Managed to get away last week for another week's skiing (I shouldn't be having a problems with too much holiday left at the end of this year at this rate :-)).
This time I went to Crans Montana, in Switzerland. This was my first trip skiing in the land of clocks and chocolate.
It was very good. Crans is advertised as the Sunniest resort in Switzerland and so I was planning on getting a bit of a tan. We call it T shirt skiing when the weather is very good and warm, for as long as you don't fall over you can ski without a coat and jumper. Of course if you fall over you get pretty damn wet and when cold so you have to be careful.
The Weather had other plans and for the first couple of days and it snowed heavily. We had about 20inches of snow, which for Europe in March is huge. This meant poor visibility and hard conditions.
Fortunately the tail end of the week was clear so we had some deep powder and sun to give a real magical skiing experience. We could get into the deep powder, just to the sides of the pistes, and once they had bashed down the main pistes we could get in some hard and fast carving runs.
The trip was run by the same people who organised last years Turkey trip for singles and it worked quite well with an interesting selection of people.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
A week of live music
I didn't really plan it in fact the week before I only thought I was going to see the Ting Tings with some mates in Leeds. But I managed a whole week of live music.
It all started the Friday before when my friend John MSM'd me to remind me that I had said yes to going and seeing the Killers at the 02 on Monday. This was a surprise as I guess I had agreed to it a couple of weeks ago in a pub somewhere while quite drunk!
So Monday is away off to the O2, London, what used to be the Millennium Dome. We had tickets in the god and 'F**k me we're a long way up!' about said it all when we got there as it was very much like watching the Killers from Orbit. we must have been 80 foot off the ground in a really steep sitting section with the stage about 100 metres away. These sizes are all pretty amazing if as well you know its all indoors. The gig was quite good although the distance was so much that there was a difference in the time the light and the sound took to get to you.
The rest of the week was quite quiet until Friday. The normal plan is for me to go up to Leeds on the Friday night train, fighting my way across the rush hour madness. However this time for some reason I booked the tickets for Saturday morning. The Ting Tings gig was on Sunday night so there was no rush. Anyway this was handy because we had a major musical event just around the corner from the office on the Friday evening which I happened to walk into.
U2 decide to play a gig on the roof of the BBC building a couple of streets away. I was a little late a work when an email went around (OK I was playing Quakelive.com with Angel) saying that U2 would be playing at 6pm. I finished playing around quarter past and noticed the email and so went to have a look to see what I could see. There was a huge crowd doing nothing outside the building, so I hung around too to see what would happen. at about half past the Police stopped the traffic (this is Regent Street in London, during rush hour and so it was busy) and the crowd rush forwards. Then when things settle down U2 came out on to the roof of the build to the roar of the crowd. They played for about 20 minutes and did four tracks ending with a great version of 'Beautiful Day'. By the time they did the last song you could hear the horns from the car of the now irate drivers stuck in the jam, but the crowd left happy.
I rounded the week off in Leeds at the Academy with a storming set by the Ting Tings singing along at the top of my voice and bouncing around like a nutter. My voice wasn't to great the next day but I loved it.
So the full line up for the week was
Louis XIV (a bit rubbish)
The Killers (OK a bit far away not sure it was worth the 40 quid)
U2 (great crazy stuff, tick them off my list of bands to see)
VV Brown (good didn't know anything about her but we could swing along to it)
LadyHawke (got a bit confused that this might be the Ting Tings doing some new stuff but it was very good)
The Ting Tings (YEAH! That's not my name!!!! la la la la!)
It all started the Friday before when my friend John MSM'd me to remind me that I had said yes to going and seeing the Killers at the 02 on Monday. This was a surprise as I guess I had agreed to it a couple of weeks ago in a pub somewhere while quite drunk!
So Monday is away off to the O2, London, what used to be the Millennium Dome. We had tickets in the god and 'F**k me we're a long way up!' about said it all when we got there as it was very much like watching the Killers from Orbit. we must have been 80 foot off the ground in a really steep sitting section with the stage about 100 metres away. These sizes are all pretty amazing if as well you know its all indoors. The gig was quite good although the distance was so much that there was a difference in the time the light and the sound took to get to you.
The rest of the week was quite quiet until Friday. The normal plan is for me to go up to Leeds on the Friday night train, fighting my way across the rush hour madness. However this time for some reason I booked the tickets for Saturday morning. The Ting Tings gig was on Sunday night so there was no rush. Anyway this was handy because we had a major musical event just around the corner from the office on the Friday evening which I happened to walk into.
