Scents of Direction

	Scents of Direction


	This is what I think...


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	Friday, March 31, 2006 Feeling much better now, work is still busy but it's all under control (just). I've been making a bit of an effort to keep the house a bit tidier recently, I am one of the most messy people in the world (second only to Mrs T!), the house is always a bit of a tip and weekends are usually a medley of cleaning and tidying with an air of begrudging acceptance. I figure that it's silly wasting the biggest section of our free-time just to save a little bit of effort each evening. My dad always used to say "You get more out of life by putting more in" or something like that. I think he's probably right. - Steve, 5:17 PM, Wednesday, March 29, 2006 Stressed. Out. Everything is a huge effort at the moment, it's a bit like wading through deep water; you get there in the end but it's hard and almost not worth the effort. I'm really having trouble concentrating because there is a lot of work stuff to do at any one time and I'm much better concentrating on a single problem until it's solved. Multi-tasking isn't a strong point of mine and nor is delegation, come to me with a problem and I'll fix it but come to me with ten questions and I'll probably just stare into space for a while. I think it's time to move on from this job (I've been saying that for ages), it's not that I don't like it... I think I may have outgrown it. Deep down I think I'm still here because of the generous company car allowance and that can't be a good thing, can it? - Steve, 8:49 PM, Thursday, March 23, 2006 PXN8 is really good, on-line photo editing and then straight into Flickr (if you want), excellent - Steve, 4:47 PM, Sunday, March 19, 2006 Today is the day I re-start dieting and exercising, I hadn't planned on it being today but it just feels like it's time. I plan for regular updates here - Steve, 12:56 PM, Saturday, March 18, 2006 She brings the evidence home to you without even knowing it giving you the instant information you need to deal with an impossible situation - Steve, 11:40 PM, Wednesday, March 15, 2006 Arse. Laptop crashed this morning and it's starting to look like all my emails are lost. I use Outlook, my Outlook.pst file is empty (0 bytes). I think that it was possibly corrupt and either Chkdsk or the "Inbox Repair Tool" (scanpst) has deleted all the data when trying to repair it. People more clever than myself need to have a look at it but I fear my email may be gone for ever. I've not been good at backing up email... there is a whole lot of stuff missing (every fax I have ever received, phone bills, orders....) - Steve, 4:08 PM, It's been a bit quiet on the posting front lately because, as usual, work is getting in the way. I would much rather be busy than not have enough to do, at the moment I'm very busy but I just don't think I'm achieving as much as I could/should. The problem is that I'm working with a new project and I feel a bit of pressure to conform to the 9am - 5pm working hours and I'm just don't seem to be at my best during that time. I might wake up in the morning raring to go, but by the time I've spent a couple of hours on the M42 I start to lose my organisational Mojo. I work well in the evenings and at night when everyone else has gone to bed, I stayed in a hotel on Monday night and worked all evening (apart from a trip to Dominos...) and got loads done. I just wish people would realise that just because someone isn't sat at a desk in front of you doesn't mean that they aren't hard at work and getting results. - Steve, 1:13 PM, Friday, March 10, 2006 Image033 Originally uploaded by Saturner. After a long day at work this really helps to unwind... - Steve, 9:43 PM, Wednesday, March 08, 2006 It's great being able to have mp3 files as ring tones, I have Airwolf and the Kiaora advert (it's too orangey for Crows...) in stict rotation. My cow-orkers must hate me. - Steve, 10:48 PM, Sunday, March 05, 2006 Went Ice Skating today for the first time in ages, I used to go occasionally years ago but I was never all that committed (or much good at it). Clare used to skate all the time and even played Hockey for the local ladies team but neither of us have been on the ice since some time before we were married. We took Georgia with us for her first attempt and it was all a bit of a let-down in the end. Now, I have my own skates but I bought them shortly before I stopped skating and they have been in the wardrobe since then, Clare and Georgia hired skates. My skates seriously need breaking in, they were giving me cramp in the arch of my foot (feet, actually) and the hockey skates Clare hired were so blunt that they were practically useless. My skating was a cross between pain induced limping and that ice scene in Bambi, Clare couldn't make much progress and Georgia couldn't stand (which is to be expected). Even so, I think I fancy having another go at it but I need to break my skates in and I think Mrs T would like to buy herself a new pair. It was also a bit too busy at the Milton Keynes rink to teach a tot to skate, I think we'll do it again but with a little more planning next time. Should be good exercise if nothing else... - Steve, 3:47 PM, Image027 Originally uploaded by Saturner. Can you guess where I'm going today? - Steve, 12:06 PM, Saturday, March 04, 2006 I just paid a visit to the local Co-Op to procure a "value" bottle of red wine for tonight, a good chance to sample some of the alcohol fueled local hoodies while I was there. The thing about living round here is that most of the kids are pretty well off, quite a few of the houses are nudging the £400k mark (not ours...) so they might look and sound like the hoodies from the council estate but I'm convinced they are even more harmless. Outside the shop I was "chatting" to a couple of pissed 15 year old girls, inside I was queuing behind a couple of even more pissed lads (they didn't look old enough to me but they did produce ID when asked). These two were staggering all over the place but still spent another £34 on alcohol! It was all very good natured and I found them amusing enough for me to join in