Yay! Pervert Searches!

I was about to head to bed. I'm tired, I'm hurting, and my head feels like it's doing that pushing out from behind the eyeballs thing. I need sleep - not that I will sleep past 4/5am, but you never know. Before bed, I thought I'd check my blogs, comments and StatCounter one last time.

You know, because I am an addict and all that.

So, I wandered through the blogs, commented, was about to check my comments, when I thought "Stats!" - which are almost as addictive as the rest of it. I like to see what wacky, weird and wonderful methods people use to find my blog. The best one to date had to be "Grandmas having sex" which still crops up (even though I swear I've never mentioned such things. Well, I have now, but you know), but today, we've either got a new leader, or a very close contender.

Tweenies having sex?! For the laugh of all things puppet like and for kids, what drives some people to search for these things. What, you may ask, is a Tweenie? Thank you BBC:


They are kids, for all intents and purposes - L to R, Bella, Milo, Fizz and Jake. There are also a couple of dogs, and two teachers (they are in playgroup/nursery). Kids love em, but crap on a stick, sex with them?! So, thanks to the powers that be - ie, StatCounter - I'm showing the world who would search for such things, leaving everything uncovered aside from the IP Address. Which, if you know what you're doing, you can uncover anyway.

If you know someone from this part of the world, online at that time, with that ISP, then who knows - you might know them!

So, now I am really off to bed, with 0ddness on #8 at Google for the search string, Tweenies Sex Photos. I'll reply to comments in the morning when I can focus!

MMail Message

My hair is a mess, my coat is soaked, and NOW i need to pee - kids sloshing through puddles! Bloody school run!

When I Grow Up...

This year, I am 31. I will have been "off sick" for the last seven years. I've had jobs, but I've never had a career. I know there are people out there that think I've achieved nothing, but I disagree. I've got Jo, I've got the kids, I've got my friends. I know family members are disappointed that I've not done more with my life, but hey, it's not like I woke up one day and thought to myself "Hey, I know, I'll live the rest of my life as a slacker"

I'd love to work, I'd love to say in coversation "Me? Oh, you know, I'm an astronaut"

I was talking to Jo last night, and talking about what I'd like to do in the future. I often think about becoming an Infant teacher. I often think about working for the RSPCA as an inspector. I often think about taking a course like Photography or Journalism. I often think about becoming an Ambulance or Paramedic tech. I often think I'd like to pack everything up and move to another country - a fresh start, as they call it. We had the chance many years ago to up and move to Ireland, but for various reasons, that fell over.

Of course, there is all the fine-print. Could I jump back into work with my back and Chronic Fatigure? Could we just up and move to another country? Of course, most of my "skills" are in the computer-department, but mostly I am self-taught. Starting a "new" career would also mean going back to school in some form - college, university - to get all the "neccessary qualifications" but we're drowning in debt already, so could we afford to do it?

My biggest problem is change. I am a coward, and I need everything to be just so. Say we move to the States and it all goes pear-shaped. Then what? What if I train for months and years, only to have my back give out completely? As we are, we're "getting by" which isn't what I wanted for Jo and the Kids. What if my desire to change messes it all up?

As you can tell, it's not something I am going to decide to do over night. I don't even know why I am blogging about it. What I need is a fairy godmother or a genie to tell me what to do. That'd make it all easier! Or a lottery win.

I Am Somebody!

'Twas a cold, wet and windy morning at the end February when it happened. After wandering around the web pressing buttons, He finally found it, entered the Mystical Money Giving Number, and as if by magic, he arrived where he wanted to be.

Or, in other words, I bought a domain name this morning. www.0ddness.co.uk now belongs to me, and I am waiting for some junk to catch up with everything and then, Whammo! Aren't I the clever little potato. I've been toying with doing for a while, and decided this morning that I would go for it. I've only gone for the name and not the space, so this is all still living on Blogger (because I am lazy, mostly), but in a couple of days, you can get to me with the friendlier URL.

According to the WHOIS database, I am official now:

- Domain name:
0ddness.co.uk

- Registrant:
Dan English

- Registrant type:
Not supplied

- Registrant's address:
xxx
Basildon
Essex
xxx
United Kingdom

- Registrant's agent:
Namesco Limited [Tag = NAMESCO]
URL: http://www.names.co.uk

- Relevant dates:
Registered on: 28-Feb-2007
Renewal date: 28-Feb-2009

- Registration status:
Registration request being processed.

I know I harp on about it, but remember, the word 0ddness starts with a Zero, not the letter "O". Because people still Google "oddness.blogspot.com", which is a blog 5 years out of date.

And speaking of googling to find me...

Jenny over at Flawed & Disorderly has a lot to answer for with her Wolf Crotch. Bless. I imagine that keeping ones personal life personal is something she is learning this week! hehe

And yes, the weather this morning sucks. I got soaked and my hair got all windswept. Stupid weather. Now I've got to brush it again!

Post 800! New Links!

Interesting that I made it 800 posts. Go me :) Anyway, to celebrate this craptasic occasion, I've added some more blogs to the side. Yes, more. I read a lot. And it makes Dan a Sad Puppy when people don't post multiple times daily! It makes Dan even sadder when people go days between posts. Bad Bloggers. Bad. How dare you let real life get in the way of my entertainment!

Still, the more blogs I read, the longer my weekly round-up post is going to be. The more interesting your posts, the more interesting MY post will be! The MORE you post, the better selection I have to chose from to share with everyone. If you've not updated since my last post, you get skipped :D

To the topic at hand. More blogs on the list.

• - C'est La Vie - Another CHD Mum new to the world of blogging. Tally-Ho and set to spamming a nice shiny blog!
• - Claire Phipps - Found while browsing BritBlog, she posts amusing stories of her life here in Essex.
• - Deni From Canada - She "broke" her previous blog, and has managed to get back into the world - if you've got her bookmarked, this is her new page!
• - Flaw & Disorder - Jenny is a bit of a nut. She suffers from Wolf Crotch and other personal problems, which she likes to share!!
• - The Little Nut Tree - Mum blogging about her days as a parent and general family stuff, also with the slant of comedy.
• - Lunas Journey - Personal blog covering general life stuff, but contains Adult references - over 18's only! (Adult Blog)

So there you have it, new things to read! Go take a look and say Hi!

As a side-note: I've updated the Musical Monday post to link all those that have taken part. Hopefully next week more of you will jump on Ye Olde Band Wagone.

Musical Monday #1 - Here Without You

Last week, I posted a song that I've taken a deep liking to as my Song of the Moment. After Christine commented that she likes doing it too, I will be posting a favourite song here each Monday, and I encourage you, dear readers, to do the same on your blog. Got a song that hits hard? Makes you dance? Whatever - post it on your blog!

So, for my first Musical Monday post, I've chosen 3 Doors Down - Here Without You. I first heard it, of all places, on a Dark Age of Camelot video that a player had made, and I downloaded it not long after that. It's one of those songs that just sort of crops up onto most of my play lists. Obviously when we lost Bethy, it became a lot more poiniont, but none the less, remains a great bit of music.

