Baskers World

So long, and thanks for all the Fish

2010-01-26T23:32:00.000Z

As the title says...

I've discovered Wordpress, loving how it works on the iPhone and I'm now migrating the blog across to the otherside.

I'll still be updating the blog, but you'll have to find out what's happening with me at:

http://baskersworld.wordpress.com/

See you soon :-)

Pondering..

2010-01-24T23:50:00.000Z

Yes, I'm pondering.

Do I move this blog across to Wordpress or stay here?

Hmmmmmmm

Back to Londonium

2010-01-12T21:46:00.002Z

As I write this blogpost, I'm curled up in bed.

I am supposed to be at work, but spending the whole night curled up in pain with bad period cramps put paid to that. What a bloody welcome home to London that was! I've loaded up on painkillers and spent most of the day trying to catch up on all that lost sleep and dozing away inbetween the waves of pain.

I'm not impressed.

It's never just one thing with the dreaded time of the month, no that would be too easy just to have one symptom. I get the full range of period pains;
1. Very bad cramps that keep you awake with the pain
2. Painful and aching breasts
3. Sore lower back
4. Headaches
5. Nausea
6. For some bizarre reason, I get water retention on my right knee which makes it swell up and painful to walk on.... as if my knee is connected to my ovaries... but who am I to question what Mother Nature has in-store for me. I'm assuming Gaia must have a reason for this 'trial' I seem to go through every month.

So that's how I've spent my day to day.... oh, and to top it all off. I think I've got a cold starting... my sinuses are full and it's just what I need on top of 'that time of the month'. Why am I thinking it wasn't such a good idea to come back down South?

Okay. Enough of me whinging. I need to save what energy I have left and somehow feel better for the rest of what's left of the day and hope that I'm over all this crap ready for work tomorrow. Now, back to all things blogging. Where did I last leave this thing?

Oh yeah, a quick scroll down to the last post reveals that it was the afternoon of Sunday the 3rd of January. Gosh, that really does sound like a long time ago and a lot has been happening in my busy social life back home in Dundee so it's time to piece the week back together again before it disappears into the mist of time and is forever forgotten.

Sunday Evening
William arrives back home from work and we spend a little time together before I trudge up the snow to meet up with Richard and Gordon up in Frews, which just so happens that we end up sitting in the exact same spot where I was sitting with the parents only just over a week ago in the lounge bar of Frews.

But it's not only the same spot, it's the exact same seat where my Mother tells me she was sitting 34 years ago when her waters broke when she went into labour with me..... so it seems that being drawn to pubs is part of my destiny. I was practically born in a pub, so it's quite right that's my 2nd home.

Richard, Gordon and I chew the fat for a few hours and down more than a couple of pints before it's the slipping and sliding home on the frozen snow an ice back to the parents house.

A rather enjoyable night, if cold and crunchy underfoot

Monday
Another long lie today, and most deserved as the head is a wee bit painful after a night in Frews with the boys. The parents are due to fly home today from Dublin, and William is at work so I have the house to myself for the day and make the most of it. Lounging, slobbing out, nice long hot showers and generally enjoying having a bit of peace and quiet.

After Saturday nights slippage on the ice when walking down the Hilltown I decide to forgo the idea of walking and indulge in a cab down to Meadowside where I find Murray already working his way through the Port and Colin on the neat JD.. it's 4:30pm...

Colin's Christmas Fairy

On his tree....

and straight onto a glass of red for me whilst we all settle down, getting drunker and watching the remaining episodes of Angels of America

I hadn't seen this in ages! It came out years ago and was an awesome mini-series... Set in the late 80's, HIV pandemic in the USA, and I'd never seen anything like it before. Fantastic to re-watch, and we polished off quite a few more drinks between the three of us before we decide to head out.

Which is just around the corner to Tesco's to pick up more wine for when we get back from the restaraunt, and grab a cab to Biederbecks for dinner.

Oh bloody wow... I'd forgotten how good the food was in there, oh boy did we have a bloody good time in there, and bloody good steaks washed down with another couple of bottles of wine

The steaks were Rare, Medium-Rare and Medium...

And off we go back to Colin's place to finish off the wine we bought a couple of hours earlier.... oh god, my head is going to hurt in the morning I think, but that's firmly pushed right back to the depths of my mind as Murray and I leave Colin's on the hunt for a late bar in the middle of a snow storm... Somehow that sounded like a good idea at the time, but as I look back it probably wasn't that good an idea.

It's a slipping and sliding into a cab and sinking into a redwine fulled sleep.

Tuesday

Owwwwwiiieeee!

That's one sore head, but a well deserved one.

I catch up with the parents, get subjected to the Dublin Holiday photos but thankfully there's not the 700 or so photos to look through...only 10 or so. Result! But the main thing is, is that the parents enjoyed the Christmas present we gave them even if it was frozen over in Dublin.

We head over to the Oldfolks home to visit my Grandad who was in a hell of a foul mood which wasn't nice to experience but Mum slowly coaxes him out of his mood by cutting his hair and getting the staff to help change his clothes. A slighty better mood is now being interacted with, which leaves me a tad bit happier when we leave because I probably wont see him again till later on in the year.

A quick pop into Tesco's for Mum and Dad to stock up some essentials and we are all back home again just in time for tea, stewed sausages and mash, which given the weather we are have been experiancing with the bitter cold it's just what is required. You can't go wrong with comfort food. And boy was I glad I had eaten that because when I started my walk down the hilltown it was cold, with a small flurry of wind. I'd gotten a 'tweet' from an old school friend who I hadn't seen in years and he wanted to meet up that evening as he was in Dundee as well.

By the time I got halfway down the hilltown it was snowing heavily.... and when I got to the bottom of the hilltown it was a complete whiteout and I was covered in snow from head to toe.

It took a while to thaw out down in Tickety Boos.

I hadn't seen Brian Clark in aaaaaaaaaages! He's the National Advisor in Scotland for Games Based Learning

And we sunk quite a few beers

Well... more than a few.... Brian tries his Bond impersonation... and after more beers than I care to remember we depart our ways and head home.

I cheated, I poured Brian into a cab and had started getting the munchies again and popped into Corfu Kebabs on the Seagate to pick up some Cheesy Chips and veggie pakora before finally finding a cab and heading home, to find much to my surprise that the family were still up so I ended up sharing my food with the rest of them.

And then to bed.

Wednesday

I've had better starts to the day.... but this isn't as bad as some others.

It's up and out fairly early by my standards as I'm off with Dad to his friend John Clink's house to drop off some CD's and to have lunch down at the Riverside Inn

Which I have to say wasn't too bad for the kind of place that it was...

Dad waiting on his grub... Haggis, Neeps and Tatties

Chicken Gougons for John...

and the Salmon for me with a pint of Kronie! After lunch we head to Tesco's on the Riverside for John to get his shopping done. The snow has left him virtually housebound because he can't get his car out of his drive with the heavy snow, so todays trip was also an errand of mercy to get John out of the house and to stock up on his messages.

Once that's done it's homeward bounds, dropping John off at his place and back home for myself and Dad. Tea is eaten, papers are read and it's back out again for me only this time it's down to the DCA to meet up with Cari and Susan at 8:30pm.

Only, they both turn up late... Cari and 8:50pm and Susan at 9:20pm.... just as well I had my iPhone with me and a rather nice glass of wine

To help pass the time whilst I wait for those two to turn up!

After a couple of drinks in the DCA it's decided to try another bar. Initially we wandered up to the Basement Bar, but the thumping bass beat and the door entry charge dictates that we look else where and we end up at Dukes Corner

Which used to be the Dogshouse but has changed hands and is now some 'Jazz' venue. Yes, you heard me.... 'Jazz'

What does Susan think of the music?

Or Cari?

I'm really not a fan of Jazz....

And this is what I look like when being made to listen to it.....

Thankfully the torture ends and we nip across the road to Temple Lanes

for a wee swifty before last orders are called.

I'm beginning to wish that we didn't actually go here. Everyone looks under 16yrs old.... well actually, it's probably just 1st year students... but I feel old here. And so does Cari and Susan.

The decision is made to head back to Susan's house for a few more drinkies before we eventually head home in the wee small hours of the morning.

Thursday

Another long lie... another shower.

Dad had been out walking with Jim up at Crombie country park, so once again I'm left to my own devices in the house with William at work. I had thought about going into town to get some shopping done, but the hangover soon puts paid to that and I laze about, checking mails, tweets, watching TV before heading into the shower and sort out my evenings activities. Which for once is rather sedate compared to all my other evenings so far in Dundee.

I treat my wee brother to an evening at the cinema to see Avatar 3D

Which I gotta say, the 3D effects and animations were just awesome... shame the story was so simple that even a retarded teenager could understand it.

Friday

No sore head today.

Just a screaming Cameron to contend with as Dad was babysitting him. I leave him having a temper tantrum on the living room floor, or as Farrah puts it... having a 'Paddy' and head into town to get a bit shopping done, Calenders, clothes and I'd popped into Fisher and Donaldson to pick up some shortie and cakes for the family as a desert after Tea.

and it's off out again down to Tickety Boo's to meet up with Colin and Brian, then Stuart turns up.... and Murray turns up eventually and yes, more alcohol is drank... Brian disappears, then Colin, then Stuart leaving just myself and Murray pondering where to go next.....

Brooks Bar! Cause we know that's open late... well to 1am at least.

Random Facebook checking reveals that Cari is next door in The Kage

and we waste no time in popping next door and hooking up with the Pink Godess for some much needed guitar music, more Vodka and sambuca shots...

a lot of shots...

and then a lot more...

in fact probably too much... but it was a fantastic time. Jumping about the dancefloor to various cheesy rock classics and loving the randomness of it all. Eventually the place shuts down around 3:30am, and we retire to the Feasting Fox for more Cheesy Chip goodness through the blizzard to be picked up by Cari's man and driven home.

Result.

What a damn fine night that was.

Saturday

Ouchies.

It's a whole load of ouchies but I don't mind because it was such an ace night! I gingerly head downstairs, staight to the paracetamol, juice to re-hydrate and grab a small lunch before my Gran and John arrive to first foot us.

It was great to see Gran and John, with minimal 'Luv' arguements and they depart a couple of hours later just before Richard turns up to give me lift down to the Riverside Inn to have tea with himself, Kirsty and wee Catriona. Oh she's such a cutie, 14 month old and happily babbling away to herself whilst we chomp down on our scran.

The moment you put Catriona on the ground she's off at Warp speed crawling across the carpets off exploring! Kids......

Once tea is eaten, it's back homewards because my Uncle Neil and Aunty Gwen are 1st footing us! This is turning out to be such a busy day..... So, I'm back home doing the 1st footing thing with the family until they depart around the back of 10pm, and I'm back out again! In a cab and down to the Casino on the Marketgait to meet up with Murray, Stuart and Dave.

No, I didn't lose all my money on the tables. It was mainly for drinks, and we put £5 on the roulette wheel which I eventually lost, as did Stuart..... but Murray came away with £22, and Dave £8 so at least we weren't all out of pocket!

It's hard to believe that this Casino is open 24/7.... sheesh... gambling addicts or what? But we don't stay that long, leaving around 1am to slip and slide our way to Brooks's Late bar. And it was empty. We got a private bar to ourselves for the rest of the evening, drinking more vodka and cola shots until the wee small ours in the morning till the place closes around 3am.

And yet again, we are out in the snow... it's cold... it's snowing... but we spot a taxi with it's light on and flag it down and were about to jump in it when a random bloke also tries to jump in it.

Did we fancy sharing?

Sure, why not. It's cold, I don't mind as long as we all split the fare.

It turned out to be one of the most funny taxi journeys I've been on for a long time. Here's a snippet from a friends update:

--------------------------------------------------
Sarah Baskerville:
Red Van driver (female) - illegally parked and pulling out onto the road : " Get oot ma fuckin way eh hae the right o' way"

Taxi Driver (female): " Get tae fuck ya Pikey Tinky Slut, eh hae the right o' way ya fucking Gypo"

I love Dundee :-)

Mummrah P Redford: If I wasn't in the taxi with you I would swear it never happened. Fucking minks!!!!!!! x

Sarah Baskerville: Taxi Driver : "eh right like the fucking Pikey's brought her Van oot tae night in case she pulls. Fucking Slut. Get back in yer caravan ya Gypo."

Oh yes, it happened. We were there, with random cheesy chip man in the Taxi. Yet another rocking night :-)

Mummrah P: Redford It's true. x
Kirsty Price: lol! That made me giggle, only in Dundee!
------------------------------------------------------------

Now what a classy way to end the night out.

Fantastic!

Sunday
Another long lie... another sore head.

It's lunch, shower and packing. Packing, packing, packing. Yup, it's packing because I'm heading back down South on Monday after nearly three weeks up in the Motherland doing all things friends and family.

But before I go, there's time for a couple of things to do.

1. High Tea
2. First Footing

Any idea's what High Tea is? It's a tradition we seem to have up on the North East of Scotland where you go out to a pub, hotel, restaraunt and have some food. The usual format is;

1. A pot of Tea
2. Slices of Toast
3. A main meal i.e. Steak Pie, Gammon Steak, Salmon, Roast Beef etc
4. Scones
5. Cakes

Thats a Scottish High Tea in the Woodlands Hotel

which was darn good, and left us all fairly stuffed but I'd been saving myself for it all day. A meal to remember before I headback down South

Then it's off to 1st foot my wee sister, her husband and my wee nephew. And wee Cameron was in top form! My mum had got his teddy 'Snugs' and shoved it into a small tupperware box which Cameron found hilarious.

and he kept on laughing...

Hundreds of pounds worth of toys and he's amused by a £5 teddy in a tupperware box.... Kids :-)

It's off home eventually and to bed.

