Scents of Direction

	Scents of Direction


	This is what I think...


	< oxford blog > Blogger


	Friday, December 19, 2003 I'm not sure why this made me laugh... "The Exeter University student, from Woodford Green, also admitted unauthorised modification of a computer at a previous hearing. " Unauthorised modification of a computer? - Steve, 10:08 AM, Thursday, December 18, 2003 I really, really need a 17 inch wonder in my life. How about you? - Steve, 10:59 AM, Wednesday, December 17, 2003 Oxford is the worst city in the country for shopping. No arguments from me on this score; if you want good shopping then go to Milton Keynes, if you want a nice "proper" city with history then get yourself to Oxford. - Steve, 4:22 PM, It's subjective, but 100 years isn't a really long time is it? I find it amazing that it is only 100 years since the first, 12 second long, flight in an aircraft. See BBC News story It blows my mind that all the passenger jets and fighters have developed in such a short space of time. - Steve, 4:07 PM, I used the M6 Toll Road for the first time yesterday (twice actually), I'm really impressed with it because for my outlay of £4 I saved at least 2 hours of my own time which I would have spent stuck in traffic. There are plenty of people whinging about it, saying that they pay enough tax for it to be free, but that isn't really the point. There is a perfectly good Motorway for you to use (a little crowded maybe) but if you are willing to pay a premium you can miss the busy section. I won't use it all the time; I don't mind being stuck in traffic on the way to work when it is someone else's time, but I don't want to spend my evenings stuck in a queue when I could be at home. Toll roads are not the enemy, the biggest enemy is the crap (and bloody expensive) public transport system in this country and then the fuel prices. - Steve, 3:56 PM, Thursday, December 11, 2003 Big news: According to one of the finer products from the Clearblue stable; Clare and I are going to be parents again this Summer. This is good news! Although this was planned, the decision was only made very recently and to have a positive result this month is a bit of a surprise and must be due to some really "good timing". So, I'm a little shell shocked at the moment. I've got a whole lot of stuff I need to get sorted sharpish and this will give me the incentive to start the conversations (at work). - Steve, 4:12 PM, Monday, December 08, 2003 Working in Crewe today which is all good, except for the 130 mile drive and 5am start to get to the office. I found that if it is a few hours before dawn and I'm enjoying a combination of Monday Blues and a Caffeine Buzz on the M6, then the Massive Attack Blue Lines album hits the spot just right... - Steve, 8:39 AM, Thursday, December 04, 2003 You know at the end of the day when you start closing down all the applications you have open and one of them asks: Are you sure you want to quit? You're not supposed to spend the next 10 minutes thinking about your future in your job, are you? - Steve, 4:45 PM, Mr Tim O'Tei, I hope you're reading! I don't care if it's developed in the Laboratoir Grundon, I don't give a toss if it utilises the latest in Opel Vectra Technologies, I'm not interested in it's extracts of HoHoHoBah! Please, just put the word "Shampoo" on the bottle somewhere, and not just in the small print! Like most males who are unlucky enough to share a bathroom with a female, the place looks like this to me. It's probably early in the morning, dark, I'm getting wet and I don't have my glasses on, it shouldn't take 10 minutes to decide which bottle will clean my hair and which will turn me orange (or whatever the rest of those bottles actually do) Fructis? Yeah, that's just what I thought.. - Steve, 11:31 AM, Wednesday, December 03, 2003 You know, every time I listen to the news and they talk about "Rebel MPs" I just can't help thinking about this guy. You would be hard pushed to describe any MPs as "Street Tuff"... maybe Blunkett, but that's about it.. - Steve, 10:33 AM, Tuesday, December 02, 2003 This new legislation spurred me on to getting a Nokia car kit fitted to my car last week. It is something that I should have done ages ago because I am in the car quite often and, although I never used the 'phone unless I thought it was safe to do so, I did occasionally use a hand held 'phone while driving. On an average day with no traffic I commute in the car for a total of around 2.5 hours a day, a couple of times a week I work further away and that time increases to around 6 hours a day. I find that with the car kit fitted I use the 'phone more when I'm driving, I believe I am perfectly safe while doing this, I think I am probably more focused on my driving than if I was talking to a passenger in the car with me. I like it when a product works well, the Nokia car kit works very well. I do have the added advantage of the cars stereo interfacing with the car kit too, the volume mutes when the phone rings, the other side of the conversation is broadcase over the car's speakers (8 of them) and the stereo volume control can turn the volume of the phone-call up or down. I don't know how I managed so long without it. - Steve, 1:02 PM, Tuesday, November 25, 2003 Why am I soft in the middle when the rest of my life is so hard? - Steve, 12:48 PM, It's funny isn't it; the way you can tell someone is smiling just by listening to their voice? Like the Sport/News reader on Five Live this morning who said that some footballer or other had been sent off for swearing at the end of a Premier-shit match.. - Steve, 10:36 AM, Monday, November 