I used to be a geek...

While at university I was considered (and considered myself) to be a Geek
Things change and I have discovered things such as nice shoes and going to the pub. This does not detract from my geek status much, but the sad fact is that life seems to be getting in the way of my geek-dom.
So, to make myself feel better I have created myself some up-to-date Geek Code which any geek should find amusing!

-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.1
GCS d++(--) s: a-- C U--- P-- L-- W(++) !N K- W+(--) O---- PS- PE PGP- t++ 5+ X+ R(+) tv+ b+++ DI D+(---) G e++ h(--) r++(+++) x++
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------

If you want to find out what it all means, go here Or go to The Code of the Geeks to make your own Geek Code.

Being Ill and Having No Hot Water

I have been ill since December. I have actually taken some time off work (for the first time ever) to recover, to no avail in both cases. I have therefore had a cough for about a month. I went to see the doctor earlier in the week (after much nagging) who gave me stuff to kill the cough. He also informed me that cough "medicine" only alleviates the symptoms (or not in my case) and so was a waste of time and money. Fab. So the advert where everyone leaves the doctors because they only have a cough is a sham!
On an un-related but annoying note, we have had no mains hot water since some time before the 31st December 2005. This is poor as I like having a bath. The plumber came and fixed it and I am now happy again. And then L fixed the water pressure, making me even happier

Item: Buy Some New Slippers

Has completed successfully.
I'm wearing them now.
I would post a picture of them, but as I don't have a digital camera and my bluetooth dongle is broken, I can't.
They are pink and furry slippers from BHS.
Yes, I was also surprised that they sold anything I wanted in BHS, but I have been surprised by them having what I wanted before too. Like duck-down pillows and control-top tights (for minimising the bits I'm trying to get rid of!)

Also, I have read a new book (i.e. one I had not read before). It is called Ella Minnow Pea. It's a humorous tale told in the form of letters between islanders about some crazy council banning the use of various letters of the alphabet. It apparantly comes down to the phrase: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" which has all of the letters of the alphabet in it. As apparantly does "Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs". Fascinating.
I read the whole book last night in the bath.

Banish the 2005-ness of the Blog

Yes, I am finally going to "spring"-clean and sort out my "things to do" list. I did manage to acheive 5 of my 10 "to do"s. Oh well, maybe I'll try to pick some that don't involve waiting for Leon to do things (like the frame/hang picturess stuff) or maybe I should set some other "to do"s for Leon...

So I did:
Buy a house
Go on a weekend city break
Lose weight (although I put all of it back on over Xmas - boo.)
Take up and continue doing weights OR jogging (although I must get back to that now...)
Make a dress

I did not:
Buy cushions
Create and frame a good A3 pastel picture (although I did create one...)
Hang UoW T-Shirt somewhere (I failed this due to Leon not putting up any hooks) Make one of those pretty tops [0.5/1 (disaster, in bin)] Go for 24 consecutive hours without Tea [10/24 during move]

So, what on Earth are my "to do" items for 2006?
Well, I'm trying to be quite optimistic about what I can acheive in the next year. I may extend some of these goals if I feel that they're not challenging enough.
Things to do in 2006:
1. make/buy curtains for the house
Yes, the result of having bought a new house is that I need curtains. I have some curtains downstairs which match the sofa and the table cloth, and the previous owners left blinds and curtains in the front bedroom, a blind in the back bedroom and curtains in the bathroom. Generally I dislike those which were left, and the downstairs ones are a bit blue. So, new curtains needed. Two pairs in the lounge, two pairs in the front bedroom, one pair in the back bedroom and one pair in the bathroom.

2. make/buy cushions (carried over from 2005)
The sofa is uncomfortable. Mainly due to age. We need cushions.

3. complete arty picture for Leon's brithday
I promised Leon I'd give him something special for his birthday, and other than the obvious, this was the best idea. So, I'm making a three-panel picture of one of Leon's favourite cars. In oils on canvass. It's fun and messy. Good.

4. buy some new slippers
You'd agree if you could see/smell my current pair

5. pay off my overdraft
I've been hugely overdrawn since 2000 when I went to uni. It must stop, as it is costing me money!

6. get a hamster
I miss having a pet. I've always had a pet of some kind: Arthur (snail), Goldie (fish), Snowy (rabbit), Sophie (dog), Lightning (rabbit), Pepper (dog), Salt (cockateil). Since moving out of my parents house, though, Pepper and Salt are both sadly deceased and I have no pet. I like hamsters (and mice, rats, gerbils...) and Leon likes them since they don't have those tails

7. learn how to make tea-cakes
I realised today that tea-cakes are one of my favourite bread products. Therefore I plan to learn how to make them (even though they're only about 20p a pack in Tesco)

8. read some new books
I may even join a book club.

9. get Leon to put up some picture hooks
So that I can hang pictures, mirrors and general hangy stuff up.

10. lose weight (again)
I'm still not happy with my weight (mainly as I'm back where I started due to an over indulgent christmas!) so this stays on the list.

Happy New Year!

Yey! Another year to be at the beginning of.
Can we have "Happy February" next month?