Monday
Mum wakes me up early to say goodbye before she goes to work. I get up, washed, dressed, finish off the packing and have a glass of milk as breakfast before Dad drops me off at the railway station.

It's bloody cold on the platform and the waiting room is closed because of a burst pipe. My toes are going numb... my fingers are frozen... the train is a little late, but at least it comes and I get my seat in 1st class with relative little hassel... even managing to do a spot of lunch

Chicken Korma and a bottle of Malbec

The actual train journey itself was rather uneventful, trundling through the snow laden countryside of Scotland and then England, getting me into London just after 5pm with the joys of dragging my 2 cases and rucksack to the Taxi rank and pour myself into a cab.

It feels a bit strange to be back home in London.

I'm exhausted and dump the cases in the room and collapse onto my bed, only to be woken by a phonecall from Tim wanting to meet up. Urgh... I'm not really wanting to leave my bed, but I should do really. And so I do. I walk through the cold up to the Auld Shillelagh up on Church Street

One of the best Irish boozers in London

and we meet up, have a couple of drinks before heading to Mercado's for some mexican grub

which had a good deal on...50% off on the food. Another result!

I'm kinda tired by now, food is eaten and we wander back down the road but pop into The Prince for a wee night cap

before heading home.

And joy of joys.... my Freeview box is kapput!... The damn thing wont switch on!... it's buggered. This is most disturbing. What do I do without TV?

Watch an Inspector Morse DVD and fall asleep.

Well, I say fall asleep but that's just what I couldn't do. The damn cramps kicked in and I spent an awful night curled up in pain feeling like hell.

Today

And here we are.... I'm sore, tired and fighting off a cold at the same time I'm trying to get through my time of the month.

I've ordered a new Freeview Harddrive box.. but it will take 4-7 working days to arrive...

I know I'm sick, because I've just had some chicken soup. I don't like soup, but seem to get a craving for it whenever I'm ill. Here's hoping the soup has helped, because I'm sore again and watching some TV on Catch Up TV. Thank god for the internet.

Till next time

Hoots, Mon!

2010-01-03T16:26:00.001Z

Happy New Year, and Lang may yer lum reek!

Oh yes, it's 2010 and we are offically into the Tenties.

Yes, that's right. I said the Tenties. It's what I'm going to call the decade anyway. I don't like the idea of calling anything else, like the Teens or pronouncing it Twenty Ten... if the 2020's onwards are going to be called the Twenties, then there's a perfect logic in calling 2010 onwards the Tenties.

Well, it's what I'm going for and since this is 'Baskers World' it shall offically be known hence forth as the 'Tenties'. But, where did I leave this blog? Oh yes. I left it back in 2009 on the 30th, the Wednesday afternoon around lunchtime. So it's time to strap on the boots and march onwards to 2010.

Wee William and I jump into a cab, because:
1. It's bloody cold
2. There's compacted snow and ice all the way down the Hilltown
3. I'm hungry
4. And it's bloody cold and I cannot be arsed walking all the way down to the Playwright

We arrive into the immaculate Playwright and are immedately shown to a free table to begin the feasting. It's William's belated Birthday Present to me.

It's Braised porkbelly with Cranberries to start with

I'm normally am not a Pork fan but this was just fantastic

Next we move onto the mains. William opts for 'Escalope' of Turkey

He has a certain way of pronouncing 'Escalope'...

But certainly didn't hamper his enjoyment of the 'Escalope'

I didn't opt for the 'Escalope' of Turkey.

deciding to go for the most excellent Sea Breem which was truely scrumptous

And then we move onto desserts

Coffee and Kahula Parfait

and a cheese board for me.

Now that was a truely, truely lovely meal all washed down a bottle of white wine... Pinot Grigio I think it was, can't quiet remember as we'd moved onto cocktails after the meal

Alberto went for the 'Zombie'.. which seems a rather apt choice, where as I settled for my usual...

A Playwright Blazer.

And it's off homewards we go.. not before we swing into the Overgate on the hunt for black leather gloves, size 7 and a half... and most importantly... lined with RABBIT FUR! I am still wanting my warm gloves, and yet I'm still nowhere closer to finding them. *sighs* Anyway..... no luck, so we pop into a cab and it's back home. Time to digest, relax, enjoy the afternoon catching up with the parents etc. They have their tea, but there's no room in my stomach for any more food. It's a cup of juice for me... that's all I can stomach. Seriously, I'm still full.

But.

There's always room for another wee drinkie.....

I suggest to the parents that we perhaps head up to Frews for a wee family drinkie since it's the last time we'll all be together for 2009, cause Mum and Dad are having an early night on Hogmanay as they are waking up early on New Years Day to fly to Dublin and I'll be off out to a party.

It's snowing outside.

Dad wore a hat.....

he's still got the hat on

and it's fecken cold!

But it's not long before we get to Frews as it's only 5mins up the road... but it's more like 10-15mins given the treachorus weather conditions slipping and sliding all over the place, but we do get there and start unwrapping all the various layers of clothing to settle down with a drink

Alberto

Mum

Dad

and the banter continues

and still there's the hat.....

He still wearing it... it is cold outside... but still.... it's a hat...

Hogmanay! - Thursday

It's a long lie today.. cause it's Hogmanay!!

Up around lunchtime, have a shower to wash away the old year, getting ready for the New Year... hang around home during the day with the family before I wander up to the Offy and grab some Vodka, Diet Coke and a cab to Murray's house to see in the New Year.

Murray lays down the law to Tyler...

And then some....

and then some more...

Then strike a pose.....

It was a hilarious evening, much Vodka was consumed... and we saw the bells in with the old faithful Jackie Bird

and her 32 Naan Bread Breasts... wearing the most ridiculous outfit as per usual.

The Bells struck, we wished everone a traditional Happy New Year, texts and phonecalls came flooding in and then it was back to the partying.

At somepoint I made it home... just not sure when.

Friday - New Years Day

Oooooooooouuuuuuuuuccccccccccchhhhhhhh

The parents wake me up at 10am to say goodbye as they fly out to Dublin and I go back to sleep, eventually resurfacing around midday, crawling down the stairs to curl up on the couch sipping my pint of juice, paracetamol and a whole day of Doctor Who.

Yup, it's a whole day of the Doctor because today is the day. Today the Doctor dies and is regenerated.

I cried.

The hangover subdues and I cry at the end of Doctor Who.

Saturday
It's another long lie in as the parents are in Dublin and not clattering around the house waking me up at an ungodly hour. But eventually I arise out of my pit, get washed, dressed and wander down the Hilltown with Albert in the snow and ice to get bit of shopping done.

Well as much shopping as I can manage as I don't do shopping and am already getting restless, bored and fidgity with being in shops, but I last long enough to buy a new external harddrive... ... a nice little 1.5Tb drive so I can sort out all my music, videos etc. With harddrive firmly in hand, we leave the shops and find somewhere to eat.

Rancho Panchos

Hmmmm...

Lets just say I won't be rushing back there anytime quick. Mexican my arse. The Maragrita tasted like water.... there was no salt.... it was just vile. But food was needed, even if it was perhaps the blandest mexican I have ever tasted. At least there was the snow storm outside to keep me amused as William and I munch down on the food... even though Albert decided to feed some of the mexican down his shirt.

It's time to leave the blandest Mexican on the planet, venture out into the snow and pick up some messages from M&S and Tescos because Albert is going to cook for me tonight *heavy gulp*. Now it should be relatively straight forward... buy food, have a beer then catch a cab home.

We got the food alright.... had a beer, bumped into Jinx and caught up with him, then William and I headed to the Taxi rank.

Hmmm... there seems to be a bit of a queue there.

Why?

I think the snow gives a bit of a hint. The bloody buses had been called off because of the damn snow. But it's only the Travel Dundee buses. Not Strathtay or Stagecoach, only the fucking Dundee buses.

The ground is like an ice rink and I really don't fancy trying to walk uphill on a sheet of ice so Albert and I wait in the queue for a taxi... and we wait... and wait... and wait... till we are frozen to the spot in the -5 degree weather until a taxi finally arrives, slowly thawing out when we get back home before we put the tea on.

Or attempt to put the tea on. Albert's 'interpretation' of the recipie instructions leave a lot to be desired and I have to step in to get the tea made so we don't poison ourselves.

Tea is eaten, digested. The dishes are done and it's time for me to go back outside in the freezing cold down to Colin's for a new year party. Yes, I'm going back out in the frigging cold

and it's snowing so hard on top of the compacted ice

and I slip and fall hard on my ass going down the hilltown. Bloody sore!

But eventually I make it down to the house, thaw out, get some more Vodka

and Murray gets himself another drink... one must keep refreshed as it would be rude not too!

Whilst Vici gets down with the groove, and we carry on with the drinking games. At somepoint we do decide....well, Vici decides that the party should move onto her man Craig's house and somehow, don't ask me how we do it but we manage to get a cab in the snow to take us there!

More Vodka consumed.

It's home at somepoint, another watch of Doctor Who 'The End of Time' before finally crawling upstairs to bed.

Today
I don't wake up till at least 12:30pm

My parents wouldn't like that. Asleep until lunchtime! Why that's half of the day gone!

But I don't mind, I needed the sleep and head off downstairs to put the washing on, watching some Torchwood as there's bugger all on TV and update this little blog of mine.

It will soon be time to sort out my tea, get dressed and meet up with Pricey for a few beers to chew the fat.

Cheerio for now.

Fabulous Darling, Fabulous!

2009-12-30T11:17:00.000Z

Oh yes, it's fabulous!

Had a cracking time over these last couple of days, of course there's been drinkies involved. Of course there is, it's Christmas afterall and when your out with my friends it would just be rude not to.

I did manage to get a hold of Susan on Sunday night, grabbed a bottle of wine, hopped into a cab and tried not to fall on my arse when I got out of the cab and waked the few metres to her house. Yes, we still have sheet ice and frozen snow up north, and it's bloody cold. It's so cold that your nipples would snap off if exposed to the cold night air.

But anyway....... I digress again.

And back in the room!

So, I was at Susan & Scott's Sunday evening where wine was drunk, conversation was had and there was some serious laughter at what was on the TV

The Most Annoying People - 2009

It was seriously cracking us up, and we all agreed with who was no. 1 for the year

Katie Price/Jordan

There's seriously no argument there. She is rather annoying.

During the evening there was also some experimentation with the hat that Scott had been given for Christmas

It danced when you put it on your head....

Collapsing in laughter....

Before normal service is resumed.

Yesterday

It's cold....

It's bloody cold.

I hop online to SL as I'm required for a staff meeting (Yes, even in my second life I have to work), which takes up a fair chunk of the afternoon, even when Farrah and Graham turned up to drop wee Cameron off before they went up to the Hospital for a scan.

Cameron who isn't quite 2 yet, has discovered the art of Temper Tantrums. And boy, does he have a healthy set of lungs on him. He was given a coke to drink, but thought it more fun to suck up the coke with the straw and spray it all over the table.... Dad wasn't impressed, took the straw away and mopped the coke up and Cameron sat in the middle of the living room floor trying to hit the High C for a steady 10 minutes.

My head hurt.

Thats an advertisement for not having children.

Thankfully the wee lad calms down, and Dad takes him upstairs to watch Bob the Builder and I finally get some peace and quiet.

But as usual in the Baskerville household there's never any peace for long.

Farrah and Graham arrive back and Farrah's in a flood of tears.

Oh. Oh.

What's up?

She'd went up to the hospital for a scan..... and now we have the results of the scan

Twins.

Yup.

My wee sister is having Twins.

Eventually she calms down, the shock settles in and she's already pointing the finger at Graham informing him that he'll be phoning the Doctor's first thing tomorrow and arranging for a vasectomy.

Ouchies.

The twins are due end July. Chaos beckons.

And on that happy note, the Mackenzie's depart and we have our tea. Some sensible sausage and mash as the news settles in that William and I are going to be Aunty and Uncle to twins, and Mum and Dad will be proud grandparents to twins.

I can forsee 2 more sets of healthy lungs being screamed at top volume. Sometimes, living 600miles down south does have it's advantages.

After tea is finished, it's time to wrap up warm cause it's snowing outside and I have to venture out down to Tickety Boos to meet up with Cari.

it's sooooooooo cold. It hasn't managed to get above freezing ever since I arrived back in Dundee on the 23rd. Fresh snow on top of compacted ice and it's a slipping and a sliding I go, eventually making it down to the pub without managing to fall on my ass to meet up with Cari.

Did you know that in Dundee they give you drinks that match the colour of your hair? Yup they do.

Tis time for the pub crawl to commence;

- Tickety Boos - bottle of Becks

- The Town House - A cosmo, which was fairly shite

- The HorseShoe Bar - another bottle of Becks, and Cari nips off to the toliet and discovers that some arsehole has litterarly shit all over the toilet.

- The Counting house - a pint of Carlsberg, and the discovery that JD Weatherspoon's has a sale one? WTF? A Sale?

The pub opens at 9am for a sale?! ....

- The Balcony Bar - where it's another bottle of Becks, but low and behold, through the snow Murray and Colin turn up

We have another there and think about going to the Doghouse next, which thankfully is only less than a minute from where we are, but through the snow..... and we find out that much to our disappointment it's closed. So it's quickly back to the Balcony Bar for another to warm ourselves back up, but by now the munchies are kicking in and we decide to go to a late night bar as it's last orders.

Even in a Kebab shop in Dundee after midnight we can still be fabulous.

Completely fabulous - with our cheesy chips

And then it's onwards to Brooks Bar for another Vodka, and a couple of shots before Cari's man picks us up outside Colin's house to take us back to our respective homes in the snow

Cause it's been snowing heavily...

Today

I'm up fairly early... cause the thunder, lightening and rain of sheet ice battering off of the window, and the fact that the parents are up clattering around the house makes it rather difficult to sleep.

