Drink!

So the kids are gone, the music is thumping out of my computer, and we're chilling out. Reasoning? We're heading out tonight for a drinking session. Now, I don't mean we're heading out with the intention to get completely hammered - I don't like being waaay drunk - but we've got a nice selection of alcoholic drinkies to get us going. Tonight will be me and Jo, heading to Ruths (who has Paul over for the weekend), so we can sit, chill and have a laugh. I love me kids to bits, but every now and then, I like to be an adult and socialise with adults without any kiddies running around. Just because I am the same mental age doesn't mean a thing!

We've got the basics covered - Beer (Becks), Girlie Wine (Lambrini, Original and Cherry), and Vodka+Red Bull, as well as a couple of other things here and there. I have my Absinthe - which I do not guzzle and savour, we have Mars Milkshake that we mix with Dooleys Toffee Liquor, and we have Malibu that we mix with milk. Now, don't see that list and think "Dan, if you drink all that your liver will move out" because the perils of mixing drinks are VERY well known to me. Trust me. The girls don't touch beer (they hate it), and the boys don't like Lambrini - for goodness sake, they have a champagne flavour. Anyway, Jo hates coconut so leaves the Malibu. Everyone bar me hates the Absinthe, I'm not in a vodka mood, and Paul will probably leave the Dooleys.

Confused? Me and Ruth drink coffee while this all goes on!

Edit! The Mars+Dooleys: Pint Glass, two or three inches of Dooleys, fill up with Mars Drink. Same for Malibu and Milk. The Absinthe I drink either straight (One is deadly) or more often, with cold water and sugar. And no hallucinations yet!

So anyway... Tonight we will have my Kick Ass Moves DVD on in the background, while playing a drinking game called - marvellously - Throw Up. It's very amusing - the box has a little pewter figurine of a drunken chap. The game is easy enough, you clap your hands, then thump the table, then clap, then thump, over and over. On a clap, you have to say a word - any word. The person after you has to come up with any other word beginning with the last letter of the word just given. So I'd say BOY, Jo would say Yellow, Ruth would say Wiggle, and so on. Paul will mess it up (for example), so Paul takes the drunk chappie and "rolls" him. Depending on how the little chaps lands defines what happens:

• Back: Thrower takes a large drink
• Left Side: You + Player to the Left take a large drink
• Right Side: You + Player to the Right...
• Face Down: Choose another player to take a large drink
• Standing: Everyone takes a drink
• Falls Off The Table: Finish your entire drink

And in true drinking-game fashion, the more mistakes you make causes more mistakes and more drunkeness.

Vicious Circle, anyone ;)

So, tonight it is quite likely I will come in and pour even MORE crap on here than usual, or I will vanish for two to three days. Oh, and for someone that asked about a drink mix I put on here a while back, it was for a drink called a "Dirty Vimto". A large measure of Port, then a bottle of WKD Blue. Lovely.

Just don't try this if you're too young to drink, you'll end up looking like Father Jack up there... Trust me, I know - I went to a fancy dress as him once. hehe

Have a good night everyone!

Music This Week

Minge does it, and I've seen a few others do it, but I don't use Itunes (or is it iTunes - either way, I'm not fussed!) so I have to roughly guesstimate what I've been listening too.

Actually, I've had my entire mp3 collection on shuffle this week, a playlist which if played constantly, would last 5 days and change. Just a few then ;) Out of all of those, the ones I've put on a couple of times have been (and remember, this is music for me AND Jo!)

Armand Van Helden - Mymymy
Kelly Clarkson - Behind These Hazel Eyes
The Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Californication
Bryan Adams - Summer Of '69
The Zutons - Valerie
Rogue Traders - Voodoo Child
Infernal - From Paris to Berlin
Junkie XL Ft. Saffron - Beauty Never Fades
Groovefinder vs Nina Simone - Ain't Got No , I Got Life
Three Doors Down - Here Without You
Lordi - Hard Rock Hallelujah
Millencolin - Happiness For Dogs
My Chemical Romance - Helena
James Blunt - Goodbye My Lover
Looper - Mondo '77

Bit of everything really. Think I might start doing this more often, though I think my music collection is stagnating! If you see anything you like, lemmie know and I can accidently email it to you ;)

Go Go Gadget...

See that post down there with the link to "Herbie Goes Supersonic"... Well, here's a video of the same chap, same car. Don't get me wrong, I'm not into cars or anything like that, but it IS pretty impressive.

Extra Extra!

Read all about it.
Gemma is still up the duff, heavily preggers, and not in labour.
In this heat.

I love it.

Oh

I've text my sister, but no news yet as to whether or not she's spawned yet. My money is on there currently being no baby AND a pissed off sister. Mainly because I text her every day to ask ;)

Must... Wake... Up...

The web is not as good as coffee, but it keeps me entertained...

• BMW Oopsie: I think he broke it.
• Clean Me: Better than writing swear words in the dirt?
• Herbies Goes Supersonic: On your marks, get set, where the feck did he go?
• Tiny Sculptures: Making art on a smaller-than-normal-scale.

Seeing as I am pushed for time (and alertness) I might post some more later!

Deserves It's Own Post

And as much as I want to comment, I will let the story do the work for you...

Operation removes lightbulb from anus

Thu Jun 29, 7:34 AM ET

MULTAN, Pakistan (Reuters) - Fateh Mohammad, a prison inmate in Pakistan, says he woke up last weekend with a glass lightbulb in his anus.

Wednesday night, doctors brought Mohammad's misery to an end after a one-and-a-half hour operation to remove the object.

"Thanks Allah, now I feel comfort. Today, I had my breakfast. I was just drinking water, nothing else," Mohammad, a grey-beared man in his mid-40s, told Reuters from a hospital bed in the southern central city of Multan.

"We had to take it out intact," said Dr. Farrukh Aftab at Nishtar Hospital. "Had it been broken inside, it would be a very very complicated situation."

Mohammad, who is serving a four-year sentence for making liquor, prohibited for Muslims, said he was shocked when he was first told the cause of his discomfort. He swears he didn't know the bulb was there.

"When I woke up I felt a pain in my lower abdomen, but later in hospital, they told me this," Mohammad said.

"I don't know who did this to me. Police or other prisoners."

The doctor treating Mohammad said he'd never encountered anything like it before, and doubted the felon's story that someone had drugged him and inserted the bulb while he was comatose.

Nnnghblerghuuuurgh *thud*

Going to bed a 2am and getting up at 6am does not equate to being a joyful little bunny in the morning. No one to blame but myself I suppose. Well, I can blame everyone else, but that's not the point.

Anyway. Yesterday.

I was moping around most of the day feeling like a bastard and sulking in my own little huffy world. I called my nan yesterday morning - something I've not done in far too long - and had a chat with her. I think I'd have been better had she screamed at me for not calling, not visiting, not going to the funeral, but she was... Well, she was my nan. She's always been great, always been understanding, and always been my favorite out of the grandparents. She was telling me that no one can understand how I feel in the family, none of them can judge me and that she'd bash any one that did.

Bear in mind she's nearly 90 and had a hip replacement.

Why did I want to be shouted at and reprimanded? Probably to ease my conscious, or have someone else agree that I was being a bastard. But as everyone has said "Dan, stop being a twat" I figure not everyone can be wrong. Well, I suppose they can - remember how popular Tab Clear was...

