To share

About some doco maker in the Arctic, cribbed from TV review of Nancy Banks-Smith, Guardian, this date;

"He found that Nenet dress is warmer and suppler than anything you can buy in a shop, and that peeing at -30C is surprisingly painful. Not for the reason you suppose. Reindeer are very partial to the salt in urine and jostle round in anticipation. He wouldn't have minded if it weren't for the horns."

Arf.

Whole new shallows

I'm so unaware of myself. I thought I was, but I'm not. Strange how you discover things about yourself as you go along your merry way.....

Has been an enjoyable yet strange bank holiday. The weather turning was obviously a blessing, but also a curse as it means perhaps the last of the nice weather has been snatched from my biking year. Yes, I'm still off the road and not liking it, though at the moment am not liking the prospect of money payments more. Time spent lounging around and realising how inarticulate I am, fun rolling around with P (who know me better than myself these days, it seems) and no sunburn. And lots of eating out (ish) in the bargain. Happy (:-)

Today a little bit odd. Received an obvious text message in error from Chris (who will have to be termed SurreyChris, to avoid confusing certain bloggardes), always an amusing prospect. Especially since this was obviously an 'I've met someone new over the weekend' kinda text that clearly wasnt me, yet I did feel quite a bit jealous as I've not had that 'falling for someone' feeling since forever. I want in, though I dont want a man-trade-in; the more I think about it, the more lucky I realise I am to have P at all, soppy as that makes me seem.

Work today was extremely on the quiet side, since out of a lab of 9 persons, 5 were away at either conferences or holidays. At least it was 2 at either end, so we werent all lonely, though I could tell that one of us (not me, in this case!) was feeling the need for more conversation. I had one of those days where a reaction you've done several times before decides to do something completely different instead, to be timed with the use of the new batch of catalyst; hence it probably means the catalyst is biching off or super-charged, either way I'm screwed and the previous 6 steps in this synthesis may have been wasted! Arses! But otherwise I'm tootling along nicely, feeling like I'm really getting on with things for a change. And home early for cooking and fiddling about means I'm almost up to speed domestically, except for the laundry. On this front, I can entirely blame the existence of WoW since I never had problems before. Unfortunately I cant but the bastard game down, so I'm not doing any of the kind of reading I used to, nor learning my lines properly either! I think I'll be taking my script on the way to work again tomorrow and seeing if I can get a bit more of it into my skull.

All in all, I'm all over the place. Life could be a lot better, could be a lot worse, but overall, I'm enjoying myself. Now if only someone would drop a cost-free mechanic-electrician on my doorstep I'd be set. Oh, and the paunch could do with being lost, but I'm almost resigned to that one now.......

Laters.

Thank bollocks it's the bank holiday

Well, yes and no. I'm totally ready for a weekend just doing nothing at all, but what I really should be doing is fixing the bike. Seems like it isnt just a little nick in the wire, since that has now been all cleaned and taped up, yet no power running at all. Battery is slowly losing charge, but still should be enough to light up the sodding neutral light, so it looks like there are either some major problems elsewhere. I'm damned if I know what to do, since I'm a total nonce at this business. I really, really dont want to have to fork out a load of money to have someone look at it, but I may go slightly insane if tied to doing a 4 mile round-trip walk every day along a bloody main road (:-(((((

But what's worse is the idea of being ever-so-slightly isolated. I may have to investigate the bus options come next week, since I clearly wont be back on the road by then. Or even the week after that. I get the inkling that I will indeed be forking out a load for a fixing, it's all bloody annoying. Perhaps it's almost better to trade in for something new (well, new to me even if a couple of years old) every year just to save on this hassle. But I dont really mean that. I mean, this wont have lasted me 2 years and that's just ridiculous.

What I need more, perhaps, is just back-up. But then running 2 bikes and keeping them ticking without the use of a garage is hardly any better than running 1 and being totally shot in the foot like I am now it's knackered. What's worse is the emotional angst I've got over the whole thing; it's an inconvenience, yes, but I seem to have totally lost all perspective over it. I'm useless at coping.

Like I say, thank bollocks it is the bank holiday and I can hopefully kick back and enjoy it. I'm going to miss riding like hell. Totally addictive, not sure I can give it up.......

Grease monkey

Just had a shower to clean the grease off my arms. Coated in the stuff, and boy it felt rather good (:-). Been trying to get the side and front off my bike, failed miserably at that since half the screws have lost their grip, but I managed to gain enough access to find a little bit of wear and tear - the tiniest nick! - on one of the cables. There may be more, but hopefully this is the problem solved.

Major thanks go out to Chris for coping with me going all stupid. I may yet need his help again, but I'm most grateful!

Grrrr, been a butch early-evening. Time for dinner.

Traumatised

Hello there! A week since the last post, I'm not being very good at this update lark. Never mind, it's not like it's that important.

Anyhow, I am feeling quiet traumatised, and yes, it is bike linked. Something
is up with it. I've deduced that it's probably electrical, since the battery is fully charged and on occassion will start ping with no problem! But on occasion it is totally dead. So there's some sort of electrical connection that is playing silly buggers, but I dont know where to start with looking at it.....