U2 decide to play a gig on the roof of the BBC building a couple of streets away. I was a little late a work when an email went around (OK I was playing Quakelive.com with Angel) saying that U2 would be playing at 6pm. I finished playing around quarter past and noticed the email and so went to have a look to see what I could see. There was a huge crowd doing nothing outside the building, so I hung around too to see what would happen. at about half past the Police stopped the traffic (this is Regent Street in London, during rush hour and so it was busy) and the crowd rush forwards. Then when things settle down U2 came out on to the roof of the build to the roar of the crowd. They played for about 20 minutes and did four tracks ending with a great version of 'Beautiful Day'. By the time they did the last song you could hear the horns from the car of the now irate drivers stuck in the jam, but the crowd left happy.
I rounded the week off in Leeds at the Academy with a storming set by the Ting Tings singing along at the top of my voice and bouncing around like a nutter. My voice wasn't to great the next day but I loved it.
So the full line up for the week was
Louis XIV (a bit rubbish)
The Killers (OK a bit far away not sure it was worth the 40 quid)
U2 (great crazy stuff, tick them off my list of bands to see)
VV Brown (good didn't know anything about her but we could swing along to it)
LadyHawke (got a bit confused that this might be the Ting Tings doing some new stuff but it was very good)
The Ting Tings (YEAH! That's not my name!!!! la la la la!)
Sans beard
Yeap Saturday night I shaved the whole thing off and I look about 20 years younger!
I measured it just before the end and the longest bit was just about 2 inches.
it's an odd sensation to feel the wind on my chin again.
The generally the verdict so far, mostly people at work, is that I look much better.
In fact it was funny as a couple of people didn't notice straight off when they where talking to me. They would sort of go boss eyed and then step back as if trying to get my face in focus before they realised the goatee had gone.
I measured it just before the end and the longest bit was just about 2 inches.
it's an odd sensation to feel the wind on my chin again.
The generally the verdict so far, mostly people at work, is that I look much better.
In fact it was funny as a couple of people didn't notice straight off when they where talking to me. They would sort of go boss eyed and then step back as if trying to get my face in focus before they realised the goatee had gone.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Sorry we shut Wales
The plan was, as is a bit of a tradition with me and a couple of friends, to go winter walking in the mountains. We try and do this around February/March time each year when the conditions are hopefully cold, clear and frosty.
So we had planned for a long time that at the weekend we would travel up to the Brecon Beacons in Wales, however the weather had other ideas. The heaviest snowfall for years put a bit of a stop to that. In fact when they started closing the bridges into Wales we knew it wasn't going to happen.
So plan B, we had the train tickets (fortunately we got a refund on the cottage) so we went down to Bristol and went walking in the Mendips instead. it was good if hard work with wading thru snow drifts. We took in Beacon Batch the highest point at a modest 325 metres above sea level (not quite the Brecons!) and the Rock of Ages, made famous in the hymn of the same name.
The knees didn't half ache the day after.
So we had planned for a long time that at the weekend we would travel up to the Brecon Beacons in Wales, however the weather had other ideas. The heaviest snowfall for years put a bit of a stop to that. In fact when they started closing the bridges into Wales we knew it wasn't going to happen.
So plan B, we had the train tickets (fortunately we got a refund on the cottage) so we went down to Bristol and went walking in the Mendips instead. it was good if hard work with wading thru snow drifts. We took in Beacon Batch the highest point at a modest 325 metres above sea level (not quite the Brecons!) and the Rock of Ages, made famous in the hymn of the same name.
The knees didn't half ache the day after.
Monday, February 02, 2009
Snow and the Tupperware flat
Lovely new windows and not a moment too soon.
I got back to the flat on Sunday night after being back to the Folks for Dougie's first birthday party and general kiddie chaos, and found the builders had done a great job. The windows are very nice and will keep the flat cosy and warm. Not like the old drafty ones which suffered from too much repainting. They are clean and plastic so it's a bit like living in high class Tupperware.
It's fortunate really as winter has now hit London with some force and 15cm of snow have caused the whole place to grind to a halt. I made it into work after a bit of walking and a lot of Tube changes but hardly anyone else has and the place is a bit dead.