So, my day was spent with Jo and Ruth working their magic on me - we hid out at Ruths virtually all day yesterday and let the kids tear each other apart. I was plied with caramel cappuccino, chocolate, and cake. Once the kids (both ours and hers) were in their respective beds, Jo told me to bugger off and chill out for the evening at Ruths. Where I had more coffee than a Colombian coffee merchant, and we sat watching my favorite purchase of the moment, the DVD of the TV Series, Mind, Body and Kick Ass Moves which is a BBC documentary of a martial arts expert traveling the far east learning secrets and suchlike. Someone has plopped a load of clips over on YouTube, you can watch this one that I chose randomly. And the first season DVD only cost a fiver, so Yay.

Ahem.

I also collected my rather shiny new phone yesterday. Granted I am still learning to play with it, but it's sooooo purdy. My first mobile phone was a Motorola maaany years ago and cost me a fortune, and I was ticked to note that they've still got some of their original ringtones on there - in an age of mp3 tones, music and auto-answer for the tits with bluetooth headsets. I mean, come on, you've got a bit of plastic strapped to your head.

And so, here we are at the end of another week. Well, almost. We've actually finally managed to palm the kids off for the night, and are heading back to Ruths place for beer, spirits, booze, chinese food... And probably the other disc of Kick Ass Moves. Not that we've told Jo or Paul (Ruths "friend" hehe) yet. But it's a laugh.

Now I am going to concentrate or proving you can't poison yourself with coffee at this time of the day.

Hell Here I Come

Today is my grandfathers funeral. I've had about... three hours of sleep? Ish. Shall I go, can I face it, etc etc. And I can't. The dread in my gut at seeing Bethy's little pink beacon in a sea of black and white stones cuts me to the quick. It's all that has been on my mind for the last few days and I hate myself for it.

I've decided I WILL be going up there in the next week or so. I need to start going up there and get my head around it, but when we had Nans funeral month-before-last, I felt so sick at the prospect I wasnt even funny. All the family crowding around me thanking me for going and commenting on Bethy's garden didn't help matters, so I think I will be going to the cemetary on my own a few times before I can handle it with other people.

I've spoken with my dad about it and everyone understand. I feel pretty stupid to be honest. I just hope that everyone DOES understand, and it's not just one of those comments to make me feel less guilty.

Holy Mother of All Things Round

My sister. We popped in to see her, then ended up shopping with her...


There's a double decker bus hiding behind there...

Oh, and as for her "My tank is better than Dans tank" comments:


That's HER tank. At least MY tank isn't green OR cloudy.

Boring!

I like to check my stuff over at StatCounter every few days. I like to see how many people look at my webpages, where they come from, how they got to me. I especially like the returns from the Search Engine function - HOW people find my site. Sad to say, I've not had anything that interesting of late. One person found the blog from doing a search on "Town gate theatre history basildon" - which is interesting, as the Towngate has only been up for ten years. History? They tore down the old one and built the new one - which then went bust and is hardly used anymore!

Of course, someone found my Dungeons and Dragons webpage doing a search for "the worlds largest ass". Someone must be very interesting in giant donkeys ;)

I do enjoy finding people looking for people I know on that site though. Jo's older brother is actually a popular search result - "grant baylis basildon lyrass" pops up more and more, so he's either got debt collectors hunting him down, or an ex is looking for him... A few of the guys in my games are often subject to searches. Granted, there are more people out there with the same names, but it still makes me chuckle!

Anyway - I am considering setting up a proper URL for my blog, but am having a few issues as to what I should go for. Do I want a .com or a .co.uk? How about a .me.uk or a .eu? So many choices. There's also .org, .net, .info, .biz, .tv or even ltd.uk and .plc.uk. Sure, I'm not a PLC or a Ltd Company, but meh ;) I'm tempted with the .co.uk or .eu but am still toying. Input? Let you the reader decide the URL you'd rather see? And there is no such thing as .dirtyoldbastard thank you...

Young Master Alan

OK, not so young, but hey ;)

He left a comment of a comment on another blog - his own, I believe - which I shall attempt to answer/explain here. Because I'm bored, mostly ;)

PS: Am loving your fishtank... fabulous! And I'm glad Bob, Bob and Bob aren't inadvertently bumping into each other as they get changed to go out any more. 'Cos that would just be gay if they were sneaking looks at each others naked dorsals.

PPS: Did you notice that your new fish tank is a fabulous match for the desk that you already had? We all did, but that's 'cos we're poofs and we're nosy interior decorators.

PPPS: Plastic toys should not be left in view, imho. They should be stored in the wife's bed-side cabinet.

PPPPS: As for the gigantic nappies 'neath the tank... what bloody size IS your youngest baby? They're monstrous! (they ARE nappies, right? Jo isn't "visiting the decorator"????)

WHAT? Just thought I'd ask!!!!!!!

'Nuff said, sweetie?

xxx

So, from the top... Thank you for the compliments, though Bob, Bob and Bob are a little put out by the tit with the camera continually invading their privacy for the glorification of the world. Kinda like the celebs in Hello magazine. But I think they're having some kind of relationship - they all seem to get on a little too well... And when they are getting changed, they are definietly invading one anothers personal space.

As for colourschemes and matching of wood, yes, it had crossed my mind. The previous tank was black ash which is a dust magnet and matched precisely nothing in here. So now I have stuff that matches finally. Here's some more proof:


Plastic toys - heh, well, assuming you mean the 4-wheel-drive vehicle up on my old computer case, then I apologise. It's engine (the batteries) needs a recharge, and Tam is most put out that the mechanic is taking so long to get his job done. If you mean the pink thing on top (and this should answer a certain little miss down in Portsmouth), they are Tamsyns Baby Ray Bans that look somewhat like googles, minus the whole water-proof part.

Now, as for the nappies. Alan, have you ever seen a nappy? They range from the size of a kitchen towel sheet, to the size of a parachute, depending on the age of the kid. So Tam is in 4+. Bigger than 4, smaller than 5. A size 4 would be WAY too small, and a size 5 WAY too big. Kinda "Young Toddler" size.

Jo visiting the decorator is another story that is 99.9% likely to get me as a victim on Crimewatch. Anyway... Maybe the scale and context of the photo made the nappies appear somewhat larger than they are, so, for your viewing pleasure:


Is that better for the size context? The nappy (as it's not too clear on the camera phone) is nine inches long. There's a fifty pence piece, my specs and a pen for size comparisons ;) Maybe you should borrow some babies of varying age, learn the differences in nappies, not to mention the skills required for changing a baby while it squirms around. Broaden your horizons, as it were ;)

Of Tanks and Bloodlines

From Gemmas comment in the box there, you will see that things for her and for me are running at different speeds. For example, my fishies have been upgraded as it were. The poor little lads were living in a little condo, bumping into each other, sharing the sofa, not having any "Personal" space as it were. Then Gemma and Pete got a new fish tank, and shuffled their previous one my way.

NOW. Bob, Bob and Bob have a luxurious, spacious mansion, with all the latest mod-cons, spa jets, pool, running water... You can click that little photo for a bigger image. Of course, shifting the bloody great thing around was not easy, and I've got three horrible cuts on my hand now to prove it. And the pump put up a hell of a fight to boot!