Time to catch up on the Day of the Triffids before I head into town with the wee brother for lunch

I'm getting hungry.....

Merry Crimbo!

2009-12-28T16:33:00.003Z

Wahey!

This has been a week of two halves... the first half in Engurlund, and the second half in a positively frozen Dundee, but Crimbo has been survived!

I'm a few pounds heavier, a few hangovers weary and the exchange of Christmas gifts has happened. I managed to brave the elements and get back up to Dundee with relative little hassle despite all the travel chaos and am settling into the Dundee swing.

Monday
I'm Sarah no-mates in the office as;

Allison and Karen are in India
Matthew is in Cornwall
Andrew is up in Scotland

I did forget to mention that I got a text from Allison on Saturday which goes something like this.

"U knw how disasters happen when I'm on hols - Karen has jst been hit by a car - she's a tough old bird, cuts & bad bruisin bt didn't even go down - car lost it's side panel thou and the bastard didn't stop - get in there :-)"

installment no. 2 after I check to see how she is

"She's stopped shakin so now gonna go 4 margarita 2 calm the nerves"

Ah... that's my girls.

My Development system is a little sick, so I have to get the IE Consultant in to have a look over my sick system. Unfortunately she isn't able to fix it on site, so she's taken a back-up of the DEV system away for her guys to look at and it's off to the Royal Oak for me to meet up with Morrish for a lunchtime drinkie or two....

The office is so bloody dead when we get back, and on the shortest day of the year it felt like the coldest day of the year I tear through the rest of the paper work that's left to do and look out of the office window into the darkness of Londonium.

What's that I see?

A white flurry?

No, it's more like a fecken blizzard!

And it's lying on the ground.... that's always a bad sign in London when the snow lies on the ground. A sure sign that the Transport network will grind to a halt.

it's just gone 4:30pm.... time to pack up and head home. And it's just as well I did. I didn't get home until 7:30pm....

3 Bloody hours to get home through crawling traffic and buses smashing into one another on unsalted or gritted roads. Well done Transport for London!

My plan for packing for Dundee that evening didn't happen. I got home, grabbed some hot food and thawed out.

Tuesday
Packing.

Packing, Packing, Packing.

That's the first thought on my mind when I woke up. And packing I is exactly what I do. Everthing is all packed, 2 cases, one rucksack and it's off to work.

And work is dead.

Hardly anyone in work at all, the Christmas get-away is under full steam it would seem. Matthew starts shutting down CASSy in preperation for our early kick off for month end, and I pop to the Barley Mow with Morrish, Daniel, Mark and even Stewart makes an apperance. Then it's a wander back to the office, all telling tales of our horrendous journey's home from the previous night and the journey into work before we all head our seperate ways, but not before I switch on my Out of Office reminder and shut the laptop down for the last time in the office for this year.

I meet up with Tim, after a round about trip to Victoria and back then it's into a cab off to 56 for dinner

A few glasses of wine, Tim is on the water... he's got man flu or maybe it's just flu? But dinner is greatly appreciated and eaten up rather quickly

After dinner we head home and exchange gifts before it's off to bed. I did quite well considering Tim's track record in the gift department;

A Fleece Jacket
A necklace
and a DVD of some weird movie that he likes

Result, and the fleece jacket is VERY warm.

Wednesday

It's travel day today.

Will the weather strike me down? Will the national rail network grind to a halt? Will I have to experience another dead guy?

Luckily for me everything seems to be running relatively smoothly. Cab down to the station, straight onto the train...

and off we go! And yes, it's of course in 1st class. One would certainly not be travelling cattle class

There's snow ALL the way up on the journey. Not one part of the UK on the East Coast has escaped the winter snow...

Berwick Upon Tweed

and it's a straight smooth Journey past the Border into the Motherland

Edinburgh Castle

Over the Forth Railway Bridge

Through Inverkeithing... and the sun is beginning to set

Heading up from Kirkcaldy.

By the time we get to Leuchars it's getting pitch black and the snows getting deeper. You can't even see the platform!

I arrive only 20mins late into Dundee (because the eejits kept getting off the train and having a smoke on the platform keeping everyone waiting), with my Dad waiting at the station to pick me up and it's swiftly off home.. do the family thing, Gran and John turn up as well and I spend the evening at home with the family trying to aclimatise to the increadibly warm house, popping out into the snow laden garden to cool off now and then before bed.

Thursday - Christmas Eve

Oh yeah... it's only hours to go until the celebrations kick off.

Mum's been in the Kitchen getting things prepared for the big nosh up tomorrow... I'm well, waking up and with Dad in the living room watching a movie on the telly and William is upstairs on the computer, so no change there then.

I receive a belated Birthday present from Mum and Dad

Cyberman Bubble bath and a Dalek Toiletry bag

The back garden is completely snowcovered as well...

Even Rosie and Jim didn't escape the snow

The plans are laid... well, texted and facebooked.

Colin's for 4:30pm.

I take my life into my hands and make the perilous walk down the Hilltown choosing at more than one time to abandon the path and walk on the road, thank god for very little traffic on this Christmas Eve

Only in Dundee... a headless snowman is spotted on my travels down the Hilltown

Quickly arriving down at Colin's with Murray popping in soon after and we are straight on the champers to kick start the evening celebrations! Vici arrives back to the flat laden with carrier bags but a vital item of shopping is missing....

You see, Vici is to make a Banoffee pie for Christmas and she's bought all the ingrediants but somehow on the journey from the supermarket to home one of the ingrediants has gone missing.

What's in a Banoffee pie? What's the one thing you must have?

Yes... she's managed to lose the bananas.

The biscuits are placed into a bag, then smashed up with an empty Gin bottle (who needs a rolling pin?) but with no bananas it can hardly be called a Banoffee pie..... more like an offee pie. It's Banana Gate. But we don't let that stop us, Colin and Vici are left to get tarted up and sort out the pie whilst Murray and I head to the Playwright for pre-dinner cocktails

and we have the surpise of Rob and Dean showing up as well

and yes...

it's straight onto the Champagne cocktails..

Although I opt for the Playwright Blazer.. Whisky based cocktail

Which are slowly sipped down until we realise there's only 5mins left to get to the Chinese for our annual Christmas Eve meal and then we gulp them down! It's a slipping and a sliding all the way up to the Mandarin Garden

For the feasting to begin.

When we arrive you are greated by this sign...

And yes, the command of the English language isn't really the restaraunt's strong point, but it's great food and a fantastic atmosphere which is why we always go back, and more importantly it's one of the few places open on Christmas Eve. It's the same food as we ALWAYS do. Who needs to look at the menu? Murray, Colin, Rob and I don't need to look at the menu as we already know what we are having.... it's a tradition.

Starters

Me - Deep Fried Crab Claws
Colin - Wontons
Murray - Prawn Cocktail
Rob - Spicey Mongolian Beef

Mains
Colin, Murray, Craig and I - Crispy Aromatic Duck with extra pancakes and plum sauce
Rob - Lemon Chicken with rice

Desert
Me & Colin - Liquer icecream soaked in Tia Maria
Murray - Banana Split
Rob - Icecream

Drinks?
Wine, wine, wine and more wine..

Colin is getting ready for the scran

Craig is just topping up the Red Wine

Murray and Rob are waiting paitently for Sadako to bring the food

Vici and Niki can't contain their excitment waiting for the food....

It's hilarious trying to order food in there..... as Rob said, "Have they just come off of the boat?" We asked for a bottle of Red Wine (they only have 2 kinds of Wine, White or Red)..... and Sadako returns back with 3 glasses of wine... We ask again for a BOTTLE of RED WINE..... she asks if we are wanting a bottle of WHITE WINE.... on the 3rd try we get a bottle of RED.

When it comes to the food...we ask for a WHOLE CRISPY AROMATIC DUCK to be shared between 4 of us..... Sadako thinks we are ordering 4 seperate ducks each.... *rolling of the eyes*

But eventually we get it right.....

And it's time to move onto desserts - only we decided to be a wee bit cheeky. They sell Banana Fritters here don't they? Remember Banana Gate and the missing Banana's? Could the give us a couple of banana's in their skins?

They happily obliged.... and Vici is over the moon!

Seriously happy...her Banoffee Pie is saved! Banana Gate is offically over.

and then the rest of the desserts came to the table... and Rob's dessert?.. Well

It just had to come out lookin like that....

Murray is horrified as its pointed towards him......

Rob on the otherhand can't wait to dig in.....

We finish up.... pay the bill, grab our Mandarin Garden 2010-11 Calender and head down to the DCA for drinks and end up sitting outside in the freezing cold at -5 degrees..

Obviously we don't spend too long in the cold and move onto the Basement Bar

for a swift one to warm up before we head onwards to Brooks Bar down on the Seagate where we see Midnight and Christmas in to a very loud version of Slade's Christmas song with an obscene amount of Vodka.

I think we were singing Slade "So here it is Merry Christmas "at this point..... tis all a wee bit blurry.

The rest of the crew head to 'Out' for further clubbing... Murray and I head homewards, we have the big family thing in the morning and are not wanting to be too wrecked.

Got home around 1:30am

Friday - Christmas Day

I get woken up around 8:30am... Ouchies... head's hurting... fuzzy... what would I have been like if I'd stayed out with the rest of the crew? I'm so glad I left when I did.

We do the whole Christmas thing.. unwrapping of respective presents. William having difficulty in pronouncing his Aftershaves... Mum, dreading the opening of the Alison present and Dad stocking up on Wine, Port, Chocolate, liquers etc.

Christmas is unwrapped, a small breakfast is eaten and we await the arrival of Farrah, Graham and wee Cameron who promptly arrive at 11am for yet more unwrapping of presents. Wee Cameron (turns 2 in February) was kind of overwhelmed with all the people in the room, presents and toys everywhere and let us know how unhappy he was with ear piercing wailing at the top of his lungs.... my head hurt

But I manage a wee pose with mum and Farrah... and I'm wearing the necklace that Tim bought me.

Cameron's toys take over the house even when he's not here....

The Mackenzie's depart around 2pm to head to Graham's mothers for Christmas Dinner and we settle down to our Christmas dinner spaced out over the afternoon so we can digest properly in time for Doctor Who, which I demand absolute and utter silence when it's on the TV. No phone calls, no clattering Catharin in the Kitchen, no interruptions what so ever

and it was watched in utter silence.... and left with the teaser for the final episode with David Tennant

Wow

Just bloody wow.

I can't believe that I have to wait until New Years day to see the final episode!! I'm sitting on the edge of the seat on tenderhooks until then. After Doctor Who is watched, and Doctor Who Confidential a movie is put on then the parents head to bed after it leaving me downstairs to watch some TV but not for long. I'm tired, slightly tipsy and head to bed for a much needed sleep

Saturday - Boxing Day
There's no sore head today.

Yay! A result!

It's up early, dressed and off out to the Old Folks home to visit Grandad to give him his Christmas presents

and chew the fat for a bit with the rest of the family

Dad

William

But we can't stay too late, as we have to pop into Tesco's and pick up some supplies before Farrah and Graham decend on us with wee Cameron. So it's off to Tesco's, wine, milk, rolls and even managing to pick up some Aberdeen Buttaries!

Which are quickly demolished before the Mackenzie crew arrive. Farrah and Graham drop off wee Cameron whilst they go get a bit of Christmas Sales shopping in without the wee boy hindering them, leaving my parents to spend the afternoon playing with Cameron who it seems is in a much better mood today then he was yesterday

and was quite happy to play away

happily babbling away to himself until his parents return home

and it's back into the noisey madness that is the Cameron Jack Road show

But there is an oppertunity to have a pose with my Dad

and the Baskerville-Mackenzie clan

and just the Mackenzie clan....

then Mum, Dad and William decided have a wee pose as well :-)

Once the posing is completed we settle down to our Boxing Day meal of Steak Pie and I make a complete mash up of the Trifle when dishing it up to everyone. But at least wee Cameron let us eat out tea in quiet as he was feeling a bit tired.

But he didn't stay like that for long.

We retire back to the living room, me with my glass of wine in my hand which Cameron spots and makes an instant b-line for it... thinking it was coke perhaps? Perhaps he's a Baskerville afterall heading straight to the booze ;-)

I let him have a wee sip which I don't think he likes... but give him time!

Next he spots Dad with the Port and immediately dips his straw into Dad's port glass and takes a HUGE sip.

Oh he's Baskerville alright!

The Mackenzie's depart, I settle down to watch Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince with the parents and for another quiet night in.

Sunday

It's a semi long lie for me. Cause there is no such thing as a long lie in the Baskerville household.... Mum, Dad, William are all up and making various clattering noises around the house and I can't sleep with the din. So it' up, breakfast then sorting through the Christmas clothes for Mum to see which ones needed taken up cause I'm such a short arse.

After that's sorted out, then it's into the shower.... a nice long hot shower with soft Scottish water, dried, dressed and off out down to the Globe Bar to meet up with Murray for drinkies. It snowed again last night in Dundee so there's an extra 3-4 inches of snow on the ground over solid ice. I'm not walking down the Hilltown again into town, it's a cab journey to the Globe so I don't fall over on my arse.

We meet up.. have a nice cold lager

to start off the afternoon in the way we have become accustomed swiftly followed by a Vodka & Southern Comfort & Coke killing time until the Jahangir opens at 5pm. Murray's starving and I'm kinda hungry as well but we have to bide our time until it's open..... drink... toilet... drink... toilet.... Yay, it's 5pm!

We slide across the snow and ice over the road to the Indian and low and behold.... we are the 1st people in.

The place is empty.... and I mean really empty

Really, really empty.....

But at least it has an interesting 'Water Feature'

and eventually more people did start coming into the restaraunt.

Once we've eaten, and bloody hell, I was kind of impressed as the food was actually really quite nice, it's a slipping and a sliding up to the Somerfield to pick up additional supplies.. i.e.

and

Essential supplies you know....