Handy then that I've got all my winter walking gear out of storage for my trip to the Brecon Beacons at the weekend.
I got back to the flat on Sunday night after being back to the Folks for Dougie's first birthday party and general kiddie chaos, and found the builders had done a great job. The windows are very nice and will keep the flat cosy and warm. Not like the old drafty ones which suffered from too much repainting. They are clean and plastic so it's a bit like living in high class Tupperware.
It's fortunate really as winter has now hit London with some force and 15cm of snow have caused the whole place to grind to a halt. I made it into work after a bit of walking and a lot of Tube changes but hardly anyone else has and the place is a bit dead.
Handy then that I've got all my winter walking gear out of storage for my trip to the Brecon Beacons at the weekend.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
New windows
As IF!
not surprisingly I didn't get back to new windows, just emails from the management company asking me why I wasn't at home.
So a few calls to the company doing the install, cutting the management company out of the loop and I now have all the new window leaning on a wall in my flat, ready to go.
I gave the key to the foreman and they will be putting the nice new, plastic, modern windows in this Saturday.
Hurrah!
not surprisingly I didn't get back to new windows, just emails from the management company asking me why I wasn't at home.
So a few calls to the company doing the install, cutting the management company out of the loop and I now have all the new window leaning on a wall in my flat, ready to go.
I gave the key to the foreman and they will be putting the nice new, plastic, modern windows in this Saturday.
Hurrah!
Deep snow
Yeah we had over 50cm of snow during the week so the powder was deep and the skiing was nice.
I only had the one crash all week due to getting into the white stuff waist deep! Actually there was so much snow, or rather it was snowing so much they had to close down most of the runs one afternoon. but that was okay as it was the end of the week and I needed the rest.
Powder is hard work (particularly on the legs/knee) to wade thru but when the sun is out (as it was for a couple of days) and you can see what you are doing (one morning we had fog and everything was white!) its a joy.
I got my perfect skiing moment, which I try for at least once every trip. That is; going fast, on a nice piste with a bit of powder, with something good on the music player, cutting at few clean carving turns as the sun shines down on me. bliss!
I'm back fit and able, if a little poorer (6 quid a pint due to the exchange rate was about the cheapest ) and trying to work out how to go again this season.
I only had the one crash all week due to getting into the white stuff waist deep! Actually there was so much snow, or rather it was snowing so much they had to close down most of the runs one afternoon. but that was okay as it was the end of the week and I needed the rest.
Powder is hard work (particularly on the legs/knee) to wade thru but when the sun is out (as it was for a couple of days) and you can see what you are doing (one morning we had fog and everything was white!) its a joy.
I got my perfect skiing moment, which I try for at least once every trip. That is; going fast, on a nice piste with a bit of powder, with something good on the music player, cutting at few clean carving turns as the sun shines down on me. bliss!
I'm back fit and able, if a little poorer (6 quid a pint due to the exchange rate was about the cheapest ) and trying to work out how to go again this season.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Off-ski
right !
packed and ready to wooosh down the slopes.
Haven't managed to get the key to the management company so it doesn't look like I'll be getting new windows while I'm away.
Spent all day doing project hand over notes for people at work so I don't get phoned next week.
now lets just hope the snow is good.
packed and ready to wooosh down the slopes.
Haven't managed to get the key to the management company so it doesn't look like I'll be getting new windows while I'm away.
Spent all day doing project hand over notes for people at work so I don't get phoned next week.
now lets just hope the snow is good.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
scafolding
Next week will be exiting for the flat as it will be getting a nice set of new windows. These are the ones that where due to be in by Xmas but hey no one really believed that.
The whole property is now covered in scaffolding to allow the builders access and bits of blue netting, no idea about the netting perhaps its for catching fish if we get alot of flooding!
In a typical bit of timing, I won't be there as I'm off skiing next week, with my collection of knee supports, so I'll have to sort a way of allowing the builders access.
This means I'm back in communication with the flat management company again and they started this time with a new approach to confuse, saying, when I told them my address, that they no longer manage the property!
But I'm used to them by now and such a simple attempt to confuse didn't work. After a bit of convincing that they did still look after the flats I managed to explain that all I wanted this time is for the cleaner to pick up a copy of the flat key so
the builders can get in to fit the new window.
