Wednesday 27 September 2006

Bye bye Kev!

The weekend past was Kev's farewell tour. The dates on this tour were:

Wednesday/Thursday: Peterborough
Friday/Saturday/Sunday: London
Sunday/Monday/Tuesday: Oxford

Supporting Kev on his tour were, Gary and Jodie, Matt and Alison, and myself and Wendy.

Was good to see everyone together, but for me the weekend was somewhat ruined by feeling really ill with a sore throat. I ended up taking Monday off work and still feel a bit rubbish even now. I don't think I've ever taken so many painkillers in one week!

Seemed like loads of pics were taken, but of the ones that Kev put on my computer, none were of the main act himself! Oops. I was going to make some kind of edited movie with the video clips, but they are all in the Apple MOV format so I can't use them! Arse!

Seeing as I can't make a video, I shall post the intro to "The Littlest Hobo":



We took things a bit easy in Oxford. As I was ill I sent Kev out on his own to explore. Was a bit wierd saying bye to him. Everybody else did a proper bye in London - i.e. they actually left.

I did a bye and then went into the next room - because Kev was actually leaving the next morning. Then I came back through because I forgot some stuff.

Then I went to bed and Kev was still in the flat and we had said our goodbyes!

But I would see the Hamill-monster again sooner than I expected.

The next day I get a call when I am at work...

me: "You alright Kev?"
Kev: "Umm, no, someone seems to have locked the door and I am trapped and need to catch the train to the airport."
Me thinks, gosh, who could this someone be? I wonder if Kev could jump from the balcony? "Oh crap, sorry, I'll be there in 15min"

So I jump on the motorbike and rush home to let him in. Poor ickle Kev is standing at the door with his Padington bear suitcase and jar of marmolade ready to leave. I presume he made it but not sure because his mobile is bust. Maybe he is still in Birmingham Airport reading a book?

Soon as I got to work there I got a phone call from Hotpoint who were trying to deliver a fridge to my flat. They were actually outside the door where i had just been 20min ago. They were supposed to phone me before delivering the fridge. I guess they don't expect people with jobs to actually buy stuff. Why do all these stupid delivery firms not leave the 1970s and start delivering when people are actually in? There's not always a 'housewife' at home these days!

Anyway, Kev goes to Chicago next Tuesday. I will miss him when I go back up to Dundee for my visits. I hope I have persuaded him to get a webcam so we can taunt each other and play online games. I also think he has some reading to do which will enhance his time in Chicago.

Bye buddy! The UK won't be the same without you.

Tuesday 19 September 2006

Sunday 17 September 2006

Bare Naked Laddies

Taken from Kev's MySpace profile - Kev, Matt and Gary made this great video to a Barenaked Ladies song. Kev's going to do a post-doc in Chicago soon. Boooo! But now I have someone I can visit in Chicago. Hoorah! Every cloud...

Get this video and more at MySpace.com

Saturday 16 September 2006

Dances with Treadmills

I'm sure most have seen this video by now, but it's so cool I wanted to put it up anyway. The song is pretty decent too...

It's OK Go!

Wednesday 13 September 2006

DVD Month

Due to the current high price of oil, unrest in the Middle East, the strength of the pound vs the dollar and me buying a GPS unit last month, I am currently a bit broke. My economic forecasting skills indicate that by the end of the month I will have even less money than I have now. Helpfully, once my bank account reaches £0.00 (which it will do when I have spent another 2715p), the bank begins to top-up my account with the nice negative money. It's like normal money, but it's negatively charged - like electrons. Like electrons, negative money can give you a shock if you get too many of them at once. They also make you sweat. And annoyed. And boring.

That's why the rest of September is DVD month!

I've taken up the free intro offer with Screenselect.co.uk, whereby you get 6 DVDs for 21 days for FREE. The normal intro offer is 5 DVDs, but if you enter the promotional code freedvds you get 6. Those posters at the urinals in the cinema do educate you...

I've done these free online DVD service intro offers before. I've probably used Screenselect before, but if they want to give me DVDs for free that is fine. There are a few more of these services and they usually give free intro periods. If the price of oil stays high, I might have to 'try out' another service.

Downside is that I feel a bit guilty for (temporarily) abandoning my lovely local indepedent video shop. Least I can do is give them a link: Video and DVD Hire in Oxford.

