Archive for the ‘Personal’ Category
October 9th, 2006
Next month sees a popular sxsw event get it’s UK premier in London. 20×2 is 20 people given two minutes each to answer the same question, and I’ve taken the plunge and agreed to speak.
So “where am I?”… To be honest I haven’t got the first idea of what to say (or even if they’ll understand the Brummy dribble that will fall from my mouth). I’m excited, but know it could be brown trousers time on the night. Maybe that’s where i’ll be… on the loo.
If you’re free on Sunday, 19th November and in the London area, come along to Madame JoJo’s at 7pm, should be a good night (at least the other guy’s will be entertaining).
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September 21st, 2006
Sunday saw me and Katie meeting half-way between our two home towns in Oxford (yeah, long distance relationships are a bitch). And man, the weather for late September was amazing! So off we trottled on the open top bus, and had a day of touristy-magic. Including a trip to the Turf Tavern, a pub which was unsurprisingly full of American tourists and Oxford students not having the kind of conversations that I remember from University.
But not just that, oh no, not me and Katie! We went all out crazy-go-nuts on the tourist trail stopping off at the Oxford Story a trip back 900 years into Oxford history, and then (much to Katie’s delight) a bit of shopping at Alice’s Shop.
But, I think the pinnacle of the day was Oxford Castle Mound. Not that the mound itself was that amazing, just a lot of dirt, but the security system for keeping people who’d not paid the one pound entry fee was pretty much state of the art.
To get on the mound you first have to go in the shop and buy yourself a ticket. Upon exiting the shop you then make your way to the mound itself. Before ye can pass, ye must buzz the buzzer on the 5′ (possibly electrified) gate. Then, when your identification has been verified using a series of voice and DNA checks, the gate is opened electronically.
As we came down the mound we passed a guy who’d obviously missed the sign that said “this mound cost’s a pound” and was chased down by the huge guy who worked in the shop. I wouldn’t have liked to get on the wrong side of him.
So was the mound worth a pound? Well, we damn well made sure we got our monies worth! A whole 30 minutes we sat on the mound. It was quite a moving experience.
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September 11th, 2006
The decision to grow facial hair is one I took well over a year ago after being inspired by a freind who’s beard added a certain something cool to his face. So night and day for a solid month I’d have a constant straining-for-a-poo look on my face as I attempted to force the hairs out into the cold hard light of day.
Eventually I succeded in growing what some would call a beard, some would call “idiotic” and yet others would just call in to question.
I did try removing the beard once, but this only resulted in me getting id’ed for beer in my local Tesco. I quickly regrew it, again employing the straining technique.
So, for now at least, the questionable face fashion is staying. I did dabble with the idea of a Tom Selleck cos I think every man needs to experience the feeling of a bristly top lip at least once in his life. I guess watch this space.
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August 30th, 2006
Okay, maybe not a tan but you can certainly see the sun-burn line on my neck thanks to a groovy new haircut. What a week I’ve had in sunny (aka drizzly) Littlehampton, home of my No.1 lady-fan who also took a few well earned days off work.
So back at work again and last week feels a million miles away. This coupled with the impending winter and uncertainty about my future finds me in a melancholy mood this morning readers. Where oh where has our summer gone? Only a few weeks ago we were set for another heat-wave, and now we’re facing the arse end of August and hurtling towards colder weather faster than a greased-up fat man on a steep hill.
Perhaps it’s also because I’m moving out of my house that I’ve been in for six months this weekend. Admittedly I haven’t been there much, but I enjoyed my time at Drayman Close.
So all this leaves me feeling like I’m hanging on my the skin of my teeth, waiting for this storm to pass and coming to the realisation that I have no-one to blame but myself. Maybe it’s post holiday blues, but I suspect that’s just a contributing factor. I’ve felt God in all of this, I have had people I didn’t expect shore me up at times, and for that I’m very thankful.
So where now? What now? I guess I’ll just have to find out…
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August 15th, 2006
Ah, there’s nothing quite like basking in the warm glow of making a comment that stuns everyone in the room into silence. So it was one rainy October day in 2003, as Ross, Colin and I were trying to decide on whatever entertainment our dwindling student loans would allow. When, for some reason, my brain engaged my mouth without even asking me if it was OK and I herd myself say…
I know, lets play the hello world game! You know, where you have to think of as many ways as you can that you could write “hello world” in a programming language. Then the others have to guess what language you’re writing in!
It was a shameful moment for me. I knew as soon as I said it that it was a mistake. It was half meant as a joke, but there was no getting away from the disdainful looks that the others gave me. There was no choice, I had committed myself to this, and now I had to see it through, so I opened my and out flew this gem…
I’ll go first. What language is this… “Response dot write ‘hello world’ ?”