One little bit of fun I will have before I go is to clear an area around each window
to allow the work to be done. The flat is tiny and moving stuff generally means another bit of the flat gets full. Particular fun will be working out how to let them get to the bedroom window as the bed (which is on stilts) is the size of the room and blocks the window pretty well. looks like I will have to leave that as a bit of an obstacle course
so It's 50/50 that by the time I get back my flat will be
a) still there
b) water tight (why do they want to pick the wettest month of the year)
c) have full set of new windows
The whole property is now covered in scaffolding to allow the builders access and bits of blue netting, no idea about the netting perhaps its for catching fish if we get alot of flooding!
In a typical bit of timing, I won't be there as I'm off skiing next week, with my collection of knee supports, so I'll have to sort a way of allowing the builders access.
This means I'm back in communication with the flat management company again and they started this time with a new approach to confuse, saying, when I told them my address, that they no longer manage the property!
But I'm used to them by now and such a simple attempt to confuse didn't work. After a bit of convincing that they did still look after the flats I managed to explain that all I wanted this time is for the cleaner to pick up a copy of the flat key so
the builders can get in to fit the new window.
One little bit of fun I will have before I go is to clear an area around each window
to allow the work to be done. The flat is tiny and moving stuff generally means another bit of the flat gets full. Particular fun will be working out how to let them get to the bedroom window as the bed (which is on stilts) is the size of the room and blocks the window pretty well. looks like I will have to leave that as a bit of an obstacle course
so It's 50/50 that by the time I get back my flat will be
a) still there
b) water tight (why do they want to pick the wettest month of the year)
c) have full set of new windows
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Review of the Year!
Well so what happened in 2008. this year I've decided to use the status history from facebook to tell the tale...
26/12/2008 David a proud user of the Force since 1977. 13:21
23/12/2008 David has got Christmas in his rucksac. Heavy! 11:07
17/12/2008 David is thinking how much worse his head would be if we'd have found the sambucca. 11:16
12/12/2008 David is having the boys over. 16:09
28/11/2008 David is wrapping. 15:41
26/11/2008 David is starting a new project at work that he might call Customisation. It's got Aspects in it! 09:54
23/11/2008 David just gone all retro at a Carter USM and EMF gig. Ooh my knees! 00:01
20/11/2008 David has the distinct feeling that he's missing something. 17:13
19/11/2008 David is having a cup of tea. 16:19
14/11/2008 David is wondering what to do this weekend without being organised by a tour guide. 15:31
11/11/2008 David has returned with the Sun. 08:03
06/11/2008 David is in the warmth in Turkey. Nice! 15:50
03/11/2008 David has left the country. 10:17
24/10/2008 David is neutrally buoyant. 17:37
15/10/2008 David has paused. 13:12
13/10/2008 David is pondering hot beverages. 17:53
09/10/2008 David is having his credit crunch with chips and a cold beer. 12:16
04/10/2008 David is looking for to a long long sleep after being awake since Friday morning. 21:54
03/10/2008 David is helping out. 17:31
28/09/2008 David has just got around to doing some spring cleaning . 21:49
25/09/2008 David has been to the apple store and wasn't amused. at least the iPhone is working again. 00:03
14/09/2008 David is watching Where Eagles Dare again. Ah the snow and the music! 20:38
13/09/2008 David has got his suit out of storage. 07:54
05/09/2008 David is multiplatformed. 17:02
19/08/2008 David is looking for his badself. It's festival time!!!!! 13:43
07/08/2008 David is in need of beer. fortunatly its the beer festival tomorrow. Yarp! 17:22
31/07/2008 David is oh dear... 18:46
24/07/2008 David has crossed the Alps and met the French... 17:31
09/07/2008 David can hear the theme to 'Where Eagles Dare'. Yes he's heading for the mountains. 16:37
01/07/2008 David but it's a dry heat... 14:14
29/06/2008 David is a beening an Uncle...Chocolate! 09:49
20/06/2008 David is moving office and hoping it will go better than last time... 10:54
13/06/2008 David is wishing everything would come with chips. 12:01
02/06/2008 David has been fighting with little paint pellets. 10:42