24, 2003 Next time you get a few moments to yourself have a read of this post from Mo. I've worked in offices where proper stress has been seen as something of a Badge of Honour, If you're not right at breaking point then you're not giving it all you've got. Thankfully that attitude seems to have stayed in the past (in my experience) and a good organisation will put the wellbeing of it's staff first. Suffering from stress isn't a weakness, nor is it something to strive for. - Steve, 11:59 AM, Tuesday, November 11, 2003 Face transplants? wuh? - Steve, 2:06 PM, Monday, November 10, 2003 Motorway drivers listen up! If I'm in Lane Three (or "The Fast Lane") and I'm doing less than the maximum permitted Motorway speed, then the chances are I'm waiting (at a respectful and safe distance) for the car(s) in front of me to move over so I can accelerate past them. Driving two foot from my rear bumper won't make me move over for you, overtaking me on the inside will make me want to track you down and do something unpleasant to you. If the road in front of me is clear I will be in Lane One and if the conditions are right, I'll probably be going faster than you are anyway. That is all. - Steve, 3:11 PM, We were at a bit of a loose end on Saturday and the weather was really quite pleasant so we decided to visit the Chiltern Sculpture Trail. We've been there before, a few years back now after finding it by accident on the way back to Oxford from the cinema in High Wycombe, we had forgotten all about it until recently though. We do seem to have been doing a lot of walking in the woods recently, there are a few reasons for this: It's free (a prerequisite when it comes to entertainment at the moment) It's exercise (been doing a lot of sitting in cars/behind desks recently) It's a good way to actually see some daylight (there isn't much about you know) Woods are the only places where Georgia prefers to walk, rather than get carried or go in her pushchair. So, back to the point, If you do fancy a Stroll in the woods then I really would recommend this place; the woods themselves are particularly attractive at this time of the year and you've got the added bonus of viewing some pretty interesting works of art on the way round. What more do you need? - Steve, 2:46 PM, Saturday, November 01, 2003 100 things about me: 1. I'm 27 years old 2. I feel older 3. I always have felt (and acted) older than my actual age 4. I grew up in Abingdon, Oxfordshire 5. I lived there for the first 20 years of my life 6. I won't live there again 7. I got married when I was 22 years old 8. I'm still married, and intend to be for some time yet ;-) 9. My wife is four and a bit years older than I am 10. We have a daughter, she's 3 years old 11. I was surprised by just how strong the bond is between parent and child 12. I'm a news geek, I can't go for a whole day without reading, watching or listening to the news. 13. I don't drink enough (I'm not talking alcohol) 14. I've got blonde (ish) hair. 15. It's starting to recede 16. I want to have it shaved off 17. I'm too scared to actually do it 18. I have worked for the same company for 7 years 19. It's a big company with lots of divisions 20. I tend to change jobs every couple of years 21. I have been a "Manager" for 3 years 22. It means very little 23. I'm currently working in the Rail Division 24. I find it very frustrating 25. I drive lots of miles in this job 26. I find driving relaxing 27. I'm passionate about cars 28. Especially minis (proper ones) 29. I have a mini which is the same age as I am 30. I once drove from Amsterdam to Oxford in a mini Cooper, stopping only for fuel and the ferry 31. I am a quarter Scottish 32. I have only been to Scotland once 33. I'm desperate to go back 34. I have never broken any bones 35. I've never had to stay in hospital 36. I don't get ill very often 37. When I do, I want everyone to know about it 38. I worry about death 39. Specifically mine 40. This is a recent thing 41. I'm hoping it will pass 42. I have a Sister and a Brother 43. They are 8 and 6 years older than me respectively 44. Though I love them both, I feel like I have little in common with them. 45. I put it down to the age gap 46. My favourite drink is Red Wine 47. I would never order it in a pub 48. I don't drink alcohol very often 49. I do like drinking though 50. I also like being drunk 51. I don't really suffer from hangovers 52. I've had sex in an old peoples home 53. I have never been bullied 54. Nor have I ever been a Bully 55. People who think they can bully other people really "wind me up" 56. I'm 6 foot tall 57. I'm massive 58. I'm also more hairy than anyone else I have ever met 59. The rest of the males in my family are not particularly tall, big built or hairy 60. I often wonder if I was affected by taking Roacutane (powerful anti-acne steroidy drug thing) in my late teens 61. I worked full time in a pub for six months 62. I left school at 16 and did an apprenticeship 63. I regretted it for a long time, but I think it probably did me some good 64. I've Hiked up Mt Washington in the USA 65. I've been camping in Canada 66. I've Hiked to the top of the highest peaks in England and Wales 67. I've been camping when the temperature outside was minus 15 centigrade 68. I'm scared of Spiders 69. and Snakes 70. I love boats and sailing 71. The only time I have ever been windsurfing was on a day when there was absolutely no wind 72. Being happy doesn't come naturally to me 73. Sometimes I just don't have the energy to try 74. I am useless with money, always have been 75. I lived in Nuneaton for a year 76. I didn't really like it there 77. I used to be jealous of other people most of the time 78. I haven't felt jealous of anyone for years now 79. I have owned two houses (not at the same time) 80. I now rent a house (see #74) 81. I was having "second thoughts" in the months before I got married, I didn't tell anyone 82. They have passed now and we have been happily married for over 4 years. 