So then… after what has been a not too shabby week, we were planning to get out of town for the weekend and go up to Sacha’s dad’s boat. It’s usually a good plan to go up there in good weather, because being on water is a cold old business, but going up there, light the woodburner, get some grub on the go, sit out on deck with a blanket, a bottle of something nice and look at the stars.

And this is what was welcoming us this morning… shot from the living room window over the ’step in time view’ we have… hmmm… might think about swapping that bottle of something nice for a thermos of tea and break out the hot water bottles.

Fun.

It’s quarter to seven, Tuesday 31st of March 2009, and we’ve run out of coffee.

This is bad.

Picture the scene: a long and frankly insane day at work. Once the office is shut up, the lab closed down for the night. Pub, warm flat beer, salt and vinegar crisps.

Nice.

No… well I don’t anyway. You all know me by now… I don’t beleive anything I see on the commercial channels on the gogglebox; but this one really takes to cocking biscuit.

Vanish Colour Magnets.

I mean… please. Who believes this shit? According to the advert, when you use these things with your regular detergent, it traps colours the colours that are washing out of your clothes and keeps them locked tight in this… thing.

Bullshit. I’m sure there’s going to be something roughly scientific in the making, but I seriously doubt it. Don’t buy it. In fact, don’t buy anything you see on the TV. It’s all lies I tell you. LIES!

End.

So… yes. Indeed. It’s been a fair while since I made a post to this site. Again, gentle readers (the few of you that there are) – apologies for that. In an attempt to keep you readers happy, I’m making a habit of trying to get at least a post a week in from this day onward. This is in no way a new years resolution – I don’t think that this depressing time of year is a good time to try and do anything – but it’s something that I want to try and do at the very least.

Well… I moved house three weeks ago. Moved in with my lover Sacha. The flat was a little lacking in love, and I think we’ve given it some. A splash of paint, some art on the walls and the addition ofsome heating means this little flat in a nice part of town is something rather special. My personal favourit room so far is the living room, which is painted a rather splendid shade of red. No too dissimilar to the red of the header of this blog.

It’s funny how time vanishes when you’re having fun. Living here, working hard and generally being well all means that the old things goes out the window a touch. I’ve never been very good in keeping in contact with old friends, and this year is proving no exception. I keep intending on phoning people that are overseas now I have the internet installed – a fun and painful experience that I shall keep for another day; let’s just say that I’m not too over enamoured with Virgin Media’s customer service. But it’s in now, and I have a Skype subscription. Hell… perhaps it’s a good idea to use it.

In other news, it’s only a few days now until the rents are finally moving to France. Yes, it’s true. After what seems like years of talking, shuffling and generally pointing in the direction of South, they’re off. The house is packed up, the removal men are coming this Friday. I can see that the weekend – which I am spending mostly alone because Sacha is working – is going to be a touch emotional. Still, they’re coming round in the evening for tea. I don’t know what I’m going to cook them; perhaps beans on toast or something like that.

Right… I’d write some more, but I’ve got things to be getting on with! And I’ve got to go and get her ladyship from work… see you all later chaps.

Well then… here we are people. In that dead time between xmas and new year where, technically, the world should return to normal, where all these days are just honest normal working days, but in reality this turns into ’sorry, they’re out of the office until (insert whenever here).

So, in honour of this… I thought I’d round up some of the stuff that’s been going on in HLoFLand in the last 12 months.

As Dylan Thomas wrote: to begin, at the beginning.

Following some nasty rumours, I’d like to warm the cockles of all that care / are interested, and tell you that I’m very much still here on planet Earth; I’ve just been a little quiet latley…

Very tired.

I’ve been, er… working a lot… yeah.

Don’t you just love spam email? Not all of it is junk you know, sometimes, there’s just some gems in there you have to share with others… like this one I got today from Mr. Williams Holmes, a good, English sounding name, you think, yes?
Read on… I was especially excited to see that I’ve won so much money in a lottery powered by the Internet.