And we continue our slipping and sliding up the road to Murray's house for further drinkies until the wee small hours in the morning and it's a Taxi back to the parents house around 2am which is also having difficulty with the icey roads... it's a slow journey with wheels spinning on the ice but I do eventully get home.

Today

It's a long lie at last!

The parent have gone into town early and I manage to get some decent kip till around 11:30am. ZZzzzzzzzzz

Much needed.

It's a day of relaxation, recover from the night before, sort the blog out and re-watch Doctor Who in the relative quietness of an empty house with William and Dad up at Uncle Neils to fix his computer, Mum sorting out the sewing and me texting and trying to organise where I'm going to end up tonight.

I was planning on heading out with Cari, Euan and Susan tonight, but Cari's had to cancel last minute as she's got to head into work and cover a shift for a sick colleague, and Euan's kind of stuck somewhere up in the Highlands in worsening weather conditions and it's doubtful that he'll be able to drive back to Dundee tonight.

So that just leaves Susan.... who hasn't responded to the text messages yet.....

And Farrah and Cameron have just arrived so my quiet afternoon in?.... it's quickly dissappeared into the Cameron Jack Road Show where he has a wee temper tantrum skiting his tea across the floor and drops into an ear piercing scream. My head hurts now.

Till next time

It's almost Christmas...

2009-12-20T13:44:00.001Z

Yay.. it's almost Christmas time!

I've had a chocca week, it's been full of Port, Panto's, Mordor, Snow, Christmas Carol's and generally a damn good time. Christmas has been all bought, wrapped, Christmas cards all written, stamped and sent out. My staff have started going off on their annual Christmas leave, and everything seems to be winding down in the office, so I guess it's now in countdown mode till I get on that train back up to Dundee. And hopefully no dead guy this time...

So.... time to update this blog with what's been happening. Well, trying to remember what I've been upto cause it's all a bit of a haze. Hmmmm... lets start with the start of the week cause that's a good place to start, being the start of the week and then working chronological order, cause well... I'm a kinda logical person. Some would say too logical because of my repeated failure to laugh at 'jokes' because I analyise them too much and try to deconstruct them.

I still don't get that joke "Ask me if I'm an orange?" .... errr.... struggling with that one. But anyway, I digress. Time to let you into my world, and see what I've been upto.

Monday
Tis a cold day... I know it's cold, because I've started wearing my gloves and scarf. I so need new gloves. I really miss my old rabbit fur lined leather gloves.

I've got cashmere lined black leather gloves, but they just aren't as warm as my old fur lined gloves. I tried getting a replacement a year or so ago only to be told that John Lewis's or Selfrideges didn't stock them becuse of some animal cruelty thing. Grrrr.. I want my rabbit bum gloves! People ear Rabbit, why can't I get the fur in my gloves?!!

*sighs*

So, I'm at work. Team Leaders meeting is cancelled again, so it's off with Morrish to the pub for a lunchtime drink in the Royal Oak to catch up on things then it's back to the office to sort out the latest drama's in my in-box. Which thankfull there isn't that many.... it's the last full week before Christmas and already the slow down is happening.

Andrew is off at the Treasury for CLoS training whilst, Karen and Allison are wrapping everything up before their big trip to India, and Matthew has got his head stuck into various CASSy coding. We finish off the rest of the port from last week and everyone starts heading off home. Foolishly I contact Tim asking if he wanted to meet up.

Busy.

But he 'might' be free on Wednesday.... well that's no fucking good, I'm in fecken Mordor that day and wont be back till late. Frustration is rampent.

I go home, play some SL and get some RP in on Mayday Island which is a bit of a light relief. Probably what I needed, to escape into some alternative reality on a desert island somewhere in a virtual land. Eventually I log off and get some sleep.

Tuesday
Ah ha! Woke up feeling a lot more chipper because today is...

is...

is....

is...

Are you ready for this?...

Are you sure?

Really, really sure?

It's Panto night!

Oh yes it is!

I'm going to the panto with Sonia and Anna, and we are going to see 'Sinderfella'. Yes, you heard me right. We are going to a pantomine, and no I didn't spell it wrong.... it's an 'alternative' pantomime which is strictly adults only. Over 18's. And certainly no children in the audience!

It's panto time, and Anna and Sonia have never been to a Panto before... they are in for a surprise ;-)

And it's off to work, with a spring in my step and Crimbo music playing on my iPhone! I popped into the shop just before I went into the office to pick up some sweets as it was Allison's last day before the big India trip, and her and Andrew were busy interviewing for a new VB/SQL developer... a last treat :-)

The day trundled along as per normal... got a new developer hired, sweets were eaten but then disaster struck! Sonia had to pull out of the panto tonight as she had to go to Heathrow!

Bugger.

I now have a spare ticket, which I mail around the office to see if there were any takers but alas there weren't.

Yip, Oh no there wasn't.

So, I have my three tickets in hand, iPhone plugged in and it's time to leave the office, jump on the bus up to Trafalgar Square

then cutting through the National Gallery up to Leicester Square

which had a little carnival

and there was no way I was going on that!

I finally meet up with Anna, and we head to the Leicester Square Theatre

Right down to the basement theatre which had to have been the world's smallest theatre that I'd ever been in!

But at least Anna and I were sitting right next to the bar, so refreshments were rather easy to order.

But it was so funny. It was as it said on the tin... High Camp Drag Queen action... with an all male cast, barring the annoying pink fairy from Big Brother who I had no idea what she was saying. Anna and I sang along, shouted with the others 'Bollocks Buttons!' whenever Buttons came on stage... and the music was just fab. Dancing Queen, It's raining men... and get me to the church on time!

My sides were hurting so much after all that laughing. It's a shame Sonia missed it, as it was a good introduction to tradition of the British Panto. :-)

After we left the theatre it was onwards bound to Chinatown for a scrumptious meal. Anna and I never really get to eat Chinese as both Tim and John don't like it, so it was a refreshing change for once. The girls got to do what THEY wanted for once. Once we'd paid for the meal, it was a wander down to Piccadilly Circus

Anna and her 'studs'

With Eros turned into a snow globe

and the bright lights of the advertising to guide us home.

Both Anna and I jump on our respective buses and head homewards.

Sleep with a smile on my face.

Wednesday

WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYY!!!????

I'm up at an ungodly hour.

Left the house at 7:45am heading to Paddington for the 8:45am train to Mordor.

Only that's the plan, but as you know by now with my plans they never turn out as expected.

I get to Paddington for 8:30am, pop into MacDonalds for some breakfast porridge

and then head to the main boards to check my train time

Oh fuck.

Oh bugger.

Oh double fuck.

Every single damn train is delayed! Some sort of broken down train in the Hayes area has shafted the train service in Paddington! Matthew and I head over to the first class lounge to get some heat and so that I can eat my porridge, and he can eat his breakfast bagel whilst we wait for news about our train.....

and hour later at 9:40am we finally leave for Mordor. Because we were so late, it's off at Neath for a subway sandwhich and in a cab straight to the Shared Services to review the BW CLoS build work and for a conference call meeting back with the London Office on the eternal disaster that is month end.

This time we are in luck, (and I say that with the obvious caution) that we can escape the clutches of Mordor earlier than planned at catch the 4:40pm train back to civilisation, which should get us into London by 7:30pm..... if only it didn't get delayed... which of course it did. And to make matters worse I get a text from Tim, he's at home sick.

So even if we had made plans to meet later this evening I would have been blown out yet again.

When Matthew and I eventually get into London, gone 8pm by that time we are both starvin marvin and exceptionally tired. We make the executive decision to find a restaraunt near the station and get something substantial to eat as we've been on the go since 7am this morning with hardly any food.

An Italian is found, food is consumed and we both head back to our respective homes.

I'm in bed by 10:30pm, bloody shattered.

Thursday

I slept loads, and get into work late. I'm still tired from doing Mordor and back yesterday and could probably do with another few hours sleep.

But alas no, it's into the office and getting yesterday's notes written up and sent out to all and sundry. Once that's out of the way, it's time to shift some e-mails out and I get chatting to James (another Glaswegian!).

Drink?

Sure, why not.

But not a late one, because the weather is turning and the snow will be hitting London.

Once we agree to that, I then get a text from Anna.

Drink?

Sure, why not.

Oops. I'm double booked now! So, I combine the 2 drinks.

I drag James up to the Heights at the top of Regent Street, in the freezing cold and we meet up with Anna who's already got the wine ready for us. Ah, what a peach :)

So, we are in the Heights, waiting on Anna's friend Kate to turn up (Another Aussie) who takes a rather long time to arrive because we've sunk 5 bottles of wine...... Oops.

Time to go eat I think.

James toddles off, leaving the 3 of us to brave the snow to Sergios for some seriously needed scarn. This will be my second Italian meal in a row!

The food is good. The company is fantastic. And there's another bottle of wine to help us digest the meal.

It's a case of wandering through the blizzard and hailing a cab before I freeze to death on the Euston Road and pour myself into my bed.

Friday

Ouch.

and Ouch again for good measure.

Oh, I'm feeling it after the Panto, Mordor, and the Heights last night. Three solid nights in a row.

I head into my work, clutching my bottle of sparkling water

for essential rehydration purposes and a few nurofen for good measure

and quietly die at the desk.... until I get a text from Jim (The other Weegie).

Drink?

In the Cardinal?

Perhaps a hair of the dog will help?

Off to the Cardinal I go to catch up with Jim, who again tries to tell me jokes that I just don't get and after a few it's back to the office.

Mails sorted out. COINS System and CASSy system all reconciled and the Spring Supps all sorted....well, the first draft at least. Then it's off home.

I get some RP done in NoR, but have to call it quits because I'm tired... pounding headache, which is no surprise given the excesses of the week.

Sleep

Saturday

I slept loads.. and I mean loads. Almost 12hrs of sleep.

I wake up around 11, phone my Dad to wish him Happy Birthday, sort out some mails then head into town were I've arrange to meet up with Jay because he wants to do something Christmassy...... not despite the fact it feels like almost -10 degrees outside. I fear I'm turning into a southern softy.... tis cold!

So, enough of the whinging about the cold. I travel into central London via the no. 73 and the no. 38 bus, hopping off at Cambridge Circus to wander on down to Trafalgar Square where I spy a Santa taking fag and phone breakoutside the pub just down from Leicester Square

I guess he's earned it!

Jay's a little bit late so I decide to be like a tourist in Trafalgar Square and take some pics to keep my mind of the mind numbing bitter cold.

And there is ice in the fountain...

Even Nelson's column is looking cold!

And I swear the tree was shivering!

Even the National Gallery had ice on it...

But not as much as the bear....

Or the fountains....

and when Jay does eventually turn up... he's cold!

So, it's time for us to head back indoors and heat up... and isn't it so handy that Albannach is just across the road? We quickly leave the cold Trafalgar Square and start warming ourselves up in the relative comfort of the bar

with some 'internal' heating going on via Albannach Cocktails

and interesting 'lights'

With a good view of Trafalgar Square

and some more cocktails.... cause it's cold outside and we need to heat up before we head back out to the Square for....

For the Carol singers! And yes we did sing a little bit, and badly out of tune with our teeth chattering in the cold.

It's time to get some scran in to heat up again, as the effect of the cocktails are wearing off rather quickly and we depart Trafalgar Square for Thai Square

It the food was good. Bloody spicey, but fantastic. And I made Jay try his very first Port....

Somehow I don't think he'll be trying another Port anytime too soon as he still refers to Wine as 'Vinegar'. *Sighs* It's going to take a while to train this boy up.

Once we've got hot food in our belly's it's a walk up to Leicester Square, which remember has a carnival in it and I kick Jay's ass at the Dodgems. Of course he denies that such a thing happened, but I was counting the 'bumps'... I whacked him more times than he did me, so I win :P

Queen of the Dodgems I am!

Then it's a trip to Molly Moggs, where there was a dodgy pick pocket lurking about....

but no Drag Queens!

Which is a tad bit dissappointing as I don't think Jay's ever seen one. But that particular Drag Queen I've seen only days before.... Yes, she was 'Cinderella' in the Panto I saw on Tuesday night with Anna 'Sinderfella'. And she goes with the name 'Bette Rinse'

Perhaps next time!

After we finish a couple in Molly's, it's off up to the Intrepid Fox to show Jay where it is and for another pint. I think he liked the place... even the 'alternative' coat hanger

and the music

But it's just one pint in there... Jay's kinda tired, so we leave the loud music and head to the Angel for just the one, but even then that's too much for wee Jay. He needs his beauty sleep so we head off home, but not before I get a good picture of this..

It cracked me up!

Today

I sleep late... Watch a 'The Nightmare Before Christmas', which just happens to be one of my most favourite films whilst I update this Blog.

Now that's done... I now have to put a washing on, clean the Kitchen, Toliet and Bathroom, shower and yeah... get packing for Dundee in a few days.

Hmmm... now, if only I could get started...

The countdown begins!

2009-12-13T13:37:00.002Z

Yup,

It's Christmas time and all that malarky, and it's been another busy week trying to get things done at work before all my staff start shooting off for Christmas leave, and I'm trying to remember everything that's happened this far... cause it's kinda been jam packed.

Monday
After being dropped the bombshell that one of my Developers had got a new job, it's the last team meeting with the developer there and job specs sent out to all the respective agencies to get candidates for sifting and interview.

More or less a day of work, getting ready for the inevitable disaster that will be month end, working day 6. My team shoot off home, and I guess that's my destination as well because I've got my final installment of the Leadership Development Course for Finance Staff. I don't particularily want to go, but my staff have been bugging me about it. They enjoy to see me suffer.

Homewards it is, for an early night as I've to get to this Leadership Course early.

Tuesday
*groans*

You know it's going to be a long and painful day when I arrive at the Insitute of Minings and Minerals

to be greated by .....

a pile of jigsaw pieces in the middle of the table......

