Ah December 22nd, 3 days before Christmas, and more importantly 2 days before the start of my Christmas break. All of the Christmas shopping is done, and more amazingly all the stuff I ordered online turned up, I must be one of the lucky ones as a lot of people are still waiting on deliveries even now.
Need a couple of bits for Christmas dinner, roast potatoes and vegetables, and then we're all set for the big day.
Bugger... I still have a card to get too... probably should've done that sooner but I can't stand going to the shops in the build up to Christmas. Next year I'm doing my shopping in June, and getting all the cards as soon as they're in the shops so then I don't have to go anywhere near a shop in December!!
Mind you, it maybe bad that I'm still short 1 card so close to Christmas, but I know someone who is giving everyone packet cards, including her kids and other half... how cheap is that?! I maybe unmotivated but I'm not a skinflint at least!!
Oh, and if anyone tries to phone me over Christmas and gets no answer, it's because I'm hibernating!!
Wednesday, 22 December 2010
Thursday, 9 December 2010
Britan's big white "OFF" button
Oh how the other countries laugh at poor little Britain, while Germany and Belgium are playing out in the snow Britain's nanny is telling it to stay indoors.
Have we really developed into such a nanny state that when there is an inch of snow on the ground we have to stop what we're doing, panic buy all the bread and milk in the shops (half of which I'm sure goes to waste as people end up chucking it out), and then go and hide in our houses until the nasty white stuff is gone?!
It is truly ridiculous, we get snow most years (at least in recent memory) but every time it's like it's a new and unknown thing that we have to run away from. Buses and trains are cancelled, cars are abandoned, roads left ungritted, businesses close, and everyone stays indoors looking out of the window and wondering what to do.
The other half was talking to the bloke running the local convenience store the other day about how his business was going. He couldn't believe that people were spending £50 and more on groceries in his shop. He said he's from Turkey, and they get up to a metre of snow and carry on regardless... that's a metre of snow, much more than we ever get over here (except maybe the bleaker parts of Scotland, but who cares about the Scots anyway?!).
Talking to a customer in Russia back in January he said they had temperatures around -35, and blizzards for days on end... he was surprised that a couple of banks and schools shut early because of the weather, because they just got on with things.
So, the story, dear Britain is stop being a f*cking pansy and get out in the snow!!
Have we really developed into such a nanny state that when there is an inch of snow on the ground we have to stop what we're doing, panic buy all the bread and milk in the shops (half of which I'm sure goes to waste as people end up chucking it out), and then go and hide in our houses until the nasty white stuff is gone?!
It is truly ridiculous, we get snow most years (at least in recent memory) but every time it's like it's a new and unknown thing that we have to run away from. Buses and trains are cancelled, cars are abandoned, roads left ungritted, businesses close, and everyone stays indoors looking out of the window and wondering what to do.
The other half was talking to the bloke running the local convenience store the other day about how his business was going. He couldn't believe that people were spending £50 and more on groceries in his shop. He said he's from Turkey, and they get up to a metre of snow and carry on regardless... that's a metre of snow, much more than we ever get over here (except maybe the bleaker parts of Scotland, but who cares about the Scots anyway?!).
Talking to a customer in Russia back in January he said they had temperatures around -35, and blizzards for days on end... he was surprised that a couple of banks and schools shut early because of the weather, because they just got on with things.
So, the story, dear Britain is stop being a f*cking pansy and get out in the snow!!
Meh... that is all
Ok, so it's not really all, but it seemed like a good title.
The thing is I really can't be bothered at the moment, everything just seems like a hassle. Doing the absolute minimum to get by at work, done no Xmas shopping (sorry to the missus who may end up with late presents!!), and generally feel like going into a cave and hibernating until about March.
Bears have the right idea there I think, sleep for half of the year, kill stuff the other half. What could be finer?
Yup, I've decided... in my next life I wanna be a bear!!
The thing is I really can't be bothered at the moment, everything just seems like a hassle. Doing the absolute minimum to get by at work, done no Xmas shopping (sorry to the missus who may end up with late presents!!), and generally feel like going into a cave and hibernating until about March.
Bears have the right idea there I think, sleep for half of the year, kill stuff the other half. What could be finer?
Yup, I've decided... in my next life I wanna be a bear!!
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Gaming... retro style
I have a lot of old video games, they're not worth anything to sell, and so they spend their time gathering dust on the shelf.
However, as I'm now perma-skint a few have been dusted off lately, and it's a real eye opener to go back to these games.
My bro and I played through the original Halo, and it's still remarkably playable today, in fact I'd say overall it's still the best in the series.
I've also just played through Jade Empire again, not my favourite BioWare title if I'm honest, but since I've played Mass Effect 1 & 2, and KotOR to death, and bro still has Dragon Age I decided to give it another play through.
It actually stands up pretty well to the test of time, and is still a solid enough game. The only problem was with the X360's woeful backwards compatibility. In fact if anything I enjoyed playing it more this time as I picked up more of the subtleties of the plot.
So, to sum up... retro gaming rules!!
However, as I'm now perma-skint a few have been dusted off lately, and it's a real eye opener to go back to these games.
My bro and I played through the original Halo, and it's still remarkably playable today, in fact I'd say overall it's still the best in the series.
I've also just played through Jade Empire again, not my favourite BioWare title if I'm honest, but since I've played Mass Effect 1 & 2, and KotOR to death, and bro still has Dragon Age I decided to give it another play through.
It actually stands up pretty well to the test of time, and is still a solid enough game. The only problem was with the X360's woeful backwards compatibility. In fact if anything I enjoyed playing it more this time as I picked up more of the subtleties of the plot.