Something about the wording though… I didn’t think that I’d send Mr. Williams Holmes all my personal details. Have I just lost a lot of money? Shame. To get the full force of this email, it’s best if you read it with a fonejacker style African voice.
———–

Winning Notification
This is to notify you that you have won £250,000.00 in
the Uk National Online Email Lottery held in UK,
e-mail addresses were picked randomly by computerised balloting
powered by the Internet. Your email address was amongst
those chosen for this period.
Ticket no: 56475600545 188
Serial No:5388/02
Winning number: 05.14.22.25.36.05 {08}
Draw (#1055)
To claim your prize, please contact
***************************************

1.Agent Name: Mr.Williams Holmes
2.Agent williams_holmes@live.com
3.Agent Tel :+447031967643
***************************************
Claims Requirements:
1.full name:
2.Home Address:
3.Age:
4.Sex:
5.Tele:
6.Occupation:
7.Country of Residence:
8.Nationality:
9.Amount Won:
***************************************
Congratulations once more from all members
and staff of this program.
Sincerely,
Dr.(Mrs.) Albano, Maria C.
Online Co-ordinator
Send your details to williams_holmes@live.com Only

Hmm. I’m in the mood for a muse.

It’s been a while since I wrote anything of great meaning on this little part of the interweb that I live in, so perhaps today, as I finished early from work, I’ll have a bit of a muse about some subjects that are floating about my head.

What’s it all about then… Alfie? Well… go ask Alice.

I’m in a strange kind of mood at the moment. Not being well isn’t helping today. I’ve got a dose of the ManFlu, which, as we all know is very serious indeed. It’s worse that death I’ve heard.

Work is odd this week. It’s half term, so there’s a few people about, but nothing like the numbers there usually are, and I’m the only technician in this week, and there’s much to be getting on with, but I find it hard to find the motivation to do anything! I know that if I don’t do the things on the job list that people will be hacked and narked, so I’ve been doing them… but it’s not a lot of fun. Got a load of stiff to do tomorrow, and it’s mainly physical stuff. Having a dose of ManFlu doesn’t bode well for doing these thing.

Still… on the flip side, at time of writing me and Sacha are still having a great time, and we’re very much in love with each other… and we’ve got through that tricky three month stage where it’s still slightly up in the air and ‘what are we doing’ kind of thing. I think we’re going to stay together for a while… see what happens!

Other stuff? How about facefuck? I’m getting so bored of it now. It’s not new or exciting. I don’t have it open all day on a page. The addiction’s has worn off. I can see it now as simple an advertising channel, and I hate advertising – although I am giving serious consideration to getting an iPod Touch this week… what with the new price drop, the basic version seems like a bit of a steal… but that’s a case for a serious breakdown of pro’s and con’s.

Where was I?

Oh yeah… I’m thinking about setting up my own ning social network. Probably a couple. One for work, where students can be cool with the kids and keep in touch, and it’s not stuck in Facebook territory, so no annoying shit… and the design can be better – talking of which, does anyone actually like that new design? I don’t think it’s dreadful, I just think that if they were going to reform the platform, they could have done a much better job of it.

So… any other business? Nope… well… probably… I’m just muttering to myself now, frankly. I think I’ll go and put the kettle on.

Or something. Laters readers.

So… I’ve been working this new job for almost a month now… what do I think?

Well; it’s all good. The people are good – apart from management, but let’s face it, management in all places of work are people to get frustrated about. There’s a saying: If you don’t have much contact with management, it’s not a bad place to work. If you don’t have much contact with students, it’s even better.

I don’t think that’s true. The kids are all right. This is further and higher education, so for the most part everyone’s there because they want to be there. There are a few cases that go againt the grain of this hard and fast rule, but I’d say that 90% of them are good people.

I’m still finding my feet a bit, and still learning people’s names. How teachers remember the names of all those damned students I don’t know. I swear I met a group of students yesterday that I’ve never seen before… they’re probably one of the rotational – first semester all the students try everything within AM&D and then they pick something they want to make the main area of study for the rest of the course.

Half term is coming up, and there’s a list of works that need to be done that’s several pages of A4… it’s going to be a busy week, but without the constant interruptions of students asking for the right cable, or that they can’t get onto facebook, or ‘I’ve shot my video project on my phone… but I can’t get it off and the deadline is today! HELP ME! It will be OK.

It’s all good stuff… I’m loving it. The smell of the Hypam and the PQ, the taste of the biscuits…

And it sure beats the living crap of standing in the Gulags of the till banks asking ‘do you want the receipt in the bag?’.

Oh, and I’m in love with Sacha.
Can it get any better?