As for the "bloodlines" part of the title. Well, my family is due to expand from Gemmas branch of the family tree, as of Yesterday. Gemma is now officially overdue with spawning the little blobby baby I will corrupt into a Mini Dan. For it shall be a boy, I hath forseen it. Rather, every single brother-sister combo (the cannibal meal) in our family has been boy first. Well, except a couple of cousins, but that's not the point. Majority rule. Me and Gemma, Jaysen and Bethy and Tamsyn, Mum and her Brother - and hell, if you want to get picky, Jo has an older brother, Jo's mum has an older brother, and our neighbours wife has an older brother. It's universal law.

If it's a girl, then it's clearly going to have issues.

In other news, Jo bought me a new toy today, and nice spanky Motorola Slvr. It was going to be a Fathers Day pressie, but the Slvr was out and she got me a Razr which I didn't want... Confused? Anyways, I can't actually play with said new Gadget as it's off being unlocked so I can keep my normal sim card. Fun and games.

And now I am going to stuff my face. I've got another rant knocking around in my head, but will share that later.

Post Title

To put the worrying masses to rest, here I am!

All is quiet - been busy, but quiet. I've been dealing with the loss of my Grandfather in my own way, keeping busy and occupied. A couple of people have suggested I go to the Chapel of Rest to see him, but that really isn't an option for me. Being that I've not seen him for so long, I remember him as a large chap smiling and joking - I don't want to see what's happened to him over the past months.

Pretty much been out most days, either hanging with a couple of friends, shopping or just "out". Jo has been struck down with the period from hell (I know, you love the details!), so I've been doing the smart thing and hiding out elsewhere. I'm not just a pretty face ;) I almost got caught in a flour fight a few days back, so I nipped it in the bud, grabbed the bag and drowned the instigators instead - much easier. Another water fight almost kicked off yesterday too, but getting certain people cornered while I am armed with a bottle of water is much easier. Even IF they used blackcurrent while I was using tapwater.

Women for you I suppose!

Gemma is about ready to spawn child all over the place, which means she likely won't be at the funeral on Thursday. She did manage to come over the other night with a large fishtank - she's upgrading hers, so I get to upgrade mine with her old one! Of course, my three ickle goldfish will be a bit lost in there, so more fish here we come!

See - pretty much nothing occuring at the moment. Enjoying the weather, enjoying being a social butterfly, and generally chilling. As I've not posted a picture for a while, he is one of Tam - she's actually asleep on the floor beside by chair, flanked by my very large boots - she opened her eyes as I took the photo then fell asleep again... It's a phone picture, hence the crappy quality.


Wow - I'm actually impressed that my boots are so big. Told ya I was a huge hunk of man! hehe

My Grandfather

Fathers Day. I've never really been a fan. While growing up, it was always a case of "Get your Dad a card" and "Get your Stepdad a card" and then there was the issue of where we'd be for the day with custody and so on and so forth. Becoming a dad was great, getting handmade cards, scribbles in store-bought cards, gifts to make me smile. Right up until we lost Bethy. The first Fathers Day (and indeed mothers day) we awful, the cards very obviously missing a name. It was no different this weekend. I was just waiting for something to happen.

So, I called my Dad at 11am to have a chat, thank him for being my Dad, wish him a happy fathers day, and off we toddled for the day, out having fun and keeping occupied. Got in at 7pm, Gemma phone three minutes later - Grandad has died - my dads dad.

He's been in hospital for almost 12 weeks, very poorly, and finally, because he's been on his back for so long, a chest infection was too much. He'd had a leg removed and was due to have the other taken this week, complications from Diabetes. Not that he helped himself of course - he's snaffle sweets and chocolate, drink sweet tea, and pretty much do what he wanted. When he "quit" smoking, we'd be in the living room, he'd go to the loo and you could SO blatently smell the smoke from the toilet. "Are you smoking in there?" we'd shout. "No, don't be silly...."

However, I feel like a complete bastard. I've not seen or spoken to my grandparents in a very long time. I am shite at keeping in touch with people - always have been. Can't explain how or why, but there it is. On the one hand, I remember Grandad as this large chap in his armchair, fishtank to one side, eating and drinking what he liked - but on the other, I miss him. And I KNOW it's my fault for not picking up the phone or jumping on the bus.

And the knock-on effect of this is the relationship between me and my dad. We speak every couple of weeks, see each other less. I'll phone, we chat, I get off the phone and think "I'll call in a few days" and suddenly, it's two weeks later. And this is with reminders, post-it notes and what have you. Me and Dad got closer when Bethy passed away. I think the mortality of things hit home on the both of us, and Dad never saw Bethany huge amounts. Before that, we would speak once a month if we were lucky.

I'd like to say "It'll be different from now - I'll call him a couple of times a week" but I hate making promises to myself as in ten days time I will think to myself "Buggerit!" after not having picked up the phone.

Sorry for rambling - I've not been spreading this around as for one, I don't like to bring people down. I know, I know...

And, of course, three guesses where the service is going to be held... We've been told if it's too much that we're not under any pressure to go, but how can I not? Who knows - maybe it'll be less difficult to go see Bethy's garden this time around.

Use Your Noggin

Being that it's Fathers Day (go me), I figured I would make you have a think for a change, instead of just plodding through my musings. I got this by email this morning, and while the answer is readily available out there on the web, I figured you might like to try figure it out for yourself. So...

There is a common English word that is nine letters long. Each time you remove a letter from it, it still remains an English word — from nine letters right down to a single letter. What is the original word, and what are the words that it becomes after removing one letter at a time?

I'm sure the smarty pants of you will have no problems. I, however, am slightly less dense than rotten vegetables, and cheated right away. If it helps, there are actually a few words you can use, not just one. You can cheat if you want, but that's up to you.

Fruit Consumption

So, last night I was chatting with a friend - who at this point will remain nameless - who was sitting and eating Raspberries. And when I say eating, I mean that she had an entire punnet. Now, granted, Raspberries are very nice, but I pointed out that too much fruit can make you ill.

Bear in mind she also had various bits of fruit during the day as well. And again I pointed out she'd be ill.

Well, 10pm rolls around and she had to "rush off" quickly, and came back 15 minutes later after being violently sick.

And while she wouldn't let me say it last night, I am taking this opportunity to say "I TOLD YOU SO". Now, my friend is remaining nameless unless she decides to post a horrible comment here. At which point I name, shame, post her photos and her contact details.

Incentive to be nice or what? hehe

I Won The Lottery? Part Two!

Continuation from "I Won The Lottery?" a few days back. I actually got a reply from him! Clearly English is not his first language as the sarcasm was completely lost on him. So, he replied with:

welcome Dan English, we are still working on your document, we will reply you very soon

from CEO
francis brown

So, "Francis Brown" has gone from a President to a CEO. Not bad in the space of a week, though is it a promotion or a demotion? Hmmm... Anyway, for those interested, €500,000 equates to £341,457, or $631,149.

Please note, I am well aware this is some kind of scam and/or hoax. I would need my head examined if I though this might be legit! It's the first time one of these guys has ever replied to me, so I figured I would see how far I can take it ;)

Anyways, I've replied to him:

Mr Brown

Thank you very much for replying. Do you have any idea how long this application will take? I would love to take my wife and seven children on holiday this summer!