83. I'm often pathetic 84. and stroppy 85. and oversensitive 86. and hypocritical 87. I like reading 88. I don't like Reading much though 89. I once set a large area of grass-land on fire by accident 90. I've got blue eyes 91. I want to be a Millionaire 92. I'd be broke in a couple of years though 93. I have been sacked from a job once 94. To be fair to them, for a couple of weeks I only turned up to clock in and out. 95. I've become quite interested in Politics 96. I would like to meet Bill Bryson 97. I want a VW Camper Van 98. I have 6 points on my driving licence 99. I seem to be quite good at winning arguments 100. I'm a geek - Steve, 11:35 PM, e spent part of this afternoon walking in the woods around Jarn Mound, a couple of miles outside Oxford. This is definitely the best time of year for a pleasant stroll in the woods, the colours are really striking in the Autumn. Jarn Mound is a man made hill with about 30 steep (and crooked) concrete steps to the top, it should provide some pretty stunning views of the Spires of Oxford but you do tend to find that the trees get in the way a bit, I'll try again in the winter! The mound and the Wild Gardens at the bottom were built (or commissioned) by the archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans. It's worth a look if you are ever passing.. - Steve, 5:52 PM, Friday, October 10, 2003 I stopped for lunch in a local layby (classy, eh?) next to where a new housing estate is being built. I was watching one of the builders laying bricks near the roof level of one of the part built houses, I was surprised by just how many bricks the guy laid (is that the correct term?) in the 30 minutes or so I was watching. I found myself feeling quite jealous, partly because he was working outside and I was on my way to a badly lit office, and partly because he could see the results of his work taking shape right there infront of him. It's the problem I have with modern project work, especially large projects, it's hard to gauge the progress being made by the project as a whole and specifically by your own personal input. I need to see results in a way that I can take in otherwise I just don't get a sense of achievement from it. I suppose this is the reason why I like cleaning really dirty cars, or hoovering a really dusty carpet or gutting long grass, the result is right there at the moment you put the effort in. - Steve, 4:16 PM, Tuesday, October 07, 2003 On Friday I had to visit two different petrol stations in two different parts of the country, once was for diesel and then later on for a sandwich and a Coke. As I stood in the queue in the first garage the two staff behind the counter (both female, mid twenties) were discussing their nights out the previous evening, one of them commented that she was disappointed that she hadn't "got laid" and that this was because "he got pissed and then had a fucking go at me in the pub". An interesting conversation, but one that would have been better to have when there weren't four customers stood two foot away from you (in my opinion of course). The next garage was 100 miles North, staffed by two middle-aged women. This time there wasn't a queue and I paid for my items with cash. I was quite surprised when between the point of the cashier opening the till and taking my change out, and actually giving me my change, she had a conversation with her colleague about how busy it had been that morning! I had to wait for her to finish before she handed me my money and the receipt. Two examples of really poor customer service that are pretty much commonplace now. It's a pity that when National Service was abolished, it wasn't replaced by a National Customer Service where everyone would learn the basics of reasonable customer care. It would make (this part of) the World a better place I'm sure. - Steve, 5:00 PM, So the Russian Roulette stunt might have been a hoax. It doesn't matter to me, and to be honest I don't really want to know how it was done. As a piece of entertainment (and that's all it was) it was great, I was on the edge of my seat and I felt tension, excitement and even a little fear. You just don't get that from Coronation Street... - Steve, 2:48 PM, I spent yesterday morning/early afternoon working (at home) on an MS Access database and the late afternoon/early evening cleaning the livingroom carpet with one of these. If my life was any more rock-and-roll I'd be burnt out by now. - Steve, 11:22 AM, Wednesday, October 01, 2003 Sometimes all you need is a dimly lit room and a little bit of Ludovico Einaudi* I don't mean an actual physical* bit of him, more like some of his music, although if you can get it... - Steve, 10:59 PM, "For some reason (the boy) came into possession on his way to school of part of a fish - a fish head, which it seems someone gave him," said Mr Ghirardello. It's those damn Herring dealers hanging around the schools again, I told you. - Steve, 10:45 PM, Monday, September 29, 2003 This has got to be my worst nightmare - Steve, 2:27 PM, Monday, September 22, 2003 Last (BA) Concorde tickets now on sale. I always wanted to have a trip on Concorde, I've been on the prototype they have in Duxford but that one stays firmly on the ground. £4k is pretty steep though, especially