Ross Noble

I went to see Ross Noble at Newcastle City Hall tonight and he was excellent. I can't remember laughing so much for years. He must be one of the best stand up comedians. He seems to make everything up as he goes along rather than having a set routine. My neck and chest was hurting from constantly laughing, it was just as well there was an interval so I could recover.

It would be interesting to go back another night and see if it was completely different or if it did have the same material.

Anyway it was an excellent night :-)

Part 3

I have now switched to the laptop and made some hot chocolate, which tastes very nice. I really am relaxing this afternoon. The music has been switched to Future Chill, which someone at work gave me because it wasn't their sort of music (excellent CD).

This the third post in the last day with pictures of hot drinks stuff. Oh, just gonna check the lottery numbers to see if I have to bother getting up for work in the morning or not....shite I will have to get up in the morning, only had 2 numbers.

I am now so relaxed that I can't remember why I started writing on the blog in the first place, it obviously wasn't anything exciting or important (it never is).

I suppose I could write about some of the stuff from this week, I've hardly posted anything recently. I am going to try to stick to some things over the next couple of weeks. Anyone who reads this regularly will know I am always making lists of stuff to do and you will also know that I normally forget about them after a day or so and move onto something else. Today I am going to try to plan some stuff for the next couple of weeks in the run up to my week off work.

The main thing has to be fitness, I have more or less had an entire month off since the Great North Run, I have only done one run, granted it was the fastest time ever but still shit and I have started to put some weight back on, so need to halt that before I start back down the slippery slope. My aim is to be fitter than I was for the Great North Run for the 16th of November, that is just under 3 weeks away. Which may not be long but shouldn't be too hard to achieve if I get off my arse from tomorrow and actually do some exercise. I'm going off walking on that day with Julie who I used to work with years ago. I don't want to feel really unfit on the day, so that's my aim!

I need to keep tighter reigns on my money this month as well, last month has been very difficult for a number of reasons. I was owed money from people at work for concert tickets which I finally got on Friday night, was ridiculous that it took them 6 weeks to finally pay me. That was only after I told them how skint I was and couldn't afford to go out. Going to Teesside has also hit me really hard with the amount of petrol I have had to use and paying for parking and stuff like that. I was angry this week and still am after finding out how much more Teesside employees get paid in travel expenses. If I was employed there I would get £19 a month more lump sum and 9p a mile more. I have raised this and am very tempted to say I am not going anymore until the H.R. issues are addressed. I am fed up of doing things and not even knowing the final outcomes because decisions haven't been made. It's getting beyond a joke how long it's taking, this should of been sorted out before I ever set foot in the place to work there. I should find out in the next 2 weeks how much I am supposed to be paid afer the pay review and hopefully know more about what's happening with my units merger with Teesside. If I am not happy with either or don't find out any details in that timescale I am going to actively seek other employment. I can't go on any longer like I am and it's unfair to expect me and others to do so.

I have gone from being chilled out and happy to angry thinking about work, so going to stop writing on here and lay back and try to relax but think my brain will start working over time thinking about work and the hassles there. This is why I want things sorted NOW. I can't switch off anymore from work :-(

part 2

i will continue but may get stopped again and just lost this second
part once already. i am laid on the bed relaxing and listening to
chilled ibiza gold. i haven't done anything this weekend to need to
relax but still feels good :-)

my wrist is hurting typing this and probably didn't help doing the
cartwheels. my hands are freezing as well, i have poor circulation or
something these days i think. my feet are normally cold as well, might
need to look into the causes.

i am off to newcastle tonight to watch Ross Noble at the city hall
with Val, its her birthday today. really looking forward to it. he has
as many random thoughts as me. got another text so have to stop again,
i should get the laptop out don't manu to keep stopping.

part 1

i have been very lazy yet again this weekend and have hardly done
anything. although i just tried to do a handstand, i need some more
practise. i dont seem to have much balance anymore and kept falling
over. if i use the wall to help then no problems but thats cheating.
the handstand came about because a friend was reading my blog and i
had mentioned i was doing headstands. they said the are the same and
do daft things like that as well.

i quite enjoyed that although i need lots more practise. stopped
writing this for a second to try a cartwheel, thats a bit easier.
although my wrist and feet are hurting now. i need a lot more room for
cartwheels than when i was kid. i better stop before i injur myself!

just get a text and do want to lose what i've wrote so will send this
then continue in part 2. writing this on my phone.

