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August 27, 2007
Last Bank Holiday
The last free holiday for the year, and closer still to Christmas. Got my appraisal tomorrow afternoon, the half way review of my objectives. So job for tomorrow is going through all of them and working out what's left to do, and also what new things have crept in during the last 6 months.
Also, on the agenda for the coming months, is getting the decorating under way. The landlord's sending round someone to do the outside, at last, so it's also time to get the inside done. Also get the back room tidy and ready for the bed Ian got me off eBay a few months back. Better get a few gallons of beige ready, anyone fancy a Tring beer and BBQ painting party sometime in September 
Posted by alan at 10:38 PM
August 25, 2007
Nearly There...
After having both the PC's back home, reinstalling software, getting them to network, all is just about ready to go once more. And you wouldn't believe the amount of trojan crap on the PC that wouldn't work properly 
The worst one was fresh-weather, a thing that makes all your Google searches go off to some rather "unusual" sites, lets say. And, despite using just about every available spamware, it wouldn't go away, having buried itself deep in the registry. A complete reformat and install put paid to that though, and with lots of other things not working properly, it was the cleaniest option. 2 clean, shining, working PC's sit in the office now, all networked, and printing to the fantastic Brother MFC-440CN colour printer/fax/scanner Ian got for a song (top buy there bro 
)
A few little things left to install, but I'm going to do that tomorrow morning. It's time for beer
Posted by alan at 6:39 PM
August 24, 2007
7 Hours To Hull!
Just got up to Nige's, having left Stevenage around 3 o'clock. What a journey
Over to Tring brewery to pick up the beer, left there 4:30 ish, heading onto the M1. Lots of delays, queues, and roadworks on the M1 didn't help. But the biggy was an accident on the A63 just past South Cave services. Looks like a few cars decided to play dodgems, hit the central reservation, and then knock over a lampost, closing both carriageways. So we sat for over 2 hours waiting for the police, fire, and recovery to clear up the mess and make it safe. And I've missed last orders 
What is it with me and motorway closures? I suppose fortune is that I didn't leave a little earlier than I did, otherwise I'd might have well been one of those "dodgems"
Posted by alan at 11:48 PM
August 22, 2007
Any Closer?
Surfing around, had another look at the Buccaneer site to see if there's been any more news on the flight of a Bucc, which I'd mentioned last year.
One story claims that Rolls Royce won't support the Speys, but a further dig around on the Key Publishing forums finds a post saying it's more to do with Hawker Hunter Aviation being busy making money with their Hunters. So, it looks like it's still on
Cracking vid on YouTube - Blackburn Buccaneer final low level flypasts and photographs, just how low is it flying past at, and how big's the bang at the end!
Posted by alan at 9:37 PM
August 20, 2007
Shhh!
The wispa's coming back Show's you how observant I've been out shopping, I didn't even realise it'd disappeared
Posted by alan at 12:40 PM
August 18, 2007
Anyone Want A Ship?
Catching up on the news at work whilst I've been away, and after a long legal wrangling the Brunei navy's ships leave the Clyde, to be stored at Barrow, awaiting new owners. It seems they've been paid for, and Brunei don't want 'em. So, if you're after a nearly new ship, get in touch with Barrow docks
Posted by alan at 12:49 PM
August 16, 2007
XP Service Pack 3?
Thank goodness, a service pack release for XP appears to be on the cards, and I can leave going to Vista a bit longer, like maybe the day hell freezes over...
Posted by alan at 1:29 PM
August 15, 2007
The Joys of The M25 - NOT!
Had a Primavera overview training session this afternoon down in Bristol at our Filton site. And, thinking it'd be an easy day flyer, I picked up the hire car this morning, and left at 9:30 thinking it'd give me plenty of time to get there. WRONG! Took just over 2 hours to travel the 40 odd miles round the M25 to the M4 junction. A lorry, and I still can't fathom out how, managed to leave the motorway and neatly drop itself down the embankment that leads to the M4 junction. It was still there when I came back tonight, although the weather was the cause for the long journey home. Heavy rain, real heavy rain, pretty much followed me up from Bristol.
