Y Wegof Di-Reswm

I'm Going In... To Sin City

2007-07-13T18:42:00.000+01:00

WED
I woke early then slept some more so that I awoke late – I did nothing except get ready to catch a train… To Middlesborough – I needed change of scene.
I met Dai near to Yarm station on the out skirts of ‘Boro’ – it seemed a pleasant affluent suburb. It was a fair walk what with my bag and ropey tendon, but a cup of tea helped. Dai though that evening had to go out in a last minute change of plan with some TA business, I stayed in and watched some of his DVD collection – I hadn’t seen Sin City and some of the others.
THU
The next day we popped into Boro and Dai was on call and had to go to work – Boro centre seemed pleasant enough – however I was utterly unable to find a t’interweb café and gave up after a while as the ambulation was painful – Dai had no web access at home.
I got back to Yarm and watched a few more DVD’s – but skipped movies this time and watched Bill Bailey – He does a very good Welsh accent as it happens and I did laugh at the Cheese On Toast gag! Lol!
FRI
I got back to Manchester just after midday on Friday and just sorted out some odds and sods… I’m now wondering if anyone’s out ce soir?

Bishop's Finger

2007-07-10T20:21:00.000+01:00

This is probably a mistake, but here’s the post…

T’was so boring, I’m house bound due to injuries, I ended up cleaning – rubbish. Thankfully Jon was working in Chorlton and popped in during his lunch for a brew... welcome relief.
Today saw the relief of the diaries of the Egotistical Alistair Campbell – Twat – the telly says the diaries, at least what is published is old news, however one interview did amuse me at one point: Campbell, “I never wrote these diaries with the intention of publishing them”, Interviewer, “Did it come as a surprise when they came out in hardback then?” LOL – I did laugh.
I’m otherwise stressed - I think, despite the St. John’s Wort I’ve come out with a bad complexion, another reason maybe not to leave the confides of the house…

Some pictures from the BBQ on Saturday should be available on the Hyperdoopelator - although they did work initially when I checked later they weren’t appearing for some reason…

Tuesday was much of the same – however Beckie rang and mentioned that she had to go to Bolton for this and that and did I fancy going for a drive - I did but her motives between you and me puzzle me – there’s no thaw I think, though sometimes I almost convince myself otherwise – if feigned, her indifference is subtly done, most impressive… but yet she remains in contact… why? The most obvious reason would seem to be that it keeps guilt at bay? I don’t know maybe it’s something else, but what? Genuine concern possibly, but I don’t want charity then in that case. Women!

I hope this isn’t read by too many people.

I think my brain has slowed down - I’ve been ‘sipping’ okay swigging at some quality ales as I’ve wrote this and the songs that I’m listening to on the headphones (so they’re as loud as possible – but not enough) seem faster than normal – especially with the current track – Bowie’s China Girl ;-). It’s good beer though. Shepherd’s Neame – a Kentish ale, Bishops Finger and Spitfire… I was invited over Rolf’s tonight – a Cardiff lad resident near here and a regular touch Rugby player – but I’ve had o reject due to my current situation in various respects – I think I’ll visit Middlesbrough tomorrow, I know two people there and need a change. Maybe a job awaits up there, but the North East… or maybe the fates amass in the Big ‘C’ – Cardiff.

As mentioned earlier – a favourite quote of mine by an unknown critic was about the short lived sitcom ‘Rhona’ starring Rhona Cameron – the critic said of it: ‘The last time I saw something so wooden and fundamentally unfunny… it was being lowered six feet in to the ground’ – now that is Comedy Gold!
It also makes me think of Bob Monkhouse’s line… ‘When I told the I wanted to be a comedian, they laughed… well, (pause) they’re not laughing now!’

Twenty20

2007-07-08T23:03:00.000+01:00

Friday was another day badly affected by the weather – and affected by my ropey Achilles tendon, which has stopped me cycling and hurts now when I walk beyond 20 meters… Why is it being like this? I’m I now to be house bound as well?

In addition, although the rain stopped in the afternoon, the cricket for which I’d brought a ticket – Lancs v Leics in the Twenty:20 competition was cancelled due to the rain, the ticket was only £9 but I can get most of it refunded minus a £2.70 admin charge apparently.

To keep occupied, I brought some protein (different to my other – no simple carbs) as suggested by Marek, the physio, and a decent Vino Tinto or two for the following day’s party thingemejig. I also picked up some Ginseng for it’s healing properties… I’ve also been taking Turmeric for it’s properties too.

I also put up a punch bag which I drilled into a doorframe although I can’t really use it properly at the moment due to my various injuries. Shame!

In the evening because on the previous evening Spencer couldn’t make it out he’d suggested popping out Friday instead, it so happened Jon and Vix called around so we went out to the pub quickly expecting Spencer to catch up, Spencer being Spencer didn’t…!!

I left the house in the morning to try and watch Australia v South Africa, it wasn’t a bad game I suppose but disappointing as South Africa’s depleted side struggled to hold their lead.

I was late getting to the rest of the day’s entertainment – Soo’s annual Bouncy Castle BBQ, it’s the fault of Luke and Phil who were sorting the lift out and had gone out and got, it would seem particularly leathered the night before!

It had started at 11am but we didn’t arrive until 3pm. Handily the weather for once held and was even quite warm and sunny for much of the day. Keeping off the beer I’d decided to sip at red wine, and picked up a few decent bottles to consume.

I took Goldberg with me who as usual was a hit with the ladies – Wincey Chan in particular. All in all was good fun!

Sunday was pretty much a write off I didn’t get home till the afternoon, and my Achilles was worse – do you know when you try to stretch old rubber and it slowly cracks along it’s length? That’s how my tendon feels when I move it now – it’s quite disconcerting.

Chess – I’ve moved twice as below… I’m not quite sure what I’m doing as I’m not really taking enough time over my moves… sill it’s early on!

Freedom Next Time

2007-07-05T23:59:00.000+01:00

I Don't Know Where I'm Going, But I Sure Know Where I've Been...

I was up a little later again ths morning – it’s creeping up on me, maybe it was just the powernap that caused it though?

I tried to keep busy, I cycled to Sale which isn’t really far – Jo from the house who works for the Job Centre was at a Jobs Fair there… I went along to say hi to Jo primarily, I did have a quick look around but jobs wise it was pretty rubbish. Jo had mentioned to one of her work’s colleagues about my ‘thighs of steel’ who asked specifically, so I duly obliged and she was suitably impressed. Apparently now the talk of the water dispenser…

Whilst I was in Sale I had a quick wander as I used to be there most lunchtime when I worked at Lex, I doesn’t look too much different but suffers as always from having easy access on the trams to the City Centre.

I brought some spot pads whilst I was there – I can’t use them properly yet but have been meaning to pick some up for a while, I’ve after all got mitts, boxing wraps and a punch bag. Maybe it made me feel better to buy something in such a fashion. Funny, I also brought a lotto ticket – the first time in quite a while, I suspect the rationale is linked.

I didn’t hang about too long in Sale and shot home, and the on to the gym. There wasn’t much I could do there but the cycling there I considered some additional exercise. I had previously in the week used one of those machines like a cross-trainer but without the arms, some sort of skiing thing due to the low impact nature of it. When using it though, my feet get numb and I get pins and needles after about half an hour, and earlier in the week I’d pushed on for a full hour on it and my Achilles on my injured leg was a touch sore after. The soreness hadn’t really gone and when I got to the gym I went to an empty hall, stuck AC/DC on the sound system and skipped for about forty minutes, I was hoping to do an hour, but my Achilles really started to be painful so I had to stop, now it was hurting during the cycle home to the extent that I had to stop on the way to buy some painkillers.

Handily I had a session with my Physio – Marek Holowenko – Nice chap, i haven't the heart to tell him I'm an athiest though – apart from hammering my shoulder area, he had a quick look at my heel and there was some damage there, I’ve got to stretch off and rub tiger balm into it… and rest :-(

Social touch rugby still continues on Thursdays but I’d find it too frustrating to watch, I had popped to the nearest pub afterwards on a regular basis with the others even whe injured but it’s too far to walk, but I met two from touch Toby, and Jason afterwards around the corner in Chorlton ‘The Bar’ for a swift pint. The Bar is owned by Marble – a micro organic brewery but they also have guest ales and has a reasonable crowd, so if I do have a regular then that’s it. Anyhow The Cat (Jason) was lending me a drill and also had my book which he’d ordered on my behalf – ‘Freedom Next Time: John Pilger’, I’m currently reading ‘The New Rulers Of The World’ by him too, I suggest you check it out.

La Vie En Rose - La Mome

2007-07-04T23:37:00.000+01:00

But you and I, We've been through that, and this is not our fate,
Let us not talk fasely now, the hour is getting late

The day started reasonably early, considering I didn’t have to get up – I’m sure it won’t last even though I despise wasting the day in bed… I’m not sure if power naps really come into that equation as they almost a necessity – I must have been tired, where as staying in bed is often just down to plain laziness. I did have a mid after noon nap as it happens, but feel mitigated as cited above – so there!

The Job didn’t materialise, no feedback yet but they gave the job to someone with whom they needed to check GCSE’s with? I must have asked for too much or not shown enough commitment! Hopefully something will turn up in the city centre as it’d be much better for my karma!

It rained so hard during the day I barely left the house, only for a ‘sensible’ haircut – I was going to go to the gym to skip but it was too wet, an attempt to clear space in the lounge to skip proved disastrous, but would have worked had it not been for the lampshade!

Touch rugby was called off for the first time due to the rain – the pitches were waterlogged – even though I can’t play, I’ve adopted an organisational, co-ordinater role for the team, ‘Beyond Thunderdome’, but the enthusiasm is on the wane as the results cease to favour us and my inability to personally intervene is more pointed. My observations fall on deaf ears I long since realised anyway, even though I wrap them in cotton wool.

In the evening instead I cycled to town to the corner house to watch a film, I intended to see Nuovomundo, but the main screen was flooded so I watched instead ‘La Vie En Rose’ a biopic about Edif Piaf, I knew of course about Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien, but not much else and I assume it’s pretty accurate on the matters of fact. It’s a tragic story, with some accursed bad luck but she seemed to be a nightmare to be around – a right little Madam as some might say! – but the film wasn’t too shabby at all!

Before that though I was pretty bored and after my power nap, I decided to count the money in my loose change jar – nothing above 20p coin. Over £25, despite the donation to Christian Aid and a handful of Euros too. Might come in handy!

Recently I tried buying some Horlicks as it’s supposed to help you sleep – I also heard the same about a double tot of brandy before bed does the same so I got some of that too. I’ve had it a few nights and it’s hard to tell if it does work but I’m sure it ain’t doing any harm either!

Super Middleweight

2007-07-03T23:06:00.000+01:00

I'm a Gambler, And I'm A Runner, But You Knew That When You Lay Down...

The morning started early as Jon rung me as he was passing to give me some spring grips for a tricept bar – Yawn I know! We had a quick chat before he had to go I got ready to cycle to Altrincham to go to the nearest Yorkshire Bank Branch… I was ready to set off at half 8… I opened the front door – it was absolutely lashing it down with rain… I don’t mind cycling in the rain per se, it’s just sometimes an issue if I get places when I’m wet.

I twiddled my thumbs for a few minutes and decided it wasn’t going to let up so headed off on the six odd mile ride – it didn’t let up and I got utterly drenched - I haven’t been that wet since the time I fell asleep in the bath.

Anyhow I got sorted at the bank and popped into Specsavers to chat quickly with Miss Victoria McKenna – I dripped all over their floor so soon headed back to Chorlton, and topped up the maximal saturation of my garments on the way.

I had an interview- it seemed to go okay, I don’t really care for the job but of course said otherwise, the location is the main issue and I’d much prefer the city centre not Salford. It would be much better for my Karma. Anyhow wait and see – it did mean I had to have a shave and spend £16 on taxis – rubbish!

I tired cycling to Toby’s in the evening, which is in Altrincham too, I did in fact but he wasn’t in, the weather held and I appreciated getting out on the bike to burn a few calories and to vent some frustration physically.

But I retuned home early and went to an off-licence which Spencer mentioned to me - they apparently sell Nigerian 7%ABV Guinness, but I was unable to find it and settled for a verity of ‘World Ales’ which were okay I guess…

What with m recent injuries and my inability to exercise properly, I’ve obviously adjusted my training and have reduced my calorific intake – it seems I’ve lost a umber of pounds and am now 12st – 168lbs (76.5kg) so a Super Middleweight! I’m restricted in my training and am generally restricted to gentle, low impact cardio like skipping and skiing, but hope to build a wide base of cardiovascular fitness to utilise when I arise again.

I’m still playing online chess – this game against Gabrielle from South Africa, I’m white and now it’s her turn…

It's Back.. Again - But For How Long?

2007-07-02T20:04:00.000+01:00

Out 'neath the arms of Cassiopeia, Where the sword of Orion sweeps
It's me and you, Rosie, cracklin' like crossed wires

Well then a quick update. Wow it's July already - it doea mean i can turn the page on my free Wing Yip calendar - which i can do only every two months to Miss Yuan Li, who is certainly pretty.

Work – unemployed, I resigned (not sacked Hywel), there are redundancies and the atmosphere was moribund, not a healthy situation – I’ll be fine if I don’t find work straight away, but something will turn up as a stop gap as I’ve an eye ona job a little down the way.

I was home last weekend – it passed without incident but was good to catch up, my nephew Dion has made me sign up for Bebo… I’m on facebook but have duly obliged and have replied to his msg!

I crashed at my brother’s place – Gareth that is – and duw! It’s like a poor student place, to an extent I guess you get what you pay for… but I did also bump into Phil and Debbie Liles who I ain’t seen in absolute years – weird ain’t it!

I’m currently injured – I require knee surgery and may also need shoulder surgey if my shoulder doesn’t respond to physio, and it could be doing better.

It’s very disapointing as I would be doing loads of training to keep busy but find I’m restriucted in the upper and lower body – I can still cycle gently, so I can keep the cardiovascular fitness ticking over but I would do so much more – it means I can’t play touch rugby which I’d signed up for – team picture below anyhow – I did try to play one game but was in absolute agony afterwards – I’m likely to be debilated for a few further months.

And the personal side – well not good. I was very keen on a young lady but was dumped last weekend... I was pretty upset about it – the cited reason is something I can do nothing about so I’m at a loss on how to talk her ‘round – I fear it’s a lost cause. I was feeling pretty sorry for myself, but since I told my ego about it, he’s pretty angry and bitter about it all… there may have been a few manifestations elsewhere of the normally supressed inner rage! Whoops!

Today… not too much to get up for, I am unemployed after all, so I had a lie in but felt some lethargy, I slowly got in gear and put on a few washes, hung them out, did dishes, vaccumed etc.

Then I tired to go to the bank to pay rent but I can’t it seems pay a giro thingymejig there. It was for Yorkshire bank, and I seemed to remember one in town. I thought I’d go to town anyway and combine it with a gym trip. The branch actually turned out to be Yorkshire building society – totally different and the one I wanted had it’s nearest branch in either Altrincham or Stockport! As a result I’m cycling to Alty first thing tomorrow morning - I have an interview in the afternoon!

The gym was trying – I still felt lethargic as if there wasn’t enough glycogen in the tank – I struggled on the skier and skipped, buti decided to try the stair climber and stopped after 10 seconds as it wasn’t good for my knee.

I cycled back via the kebab shop above which I used to live – they vet my mail and visitors ;-) so I buy a curry every now and again and regale them with my latest so-so anecdotes.

I was expecting some particular post but it wasn’t ther so I headed home and decided I’d go back to town but would get 30 mins kip in first… however the power nap lasted much longer and I missed the film at the Cornerhouse – as it was a re-showing it’s only on the once, so I’ll have to keep an eye out for it (Election 2 – Hak Se Wui Yi Wo Wai Kwai) as I saw the first one.

I think the rest of the day is written off so I’ve got on to this… wonder if it lasts!

Blog stuff

Here’s loads of previous stuff I haven’t posted, actually there is some duplication, but it’s too much hassle to sort out!!!!!

DIRTY PROTEST
310506 - Wednesday

I had to bus/walk it to rugby - what a mission, over an hour it took, it's a maximum fifteen minutes on the bike.

Anyhow we got there and our league game was against 'Withington Warriors', this team was full of Kiwi's and were pretty useful.

We lost 4-3 but were robbed, I could have lived with a draw, but the loss was nasty - despite a hatrick by yours truly not proving enough we had two tries disallowed (1 from me) for rubbish reasons and a number of dubious and inconsistent descisions... Apparently our acting captain, Chris, has stepped on his toes before.

So to summarise - DAYLIGHT ROBBERY!

010606 - Thursday

I went to pick my bike up today, and had to power walk the three miles from work to the shop to pick it up - I wasn't happy that the repairs cost £70 but at least I'd be mobile. I shot back to the flat on it, got changed and headed to the gym, after about a mile as I crossed a junction, the effing chain snapped (It was new and I'd fitted it the week previously) NFW!!! Why is it being like this? I had to wheel it back then catch a sodding bus to town... It's just not fair!

Have you seen those Milky Way magic Stars? they're small star shaped bits of chocolate - if you lick the back you can stick them to your forehead and feel reminicent of Vivian from the young ones, I left them on for a while, but had to eventully remove them at the behest of my team leader - however due to the body heat a swear of chocolate was left behind - akin to a dirty protest!

WhenI got back from work - the landlord, Vik, called me into the shop, 'I want to introduce you to someone' - The music plays and everyone must dance - it was a camp bus driver from north wales who spoke Welsh and tried to get my phone number, we had a brief chat, I also turned down the opportunity to go to chapel that Sunday. The funny thing is that I've been in Manchester for two years but not met another Welsh speaker but in the space of a month - four have turned up! Did I mention the girl from work, Lowri from Aberystwyth? She's pretty - but a bit young.

020606 - Friday

As I left the house at half seven in the morning and was locking the door a bus beeped at me - it was the bus driver form the night before waving at me from the cab of a bus - Yikes! But it must have been coincidence as he wouldn't have been wating around with passengers on board.

I was supposed to have a drink with Toby as he was getting maried the next day - as it happened he was too busy. Thusly I went out with Jon (et al.), who's brother was celebrating a birthday and a promotion, again we met in the Waterhouse - strange, never before then two weeks in a row, at least they had decent cask ale there. I also bumped into the Wong's older brother, Anton, the week previously he been in Cardiff to see his hometown play and had shared a hotel room with his younger brother and sister. He got back in two hours after them with two girls in tow... What a guy! But how the hell did he manage to talk them into that? What line did he use?

Anyhow the rest of us went to the Tiger lounge which managed to play the Stones, Led Zep among others, class!

030606 - Saturday

I awoke with a start, the wierd flatmate was exiting my room wearing only a pair of kegs! WTF!? I managed a coherent 'Morning James' as he stumbled out he mumbled that he'd got it confused with the bathroom, I guess we've been in the flat less than a week - but I'm definately getting a lock fitted.

I wasn't up for the gym as it was too sunny, I checked out some of the cycle paths (new chain on the bike) which run along old railway lines, nice except for the 'checkpoints' which maut have been put in to discourage motorbikers but also halt/impede the progress and more importantly momentum of cyclists.

I had been meant to go to Toby's wedding but, with out an officail invite I hadn't realised that it was on the otherside of Knutsford, and therfore too far to get to without a car - but at least it meant I didn't have to bump into Anna. I hope it all went well nonetheless.

I tred some ethical shopping today - strewth it was expensive, I got groceries at Unicorn (unicorn-grocery.co.uk) and meat from a butchers. To be fair It seemed like an effort, but thatmorning, anything requiring anything slightly organised was always going to be a struggle. I think I'll have to phase in this sort of shopping and I'm not into a routine at the new place yet.

040606

WEDNESDAY

Touch Rugby - our league match was against a team called Scraping the Barrell, an effort at deceptive self depreciation perhaps?

Well we won 12-1, I claimed four myself and could have had another, i was clear and five meters from the line but elected to give one of our ladies on the team a try, she didn't drop it but caught it cleanly but then promptly ran into touch! D'oh!

There's caouple on our team and two of their kids come along Salesi and Te'ea, they're 7 & 5, and a bundle of mischeif. Apart from being jumped on/attacked repeatedly and participating in singalongs, I also ended up chasing them around and as Salesi proved mainly immune to tickling I made him do press ups - much to the amusment of the fifty strong audience who were sat on the rugby club's patio! "Owain, What the hell are you doing to those Kids?"

THURSDAY

There another touch rugby tournament being held in the north of manchester - I figured I'd check it out as it's only nine miles away by bike. The venue was just at the top of Moston, where Spencer is from. He advised that I shoudlcycle via Rochdale Road, looking at the map it created a bit of an inverted 'L' shape, but surely local knowledge counts for something? Well Spencer must have been giggling to himself as apart form being longer, the route had two bar-steward long hills, which were an utter mission. I did manage it without stopping, but it was close. Needless to say by the time I got there I was gasping - handy then that I was an hour and a half early!

I went to this new tournament as a ringer and was placed in a team from Eccles Ladies. The league was of a much lower standard than the Didsbury league and a little frustrating. BUt they are all new so it's expected - but why don't they listen to me!?

FRIDAY

We had a works do to the dogs, I didn't gamble as it doesn't bother me really. I've been once before two tears ago, and I think I'll be leaving it even longer 'till the next time I go. The place is full of scum, and has few inherent reedeeming features. Maybe if I'd won cash I'd talk differently, but without knowing the sport, it seemed that for the work colleagues it was a bit of a lottery. Nothing particually scandalous ensued however (?) some titbits did come to light reagarding previous occurances, again I can't divulge without compromising myself - so you'd have to ask me in person.

To ease the pain of the dogs, there was nothing wrong with the compnay I hasten to add, I swiftly consumed my quota of free booze - and ended up in Revolution down Deansgate locks, which actually an improvement from the track - Sometimes I'm too easily led.

SATURDAY

BBQ at Phils, They were watching the football world cup - I obvioulsy wasn't interested, the rest of the people were English (or one case of a English supporting Kiwi), but it was blazing outside and some weren't interssted in the soccer either, so we played a bit frizbee untill I sent it skimming over the garden wall, for the second time, this time not to return. I wasn't active particually but I was shattered afterwards, I think it was the sun!

SUNDAY

Work on a Sunday? What a bummer. I didn't stay too long though - not that I really made the most of the weather, I was lobster pink from the previous day and had chores to do. It costs £7 for a large wash at the laundrette next door - I had two to do after a week, and I'm obviously going to have to manage a clothing rota better.

It was Wales Vs Argentina in Patagonia (Where Welsh is spoken) - I managed to pick up a very fuzzy S4C on the tv which I set up, and could sort of mostly make out the action. We had a young team out and I guess I wasn't expecting to win but, was raised up for a while and thought we deserved to win with the Argentinian try that wasn't... read a review here & here.

030706 MONDAY GYM

040706 TUESDAY - GAUDZI

I went to the gym straight from work and again it was too busy for free weights, I was there for a while though as I resorted to CV work, and back t'flat by seven pm. It meant though that I had time to catch a film at the Cornerhouse, it only took ten minutes to cycle and I watched 'Dumplings' (Gaudzi).

'The gleeful tale of everyday horror is both excruciating and enjoyable. An immigrant has a thriving business selling her homemade dumplings with incredible rejuvenating properties to rich Hong Kong matriarchs, including a retired actress. But what is the secret ingredient that is so successful? Excellent performances, costume and sound make this a mouth watering, stomach turning treat.' It's clear from the off and from the trailer that the key ingredient is the foetuses spare from China's one child policy. It's not all grim but not for the squeamish - especially an abortion sequence. But it is entertaining nonetheless, it's different enough to warrant seeing, and Bai Ling is hot!

050706 WEDNESDAY - THE JOINT IS JUMPIN'

I had to miss our touch rugby quarter final, we were to play the top seeds, and apparently were 'robbed' blind again. We lost 6-7, again amidst controvecy, poor reffing which has blighted this tournament. One of their tries was awarded due to momentum after a touch? Like awarding a goal as it would have crossed the line had a legitimately placed defender not kicked it away first - a total travesty. There was more but I can tell you're drifting... Anyhow where was I?

I got a lift straight from work to Rhyl with Delayed Promise in their tour van, to attend a gig in Bar Blu - Rhyl's premier, coolest, most happenin' venue - one to put straight at the top of the list. Shame about the generic beers. Anyhow we were there early of course to set up etc - I felt a bit like a roadie heaving stuff around and propping up a deserted bar as all the bands sound-checked.

Luke, who doesn't live too far away turned up too - DP were really good and the band of the night - donning a new DP t-shirt I stageside sold t-shirts and handed out feebies as well as lunging the odd band member and unsuspecting local. But, dear me there were some funny looking freaks in there - Luke and I pondered where they trying to say something? What were they trying to say - and what was one with black tear streaks so sad about? I suspected that much of the statements that some undoubtedly were trying to make were insincere and inprincipled - still, to each their own.

The problem was that I got back to the flat at 4 in the morning, feeling very tired and with the last of the alcohol leaving my system...

060706 THURSDAY - DEATH WARMED UP - I was up at just after six and in work by 7:15 - totally shattered, and it showed. People noted it and the next day had to be booked off as I had loads to do and wouldn't get it done without a bit a decent kip. Mid afternoon where I often hit the wall (I'm sure my body clock's designed for a siesta lifestyle) this time floundered in the flowerbed at the wall's base, where the creepers scale the brickwork. It didn't end when I got home either - Chores! Strewth.

070706 FRIDAY - THE FLIGHT OF ICARUS

Thank god for the day off! More chores in the morning, laundrette, haircut etc. as my brothers, Gwilym & Gareth were coming up for the weekend. They were due up at 2pm and I met Kelly for Lunch in Chorlton, hoping for perfect timing to guide the grusome twosome to my flat. But not quite. They turned up a bit later - complaing about how unnecasarily flat Manchester was as I had often remarked when I first embarked on the urbanised plains laid out before the Pennines.

After unpacking it was getting on and we headed for a swift few pints in the Marble Beer house - an outlet of an Organic Brewery based in Manchester. We headed back to the resturant below the flat for some food. Vic, the landlord/PRoprietor and his two brothers (I pointed out we could have a race/fight/dance-off with even numbers) - there was quite a feast laid on Gwil and I I had trouble finishing our share. We were totally stuffed and the food did seem to sit there which slowed us down for the rest of the night as we headed into city centre. We tried out a few pubs - The Thirsty Scholar, The Temple Of Convinience and The Grand Central where Luke also popped in for a pint.

They were tired from a long day and so was I from a culumative few days - indeed Gwilym was woken by a bar man in the Grand Central with the aid of some handy smelling salts!!

080706 SATURDAY - QUARTER FINALS

I'd arranged for us the next day to p[lay in a touch rugby tournament in Widnes, it meant though being in Stockport (The opposite direction) by 8 in the morning and thereofre getting up by seven at the latest - I think I was up at around half six - Gareth complained loudest, where as Gwil muttered loudly.

We got there (Widnes St.Maries RLFC) in time - and there were two Teams from Cardiff, containing the Welsh touch rugby squad - one of whom I knew and had played with in Cardiff with the 'Gwladers'. We had some novices on our team, but some old Touch rugby heads including a girl Helen who was excellent as well as really pretty, and apart form us it seems the rest of our team had been leathered the previous night. But were up against well established teams. We lost every ame but it turned out we were drawn in the toughest pool by far - we lost every game but as only eight teams had entered we still made the quarter finals. Result! We were the bottom seeds of course and came very close to the top team of the other pool (Cardiff B effectively) but the ref was from 'Cardiff A', and did us no favours - she wasn't a Welsh speaker as I criticised and swore at her on and off to no reaction unlike the feedback in English which she recieved which had one of our team sin-binned. maybe the least said the better... when it was all over we were out of there pretty damn quickly.

We had a brief break to realx back at the flat afterwrds, very brief. We went soon enough to the 'No.1 Internation Buffet' on whitworth street for some all you can eat delight, they woudl have heeded my talk of elasticated trousers and tupperware, had it not been for the subsequent night out. Gareth it seemed had acquiered a serious ankle injuly during the time when he was sat on his ass during the last game of the tournament earlier in the day and was struggling to keep up.