Mission Report

Mission Update: The mission was a success, there wasn't quite enough danger involved so I decided to use a thermos type cup I received from Amazon a few years ago for free. I wasn't sure if it was microwavable or if it contained any metal. The results of my test was that it was microwavable and it didn't contain any metal.

It is as yet unclear whether the outcome will be an earlier nights sleep or not, but I have also switched the music from quite fast uplifting dance music to more chilled music.

Mission Horlicks

Mission Horlicks: If I choose to accept I need to drink a malted milk drink called Horlicks to hopefully put me to sleep. I will have to navigate the stairs, avoid the clothes horse in the dining room and hopefully make it to the kitchen in one piece. Once there I will need to make the Horlicks using some dangerous equipment (microwave). If the mission is successful, I may find that I'm able to go to sleep slightly earlier than if I had not undertaken this dangerous mission.

Do I accept: Aye gan on then ;-)

Brain Activity

I have tons I could write about, my brain is jumping about so much at the moment but I don't think anyone would have any chance of following what I was writing, it would be so scattered.

I've just read my star sign for Sunday, it is certainly correct and will try to follow the advice but my brain is working over time and will be some time before I will be able to sleep. Most likely 4am or so...

Gemini for Sunday
How do you appease your restless spirit? Think about getting out and getting your body moving. Some outdoor exercise would do you the world of good especially if you're starting to feel stifled or claustrophobic from spending too long indoors. You could opt for a simple or a strenuous form of exercise: you know your own tastes and limits. Whatever your choice you will enjoy the freedom such activities bring.

Strange

I have just read a report on the BBC website about a pelican eating a whole live pigeon in a London park. You can see from the picture above.

Star Sign

My star sign for tomorrow looked interesting for once and the first part may be right, I hope?

Although you will be shouldering extra responsibilities these next few weeks, they will not feel like a burden. There is nothing dull or routine about the jobs you are taking on now. It might be exciting to get involved in something new. An incident at work could prompt you to take a long look at your relationship with a workmate. Is there a chance of a professional association turning into a romance?

thinking

it was inevitable that my mind was gonna wander after watching the
exorcism of emily rose. the real story was actually in germany and 2
priests and the girls parents were found guilty of manslaughter. she
wasn't called emily rose either.

laid in bed thinking about stuff, i am not religous at all and don't
believe in god. yet i guess i am spiritual but not in a religous
sense. i have an interest in beliefs and psychic stuff i guess. weird
stuff like that have always captured my imagination probably because
of their very nature of being hard to explain and being interesting.

i have loads of books on supernatural and similar things. they are
still at my parents and need to bring them here. although i have read
lots and been intrigued i don't think i have ever really decided what
i believe.

just don't believe there is a god. if there was a god who or what
created them. load of rubbish but lots of interesting stories ;-)

The Exorcism of Emily Rose

The Exorcism of Emily Rose: This is another movie I had put off watching, thinking 'not another exorcist movie'. Yet a couple of weeks ago somebody mentioned that it was quite good, so I decided to watch it tonight.

I really enjoyed it, there wasn't a lot of horror but it's one of those movies that makes you think. My favourite films make me think and after watching a movie you keep thinking about the subjects raised. This movie did that!

I gave it 8 out of 10 but nearly gave it more.

Listened to recently...

Here's some of the albums I've listened to in the last few weeks.










Robbie Williams - Rudebox **
Fleetwood Mac - Tango In The Night *****
Meatloaf - Bat Out of Hell III ***
Katie Melua - Piece By Piece ****
Twisted Sister - Under The Blade ***
Oasis - Masterplan ****
George Michael - Ladies & Gentlemen *****
Green Day - Dookie ****
Green Day - International Superhits ****
Leif Ove Andsnes - Horizons
Aim - Flight 602 ****
Razorlight - Razorlight ***
Kiss In Ibiza '96 ****
Bon Jovi - Cross Road *****
Nirvana - Unplugged in New York *****
Nina Simone - The Very Best Of ****
Festival 2006 ****
Radiohead - The Bends ****
The Annual 2000 ****
Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry ****
Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run ***
Oasis - Don't Believe The Truth ***
The Killers - Sam's Town ***
Kill Bill Soundtrack ****

Adding the ability to use my iPod in the car has made it easier to listen to lots of different albums in the car rather than having to write a new CD with MP3s on which I could never be bothered to do before. I added my ratings next to most of the albums, my opinion on some of the newer albums may change after repeated listens but that's what I think at the moment. There are very few with poor ratings because if I didn't like it I would normally stop listening so wouldn't add the album here to say I had listened to it!

