to do so.

Train trip was quite funny, I managed to think of loads of stuff to blog about but it's all gone.....should have been scribbling it all down in a handy notebook, no? Never mind. The big shock of the day comes in WHSmiths at Leeds station. I went in to buy a paper and see if there was a new edition of Bike or something, when I looked upwards and saw proudly displayed, just above 'What Car', the popular hobbyist magazine 'BDSM'. Fascinating. There's a bigger market of pervs in Yorkshire than I previously suspected!

And now I'm here at P's while he has an early morning snooze and I eat cold pizza from last night. Life is much more delicious than it was twenty-four hours ago.

Blip

Another slug on the kitchen floor. Bleargh. Have liberally sprinkled salt around any kind of hole I can find; basically around the entire kitchen. Hopefully this will keep the bastards away, because, quite frankly, it is gross and I'm damned if I'm getting full on slug killer to breath in the fumes and give me rashes on my feet.

Not in bed yet and it's after 11. Tut tut me.

Harmonics

Been listening to some music, not something I regularly do. But one thing leads to another and I've been having some interesting thoughts, which have led me into a nice fly-bottle to puzzle out of.

Why is it that harmonic notes sound so pleasing to the ear? I mean, the existence of resonant frequencies and harmonic frequencies that are in whole-integer ratios is a pretty mind-blowing fact in itself, but what is it about these buggers that, in combination and variation, they blow your mind? Tonal music, exploiting these natural harmonics sounds almost universally pleasing (and I'm sure those who dislike are only being contrary).

To take an example, there's the Prelude of Das Rheingold. Now, as I'm very well aware, Wagner isnt everybody's cup of tea either musically or dispositionally, but that entire four-minute-odd bit of music is a single E-flat chord played over and over again both up and down on a variety of instruments. And yet it always sounds bloody fantastic, and as stirring a piece of music as any of your Holst's Planets or Beethoven sonatas. Or, indeed, anything you care to name.

Now, all this begs a deeper question, one of aesthetics. There's a rum game in the field of mathematics of 'beauty' of mathematical proof, which to my mind means 'takes up a little scrap of paper', but it also illustrates the same point; what is it about something most unconnected (like frequencies in ratio, or scribbles on a piece of paper) with the psyche that elicits such a response? Why is it considered 'beautiful'? Hmmmm, one to ponder, eh? Or am I talking bollocks all over again?

It's raining in big heavy drops on my skylight now, and it's just about time for me to go and have a bath, so go and have a bath I shall! In the meantime, please all go and enjoy this fantastic solo piano arrangement of the Canon in D by some guy named Lee Galloway, one of my (cheesily) favourite pieces of music - but you'll need some kind of Java thing going on!

Bath time. Ab sofort.

Sentimental

I'm a sucker. Today has been full of stuff to do. Let's kick off from the start!

Early morning in as per, more delicious waffle items to nibble first thing. So nice, in fact, that I ate five out of the six I had, thus destroying any chance of making breakfast out of them tomorrow. Never mind. They were very nice. On with the day's work, quite successful all told, and I'm well on the way with many things - but I now have far too much to be doing tomorrow, since I'm leaving early-ish to catch a train, so I'll need to be super-organised but not actually achieve anything! Arse.

But the biggest moment of the day has just happened. I'm a sucker for cats when they come and talk to me and are all 'mewl', and there's one on the street that came and rubbed itself all over my hands and around my boots. It's blatantly got some kind of skin issue since you can see where it's recently been shaved all down its back, which just makes it even more endearing and lovely. Makes me just want to break down in big blubbery man-tears, hardly something to be doing in the street. Dont know why it affects me so much.

Feeling very hungry now, and have had train of thought broken by phone call from P. So I'm off for now!

Early evening

Well, maybe not quite so early. I'm sat here blogging whilst listening to it rain outside, less than pleasant for tomorrow.....but I'm also mildly fuming....

Ex-housemate was all about coming to collect post this evening, so I told him to come round about half eight-nine-ish to get it, so that I'm not left staying up for his benefit. As yet no sign. And I leapt out of the bath early so that I wouldnt have to do the whole 'naked-answering-the-door' thing, which is always a drag.

