3.1415927! It must be Friday

It's another pie night here in BS5! I happened to have chicken early in the week and boiling bacon (ham) later in the week; now at the end of the week, I have all I need for a pie, with some mash and green peas!

Got the pan on the go first (he's called Stan). Onions in butter with some leeks and smoked bacon, then added chicken stock and some cooked, cubed ham and chicken. Added sweetcorn and simmered awhile, added red wine and seasoning. Pastry top later and it’s pie central here in BS5!

Get in!

Seven Hundred!

So here we are on the 700th post at Blog BS5.

In some ways I can't help thinking: could I have spent the time creating 700 posts more productively, and I might have a real job or something, but then again, I know I don't really believe that, and I know it has been a top lark these last 15 months!

This Blog has seen pictures of bridges, buses, planes, trains, cars, churches, politicians, actors, film stars, various cuts of meat, darts players and spaceships. And some fine women!

All in all I think it has added to the sum of Human knowledge; who for example could not feel gifted having seen yours truly fooling about on a garden mower in County Wexford, Ireland, or Raymond Barnaveld making a nine dart check out? Who has not benefited from discussions on the merits of Sigourney Weaver's curves?

'700' doesn't throw up much of great interest on Google, but it does return a very fine concept Mercedes, the F700 reproduced here for your Friday enjoyment.

I am into a theme now, and short of being squashed by a bus, I don't intend to make the next 700 any more profound than the first.

Take my quiz and win a plane! **

Tonight I was looking for interior shots of the A380 VIP Airbus plane, a snip at $300m. Whilst looking for it (see picture) I found this meme and I haven’t seen or done one for ages so here goes.

Smoke ‘em if you got them but it’s not obligatory.


1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Don’t think so but hey, middle name - I am the 3rd son and I was named after my Dad – top skills.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? A touch before Christmas!
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? I do but it’s pretty bad; it’s nice to see your own writing in a hand written letter
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Cow’s tongue!
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? No
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I think so, yes
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM? Is The Pope a Jerry?
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No – it has to be mental to leap off a bridge tied to a ‘laccy band and let the tension fuck your spine and eye sockets
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? The Archers
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Of course I do! Even when hammered
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? No, I am a gangly stick insect. Strength of will though
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? No preference
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Manners
15. RED OR PINK? Pink
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? Lack of stimulating job right now
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? I miss the bowl if I go for a slash in the night; I don’t put the light on and try to aim
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Not bothered
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Grey pants (hey I am English, it means underwear, not strides), brown shoes
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Lamb chops and veg’ at my pal Steve’s house
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Live stream of House Music Radio, insoulwetrust.com
22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Green
23. FAVORITE SMELLS? Ground coffee
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Steve, he invited me over for dinner and a natter
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? n/a, I found it randomly
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? A good football international, especially if it’s Brazil!
27. HAIR COLOR? Kinda salt and pepper
28. EYE COLOR? Grey or green I think?
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? no
30 FAVORITE FOOD? Home cooked – no particular region or dish
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings (involving car chase, guns, spaceships or breasts…)
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Wall-E, and it gave me really vivid nightmares
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Blue/white check
34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer
35. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs
36. FAVORITE DESSERT? The Gobi
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Alaina, I reckon (but no pressure, honey)
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? A Biog’ of Robert Oppenheimer, ‘American Prometheus’, and on and off, Leviticus
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Ponch and Jon, dude! Go CHiPs!!
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? Wall-E
42. FAVORITE SOUND? It’s a British garden bird that says ‘summer evenings’ but as for specifics it could be a chicken, an owl or an eagle; I don’t know
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Stones – more bang for your buck as they haven’t been shot or sent to the check out just yet
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Beijing: mental, scary, full, crazy, alive, no fecker over 5’10”
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I am articulate!
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? London
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? My pal Barack O

** Free plane prize entirely fictitious.

We can save you money...

My phone contract is up for renewal in about ten days' time which means I am now getting a load of calls from folks who don't actually give a fuck about my loyalty or my talk plan or my hands free wi-fi experience. And they don't call from my network provider anyhow. Two such calls today and I am politely working fast to close the call down without hanging up (I did 6 months on the phones once and it's a fag).
They are persistent and go into 'objection handling' about three times, and then by the fourth go they show their hand (i.e that they don't give a fuck) then just hang up immediately and hassle the next person on the list.