So, it's Musical Monday - care to share?

Here are the others that took part in Musical Monday! Next week I hope to see more of you on here! Mary, Laney, Christine, and Terri. Thanks!

The Strangeness of Kids

Back in the day, when I was a wee nipper, knee-high to a grasshopper, a bearn, pup, kid, wet behind the ears, and all that, I was subjected to piss-taking. I don't mean the dyalysis variety, but kids being kids, picking up on something amusing and running with it. You know how kids are. In no real order, the things that were picked up on as I was growing were things like being raised by a single mum, being colour-blind, wearing glasses, the wrong shoes, the wrong coat, a certain very amusing school pack, being crap at football, being a geek... You name it, there was always something.

Of course, over time, things changed - single parents become more and more common, I could hide being colour-blind well enough, more kids wore glasses, the crap shoes or coat were suddenly in fashion (though, usually, I'd moved on to the next level of crap by then), the pack become an on-going joke, sucking at football, but being good at running, and when geek became a tiny bit cooler. Of course, out of all the things, the one thing that would always stick and never ever change, was my last name, my surname, my nom de famille.

English.

Now, I never really saw the problem with it, but all the other kids, well, it was most amusing. Yes, my surname is English, yes, I speak English. Hilarious. No, my favourite lesson isn't English, but thanks for asking. Yes, I make spelling mistakes, no I can't speak other languages, and no, I don't have English class next.

What I never mentioned to anyone, is that the surname "English" is actually of Irish origin. I'm sure that would have been similar to the effect of extinguishing a fire with petrol.

As a kid, it never really hurt or upset me, it was a constant thing. As an "adult", it doesn't worry or bother me in the slightest, and it is a source of amusement for people around the world and that know me. Seeing Tim's comment on his blog made me think that I was going to mention this a while back! So, yes, I am Dan English, and I live in England, speaking English.

For a short time, not long after mum remarried and we moved to a new neighbourhood, me and Gemma took our stepdads name so we could all be the same. Of course, kids picked straight up on it, and to make matters worse, my new teacher and I shared the surname, which just added to the hilarity. My surname of about a year, was "Ford". Yes yes, just like the car. And can you bet when our stepdad worked as a Security Guard. You got it - Ford Motor Company, Aveley. Bugger.

But you know the thing that really really irked me as a kid. The one thing that did get to me, and I never understood why it happened this way.

They never took the piss out of Andrew French!

I Actually Survived

Despite the best efforts of Gravity, Karma, and the generic abuse of the Laws of Physics, I actually survived to bed last night, but not before getting beaten senseless by Tam. Some nights she goes to sleep, other nights... weeeell not so much. At 10pm last night, she became Hyperactive Girl in the 21st Century, which also translates to "Kicking the Shit out of Daddy". I survived though, that's the important part.

Regardless of yesterdays goings on and mishaps, I was once again up at stupid o'clock. Cannot figure why I am waking up and getting up so early, but meh. This morning, the kitchen is spotless, most of the washing up is done, and the floors are completely glass free. And Timmah, the reason I use a Broom instead of a Hoover is because we have a hard floor, and while your crazy upside-down Aussie Hoovers might be battery powered, our thing just pings everything around downstairs. So downstairs is Broom+Dustpan/Brush, while the middle floor and the top floor are the Realm of the Vacuum Cleaner.

Currently, I am home alone and loving it. I don't often get time to myself, when I don't trip over maurading toddlers, crazy women, or action-man incarnate. I can make myself a coffee without getting a tea, and a juice, and another juice, and some toast, and some crisps, and some sweets... I just do "what I want" at "my own speed".

Which, for the moment, is currently "frag-all" and "slower than a squished snail".

The tornado will return later though, in the form of two very very grouchy females after suffering from Needles. Tam is having some Jabs, while Jo is getting more of her back coloured.

See, Tam SHOULD have had these Jabs a looong time ago, but we've been having some issues with our family doctor. Sure, he is a nice enough chap, but when I was 10, he was the family doctor, and back then, he was old. Also, as Gemma will agree, his wife ticks. But anyway. Over the last few years, some Mr Docs decision making has been, shall we say, iffy. Now it turns out he hadn't gotten around to booking or ordering Tamsyns injections, so she's something like eight months behind. So she'll be bags of cheery fun later.

Oh, and did I mention the doc is currently on leave for 18 months. "Out of Date practices" is the charge. Eighteen months is also the longest the British Medical Association can strike a doctor off for.

Jo will also be a big happy bag of laughs from her back work being done. When the tattoo was first done, it was two weeks of her being a wimp. When she had some of it coloured, it was three weeks of her being an even bigger wimp. So she's having more done today. Joy.

Like people that drink too much and get poorly, I will have no sympathy for her. After all, to restore the balance after my adventures yesterday, I should wash her back with vinegar and a brillo pad.

Anyway, the 30,000 hits mark is approaching, and so far I've been bribed, threatened and generally people want to claim that big 30k mark. I've had an offer from Tim Down Under (who I notice is posting as I post!) for a prize, which means it won't actually be as craptastic as I thought it would be. Unless he posts a dirty nappy. So, for the time being (once I've actually spoken to the Aussie!), the person that submits the 30k screenshot will get:

• - A sticky post for 7 days at the top of the blog, linking to their site
• - A sparkling review from Yours Truly of your blog with me saying only nice things
• - A prize from Tim (who, as my "sponsor" will get advertising!)
• - A permanent link to the image for the world to see

No, I know it's not a lot, but it's not like it's Xmas or anything. Not yet, anyway!

Update: Tim has graciously made his offer to the person that hits 30k!

"Alright Dan .. here we go. As a hobby we list a few collectables on eBay.

If you would like, Beachside Collectables will offer the 30000 visitor any item in the store to the value of $40 (unfortunately I will limit it at one item due to postage)"

And in other news - in three posts time, I will have hit 800 posts on here!

Lastly - Timmah is hugging his lurkers this week, so if you've ever been over there, go and say howdy! You know you want to!

Wonky!

Now in a million years, no one else would likely notice this, and I am not even sure how I noticed, but I've tested it on both Firefox and Internet Explorer, but there it is. If you scroll from the top of the blog, right down to the bottom fairly quickly, you will notice the bottom is a lot thinner than the top. It gradually tapers downwards.

Now, it's not too bad really, but I will no doubt spend hours trying to work out what is wrong, and whether or not it's something I've done. Which is highly likely. But don't worry, I won't mess with it on here :)

Edit: OK, so I sort of figured it out, and it's all realigned now, but each post has a gap between it. NO clue why. Taking out the cause makes the blog get thinner the further south you go, putting it in puts a gap between posts. Meh.