Have also discovered that my sneezing is highly amusing. Well, get me. But whilst on this topic, does anyone else get quite the same thrill out of sneezing that I do? I'm sure it's an urban myth, but I've heard tell that if you sneeze seven times in a row without time to pause, you drop dead. Wonder how they did double-blind trials on that one. But there's a lovely feeling you get by sneezing, something that isnt quite the same if you hold it in (for which I have to hold my nos these days)....or am I just being strange again?

Tomorrow holds the delights of another early rise and more work. Arse. But there remains the prospect of waffles once again, something that eases the pain.....

Tum te tum tum

Today seems to be breezing along most nicely, it being lunchtime and I've achieved quite a bit so far today! Weather is improving, getting to a bearable temperature - it was pretty nippy this morning, I may *gasp* have to break out my nice gloves with the warm lining.

Life in the middle bay at work still seems really quiet, I suppose it's because at the moment we have a minimal contingent of people. New students have yet to arrive and start clogging things up, we'll soon have a bottle-neck on the equipment! This will be less fun, though I suppose it'll be an excuse to sneak off and apply for jobs, something I still havent started to do and really should.

I've also noticed that I've been unbelieveably tired when getting home from work, so much so that I'm falling asleep in chairs and havent properly cleared up for ages. This is not good. Tonight I shall have to have a cleaning blitz (oh, joy) and actually sit down to do something worthwhile for a change.

No exciting things happening, then. Maybe I should start designing tattoo-age again, just in case I feel the need! Not that I've got the spare cash to be doing that with, there are plenty more things I would like to save for first.....

Mmmmm, baked products

Waffles for breakfast. It's just such a fantastic idea.

*Pfft*

I'm bored, and quite tired. It's a lovely day outside too, and I'm stuck at work which should be exciting but really, really isnt. Also feel like I'm slightly treading on the toes of two other people, which never gets me in a good mood.....ah well.....

Managed to not make any lunch for myself today, once again. Bread was mouldy by the time I came to it this morning, which means I have to buy some more at some point, always a pain. At least I get to do the usual trip at the end of the week and have some right fantastic *censored*.

Maybe I'll perk up by the time I go home and can enjoy a scoot out around by the airport......

Chicken fingers

I love that I live alone. Or at least, as a consequence of the fact that I live alone, I've inherited all the food that was left behind in the freezer by departing flatmates. I've thrown away most of the fridge stuff (have I done it all? better check!) but still eating my way through the free stuff in the freezer. And tonight was the turn of the rest of the potato wedges.

With this, I decided to splash out on a ready-cooked chicken, which is nice, and I can add the bones to my stock for making stock, which has been on the go for far too long and I havent gotten around to doing it yet. This of course meant that I was eating it with my fingers and picking the deliciously fatty skin off. Unfotunately, the paper it came in went mushy with the excess schmaltz and I ended up chewing a bit of paper for a minute or two. Genius moment striking again!

I think I've got a little cold, my throat is a bit sore. So it's time to clean my teeth and suck strepsils whilst going to bed!



There, now doesnt that look just beautiful. I'm such a failure on the vegetarianism front, so much for trying to practise ahimsa........... and that's a link just so that I dont send you all to wikipedia again, but it's a little bit of funny reading!

Smelly weekend

Just back from fun weekend away with the work lot. Turned out quite nicely in the end! But I'll start from the beginning, so if you'd all like to cast your minds back to a time before the weekend, when things were different....

Friday turned into a hideous nightmare of weather day. Spent the day at work failing to do some chemistry stuff and just making a mess, then had cake to say goodbye to Christian (that's a name, not a title, peeps) who's off back to Austria, then had to walk half a mile to the house of this lady in the pouring rain. Got a little wet, which did not bode well for the coming days! Absolute downpour, but we eventually got into the car and headed on the way.

Journey across the country was suitably boring, but it's got to the point where I'm nervy being a backseat driver and find myself looking over my shoulder and checking for mirrors and the like. Good bike habits, but not so nice for people I'm travelling with! A game of twenty questions set by Gerard led to us not being able to guess a dust cap from a bicycle tyre, which took us quite a distance, and a bit of music but thank god no radio 2. Weather started to clear ever so slightly as we headed further west, and had stopped completely by the time we arrived at the hut.