The fellas today were only doing a job but it's still tedious to get their false bonhomie.

The fella today showed his hand early on by telling me the I-phone, in which I have a passing interest 'is no good, mate'. I reckon 3 million shipped so far says different.

Wall-E

I like a decent movie and the other evening my pal Hopesoid gave me his copy of Wall-E for a few evenings. I watched it, I enjoyed it and 24 hours later it has given me vivid nightmares about being engulfed in a landfill site, and now I can't sleep.

Pixar bastards!

Wardrobe speed.

This weekend I achieved a goal I had put into the planning stage some four and a half years ago. It involved a tall wardrobe that was in the house when I moved in. I just utilised it and it took up a load of perfectly good space.

Inspired towards action at 7am on Saturday I took a hammer to it and dismantled it with 6 good whacks in strategic places. I put a bedside table in its place that came from Ma and Pa and had been in the 2nd spare room for a year. This was not the speediest execution of a plan but I am glad it has reached completion. I seem to have tons more space and light in my room now. The tablecloth was given to me most kindly by one of the women at church and I even gave it a lick of the iron.

It's bathroom completion next, and that might be done by 2011!

The Big Man in his away strip

We had an away fixture for church this weekend and all packed off to St Agnes in BS2. This was quite a lark and an impressive building. It was all very Candlestick with lots of incense (smart) and loads of going on about sin and forgiveness (poppycock). The hymns were all long and in each one, the chap playing the organ gave it up on the third verse so the hundred-odd congregation just sang unaided, having become familiar with the tune in verse 1 and 2. 100 people singing unaccompanied is quite an impressive thing.

The usual tea and cake after the show and then a few very happy pints later on with the chaps and a long chat about Israel and Gaza via a pal in Ireland.

I also Googled Hyderabad to see where it is as my pal Lummox has just arrived there for a few weeks of mobile phone network action

On reflection...

Today I attempted to purchase a mirror for my bedroom re-design project. I started off at 'The Range' where mirrors were inexpensive, and kinda' looked it too; harmless and functional. The mirrors just came as you saw them and all the hanging peripherals had to be purchased separately in an aisle on the other side of the store. Bugger that for a Saturday afternoon lark (or indeed competent retailing). Went to another store which was more organised and with staff on hand to advise mirror-illiterate customers (me!)

I may have to look again in the week as it's a complex task to go for in one hit and without further consideration. Instead I purchased 'After Burner Black Falcon' for my Playstation Portable (PSP). I can't do up my tie looking into my PSP, or do my hair but I think it was an altogether more sensible purchase as this screen shot confirms.

BS5 as a small chap.

My brother is home at the mo' on a six week break from the Flip Flops where he normally lives. He has spent a load of his time working but lots of time scanning in family phot0grpahs from back in the day and saving them on his Mac. Here's two of me as a little chap! The one with my Dad is the house I grew up in (also pictured in the fog), not long after we moved there from London. I helped (or hindered) my Dad digging a new trench. I am now about 4 inches taller than him. And still just as useless digging a trench, I suspect.

The woman in the funky specs/haircut is my mother, of course!

Quiet Street

A trip into BS1 today and Cabot Circus, Bristol's new shopping centre. I reasoned that today would be the quietest Friday of the year; it's the week before most firms' pay Friday, and it's been a very long one as most firms paid a week early for Christmas last month - so a long stretch and hardly anyone out and about unloading cash. It was just so and the place was eerily empty which made for a very peaceful saunter about. As it turns out the only item I went in for was not to be had so I bought a Cadbury's Double Decker and went home again. The theory was good, though.

I nearly bought a new griddle pan (on a whim) but it was made by Le Crueset and was mentally expensive so I moved on.

Other excitement today includes a myth busting experiment I will Blog about in a day or so, Bingo calling at 6pm, and with much drama, a swapping around of my room that involved a hammer, some dismantling and lots of re-arrangement and messing about!

I may take an evening glass of wine.

Top TV!

That was a fun 4 hours watching TV! Let's hope the fella has a good first few days.

New Kettle drama.

My Mum and Dad have a new kettle which does what it should on the boiling front but then dings a bell when it has exceeded 100 degrees! It's next to the microwave and whenever it goes off, you can see the microwave frowning and saying 'Hey Mofo, I do the dinging round here'. Check out this all action vid' with noise to see and hear the excitement!