I have also listened to a couple of Podcasts:
Pete Tongs - Tongcast
Adam Curry's - Daily Source Code

Work

I've been quiet on the blogging front, until today. I have been tired all week, probably with going to Teesside for 2 days and having stuff on my mind and finding it hard to sleep for a few days. Not knowing what is happening with my units merger with Teesside it's becoming annoying, no one is telling us anything. Exactly what I said would happen and highlighted in our meeting shouldn't happen.

There is now only one person in Teesside to merge with because the other person got a new job on Monday but doesn't actually start until January. From what I understand the remaining person does not want to come to Durham at all. I can sort of understand this, I don't want to go over Teesside 2 days a week either but I am having to. So by the same standards she should have to come over to Durham at least 1 day a week to see how we work, while there are still other staff in Teesside to cover. It seems that Teesside are being looked after more than Durham at the moment and everyone in Durham QAU has said the same thing. The person who doesn't want to come to Durham wouldn't have to travel any further or longer in time, unlike myself and my line manager. I am guessing it's just because she is used to working in Teesside and knows everyone and will be out of her comfort zone until she gets to know everyone else. Double standards seem to be applying at the moment!

I am totally skint at the moment, going to Teesside isn't helping. Having to pay for parking and using more petrol in 2 days than I normally would in an entire week. I will get to claim this back but I wont get it until the end of November, 8 weeks from when I started travelling there. I asked for stuff like this to be sorted out before we went there, but it hasn't. I daren't drive anywhere this weekend because I know I wont have enough money to put petrol in the car twice before pay day.

I did get some good news yesterday, the pay reviews have been agreed and we should receive letters in the next 2 weeks with the details. I guess then I will know whether I am leaving or not. If I don't receive a resonable increase and hear more information on the merger I AM LEAVING, just in time for the new year. Hopefully this wont be nescessary but I am fed up with the stuff I have been through the last few months and the stuff we are going through now.

I was listening to 2 managers talking, who were sat on spare desks next to me. They said that people in a meeting the day before were impressed that unlike other areas our staff weren't negative are were very positive. I had to bite my tongue not to tell them to actually open their eyes are ears. Management really do appear to have no idea how the staff are actually feeling. I have heard 3 seperate PO's in the last week say how totally fed up they are and are looking at their career options. All 3 normally love their jobs and are some of the hardest working, not just saying that because they are friends. I have spoke to a lot of other staff in the last 2 weeks at different levels and all are very down because of work and have no idea where they stand. The Chief is trying to be very open which is a good idea, but telling people something then not telling them any detail just makes things worse. Staff are then left not knowing where they stand for weeks/months. It just creates negativity and bad feeling because people are left in limbo.

One of the managers said if people were negative then what were they doing working for us they should leave. If all the people who are negative and feeling fed up at the moment left there seriously would be no one left. I haven't heard anyone being positive except for a handful of senior mangers, everyone certainly isn't. Maybe we should create an area where staff can anonymously write blogs of how they are feeling and express their views, maybe then management might actually then realise just how bad feeling is at the moment through out the area. The staff survey is pointless and is hardly anonymous with the questions it asks.

The last thing I will mention is the amount of staff pissed off about a new building in Durham where many staff will be moving to next year. There is hardly anywhere to park (10 spaces I believe), so people will have to pay for either car parking fees or the Park and Ride. This will add a minimum of £8.50 per person a week (park and ride) and considerable amounts of time. It's also impracticle for some staff who leave the office throughout the day for visits. It's another thing adding to bad feeling at the moment. This doesn't effect me in slightest but if managers think staff are happy at the moment they are living on another planet (wake up and smell the shit).

