Friday, August 20, 2004

Growl!

Grr! Generally! So, yes. Things not generally making me smile today. The estate agents rang my house phone, while I'm at work, where they know I work and have my number... So, then they email me, at work (!) to tell me that they couldn't get hold of me at home. Oh, and to call them. I didn't have their number, I had to hunt for it. So I call them. The woman there is an idiot! Here's basically what happened: Me - Hello, I'm returning a call from [agents]
Her - Which one?
Me - I don't know, the one who called me...
Her - What about?
Me - [my new address]
Her - Why, what's wrong with it?
Me - Nothing, I wan't to move in on Friday
Her - Have your references been cleared?
Me - Yes
Her - Then you need to make an appointment to collect the keys
Me - Yes, that's what I'm trying to do
Her- Oh. Ok, what day do you want to move
Me - Friday the 27th, that's next Friday.
Her - Ok, and what time would be best for you?
Me - Um, can you do after four?
Her - No, we only do ten 'til four
Me - Oh, ok. How about 12:30?
Her - No, we don't do lunchtimes
Me - Well, when can you do?
Her - Someone's booked in at two
Me - Ok, so not two
Her - How about ten am?
Me - Ok, I'll have to check with work, but that should be ok...
So, now I'm taking the morning off work to do that. Joy oh joy.

Monday, August 16, 2004

Fringes, Lenses and such.

I've spent this weekend (Friday to Monday) in Edinburgh. We went to see "Garden of Fools" which was a play with L's brother in it. It was very good. Quite humorous in places, and also thought-provoking. We saw a few other things too, all comedies I believe. We also went to see something called a "camera obscura" which is a big lens thingy that you can use to spy on people all over the city, but also to have a tour of all of Edinburgh in 15 minutes! We also visited the recently departed J in her new flat. It's a nice flat, in a smashing sea-side location with stunning sea-views. J's settling in, although I think she could probably be enjoying work a little more. Well, I'm off to watch 50 ways to look great naked! Nighty night!

Wednesday, August 11, 2004

weather

So, flooded again in York. I didn't really expect it to flood in August I must say. Still, it's interesting to see. The river's been going quite quickly, and there's stuff in it, like branches and small logs! There's more rain forecast for tonight, and so I expect that the river will keep rising. I have no idea whether it will het higher than it did in February this year. I have a cool article from my parent's newspaper of the building my flat is in with my flat being at water level almost! It's more exciting than scary this time, but the first time was a touch on the worrying side! Still, they're used to flooding here, so the York-people take it in their stride! The King's Arms (On the opposite side of the river from my flat, famous for being flooded) is still open despite the water! It's cool really. I like the river, even when it's all brown and stuff. I wonder if the river back home is flooded too? The Trent rarely goes over into the town now, although Morton was flooded in 2002 because the defences there weren't as good. I think that they upgraded them after that though. Anyway, floods and such. Interesting. I could probably go on for hours about whether global warming is happening or not, but I won't coz it would be boring! Have a good evening all, and don't get your feet wet!

Tuesday, August 10, 2004

Thought

Until we have the ability to give life to those who deserve to live, what right do we have to take life from those we judge deserving of death?

Poem

What's wrong with our leaders? Why do they fight? Is it for them to say which system is right? This leader is a tyrant He's scary and bold He thinks so little of those men, dead, now cold So many have died, It's plain to see The leader in the wrong here is George.W.B. Could Tony have stopped him? He at least could have tried, Now it's too late for The many who've died We are all guilty of saying but naught and we should be saddened and take them to court Children are dying Our world is in shreds We can trust just no-one Not the police or the Feds America is leading us To where I daren't ask But I can see this We haven't learnt from the past Can they not see Death has no place In living as we should As a civillised race We have this in common If you prick us we bleed nothing can change it so ignore the other's creed When you look at Mandela Or at Churchill or a king Do you see a great leader Or the colour of their skin? Liberating Iraquis? Freeing their souls? But no, they're not free now fear in heart and home Just another tyrant now holds their reins And scared as they are now it's not going to change People of America! England and Spain! be ashamed of your leaders Stop death in our name War is not needed It must now be true I couldn't kill an innocent Now think, could you?