for a one way trip. Will anyone buy Concorde to fly commercially in the future? (I'm talking to you Mr Branson). - Steve, 3:02 PM, We have had some pretty substantial rain here for the first time in absolutely ages, Autumn is defiantly here. I'm generally not a fan of the darker months, but it seems kind of cosy to be sat in the warm as the wind and rain pummel the windows. Last night I had a craving for a cup of Coco, I don't think I have ever had a cup before in my life. I think the pipe and slippers may not be far away... - Steve, 2:56 PM, Friday, September 19, 2003 I did take last week off and it was great, I really needed a break and a chance to just take it easy. We had a great time in Brussels too, we really could have used a few more days there though. I came back to work on Monday feeling reasonably refreshed, it lasted for a couple of hours. It's been a busy week, on Wednesday I went to a trade exhibition in Manchester (as an exhibitor) it was a good day but I really could have done without getting up at 4.30am to get there. I was in Crewe on Tuesday so I really should have stayed in a hotel in the area, it just didn't occur to me at the time! - Steve, 2:46 PM, Wednesday, September 03, 2003 This would be my dream car, I've been facinated by amphibious vehicles for ages but this could be the start of a whole new breed. - Steve, 2:56 PM, Monday, September 01, 2003 I'm still around, I just seem to be having a really busy time at work recently. I'm not getting time to read (or write) blogs at work and I just can't face sitting in front of a screen when I get home, I'm sure you can understand where I'm coming from. So news in brief then: Working hard, almost enjoying it occasionally which is better than it has been for a long time. I've managed to clock-up 6,500 miles in the new car in 4 weeks, most of it work related. At this rate it will be an old shed before too long. Clare is working hard to earn us some extra pennies too, she is working nights at the weekends and as a result is asleep for the daytimes, we are a bit like a divorced couple as we only really see each other to hand Georgia over at the moment. I'm hoping to take next week off as holiday, I have a habit of not using my holiday entitlement and losing it, I'm determined that won't happen this year! The weekend after next will be Georgia's 3rd Birthday (already!) we've decided to fly to Brussels to celebrate. It might be a strange choice to some, but Clare lived there for 8 years and we've had some good times there in the past (ok, well for one long weekend in 1997...) so it seemed fitting somehow. That was less brief than I intended. It's getting late, I've been messing around with MS Access (my favourite!) and making some slow progress, it's time to call it a night. Remind me to blog about history tomorrow... - Steve, 11:39 PM, Wednesday, July 30, 2003 "million" is one of those words that just doesn't look right when written down. - Steve, 5:04 PM, I've often been confused by how much a "billion" really is, is it a thousand millions, or, a million millions? It turns out that there is a French/American definition and an English definition! see here Why didn't I know this before now? - Steve, 5:02 PM, Monday, July 14, 2003 It's really hot today, according to the thermometer on the car it is 31 degrees Centigrade, might not seem high to some people but for cold, wet, rainy Britain it's safe to say it's too hot! - Steve, 4:34 PM, Why is it that most of the people (particularly the Females) who appear on the videos shown on Classic FM TV are so gorgeous? I guess that if you wanted to be a "Pop Star" then a prerequisite would be that you had to be pretty good looking, after all, modern chart music isn't much about the music really, it's more of a marketing exercise. Is the same true of modern classical music? (is that an oxymoron?) I doubt it somehow, so what can it be? Maybe the person playing that Cello in the video isn't actually a musician, maybe they are the music world equivalent of a stunt double. Maybe it's the make-up and the way the video is actually shot... Whatever it is, I think that if you took a random selection of ten [what appear to be] Cello players and compared them to ten "normal people" of the same age etc, then you would find the Cello players much more attractive (this is subjective of course). Why? - Steve, 12:44 PM, Something weird happened this morning... I was getting ready to leave for work when I heard something come through the letterbox, I assumed it was the postman (posting letters through, not actually coming through the letterbox himself, although that would be a better story). When I got to the bottom of the stairs the only thing on the doormat was a plain, blank piece of white A5 paper, nothing else! Someone posted a blank piece of paper through my door and the fact that I'll probably never know why is driving me mad! - Steve, 10:37 AM, Thursday, July 10, 2003 I'll tell you why! I wanted a convertible for ages, finally got myself a nice VW Golf Cabriolet (Well, as a company car...) and then realised that I felt like a complete Twat every time I took the roof down! Some people (like me!) just shouldn't put themselves on display in that way, Cabriolets are for young, attractive, blonde females. Period. - Steve, 3:02 PM, Wednesday, July 02, 2003 Woo! I've just ordered myself a new car! My current company car (Diesel Focus War-horse) was due to be changed ages ago now and it's taken months and months for the company to decide who pays for a new one. I think the problem stems from working for the parent company but being seconded to