Quite basic in accomodation, but perfectly good enough for a weekend. Only a few nasties, that being the mild asthma wheezy, the chemical toilets *ick* hence I ended up peeing in a lot of hedges and that's the lot.

Friday night we went to the pub, nearly ran over a sheep sat in the middle of the road (which refused to move even with the car up to it's nose) and then played pictionary-type game, with rude pictures, my ability to guess 'dyke' and lots of shouting. And then the cardboard box game involving lots of arse-waving in the air. I was quite good at this game, but refrain from the dirty comments because I've already thought of all of them myself!

Saturday turned out to be a very sunny day, thanks Cath for the loan of suncream (:-) or I'd have an embarrassing big red peeling head today for teaching, and we all went to do various things. Got lost, scrambled up a hill, got labelled a mountain goat by Lorna (lovely) and got wet feet. But a nice day, beautiful views, lots of sheep and very tired-making. No washing facillities, hence I remained rather smelly for the rest of the time!

And home on Sunday morning, desperate for a pee most of the way owing to too much coffee at breakfast! Leeds was bright and sunny by the time I got home, so of course there was some obligatory biking to be done, though I didnt get too far and wet roads under trees made it a little bit dodgy. And of course talking to P who I hadnt reached since Thursday, what with lack of mobile signal out in the sticks. Didnt think I'd miss it so much!

Back at work now, though little has been achieved. I think the Scissor Sisters debacle has finished, but not sure if boss has watched it yet. Very funny, glad I made it! Link shall not be placed on blog to avoid incriminating evidence - but all the people who'll be interested have seen it already, so I'm not so bothered.

Did everyone have a good weekend? Brill. My plans for the evening have fallen through, biker matey is going to be held up at work so cant go riding (:-( but I'm sure I can enjoy a bit of it all by myself!

Bloody weird!

See the freakiness .....

or dont, because I've managed to delete the url whilst editing. Bollocks.

Scrubbed to the bone

Well, to a very painful blister at any rate.

Cleaning today, I feel absolutely shattered! Probably have done more actual work today than I usually do when I'm officially doing my job. How else could it be? Anyhow, the lab is as spangly and nice as it is ever likely to be, courtesy of a big bout of rubbing and scraping with scouring pads and the application of cream cleaner. I've now cleaned out four sinks, and as protest I'm not cleaning any sinks at home for another week or so.

Fewer ruffled feathers all round than I thought, people just got on with it, which was nice. Admitedly I spent a lot of the time skulking in another room, scrubbing things down and taking apart a vacuum manifold (such fun), so there may have been a huge blow-up and I'd never have noticed. We did manage to set the fire alarm off by not doing any chemistry though, which is quite an achievement!

And a nice quiet drink after work, though obviously I was on the stimulants rather than the depressents. Everyone else has now toddled off for a curry whereas I need to a) pack for the coming weekend and b) sleep. I'm shattered. Older by the minute as I approach 30, I'm due for a mid-life crisis soon (excpet I already bought the motorbike, what am I going to do instead? Answers on a comment, please), and maybe I'm a little broody? Not bloody likely.

Time for scran.

Lack of common sense, thy name is Jon-ster

I'm really racking up points on the *doh* scales this week. This time I've managed to fill the tumble dried with small pieces of envelope, having washed a pair of trousers with a letter in the pocket. So obviously it disintegrated once damp and exposed to heat and agitation. Bugger. One machine full of dusty stuff.

I scare myself sometimes.

How the arse....

...did I manage to burn something in the sodding microwave? Prize for the least concentration when reheating dinner, Jon-ster....why this was so unexpected, I'd like to thank my mother......

Rice turned out fine, mind - and that was on the hob.....

Blast out on the bike

It's been great fun, getting all togged up and actually going out for a big stretch. Much excitement out in the winds on the tops, and I can see lots of places where I can improve my riding but must remember that I'm still new to this game.....shame it'll be too wet and 'orrible to go out for long easy stretches in a month or so.

Still, I can confirm the four loves of my life, in chronological order that I first came to them; the stage, chemistry, biking and (how could it be otherwise?!) P. There you have it.

Back again

I like, I want.......


































and of course we can't forget the Fireblade to go with it!











