I was walking through Brixton today and saw several adverts on the backs of the buses. One for Les Mis, with a very pretty, if slighlty stern looking lead female, one for chicago, which seems to be a musical about lingerie, and one for a shop which was selling, well, lingerie.
Where does the phrase 'looks like the back end of a bus' come from?
Friday, October 28, 2005
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Tory leadership race
At lunch the other day I was struggling for conversation - I can't remember why, the people I was sat with are usually very chatty, but I guess sometimes we all fall down on that front. So I opened my mouth. Then I closed it again. Then I opened it again and said I was about to mention the Conservative leadership race as a conversational opener, but I just stopped myself.
In a year's time, when the next Conservative leadership race happens, perhaps I'll be too far gone....
In a year's time, when the next Conservative leadership race happens, perhaps I'll be too far gone....
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Monday, October 24, 2005
Cheering the hell up
I realise I've been a bit mopey for, well, most of my life when I actually come to think of it. I was going to say something specifically about the last few months - probably best to start small, baby steps and all that. So here are some really cheerful things that happened to me recently:
My assistant kite launcher - a tiny child, just beginning to grasp the concept of sentences, decided he wanted to help me launch the kite. Not sure of what to say, I put him at one end and me at the other. Foolishly, expecting too much, I said 'Ok, on three... One, two, three, go!'. It was later pointed out that that is 'After three' anyway. The small child wouldn't have got it anyway, as he counted with me 'One, two, three, four, FIVE!' and launched on five. The result was a slightly challenging launch angle for Rob, but an entertaining half hour as I tried both to watch the child didn't get hit, and make him feel like he was involved. Eventually I carried him back to his parents, but when I was halfway up the hill it occurred to me I was carrying a small child, and I didn't know exactly who his parents were... It could have looked very bad, but luckily I had guessed right.
Going to America - The sandwiches were my second-favourite bit again, with the cheap clothing coming in a close third. If anyone suggests my favourite bit was actually the cheap petrol prices, both I and Braunwin will probably stop talking to them.
Getting off the ground for the first time with my kite - Not deliberately. The Saturday in the US had some serious wind. It took me by surprise, I must say. I'm not dead though.
Trying a really big kite - See this picture. I was able to fly this thanks to the kindness and advice of its owner, a German lady who I think was called Kat. It's on the shopping list, (or possibly the 5.0, but the 6.3 is very nice...) now all I need is 6 months rent free to clear debts and save up the money.
A work thing - I got within 0.5% in September on the company's sales budget. Sometimes something is only exciting to you though.
Someone else's work thing - Braunwin got her orchestra sub job. She'd probably prefer me to stop posting about her life, but I was delighted. I know I'd mentioned it to a few people too, so I hope they're pleased also.
A washing machine - I hate going to the laundrette's, so I was pretty stoked to see a new washing machine installed in my building. I was at first under the impression that washing was free, and have since discovered it's a pound sterling a wash. But that's still one-sixty cheaper than the laundrette, and it's nearer my flat too!
Enthusiasm for my new hobby - seems to be shared by more than one of my friends. People are buying mountainboards and kites here and there, which is excellent news, as I'm always happier doing something with company, and I think both board and kite are great fun, together and on their own.
If you want to take up power kiting or mountainboarding and you live in the UK, I recommend Kiteworld in Clacton. they seem to be cheaper than everyone else. I can give limited advice on what makes a good kite to start on, but the guys at AirMonkeys know a great deal more than I do.
My assistant kite launcher - a tiny child, just beginning to grasp the concept of sentences, decided he wanted to help me launch the kite. Not sure of what to say, I put him at one end and me at the other. Foolishly, expecting too much, I said 'Ok, on three... One, two, three, go!'. It was later pointed out that that is 'After three' anyway. The small child wouldn't have got it anyway, as he counted with me 'One, two, three, four, FIVE!' and launched on five. The result was a slightly challenging launch angle for Rob, but an entertaining half hour as I tried both to watch the child didn't get hit, and make him feel like he was involved. Eventually I carried him back to his parents, but when I was halfway up the hill it occurred to me I was carrying a small child, and I didn't know exactly who his parents were... It could have looked very bad, but luckily I had guessed right.
Going to America - The sandwiches were my second-favourite bit again, with the cheap clothing coming in a close third. If anyone suggests my favourite bit was actually the cheap petrol prices, both I and Braunwin will probably stop talking to them.
Getting off the ground for the first time with my kite - Not deliberately. The Saturday in the US had some serious wind. It took me by surprise, I must say. I'm not dead though.
Trying a really big kite - See this picture. I was able to fly this thanks to the kindness and advice of its owner, a German lady who I think was called Kat. It's on the shopping list, (or possibly the 5.0, but the 6.3 is very nice...) now all I need is 6 months rent free to clear debts and save up the money.
A work thing - I got within 0.5% in September on the company's sales budget. Sometimes something is only exciting to you though.
Someone else's work thing - Braunwin got her orchestra sub job. She'd probably prefer me to stop posting about her life, but I was delighted. I know I'd mentioned it to a few people too, so I hope they're pleased also.
A washing machine - I hate going to the laundrette's, so I was pretty stoked to see a new washing machine installed in my building. I was at first under the impression that washing was free, and have since discovered it's a pound sterling a wash. But that's still one-sixty cheaper than the laundrette, and it's nearer my flat too!