a smaller division in the wilderness. Anyway, the order is placed and the good news is that the vehicle is in stock at the leasing company, so I should get it next week! I've spent months visiting the showrooms of pretty much every car manufacturer, I eventually had a shortlist of: Mercedes C180 Classic Skoda Octavia vRS Turbo Audi A4 Tdi BMW 320d VW Passat Sport I've chosen the Passat because it really is excellent value for money compared with the others (except the Skoda), I need a fair bit of room too because you can't take a toddler anywhere without a boot load of accessories! So, the Passat Sport Tdi fits the bill, it's got everything I need (plus a 6 speed gearbox?!) and it should be fast and economical. I can't wait! - Steve, 11:09 AM, Tuesday, July 01, 2003 Ohhhhh I'm so tempted to order myself Broadband, I've been trying to convince myself that I really, really need it. So far I'm not totally convinced; I do have a dial-up connection and besides after a hard day at work I often can't face switching a computer on, even if it is for "leisure purposes". But it would be nice to have 500kbs...or 1mbs... - Steve, 4:34 PM, Friday, June 27, 2003 Haven't done a Friday Five for a while and it's Friday today, so.... 1. How are you planning to spend the summer [winter]? (That'll be Summer in my case then) Mostly working, no plans for any holiday abroad this year because we are on the brink of a new phase to our current project at work, it's going to be a busy time. Weekends will be spent relaxing and will hopefully involve a lot of days out in the country or the beach! 2. What was your first summer job? In my early Teens I used to clean the outsides of the Hire Boats on the River Thames for about £2 per hour, very good days indeed! 3. If you could go anywhere this summer [winter], where would you go? Somewhere quiet with good scenery and plenty of water, maybe Scotland or South-West Ireland. 4. What was your worst vacation ever? Never had a bad one really. But just after Christmas 2001 I did manage to get £40,000 worth of 4x4's (2 of 'em), 4 adults, a baby and a dog stuck in a very remote Scottish Peat Bog in sub-zero temperatures. It took an 8 mile walk, several hours, breakdown services and the Newton Stewart Police to rescue the people, extraction of the (company owned) vehicles came a few days later and cost a fortune. It's a story I'll share sometime. 5. What was your best vacation ever? Best was Florida in 1999, Clare and I got married on International Drive and generally had a fantastic time. In 1997 we toured some of Europe in a Mini Cooper with a leaking radiator, that was a laugh (especially Amsterdam!). In 1994 I went to the USA and Canada with the Abingdon Venture Scouts, an absolute blast! - Steve, 2:01 PM, I've just started reading 'Tis by Frank McCourt and it's given me a bit of a dilemma; I'm enjoying the book but as 'Tis is the sequal to Angela's Ashes, which I have not read, should I stop now and read Angela's Ashes first? - Steve, 11:44 AM, I think the best thing about moving back here is that I now get a signal on my mobile phone! You don't realise just how much you rely on your mobile until you can't use it, this is especially true if you need it (constantly) for work. - Steve, 11:34 AM, Well it's all done now! House sold, living back in my home county of Oxfordshire, happy, relaxed, positive... - Steve, 11:27 AM, Monday, June 02, 2003 It's been a month since my last post! I've been meaning to update for ages but things have been a little "difficult" for the last few weeks. The good news is that our impending move back home is still all going ahead, in exactly two weeks time we should be fully loaded onto a lorry and be on our way. The problem is that life seems to pretty much be on hold until we actually move, every single step of the moving process seems to be small and painful but there really is light at the end of the tunnel this time. So many problems should be solved by the end of this Month, our money problems will be resolved, we will have money spare to enjoy ourselves, we'll be living in a nice area, we won't be isolated from family and friends and we will have a modern house that needs no work doing to it. With life seeming pretty bleak until we go, it's tempting to just give up the daily routine and just sit in front of the TV until the removals van arrives... - Steve, 12:09 PM, Wednesday, April 30, 2003 Tomorrow is the first day of May, a pretty significant date for anyone living, working or (more importantly) studying in Oxford. Tomorrow morning there will be massive crowds gathered on Oxford’s Magdalen Bridge as the choir sing in dawn on the first day of spring. I’m going to make an effort to get myself there, despite the hour and a half drive before sunrise. It really is a special experience, always (IMO) good-natured. The pubs all open at 6am too, which is nice! This year strengthening work to the stonework on the bridge has been completed, so the bridge will be open to the public. I believe barriers will be in place to stop people jumping into the (not very deep) river. Have a read of this article for a little background info. - Steve, 1:22 PM, Tuesday, April 22, 2003 We went to a car dealership in Coventry yesterday, this involved travelling for a few junctions on the Coventry Ring Road, what an experience! I think the road must have been designed by the Red Arrows, there is just no other explanation for it's layout! It seems that traffic can enter and exit the ring road before and after each junction, this means that you will always get two cars travelling side by side which need to swap places, all