Anyone got a spare ten grand?

Careless gimp

...and I use the term advisedly. This week has been so far one of little accidents!

No, not the newborn-puppy-on-the-carpet kind of accidents, I have been house-trained at great effort, but rather the smashing glassware kind of accident. The week that messages are sent work-wide about getting people to be more careful with their equipment, Jon-ster goes and makes a tit of himself again. Casulties; one adaptor, a sinter funnel and a hair-fine capillary. The last is the most interesting. Capilliaries are notoriously fragile and almost invisible things, which I break incredibly regularly and lose often as they are so hard to see once you've dropped them. But yesterday I managed to stab my hand down onto the end of one of these things, which proceeded to do its syringe impression and imbed itself into my hand. Delightful. With the capillary action and the spurting blood and the feeling of idiocy. Never mind. No harm done, no embedded glass, no contamination. Thumbs up all round.

Lots of discussions going on at work over the big lab shift around, will be an interesting day cleaning and arguing. Will be nice to get things clean again though, our last big clean-up was back in April or sometime, so it's good. And I'm going to randomly throw in to the arena (hello, labmates!) that we instigate a monthly lab clean-up where all the hoods get swept and cleaned and benches wiped down and clutter cleared away. Every month, on the 20th, since we're doing it around that day now. Comments? There's a nice little link down below for you to click (:-), or you know where I'm living......

Last night some guy came to look at house, seemed quite friendly and genuinely interested, and was looking for somewhere quite soon, so I may have a housemate (and split bills, wooo) very soon! Life just doesnt get more exciting.

I'm off now for a bike ride while the weather is good and it's still light, so maybe I'll blog later about my ride.....or some other random shite......

Droopy-eyed and faced

Meh. It's been a good week this week, lovely and quiet at work allowing me to get lots of comp work done without being disturbed, and much less of the usual teeth-grinding. And big news on the lab front is the coming rearrangement and redistribution of fume hoods.

Now, I can see the benefit in having a big clean-up - god knows we're filthy buggers - but shifting people around for the sake of it seems a little pointless, when a few tactical shunts would do the job just as well. But in this case I'm really complaining for no reason, since I've drawn the lucky long straw and dont actually have to move at all (:-). But changes going on around me mean that I'm switching from being in an all-female bay to being in an all male one. Deary me, will I be able to cope with the testosterone? Ordinarily I'd be quite all right with it, but it doesnt seem quite kosher to perve over people you know quite well, and dont actually fancy. Maybe the new first-years will turn up good? But I really shouldnt think like that! Rest assured, dear readers, that I'm not the rancid type who seduces the little'uns from a position of trust. Natch.

Also had a visit from the guy who does the maintenance on the house, nice bloke, who's been in touch with landlady who seems concerned over nobody moving into house. Well, to be fair, I'm really not surprised any more, now that I've had a look around at other available lets. She's asking quite an expensive price for the place, and I've seen quite a few ones open that are for less money and all inc. So she's priced out of the market. I should really jump ship myself, only it's such a hassle to move everything and sort out the bills and suchlike shite. Maybe I should do it anyway, it'd be good for me - but then there'd be the parking issue all over again! Speaking of which, bike was left on the usual spot, it will hopefully still be there and untouched and nice when I return! Must remember to fill up with petrol on Monday morning.

Came down on the train to see P again, we're both having a bit of a hard time being apart at the moment, probably kick-started by my spending the week here. But it seems like we're both agreed that we want to move in together and start a cozy love-nest (an insane cozy love-nest, but never mind) at the earliest opportunity. Unfortunately, this earliest opportunity is not yet foreseeable, what with me needing a new job and whatnot. I'm going to be spending quite a bit of time in the future sending out applications and speculative letters and suchlike rubbish. Should really see if I can contact Caterina's boyf Gavin and ask for some inside information!

Reading on the train was most relaxed, amusing review of the Scissor Sisters new album and free wallchart for the lab (remind me to bring it in, someone), though I'm already sick of the new track. Calm journey across London - it's lovely when the tub works properly - and then onto the shuttle to Brighton for a little bit of greek on the train and perhaps the huffiest bloke sitting opposite from Clapham. Ah well.