Never mind. I'm more concerned about the effect it is otherwise having on me, because I do feel entirely traumatised. There's no real cause for it; it's not like I'm totally dependant on my bike, but in a way, I also am. Getting around without it is going to prove very annoying, certainly in the coming week because even if it does start I'm not risking taking it to work and having it conk out on me there. But I dont know what to do about getting her fixed, because it'll otherwise cost me a fortune but I dont want to be without it for too long! And with winter approaching, it's going to become ever less convenient, and then.....

Whatever. It's a problem and I'm stuck with it. I'll sort it out sooner or later!

Up late

Yes, I am. I'm up very late. It's a Sunday, and I shouldn't be, but I appear to have a slight dread of going to bed this evening. Clearly I'm at the start of my nervous breakdown, so afraid of tomorrow that I can't go to sleep, in the crazy logic that if I stay awake, it's still today. Half-arsed logic, but logic nonetheless.

Anyhow, this weekend has been a little bit stressful, even though it shouldn't. Visiting P was very nice, and though he vomits for me to say so, so constantly, I do miss him when he's not around [even when being the ultimate nismus-one (:-P ]. A failing on my part, something that I swore I'd never do was get so hung up in such a way! Ah well, time makes fools of us all.

But the weekend. Bit warm for all concerned, especially since walking to the end of Brighton pier there were numerous horrors of exposed flesh. Oh the cancer, the cancer! So many sunburned bodies, so many healthy cells becoming melanomas! Oh the shockingly awful sight of the fat man in the speedoes! I'm not one to restrict anybody's freedom of movement or expression (unless it's really rampantly idiotic/wrong/slightly annoying), but there is a certain degree of compassion to be had for the eyes of the populous. Bit hot down the end of the pier owing to lack of sea breezes, and the large lunch made me fell particularly porky. I'll be changing my internet moniker to Pork-ster or Snufflepig or something anyday soon.

I'm actually getting into the swing of some random typing now, coffee anyone? Actually, no, that really would keep me awake all night, and I actually dont want to stay up late. What, you thought I was serious with the nervous breakdown stuff back up there? You clearly dont know me all that well, bloggardes, my bipolar disorder has a period of about thirty seconds, and I'm on an upswing at the moment! Oh wait....here we go.....

Actually, reminds me that I need to look up the details of getting to some form of theme park in the near future. I'm feeling the need to go and ride something with a big drop and some loops on it. Coaster riding is fun, and since P's apparently never been on one, we have to remedy this situation. Anyone else want to come?

Week coming feels slightly ominous, but I think it's just my general existenstial dread. This will be cured by sleeping, because then my ego takes over and I start having dodgy yet thoroughly enjoyable dreams about shagging people at work. Or not; it was actually quite disturbing, that one. My id needs to be reined in somewhat, but dreamstates are not exactly things to be reliably volitional, yes? You all know what I'm talking about. At least, I hope you do.

Right, that'll be enough to keep you going on Monday morning! And enough randomness from me. Really, I shouldnt write so much like this with free-flowing thought, it could be quite embarrassing should the information get into the wrong hands...but I do so like touch-typing at speed!

Laters, b's...

Adding up the little pieces

Hmmmm. My gossip instinct has been intruiged. Now this post will become ever more obscure as I go - not mentioning any names or places, you see - but stick with me!

So you know how you dont really think of something until a small extra bit of information goes click and brings with it a lot of other pieces. Kinda like when you solves crosswords and one word helps you fill in all the rest. Well, something of that kind has happened this evening, except that I dont know if the answer is right or not. Thus every deduction I have made from that one bit of dropped word could be wrong. I think not, but it could be.

Anyhoo, it has made me think about someone in a whole new way, so I shall be examining their words most carefully in the coming weeks. I'm useless at subtle interrogation, so I wont bother with that. I'm not subtle, end of, really. In the words of Rolf Harris, can you tell what it is yet?

Enough of this, I can tell I'm rambling already. So on with some news. My plans for this weekend have changed slightly, since now I shall not be dog-sitting and getting leg-shagged. Last minute change of plans since one of said dogs is in season, and I cant cope with mutts on the blob. So true. Instead, I shall be in Brighton as per usual and will see what I can get up to. Possibly nothing rude, owing to the +1 in with P at the moment (great shame), but I'm sure something will turn up!

Right, back to reading everyone else's blog. I'm really being incoherent of late. Will have to read some Joyce and get back my lucid style.

Toodles, bloggardes!

Oh. My. God.

This is old. I mean old. It's a whole grown-up person old. I feel ancient.

Gotta love the dancing though (:-))))))

It makes me smile

Youtube. Morally indefensible? Very probably. That's still not going to stop me looking up plenty of stuff on it. Recently I have been looking up some stuff, which I thought I'd share....so have a nice listen here, here and here. And I just like the video on the last one!