in a gap about 50 yds long! I bet it's fun in the rush hour. - Steve, 10:37 AM, Well it was really nice to have a long weekend but I started suffering from a cold on the Friday night and that spoilt it for me a bit. It always seems to happen, when things are stressful at work and you need a break you get ill as soon as you start your holiday, there must be a word for it... - Steve, 10:32 AM, Thursday, April 17, 2003 Spotted this on a properety rental website: "ideal for single or couple wanting a quiet home with all local the local conveniences of Lainton, including two post offices, two public houses, private local bitchers, and schools." Firstly the village is Launton not Lainton, not sure if the local bitchers was a typo or not though! - Steve, 2:39 PM, Wednesday, April 16, 2003 Some of the images on this site are just stunning. This one particularly caught my attention, it shows the effect of ship exhausts on the clouds above them. I've never really been much of an environmentalist, but images like this one really highlight the effect modern life has on the earth. I need to find a tree to hug. - Steve, 9:12 AM, Tuesday, April 15, 2003 I have finally found some time for an update! I have intended to update this Blog so many times recently, I just never seem to get round to it. As my schoolteachers always informed my parents: “I could do better”. So the big news at Turner Towers is that we have sold our house, this is good news but more than a little scary. It looks like we will be moving back to Oxfordshire in about 6 weeks time, gotta find us somewhere to live before then (obviously). Work is busy, I’ve got a lot more responsibility recently but I’m still on much less favourable terms than my colleagues. They don’t know that I am preparing to move back home and find a job elsewhere, I have been waiting for the right time to break it to them! The weather has been great recently; we’ve spent time in the garden and have been going for walks in the woods and parks. The onset of spring really does have a positive effect on my mood, I won’t go as far as to say I suffer from SAD, but a bit of sunshine can change me from being a miserable git to a not-quite-so-miserable-git. I’m looking forward to being debt-free and happy, we’re nearly there but this bit feels like the final push… - Steve, 10:17 AM, Thursday, March 06, 2003 Without exception all the Blogs I read are on the Gblogs updated list which is now located here (and some other places too). Every time it's updated Not You catches my eye, it is one of the Blogs I read whenever it's updated but it's the name that gets my attention. Every time I read or hear the words "not you" my mind adds "you, the bow legged one" on the end, it's been bugging me for ages! I knew it was a line from the start of a song, but I couldn't think which one it was. Thanks to Google I've found that it is from the start of Shoop by Salt N' Pepa. "Shoop, Shoop, a-doobie like Scoobie Doobie Doo" They don't write 'em like that anymore do they? - Steve, 2:12 PM, Monday, March 03, 2003 We bought Georgia a colouring book at some crayons at the weekend, she loves drawing and painting and she has just grasped the concept of colouring stuff in, trying her hardest to stay between the lines, I think it’s pretty impressive for a two year old but I suppose all parents feel that way about their children. Anyway…Colouring! I had forgotten just how much fun colouring books are! I spent some time helping Georgia colour in the pictures, but when she got bored and wandered off I couldn’t tear myself away. I spent ages colouring-in all (well not all, I left her some) pictures, it was so relaxing! I have never been any good at art; I really can’t draw or paint. I can remember watching “Cartoon Time” with Rolf Harris when I was younger, I was always impressed and I could never “tell what it is yet”. These days I have outgrown cartoons (honest) but you can still find me in a similar state of awe watching “The joy of painting” with Bob Ross (It’s on one of the digital channels in the UK). This guy starts off with a blank page (I assume this is standard practice with artists?) and in about 25 minutes he produces a snow-scene or a seascape that looks as if it could be a photograph. Each time I watch the show he’ll have a pretty perfect looking picture and then add a massive blob of paint right in the middle of the paper, totally messing it up, but with a couple strokes from a thing that looks like a knife (I’m sure it’s not a brush) it turns into a perfect snow covered spruce in the foreground of the picture! I would love to be able to paint, but I just don’t believe it is something you can learn, like working out percentages; you can either do it or you can’t. For now I’m going to stick with the Happy Heifer colouring books, the end result is almost the same and I still get the relaxing feeling, just don’t tell anyone eh? - Steve, 2:57 PM, Things seem to be looking up at the moment, the house is on the market and already we have one couple who seem to be genuinely interested, they haven’t sold their house yet but they are in an area where houses sell more quickly than in the midlands. My job is going quite well, they still haven’t sorted out the problem with terms and conditions that is now six months overdue, but I’m certainly having more fun. I’m not really an IT person, I’m more business minded but recently I have been doing a lot of work in Access to build a system to track customers orders from creation to delivery, to my surprise it has all worked out rather well. It makes a real difference to your state of mind when you spend