When "Oops" Is Not Enough

It was inevitable that eventually, getting up at the butt-crack of dawm every day would take it's toll on me. It's bad enough that I nodded off at my desk while reading, but today, I have the reaction time of a rooster without a head. After being roasted and served with stuffing.

In the space of about 8 minutes, I destroyed the world. How I am not dead is pretty much a mystery to me, but still, what doesn't kill you...

I poodle downstairs as I do at about 4.30 this morning. Take my morning pee, despite the fact my last pee was only about 4 hours previous. See, pee-stories. Does this blog get any classier? Walking along the landing, I catch the little toe on my right foot on the bannisters. Arsey bugger ouch. Opening the baby gate, I take my first step out onto the stairs, and place my injured foot upon The Devil Cat From Hell, who's reaction is to scream like I'm murdering her and bite my leg. She speeds off into the darkness, while I slip down three stairs. Crash-Thump-Bang. I stay where I am for a second, partially convince I am actually still asleep.

I'm not.

So enter Dan into the kitchen, fumbling for the light switch on the wall, above the kitchen surface. Not sure how, but I manage to catch my arm on a milk bottle, which hits the side, rolls around, off the edge, smash. So, remaining motionless in my boxers and nothing on my feet, I stretch across to the broom and start a-sweeping. Once the glass is in a nice pile, I lean the broom against the work surface.

Where I knock down another bottle. And another smash. I just stare at it. Look to my toe with looks sore, look to the bite on my leg, rub my lower back which is hurting from sliding down the stairs, and look to the original smashed bottle.

Fuck it.

Broom is retrieved and sweeping is resumed, the little pile of glass now looking bigger and more impressive. Leaning the broom against the door (cunning eh!) I go to where the dustpan is. And feel the glass stab into my left heel. Fuck fuck. Sod it, I have feet like a Hobbit so I leave it be for the moment, get the dustpan, kneel down to sweep - and feel the glass go into my left knee.

Now, obviously, I am getting a wee bit pissed off. Granted, my sweeping skills in the early hours of the morning, after very little sleep, are clearly not what they should be, but none the less, I swear, sigh, sweep, and set to removing the glass from my knee. Get it out, walk across the room, and forget about the bit in my foot, which stabs in deeper. So I remove that little bastard as well.

Coffee Time. I retrieve the kettle, open it, wash it out a few times (because I am a freak), replace the lid, and fill it through the spout. Except I misjudge when I turn on the tap, and shower myself with ice-cold water. So now I am wearing just boxers, bleeding from the foot, knee and leg, nursing a sore toe, cursing my back, AND now I'm covered in cold water. This wants to be the best bloody cup of coffee ever.

So I wait for the kettle to boil, put the coffee and sugar in my cup, get the milk out the fridge and once the kettle is done, make a coffee. I add the milk, miss the mug, and pour it all over the side. I wipe it up and try again.

One coffee. Made, hot, caffeine-filled. Let's roll. Reach out, take mug, misjudge, push mug over. Tip-Pour-Splash-Burnt-Tummy/Leg.

NOW I am getting really pissed off. Re-rinse kettle (still a freak), reboil, mop up, make coffee, add milk, get coffee, get upstairs, walk into computer room. Home free.

Then I step on the upturned hairbrush lurking in the dark, waiting for my bare feet. Stagger, spill hot coffee on my hand, on the desk - narrowly missing my freshly showered keyboard. Clean it up, sit down, open email.

Computer crashes.

Ever get the feeling, just the slightest inkling, that you should have either stayed in bed, or been drowned at birth? Because I am dreading moving from this chair again today. Next time someone calls at the house offering accident insurance, I might take it - I'd be a millionaire.

6pm Edit: The laws of gravity are still off-balance in Chez 0ddness. After chatting on MSN/Yahoo this afternoon, I went down to help Jo with dinner, tripped on a shoe on the stairs, and slid down the SAME three that I hit this morning. Jo was laughing hysterically caring and compassionate to my plight. Of course, as I got up, I leaned too far to one side, and smacked my head on the bannisters, where I can now add "Big Bump" to the list of injuries sustained in less than 12 hours. The list so far:

- Smacked toe
- Cat-Induced slashes to leg
- Fall down three stairs smacking ass and back
- Smashed milkbottle
- Smashed second milkbottle
- Glass in foot
- Glass in knee
- Cold-Water splashing
- Milk poured on kitchen counter
- Coffee poured on kitchen counter
- Hot-Coffee splashing to belly/leg
- Hairbrush to the foot
- Hot-Coffee burn to the hand
- Crashed computer
- Tripped on shoe/fall down stairs smacking ass and back
- Clunk head on bannisters

All in all, I should have NEVER gotten out of bed!

An Idea: Podcasting?

Over the last couple of months, I've taken to listening to a couple of podcasts. Nothing major, just stuff that interests and tickles me. I often think to myself, "Maybe it'd be interesting and/or amusing to try it out" putting my own podcast out on the blog for any and all that want it. You never know, there might be someone out there that wants to hear Mr Dan babble on about nothing...

For the Net-Dummies out there wondering what a Podcast is, this definition is taken direct from Wikipedia:

A podcast is a media file that is distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds, for playback on mobile devices and personal computers. Like 'radio', it can mean both the content and the method of syndication. The latter may also be termed podcasting. The host or author of a podcast is often called a podcaster. The term "podcast" is derived from Apple's portable music player, the iPod. However, known synonyms for the word pod are capsule, case, container, hull, husk, shell, and vessel. A pod refers to a container of some sort and the idea of broadcasting to a container or pod correctly describes the process of podcasting.

The easy version - instead of writing a post, I "talk" a post, which you then download. Seeing Christine do her Vlogcast (Video Log) last week actually inspired me even more. Even though she chickened out and used Sign Language instead of actually talking!

Of course, the big question I ask myself is, would I be able to do it? I tend to get very tongue-tied when TRYING to speak, but I've been reading a few guides here and there with suggestions for just that sort of thing, such as writing notes on what you're wanting to say, and then do it in blocks you can edit together.

Very cunning.

So here's my question to you the reader: If I were to offer an audio post every now and then, would you download it/listen to it. If so, how often would you like it? Every few days, once a week, a fortnight, a month? Or is this a bad idea?

Please leave comments with your thoughts/opinions :) Who knows - it could catapult me into fame, riches and glory! Either that, or I can send voice messages to people that give me a hard time amongst you lot... British Swearing and Cussing 101 - to your kids.

[Edit: Completely off subject, but any of you Essex dwellers that visit listen to EssexFM and heard that girl win £5000 on the RockWords contest... That would be Faith, Ruths sister. So congrats to her! And if any of you International sorts want to listen to our radio station, go to their website ;) I highly recommend the breakfast crew...]

Approaching The Big 3-0

It is with some nervousness I approach this "landmark" number. To be honest, I never in the least expected I would make it this far or this long, and the fact I have made it just makes me smile. "Go Team Me" and all that. I'm not having a party, I'm not going to make a fuss - aside from this post here, and probably another when it happens - but it is impressive to me.