BUFFET

SAILSBURY

CORNER - JON VIX TOM ADAM NIC

GRAND CENTRAL

PHIL SOO

JUKEBOX snooker

JILLY'S

ROOMS

TSHIRT

ONE STEP EBYOND

LUNGING

090706

SUN

The flat was the busiet that it had ever been, Gwilym and Gareth were still around by the time Jon and his older brother (but shorter - only 6'5" 197cm) turned up to use some of the equipment in my room for some training. Eventually it all cleared out and i also got a lift to Sale with Jon & James, who after a quick cup of tea at their place dropped me off in the centre, at the Waterside, as I was meeting up with Chaw and her friends for lunch. I had a bacon and cheese melt - noice, but I'd almost forgotten what I'd ordered. I can't remember everyone, but I chatted a lot to 'Mish' (Geordie with Polish Parents - Moving to the land of the long white cloud - Auckland NZ) and Natalie ('Na') who were both top notch it must be said! I ahven't mentioned the 'Soccer' wolrd cup at all but I was persuaded as one on the hard core of four to watch the final - the first game I was to watch - in the Hogs Head where I decided to support les Blues not the Azzurri (Sorry Sofasurfer, but you won anyhow!). It wasn't to be for the frogs - a touch of bad luck and an infamous headbut, these soccer players are conditioned I think to hit the deck at the slightest touch. Anyhow

We had a problem with the nearest wall mounted telly over heating and switching itsef off for the second half of the game, I tried to help out by blowing on the tv, i think it worked a bit at least - but as I was geting heckled by the natives - someone picked up on my accent - a cornishman, often based in Abertawe who spoke a bit of Cornish - nuts eh? But I still think it sounds like ropey Welsh!

Anyhow, I went and missed the last bus and taxied it home - bummer! Expensive weekend! But great fun damnit!

100706 Monday

I was so tired - shattered at work, but I soldiered on bravely. But boredom beckoned in the evening so I cycled to the corner house to watch: ENRON: The Smartest Guys In The Room. The oscar nominated tale of the convicted deregulatin' Texas conmen (Dyba Buddies) who cooked the books and rode the bull market into spectacular bankruptcy - all whilst grooming California for the triumph of the 'Gubernator'. "Less corporate Noir than capitalist disaster film". There are some 'No Way Pedro' moments, but it didn't quite find the balance I think it was looking for in between a blood letting and humour. But it's very relevent especilly that week as just before, Ken Lay had died only the week before.

110706 Tuesday

120706 touch rugby - just friendlies, but a run around - great weather still!

130706 Thursday - I went ot see 'Secuestro Express' kidnap express, a film with a political undercurrent in Venezuala in which it is set. Semi-autobiographical, the tale is a frentic story of lucrative swift kidnap businesses that are springing up accross parts of Latin America, and here roaming the mean streets of Caracas. The controvecy stems from an accusation that the film is Anti-Chaves, the Socialist President of Venezualia. he film is made by a young director from the established right, and the accusation levelled is that his stated aim to pull the poor from poverty, has not born fruit (or maybe a poor harvest) and may just be the rhetoric they espout where as really it's all about having power. Is it backed up by stats? I hear that it's not - A weak argument then, typified in this by a continued reliance on extorsion and violence by the less well off. The protagonists are indeed repulsive, and there's more than a whiff of decadence eminating from the rich. But it's not as simple as that - beyond all of the politicking, i'm sure this happens, and worse, and it's not a bad film - just a sad reflection on most of the characters in it. Can society's ills be resolved, or reconciled without the co-operation of the the rich through verbal persuation and spin when they can shout louder to the aspirational consumers and tell them with such ease what they themsleves want?

140706 Friday - Phil needed it to look like he had friends, It'd heard of the Belgian Bar, but hadn't been and was eager to go. Phil's missus was over from Toronto, Canada - Jess. Loud, but a real nice girl and we got on well. I met some old Lex buddies in the Beligan bar, i was first there so chatted to Matt & Claire who are still at lex until the others turned up. The bar is known for it's strong beers seved as a precaution in halves - I'm sad to say that I became drunk, but I was not alone. In fact most were drunk - it was also table service which is unusual I guess, but in line with the continental, and they had young friendly female staff - tiptop. I had a lfit back to the tram stop from Jon who wasn't drinkning

************************************************************************8

15 Saturday means laundrette firat thing. As I waited for the wash early in the morning I sat out side the front of the Laundrette reading a paper - it was already so hot I'm sure the newspaper was yellowing and curling in the sun as I read it. I did some other chores popped to the gym and the day was almost over.. Excpet that I headed to a bbq at VIx's

CURLING PAPER LAUNDRETTE - BBQ VIX'S

16 SUN -BBQ WONGS PINT

17 MON PIRATES OF THE CARRIBBEAN

18 TUES SPAG BOL - GYM

19 WED - TOUCH

20 THURS - BRASSERI ALTY

VIX WORK MATES, COCKTAIL ANDY JESS PHIL

21 FRI CHORLTON

CANANDIANS

SUE JAMES KERR SPENCER RACH MARTIN

22 SAT

KEITH BIRTHDAY

SPACE

CANADIAN GIRLS TRIBECCA

MINT LOUNGE

23 SUN

BIKE GYM

MON - nada

TUE - nada

WED - nada

tHU

pay day the cave of the yellow dog

fRI lITTLE FISH - SOO VIX NICOLA - RICH JESS PHIL - GREEN ROOM - LATE ROOM LUNGING CYCLE

SATUDAY

LEAON BIRTH DAY

BARCA -DUKES - POSH PLACE - BRANIGANS - FENCH GIRL AREULIE - PERPINYA

30 dim

31 rina

1Angel A Aurelie perpingan bretomn

2 rian off touch- MIGRANE

3 - SOCIAL TOUCH TOBY

4 FRI THATCHED COTTAE - CHEESE, BIKE NICKED - RENAISSANCE- VOICES, DIALOUGE

5 DPERCUSSION, DELAYED PROMISE GREEN ROOM LOWRY

6 SU, GREEN ROOM LOWRY -

7 MON - WALKING

8 NEW BIKE WALK GYM

9 - WED, SUMMER TOUCH

10-thurs social touch - mick, etc

11 friday. PRINCESS RACCOON. SOPO L ILFE ETC

12 SATURDAY - SANTO contra LA INVASION DE LOS MARCIANOS

I cycled around town in the late morning, looking for a Currys or Dixons but was unable to find one. Instead I ended up cycling around almost aimlessly. I headed home, close to home Jon rang me as he was going to store his weights equipment at my place, what with my stuff being there already, I'd have a veritable gym. I foolishly answered the phone as I cycled, as I stood on one leg on a pedle, the seat twisted and on trying to remount the saddle the twisted seat meant that i lost my balance and came off the bike. i amanged to stay on the phone and on my feet, but have twisted my shoulder, and as my leg went through the frame it tried to rotate giving me some large bruses on my thigh and calf.

Anyhow after Jon dropped his stuff off, he gave me a lift to town to see ' Santo Contra La Invasion De Los Marcianos' - a mexican wrestling film from the 60's, Santo Versus the Martian Invasion'. A low budget cheap film that was unintentionally funny and really silly in places.

As I left there I headed around the corner to the Oxford Road station to catch a train to Withington, where I was supposed to be going to a house party for some departing Kiwi's. As i entered the station I was litirally grabbed by a random oung woman called Leanne. She explained that, a: She liked my Shirt. b: I looked like I needed to have fun and wake up (I was yawning after coming out of the cinema) c: She just split up with her boyfriend, and d: Did I want a drink? We went for a drink, it was soon apparent that she was leathered - after a while she reminede me of Anna, but without the violent, aggressive drunkeness. Just the unpredicatable folly and inappropriatness. She dissapeared eventually after downing a few extra pints of cider... It was probably for the best.

I figured I was a little too late for the Kiwi's party, but there was another one going on, a friend of Soo's, Priyanka and other fmiliar faces would be there: Keith, Phil, Vix & Jon. I made it there just after eleven, chated with some venezualian girl, amoung the usuals. Then I spent most of the night chatting to a girl called Rafflyn, from Vienna - a very nice girl, iwas however, inevitably maybe shot down in flames...so no such luck!

RANDOM DRUNKEN NUTTER - LEANNE -

PARTY PRIANKA'S - USUAL SUSPECTS - AND ... VENEZUALIAN, RAFFLYN

13 SUNDAY NOT WORTH MENIONING

14 - it was almost eleven at night, there was a knock at my door. It was 'Y Dyn Yn Y To' flatmate, James. 'There's a stabbing' he said. 'Eh'? 'There's a boy lying at the bottom of the stairs in a pool of blood'. 'Really'? I'd been watching Newsnight and was waiting for the interview which they had with Ahmadijad - I'm indifferent to the sound of the traffic by now, and that it seems even included sirens. I peeked from behind the curtains, to my suprise there were three Police vans, two squad cars and an ambulance no more than ten meters from my window. I walked to the door of the flat (which doesn't lock), edged it ajar and looked down to the corridor which we share with the shop below where I keep my bike. Sat at the bottom of the stairs was a youth being attended to by two paramedics asking simple questions but recieveing indistinct, mumbled answers. A Policewoman looked on as facing me was the blood smeared expanse of his bare back with two deep crimson leisions from where the blood must have flowed, but now looked to be on the way to congealement. The mentioned pool of blood was not apparent, save for a few drips as I presume there had been earlier a garment to cover his. He'd I think been stabbed twice in the back and was going to live even if he was obviously shocked. Three other youths had set upon him around the corner apparently, he said he did not know who they were, but a questioning of a witness to the subsequent chase, which I overheard from my room above the front of the shop outside, stated that the persuers had called his name. John. John, had been to the shop before and was regular enough to be known by name - he dived in for cover, and was guided out of sight hence being at the base of the stairs, not visible from the road, as the authorities were summoned.

15 - Tuesday.

Damn it, I have to go for a meeting in Solihull tomorrow, and the hire car to have been arranged for me from work hasn't materialised. I'll have to get up at five in the morning.

16 - WED TOUCH RUGBY LOST BOTH

17 - THURS - SOCAIL TOUCH

18 - FRI - DIDS NO SHOW - TOWN, NORTHERN QUARTER, KERR, VIX SOO, JON - DIMITRI'S ELVIS, NO TOM

19 - IN WON'GS JASON - MIGHTY BOOSH - TRANSPORTER... EARLIER - SPENCER GYM

20 - GYM, STORM FROM THE EAST.. WONG IN TOWN

21 MONDAY - THE DEATH OF MR LAZARESCU

22 GYM

23 WED - LEAGUE FOFEITED.. RIENDLIES

24 SOCIAL TOUCH

25 SCANNER DARKLY- SOO

26 harsh TIMES

27 - NACHO LIBRE - KRO PICCADILLY

28 - SALLY ADAM TOWN - NOVOTEL - CROMA

29 - NADA

30 - TOUCH RUGBY

31 - THURS TOUCH

1 FRIDAY TRAIN OUT

2 SAT TOURNEY - PARTY SPENCER - ACHE

3 SUN ACHE SHOPPING TWO POWER NAPS

4 MON WORK

5 TUES WORK READ

6 WED TOUCH

7 THUR TOUCH

8 FRIDAY - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

9 SAT PHIL LK TRENT OTHER AHNN ELLE OUT

10 DRINK HANNH MOTORCYCLE DIRAIER

11 SEVERANCE

12 GYM

13 LEAGUE FRIENDLY, OOT

14 SOCIAL TOUCH

15 NEWMARKET - MOON SLUG DUNC LISA IAN SPUD

16 RUGBY CEFNEITHIN 4 TRIES CONVERSION DION

17 - BACK

18 - AN INCONVIENIENT TRUTH

19 - THREE TIMES

20 – dead man’s shoes

21 – crawley - TOUCH

22- BLACK DAHLIA - WHITEFIELDS

23 – GREAT WEATHER – SATURDAY TOUCH – GYM POLICE – OUT NORTHERN QUTR

COSGROVE HALL

24 – SUNDAY – BARS CHORLTON

25 – MONDAY - SPENCERS

26 TUESDAY – BIKR EPUNCTURES

27 – WEDNESDAY

28 – THURSDAY – CLERKS2

29 – FRIDAY WORKS DO - ETC

30 – SATURDAY – ROUGH, SOD ALEMONADE CHORLTON

1 – SUNDAY – GYM BLEEP TEST

2 – MONDAY – CAR PICK UP

3 - SPIN

4 SPIN

5 THURS -

6 18 MILES – FILM CHILDREN OF MEN

7 TOUCH - ???????? – OUT AHNNAH SPENCER

8 WORK CLARE

9 - BLEEPTEST

10 THUES SPIN ROW - CLARE

11 WED – SPIN YOGA - SPENCERS

12 – THURSDAY – TWO FILMS , MOUTAIN PATROL- ECHO PARK LA QUINCEANERA

13 – FROG AND BUCKET – NORMAN LOVETT, DISCO ADAM,

14 – JAI SPENCER PINTS – TOUCH – BOXING KEBAB

15 – WORK THE DEPARTED

16 – pork, pint flicks - unconcious

17 – Tuesday, spin class

Monday 12-06-06

ELECTION - HAK SE WUI

I caught this flick at the Cornerhouse - I'm reliably informed that it's already avaliable on DVD and I understand has a sequel out in Hong Kong.

It was described as 'A Triad thriller minus guns but full of wit, excellent peformances and moody camerawork'. I did like it but I thought the lack of guns was taken too far, planned killings were ad-libbed it seemed with what came to hand, rocks, branches etc, surely leaving too much to chance... come off it. Anyhow there's a few twists and so on, and I won't spoil it any further. Except to say that it sought to be quite Machiavellian, with two main contrasting protagonists as pretenders to the throne. Oh - I've seen it advertised in the paper, and the sequel is out in Hong Kong already.

Tuesday 13-06-06

LOVE YOUR BIKE

There's been a lot this week in the Independent about bikes. Bike usage is up, bike rhetoric is up as is bike and car user antagonism. There lots being said and oscilates wildly betwwen the negative to the converse positive. I cycle myself and am usually over cautious as it pays to be, tons of metal flying past. It would be better if more people did cycle but more needs to be done, like banning rain during the rush hour. The operator of the building that I work in have spartan facilities, despite spouting their 'green' credentials. There are eleven floors and over a hundred people per floor, but there are no showers. I rang the main office in Manchester (they operate up to a hundred bildings), it seems they have plans to install only one shower for the whole building. Even if the office workers cycled en masse (and believe me, they really need the exercise) there are only racks for eight bikes to be locked up. At a rough estimate, that's less than one percent that are accomodated for, utterley pathetic. There a town in the Netherlands where useage is sixty percent! If only.

Wednesday 14-06-06

SHOCKERS

Our touch rugby league tonight was against a team called Shockers United, We'd heard they had a mouth on them, and so it proved. They had a few, for the sake of diplomacy, idiots on their team. They were dispatched 8-3, two for myself. Again we had no subs, unfortunate as I was carrying an injury a pulled hamstring/buttock, we'd had a sub earlier but he pulled his hamstring in our friendly game. I spent the second half loitering on the wing as we cantered to the result.

FW: Forwarded E-mail.

Now some are rubbish and erring on annoying, but some are works of comdey genius, of emails that I forward I do try to act as a filter. So generally I only forward decent ones, however I was sent a 'big brother' TV, not 1984 I'm afraid and forwarded it, which propmted this reaction and subsequent apology:

Thursday 15-06-06

HAMSTRUNG

I had to skip the touch rugby in northern Manchester, I've pulled the upper part of my left hamstring and left buttock(I told everyone in work - I've a sore bum), cycling and walking are painful and running out of the question. It's a total pain, I can't even get to the gym as an alternative, and staying in sucks - but is at least cheap. ZZZ!

Friday 16-06-06

THE HILL

I didn't end up staying in, Jon offered to pick me up for a informal bbq at his place, Noice! Then we went to town to meet Vix, Soo & Luke. Neither Jon or myself drunk at all - we met them in a grotty Whetherspoons, The Paramount. I was persuaded fromthere to go to a place called Fifth Avenue, I knew there was something wrong when they were checking ID on the way in. "Whay are we here? I don't need ID, I'm over 18?" In we went never the less, on questioning it seemed they hadn't been there for years either - for a reason maybe. The music wasn't bad, indie & rock. But due to the dress code in the place, as Luke noted, fat people, got closer to passing for passable, even then it was mostly students and If I was drinking I'd have welcomed oblivion, offered by the drink.

Saturday 17-06-06

ARGENTINA 45 - 27 WALES

A disapointing result, however we were only outscored 4-3 on tries, but again place kicking and kicking from hand was a let down. There should be twenty one further players avaliable for the forthcoming season and the positives should be taken from the tour - as there are legitimate excuses to use to mask the negatives. Review Here.

TRIVIAL PURSUIT

Jon picked me up to take it easy at his, with the usual suspects (Vix, Soo & Luke) as well as his bother James and his Girlfriend Louise. Didn't really do much except to mention that my team (Jon & me) in Trivial Pursuit won despite having Jon on the team!

Sunday 18-06-06

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING

The Lay of the Land.

Work.

I'm still working at the same place (here), and am still a temporary member of staff. But only just, I've been here an incredible (in the sense that - 'has it really been that long?') ten months. They've been threatening to make me permanent since last year but ongoing postponments mean that only last friday an hour before I left for the afternoon was I offered a permanent position. I envisage that I shall accept their proposal, there's more to it than that but that's be TMI here. There was a sense of doubt in the last month or so as opposed to the first few months of employment assurances as the nature of my role has changed and I find myself being taken on as a dogsbody troubleshooter. I've added the 'troubleshooter' moniker to make myself feel better, but I'm still a credit controller.

There's a good buch of people at work though, which as everyone who's worked in an office knows is a great help - but ultimately it's still office work and at times I'm unable to contain my subdued real nature - 'The Spirit Of Monkey Is Irrepressible!'

Abode.

To go back a bit, after my split I spent a month generosly put by Steve Dyson from work and his wife Mila in Whitefield in Northen Manchester. From where I moved to Chorlton in Southern Manchester. I had to wait for the propery to be ready but it has many advantages. I can cycle easily to work, it's close enough that I don't have to put in too much effort as there are no shower facilities. I coudl easily walk should there be a need.

The house is excepionally close to the centre of Chorlton, an 'up an coming' young proffessional area apparently, 'more raw than Didsbury and with less pretention' to paraphrase. Walking distance to 'trendy' bars and pubs (closest is less than 100m) and to shops in general including a supermarket.

There are plenty of buses to the city centre and Spencer lives a few roads away.

But... I have to move out! A bit of background first though. The house is rented accomodation and can have up to six bedrooms, as it was there were three of us in there. Ray from work and Jim, a local spark(electician). The landlord wasn't best pleased with a half full house and was making grumbling noises. But then Ray, decided he was off around the world at the end of the month and for the landlord the property became untenable as a group would only move en masse if they had a house to themselves.

To cut a long story short, the landlord had found alternative accomodation, above his kebab shop... Nice! There are a few advantages, Bigger kitchen, Bigger bedroom, rolling contract, And As I'm in first, I'll be able to set up the internet for myself. (there is internet where I am currently but due to politics, and boneheaded stupidity I'm unable to use it - even more so as I splashed out on a laptop). On the flip side, the location isn't quite as handy and extra five to ten minute walk and of course should I misbehave, (as if!) the landlord would be on hand to know immediatley about it!

Gym.

I've joined a gym! It's about time, since I've been up here two years. I was pondering where I should join: A council Gym close to Work, a different Council Gym In Chorlton, or maybe one in Town - Spencer is a member of the Virgin Active gym (in Town) and it'd be handy having a training partner for spotting and so on. So I joined there as it also turned out to be the cheapest.

As I trained there after joining I felt a bit perturbed, afterwards I mentioned to Spencer, "Fellah, um... isn't it a bit... well... Gay in here?" (ie - not proportional to the world outside or other gyms). Spencer agreed, "Yes there are a few Muscle Marys, pumping up for a night out on Canal Street." "Didn't you think to say anything?" But he had too embarrased to do so!

But further evidence piled up, A poster informing of a gym night out to meet eachother was meeting in canal street. There were two notices in the showers; 'NO CAMERA PHONES' and 'THE SHOWERS ARE FOR SHOWERING ONLY - ANYTHING ELSE IS FOR THE PRIVACY OF YOUR HOME', so obviously a problem there previously! There have been other intances too, but in comparison too insignificant to mention...Spencer, What have you done!?

Then wort of all, this one time after a work out Spencer got back from the showers to find (if you can find an absence) his boxer shorts gone (There it was, Gone!). He was sure some dodgy looking preening dude had been giving him the eye but couldn't prove it of course. As the girl on reception noted as he reported it on his way out, "That's very wrong".

Rugby.

Part of the gym rational is for a contact rugby comback in the style of a demented scrum helmeted Lazarus, but I'm hankering after league action as opposed to union due to the cliques, and fancy myself as a dummy half. I'm not sure what position I'd fit back into in union... Similary I fancy scrum half, but am a novice at that position of course.

I've been back playing touch rugby for a while and joined a team in the official league (which started last Wednesday) with a team rather mundanely called the 'Goonies' (The best team name in the league is 'Racing Mullets') with a bunch of League boys from Oldham (two are actually Tongan but live there).

I missed out on playing the friendlies the week previously due to a badly damaged big toe, and took painkillers the next week to ensure that I could play. We had our first league game last Wednesday against a team called 'Shell White Sox'. They had two very proficient New Zealanders on their side, a fellah and a slight girl (who we agreed afterwards was undoubtledly a screamer!) and had us on the back foot for much of the game. We generally held firm and leaked two tries, however we scored three, a well worked passing movment accross the pitch drawing and giving to put the winger away in the corner and two tries by yours truly!

Wales.

I popped back a few weeks ago to Cardiff, staying at Steve's via Brum getting a lift from Clare. We didn't go out, financial contraints an all, but it was certainly good to catch up even if the revelation from Po was that most things I did were annoying and only vaguely endearing after a lengthy period! You cut me deep man! Nah - good fun!

I think I mentioned before how I've been up here for a ges but only bumped into people who were tenusously Welsh qualified and Manchester resident, with the exception of Adam. However I've bumped into two recently who spoke a smattering of Welsh, A gym instructor from Rhuddlan in the north who worked at the gym, and a girl called Laura from Llanfair-ym-Muallt, whom I met in a bar. I didn't pick up on their accents, but they heard me speaking (loudly no doubt) and picked up on my accent so had a chat... she had a boyfriend it eventually turned out though! Why don't they say straight away? ;-) D'oh!

Social.

I'm probably popping out a little more often than I should currently, maybe it's adjusting to the lack of television and internet, and not forgetting my single status! I'm still catching flicks at the Cornerhouse, and have seen too many since last mentioned to go back over them... So same old, same old in a way!

Generally I'm tending to drink cask ales if I can, handily there are a few more places around than there used to be and Jon and Spencer are similary inclined. However there isn't the choice in many establishments, so I stump sometmies for a stout (Guinness, ain't seen any Murphy's recently in thinking about it actually) or a Lager, ho-hum.

Media.

I generally get The Independent, as I'm currently without internet and have forsaken television, it's the best source of information on the news stands and as the name suggests isn't as prone to slanted reporting. As you probably know there's a huge problem with the biased media interpreting and influencing in an underhand fashion. It's very much a current problem not that they want you to know that, In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king.

I'm currently reading 'The Great War For Civilisation: The Conquest Of the Middle East' by Robert Fisk, a correspondent of renown with the Independent and formerly the Times. It's grim reading at times but a well written eye-opener and toe curler - Some of the torture implements described are quite horrific, especially as it's unequivically certain that it still goes on. It's a hard slog at over one thousand pages but I think it shoudlbe read. I do have trouble with finding the time to crack on with it properly, what with my gereral activities, unfortunatley the activity I feel I could most do without is however essential - work. Damnitt!

A few months back I managed to get free tickets from the Independent for an audience with Robert Fisk at Manchester City Hall, one of only two dates in the UK as he lives now in Beirut. He was very well spoken and eloquent and didn't dodge the serious questions, no sitting on the fence, or pulling punches. Impressive stuff, he was very well recieved.

Wheels.

I getting around a lot on a push bike with a ropey rear cassette cogs which keep jumping if I pedal too hard. There's a banger of a car too an 'L' reg Ford Escort that goes - Jurassic Park!

Today.

Not too much going on today, Bono was guest editing the Independent, under the (Red) scheme, a union that doesn't seem to make that much sense but I guess the money's best in charities pockets than in big business' - I'm sure the tokenism does wonders for their PR. All the usual stuff too of course has been going on.

I stayed inafter work - it was raining and I was saving my energy for tomorrow's rugby. I did make a huge amount of Blognaise sauce from scratch with tinned tomatoes. I'm pretty pleased with it on a taste level (I used some West Indian Hot Pepper Sauce for a bit of Zing) and that it'll last me a week, as at the moment I'm pretty lazy preparing food every night as it's just for me, if it's every few days I won't begrudge the effort so much.

Messages:

Thanks for the messages from the last post - Had I been that down they'd havve surely helped, but to be honest I was quite relieved. A load off!

FIRE IN THE DISCO

MIERCOLES

Fire Alarm

Every Wednesday in work at 16:00 in the afternoon the building staff test the fire alarm. Nothing remarkable in that, but sometimes it'd be a short burst of noise and other times would just seem to go on and on. As the alarm pulses in approximately one second cycles it's easy to count, ranging from about twenty to seventy. What started as a bold prediction turned into a highly contested betting contest at 50p a bet, run by 'Smutty' Steve Dyson, whom it should also be said skims off the top as the jackpot is always a strangley rounded figure. You've more chance of drawing at random from a pack of cards the rules of international bridge, I rest my case! Anyhow, quite often no one wins and the jackpot rolls over maning we once had a bumper prize of £45.00 (How Much!? - That's right £45). This week the jackpot stood at £30.00 (exactly - see what I mean? As if!), my two bets were 34 & 46. Needless to say that despite the howls of protest, and lynch mob threats it was 34 and I pocketed the cash.

Rugby & Rain

The rain's a pain. In the mornings I tentatively gaze varying grey skies over Manchester, and often despite the odd drop of rain, risk the ride to work. Much like this Wednesday. On the way back I seem to get drenched more often, which is preferable to it happening on the way in - worse still the rain was that heavy that that evening's rugby was cancelled (last minute, i was suited and booted and just about to leave the house as soon as I'd finished my cup of tea), but maybe a blessing in disguise as in freindly for that night we were due to play a team of ex-professionals, but it's just put back for a week as it looks like we'll play them next week! Eek!

Lounge Bar

What to do instead then? People mentioned about watching Wendyball but I wasn't fussed so I had food read the paper and some of my book until it was over and then popped over the road to the Lounge Bar as we'd noticed that they had three bands on that night.

I remeber when I was a student I didn't feel that much affinity with many other 'studenty' students, this was generally shared by the lads from the Aman Valley and West Glamorgan, The feeling bordered on contempt. I felt the same feeling for the 'young-professionals' often habiting these bars in Chorlton, despite that they would seem to be my contemparies. I was complaing generally to Ray about this (He was in full agreement being 44 yrs old) and in particular at one prat wearing a stupid hat inside. He turned out to be the first act. It was an acoustic guitar set and he was undoubtedly talented, he played a number of self induldent barely melodious self compositions. Someone noted that it was like a suprising quick moving parapleigic, impressive speed yes, but ungainly to watch.

The second act was more like it, folk blues band or something or other, but still not one to write home about, I harly had any interest left for the last muffled sounding rock band who were quite forgettable.

JUVES

Tonight I met Adam for a drink and a chat, then headed to the new flat to sort some of it out - it's coming together and I should be able to move in at the end of the month as expected. Strangley Adam's off to Bristol on Friday, by plane from Manchester to Bristol Airports. What with check-ins and the normal hassle with airports I'm pretty certain it'd be quicker to drive, if you timed it right. I 'understand' that it can be driven in under two hours.

PUNCH DRUNK 19.10.06

Believe it or not I‘ve a half written update for the last three months, which has the bones of what I’ve been up to but it’s hardly fleshed out. I may well get around to finishing it.

I was running late in the morning, but got a move on and hopped on the bike and headed into work – I’d cut it fine but was just on time. As I neared the building I gestured ‘hello’ to Sean Platt (Splatt) who was outside having a swift last cigarette.

I’m not sure how fast I was going, but you know when you pull up on the handlebars to ride those little lumps so that you don’t bump – well I did that to get over a curb right outside the office... however this morning the front wheel came loose as I did that. I have a brief recollection that I had gone too far forward then my next recollection was of having my face sliding along the pavement.

I came around as Sean rushed over to check if I was okay – I must have been spark out for a second or two. Like a punch drunk boxer I attempted to get to my feet – but no joy. I slumped back on to my backside as my legs had failed my Sean picked up the twisted bike. I pulled myself to my feet and remained there with the help of some railings. I remember struggling generally to breathe and to think straight.

