Thursday, March 31, 2005
Sons and Daughters
It's quite difficult to believe we're already quarter of the way through the year. And in some ways, it's also difficult to believe we're only quarter of the way through the year!
In one of my as-rare-as-I-can-make-them descents into consumerism, I've purchased a projector. I've wanted to get one for some time, since I saw Die Another Day on my friend's bedroom wall in Pakistan! I'm looking forward to playing GTA San Andreas with an actual-sized Carl Johnson.
This keep-fit lark has side benefits for CNPS. I've spotted 6 cars while running over the past 2 weeks since I started going out in the evenings. I had a little something to prove to myself tonight - whether I actually could do a 5-mile run without problems, as I said I could last night. And apparently I can - with even fewer ill effects than I'd have expected. I'm sure I should feel more tired and/or achy than this! Got a bit of a stitch about halfway round, but it disappeared pretty quickly. As the nights get lighter, I'm going to be aiming to build up to at least one half-marathon-length run a week. Time to really find out if the long-distance-runner physique I seem to have ended up with is worth its salt.
GD's birthday yesterday. He made it to 26, although nearly no further! We went to El Gaucho, Steakhouso Argentino, to where I've not been before. Wasn't overly impressed. The chips came pre-salted, and the temperature of both these and the plate would suggest they had been cooked in a blast furnace. The plate also appeared to have been formed from some previously-unknown substance on the borderlines of violating the second law of thermodynamics. I like my steaks rare - the plate remained so hot for the entire time I was eating the main course that it was almost cooked through by the time I finished it. Still, very good espresso to round off the meal. Thence to Plonker's, where we were unsure if Stouty had really run a marathon dressed as Superman (I think not!), Lint was unhappy and disappeared unexplainedly while on a quest for a glass of wine for £2, and I got a free half-glass of orange juice.
Two items of food-related comedy today.
First was lunchtime in the Punchbowl, where I demonstrated almost scary comic timing - "If I go to the loo now, the food will arrive." Guess what happened less than 3 seconds after I stood up...
Second was the sign outside of the First Hussar - "Food Now Been Served." I'm unsure exactly how to read that one - really bad spelling mistake or exasperated waitress?
In one of my as-rare-as-I-can-make-them descents into consumerism, I've purchased a projector. I've wanted to get one for some time, since I saw Die Another Day on my friend's bedroom wall in Pakistan! I'm looking forward to playing GTA San Andreas with an actual-sized Carl Johnson.
This keep-fit lark has side benefits for CNPS. I've spotted 6 cars while running over the past 2 weeks since I started going out in the evenings. I had a little something to prove to myself tonight - whether I actually could do a 5-mile run without problems, as I said I could last night. And apparently I can - with even fewer ill effects than I'd have expected. I'm sure I should feel more tired and/or achy than this! Got a bit of a stitch about halfway round, but it disappeared pretty quickly. As the nights get lighter, I'm going to be aiming to build up to at least one half-marathon-length run a week. Time to really find out if the long-distance-runner physique I seem to have ended up with is worth its salt.
GD's birthday yesterday. He made it to 26, although nearly no further! We went to El Gaucho, Steakhouso Argentino, to where I've not been before. Wasn't overly impressed. The chips came pre-salted, and the temperature of both these and the plate would suggest they had been cooked in a blast furnace. The plate also appeared to have been formed from some previously-unknown substance on the borderlines of violating the second law of thermodynamics. I like my steaks rare - the plate remained so hot for the entire time I was eating the main course that it was almost cooked through by the time I finished it. Still, very good espresso to round off the meal. Thence to Plonker's, where we were unsure if Stouty had really run a marathon dressed as Superman (I think not!), Lint was unhappy and disappeared unexplainedly while on a quest for a glass of wine for £2, and I got a free half-glass of orange juice.
Two items of food-related comedy today.
First was lunchtime in the Punchbowl, where I demonstrated almost scary comic timing - "If I go to the loo now, the food will arrive." Guess what happened less than 3 seconds after I stood up...
Second was the sign outside of the First Hussar - "Food Now Been Served." I'm unsure exactly how to read that one - really bad spelling mistake or exasperated waitress?
posted by Chip : 21:36
3 comments
Thursday, March 24, 2005
One Day In My Life
24th March is quite a significant day in "history" for me. There've been quite a few milestony events for me on this day - probably not of much relevance to others, but then, it's not their blog.