Run in the Rain

Distance: 3.15 miles
Time: 33 minutes

I went out of the usual dinner time run on my own in the rain yesterday. I thought I was going with Helen and Mandy but Mandy had cold and said they weren't going. She said the rain was too heavy as well.

I decided I was going anyway, despite it absolutely tossing it down. The rain stopped once I got to the railway line. It was the first time I had ran since the Great North Run, nearly 3 weeks ago. So it was quite hard, especially when I set off quite fast because of the rain. It was also the first time I had ran it with a watch on, always a bad idea when I run because I start trying to run too fast.

I did beat the previoud best time by another minute, but I'm sure I can get this under 30 minutes within the the next 2 weeks.

When I got back Helen had come out of her meeting and said she had wanted to go. Oh well was a bit late by then I'd already been.

Long Week

It's been a long week...

I spent Monday and Tuesday working in Teesside and will be for the forseeable future :-(
I'm kind of fed up with the situation because I want to see some more action and planning happening. We were told some information a couple of weeks ago at a meeting but nothing was really confirmed and just ideas. It all feels very de ja vu.

Something I highlighted at the meeting was that we needed to kept constantly informed as to what was going on. We haven't heard anything else since and people are just getting more and more fed up. All of us seem fed up with not knowing what is going on and not knowing exactly what our jobs are going to entail or where at (in my case)?

There is also the prospect of other staff being brought in and 2 of the main candidates are dreaded by everyone currently in the team. People could well leave if one of those joins the unit, supposedly to help but would cause more hassle and friction. What should be happening is more communication with the staff in the 2 units and getting their views and letting us know what is happening, rather than the current silence. If this continues there will be more people leaving, me included. They have me going to Teesside but with know clear idea given how long this will go on for. I am holding out to find out the results of the job review. If I am not happy with it, then it will be the time to leave.

I have said many times before that I should leave but there are several things coming to a head at the moment. Merger, Pay Review and I found out some more information regarding the situation when I was off. Appears to of been a bit of a witch hunt and the individual has been talking since stuff was supposed to be sorted. Not saying anything bad but telling more people about what happened, but not the entire truth, skewing it.

I was supposed to be volunteering today as a Countryside Ranger but I was so tired I decided to have a lie in and do my own gardening rather than clearing groundwork somewhere else. Yet I never got around to doing my own either. I spent several hours fixing my new PVR TV card after a program removed some of its settings files.

It's no wonder I'm tired after 2 days in Teesside, going to the cinema on Wednesday, was talking until late on Thursday when a friend stayed over. Was a good night, made a change having someone other than myself to talk to. Found out that we have more in common than I knew. We both tend to order stuff, me with my music and DVDs and her with just about everything.

Last night I dozed off on the couch at about 9 for a while then went to bed at 11.

Tomorrow I need to do some exercise. I really want to walk Blencathra and Sharp Edge but I can't be bothered to draw the route out tonight. I want to have an easy night, watching the boxing a bit later. I'm not sure I can afford the petrol either, its costing me a fortune at the moment. With going to Teesside, wont get that back until the end of the November, going to Cinema and stuff like that. So £15+ or whatever it would be to drive to the lakes is a fair bit. If I don't get there I need to either go for a good walk locally or get out for a run. I'm gonna set my alarm for 6 but the boxing doesn't finish until 12 tonight so will be shattered.

The Matador

The Matador: I had no idea what this film was about, I wrongly presumed it was about a bull fighter. I was very pleasantly suprised, it was actually about a hitman (Brosnan).

Wont say anymore but well worth watching, although some people may find it a bit slower. There were quite a few funny parts.

I gave it an 8 out of 10.

The Devil Wears Prada

The Devil Wears Prada: I went to the cinema with not very high hopes after someone at work said it wasn't very good. This was probably the best way for me to approach the film.

In the end I actually enjoyed it, it was fairly obvious what was going to happen but it didn't matter. Meryl Streep was excellent and Anne Hathaway did a good job too.

I gave it 7 out of 10.

Should Be Sleeping

I should be in bed sleeping but because I haven't been out of bed until 11am the last 2 days my sleep pattern is all messed up. Not that I have ever really had one anyway and wouldn't of been alseep now anyway but I should at least be in bed, instead I am writing my fifth post in a row.