What's happening on Tuesday?

For ages now I have been quite excited about watching Barack O take his oath as the 44th President of the US. I forgot the event momentarily last week and had to be reminded what I had set Tuesday afternoon aside for. Anyway this weekend, and today the papers and the internet have been awash with stats and facts about the day. Of particular interest is the Secret Service prep' for the day as they have 'gamed out' all sorts of calamitous situations in which someone has a pop at the man - pretty unlikely, I reckon.

Top stats action has to go to the new Presidential car which will be unveiled tomorrow. Click on the pic for top fact drama. It's nearly as cool as VX52.

The Chuckle Brothers.

My brother and I have been dismantling a wall of books today, totaling about 800 books. We did this so my Dad could paint behind it; I'm 36, my brother is 38 and I am pretty sure my Dad wouldn't trust either of us with a paintbrush (or the lawnmower, for that matter).

Here we are at various stages of the task, under supervision from my Mum. We didn't drop or break anything and even took them off in alphabetical order so it can all go back again in a couple of days.

There were two books about spaceships in amongst the 800 serious titles.

Blog in the buff....

I am at Ma and Pa's tonight and my brother is here with me. It's Friday night so we are getting a bit pissed and looking through old family photographs; we are also reminiscing with old larks. This one is me in the buff on a holiday in our youth and my brother is on the towpath watching. He just scanned this in and E'd it to me. It was a summer holiday but I guess it was a cold day....

Dude!

Now that Pilot is a bit of a dude. Imagine a plane crashing into a river and no one losing their life! Some decision to take off, strike birds, turn around in order to fly back, and pitch safely into a river! I bet he won't be short of blokes getting the beers in at his local bar.

It's certainly what I would have done if the same happened to me flying out of Bristol!

Brain in gear

A couple of nice, busy days yesterday and today! I had some work and used my mind which was satisfying, and once again today I have work to do as well as a bit of lifting and shifting to prepare for a breakfast meeting this Sunday; I have peachy permanent jobs to apply for and meetings to arrange for next week. It is a welcome thing having some intellectual engagement.

For those interested in the outcome of the pie I made, I think it went rather well - a bit full mixture wise, if anything but that hardly detracted from the enjoyment, not judging by the clean plate of my guest, anyway.


Fact:
Today in 1559, Queen Elizabeth had her Coronation; as you can see from this picture, the 16th C residents of Bristol would be able to see her chuff....

BlogBS5: helping you pass the day with usefully interpreted historical facts.

Snooker blog.

My top smart elder brother has been to Wembley today to watch the snooker. It was live on the TV during the afternoon so I watched out for it and saw him at the end of the first frame when the camera panned across the audience as a sort of filler shot!

My good friend Walshers recorded it and sent me this screen shot and a little 2 second video. I appreciate that very few people who read this blog will know what my brother looks like, but hey it's just the sort of thing my Blog is all about! On the vid' he's bottom of the screen two or three in from the right and he looks across the table in an Action Man eagle-eyes stylee! No doubt the total drama mesmerised him.

PIE!

Made my chicken and ham pie filling today and it was quite complicated and I needed to concentrate but it came out okay and it smells good.

I have the mega-complex issue of pastry later, and I will have a strong cup of tea prior to that (you have to know it is ready made; not like I am making my own, and it's still feelin' complex). Had to buy a rolling pin in Sainsbury's and I was nervous in case some sort of woman-alarm went off and I got escorted from the store for non-chap type purchasing!

A pre-oven picture is here (2 in fact).

Okay: Pastry complete. Man that flour gets everywhere! I made a right old mess rolling out pastry. It's a complex business but I think I did okay. The pie is covered and I brushed it with egg, possibly a bit heavily. I tried to make a pastry space ship to go on the top but was unequal to the task.

Food review to follow,

Kingstown.

My week is shaping up to be an almost full one. Nothing like as full as any given day when I was last working in retail but engagingly busy nevertheless. I have a meeting with my current employer tomorrow, even though technically I am a consultant to her. Anyhow, I want to be on my game.

I need to stop fucking about with running and actually go some distance tomorrow, and come back a bit knackered not just ticking over.