I struggled into the building and got into the lift, Karen and Joyce were also in the lift and I remember laughing at Sean as they were gassing non-stop so much that they didn’t notice the blood smeared over one side of my face! My ear it seemed being between my head and the ground and had been pulled the wrong way and had cut badly and had to be later glued down. My memory at this point was still patchy – I went to wash my face and was talking utter rubbish to those I’d pass. What day was it? What happened? Had I lost something? Did I go to spin last night? I’d totally botched washing off the blood and as I got to my desk I jumbled my words to the extent that people turned around to ask are you okay – my vision was blurry and thankfully Adele took me to a hospital – as I had obvious concussion. I think I can safely say I’ve never been hit that hard on the head before or been quite so ‘punch drunk’. I waited less than an hour (that’s an estimate) in the hospital before I was seen – I was a little more coherent at this point and I’m wondering if maybe I did a good enough job to convince the doctor I was okay. He waggled a finger in front of my eyes, got me walk toe to heel which I only just got through and made me squeeze his hands. I also saw a nurse who cleaned my wounds where the skin was broken. My hands, arms, face, ears, shin, knee & shoulder were scratched to different degrees and I had an uncomfortable bruise on my buttock which I insisted on showing to the nurse. Apparently a tetanus ‘booster’ jab can go in the shoulder but possibly in retaliation she evened it up my jabbing my other cheek – she was insistent that it was best there so I asked her to be gentle.

The doctor came back and seemed to think I was fine and I’m a bit perturbed that I didn’t get a scan but they sent me on my way regardless – I went home and slept for a few hours before having to wake up to go out to buy painkillers, then I just knocked around the flat for a few hours until I popped out for a drink at half nine with Hannah.

THURSDAY

FRIDAY DIDN’T DO FLICKS MAINWARING DYSON TONY SOO CURRY

SATURDAY WORK JON KEITH VIX – JANEY STREET PORTER, RACHEL LIME

SUNDAY WORK

MONDAY WOLVERHAMPTON – SHOP WITH ADIL

DAZED AND CONFUSED

VIERNES - WHAT DO WE WANT?

I thought that I was going to see a film tonight, i must have got the wrong end of the stick, as thought it'd been sort of arranged with Spencer, but obviously not - lost intranslation. It must be me.

As it was I met Spencer out, he'd gone straight from work and was with a work mate, Alistair. After an introduction he asked, do you mind Welsh jokes?

I don't mind my friends making Welsh jokes, but from a stranger? You don't know if it's malicious or not, it's certainly not good form to chance your arm in such a fashion, besides I could tell that it was in fact antagonistic in nature.

I explained that I get the odd joke in work, and an organised campaign, usually manifested in a chant started by a Ringleader of the Tormentors:

ROTT: WHAT DO WE WANT?

ALL: WELSHIES OUT!

ROTT: WHEN DO WE WANT IT?

ALL: NOW!

I can live with that, it's the placards I find more worrying, reading, 'TAFFY GO HOME' and 'GO TO HELL VALLEYBOY' as they're obviously planned unlike the spontaniety of the chanting...

This guy didn't want to let it rest, and yes maybe he was a little drunk, and I shoudln't have risen to the bait, but we had a very loud argument in this pub about the 'UK' & Wales role in particular. Which started when he implied I was fascist. It was in fact his imperialistic delusions of grandeur, and will to impose for his ego's sake which swung alarmingly accross to the right of the political spectrum. He was desperate to cling to the remnants of empire, which seemed to directly influence his sense of well being. Tosser.

'Why do you want to split up this Great Country?' he asked. Great Country? Says who you fucking idiot!? A bit later I asked, 'So you wouldn't have been in favour of the independence of India at the end of the fourties?', he declined to answer that and wasn't able to answer or counter any statement and in fact brough nothing to the discussion, until he admitted that 'he took it personally' that certain places didn't want to be subject to rule from London.

Needless to say I won the discussion hands down, and he stood down.

After three pints the night was over, Spencer and I headed back to chorlton, where he talked me into a Fish Supper... You can take the boy out of North Manchester, but you can't take North Manchester out of the boy!

SABADO - ONLY HEINEKEN CAN DO THIS

It was going well initially! I poped out early and got a paper, then went to the gym. So far so good. I popped into Wing Yip's while I was in town to pick up a new wok and some Oolong tea. But on the way back as I approached home... BANG! The exhaust fell off, and the car sounded like a baritone tractor blowing a prolonged raspberry... I pulled over as soon as I could. It was raining, and as I had generous assistance from a young couple and a carpet shop owner I had to get on my back ina puddle under the car and remove the dragging rusted appendage. Not much like fun, oily, drenched & embarrased. I wasn't far from home and handily got the car home wihout further incident. This poses an interesting dilemma, car tax is due as is a new MOT, and the added cost of repairs and parts certainly could be done without, can I get by without it? My bike needs attention too though! The cogs on the rear wheel I think are worn and the gears there are playing up... It's all adding up. It never rains, but it pours! There's never a handy time though.

As I pondered that, I decided to watch the Heineken cup Final, I traked down a pub, Lloyds Hotel in Chorlton and as it was quiet found a decent seat to watch it from. They had a decent local IPA (Lees Greengate) which I stuck to for the duration of Munster V Biarritz. I was backing the Munster Men, and despite the try from Biaritz in the opening encounters, I didn't doubt that Munster would prevail. After twenty minutes of the game or so, a wedding party and decided to populate the otherwise deserted section of the pub in which I was sat. I ended on the edge of this party of people, except for what must have been judging by the accent the scouse off shoot of this family, they sat on my table... The teenage mum was appropriately dressed as were her parents, but who I gathered to be the father of the child has grubby trainers, tracksuit trousers and a hooded top. Nice. Two young scallywags with them also in tracksuits had a football which I heard someone else from the well to do side complain about it's presence in the ceremony itself. As soon as the game had finished, I headed straight home and had a power nap no doubt aided by a few pints and some hefty food intake.

I awoke as aranged by a call from Jon. I had to get ready to go out as I'd be able to get a lift with him from Vix(Vicky) into town. I managed it but It was a struggle and I didn't really wake up until half an hour or so after getting into town.

We headed to one of the less pretencious bars in the Northern Quarter, Cords, where after a bit we were joined by Luke (I stayed at his place with jon, Vix et al in North Wales (Caerwys nr. Rhyl) a month or so ago). Luke's a practicing vet, hence being a Manc in the land of the Gogs, he told a disturbing story about a farmer for whom he assisted in the birth of a calf, This farmer decided that he wasn't pulling the calf hard enough and decided to encourage him by saying, "Pull harder... imagine it's a nigger on your mother." What!? You can't say that!

As Vix was driving, we went along with her whim to go have a dance somewhere and unfortunately ended up in Jabez Clegg (Don't ask me why - I've been there before on a weekend and knew it woudl be pants). It got worse when we got in there, some really ropey clientelle, plus no decent beer. We'd all been having Guinness in Cords as the cask ale had just run dry. To ease the pain (we weren't about to leave as we'd had to cough up £5 to get in) we tried the Stella, which didn't taste quite right. It soon became apparent after a few pints that this would not be enough - Rather unwisely gin & vodka made an appearance and after another hour we'd all had enough and headed home. I didn't think I was that drunk.

DOMINGO - HOW THE WEST WAS WON

I awoke pretty damn ill - that's what you get for mixing cheap gin, ropey Stella's and a number of Guinnesses. I felt that I needed to be sick, I wandered to the bathroom in a reconaisance capacity... A dressing gown was stuffed in to the bowl of the toilet and was drenched...? What? Why? Is it somw sort of dirty protest? I could really be doing without such a vexing occurance. My head was banging, I couldn't entertain the consumption of any substance, liquid or solid so popped out to get a paper. I sat down to read it but lolled nearing fatigue induced delerium. I was supposed to be going to the gym, but it clearly wasn't going to happen thnat morning, in my mind I postponed the gym till the late afternoon, only to then cancel it of course totally.

I was quite dehyrated so decided to force down some water, it didn't make me feel better, it was worse, it gave bulk to what may have been in my stomach and despite the myterious disapearance of the dressing gown (retrieved rather than flushed I'd warrant) I opted for the likely greater privacy of the downstaitrs bathroom as I went to pry to the toilet god. puke plus interest, yuk! The worst thing was, I was going to be on driving duty the night before until the exhaust expired.

However that helped and by the early afternoon I was able to venture to the pub for a cup of tea with Dyson who was hanging around Chorlton. However I was lethargic for the rest of the day and a number of activities were totally scrubbed, in addition to the gym, the flicks and some general chores. I listened to a live Led Zepp album, 'How The West Was Won' and that was it... a bit crappy especially when you realise that the sooner you fall asleep the sooner tomorrow comes and as is the case normally with Sunday nights... the sooner you have to be in work!

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING

WEDNESDAY 21-06-06

I was unable to play in our touch rugby league match tonight due to my injury, but went along to provide support. It was the penultimate pool match, the next weeks match was against the unbeaten pool leaders who try difference was only +1 better than ours. So in theory a good victory this week against a team (Hudson) who had yet to win would set us up for a potential winner takes all clash the next week against the table toppers and previous year's overall champions, The Blue Town Rats...

We however due to a raft on injuries and only one female sub, and then when it came to the game, the designated ref failed to materialise, so was reffed on gentleman's terms, which benefited the the lackluste offside adherance of our opposition. We took the result 6-1 but we didn't play well, being a frustrated spectator, I turned the air blue. I confidently predict that due to our defficiencies we will lose next week and due to the team in third having the same win to loss ration as us, that we'll end up in honourable (Is there honour in Defeat?) third. I pondered what might provide the extra edge for victory...

*******autopsy

So it ain't going to happen.

Otherwise the week is mudane, I can't train properly, and can't do anything really that costs money due to the change over from weekly to monthly pay. What a crock. Boring!

Oh I got an email, it seems I've been asked to join Manchester's squad for the UK open touch rugby championchips in August.

FRIDAY 23-06-06

I had a couple of swift pints of IPA and a chat with Spencer tonight, to break up the routine. Home by 10!

SATURDAY 24-06-06 ********thankyouforsmokingmovie.com

I watched 'Thank You For Smoking' at the Cornerhouse, a satire about lobyists in the states who's influence in general is disproportionate. It really was quite funny, see it if you can. Home early again, a swift couple w/Jon,Soo,Vix,Phil first,Home by 10!

SUNDAY 25-06-06

What a bollock. I went to work this morning, there'sa desk move been on over the past week, and I was due to be moved on Monday, and I'd had it confirmed as such. But on Saturday it seems that they gone ahead and half done the move. In addition to shuffling my paperwork, and I wasn't connected to the network so couldn't do what I'd intended. Not good news for a Sunday morning, which resulted in an impromtu power-nap in the afternoon. An end to another mouch of nothing weekend.

KNIGHT TO KING PRAWN

There were comments, some of them even amusing - the best gag had to be from Mick, who anounced to anyone that'd listen that I had a sympathy hair cut... as my girlfriend and been shorn over the weekend... So back to the sheep jokes it was!

RED HOT PAWN, just joined this site and

Far away in the tropical waters of the Caribbean, two prawns were swimming around in the sea - one called Justin and the other called Christian.

The prawns were constantly being harassed and threatened by sharks that inhabited the area. Finally one day Justin said to Christian, "I'm fed up with being a prawn, I wish I was a shark, then I wouldn't have any worries about being eaten."
A large mysterious cod appeared and said, "Your wish is granted", and lo and behold, Justin turned into a shark.Horrified, Christian immediately swam away, afraid of being eaten by his old mate.
Time passed (as it invariably does) and Justin found life as a shark boring and lonely. All his old mates simply swam away whenever he came close to them. Justin didn't realise that his new menacing appearance was the cause of his sad plight. While swimming alone one day he saw the mysterious cod again and he thought perhaps the mysterious fish could change him back into a prawn.
He approached the cod and begged to be changed back, and, lo and behold, he found himself turned back into a prawn. With tears of joy in his tiny little eyes Justin swam back to his friends and bought them all a cocktail. (The punch line does not involve a prawn cocktail - it's much worse).
Looking around the gathering at the reef he realised he couldn't see his old pal. "Where's Christian?" he asked.
"He's at home, still distraught that his best friend changed sides to the enemy and became a shark", came the reply.
Eager to put things right again and end the mutual pain and torture, he set off to Christian's abode. As he opened the coral gate memories came flooding back. He banged on the door and shouted, "It's me, Justin, your old friend, come out and see me again.
"Christian replied, "No way man, you'll eat me. You're now a shark, the enemy, and I'll not be tricked into being your dinner."
Justin cried back "No, I'm not. That was the old me. I've changed."

Wait for it....

"I've found Cod. I'm a prawn again Christian"

25.05.06

Not Much to Report Except for the Touch Rugby.

It was almost rained off again as it was particularly glum first thing in the morning. But it brightened up and stopped raining later in the morning, quite a pain as I didn't cycle to work based on the depth of grey hanging in the sky.

We had a new player, Leanne, handy as previously we’d had no subs for the women and they’d noticeably tired. The Oldham Rugby League Boys were missing as they were on a stag do to Magaluf (I assume it was there it was continually referred to as Megamuff!). Anyhow, we didn’t have a warm up game this week, but were straight in against a team called the Badgers.

It so happened, that I knew most of the Badgers team from the social touch rugby that was on Saturday mornings. So they should have known what they were doing, as it was we gave them a hammering, 8-1. We let in a sloppy try, and to be honest the tries we scored against them I’d have considered sloppy if they’d been scored against us on the whole.

I was slightly miffed as the ref miscounted the score at half time, 4-0 he reckoned but it should have been 5-0, with a hat-trick to myself as it was I had to settle for a brace, but didn’t add to it in the second half. I was feeling it a bit, due to our lack of substitutes I was the only team member not to be rolled off for a breather. This week I really needed the break, I’m not totally well, (just a shade ill – not man flu) and I didn’t feel full of running, lethargic!

I think I got a chill as well hanging around, it wasn't warm and I was outside with shorts and a t-shirt on for a good few hours and woke this morning with further enhanced flu symptoms. Not enough to get off work with however, and I’m not up to going to the gym tonight.

MONDAY 240606

I borrowed X-Men 3, Mission Impossible 3, XM3 is utter rubbish and MI3, total tosh! Seriously don't bother.As Dyson says, "I wouldn't with yours and there's nothing wrong with mine". He must mean eyes when looking.

TUESDAY 250606

I watched Flight 93 which I also borrowed, it's for those who don't know is about the aeroplane that didn't hit it's target on '9/11'. It's a frustrating film due to the situation that the innocent people caught in the crossfire find themsleves in. The calls made from the plane are transcribed from actual calls, but not overloaded with 'Hollywood moments' - the passengers eventually take action from which they don't survive, but are covered with glory when they face up to their likely fate. The film treads carefully and as such isn't making any political statements, just statements about the human spirit.

WEDNESDAY 260606

BLUE TOWN RATS

Our final pool match was against the Blue Town Rats, we'd watched bit of their games in previous weeks and knew they were very competant. I wasn't fully healed but good enough to play, I told people as I got my excuse in early. They scored first quite quickly but we hit back with two tries where I gave the scoring pass (No tries for me this week I'm afraid - my first blank). They scored again and early in the second half we led 4-2, we shoudl have sat on the lead but looked to finish them off but they were far too capable and fitter and we didn't score again as they late on opened up a 7-4 lead to win. A dissapointment but they were a good team. We've qualified for he next round as eigth seeds from eight so are likely to play the number one seeded side in the quarters. Yikes!

THURSDAY 290606

THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY

I rushed around straight from work, the shops twice & over to the thursday social touch (which I don't play anymore due to wooley rule enforcement) for a quick chat with Toby. I wasn't expecting to have time for anything else and had written off my chances of making it to the flicks but it turned out that I woudl have time and I legged it to town to watch 'The Wind That Shakes The Barley'.

The film won the Palm D'Or at cannes but was rubbished by the English media for being Anti-British. That's bollocks, for starters hoe do you defend the 'Black and Tans'? Besides any colonial power is there by force which is a sin, and as a proviso - you can only sin if you're in a position (having the power) to be able to. All without sin are potential sinners, given appropriate, and probably not particually testing, circumstances. There are sinners on both sides in this film, as the Irish also fight amongst themsleves, culuminating in sibling rift and execution. I'll leave you watch it.

FRIDAY 300606

I had strangley been given as my holiday allocation for the rest of the year, eleven and two thirds days... They weren't about to round up the number (more likely to round down) so I could work an additional few hours to make it a full day, but I chose to take the two thirds off. My weekend started at half ten on Friday morning, but it was of to a hectic start. The laundrette, shopping, a haircut (I had to try and explain the Crankies to the Iranian barber - I shouldn't use words like fandabydozo when there are normal words such as marvelous and fantastic that will suffice) and the gym before fitting in a power-nap in preperation for a work's night out.

The work do was at the La Vina tapas bar, Kelly insisted on giving me a lift in, and met her brother Anton ('The Wong of Legend' - you'll have to ask me in person!). It's a new joint, and they've teething problems with service at times but the food was good, but I was strangely full pretty quickly, as were many others - I wouldn't be suprised if it had MSG in it. There wasa prob with the bill too, more a problem with people sticking down £10 and dissapearing, Dyson bore the brunt and I had to contribute £25. There are always some.

We were in some club called prohibition after and not all made it - then I was persuaded later with a few to go to a club called Pure, it was awful. It was opening night not the kind of place you'd expect to find me going. That's sometimes what you get for following your nose. I was pretty sober which didn't help I guess and too old, but did some spaz & 'Night At The Roxbury' dancing to help while it away. TMI.

********picture

SATURDAY 010706

I-I-I-KEA

Jon was kind enough to give me a lift to Ikea for asome bits and bobs that I needed. He reckoned Leeds was closer than Warrington, so we went to that store, but also called in on his brother's place for a brew. I got a set of chairs and a table all for £60 - can't fault it really!

I went out pretty late that night with Jon, Vix & Soo who came round the Flat for a G&T first then we went to town an met up with numerous others, we ended in some club called 'South' where I got roped in to some rounds as my drinks and computational abilities swiftly decended. When I realised it was time to go I didn't have a clue what the time was and the concept of catching the night bus was quite frankly beyond me. Taxi!

SUNDAY 020706

I woke up at seven feeling rough, breakfast woudln't be a possibility until the afternoon. I tried to be busy nonetheless, it was baking hot out, and later I popped to the 'Chorlton Festival' (Bands, rides, stalls BBQ's etc) down the green area of chorlton, with Spencer and his housemate Andy. It was about five in the afternoon but still hot and humid. the warning signs were there, the odd drop of rain, and distant rumbles. Suddenly a torrential downpour the likes of which I haven't seen in years struck, it killed much of the festival and people ran for cover to pubs or whereever. We shelterd in someone's porch but not before being soacked under an insuffienct tree, it soon became unfunny as we all had just shorts and t-shirts on and were soaked to the bone. I was prepared for the house owner asking what we were doing not only in his garden but huddles up to his front door, i would have grabbed his lapel (or whatever in the absence of that) and pleaded 'For the love of god, Have Mercy!'.

It kept for two hours at least solid and after an hour and a half trapped by it I had to just grin and bear it for the two miles home on the bike.

FRIDAY: 26th

I had to get up at 5am as I had to attend a meeting in Solihull for half nine in the morning. I left at six and totally misjudged the traffic and adverse weather and was there for half seven. Nowhere was open and I was bursting for the jacks. So I took a walk around the centre of Solihull and it is rather plesant - I'd heard it was posh and it's upkeep was certainly in keeping with that. That didn't kill the two hours though, as everywhere was closed apart form the odd newsagent, so I least picked up a paper and was able to retreat from the elements back to the car and have a read.

The drive back to work in Manchester was a nightmare, two seperate accident on the M6 which brought everythign to a halt, left me with a mild, yet annoying headache.

I'd borrowed a pool car from work, and in a normal display of the company's effieceiency and organisation, as I went to return the car to it's place in the secure car park, it transpired that no one (well someone in particular) thoguht to mention that I needed a pass let alone to give me one. So as I went to go in a queue of beeping irate cars formed behind me. How thick are some people - I reversed two out of the avaliable three yards, normally an obvious signal for the blocking car to make room surely? Well apparently not.

After some words on both sides that were delivered with a serated edge, she made room so I could get out of the way. So she got her car into the car park, as the gate was then open I nipped in! BUt she took it personally and started screaming at me that I wasn't allowed - being agitated my self I retorted in a forceful baritone - no good, she lost it and continued going mad, as I almost was myself as I added choice expletives to my next retort.

She went and reported me to the building's operators for openly flouting the parking regualtions then it seems, as I walked back to the office, one of the guy's who worked there came up to me and asked if it was me, it was fine as they knew me and he was laughing as the woman was going crazy in reception and they'd sent the fellah out really just to placate her and not to incurr her wrath.

I went to return the keys to the person, who's sieve like attention to detail had meant that I'd got into the predicament in the first place. Now it turned out whenI eventually tracked him down that I was to make a note of the mileage despite that he was about to drive it home and I had to go back down the ten floors and back outside to write it down. Again as with the car park pass, INFORMATION THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE USEFUL TO ME YESTERDAY. TWAT!

It seems that that the root cause of this unprofessionalness, was that the pool car, if not needed was to be used indescriminately by this guy and he wanted it back for the weekend and resented that I'd had it the previous night. He treated it, nay, considered it his car. I stand by by my judgement as just mentioned - TWAT!

It had already been a long day and was set to be further extended as that night was the leaving do for both Ray Prescott and Mick Freeman. I needed to fit in a powernap, but was struggling to find a window in my schedule. I'd worked one out in theory but straight from work had to have a pint in the pub next door then walk home. It became two pints and on the walk home, bumped unexpectedly into Adam who was curb crawling or something down the back streets of Chorlton. I was already behind schedule then and only just had time to iron a shirt nad have a shower before I had to catch a bus into the city centre for the agreed time.

I was only a few minutes, but bar one other person, half an hour before everyone else! Damn them all! We met in a Whetherspoons (The Waterhouse) that came accross as surprisingly posh, the toilets, which I've learned since have won an award, had a fireplace in them, which I was tempted to try and put out. But I'll tell you what's really posh - having your servants flogged for insolence.

The rest turned up and many were much the worse for wear, none more so than Julle Garner (who Laughs like Sid James), who was absolutely out of it to the extent that she blew a raspberry on my stomach - in a distant second place (relatively speaking) was Mick who was eventually refused entrance to one establishment due to the extent of his inbtoxication. Or it could have been due to his shirt, not that I'm one to talk on that count!

We headed to another cheap pub - The Old Monkey, which I guessed seved it's purpose initally, but it wasn't long before people were wanting to head to somewhere where they could have a dance. Some peeps not connected to work came out and met us there, Jon, Vix & Sue - due to a diferential in drinking up time the group fractured but had as a whole the same destination in mind, some smaller fragments headed their own ways. Out of some misguided sense of loyalty to the work group I went after to them only to find they were not in the agreed venue (one of the number had been refused entry), Dyson & I were stuck wondering where they had gone along with the immoral Dawn. We had an inkling that they may have been in Brannigans across the road, We certainly weren't going to accompany DAwn so headed to Space, where Jon et al. were and were I'd been on the verge on going with them initally...

On a barely cryptic note: don't you remember how it was funny that after a half of playing into the wind, at the five minutes at half time the wind seemed to switch 180 degrees, to leave you up against it for the whole game. Not quite the same, but equally unlikely but yet happend is when a gentle tropical breeze of the Sargasso sea in a few minutes of turning your back becomes, a frigid icy northern blast from the depth of the Artic, as Dyson mention - painful to watch!

It's been a long day, and certainly not the best one ever - writing off my losses I headed home a few hours before many of the others - missing out on many of the subsequent goings on - but good news travells fast!

SATURDAY: 27th

I had a call from The Wong far too early in the morning - She had some juicy gossip to share from the previous night, most of which I won't mention (despite it being rather scandalous!) to protect those who might retaliate, but I will mention that a former employe who turned up and was my dumb blonde vestigal former assistant, Dawn, is in the habit of paying for sex. It goes to prove that what we oft repeat from Family Guy's Quagmire in work, "Fat Chicks need love too... BUT They Gotta PAY!" Mwhahaha!

Not all Big Issue sellers are homeless are they? I was in the middle of town and brought a copy from a vendor - I generally find the articles about pop culture boring and don't bother with them anymore, there is the odd cocial comment article, I often look at the adverts for voluntary work and wonder if I should do something like that - anyhow, it was the vendor's last copy and as I noticed I said in an off-hand fashion, 'oh it's your last one, you'll be able to knock off and sod off home then?', he'd just have to go and get some apparently but it wasn't until I was sat at the bus stop that I realised the comments could have been taken the wrong way if he'd been living in a cardboard box. Whoops. But I don't think the comment was mis-interpreted.

I went to the gym late in the day and the day flew buy far too quickly - I stayed in to save cash and watched a few borrowed DVD's. I'll mention now that the X-Men flicks are totally riduculous, it was a major effort to disengage my brain, and the Blade flims were okay but samey.

SUNDAY: 28th

I moved to the new flat today and spent all day packing - I was thankfull of help From 'Smutty' Steve Dyson, who earned himself a pint in the process.

MONDAY: 29th

Still unpacking - where am I going to put all this stuff? Made it to the gym though. Had a pint - James insisted, to mark moving in.

TUESDAY: 30th

Back at work & I eventually finished unpacking. Now where did I put the claw hammer, I need to put a picture up?

Things that make blokes proud of themselves :

1. OPENING JARS - She's struggling. You take it from her hands, open it

effortlessly and pretend she loosened it for you. She didn't. Jars

are men's work.

2. CALLING SOMEONE 'SON' - Especially policemen but even saying it to

kids makes you the man.

3. DOING A PROPER SPEAR TACKLE - TGR Davies side-steps - camp. A Scott

Gibbs tackle is the pinnacle of the game, simultaneously winning the

ball and crippling the man. Magic.

4. SHARPENING A PENCIL WITH A STANLEY KNIFE - Blunt, is it? Hand it

here, love. No, I don't need a sharpener, I've got a knife thanks!

5. GOING TO THE TIP - A manly act which combines driving, lifting and -

as you thrillingly drop your rubbish into another huge pile of other

rubbish - noisy destruction.

6. DRINKING UP - Specifically, rising from the table, slinging your

coat on and downing two thirds of a pint in one fluid movement. Then

nodding towards the door, saying, "Let's go" and striding out while

everyone else struggles to catch up with you. You're hard.

7. HAVING A THIN BIT OF WOOD - in the shed, solely to stir paint with.

8. HAVING A SCAR - Ideally it'll be a facial knife wound, but even an

iron burn on the wrist is good. "Ooh, did it hurt?" "Nah".

9. HAVING A HANGOVER AND THICK STUBBLE - When birds have been partying

they just whinge. You on the other hand have physical evidence of your

hardness, sprouting from your face. "Big night?" Grr, what does it look like?

10. NODDING AT COPPERS - A moment's eye contact is all it takes for you

to share the unspoken bond. "We've not seen eye to eye in the past",

it says, "but someone's got to keep the little scrotes in line".

11. USING POWER TOOLS - Slightly more powerful than you need or can

safely handle. Pneumatic drilling while smoking a fag? Superb.

12. ARRIVING IN A PUB LATE - And everyone cheers you. It doesn't mean

you're popular, it just means your mates are pissed. However,the rest

of the pub doesn't know that.

13. NOT WATCHING YOUR WEIGHT - Fat is a feminist issue,apparently.

Brilliant. Pass the pork scratchings.

14. CARVING THE ROAST - And saying "are you a leg or breast man?" to

the blokes and "do you want stuffing?" to the women. Congratulations,

you are now your dad.

15. WINKING - Turns women to putty. Doesn't it?

16. TEST SWINGING HAMMERS - Ideally, B&Q would have little changing

rooms with mirrors so you could see how rugged you look with any DIY

item. Until then, we'll make do with the aisles.

17. TAKING OUT £200 FROM A CASHPOINT - Okay, so its for paying the

plumber later but with that much cash you feel like a mafia don. The

only thing better is peeling notes off the roll later.

18. PHONE CALLS THAT LAST LESS THAN A MINUTE - Unlike birds, we get

straight to the point. "Alright? Yep. Drink? Red lion? George,it is then.

Seven. See ya."

19. PARALLEL PARKING - Bosh, straight in. First time. Can Schumacher

do that? No (because his car's got no reverse gear which, technically,

makes you the worlds best driver).

20. HAVING EARNED THAT PINT - Since the dawn of time, men have toiled

in the fields in blistering heat. Why? So, when it's over we can

stand there in silence, surveying our work with one hand resting on the

beer gut while the other nurses a foaming jug of ale. Aaaah.

21. HAVING SOMETHING PROPERLY WRONG WITH YOU - Especially if you didn't

make a fuss. "Why was I off, nothing much, just a brain haemorrhage".

22. KNOWING WHICH SCREWDRIVER IS WHICH - "A Phillips? For that? Are

you mad, bint?"

Re-Boot...

Here I’ve found some old posts that I’d mailed to m inbox, but had not posted.

Some is coherent and in sentences and much of it isn’t – it’s in a form of keywords, which were supposed to jog my memory but time has diminished the significance of much of it. I have posted them regardless as a reference for myself, so apologies if it’s ‘uncodeable’

Where am I now?

