Monday May 26th. 23:43.

Ever since I did my back  in, way back in March, I've slept in Chloe's room, knowing the bed is higher and has a softer mattress.

Because I'm off work most of this week, I have decided to try and move back into my own bedroom.

I want to move things around in my room, but I'll do that tomorrow. Gone are the days where I get the sudden impulse at half past eleven at night to redesign the layout in my room.

Moving on.

There's two different things that are building to climactic release, in public media. With seductive teasing taking part, there is much speculation going on.

Not making sense ?

Well, okay. The two highly anticipated events that I refer to are, the release of Apple's next generation iPhone (supposedly the iPhone 6) and the arrival of the new season of Dr Who.

Now there's two differing, or perhaps converging timescales in evidence here. The BBC released a teaser for the new season of Dr Who (Season 8) this week, in which they reveal that the series, complete with new Doctor, Peter Capaldi, will return in August.

The trailer is really the height of disappointment I think. It's fifteen seconds long, and a lot of that is the introduction and fade out sequence. There are no words. Just and image of the Doctor standing, silhouetted against and image of the Tardis' control room. To be honest, it's more of a teaser, of a proper teaser we're bound to see later on. It could quite easily have been knocked together from existing footage by a skilled and talented fan.

I can't help feeling that this is just the opening salvo in a campaign  increasingly wetting the appetite. It's only just begun.

Another campaign of appetite wetting, is the recent upsurge in TV advertising for Apple's current generation of iPhone (the 5c or 5s). They normally hit us with loads of advertising about how great their existing products are, encouraging those few people that haven't already, to go out and buy this technological marvel. This marvel that's so good, you just want it, need it. Crave it.

This encouragement, and reminding how amazing the current product is, normally precedes the release of a new product. New shiny amazing, magical technological marvel.

There are all sorts of rumours as to when it will be that Apple make the 'Iphone 6' announcement. It appears from the many websites on the subject, that the big day could be sometime between June 2nd and September.

There are lots of ideas, and even mocked up photos of what differing people THINK this new little wonder will incorporate. As ever, the nerds and the technowhores are getting rather wet over the idea. Me, I'm thinking that if the iPhone 6 comes out, then the iPhone 5s will get cheaper.

Right now, they're all just guessing. Will it have a curved screen ? Will it have a larger screen, or possibly come in two sizes ? Will it wash your dishes, tie your shoelaces and pick a girl or boyfriend for you ?

Here's a selection of some of the mockup pictures that have been uploaded.  The curved screen is an interesting suggestion,  a design style adopted by two other manufacturers of late. Personally I really like the rather retro looking iMac G3 look.

I have tempted by the adverts being shown lately, and have even popped into a Three store to have a try on one.

If I was going to weak enough, I would have to upgrade early. This would cost me £400 to buy out of my contract early. The alternatives to this are that I either buy a second hand phone on ebay, or that I just take out a new contract, and allow my existing one to run out.

My beloved teenage daughter has her fifteenth birthday in a couple of months. Fifteen !!! Eeeeek !! This means that her phone is due to upgrade soon. In fact this is due at the end of this month. She seems to think that I should get her an iPhone.

Yeah, right, like that's going to happen. Bearing in mind what happened to her last phone, as she's currently using my old phone (HTC Wildfire S). This was after I had already repaired the screen on her phone once, she broke it again. Teenagers eh ?

Not so lazy Sunday after all

Sunday April 27th 2014 11:28

Chloe stayed overnight, it's nearly half past eleven and she's still not up. Not that I can criticise that much, I only raised myself from my pit about 10am.

Yesterday, amongst the many things that I did, I finally took 'writer' up on their offer to use their 'pro' version of online writing software. (Writer from big hugelabs )

This means that I can back it up on other cloud devices, and it also means that I can use it where no internet connection is present. This can be handy with my Chromebook when out and about. The internet isn't always present.