I may also have some DVD reviews to blog. How riveting. Bring on the electrons.

Monday 11 September 2006

Afro

 

This is why I have to put wax in my hair every morning!

Last night we went to the Doll's House Restaurant in St Andrews for Dad's 60th birthday meal. It was quite a decent meal overall - I had poached salmon with lobster and prawn sauce. Would have been better if the prawns had been cooked through. Some were still cold in the middle.

Got a ride home to Dundee in Uncle Brian's new car - the Jaguar XK. Absolutely stunning car! Posted by Picasa

Sunday 10 September 2006

BROS

 

When will I, will I be famous? Posted by Picasa

Saturday 9 September 2006

Traveling without moving

It's a bit annoying that despite moving north of London (to Oxford), it now takes me longer to travel home to Dundee.

Yesterday I left work at about 3pm and eventually got home at about 10.30pm. At least 7.5h traveling!

Leaving work at 3pm I rode my bike back to the flat, then quickly packed and got a bus into town. I then walked to the train station to catch the 4.30pm train to Birmingham International.

There's something wrong with catching a train that going to eventually terminate in Edinburgh, with the intention of getting off in Birmingham and flying to Edinburgh. It's a pretty rubbish journey that train takes to Edinburgh though - it goes via Glasgow. Looking at the train timetable it would have got me into Edinburgh at 10.30pm - 1.5h after my flight was scheduled to get into Edinburgh. As it was my flight was 30min delayed, but as it was getting off the train and hanging around in Birmingham airport still got me into Edinburgh faster than the train I had got off. It's probably also much cheaper to do it this way as the UK trains are a rip-off.

The problem with flying anywhere in the UK is the trains. You consider you have to me at your flight 1.5-2h before departure to check-in. Of course there is no way you can rely on the trains to get you there on time because they are so reliably unreliable, so you have to add an hour 'just in case' here, and another hour there. Before you you know it you'd be faster cycling home. Even without a saddle.

I suppose I should go plant a tree to make up for the carbon costs of flying to Edinburgh instead of staying on the train. Well the plane would have gone there with or without me so what's the difference?

Actually I was thinking of chopping down a random tree today, but to atone for my flight I will refrain from doing that. Wow - I'm an environmentalist! Seems funny that word has 'mentalist' in it... What sort of mentalist are you? I'm an environmentalist.

Today's plan in Dundee: Walk doggies with family. Later - go binge drinking.

Tomorrow: Recover. Possibly cook eggs benedict for family.

Tuesday 5 September 2006

An upside-down camper van...




...was what I saw on the Peartree round-about on the way home from work today. Looked like some kind of accident involving 2-3 cars, the camper van and a huge lorry. I don't think anyone was hurt.

I did consider stopping and asking if anyone needed a doctor, but the chances of anyone being interested in the genetics of the humble fission yeast at a time like that are fairly slim.

Sunday 3 September 2006

Steve endorses... Rugby Shirts!


I like to link to places and products that I like, particularly if they are personal friends. Today I would like to direct your attention to the Rugby Plus website. They started out with a shop in Dundee and I started work in there pretty soon after it opened while I was a student. With the staff discount I was able to clad myself head to toe in Canterbury rugby gear. They're doing pretty well, with a new store in Stirling and one opening soon (or has just opened) in Aberdeen. I believe they deliver worldwide

I bought my Scotland rugby shirt in there. If they weren't using frames I would link to the actual product. The website is perfectly navigable but I think it could do with a re-vamp...

So "hi" to Dave and Cathy if you ever google the shop and find your way here!

Of course if it's cool phonetic and foreign phrase t-shirts you're looking for then I would remind you of my wee t-shirt site... ;)

Dr. Peter Rost: PARTY INVITATION

Bloggers are apparently invited to Dr Peter Rost's 'blog party'. I'm not exactly sure what it will be or if it will be fun. It's next Sunday at 11am EST which I think is about 4pm GMT. I could be wrong about the time - I usually get conversions wrong so I may be an hour early or late.

Dr. Peter Rost: PARTY INVITATION

Who is Peter Rost? He is a Swedish dude ex-of Pfizer. It's one of the few blogs I regularly read. Finally, seeing as I suggested it: Peter Rost's email...

Friday 1 September 2006

St Miguel!


How I love St Miguel!