Monday, March 21, 2005

Anyhoo

Quote of the moment:
I'm down in a well
Now I'm up in a tree
I am the monkey and you can't stop me


New Weebl and Bob: Anyhoo. It's awesome :D

While watching My Parents Are Aliens, I saw an advert for Weebles! Those toys that caused the renaming of the Wobbl and Bob DVD. SHAME ON THEM!

I had a rare messenger conversation with Timmy two night ago. He's currently in Los Angeles, having been to San Fransico to be locked in Alcatraz (sadly not permanently :p). He's now in LA and is going to Fiji tomorrow, then after a week flying to Auckland in New Zealand. Six weeks of travelling New Zealand will be followed by another six weeks in Australia, then (budget permitting) he'll be continuing to south-east Asia! Impressive, but not as impressive as that Timmy got taken to a lap-dancing joint by a couple of guys from his hostel. :D

Last night I got a phonecall from Le Podge at about 2am. It took her about 5 minutes before she realised what the time was... sigh. Having kerfuffled for a fair while Podge decided she needed the loo, so I turned on the tap in the sink in my room and tortured her. Mwahahahaha!

Sunday, March 20, 2005

Return of the Mini-Lexcinator

Quote of the moment:
"Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap." - Some lucky person's performance review, printed in The Mirror. Sounds familiar!

My grandparents, uncle, aunt and newest cousin Lexcie came for tea to celebrate Vicky's birthday. Lexcie is still amazingly cute. She has enormous blue eyes and fine blonde hair, just like her mummy, and if she's on your lap she reaches up in case you have glasses on. If not, she grabs your nose. If you do, she grabs them, pulls them off your nose and then waves them around like a little flag. Because she was hungry by the time I was holding her about 6pm, she tried to eat mine as well!

On Harry's theme of word counts, up to and including my last post I have a total of 59,003 for this blog. 59k/209 posts = 282 words average per post. Reasonably concise, I thought!

I've just made my UCAS choices. Cardiff firm, Bath insurance 'just in case' because my dad was being paranoid.

Saturday, March 19, 2005

Heroes

Quote of the moment:
"Wales 32:20 Ireland" - Wales won the Grand Slam: every one of their Six Nations matches and thus the overall title. Hurrah! Obviously next year I wouldn't be able to get away with this sort of glory seeking because of my uni's location. I would be ceaselessly mocked by the actual Welsh students because England came 4th and they won. Still, it won't happen again for at least 25 years!

Will has instructed me to say something about Owain Glyndwr, last King of Wales, being a dude. I can't actually remember why. Anyway, poor Willy got rejected from Edinburgh. Sympathies duly extended.

I saw Tom Cruise in Tesco. Honest. He had a bit of a rusky accent, but he was the right height and looked bang on apart from being pale. I reckon it's method acting. Obviously in his next film he has to go into a supermarket and find a cloth to wax his car with.

My present for Vicky for her 18th birthday today: a boxed set of Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge on DVD. That notable Baz Luhrmann lover Koel would be proud of me.

Finally: a lesson in what heroism really is, from someone who earns less per year than David Beckham, a supposed hero, does in a day.

Blogging, Year Two

Quote of the moment:
"Operator, get me the number for 911!" - Homer, naturallement.

It's my blog's birthday. So Prill would say, anyway. Yippee. To celebrate (or just possibly as a total coincidence) I have a huge list of stuff written on my arm to blog about. Lucky you!

First, there's been awesome weather for the last couple of days. Score. I was so impressed that I cycled there in just my shirt, without even my lovely woolly hat.

Second, I had to go to the doctor's surgery to get my first Hepatitus B jab, which for some reason I need for summer camp.

Third, I handed in my notice at Tesco. When asked why, I said "Er... my parents are moving soon. Mumble mumble mumble..."

Fourth, the very saucy (boom-boom) Branston Pickle fine-cut pickle jars have "Easily Spread" blazoned across the packaging. I failed to contain a lengthy dirty chuckle.

Fifth, a small boy (age 5, maybe?) decided he wanted to be my assistant while his parents cruised the aisle, so I gave him an opened pack of PG tips boxes to put out. He was so proud of his achievement that he declared "I could work here easily!". Child labour is the way forward.

Sixth, the deputy manager, Emma, (who is incidentally short, blonde, 28-ish, worthy of a Harry FAWWW and keeps mocking me for forgetting my paycheck) reminded me on her way past as I was leading a customer to find the coconut milk(!) that I needed to lug some surplus Coke back into the warehouse. The lady I was helping, presumably some sort of office manager, told me that if she treated her staff like that they'd revolt. I was puzzled, since it was harmless apart from the obvious implied like you forgot your paycheck. The customer walked past me again about 5 minutes later and told me that she'd spoken to Emma and told her she ought to apologise for treating me so disgracefully. I nodded very seriously, took my trolley back out into the warehouse and ROFLED. I then went and stuck my head through the door of Emma's office to apologise in case she was annoyed, and made her snort with laughter in the middle of some management phonecall. Mwahahaha!