Clutter free no nonsense writing. Writer

Trying the Pro version for $5 a month (what's that about £3 ?) with no commitment is an easy way of figuring out if this is something I think is worth it. There's a life time version that costs $119, which will be worth it if I used the added features. It'd take just under two years for that to become cheaper than the monthly version (there's also a yearly subscription). Time will see. I have used the free version considerably. It was my software of choice when doing NaNoWriMo.

I suddenly discovered the other day at work that instead of having just under a week of holiday to use up by the end of May, I have just under three weeks !!!!

Slight panic as I try to find a way to get all that holiday in, before the end of the month, and in a month with two bank holidays in. Oooops.

The other slight panic of the day, was checking my calendar and finding out that I had signed up for a shift in the out of hours call centre for tonight. Again. Ooops.

Nice overtime, but really, after having what feels like a short weekend, interrupted by my teenage daughter, and being considerably shorter than last weekend..... Just makes me a bit grumpy. Not me, being grumpy. That never happens. Well, okay, maybe on occasion.

It seems then that my plans for the weekend of doing absolutely nothing, and then complaining about not doing anything have been disrupted on an epic scale.

Just another manic Monday...

Monday 24th February 2014. 23:14.

Third, or is it forth, week started with the 'new' team. Not so really new anymore I guess.

I am working harder, and up and down a lot more. But I am loving it. Anything is so much easier when the people I help are a lot easier to help. Something about the eagerness, and willingness to learn.

It's just nice knowing that I can really make a difference to their day, just be being there, and by imparting knowledge and showing them how many things ARE possible, when initially they might think they aren't.

I had Chloe to stay overnight at the weekend, and she brought one of her friends, Ella for a sleepover. Having worked till 2pm on Saturday, and them arriving at 5pm, and leaving around the same time Sunday, I didn't really get that much of a weekend. Although I'm trying hard to make that not sound like I'm complaining.

I consider it a nice thing, that Chloe wants to invite friends to stay over here. The mess and chaos however isn't really from Chloe's friends though. It's normally from Chloe. Perhaps her Mother has either stronger levels of tolerance or thinly veiled insanity to be able to cope with that. Being a teenager, I guess it's pretty much Chloe's job to bring chaos, disorder and destruction to wherever she goes. At least I don't really have to deal with the moody sulking stamping of feet and slamming of doors that punctuated my teenage years.

Tomorrow is the last filming day of 'Prime Directive'. I can't quite believe it. Seems to have dragged on for so long, and just well, become part of my life that I think once it's gone I will actually miss it. Just the pain of making sure that I leave work on time in order to get a train home, eat, change, feed the cats, and to catch another train up to Steve's. I find that quite stressful in itself.

The bemoaning whilst it's in progress, and then missing once it's all over is vaguely similar to how it used to feel producing a play.

My friend Kat is leaving the place we both work at. She's got another job somewhere else. This is rather sad, as I don't really want to see her leave, but I do also understand and believe that maybe she will feel better if working in a different place. She'll get a chance to do something different. Not everyone is cut out to do the same thing, or work in the same place. It would be a terribly boring world if that were the case. She's also going on holiday in a couple of weeks time, which means she effectively leaves in two weeks.

In a week's time, I'm having a second go at meeting up with Helen for lunch, and to do some filming with my friends. Hopefully this will go ahead. Bearing in mind that last week's attempt at this failed because Helen ended up needing to stay at home doing some work, and the only people that could turn up were Andy and Paul. We abandoned the filming, and just ordered pizza.

Just for the sake of saying it, I haven't done any writing lately. Too much working, too much gazing at the telly. Words may lead to actions, but they are not actions in themselves.

When is a weekend, not a weekend ?

Monday October 7th 2013. 00:00.

Another weekend where I feel that I haven't achieved as much as I have wanted. I've managed to get a review written for Steve, for Beacon's club magazine. Really actually enjoyed the episodes that I'd needed to watch for it, and was also pleased that Chloe had one again decided to take part in it, although she did this from home.