23/05/2008 David is not in at the moment but if you would like to leave a message after the tone... 16:11
22/05/2008 David is keeping his mouth shut and trying not to get fired. 16:00
14/05/2008 David is looking at flats...nice! 18:57
29/04/2008 David is fighting the facebook API. 12:00
23/04/2008 David is chilled after his day off. 11:00
15/04/2008 David likes chips! 10:31
01/04/2008 David is forgot his gym card so he's off to the pub. 17:50
26/03/2008 David is doing some Xmas shopping! 14:55
17/03/2008 David is cursing bloody load balancers. 19:23
09/03/2008 David is back from the skiing and amazingly can still walk. 11:07
29/02/2008 David I'm going skiing...I'm going skiing...I'm going skiing...I'm going skiing... 16:14
17/02/2008 David can nearly smell the snow. 23:31
05/02/2008 David mmm! pancakes! 22:39
30/01/2008 David has seen the weather forcast and brought some more survial gear for his weekend in the mountains. 16:03
29/01/2008 David is working for a livin'. 14:43
22/01/2008 David has got the date for the return to his flat its the 18th Feb! 09:14
09/01/2008 David hears the pub a callin'. 17:56
26/12/2008 David a proud user of the Force since 1977. 13:21
23/12/2008 David has got Christmas in his rucksac. Heavy! 11:07
17/12/2008 David is thinking how much worse his head would be if we'd have found the sambucca. 11:16
12/12/2008 David is having the boys over. 16:09
28/11/2008 David is wrapping. 15:41
26/11/2008 David is starting a new project at work that he might call Customisation. It's got Aspects in it! 09:54
23/11/2008 David just gone all retro at a Carter USM and EMF gig. Ooh my knees! 00:01
20/11/2008 David has the distinct feeling that he's missing something. 17:13
19/11/2008 David is having a cup of tea. 16:19
14/11/2008 David is wondering what to do this weekend without being organised by a tour guide. 15:31
11/11/2008 David has returned with the Sun. 08:03
06/11/2008 David is in the warmth in Turkey. Nice! 15:50
03/11/2008 David has left the country. 10:17
24/10/2008 David is neutrally buoyant. 17:37
15/10/2008 David has paused. 13:12
13/10/2008 David is pondering hot beverages. 17:53
09/10/2008 David is having his credit crunch with chips and a cold beer. 12:16
04/10/2008 David is looking for to a long long sleep after being awake since Friday morning. 21:54
03/10/2008 David is helping out. 17:31
28/09/2008 David has just got around to doing some spring cleaning . 21:49
25/09/2008 David has been to the apple store and wasn't amused. at least the iPhone is working again. 00:03
14/09/2008 David is watching Where Eagles Dare again. Ah the snow and the music! 20:38
13/09/2008 David has got his suit out of storage. 07:54
05/09/2008 David is multiplatformed. 17:02
19/08/2008 David is looking for his badself. It's festival time!!!!! 13:43
07/08/2008 David is in need of beer. fortunatly its the beer festival tomorrow. Yarp! 17:22
31/07/2008 David is oh dear... 18:46
24/07/2008 David has crossed the Alps and met the French... 17:31
09/07/2008 David can hear the theme to 'Where Eagles Dare'. Yes he's heading for the mountains. 16:37
01/07/2008 David but it's a dry heat... 14:14
29/06/2008 David is a beening an Uncle...Chocolate! 09:49
20/06/2008 David is moving office and hoping it will go better than last time... 10:54
13/06/2008 David is wishing everything would come with chips. 12:01
02/06/2008 David has been fighting with little paint pellets. 10:42
23/05/2008 David is not in at the moment but if you would like to leave a message after the tone... 16:11
22/05/2008 David is keeping his mouth shut and trying not to get fired. 16:00
14/05/2008 David is looking at flats...nice! 18:57
29/04/2008 David is fighting the facebook API. 12:00
23/04/2008 David is chilled after his day off. 11:00
15/04/2008 David likes chips! 10:31
01/04/2008 David is forgot his gym card so he's off to the pub. 17:50
26/03/2008 David is doing some Xmas shopping! 14:55
17/03/2008 David is cursing bloody load balancers. 19:23
09/03/2008 David is back from the skiing and amazingly can still walk. 11:07
29/02/2008 David I'm going skiing...I'm going skiing...I'm going skiing...I'm going skiing... 16:14
17/02/2008 David can nearly smell the snow. 23:31
05/02/2008 David mmm! pancakes! 22:39
30/01/2008 David has seen the weather forcast and brought some more survial gear for his weekend in the mountains. 16:03
29/01/2008 David is working for a livin'. 14:43
22/01/2008 David has got the date for the return to his flat its the 18th Feb! 09:14
09/01/2008 David hears the pub a callin'. 17:56
Monday, December 29, 2008
I bet I got a better Xmas pressie than you!
