Slow Progress Against Goals

I've ordered a new phone. I can't remember what it does, precisely, but it's considerably more up-to-date than my existing one. This is winging it's way to me over the next 24 hours, so I'll pick it up from the Royal Mail depot on Friday after noone is in to sign for it.

What with this being a contract phone, and therefore boundless amounts of free minutes, you can expect to hear considerably more from me (than you would like to) in the immediate future.

Minor Peeve

What really annoys me is when I come to write a blog, knowing full well I had thought of a decent topic earlier in the day - yet when I come to write, it's gone. Nothing.

Currently I'm kicking on from my plan of yesterday by looking at phone plans. I'm trying to find one that actually fits my needs. It would help if I knew what my needs were, but this is at least helping to provide some form of comparison as a helpful introduction.

Ding

So, as the more astute among my readers noticed, yesterday was my birthday. This has increasingly become 'just another day' a lot of the time, as to go with my general laissez-faire attitude towards birthdays as a whole, there's also the lack of real motivation to do anything! In the end we went out for a meal as a family, which was pleasant.

This week I have a surprisingly amount I would like to get done, chiefly because this upcoming weekend I'm off to Leeds for Mark's wedding. I have a longer list than I'd have liked at this point! I need to get this sorted, in other words.

How's the progress going on my 'list of things I wanted to get done'? Well, not too overwhelmingly. I've still not got a new phone, nor have I sorted out learning to drive. I'm doing a bit more exercise but not a drastic amount - although I think it's going in the right direction. There's a lot I still want to get sorted out, and it strikes me as an irony that I'm sitting here a short while ago asking Chrissi as to what to do. Perhaps working on this list would be a good starting point!

Only in England ...

It strikes me as bizarre that the rules and regulations for uploading a passport-style picture to get a Young Person's Railcard are stricter than those to get an actual passport. Well, so it seems from the rules anyway.

Today was another tremendously successful orange shirt day. Because at the moment the prospect of ironing is fighting a losing battle, it will almost certainly be followed by a red shirt day tomorrow. Sadly, I can't continue the colour spectrum into Thursday.

So, it's my birthday on Saturday! Who knew? As it strikes the 'inbetween' weekend, bookended by Mark's stag do and wedding, I'd looked upon it as a week off. Now I need to somewhat plan something or at least think of a list of presents or other things I may like. Refer back to last year and the phenomenally failed effort to get myself organised on this front, and you'll get an idea of the sort of lax attitude I have to things that I want.

Surprising Discomfort

I am shocked by how much I am aching from sleeping on the ground camping this weekend. It does not bode well for my general state of health if this is the case.

Tonight my internet is working reliably, which is a distinct improvement over yesterday - cutting out at irritating five-ten minute intervals for a few seconds. This was especially entertaining while I was watching the baseball live via the internet, as I would have a good few seconds of watching no actions, but the commentators talking - before we switched to connection dying, something happening in the game, and just getting reconnected in time for the next break in play.

Because of this, and the fact that it was a classic pitchers' duel, I missed the only run of the game. On the plus side, Angels still won in extras; I just didn't get to see it properly!

Brief Lessons Learned Review

As we do at work, theoretically, after a project has been completed, a brief lessons learned review from this weekend's festivities:

1. Fields covered with horse muck, divots, ditches, and horses make interesting sports venues. If your eye is on the frisbee or the ball, it is not on where you are going, and that's a fatal error.

2. In a weekend of rain and cloud, I still managed to get sunburnt. I am not sure how this happened, but I need to wear more sunscreen.

3. Bring a sleeping bag if you're going to be camping. Sid didn't. It was ... cold, I understand.

4. Buy less food for barbeques. It's always eaten, but too much is eaten - just to avoid it going to waste. A little more control and rationing of the meat is warranted.

5. Mark looks ... worryingly natural in a dress:



Was a good weekend!