Seventh, according to The Times yesterday the US 'ambush' on the car with the Italian hostage was actually triggered by a satellite. The satellite detected this vehicle racing through Baghdad, pinged it and got no response(all coalition vehicles have 'black boxes' which would send back an identifying signal, originally designed to stop attacks by friendly aircraft). The satellite therefore classes the vehicle as suspicious and flags it up to the local US HQ, which directs the nearest patrol to mount a temporary checkpoint to stop and search the vehicle. The vehicle fails to stop for the checkpoint and is fired upon. Personally I think the level of techonology involved is pretty awesome, although not as good as the hyper-responsive combat-capable prosthetic limbs being trialed by US soldiers who have had amputations after injuries in Iraq.

Eighth, in The Mirror today is the story of a man who was acquitted of drunk-driving because doctors testified that he is a full-blown sleep-walker. He did all of the following while asleep after a drunken night out(and taxi home): went outside, got in his car, drove it off, crashed into a lampost, crawled out, walked home, went back to bed. When police traced the car to his address he woke up and answered the door, complete with cuts on his face and bloodstains down his t-shirt. Impressive...

Ninth, it's my sister's 18th birthday today too. Pfft, irrelevent eh?!

Friday, March 18, 2005

One Chance...

Quote of the moment:
"I had an equally weird one where I was part of some gang and got caught up in some shoot-out in downtown Detroit (along with the obligatory metal mash fences and brick buildings with broken windows -- wow, my scenery renderer isn't bad)" - The dream of the Lexcinator.

My parents seem to have decided that they'll keep this house until Sarah has left school. That not only means that I'll be here during Uni holidays, it means that in school term-time my parents won't! For example, between the start of September and me going to Cardiff, it'll only be me and Vicky in the house. Hurrah! (Even more worryingly, it'll only be Vicky if I don't return from the USA before the start of September.) So, a pre-Uni party is due, methinks! :D

I phoned the Medical centre at the Regular Commissions Board today, to check whether being rejected from the Army because of my knee would stop me joining the OTC. The Senior Medical Officer said that in theory, OTC's are part of the Territorial Army, which has the same fitness rules as the regular army. However, he said, because the OTC's cannot be sent to war and are really university societies, people have been let into them despite ACL repairs. This depends on the commander involved, but he seemed to think Cardiff UOTC would be amenable. Hurrah! I thus have a good (not 100%, but over 50%) chance of getting in. Score.

He added that in fact, despite the automatic rejection for ACL repairs, two officer applicants in the last year have successfully appealed against the decision and been admitted to Sandhurst. This involves an individual assessment of the knee, in which overall fitness is not really relevant and the focus is on whether the knee is favoured at all on assault courses or similar activities. He agreed with my suggested plan of reapplying at the end of university, having done as much adventurous training as possible in the OTC to prove myself worthy of the appeal. So, I'm not beaten yet! I have a chance still...


Click this - the background WAV of the Braveheart soundtrack is so budget it's funny
"One chance... just one chance, to say to our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take our FREEDOM!"

Thursday, March 17, 2005

Join The Cult: Admit You Love Me!

Quote of the moment:
When is someone going to invent an emoticon for "I've just realised I'm talking to myself again"? - Me.

Since my cunning plan was hatched, the following people have realised that they love me and they can't deny it:
April
Jimmy
Anna
Emma

Come join my minions! I'm offering the promise of everlasting PIE!

I got a whole load more Visa application stuff in the post today. Apparently I have to download my application form from the American Embassy website. The problem is that:

A) The website is dire, and doesn't give you what you click on the link for.
B) When it eventually directs you to an affiliate page with the forms, you have to pay $19.95 to access their database of downloadable forms. You can then access them whenever and however many you want. NOT HELPFUL. I only want one form, and I probably only want it once! Bah humbug...

[Edit 01:36 - Oh yes, and I went swimming. 28 lentgths in a cracking 35 minutes. Not bad given that it's a 33.3 metre pool.]

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

The Housemaster & The Housemaster's Wife

Quote of the moment:
Lisa Simpson - "Mr Burns, I hardly see the point in destroying our meagre possesions."
Mr Burns - "You're right! Smithers, lets go home and smash something tasteful!"

I got a phonecall this morning about a possible job. Hurrah! I still need to email the agency (Pursuit Recruitment) my CV. D'oh! Anyway, it'd start next Monday, if I get placed.