I'm in fact mildly worried that I find religious music so uplifting. So much for being the critical humanist, eh? (no sniggering at the back) Well, if it works, then all well and good. But slightly worrying nonetheless.

Too early in the morning to be cohesive!

Toast

Toast for breakfast this morning. Not usually very filling, unless I have twenty slices (i.e. a whole loaf, porker that I am), but porridge is off the menu because I forgot to buy any. Porridge isnt exactly a summery breakfast anyways, but I dont have time in the morning to be phaffing about peeling mangoes and whipping up waffle batter, do I?

I'm still suffering from the dreaded lurgy, hacking myself silly with a dry cough that, no matter how much fluid I drink, I cant seem to make productive. Perhaps this is a good sign that it's almost over? I hope so. I'm starting to be a little tired of constantly sounding like the walrus of love.

Still nice today, I'm tempted to go riding after work, but the thing is, these days, I get home and just want to crash and play WoW. I'm totally addicted. Not that it occupies my every waking moment, but I've kinda ditched a lot of other things I used to do in order to play. Hopefully it'll wear off after a while, but at the moment I'm living out my life as an alter-ego. Or one of my alter-alter-egos.

Invite me somewhere, bloggardes, and I will come. I need rescue!

Phew wot a scorcher!

Wow. Summer has arrived with a vengance! It's really warm today, has been very nice all this past week and hopefully it is here to stay! Nice.

Anyhow, I've been tut-tutted at for not updating my blog constantly - seems I'm only here for your amusement, bloggardes - so I'm updating now. Have to back-track about a week and a half, so bear with me....

P turned up a little early a week last Wednesday. Owing to strange circumstances, there's an extra person in his flat and it was getting a little bit uncomfortable, so he came up to visit me (to be able, as he put it, to spazz out and walk around naked; see, it's not just me). Nice, but unexpected! I think he became a little bit bored around my place though, not fun. Still....I was very glad to have him around.

The saturday was a trip to Guildford, to discover a farmers' market and lots of the stall-holders that I know of old from Winchester! Oh, delight! Really good to find that out, but Guildford is a touch far to be scooting off all the time, just doing my shopping. Though possibly no further than Winchy from Soton. Anyhoo, it may all be academic now that foot-and-mouth has reared its head in Surrey, v. close by.

Also in Guildford was a trip to the opticians, do discover that no, I'm not going blind, and that I might have herpes in my eye. Before you all go leaping to inordinate conclusions, I'm not talking about VD (ewww, what a thought), rather herpes simplex - the virus that causes cold sores. I have some scarring on the back of my eye which might indicate that, but they couldnt say for sure. And apparently it is not to be cured and could be recurrent, which is a pain. Still, it was amusing to see the optician say 'it could be herpes simplex' and then very quickly cover her tracks that it's not the VD-version! Luckily I already knew the difference.

So at any rate, no specs for me just yet, but could be coming along within ten years or so. Watch this space.

P then became ill, poor boy, and ended up staying with me for far longer than he expected, I think it really put a strain on him. Serves me right for living in a tiny flat in the middle of nowhere!

Not much else in the way of news, till we get to this weekend and the hot weather. Headed up to London to see friend Janer who is tootling off to Oz after being in the country a bare four months. Some people are just too cheeky. Good to see her, good to catch up, though we did spend a lot of time walking around parks such that my knees and feet really hurt. This is partly my own fault. Having slept in and having had to rush out to catch the train, I managed to a) not have any breakfast, b) not have a shower and c) not have any cash on me. Great stuff, as I discover there's some Wales-England game on at Twickenham and the train is rammed with rugby fans. Ordinarily this would not bother me - hell, I'd actually quite like it - but the air conditioning was not strong enough to cope, so just boiling hot and no shade and too many people. I really felt like I was about the chuck up on the train; luckily did not. All of this whilst getting riper by the second and noticing my own pungent pheromones get stronger and stronger.

The day continued in the mucky theme. Since I've left my shoes with friend Martin in Southampton, and my good shoes are buggered with the sole detached, and my sole other non-boot pair of shoes is locked up at work. So I went to London in my flip-flops. And hence acquired the skankiest pair of feet in all of Christendom. Black doesnt begin to describe it, and I dread to think what it all consisted of. Still, was more pleasant than shoes, and it gave me nice blisters between my toes where the strap rests, fantastic. Shamefully, I also came home and instead of being sensible and washing my feet straight away, I ended up just putting on a pair of socks and going to bed. I disgust even myself these days.

Much coffee, much beer had in London, though well spaced apart with lots of walking and sunning. Only 3 or 4 pints across the whole day, in total, I guess, but enough with the espresso to make me constantly in need of the loo.

Today has been more relaxing and domestic. My plans to go out riding have come to nought after my trip to the shops and consequent boil-in-the-leather-bag effect. Maybe later when it is cooler, but right now I'm cooking and successfully heating up my flat with the oven. I'm stupid, eh? Still, should be tasting nice in a little while!

That's it for today. Will post mid-week again at the latest, I promise!