Many Thanks
Dan English

Reckon he'll catch on yet? hehe

Tourism in Basildon

Well, it's interesting the kinds of people that read my blog. I know a fair few read it but don't comment, and every now and then I will get a mail out of the blue from someone that has obviously been reading. Kinda like this mail that I woke up to this morning:

Dear Dan,
I started reading your journal a few weeks back and have to say I love how down to earth you are about all matters. I live in Basildon not far from you (judging by yout your map). I read your post about your wedding with interest as you touched on tourism in Basildon. You would be surprised how wrong you are about what there is to do and why people would travel here. Take a look at the tourism page on the Council website; lots of interesting things.
All the best,
Louisa

So, firstly, hi Lousia. Nice to see a Basildonian reading - I figured the hits from this area were just me updating it. Anyway, I am really really going to have to disagree with you on the tourism front. I checked that page this morning, and really cannot see why people would come to Basildon, rent a hotel room, and come here to see these.

For those of you interested, the Tourism/Places of Interest page at the Basildon Council site can be found here, but to save you clicking away, I will sum them up for you. Bear in mind I've lived here since I was a tiddler, so am fully qualified...

St Martins Bell Tower, St Martins Square
OK, this is a tower plonked in the middle of the town center. It took forever to build, and someone ran off with the cash - which went on and on. More often than not, it's closed and I don't think I've ever heard it ring.

Mother and Child Statue, Basildon Town Square
OK, this has been around for years, used to be the symbol for Basildon, and is a fountain. A fountain I swam through one freezing New Years Eve while drunk, and ended up very sick. However, this is *just* a fountain in the middle of the shopping town center.

Cats Cradle Pussiwillow III Clock, Eastgate Shopping Center
Granted, this is a pretty impressive sized clock, fully animated. The chimes of it have always filled Eastgate, and all the money people throw in there goes to charity. BUT - worthy of a "place of interest"? I don't think so - also - it's in the middle of a shopping center, just like the previous entries. I spy a plot to get tourists shopping.

Basildon Bus Station
OK, seriously, can you list a steel-and-glass-lean-too as a tourist attraction? What they fail to mention is that the bloody great butchers INSIDE the bus station makes it stink - plus the drunks using it as a toilet in the night. It's a bus station - which occasionally suffers from bus drivers unable to stop. Three bays are currently being rebuilt. And should I mention this is in the town center as well... Of course, they are refering to the huge mosaic timeline of Basildon ABOVE the station. To view it, you either have to stand at the taxi rank, or across the main road by the railway line.

Plotlands Museum, Laindon
OK, history finally. However, this is a mock up of bungalows that Londoners used to use to escape the city. It's used for school trips - Jaysen was there earlier this year, and was only out for three hours. I used to live near here, and the countryside IS very nice, but tourist attraction?

Barleylands Farm, Billericay
"A unique farm-based attraction". Hey, that's what it says. It's a farm, with craft center, miniature reailway, Farm Center and bi-monthly farmers market. What they fail to mention is that part of the farm is also used as a dump.

The Cater Museum, Billericay
Can't comment as I've never been there - but it's on the High Street (ie, shopping center of Billericay!), and is a Victorian jobbie, apparently.

Motorboat Museum, Pitsea
OK, something that could attract enthusiasts, but I have to say, it's not a very bit museum. A barn or so of displays. Of course, it's in:

Wat Tyler Country Park, Pitsea
Now this place I actually love. But I love being out in the middle of nowhere. If you're a bird-spotter apparently this is a good place to come. There are a few things to do here as well, but it's nice to just walk. However - depending on the heat and the wind - you're next door to one of the largest rubbish dumps in Essex.

Norsey Wood Nature Reserve, Billericay
I've not been here for years, but it's lovely - woods and fields, plus some history going on too. What can I say, it's a forest.

Mill Meadows Nature Reserve, Billericay
Never been, but it's description is one line: "Mill Meadows is a series of rolling old meadows covering 90 acres." Wild flowers and insects.

Noak Bridge Nature Reserve, Basildon
hehe this used to be a building site - I should know, this is the site of many a broken bone, cut-needing-stitches and concussion. Me and Gemma used to catch slow-worms here too. But again, it's a nature reserve.

Battlesbridge Antique Center, Battlesbridge
This place is miles from Basildon - really not sure how it can be classed as Basildon at all! But, if you're into old stuff, here you go.

And that is IT. Now, I really cannot see anything here that would attract tourists from far and wide - maybe a few hours drive away if it's something you're keenly interested in (like the boat museum), but honestly, nothing here would last an entire day. Unless you took a picnic to one of the nature reserves. But is that a tourist thing? I'd be very interested to hear the view of people further away in the UK and Abroad - would you visit Basildon for these things? Ignore the fact you could visit us, don't add me to the equation.

Would you visit Basildon to see the things listed on the tourism webpage?


[Edit: I should add, considering the things they've put on here, I am surprised they've not included other places. Gloucester Park and it's Pool, Langdon Hills Nature Reserve, St. Nicholas Church (and a few other churches)... If they can list a Bus Station, why not include the oldest church in the area - one that can be seen from miles around?]

Wandering the Net

Jo is off out with a friend and wine this evening, so I am home alone - well, as alone as you can get with two kids. On the bright side, we've started putting Tam to bed at 7.30, instead of taking her to bed when we go up. So far so good - she's sleeping pretty well with only minimal screaming. Of course, with Jo being out, the baby has woken up twice tonight.

Ahh well, at least it's Friday tomorrow.

While bored out my skull and not really in the mood to do anything, I've been reading and spamming commenting on other peoples blogs most of the evening, following their links to see where I end up. Managed to pass the time admirably in fact.

My other "fun" pass time is browsing Google Video and You Tube to see the sort of stuff people put on there. There's some amusing stuff there, but you have to sift through the crap to find it. Seriously, some of the crap people upload boggles the mind. Says he with his blog full of junk.

Each to their own I suppose.

Anyways, I found the Lordi music video on there to "Hard Rock Hallelujah" (the song that won Eurovision). Good for a laugh, might not be suitable for kids of those with a fear of zombies and demons. Found a collection of clips taken from a security camera in a Russian tunnel that seems to be an accident Blackspot. Probably Alan driving after raiding his minibar. An interesting guide for women on how to park their car - obviously it's fake as women can't do simple things like that. *ducks*. There's also a chap that appears to have turned a remote control airplane from a plane to a flying lawnmower. Not to mention the eskimo catching fish, the worlds most secure vehicle and, lastly, just for Christine, the magician Criss Angel (or Chris Angel, whatever) doing his magical thang - which isn't for the faint hearted. Consider yourself warned on that part.

All in all, I've achieved nothing this evening - no games, no phone calls, no hassle - but my feet are up and I'm chilled out for a change.

Now to wait for the wench to stagger through the front door so I can go to bed!

I Won The Lottery?

I'm as surprised as you are, but I just got this email so it must be true:

Dear user,
Congratulation, yahoo is informing you that you have just lucky won 500 000euros from a yahoo lottery organised for special yahoo users please reply to this message to get your arword. (freegame2ryhme@yahoo.com)

PRESIDENT francis brown

People that fall for this deserve it really...

Of course, I HAD to reply:

Wow, I am so lucky! Please send me my money ASAP!
I might even buy you a dictionary with my winnings.

Think I'll get my prize? Watch this space!

Tagged By Minge

Like Mr Minge, I've never been tagged either. At least, if I have, I've never noticed! I knew what it meant, but have never partaken of the taggage, as it were...