In 1995, I had my one and only serious skiing accident, on the last day of my first skiing trip. I was just 200 yards and about 20 seconds from the ski shop where I was then planning to return my gear when suddenly (and I could never remember how) I was lying face-down in the snow, skis some 15 yards away from me, and my left knee no longer quite working as it should. I didn't find this out till I tried, and failed, to stand up. I couldn't bend it for about a day (which made the 24-hour coach journey we were starting later that evening really comfortable) or put any weight on it for a week, and if I'd bothered with going to the doctor's (in retrospect I wish I had done, but you're never going to get old when you're 19) I'd have likely ended up with crutches for a bit. I still get twinges in it weekly or so, and every couple of months it freezes on me and I can't walk properly for a few hours.
In 1996, my dog Ryan was put down. I was again away skiing, and so I didn't know till a couple of days later. He was a little over 11 years old - he'd been "shared" between me and my brother while I was still at my parents' - about 7.5 years. I have fond memories of using him as a footwarmer while studying for my mock GCSEs.
In 1997, two milestones on the same day. I was 8000 days old, and I started my first job, at Chesnara, who didn't have such a damn stupid name at the time - they were Hambro Assured when I joined, then Countrywide Assured a year later, only becoming Chesnara long after I left.
In 2000, I went to my ex-girlfriend's (Mormon) wedding in Utah. I think I'm up to 4 different faiths' weddings I've been to - Christian, Mormon, Muslim and Humanist (not sure if the last one really counts as a faith though, but it certainly wasn't like any of the other three).
In 2005, I symbolically moved desks, making me feel for the first time like I'm actually in my new role, despite this having nominally been the case for over a month - it's 2.5 years since I've had a job change, so it's going to take a little while to get used to. I've also had 7 CNPS spots, making today my best day ever, by some margin. I could probably have got a further 2 if I could have been arsed getting in the car and going for a little drive, but I guess I could save that record for this time next year!
Oh and, in a twist of synchronicity, while moving some of the furniture from old desk to new desk, I cracked my left knee so hard on one of the filing cabinets I had to sit down for about 30 seconds.
In 1995, I had my one and only serious skiing accident, on the last day of my first skiing trip. I was just 200 yards and about 20 seconds from the ski shop where I was then planning to return my gear when suddenly (and I could never remember how) I was lying face-down in the snow, skis some 15 yards away from me, and my left knee no longer quite working as it should. I didn't find this out till I tried, and failed, to stand up. I couldn't bend it for about a day (which made the 24-hour coach journey we were starting later that evening really comfortable) or put any weight on it for a week, and if I'd bothered with going to the doctor's (in retrospect I wish I had done, but you're never going to get old when you're 19) I'd have likely ended up with crutches for a bit. I still get twinges in it weekly or so, and every couple of months it freezes on me and I can't walk properly for a few hours.
In 1996, my dog Ryan was put down. I was again away skiing, and so I didn't know till a couple of days later. He was a little over 11 years old - he'd been "shared" between me and my brother while I was still at my parents' - about 7.5 years. I have fond memories of using him as a footwarmer while studying for my mock GCSEs.
In 1997, two milestones on the same day. I was 8000 days old, and I started my first job, at Chesnara, who didn't have such a damn stupid name at the time - they were Hambro Assured when I joined, then Countrywide Assured a year later, only becoming Chesnara long after I left.
In 2000, I went to my ex-girlfriend's (Mormon) wedding in Utah. I think I'm up to 4 different faiths' weddings I've been to - Christian, Mormon, Muslim and Humanist (not sure if the last one really counts as a faith though, but it certainly wasn't like any of the other three).
In 2005, I symbolically moved desks, making me feel for the first time like I'm actually in my new role, despite this having nominally been the case for over a month - it's 2.5 years since I've had a job change, so it's going to take a little while to get used to. I've also had 7 CNPS spots, making today my best day ever, by some margin. I could probably have got a further 2 if I could have been arsed getting in the car and going for a little drive, but I guess I could save that record for this time next year!