I have loads of stuff to do tomorrow, sorting car insurance out and getting bed linen. Unfortunately I have to go to Teesside though tomorrow or I think I am. I wont know until I get to work (Durham) in the moring and find out whats been planned for the week. At least I don't have to go straight to Middlesbrough for 8:30. I would like to know what HR have sorted out about the situation but as usual we have heard nothing and probably wont.

Why I can't I win the lottery and become a man of leisure, it is a double roll over on Wednesday, so you never know. Erm, I think I do, it wont be me. Although I have had some strange dreams about stuff the last week or so.

I guess I should go to bed and try to sleep and pray that my phone doesn't freeze again or I will be sleeping in :-(

Planning

I started to make a list of things I wanted to do over the next year at work on Thursday. I thought I had put it in my pocket on Friday but now I can't find it. So I will try to create a new one:

CANADA
Great North Run
Raby 10K
Blaydon Race
NY 3 Peaks
Snowdon
Ben Nevis via CMD Arete
Scafell Pike & Scafell
Ill Bell
West Highland Way
Wolsingham ME Walk
Blencathra & Sharp Edge
Helvellan via Striding Edge
Weardale Way

There are more to add to these and I want to try to add them to my calendar so I actually do them rather than just thinking about it.

I still need to think of a BIG thing to do, I know many of the above are BIG things but I mean something that will really push me, like Skydiving last year and Great North Run this year. The West Highland Way would be an event if I wild camp it all, but I want something that stops and makes you think that its an achievement.

I started writing this post 2 days ago and hoped to add to it but haven't had time to sit down and really think about plans for the next year. So just posted it as it is so far and will try to add them to my calendar this next week so I have a firm date to do each :-)

Setup Spare Room Urgently

I am going to be very busy tomorrow night, I may have a friend staying in the spare room sometime this week. The spare room is currently a dumping ground and the pine bed is in pieces on the floor, so will need to assemble it tomorrow night and buy some sheets, etc. As well as clear all the junk from the room. I still haven't painted the walls either but it doesn't matter. They said they would bring their airbed and sleeping bag and it would be like camping. Hopefully I will have the room a bit better than that.

It may not happen but best to be prepared.

TV Recording Certainly A Project

I said I wanted a project when I first mentioned building a computer to record TV programmes. That's certainly what I'm getting, I have had nothing but problems from the beginning and I'm only on the testing stage of the card. I couldn't get any signal when searching for channels but disconnected my freeview box to test it upstairs and when I got back upstairs it had found some channels on the second attempt. I think it could of been because it was splitting the singal without a booster on the aerial. Haven't connected my Freeview box back up to test this theory yet.

The actual card itself seems very good its just the software that came with that is crap. It's based around 6 or 7 year old programs, that I first used about that long ago. Anyone who isn't very technical doesn't stad much chance of using the bundled applications successfully.

I had already decided to try GB-PVR a free PVR program for Windows. After a few minutes of searching a found the information I needed to make GB-PVR recognise my card. This part worked fine but I have had hassle with the TV listings. I tried Bleb free listing but they can't show ITV channels so thats no good. Then had load of hassle using XMLTV listings but sort of got it working now. Another problem is that the 2 tuners in the card don't pick up all the channels, each tuner seems to pickup channels the other doesn't. This may be because of the aerial and will know better once I get a booster downstairs.

I have recorded several programs and watched some of them back all worked without any problems. At first there was a problem trying to play them back on the Xbox because of the format the programmes were being recorded in "dvr-ms" its about the only format the Xbox doesn't playback perfectly but after more hassle I got it recoring in "MPG" and all is now well.

I have recorded 3 programmes tonight, Beyond Boundaries, Cold Case, Incredible Animal Journeys and Las Vegas is recording at the moment. I probably wouldn't of had time to watch any of these normally, but with recording them I can whenever I get chance.