Monday, August 09, 2004

Fahrenheit 9/11

I went to see this movie, this evening with L. I find my emotions varying from increduality to shock, dismay to horror. I sat up in 2001 when Florida declared Al Gore president, and then tuned out thinking that everything was going to be fine. When I saw on the news that they had changed their minds I was surprised, shocked and then resigned to the fact. I watched the recounts come in, I watched the truth getting lost. Why do I care? You may ask. I care because of two reasons really. One reason is that, like it or not, America is the biggest power in the world right now, and anything done in the name of America can not help but affect us too. The other reason is that I have family in America. I have one cousin who is old enough to be drafted and an Uncle who is ex-army. If you know the way in which conscription works, should it ever happen there, then you will know why I'm glad they have surnames beginning with 'H'. The Micheal Moore film hasn't made me question our government much more than I already was. It's more than just the war here. But it did make me wonder, did our government know all the things Bush's governments knew? Did 'Tony' know that there was no link between Iraq and Al Q'aida? I shudder at the thought, but I think he probably did. I am both worried and saddened by this thought. It saddens me also to think that I believe that the other leaders must have had some idea, must have known something. The one man in our country who dared speak out against the "intelligence" is now dead. I hope Moore has good bodyguards! I believe that people want peace and democracy. I don't think many people know how to exist in a truly fair world though - if you are equal to everyone, who is in charge. A (mis)quote of the much maligned Iron Lady (I think): "We are all equal, some of us are just more equal than others" And a better mis-quote which I also happen to agree with, "The only person fit to rule the universe is the one man who doesn't want to" (D.Adams) I know it's mis quoted, but I've got the meaning here. So, my closing point: I hope that J.Kerry and J.Edwards can win the next election, and that their rightful victory will not be snatched from them by media manipulation. And I hope that Kerry will be able to make Blair (or whoever by then) see sense, and that this whole fiasco will be fixed. Withdrawing from Iraq is not the answer there any more than sending troops in in the first place was. But something needs to be done. I don't pretend to know what, but something. If I were religious, I would say "God help us", but I'm not convinced that any God out there could, even if s/he existed and wanted to. We've got ourselves into the state that we're in - I just have to hope we can get ourselves out of it before we have an all-out religious war on our hands. If you have a God, pray to him/her that they can help us see sense. If you don't then you should watch this film. But shut your eyes during the beheading - it's going to give me nightmares. I challenge you to see it and not be moved in some way.

Sunday, August 08, 2004

Broken Bones

It has been pointed out to me, in the past, that I break a lot. I wasn't entirely sure that this was the case until I listed the things I have done which have resulted in breakage or trips to A&E. Said list follows:
  • Age 2 - fell down stairs, broke arm
  • Age 3 - fell off a step, broke leg
  • Age 8 - trapped fingers in boys-toilet door, broke 3 fingers
  • Age 10 - hit with a cricket bat, minor crack in skull, scarred eyebrow
  • Age 10 - fell off swing, knocked myself out
  • Age 11 - hit with hockey stick, broke 2 fingers
  • Age 14 - fat girl put chair on my toes, broke 3 toes
  • Age 16 - kicked radiator, broke 2 toes
  • Age 16 - snapped knuckle on basketball
  • Age 17 - trapped fingers in door - broke finger
  • Age 17 - fell off platform boots, severe sprained wrist
  • Age 18 - dancing incident, sprained wrist again
  • Age 20 - toe trapped in dodgems surface, broke toe
  • No incidents to report since (touch wood)

    The joys of moving

    So, this morning I dragged myself (well, L coaxed me) out of bed for my tea, and then frenzied (!!) tidying of the flat for the arrival of the landlord, coming to check out a sporadic leak we have in the bathroom. At just after 10am the landlord called to say he wouldn't be coming til tomorrow. Fab. Managed to get to the estate agents to prove that I live here (using my payslip!) and even went to Subway again. Subway, yes. They didn't cut the bread right again. They didn't have the chicken tikka that I wanted. They didn't have the bread that I wanted. The sauce girl was stingey and the person cutting the sandwich split it into a 4 and an 8 inch sandwich - not helpful if you're sharing with someone. The cookies were excellent though! IKEA! L sugested that we looked on the IKEA website and tried to order a catalogue. apparantly we'd have to pay to have a catalogue delivered, so we decided to look online. In the near future I want to buy a bed, some shelving, some clothes storage and possibly some other stuff. All we found in IKEA was a £2.50 lamp we quite liked. Oh and a plate. Otherwise, not much to report. Been a fairly uneventful day. Nothing has particularly ticked me off - yet.

