Mmmmn sunny

Yesterday was fun. I didn’t expect it to be, but it was.

Wednesday night went through the presentation with Rach, and the first draft was horrendous. Worked with Rach on as second draft, which was less wordy and actually told the interviewers what they wanted to hear (which they spelt out on the invite to interview letter).

So got up played some games and then polished up and printed off handouts.

By 12:30 I was on the train and a quick taxi at the other end I was in the Curry mile, just up the road from the University, where the job was located in a local health centre.

The presentation and interview went well. It helped that I presented a web site that I maintain for the School of Nursing for the Mentors, Nurses who help our students when they are on clinical placement, was similar to what they are looking to do for GP Mentors. One of the interviewers also got the Sex Pistols mentioned in the interview which was a good sign.

Happy that the interview went well and was actually quite fun, I soaked up the gorgeous sunlight and took a long walk back to the train station stopping off for a lovely pint of real ale.

Got home said hi to Rach who was going to her end of course party and settled down to a night of beer and DVDs. Interrupted rudely at about 10 by a rather drunk Rach who rang me up. All I could hear was a background of shrieking drunk women, as the phone was passed round her course mates, all of whom told me that I had to provide Rach with a baby and to start in September so that we could have an easter birth! Made excuses put phone down, continued with bloke time.

Today I’m finally feeling in the Holiday mood and with the weather holding up I’m looking to have a nice relaxed weekend.

Sweaty, thundery, slightly unbalanced

Its been a while since I posted. I’ve taken time off work, but heck have I been busy. Over the last couple of days my mind has revolted and things have slowed down….still lots to do.

Friday- Straight from work to the in-laws in Rochdale. Quick spot of veggie lasaugane (quote Brian the father in Law “I tried some but had to have some of the meat version because it didn’t taste of owt”) and then over to Rach’s Grandmas for Beer and Canasta (a four person card game). Didn’t feel like playing so I scored.

Saturday-Got up at 7:30 and read until Rach rose at 10:30 ish. Then over to Shaw (a townlet within Oldham) to look round houses and check out the main street with Brian while Rach and mum went to local wool shop (yes Rach still has the knitting bug!). Had a pub lunch with Grandma and then came home to cats and doing bugger all.

Sunday- We are know officially a one Computer house hold. I no longer hold court in the attic, and instead the pc is down stairs in the living room. So spent the morning making sure the old computer was set up to run for my Brother George. Then brought down a box of games and bits, a large box of my videos, a printer, and the pc itself out of the attic and loaded up the car to go to Sheffield. Once we got to George’s new abode, which a step up from his last place in a reasonable area (Newhay/Sharrow boarder), he helped me lump all the goodies up to the fourth floor where his new flat is. I refused to do any sorting out/lifting after this. I sat there with Rach having a brew while he set it up. Only popping in to drop stuff off, so after tea was drank it was back to Leeds. Very happy to see George is ok and settling in to his new place.

Monday-Rach was back at work. Unusually for me I did a ton of house work, 3 loads of dish washing, 3 loads of clothes washing and sorted out my Role-playing stuff. I now have 3 stack n stores of RPG books which are going on ebay over the next month or so (seller id newtprime).

Tuesday-Almost the polar opposite. Managed to go get a haircut, do some veg shopping, wander round town for three hours but little else.

Wednesday. On the doing front a mix between Mon/Tues. Got my presentation done. A presentation? Yes I’ve got a job interview tomorrow and I have to do a presentation as part of it. This is the first time I’ve done one and I’m a tad nervous. Ho hum. The job I’m going for is for a Web developer at Manchester University. More money and more what I want to do, but not expecting to get it at this stage of my experience.

Two men walk into a pub….

Yesterday lunch met with keefybabe down the infamous Broadway Hotel (made famous by the Titch and Mouse Mafia slayings of the 1930s). keefybabe so wrapped up in his leather long coat and world of keef tunes he didn’t notice me as I jumped off the bus cheeky smile in hand. Seeing as it was about to rain we quickly dived inside.

Lunch was the order of the day, and I ordered a five bean burrito (which only had 4 beans, the supposed 5th was so closely related to the 3rd it was indistinguishable) and keefybabe had fish and chips (even though I explained carefully that it was against God it not being Friday). keefybabe wanted at first to use his Fish as a boomerang, such was its shape and apparent hardness, until I pointed out that the bar staff no longer put up with this sort of thing after the Australians were in last Tuesday week.