I have to look out for my brother on TV too; he has front row seats at the snooker and he is really excited. If I can take a screen grab I'll blog it later! I have to review a job app' I wrote today and post it to the company I am trying to have a shot at, and I have to get back in the habit of applying broadly for positions. I also have to cook, but that is a new recipe and frankly it's an indulgence so that doesn't count as busy by any stretch.

Evening phone-calls surprised me too. A thought provoking end to the day but not at all bad.

A week today to a full on TV indulgence of Barack O' signing on! Excited about that.

Cool Questions again...

My Blog pal over at FFF asked me to answer these questions after a little interview over at her place that she passed on!

1. Why do you blog? Enjoyable to expound on things I like in a harmless fashion! Fun to have an archive to look back on without it being a major exercise in vanity. Nice to meet people along the way, from near and far.

2. If you were invited to a birthday party and asked to give the birthday girl/guy one book you love, which would it be? Why? The Haynes Instruction Manual for R2 Units...just in case

3. If you were a car, which would you be and why? I'd be Car-y Grant because other than the slight handicap of being dead (and possibly on both buses?), he was a bit of a dude.

4. What were your first five paid jobs? Barman, Store Deputy Manager, Merchandising Manager, Communications Manager, Operations Manager - mostly retail (all but the first one had the simple job requirement of walking round with a bit of paper looking purposeful).

5. Tell me two interesting things about yourself that may surprise me. (1) If I walk on a polished wooden floor with socks but no shoes, it makes me feel like I am going to pass out! (2) I don't *really* know Barack Obama (well not on first name terms anyway).

Thanks FFF!

Birthday Bag

My friend Bag has his birthday today and also relaunches his Blog which I will link in here at a later date if he's cool with that.

He's the chap at the front of the pic' here, along with me and Seamus in Prague.

I can't recall how old Bag is but I am pretty sure it's a year younger than me. He might be 36, but then he might be 35.

Bag is a former BS5er, and indeed a one time lodger in this house, wherein much tomfoolery took place, including the time Bag put a pizza menu over my windscreen to cover the rather out of date tax disc when the Police called around to investigate a small crash on this road.

Happy birthday, lad.

Awash down the street.

Today it has rained like a good un', and as it happened my recycling box was at the point right under the guttering where there must be a gap because it filled up during the day, so the box was awash with about 12 gallons of rainwater! I just tipped it up and a solitary can of fosters rode the wave and shot off down the street at high speed! It was quite smart but I didn't catch it on camera - too gangly for that really. Anyhow, one of the simple pleasures that made it a good day so far.

Rain!

Blustery, raining but warm this morning - my favourite running weather! I like it when it's raining but warm at the same time.

Oink!

I don't want this blog to become obsessed with eating. Trains, bridges, space ships maybe, but not food.

Here is another food post.

Today it's leg of roast pork, a joint I think I have just about cracked. I have prepped it this morning prior to going for a run, changing the bedding and looking in at church. I will roast the pork from 4pm, I think. It has a little olive oil on it and then a mixture of onions, garlic and green finger chillies over the top. There's some garlic cloves in the joint and some rosemary, and some roughly chopped onions surrounding it too. A splash of wine has gone in and some seasoning, and all it now needs is 177 minutes at 190 degrees. Should be great! The cold cuts are almost nicer than the hot and it's all very versatile!

Beeswax BS5

A right old morning of activity and domestication here in Bravo Sierra Fiver. I went for a run and it was not mega early but it was still cold enough to freeze the end of my nose and my finger tips. I am glad I have started running and exercising again, I feel much zingier and more alert for it, even two days back in.

Got back and had an indulgent wallow in the bath, and then dressed and took out my tablecloth from the wash. In light of my post about the wine stains staying in, I bought a bright pink tub of Vanish stain remover in the week. The instructions said lob in a scoop, or if you are diligent, soak it first and rub each stain. I did the ‘scoop’ only of course, with the result that it came out better but not great; it’s going to be down to hard work and perseverance, I guess. Or being more careful with my wine but that’s a 36 year gangly streak I’d have to break and that’s not going to happen any time soon.

With the tablecloth off the table, I decided to polish it. I am incredibly fond of my table, maybe worryingly so, but I polished it for ages to restore some gleam which is odd because later on when I have ironed the tablecloth, it will simply go back on, covering the deep shine in the wood. I remember getting this table when I was 11, and now it is in my house these past 4 years. It is so polished that next time I have anyone to lunch, the whole thing might just slide right off, so care will have to be taken at that point.