Enthusiasm for my new hobby - seems to be shared by more than one of my friends. People are buying mountainboards and kites here and there, which is excellent news, as I'm always happier doing something with company, and I think both board and kite are great fun, together and on their own.
If you want to take up power kiting or mountainboarding and you live in the UK, I recommend Kiteworld in Clacton. they seem to be cheaper than everyone else. I can give limited advice on what makes a good kite to start on, but the guys at AirMonkeys know a great deal more than I do.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Bloody airlines, and lovely people
It took me 6 hours more than it hould have to get here. Apparently an airport closed in Mumbai for three hours. Delta Airlines are probably the least helpful company it has been my misfortune to have dealings with. AirFrance are probably nearly as bad. If you're ever taking internal flights from JFK, I cannot recommend jetblue.com highly enough - they're cheap, courteous, flexible, efficient. I arrived at 5.20pm with a ticket for a plane that had taken off at 3.05pm. They put me righ on the next plane, no questions asked, no extra charge. I promise to rant about this further later, but I've got lunch waiting upstairs, and it will get seriously ranty.
Oherwise America remains as warm and friendly a place as I remember. The political climate is one I still find slightly scary, but I'm still delighted at how wonderfully open and welcoming everyone I meet here seems to be - you expect shop assistants to be superficially friendly, but they really seem to mean it. When they say 'have a nice day', you damn well go and have a nice day, like you're told to.
I'm having a nice day.
Oherwise America remains as warm and friendly a place as I remember. The political climate is one I still find slightly scary, but I'm still delighted at how wonderfully open and welcoming everyone I meet here seems to be - you expect shop assistants to be superficially friendly, but they really seem to mean it. When they say 'have a nice day', you damn well go and have a nice day, like you're told to.
I'm having a nice day.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Not surfacing socially until 18th October
Work is very busy, and I'm going on holiday from Friday. I'm going to be working til work is finished, between now and then. and I'll be out of the country for a week after then. There'll be the occasional glib criticism of American society while I'm over there, but until I get back (hopefully with photos and things) the site will look pretty much like this. Why I bother to apologise in advance I don't know, I don't think my readership is rivalling the Sun quite yet. But if you do check this site regularly, firstly, how come you never say hi? And secondly, there'll be nothing new here til 18th October.
Monday, October 03, 2005
My new dogwalking service
Yesterday's trip to Tooting Bec was my most successful attempt at kiteboarding yet, and saw me zigzagging down the field to the point of exhaustion. Aside from finally having the perfect conditions to use my kite and board together, yesterday will stick in my memory for another reason.
I was flying my kite, minding my own business, and catching my breath from the last hour or so, when all of a sudden a small white dog dashed out of nowhere and headed straight for the grass beneath my kite. Considering how small he was, he was moving like lightning - clearly the kite had offended him somehow, and he was going to do everything he could to stop it from ever bothering anyone again. He ran around as the kite swung back and forth in the sky, and jumped occasionally, all the time barking. This was ok, if slightly irritating, so I looked around for the owner. No-one was around. Then the wind dropped.
For the next 10 minutes, I staggered backwards, stopping and edging forward when there was enough wind to allow it, and desperately trying to keep the kite above the ground. The small dog stayed where it was, still barking, still overexcited. Then more dogs came. A young woman was walking about 4 dogs of her own, and they thought the little white dog was on to something. So they all gathered in a little group, chasing the kite back and forth, as my shoulders became more and more sore, and as sweat began to form on my forehead (a surprise, considering how dehydrated I was from the night before).
Eventually, the young woman offered to put the dog on a lead, leaving one of her more obedient dogs off the lead, and she went off to find its owner. I got back to the board and, after a 10 minute rest with the kite on the ground (and not under threat), I got on with boarding. Half an hour later, another, similar dog arrived, also barking. The owner wandered over and said 'It's pretty funny, isn't it?'. It was all I could do not to drop the kite and throttle him. Gritting my teeth, I politely remarked that, yes, it was funny the first time.
Photos of kite and board, (and possibly movies - a first for this site) will be available on the photos page some time today.
I was flying my kite, minding my own business, and catching my breath from the last hour or so, when all of a sudden a small white dog dashed out of nowhere and headed straight for the grass beneath my kite. Considering how small he was, he was moving like lightning - clearly the kite had offended him somehow, and he was going to do everything he could to stop it from ever bothering anyone again. He ran around as the kite swung back and forth in the sky, and jumped occasionally, all the time barking. This was ok, if slightly irritating, so I looked around for the owner. No-one was around. Then the wind dropped.
For the next 10 minutes, I staggered backwards, stopping and edging forward when there was enough wind to allow it, and desperately trying to keep the kite above the ground. The small dog stayed where it was, still barking, still overexcited. Then more dogs came. A young woman was walking about 4 dogs of her own, and they thought the little white dog was on to something. So they all gathered in a little group, chasing the kite back and forth, as my shoulders became more and more sore, and as sweat began to form on my forehead (a surprise, considering how dehydrated I was from the night before).
Eventually, the young woman offered to put the dog on a lead, leaving one of her more obedient dogs off the lead, and she went off to find its owner. I got back to the board and, after a 10 minute rest with the kite on the ground (and not under threat), I got on with boarding. Half an hour later, another, similar dog arrived, also barking. The owner wandered over and said 'It's pretty funny, isn't it?'. It was all I could do not to drop the kite and throttle him. Gritting my teeth, I politely remarked that, yes, it was funny the first time.
Photos of kite and board, (and possibly movies - a first for this site) will be available on the photos page some time today.
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