Some of you are probably scratching your heads right about now, thinking "I am SURE he turned 30 last September" and you'd be correct. But I am not talking about how old I am, I am talking about how many visitors I've had. See, this started out as a place for me to just ramble on waffle on, and I never knew people would actually visit me, let along visit regularly! Checking my counter this morning, I was very impressed to see the counter clicking over 29,000 visits, and well on the way to the Bog Three Oh, Oh Oh Oh.

If you have NO clue what I am talking about, scroll down the sidebar, and there, right at the end under various buttons and stuff, you will see a teeny little counter. That's how many visitors I've had since adding the counter on there.

Of course, I'd like you, The Reader, to help me out here. Everytime you visit, check the counter. I want to know which of you is my 30,000th visitor. If you log on and it is exactly 30000 (or as close as dammit), take a screen shot and email it to me. Why? Why Not! I might even offer craptastic prize ;)

To take a screenshot, have the screen open where you want it, then press the Print Screen button (it's on the top row, far right). Then open up Paint, or whatever art-software you have installed, and press the PASTE Button (or hit CTRL V), and save the image, then email it to me at my Gmail Address. I don't want 29,xxx, I want the 30,000 or as close to as possible - 30,000-30,010 range maybe :D

It's early, I am bored...

Linkage & Weekly Roundup!

It's been a while since I did one of these posts, and generally, they're well received - so I figured "What better thing to do just after 5am?" Trying to find an image for these posts is almost as hard as getting one for the tag posts, but I managed it :D So ner. Gold star for those that get the reference.

Anyway, it's been a shitty iffy week but after Wednesday, things are certainly on the up, which is nice. makes a nice change to not sit here mooding and dreading upcoming dates. The biggest surprise for my week came in the form of an email to Jo a couple of days back, when someone we've not seen for... erk... six years contacted her out of the blue. Added to this, he contacted me through WoW the same day after my long boring post that I posted for no reason. Very odd. So welcome back Pogo.

His name is Dave, but he's been Pogo since college. Bless.

In other news... Tam is using the loo, Jaysen has a genetic weakness to mud, I nearly killed myself on lemon not once but twice, and Jo keeps physically abusing me. So almost a normal week really. Oh, and I am (obviously) still waking up at silly times.

And I showered my keyboard yesterday. In the bath. Moving on...

The blogosphere has been busy busy busy over the last few weeks, and I've added a couple more to my list of readings. The first is Man Overboard which is a chap somewhere in deepest darkest American with the same sense of humour as me. The second is Steel Magnolia, which is Terri from Whomagoo with her own personal blog to break play with. All good stuff. And lastly, welcome home Mr Alan in Scotland, who is no longer a high-flyer and being repressed in the middle east!

So, on with the blogs! Most of these are the most recent posts on there as I fell behind, but most of them are linked with reason, probably that it made me chuckle or think. Yes, I do that occasionally.

• - Jo proves I am a nice chap!
• - Minge is entertained by his StatCounter results.
• - Alan from Scotland has fun with his ebay listings.
• - Gretchen talks Mud, Diet and Exercise (Congrats on the improvements!)
• - Stuart has fun in the snow, and Kieran seems to love it!
• - China Blue remembers she owns a blog and sums up her chaos.
• - Debbie also plays the catchup game!
• - Deni gets her hair dyed, and now clashes with her coat (women...)
• - Karin clearly has too much free time and updates her book list.
• - Emma (being a perv) talks condoms!
• - Other Emma is also amused with the white stuff from the sky.
• - Jenny admits to her Comment Addiction. So go spam her.
• - The Girl posts about Valentines Day (Adult Blog Warning!)
• - Grayma rants about certain Heart Charities being, well, twats.
• - Lara remembers she too owns a blog, and plays catchup!
• - Alan in Ireland shares the same hatred of small talk as me!
• - Nancy receives a very lovely Valentines card from her son...
• - Joansy has trouble with her Wee Ones homework.
• - Gman finds subtle undertones in kids games. Or, like me, has a mind like that.
• - Laney has a tired Tuesday - and realises she's probably going to meet me!
• - Nee Naw contemplates breaking, entering and dog theft.
• - Reynolds gets invited to see Casualty being filmed by the BBC.
• - Christine does her first Vlog, but says nothing!
• - Jenny buys the worlds supply of Pretzels (Blergh!) and rips off the store!
• - Tim sells a very rare signed shirt for charity! YaY!
• - Terri has a rant about health insurance (then so do her readers!)
• - Brian posts a short, sweet item about something I noticed a few days back.
• - Becky also realises she's not updated her blog for a century!
• - Sween captures the aftermath of an ice storm.

As usual, all is chaos in the world of Bloggers.

Other stuff to catch my eye on the blogs out there is Minge doing his "Window on the World" again this weekend. Let's get lots of pictures sent his way! The basics: at 5pm GMT, take a photo from your window, and email it to him, with details if you like. That's GMT, NOT your local time. Granted, this will mean some of you taking dark photos, or morning pictures, or some of you being asleep, but still.

And remember, go spam Jenny with lots of comments. She will love you for all eternity.

Obviously, with this week marking the second anniversary of us losing Bethy, various readers of 0ddness have published their own tributes. So special thanks to all of you that took the time to remember Little Moo; Debbie, Karin, Emma, Other Emma, Grayma, Nancy and finally, Tim. On top of that, thank you and welcome to those that came from the three forums that had a Bethy remembrance on them; Heartline.org.uk, ValveReplacement.com, and BadMothersClub.co.uk. If the respective members of these forums could send my thanks and appreciation on, that would be grand :)

Moving on, the rest of the web. As usual, there is plenty of 0ddness out there to keep the bored, tired and generally "looking for something to do" club busy. As usual, anything marked with a red warning, it's up to you to click it ;)

• - Blending Lightsticks - What happens when you put a dozen lightsticks in a blender? (YouTube Video)
• - Large Bug - Very interesting size of hornet in the Far East. Wikipedia Info here! (Photo)
• - Warcraft Nation - Not convinced how popular this game is? (Article)
• - Biiig Fish Tank - Think you've got a cool tank setup? Pfft. (Photos/Article)
• - Interesting IP Address - Click the link and see what you score. Me, a crappy 4. (Webpage)
• - Cat+Laser Pointer - I think this cat was probably on speed as well... (YouTube Video)
• - When Harry Met Sally - Re-edited movie trailer, very well done. (YouTube Video)
• - Everyday Items - A massive gallery of everyday "stuff" in different situations. (Photo Gallery)
• - Pranking Telemarketers - We all hate the Telemarketer, but this guy takes it to a new level (Audio)
• - Biffs Questions - The actor that played Biff in Back to the Future answers some common questions (YouTube Video)
• - Nailing Jelly to a Wall - You know the old adage about how easy something is. HOW easy is it? (Photos/Article)
• - Drilled Chilli Beef - Todays cooking for tomorrows Engineers. (Photos/Article)
• - Big Plughole - When you REALLY need to empty the bath/resevoir.
• - Zombie Killing - Fun little game with guns and zombies. And blood! (Flash Game with blood!)
• - Stack of Fun - A webpage with lots of simple, cutesy games which are kind of addictive (Games List)

And there we have it - an hour and a half wasted by typing out this post. The sun has come up, plus the postie and milkie have been. Don't say I don't love ya!