I had agreed with Chloe for her not to come up this Sunday, because I've been on Standby. I'd swapped the standby weekend with a colleague as they'd wanted this weekend off. As it would happen, I haven't been called out at all. I hate it when that happens. I mean, sure I still get paid for being on standby, but when there's no calls at all I worry that I got the wrong weekend. If I have I'm going to be a bit pissed off that I've turned down going to the pub with Kat and Rob on Friday night, and going to a house party on Saturday night.

I've also had an alcohol free weekend, and not seen Chloe. I figured in the end that it was best for her to decide if she wanted to come up or not. There was a chance that even while she was on her way up here, that I would get called in. Even if she'd gotten here, I'd needed to have made arrangements for her still to have a decent meal, bearing in mind that I couldn't guarantee that I would be around long enough to cook a roast.

Before I left on Friday, Hayley gave me some positive feedback, things that others had said, and that she had observed herself about how I've dealt with this week. It's been another hard week, and it's good to hear these things because, when all's said and done, it's not going to get any easier until about April. Winter is always chaos for us, just dealing with the sheer increase in number of people calling us. It's odd, but it usually feels like winter surprises us every year, that we didn't see it coming. I think those that have been there some time get used to, or more precisely resigned to the fact that business as normal between September and March is a shit storm of a drain in organisational and emotional work loads.

I think this may be why some people seem so subdued at present. There's no light at the end of the tunnel, just some bastard with a torch bringing me more work.

But survive it we will. When we come out the other side, we'll sit and reflect on all the things that we've achieved over that time, and how amazed we are that we have done so much in such times, and how much stronger we are as a result.

Determination, strength through adversity. I do quietly promise to myself each year that this will be the last year that I work through winter in my current role. Of course, nothing ever comes of this self promise. Although I don't want to escape this year. I do feel more confident, able and supported. Although I would like to branch out into other areas, I am not desperate to leave the area of the business I work in.

I've done lots of things lately, and over the year that I think is getting me noticed in the right way, by the right people. I've also been involved in getting things done in areas where some sort of different task is needed. I'm finally getting to problem solve things, and that I like. I like being able to take something that someone else says is a big problem, break it down, and make it work. The thing that's a strength for me in doing that this year versus previous years that I might have attempted such things, is that I've been able to do that and train and lead my team to carry out that work. It's not just a case of me being the only one that knows how it works.

Ooops. Calendar malfunction

Tuesday September 3rd. 22:58

Okay, so I messed that up. I thought it was tonight that the guys from Beacon, including my near estranged friend Helen were coming over. I was wrong. Not for the first time lately, I got the wrong week.

Oh well. Glad that I call Stephen and checked when I got home. The conversation went something like...

Me '.... so Steve, when are you guys thinking of getting here for the filming...'

Steve ' Errr. Next Tuesday. Like I said in my email.'

Me 'Bollox'.

I have not heard anything from my temperamental teenage daughter. Nothing since the outbursts /  chaos of the weekend. At least I know she is alive and well. Well enough to be posting things of facebook at any rate.

Having suddenly found my evening a lot more empty than I had expected, I finally pried my sorry ass off the sofa around 21:34 to have a crack at the editing I have promised to do for Steve. I was just getting into my stride, trying to find all the files concerned, chose between doing the edit (or at least initially) in iMovie or in Final Cut Express, when the batteries in my 'magic mouse' announced that they were about to die.

Not that fucking magical of them then.

I took this as a foretelling that it was time to give up, pack up, and go to bed. By go to bed, I mean get into bed, and write a blog entry (this one) on my Chromebook.

The shenanigans with meetings and stuff at work meant I could not keep to my normal routine of going to lunch at 1pm. This meant that I didn't get to share it with my friend, which I find sad, as it certainly gives the day a nice break and she provides a nice distraction.

Alarming Teenage moment

Sunday September 1st. 2013. 23:07

There was a plan this weekend for me to have Chloe to stay overnight an extra weekend. This was so that her Mother could go out for the evening. Always keen to spend more time with her, I agreed to cancel my plans for the evening and have her to stay. It's hardly a chore, and Chloe's mum deserves a night out.