OK I think this will beat all comers, because for Christmas this year I got ... the INTERNET, yeah the whole INTERNET.
Talk about amazing, take a look at the picture for proof.
And the thing I think is most amazing and you just don't realise until you hold it is how light it is.
Thanks to Claire, Ed and My Dad, Brilliant!
Friday, December 05, 2008
Xmas Party
Yesterday was the Christmas Party.
The theme this time round was 'seedy chic' No idea what that looks like so I went in a black suit and shirt. Still I don't think many other people knew what it was either. The costumes ranged from country gentlemen, to playboy bunny, to father Xmas and Rod Stewart.
It was quite a quiet affair (well no not quiet, the music was loud just that not much gossip worthy happened) but we still managed to drink the 6000 GBP bar tab in a couple of hours.
Had a look at most of the picture taken and nothing embarrassing there...which is good!
The theme this time round was 'seedy chic' No idea what that looks like so I went in a black suit and shirt. Still I don't think many other people knew what it was either. The costumes ranged from country gentlemen, to playboy bunny, to father Xmas and Rod Stewart.
It was quite a quiet affair (well no not quiet, the music was loud just that not much gossip worthy happened) but we still managed to drink the 6000 GBP bar tab in a couple of hours.
Had a look at most of the picture taken and nothing embarrassing there...which is good!
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
One Year
Hurrah
Managed a whole year in this current job.
I think it's secure in this current economic climate but I thought the last one was secure as well!
Focus for next year will be learning the latest versions of all the technologies I use (mostly Microsoft C# 3.5) and not getting in too many arguements with the management.
Managed a whole year in this current job.
I think it's secure in this current economic climate but I thought the last one was secure as well!
Focus for next year will be learning the latest versions of all the technologies I use (mostly Microsoft C# 3.5) and not getting in too many arguements with the management.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
A top time in turkey
After the disaster the was last years trip to Rhodes (so bad I couldn't face blogging about it) this year I went to Turkey for a week and had a brilliant time!
The rule at work is that you have to use all your holiday days before the last calendar day of the year. So I found that I had 7.5 days left and so needed to take a break or lose the benefit (the current company is OK but I wouldn't go so far as to give them another weeks worth of work for free).
So I had to find something to do and after a bit of a hunt round to find a early ski holiday I went a bit random and book a adventure trip to the Daylan part of Turkey.
I book through a company called SpeedBreaks and for a very reasonable price of less than 500 GBP. The trip included
Sea Kayaking (quite tiring fighting the tides but nice and calm)
Canyoning (climbing over rocks and jumping in pools)
Trekking (quite a long hard walk finished off with a nice swim in the sea)
Water Rafting (grade 3-4 bonkers! very gung ho, nearly turned the whole boat over (had it on its side) but a brilliant time was had by all)
and of course Drinking beer
The holiday was arranged for single travellers with about a 50/50 male/female split also nobody knew anybody but in the end we all got on well and had a great laugh. I, like most of the others on the trip where a bit worried about being with a complete bunch of strangers but the whole thing was so well organised and the locals very nice so we were at our ease from the start.
It's a great time to go that bit of the world (its the end of their tourist season so the place is really quiet) as its nice and sunny, not too hot and a great deal better than the rain and the cold that we left in the UK.
Now what to do with the day and a half I've got left...
The rule at work is that you have to use all your holiday days before the last calendar day of the year. So I found that I had 7.5 days left and so needed to take a break or lose the benefit (the current company is OK but I wouldn't go so far as to give them another weeks worth of work for free).
So I had to find something to do and after a bit of a hunt round to find a early ski holiday I went a bit random and book a adventure trip to the Daylan part of Turkey.
I book through a company called SpeedBreaks and for a very reasonable price of less than 500 GBP. The trip included
Sea Kayaking (quite tiring fighting the tides but nice and calm)
Canyoning (climbing over rocks and jumping in pools)
Trekking (quite a long hard walk finished off with a nice swim in the sea)
Water Rafting (grade 3-4 bonkers! very gung ho, nearly turned the whole boat over (had it on its side) but a brilliant time was had by all)
and of course Drinking beer
The holiday was arranged for single travellers with about a 50/50 male/female split also nobody knew anybody but in the end we all got on well and had a great laugh. I, like most of the others on the trip where a bit worried about being with a complete bunch of strangers but the whole thing was so well organised and the locals very nice so we were at our ease from the start.