Some news I forgot to convey: A couple of weeks ago my parents went back to Wellesley House to be interviewed as prospective Housemaster candidates for the junior boys house, Yr5 and Yr6. Since their only rival was a single bloke, they got the job(despite my mum's inability to arrange flowers for the chapel). Unfortunately the house is on the small side, with only 3 bedrooms, but apparently there's a spare dorm on the other side of the wall which is currently used for storage and could be converted in the holidays. We'll probably get a house nearby as well though, having sold this one, partly just to keep the surplus furniture in, since the lower floor at least has to be smart and uncluttered for dinner parties and meeting prospective parents. [Rolls eyes]

Tuesday, March 15, 2005

The MPW Munchkins

Quote of the moment:
Emma - "I've just remembered why I've never never felt compelled to watch it(Little Britain)."
Will - "Yeah, I know."

I missed Mort! I forgot it totally until about midnight, when I found Will T's missed call on my phone. I was supposed to be there tonight to see him in his cameo appearance. D'oh!

In other news: Paddy has finally departed on his tour of the world. Poor 'the world'. The trail of destruction is being documented! I note Prill's rapid reaction speed in changing the link. We are not worthy, webmistress.

Other other news: I spent from about 3pm to 2am 'tidying my room', with only a break for supper. Well, I got delayed because when I cleared my oversized tuckbox of rubbish, I felt like painting the carved in name silver. It was looking dull as just wood showing throught the black paint. This required emptying all the stuff out of one cupboard to find my old Warhammer paints. D'oh! Very good tidying! I then spent ages afterwards trying to clean the brushes, most of which had been put away unwashed about 5 years ago. Oops! My room is now, however, clear and rearranged. Shame I only get three more months in it!

Now, for your viewing pleasure, some more photos. This lot are from results day, when I went up to Cambridge to collect my envelope and re-live the halcyon days of yore.


The Center for Masochistic Personal Whipping:


See!


I joined my posse (the GCSE students who worshipped me as a mysterious deity) for the midday sports session in the Leys sports hall, where we played an appallingly bad game of indoor hockey with a tennis ball, then headed back to the pool table, aka the student sofa.

Andrew and Kenny:
(Cartman and Kenny)


Michael:
(Stan)


Sophie:
(Wendy)


Sophie again, still trying to avoid the camera:


Tom:
(Kyle)


Put little cartoon hats on them and they'd be indistinguishable from the South Park characters. Well, almost. Stan and Wendy (Michael and Sophie) are at the holding hands stage, which is very awwww, but I'm not sure about the size of Kyle(Tom)'s mum:

Monday, March 14, 2005

Smithers! Release The Hounds!

Quote of the moment:
"What about a fat peoples' parade? They could call it Lardy Gras!" - Billy Connolly pondering why more groups don't follow the example set by the gas Mardi Gras parade in Sydney.

Today I managed the incredible feat of finally writing an introductory letter to my Camp Director. I was supposed to do it soon after the information pack arrived - well, that was only 3 weeks ago!

Having reclaimed my laptop again briefly last night I managed to upload some more photos. Following on from the (rather dull) shopping ones, I have some from my photo extravaganza walk:


Still snow on the ground at 11am. How handy!


Zulu wonders if the camera is edible:


How can Dorothy follow the yellow brick road in this weather?


The cowardly lion attacks:


Cry havoc! Let slip the dogs of war!


Zulu strikes a noble pose:


Zulu is following the scent... of Ben's arse:

Sunday, March 13, 2005

Shopping Agency

Quote of the moment:
"A maths A-level! I think you can forgo the basic numeracy test." - It's good for something then!

I went to a recruitment agency open-day this morning. Go me! I haven't got an instant job, but they reckon to get something within the week. Hurrah! Well, hurrah for the money, boo hiss for the having to go to bed before the dawn light. Bum clouds!

On the tests I got 3 mistakes in 5 minutes typing, which isn't that bad, and 27/30 on the computing knowledge one. It was mostly 'what do these initials stand for', easy stuff, but a couple of admin software ones which I was stumped by.

Having left the agency I spotted the SALE sign in ART and went in for a browse. I emerged with a rather fine framed picture of Clint Eastwood in the graveyard in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly for a mere £15:


Damn, it feels good to be a cowboy.

I then went into Argos and bought a new set of weights to add to my set(also for £15), since I've reached the limits of my current weights, split between the main bar and the hand ones, and I can't be arsed to chop and change them every night. Unfortunately they've changed to silver ones now, but pfft, I'm not much of an aestheticist. Besides, maybe gold and silver are a fashionable pairing?!

A small box:

But a heavy one:

The originals:


In other news, Prill has made a huge post out of my witterings. I'm so flattered, sweetie darling!