On a train back to West Wales… I should have been sat at a café in Madrid with a coffee or even maybe a cerveza. What happened was…

I’d booked the flight a while back, to Madrid and had saved enough cash to cover it.

But then…

I came off my bike, two days after my birthday and was concussed, I was taken to hospital

The Wind That Shakes The Barley

2006-07-02T16:15:00.000+01:00

MONDAY 240606
I borrowed X-Men 3, Mission Impossible 3, XM3 is utter rubbish and MI3, total tosh! Seriously don't bother.As Dyson says, "I wouldn't with yours and there's nothing wrong with mine". He must mean eyes when looking.
TUESDAY 250606
I watched Flight 93 which I also borrowed, it's for those who don't know is about the aeroplane that didn't hit it's target on '9/11'. It's a frustrating film due to the situation that the innocent people caught in the crossfire find themsleves in. The calls made from the plane are transcribed from actual calls, but not overloaded with 'Hollywood moments' - the passengers eventually take action from which they don't survive, but are covered with glory when they face up to their likely fate. The film treads carefully and as such isn't making any political statements, just statements about the human spirit.
WEDNESDAY 260606
BLUE TOWN RATS
Our final pool match was against the Blue Town Rats, we'd watched bit of their games in previous weeks and knew they were very competant. I wasn't fully healed but good enough to play, I told people as I got my excuse in early. They scored first quite quickly but we hit back with two tries where I gave the scoring pass (No tries for me this week I'm afraid - my first blank). They scored again and early in the second half we led 4-2, we shoudl have sat on the lead but looked to finish them off but they were far too capable and fitter and we didn't score again as they late on opened up a 7-4 lead to win. A dissapointment but they were a good team. We've qualified for he next round as eigth seeds from eight so are likely to play the number one seeded side in the quarters. Yikes!
THURSDAY 290606
THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY
I rushed around straight from work, the shops twice & over to the thursday social touch ( which I don't play anymore due to wooley rule enforcement) for a quick chat with Toby. I wasn't expecting to have time for anything else and had written off my chances of making it to the flicks but it turned out that I woudl have time and I legged it to town to watch 'The Wind That Shakes The Barley'.
The film won the Palm D'Or at cannes but was rubbished by the English media for being Anti-British. That's bollocks, for starters hoe do you defend the 'Black and Tans'? Besides any colonial power is there by force which is a sin, and as a proviso - you can only sin if you're in a position (having the power) to be able to. All without sin are potential sinners, given appropriate, and probably not particually testing, circumstances. There are sinners on both sides in this film, as the Irish also fight amongst themsleves, culuminating in sibling rift and execution.

Blast Back - Photo from a previous works do - I not sure What Jane Bilsland is on about but I've added a caption, that made me smile at least!

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING

2006-06-25T21:12:00.000+01:00

WEDNESDAY 21-06-06
I was unable to play in our touch rugby league match tonight due to my injury, but went along to provide support. It was the penultimate pool match, the next weeks match was against the unbeaten pool leaders who try difference was only +1 better than ours. So in theory a good victory this week against a team (Hudson) who had yet to win would set us up for a potential winner takes all clash the next week against the table toppers and previous year's overall champions, The Blue Town Rats...
We however due to a raft on injuries and only one female sub, and then when it came to the game, the designated ref failed to materialise, so was reffed on gentleman's terms, which benefited the the lackluste offside adherance of our opposition. We took the result 6-1 but we didn't play well, being a frustrated spectator, I turned the air blue. I confidently predict that due to our defficiencies we will lose next week and due to the team in third having the same win to loss ration as us, that we'll end up in honourable (Is there honour in Defeat?) third. I pondered what might provide the extra edge for victory...
Problems:

Settles – basic three absent.
Speed of Roll – Lackadaisical.
Pickup – Fractured. No Scoop.
Speed of Pass – Pedestrian.
Promptness of First Receiver – No Call.

Walk-Up Defence – Lethargic.
Defence Zone Identification – No Call.
Five Meter Retreat Inconsistent.

Turnovers – Unconcerned, no Urgency.
Being able to catch. Buckets?
Crowding. (Generally to the left)
Targeted offence - Same Individual/Weak Links.
So it ain't going to happen.

Otherwise the week is mudane, I can't train properly, and can't do anything really that costs money due to the change over from weekly to monthly pay. What a crock. Boring!
Oh I got an email, it seems I've been asked to join Manchester's squad for the UK open touch rugby championchips in August.

FRIDAY 23-06-06
I had a couple of swift pints of IPA and a chat with Spencer tonight, to break up the routine. Home by 10!

SATURDAY 24-06-06
I watched 'Thank You For Smoking' at the Cornerhouse, a satire about lobyists in the states who's influence in general is disproportionate. It really was quite funny, see it if you can. Home early again, a swift couple w/Jon,Soo,Vix,Phil first,Home by 10!

SUNDAY 25-06-06
What a bollock. I went to work this morning, there'sa desk move been on over the past week, and I was due to be moved on Monday, and I'd had it confirmed as such. But on Saturday it seems that they gone ahead and half done the move. In addition to shuffling my paperwork, and I wasn't connected to the network so couldn't do what I'd intended. Not good news for a Sunday morning, which resulted in an impromtu power-nap in the afternoon. An end to another mouch of nothing weekend.

MARCH 2005 REVISITED

I eventually managed to get these pictures of my brothers (circled) in a crowd from the official DVD of that day and of a wild eyed drunk raising from the depths of the crowd like some sort of leviathan...

Two builders (Dave Marlor and Ray) are seated either side of a table in a

rough pub when a well-dressed man enters, orders a beer and sits on a
stool at the bar.
The two builders start to speculate about the occupation of the suit
Dave Marlor: - I reckon he's an accountant
Ray: - No way - he's a stockbroker.
Dave Marlor: - He ain't no stockbroker! A stockbroker wouldn't come in here!
The argument repeats itself for some time until the volume of beer gets
the better of Dave Marlor and he makes for the toilet. On entering the toilet
he sees that the suit is standing at a urinal. Curiosity and the several
beers get the better of him.
Dave Marlor: - 'Scuse me.... no offence meant, but me and me mate were
wondering what you do for a living?
Suit: - No offence taken! I'm a Logical Scientist by profession >
Dave Marlor: - Oh? What's that then?
Suit: - I'll try to explain by example ... Do you have a goldfish at
home?
Dave Marlor: - Err ... mmm ... well yeah, I do as it happens!
Suit: - Well, it's logical that you keep it either in a bowl or in a
pond.
Which is it?
Dave Marlor: - It's in a pond!
Suit: - Well it's reasonable to suppose that you have a large garden
then?
Dave Marlor: - As it happens, yes I have got a big garden.
Suit: - Well then it's logical to assume that, in this town; if you have
a large garden then you have a large house?
Dave Marlor: - As it happens I've got a five bedroom house ... built it myself
Suit: - Well given that you've built a five-bedroom house it's logical
to assume that you haven't built it just for yourself and that you are
quite probably married?
Dave Marlor: - Yes I am married, I live with my wife and four children
Suit: - Well then it is logical to assume that you are sexually active
with your wife on a regular basis.
Dave Marlor: - Yep! Five times a week!
Suit: - Well then it is logical to suggest that you don't mas***bate
very often?
Dave Marlor: - Do what? Not me, mate!
Suit: - Well there you are! That's logical science at work!
Dave Marlor: - How's that then?
Suit: - Well from finding out that you had a goldfish, I've told you
about your sex life!
Dave Marlor: - I see! That's pretty impressive. Thanks mate!
Both leave the toilet and Dave Marlor returns to his mate.
Ray: - I see the suit was in there. Did you ask him what he does?
Dave Marlor: - Yep! He's a logical scientist!
Ray: - What's that then?
Dave Marlor: - I'll try and explain. Do you have a goldfish?
Ray: - Nope
Dave Marlor: - Well then, you're a w**ker

ALICE COOPER

2006-06-19T19:31:00.000+01:00

Monday 12-06-06
ELECTION - HAK SE WUI
I caught this flick at the Cornerhouse - I'm reliably informed that it's already avaliable on DVD and I understand has a sequel out in Hong Kong.
It was described as 'A Triad thriller minus guns but full of wit, excellent peformances and moody camerawork'. I did like it but I thought the lack of guns was taken too far, planned killings were ad-libbed it seemed with what came to hand, rocks, branches etc, surely leaving too much to chance... come off it. Anyhow there's a few twists and so on, and I won't spoil it any further. Except to say that it sought to be quite Machiavellian, with two main contrasting protagonists as pretenders to the throne. Oh - I've seen it advertised in the paper, and the sequel is out in Hong Kong already.

Tuesday 13-06-06
LOVE YOUR BIKE
There's been a lot this week in the Independent about bikes. Bike usage is up, bike rhetoric is up as is bike and car user antagonism. There lots being said and oscilates wildly betwwen the negative to the converse positive. I cycle myself and am usually over cautious as it pays to be, tons of metal flying past. It would be better if more people did cycle but more needs to be done, like banning rain during the rush hour. The operator of the building that I work in have spartan facilities, despite spouting their 'green' credentials. There are eleven floors and over a hundred people per floor, but there are no showers. I rang the main office in Manchester (they operate up to a hundred bildings), it seems they have plans to install only one shower for the whole building. Even if the office workers cycled en masse (and believe me, they really need the exercise) there are only racks for eight bikes to be locked up. At a rough estimate, that's less than one percent that are accomodated for, utterley pathetic. There a town in the Netherlands where useage is sixty percent! If only.

Wednesday 14-06-06
SHOCKERS
Our touch rugby league tonight was against a team called Shockers United, We'd heard they had a mouth on them, and so it proved. They had a few, for the sake of diplomacy, idiots on their team. They were dispatched 8-3, two for myself. Again we had no subs, unfortunate as I was carrying an injury a pulled hamstring/buttock, we'd had a sub earlier but he pulled his hamstring in our friendly game. I spent the second half loitering on the wing as we cantered to the result.
FW: Forwarded E-mail.
Now some are rubbish and erring on annoying, but some are works of comdey genius, of emails that I forward I do try to act as a filter. So generally I only forward decent ones, however I was sent a 'big brother' TV, not 1984 I'm afraid and forwarded it, which propmted this reaction and subsequent apology:

Thursday 15-06-06
HAMSTRUNG
I had to skip the touch rugby in northern Manchester, I've pulled the upper part of my left hamstring and left buttock(I told everyone in work - I've a sore bum), cycling and walking are painful and running out of the question. It's a total pain, I can't even get to the gym as an alternative, and staying in sucks - but is at least cheap. ZZZ!

Friday 16-06-06
THE HILL
I didn't end up staying in, Jon offered to pick me up for a informal bbq at his place, Noice! Then we went to town to meet Vix, Soo & Luke. Neither Jon or myself drunk at all - we met them in a grotty Whetherspoons, The Paramount. I was persuaded fromthere to go to a place called Fifth Avenue, I knew there was something wrong when they were checking ID on the way in. "Whay are we here? I don't need ID, I'm over 18?" In we went never the less, on questioning it seemed they hadn't been there for years either - for a reason maybe. The music wasn't bad, indie & rock. But due to the dress code in the place, as Luke noted, fat people, got closer to passing for passable, even then it was mostly students and If I was drinking I'd have welcomed oblivion, offered by the drink.

Saturday 17-06-06
ARGENTINA 45 - 27 WALES
A disapointing result, however we were only outscored 4-3 on tries, but again place kicking and kicking from hand was a let down. There should be twenty one further players avaliable for the forthcoming season and the positives should be taken from the tour - as there are legitimate excuses to use to mask the negatives. Review Here.
TRIVIAL PURSUIT
Jon picked me up to take it easy at his, with the usual suspects (Vix, Soo & Luke) as well as his bother James and his Girlfriend Louise. Didn't really do much except to mention that my team (Jon & me) in Trivial Pursuit won despite having Jon on the team!

SCRAPING THE BARRELL

2006-06-11T21:21:00.000+01:00

WEDNESDAY
Touch Rugby - our league match was against a team called Scraping the Barrell, an effort at deceptive self depreciation perhaps?
Well we won 12-1, I claimed four myself and could have had another, i was clear and five meters from the line but elected to give one of our ladies on the team a try, she didn't drop it but caught it cleanly but then promptly ran into touch! D'oh!
There's caouple on our team and two of their kids come along Salesi and Te'ea, they're 7 & 5, and a bundle of mischeif. Apart from being jumped on/attacked repeatedly and participating in singalongs, I also ended up chasing them around and as Salesi proved mainly immune to tickling I made him do press ups - much to the amusment of the fifty strong audience who were sat on the rugby club's patio! "Owain, What the hell are you doing to those Kids?"
THURSDAY
There another touch rugby tournament being held in the north of manchester - I figured I'd check it out as it's only nine miles away by bike. The venue was just at the top of Moston, where Spencer is from. He advised that I shoudlcycle via Rochdale Road, looking at the map it created a bit of an inverted 'L' shape, but surely local knowledge counts for something? Well Spencer must have been giggling to himself as apart form being longer, the route had two bar-steward long hills, which were an utter mission. I did manage it without stopping, but it was close. Needless to say by the time I got there I was gasping - handy then that I was an hour and a half early!
I went to this new tournament as a ringer and was placed in a team from Eccles Ladies. The league was of a much lower standard than the Didsbury league and a little frustrating. BUt they are all new so it's expected - but why don't they listen to me!?
FRIDAY
We had a works do to the dogs, I didn't gamble as it doesn't bother me really. I've been once before two tears ago, and I think I'll be leaving it even longer 'till the next time I go. The place is full of scum, and has few inherent reedeeming features. Maybe if I'd won cash I'd talk differently, but without knowing the sport, it seemed that for the work colleagues it was a bit of a lottery. Nothing particually scandalous ensued however (?) some titbits did come to light reagarding previous occurances, again I can't divulge without compromising myself - so you'd have to ask me in person.
To ease the pain of the dogs, there was nothing wrong with the compnay I hasten to add, I swiftly consumed my quota of free booze - and ended up in Revolution down Deansgate locks, which actually an improvement from the track - Sometimes I'm too easily led.
SATURDAY
BBQ at Phils, They were watching the football world cup - I obvioulsy wasn't interested, the rest of the people were English (or one case of a English supporting Kiwi), but it was blazing outside and some weren't interssted in the soccer either, so we played a bit frizbee untill I sent it skimming over the garden wall, for the second time, this time not to return. I wasn't active particually but I was shattered afterwards, I think it was the sun!
SUNDAY
Work on a Sunday? What a bummer. I didn't stay too long though - not that I really made the most of the weather, I was lobster pink from the previous day and had chores to do. It costs £7 for a large wash at the laundrette next door - I had two to do after a week, and I'm obviously going to have to manage a clothing rota better.
It was Wales Vs Argentina in Patagonia (Where Welsh is spoken) - I managed to pick up a very fuzzy S4C on the tv which I set up, and could sort of mostly make out the action. We had a young team out and I guess I wasn't expecting to win but, was raised up for a while and thought we deserved to win with the Argentinian try that wasn't... read a review here & here.

DIRTY PROTEST

2006-06-04T06:33:00.000+01:00

310506 - Wednesday
I had to bus/walk it to rugby - what a mission, over an hour it took, it's a maximum fifteen minutes on the bike.
Anyhow we got there and our league game was against 'Withington Warriors', this team was full of Kiwi's and were pretty useful.
We lost 4-3 but were robbed, I could have lived with a draw, but the loss was nasty - despite a hatrick by yours truly not proving enough we had two tries disallowed (1 from me) for rubbish reasons and a number of dubious and inconsistent descisions... Apparently our acting captain, Chris, has stepped on his toes before.
So to summarise - DAYLIGHT ROBBERY!
010606 - Thursday
I went to pick my bike up today, and had to power walk the three miles from work to the shop to pick it up - I wasn't happy that the repairs cost £70 but at least I'd be mobile. I shot back to the flat on it, got changed and headed to the gym, after about a mile as I crossed a junction, the effing chain snapped (It was new and I'd fitted it the week previously) NFW!!! Why is it being like this? I had to wheel it back then catch a sodding bus to town... It's just not fair!
Have you seen those Milky Way magic Stars? they're small star shaped bits of chocolate - if you lick the back you can stick them to your forehead and feel reminicent of Vivian from the young ones, I left them on for a while, but had to eventully remove them at the behest of my team leader - however due to the body heat a swear of chocolate was left behind - akin to a dirty protest!
WhenI got back from work - the landlord, Vik, called me into the shop, 'I want to introduce you to someone' - The music plays and everyone must dance - it was a camp bus driver from north wales who spoke Welsh and tried to get my phone number, we had a brief chat, I also turned down the opportunity to go to chapel that Sunday. The funny thing is that I've been in Manchester for two years but not met another Welsh speaker but in the space of a month - four have turned up! Did I mention the girl from work, Lowri from Aberystwyth? She's pretty - but a bit young.
020606 - Friday
As I left the house at half seven in the morning and was locking the door a bus beeped at me - it was the bus driver form the night before waving at me from the cab of a bus - Yikes! But it must have been coincidence as he wouldn't have been wating around with passengers on board.
I was supposed to have a drink with Toby as he was getting maried the next day - as it happened he was too busy. Thusly I went out with Jon (et al.), who's brother was celebrating a birthday and a promotion, again we met in the Waterhouse - strange, never before then two weeks in a row, at least they had decent cask ale there. I also bumped into the Wong's older brother, Anton, the week previously he been in Cardiff to see his hometown play and had shared a hotel room with his younger brother and sister. He got back in two hours after them with two girls in tow... What a guy! But how the hell did he manage to talk them into that? What line did he use?
Anyhow the rest of us went to the Tiger lounge which managed to play the Stones, Led Zep among others, class!
030606 - Saturday
I awoke with a start, the wierd flatmate was exiting my room wearing only a pair of kegs! WTF!? I managed a coherent 'Morning James' as he stumbled out he mumbled that he'd got it confused with the bathroom, I guess we've been in the flat less than a week - but I'm definately getting a lock fitted.
I wasn't up for the gym as it was too sunny, I checked out some of the cycle paths (new chain on the bike) which run along old railway lines, nice except for the 'checkpoints' which maut have been put in to discourage motorbikers but also halt/impede the progress and more importantly momentum of cyclists.
I had been meant to go to Toby's wedding but, with out an officail invite I hadn't realised that it was on the otherside of Knutsford, and therfore too far to get to without a car - but at least it meant I didn't have to bump into Anna. I hope it all went well nonetheless.
I tred some ethical shopping today - strewth it was expensive, I got groceries at Unicorn (unicorn-grocery.co.uk) and meat from a butchers. To be fair It seemed like an effort, but thatmorning, anything requiring anything slightly organised was always going to be a struggle. I think I'll have to phase in this sort of shopping and I'm not into a routine at the new place yet.

The Old Monkey

2006-05-30T18:33:00.000+01:00

FRIDAY: 26th
I had to get up at 5am as I had to attend a meeting in Solihull for half nine in the morning. I left at six and totally misjudged the traffic and adverse weather and was there for half seven. Nowhere was open and I was bursting for the jacks. So I took a walk around the centre of Solihull and it is rather plesant - I'd heard it was posh and it's upkeep was certainly in keeping with that. That didn't kill the two hours though, as everywhere was closed apart form the odd newsagent, so I least picked up a paper and was able to retreat from the elements back to the car and have a read.
The drive back to work in Manchester was a nightmare, two seperate accident on the M6 which brought everythign to a halt, left me with a mild, yet annoying headache.
I'd borrowed a pool car from work, and in a normal display of the company's effieceiency and organisation, as I went to return the car to it's place in the secure car park, it transpired that no one (well someone in particular) thoguht to mention that I needed a pass let alone to give me one. So as I went to go in a queue of beeping irate cars formed behind me. How thick are some people - I reversed two out of the avaliable three yards, normally an obvious signal for the blocking car to make room surely? Well apparently not.
After some words on both sides that were delivered with a serated edge, she made room so I could get out of the way. So she got her car into the car park, as the gate was then open I nipped in! BUt she took it personally and started screaming at me that I wasn't allowed - being agitated my self I retorted in a forceful baritone - no good, she lost it and continued going mad, as I almost was myself as I added choice expletives to my next retort.
She went and reported me to the building's operators for openly flouting the parking regualtions then it seems, as I walked back to the office, one of the guy's who worked there came up to me and asked if it was me, it was fine as they knew me and he was laughing as the woman was going crazy in reception and they'd sent the fellah out really just to placate her and not to incurr her wrath.
I went to return the keys to the person, who's sieve like attention to detail had meant that I'd got into the predicament in the first place. Now it turned out whenI eventually tracked him down that I was to make a note of the mileage despite that he was about to drive it home and I had to go back down the ten floors and back outside to write it down. Again as with the car park pass, INFORMATION THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE USEFUL TO ME YESTERDAY. TWAT!
It seems that that the root cause of this unprofessionalness, was that the pool car, if not needed was to be used indescriminately by this guy and he wanted it back for the weekend and resented that I'd had it the previous night. He treated it, nay, considered it his car. I stand by by my judgement as just mentioned - TWAT!
It had already been a long day and was set to be further extended as that night was the leaving do for both Ray Prescott and Mick Freeman. I needed to fit in a powernap, but was struggling to find a window in my schedule. I'd worked one out in theory but straight from work had to have a pint in the pub next door then walk home. It became two pints and on the walk home, bumped unexpectedly into Adam who was curb crawling or something down the back streets of Chorlton. I was already behind schedule then and only just had time to iron a shirt nad have a shower before I had to catch a bus into the city centre for the agreed time.
I was only a few minutes, but bar one other person, half an hour before everyone else! Damn them all! We met in a Whetherspoons (The Waterhouse) that came accross as surprisingly posh, the toilets, which I've learned since have won an award, had a fireplace in them, which I was tempted to try and put out. But I'll tell you what's really posh - having your servants flogged for insolence.
The rest turned up and many were much the worse for wear, none more so than Julle Garner (who Laughs like Sid James), who was absolutely out of it to the extent that she blew a raspberry on my stomach - in a distant second place (relatively speaking) was Mick who was eventually refused entrance to one establishment due to the extent of his inbtoxication. Or it could have been due to his shirt, not that I'm one to talk on that count!
We headed to another cheap pub - The Old Monkey, which I guessed seved it's purpose initally, but it wasn't long before people were wanting to head to somewhere where they could have a dance. Some peeps not connected to work came out and met us there, Jon, Vix & Sue - due to a diferential in drinking up time the group fractured but had as a whole the same destination in mind, some smaller fragments headed their own ways. Out of some misguided sense of loyalty to the work group I went after to them only to find they were not in the agreed venue (one of the number had been refused entry), Dyson & I were stuck wondering where they had gone along with the immoral Dawn. We had an inkling that they may have been in Brannigans across the road, We certainly weren't going to accompany DAwn so headed to Space, where Jon et al. were and were I'd been on the verge on going with them initally...
On a barely cryptic note: don't you remember how it was funny that after a half of playing into the wind, at the five minutes at half time the wind seemed to switch 180 degrees, to leave you up against it for the whole game. Not quite the same, but equally unlikely but yet happend is when a gentle tropical breeze of the Sargasso sea in a few minutes of turning your back becomes, a frigid icy northern blast from the depth of the Artic, as Dyson mention - painful to watch!
It's been a long day, and certainly not the best one ever - writing off my losses I headed home a few hours before many of the others - missing out on many of the subsequent goings on - but good news travells fast!

SATURDAY: 27th
I had a call from The Wong far too early in the morning - She had some juicy gossip to share from the previous night, most of which I won't mention (despite it being rather scandalous!) to protect those who might retaliate, but I will mention that a former employe who turned up and was my dumb blonde vestigal former assistant, Dawn, is in the habit of paying for sex. It goes to prove that what we oft repeat from Family Guy's Quagmire in work, "Fat Chicks need love too... BUT They Gotta PAY!" Mwhahaha!
Not all Big Issue sellers are homeless are they? I was in the middle of town and brought a copy from a vendor - I generally find the articles about pop culture boring and don't bother with them anymore, there is the odd cocial comment article, I often look at the adverts for voluntary work and wonder if I should do something like that - anyhow, it was the vendor's last copy and as I noticed I said in an off-hand fashion, 'oh it's your last one, you'll be able to knock off and sod off home then?', he'd just have to go and get some apparently but it wasn't until I was sat at the bus stop that I realised the comments could have been taken the wrong way if he'd been living in a cardboard box. Whoops. But I don't think the comment was mis-interpreted.
I went to the gym late in the day and the day flew buy far too quickly - I stayed in to save cash and watched a few borrowed DVD's. I'll mention now that the X-Men flicks are totally riduculous, it was a major effort to disengage my brain, and the Blade flims were okay but samey.

SUNDAY: 28th
I moved to the new flat today and spent all day packing - I was thankfull of help From 'Smutty' Steve Dyson, who earned himself a pint in the process.

MONDAY: 29th
Still unpacking - where am I going to put all this stuff? Made it to the gym though. Had a pint - James insisted, to mark moving in.

TUESDAY: 30th
Back at work & I eventually finished unpacking. Now where did I put the claw hammer, I need to put a picture up?

Things that make blokes proud of themselves :

1. OPENING JARS - She's struggling. You take it from her hands, open it
effortlessly and pretend she loosened it for you. She didn't. Jars
are men's work.

2. CALLING SOMEONE 'SON' - Especially policemen but even saying it to
kids makes you the man.

3. DOING A PROPER SPEAR TACKLE - TGR Davies side-steps - camp. A Scott
Gibbs tackle is the pinnacle of the game, simultaneously winning the
ball and crippling the man. Magic.

4. SHARPENING A PENCIL WITH A STANLEY KNIFE - Blunt, is it? Hand it
here, love. No, I don't need a sharpener, I've got a knife thanks!

5. GOING TO THE TIP - A manly act which combines driving, lifting and -
as you thrillingly drop your rubbish into another huge pile of other
rubbish - noisy destruction.

6. DRINKING UP - Specifically, rising from the table, slinging your
coat on and downing two thirds of a pint in one fluid movement. Then
nodding towards the door, saying, "Let's go" and striding out while
everyone else struggles to catch up with you. You're hard.

7. HAVING A THIN BIT OF WOOD - in the shed, solely to stir paint with.

8. HAVING A SCAR - Ideally it'll be a facial knife wound, but even an
iron burn on the wrist is good. "Ooh, did it hurt?" "Nah".

9. HAVING A HANGOVER AND THICK STUBBLE - When birds have been partying
they just whinge. You on the other hand have physical evidence of your
hardness, sprouting from your face. "Big night?" Grr, what does it look like?

10. NODDING AT COPPERS - A moment's eye contact is all it takes for you
to share the unspoken bond. "We've not seen eye to eye in the past",
it says, "but someone's got to keep the little scrotes in line".

11. USING POWER TOOLS - Slightly more powerful than you need or can
safely handle. Pneumatic drilling while smoking a fag? Superb.

12. ARRIVING IN A PUB LATE - And everyone cheers you. It doesn't mean
you're popular, it just means your mates are pissed. However,the rest
of the pub doesn't know that.

13. NOT WATCHING YOUR WEIGHT - Fat is a feminist issue,apparently.
Brilliant. Pass the pork scratchings.

14. CARVING THE ROAST - And saying "are you a leg or breast man?" to
the blokes and "do you want stuffing?" to the women. Congratulations,
you are now your dad.

15. WINKING - Turns women to putty. Doesn't it?

16. TEST SWINGING HAMMERS - Ideally, B&Q would have little changing
rooms with mirrors so you could see how rugged you look with any DIY
item. Until then, we'll make do with the aisles.

17. TAKING OUT £200 FROM A CASHPOINT - Okay, so its for paying the
plumber later but with that much cash you feel like a mafia don. The
only thing better is peeling notes off the roll later.

18. PHONE CALLS THAT LAST LESS THAN A MINUTE - Unlike birds, we get
straight to the point. "Alright? Yep. Drink? Red lion? George,it is then.
Seven. See ya."

19. PARALLEL PARKING - Bosh, straight in. First time. Can Schumacher
do that? No (because his car's got no reverse gear which, technically,
makes you the worlds best driver).

20. HAVING EARNED THAT PINT - Since the dawn of time, men have toiled
in the fields in blistering heat. Why? So, when it's over we can
stand there in silence, surveying our work with one hand resting on the
beer gut while the other nurses a foaming jug of ale. Aaaah.

21. HAVING SOMETHING PROPERLY WRONG WITH YOU - Especially if you didn't
make a fuss. "Why was I off, nothing much, just a brain haemorrhage".

22. KNOWING WHICH SCREWDRIVER IS WHICH - "A Phillips? For that? Are
you mad, bint?"

BADGERS!

2006-05-25T18:32:00.000+01:00

Not Much to Report Except for the Touch Rugby.
It was almost rained off again as it was particularly glum first thing in the morning. But it brightened up and stopped raining later in the morning, quite a pain as I didn't cycle to work based on the depth of grey hanging in the sky.