If you don't know what tagging is - I'll tell you. Tag someone, and they're forced to continue what you've just done. For example, the people at the bottom of this post will have to copy and paste this entry into their blog, though, of course, changing the answers for their own. If they don't do it, well, actually, nothing will happen to them. They can't be punished nor forced into it, but, hey, it's still kind of fun...

Here goes:

Five items in my fridge:
-Bottle of white wine
-Four pints of whole milk
-Espresso power
-Tomato Ketchup
-Butter

Five items in my wardrobe:
-Four (count em) shirts
-Some old motherboards
-A box containing letters from Jo
-A Desperate Dan jumper my mum knitted
-A photo album

Five items in my car:
-I don't drive!

Five items in my bag:
-Bag? I don't own a bag!

Five jobs I've had:
-Accountant
-Chef
-Mail Order Salesman (the job, not me!)
-Telewest Call Center rep
-Dad

Five films I can watch over and over:
-The Princess Bride
-Oceans Eleven
-The Three Musketeers
-Titan AE
-Welcome to the Jungle (aka The Rundown)

Five places I have lived:
-Clacton On Sea
-Laindon West (Basildon)
-Lee Chapel North (Basildon)
-Vange (Pitsea)
-Barstable (Basildon)

Five TV shows I like:
-Lost
-CSI
-Firefly
-24
-Two And A Half Men

Five places I've visited on holiday:
-Norfolk, UK
-Cotswolds, UK
-Belgium
-France
-Italy

Five of my favourite foods/dishes:
-Crispy Chilli Beef (Chinese)
-Spaghetti Bolognese
-Egg Fried Rice (Made by Jo)
-KFC Coleslaw
-Fajitas

Five web sites I visit daily:
-Various Blogs
-Sky News
-Deviant Art
-IMDB
-World of Warcraft EU

Five places I'd rather be right now:
-Egypt
-Australia
-Visiting Friends America
-Erm..
-Hmmm...

Five people I'm tagging:
Hmmm, to be honest, I don't know five other people with blogs to tag, so I'll name one:
-Christine

If you want to do this, then consider yourself tagged by me ;)

Thank You!

Thanks for the comments and emails you've sent since I made that post about wedding stuff yesterday! We've had offers of help, offers to embaress, and general congratulatory messages.

Me and Jo have been engaged a long time. Sorry, make that a long time. We started dating in 1996, and on her 18th birthday (April 1997) I proposed to her. My manly charms and obvious prowess made her say yes. We decided to wait a while before making plans, and in August 1997 got our first place together and both went to work. 1998 saw the arrival of Jaysen, and then we kinda puttered along. 1999-2000 was just shite (putting it bluntly) with death, destruction and mayhem all around. 2001 saw the arrival of Bethy, and we've never really had much of a break since then really.

We've been to several weddings since we got engaged, and every time people have said "Ahhh you two will be next". Like hell. Every wedding has seen various kinds of stress and generic crap that made us think "We can wait". And suddenly, we're in our 11th year together.

I'd be free by now if I'd killed her.

Minge, in response to your first comment about the large-screen speech. Hell no! Despite only talking to friends and family, I am not a Get-Up-And-Talk-Look-At-Me! kind of person. I hate photos, and I KNOW I will piss something up! As for the cake - that's a secret ;)

To all the hens making their evil plottings and plans, well, I'm sure I can "forget" to send our your invites. No Hens = No Nasty Suprises.

As to the other questions - no, certainly not a church as we'd feel it was all a big lie, saying our vows to one another in front of something we don't believe in. Sorry, but that's how it is. It'll be a registry office, either Brentwood (which is a very nice little town not far from here) or Basildon, assuming the new office will be opened by then. We're then looking at one of three resturant in the local area which we frequent - we considered a chinese wedding meal just to be different, but aren't sure if there are any resturants around here big enough - but we'll see. Evening do will be a buffet affair in a hall with a bar - maybe even the one across the road from us. For those that have asked, there are several hotels around here - from little motel-type things, to a large holiday inn. Not sure why Basildon has hotels, it's not really a tourist spot ;)

The dress - well, I'm pretty sure that's remaining a secret till the day. Suffice to say, Jo, Tam and her Maid of Honor will be in Burgandy with Ivory, and Jaysen, Best Man and myself will be in something similar. Assuming I have a best man by then. I think her colour choice has something to do with masking blood...

Actually, I am kinda surprised so many people are showing an interest in this... hehe I kinda though it'd be one of those things that would come and go and that'd be that, but you know, I am actually looking forward to it!

Maybe I should throw a spanner in the works and have us take on a completely random surname. Goldfishbreath. Mr and Mrs Goldfishbreath. Daniel John Goldfishbreath.

Hmmmm....

[Edit: There is currently some discussion between me and Jo as to when I proposed, ie, which birthday/which year. Either my version is correct, or her version - 17th Birthday/1996 - is correct. So I'm going to have to dig out my diary and figure it out! Either way, it's been a while!]

And So It Begins

After the better part of eleven years, we've actually started planning for a wedding. Well, by "we" I mean "Jo is figuring stuff and asking my opinion occasionally". Same difference. We're not rushing it though - looking at October 2007 (ie, 16 months from now) so we can save up and pay for bits as we go, instead of doing what most people seem to do and bankrupt themselves.

She's chosen her dress - burgandy and cream - and we're debating on some rings. Not having a church ceremony (duh), probably having the "Wedding Breakfast" in one of our favorite resturants, assuming they cater for that kind of thing. Evening looks set to be a hall/community centre hired out with a buffet so we can feed the unwashed masses (Friends and Family). We also know other bits here and there - our cake is planned (and was done many years ago), kids (including me) outfit is roughly planned (that is, we have an idea) and colour schemes and such like...

The fun part will be the ACTUAL arrangements. We've often worried about our wedding as it seems no one in the families get on for whatever reasons, but we've decided "to hell with it" and will just lump everyone together. If they can't handle it/don't like it, they can see the door clear enough to use it. Guest lists are fun though - the wedding is likely to be a small affair - family mostly with a smattering of close friends, while the evening... Ugh, I dread to think!

Our problem is that we don't have many friends "in the flesh" as it were. Most of our friends are scattered across the globe, from the length and bredth of England, to the States, Middle East, Australia... So that should be a logistical nightmare. For others, that is ;)

Then there is the issue of hall limits and restrictions. If we put out open invites to our friends home and aboad, then pay for a massive hall but no one shows, it'll look empty. By the same token, if we get a tiny hall and half the known world turn up (and the Americans).... Well...

I am sure as the months tick by things will fall into place - like I say, it's still a waaaay off, and we're only working on the basics at present, but we've decided that living in sin is sooo 90's.

My biggest "concern" is the whole "Best Man" thing. I've had friends come and go since childhood, I've had friends enter my life within the last few years, and I've got the odd person that knows everything about me - heck, one of the people I am considering is a girlie! Again, we've got the whole "But I don't want to upset Person X if I just Person Y", and KNOW it's up to me/my decision - but that doesn't make it any easier! The shortlist is three people, so maybe I should start a competition between them, find out which is the better friend! hehe Of course, if they all fail, I might just hang myself!

And in closing - my stomach knots at the thought of standing up and giving a speech. Maybe I should get hammered the night before so I can doze through most of the wedding... Sure that'd go down well.