It's a great time to go that bit of the world (its the end of their tourist season so the place is really quiet) as its nice and sunny, not too hot and a great deal better than the rain and the cold that we left in the UK.
Now what to do with the day and a half I've got left...
Meeting the famous
Well Wallace and Gromit and that's soooo cool!
The people from Aardman visited the office to talk about the creative process and brought some examples. Well I think that's why they were there. For me and it seems most of the others it was just a chance to hold Wallace and Gromit and get your picture taken!
It was brill and a major case of child like giddyness affected everyone there.
The people from Aardman visited the office to talk about the creative process and brought some examples. Well I think that's why they were there. For me and it seems most of the others it was just a chance to hold Wallace and Gromit and get your picture taken!
It was brill and a major case of child like giddyness affected everyone there.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Replacement iPhone
WTF I mean WTF!!!
The new iPhone not more than a few weeks old has died on me!
Last Friday I was just accessing the calculator (I was doing my tax return, fun eh!) and it crashed and wouldn't come back to life. It's not like I was even doing something very unusual, the calculator app is one that comes with the phone and not some dodgy bit of software I downloaded.
Now this is quite a problem for me as I currently have no other way of staying contactable. I don't have a land line in the flat since the British Telecom farrago last year. so having it crash at 3 pm on a Friday is a bit of issue.
OK, not war and famine scale issue but still annoying.
So fortunately the apple store is a couple of streets away from work and so it was straight back around there to sort this latest out. The process was pretty much the same as the last time with people not quite believing me, pressing buttons, then giving up and handing me on to the next person.
In the end, what they call a 'Genius' called Judith give me a new phone and a short lecture on backing things up.
I got most of my settings back when I sync'd the new phone to itunes so and was able to meet up with my friends at the weekend. A lovely little trip to one of the City Farms where we found a eating place to rival the best in the area.
Its been three days now and the phone is still working but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
The new iPhone not more than a few weeks old has died on me!
Last Friday I was just accessing the calculator (I was doing my tax return, fun eh!) and it crashed and wouldn't come back to life. It's not like I was even doing something very unusual, the calculator app is one that comes with the phone and not some dodgy bit of software I downloaded.
Now this is quite a problem for me as I currently have no other way of staying contactable. I don't have a land line in the flat since the British Telecom farrago last year. so having it crash at 3 pm on a Friday is a bit of issue.
OK, not war and famine scale issue but still annoying.
So fortunately the apple store is a couple of streets away from work and so it was straight back around there to sort this latest out. The process was pretty much the same as the last time with people not quite believing me, pressing buttons, then giving up and handing me on to the next person.
In the end, what they call a 'Genius' called Judith give me a new phone and a short lecture on backing things up.
I got most of my settings back when I sync'd the new phone to itunes so and was able to meet up with my friends at the weekend. A lovely little trip to one of the City Farms where we found a eating place to rival the best in the area.
Its been three days now and the phone is still working but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Windows and Boilers
I sorta fixed the boiler by switching thermostat and fuses around so its half working. I'm getting the top element working but that's fine as its a big boiler.
I won't know more until I can get some more fuses. For some reason the thick cartridge fused that go in the fuse box are not easy to come by in central London, even in hardware shops (the temptation to say 'fork handles' was almost overwhelming!).
On the good news front. I got a knock on the door the other morning before I left for work. It was the building manager to say we are getting brand new windows put in, hopefully before Xmas. So that should be nice, warm and add to the value of the flat. Checking back we've been paying into the window fund quarterly for 3 years so that's one bill I'm glad to see go.
I won't know more until I can get some more fuses. For some reason the thick cartridge fused that go in the fuse box are not easy to come by in central London, even in hardware shops (the temptation to say 'fork handles' was almost overwhelming!).
On the good news front. I got a knock on the door the other morning before I left for work. It was the building manager to say we are getting brand new windows put in, hopefully before Xmas. So that should be nice, warm and add to the value of the flat. Checking back we've been paying into the window fund quarterly for 3 years so that's one bill I'm glad to see go.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Bloody Boiler!