So, to sum up... retro gaming rules!!
Munich part deux
Right, so where was I? Oh yeah, going on about the exhibition stand... well for the most part it was ok but the counter top was shit... they'd promised a brand spanking new one, but what we got was clearly old and had been knocked about a bit.
The 2 fitters went off to the local DIY store to try and find a solution, and returned with some chrome coloured edging stuff which worked quite nicely.
We left the exhibition hall around 6, and piled into the car to go to the hotel. The German girl helping us out got a little confused by the fact it was an English car, and in her attempts to get into the passenger seat she wandered off to the driver's side of the car!!
The driver, we'll call him MG, got a bit lost despite having his sat nav... apparently neither he nor his sat nav knew about the road tunnel in Munich... so getting to the hotel took a bit longer than expected. Boss man took every opportunity to complain about this, with such helpful remarks as "I feel like I've been in this car for 3 hours".
Of course that made the journey go much faster...!!
The hotel was shit... there's no other word for it, it was small and the decor was hideous. Oh, and the receptionist was a real bitch. She had a massive attitude problem from the off, which wasn't helped by the boss asking for a bigger room, and one of the group changing rooms twice.
Anyway, I got settled into the place, and having discovered that the only English tv channels were pay per view, and cost €12 for 24 hours... so not worth it!!
So having had about 20 minutes to chill for the first time since Sunday it was time to go out to eat. We went to a place called Mozart's, where I had steak and chips... the Germans don't know how to do steak and chips like the English do!!
After dinner MG took me on a brief sightseeing tour of Munich... in the dark. It's tough to say really as you couldn't see too well, but it looked like a beautiful place with some spectacular architecture.
Then it was back to the hotel to crash... alarm set for 06:30 on Tuesday morning
To be continued...
The 2 fitters went off to the local DIY store to try and find a solution, and returned with some chrome coloured edging stuff which worked quite nicely.
We left the exhibition hall around 6, and piled into the car to go to the hotel. The German girl helping us out got a little confused by the fact it was an English car, and in her attempts to get into the passenger seat she wandered off to the driver's side of the car!!
The driver, we'll call him MG, got a bit lost despite having his sat nav... apparently neither he nor his sat nav knew about the road tunnel in Munich... so getting to the hotel took a bit longer than expected. Boss man took every opportunity to complain about this, with such helpful remarks as "I feel like I've been in this car for 3 hours".
Of course that made the journey go much faster...!!
The hotel was shit... there's no other word for it, it was small and the decor was hideous. Oh, and the receptionist was a real bitch. She had a massive attitude problem from the off, which wasn't helped by the boss asking for a bigger room, and one of the group changing rooms twice.
Anyway, I got settled into the place, and having discovered that the only English tv channels were pay per view, and cost €12 for 24 hours... so not worth it!!
So having had about 20 minutes to chill for the first time since Sunday it was time to go out to eat. We went to a place called Mozart's, where I had steak and chips... the Germans don't know how to do steak and chips like the English do!!
After dinner MG took me on a brief sightseeing tour of Munich... in the dark. It's tough to say really as you couldn't see too well, but it looked like a beautiful place with some spectacular architecture.
Then it was back to the hotel to crash... alarm set for 06:30 on Tuesday morning
To be continued...
Oooops.... that was close
So there I am driving the other half to the station this morning, and traffic is a nightmare. Some genius seems to have changed the timings on some traffic lights meaning that there are cars backed up for miles, and everyone seems to have decided it was a good idea to drive around the station at that time of day.
Now I don't have all the time in the world, unfortunately. I have to be in work by 08:15 while the other half wants dropping off around 08:00. Usually this isn't a problem but today... well it just wasn't going to happen.
So anyway, after I've dropped her off I'm waiting to turn out of a side road... I can't go anywhere as the traffic is all backed up, but I'm at the front of the queue to get out of this road... the traffic starts to move, and I can see my freedom...
There's a car coming from my right, but it's turning left so I'm ok, I pull out... oh £$%& there's another car behind it that's not turning.
It was one of those deer in the headlights moments, nothing I could do but sit and hope... luckily they stopped in time, and while listening to all the abuse under the sun, which I fully deserved, I went on my not so merry way.
Now I don't have all the time in the world, unfortunately. I have to be in work by 08:15 while the other half wants dropping off around 08:00. Usually this isn't a problem but today... well it just wasn't going to happen.
So anyway, after I've dropped her off I'm waiting to turn out of a side road... I can't go anywhere as the traffic is all backed up, but I'm at the front of the queue to get out of this road... the traffic starts to move, and I can see my freedom...
There's a car coming from my right, but it's turning left so I'm ok, I pull out... oh £$%& there's another car behind it that's not turning.
It was one of those deer in the headlights moments, nothing I could do but sit and hope... luckily they stopped in time, and while listening to all the abuse under the sun, which I fully deserved, I went on my not so merry way.
Car insurance
Now, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here, but I was always of the belief that as you get older your car insurance gets cheaper, assuming you have no accidents.
So why is it then that all of the comparison sites are quoting me at least £100 more for my insurance renewal this year? I mean seriously I've now held my license for 2 years, have 2 years no claims, and all the other details are exactly the same as last year... yet they want more money?!
I seriously don't get it, either I've been lied to all these years, or insurance companies are moving the goal posts... greedy bastards!!
So why is it then that all of the comparison sites are quoting me at least £100 more for my insurance renewal this year? I mean seriously I've now held my license for 2 years, have 2 years no claims, and all the other details are exactly the same as last year... yet they want more money?!
I seriously don't get it, either I've been lied to all these years, or insurance companies are moving the goal posts... greedy bastards!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)