Oh and, in a twist of synchronicity, while moving some of the furniture from old desk to new desk, I cracked my left knee so hard on one of the filing cabinets I had to sit down for about 30 seconds.
posted by Chip : 23:49
0 comments
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Box of Tricks
I've spent the last hour or so cooking up a Madras using a Rafi's Spice Box mix. And because of the smells permeating the flat, I'm getting very pissed off that I won't be hungry enough to eat it for another few hours! I've tasted the sauce (well, you have to while cooking...) and it's delicious. Roll on 6 pm, which time is derived from balancing my current fullness with how long I think I can hold off on devouring the curry.
I've walked past the shop many, many times, and thought "I must try there one day" on most of those occasions. A happy confluence of two events finally made me step through the door. First, Tom went there a few weeks ago, said the curry was excellent and explained how the shop worked (these things scare me sometimes - I don't like going into a shop and not understanding how to order things!) Second, it was their first birthday in York yesterday, so they had lots of balloons outside, and they let me have one.
It's a very clever idea. Essentially, it's pick'n'mix curry spices! They've got about 30 different standard mixes, each of which you can ask for altered proportions of the various spices, plus if you know exactly what you want, they'll throw it together for you.
So best of all - you can make your mixes garlic-free! The little man (and I know that normally when that phrase is used, it's not necessarily descriptive, but this time it was - he was tiny) asked me if I wanted anything special doing with the mix, so I asked for extra chilli and very light on the garlic. He didn't look at me as if I'd just asked for, say, steak and custard, which is the reaction of most people when I express my opinions on garlic, and simply said "OK, I'll not put any in at all if you like. Are you allergic? Because there's a little in the Madras paste."
If only everyone were so understanding.
I've walked past the shop many, many times, and thought "I must try there one day" on most of those occasions. A happy confluence of two events finally made me step through the door. First, Tom went there a few weeks ago, said the curry was excellent and explained how the shop worked (these things scare me sometimes - I don't like going into a shop and not understanding how to order things!) Second, it was their first birthday in York yesterday, so they had lots of balloons outside, and they let me have one.
It's a very clever idea. Essentially, it's pick'n'mix curry spices! They've got about 30 different standard mixes, each of which you can ask for altered proportions of the various spices, plus if you know exactly what you want, they'll throw it together for you.
So best of all - you can make your mixes garlic-free! The little man (and I know that normally when that phrase is used, it's not necessarily descriptive, but this time it was - he was tiny) asked me if I wanted anything special doing with the mix, so I asked for extra chilli and very light on the garlic. He didn't look at me as if I'd just asked for, say, steak and custard, which is the reaction of most people when I express my opinions on garlic, and simply said "OK, I'll not put any in at all if you like. Are you allergic? Because there's a little in the Madras paste."
If only everyone were so understanding.
posted by Chip : 15:23
2 comments
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Where Do They All Come From? Where Do They All Belong?
I can't answer the first one, but apparently the second one is "In the Three-Legged Mare."
Went out this evening in two parts. First was the first trip to Pastiche of the year, with my recently-returned parents. They had chocolate fondue for dessert. I want to go again very soon! Only if they stop playing disc one of "Now 1992-ish" though.
Second part was to the 3LM, to help GD celebrate the first time Wales have won anything ever - he gets so little practice, he's not very good at it. Here, an extremely odd woman (who, as she and I were leaving, introduced herself as Corinne, or something sounding like that) had apparently foisted herself on the group, and was, primarily, laughing at inappropriate points of other people's conversation, and butting in with utter drivel.
For example, the following :
"Yes, and it was apparently only when they finally threw the last of the paper into the dustbin that they realised it was in control of all their lives, and there was nothing they could do about it any more."
"It's like when you take people who make bread and force them to make computers instead. They just go back to their old habits and make the computers like they used to make the bread. Unless you train them properly, of course."
"Yeah, so if you say "I'm at the top of Mount Everest", how far are you really away from the centre of the world, and are you really on the surface? And if you just say "I'm on the top", would you be any closer? Actually, you would, especially if they moved on the other side." (She appeared to find thus last bit really funny - she practically cracked up over "on the other side.")
"It's really interesting, you know, like about whatever ... well, maybe not whatever, but it's still really interesting, don't you think?"
There was another one that was so spectacularly counter-intuitive that it made so little sense that I was actually unable to get it all into my head in one go in order to remember it - like trying to describe a concept for which there's no word in the language you speak.