Song of the Moment

I am a lover of music. I don't have any real favourite genre, style or whatever - I like what I like. So when I heard "Gnarls Barkley - Crazy" on the radio a couple of weeks back, I liked it and wandered around humming it. Of course, everytime I heard it, I forgot to listen to the DJ tell me who it was.

And as such, I loved this song but didn't know anything about it. I listened to the chart, and it was either skipped, I missed it, or it wasn't in there any more. Eventually, I remembered a couple of lines, which I googled. And voila.

You can go to their official site here.

F-F-Friday!

After what can only be described as a "rather long week", Friday has finally bowled around. Of course, my Friday started at just after midnight when we turned off the DVD player and settled down for sleep. I then was up and about at 2am for the obligatory "drink and quick email check" before heading back to bed, and then again at 4am when I woke up.

And then decided to get up at 4.50am. Why? Because I was awake, and once awake, that's that.

For reasons unknown to everyone - myself included - I didn't seem to stop yesterday. It was literally one thing after another, from Jaysen getting mud-splattered BEFORE school, to housework, messing with the blog template, more housework, shops, school run, more housework, then having Ruth and her girls over for dinner, some more housework, then an early night. Which meant watching Van Helsing on DVD in bed.

This past couple of weeks, things have been busy one minute, then rushing around the next, what with the lead up to the 21st and all. Now it's behind us, I do feel a bit better, but just need to wake up a little more first ;) Tam is currently addicted to Kids DVDs, which means we're watching Shrek 1 & 2, The Incredibles, Lilo & Stitch, Finding Nemo, Babe, the Spongebob movie, Scooby Doo, Treasure Planet, Robots... Over and over. I know the script for both Shrek movies, The Incredibles and Nemo they've been on so much.

For more grown-up entertainment, we're still watching Heroes which, as mentioned before, is a bloody excellent program. I think it started over here last week on one channel or another, but sod that. Granted, we're having to watch it one-per-week now that we've caught up with the States, but still, we can watch the previous episode if need be. If you've not been watching it, you should be.

So, with the last day of the week upon us, and Jaysen due up for school at some point this morning, I think I should see a coffee pot about a wake up cure.

WoW Curiosity

I am, as has been mentioned elsewhere in this blog, a big fat World of Warcraft geek. I play it "a lot" and tend to lose track of time while playing it. I can sit down for a quick run-around at lunchtime, and then realise I have to be getting Jaysen in 15 minutes. Time flies when you're having fun, and all that jazz.

So when our friend Ruth forwarded me an email about WoW, I figured it'd be one of these "Too much Warcraft kills person" or "It's not a Christian game" or something similar. But actually, it was an interesting read, putting the details into "Non-WoW-Speak" for people.

You've probably already heard plenty of scary tales about people obsessed by World of WarCraft (WoW) - from real-life romances consummated by in-game weddings (or vice versa) to people becoming so addicted that they sit hunched over in an Internet café for days at a time before keeling over dead from lack of sleep and food (true - and the player's online friends then held a funeral for her in the game world). So just what is it about WoW that has 8 million people around the world paying £8 a month, every month, to play?

For a start, you have a fair amount of control over the character you play: you can choose between two factions - Alliance ("good", a bit worthy) or Horde ("bad", a bit swarthy), each with different combinations of races - from humans to gnomes and orcs to tauren (minotaur-type things). You must also choose a specific class for your character, including damage-dealing warriors, powerful warlocks and shape-shifting druids. These choices help determine the kind of skills and abilities you can use in game. You're also able to pick your gender, tweak your appearance and choose a name - although this can be tricky, as you'll need to pick one that no-one on your chosen realm has already bagged.

Then there's the addictive nature of levelling up by gaining experience from killing monsters and completing quests. Combat is fairly simplistic at first, involving hitting the numbers on your keyboard according to the attack you want to perform. It won't take you long to rise through the first few levels and as you progress you can learn new skills and abilities which will make you increasingly powerful.

You'll quickly find more quests as you start exploring the world and as you go further afield you'll start to get an idea of just how huge the game world is -- it would take you literally hours to run round the edge of just one of the two main continents. Each area has a unique topography and atmosphere, from lush jungles to icy mountains or volcanic wastelands. At level 40 you can buy an animal mount which lets you run through the game world more than twice as fast. You can also fly between areas you've visited, once you learn the flight path.

Most of the items you collect are from monsters or picked up from quests. You can also create them yourself through skills you learn, which you can then sell to either in-game vendors, direct to other players or through the auction house system. Making (and spending) money in WoW is another hugely addictive part of the game - and in fact there's a lot of money made in the real world through dodgy sales of WoW gold, items and characters. Don't get tempted, though - you'll get banned from playing if you get caught.

As if all that's not enough to keep you hooked, there's player vs. player combat (PvP) - the art of killing the opposing faction's players for honour points, which can be traded for even more shiny new equipment and armour. You can either attack enemy players in the main game world, or enter battlegrounds or arenas for multiplayer PvP action at any time you choose.

Another thing about WoW that makes it so compelling is the need to collaborate. You may get more experience per enemy by completing quests alone, but if you team up with other players you'll burn through the quests much more easily. And instances -- special dungeon areas - can only be beaten in a group, as they're full of higher-level monsters (from which you can reap better rewards). Play nicely and you'll get invited back by the same groups again. You could also join an in-game guild of like-minded players. And who knows, romance may beckon...

Unless you have the new Burning Crusade expansion pack, level 60 is the highest you can get - and it'll probably take you a few months to get to that level. With the expansion though you can rise to 70. Other features include a whole new world to explore (Peter and Katie will be delighted), new races and classes and flying mounts.

For a lot of players, the game starts to come into its own once you hit these higher levels, as you can start doing bigger dungeon raids, with up to 40 people at once fighting bosses for higher rewards, including some seriously impressive armour and weaponry to show off with. You can also spend time building up your reputation with certain groups within the game to get even more exclusive items. Or you could just create a new character in a different race and class, and start all over again...

Overall, what makes WoW so ruddy addictive is that it's much more than the sum of its parts. Take any one aspect of the game and you'd be hard pushed to bother spending more than a few hours with it. But add the levelling and quests, the money and trading, the gear collecting, and the social aspects, plus the glorious touches of humour in the game and you get a completely compelling experience - cue many long nights of ``I'll just level up/finish this quest/stick a few more items on the auction house before I go to bed..."...and before you know it it's 3am. Again.