A lovely Friday evening then spent, and an even lovelier Saturday watching shit film and a better film, generally just chilled. Today holds the prospect of getting home late and feeling miserable, and then being hungry tomorrow owing to lack of shopping. I'll have to get some food in, I'm running more than a bit short! And then there's the booking of train tickets to worry about, and also tutorial stuff to ferret out from appropriate people......life goes on, doesnt it?

Nods out to Janer who's somewhere in the States - yes, we're crap at keeping in touch, but I've not spoken to Jo in over a year now *goggle eyes* and should really do something about that! Have a wicked time, and I'll see you next year......

Ooooh, dilemma

There's quite a bit of road-hacking up going on at the end of my street, most of it in the middle of the road where for some reason they are putting in traffic islands (why, who knows, they could be more concerned about filling in the potholes in the roads elsewhere)....the bits have been up in the road for a while now, but now they've started doing the bit at the end of my street on the corner. The corner where there's a handy unused bit of space I've been parking my bike on since about May. And this evening I come back to find a load of the building stuff left on it.

Now, this would not ordinarily bother me since I'd be up, on the bike and away to work before the diggers start, but tomorrow I was going to leave the bike at home since I'm off to Brighton for the weekend again (I know, I know!), which means the bike will be there to perhaps get in the way. Now, I'm loathe to park it anywhere else since I know a) how useless car drivers are at judging the distance to it, since I've been knocked over three times already and b) I'm not sure I'd be comfy parking around the city for all and sundry to gawk at and it be a new thing.

So, do I leave the bike there are have it in the way of the diggers and them maybe bashing it about? I'm not quite sure of whether I'm allowed to park where I am, but the bike was sitting there for at least two weeks while they dug up the road so they must have seen it there, and it's perhaps better that I leave it there now while I can still park it and not have to worry about getting in-an-out. Anyhew.

I think it best to leave it there. Parking at the station just isnt an option, and I dont know anyone else I'd be comfy about leaving it with. Hey ho. I'll just put it from my mind......

Hopeless

That is, in the sense of 'useless' like 'I'm hopeless at...washing a chicken (exo gratia)'

Cant be dealing with this real life thing. I've been wearing my rose-tinted specs for too long, since I've had a pretty smooth ride of it and not had much in the way of money hassles, for all that I moan about it. But I'm mildly concerned about not having much to show for having worked for eight months - I've paid off my overdraft (though I'm still using it, silly me) - but I still havent sorted out a lot of my issues, like changing my accounts so that I get a bit more interest, and cancelling some of my overdraft, and and and....it's all so much of a hassle. Add to this the unending stress of dealing with service industries, where you waste a fortune on calling them (the only way you can reliably get them to do as you want - they can only accept payments online and just cack up your life if you need anything else) just to tell them they arent doing their job properly. What a bummer.

And I'm a little worried about P, though I know I shouldn't be, on simillar kind of levels. The rallying cry here is 'it's not fair', but then it isnt likely to get any fairer anytime soon. And I dont want to have all the troubles of looking for work, it's just such a pain in the arse.......I'll have to take what I can damn well get, and that's more than depressing. (:-((((

*hugs* are needed, and so if any of you feel like dropping me one, then I'll return the favour.....

And the rest is....

It's been ever so quiet at work today. We've been missing four people from the group, all male, all talkative and so there's been a considerable drop in volume today. Also I think we havent had a third stereo on to increase the volume level. It's been nice and relaxing, and condusive to work. Nice.

Rest of the feeling of the day is less good, Jon-ster has been a bit not happy because of enforced re-purchase of bike cover (I'll chin the bastard that took it with me lid on if i find him) and composition of paper involving much phaffing. It has to be done tomorrow though, and done it shall be. I'm leaving off the practical work a little, since it's been getting on my nerves more than a little! Also miss P big time (:-( - and I can make an official note that I am not to refer to him as 'Mr grumps' or 'gramps' or '*insert insult here*' ever again!

Lonely house....still no-one moving in and no-one coming to look......eerie.....

Press statement

Hello everyone! Just thought I'd better update this, since it's been a few days now. I've been on the road, and there are a few little stories to tell.....