Basildon

My hometown. Actually, where I've lived most of my life. Anyways - in light of Alan posting his Armdale post, I figured I'd do a Basildon one.

Basildon

Statistics
Population: 120,000+
Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: Maps for TQ735895

Administration District: Basildon
County: Essex
Region: East of England
Nation: England
Police force: Essex Police
Ceremonial county: Essex
Historic county: Essex

Post office and telephone
Post town: BASILDON
Postal district: SS14
Dialling code: 01268

Politics
UK Parliament: Basildon
European Parliament: East of England

Basildon is a new town in the Basildon district of Essex in the East of England. It is located 26.7 miles (43 km) east north-east of Charing Cross in London.

It was designated as a new town in 1949 It was designated as a new town in 1949 to accommodate the overspill from London, to attract Londoners to the country. The town was formed from several smaller towns, Pitsea, Laindon and Vange. The larger Basildon district, formed in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, includes Billericay and Wickford. Basildon is bordered by Chelmsford to the north, Billericay to the north west, Southend to the east and Thurrock to the south.

Basildon can be traced as far back as 1086 and is mentioned in the Domesday Book as 'Behoter'. This is thought to refer to the 'Beorthals Hill' which was an area near what is now Holy Cross, Church Road just off of Whitmore Way. It appears that the name 'Basildon' comes from the Anglo-Saxon personal name 'Beorhthealh' and 'dun', the Anglo-Saxon word meaning 'hill'. In the past Basildon has been recorded as Berdlesdon, Bretlesden, Batlesdon, Bastelden, Basseldon and Bassendon.

Basildon constituency is considered to be a barometer of public opinion and has returned General Election results in line with the nation since the 1950s. Basildon is located at Latitude: 51:34:34N Longitude: 0:29:19E.

History

• 1086 - 'Behoter', 'Berdestapia' and 'Leienduna' recorded in the Doomsday Book
• 1381 - (28 June) King Richard II's soldiers defeat rebels at Billericay's Norsey Woods which ends the Peasants' Revolt
• 1620 - The Pilgrim Fathers meet in Billericay prior to sailing to what is now The United States
• 1855 - (1 July) Pitsea railway station is opened
• 1877 - St. Mary's & All Saints Church in Langdon Hills is built
• 1888 - (1 July) Laindon railway station is opened
• 1888 - Wickford railway station is opened
• 1905 - The first piped water supply between Pitsea and Vange is installed
• 1912 - The first telephone in Laindon is installed
• 1922 - Pitsea War Memorial is unveiled in the Broadway, it was later moved to Howards Park
• 1925 - The first Pitsea Market is opened on land near Station Road
• 1929 - The Laindon Picture Theatre opens
• 1930 - The Laindon Recorder Newspaper is published, now called the Basildon & Wickford Recorder
• 1935 - Craylands Secondary School opens, it would later merge with Fryerns and form Fryerns Comprehensive
• 1936 - The A127 nears completion
• 1937 - A Police Station in Pitsea opens
• 1946 - The 'New Towns Act' is past in Parliament
• 1946 - Basildon Town Football Club is formed
• 1948 - Basildon Cricket Club is formed, they play matches on what is now the Tractor Plant
• 1949 - Basildon is designated a new town
• 1951 - Eastern National open a small depot
• 1951 - (18 June) The first New Town tenants move in to houses in Vange
• 1958 - (16 August) The first shop opens in Basildon town centre
• 1958 - (6 September) The new 50 stall Basildon Market opens
• 1960 - The Duke of Edinburgh visits Basildon to open the Carreras Cigarette Factory
• 1961 - (October) Basildon Bus Station is opened
• 1962 - (18 June) All services on the London, Tilbury & Southend railway are now solely operated by electric trains following the withdrawal of steam locomotion
• 1962 - (July) The Mother & Child Statue in the Town Centre is designed by late William Lambert R.A.
• 1962 - (10 November) St. Martin's Church, Basildon is opened
• 1963 - (2 December) Basildon Police Station in Great Oaks becomes operational
• 1964 - The Ford Tractor Plant in Cranes Farm Road opens
• 1965 - Chalvedon Secondary School in Wickford Avenue is opened
• 1967 - Armada Sports Junior Football Club change their name to [Basildon United F.C.|Basildon United Football Club]
• 1969 - (3 February) The Laindon Picture Theatre is demolished to make way for a dual carriageway
• 1971 - Marks and Spencers opens it store in Basildon Town Square No One Enters For Fear Of Consumerism
• 1973 - (1 April) Basildon Hospital in Nethermayne opens
• 1974 - Basildon railway station is opened
• 1978 - Tesco Supermarket opens in Pitsea
• 1980 - Savacentre opens in Basildon Town Centre along with the first phase on the Eastgate Shopping Centre
• 1981 - (20 February) Depeche Mode release their first single, "Dreaming of Me", which reaches #57
• 1982 - (17 April) Yazoo release their first single, "Only You", which reaches #2
• 1984 - (23 June) Alison Moyet releases her first solo single, "Love Resurrection", which reaches #10
• 1984 - (14 April) Wat Tyler Country Park is opened
• 1985 - (November) Eastgate Shopping Centre is completed
• 1988 - The Towngate Theatre opens
• 1990 - (26 September) St. Luke's Hospice is opened by Duchess of York
• 1993 - Basildon athletic's runner Eamonn Martin wins the 13th annual London Marathon on his debut
• 1998 - (July) Fryerns Community School is closed
• 2005 - Barstable School and Chalvedon School federate.
  

Census Population

The population of Basildon, including Pitsea, Vange and Laindon as calculated on the census. This eventually included Billericay and Wickford.

• 1801 - 707
• 1851 - 950
• 1901 - 638 (Wickford only)
• 1921 - 4,489
• 1931 - 12,968
• 1961 - 48,047
• 1971 - 80,252
• 1981 - 94,232
• 1991 - 161,124
• 2001 - 165,668

From Basildon

• Alison Moyet - Singer, joined Vince Clarke from Depeche Mode to form Yazoo
• Dave Gahan - Lead singer from Depeche Mode
• Martin L. Gore - Lead songwriter, guitar and keyboard player from Depeche Mode
• Andrew Fletcher - Keyboard player from Depeche Mode
• Vince Clarke - Songwriter, founder of Depeche Mode, Yazoo and Erasure
• Eamonn Martin - Runner and London Marathon winner
• Joan Sims - Actress from the Carry On films, born in Laindon
• Scott Robinson - singer from Five
• Chantelle Houghton - Winner of Big Brother

Sorry to all my American friends - hope that's not an overdose of History ;) hehe

Email Address HTML

Minge,

Here's the code I was trying to post for you:

< href="mailto:**Email Address@Addy.com**">***Whatever you want to appear***< /a>

In order to get it to appear here, I've added a space BEFORE the first "A" in a href and before the last "/" in /a. You just need to change the parts that read **Email Address@Addy.com** to the email address you're linking, and to what you want the link to show.

Hope that helps :)

Heh

A midget fortune teller that escapes from jail is a small medium at large...