I hope that enlighten things a little more for those that were clueless! If you're interested, WoW Europe (It's broken into areas, US/Australia, Europe, and Asia) is currently running a free 10-day trial here, while WoW-US is running their free trial here. Obviously I play on WoW Europe, and if you play US then you won't be able to see me there. Also, bear in mind the time difference - if you're in New York @ 7pm trying to play, then it'll be midnight here.

If you DO happen to find yourself in the European Realms, then you can find me on the Horde side of the server "Steamwheel Cartel" as one of four characters: Braytusk (Orc Warlock), Ushka (Troll Priest), Laninia (Undead Mage) or Nathgoren (Blood Elf Paladin).

Thank You

Wow. After a day, I am still getting messages from people around the world, people I don't know, people that have read someones post on a forum elsewhere, that have sent it to their friends and family, and so on.

Yesterday, 0ddness received a lot of visitors. While statcounter tracks them all, I can only see the data for the last 100 to come through, and they were all coming from either "No Referrer" which is someone coming here direct, or for various mail programs online.

It still amazes me the massive number of people that know of us and, more importantly, Bethany, and what she went through. Not to mention how she has actually touched people she has never ever met. Then on top, there are the tributes that others have put on their blogs... Amazing.

So a big thank you to everyone that took the time to think about Bethany. It means so much to us here at 0ddness Central.

All Aboard!

I admit it, I am weak. I am shallow, and I am weak. However, as you regulars are no doubt aware, I am always tinkering around with something on here, messing with templates and formats and everything out there is to mess about with. I plunged into Blogger Beta with open arms, and with my winning personality, charm, and lightning wit (plus the bribery, blackmail and slander) I convinced several others to go Beta.

So Ya me. *cough*

You may notice, however, that I have changed my template. Again. And added a funky sig to each post. Go me. You may also notice, however, that new template is not so beta-ish. But I really liked it. Really really.

So yes, I am a weak fool, not only because a few people have been changing their templates - Alan in Ireland, Terri,(with her new blog "Steel Magnolia"I should add, which is now on my sidebar) and Jo, to name a few - but because I've yet to find the perfect template for me.

You can sue later.

On the other hand, it's not that different - the biggest issue being I can't list my Tags to the side (though I do have a hard-code-hack to do so), and don't get to mess with swanky Layout thingies, just back to hard coding. I'll survive...

Maybe ;)

Two Years Ago Today

Two years ago today, our beautiful Bethy had to leave us. She had been through more than any child anywhere could ever go through, and despite being the strongest, most beautiful little girl I could wish for, it was just too much for her, and she had to go.

Not a day - not One. Single. Day - goes by without me missing her, missing her laugh, her smile, her dancing, and her ability to make everything right with just a hug. She loved every moment of her short life, and I have never known anyone to give their love as freely as Bethany did.

It's currently a little before 6am, and I remember how the entire day played out, from one of our favorite nurses waking us up just before 7.30am, to the bad news, the CAT scan, the waiting, the conversations, the look on the doctors face when he returned, the decision, right up to the end at 12.21pm. I remember it all like it was yesterday.

And as quickly as she made everyone in the world smile, she was gone. She burned so hard and so bright, everyone knows who she was, and her light, her smile, touched the world.

To my beautiful Angel,
I can't believe it's been two years, my little gorgeous. I miss you so much baby. I came in from shopping the other day and expected you to be swinging out on the bannisters with a "DADDY!" and then helping me with the shopping while seeing what I'd bought.

I know where you are now, and I know you are doing what you want, when you want. No medicines, no stopping to catch your breath, nothing you don't want to do. I know you never complained about any of it, but I know you wanted to be fixed. I just wish it hadn't been in the way it turned out.

I will see you again gorgeous, one day. Then you can show me how wonderfully you dance, how bright your smile is, and comfort me when you fall asleep on my lap. But for now, I can't come and play, and you know that. You know I have Jaysen and Tamsyn to look after here, and I need to hold Mummys hand where you can't.

I miss you so much, my beautful little angel. I wish I could hold you, could smell your hair, hear you laugh and just see you dancing around the room, but it'll have to wait for now.

When I close my eyes, I see you baby, shakin' your ass.

Daddy
x

The Sweetest Angel

Music

Evanescence - My Immortal



Robbie Williams - Angels


Groove Armada - I See You Baby (Shakin' That Ass)

My Clock Is Broken

However, I don't me either the tick-tick-ticking kind, nor the red-glow digital kind. I mean the internal, Body Clock kind. I am good with time most of the, erm, time. I can guess the time to within 20 minutes of the actual time. If I need to be up by a certain time, I will wake up 10 minutes before that time.

However, over the last week or so, the early-morning part of it has been on the fritz. Every morning in this time, my eyes have popped open just after 4am, and I am awake. Not just Roll-Over-And-Doze-Back-Off, but awake. I try my hardest to get back to sleep - refluff the pillows, adjust the duvet, push Jo off my side of the bed, move the dogs onto Jo's side of the bed, move Tam onto Jo's side of the bed, but by 4.30am-5.00am, I HAVE to get up.

But I have no idea why this is, and more's the point, it's not affecting me as yet. If I am woken up early, I am tired, crotchety, and grumpy all day and struggle to stay awake, but at the moment I am fine. I've tried early nights and late nights to no avail, I've tried skipping tea and coffee all day, just in case, I've even poodled downstairs, microwaved some milk, and STILL ended up getting up half an hour later, while the rest of the house is snoring. Even the cats don't give me a second look at this time of the day.

Now, I COULD be productive and get lots of housework done during this time, but most of the housework would be noisy. All the will achieve would be waking up everyone else, plus the neighbours, and pissing everyone off. No, usually, I have a shower, check the mail, browse the blog, and even pop onto WoW for a couple of hours - the server is quiet and I can run around with the stupid stuff without getting hassle from one side or another.

I am hoping with Jaysen being back at school from today (next break is Easter) that I will get tired doing the school runs, and resume my normal thing of waking up just before the alarm clock, but for the time being, I get to watch the sunrise. Again.

OK, OK, I'm Here!

If there is one way to get me to post on my blog, it's to pester me. And a few of you have pestered me, so here I be. On the bright side, nothing particaully bad has kept me away, just what I define as "stuff".

First off, the ManFlu/Flu-Monia has been and gone, and while me and Jo are dealing with the tail end of it, we can breathe through noses and roll over in bed without gloop inside shifting around. The kids escaped it too, so it's a win for us.

Next on the menu is the "Dan Nearly Killed Himself" section. As mentioned before I have a citrus allergy, mostly to lemons. I can use bottled lemon juice if it's a low concentration, but otherwise, it's nasty stuff. So last week, we're eating pancakes and I am merrily slapping around the lemon juice when I kept clearing my throat, then cough a bit, then choke, then Jo started running around. My neck and throat ballooned, breathing was a mission, and she had to pour antihistamines down my throat. It took a few minutes, but did the job. Of course, coughing with enough force to hack my lungs up was very painful on my back, and then a migraine kicked in from nowhere.