We had a new player, Leanne, handy as previously we’d had no subs for the women and they’d noticeably tired. The Oldham Rugby League Boys were missing as they were on a stag do to Magaluf (I assume it was there it was continually referred to as Megamuff!). Anyhow, we didn’t have a warm up game this week, but were straight in against a team called the Badgers.

It so happened, that I knew most of the Badgers team from the social touch rugby that was on Saturday mornings. So they should have known what they were doing, as it was we gave them a hammering, 8-1. We let in a sloppy try, and to be honest the tries we scored against them I’d have considered sloppy if they’d been scored against us on the whole.

I was slightly miffed as the ref miscounted the score at half time, 4-0 he reckoned but it should have been 5-0, with a hat-trick to myself as it was I had to settle for a brace, but didn’t add to it in the second half. I was feeling it a bit, due to our lack of substitutes I was the only team member not to be rolled off for a breather. This week I really needed the break, I’m not totally well, (just a shade ill – not man flu) and I didn’t feel full of running, lethargic!

I think I got a chill as well hanging around, it wasn't warm and I was outside with shorts and a t-shirt on for a good few hours and woke this morning with further enhanced flu symptoms. Not enough to get off work with however, and I’m not up to going to the gym tonight.

Hmmm... Steve(Black)'s Move...

KNIGHT TO KING PRAWN

2006-05-23T21:05:00.000+01:00

The lethargy of Sunday seeped into Monday, I fobbed off the gym again, and I narrowly avoided a snooze by going to the new flat to check some things out, which pretty much didn’t end up getting sorted out.I got back and in an instant of bored petulance had cut some of my hair, suddenly the gravity of the situation revealed itself, I’d have to cut all my hair to that length – to zero. It's not a good look it must be said.

There were comments, some of them even amusing - the best gag had to be from Mick, who anounced to anyone that'd listen that I had a sympathy hair cut... as my girlfriend and been shorn over the weekend... So back to the sheep jokes it was!

RED HOT PAWN, just joined this site and am taking on Steve, or Sasquatch90210 as he is on there!

Far away in the tropical waters of the Caribbean, two prawns were swimming around in the sea - one called Justin and the other called Christian.
The prawns were constantly being harassed and threatened by sharks that inhabited the area. Finally one day Justin said to Christian, "I'm fed up with being a prawn, I wish I was a shark, then I wouldn't have any worries about being eaten."A large mysterious cod appeared and said, "Your wish is granted", and lo and behold, Justin turned into a shark.
Horrified, Christian immediately swam away, afraid of being eaten by his old mate.Time passed (as it invariably does) and Justin found life as a shark boring and lonely. All his old mates simply swam away whenever he came close to them. Justin didn't realise that his new menacing appearance was the cause of his sad plight.
While swimming alone one day he saw the mysterious cod again and he thought perhaps the mysterious fish could change him back into a prawn.He approached the cod and begged to be changed back, and, lo and behold, he found himself turned back into a prawn. With tears of joy in his tiny little eyes Justin swam back to his friends and bought them all a cocktail. (The punch line does not involve a prawn cocktail - it's much worse).
Looking around the gathering at the reef he realised he couldn't see his old pal. "Where's Christian?" he asked. "He's at home, still distraught that his best friend changed sides to the enemy and became a shark", came the reply.Eager to put things right again and end the mutual pain and torture, he set off to Christian's abode.
As he opened the coral gate memories came flooding back. He banged on the door and shouted, "It's me, Justin, your old friend, come out and see me again."Christian replied, "No way man, you'll eat me. You're now a shark, the enemy, and I'll not be tricked into being your dinner."Justin cried back "No, I'm not. That was the old me. I've changed."

Wait for it....

"I've found Cod. I'm a prawn again Christian"

DAZED AND CONFUSED

2006-05-21T20:33:00.000+01:00

VIERNES - WHAT DO WE WANT?
I thought that I was going to see a film tonight, i must have got the wrong end of the stick, as thought it'd been sort of arranged with Spencer, but obviously not - lost intranslation. It must be me.
As it was I met Spencer out, he'd gone straight from work and was with a work mate, Alistair. After an introduction he asked, do you mind Welsh jokes?
I don't mind my friends making Welsh jokes, but from a stranger? You don't know if it's malicious or not, it's certainly not good form to chance your arm in such a fashion, besides I could tell that it was in fact antagonistic in nature.
I explained that I get the odd joke in work, and an organised campaign, usually manifested in a chant started by a Ringleader of the Tormentors:
ROTT: WHAT DO WE WANT?
ALL: WELSHIES OUT!
ROTT: WHEN DO WE WANT IT?
ALL: NOW!
I can live with that, it's the placards I find more worrying, reading, 'TAFFY GO HOME' and 'GO TO HELL VALLEYBOY' as they're obviously planned unlike the spontaniety of the chanting...
This guy didn't want to let it rest, and yes maybe he was a little drunk, and I shoudln't have risen to the bait, but we had a very loud argument in this pub about the 'UK' & Wales role in particular. Which started when he implied I was fascist. It was in fact his imperialistic delusions of grandeur, and will to impose for his ego's sake which swung alarmingly accross to the right of the political spectrum. He was desperate to cling to the remnants of empire, which seemed to directly influence his sense of well being. Tosser.
'Why do you want to split up this Great Country?' he asked. Great Country? Says who you fucking idiot!? A bit later I asked, 'So you wouldn't have been in favour of the independence of India at the end of the fourties?', he declined to answer that and wasn't able to answer or counter any statement and in fact brough nothing to the discussion, until he admitted that 'he took it personally' that certain places didn't want to be subject to rule from London.
Needless to say I won the discussion hands down, and he stood down.
After three pints the night was over, Spencer and I headed back to chorlton, where he talked me into a Fish Supper... You can take the boy out of North Manchester, but you can't take North Manchester out of the boy!

SABADO - ONLY HEINEKEN CAN DO THIS
It was going well initially! I poped out early and got a paper, then went to the gym. So far so good. I popped into Wing Yip's while I was in town to pick up a new wok and some Oolong tea. But on the way back as I approached home... BANG! The exhaust fell off, and the car sounded like a baritone tractor blowing a prolonged raspberry... I pulled over as soon as I could. It was raining, and as I had generous assistance from a young couple and a carpet shop owner I had to get on my back ina puddle under the car and remove the dragging rusted appendage. Not much like fun, oily, drenched & embarrased. I wasn't far from home and handily got the car home wihout further incident. This poses an interesting dilemma, car tax is due as is a new MOT, and the added cost of repairs and parts certainly could be done without, can I get by without it? My bike needs attention too though! The cogs on the rear wheel I think are worn and the gears there are playing up... It's all adding up. It never rains, but it pours! There's never a handy time though.
As I pondered that, I decided to watch the Heineken cup Final, I traked down a pub, Lloyds Hotel in Chorlton and as it was quiet found a decent seat to watch it from. They had a decent local IPA (Lees Greengate) which I stuck to for the duration of Munster V Biarritz. I was backing the Munster Men, and despite the try from Biaritz in the opening encounters, I didn't doubt that Munster would prevail. After twenty minutes of the game or so, a wedding party and decided to populate the otherwise deserted section of the pub in which I was sat. I ended on the edge of this party of people, except for what must have been judging by the accent the scouse off shoot of this family, they sat on my table... The teenage mum was appropriately dressed as were her parents, but who I gathered to be the father of the child has grubby trainers, tracksuit trousers and a hooded top. Nice. Two young scallywags with them also in tracksuits had a football which I heard someone else from the well to do side complain about it's presence in the ceremony itself. As soon as the game had finished, I headed straight home and had a power nap no doubt aided by a few pints and some hefty food intake.
I awoke as aranged by a call from Jon. I had to get ready to go out as I'd be able to get a lift with him from Vix(Vicky) into town. I managed it but It was a struggle and I didn't really wake up until half an hour or so after getting into town.
We headed to one of the less pretencious bars in the Northern Quarter, Cords, where after a bit we were joined by Luke (I stayed at his place with jon, Vix et al in North Wales (Caerwys nr. Rhyl) a month or so ago). Luke's a practicing vet, hence being a Manc in the land of the Gogs, he told a disturbing story about a farmer for whom he assisted in the birth of a calf, This farmer decided that he wasn't pulling the calf hard enough and decided to encourage him by saying, "Pull harder... imagine it's a nigger on your mother." What!? You can't say that!
As Vix was driving, we went along with her whim to go have a dance somewhere and unfortunately ended up in Jabez Clegg (Don't ask me why - I've been there before on a weekend and knew it woudl be pants). It got worse when we got in there, some really ropey clientelle, plus no decent beer. We'd all been having Guinness in Cords as the cask ale had just run dry. To ease the pain (we weren't about to leave as we'd had to cough up £5 to get in) we tried the Stella, which didn't taste quite right. It soon became apparent after a few pints that this would not be enough - Rather unwisely gin & vodka made an appearance and after another hour we'd all had enough and headed home. I didn't think I was that drunk.

DOMINGO - HOW THE WEST WAS WON
I awoke pretty damn ill - that's what you get for mixing cheap gin, ropey Stella's and a number of Guinnesses. I felt that I needed to be sick, I wandered to the bathroom in a reconaisance capacity... A dressing gown was stuffed in to the bowl of the toilet and was drenched...? What? Why? Is it somw sort of dirty protest? I could really be doing without such a vexing occurance. My head was banging, I couldn't entertain the consumption of any substance, liquid or solid so popped out to get a paper. I sat down to read it but lolled nearing fatigue induced delerium. I was supposed to be going to the gym, but it clearly wasn't going to happen thnat morning, in my mind I postponed the gym till the late afternoon, only to then cancel it of course totally.
I was quite dehyrated so decided to force down some water, it didn't make me feel better, it was worse, it gave bulk to what may have been in my stomach and despite the myterious disapearance of the dressing gown (retrieved rather than flushed I'd warrant) I opted for the likely greater privacy of the downstaitrs bathroom as I went to pry to the toilet god. puke plus interest, yuk! The worst thing was, I was going to be on driving duty the night before until the exhaust expired.
However that helped and by the early afternoon I was able to venture to the pub for a cup of tea with Dyson who was hanging around Chorlton. However I was lethargic for the rest of the day and a number of activities were totally scrubbed, in addition to the gym, the flicks and some general chores. I listened to a live Led Zepp album, 'How The West Was Won' and that was it... a bit crappy especially when you realise that the sooner you fall asleep the sooner tomorrow comes and as is the case normally with Sunday nights... the sooner you have to be in work!

ST. ELMO'S FIRE

2006-05-18T18:09:00.000+01:00

MIERCOLES
Fire Alarm
Every Wednesday in work at 16:00 in the afternoon the building staff test the fire alarm. Nothing remarkable in that, but sometimes it'd be a short burst of noise and other times would just seem to go on and on. As the alarm pulses in approximately one second cycles it's easy to count, ranging from about twenty to seventy. What started as a bold prediction turned into a highly contested betting contest at 50p a bet, run by 'Smutty' Steve Dyson, whom it should also be said skims off the top as the jackpot is always a strangley rounded figure. You've more chance of drawing at random from a pack of cards the rules of international bridge, I rest my case! Anyhow, quite often no one wins and the jackpot rolls over maning we once had a bumper prize of £45.00 (How Much!? - That's right £45). This week the jackpot stood at £30.00 (exactly - see what I mean? As if!), my two bets were 34 & 46. Needless to say that despite the howls of protest, and lynch mob threats it was 34 and I pocketed the cash.
Rugby & Rain
The rain's a pain. In the mornings I tentatively gaze varying grey skies over Manchester, and often despite the odd drop of rain, risk the ride to work. Much like this Wednesday. On the way back I seem to get drenched more often, which is preferable to it happening on the way in - worse still the rain was that heavy that that evening's rugby was cancelled (last minute, i was suited and booted and just about to leave the house as soon as I'd finished my cup of tea), but maybe a blessing in disguise as in freindly for that night we were due to play a team of ex-professionals, but it's just put back for a week as it looks like we'll play them next week! Eek!
Lounge Bar
What to do instead then? People mentioned about watching Wendyball but I wasn't fussed so I had food read the paper and some of my book until it was over and then popped over the road to the Lounge Bar as we'd noticed that they had three bands on that night.
I remeber when I was a student I didn't feel that much affinity with many other 'studenty' students, this was generally shared by the lads from the Aman Valley and West Glamorgan, The feeling bordered on contempt. I felt the same feeling for the 'young-professionals' often habiting these bars in Chorlton, despite that they would seem to be my contemparies. I was complaing generally to Ray about this (He was in full agreement being 44 yrs old) and in particular at one prat wearing a stupid hat inside. He turned out to be the first act. It was an acoustic guitar set and he was undoubtedly talented, he played a number of self induldent barely melodious self compositions. Someone noted that it was like a suprising quick moving parapleigic, impressive speed yes, but ungainly to watch.
The second act was more like it, folk blues band or something or other, but still not one to write home about, I harly had any interest left for the last muffled sounding rock band who were quite forgettable.
JUVES
Tonight I met Adam for a drink and a chat, then headed to the new flat to sort some of it out - it's coming together and I should be able to move in at the end of the month as expected. Strangley Adam's off to Bristol on Friday, by plane from Manchester to Bristol Airports. What with check-ins and the normal hassle with airports I'm pretty certain it'd be quicker to drive, if you timed it right. I 'understand' that it can be driven in under two hours.

THE LAY OF THE LAND

2006-05-16T18:05:00.000+01:00

A disection of the immediate past would be problematic, I'd miss things due to forgetfullness (real and supposed) and there's too much to unearth to do it even justice of adequate proportions. I'll leave it at that but try to provide a snapshot of the moment, which I'll break down in segments in an attempt to ease my comprehension of events...
Work.
I'm still working at the same place (here), and am still a temporary member of staff. But only just, I've been here an incredible (in the sense that - 'has it really been that long?') ten months. They've been threatening to make me permanent since last year but ongoing postponments mean that only last friday an hour before I left for the afternoon was I offered a permanent position. I envisage that I shall accept their proposal, there's more to it than that but that's be TMI here. There was a sense of doubt in the last month or so as opposed to the first few months of employment assurances as the nature of my role has changed and I find myself being taken on as a dogsbody troubleshooter. I've added the 'troubleshooter' moniker to make myself feel better, but I'm still a credit controller.
There's a good buch of people at work though, which as everyone who's worked in an office knows is a great help - but ultimately it's still office work and at times I'm unable to contain my subdued real nature - 'The Spirit Of Monkey Is Irrepressible!'
Abode.
To go back a bit, after my split I spent a month generosly put by Steve Dyson from work and his wife Mila in Whitefield in Northen Manchester. From where I moved to Chorlton in Southern Manchester. I had to wait for the propery to be ready but it has many advantages. I can cycle easily to work, it's close enough that I don't have to put in too much effort as there are no shower facilities. I coudl easily walk should there be a need.
The house is excepionally close to the centre of Chorlton, an 'up an coming' young proffessional area apparently, 'more raw than Didsbury and with less pretention' to paraphrase. Walking distance to 'trendy' bars and pubs (closest is less than 100m) and to shops in general including a supermarket.
There are plenty of buses to the city centre and Spencer lives a few roads away.
But... I have to move out! A bit of background first though. The house is rented accomodation and can have up to six bedrooms, as it was there were three of us in there. Ray from work and Jim, a local spark(electician). The landlord wasn't best pleased with a half full house and was making grumbling noises. But then Ray, decided he was off around the world at the end of the month and for the landlord the property became untenable as a group would only move en masse if they had a house to themselves.
To cut a long story short, the landlord had found alternative accomodation, above his kebab shop... Nice! There are a few advantages, Bigger kitchen, Bigger bedroom, rolling contract, And As I'm in first, I'll be able to set up the internet for myself. (there is internet where I am currently but due to politics, and boneheaded stupidity I'm unable to use it - even more so as I splashed out on a laptop). On the flip side, the location isn't quite as handy and extra five to ten minute walk and of course should I misbehave, (as if!) the landlord would be on hand to know immediatley about it!
Gym.
I've joined a gym! It's about time, since I've been up here two years. I was pondering where I should join: A council Gym close to Work, a different Council Gym In Chorlton, or maybe one in Town - Spencer is a member of the Virgin Active gym (in Town) and it'd be handy having a training partner for spotting and so on. So I joined there as it also turned out to be the cheapest.
As I trained there after joining I felt a bit perturbed, afterwards I mentioned to Spencer, "Fellah, um... isn't it a bit... well... Gay in here?" (ie - not proportional to the world outside or other gyms). Spencer agreed, "Yes there are a few Muscle Marys, pumping up for a night out on Canal Street." "Didn't you think to say anything?" But he had too embarrased to do so!
But further evidence piled up, A poster informing of a gym night out to meet eachother was meeting in canal street. There were two notices in the showers; 'NO CAMERA PHONES' and 'THE SHOWERS ARE FOR SHOWERING ONLY - ANYTHING ELSE IS FOR THE PRIVACY OF YOUR HOME', so obviously a problem there previously! There have been other intances too, but in comparison too insignificant to mention...Spencer, What have you done!?
Then wort of all, this one time after a work out Spencer got back from the showers to find (if you can find an absence) his boxer shorts gone (There it was, Gone!). He was sure some dodgy looking preening dude had been giving him the eye but couldn't prove it of course. As the girl on reception noted as he reported it on his way out, "That's very wrong".
Rugby.
Part of the gym rational is for a contact rugby comback in the style of a demented scrum helmeted Lazarus, but I'm hankering after league action as opposed to union due to the cliques, and fancy myself as a dummy half. I'm not sure what position I'd fit back into in union... Similary I fancy scrum half, but am a novice at that position of course.
I've been back playing touch rugby for a while and joined a team in the official league (which started last Wednesday) with a team rather mundanely called the 'Goonies' (The best team name in the league is 'Racing Mullets') with a bunch of League boys from Oldham (two are actually Tongan but live there).
I missed out on playing the friendlies the week previously due to a badly damaged big toe, and took painkillers the next week to ensure that I could play. We had our first league game last Wednesday against a team called 'Shell White Sox'. They had two very proficient New Zealanders on their side, a fellah and a slight girl (who we agreed afterwards was undoubtledly a screamer!) and had us on the back foot for much of the game. We generally held firm and leaked two tries, however we scored three, a well worked passing movment accross the pitch drawing and giving to put the winger away in the corner and two tries by yours truly!
Wales.
I popped back a few weeks ago to Cardiff, staying at Steve's via Brum getting a lift from Clare. We didn't go out, financial contraints an all, but it was certainly good to catch up even if the revelation from Po was that most things I did were annoying and only vaguely endearing after a lengthy period! You cut me deep man! Nah - good fun!
I think I mentioned before how I've been up here for a ges but only bumped into people who were tenusously Welsh qualified and Manchester resident, with the exception of Adam. However I've bumped into two recently who spoke a smattering of Welsh, A gym instructor from Rhuddlan in the north who worked at the gym, and a girl called Laura from Llanfair-ym-Muallt, whom I met in a bar. I didn't pick up on their accents, but they heard me speaking (loudly no doubt) and picked up on my accent so had a chat... she had a boyfriend it eventually turned out though! Why don't they say straight away? ;-) D'oh!
Social.
I'm probably popping out a little more often than I should currently, maybe it's adjusting to the lack of television and internet, and not forgetting my single status! I'm still catching flicks at the Cornerhouse, and have seen too many since last mentioned to go back over them... So same old, same old in a way!
Generally I'm tending to drink cask ales if I can, handily there are a few more places around than there used to be and Jon and Spencer are similary inclined. However there isn't the choice in many establishments, so I stump sometmies for a stout (Guinness, ain't seen any Murphy's recently in thinking about it actually) or a Lager, ho-hum.
Media.
I generally get The Independent, as I'm currently without internet and have forsaken television, it's the best source of information on the news stands and as the name suggests isn't as prone to slanted reporting. As you probably know there's a huge problem with the biased media interpreting and influencing in an underhand fashion. It's very much a current problem not that they want you to know that, In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king.
I'm currently reading 'The Great War For Civilisation: The Conquest Of the Middle East' by Robert Fisk, a correspondent of renown with the Independent and formerly the Times. It's grim reading at times but a well written eye-opener and toe curler - Some of the torture implements described are quite horrific, especially as it's unequivically certain that it still goes on. It's a hard slog at over one thousand pages but I think it shoudlbe read. I do have trouble with finding the time to crack on with it properly, what with my gereral activities, unfortunatley the activity I feel I could most do without is however essential - work. Damnitt!
A few months back I managed to get free tickets from the Independent for an audience with Robert Fisk at Manchester City Hall, one of only two dates in the UK as he lives now in Beirut. He was very well spoken and eloquent and didn't dodge the serious questions, no sitting on the fence, or pulling punches. Impressive stuff, he was very well recieved.
Wheels.
I getting around a lot on a push bike with a ropey rear cassette cogs which keep jumping if I pedal too hard. There's a banger of a car too an 'L' reg Ford Escort that goes - Jurassic Park!
Today.
Not too much going on today, Bono was guest editing the Independent, under the (Red) scheme, a union that doesn't seem to make that much sense but I guess the money's best in charities pockets than in big business' - I'm sure the tokenism does wonders for their PR. All the usual stuff too of course has been going on.
I stayed inafter work - it was raining and I was saving my energy for tomorrow's rugby. I did make a huge amount of Bolognaise sauce from scratch with tinned tomatoes. I'm pretty pleased with it on a taste level (I used some West Indian Hot Pepper Sauce for a bit of Zing) and that it'll last me a week, as at the moment I'm pretty lazy preparing food every night as it's just for me, if it's every few days I won't begrudge the effort so much.
Messages:
Thanks for the messages from the last post - Had I been that down they'd havve surely helped, but to be honest I was quite relieved. A load off!

I CAN SEE FOR MILES

2006-02-27T19:28:00.000Z

So that you know, and I wouldn't want any of you to put your foot in it, that's for your sakes!

Things did not work out with Anna, and I'm now single and after a new place etc.

Anyhow... for the mo... Keep it real!

A Cautionary Tale.......

2006-01-09T19:12:00.000Z

I was sent this joke by Kwokwah, who may, or may not have changed the details to fit those of my brother... Who knows, but it was pretty amusing!

Cardiff Zoo had acquired a female of a very rare species of Gorilla.
Within a few weeks, the gorilla became very cantankerous and difficult to handle. Upon examination, the Zoo vet determined the problem.

The gorilla was on heat. To make matters worse, there were no male gorillas available. While reflecting on their problem the Zoo management noticed Gareth, a big Welsh lad from Llanelli, responsible for fixing the Zoo's machinery. Gareth, like most llanelli boyos, had little sense, but seemed to be possessed with ample ability to satisfy a female of ANY species.

So, the Zoo administrators thought they might have a solution. Gareth was approached with a proposition. Would he be willing to have a sh*g with the gorilla for £500 ?

Gareth showed some interest, but said he would have to think the matter over carefully.
The following day, Gareth announced that he would accept their offer, only under three conditions:
"First," he said, "I don't want to have to kiss her."
"Secondly, you must never tell anyone about this."
The Zoo management quickly agreed to these conditions, so they asked what was his third condition.

"Well," said Gareth........ "You'll have to give me another week to come up with the £500."

FAMILY JEWELS

2005-11-02T22:11:00.000Z

SAMEDI
I heaved myself into work in the morning - I'd considered staying until 13:00
hours but quit at 11:30 as it made up a normal week's worth of work. I did
nothing of note really hen until later. Anna & I ventured forth into a suburb of
Manchester, Flixton, to the football club there where Delayed Promise were
playing. I haven't seen Andy or Hui for a while, and we had a quick catch up but
there was no time for a decent chat. They had a new set with a quick acoustic
session stuck in there which was pretty good actually, they got in to their main
set but we had to shoot off as Anna was shattered, she ain't used to getting up
before nine for two days in a row.
I got back and watched SAW (Anna fell asleep ), which people have been raving
about. I guess it was okay - I'm in no rush to see it again or the recent
sequel.
DIMANCHE
Another early start on the weekend, it's not fair. This time I had to drive Anna
& her dad, Steve to Doncaster and back for Ann's Grandmother's birthday - for a
flying visit that  included a pub lunch (not bad at all). These journey's that
Anna keeps roping me in to are easy for her, she doesn't drive and generally on
the way back she catches up with her sleep, I'm sure I wouldn't mind half as
much if that was the way these trips were for me, I can't wait till she
drives...
I watched AC/DC's Family Jewels after, well half watched as I was going over
some French. It's old promo's, videos and live studio performances by AC/DC back
in the day, from the seventies to the nineties
LUNDI
The Quiz - with a Halloween theme... And first place, but joint first, we
decided on a tie breaker as opposed to sharing the prize (only twenty quid, so
what the Hell!?(pun intended)). We were played a theme tune to a 'spooky'
television show and had to guess before it finished how many episodes were
made... The tune was easy - 'Rentaghost' and we guessed thirty-two. The other
team went for thirty-six. the answer was thirty-four, bang in the middle so we
did share the prize after all...
MARDI
Francois - it was really the first lesson that seemed to drag in parts, I think
it because I was rusty. It was sort of amusing as we had to describe our
bedrooms and homes - this course is aimed at 14-16 year olds so much of the
examples were 'inappropriate'. I can't imagine the trouble if I had to share
with my brothers, Gareth & Gwilym again. It makes me think of that episode of
Red Dwarf V, Quarantine where they get 'tetchy'.
Although it meant I stayed up late I watched Batman Begins with Christian Bale.
The film was probably the best Batman film and not too bad...
MERCREDI
Strewth, 12 hours in the office can't be good for you... anyhow the Welsh Team
was named last night to face New Zealand in Cardiff on Saturday. waht with the
injuries you can't argue, too much that it with the selection, but as I'm remote
to the circus in South Wales I may be out of touch a bit. Still, I'm concerned
as New Zealand will look to start as favorites.

Indochine

2005-10-29T12:55:00.000+01:00

26
I was off work Wednesday, and happy with that, even when considering that the reason was that I was going to dental (no not mental) casualty. I might need to have a tooth pulled but it'd still be worth it. The only thing was that I didn't have a lie in - in fact I had to get up earlier than normal. It was first come first served, and the treatment was free so I got there for quarter to seven in the morning and was third in the queue, the place though didn't even open it's doors until half past eight and the first patients were seen after nine. I did look to save the tooth but a shoddy filling had protected some decay below the gum line and it would have need a load of cash and a very good dentist apparently to save it to get another ten years out of it, I decided to have it pulled - it was the first molar on the lower right so an awkward git but at least the gap would match the other side. However the delicate student dentist couldn't budge it for quarter of an hour, I was fine with the local anaesthetic, and theyalmost got someone else to try and shift it but it eventually came out - it did mean there was more of a mess though as apparently she told me it was a 'traumatic extraction', I said 'you'll get over it', she saw the funny side but
wouldn't give me a lollypop. I was given painkillers and some strong anti-biotics though, bu tthey tatse awful.
I eventually got to watch the French flick that night - Indochine - It's won a bunch of awards so promised much. Obviously set in Vietnam, it was during the French colonial/occupation period during the thirties, at first I was turned off by some of the odious characters, but the second half of the picture got moving, and was much more dramatic (the first half was far too much like a chick flick for my liking) and they were redeemed through their righteous actions... There wasn't a happy ending but a sense of regret emanating from personal relationships. BTW the picture shows the female lead at lake Geneve, in Switzerland... There certainly wasn't a Junk boat trawling the shore there during the film!
27
It was nice to be back in work on Thursday... Not! I got over it though. Pub quiz... Anna & her dad last Saturday had noticed that the pub - The Temple in Sale Moor - ran a pub quiz on Thursday night, and plotted to attend. Barbara & I went aswel. it was a shambles - it was flat in there and the quiz'master' could not read or pronounce the questions although he was a nice guy. Two teams entered and we scraped into second after a near disqualification for Anna's
mobile phone indiscretion. But I was beyond caring well before the end, I'm pretty sure it was Charles II who was executed not the first... anyhow. I amused myself, not lubricated by alcohol, to ease the mental torment of the cringe inducing performance, I tried continually to show people my tooth, which I taken with me especially - but they screwed their eyes shut, and refused point blank even when I explained that the bits of flesh stuck to the side had been mostly scraped off. It was a big bar-steward and interesting to me at least...
28
I stayed in, Anna was out on a Birthday do thing. I half watched some documentary thing and finished 'The Big Nowhere'. I enjoyed the book - it was an engrossing read. There were no good guys in it, but some weren't as bad as each other. Most of the good guy's cop it at some point and the real bad guy's get away with it. One of the main 'good guy's' in the course of the book smashes his wife's face in. The book's a grim & graphic read about linked cases of a string of mutilated corpses turning up and a subversive attempt to undermine a leftist pressure group by the authorities in fiftees' Los Angeles. Certainly worth a browse, "No one does the seedy underbelly of american life like James Ellroy".