It's Getting Worse

The moaning. Now, I know I am no better by moaning about the moaners, but for goodness sake. Mr and Mrs Grouchy Pants, please, we're all in the same country, I KNOW how hot it is. Yes, I am a fatty, so I know how sweaty things get. Yes, I agree, it is very humid. But for goodness sake, please, stop complaining about it OVER and OVER. First thing this morning you were complaining that it was sooo hot already (at 8.45am) and that you couldn't bear it, but at 3pm it was the same story, that you were too hot, and too sweaty and that you wished the weather "would make up it's mind" or you'd consider heading to another country once and for all. Because the weather in other countries is so much easier to predict. Apparently. And how the heat is messing with your hair. And your cars paintwork. And making things unbearable at night - and then that you refuse to spend £10 on a fan to cool things down.

So, Mr and Mrs Grouchy Pants, please think back six weeks or so... Remember the wind, the rain and the freezing temperatures. The comments like "It's sooo cold for the end of April" and "I really hope it brightens up this summer". Now you're making comments about it being too hot and you wish it would cool down some more.

Make up your fricking minds. You live in England, the weather is always wobbly. You know it's either going to be too hot or too cold, or too wet or too dry. Yes, we're facing a drought - don't tell me how bad things are getting, and THEN tell me you've had your sprinkler running all day to keep your lawn alive. Screw the lawn - I'd rather drink thanks.

......... In other news, the weather is lovely. Sure I'm all hot and sweaty, but the worst thing is the moaners. The people that were complaining about the cold earlier this year and willing it to be summer - they are now making comments like "roll on October". I swear it's the only way the British can survive, by wishing away the weather.

I didn't have the heart to tell Mr and Mrs Grouchy Pants about the heavy storms we're due tonight! hehe No doubt tomorrow morning I will get the "I can't believe how wet it is" speech.

Owie

So I've spent most of today making faint "Owie" noises - every time I move, lift, carry or whatever something somewhere in my body aches, so I've been very feeble all day. Added to this my strength seems to have been reduced to zero.

We headed over to Ruths for coffee - lucky for me she admitted she was going to "get me back" after yesterdays soaking, but after the hurtie today, I told her better not. So I remained nice and dry despite being achey!

Last night I thought I should have a shower or whatever, but was too sore to clamber into the bath. Just had a shower and really wish I had done it last night as it helped a bit. I've taken some over-the-counter pills which has helped a bit too, so now we're on the Absinthe to complete the healing. And by "We're on the Absinthe" I mean "I am drinking it as no one else likes it". Shame ;)

Jo is playing WoW at the moment, and I am heading out this evening to do that "social" thing, so fingers crossed the last step in the road to achey-recovery lies just around the corner.

The weather today has been brilliant. Burning sun, no breeze - I love the summer. Everyone else hates it, but I love it. Bring it on!

Oooh Mr Minge!

I completely forgot about that!

Those of you that read Minges Blog will remember a while back the smart little Scot ran a contest that had me pulling my hair out. Until I asked Jo to have a look. Well, she managed to get the final steps in the quest, and claimed the glory for herself. Minge mailed her and told her she would be getting a fab prize, and he wasn't wrong!

We received a little package, and when I saw who it was from (with very neat handwriting I should add) I alerted the authorities. They blew it up and returned the contents to us. For me, a very large pair of marigolds (ie, washing up gloves!), while Jo had a personal envelope. She was away that weekend, so I could either xray it or steam it open. As my xray machine is broken, and I am too lazy to steam open the mail, I waited till she came home.

Inside was her very own voucher for the High Street, all to her self.

Of course, being the people we are, the gloves are on my desk, and her voucher is on display on hers. Our prizes are now kept under the "keepsake" category! I think the gloves were Minges way of saying "You're a great guy Dan, I know you did 90% of the work and Jo is just a glory hound" but he's too polite to say it ;)

Linkage

I've not done this sort of post for a while, so here we go :) A list of amusing links for your benefit.

• The Sprite Advert: This is the uncensored version of an advert we have over here. Rather amusing even if you don't know it.
• Animator vs. Animation: Very amusing Flash animation with the Stickman trend with a difference.
• Ebayer Harrassed: Normal guy selling a normal car. Standard stuff. Until you read the stuff he has added with people emailing him questions - his answers crack me up.
• Alien Chickens: hehe this picture... Apparently it's an inflatable shed to protect free-range chickens from bird flu, but damn me if it doesn't look like an Alien Chicken craft.
• Show Off Balloons: Ever been impressed with the clown that makes a balloon dog?
• Coke+Mentos: Every idiot now knows what happens when you mix these two items. There's always SOMEONE that has to go one step further.
• Creme Egg Omelete: Looks as gross as it sounds...
• Expensive Cat Toy: Brave is the man that let's his cat play with that sort of thing.
• 50 Cent vs. Thomas the Tank: I know people like to remix to tracks together, but some people have WAY too much time on their hands!

That should keep you happy/entertained for a while. If not, tough luck ;)

heh Oops

After yesterday, we decided to go to Ruths, have a coffee and a chat, but things kinda went pearshaped from there ;) Her neighbour Celeste was there as well and while I can't say how it started - reports from eyewitnesses blame me - but we ended up having a waterfight.

I got soggy, the girls got drenched. My trainers were filled with water, so I retaliated by soaking her clean dry clothes. Her wooden flooring drowned. They tried to gang up on me, but being as manly as I am, I kicked their asses.

Fear the man.

Of course, the downside of all this is that I was aching after yesterday, the waterfight made me hurt like hell, and over the course of the evening, I slowly locked up. By bedtime - half past ten - I was on my pain killers. I had a shit night of sleep, as every movement hurt. It took me an hour and a half to get the energy to get out of bed this morning, and I dressed myself in stages. And here I sit with puffy hands, and generic pain across my body.

Fear the man indeed.

On the brightside - it was SO worth it. I do believe that is three times I have now drowned Ruth while I have escaped with dry clothing here and there.

Today...

Sums it up, I think...

Studly

Well, I'm dressed and ready to go (looking as manly as ever) - as is Tam - but the woman and boy are still faffing around. Should I tell them the change of plans, and that our ride will be here in 11 minutes, instead of the 39 minutes they think they have?

Naaaah.

Summer in the City

Since last weekend, it happened. The clouds parted, the wind ceased, and the sun came out. Now, looking out the window, the weather is glorious. I bloody well love the summer. This weekend it's going to be boiling hot and brilliant sunshine.

And the people of England moan. As they do. But you know that - you read my ramblings. Too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry, too windy, too foggy, too snowy... Come on people of England, get a fricking life.

So, today is going to be a busy one. Jo's younger brother is getting married on a spur-of-the-moment deal. Four weeks ago, he landed an IT Job in Brunei and will be on a working visa for two years. In order for his lady and their kids to go on the same visa, they need to be married, so cue much rushing around and "planning". Married today, shipping off in late July. Joy.

Also today marks Day #2 of the World Cup, and the first day for England to play. The world cup, biggest football event in history, millions of fans, merchandise, TV listings.

Seriously - people care? It's twenty two men running around in their shorts and teeshirt, kicking a bit of leather around. I was accused yesterday of not being patriotic. Patriotic? It's a bloody game. I've never liked sports, especially football. I even got told once that not liking football meant I was gay. *I* was Gay?! I'm being accused of being gay by someone that enjoys watching 22 men get hot and sweaty while running around.

Go go gadget logic.