On the back front (er, huh!) I've had several days of a lot of pain, it's been horrible. I've actually been skipping wearing socks as I just can't get down there. And on the migrane front, I've done my month supply of pills in just over a fortnight. Guess I need to try another sort!

And to add to the "Doom and Gloom" - Jo's monthly visitor has arrived, so I am typing this from my nuclear fallout bunker.

It has, however, been half-term this week, so Jaysen has been off school. Of course, Monday morning, Jo's mum picked him up so he could stay the night there, and he come home Saturday afternoon.

And the best news of all is better explained via a single photo.

Yes, that is Tam, and yes, that is Tam using the toilet. She's pretty much potty trained now, but refuses to use an actual potty. No no, everyone else uses the loo, so she has to use the loo. It's taken us a grand total of... Ten Days. Ten days to potty train an ickle girl that isn't even two yet. Go Tam.

Everything here is pretty much quiet though, and with it being this time of the year, we're tending to ignore most things (such as blogs) while we work on the whole "keeping busy" thing. No doubt I will post on Wednesday, as that is the anniversary of losing Bethy, but the last couple of weeks have been filled with dates that send us back. Not fun.

Lastly - Early Valentines Day worked fine ;) I decided not to celebrate it on the 14th as it's another of THOSE days, so we did it early. Have some pressies dear, yes yes, there you go. Now shush. hehe

Weather - Englands Achilles Heel

If you live in England, you know damn well what I am about to rant about. If you happen to read news from the UK, then you probably know. If you know someone over here that you've already spoken to, then you most certainly know what I am about to rant about...

Welcome to England chaps. It's February. Winter. Cold. Why the buggery does this country go mental over snow, wind, rain, fog, heat and any other kind of weather? Last night, between 4am and 6am, the heavens opened and the country was blanketed in wet snow. Not fluffy, light powder, but wet snow. And the media went mad, the roads and airports went mad, schools went mad - and on and on.

Here in Basildon, we had a grand total of four inches. Maybe five in "drifts". Inches, not feet, not yards, not meters. Roads are closed nationwide, outlets like the BBC and Sky News, plus local and national radio stations are reporting on the "Snow Chaos". Teachers are "unable to get into work" because of the snow, and so school are closed. Except Jaysens hehe. Parents are keeping kids off school because it's "too dangerous to go out", then proceed to wrap up junior and tell him to piss off out and play in the snow while it lasts.

It's not even 1pm and it's already melting. It wasn't even cold out this morning. Yes, the roads were a bit gross, but with people driving like prats, it's no wonder there were accidents left right and center. And when I say "Accidents" I mean cars skidding into each other at low speeds. Sliiiiiide-bump-shit. The airports in southern England were closed this morning and are slowly reopening.

And now! NOW it's melting, the weather reports are for sleet/rain this afternoon, which will all freeze tonight in cold temperatures. Minus three to minus six centigrade, not the minus double figures some countries have. Anyway, the stuff melting tonight will freeze and create ice everywhere tomorrow. Which means more "Winter Chaos" and more schools closed and more kids off home because parents don't want to risk falling over... Parents put their kids in stupid fricking "fashionable" shoes, and wonder why the kids has wet feet after a hundred yards of walking. It's snow - it's frozen water, THAT'S why! Jaysen has - like his father - a pair of clomping stomping boots. Decent grips, waterproof, well made. He loves them. HIS feet aren't wet. Granted, he slips on his shadow, but still, common sense, people!

What is it about England? Honestly, at the risk of sounding like a real old bastard, I remember when I was a kid, we had lots of snow, and we used to trudge to and from school, play out in it at break time, get cold and wet, get a cold, slip and bump out elbows, and people would slog to and from work rain or shine. And yet here we are with a fricking dusting, and it all goes pearshaped. And you can bet it's because of the "ooooh be careful!" Nanny State with people suing everyone else because they fell in the snow. "The council should have gritted the pavements" or "The weather report was inaccurate" or whatever. Junior falls in the playground, it's the schools fault because the kids should be off school. Junior gets a cold - schools fault, heating was too low.

And on and on.

Honestly, I could rant and rave about this for HOURS. What are the British public turning into when four inches of snow stops everything. There were even the classic PANIC BUY BREAD! sorts in the bakers this morning. I'm watching snow melt, and there are people in front of me buying six loaves of bread in case they get snowed in.

Snowed In?! Put your boots on and WALK to the shops fifteen minutes down the road you bloody paranoid idiot.

Come on England, grow a backbone, wrap up warm, drive carefully, and stop wishing Summer were here already. I'm looking at you, gaggle of mothers around the school gate at 8.40am. The very same mothers that were crying about how hot last summer was, and "wouldn't it be nice if we could have some snow".

GAH!

On the bright side, thanks to Bethy for making lots of snow for Tam to play in - she loved it this morning. Miguel, the tiny spanish midget-dog - well, he was not impressed. So Jo, in her wisdom, bought the little man a hoody. A little jacket with sleeves and a hood. Miguel, while looking like a prat, is now happy to go out and use the toilet. Bless. Photo later, unless I die in an Avalanche, freeze to death, or my dog-sled falls into an Arctic precipice.

Flu-Monia, or "Yes, We're Sick"

Yes folks, it finally happened. The dreaded Manflu has ungone a change on a genetic level, and has become the dreaded Flu-Monia. I feel like someone has actually kicked me in every part of the body, that someone has gone my internal thermostat and is cranking it up to "Sweat you fatty!" and dropping it all the way down to "Brass Monkeys!" in quick succession. I am also acting as the human vibrator with shivering and suchlike which is equally fun.

You should consider yourselves lucky you're not getting detailed snot descriptions. Suffice to say, I have a new method to hang wallpaper.

Added to this fun, Jo is also poorly. Lucky for her, the dreaded Manflu and dreaded Flu-Monia does not affect the female of the species. She's not well either, so we're kinda alternating our Meds-That-Do-Nothing-But-You-Buy-Them-Anyway so one of us is slightly better, does something, then collapses, and the other takes over. It seems to work, so yay for the sickies able to form conscious planning.

About an hour ago, I also felt the startings of what I now know to be "officially" a migraine; the sparkling in one eye, the smell-that-isn't-there and the twinges in the side of my nogging. As the pain started to kick in, I popped one of my new pills. So far, I can still feel it building, so I have to wait an hour and take another pill, or go sleep it off. Yuck. I really hope this pill does the trick, as I hate headaches.

So, aside from early early nights, medicine times, and having a complete lack of taste, all is ticking over. And, as I know some of you appreciate it, the weirdos are out in force again, finding 0ddness in whatever fun methods they use...

Ah yes, the surgery defects, the MILF next door, pervs, and blue assed flies. These people make me warm and fuzzy. And now, me and my big green jumper are going to relax.