So, the 1st exerciseof the day is to assemble the pieces of the jigsaw together...a Disney Jigsaw. A friggin Disney Jigsaw.

Already, this has set the tone for today and I'm not happy. The next 'exercise' is to stand on a bit of A4 paper so your feet don't touch the ground.

Oh for fucks sake!

I'm already disengaged from this exercise, and the day will be torturous. Making jigsaws and standing on bits of paper? Seriously? Is this SERIOUSLY how I'm expected to develop my 'leadership' potential.

I 'tolerate' for want of a better word the rest of the day, where we break out into smaller groups and 'talk' about god know's what as I'd zoned the bullshit out. Of course there's another exercise that is designed to piss me off even more.

They brought an 'actor' in, who spoke very loudly.... and then he made us stare at a woman whilst she thought of a 'good' person, and then a 'bad' person for nearly 2mins. My tolerance for bullshit has hit rock bottom. I'm tempted to leave the room right there and then, cause this is SERIOUSLY pissing me off, but I brave it through the rest of the day, even when we are made to stand in a circle and I'm dreading the enevitable group hug which thankfully doesn't happen but we are made to hold a box of celebrations and pass it round saying what we got from this '9-month' course.

When it gets to me, what do I say? Do I tell them the truth? Do I tell them what I REALLY think?

No, I don't.

But I do tell them something that's true.

"I got a mug"

It's true....

After 9 months of Leadership Development... I won a mug back in June. And lets leave it at that shall we?

So after that day of hell ends I find a pub with Trevor to have a couple of beers, unwind and recover from that day of 'Leadership' training.

Now, there was a ray of light at the end of the day. I was supposed to be meeting up with Tim that evening (yes I know it's all weird and akward), and he was 'supposed' to be organising a night out. Lets see, we are in London, lets go see a play, a comedy, a drama... or perhaps the cinema, or organise a nice meal in one of those fancy London restaraunts that you hear about in the press where all the celebs go. You know, to kinda make up for all the shit we'd be going through these last few months.

But remember, this is me we are talking about. And after the day I've just had with 'Leadership Development', I'm not due such things.

Yes he turned up, but had he bothered to organise anything?

No. Silly me for even having the slightest thought about anything like that. Why did I even bother getting dressed up?

It's a walk through town, and eventually settling from some bog standard italian restaraunt next to the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Somehow I'm getting that sinking feeling that I'm settling for second best. Or is it even third best?

And with that we go home.

Wednesday
He leaves. I go into work later.

It's a fairly non-eventful day, and I'm well... not really in a great mood. I did try and meet up with Tim for drinks at lunchtime or afterwork, but that didn't happen. Busy. Maybe tomorrow after work? That's all that's promised.

Work is finished up, and I'm homewards bound and decide to pop into the Shakey for a pint. I have the paper, and it's a pint of Litovel for me. However I do contact my flatmate Sharon who'd had the bad news that she was being made redundant, so I drag her out to the pub for a few drinks and pizza. It's never a good time to be alone when you've been made redundant.

Sleep.

Thursday
After a bit of a ropey start to the day, it's off to work.

It's a bit of a quiet day, and we have the impromtu decision to all head down to the staff canteen and partake in the Christmas lunch. Of course there's the hats to be worn, the pulling of the crackers and telling of bad jokes which much groaning at the quality of said jokes.

It was actually quite fun really.

But of course after such a large lunch you do feel kinda sleepy, and should really retire to the livingroom with a glass of port or sherry to digest.

Now, the living room I can't provide - but I can provide the Port.

I pop down to the offlicense beneath the office and come back with a bottle of Port for the team, which we enjoy throughout the afternoon. I know, rather naughty of me - but hey, it's Christmas and it's probably the last time we'll all be together.

Most of the Port drank, the team leave and I get ready to head home, but try Tim again as he mentioned yesterday that he could meet up for a drink afterwork..... no answer. Several more tries, and no answer so I go home, getting a text from him hours later saying he was busy, work etc etc etc.

Fine. Whatever.

Oh, and to make matters worse? I found out I have to go to Swansea next Wednesday, there and back in a day.. .a friggin 6hour commute. Not a happy bunny.

Friday
Tis the day of our 'Friday Crew' Christmas lunch!

I'm in a festive mood, despite the obvious dissapointments, thus the downloading of the 'Christmas Hits (Deluxe edition) onto the iPhone.

Oh yeah baby, I'm armed to the teeth with Christmas tunes and ready to Rock and Roll my way into the office with Santa's Reindeers.

It's also my developer's last day to day :( Card and present done for the developer, and presented by Andrew.

Santa's huge sack is bulging with presents.

and of course his little 'helper' is also getting into the festive cheer

Oh yeah....

We decant to the White Horse and Bower (just the local boozer next to the office), to start off the Christmas Secret Santa present opening with Derick dressed as Mr Claus

and we all had to sit on Santa's knee....

Even me....

Oh it was so much fun, and we filled the whole pub with laughter as each present was unwrapped. It had to be under a tenner and 'fun'.

and a lot more bottles of Becks :)

Once we finally finish the present giving it's all into cabs up to Belgo's for our Christmas meal.

where we all settle down, donning on Christmas hats and munch down on mussles, beef, waffles

The food, and the Belgium beer was just fantastic. Lots of good humour banter was to be had, and after we finish up the truely scrumptious meal we leave Belgo's and some of us head up to the Intrepid Fox for a night cap.

What's funny, is that the Intrepid Fox is a bit of a Rocker's bar... and here's a bunch of Civil Servants in suits and ties (of course not me). Matt was promtly told to remove his tie by the bar staff

At least he found a suitable location for it......

After a few drinks people start heading off, some home.. some clubbing. I drink up and head homewards, after having a brilliant night out with the Friday Crew :)

Saturday

Ouchies.

Head's a bit fuzzy, but I have work to do! Armed again with the Crimbo loaded iPhone and it's down to Oxford Street early on to complete the Christmas shopping. I get there for around 10:30am... and by 12pm it's all finished and back on the bus to Stokie.

I loathe shopping.

Even having to dodge the pink reindeer on Carnby Street

and a weird art installation on Charring Cross Road..

But I make it home safely and pop into the Londesborough for a well deserved pint and a spot of lunch with my flatmate Sharon

where it just had to be Steak and Chips after the trauma of shopping..

And I SO needed that

it's then off home, where I have a wee snooze then start the wrapping.... 3 friggin hours of wrapping up presents. I'm so shit at wrapping up, and after 3 hours of being covered in cellotape and glitter I'm finished.

Order pizza in, play SL... well I tried to play SL but my router and laptop were giving me no end of grief, so it's a shut down and go to bed.

Today

I slept loads!.. and I mean loads. Over 10 hours of much needed sleep. Feeling all cozy and rested today.

Time to get a washing on, and catch up on some TV I'd recorded and generally chill :)

Oh and for those of you who don't have an Advent Calander?.

You have plenty of time to catch up :)

And do your bit for the evil Machine that is X-Factor http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2228594104 Buy 'Killing in the Name of' an stop Simon Cowel's nasty little grip on the Christmas number one slot!

Jam - Buyacredit.com

2009-11-29T19:13:00.000Z

This could be rather interesting....

Fancy being a part of the movie? Just click here: http://www.buyacredit.com/

Wow.. What a flippin week!

2009-11-22T18:44:00.003Z

I know, I know.. I'm late updating this flippin thing, but bloody hell. What a damn week this has been!

So, where to begin? Hmmmm..... Shall I talk about the £600 hole in my wallet, or margarita's at 1am in the morning? The Waters on Mars? Chilli ice cream? The overwhelming stench of Garlic? Or perhaps the Turkish Blues and hairy chest?

Hmmm... As I ponder the above I realise that it's been one hell of a ride, and perhaps I'd better start at the beginning where I left you at my last post. So...that takes me back to last Saturday!

Saturday
I wake up and as predicted, the wind was howling, the rain was stottin off of the ground but off I go up to the Royal Mail sorting office to pick up three packages that had been delivered earlier on in the week.

For those of you that don't know. The Royal Mail Sorting Office.... it's one of the most protected and difficult to find places in Stoke Newington hidden behind a Jewish worshiping place. To get there, it's a journey on a bus up to Stamford Hill and you have to dodge the masses of Jewish people down the street

Who are all going to church or perhaps to one anothers house for tea?

Whatever the reason is, I finally make my way to the sorting office pick up the packages and jump on the bus homewards bound... although the hunger pangs kick in and I'm in desperate need of munchies so I hop off the bus a stop earlier to pop in the Bagel House

Yum!

And pick up a Hot Salt Beef Bagel, with a wee bit of mustard... and also a cream cheese bagel. But of course I had to dodge the old pensioner on his mobility scooter

Who had 'blinged' up his scooter with tinsel....

But he wizzed past me so fast, that I didn't get a chance to take a picture.

I ended up doing several double takes... a tinsel'd up Mobility Scooter in Stoke Newington?... I guess I've seen it all now. I return home, sort out the packages and munch down on my increadibly tastey bagels... sort out some mails, watch some telly, play some SL and have a relatively quiet day/evening. Just taking some time to recover from my close brush with death...aka... Tinsel Scooter. Beware pensioners!

Sunday

I'm up and ready and counting down the hours till Doctor Who comes on the telly... Yes I really am that excited, and can't wait for it to come on. Yes, I'm a big kid and totally love Doctor Who.

TheWaters of Mars

And I wasn't dissapointed! It was fantastic, and yes of course I'm going to say that. But bloody hell! What a finish... and what a teaser for the final episode on Christmas Day! But I have to wait until Christmas?!!... NUuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu. I don't want to wait! But there's bugger all I can do but wait.

So, with that excitment over. It's time to open up my island!

Yes, I own an island in Second Life. It's called Mayday Island...

Where lots of strange things happen....

But tonight was our offical OOC Opening party

Lots of old friends turned up and partied the night away, we had DJ's, music, dancing, games etc. Damn fine time

But eventually I tire, and head to bed. There's work in the morning.

Monday

And straight into meetings I go. Lots of them.

I was feeling kind of meeting'd out by 5pm and was wanting to go home. But I had Business Dinner to attend with Vilosh, who wanted to introduce me to my new Account Manager for his Company Information Edge.

We'd arranged to meet at the Mango Tree at 6:30pm, where I arrive on time and see that Vilosh is there with Melanie my new Account Manager.... and Tim. I hadn't seen or spoken to Tim, since I'd hung up the phone on him near a month a go. Tired of being messed around and ignored. Oh boy this was going to be akward. And it was. Were we a couple? Were we just friends? Were we friends even? Had we broken up? My mind was racing, and the last thing I wanted to do was make a scene.

I'm there for work. That's what I keep telling myself. I'm there to meet and greet my new account manager and keep up the good relations I have with the Company. They are afterall the ones that built my system and I need to keep that relationship good, because I need a lot of development on my system because of all the changes to the Treasury's COINS system for the Clear Line of Sight project.

So, I do the small talk over a few drinks and then we settle down for food.

And I have to say the food was quite nice.

Except for the chilli ice cream..... the desert, well.... was... 'interesting'. I don't think Thai restaraunts do good deserts. That was the strangest desert I'd ever attempted to eat. Ice cream with a chilli kick and cold sweet rice.

I didn't like it at all and had to leave it. It was disgusting! But of course, drinking the vast quantaties of wine helped wash the vile taste out of my mouth.

Tim and I talk over dinner.... well, when I say talk it's akward conversation at best, and there's only so much you can talk about in a public place with my software suppliers sitting opposite. But perhaps I'd had a bit too much to drink, because we leave the restaraunt and Tim comes back to mine.

Tuesday

We wake up and its sore head time.

Tim heads into his work, and I trek off to the opticans with a pounding headache and desperately trying to rehydrate, popping mints into my mouth so my breath doesn't get the optican drunk. I have the eye exam and it's discovered that I need stronger lenses... just as I thought, my eyes had been bugging me for a while now.. things were still blurry even with my glasses on! Just a sign of aging I guess.

So. Hungover, needing stronger lenses and now I have to choose frames. Never a good combination.

I finally settle on two pairs;

Chanel

and Dolce and Gabanna

Yup... I'm a fashionado!

And it's an expensive morning. Not only do I have to fork out on the frames... and also have to buy the lenses!! Are you ready for this?

£599

Yup... I've just spent near £600 pound on new glasses. Always a bad mistake to buy things when your hungover. It actually came to £722, but once I got a few discounts thrown in it brought it down to a more manageable amount. But still............... £600 on glasses.

I'm clearly in shock after spending £600 on glasses and near 2hours in the opticans so I find the nearest safe haven, that being the Slug and Lettuce just down from Oxford circus to grab some lunch;

and to recover from spending £600 on glasses.

I peck away at lunch, still clearly in shock... and quite hungover. Once that's dealt with, it's off for a wander down Regent Street, grab a paper and head to St James's Park to digest lunch and the shock of a £600 hole in my wallet before heading off to my meeting in HM Treasury to discuss a high level strategy for Management Information from the COINS replacement system.

3 hours of discussions and excercises....

And I'm still in shock over my glasses! And very, very tired. The hangover is a viscious one and after three hours of discussion all I want to do is go home and die slowly. But unfortunately I can't, because;

1. I need to catch up with Jim to discuss the COINS changes

2. I need to go back to the opticians to pick up my Chanel glasses

3. My friend Gordon, has flown down from Dundee to give a talk to the British Computing Society and wants me to meet him in his hotel around 8pm, for drinks in Londonium.

Sooooo.... not an early night for me then, and just when I desperately need one.

Off I go with the first task. I meet up with Jim and we weave our way past the crowded bars in Westminster that are stuffed full to the brim with Civil Servents till we find Sanctuary.... a pub that wasn't crowded... and it's also called the Sanctuary

We grab a pew and chew the fat, discussing various system things.