I could leave the card in my main computer for a while until I have more money because I can still use it to do most things while it is recording. If streaming to the Xbox works perfectly I could then put the TV recording computer under the stairs as I had hoped. The web scheduling worked perfectly once I got the channel listings sorted :-)

Not much as usual

I ended up going to Asda for some healthy food, by healthy I mean fruit and veg and stuff to stir fry. I made a nice chicken stiry fry when I got back :-)

I have been wondering where some of my clothes had disappeared to, was gonna ask my mam if she had given them to my dad by mistake after my waashing was on her line. Then I suddenly realised I had put some stuff in the airing cupboard about 2 or 3 weeks ago. Sometimes I am a total numpty (well most of the time). I now have just about all of my clothes to iron, I hate ironing because it always kills by back standing. That and I'm shite at it, although have finally got the knack of ironing my shirt for work. I spent 20 minutes trying to iron the last going out shirt I bought. It is an absolute nightmare, hard to explain without seeing it. It's supposed to look a bit rough (luckily).

Fresh Air

Distance: 2 miles

I went out for a very short walk just to get some fresh air. I had to stop myself from running any of it, although I did run up the steps through the wood. I wanted to walk it at a relaxed pace which is why I stopped myself from running. It's earily quiet down the farm although there were 2 calves mooing. Other than that there wasn't really any sounds down there.

Still waiting for my lottery win to buy up all the land, so I can prevent anything ever being built on any of it.

Nothing

I can tell I'm not going to do anything today. I'm in one of those moods where I just can't decide what I want to do, anything I think of I can't be bothered about. Would go for a walk but can't decide where to, same problem with a drive.

Thought about going to Newcastle but not in the mood to do anything either. Just had the idea of going to the Carling Academy tonight but there is nothing on :-(

I have to do something, I think I will go for a walk over the wood just to get out. Then will go for a short drive, then lift some weight. Finally a decision :-)

Labels

My last post mentioned about labels as a way or sorting blog posts. I can't be bothered to go back and label all my 800+ posts but I have labeled the last 25 or so. If you scroll down on the right hand side there is a section called labels. If you clicked "run", it will show you any posts I labelled run. I will try to keep the number of lables small or it will become useless, wont label every ne post either.

Eventually I might label most of my previous posts, at the moment it can be filed with the other tasks like re-organising my music, updating websites and painting. Will get done one day when I can be bothered.

Blog Upgrade

Blogger have allowed me to upgrade this blog to the beta (finally), it wouldn't make much difference to anyone reading this particularly at the moment but adds a few things for me. One of the things that could make it better and have wanted for ages are Labels. I could labels any walks with "Walk". This would allow me or anyone else to only see the posts with the label "Walk".

I would need to go back to each post to update them and not sure I can be bothered to do that. I will use labels for all new posts though.

Oh, I decided to change the colours to signify that it had been upgraded. At some point I will create my own custom template but that's another of those things I never seem to get time to do!

Relaxing And A Happy Day So Far...

I had a lie in today and it must of been after 11 before I pulled myself out of bed. I had been trying to decide whether to go for a walk today or tomorrow, getting out of bed kind of decided it for me (it'll be tomorrow).

I used to always go for a drive up Weardale every weekend if not more often than that, not quite sure why I haven't so much recently. Maybe its the price of petrol or just because I've been busy and sidetracked by other things. It's somewhere I go to think, to get away from everything in beautiful surrounding that is on my doorstep and I know the roads like the back of my hand. Over the years I would often go there to drive fast and release some aggression. Throwing the car into corners that I had no right to come out the other side in one piece from (always made sure I could see there was nothing coming the other way). I have been driving a lot slower the last couple of years, maybe its the old man's car. Although I'm sure I could still throw it about ;-)
Today though was different, I plugged my iPod in and set Oasis - Definitely Maybe playing and set off for a slow drive. I had forget just how good the album is and meandered my way up the dale through Wolsingham, Frosterley, Bollihope, Stanhope and turning up to Rookhope at Eastgate. All the time my mind was lost in the music and my own thoughts, although for a change with a smile on my face and a positive outlook.

