Sitting in the Virgin lounge waiting for my flight to Hong Kong, then onto Taipei. 2 keynote presentations (Hsinchu and then onto Shanghai) plus a load of other meetings. It feels so long since I have been to Asia. Manage to have a few days in Hong Kong next weekend also. Looking forward to it, my bank balance isn't !!
The Virgin staff at checking were absolutely fantastic, not that they aren't usually, but just felt even better this time..
Standing in the queue in Borders today, simple set of transactions following me. Then I realise that the shop assistant is trying to persuade the lady buying her book to sign up for some e-mail notifications. Of course she wasn't of the internet generation so it all had to be explained.
Next onto Marks and Spencer, where this time the people on the tills are trying to push credit cards onto people.
It got me thinking- where will it all end ? In the meantime, I have to spend even longer times in queues (which I hate). Now there's progress for you...
Sitting here at a Starbucks in Cambridge finally relaxing. It feels like a few months of meetings, late nights, weekends away, and lots to do (the other night I felt pretty down as there just didn't seem to be any stop in it). Finally having some relaxation time this weekend...
* Snow Leopard - just picked this up from the Apple Store. I guess it shows just how busy I've been that I haven't had time to think about it until this morning when I realised it was released today. Actually I was quite surprised- no event on in the Apple store - felt like a normal transaction.
* Home cooked food tonight - last I'll get for about 12 days.
* Friday night drinks in Cambridge. I'm actually fed up with drinking due to recent trips and events.
* Sunday off to Asia. Really looking forward to it. Arrive Hong Kong Monday, then Hsinchu/Taipei/Shanghai and back to Hong Kong late Friday night. Spend the weekend in Hong Kong and then back to the UK.
So as usual, a relaxing weekend ends up... not being a relaxing weekend. I feel as if I could just hibernate somewhere for a week (need to recharge batteries). Sadly I can't see any break until mid-October when (fingers cross) the house move finally takes place.
Visited new house this week to check over. No major issues, apart from the door to the utility room being put on the wrong way (how anybody would ever think to put it in the configuration beggars belief). I just want the bloody thing over. Then of course there's the 12 week wait for furniture. Maybe done by Xmas !
Tonight I left the office and realised that once again I'm destined for a week of late nights. I normally can cope, but the realisation of 7AM to 9PM many nights (being one of the first in and last out) for some reason had me really down today...
There's a particular type of middle class Glaswegian (person from Glasgow) that I absolutely despise. The main trait is 100% absolute selfishness that one can only compare to the contempt people had for peasants back in the Victorian era !
In this case we have 2 businessman on Easyjet flight 215 today (4th row from the back, right hand side) who decided that the case I had placed in the locker immediately above my head needed to be shifted several seats forward so they could have their luggage above them!
One of them then proceeds to complain about lack of hooks for their (likely Marks and Spencer) suit jackets. I was just about to say "there is a recession your company clearly doesn't value enough to fly BA so stop complaining" but common sense got the better of me !
Sitting at Stansted Airport waiting for my flight to board. I hate Stansted Airport, even though it is close to Cambridge it doesn't have the services. I've had to kill an hour here (worried about strikes impacting other train services). What's funny is that it occurred to me that it's the first time for as long as I can remember that I've not been at an airport lounge :(.
Meet up with friends from school tonight, plan for dinner and a few quiet drinks. Somehow I am worried that may not be the case. Finally get to spend some time with my dad tomorrow- it feels like such a long time (about 9 months I think). Saturday heading through to Edinburgh to meet up with people from our Taiwan office who have decided to have a holiday before our work meeting next week.
This week has been hectic- I just hope I can relax for a few days...
Another long day, 7AM to 9PM in the office. A good day, though a call at the end I ended up loosing my rag a little. Heading up to Scotland on Thursday night- meet up with friends back from New Zealand and then off to Edinburgh to meet up with people from our Taiwan office.
Tomorrow meeting solicitor to discuss agreements for the new house - I feel it is coming to a close (having had the planning restriction removed). I'm hoping it goes well and then it's just up to the people buying the current house. Of course I've already planned pretty much everything that's needed - thankfully there's full multimedia cabling in so of course much research on routers etc. has been undertaken !
Cinzano
Cinzano ads in the 80's had a common theme- Leonard Rossiter with Joan Collins where he spills the drink over her. This one is my favourite....
Holy Moly
I'm a fan of the website 'Holy Moly' - they have a section called 'The Corner' (warning bad language, but I did find the site courtesy of The Sunday Times) where people can rant about things (person who designed a scart socket is particularly funny), but they've expanded to celeb gossip with a difference. I particularly like the link here - not for the pic but for the title 'Explosion in a Primark Factory' !
Sunday night and what I am about to do ?, go make popcorn and watch a TV show about Crystal Meth addiction. That just doesn't seem right !
I've blogged about this before, but I really do find local news so amusing. As I walked through Cambridge yesterday I saw the following text at the stall selling newspapers:
"Man found dead in city centre flat"
My immediate thought was running up and writing the following text below:
"hadn't found secret to eternal life"
Why is someone found dead news ? does this not happen very often ? I thought it happened to everyone (at some point) ?