The Big Nowhere

2005-10-26T13:55:00.000+01:00

WEDESDAY
Wasn't looking like it was amounting to much - how I wanted it I expect. Some
weights at Jon's then getting on with lounging or reading my Book (The Big
Nowhere - I'm enjoying it so far, it's pretty good). However Lee friend who'd
been up was off back so a few in the pub was arranged. The beer there is as
cheap as you like almost - but isn't nice stuff, it's from a local Manchester
brewery and tastes sweet. It's also a gut-rotter extraordinaire. Anyhow darts
blah blah blah, where amazingly Anna won as we quit whilst she was ahead - I had
a shaky start due to limb fatigue but was about to roar into lead and onto
victory. Whatever - I've decided not to drink there again, although I may be
obliged again to attend.
FRIDAY
At work I got sent on an extended lunch to one of our local depots - the guy
there showed us around and was very accommodating, and if anything they get an
even shorted end of the stick than we do, it's a shocking indictment of higher
management if you ask me, and to be fair they have asked as a gesture but it's
only that as they certainly don't listen...
Anna and I went over to Nic & Toby's for dinner - food and Trivial Pursuit - I
won at both of course although I may have been the only one counting. I was also
presented with a late present - a wok. Cheers!
SATURDAY
I was up early on Saturday, rubbish chores and the like - making sure Anna got
up for work and I managed to squeeze in a DVD, Battle Royale a Japanese flick
that many of you have probably heard of... I heard a bit about it and wasn't
sure what to expect. But I should have considered that the hearsay that I
received was from people unused to foreign cinema so It wasn't as 'unsettlingly
bizarre' as I expected. Silly fun, with a Lord of the Flies influence, and as a
film easily viewable a few times but not one to add to the collection.
Anna's dad was on his own this weekend and for some reason Anna was concerned
for his well being that he'd be locked in a cycle for the weekend of cold beans
and cabin fever. We knocked on the door, and there was no answer, I may have
even thought 'surely not' to myself, but he was just late as he'd been working.
He even made food for us and I had another late gift - a Gromit Mug (the nose
changes colour depending on the temperature of the contained beverage) with
tea-bags.
There's a pub around the corner which we had to pop to, The Temple (in Sale Moor
- not the one in Manchester City Centre) to drop something off so we stayed for
a few (well them two had a few I was driving) - anyhow there was this DJ (DJ
Billy as the poster proclaimed) mixing in Bee Gees with Blondie and Coldplay...
what Rubbish!

Wasted Weekend

2005-10-22T13:37:00.000+01:00

Well, work took up half my Saturday - I rushed then to get a wheel for my bike. But when I got back, it didn't fit, I think that the bike somehow had taken a further knock. I left the bike for the while and I've used a car jack to force apart the frame... what a pain. Then I had to pick Anna up from work and do some shopping for the week ahead. It was now getting on for four o' clock. I headed off for a 'power-nap' and Anna was supposed to wake me when she needed help as she was cooking Cottage pie as a friend of Lee's was coming up. She did eventually wake me when she needed help - 'can you move this telly to the kitchen so I can watch X-factor and can you go to the shop to get me some fags', I trudgingly obliged. It was so late by that time that the whole day had just seemed to have passed me by. Mon Anniversaire. A few weeks back Anna suggested that on my birthday, she'd get up early to make me breakfast in bed. I almost wet myself laughing at this at the time, as it was I woke at 6am and had to rouse Anna before attempting o get back to sleep but eventually putting the radio on and had a mong instead. I'd expressed a preference for when pushed eggy bread, bacon & black pudding, Anna obliged but went to town and had a raft of other ingredients added -it was nice though, but why's she trying to fatten me up? The reason Chip had come up was because she booked half price tickets for Alton Towers on that day, a most unfortunate co-incidence that it was my birthday. I'd have preferred for the day been no different to normal and for nobody to know. As it was - it was referred to as my day and I had to pretend to be happy and not be grumpy as I wanted to be. There was a mix up over cars and I had to end up driving - I had to move my chair forward as I drove and had a sore knee when we got there which didn't help my mood. We went on most of the major rides, ten minutes worth of rides in a six hour day - so a fair amount of the rest was made up of being stuck in queues. So Effing What!? The rides aren't all that - and certainly not worth the queues, and not worth the money - and I feel aggrieved that it cost me both money and time as I could feel my 'chi' (or life force if you will) ebbing away in those queues that deceptively wind back and around. I however was looking forward to the Monorail as it lead to the car park, however all day I dreaded leaving as I knew it's be at the end and there would be a massive queue, but this time with traffic. I was right, the ride back was 66.7% increase in time on the drive down.pah! A total waste of my time, I'm so resentful. I certainly won't be going there again. So we were back and were running really quite late - I'd intended to catch a film at the corner house - Hai Shang Hua - but first more birthday stuff. Thanks for the gifts - I got a Vinyl Record (I'll need a turntable) 'Tom Jones Live in Las Vegas'. A book Trilogy by James Ellroy including the middle book LA Confidential. A Shower Radio that is also waterproof, Some dried olives from Hong Kong a DVD AC/DC - Family Jewels and some lifting straps for when I find a rowing machine. As if that wasn't enough Anna produced a cake - I was wondering what she was up to on Friday afternoon. It wasn't half bad at all! Chocolaty with jam. So just me & Anna made it to the flicks - I'm not surprised that the others didn't after I described the synopsis to them, 'Eighteen-eighty's Shanghai - rich guy's and the goings on at the classy brothels there known as Flower Houses' thus giving the English title of the film 'Flowers Of Shanghai'. The film was slow paced and was mostly told in hearsay where conversations over dinner, tea or opium recounted some of the going's on. The third hand story telling led to a sense of apathy as to the fate of these girls who were sold into prostitution, despite being an essentially terrible situation you didn't connect apart briefly when a few scenes had a bit of weight to them - there was a sense overall that not much really happened, it was well shot though but maybe better as a matinee. Going back to Deeveedees have you noticed how the Saturday papers are giving away free DVDs? I had to laugh at some of the utter tosh that the Torygraph, I mean Telegraph gives away. The Saturday before last I picked up an award winning French Film 'Indochine' which I'm looking forward to fitting in (it awkward to fit it in as the PC is down again - and to watch it in the lounge would mean people talking over it and probably complaining as they can't be bothered to read the subtitles) and this Saturday just gone I got 'The Last Emperor'. Someone from the house in their Sunday tabloid got the Cannonball Run. For only a quid fifty you can't really argue.

Back In The Groove?

2005-10-15T12:40:00.000+01:00

SATURDAY 8
Another Weekend seemed to melt into the week as I kept myself busy. Bog standardchores et cetera. With Anna's new work routine she in on Saturday as a matter ofcourse, I dropped her in and back although it was a little tricky as I had topass by Old Trafford (Football ground not the Cricket ground) and England wereplaying there.I had to pick her up too, she was supposed to be coming back with her littlesister, Amy but he suddenly had to go job hunting as where she was working(Starbucks) have this policy of not wanting to rely on any one member of stafftoo much. What with the number of students in Manchester - there are plenty ofpeople to fill the gaps, and 12 hours a week may be a supplement or beer moneyfor a student, but ain't enough to live on if you're on a year out before goingto university.Anyhow we were supposed to take her to their parents, but went on anyway asBarbara had made food for us.Instead we met Amy out later, in the Cornerhouse, which is as expensive as ever,we wouldn't have gone out otherwise as I was certainly shattered as was Anna. Wewere supposed to meet Jon out but he was at the far end of Town and then went toJabez Clegg, a dingy meat market - so we scrubbed that.Anyhow after two steep rounds in the corner house coming to £20 (6 drinks). Wewent to 'Satan's Hollow' where Amy's fella' works at night.This is the place where a bouncer tried to refuse me access due to my accentonce. This time though being with Amy we got in for free, The place is filledwith Goths (some take it much too far - what are they trying to say?? DamnStudents!) and as we walked in ACDC's 'Highway To Hell' blared. Not bad Ithought to my self, we managed to get four rounds at mates rates for £5, and allseemed well. But a change of DJ started a downward spiral... With in quarter ofan hour he'd played some real dross, hitting a low with Brittany Spears...Enough - Home.
SUNDAY 9
I got in a bit of French Revision at Toby's - Anna and Nic went out to try abridesmaid dress for Nic's wedding as Anna's a bridesmaid - possibly the chiefbridesmaid or joint chief bridesmaid or something, I switched off.We got a fair bit of our French work done while they were out, however, Nic &Toby's daughter, Georgia (5) was trying to teach me how to play cards, I wasn'tfamiliar with the game known as 'Poo-head' and that remains the case and Georgiadidn't have a full deck, sorry I mean 'bunch' of cards! Anyhow it ended somehowas honours even somehow... I did try to suggest a game of 'snap' but it was forkids obviously.I could have done with staying in that evening but was obliged to visit a pub,The Volunteer with Sally, Tim & Lee from the house, which was akin to 'GarnantClub' for those who know it. It was dead cheap and I didn't drink - we weregoing to play darts but were beaten to the board, so I tried to teach them'blob' with moderate success but it's best played with three people not five.
MONDAY 10
Work already? NFW.
Quiz night, another close call as we finished third - disappointing as I checkedfamous birthdays for that day (Martin Kemp & Kirsty McColl), but was scupperedas he asked for the next day. We drew a blank on the play your cards right again- it hasn't been won in months and the pot was a whopping £500! Next week I'llpost a few of the questions on here for those who may be interested...
TUESDAY 11
French so far is proving to be enjoyable, it's well paced and I'm keeping up -I'd be happier if I fitted in more revision, and I think I'm the only one whohasn't done GCSE before. I don't have my notes on me at the moment but I guessI'll post a bit of what I do, as encouragement for myself.Constantine Starring Keanu Reeves. Hum-drum watchable stuff but a bit silly,don't go out of your way. I gave everyone a quick rundown of a history lessonabout the Roman Emperor Constantine during the opening credits but I got thenods that I normally get from people who can't hear my words though my accent...
WEDNESDAY 12
I popped to Jon's soon after work - Jon's well into his weight training andwe've been training for a few weeks and I feel better for having got back intoit. I'll try to get back into some aerobic exercise as well. Some of Anna'sfriends came around in the Evening, Keith and Andy - Nice people but haven'tseen them for a while.Potter: "Incidentally have you ever seen Office Monkey on ITV2? It's likeplaying Dare in work - e.g. scuba diving at your desk, pretending you're at afootball match etc. Basically what we did at HBOS for sh1ts and giggles butthese people get to win holidays!" I haven't seen this yet but I suspect 'it'sbeen done', and as Po mentions - they done it for money, not out of love...Trollops!
THURSDAY 13
Scheduled French revision from now on is on Thursday's over at Toby's, we keepgetting stuck on small points really - we try to ring Anna at work to clarifythe finer points of the grammar but she's decidedly unhelpful at times...I've recently doe myself a weekly timetable, the first one for years since I wasin college, maybe it's a bit OTT as it has time allocation for work, the quiz,French lessons/revision, blogging, exercise and so on - but it's just aframework really and just represents an ideal week, in a time managementrespect.
FRIDAY 14
Disaster! The computer has gone kaput again, it's such a pain. Why is it beinglike this?We had to wipe the hard drive last week and reinstall everything - all fileswere lost of course. And it's happened again! So I hope the updates don't becomeas rare as before again, however I've formulated a contingency plan but it's abit of hassle, and relies on goodwill. A quick gym session at Jon's and then, out again in the evening - I was not upfor it at all, but was obliged to as it was purported to be a birthday thing forme - I keep trying to tell people. I really cannot be bothered with or want tobe bothered with it.However though the night wasn't at all bad, if a touch expensive, that is in anperipheral sense (taxis-in this case) not actual money spent on booze.
SATURDAY 15
In work, doing overtime, I'm not forced in but have to do it to relieve thevolume of work. Yippee.
MESSAGES:
CURLY: Well I'm trying - up to speed soon I hope.
BOKS: Ta Boks! Ca va? I'll drop in on your blog when I'm back on the net,posting this by email I'm afraid! D'oh!
GAV: Down in the Big C for the All Blacks game - 5th November is it?

Thomas the Pies

2005-10-01T18:58:00.000+01:00

I didn't expect to find Peter's Pies (Peter Thomas - Cardiff RFC Director) in work - they're actually sold at a shop in the building and they only sell the 'Giant Sausage Rolls' for 75p from the range. Manchester seems a bit far away from South Wales for such a product especially as this is the north west of England where you'd expect considerable home grown expertise in that field. The week otherwise has flown by - on Wednesday I was sent to Glasgow again - I insisted on a day trip this time as staying in a hotel on your lonesome sucks a bit - at least on a limited budget it does. maybe last time I should have gone to a cheap as chips place - that was Wednesday and was a long day, up at 4am and back just after 4pm. It was useful though and there's movement on the accounts. Straight after getting back I moved more stuff from the old flat and now only my bike remains (the one with the buckled wheel 0 I'll get it repaired soon) - All that remains is to collect that and give it a clean... The night before had been a late one as it was my first French lesson. It's been fourteen years since I did French at school - And I might as well have not bothered back then as I didn't see eye-to-eye with the teacher who's methods I probably found patronising or inappropriate at the time. Anyhow there was a mixed level there, some re-sits, some people who attained a higher level of qualification, but I did alright. Toby (Anna's step-brother) is doing it to so that should certainly help. We covered the alphabet and some other basics, and I'm determined to be up to speed with that by the next lesson - I hope that I can fit it in. Anna goes part-time next week, as she's back full time at college (2nd year degree in French - should benefit me eh?), she's getting pro-rata pay, so pretty handy. We've drawn up a budget, I'm sure I can stick to it - Anna - I'm not so certain. I tired of having little cash, so I hope some cast iron rules will sort it! Oh.. If anyone asks after me.. I've gone travelling.. And give them my e-mail only if you must! Cheers...

RESURRECTION

2005-09-19T16:25:00.000+01:00

It's all new or relatively new. The old hat is frizzbied with much vigour out of the window to the mean streets below.
Contrary to rumour my mobile number is now not changing - but I've a new work e-mail address and home address which you have to drop me an e-mail, to my hotmail account, to inform you.
There's such a gap - I may not bother, or ever be able to fill in the gaps - but I hope the transition period is at and end and the vibrant green shoots of recovery after a series of severe frosts can poke from the patchy dull ground.
Key to this is establishing a routine, some has fallen into place, yet some is to be determined.

Monday is quiz night at 'The Bridge', it's easy going, free, and entertaining as the quiz master, Ken, is a wannabe stand up comic I think sometimes. It's more pop quiz and is light of heavy general knowledge, which I'm actually better at unfortunately. First prize is £20 vulture (ok. voucher) for the team to share at said pub. It's paid for by a raffle (£1 a ticket) in which the prize is an opportunity to participate in 'Play your cards Right' after the quiz, the pot currently stands at £450!!!
Tuesday is French lessons. I've signed up for a French GCSE night class, it's an enduring three hours after work, so I think I'll skip going home in between as I might not be able to face getting ready after a sit down... The first one is tomorrow.
Washing Clothes and Shopping are on the weekend, not really exciting stuff. I'll have to fit a night in during the week for blogging, and another night for homework.

Anyhow the last few days, and it's too much to go further back than that. Friday night and Saturday morning and afternoon were quiet as I shopped and unpacked and lounged (only a bit), I'd been shattered all week (been doing overtime) and decided against overtime in the office during the weekend, despite the backlog as I was noticeably too tired to talk coherently at times. During the unpacking I uncovered a substantial Afro wig. I put it on as I went about my chores...
The rest of the people in the house were sufficiently taken with it that it was requested that when we went out that evening for Sally's (from the house) birthday and I don the extravagant headpiece along with appropriate peripheral gear - head bands, wrists bands (both crimson) with red Hawaiian shirt. Lee being local that evening decided to take us to some right dives in Sale town, by the time we realised where we were being taken, t'was too late, they were proper beer pits. Maybe not the best when you're dressed up - especially as I was the only one, Lee, Anna, Sally & Tim were in civvies. Looks abounded - handy I had my shades on - but no real hassle and eventually people came up to chat, in a friendly manner or to collect some 'High 5's!'
It was a late one as we got back in after 3am and Lee tried cooking and Anna tried playing the guitar. It was an unmitigated disaster - I went to bed.

Sunday was slow, Anna wasn't up untill the afternoon and I did chores. I had a while back a free DVD with a copy of the Sunday times but had never watched it as no one else fancied it - the period drama Howard's End with Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson et al. it won three oscars and wasn't bad at all but quite text book stuff for that sort of thing. You'll be no worse off for watching it, unless you avoid a Dentist's appointment or the like as it's over two hours long.

Bop It Extreme.... to be continued

To Hull And Back

2005-08-23T17:34:00.000+01:00

Work have sent me away again - This time to eastern yorkshire, trouble shooting with some of our depots... Well not exactly but it'd be boring. I am to stay in Hull but will spend most time at the Scunthorpe depot. I'm also to go to Grimsby... All names that do nothing to inspire positive images. Funny, someone was telling me about Scunthorpe town council, when they set up a virus guard on their computer systems, suddenly they couldn't recieve any emails whatsoever... it took it seems a week to work it out... There's a word within the name of the town (See you next Tuesday) which was the cause! Got To Laugh.
Right not sure when I'll be able to update next as I'm off to France for a week. Au Revoir!

Le Pacte Des Loups

2005-08-22T20:40:00.000+01:00

It's Simple Really

2005-08-17T17:20:00.000+01:00

There a few reasons for my prolonged absence - but they'll be detailed when I catch up with the back log, much of which is saved as a draft.
So at the moment what am I up to? Well this and that.
Brought a Car. It' not on the road yet an cost only £150!
Moving out, going to Sale. Big savings on rent.
Going on Holiday to Bordeaux on the 25th - driving on the right of the road should be fun.
Booked another holiday to Toulouse but since pulled out.
Work is going well, I'm still temping but been handed a major account and they sent me to Glasgow for a meeting last week.
But otherwise it's been very quiet - oh I have a new work number and e-mail address and my old mobile number has been resurrected - mail me on hotmail if you need them.
Lunch at wok can be boring I'm trying to read generally but have run out of material - I' currently going through Paradise Lost but could do with google handy when I read it but, there's no internet access for me at work,so must do without.
I'm still walking home at the moment through places where I'm amazed that the people on these cul-de-sac's still use phone boxes(!). There are blackbery bushes on my way on the edge of abandoned industrial site that tend to hold me up for a few minutes if the weather's nice.

Battle Of The Planets

2005-08-16T17:54:00.000+01:00

Battle of the Planets

Glasgow Kiss

2005-08-13T17:58:00.000+01:00

Sole Reigning Holds The Tyrrany Of Heaven

2005-08-09T17:59:00.000+01:00

Trouble In The Suez

2005-08-05T18:06:00.000+01:00

Yo. Word Up!... Aww!

2005-07-29T19:10:00.000+01:00

SUNDAY17 BBQ
Ther was a barbeque, I don't mind helping - but not doing all the work, anyway normal stuff expect that an associate of Amo, a polish waitress came over toward the latter stages.
Anyway after going to bed Amo was in his room with the said lady playing music too loudly. I had to go to the jacks at one point, he heard me leaving the bathroom which was right next to his room, he lept out and invited me in to see the girl (whenI spoke to her downstairs she seemed really pleasant) I declined and he insited again then I refused I caught a glipse through the crac by the hinges that she was lying on the floor and I think not wearing too much. While I was at it I asked him to turn the music down. Possibly a mistake a I now through the open windows in the room above could hear him talking. He was telling this girl again about his 'phase' but insisted he wasn't gay - then he asked 'does it excite you', she murmered something back (the negative I guess) and he retorted with vigour 'WHY NOT?'...
TUESDAY19 THE VOLUNTEER
The Volunteer is a cheap musty smelling pub that sells local beer that's pretty variable in quality. quiet drink – volunteer cheep beer. Anna & I went with Lee for a cheap pint (£1.54) and a few games of even cheaper darts, where I kicked ass!
WEDNESDAY20 BON VOYAGE
A late change of plan saw me go along with Anna to Amo's leaving do. His last
night in England (LINK) as his flight was at noon the next day. Me met him in
'The Place' (LINK) in Altrincham (LINK), he'd only had a few at this point. Be
was soon up to speed. We went later to a pub called the Porterhouse. Amo I guess
was teetering on the brink and an ad-libbed mini O-Bomb may have pushed him
over. As the rest of us sat at a table, he went to the bar to chat to someone
there... Minutes later he rushed passed us straight to the jacks, by where we
were sat, in a flood of tears. Lee rushed in after him and didn't get much sense
after a few minutes apart from that he wanted to speak to Anna. Anna went in and
after a minute or two he wanted to speak to me as well. He was still in tears
(lucky it was vodka and not gin in the bomb), and he proceeded to explain how he
was so upset that he'd slept with the polish girl on the night of the barbeque
and that he couldn't possibly lie to his girlfriend of two years (since his
14-18 'phase' I guess!). He was also worried that he may have damaged himself.
He insisted that he produced his 'chipolata' and duly obliged, the blokes at the
urinals started giving funny looks over their shoulders toward us. I told him I
couldn't see anything wrong (or at all). We eventually escaped and made it home.
THURSDAY21 EXTRAS
A quiet one, thankfully, and Anna's on a late which facilitates that - A new
comedy was on, Extras (LINK) was on tonight, it's from the makers of the Office.
It was cringe inducing but funny, sometimes in way 'you can't say that'!
FRIDAY22 KUNG FU HUSTLE
End of the Week, TFI Friday! First up a flick at the Cornerhouse (LINK) with
Spencer, Kung Fu Hustle (LINK). It's very silly but mildly entertaining. I
wouldn't bother to see it again to be honest - for kids I guess. Anna joined us
afterwards then later again Adam, Daniel & others turned up before they headed
to the village. We popped to a different pub then headed home pretty early -
saving money being the thought process behind that and Spencer had to cycle home
anyway, and couldn't be too sloshed.
SATURDAY23 PRINCESS OF HEARTS
Anna & I decided to go for a curry, we'd figured that there must be a few
suitable places in Chorlton which is a twenty minute walk. Google wasn't turning
up any results however & Yell only produced one, The Princess Of Hearts...
Sounds tacky, but we gave it a go. It turned out there was another but quite a
trek from Chorlton square (swift drink in one of the bars there - so not
practical), no matter as the food was not bad at all. The problem was the
wine... we went for a dry white, the cheapest was ten pounds. It was rank, quite
nasty I asked for some soda to kill it but they charged us for that so they
didn't get tipped. Spoilt it.
SUNDAY24 ONEHUNNDREDANDEEIGHTYYY!
You even noticed how you go through phases with certain pub games - Pool,
Snooker, Table Football, Bowling or Darts... Well it's a darts phase at the
moment; pool is too expensive when compared anyhow. Lee came with Anna & I to a
cheap as chips pub (£1.50 a pint) to play killer - Anna's accuracy isn't up to
501 level at the moment.
It was the same, once upon a time when I was back in Glanaman - it used to cost
20p for a game of pool (it's a quid (£1) these days on average) but it generally
ended adding up. A one off investment in bog-standard darts and the rest of the
time it was free - not quite a no-brainer but the elements of being in the pub
with your mates and competition & resulting banter were all still there - job
done.
MONDAY25 THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKING
I've probably mentioned how getting to work is a pain - I wouldn't mind the time
taken if I went in a straight line, but it's the two wrong sides of a triangle.
So I decided on the way home to walk it. To see if it would be a viable option
(I checked online and it told me it was under three miles) and so I know in the
mornings should I need to walk in how long it'll take.
Anyway so I walked back, I went the wrong way and it took forty-five minutes, it
was a decent pace mind, but I reckon that going the right way could take about
half an hour. Things was - I'd forgotten my keys - and had to wait an extra twenty minutes to get let in. Typical.
Check out Lois' Site BTW...
TUESDAY26 ANY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE
I tried going home by a combination of the Bus and walking - without the wait it
takes about thirty-five minutes, Hmmm.
WEDNESDAY27 AMBULATIVE EXCESS
Today I walked in and took the quickest route - thirty-five minutes and it took
about ten minutes to get into it and stretch my legs. It's exercise and will
save me a few quid so I'll be doing it regularly I reckon. I would cycle of
course - If my bike was working and if there were facilities at these office
block in the way of showers. Such encouragement would be better for the
environment and people's health - I reckon it should be a legal requirement for
buildings over a certain size to a certain quantity of facilities per head and
secure parking for bikes - It's not like school where they might get problems
with the subversive elements smoking behind the bike sheds. It's not even like
it's a small company running it - Bruntwood (LINK) have loads of offices in
Manchester alone. I've half a mind to write a letter... I might then even post
it, who knows.
I walked home as well - it took less than half an hour, so as long as the
weather's okay I'll walk it from now on.
Some new guy, Dave, has moved into Anna's house - into the room vacated by Amo.
The idea was to go to The Bridge for a pub quiz - but someone got their facts
wrong as the quiz was the next night - We went to the Waterside instead.
THURSDAY28 GRATUITOUS NUDITY
Ever been sent a text in error? Well, Jon Norbury (You may remember him from such posts as Planes, Trains & Automobiles), sent me a text intended for his girlfriend... see here.

The King's Ransom

2005-07-17T13:43:00.000+01:00

Okay! Trying to get back into the swing of it, this blogging thing!
On Wednesday night Anna & I popped to her Parent's as Chui-Wei 'Lois', who was over with her sister, Chen-Chen, was over from Taiwan for her Masters Graduation ceremony.
Lois is officially 27 but when I noted that I was born in the same year, 1977, she revealed that she was born a year earlier but wasn't registered untill she was a year old... she prefers to be 27 as opposed to 28 understandibly I guess. Thing is she looks more like 24! We sat in the garden untill it got chilli, then took them to t'pub, The King's Ransom in Sale. We tried the Waterside first, but I was wearing knee length 'utility style' shorts. "Sorry no Sports wear" I was told... "Oh, um, do you know if the neighbouring establishment has such inflexible restrictions?" (it took her a few seconds to process and respond) "Urr, I don't think so". "Ah! That's sensational, I think I should personally favour a sojourn to the said public house. Good day."
Well that was the jist of it at least!

Chen-Chen & Chiu-Wei 'Lois' Chang with Anna... In the King's Ransom Beer Garden.
Thursday. Work seems okay... I'm sat out on the side of things, people are friendly which helps.
One lady who sits near me is particually friendly and calls me Owzy as she can't manage my proper name, Owain. Anyhow - I haven't given and contact details for myself to anyone there, no phone numbers or web addresses or anything, so imagine my surprise when on flicking through my phone I found the phone number of the said lady, who it has to be mentioned is nice, was in my phone...! Strewth.
Thurnight. Gig. Delayed Promise. Roadhouse. I haven't seen Hui & Andy for a while - and it's just the same bar their haircuts and my varying perma-stubble. Paul's hair seems however never to change. Great gig again, Anna hadn't seen them before - some old and new stuff and I gather tht they've re-recorded a song of theirs, Breathe, as a first single (acoustic version here). Only thing was as it was a school night we had to shoot off pronto after their set.
Friday. I was contacted by some peeps from Lex, where I used to work... It was pay day for them and they were popping into town, 'come and meet us in Bar Berlin' they said, well John Porter said - turns out it's been closed for over a year, We eventually bumped into each other and it was nice to catch up some people who I haven't seen for a while. Didn't stay out long, handy as I (Nor Anna) wasn't drinking, the Lex lot had been out for hours and were suitabley affected and the bars were too loud for a chat.
Saturday. A quiet one as I'm trying to save money - this may mean that the blog in general does get considerably less interesting. We did get some low Alcohol beer, Kaliber by Guinness - mainly to see what it's like... it tastes like watered down beer so not advised unless really required.
Sunday. So Far, So Good... So What! Oh Curly... yes I have noticed!

It's Been A Long Time, Been A Long Time.

2005-07-13T09:51:00.000+01:00

Apologies to all: Curly, Sasquatch, Boks, Gwil, Carys, Kayla, Dylan, Gav, Jen, Lidroller, Sofasurf, Goldberg et al.
It's been a while and the blog gathered some moss but there are a few excuses for this which I'll get to in a moment...

The Missing Month:
It does exist but in an 'essay plan' format, you know - the bare bones, single words or points to act as a reminder for me to expand upon. I'll post the essay plan (ETA tomorrow) anyway and go back to it to fill it out, might take a few weeks, so you'll have to keep checking back. Sorry.

It includes Job shenanigans, the odd night out, cinema, pikey pub, trip to Edinburgh, trips to France booked & a stag do in Bristol et cetera... all to be revealed and to become clear!

Meanwhile I'll try to keep up as normal. Last night was actually uneventful - I popped to a supermarket, and had a swift pint at a pub (The King's Ransom) on the way back.