Here’s the table in its undressed state with a bottle (from Helen, for Christmas) and the chair head reflected all the way down showing the gleam!

Some cooking to do later and then an end to the domestic streak in the form of a pint, I suspect...

UPDATE: It is indeed Walshy's chair which he gave to me when he moved house.

Resuming running.

I am off for a run today - not because of any impending new year resolution (I lost weight over Christmas) but just because I went running every day before Christmas and then stopped when I had guests, so today I will resume my gangly regime around the local playing field. It has been a good few days since I went so I will be shagged out when I get back! I know I will enjoy it though and it will soon become a weekday fix again.

A day of reading and working today and setting up some initial meetings. Also, a couple of job applications and, unrelatedly, preparing some roast pork for tomorrow.

A single act 20 years ago...

A bit like Captain Garret coming through a worm hole event (that may or may not be there), I think I have emerged from Christmas into the regular structure of the week.

Today is the first evening I have been on my jack since December 23rd. It has been company all the way through, and when you live on your own and become used to it, a house suddenly devoid of folks is quite a thing. Don't get me wrong, the company has been consistently great but a 16 day stretch is a good bit! Loads of laughs and delights along the way but now I have some quiet days to crack on with job apps and temping again. I enjoyed a busy house, and I have company again on Monday which will be particularly top smart. It has to do with a favourite bit of pavement.

Of course, Captain Garret got wasted by the Klingons, but no one knew about it because when the event happened it cancelled itself out of time and no one knew about it ever occurring, so that's not really a great theme to hang on to. If I was suddenly never here, and you never knew me at all, and this blog never was, then I've gone arse backwards through an unstable worm hole into the future, but not for another 20 years just yet.

Dancing on the ceiling.

My pal Lummox shipped out today after a ten day stop in BS5. He was good company and it was a good old lark to have him and his GF Neo to stay.

This is a pic of Lummox doing his party piece at a recent house party. He likes to turn people upside down! He is about 2 inches shorter than me and is about 6'3 but he's a strong old ox. I tried it back but got nowhere.

Here's me in various stages of an assault on my dignity (the big smile gives away the level of laughing objection!)

The fourth four.

My Blog pal Saz over at FFF has left a picture tag on her blog. She has put up the fourth picture in the fourth photo folder from her computer and explained it.

I liked the idea of that and here is mine. This is my fourth four. Meet Marlon Shakespeare and Joe Dredd.

It's artwork from Judge Dredd, the anchor story in the comic 2000AD. This was a whole long saga about 'Chopper' (AKA Marlon Shakespeare) who skysurfed his way to world championship standing in a future Skysurfing elite. A very, very addictive comic strip that I enjoyed around about the age of 16.

African eating.

I have a pal from Cork staying with me until mid week ('Lummox', from a few posts back) and his girlfriend too. They both live in Kuala Lumpur at the mo' but hail from Cork and Botswana respectively. Last night we ate a Botswanan meal together - very much a first for me, but 5 of us gathered for dinner, including that old African hand, Cas. We had a bean salad, spinach, a beef casserole sort of a dish, and Maize! I have never eaten maize before and only ever learned about it at school. 800 million tonnes of it grown in 2007, don't you know? It looks like mash potato but is grainier (of course) and denser.

A fine night's eating here in BS5, where for a short and appreciated time the B stood for Botswana.

MASSIVE drama!

This is why the internet is so great!

Check this out: drama, intrigue, tension, sportsmanship, skill, pressure...and the legend that is Sid Wadell commenting.

Fantasmagorical as Mr Wadell once said..

You can't beat a classic 9 darter and good on someone for uploading it from the other day (I had missed it).

Blog warning: If this made no sense or you didn't feel the drama, research suggests you may be a woman. Don't worry about it, a handbag will be along soon. Or some shoes.

Ten!

Yesterday was the tenth anniversary of my association with Bristol!

On Jan 4th 1999 I turned up for day 1 of work at the head office of Somerfield/Kwik Save stores to start a pretty dull job drawing 'planograms' (i.e what product goes on a particular shelf space). It was also ten years since meeting my good Wexford friend Seamus who also started work on that day. He now lives back in Ireland from whence he came and since that day he and I have flown into silliness in China, Mexico, Egypt, The Czech Republic and very briefly Russia (and Ireland, of course).