So, with all that behind me, it's time for tea, a beer, and the 10 o'clock news
Posted by alan at 9:41 PM
August 14, 2007
Couldn't Get Out Of Bed This Morning
Having spent a week or more getting up at 6:30, all that fresh air, and then looking forward to a return to work, I wasn't expecting to be jumping straight out of bed this morning. So, forgetting to switch my alarm clock back on probably didn't help either. Crawled in at 10:30 this morning, er, whoops
Short week back, got a Primavera course to run tomorrow in Bristol, one of the overview courses I've compiled, which are going down a storm And the weekend is a trip up North for VW Northwest at Tatton Park. Will also be sorting the PC's out for GT Electrical. The plan is to bring one back, sort it, then go back up there the following weekend with with Jules mum, Janet, as she's off for a weeks hols at Nigel and Laura's.
Posted by alan at 1:30 PM
August 12, 2007
St Stephen's, Hull
Wow
Ian took me back via Ferensway today, after the car show. Ferensway's now reopened so you can drive all the way past the front of it. It's ENORMOUS Not surprisingly, Tesco's have got the supermarket on the ground floor. One of the best bits I think is the revealing of the original frontage for the railway station, which I reckon sits well against the new architecture of the new bits. But will the city be able to support all these new shops? It'll be interesting to see if other parts of the city die as shops move in.
There's more info on the council's St Stephen's Development website.
Posted by alan at 7:30 PM
August 9, 2007
Day Out, And Laptop On It's Way Out!
Been on the day out today, to Flamingo Land, or Park, whichever takes your fancy. It's Land for me, as that's what I remember it as from childhood. It's changed quite a bit since then, with a lot more rides than before. And, in line with other theme parks, still as pricey as ever.
The other big event has been to finally get the camp newsletters saved and printed off. I'm sorry, Tosh, I know it's your new laptop, but Windows Vista is f^%#ing s&^% It crashes every time you try and save a document, falls over when the memory runs out, can't manage memory properly, and does things I really don't see the point of. Yes, it looks great, but that's like saying I like a product because it's painted blue, or the horn on that car makes a nice noise. Thank goodness we're sticking with XP.
Posted by alan at 11:29 PM
August 4, 2007
It Starts Here!
Woke up on the first day at the Agoonoree, and have to say this campsite is top notch
As I've mentioned, we're at Bradley Wood Scout Camp, Brighouse, just off the M62. Cracking site, with a well laid out hut. The best bit is the outside eating/activity area, which has a scaffold pole and corrogated sheet roof. Ideal for all the activities we would normally have indoors. And with the weather forecast to be good for the week, I can see us eating outside under here every day There's also lots of activities on site, with archery, shooting, high ropes, and climbing/abseiling. Should be a good week, all in all.
Stayed in the hut last night, having got back from the pub well after dark, just didn't fancy putting my tent up. And, to top it off, putting it up this morning, and the front hoop cracked Ian, it's an Easy Camp Taranto 500, have a butchers on eBay for another one
Just got to wait now for everyone to turn up, then we can get started proper
Posted by alan at 1:27 PM
August 3, 2007
ANOTHER Day Off!
Least that was the response yesterday as I left work. Wouldn't mind if I've been taking hol's, but I've still got 9 days left to use up, so it's not like I'm off all the time. In fact, it's the first long break since my week in May.
Sorting out packing the car, ready for another Agoonoree, as well as running around tidying ready for the house inspection by the landlord. The Agoonoree kicks off proper tomorrow, up at Bradley Wood, in Brighouse. Will be the first one in a long time I've made it up for on the Friday. And it looks like I'll be there for the week too
Posted by alan at 1:21 PM