A Lamentably Late Excuse:
Well, I currently don't have internet access at work but do have email here (mail me if you need the address). But I did get a job (not there anymore) were I finished each evening at 21:00 leaving no time to keep up during the week.

Anna's computer has totally crashed, so I'm unable to update when I'm over at her place.
As the backlog built up I was dreading getting the post started, and I kept putting off doing it with some classic 'displacement activities' (tidying, administration, DIY & so on...)

And Finally:
Check out my older brother's blog (http://gwilontour.blogspot.com), as he jetted to New Zealand to watch some rugby with the http://www.llanelliwarriors.co.uk.

Hasta Pronto Peeps
Tidy - Keep taking the tablets!

Suited & Booted

2005-06-10T16:23:00.000+01:00

Monday6th.
Well, Everyone else from the Barcelona trip is back to the world of work, as are most of the other people from Dial4aLoan who had to find new jobs. But not me, however I’ve a few interviews lined up – and I’ll spend today trying to find more…
Tuesday7th.
I had an interview scheduled today with a company that I know very little about – the reason being I was due to be sent an information pack through the post - I didn't have an address for the company, just knew in which vicinity. I called the agency (PFA in Leeds – effing useless) they said they'd e-mail it. But no joy, so an hours or two before the interview I had to keep popping out of the flat to see if it had come through the post. I was ready apart from that - I'd brushed my hair, shaved, cleaned my teeth & put a suit on etc.
The thing was that I got locked out of the flat, without money or my mobile. At least I had shoes on. Good thing too. I had to walk to Adam's work in Sale, to get his keys and walk back in the blazing sunshine through parts of town where they don't even wear suits for funerals. I couldn't phone anyone to let them know my predicament - I had to hike it, an hour and a quarter there and a bit longer on the way back. But it wasn't all bad - In relation to a second interview I'd had the day before I was offered a job starting the next monday at a place called the Funding Network, selling secured loans.
Wednesday8th.
I went early into town to watch the lions game. I think it was pretty crap, I didn't invest much support for them from the start so I was finding their failure pretty amusing.
pay short anna lunch - nice place in town anna's father's place - nice - breaded fish
Thursday9th
It can be tricky keeping busy when you've not much to do, you just got to spread it out or be fussy with the details of what you are doing to drag it out. As I was cooking, I spent ages prepping the food, delicately slicing and dicing all the ingredients. I also picked up photos from Barcelona in town - and put them on the Hyperdoopelator.
Waiting for a bus is a real pain, I generally catch the #16 and one of the problems is that depending on traffic it can be from ten minutes early to half an hour late, so to edge your bets you have to be there ten minutes early, if you're real lucky you may catch the one before that's running a mere twenty minutes late. It's just a total waste of time is what bothers me. Additionally where I catch the bus is on a corner, so you can't spot it coming from a distance, so you have to keep watch. You can't read anything or it'll fly past you. You can't relax for the same reason - not that it's easy when you have to stand up exposed to the elemental forces that gush through the streets. What a gip.
Friday10th
The day was filled with trifles. The evening though was formulated as a plan for a drink - I met and her new work mates (some of the same old work mates) for a drink in Salford. It was a bit posh (despite being in Salford - it was by a canal) and the name of the place escapes me. Anna
& I then went for tapas in La Tasca. Yes it's a chain and the last time I was there, on a works do the food was disappointing (the Cardiff one was poor too), but this time the food was great - maybe if I'd expected great food I'd have considered it average, who knows. Adam was out with Nicci who was up from Cardiff, and we called by for a drink on our way home, but were shattered so didn't stay long.
Saturday11th
There's a park (Alexandra Park) right by the flat, and despite it being over a year - I'd never actually been inside it. I suppose it was in part due to the area's reputation and myself having seen at night the 'working girls' working the road by it, and witness the Police chasing kids on mini motorbikes in there... But the weather was really nice Anna & I decided to give it a go and take some basic food with us. It almost happened like that. The French guy, Amo who's on an internship & staying at Anna's house tagged along and we got chicken burgers & Amo a kebab
instead. (Incidentally on the way, on the bus, how it came up I'm not sure, but Amo mentioned that between the ages of 14-18 he was bee. (eh!?) He meant 'Bi' but he insisted that he wasn't anymore and definitely wasn't gay, if that wasn't funny enough - he was 19 at the time (Just a year later!)... Anyway Anna & I have been telling people about it and laughing privately about it ever since - lol) The guy in the kebab shop was strangely friendly guy - an Iraqi who'd been around the EU, and watched the ducks in the park (The ducks did turn out to be rather cheeky). He spoke Turkish and I practiced what I remembered on him - his English though was only marginally better than the smattering of Turkish that I knew and I ground to a halt. But at least he seemed happy. I also popped into a Netto for a few beers - it's cheap and some of the stuff isn't at all bad... but the clientele - dear me! It eventually got too cold and we went back to the flat, Nicci had brought up this DVD full of those old Public Information adverts that used to be on TV, about not sticking forks in toasters and the like - some if them were totally WTF & NFW! But it did drag a bit especially with the ones from the 50's and 60's which didn't wrap up the message with a bit of humour (not always appropriate however) or shock tactics. There was time for a quick power-mong before we went out...
Adam was pretty much in charge of the going out - Tribeca in town to begin with.
There were a fair few that I hadn't met before, as well as regulars, Sahoil (Who wants a special mention (picture below)), Evelyn - The night moved onto Poptastic and then for some to Essential. It got messy for me in Poptastic as I became separated from the others and nailed a
line of double vodkas at the bar. Amo decided in Poptastic (This is in the village too as we were out with Adam) that he could 'turn men on'. Bearing in mind what he'd mentioned earlier in the
day this raised a few eyebrows, but we assumed that he was attempting to impress a lady in our midst, and even more so with his 'spooning' dancing technique. But that wasn't the end of it - I suppose as he didn't want to let these guy's down after getting their hopes up he proceeded to snog them and a number of other blokes who passed by or got too close - to each their own I guess. Major 'cringe-relfex' the next morning I reckon!

Sahoil!

Nicci & Adam

AJ & Amo
Sunday12
Anna & I walked to the supermarket the next morning, I was feeling decidedly
queezy after the vodkas and figured some fresh air and a walk would do me some
good. We also wondered what had happened to Amo - he was due to crash on my sofa
but in a late change of plan was going to crash on Evelyn's. But Anna got a text
from her at half four in the morning to check if Amo got home okay. So, where
was he? His keys were in his bag in my flat and he didn't have a clue where the
flat was. Furthermore he'd given his t-shirt with Eveline's jacket into the
cloak room and was topless - he didn't have his cloakroom ticket. So at an
unearthly hour of the morning he was wandering around Manchester's village
without a shirt on, and no credit on his mobile - he was offered it seems some
where to stay and he declined - luckily for him he hadn't been able to get cash
from the machine earlier in the evening - but was able to after midnight when
some funds had transferred to his account, and caught a taxi back to Sale - then
climbed in through a bathroom window eight feet off the ground. He can really be
an idiot.
13 mon TFN Monday
new work okay -
quiz -£40
14 tue TFN
15 wed TFN
16 thu TFN
17 fri TFN
18 sat
19 sun
20 mon TFN if you die in debt you've made a profit
21 tue TFN
22 wed TFN
23 thu TFN Thursday - amo
jail - bi
24friday - anna to Edin
i popped out - evelyn, daniel Henry
25Saturday - Edinburgh
Rachel- Stuart out
26 sun barbie - out lock in
27/06 mon missed train
28/06 tue TFN
29/06 Wed TFN - walkout rung around agencies feedback
30/06-thurs - more agencies etc.
01/07 Friday - night travel........ job interviews start monday
02/07 rugby cara bristol stag do - fountain etc
03/07 Back from Bristol - retrieve Anna from Sale
04/07 Mon - quiz - booby prize lee roger
05/07 Tue
06/07 Wed 1 year in the flat - at LEVI's story. London Bid
07/07 Thu Bomb - closer to home.
08/07 out cornerhouse? Flick?
dread trip- like a gulit trip?

Planes Trains & Automobiles

2005-06-06T14:24:00.000+01:00

Tuesday 31st
Tuesday was an utter-mission. I totally skipped the interview I had lined up for mid morning as it was a load of crap anyway. Anna & I had a mission to town on the train to pick up some last minute bits and bobs. Then back to Anna's place do double check stuff.
Jon & Tracey turned up and we then went again to the tram station back to town (Passing work - where we should have been but our boss, Steve Beard, let us have off because, 'what's the point') follwed by a few hundred meters walk to the train station. We got there and had to leg it onto a train as I insisted on holing up the train for Tracey to get on, but at least then we could sit down for a while untill our stop.
Unfortunatley Liverpool (John Lennon) Airport doesn't have a train station just one a few miles away so we had to get a taxi to the airport but we didn't have to wait long for one.
We had plenty of time in our margin of error so had a sit down and drink while we waited, just as well as it was delayed, but we eventually got going.
We introduced 'Buffalo Rules' for this trip, as follows(with the ususal forfeit):
Replacement Names to be used at all times:
Owain(me)=Cordero (lamb)
Anna = Paloma (pigeon/dove)
Jon = Pollo (chicken)
Tracey = Gallina (Hen)
Left hand Drnking with Pinkies
no pointing (indication with elbow allowed)
Thumbmaster.
No swearing.
I tried to sleep on the plane but hardly even dozed really, neither did the others despite professing tiredness. We landed at night and the taxi driver pulled 'surcharges' at the end of the trip to the apartment to take us to a 30Euro bill where the book reckoned it should have been 20-25, I suppose they're the same everywhere. We were met by an Argentine who been over here two weeks, we struggled through the chat, then had a look around the flat. It was small but nice. There was no stereo as mentioned but a DVD/TV combo which we could play CD's on. we partially unpacked had a shower and popped out to the busy square right outside our apartment (The Rambla Del Raval) for a beer (which is really chep out there). There were plenty of bars and we went to one or two before heading to the main street (The Ramblas) there we got flyers for a club called Felini's. We got in free to there had a sit down then threw some funky shapes on the dancefloor - the place didn't get busy untill two in the morning which just before we headed off as we were all shattered and the pace was telling.
In Bar Felini on Las Ramblas
The way back became a bone of contention, we went a 180 degrees in the wrong direction, for a good mile plus, but asked and found our way back eventually. I was blamed for theis error but The streets do look quite alike and the whole area was a maze of narrow alleyways which in the dark looked even more alike...
Wednesday 1st
Me and Anna got up early and brought some breakfast. We got bread, eggs, bacon, chorizo, cheese, nasty tea bags and accidentaly artificially sweetened milk. The breakfast was excellent, but the tea was really bad. Firtly there was no kettle, we had to use a pan. The tea bags were crap. The local water although apparently drinkable tasked so bad, nearly saline. We sorted the milk out coped with the pan and found on the second day some decent (PG) tea bags. (Phew!)
We headed out to do a bit of sightseeing. We got the Cathedral confused with the Sagrada Familia on the map and so saw the Catherdral first. The Sagrada is quite far out so we had to use the metro which was well easy to use. I unfortunatley misread the map and made us get off at the Sargrea not the Sagrada station... Things obviously weren't right as we were surrounded by high rises, I asked a man in a booth where it was hoping he could point the way as I wouldn't keep up with that many directions. Unfortuately he had no arms but made himself understood eventually. So we found it, and itlooked amazing from the outside... but we didn't go in and it's not everyones cup of tea I suppose. We did need a sit down at that point and on sight of McDonalds immediately on the building left (not normally visible in postcards) Jon fancied some McNuggets... I didn't want anything put on being pressed had their Gazpacho soup. It was cold.
Statue on the Placa Armada
We went to the beach from there via the cable car on the Montjuic. We didn't go all the way to the top of the mount but it ofered extensive views over the city which was quite hazy on that day. The beach when we got there was really nice - a great addition to such a large city. It wasn't too busy but it wasn't blazing that day, we resolved that when it was really hot we'd spend the day there. As it was we spent an hour or two there thenwandering up the surf.
We got back to the flat and had a siesta, it's surprising how walking a lot generally takes it out of you.
We went back out inthe evening and went to a resturant called La Fragua. Great food, huge portions are pretty cheap. It was just accross the square from us and we found it in an 'Eating out Barcelona' guide that I brought with us.
We headed back to the Ramblas and got given some flyers again, this time for 'Travel Bar' a backpackers place. We found it and it was a nice little place.
In the Travel Bar
We got there then someone announced that they needed four girl volunteers to take part in a competition and that they would recieve a free drink. Anna jumped in they had to sit on the bar and were given a beer in a glass with a straw, the guy then announced that the two last to finish would have to kiss. I had confidence in Anna to finish first but apparently the straw threw her. It was close but she was third, and had to stand on the bar for the forfeit. We pretty much were there for the rest of the night and went back to the apartment. However Anna I didn't go to bed but stayed up on the balcony chatting, before we knew it it was morning.
Thursday 2nd
We popped out and ended going straight to the beach sprinting/jogging there at eight am. We went for a swim, the beach was really quiet and it sems some people choose to sleep there overnight. It was shaping up for a scorcher so after a while he headed back to the flat picked up breakfast on the way and were back on the beach with Jon & Tracey by the end of the morning.
It was really hot and pretty busy, we stayed at our first spot for a while but kep getting hassled by some local pikies bumming fags and trying to join in on our frizbee game with a mental dog. It was so bad we had to move further down the beach, which was additinally habd as they new spot was much nicer and didn't have a jellyfish problem (they evacuated parts of the sea for that at one point because of that). We caught some more sun went front-flipping into the sea and stayed untill it was getting chilly.
We got back to the flat but as we'd discovered the previous night the hot water was on a tank and would stretch to four persons, so we sort of made do with a splash. unfortunatley Anna & I sort of flooded the flat, we were running the tap in the bathroom and it seems the soap slipped off the top and fell into the basin... and blocked the plughole.. the water continued to run and it seems seeped under the door where Jon & Tracey ignored it but, the flow then crept out under the front door and on to the landing. Where a resident noticed it and knocked on the door, Tracey answered and alerted us and all was soon rectified...!
We headed back out first for some food at the San Marino bar again, (it was here that the accordian band entertained us, they weer good and played the godfather theme too) they wanted cash of course but it wasn't much. We also had a guy wandering round with a polaroid camera, which we partook in (have you noticed how the smae thing happens here but its digital and they put in on the net hoping you'll buy a glossy print?-not going to happen) then back to the travel bar as conversational spanish was really beyond us and they were organising a pub crawl. Some sleep woudl have been really handy before going out but it didn't happen and explains to some extent why the evening went decidedly recneps. But up untill then it was a great night as we mixed with the Yanks from the night before plus a host of others from all over.
Don't remember any names now mind.
it was that night that i sustained major brusing on my knees. I still have extensive palm sized bruised on either knee, an inch square lack of skin on my right knee cap where my jeans had a hole, and bad skin splints when I walk. The scab on my knee whenever i ascend or decend stairs the scab on my knee cracks and weeps plasma from the fissure. Sorry not nice I know
Probably the two worst things about the area we were staying in were the pikies who at night would try to trap people in conversation before tryin to lift a wallet, they tried hassling us two nights running, and the prostitutes who were blatently working on the street corners from five in the afternoon onward.
Friday 3rd
We trekked on this day to the Picasso museum (funny it's start of conventional but then the paintings really go pear shaped) the most memorable was a picture of what seemed to be a midget in drag.
From there we went to the Camp Nou home of FC Barcelona. I'm not sure what the others thought of it, I wasn't interested in the football really just the stadium itself which is he-uge!

We didn't go out in the night as the next morning was going to be a early one. We stayed in and Anna & I tried to make Paella. It wasnt bad at all really we were a little hamstrung by being unable to find certain ingredients but we addlibed well enough, but really could have done with salt.

Saturday 4th
I was up on time and got seriously busy tidying. Karina the Argentinan was going to turn up at eight. The problem was that we had forgotten to pick up detergent and the night before and that morning nowhere that sold it was open. We had to use shampoo on the dishes and pans. It did help better than water alone would have and at lwast it smelt nice. We were concerned that we wouldn't get to the airport on time (nine) but despite there being no taxi's for the first fifteen minutes one did turn up and we made it easily. As it turned out the damn flight was delayed again!
So we eventually got back, and after a siesta we went out. Initially with Adam were we breifly met Daniel, but then went on to the Athaeneum to meet back up with Jon, who had everyone there playng buffalo rules. It was a mess. Keith was out too and loving the red wrist bands - I'll have to get him some. From there we went to Bar central one, which was not out of the ordinary really, it was a bit tough for me as I couldn't walk well let alone strut my funky stuff (i did try after a few beers). Still a good night!

Sunday 5th
lie in... knackered. Went shopping to Tesco's but could have done without it.
Charvis on the Burst
I missed all the rugby on Saturday, Wales did really well thrashing the USA 77-3. The lions won apparently, I'm only really watching out of interest - inside I'd laugh if the lions lost.
Monday 6th
A second interview at a place in town, again it seemed okay but i'll find out more tomorrow...
Ah yes check the rest of the pictures here and here from the HYPERDOOPELATOR.

L'ombra Del Vent

2005-05-30T17:15:00.000+01:00

JUVES IAU
La Sombra Del Viento
My latest book arrived to day, The Shadow Of The Wind, Set in Barcelona by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. See here & here. It put me off as it had a recommended by Richard & Judy sticker on the cover(which I removed promptly). It's okay so far anyway.

VIERNES GWENER
Where Are The Diamonds?
It was pretty much the last day in work (planning not to go in Tuesday). For our team leader, Steve Beard we got a few gifts. It was pretty hard but me & Anna who were in charge got some Barbie stuff (not a total joke as his young daughter would like it) and a fresh whole Sea Bass (he used to work in aquarium). He was challenged to eat it there and then as we presented it with a knife and fork, but he declined to even eat one of the eyes. However someone was there to step up to the mark and take the challenge... yes that's right Po... you'd have been proud, t'was me!
As I extracted the raw eye and it bulged out wards in pseudo shock, face turned from disbelief to horror as it busrt as I sawed through the final tendons and consumed it there and then....
(I took the fish home and cooked it (conventionally) by the way... Delicious!
After work the fourty or so staff and others who employment at Dial 4 A Loan had been terminated went to the pub, it was hot so we took over the beer garden. Snakebite wasn't the best course of action in retrospect, and after also meeting a few former colleagues from Lex we went to town, but I don't want to talk about it anymore.

SABADO SADWRN
Gone North
Gav & Bex made it up to Manchester! They drove up after a morning shift and made it for about five in the afternoon. Anna made us (& Adam) lasagne for food and it was fabulous. We then popped out - we went around a few pubs but then Anna & I had to go as she wasn't at all well, and thanks for Adam for taking Gav & Bex around and showing them a good night out. I think they had fun as I was still up when they got in a little worse for wear after two in the morning and we had a chat.

DOMINGO SUL
Till You Drop
A bit of shopping in town for Gav & Bex today shopping. Bex was feeling the pace but Gav's second wind kicked in and he got a few great shirts. We chucked Bex in to a taxi back to the flat where she met Dawn (she'd gone by the time Gav & I got back). Gav & I however saw The Jacket, it's a strange but well done film - but it very good. He has an opportunity but uses it for others and not for himself... purely good motives? Had his life not been do deficeint due to an accident who knows... See it if you get a chance but there is a lot of good stuff out at the moment.
Thanks a lot guys for coming up I hope you enjoyed and we'll definately have to do it again.

LUNES LLUN
I got from Po recently loads of pictures from the recent past... some are shocking, upsetting and worse. But they're on the hyperdoopelator, there were too many for any proper order. However see here, here, here, here, here & here!
Otherwise I was rushing around like a blue ass fly sorting things out & shopping for the trip to Barcelona... going tomorrow!

Who's The Daddy?

2005-05-25T09:44:00.000+01:00

Shw Mae Dudes!
Rwyn eithaf frysur efo'r Hyperdoopelator: Gweld fan hyn yn fuan.
Hefyd y mae stori newydd ar wegof GOLDBERG.
Mae gen i gyfweliad prynhawn 'ma wedyn does dim amser gen i gorffen popeth rwyn fod i wneud ar y wegofau...
Hwyl am nawr!

Hey Peeps!
I'm pretty busy with the Hyperdoopelator - I'm not finished yet but see here soon.
Also check GOLDBERG for a new story!
So I've to prepare for an interview this afternoon so won't time to complete administration on the blogs.
Toodles!

****JOB UPDATE****
Just heard about my interview last week... Well they deserve an Oscar...
I haven't got the job because my Welsh accent is too strong... well FU!
The surprising thing is that they said it or admitted it if you will.
Just imagine for a minute that I was from a different ethinic minority...
They wouldn't dare as it would hit them like a ton of bricks. I've half a mind to contact the Western Mail!

A Toothless Bite

2005-05-24T09:31:00.000+01:00

Y Tafarn Lunes
I managed to track down a pub with the Lions game on... The Bridge, as oft mentioned before. Anna & I went, knowing how pubs are around here I asked the sullen broad-shouldered spiky haired barmaid if they were showing the rugby, "You mean the England game?" she asked with a bored incredulity, "Err... no." (is it no wonder Welsh/Scots/Etc don't support them?). I would have thought that she'd have been an authority on Rugby... Maybe she'd have treated me, a customer after all, with a little more respect if I'd challenged her to an arm wrestle, as a battle of wits was obviously beyond her... I might even have lost the physical challenge.

Yr Ariannin
The rugby itself was poor, both sides were scratch sides, the Lions not having played for four years and the Pumas having over twenty players unavaliable due to club commitments. The Lions were overwhelming favorites with the bookies but the Pumas more than accqited themselves well and probably deserved to win, but the Lions escaped with a last minute draw. Reviews: here, here, here, here & here.
The Lions don't have an anthem due to political reasons, and I'd be dammned if I sing an anthem with religion or allegiance to individuals in it. But this year they've comissioned a song 'The Power Of Four' to be sang before games, to provide a focus and to motivate the troups. Well it was pants, but harmless enough.
It's also quiz night at the pub on Mondays, the 'free' (you're asked to buy raffle tickets - I don't mind that) one. We were four points off the winning team but they had nine members on their team (just two on ours), and I suppose there were too many questions about football for me. Con!
Bicycle: I brought one second hand. £55 and it's in good condition so I'm well happy with that! I'll be able to get some more exercise as my foot still hurts if I run on it.
Joke: Courtesy of Matt Williams which arrived as I was writing this.
Two bored casino dealers are waiting at the crap table.
A very attractive blonde woman arrived and bet twenty thousand dollars($20,000) on a single roll of the dice.
She said, "I hope you don't mind, but I feel much luckier when I'm completely nude."
With that, she stripped from the neck down, rolled the dice and yelled, "Come on, baby, Mama needs new clothes!"
As the dice came to a stop, she jumped up and down and squealed...
"YES! YES! I WON, I WON!"
She hugged each of the dealers and then picked up her winnings and her clothes and quickly departed.
The dealers stared at each other dumfounded. Finally, one of them asked, "What did she roll?"
The other answered, "I don't know, I thought you were watching."
Moral - Not all blondes are dumb, but all men are men.
Mensajes:Messaggi:Messages:Berichten:сообщения:μηνύματα:Mesaj
Boks: The fith one! I put more effort into the lunge than the others and was suffering some mild discomfort, or pain even!
Curly: Check the link on the right. Or here. Yeah Po's fine but slimline.. lost his ass!
Kayla: The Barcelona trip is on the 31st... Should be a blast too! haven't got a job to come back to yet though! Maybe I should stay there?

Fool Me Twice... Shame On Me

2005-05-23T11:59:00.000+01:00

Road Kip Viernes
John& Anna have a Lunge off
I extracted myself from upstairs and spent the afternoon back downstairs where we didn’t get up to much apart some lunges. But after a few Lunge-offs that wore thin.
Touch Rugby
Simon Howell
Simon who I initially met playing touch rugby when I first got up here gave me a ring about the touch rugby (I almost went to play for his RU team last season) I mentioned a few weeks past, so I’m definitely going for it and may have to be a ringer at first but at least I’ll be playing.
Devon Knows
I had a lift down to Plymouth, Devon with Dawn who was off to see family so I went along and got a lift down to stay with Po, who’s a known associate of a Badger with a troubled past and an Elephant who never forgets…. To Kill!
What with the four hour drive we didn’t get there until ten o clock so a bit late to go out although I was a touch recharged from a power nap on the way down and watched a video form Shelly’s Arnie video collection, in this case Raw Deal!
It’s a Sin To Kill A Mockingbird Sabado
We popped into the middle of town, which is just a short walk from their flat. The weather was inclement and middle of town was a little crazy as there were troupes of Morris Dancers scavenging in the city centre in amorphous packs. What with those combined factors we had to get a taxi back to the flat.
I finished the book ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee. I’ll leave a review to the more qualified but I did like the narrative and the story but I did find annoying how some characters when on one hand damming the inadequacies in the system and social structure, then on the other hand reaffirmed their faith in the ‘system’ and ‘the good folks’ for no other reason that was just the way it is, double standards but that’s human I guess.
Eurovision

Fred (who makes a wicked orange squash BTW) came around to the flat and we had pizza and watched Eurovision with a few Wrong Beater Snakebites for myself and special ‘Eurovison Juice’(ad-libbed on the night) for the rest. I don’t watch this as it’s pretty stupid usually, and I don’t support the ‘UK’, but I suppose it’s a bit of fun and is there to be laughed at and ridiculed. But some people & places obviously take it far too seriously. The voting is of course a joke, and I seriously wonder why anyone bothers with it? Really, What is the point? Some of the songs were seriously awful but at least the winning song was pretty catchy even if the lyrics were quite inane.

A Table Lunge: Po, Fred, Owz
We had to pop out after that, the fellas were half cut by them Shell was quite definitely not. We went to a bar called ‘Cuba’ where I thought I’d practice some Spanish. None there of course spoke it but nevertheless I persisted ‘¡Hola chica! Quiero dos ‘Chack’ Daniels y Coca-cola, y una limonada, y para yo una cerveza por favour’. I was eventually understood!

We only had one drink there but Goldberg almost stirred up trouble as bemused locals stared and the odd one plucked up the courage to ask why. I tried to pretend to be Spanish and got away with it I think. I’m afraid they’re just not ready yet.
Host With The Roast Domingo

Po and Shell made a lush roast whilst I lazed about reading the paper and watching Futurama – It’s a shame they cancelled that show.

The journey back was a pain, there were so many roadworks where we came to a complete stop but eventually I was and had to go straight to a pub, The Volunteer in Sale, no rest…
Office Gymnastics Lunes
This is an attempt to get on to spencer's House Gymnastics site - it needs a name but apart from 'Desk Bridge' as thats the best we've come up with so far.

What do you think?
Blast From The Past
The rest of the photographs will be on the Hyperdoopelator soon... in addittion to photos from the past... later this week, I'll keep you posted.
Y Llewod
The lions play tonight, I'm not sure where I'll watch it yet but meanwhile check out a preview here & here. Well I suppose it'll be interesting if nothing else - and it's good to see Glanaman's own Shane get on the field.
Messy Hedges
Boks: I'd love to take you too! Is even a drop of Vin rouge too much for you though?
Kayla: What's up Doc? Thanks I had a top weekend! Y tu?
Hera: Well it was Plymouth not Barcelona but I took a few pictures!
Steve: Job Done... It's nearing completeion!

Fool me once... Shame On You!