Two Tags From Minge

Jolly old Minge has posted a couple of items that are worth a chuckle. And despite me saving up my tags for the end of the month, I figured these two are worth doing now :) You are tagged just by reading this! Go on, you know you want to ;)

So, first off we have the Window on your World. Take a picture from your window at what you look out to, and email it to Minge. Where, when etc? Well, I shall quote directly from Minge:

Please take a photograph of whatever you see before you, this Sunday (4th February 2007) at 5pm/17:00 (local time) and email it to me. Feel free to add any information you like, what the picture shows, what you were doing at the time, where you are, whether it's typical or atypical of where you are or what you do at 17:00 on a Sunday afternoon. Anything. It's up to you. One thing: Please put Window On Your World in the subject line. That would be very helpful.

All images will be uploaded on my blog some time next week. Should be exciting!

Of course, it occurs to me that it's too late for poor crazy Australians that might happen to read this, but I am sure said-crazy person can come up with something!

Secondly, we have the "Post your Desktop" jobbie. I occasionally post mine, but to be honest, it's not changed all that much, not to mention my desktop is so darn tidy, it's just a wallpaper - no icons, no taskbar/start button, even my dock is hidden. Yes, I am on a PC, but yes, it looks like a Mac. Once again, quoting Master Minge:

I want to see a picture of your desktop on your blog asap. Fail, my lamb, and I'm coming 'round to your place, bringing the bicycle pump, Crisco and Swarfega.

I don't want to see you out to impress us all, though, by removing your porny icons, replacing them with highbrow stuff. Au naturelle, bitte.

Talk about your desktop if you like, but the image is all that's necessary. All I want to say about my desktop is that it's as disorganised and cluttered as my life. I really need to get a grip.

So, head on over to Minges blog to see HIS desktop, but mine is posted below. And yes, I am a perv ;)

Boring Post With Pee!

So, things are actually pretty quiet here of late, probably more to do with me and Jo both being poorly still, unable to shake this germ. The heating is down, the windows are open a bit, we're eating and drinking properly, but this germ wants to stay firmly rooted within us.

As Jo posted last night, Tam is getting better at figuring out when she needs to go. Usually she gets the feeling, strips off and then refuses to use the potty. Invariably, she will pee somewhere she shouldn't - the floor is the biggest victim, but the sofa has been hit in a friendly fire incident, as has Jo's computer chair which is highly amusing to me. She's hit mine too, but mine is a leather, pee-on-scrub-off deal, while Jo's is a nice absorbent sponge fabric & foam deal. It sucks the piss right up!

So yes, aside from germs and peeing, all has been well and truly dull. Heroes is still a great series and if you've not seen it, watch it, for heavens sake! We watched Constantine again last night. The first time we watched it was A) A crappy pirate copy, and B) The night we came home from hospital, so we didn't enjoy it, couldn't focus on it, and it was a bit too twisty for us shell-shocked sorts. After watching it again last night... Meh... I hear the comics/graphic novels are so much better. I actually managed to watch Finding Nemo for the first time since hospital too. The last time I watched it was the week before we lost Bethy, sitting in ICU of all places, keeping her entertained. I've looked at the box more and more of late thinking - knowing - Tam would enjoy it, and I needed to do it. So I did, and was fine. My mind jumped back a couple of times, but nothing serious.

Jo is a bit happier again now too, after the night of sobbing. I left her in bed till she wanted to get up (Which was designated by her handy dandy Tam-Alarm-Clock-System) and we pottered around tidying up, made something to eat and chilled out, and she's much perkier. Thank goodness.

All in all, everything is OK, aside from this bug!

What The...?

So, last week I was ugh, ewww and snotty. I had the ManFlu, and all was right in the world as it started to vanish. Yesterday afternoon around 5pm, my head felt like it was swelling, my nose started streaming, and my eyes started puffing up. Oh, and the sore throat reappeared.

How the fricking hell did I get it back already?! I feel like complete pants this morning, and added to this, I think I have an earache coming on too - I've never had earache in my life, but this isn't a nice feeling at all. I'm like a walking germ-machine - I spread them and attract them once they've mutated.

Feeling rough meant I had a crappy night last night, which was added to by Jo having a really bad night with her mind firmly rooted in hospital with Bethy, reliving all the nasties. All I could do was hold her while she sobbed and felt useless while laying there half asleep and coughing and spluttering. When I clambered out of bed this morning, she was still awake. Fingers crossed a relaxing weekend will sort us both out.

Oooh My Head

Here's how out of it I've been of late... Bear in mind I usually post when something even as far from interesting as you get happens, I've missed a few key moments of late.

The Weather:
Yes, England had snow, and while the north got a fair few inches, the rest of us got a mere dusting. Once again, in True Brit fashion, the country ground to a halt. Cars abandoned, roads closed, train services and airlines not running... Oh, and all spread across the front pages of everything. It didn't even stay on the ground for more than 36 hours!

The Telly:
Celeb Big Brother and it's racism row. I don't watch it at the best of times, let alone when it's the celeb version. But it's all that the press has been squealing about of late. Bless.

Tamsyn:
Has used the potty. Has also started coming out with occasional words that you can hear mixed in with the babble-blabble.

Me:
Got a call last week from the surgery - seems the optician was worried about my constant headaches and very-regular migraines, and wanted me referred to the Neurological Unit in Hospital. Yikes. Doctor wanted to see me first, see what was what, and I went today...

Lovely woman, filling in for my current doctor who is on suspension for "Out of date practices". Woot. Anyway, I went into great detail about my headaches, how they start, how they go, how they last, what happens, etc etc. Seems I have a extra-high rate of Migraine with Aura, and we're starting on yet another kind of medication that could help, and if not, we try another, then another, and maybe a preventative instead of a curative. All very interesting stuff, and has answered a lot of questions, especially the "Aura" part, which are something else that comes along as sort of a warning sign.

So I can rest easy and not worry about what's happening inside my noggin. Now when I get a Migraine, I have to pop a Sumatriptan tablet, and if it doesn't help, another 2 hours later. If that doesn't help, tough - no more for 24 hours!

Jo had another meeting with her bereavement councillor this morning and I was there with her, sort of out the way while I read the info on my head. Woman is lovely, and after a while, she started chatting to me. I felt like I was intruding, but both Jo and her were happy for me to be there. I spoke about some stuff, and we discussed a few bits and bobs that seem to make sense, but I will leave that to Jo to post about. Needless to say, we spoke about some more hard stuff once again, but I can understand what she was talking about.

And lastly - I've been saving up all the Meme thingies from the last month to hit out in one fel-swoop. While Christine has done one, Cass has been a busy (bored!) little bunny and done a load. So the post after this one is VERY long winded!

And as a side note, has it ever occured to anyone that these Meme things could be used for nefarious deeds, such as burglary or identity theft? If you read enough from one person, you can put together a pretty good picture of hours they keep, where they go and who they are with, personal family information, what you have of value, important dates and anniversaries...

Or is that just my paranoia striking? Give it a thought ;)