Needless to say Colin and Ross have taken the p*** ever since.
The Century!
On a completely unrelated matter, this is my 100th post. Hopefully it wont take another year and eight months to write another 100. I might even get myself a little cake to celebrate!
16 Comments »
August 10th, 2006
I can’t remember who it was but someone once told me a story of the first ever Coca-Cola factory. It went a little something like this…
As soon as construction on the original Coke factory was completed the then CEO of the company ordered another identical factory built right next door. This was done because in the two years it would take to complete the sister factory, the Coke would’ve eaten away at the mixing vats in the original building to such a degree as to render them unusable. The whole operation could then be transferred into the new factory, and they would have a two year period in which to repair the original vats before the whole operation needed to be moved back again.
Now I’m pretty sure this is just an urban legend (don’t you just love ‘em?), but it illustrates the stuff that may be believable about “The worlds favorite soft drink”. I must admit, I love Coke, and lately I’ve been drinking on average a half litre bottle a day. My desk a work is a grave-yard of empty red-labeled bottles.
Besides the environmental damage I’m doing by throwing away all that plastic, I’m pretty sure I’m damaging my insides as well. I gave up Coke for lent this year, and I couldn’t wait for my first glass on Easter Sunday. Even to the point of waiting to get to a pub where I knew they had ice-cold Coke in a real glass bottle. Yes, it was even harder than giving up beer as I’d done the month before.
So am I addicted? I realise that an addiction to a sweet sticky drink isn’t perhaps the most serious thing in the world, but maybe I should try going without for a while again, just to see if I can. Anyway, that’s all I have to say on the matter.
14 Comments »
August 1st, 2006
Ah, I used to love a bit of photography, getting down in the mud to get that perfect low angle sharp focus background, soft foreground shot (you know the sort). But then, it all stopped. My Flickr became a bit of a waste ground of random holiday shots and friends eating ice cream.
So then what to do? Well, If it’s anything like all my other “creative” ideas it’s simply to stop the boredom at work when the clients are procrastinating. Nevertheless, I have made a start! Armed with a couple of photos of Katie and good old Photoshop 7 I made this…
… Okay, so maybe it isn’t the most creative idea in the world, but with other my friends out doing me at every turn, I’ve gotta start catching up!
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July 25th, 2006
More adventures from our weekend of camping…
Beware when you’re out and about in the wilds of Bakewell, you may just chance to meet the infamous tent monster. I’ve heard there’s a hefty reward for his capture, but none of use were brave enough to attempt it after it eat Steph. We’ll miss ya girl… sniff.
Update: Thanks to Dan, we now have freedom from the evil You Tube!
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July 25th, 2006
In an attempt to cut living cost I’m trying to sell my car, it just drinks petrol. So yesterday I got it valued on the “wonderful” Glass’s Motoring Guide Website. Glass’s bill themselves as
The leading European provider of the information you need for one of your biggest purchasing decisions.
Well, you’d think they’d have some money to spend on a decent website then wouldn’t you? Nonetheless, I forged ahead, and entered all my details, and duly paid the £2.99 using my switch card. Pressing the submit button, I sat back to wait for my valuation to instantly pop up on the screen. And I waited. Then waited some more.
When it became clear that they’d taken my money and ran, I click on the “contact us” link, hoping to find a telephone number so I could call them and politely ask them what happened. But no, only an address and a feedback form greeted me. 7 hours later I received a reply, which said…
Dear Jon
Thank you for your e-mail.
Please may we have a few more details to help us locate your valuation.
Information requested -
MAKE
MODEL
ENGINE SIZE
MILEAGE
DOORS
Within seconds I’d sent them this information. And I waited. And then waited some more. (this seems to be a recurring theme with them). So as it stands at the moment they’ve stolen £2.99 from me. Brilliant! So my recommendation? NEVER use this website, in fact use their fine competors, they’re sure NOT to rip you off!
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July 24th, 2006
Has it really been over 12 months since I last went camping? But it was certainly worth the wait! Last week we’d had some of the hottest temperatures on record, and looking forward to a camp weekend was just the thing I needed to get me through the work week.
As the weekend approached, it got hotter and hotter and as temperatures soared to the mid 30s the good old bbc weather told me there was torrential rain forecast for Saturday in Derbyshire. Well, the weather didn’t disappoint! Amazing lightening and the welcome refreshment the rain brought just added to the fun of the weekend.
So as the rain set in we decided to visit some caves called the Devil’s Arse, so called because of the wet farting noises the river makes when it’s draining away post-flood. Unfortunately we didn’t get to hear the cave’s flatulence, but we did have a very interesting cave guide. She was magnificent to say the least!
Anyway, we got some cool photos, so if you’re interested have yourself a look.
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