with their banter... so why am I a little despondent now? See, there I am with a bottle of £2.99 wine and I'm searching the shelves for something cheaper (don't get me wrong, I'm not at the Lambrini stage just yet...) but these two are blowing a shed load of cash and they aren't even going to enjoy it! Then, when I walk back to my car one of the girls calls me "Sir". I'm instantly feeling old for the first time I can remember. I'm a few months away from my 30th, that makes me in my twenties! I'm not old enough to be called Sir by anyone. So, to make myself feel better I played a bit of Alex Party a bit too loud and left the carpark with a modest wheel-spin. It occurred to me after all of 10 seconds that this lot might never have heard "Don't give me your life" and that I'm driving a diesel powered semi-stately saloon car... It was right at this moment that I realised that I had become "The embarrassing Dad". - Steve, 9:46 PM, I've not been working at home much recently as I've been on a new project which is very busy and has demanded much office time. The side effect of all this is that I've started getting used to getting up early again, so much so that this morning I was downstairs getting my coffee on at 7.30am and it's Saturday! If only I had actually done something between that point and now I would have been basking in the glow of a productive morning. I suppose it's not all bad; I put the washing machine on and made toast (two different processes of course) and in a little while I might have a bath. One thing I might do is have a shave, I think it's time this beard went. Flikr photoset of progress may follow. - Steve, 12:25 PM, Friday, March 03, 2006 It's simple; switch your music player of choice to random then list and describe the first 25 tracks it plays. (you know, that thing wot Pete did) My player is iTunes my tracks are: Your Love gets Sweeter Finley Quaye Maverick a Strike Ahhh, this takes me back. Back to before I was married, back to the time when Clare and I were living together but before we got our own place. Back to the days before random drug and alcohol testing were part of my working life. Back to recreational smoking really. Cursum Perfectico Enya Sounds a lot like other Enya tracks, I always like 'em but I'm never in the mood for 'em. This is actually a favourite. Madworld Forever DJ BC and the Beastles Hmm, not on heavy rotation. Never really worked out for me, could be because it's a poor quality mp3 Today was a good day Ice Cube Any day when you don't have to use your AK is a good day, even in rural Oxfordshire. One vision Queen Live Magic I'm fourteen again, I'm in my bedroom, I'm a geek. If you could read my mind Gordon Lightfoot Songbook Well, it's Trigger Happy TV. I actually think I could sing this song myself, never going to happen (at least not when anyone else is around) I'm not afraid Jill Scott Beautifully Human Ohhh, love it! Middle of the night, on my own, deserted city streets, driving slowly in a very clean car. everyday I love you less and less Kaiser Chiefs M6 toll road, 50 miles left to go, late already... this is gonna get me there. Bohemia M People Fresco Another one that I like but never listen to, odd really. Who's the Mack Ice Cube Nah, quite crap really. Did I ever like this one? Aint talkin bout dub Apollo 440 Yeah, this is still good. Takes me back to WH Smith, I think I worked there when it came out P.I.M.P 50 cent feat Snoop Teasers Bar in Amsterdam, stag night, boobies. Fade to Black Metallica I love it, just great. Not a track I've had for a long time, but so far so good. Rivers of Babylon Boney M Why is this in here? It's alright, everyone knows it... Enter Sandman Metallica Rock! Yeah, an all time favourite this one. I remember the first time I heard it; I was camping with some friends, hot chicks were playing this in the early hours. 99 Problems Jay-Z That whole Rock/Rap thing has never really grabbed me, although Eminem and Kid Rock did a good one once. No where to run to Martha and the Vandellas It's on the soundtrack to Good Morning Vietnam, I love it. Memories of being about 18 and having the freedom and cash to see a bit of life now and again. No Walls Boomclick Ace! Reminds me of that bit of the M6 between the M42 and Fort Dunlop, at night... not sure why. Will You Hazel O'Connor Lovely, always liked this. A proper classic as I never get bored of it, I just get it. She's talking about me you know? How you remind me Nickleback That bloke with the funny name, great voice but girlie hair. Jesus Walks Kanye West College Dropout Big fan of Kanye West, this one is good but possibly overplayed in the past, needs a rest. Chemo Limo Regina Spektor Soviet Kitch The most played track on my iTunes, I love it. I need more stuff like this in my life. You don't bring me flowers Neil Diamond and Barbara Streisand Ahem, well yeah, it's good. I like Neil Diamond... next! Cross my mind Jill Scott Beautifully Human Late Saturday night, big glass of red, feet up. Aint got no - I got life Nina Simone I don't think there is anything else you can do in 2m16s that will make you feel as good as this does. So there you go, fancy having a crack at it yourself? - Steve, 7:51 PM, Thursday, March 02, 2006 The leadership race in the Liberal Democrat party ends round about now, it's been on the news all day. It's a little like holding a beauty contest in Bristol; you'll obviously get a winner, but at the end of the day... well, meh. - Steve, 3:03 PM, Wednesday, March 01, 2006 At the petrol station at Warwick Services this morning I was queuing up at the Coffee Nation machine* behind a chap who received his coffee and stood there drinking some of it before moving out of the way so I could use the machine. You are not sampling the wine list at La Trompette, you have three choices: Latte, Cappuccino and Americano; I known from experience that you won't be able to tell the difference between them so just get back in your Mondeo and go. * There are two machines there but they always seem to make sure that one is being cleaned during rush-hour. If I was in charge I would probably do the same... - Steve, 12:57 PM,


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