Caught up with the events in each others lives. I explained the hard mathematical equations that are driving me and Rach to move to Oldham soon. keefybabe expressed doubt, fear anger about whether he would ever get confirmation of his job (which he has now so he can find something else to be glum and compose Gothic Operas about). He told me that lindabird is liking the new job, but got into trouble with the instructor by suggesting that certain blocks and kicks could be done in a more modern way. Apparently the Sensi shouted “WE DON’T DO ANY OF THAT BRUCE LEE JEET KUNE DO CRAP HERE AT FUJITSU!”.

Then he accused me of liking the crap pop they were playing on the jukebox, so I switched to Sweeney mode and shouted at the top of my lungs “Shut it SLAG!”. Trembling and fearing a good slapping he then withdrew his slur upon my character and manfully admitted that he is resigned to never hearing the music he likes played in pubs EVER. So touched was I by this sad revelation that I spent the afternoon setting up

Campaign to have music Keef likes played in pubs!

(Please visit the above link, sign the petition and tell your friends.)

Getting geared up for the Bank Holiday week off

I’ve taken advantage of the Bank Holiday to extend it to a week off. I’m not burnt out at work more befuddled with not enough determination to make any coherent sense of it. I’m going to spend today and tomorrow tieing up enough loose ends so when I return I can get my current projects done in the two weeks before I go on holiday to the Peak District with Rach for our wedding anniversary.

Having the week off will let me get my own personal writing projects done, as well as sorting out the attic. I need to clear at least half my stuff. The second computer and a bunch of old pc games and my videos have already found a home with my brother George. I’m also hoping to get some web design and FPS level design done, but this is dependant on how much tiding and writing I get done.

Album of the Week: Corrosion of Conformity In the Arms of God

In the arms of God
1. Stone Breaker
2. Paranoid Opioid
3. Is It That Way
4. Dirty Hands Empty Pockets (Already Gone)
5. Rise River Rise
6. Never Turns to More
7. Infinite War
8. So Much Left Behind
10. World on Fire
11. Crown of Thorns
12. In the Arms of God

This one’s been on the MP3 player for a couple of months now. Its a like a slow burning grass spliff that gradually gets you. Lots of surface impressions on the first couple of listens. Black Sabbath, Southern Rock, some catchy almost Metallica Ride the Lightning/Master of Muppets era rifts, and politically aware lyrics. Lots of separate elements floating in the air. Not bad for a bog standard Sabbath clone, and a nice one to nod off to on the train home. Then suddenly it clicked. All the elements came together and suddenly I have a molten metal classic on my hands. A collection of melodic but heavy as fuck songs which has a hypnotic quality to them. The political side the album suddenly changed from Americans whinging on about loss of their dream, to a full bloodied soundtrack to the apocalypse. Funny how I like my soundtracks to the apocalypse lately. This album after a listen or ten suddenly digged its claws in and refused to let go its that catchy.

Personal faves are the intense Infinite War, which is almost a modern update on Sabbath’s War Pigs, and In the Arms of God, which is an angry and crushing end to the album

Dear Uncle Lemmy

Watched the Channel 4 documentary about Motorhead last night, and I must say what top fun it was. Although the rest of the band, the roadies, the Super fans (who get their own dressing room at gigs!) were featured the camera spent the most time on one of my life’s biggest inspirations- Mr Ian Kiliminster aka Lemmy!

Favourite quotes.

“Buy in bulk that’s what I say” Lemmy brandishing a bottle of Jack Daniels after pouring himself a generous breakfast measure.

“Hello I am Lemmy, welcome to book at bedtime. Except I don’t seem to have brought a book!” Lemmy wearing only a grin and pair of tight black underpants.

“Its good if you can stand to be alone and enjoy it. Too many people have to be surrounded by noise all the time”

“I became a much better person through LSD”

Interviewer “Have you seen a doctor recently?”
Lemmy “A couple of months ago, because you have to go on tour for insurance”
Interviewer “What did he say?”
Lemmy “My livers okay, my lungs okay, my cloastrol’s okay, my hearts ok”
Interview “How do you feel about that?”
Lemmy “Bloody grateful”

Couldn’t care less

…and I don’t mean that in a nasty way.

After the depression of last week the sun really is beginning to shine here in Newtland.

Its the polar opposite of last week.

Must say I’m enjoying it:)

In other news, we are reaching the light at the end of the tunnel on Rach’s Midwifery course. Her last assignment gets handed in tomorrow, and she’s done the lion share of work over the last couple of nights so its only proof reading tonight 🙂 After this its just being bored on her last placement for two weeks.