This particular job saw the formation of the BS5 gang; soon after Seamus and I started, Walshy and Bag signed up too, Caz moved down as well, and a friendship was away.

It was also Epiphany Sunday (Kings, star, gifts and then on the 6th, the 12th day of Christmas and the tree goes), and the day saw the reinstatement of 'Shanghai' darts in the pub.

All very philisophical.

Wedding driver

Today I am suited and booted, and taking a friend to her wedding in VX52. This is the second time my car has performed wedding detail with the first occasion being in Lancashire back on a very hot day last year.

Me, VX52, the bride, the bridesmaid and her sister on a cold day in Bristol.

I would normally clean the car myself, an activity I enjoy greatly, but then I caved in to the cold and had it done at a hand wash place here in BS5. That was an experience; eight cars on the go at once in a confined space and each car moved from stage to stage in a biblical cacophony of languages, hues, creeds and gesticulations. It really did not cost very much and it was quite good fun to see cars flying about the place with no danger of a bump - they knew each inch of their premises!

The wedding I am driving for also has a do this evening and I am going along to that. This week I have been spoiled for parties, eating, rooms full of attractive women and happy days.

My suit has grown since I last had it on and the trousers are looser around the waist! The waistcoat is looser too.

Larks.

I am rarely happier than when attending a good house party, and my friend Cas threw a blinder last night! Great curries and salads and stuff to graze, and a house full of music and good people. There was no drama, no arguments and no issues at all, and young and old mixed with complete ease. Half the people had no idea what the facebook and I tunes conversations were about, but then again the other half weren't too sure about Motown on the stereo (although everyone danced). I think I stayed until about 2.00 and wandered home in contented bliss, with a Stilton cheese and lamb sandwich. Quite my favourite evening out of the festive days of late.

Blockbuster Pt II

Chez moi, again.

With top voice-over action!

I will try to film something more interesting soon.

BS5 topples.

This is a picture of me about to do something silly involving Guinness and larks last evening, and the end of the lark too. Also in the picture are Lummox (in blue) who is staying for a few days and Cas, who is one of the regular Rhubarb gang (and a fine BS5er), and who is also holding a house party this evening.

I think my new camera has a tendency to highlight grey hair as well as moments of idiocy!

Listen to your Mum!

This morning at bleary o' clock I put my tablecloth into the washing machine. I am fond of my table cloth as it was a Christmas present from my Mum sometime back. It is a massive cloth and made of something called damask linen (or something).

Anyhow, it has been on active service all week long and its clean white pristineness is definitely missing in action with many a war wound (of wine) on display. My Mum always tells me I should use a stain remover on wine prior to putting it in the wash. Today I thought I'd be okay and lobbed it in as it was, with the result that 78 minutes later it came out with all the merlot, cab sav and syrah intact and just a little lighter in colour than before. Next time I am in Sainsbury's I will replenish my Vanish and make a mental note that my Ma is right pretty much all of the time.

Here's the table awaiting a clean cloth, which won't be today of course.

Three!

I am into my third year of Blogging! That's a bit of a cheat actually as year 3 is only 1 day old, and year 1 was the tail end of 2007 heading into Christmas.

Anyhow, thank you for staying on the bus with the inconsequential and wandering 555 posts of 2008 and 106 posts of 2007.

It's been a total lark, meeting great folks and Barack Obama, Sam Power, Erin O' Connor, Kylie and all sorts of people along the way.

Here's to 2009 and further daftness.

I am letting Andy Warhol into my blog but just today and for illustrative purposes; I'd normally brand him a modern art chancer (and therefore a total conman).

Brain detachment.

This is my perspective at my local bar (I took this pic last night, a handful of beers in, at 10.20) - as you can see I am taller than it and have to stoop when ordering beer. I ordered beer in quantity last night and I suspect there are better images out there of my rendition of Wonderwall on karaoke. I will publish them if I have them! There's one here but it's not so good.

I had a fine NYE and was pretty happy all evening long and in good, carefree company. I got quite pissed but didn't do anything too idiotic (well not in the pub). I may have left my brain in 2008, so hopefully it will be on the next bus to come down the street and I can begin 2009 sensibly(ish).