2005-05-18T15:21:00.000+01:00

Yo Soy Un Hombre Sincero Martes
Local knowledge is a handy thing, and it seems to be accrued in fits and starts, and as with many things necessity is the mother of invention. The last two weeks when I was let down for a lift to Spanish at the last minute and therefore couldn’t attend, but I checkout the transport and worked out a solution so can attend with impunity. Steve & Sarah seem to possibly to have knocked it on the head, but I’m eager to attend because…
Barcelona! Such A Beautiful Horizon!
I’m going to Barcelona for a few days. On our last day at work here four of us from work (Anna, John y Tracey) are catching a flight from Liverpool to Barcelona, Cataunya. So from the 31 de Mayo – 4 de Junio we’ll see the sights, get a bit of sun, hit a few bars and get up to minor mischief. I’m going to have to learn a few Catalan phrases as it’s common courtesy but I should be able to use what smatterings of Spanish I have learnt too. Accommodation is sorted so it just remains to keep a bit of money aside for the trip. Anyone else coming?
Gorgeous George Miercoles
Wednesday turned into one of those cock-ups. I was supposed to see Jai’s art show after work, something didn’t click with him and Spencer called me at half three as he didn’t know either that his show finished at three… There was a back up plan to see a film Wild Side, but it had shocking reviews so it was skipped and nothing was done in its stead – no plan C.
George Galloway may as suspicious as the time that Matt Ford (Yes, the guy from the night “When Matt Ford Attacks”- The Stuff Of Legend) got a second Hotmail account with a suggestive ‘nom de plume’ and disappeared to Prague for a week on his own (he’d been to England twice before but that was on School trips and he’s now in his late twenties). However I digress, George gave the Bush lackeys in the Senate hearing a total pasting, he gave them totally what for! See here, Hillarious!
Beggars can't be Choosers Jueves
Well I’ve been thinking about this, in relation to staying on here. But it seems I won’t, I’ve now definitely decided. I had an interview today as it happens for a role that would see me as a Poacher turned gamekeeper, the interview went quite well, and apparently I was looking pretty sharp in a suit. I can scrub up reasonably well you know!
Los Leones Y Los Pumas
The team has been named for the big game Monday. I’m still feeling indifferent to supporting the Lions (one of my brothers refuses to watch them on political grounds) but am looking forward to some decent Rugby, maybe almost akin to watching a South Africa Versus New Zealand test series.
Booklovers
Vicky, who i know through Spencer (late again!) is in an established band Valerie, (apparently Lesbian Punk Rock although she is not) and a new band, Booklovers a jazzy trio. It was their first gig at an open mike session in a pub called the Crescent in Salford.
The pub was grimy & scruffy but not without charm. Quite amusingly Vicky's band members resembled Peppermint Patty & Marcie, as that was funny on two levels. They played three songs and everyone there enjoyed it, if only for their amusement. It really went pear-shaped & tits-up simultaneously at times for them but was good when they got in the swing of it until it screwed up again. But their add lib and banter with the crowd ensured that they enjoyed it.
Brand New Combine Harvester Viernes
I’m off to the West country this weekend, to Plymouth where I’ll staying at Po’s where we’ll cause trouble. But not before I’m dragged shopping by him and his missus, ‘chell’ where I’ll behave like a petulant child, sulking and trailing at the rear.
The random photo’s may get rarer on the blog for a bit as I’m sending my phone back(because it’s a pile of crap).
I was out bid on Ebay, but have a bike for £60 on Monday. It a mountain bike not a racer like I wanted but, as JP was telling me a racer would get nicked around here and Mountain Bikes are almost two a penny, and I think He’s right. Ciao.

It's A Long Way To The Top, If You Want To Rock n' Roll

2005-05-15T22:49:00.000+01:00

FLY ON THE WALL
Saturday evening hearlded another leaving do from Lex, this time it was Pam's who's now becoming an assistant teacher. there were a few others out, Rosey, Ruth , Justin, Kamran, Engels, Rich & Dawn.
Things were starting to get messy esecially for Kamran & Dawn, by the time we were in the second pub, Waxy O'Conners (A Wetherspoon's Lloyds bar being the first), I was pretty shattered and snuck off before the going got too heavy.

Qu Lei Lei - This picture was hanging on our wall when we moved into the flat last July. It was after all a naked chick, so it's stayed up and Adam & I could pretend to be cultured...
Any how I finally checked it on google, and found the artist in question along with other works, check out the link on the name above...
MUNDANE BLUES
Monday, back at work - there's obviously a funny atmosphere there and I was planning to study Spanish at my desk - and why not? And for the first half an hour it was going well... However the best laid plans... the unforseen arose. I was sent to help upstairs and due to my current sitaion couldn't wriggle out of it. Humph! Another of my plans for that day was enabled... I accquired a headset with a microphone that looks like those used in call centres, so people would think I was on the phone. The headset was infact plugged into the PC on which I was listening to AC/DC (hence the title of the post), strangely people didn't seem to notice that when I did make a call I removed the headset and used the phone conventionally!!!
B@$#@*)$
When I moved up from Cardiff, I forgot to inform the Student Loans company of my change of address, mainly because they only send you a letter once a year. You're only supposed to pay back when you earn a certain amount, and I don't earn that amount yet on the basic wage. So I shouldn't be paying in theory, but you are supposed to inform them to 'deffer payment'. This hadn't happend so they expected repayments, but had the wrong address. The upshot is that I've been tracked down, by an agency and must pay £650($1200/950Euros). I don't have to pay extra but I do have to pay even though I shouldn't have been. Now, I don't have that sort of ready cash, but the redundancy I'll get from work will cover it with a fair bit to spare so I'll manage, but I'm not happy, but It's my own fault I guess...

NEGESEUON
Bokidoks: Vous n'êtes pas bon marché (je n'ai pas compris exactement?), J'ai rougi aussi, quand je l'ai lu. j'étais si rouge... j'étais pourpre, comme nous disons au pays de Galles.
Kayla: Only online for material? Come off it you wrote a monster update on your blog!
Jen: Cheers Jen, I've checked it out - a shade expensive hence Ebay really, oh well!

Mi Amigo Machuca

2005-05-14T13:41:00.000+01:00

Anna & I went to see this flick and Spen cer, Sarah, Chein-Hui & Jai all came along too. It's set around the time of the coup d'tat in Chile, 1973 and afects the lives of the three children leads.
We all liked the film, but I dared criticise it after. The lead role is the chubby kid on the left of the picture and they had many 'Sergio Leone' type facial close ups of him, maybe there was too much puppy fat hiding his features but he had a poker face for those shots. Unless he was conveying shock he seemed indifferent, had his head also been continually moving from left to right I would have guessed that he was watching a tedious game of tennis (Henman v Rusedski probably).
I was possibly harsh as it certainly was a good film, otherwise I can't really fault it with any severity. Maybe I was expecting more after reading too many reviews before hand... let that be a lesson to you, I am not a role model. Go see the film if you can, thumbs up.
We hit a few bars, Thirsty Scholar (Scruffy) & Bar Retro (Strange) before running out of budgeted funds...

Afterwards on the way back we came accros some troublesome giant bottles of Corona, epecially the one on the right who was called 'John', as he wouldn't stand still. Anna, some how got them to co-operate...

Earlier that day I popped to an agency, I've been put foward for a few other positions and I chatted with my consultant who's from Melbourne, Australia about Kath & Kim, which she loves as she used to go to the same places where they film. Apparently its an accurate depiction of daily life in Fountain Lakes...

I've finally worked out Ebay, I've bid for Gwilym's item to raise funds for the Llanelli Warriors, but I'm trying to get a bike and am on the case at the moment with this one.

There are some new pictures on the HYPERDOOPELATOR taken on Dawn's camera, I look awful again but had to put the picture up with the others.

I'm on the Yes Men's mailing list and got an update from them yesterday, regarding their lastest 'identity correction' against corporate evil, and I've posted it on SOFASURF, so is the first serious post I've put there, after Goldberg's lame effort...

Negeseuon: la traduction Francais est tres difficile!
Curly - Glad you appreciated the text, have you listened to the drunk guy yet?
Bokbok -lol! Vous plaisantez? Je ne sais pas! Kaibigan lang ba ang turing mo sa akin? Mais, c'est bon que tu est ici encore.
SteveB - You anon? Take it easy dude... Glad you liked the text!
Gav - I'm formulating a cunning plan of seedy beer pits to take you on a tour of... Mwhahaha!
Kayla - You should be studying this week, not online - hope it goes well.
Gwil - Dw i ddim mynd i talu £200 neu beth bynnag yw'r pris y grys nawr!
Jen - Thanks for the card - congrats on the job!
Owz - Cofia 'wneud eich gwaith cartref Sbaeneg y penwythnos hon.
Anna - Hope Prague is not too expensive!

Friday The Thirteenth

2005-05-13T11:55:00.000+01:00

I had to go straight from work yesterday to town to collect Jen from the train station as she'd had an interview in the area and has another today, and was therefore too far to go back to Scotland.
I gave my bag to Adam at work to take back for me taking care to remove my keys as last time I'd been locked out...
I got to the startion and read one of those free papers for a while, I was going to ask Jen if she fancied a drink in town first but this time I'd left my wallet in my bag and had only loose change on me. How stupid did I feel? I had to get Jen to pay for my bus back to the flat!
She brough a load of vino tinto and we had some food (I made it but over did the hot pepper sauce) and watched Stuck on You, which neither Jen or Anna had seen before.
Today, I've have another of those tedious agency consultations, and should be catching a flick later, but these things often go pear shaped, so you'll have to read about it tomorrow.

Sweet Dreams Are Made Of Cheese

2005-05-12T10:26:00.000+01:00

Goldberg & I have joined the SOFASURF blog from Roma, Italia.
I'll try and put something worthwhile on there as opposed to my ramblings on here, and it's open to applications for members from all as explained on the blog itself. Check it out!

Dos Pequeños Patos
It was Dawn's birthday yesterday, she's 22. We (& Adam) went out into town and I was able to catch up with Pilling, Kamran & Emma, all current or former Lex peeps. Ad & I met some of his friends, Sohail & Paul first for a quick chat in the Cornerhouse. Apparently Sohail's been on here a few times before... so Hello!

Estancamiento Perdonable
People have noticed that Goldberg's site has stagnated of late - but I assure you we're on the case. It's like london buses, there are three which are a 'Work in progress'. This picture was the inspiration for the lastest update along with the current poll, and will be a follow up to 'Anger Management'... it lead to this picture.

Hey Sweetie pie, you know you're the girl of my dreams...
To explain this text that I've sent to people without further explaination, check this link and listen to Arnie's SoB.

Messages:
BokBok: Salut! Ca va? merci beaucoup pour ton petite message, tu comais que tu est la fille de mon reves! Tu me manque aussi!
Kayla: Stella Artois is known as 'Wife Beater' here...
BlueAngel: Many things make my face go that way, certain foods, activities & even people!
Steve: So, what are you wearing?

Touch Rugby Tourney

2005-05-11T11:22:00.000+01:00

As I alluded to Master Bourke below:

There's a Touch Rugby League starting up in the south of Manchester and it's not before time.

CHECK HERE

Any of you out there in Manchester fancy it? Drop me a line we could start a team but I warm you - I take it seriously and get competitive! not really - just listen to me though! Otherwise I may shout.
There's men's and a mixed league - it's great fun and great for fitness & Skills.

Handy Links: FIT : Eng : More : Wal

Te Doy Mis Ojos

2005-05-10T22:45:00.000+01:00

Viernes

Cyfweliad: Interview
It went well on a personal level, but again my lack of experience at this role meant I could tell I wasn’t being considered, although they did mention to me another role they would see me as suitable for. It ‘s anew company so there may be opportunities after a while but they created a strange impression as I had to wait in a store room, reading over my notes surrounded by stacked chairs & cardboard boxes.
At this stage it’s looking more and more like a job’s a job!

Look Before You Leap
As I’ve mentioned being sent upstairs at work is a fate akin to being locked in a room with Captain Charisma (hbos-AW) in a talkative mood. Indeed, the prospect of being sent up there made me feel like this, and thankfully last week they chose not to hold me to my word. I’d prefer to have a severe bout of Delhi-belly, at least I could read the paper.
A few months back Adam was on a mission to make me buy new jeans. We couldn’t find any suitable and eventually to placate him I had to order some over the net from FatFace, they took two months to arrive and are a good fit but – no buttons, just a zip.
It could all go wrong, zips on jeans are far too robust when compared to normal trousers.

Yr Etholiad Gyffredinol: General Election
A mixed bag as all the results were in on this day, as there was never a chance of the Tories getting in, the focus was elsewhere for me and the results wee a disappointment. Especially for Rhys who pounded the streets on the campaign trail for no tenable return and to see Ceredigion fall. Change at the top needed apparently for Plaid.

Sadwrn Dwethaf: Last Saturday
Adam told me that I should mention this… And doesn’t reckon I will.
Adam had a Saturday shift and so was in work, I was in the vicinity and could have a lift home if I could wait for a bit. It beats walking or the bus so I did.
His boss Lisa was in and brought her daughter along, Jessica who is six. Due to my clothes from the night before who decided that I should be know as Mikey-Poo. I had to entertain her as Adam & Henry (the only other ones there) were working. Adam reckoned that I would mention that I had a heart drawing competion on a white board with her and lost, but come off it, of course I let her win…

Nol i Nos Wener: Back To Friday
Jo, Adam’s friend was up from London and we were to meet them out. But first Anna & I met Spencer & Jai with Chein Hui & Sarah at the Print works to watch Dirty shame… but it was sold out, well there were two tickets so Vicky and her friend from her lesbian rock band got the tickets. Instead we hit a bar, Corbiers on the way to bump into Adam at the Cornerhouse. They ran out of a standard lager there at one point so in scanning the funky continental beers they had on offer I asked for two Pints of Leffe… but it was four pound a pint!! Holy Crap! As I sat back down at the table I was noticeably introspected and stony silent through shock…

Sabado: Sadwrn: Saturn
I had to get up far too early on Saturday to catch the train to brum. I brought a paper and settled to read it, I chose one of those table seats as the train was pretty empty enabling me to open up the paper. I had meant to take some Spanish to study but I knew my head wouldn’t be in tune for that (I’d neglected to consider the full implications of this with regard to the journey back). An old man sat opposite me, we was eager to talk, in general. He was off to see his first grand daughter for the first time and was called Peter (him not the baby) and was originally from Bury. I was given some advice in life, but my particular issues were a little too complex. He was nice enough however – I gave him Goldberg’s address and I wonder if he found it or if he even made it too this site…

Cynllyn: Plan
I was off to Cardiff but getting a lift from Birmingham from Clare who’d initiated the trip, we’d be staying at Steve’s but had to go shopping first. Well Clare went Shopping (she had a scam going but I’m not allowed to mention it here), and I was taken from shop to shop like a petulant child. We met beanie and had lunch in Ha-Ha’s and then after some more shops met up with Steve and friends (Janet Lewis (speculation abounded to a link) & Paul) in the Pen & Wig.
We hung about there for a few hours catching the sun in the beer garden, playing quizzes. But as it got cold we left for Steve’s feeling a little worse for wear – just like over-tired really.

We popped out in the evening to the Pearl Of The Orient down in Cardiff Bay, sure the food was nice, we had a set menu, which was good but one dish raised eyebrows – king prawn with Apple (Granny smith in this case – not saying that it should have been Gala or Braeburn mind)

Diarios de Motocicleta: We got back to the flat and watched this – It was enjoyable and about the early life of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara (Argentinian Middle Class & a Rugby Player from Buenos Aires). The issues raised are far too complex to fully explore in a movie so was a little simplistic at times with the politics.

Domingo
The film made a deal of the look in desperate and dejected people’s eyes. The next morning, Clare and I had a reminder of that look as we left to go for breakfast, we passed a man with whom we made eye contact. The strain of life was etched in his features and the demoralisation through the weighing down of his depressed gaze by his circumstances and his shopping from Lidl’s.

We had a fry up at Bentley’s on Welfield Road in Roath, they’ve re-introduced black pudding (pigs blood) since I was there last so it was a pleasant surprise.

So why does everyone drive places, well since being with out means recently, the answer is clear as was of course intuitively obvious before hand. The train took well over two hours to get to Manchester from Birmingham, the door to door time would be even longer of course – door to door in the car takes less than an hour traffic permitting of course. This is where my Spanish homework could have come in useful.
What a gip.

Lunes: Another day another interview.
This one was over the phone and seemed to go okay, but the problem with phone interviews is that they call millions (literally- honest) of people so the numbers are against you. The guy phoned me on a mobile and with me being on a mobile it didn’t help the connection so I was really straining to make out what he was saying at times. Sounded a bit naff anyhows!
Cutbacks in work, I don’t mind that the fans have gone missing and it’s roasting in there that much. But what’s happened to the free tea-bags?

Martes: E-Spag-bol
My lift to Spanish fell through last minute, so it the second week running (3rd lesson in all) that I’ve missed it and I’m disappointed with that, I’ll nail some revision on the weekend.Milton’s paradise lost will be a mission to read as I’ll need goofgle at hand so meanwhile until I have a few hours set aside to get started on it properly I’ve started To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee, which Anna has lent to me.

Messages:
KV: Drinking loads of beer isn't big and isn't clever - but we all still do it!
BA: A lot of people have told me I write too much in one big chunk, and should write little and often, but it's tough!
RT: Try toothpaste! And maybe fill in the gap with a felt tip pen?
CJ: That's deviant behavior from your boss, try getting him drunk maybe. It'll be for his own good.
Jen: Got any better pictures?
SB: Did you get the Touch Rugby sorted? (BTW they're starting a league up here at last). Any beef on that book?

So Long And Thanks For All The Fish

2005-05-05T09:53:00.000+01:00

But I Never Thought It Would Come To This

The agencies were a mixed bag on Friday, one insisted that I go through the whole rigmarole of assessment, what a chore, and then had nothing to offer! They then wanted me to go to their other office to register, 'why can you fax/email/tell/photocopy-&-give-to-me-i'll-take-it?' but the woman was reluctant for some reason and despite agreeing with me 'I suppose I could' (It can't be hard can it?) I don't think she will. the other agency was better and friendlier (there was a girl from Ystradgynlais(near to where I'm from - a few miles), they at least had a lead for me (whilst I was waiting I rearranged her job description on her desk's name&job paperweight (what are they really called? - you know they're normally triangular) from 'Perm Consultant' to 'Romps Consultant', I don't think she noticed...
I had my haircut on Thurday in preperation, just to look a little more tidy, I skipped a clean shave as I couldn't be that bothered! The only think is the barber, has moved on to some questionable subject, last time it was about how in Cardiff he bartered with a prostitute down the docks after he deemed her performance as 'half harted'... this time it was about how he sunk a few pints with out realisng he was in a gay bar until he was propositioned... hmmm. For a big weight training type of guy, he's more softly spoken than you'd expect, and he's a hairdresser of course...

Moving on, I found a funky shop with random foodstuffs in it, the kelp(seaweed) I brough was pretty nasty, but some of the stuff is what you'd get in Wing Yips but with out the hassle of trekking accross town. The pop (pictured) was however far too sweet and tated of burnt sugar, and the rice flakes too plain... and green(?) for some reason.

After finishing at the agencies I went to town to meet Spencer to watch The Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy.

I was there well early as the second agency had squeezed me in early so I had a wander around town early and went to the museum, there was some funky, political but ultimately non-functional pottery, which passed the time.
Spencer turned up early for the film as well, and we had a swift pint before the flick. The Film will be a dissapointment to the fans of the TV series which is far better, it tried to be more accessible to American audiences and some of the humour in the situation was forsaken. We talked about it before and the best bit was when they used the old theme music from the BBC series abeit briefly and only once, but the rest of the film was a let down. Some of the casting was not quite right, but the guy playing Zaphod Beeblebrox was very good.
Spencer seems to know some of these funky bars in town, we went to the subterranean 'Corbiers' bar which has French people running it, it was pretty cool with older music on but not too loud.
Anna joined us in town, she hadn't been there before either, and after Spencer had to shoot home I introduced her to the Temple (the pub that was converted from a subway toilet.

Sabado
I had breakfast at the 'Corner Cafe' in sale near work. An old fashioned greasy spoon place. it was a shambles the old bag working there couldn't add up or read the menu and didn't bring me tea (ordered and paid for mind).
Adam had a friend up from the Weekend, Troy(-Boy), Adam gave him the url of this site so hello! if you're there, they went out into town.
I went for dinner at Anna's were her friend form her course Nico (who claims to be related to Gerallt Gymro (not directly of course the guy was a priest - he must have a great great uncle or something in common) and has family in Llandeilo(not far from home) he's actually from Meath, Eire) & Pandora from the posh end of Dublin.

Domingo, M'aidez
Adam had planned a major all dayer in the 'Northern Quarter', there was going to be a number of people from work there as well as Adam's friends. Anna and I went along about five hours after Adam & Troy, we were in a pretencious bar called Bluu for a while before moving on and eventually making it home, the others were wasted but we made up some of the ground in between.

Lunes
At least there was no work today - it was a total write off. Best not mentioned.
EDIT: Actually in thinking about it I went to a pub quiz in The Bridge pub in Sale with Anna & Keith a friend of hers.
It’s been a while since I’ve done a pub quiz and this wasn’t a serious one, and only cost a quid in the form of a raffle ticket.
It seems Anna, Keith and others have been going to this quiz on and off for a while without success. Tonight though I was there, my repository of mostly wholly irrelevant information came into partial use. We finished joint first with three other teams. So it came to a tie-breaker, the quizmaster was to play a tune and we had to name the television program and the closest guess to how many episodes of this show that they made would win a £20 voucher to use in the pub.
The tune was easy… Fraggle Rock! But how many episodes where there? We had a deliberation and settled on ten although I didn’t agree I though it was low. I had a bit of banter with the quizmaster through the night and as I handed it it he looked at the answer and I saw from his expression that it was pretty wrong, so just to absolve myself of blame I blamed the answer on Anna & Keith and claimed it wasn’t my choice…
He asked, ‘So what was your guess?’, ‘umm, twenty five !?!’. He crossed out the ten and put down twenty-five. The actual answer was twenty-eight but we had the closest result and won! What a result, Jurassic Park!
I tried to buy him a drink but as he had free drinks form the pub he settled on a packet of Quavers!

Martes
Spanish fell through I'm affraid as Warbz who was giving me a lift had a last minute situation, otherwise in work I volunteered to help upstairs to show that I was keen but it was so very boring. There's a sterlie atmosphere as it near the management's office, and there isn't a process in place so is badly organised - what a mistaker to maker! John's been dragged upstairs with me too, and realises now that life has no meaning any more.
I got my credit report today and, it showed me as haviong missed a payment almost a year ago, but at the time the bank even sent me a letter apologising that it was due to a mistake on thier part, nevertheles it is still there and would be so much hassle to sort it out. Yuen Li's been having to deal with some similar crap too - it's such a pain that these places are unconsiderate and uncaring.

Miercoles
I've been sorting some stuff out, my immobile car, after the MOT and insuance have both expired will be scrapped. My mobile is now on the most basic tarrif so I know where I stand (making calls & sending texts costs money). I was sent this photo from the corridors of power:

DRINK! Jen sent this to me! Jack is upright so it must be before communion.
After work I went to the gym, a spit and sawdust place with John from work. It was a weights session my first for a year and the last one was a one off.
I was an absolute disgrace and could barely lift my arms after, but as I oft repeat my never folow through, even the longest journey has a first step.

Messages:
Yuen Li: Thanks, good luck with the ladies!
Kayla: Cheers! unfortuatley falling asleep inappropriately is an issue with me!
Gwilym: Beth bynnag !
Curly: What's your point?
Nicky: Cheers!
Po: It's been done.
Aarti: Happy Birthday yesterday!

A Pocket Full Of Mumbles

2005-04-29T12:52:00.000+01:00

Well I've been getting by... I have two employment agency 'regtistration' interviews which as many of you know are an awful bore - but I'm off work for the afternoon to do it, can't complain really.
On a positive note it seems I'm getting a redundancy payout of a months wages plus bonuses, but must stay here untill the end of May to qualify. It's a sum not to be sniffed at so I won't shift till then - not bad for just two months at work here!
I've ran out of books to read and have been meaning to have a go at Paradise Lost by John Milton. I found it on the net at work, then cut and pasted it and printed it off - it's two hundred pages long so should keep me busy for a while. I have the feeling though, that I'll have to have Google at hand to look up some of the references that it makes as I'm not fully versed in Bible references.
The Rugby DVD arrived! It's better than the old style BBC releases that followed the Triple Crown in 1988 and so on but could have been better, it has tempered retrospective match reaction not the spontaneous or next day soundbites. It doesn't have any of the contempary media at the time which would have been interesting and gratifying as many of the doubting pundits slowly changed their minds and eventually saw the light, if reluctantly. My 'Big' Brother, Gwilym, even makes an apperance in it being picked out in the crowd wearing his 'Cat In The Hat' style headware. He's obviously drunk, but so was I a quarter of a mile away outside City Hall as it rained cider for a couple of minutes.
I popped out last night to Sale as Anna's house mate, Anthony a brash Aussie was moving on after a few months in Manchester to the States, he's a funny guy and turned out to be the person that left obscene messages on the chatbox before they were deleted (by me) - if you missed them... Tough!
I spent a lot of the night chatting to a bunch of Aussies about, sport, demographics & Kath and Kim. Handily being away from the main group I missed the Vodka, Tequilia & Mustard Chasers that they were downing... I was in a sensible state of mind but John (from work), Anthony & Anna were wholly wasted - despite my insistance that I had to go I was dragged to a seedy nightclub the like of which I haven't seen for a long while - that was thankfully the end of the night.

Mind Your Bees Wax

2005-04-27T15:59:00.000+01:00

Viernes:
Adam & I had a half day as we were off to Bristol for the weekend. I finished an hour before him and got some supplies – sushi, GM chicken, scones & yoghurt smoothies. In that hour however Adam had stuffed himself so I had to get through as much as I could by myself. In the warm car the blood rushed to my stomach and the inevitable happened I drifted off as I tried to read. Adam did his best to keep speaking to me but after a few minutes with no response I was prodded to at least nod in agreement…
The traffic was shocking and was at a complete halt most of the way, and after a slight wrong turn (resulting in a four mile detour)we got to Cara’s the same time as Cara getting back from work and Hannah & Ingrid getting there from Cardiff & were still on the doorstep deliberating.
Pretty much we went straight back out for some food which also turned into a few pints… (why did I get a snakebite again?)
We all got given badges to wear for the weekend.. Last time it was bindis, they each had a message supposedly appropriate to wom they were allocated: mine was, 'I'm so horny even you have a chance', preposterous!
It was near to St Georges day and I was apprehensive about talking to pissed locals, one started to mumble at me from the bar – I ignorned it but when I ordered he looked up and mostly co-herently asked where I was from… he was from Pen-y-Bont-ar-Ogwr (Bridgend) and after talking about Rugby I tried to palm him off onto Hannah as she lived near to there - but thankfully he stumbled off back to his table for a nap.
We popped home and shot almost straight out to town proper. Cara’s house mate Daz was in the Prince of Wales (*spits*) pub, hammered and barely able to maintain consciousness. Geff from last time also made it along, and also knew Adam from somewhere…

They had a funky beer garden, obviously used to rain it had a flimsy translucent canopy and outdoor heaters and was almost too hot. We moved onto somewhere closer to town and went to a funky jazz club, it suited The girls and me but Adam was not impressed and up for a big one – so we had to up sticks and go to a vodka bar – Revolution (they have a hammer & sickle in their logo). This is where it started to go wrong maybe mostly so for Bling.
Suddenly shjots of Tequila (not a Mexican bar – pseudo Russsian) and flavoured Vodka’s started appearing from all sides. It was finishing me off too, I was pretty merry but so very tired. We went home after that and I burnt my nose hair lighting the fire then immediately curled up into a ball infornt of it and passed out… attempts to revieve me were apparently fruitless despite numerous blows to the head.

Sabado:
I was up early as normal, and had a book with me for that reason but didn’t need it - Hannah got up pretty early too and we had to wait for quite a few
hours before we saw another face, that was Cara, we didn’t see Adam until we popped out or Bling at all that morning, early afternoon.

Adam emerged just as we were leaving leaving his phone momentarily unattended, quick as a flash Hannah grabbed it and we left along with Cara & Daz to retrieve Cara’s car from the night before and have something to eat.
We ate in a coffee shop so was expensive, but as we left we were discussing getting supplies for the Bar-B-Q when we spotted almost dead opposite a butchers… The Sausage King! What an awesome selection of sausages! We were slavating over them and ordered a few of each: South African Wurst, Toulouse Sausages, Smoky Bacon sausages – the list goes on and was only £10.49 for 28 sausages – sensational! We got some steak there too – but the sausages were rightly the centre of attention!

Bling had to leave for some wishy washy excuse and
The sausages were indeed awesome – they rocked, only thing was that after about five hotdogs I was totally stuffed, and so was everyone else. There was barely room for the fantastic pasta salad that Cara knocked up.
I made for a quiet night as everyone was tired – we played Monopoly, as soon it was clear that I wasn’t going to win I threw the game off balance by trying to get bankrupt as quick as I could. It came to a showdown between Cara & Hannah, where eventually Hannah slapped Cara down… She knew her place.
Pictures on the HYPERDOOPELATOR.

Domingo:
I was up early yet again – Adam and I headed off in the afternoon to meet Adam’s Ma, Pauline, we had a coffee in a Moroccan Coffee shop then headed back north – I finished the book on the way. Deception Point by Dan brown: it is so similar to the other two books I’ve read by Dan Brown - almost allegorical and very formulaic – entertaining yet disappointing as it seems that he’s just changed the names places and particulars – like Hollywood films, which he’s achieved with the Da Vinci code. He just twiddles with the story and eventually had a huge hit and it’s dragged the other books with it, they’re all well researched but I’m almost feeling let down.
I popped for home made soup at Anna’s that evening and that’s about it really

Lunes y Martes
Supposed to be doing a major Spanish revision session( which I'm calling espagbol at the moment), but it didn’t quite transpire, well you know how it can be!

A possible update on the Turkish courts - but I'll let you know when I know more...

I was recently reminded in work:
Taffy was a Welshman,
Taffy was a thief,
Taffy came to my house
And stole a piece of beef.