It's 7pm and I have to get to the opticans to pick up my glasses, so we say our goodbyes and I hop on a bus up Whitehall, Picadilly Circus, Regent Street till I finally arrive at the opticians to pick up the 1st pair of my glasses.

Bloody hell!

Everything is so crystal clear... I can see!! It's just amazing.... I had no idea how sharp everything was. Actually, I feel a bit sick with seeing everything so clear and sharp... it's a bit strange. These lenses will take a bit of getting used to.

So, glasses firmly on the face I head off to Gordon's hotel, the Radisson Mount Batten in Covent Garden.

Where I get a glass of wine, and wait in the bar for Gordon to turn up.. and he does, along with a couple of his other friends who were also in London... another 2 developers. Yay! It's a geek evening! And I guess I'm in charge of taking the boys out around London so off we go.

Bar Number 1 is Freuds, downstairs for a couple of beers

Bar Number 2 is Peter Parkers Rock n Roll Bar for another couple of beers and some guy stoned trying to play the Blues

Then onto Bar number 3 - Garlic and Shots

Gordon decided to let it all hang out in the basement bar....

And finally, Gordon and I head back to his hotel... Margarita's in hand

Till around 1am.......

Time to head off and pour myself into a cab and go to bed... SO, SO, SO need my bed. Desperately need my bed.

Wednesday

It's fair to say I 'survived' Wednesday..... I manage work (Only just!).. I pick up my other pair of D&G glasses from the opticians and head home.

Sleep for around 10hours.

Thursday

OMFG... I actually feel human.

I so needed that sleep and a quite night it would seem. I wake up feeling somewhat more of a member of the human race and head down to the Docklands. I've got a conference today at the Britannia Hotel just past Carnary Wharf about Central Government IT.

I liked a few of the speakers, they had interesting views and comments about IT projects, Shared Services and the Operational Efficency Program. Pretty aspirational aims... and I worry about the actual practicalities of delivering this, but I guess time will tell.

It got to about 3pm, and I think I'd just had enough by then. The other 3 speakers I wasn't really bothered about, their discussion topics didn't really do anything for me so I left the conference early and headed homewards, until I got to the Angel and decided to have a look at what was playing at the cinema. I fancied taking in a picture!

Oh that was such a mistake!

I saw 2012 The disaster movie to end all disaster movies.

Hmmmm.....

The acting left a lot to be desired. The parenting of the children left a lot to be desired. The whole concept about mutant neutrinos left a lot to be desired.

Good effects. Crap everything else.

I had a numb bum after over 2 hours of sickening wooden acting, and headed off home. Did a little SL, then it's off to bed.

Friday

Work was fairly uneventful.. thankfully no meetings today! Yay, I can actually get on with some work and I manage to plough through a lot of things and was pondering what to do for the evening.... ponder no more, Allison, Matthew and Andrew invited me out to the pub, and it turned out to be a bit of a pub crawl.

We started off at the Red Lion on Whitehall

Where Weng joined us for a couple.

And then we are off... well, some of us are. The boys decided to walk all the way up Whitehall, Charring Cross Road, right up to the top.

Allison and I thought better of that and hopped onto the No. 24 bus. It was a close call, Andrew was hot on our tails, but in the end we beat him and were first to arrive at the Intrepid Fox for a couple of more beers

And it's packed... loud rock/metal music pounding away... lots of body piercings, tattoo's, flesh and snogging. Reminds me of Foreigners and the Balcony Bar back home in Dundee when I was far younger :-) We sink a few beers and decide it's time to move on to another bar. So I take them the short 1 minute walk to Peter Parker's Rock n Roll bar where I was hoping there'd be Blues playing.

Uhm...

Well...

You see....

There was Blues playing on the music system and we enjoyed that, and then the bar started getting flooded with lots of Turks.

And the Blues music promtly stops..... so we prompty leave and by now, I'm kinda peckish so it's off to Garlic and Shots for some munchies and more drinks... Garlic enfused drinks.

And I have no idea what they were searching for on the phone....

But before we know it, the food is gone, the beer drank and it's near midnight... everyone shoots off to catch their last trains home and I flop onto the bus and head home

Yesterday

Urgh....

I woke up stinking of Garlic and have a rather sore head. Time for a long hot shower and I almost feel human but I can still smell Garlic... Bloody hell, how much garlic was in the food and drinks last night??!!

It's time to hop onto the bus, armed with a bottle of water and mints and it's down to Waterloo. Why am I going to Waterloo? Cause I'm going to Twickenham!

Yay me!

Vilosh wanted to take me to go see Engurlund vs the All Blacks.

The national anthems...

The famous Hakka!

And it was a good game to watch... Engurlund lost to the All Blacks! 6-19 was the final score.

So once that's finished we head back to the train station to head to Richmond, that was the plan anyway.... it's just that it's pouring torrential rain and the queues are MASSIVE... and I need to go pee.. oh god do I need to go pee.. those 2 pints are pressing hard on my bladder and it's pissing down with rain and I'm in a queue desperately trying to think of deserts and dry land.... and Vilosh is grinning cause he knows I'm desperate to pee.

Finally we get on the train (and it's rammed full), but it doesn't move... and my bladder is so needing to be emptied. There's an announcement... the brakes are jammed... Oh god... I'm soaked through to the bone and desperate to pee! Eventually the train moves, and thankfully it's only a 5 minute journey to Richmond and a quick dash across the platform to the toilets.

Oh thank fuck.... RELEASE!!

There are no words to describe the feeling of emptying a full bladder. Oh what relief!

Now, time to fill it up again. ;-)

We head to O'Neils just out of the station to catch the Scotland game.

Wow... wow oh fucking wow.

What a game! It was drama, tension, blood, fighting, brawn, muscle.... it was just amazing. The pub was full of kiwi's and they were all cheering on Scotland, because there was no way in hell they wanted Australia to win. And it came down to the last kick of the game 9-8 to Scotland, and the pub cheered! I was jumping up and down, yelling at the TV, hugging Vilosh. We won!... What a damn game. Amazing, and I have to say even better than the England game that I saw live just hours later.

This is turning out to be a damn good day :-)

And what was even more amazing, is that this is the first time I've ever been to Richmond, and the bloke next to me turns out to be Mike, who I worked with a few years ago when I was in the Treasury! What a small world!

Once the game finishes, Vilosh and I drink up and had finally dried out after getting soaked earlier.... and we decide to leave the pub, for me to get soaking wet again and find a curry house. Which happened to be packed full of Rugby fans but we manage to get a table and settle down to a truely tastey curry washed down with far too much wine and spend hours just talking... infact, talking for so long that by the time I'd checked the time it was well past midnight and I'd missed the last train back into London.

Shit!!!!!!

It's a looooong taxi ride home back to Stoke Newington, but I'm glad to finally get home, and it's sleeptime...well a little bit of SL, then sleep. But not before I check my mail and see that Sandrine had sent over a picture of me, Remi and Jay from when they came to visit London over the summer. Happy times :-)

Today

Ouch.

Not feeling so chipper today, a tad bit delicate one would say.

It's a restful day, a long lie... catch up on some TV I'd recorded, put a washing on... recover from the festivities of yesterday and watching Brian Cox's documentry on Jute & Dundee.

Time to hang the washing up and think about getting something to eat now that I can stomach it.

Till next time :-)

2009-11-13T19:31:00.000Z

Well... it's Friday.

And I'm home, shoes off, feet up... TV on.

I have the prospect of heading up to the sorting office tomorrow morning to collect some parcel deliveries. Not a task I'm envying doing considering it's supposed to be pissing down with rain, but it's got to get done, and then it's back home in time for the Ocado man coming at 1pm.

My life is full of such joys.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel. One shimmer of light in my otherwise dull weekend....

Yup. It's back. 7pm Sunday evening.

I think you can guess what I'll be doing on Sunday evening.

But that's this weekend. What did I do last weekend? Or throughout the week? If you want to know.... read on.

Sat/Sunday

Feck all.

That about sums it up.

Monday

I slept in.

Not only did I sleep in, when I woke up I had no idea what day it was.... it must have been my hectic weekend. *coughs*

I manage to get into work just in time for my 1st meeting, and then proceed to spend the rest of my day in meetings till I went home. Another quiet night in alone for me.

Tuesday

The day progressed much as the previous day... however, there was one element of excitement. After I'd come out of the toliet, (I know, you really needed to know that) I could swear I smelt burning.

Hmmm... dodgy. Now we have these damn fire alarms going off all the time and it's always false alarms but could this be real?

I grab Karen and ask her to see if she can also smell it.

Yup. Bingo! There's a definate smell of burning.

Could the building be burning down?

So I go phone building services like the good civil servant I am to inform them I can smell burning..... Don't Panic!

Turns out it was the work the services were doing on the liftshaft. But Karen and I weren't taking any chances, and left the building for a swift drink down the Whitehorse. Well, that was the intention... 6hrs later and several glasses of wine, I stagger home.

Wednesday

Ouchies

Not only am I hungover, I managed to aquire a painful UDI from the evening before.

I crawl through the day..... have a craving for some lardy food at lunchtime and treat myself to a Haddock and Chips

From the Laughing Halibut on Strutton Ground

.Get through the rest of the day and crawl back home to bed. Very early night for me.

Thursday

Woke up feeling more human today, but the cold icey grip of depression is tugging away at me.

I make it through the day, getting through all the various bits of paper work and it's off to meet Jim and Joe;

Yup, the Glasgow boys.

Both of them turned up late in Chandos

But it's not long before we are back into our old ways and chewin the fat.

A few more beers are sunk and it's time to go for a Ruby, in what can only be described as the worlds smallest Indian... there's barely any room to move, let alone sit down! But hunger has gotten the better of us and we munch down, drink...eat...chat...then depart our seperate ways.

I get home, log onto SL but the depression is kicking in big time and I soon log off. A couple of more Vodka's then it's sleep.

Today

Head hurts.

Lager, Red Wine, Vodka... not a good mix. Not a good mix at all.

The day is survived, and now I'm home.

A little bit of this... a little bit of that

2009-10-27T17:46:00.013Z

Bleh... it's funny that word, isn't it?

It just kinda sums up a lot of things, and nothing all at the same time.

So Bleh.

There we go.

A kinda bleh mood. But that's cause I'm kinda groggy... sore, and back home trying, hoping, praying that my back stops being sore because I'm going to be spending the next few in days in Mordor (Swansea), and the last thing I need to be in Swansea with a sore back and hobbling around the place.

So, it's been a few days since I've updated this thing.. what's been happening since my hungover Saturday?

Sunday
Woke up.. felt not so bad.

Sorted out domestics... mail, dishes, washing, tidying.. oh the excitement. A quiet day indeed... not that I was complaining too much, I was in that kind of mood. And fortunately, it was a bumper cheesy 80's film day on the Telly... all old favourites!

Then we had Flash Gordon

Dive my brave hawkmen!

Gordon's alive!

I love you Flash... but we only have 14hours to save the earth!

And then Superman II

All and all.... a rather good cheese fest of a day, chilled out with some pizza and wine.

Monday

Headed off to work... meetings, meetings, meetings... spent the whole day in meetings, sitting on my ass talking etc.

Now all I did was sit on my ass in meetings or at my desk all day, so how come my back started hurting?

After work I popped into Whitehorse after work with Matthew, Allison, Andrew and Glen for a quick couple of drinks to celebrate Matthew's 32nd birthday.

After that, we departed our various ways and I headed home. At this point the pain in my back was just a niggling pain, but by the time I got up to Stokey I was limping... wtf? Where as this come from? It was hurting to walk.... time for more medicinal relief. I popped into the Londesborough, not just for a pint... but

also to sit down.. it hurt.

Of course, got the paper and a pint...

And I actually started feeling a little bit peckish.... thus it's time for some marinated mushrooms on toast

Didn't want a full meal.. just a snack and rather tastey I might say...

So, I munched down.. supped a pint, read the paper and listened to the reggie music before making the short journey home.... but not before I popped into the Turkish newsagents... I had a craving...

Can you guess?

What was I craving?

Was in a chocolatey mood......

It just had to be done.

Yum... hadn't had one of those in ages!

Loved it! Choc Dip in hand... I limp home, play some SL and have a relatively early night.

Today

Ouch.

I woke up with a sore back.....

Had a shower... then a bath to ease the muscles...

Still sore.

Hobbled into work... doped up painkillers... managed to function for most of it, but was feeling really groggy and sore.

Left work early....

Limped back home.

More painkillers and lying down on my bed very uncomfortably.

I can tell it's going to be a long night... and an even longer few days in Swansea...

Cosmic Karma sucks.

Into the hangover...

2009-10-24T11:49:00.002+01:00

What day was it yesterday?

Oh.

Friday.

That's right, Friday. The most favourite day of the week as it's slides effortlessly into the weekend. What was I up to?

I was doing an excellent impersonation of Billy-no-mates.

Fairly busy day at work, meetings, conference calls, sorting out some DG briefings and responses back to Treasury, but I'd got most of it sorted out by 4:30pm. Finished off the last of the mails, shut down the laptop and thought about heading home. Everyone in the office seemed to be busy with other things, and to be honest I wasn't really in the mood for talking or spending time with anyone, so I decided it was the trek home.

Laptop put away? Check
Keys? Check
Blackberry? Check
iPhone? Check

Everything is in order, so I plug in the iPhone, whack it onto shuffle and leave the office, hop onto the bus, the tube and then the bus again back up to Stokey.

I'd actually made it back to Stokey rather quickly. As I was wandering past the Londesborough, it looked fairly empty... quiet.... I thought "Hmmmm... perhaps I could just sit there for a bit, read the paper... have a pint"

It's recently been done up and has a whole selection of the old Tennants Lager cans.