Above Rookhope I could see the line of landrovers in the distance which could only mean one thing (grouse shooting). Which is a welcome sight, there hasn't been much grouse shooting over the last year or so due to some disease or other (I think?). I then realised that the shooters were less than 20 foot from the road and aiming over the road and the beaters were the other side of the road up the bank. I'm sure I'm not imagining it but I'm almost certain they are breaking the law, you have to be further than that from a main road or footpath and certainly a bad idea to shoot towards the road. You could all to easily shoot someone. Anyway it's still a welcome sight to see grouse shooting, which reminds me I saw a hunt or at least practicing earlier in the week for one, maybe it was last weekend. In Roddymoor as well, haven't see one for maybe ten years around here. I am a supporter of hunting and was pleased to see a traditional country sport locally. Even though any hunt would have stupid restriction imposed on it.

anyway my journey headed on up to Allenheads at the sort of pace that I would normally of been swearing and cursing about, if I had been following behind. Allenheads is the furthest point in my journey before I start heading back down the dale through Cowshill where there always seams to be some huge character made up from round bales outside a farm. At the moment its a snowman (I think couldn't see because was watching the road but it was white). Then its back down the dale through, Wearhead, Ireshopeburn, St Johns Chapel, etc..

Before I got this far the album had ran out, so I was listening to variety of songs from Christina Aguilera to Dodgy. I didn't really want my journey to end because I was enjoying the music and my own thoughts. I pulled into the car park in Frosterley and started listening to Adam Currys - Daily Source Code Podcast before continuing on the final 10 miles home.

I'm not sure why I'm more relaxed and happy today. It could be because I was having a text conversation last night with someone who suddenly seams to have a very similar outlook on life to me. Trying to make up for lost time and enjoy themselves, finally getting around to all those things you put off. This is the second person who I am friends with who has started doing this recently. Whatever the reason it feels good (probably back down to earth with a bump on Monday).

stuff

i'm laid in bed listening to '100 best classics' which i downloaded
yesterday from Napster. they have started to add some good compilation
albums recently. i wouldn't say all the songs on it are as relaxing as
i would normally listen to but i have known them all.

i am looking forward to the drive to work tomorrow, so i can listen to
my ipod using my icelink. dont think i will be listening to classical
music though.

i got an email from Amazon tonight as well to say my tv card had been
dispatched. i was thinking about cancelling it because it had been 3
weeks since i ordered it. shame i didn't already have it, i could of
done with being able to record tv the last couple of nights. there
have been a couple of programs on at the same time. something else to
mess around with tomorrow night, although i have enough things to do
at the moment.

it could be an interesting few days at work because i am interested in
what is said in a couple of meetings that are taking place. i also
have a team meeting on thursday and i am sure there will be some
interesting discussions. that's if we are able to speak freely,
possible we might not be able to, which would be annoying. it will
depend on who is in attendance.

personally it is a quiet week and i have nothing planned, although i
would like to go for a walk at the weekend. otherwise i am taking it
easy and just messing about with stuff on the computer. i could do
with a week off just to do some of the things i just never seem to
find the time to do. i have got 2 weeks holiday to take by the end of
the year but god knows when i'm gonna get the chance to take them. may
have to carry a week over will bring it up in my team meeting as
others are in the same position.

i need to start being careful with my money again. i have loads of
stuff to pay for or pay off and my lottery win doesn't appear to be
happening anytime soon. neither does the pay review at work :-(

IceLink FM Fitted

My Dension IceLink FM was delivered today and as soon as I got home I fitted it in the car. It took me about 15 minutes to fit it, most of that was getting the head unit out of the dash. I have fitted enough CD players in cars that I know what I'm doing.

I have only fitted it temporary because I need to buy a dashmount for my car but didn't want to buy it until I knew the IceLink worked OK.

I was worried it would sound rubbish and crackly but I am actually suprised how good it sounds, considering its just using FM. I only tried it for a few minutes but will see how it sounds on the way to work tomorrow when I've filled my iPod up with music.

Back Home

I'm back home cooking my tea. I am doing the Great North Run next year because I am angry that I didn't really push myself. It was hard running on my own and having never run the distance before, I didn't know what to expect. I have had my official time now and its:

02:38:22

I am disappointed with it, I know I could of easily knocked 20 minutes off that if not 30 minutes, but hindsight is a great thing. Next year I will know what to expect and will do proper training.

Having moaned, at least I got round, I started to get cramp at 11 miles. I could give lots of other excuses but ultimately I didn't push myself enough. So I will return next year to actually prove myself :-)

finished

i haven't got the official time yet, waiting for the text. according
to my stop watch i did it in about 2 hours 38 minutes. which to be
honest is rubbish. i wanted to do it in under 2 hours 30. so a bit
disappointed. will write more later stuck in a traffic jam :-(