Metereologically Sound Timing

Well, I promised an update today so I must be true to that. Due to this devotion to my handful of readers, I'm quickly scribbling down a blog in the five minutes before I'm supposed to be leaving.

This weekend is Mark's stag do, so several of us are decamping - quite literally - to the New Forest. With great predictability, the English summer is doing what the English summer does, and providing great amounts of rain. I'm sure we'll cope. Last night, with thunder and lightening putting on an impressive show, I suspected this weekend may be interesting.

Looking at the weather map today - the part where the heaviest rain is seems to be concentrated on where we're going. This seems typical, really. However, it's supposed to brighten up tomorrow! I've got myself, a sleeping bag, several changes of clothes and a camera. I think that's all I need.

Back Sunday.

If You're All Alone

... pick up the phone, and call - Ghostbusters. This title came from a surreal moment while vaguely pondering for a blog title at work today, and the general concept went straight into the wonderfully terrible Ghostbusters Rap.

The reason for this is that Dad is enjoying his birthday present and away for a few days; enjoying driving a classic car around Yorkshire and the general North. The birthday present was from his generous and in all other ways fantastic children, as it was his sixtieth birthday this year. However, because this is clearly in high demand, it took from early May until now for the car Dad wanted to be available!

This means that I am fending for myself - well, quite adequately really. But it is a little empty around here in the house to myself. Tomorrow I have the day off work, which means I experience the excitement of a four day week. My working week is over as of this evening, in fact, which is always fun. More on tomorrow tomorrow, though. I don't want to overreach!

Lights! Camera! Wasps!

The only thing I can remember from work today was that I had to save a colleague, Hannah, from a wasp. Having pointed out a couple of weeks ago that I wasn't too bad with dealing with wasps and am not too bothered by them, I then got called with an appeal for help as a wasp was apparantly besieging the HR office.

However, with the help of a sturdy booklet, I gently escorted it out of the window, and its reign of terror was over.

Hidden Costs

So weddings are expensive. Not necessarily the hosting, although I'm sure that's the case too. But attending them. Train tickets, hotel costs, etc, etc. Fortunately I'm not female, or I'd have to buy a new dress for each wedding I attended too. I do have a new suit, admittedly, but that was a present to me as much as anything else!

The thing about Mark's wedding is that it's making me forget it's my birthday coming up - sandwiched as my birthday is in the weekend between Mark's stag do and Mark's wedding. I need to start making a list of things I'd like. Or think of anything, really, as I usually do!

Any suggestions?

Week of Activity

So for a change, my lack of updating this week has not been through boredom or nothing to say, but actually lots of things meaning I've not even been here.

Firstly, during the week I've been busy at work, and then in the evenings too - Thursday was poker night, which ended in a triumph for me which puts me top of the leaderboard. Friday was intended to be a team social, but a gradual thinning of numbers just resulted in a few of us going out for a drink instead. Still very pleasant.

Saturday was busy too. First up was lunch with Tim, Paul and Mike, Tim being back in Woking for a while. This was very enjoyable and it was good to see Tim again, as I've not caught up with him for far too long. This sort of thing admittedly does happen when people move away, but I still always feel slightly remiss for it.

I went straight up from this to London to meet Dad and my cousins, Armaan and Alyia. They are in London for the week as a graduation present for Armaan (high school graduation. Not university. I don't get it either!). I've not seen them for probably nine years, so it was a little bit of a shock for me! The last time I remember them, Armaan was 8 and wanting to play with lego, and Alyia would have been six and demanding Rachel play with barbies with her. They are now both distinctly not six and eight.

It was a really enjoyable afternoon/evening, all considered, and it was nice to catch up with them. It gives me another motivation to do the 'promised' trip to see Chrissi via meeting family in Canada, which I've been talking about for a while but never actually done. Perhaps I'll try that for October!

Those Promised Vegas Pictures

I said I'd upload these pictures, and those of you who have me as a friend on Facebook will have undoubtedly seen these already. However, I will repost them here just for the absurdity that was my hotel room in the MGM Grand.