Suddenly I'm transported back to my childhood.. back to all the house parties, the 1st foots.

Where Dad and his friends would be drinking tins and tins of the stuff....

Anyway. Thankfully there is no Tennats on tap here, and I plump for a pint of Becks, grab an empty table and flop down with the paper.

I opt for a 2nd pint, watching the world go by, reading the paper, busy on the iPhone tweeting, Facebooking etc etc... and before I know it, it's gone 8pm and the place starts filling up.. the music gets louder.. and I decide to leave.

I thought I'd be hungry by then but I wasn't. I'd had enough of the Londesborough and decide to head down to the Shakey, but quickly popped into the newsagents to pick up a copy of Private Eye. I'm gonna need something to read after demolishing the Evening Standard

And there I am, all papered up and in the pub with a pint of Litovel. The pub is kinda busy, but not too hoaching and I'm surrounded by people munchin down on pizza's from the takeaway place next door.

Still not hungry.

So I sit there alone, sup my pint, read Private Eye and finally notice that there's a football game on the telly. Watford vs Sheffield Wednesday.

Bonus!

So I sit there alone, sup my pint, read my Private Eye and watch the Watford game, seeing Watford win 4-1 at Vicarage Road. Another pint gone... and another.

I look up from my magazine to see that I'm now surrounded by couples kissing.

I need a Brandy.

Make it a double.

Suddenly I'm all to aware that I'm surrounded by couples and I'm sitting there like Billy-no-mates.

Kinda depressing really.

I slink off home, and continue to be Billy no-mates at home alone... and with my well stocked home bar.

Today

Woke up into the Hangover.

Ocado man came at 10am with the messages.

I just love Ocado!

I unpack the messages, take some nurofen and a pint of juice.... and head back to bed.

Not in the mood for people today.

:-(

One thing did cheer me up, and that was Rob's link on Facebook to a piss take to the Windows 7 launch

Hosting Your Windows 7 Torrenting Party - watch more funny videos

All conferenced out..

2009-10-22T18:54:00.000+01:00

Well, that's me been to two conference's/talks consecutively in the last two days;

- Civil Service Round Table Debate, on "Falling Budgets, and IT in Government" in the Atrium which will be published on the 4th of November. You might even see a picture of me in there.... it was a morning session, then back to the office for in the afternoon for yet more meetings.

- Government 2010, lots of discussion panels, debates, good selection of guests, live web streaming and Twitterfeed at #G2010 in the Grange Hotel, near St Pauls Cathedral. That was today... a WHOLE day I spent there

Very plush 5* hotel..

But it's kinda been none stop... it's been early 8:30am starts, which just aren't natural for me and I fear my brain has just kinda fizzled out. Of course it doesn't help walking up in the morning with a slight Vodka hangover, but thats because I was severely pissed off last night and needed to 'calm' down and pass out in my bed before I was tempted to hit something, or someone..... temptation, temptation.

I'm now back home... sufficently shattered and brain dead.

Pondering what to eat, but have realised that I've got bugger all food in... although a very well stocked bar.

Do I go out and grab something?
Do I order in?
Do I just not bother and grab a cold beer or perhaps a nice chilled Vodka?

Decisions, Decisions.

Back in the big smoke

2009-10-19T16:58:00.003+01:00

So there I go.

Susan turned up, I said my goodbyes to Dad and off we went down to the Pancake Place for an early Scottish breakfast;

Susan munches down to a healthy Scottish Breakfast... *coughs*

We have a nice wee catch up and we pop back to her house to use the 'facilities' before she drops me off at Dundee Airport and we say more goodbyes.

I hate saying goodbyes. Never liked them.

And talking about things I hate. Airport Security.

Now remember, Dundee Airport... the hub of international terrorisim... with huge amounts of passengers, booze, drugs etc coming through every day. Armed guards everywhere, sniffer dogs everywhere... Bollocks.

It's a strip of tarmac and a cowshed.

To get over the trauma of the security checks I help myself to the complimentary drinks on board the plane.... I think I was a bit drunk on red wine by the time we landed. Straight to the toilet, then onto the DLR, then the bus... and home.

Here I am, home in Londonium and kinda well.... down. A tad bit homesick already.

:-(

Perhaps more wine this evening will help?

Londonium beckons

2009-10-19T10:41:00.000+01:00

*sighs*

Yes, it's true. I'm hoping onto a plane and flying back to the Big Smoke this afternoon.... but I have just enough time to update this thing before I head off.

So where did I leave you?

Sunday
Oh yes, I had just survived Cameron, Farrah and Graham, and was away off to visit my Grandad. We all piled into the car, and went to vist my Grandad in the complex he's now in.

There's no getting away from it. It's an old folks home.

There's a hint of urine in the air.

I didn't like it.

It was great seeing Grandad again, but it was also rather painful. He's old.. very thin, and it was hard seeing him like that. Surrounded by other old folks that smell, lost their marbles...

I swear if I ever end up in that state, take me out and shoot me. I'd never want to end up in a home. The thing was, the place that Grandad was in. It's a nice place. The nurses are pleasent, it's got all the mod cons. It's a new build, very well laid out... it's just... just.... not a place I'd ever want to end up in. Knowing that you will probably, more than likely die there. Surrounded by lots of other people on their last legs.

*shudders*

We leave.

I promise Grandad I'd be back up to see him at Christmas time.

So... to ease the trauma of being in that place, Mum and Dad drive me up to a place called BM? I'd never heard of place... no idea what it was.

O...M...F...G

They've taken me to a Chav superstore! I walk into the door and am greeted by;

Fecken Christmas thingies...

We haven't even had Halloween yet... or Guy Fawkes....

*shudders*

I quickly escape the horror and wait by the car for parents. I don't do shopping... and I certainly don't do Chav supermarkets. It's vile, it's...it's.....it's just... words escape me.

To get over yet another trauma I arrange to meet up with Pricee up in Frews;

A nice little local just 5mins up the road from the parents house

We arrive at the pub at the same time and it's straight to the bar for a can of Irn Bru and a pint of Carlsberg for me.

Typical Pricee pose.

And we settle down to the banter, catch up on everything that had been happening since I last saw him around Christmas time last year I reckon.... and there was also the surprise of Gordon and Billy turning up!

Gordon's gonna be in London on Thursday at some Games Developer confernece... hopfully meet up if we can.

And Billy, has just become a Dad! Sammy gave birth to Dillon John Thomson, 7lbs 5ozs. And he's got to juggle fatherhood with his job at Ruffian Games as their Creative Director.

We sink quite a few beers in... I stagger home to the parents, watch something on TV then go to bed.

Today

I'm up, I'm dressed, packed and Susan is coming to pick me up in 5mins to go for an early lunch before I catch my flight home.

Arrrrgghh... it really is in 5mins time, but Susan is usually late. Knowing my luck she'll turn up early or on time, so I'd better shut the laptop down!

See you soon.

Bar hopping in Dundee

2009-10-18T12:05:00.000+01:00

So....

Off I go down to Tickety Boos to meet up with Cari.

I wander in.. no sign of Cari, head to bar and grab myself a Becks and find a seat around the back of the bar. The bar wasn't too busy, full of nattering Dundonians and the football on in the background.

Cari arrives soon after and it's straight onto the bluebolls

And of course, it wouldn't be Cari without her typical trademark pose;

Much better!!

We finish up in Tickety Boos and have a wander up Commerical Street and pop into the Old Horseshoe Bar

Which was absolutely empty.... and with the prices it was charging, £5.10 for a bottle of Becks and Blue WKD??!!.. Okay, so I'm used to London prices and it didn't shock me too much, but Cari... well, I almost had to pick her up off the floor. We quickly finish our drinks in there and wander around to the Counting House.

It might be a JD Weatherspoons....

But it was absolutely hoaching... this is were everybody in Dundee must be. And at £3.54 for the same round, a Becks and Blue WKD you can probably guess why. Now, I'm used to seeing all manner of things weird and wonderful in London... especially after that weird Saturday night, but it seems to be catching.

Whole crowds of people turned up in Golf Gear, and fancy dress??!!... Students. And our conversation seems to have turned to the strange about ginger people...

Cari's face is a picture when she realises that there'd be ginger pubes involved.

Of course I'm killing myself laughing at Cari's realisation..

and trying not to spill my drink!

We give up waiting on Susan and Shona turning up and wander on over to the Balcony Bar. It's bloody freezing up North, but its good to be back in the Balcony.

Susan and I used to drink there *years* ago... back when we were 16..17... it's a blast from the past and loud Rock, Indie, Metal etc.

We settle down, get comfy seats and await the impending arrival of Susan & Shona. Shona arrives... absolutely plastered and plonks down beside me... I could smell the fumes.

but Susan was totally sober, and it was grand meeting up with her

and chewing the fat so to speak.

Shona wanders off at somepoint leaving the three of us chatting away. Susan was telling me her and Simon are almost ready to get their EP with 4 songs into circulation.. Gloria Storey is the band that she put together and it's some pretty chilled out listening.

We continue to chatter on, drinks flowed and before we knew it, it was chucking out time gone midnight... trapesing downstairs to finish off our drinks and I spotted this;

I saw these guys at the Download Festival a couple of years go down at Donnington... wicked. And they are playing in Dundee! Oh how I would love see those guys again but alas it's not to be.

Susan tries a Haysee Dixie mugshot...

LOL... maybe not.

We eventually leave the pub into the cold night air... and it is cold, bloody cold... nipple freezing cold. Susan heads home, she did invite Cari and I back... but being honest, with not getting a good sleep the night before and still kinda suffering with the cramps, I decline. As much as I wanted to... I really needed just to get home and sleep.

Of course when in Dundee... you can't just go home without some lardy food to round the night off. Time for a Dundee special from the Corfu kebab shop.. Kebab for Cari... and Cheesy chips for me

Pure unadulterated lard....

Although one of the food reviews leaves a lot to be desired.

"You'll find this place queued out after the nightclubs close. It's very popular as it's cheap and quick. The menu mainly consists of greasy burgers, pizzas, chips and kebabs.

I got food poisoning after having a spicy chicken pizza here so be careful. Stick with the red meat. "

Home. Bed. Sleep.

Today

I sleep late...

Cameron is up, dressed, Thomas and Bob the Builder are blaring on the TV.

wee Cameron snuggled up with Dad watching Thomas the Tank Engine

Finally, Farrah and Graham turn up after their break up in Inverness to take Cameron back home

I think Farrah and Graham are more excited about it than wee Cameron!

They depart, I jump in the shower before heading off to visit my Grandad Jeff.

Cheeribye for now.

A hell of a Friday night.. and a wee walk on Saturday afternoon

2009-10-17T18:21:00.004+01:00

Oh it's been fun.....

It's been a hell of a time, that's involed drinking games, locked flats, pillow fights, severed breasts, walks on the beach, twins... and cramps.

But of course that's not going to make much sense to any of you so, so I guess I've got some explaining to do. Full photos at DundeeOct09SurpriseVisit

Friday

So.. after I'd survived being Cameron Jacked for most of the day, I left Mum and Dad with Cameron and wandered down the Hilltown to meet up with Murray down the bottom of the Hilltown at 3:30pm. We were going to head to Colin's house, drink some wine, watch and episode of 'Nip and Tuck' before Vickie got home and then head out.

Or so that was the plan, but as with most things that involve me... they never go much to plan. But hold yer horses there, I'm getting away from myself. So lets rewind... I walked down the Hilltown, and when your walking down the Hilltown you see such 'interesting' landmarks like the;

The famous Dundee 'peh' shop

But it was closed.

Next I wander past the Police Station...

Also closed...

Then I walk past the multi's on Alexander Street... I use to live just below them

In a house just like this... one of those flats. Joy.

As I continue my walk down the Hilltown, I pass one of Tim's favourite landmarks...

The 'Hilltown' Chinese... if you look real closely, there's a tiny serving grill surrounded by wire meshing. Such a lovely place.....

And I continue my walk down the road.... almost there, should finally get down the bottom soon

and then I notice this...

Even the 'Credit Crunch' has struck Dundee!

As I said, an interesting walk down the road. I meet up with Murray, and we head to the Town House for a quick drink ;

before we nip into the Tesco Metro by the Wellgate to pick up supplies. And when I say supplies I mean... Gin, Vodka, Tonic and Coke.

And off we go to Colin's house... although Colin wasn't there... and the closey door was shut. So there's Murray and I standing in the doorway, with the kerryoot waiting on Colin turning up from Work.

And so we stand.....

And wait......

And stand.....

And wait.....

Yay! Finally Colin turns up.

But he forgot his keys.

**??!!"£$£$%£%!!!!££!!!!!****!!!!

We eventually get into the closey and are left waiting by his door for Vickie to turn up. Three phone obsessed people waiting, so of course we all whip our phones out and start fiddling with them.

*coughs*

Who's got the biggest one??!!

Eventually Vickie turns up and lets us all in. She hits the showers while the three of us setting down to a glass of red wine, and watching Nip and Tuck.

Oh gawd.

I've never really watched Nip and Tuck before, but bloody hell... it only happened to be the episode where a wifie severs off her own breast with an electric carving knife. All three of us where curled up on the couch, screaming our heads off at watching the scene, having no idea that it was going to happen.... 3 screaming Queens on the sofa.

Of course, Vickie heard none of the screams and joins us later on the sofa completely oblivious to our obvious shock and trauma.

Colin is shocked by Vickie's online shopping bill from Ann Summers.

And so the night begins.

The 'dice' came out... and the drinking game had begun. Oh gawd, oh gawd, oh gawd this is going to be an evening and a half. Now, I'd never played this game before and I'm relaying it to you now through the drunken haze of yesterday.

You have 2 dice.

You throw 2 dice.

There's a scoring system.

