A confession (or a realisation)

So I've been watching The Wonder Years... For nostalgia's sake (not the intended nostalgia of course, I don't remember the 60s, but the 80s I remember very well and watching The Wonder Years when it was new I also remember... in the 80s)

That's not the confession.

The confession/realisation is that I have a huge crush on Kevin Arnold's Dad.

I know. I should hang my head in shame, but it's true! Not to mention a little bit disturbing.

vile

(with apologies to one very close friend who is most emphatically the exception proving this rule)

Good grief Oasis fans are an unpleasant bunch!

The mediocre Beatles impersonators are playing a concert at Murrayfield tonight and as a consequence the West End was heaving with loud, loutish, rude and unpleasant oiks as I came home from work. I mean I know I'm a bit of a snob and all but even so...

Happily though where I live is unaffected by the infestation... and speaking of infestations, anyone who's heard me utter the words Fungus Gnat recently (or encountered one of the little nostril-diving, plant-damaging horrors while visiting) might be interested to know that I caved in last week and rained down chemical-ey-death on the little buggers. The insecticide says I need to do a follow up dose 10-14 days on so I'm not counting my chickens yet but they seem to be gone. *crosses fingers*

What? a proper update? OK maybe this weekend.

Cake for Breakfast

We won at the pub quiz. Again. (3rd week in a row now) Go team! Pleasingly decisive this week too (a nine point lead if memory serves).

I like my new Monday night routine (even if I sometimes forget it's happening until after I leave the office). Since I moved from the west end the regular Thursday nights at the pub have kinda dried up - there are plenty of nice pubs near my new place but most of the people I'd want to go and hang out there with live a bit further away, so a regular night is less feasible than it used to be.

The Judge (where we quiz) is a bit of a hike for me (all uphill! though happily that means home is downhill after) but it's among my favourite of the city's pubs and the quiz is really fun (even when we're not on a winning streak).

Happy!

:)

eek!

As if this weren't worrying enough, this happens, which is frankly terrifying. I've never been more glad to have left Yorkshire behind for good, and I'm ashamed to think my birth place will now be represented in the European parliament by nazis.

Happily the electorate in my adopted home are much saner it seems... well except for those kooky Western Islanders who refuse to count their votes on the Sabbath, meaning the rest of us have to wait... initial results are heartening though for the (paltry*) six seats which represent Scotland. We're looking set to return Nationalists too but ours are not the crazy bigot variety.

I'm genuinely saddened and bewildered at the English results. Roll on independence if that's the way England is headed.

*For comparison, Denmark and Finland get thirteen each, and yet people use "our voice in Europe" as an argument against independence...

...

Hello.

Yes I know I've been shockingly absent (again) of late. Blame the displacement around my trip to Japan (which I will get round to telling you about). Or blame my having lots of other things to do. Or shrug and smile, shake your heads at Patrick's inconsistent blogging habits, and email me if you feel you've missed me. I promise I'll reply.

I will write about Japan later this week. Not now though, now I'm busy. I did read something I liked and wanted to share though so if you've a spare minute have a look at this

"...cos I'm not much cop at punching other peoples' Dads"

Hello

So this weekend I did almost none of the things I'd planned to. I tried, but I was (very pleasantly) interrupted at every turn. Ah well. This week is chocka too and at the end of it I go to Japan for two weeks. What a busy life I lead!

I did get one thing done this weekend that I've been meaning to for ages though. Trivial to anyone else but I managed to reconstruct a mix tape* my brother made for my birthday years ago. I'd missed it, and forgotten how good he is at doing compilations (if you feel like taking that back up bro' I'd be delighted!)

Not very productive I'll admit but it's funny how much context has to do with appreciation of music. For example even though I've had it handy all the while this compilation was missing I don't think I've really listened to Massive Attack's Better Things in years.

So yes. Japan. Soon I go and visit Iain as promised. Looking forward to the adventure and I promise there will be pictures** of Japan in spring time when I get back... unless something distracts me.

*Yes. By most peoples' standards this task would have been sensibly sacrificed in favour of one of the more pressing other things I had to do, but I was seized with a desire to get it done... or it's a plus side to chronic task avoidance. You pick
**might prod me into finishing that photo section overhaul!

Greetings, programs!

Today we moved offices. Just down stairs, or from Madrid to Auckland*, depending on how you look at it. I'm hoping it's a good sign that we're now in a bigger office but whatever else, it makes for a nicer working environment. The old office was getting pretty cramped.

Tomorrow I'll be finishing work at lunch and not going back until Wednesday. Man I love long weekends! I really need this one.

End of line**

* The managed office complex I work in is called CBC House. CBC stands for "Capital Business Centres" and all the suites are supposed to be named after capital cities (needless to say, the best suite in the building is called Edinburgh) ... I've not had the heart to tell them that our new office should really be called Wellington...

** Why yes, I have been watching Tron this evening :D