A phone in the toilet. Just why is there a phone in the toilet?


Not to mention, why is there a television screen in the middle of the bathroom mirror?

Plain bizarre.

Inaccuracies: A Contemplatory Interjection

So, twice today I read in the newspaper incorrect facts that made me angry. Mainly because people simply should be more intelligent than they are.

Firstly, this morning I saw an article in the Metro as to how Fabio Capello wants England to be only the second team after Brazil to win the World Cup out of their hemisphere. As tenuous an opportunity as it is, the point remains it's rather difficult. This is mainly because in addition to Brazil (winning in Sweden in 1958, Mexico in 1970, USA in 1994 and South Korea in 2002), the second team to win the World Cup out of their hemisphere was Argentina, who won the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

Do people not think or bother to check these facts?

Well, clearly not. Because in the evening paper, I was treated with the delights of several people writing in talking about a 300-year association between Scotland and England. This is very nice. Except that for most historians, the union of Scotland and England occurs not with the official and neatly named 'Act of Union' in 1707, but one hundred and two years earlier, with the ascension to the throne of James I (James V of Scotland), who was the first King of 'Great Brittaine' as he termed himself.

Not two particularly interesting facts, but the fact that I knew both facts were wrong off the top of my head proves either that I retain useless trivia, or that people need to not talk about things without making sure they're correct first. Or perhaps both!

Blatant Plug

Today's post is dedicated to entirely plugging Mike's picture page. Mainly because it is awesome, but also because I said I would - and it has pictures of me too. This may or may not be a selling point, time will decide. As I have no idea who actually reads this thing any more, if anyone, Mike has been doing a photography degree (and has just completed said degree), so has pretty much been an on-hand papparazzo for any social or vaguely social event.

Anyway, do take a look, it can be found at the imaginatively titled www.mikebutcher.com.

A couple of samples of the pictures including me are included for your general entertainment and amusement.


At Virgina Water on Easter Monday


New Year's Eve 2008, post-midnight (so technically at this point, New Year's Day 2009)

Followers! Readers! Minions!

I debate on how many of the above are true. A discussion this evening at the pub (the fabled Badger Rib of old, properly termed the Bridge Barn) mentioned my blog. Apparantly people read it, which is still a shock to me. I'm delighted though, it's nice to know that people actually care enough to bother to read. It makes me think I should put more care into what I write here to reciprocate!

While mentioning this evening, it would be appropriate to mention that it was a most enjoyable time. It's always good to catch up with people, and I am remiss in not making the effort as much as I should. This is something that I keep intending to do and then always feel guilty about afterwards. However, with two social engagements over the upcoming month - first Mark's stag do, and then his wedding - that takes care of two weekends for me. But I must make the effort more. Learning to drive would also b a good start, eventually, if only to win the battle with Mike on this front - but would also open up more potentialities.

I'm sitting here next to my open window enjoying the cool breeze. The warm spell has broken a little today - last night it was somewhat spectacular to watch through my open window as I saw the sky lit up with distant lightening like some ethereal imagery.

Thus ends a tiring week - both at work (covering for my line manager who was off along with general busy activities), and in addition to that the sweltering heat. As has been my pattern recently, I'm trying to do more at weekends. I'll see what I get done tomorrow!

What

Internet is fixed. So much for my early night.

The Other Breakdown

So my bus broke down on the way home through overheating. This heatwave lark is tiring. It's at this point of the year that I'm jealous of women for their ability to wear skirts - not that I like to wear skirts, to clarify, or ever have, but because it's a little less stifling than trousers, and men don't have an alternative option.

Now where can I find a kilt to wear to work ...

Also, in other news, my new suit came. It's awesome. In less awesome news, the trousers don't fit. This either involves a mass exercise regime or sending them back for a pair that fits, so I went with the latter. I should start on the former though soon.