I think it goes something like this;

If you get a 2 = snake eyes, a double.. means you have to take 2 sips of your drink
If you get a 3 = everybody has to take a drink, all exect you
If you get a 4 = the person to the left of you has to take a drink
If you get a 5 = the person to the right of you has to take a drink
If you get a 6 = you have to nominate someone to take a drink
If you get a 7 = Everyone has to take a drink, and clink their glasses together
If you get an 8 = you become the 'thumb master'. This entails you putting your thumb onto the table... the last person to put their thumb on the table has to take a drink
If you get a 9 = You have to roll again, and whatever number you get, is the number of sips you have to take
If you get a 10 = it's a forefit, and you have to pick a forefit from one of the options on the drinking cards
If you get an 11 = You are the drinks slave and have to serve everyone their drinks
If you throw a double at anytime you have to take 2 sips

As you can imaging... we drank a lot, some more than others ;-) I wasn't actually too bad... I was more suffering with cramps, being it the vile awful time of the month that it was.

There was dancing involved...

Colin shows us how to do the Time Warp

Put your hands on your hips

There was a lot of dancing like that...

And so we continued on with the drinking game.. and the sillyness continued... including one of my forefits which was to start a pillow fight with the host's pillows....

Which of course I excel at...

There were many pillows...

and eventually we came to our senses and settled back down to the drinking game

We carry on the sillyness for a while, then head down to 'Out' for the boys and girls to jump around and pose to the music. I don't.

Never been a fan of clubs.. the whole, noise, cramped, pounding baselines... I'm a bit tired, sore with the cramps, but it's great being out with the guys and gals.. but eventually I have to admit defeat, say my goodbyes, and jump into a cab home.. it's around 1:30am.

I get home, head straight to bed and sleep.

Or so I thought so... 3am, severe cramps.

4am..cramps... I take some painkillers

5am.. cramps...

6am.. cramps...

7am.. cramps..

8am.. cramps..

9am.. take more painkillers and head downstairs to curl up on the sofa and drink some juice slowly.

Mum and Dad wake Cameron out to the park, William goes to the gym and I stay curled up on the couch, watching some Babylon 5 rocking back and forth wishing that the womb and uterus could be ripped out. Around 11:30 the pain starts subsiding and I get dressed, call a cab to head down to Jollys to meet up with Gillian (an old friend from when I used to work in the School Wear Shop) and her man Steve, and their two twins Holly and Libby (around 2 yrs old)

We do lunch, then head down to the water front for a wee walk.

And off we go!

Heading towards Broughty Ferry Castle

A gorgeous day, looking out to Tayport

The girls loved seeing the boat being towed back into the harbour by the swimmer

Gillian & Steve play with the girls in the wee park whilst I take a wander along the beach

Then head back towards the castle and park to catch back up with Holly, Libby, Gillian and Steve.

I say my goodbyes, the bairns are getting a wee bit girney with all the fresh air and playing on the swings etc in the park.... walk them back to the car, and head off back home.

More painkillers, I'm still suffering... something to eat, something to drink. Mum, Dad, William and Cameron come back after an afternoon in the park, and I'm back out again at 7pm to meet up with Cari and Susan (later on) in Tickety Boos.

Till then :-)

Catch up and a change of location

2009-10-16T12:16:00.004+01:00

Aye!

Hullo, Hullo, Hullo from up North! I'm back in the motherland.. the land of;

Deep Fried Haggis

Deep Fried Mars Bars

Deep Fried Pizza

But anyway.. that's now. What have I been up to since I last updated this blog? Lets see if I can rewind my foggy brain and remember what I've been up to.

Tuesday

Nothing much. Worked from home, got my Emergency RFC 99% written for sending off to DfT's Shared Services on Wednesday. I was quite chuffed at breaking the back of that and getting it to the finished state.

Also managed to work on the Mad Scientist's Lair in Second Life on Mayday Island... a new Role Play project I'm starting up a few others. It's nothing like the RP I currently do in NoR .. it's not post apocolyptic, it's set on an Island and will have a basic, simple combat meter set up. Interesting to see how this develops.

And... it was an early night. Gosh, shock, horror I hear you say.. but it was needed. Intense concentration throughout the day, and I have an early start on Wednesday

Wednesday
I'm up early.

I don't do early.

I'm struggling and really hating travelling at this time in the morning .. i.e 8am. It's not the time that bothers me that much, it's the sheer volume of people.

I don't like crowds, I hate crowds. I'm mildly claustraphobic and travelling on the London Transport system at rush hour stresses me out, and I start feeling sick and panic'y... hard to breathe... the bus is taking forever.. the tube is crowded and I'm hemmed into a corner staring at people's armpits because I am such a short arse. I just need to get out, get off the tube and see sky again.

I eventually get to Victoria, and can breathe. I take a slow walk to DfT Southside on Victoria Street and try and regain my centre of calmness and open space. Time to launch into the 4hour workshop on Treasury's Clear Line of Sight Project. It was a successful workshop, got the testing framework set out and underway, with the build work starting next week.

Back to the office to work on the remainder of the ERFC to send across to Shared Services. I get that out the way, sorted out a couple of things then shut down the laptop, switched my out of office on then left the building to meet up with Jay in the Brass Monkey for a couple.

We then switch to the Elusive Camel for another.. a god awful bar, and we won't be going back to any time soon.

It really is god awful.. bouncers on the door. Why do people go there?

Hunger pangs kick in and I take Jay to Loco Mexicano for his very 1st Mexican.

And so, of course I make him try a margarita

Oooo... it's got a bit of a kick to it

But I think he likes it.

Yes, it really was his very first Mexican..... after we nosh down on some good scran, it's into the Prince of Wales for a nightcap.

We watch England win 3-0 against Belarus then off home.

Sleep.

Thursday
I'm up obscenely early. The alarm goes off at 5:50am

Why?

Cause I need to leave the house for 6:50am, catch the 76 Bus down to Bank, to then hop onto the DLR to London Airport to catch my 8:55am flight to Dundee!

It's a tiny plane.

There's only 9 of us on the flight....

We make good time, arrive early at Dundee but there's a problem.... Birds on the runway.

Now when I say runway... it's not what you'd call Heathrow, Gatwick or Stanstead... it's more like a strip of tarmac next to a cowshed.

We have to circle around Dundee for 10-15mins while they scare the birds off of the runway.....

Eventually we land, I hop into a taxi and make my way to the parents house.. home in 10mins.

I hadn't told the parents that I was coming so it was a big surprise... texted all my friends to let them know I was back in Dundee, and started making the arrangements to meet up. Spent the day in the house, Farrah and wee Cameron came over... and wee Cameron has grown since the last time I saw him back in June. He's gonna be a big laddie!

Rob came over at 7:20 to pick me up, we drove to Murray's and picked him up then headed down town for a few drinkies.

1st stop was Tonic where a pint of Coke for Rob, G & T for Murray and a bottle of Stella for me. Or as Murray puts it... a dyke drink.

2nd stop was the DCA for this time a glass of wine for me (less of a dyke drink?), a pint of Lemonade for Rob and another G & T for Murray
Final stop was the Playwright for a few Whisky Cocktails

The boys enjoy another few G & T's and Orange Juice;

While I have a few drinkies as well

Rather nice :-)

And after that little night cap we all head off home. I watch some Sex in the City then head off bed around midnight.

Today

I have a relatively long lie..Farrah and Graham bring Cameron over to Mum and Dad's where he will be staying until Sunday, whilst Farrah and Graham head off for a wee break child free up to Inverness.

He's a rather big laddie.. gonna be 2yrs old in February

I sort through some work mails whilst the bairn is playing, making noise, having a paddy... and now he's sound asleep with Classic FM playing in the background. Peace and Quiet for an hour or so..

Time to get back to my Friday :-)

Enjoy.

Meh.. Sunday and Monday's

2009-10-12T17:49:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was what you'd call a quiet day.... recovering from the strangeness of Saturday night. I'd done some domestics, sorted out e-mails, bills, laundry... a day of domestics indeed. I even scrubbed the Kitchen floor clean.

I so want a cleaner.

So that was that, Sunday a nice boring day. Roll on Monday.

Today
Now this is a better day indeed.

I sort out some mails in the office etc, put a few things in motion and then I'm off for the rest of the day as I've got a luncheon date with Geoff, Anna and Heather in the National Dining Rooms in the National Gallery. Anna unfortunately has too pull out, but Geoff, Heather and I continue on and settle down to a very nice lunch of;

Slow cooked Grampound duck terrine with Scottish girolle mushrooms and damson chutney for starter
Meadows Home Farm lamb rack and braised shoulder with caramelised baby turnips for main
Washed down with a couple of bottles of Macon-Village, Louis Jadot, Burgundy, France 2007 and some sparkling water

It was fantastic meeting up with the both of them, chewing the fat and catching up with all the various bits of gossip in Government and Whitehall.... and then we depart, Geoff has a conference call and Heather as to go speak with some consultant guy.

I head off home, to find that I'd missed a parcel delivery... annoying. I've arranged for it to be redelivered as I'm busy at a workshop on Wednesday and out the office the rest of the week, so tomorrow is really the only day. UPS bitched and moaned... but if they don't deliver, well... it's also a pain in the ass for them. Thus tomorrow, it's working from home and waiting on a parcel delivery. At least I have everything I need here, got all the necessary files, getting the excel files delivered to me tomorrow to help finish off the RFC so I can get that done and out of the with way with hopefully relatively little distraction.

A quiet night for me tonight.

A Strange Saturday Night...

2009-10-11T14:32:00.002+01:00

So.....

There I was, having a fairly quiet Saturday until Jay contacts me.

Drinks? Dinner?

How could I refuse? Of course I didn't. I head down to Denmark Street to meet up with him at 7pm, well that was the plan... there was a fire on the road, the buses weren't moving so off I got and walked. All was going well, nearly there... just had to cross over at the lights then I noticed a bloke standing beside me.

Grey suit
Briefcase
and.........and... a pyrimad hat.

Yup... that's what he was wearing... I can tell that this is going to be a strange night.

So, off I go and meet up with Jay on Denmark Street. I needed to nip to a cash point, the queue was bloody horrendous but just as I was getting to cashpoint... a whole flock of Hari Krishna's walked past:

This night is just getting stranger....

So, cash in hand we head off for a much needed beer and head off to Peter Parkers Rock n'Roll club for a couple, then I take Jay for a wander around Seven Dials, Covent Garden until we bump into a 53ft inflatable Silver Bunny

Could my night get any weirder?

Obviously is can. Another quick drink is required to soothe the nerves in the Punch & Judy then we head off for another stroll around Covent Garden's, showing Jay the sites etc.... before we settle down for some food at Cafe Rouge.

I had:

Fritôts de Camembert

Bavette 8oz - Medium/Rare with a Peppercorn sauce

Jay had:

Champignons de Paris

Bavette 8oz - Medium/Rare

AND... I introduce Jay to his very first cheeseboard!

Full of smelly cheeses!

Jay tries his very 1st Cheese Board

One day... when he grows up he'll learn to love it.

And to add to the strangeness of the night. As we are eating, a bunch of blokes dressed up in Golf Gear walk past the window;

Yet more weirdness

So, after we polish off dinner we head up to the 12 Bar late night drinks, but I'm tired... and Satan's cock is above my head;

Only manage a couple and then it's off home... Not before I get more weirdness. A bloke in drag just like Madonna....

and then I head off home. Well, I would be home sooner if the damn bus turns up. The no. 73 takes forever to turn up, then 3 turn up at once. What's that they say about London buses?

Home. Bed. Sleep around 2am.

Today, is going to be a quiet day. Domestics, washing etc etc. Watch some True Blood Season 2

Tiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeerd

2009-10-05T21:22:00.000+01:00

I woke up late.

I woke up with a sore head.

I woke up to a text from my wee sister asking what my favourite Malt was.... err wtf?!

I was not having a good morning.

I went to Pret for lunch, asked for tomato soup. Got back to my desk, and found they'd given me Sag Aloo by mistake....

I was not having a good lunch. Hungover, and without tomato soup.

I spent the rest of the day reading over papers.... in meetings... sending e-mails, by 6pm I was dying on my feet after a fairly shit day.

But, there is light at the end of the tunnel! I texted my flatmate who'd just recently returned from her holiday in New York and we went out to Mercado's for much needed Margarita's and Mexican food. After I was sufficently fed and watered we wandered back home.... I had to climb onto a chair and change the lightbulb in the hallway.

Not really a good idea when you've had a few margarita's.. trying to balance on a chair, and being a short arse... but eventually the task was done, with no minor or major injuries and to celebrate I flopped down to chill and watch FlashForward on Ch5 Flashforward whilst sorting out mails etc.

Mondays... never could get the hang of them.

A lot of sleep

2009-10-04T11:54:00.000+01:00

I've only just woke up.... couldn't sleep last night, it was near 4am when I eventually turned the lights off.

Okay, so I'll admit it. I was also playing SL, but it was a busy night and I kinda lost track of time.... I know, I know. Geek I hear you say, and ya know what. There's a semi air of truth to it ;-)

So, I've slept through half of Sunday already, I now need to continue to wake up slowly and ease myself into the day. A chilling day, with no deadlines or expectations... just me, relaxing and doing whatever I want, which is as it happens is bugger all!

Enjoy.

--

Of course

2009-10-03T15:25:00.000+01:00

Now that I've got the iPhone it does make keeping these things uptodate a hell of a lot easier....

Still pondering....

-- Posted from my iPhone

A little thought

2009-10-03T13:27:00.001+01:00

I'm pondering.... pondering as to whether or not to resurrect the blog.

Should I or shouldn't I?

Hmmmm.. ...

In communicado.....

2007-01-09T21:29:00.000Z

Yes,

I've had Christmas office parties, I've been back up North for Christmas and Hogmanay. There's been many a 1st footing. And now I'm back down south, back at work.

Oh friggin joy.