There's been a retirement conference for Stuart Warren, who is the old boss of my current boss. In a normal working environment this would be an odd thing, but academia is a law unto itself with any number of quirky habits, and mild sychophantism seems to be one of them. So off we all trundled to listen to quite a few names in the world of chemistry, far too many of which I have some mild connection with. *ick*

So, to travel the dumdeedum-odd miles to Cambridge, we (that's the group at work) all had to get up at silly o'clock to drive down. No real trouble, except that a certain person's car decided it wouldnt start, and so there was a lot of frantic ringing around to alert people, and then owing to not being able to get hold of one person, hanging around and phaffing for a while. Net result: hour and half late in departing and I could have had an extra kip in. Ah well.

Smooth journey down in Becky's, or as smooth as you could expect with a lovely dosing of the Strokes and Sir Mix-a-lot. Brilliant.

Conference-y business all OK, some interesting, some boring (there's a surprise), and a realisation again of how closed a little world I live an work in. An a little bit of self-disgust on that whole nepotism kind of front. Very closed shop it is.

Cambridge seems to be a very nice little city, but you never know with places like that whether they would be absolute hell to live in, what with marauding students and tourists all over the place. Oxford was OK when I lived there, but to be fair I wasnt constantly in the city. And seeing a place in sunshine is always helpful. Still, makes me want to go back and visit the place properly, since we didnt really get a chance to see any of it. Though Steve and I did take a random detour through the grounds of some college or other, and had to escape through a locked gate - d'you think we weren't supposed to be in there?

Managed to forget to pack any sleepwear for shared room arrangements, so had to sleep in pants. No great loss, but I'm a bit embarrassed. Sorry to Mandy for the arse-pinching incident. I shall not let roving hands get the better of me again.

Other than that, a swift journey back to Brighton and another nice couple of days with Mr. grumps (at least in the morning -x-), and I'm back home again this evening. Hopefully bike will have survived OK without it's cover, somebody nicked it on Wed night and I really dont know why, bit of a pain as they are quite pricey and phaffing with a tarpaulin is not what I want to be doing. So I'm going to have to buy ANOTHER, which would be the third one within twelve months. Arse, eh? Still.....Want to get back to riding pronto!

Cant keep away

A posting for all you Jon-ster fans out there. I just cant help myself when in comes to this typing thing....

First and foremost, a little message for P: kalosopais. I'll explain it when I see you!

Second of all, it's now official that I'm leaving work at Easter, for better or worse. Hopefully better, and I should damn well hope so! Job hunting to commence as soon as possible, kinda brings a whole memento mori to the proceedings, or more likely memento you have to eat. I feel a whole lot better now for having made it official though.

Third of all (and henceforth dispensing with the numbering), I'm feeling incredibly bad that I've not talked to anyone in far too long. Obviously my taste does tend towards the hermitic. This is not good.

Solving Sudoku at a rate of knots at the moment. Totally addictive. Just like coffee. Tell me, do I have an addictive personality? It seems I do. Good job I never did try drugs when I was younger, I'd be lying smacked up in a alley somewhere round about now. Interesting thought, that......

Having a bit of a bizarre thing with my bike at present, whereby I desperately want to ride but also dont. Think it's the onset of autmun, and the prospect of having to wash her in the pouring rain, and ride into work amongst crazy car drivers in ditto. Not so much fun. Ah well.

Managed to tidy up my crap this evening, and have rediscovered the train tickets that had been lost (hooray!), but not the software CD that actually belongs to P (hooroo). Bugger. Have also managed to hoover, a shocking event if ever there was one. I feel so clean and pure - makes a change, huh?

*click*

Welcome to September.

Been away for a very nice relaxing week, hence no posts here. Perhaps much to tell? Not really, I've not done a whole lot that is very interesting (or at least that I'm going to blog here), and now I'm back home at the start of my usual Monday depression. But it's OK this week, because it's only for three days!

Not taking bike to work this morning, for no real reason other than that I cant be bothered with the hassle of trying to start her and turn her over a bit to make sure she's good. Should do that this evening, but she also needs a wash and a lube, and the house needs cleaning, especially sorting out my room (which is a tip). There are several things I need to find, such as bills to pay and tickets that I need....ah well, disorganisation is my stock in trade these days, eh?

Good to be back in the blogosphere, but there are always reservations I have about being here.....