I really wish I was actually making any of these up. (Oh to be able to write comedy. A piece of paper doesn't react to you properly though.) She said most of them Sheryl Crow-style (apropos of nothing) - except for the bread/computers thing, she'd said nothing in each case for the previous 2 or 3 minutes, and there were absolutely no sequiturs for her to follow with any of these lines! (I know the grammar's a bit tortured there - it's past midnight on a Sunday morning!) As far as I could tell, the bread/computers one was in response to a conversation about Doctor Who.
When we finally got rid of her, she drove away! I was a little bit scared for her - whether it was drink or drugs, or some combination thereof, she definitely wasn't in a fit state to drive. Or, in my opinion, to interact with other people, but the police can't breathalyse you for that yet.
Went out this evening in two parts. First was the first trip to Pastiche of the year, with my recently-returned parents. They had chocolate fondue for dessert. I want to go again very soon! Only if they stop playing disc one of "Now 1992-ish" though.
Second part was to the 3LM, to help GD celebrate the first time Wales have won anything ever - he gets so little practice, he's not very good at it. Here, an extremely odd woman (who, as she and I were leaving, introduced herself as Corinne, or something sounding like that) had apparently foisted herself on the group, and was, primarily, laughing at inappropriate points of other people's conversation, and butting in with utter drivel.
For example, the following :
There was another one that was so spectacularly counter-intuitive that it made so little sense that I was actually unable to get it all into my head in one go in order to remember it - like trying to describe a concept for which there's no word in the language you speak.
I really wish I was actually making any of these up. (Oh to be able to write comedy. A piece of paper doesn't react to you properly though.) She said most of them Sheryl Crow-style (apropos of nothing) - except for the bread/computers thing, she'd said nothing in each case for the previous 2 or 3 minutes, and there were absolutely no sequiturs for her to follow with any of these lines! (I know the grammar's a bit tortured there - it's past midnight on a Sunday morning!) As far as I could tell, the bread/computers one was in response to a conversation about Doctor Who.
When we finally got rid of her, she drove away! I was a little bit scared for her - whether it was drink or drugs, or some combination thereof, she definitely wasn't in a fit state to drive. Or, in my opinion, to interact with other people, but the police can't breathalyse you for that yet.
posted by Chip : 23:50
1 comments
Friday, March 11, 2005
Spare Changes
Still a bit random, I'm afraid. It's starting to look like a semi-permanent thing. It's spilling over into work too - have found it quite difficult to concentrate on anything much for more than 5 minutes, which has rarely, if ever, been a problem in the past. Expect it's holiday hangover - it's just taking me longer than I'd expected to come back down to earth properly. Re-did my Myers Briggs test last week, and I've got an awful lot more I and P than I was - that was interesting, but not entirely unexpected. Or it could be the "drifty" mode I get into when I don't have any long-term projects on the go - at least that one's got a solution!
Work bowling evening today. Good fun. I like bowling, and really ought to have joined a local club by now - I'm sure I could crack the 200 barrier if I went more often than once every 3 months or so! The full scores aren't announced till tomorrow. There are prizes for highest 3 and lowest 1 individual scores, and another for the highest aggregate team (of 6) score. I was nowhere near the top individual score (190 - my best was 154. Beat DT both times though, and he doesn't have concussion as an excuse this year - he even has the medical certificate with a clean bill of health on it!) but my team is in with a very good chance of getting the aggregate prize. There were two rounds of 30 teams - we played in the later round, and our scores weren't being totted up till tomorrow, but the earlier round's scores were done just as we were leaving. I couldn't remember the exact scores my team got, but I ballparked it at 1600 +/- 25, and the highest score of those from the first round was 1612. Update tomorrow!
Further irritation for me in the continuing (but to most readers, previously-unmentioned) saga of the property management agency at my flats, and the battle between them and the permanent leaseholders to get them to do any property management. I'm pretty much indifferent to them - the roof and windows are still there, and that's about all I care about - but of the other 3, one's getting all up tight because she had to pay herself for her gas leak to be fixed (lease says she has to - problem is?), another is upset primarily because he's old and thinks the government should sort everything out for him, and the final one is in a tizz because he doesn't understand expense underruns and accounting accruals. I've got better things to think about than whether the stairs have been hoovered this month, but I get dragged in because we need to be unanimous in order for the management company to listen to any complaints. Unnecessary stress in my view.