days doing things you like doing. - Steve, 2:17 PM, Friday, February 14, 2003 I've been meaning to start doing the Friday Fives for ages, so here we go: 1. Explain why you started to journal/blog. I read blogs and journals all of the time, the first blog I ever read was Miss Bitch , I found that site by accident when I was using Google to look for something work related. I intended to start my own for ages but it wasn't until I stumbled across SheilaM that I decided to have a go. 2. Do people you interact with day to day or family members know about your journal/blog? Why or why not? No, Clare knows I have one, but she doesn't read it, I tried for ages to get her interested in other Blogs but she just doesn't find any of them interesting! I haven't told anyone else I know about it, I don't think I ever will because I want to keep this journal/blog (I'm not actually sure what it is) separate from my "real life". I realise that because I'm writing about my "real life" that last bit doesn't make a lot of sense. 3. Do you have a theme for your journal/blog? No. I don't take it seriously, I update it when I get the time and feel like it. At the moment I tend to be writing about what is going on in my life, but that might change in the future. I am always thinking of things I want to write about here, but I'm never near a PC at the time! By the time I do get in a position to update, the moment has passed or I have forgotten... 4. What direction would you like to have your journal/blog go in over the next year? I'll take it as it comes, I should think it will be much of the same. I would like to update it more often though, I really must make some time to do it. 5. Pimp five of your favourite journals/blogs. Just five? I suppose I've already mentioned a couple of them, so here are a few of the others: Not.So.Soft - I've been reading Meg's blog for ages and I love it! It's really well written and interesting (that goes for the rest of the site too) Grayblog - Been hanging around here for a while too, I wasn't a fan at first but it really grew on me Adorable - Again, been reading this one for ages! An accidental find turned out to be a friend of a friend! I'm always looking for an update of this journal. Orbyn.com - I always enjoy reading this one, 'nuff said. Scalloblog - Not been reading this one for a long time but I like it. - Steve, 2:21 PM, I really do intend to update this blog more often than I do, I never seem to get the time and the motivation at the same moment though! We're going to make some big changes to my whole life/job/debt/house situation, it's scary and a big step but we will come out the other side happier and with a generally better life. I'm not particularly happy in my job, I have made some real progress and had some great successes along the way, but despite plenty of promises I'm still no better off than I was when I took this role on a year ago. Recently the company has recruited two new employees to do the same job as me in different parts of the country, they are paying the new guys more than me and they get a much better deal in other areas too, it's the final straw and I'm going to leave as soon as I can (unless they start playing fair). My plan is to see if I can get a job at the HQ of the parent company in Oxford (I worked there for about 4 years before I started this role), We'll sell our house and rent a place in Oxfordshire (probably Bicester) for a year or so. We should make enough money from the sale of our house to completely clear all of our debts, this will be a huge relief and improve our quality of life a great deal. It really is a big step, but I honestly believe it is the right thing to do for the long term future. - Steve, 1:15 PM, Sunday, February 02, 2003 Financial worries are still making life less than enjoyable, I'm sure there is no quick fix but I can understand why so many people take out extra loans to consolidate their outstanding debts. It seems that nearly every advert on daytime television is pushing huge consolidation loans as the answer to all your money worries. I'm hoping to see someone at our local Citizens Advice centre tomorrow, we really do need some (free) financial advice. I have been getting all our figures for incoming and outgoing cash together today, the difference between the two is really scary. The bad news is that we owe thousands, we are way short of being able to pay all of our commitments each month (almost £1000 per month short). There isn't much good news except that we are facing up to our money problems and seeking help. The one key factor that could get us out of this mess is that the equity on our house (the difference between what we have left to pay on the mortgage and what the house is currently worth) is a bit greater than all of our combined debts. In theory we should be able to sell our house and pay off everything, mortgage included, and then be totally debt free. We would then need to rent a house and hope that either house prices come down, or my salary goes up. With average house prices being over £100,000 and average wages being around, £20,000, how do school/university leavers ever manage to get on the housing ladder? - Steve, 10:24 PM, Friday, January 31, 2003 There is something very wrong with the taps in this office building. I just went to make a coffee in the kitchen area, as usual there were no cups available but the dishwasher was full of 'em and halfway through a wash. I stopped the dishwasher and took a cup out, it was a bit soapy so I thought it needed a rinse in the sink. My problem started when I turned the cold tap on, nothing happened