    Saturday, August 07, 2004

    Friday Night

    Yes, it's Friday! Woo! I'm being annoyed at my webserver again at the moment, it's very very slow. Although I am uploading lots of stuff, so I suppose it's a bit my fault. Hmm. I'm off to J's tonight to watch the Big Brother final. I'm not really bothered who wins, but it's usually an interesting spectacle. I'm usually dissapointed with the winner, so I expect it to be Jason or Shell, my two least faves. It's not that I dislike them. Shell is just a silly way of abbreviating Michelle. I mean, at least use a C! Oh well, who am I to talk with a "Z" in my nickname (sometimes)... So, this weekend I plan to: 1. give proof that I live where I do to the estate agent 2. wander round New Look, despair, buy something anyway 3. pay my council tax, late, again. 4. go to the gym (yes we've quit but we can't stop being members for 2 more months) 5. buy the Snow Patrol album for Leon, and possibly the Rasmus album too 6. sleep. Lots. 7. Write more Blog, oh yes! 8. Finish uploading my webpage so I can get on with sorting out the mess that is the old bit! 9. Buy a bed 10. Order an Ikea catalogue

    Subway!

    Lunch today was excellent. They've finally opened a Subway Sandwiches in York!! M and I wandered down there to see what was happening. :D I had a BMT and he had a steak. Mmmm. The staff are obviously still training, the 45degree hinge cut was more of a 90degree one. The sauce was not evenly spaced. However, other than that it was GOOD! I like Subway! I used to work in one, so I know how difficult it can be to serve quickly at lunchtimes. I didn't like being on my feet all day, I got a bad back from lifting boxes of peppers, boxes of beef, other stuff like that. Considering making Friday into Subway-day. We'll have to see.

    Friday, August 06, 2004

    Growl at work

    So, yey. I have to find something to do that looks like I'm working while there is no work for me to do. Yey. B is right though, it's important that the big boss doesn't see me not working. It's going to be a slow day; I can see that. I enjoy month end because at least then I have stuff to do. I'd like to be busy-busy-busy all the time because I enjoy working. No, I'll rephrase that. I enjoy being busy and having things to think about all the time. Unfortunately it seems that all of the people who I need information from are either asleep or away, or they just don't really care. I guess the other teams are probably still month ending. They could at least have the decency to drop me a memo back saying that they will get back to me when they are free. It's not like the questions that I'm asking are that complicated. P is looking up some more complicated info for me, so that will take some time at least, although usually less time than I am expecting! Perhaps I should ask for more to do, again. It's not going to happen though is it? I mean, realistically- K seems to think that the team is too small and that we need someone else. So it's obvious to me that all of the actual work is being split between him and the other K and I get stuck with the dregs. Maybe it's that I find the work I have to do less taxing than other people might find the work they have to do. Maybe it's that I'm unwilling to make a change which I know will affect other things unless I have an explanation of the way both the changed things and the other things should be. Darnit! I suppose I should be finding things to do. There really isn't anything though. I'm waiting for people to get back to me and there's not much else I could do. I guess I could plot the movement of some variables through a variety of programs, or I could make lists of all the variables...

    My Sweetie

    Check out my other half's blog here

    Erm...

    If anyone would like to tell me how to put some nice shiny links down the sides that'd be nice. More pink-ness coming soon

    The Webpage Has Landed

    HURRAY! At last, I have begun uploading my webpage. Sad to say it's not all there yet, partly due to a Dickensian download limit. Can a download limit be Dickensian? Hmm... Anyway it's a small download limit. Not at all what I would like, but until I can afford to be .org (and until I have a good enough name for one) you'll find me at

    that's www.geocities.com/tsukithevampire if the whole img thing didn't work.

    Viva Las Vegas

    So, Mum and Dad are in Vegas now. My sister is going to Spain on Saturday. Just me stuck in the UK then. I'm off to Edinburgh a week tomorrow. That's going to be good because I'll see some friends up there and the festival is meant to be good.

    Ho hum.So, 90 years since the start of WWI yesterday. "The Great War". We can never fully understand, as a generation who haven't seen conscription or rationing, exactly what those men and boys went through. There is nothing great about thousands of men dying away from their homes, away from their families. Many of the men who saw service in the First World War would also have seen service in WW2 as well. How horrific that must have been. I am glad that those men were brave enough to fight for their country, to fight for our right to freedom. I'm not convinced that war can be right, just or fair. There is no fair in war, just death. It is a shame that the only way to defeat a tyrant is to become a tyrant yourself. It's sad really. I find that the First World War often gets overlooked in the light of WW2. The generation that can never forget what they saw are few now, and the new generation can never understand. The war to end all wars? No, but I hope that there will never be death on such a scale in my lifetime, or my children's lifetimes.