Unbelievable I definitely think my flat is out to get me and knows I've put it up for sale.
It now appears that the boiler has stopped working at some point during the weekend. I was so bombed out from being up all night on Friday I didn't really notice until I tried to get a shave on Monday morning.
Fortunately I don't need hot water for my heating or washing clothes just for the bath and doing the dishes. So I've been to the gym (as they have OK showers) and not eaten in. If it really has broken then I'm going to have to get a new one and that will invalidate my HIP energy certification (and cost 250 GBP to get a new one) and my HIP is really the only reason the flat is still on the market.
So I'm growing a beard again!
Aaahhh!
It now appears that the boiler has stopped working at some point during the weekend. I was so bombed out from being up all night on Friday I didn't really notice until I tried to get a shave on Monday morning.
Fortunately I don't need hot water for my heating or washing clothes just for the bath and doing the dishes. So I've been to the gym (as they have OK showers) and not eaten in. If it really has broken then I'm going to have to get a new one and that will invalidate my HIP energy certification (and cost 250 GBP to get a new one) and my HIP is really the only reason the flat is still on the market.
So I'm growing a beard again!
Aaahhh!
Monday, October 06, 2008
Oktoberfest
I did some thing slightly crazy at the weekend (only slightly crazy)
I helped out at the SCIFI London Oktoberfest all-nighter, which is where alots of fans of anime, zombies and really bad movies (plan 9 bad) stay up all night and watch films and drink lots of red bull. I helped with the handing out of the red bull and ice cream. I got to watch a couple of the MST3K movies and a very very bad scifi movie Xmas special, which with the lack of sleep seriously messed with my head.
I got back to the flat about 10ish on Saturday morning and then did nothing complicated the rest of the weekend.
I helped out at the SCIFI London Oktoberfest all-nighter, which is where alots of fans of anime, zombies and really bad movies (plan 9 bad) stay up all night and watch films and drink lots of red bull. I helped with the handing out of the red bull and ice cream. I got to watch a couple of the MST3K movies and a very very bad scifi movie Xmas special, which with the lack of sleep seriously messed with my head.
I got back to the flat about 10ish on Saturday morning and then did nothing complicated the rest of the weekend.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Land Registry - WTF!
I don't know what it is about my flat but nobody seems to be able to manage the accounts correctly. After the saga a couple of years ago about a missing payment which I had paid, I could prove I had paid and the management company didn't believe me for the best part of two years.
Now for some reason my parents names have been registered on my flat as the owners!
The management company, and its a different lot from last time, say they did a land registry search on the flat and it came back with my parents names as the owners.
Huh!
So they closed my account opened one in my parents names and sent them a demand for payments because no one was paying into the new account. This is because I was still paying in to the closed account by standing order and they were letting me! So they sent a arrears demand for non payment which when we found out about this and I rang them up.
'Hello, what are you doing?'
'We did a search on the property and your parents are the legal owners.'
'No they are not and have never been connected with my flat in any way.'
The one exception being I used their address as a billing address while I was letting the flat out
'Well you will have to talk to the land registry and get it fix, We need a correct land registry form to change our accounts'
'OK can I have a copy of the land registry found you have then'
'Certainly I'll email it over'
'Cool'
.
.
.
.
'Er this is a search done on my parents property and not my flat!'
'Oh'
Honestly this is just one of the reasons why I want to sell my flat because I think its been cursed by the daemon of poor administration.
Now for some reason my parents names have been registered on my flat as the owners!
The management company, and its a different lot from last time, say they did a land registry search on the flat and it came back with my parents names as the owners.
Huh!
So they closed my account opened one in my parents names and sent them a demand for payments because no one was paying into the new account. This is because I was still paying in to the closed account by standing order and they were letting me! So they sent a arrears demand for non payment which when we found out about this and I rang them up.
'Hello, what are you doing?'
'We did a search on the property and your parents are the legal owners.'
'No they are not and have never been connected with my flat in any way.'
The one exception being I used their address as a billing address while I was letting the flat out
'Well you will have to talk to the land registry and get it fix, We need a correct land registry form to change our accounts'
'OK can I have a copy of the land registry found you have then'
'Certainly I'll email it over'
'Cool'
.
.
.
.
'Er this is a search done on my parents property and not my flat!'
'Oh'
Honestly this is just one of the reasons why I want to sell my flat because I think its been cursed by the daemon of poor administration.
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