The reason for the jumping of this post from Wedding to Footie? Well, they mix believe it or not. After the wedding, we're going back to Greg & Claires house, where they are putting the TV in the garden, firing up the Barbeque, and watching the England match. On their wedding day.

Moving on...

Mummy's Live Roleplaying Rubs off...

The little madam poses. Again.

The new fun game - peeking from behind my desk.

Little sods...

It's from their mothers side, I swear.

Think that pretty much sums up things of late. Just finished watching Season 2 of Lost. Thanks to those that bloody well got me addicted - and for those that are still on Episode 9 (ie, those watching it on British TV), I am not giving anything away, but OH MY GOODNESS! Also finished watching Firefly (Thanks to Joey!) and what a great series that is. Or was. We saw the movie, Serenity, a while ago and loved it, but never saw the TV Show. Well, now we have and we weren't disappointed. So Yay for that too.

You know, I often wonder what would happen if I dropped in - completely at random - a massive spoiler for Lost. You know, ramble about the weather and in the middle drop in something massive. You'd HAVE to read it wouldn't you - you'd see it and comprehend and *gasp*. The twisted part of me thinks it'd be pretty amusing... Hmmm, "Lost Spoilers". Wonder if that will make Google forward people this way ;)

Now, if you will excuse me, I have to iron a shirt and smother the kids in sunblock. Think of me ;)

By The Numbers

I stole this from Alan, who stole this from Michele, who stole from Julia... You know, I could probably follow it back, but I won't ;)

10 Favorites
Favorite Season: Summer
Favorite Color: Deep Blue
Favorite Time: Night Time
Favorite Food: Chinese
Favorite Drink: Baileys
Favorite Ice Cream: Strawberry Cheesecake
Favorite Place: Home
Favorite Sport: erm, Unreal Tournament ;)
Favorite Actor: Christian Bale
Favorite Actress: erm... ah... not sure...

9 Currents
Current Feeling: Tired
Current Drink: Coffee
Current Time: 07:03
Current Show on TV: Something on Cartoon Network knowing Jaysen
Current Mobile used: Sony Ericsson K700i
Current Windows Open: WinAmp, Firefox x3, Thunderbird, Outlook Express, Notepad
Current Underwear: Black Boxers
Current Clothes: Jeans, Grey Tee Shirt, Black Socks
Current Thought: *What is my current thought*

8 Firsts
First Nickname: Engelbert
First Kiss: I forgot her name, will add it when I remember - hidden from sight on a playing field. I was about 7!
First Crush: FAR too long ago
First Best Friend: Andrew Rowe. I moved away and never saw him again
First Vehicle I Owned: Never been allowed after crashing two instructors cars
First Job: Chef
First Date: Went to a resturant with a girl I thought I loved. She was a crazy.
First Pet: A white Lab/Something Nasty cross breed named Donna - she was an idiot.

7 Lasts
Last Drink: A different coffee 15 minutes ago
Last Kiss: Tamsyn
Last Meal: A bowl of Coco Pops
Last Web Site Visited: Alans Blog
Last Movie Watched: Batman Begins (for the fifth time in a week!)
Last Phone Call: Talking to Ruth and agreeing to babysit for an hour
Last TV Watched: pffft I don't watch TV. I saw something over the weekend while I was shaving, so some cartoon!

6 Have You Ever...
Have You Ever Broken the Law: Yes - cycling through town center. Caught, and pissingly massive fine.
Have You Ever Been Drunk: Yes
Have You Ever Kissed Someone You Didn't Know: Yes
Have You Ever Been in the Middle/Close to Gunfire: Yes, going through London a long time ago
Have You Ever Skinny Dipped: Skinny? Me? hahahaha
Have You Ever Broken Anyone's Heart: Yes

5 Things
Things You Can Hear Right Now: Fishtank bubbling, Car Starting, Me Typing, Jaysen doing something noisy upstairs
Things You Ate Today: Coco Pops
Things You Do When You Are Bored: Browse Web, Clean Kitchen, Watch DVD
Things You Do For Comfort: You know, as odd as this sounds, I don't know...

4 Places You Have Been Today
-The Bedroom
-The Toilet
-The Bathroom
-The Kitchen
(In that order ;)

3 Things On Your Desk Right Now:
-Glasses
-Family Photo
-Marvin the Martian

2 Choices
Salt or Pepper: Pepper
Hot or Cold: Hot

1 Place You Want To Visit
Australia

Have fun :D

Fun With Dates

And I don't mean going out on a date, I mean todays date. Sixth of June, Two Thousand of Six.

Or, 6.6.6

Do I really want to go out the front door? hehe

Had a couple of amusing Religion things I've seen of late. First one came while watching The Island - bloody good movie, by the way - but anyway:

Lincoln Six-Echo: What's "God"?
McCord: Well, you know, when you want something really bad and you close your eyes and you wish for it? God's the guy that ignores you.

I sat there chuckling away at that one as it is pretty apt. And then there was the news story yesterday:

KIEV (Reuters) - A man shouting that God would keep him safe was mauled to death by a lioness in Kiev zoo after he crept into the animal's enclosure, a zoo official said on Monday.

"The man shouted 'God will save me, if he exists', lowered himself by a rope into the enclosure, took his shoes off and went up to the lions," the official said.

"A lioness went straight for him, knocked him down and severed his carotid artery."

The incident, Sunday evening when the zoo was packed with visitors, was the first of its kind at the attraction. Lions and tigers are kept in an "animal island" protected by thick concrete blocks.

Gotta laugh, really...

So, er, yeah...

So here I am again. And where have I been? You know, I am not too sure myself. "Stuck in a Rut" doesn't do it justice. "Head Buried in the Sand" and "Hiding in the Corner" would be more apt, but still, here I am. I can pinpoint the exact moment I fell down again, and it was seeing Bethy's garden last month. I don't even know why - as stupid as this sounds, I know she's gone, I know where she is in body and in spirit, and I don't expect her to walk into the room and start dancing. It's not a case of "sudden realisation" in seeing her grave, so what is it?

I wish I knew.

For the last month, I've just been doing nothing. Not checking my mail, not reading blogs, not checking the webcomics. I'm half-way through decorating the kitchen (which I stripped out), and I'm keeping busy with gardening and housework. I go to a friends for coffee every other day or so and hide there for a few hours, and I play Warcraft every now and then. I can't pinpoint what has changed, nor why I am so apathetic to everything. I need to get my head back on track.

Tomorrow I'm going to start on my email games once again and get them back on track. Once again I've let them slip and it pisses me off to do so, but they are the first thing to suffer when I have a bad time of things. And every time I check my mail, I swear there is another little kiddy somewhere in the world struggling through heart surgery.

Other than that, all is quiet in the house. We've had an invasion of ants which I think I've driven back, and the kitchen is currently being redecorated. Jaysen has been off school this week on half-term break, and is back tomorrow - all of June, half of July, and then it's the 6-weeks summer holiday. After that, he's going up to Juniors. Time flies eh. Tam is growing like a weed, still refusing to talk but makes her intentions and demands very clear. She's into grabbing anything within reach that isn't hers, plus moving chairs to climb up on worksurfaces and tables is a new hobby she loves. We hate it. A friends kids have chicken pox, so we're watching Tam for the spots, but I've never had it, and have felt a bit icky the last couple of days, so that should be an interesting development...

So, hopefully I will get myself back into gear over the next few days, once I start posting for games and blogging more again.