Birthday trip planning is now under way. Everyone who's replied has said at least a qualified yes so far! Where I'm going to find a place for 30-odd people on a Bank Holiday weekend is a question I'm trying to avoid thinking about for just now.
Work bowling evening today. Good fun. I like bowling, and really ought to have joined a local club by now - I'm sure I could crack the 200 barrier if I went more often than once every 3 months or so! The full scores aren't announced till tomorrow. There are prizes for highest 3 and lowest 1 individual scores, and another for the highest aggregate team (of 6) score. I was nowhere near the top individual score (190 - my best was 154. Beat DT both times though, and he doesn't have concussion as an excuse this year - he even has the medical certificate with a clean bill of health on it!) but my team is in with a very good chance of getting the aggregate prize. There were two rounds of 30 teams - we played in the later round, and our scores weren't being totted up till tomorrow, but the earlier round's scores were done just as we were leaving. I couldn't remember the exact scores my team got, but I ballparked it at 1600 +/- 25, and the highest score of those from the first round was 1612. Update tomorrow!
Further irritation for me in the continuing (but to most readers, previously-unmentioned) saga of the property management agency at my flats, and the battle between them and the permanent leaseholders to get them to do any property management. I'm pretty much indifferent to them - the roof and windows are still there, and that's about all I care about - but of the other 3, one's getting all up tight because she had to pay herself for her gas leak to be fixed (lease says she has to - problem is?), another is upset primarily because he's old and thinks the government should sort everything out for him, and the final one is in a tizz because he doesn't understand expense underruns and accounting accruals. I've got better things to think about than whether the stairs have been hoovered this month, but I get dragged in because we need to be unanimous in order for the management company to listen to any complaints. Unnecessary stress in my view.
Birthday trip planning is now under way. Everyone who's replied has said at least a qualified yes so far! Where I'm going to find a place for 30-odd people on a Bank Holiday weekend is a question I'm trying to avoid thinking about for just now.
posted by Chip : 00:58
0 comments
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Third Time's A Charm
Bit of a mixed bag today. Bear with me - I'm being a bit random at the moment. There is a bit of a narrative thread, provided I've put the paragraphs in the right order...
It took me ages to come up with this post title. I'm thinking it might be a bit too cryptic, even for me! Finished my first cryptic crossword of the year today - perhaps that's why. Some cracking clues today - here's a few for Bertie (answers hidden in the usual way).
Unionists! (5,3,5) BRIDE AND GROOM
Not straight! Not in! Out! Ref was confused (3,2,4) OUT OF TRUE
Tender voice of a Mercian ruler (4) OFFA
Supplementary words of Mountie, perhaps (5) RIDER
March past (5) APRIL
So, Phil's gone. That's quite sad. He was one of the best housemates I've had (and I've had quite a few!) - I really enjoyed the summer of 2003. And he was the first person to congratulate me on qualifying. Well, I assume he was - I was a little emotional to notice what was going on, beyond the fact that he was watching bloody Big Brother again! I also wouldn't have known so much about fixing spyware if it wasn't for him! And penknives will never look the same...
I really wish I'd written down a few of the conversations that went on last night. I can remember one conversation that went something along the lines of :
Waiter : You do realise that's a dry dish, sir?
Gavin : Oh, yes, that's fine. How hot's the sauce?
Waiter : There is no sauce sir, it's dry. We can do some medium bhuna sauce with it if you like.
Gavin : Does that cost extra?
Waiter : Yes, sir.
Gavin : Oh, well, see, I'm Scottish, so how much extra?
I didn't actually hear the answer - I was laughing a bit too loudly! I was also educated in procedures for hair transplants, discussed the relative merits and featheredness of ducks purchased from Sainsbury's, Asda and Marks & Spencer's, told my terrorist interview story at least 3 times, and finally worked out what a certain Scotsman's head has been reminding me of for some time.
Quite amused by one of the photos in a presentation from the Institute I was reading today. It's about improving students' IT skills, and shows 4 or 5 students sitting in front of a PC. Trouble is, the PC monitor is showing scandisk running - perhaps they need to learn how to shut the machine down properly first...