    Still waiting to hear from the estate agents about moving to our new place. I'm trying to not be too excited about it! We still have to tidy our flat, pack all our stuff into a variety of boxes and bags. Then, once we've moved our stuff, back to the flat to clean the place thoroughly to try to ensure that we get our deposit back. THEN we should be fine for moving in properly to the new place. My parents will be up the weekend we move so that they can bring their 3piece which they've really kindly given to me. (Yey!) We're going to get a table that weekend too, andwe'll be needing to get a bed as well. My boyfriend's mate is also coming up that weekend to see the place(s). He'll probably help out with the moving of stuff. I'm not sure what else will need doing, or how much stuff we actually have. I guess we'll see properly quite soon! And, surprise surprise, I didn't get the webpage up and running last night. I should have chance to do a bit tonight. However, we are going to the gym. I may go on the sunbed again, although not for ten minutes as that was too much last time! We're also going to cancel ourmembership there since we're not going to have the time to do any proper gymming from the move day onwards basically. We're going to be moving on the bank holiday weekend, then probably wanting to spend that week gettingstuff sorted and getting used to the new area. Then I've got some holiday time booked off from work. We're hoping to get a chance to go away, although we'll have to see. I'm not sure if I can afford all the expense we're going to have from stuff we need when we move. That said, the biggest buy is the bed, and we're probably going to spend just under £200 on that. I guess it's worth it on something like a bed as well. Other than that it's bits really, like a microwave (from about £29.99) and some pots and pans. We do have a lot of stuff already, but I don't reallywant to use my skeffy student stuff if I can avoid it. I also dislike having mismatched crockery, knives and forks... I don't mind mismatched cups so much, because then you can tell which cup has which drink for whichperson in it. I do have a nice set of glass tumblers, and some wine glasses (hopefully) and loads of mugs (I like mugs). I don't think I have much else. We're going to have to get an iron and ironing board and mundane things like that too. I think we'll keep our bin&drawer-tidy&sink-tidy&drainer&bowl set, although I know that L dislikes the drainer because it's not big enough for our plates in the current place. Since we're moving and leaving those plates behind that's a little odd, but the newer plates we have are quite fat too. in fact there seems to be atrend towards fat plates these days. AND they're always enormous! I don't need a plate the size of a football field, no wonder I'm fat! Jeez! All you need is a plate big enough to put on your veg and a bit of meat andyou're fine. Huge plates! Well, I think this is probably enough for now. I'll try to get my webpage going tonight when I'm not gymming, and if I do I'll put the link in here. I'd like to figure out how to put some links on mypage too, but I dunno if it'll happen or not. I guess I'd have to learn to do whatever kind of code is behind this whole blog thing, and I've looked at it and gone "gneurgh!" and decided not to! Maybe there is something to be said for other people writing these things for me...

    Thursday, August 05, 2004

    Darn Blogs!

    It's just taken me about 30 mins to figure out that you've got to republish to get stuff updated!

    Wednesday, August 04, 2004

    Continuation

    Well, here we are again. It seems that I shall begin by posting daily, although it will invariably fall, and will become monthly and eventually when I remember. Sad but true I fear... While memoing "Sauram" at work today, I responded to a comment he had made with the following quote, which I think is quite apt: -- I don't only like pink and fluffy music - it just goes better with the image. -- So, moving swiftly on... Today has been a much better day than was expected. Gave P at work a new game to play on. He seemed mildly amused. He was better at that than zookeeper (which I rock at in comparison). The estate agents called my boss, but as I gave them my number, I abused them about not being his secretary until he pointed out who they were. Doh! Silly me. However, as they are checking my references then I can only assume that they are on the way to organising me to move. I'm quite looking forward to it! Thanks again to D for the box-moving trip. What a star! Oh, and hopefully sometime this evening my new webpage will be up and running... maybe... So I'll go do that now. Have a good evening all!

    Woo Hoo!

    So, at last! My blog! Wow. I was having a pretty poor day up to now! I should probably be less excited about something this mundane, but heck - who cares?? I suppose that the saving grace here is that I won't go to bed mad or depressed tonight. Today has been as eventful as a day at work isn't. Correct; nothing happened. There was a briefly amusing coffee mixup, some of the tables we produced were erroneous, I didn't wear pink. You can not really imagine, unless you've met me, that not wearing pink could be an event. I guess I've made it one. Maybe. I just wasn't feeling very pink today - and anyway, my pink things all needed washing. So, now I'm probably going to go to bed. I have many exciting times finding out how to do things on here now, although I'll probably forget like I do most other things. There will not be a posting day, or a regularity to times (except it'll be after 6) when I post, so don't expect it. Off I go now, Goodnight and sweet dreams all.