for a second or so and then the water came out with about the same pressure as a fire hose. I'm now soaking wet and it looks like I've pissed myself! I managed to make it back to my desk by grabbing some paper off the photocopier and using it as a shield! I would complain to someone, but I won't be able to stand up for another hour or so... - Steve, 5:24 PM, Thursday, January 23, 2003 It has been a pretty busy couple of weeks. Clare is working in the evenings again, this is good news for our gloomy financial situation but means that we don't get a lot of time together in the week. My work is going fairly well, I've just had a small pay rise with hope of a more substantial one some time soon. More responsibilities are on their way, this is good news as I feel I have made some real progress in this position and I'm keen to expand my role somewhat. New company cars are on the cards too, been looking at BMW, Audi and VW recently, Audi A4 is current favourite. In other news; We are doing very well in our current "not spending any money" plans. Shopping and fuel bills have been cut dramatically, we are still in the shit but it might not be terminal just yet. For some reason I've not been updating this site much, I'll do something about that starting soon. I need to talk about why you shouldn't catch a train home after serious amounts of drinking... - Steve, 4:39 PM, Friday, January 10, 2003 For some reason I have really gone off the idea of drinking alcohol, I'm not really sure why this is and I'm a little disappointed about the whole thing. I've never been a big drinker, actually I suppose in the past I have been a big drinker just not a "frequent" drinker. In my late teens I used to drink purely to get drunk, that was the whole point of the exercise: group of mates go out, get pissed, laugh at the most pissed one, simple! The frequency of these drinking bouts was limited by a few factors: Money (some things never change), being the designated driver, or finding something else (not alcohol related) to do. Since acquiring a wife, mortgage and a child (in that order) the days of drunken excess have passed, replaced by long periods of sobriety and the odd relaxing drink. My tipple of choice has changed from Lager and Tequila to a decent (but value) Red wine. I now tend to only drink very occasionally, usually a bottle of wine on a weekday evening (not every weekday evening!) while watching a film or something decent on the telly. Recently I just haven't fancied a drink, we've had a few bottles of wine in the house left over from Christmas, it is unheard of for them to still be unopened in January! I forced myself to have a bottle last night while watching Friends and ER on E4 (it was a Thursday night tradition!) but I didn't really enjoy it and I don't fancy another (maybe that's because it's 10am?). - Steve, 10:45 AM, Fish dealers admit carp smuggling Do you think they were feeding the habits of Herring Addicts? - Steve, 10:25 AM, Thursday, January 09, 2003 Seems the recent snowfalls across the country are making the news. Here in Warwickshire we have about an inch (of snow), it's transformed the landscape from pleasant countryside, to something much more special and beautiful. I just took some time out of the office to walk along a section of the Oxford Canal in Rugby, the canal was frozen over and the whole area was deserted, I might need to do it again before the end of the day. My little walk ended in something of a comedy moment, I had to walk up a very steep snow/ice covered concrete slope in office shoes (soles with no grip at all). I chose my moment carefully, there were no witnesses to my impression of Bambi in that ice scene. - Steve, 1:30 PM, Tuesday, January 07, 2003 Back to reality now after two weeks off work relaxing and staying in bed late. The Christmas period was great, no hassle, no stress, just "quality time". I've been feeling peaceful and positive recently which really is quite refreshing, the trouble is those feelings only lasted until about lunchtime yesterday and now I'm feeling edgy and tense... I'm not one for making new years resolutions, but there I need to make some serious changes to the way I'm living my life. The biggest problem is a financial one, years of being irresponsible with money have left us in a situation where there are more bills to pay then there is money coming in each month. It's been like this for ages and each month leaves us in a worse situation than the previous one. We used to get by before Georgia was born because Clare and I were both working full time, this is when we built up our debts and commitments. Clare now looks after Georgia in the day and we are getting by on my wage alone (unless Clare can get some evening work which is pretty scarce around here). One option would be for Clare to return to full time work, but neither of us want Georgia to spend all day with a childminder, the cost of childcare means it's not a particularly effective option anyway. We are attempting to cut our spending right back to practically zero to enable us to bring our bank balance back to somewhere around our overdraft limit. It's going to be hard and it certainly won't solve the problem as there are still a mountain of unpaid bills, but it will be a start. Clare has an interview on Friday for a job working from 5.30pm until 10pm, this would really help out. I would need to work more flexibly so that I can be home to look after Georgia. The nature of my work means that this isn't out of the question but we will have to wait and see. - Steve, 10:41 AM,


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