I've just had a phone call to tell me my car's been fixed, so I can go and fetch it at some point. Not sure I can be bothered this weekend though - would prefer to have another restful weekend, although I suspect there might be a little FSA-form-related work to be done in that period too! On that subject, I received the world's least informative e-mail today. It's going into my comedy files.
As is the advert on our internal for-sale board. This is from memory - I'll put the full text in at work tomorrow :
"Sharer required for handsome schoolmaster.
17.1 Chesnut Gelding, 18yrs old.
This gentle gentleman and I seek reliable, knowledgeable sharer for hacking, schooling and jumping. Indoor school and off road hacking available at existing yard. North city."
There wasn't a part of that advert I didn't need explaining!
On the topic of horses, DT went for a concussion baseline scan today, before he can join the Jockey's Club. It sounded more like some kind of cross between a Mensa test and a psychology exhibit at one of those hands-on science museums. He had to recite back to the nurse numbers of increasing digit-length after she'd read them out, read out the colour used to write the names of various colours in a list (e.g. say "green" if you see the word "blue" written in green ink) and stand up straight for 30 seconds with his eyes closed. I was wondering whether it was in fact some form of hazing ritual, and they were secretly taping him when he fell over in the last one, and it'll be shown on the big screen at the Grand National next month.
It took me ages to come up with this post title. I'm thinking it might be a bit too cryptic, even for me! Finished my first cryptic crossword of the year today - perhaps that's why. Some cracking clues today - here's a few for Bertie (answers hidden in the usual way).
So, Phil's gone. That's quite sad. He was one of the best housemates I've had (and I've had quite a few!) - I really enjoyed the summer of 2003. And he was the first person to congratulate me on qualifying. Well, I assume he was - I was a little emotional to notice what was going on, beyond the fact that he was watching bloody Big Brother again! I also wouldn't have known so much about fixing spyware if it wasn't for him! And penknives will never look the same...
I really wish I'd written down a few of the conversations that went on last night. I can remember one conversation that went something along the lines of :
Waiter : You do realise that's a dry dish, sir?
Gavin : Oh, yes, that's fine. How hot's the sauce?
Waiter : There is no sauce sir, it's dry. We can do some medium bhuna sauce with it if you like.
Gavin : Does that cost extra?
Waiter : Yes, sir.
Gavin : Oh, well, see, I'm Scottish, so how much extra?
I didn't actually hear the answer - I was laughing a bit too loudly! I was also educated in procedures for hair transplants, discussed the relative merits and featheredness of ducks purchased from Sainsbury's, Asda and Marks & Spencer's, told my terrorist interview story at least 3 times, and finally worked out what a certain Scotsman's head has been reminding me of for some time.
Quite amused by one of the photos in a presentation from the Institute I was reading today. It's about improving students' IT skills, and shows 4 or 5 students sitting in front of a PC. Trouble is, the PC monitor is showing scandisk running - perhaps they need to learn how to shut the machine down properly first...
I've just had a phone call to tell me my car's been fixed, so I can go and fetch it at some point. Not sure I can be bothered this weekend though - would prefer to have another restful weekend, although I suspect there might be a little FSA-form-related work to be done in that period too! On that subject, I received the world's least informative e-mail today. It's going into my comedy files.
As is the advert on our internal for-sale board. This is from memory - I'll put the full text in at work tomorrow :
"Sharer required for handsome schoolmaster.
17.1 Chesnut Gelding, 18yrs old.
This gentle gentleman and I seek reliable, knowledgeable sharer for hacking, schooling and jumping. Indoor school and off road hacking available at existing yard. North city."
There wasn't a part of that advert I didn't need explaining!
On the topic of horses, DT went for a concussion baseline scan today, before he can join the Jockey's Club. It sounded more like some kind of cross between a Mensa test and a psychology exhibit at one of those hands-on science museums. He had to recite back to the nurse numbers of increasing digit-length after she'd read them out, read out the colour used to write the names of various colours in a list (e.g. say "green" if you see the word "blue" written in green ink) and stand up straight for 30 seconds with his eyes closed. I was wondering whether it was in fact some form of hazing ritual, and they were secretly taping him when he fell over in the last one, and it'll be shown on the big screen at the Grand National next month.
posted by Chip : 20:50
2 comments
ATOM feed