Of course we have the obligatory standard text (I'm sure that's on the clipboard text on the editors computer):
"Guided bus delayed again"
Well that one didn't really come as a surprise to me. I didn't study Civil Engineering at University, but from what I'd seen of the construction site there was absolutely no way it was going to be completed on schedule.
However, what really did annoy me was a comment that locals living close to bus site were disappointed that it wasn't going to be ready on time. What about all the people living in central Cambridge who have been subjected to living on a construction site for the past years so they can have an easier life ?
Read this story on BBC online:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8189296.stm
where a local woman in Greece decided to torch the genitals of a British tourist. It reminded me an event a few months back in Newcastle, where the latest marketing ploy is to have young women walk around with shot glasses an a bottle of some horrid high-alcohol drink. One of my friends was being a bit of an idiot with one of the girls and so I casually said to her "I'll buy a shot if you throw it all over him" transaction proceeded and I was expecting her to hand him the glass - not actually throw it over him ! Thankfully he was pretty drunk so didn't really care - though trying to launder his clothes in the gents was rather amusing (hand drier doesn't equal tumble drier !).
I just mailed him the above story and told him how fortunate he was !
Trip into London tonight to go to the beer festival at Earls Court. It's funny to go to a place that normally hosts shows like 'homeshow' but this time actually holding a large drinking festival. Had a good time out with friend from University and a couple of (great) people I'd met for the first time. I have to be thankful that it is so easy to get in/out of London from Cambridge.
London was really horrible weather-wise today. A typical muggy August day. I got into Waterloo station and sat in Starbucks finishing off some work I needed to send off before I clocked off. As I sat I felt as if I was going to pass out it was so humid. Days like this I am thankful that I don't work in London (though of course there are many days when I wish I did!).
Classic quote of the night with people discussing mother-in-laws. Sometimes some people just come out with a phrase that out-trumps any possible comment. In this case, quote of the night being "well at least your mother-in-law doesn't urinate on the carpet!", we laughed !
Where are you? Why do you hide?
Where is that trail of rubbish that leads by your side?
Just like the binraker goes in search of his dream of gold,
I search for rubbish, for something to have and hold,
I've seen your trash in a thousand dreams,
Felt your touch and it always seems....
That's my adaption of 'Moonraker' first verse from one of the Bond themes.
So, why this ? Well, I've been doing a clearout of the house in preparation for the pending move. What ends up is a medium sized rubbish bag at the front of the driveway (awaiting collection). I joked the other day that people would be looking through it and taking things. Well tonight...
Drive up and I spot someone going through the bag (late 50's carrying dog). Wait for a few seconds and then get out the car. I found it kind of amusing and was happy to have someone take something if it was of value. However...
WHAT I WASN'T EXPECTING WAS A CRITIQUE OF WHAT I HAD LEFT RUBBISH WISE !!
What a Cambridge thing ! Rather than simply ask 'would you mind if I had a look through', this ****** (add expletive of choice) decides to critique a 4-gang extension that I have disposed of and ask why I threw it out ! Of course that triggered a nerve and I ended up having a go at him (great stress relief after a long 7AM-7PM day I can tell you), pointing out that I took exception to someone critiquing my decision to throw rubbish out.
I politely told him (well actually I didn't) to get off my land. He then replies "I have long arms" and put his hand back into the bag to which I replied "and if you take anything I will call the police".
I find the rudeness of people really bad around here. What made him think he had the right to critique what I had thrown out ?
How I long to live at the end of a private road and have absolutely nobody bother me - and it is with in sight !
For some random reason this came into my head....
Funny thing is, I didn't even like the ad at the time, but for some reason it seems really funny now !
Sitting here in the Royal Albert Hall waiting for one of the Proms to start:
Starting commentary about the Carry on Films from Richard E Grant. I think this summarises British humour and the use of innuendo being acceptable - even in a public environment like this (4:30 into this video):
Famous scene when Barbara Windsor walks through the hospital (1:42 into this video):
This year its MGM film music.
I really like the tuning up (I'm sure there's a proper name for it) that you always have in an orchestra, I guess it's the fact that it sounds fairly chaotic random noise and then quickly transforms into something that sounds the total opposite...
Been pretty busy at work over the past few months so limited lunches out. Of course there's The Wrestlers in Newmarket Road (down side being full of people I'd usually find irritating). The Six Bells in Fulbourn is good (especially since they let us eat in the restaurant area so we can talk work and not have to worry about people listening). Had a fantastic sandwich at the Shelford Deli on Monday.
For a while last year I was eating at The White Hart in Fulbourn. The food was fantastic- steak and chips (with onion rings) was easily one of the best I'd had in the UK. Most lunchtimes it was fairly busy and Friday was usually packed (although you could get a table). Then comes the usual Cambridge factor - nothing can stay good for a prolonged period of time and has to be made awful. It happened about 6 months ago. Over the past few months I've occasionally gone back but been a little disappointed. However this Tuesday it hit an all time low- to the point of walking out.
How can you mess up something so simple ?
Simple common sense sadly didn't prevail. Walked in, had a look at the menu, guy comes up and shows us to a table. Now here's the issue, most people at lunchtime will be working and therefore want a quick turnaround. We were shown to the table, I indicated we were ready to order but the guy just ignored us and walked off. After 5 mins I got irritated and walked out.
How can you mess up something so simple ?