The other week Chloe'd also mentioned that she'd like to have some curry, my Mum and Dad had suggested that we order some take-away and let Chloe try different types of curry. Chloe seemed really up for this.

I left work on Saturday, did some shopping. Aware that Chloe had already had a disagreement with her Mum because she had wanted to cycle all the way up to mine on her own. We'd reasoned that this wasn't particularly a good idea. She's never cycled that far on her own, and actually hasn't cycled from home to my flat at any point. It's also been a couple of years since the last time she cycled the route to my old flat (which is just down the road) - and we did that together.

After finishing work, I'd considered that one option was for her to take the bike to the train station, and meet up with me as normal. This seemed to get lost as a viable option. I'd also gone to Halfords and had a look at bikes. I've really missed having a bike this year, and although I don't need to cycle to work any more, I would really like to have one to make getting about easier, and just for the joy of it. I went into Halfords, having a look at what bikes they had. I thought that perhaps I could kill two birds with one stone. A solution being that I bought a bike, and met Chloe at some point and we cycled together back to my flat.

All of this consideration, and arrangement, the pleasant prospect of a nice family curry went for nought when I received a rather terse and dismissive text from her saying that she wasn't coming to mine and that she was staying at home. She'd decided that with it being the last weekend of the summer holidays she wanted to spend Saturday evening at home. Personally I think it had more to do with her being pissed that her Mother and I had organised between ourselves for her to stay over an extra night at mine, and that she couldn't come here in the method that she wanted to. The other possibility being that she wanted to 'punish' her mother some how for wanting to go out and have a nice evening out for a change.

As I'd gone shopping after work, I had caught a train straight from Havant, near where I work to Fratton, instead of coming home I'd gone straight into town to meet Chloe for the journey back to mine. Hanging around the train station in the last of the glorious summer sun, reading a book whilst the drama and tantrum played itself out.

Having been stood up by my daughter, I came back home, and went round my Mum and Dad's as arranged. When they didn't answer their front door bell, I assumed that they were perhaps in the garden or something. Having a key I decided to let myself in. This of course meant that I rapidly discovered they had gone out, actually to walk to the train station to meet up with me, and by entering the house had set off their burglar alarm. I was able to call them amongst the screeching of their alarm and find out what I needed to do to shut the bloody thing off.

We decided the abandon the curry idea until another time.

I decided not to heed my own advise to Chloe's mum, which was to not let Chloe's tantrum or 'teenage moment' prevent her from going out. I kept my evening free, in case she changed her mind.

She did not.

In the morning, having been burned by the unnecessary purchase of train tickets for both her and myself, I texted her to make sure which train she was getting. I got no response initially. Eventually I was informed that she would not be coming up to mine today either.

Chloe's fourteen, and old enough to decide if she does or does not want to come and see me. I was however a bit annoyed, to say the least for being mucked around in this way, and being dismissed so rudely.

Not a situation I am going to be able to convey to her by text or telephone. It would just provoke another argument, this time with me. I sent her a message saying I was here if she needed to speak to me. It's not what part of me wanted to say, but I managed to get my head to be the bit of me in charge of the typing.

This left me with a Sunday free. Which I then spent sitting around watching television, going on the internet, doing two lots of washing, watching the Stephen Brown videos we were meant to review and vacuuming the flat. I had food that I'd purchased to make roast dinner for Chloe and I, which otherwise was going to go to waste, so I cooked it anyway, and saved the rest for tomorrow.

Rock and roll eh ?

Little more suck please

Tuesday August 27th. 01:14. 

I should be asleep. I am not.

This is because, despite me trying to lull my brain into a lower level of activity with a nice warm bath, and some therapeutic shaving - it had decided that I am wide awake and alert at this time of the morning.

The good thing, I guess is that I have chosen to use this time instead to blog away. Having not blogged for a couple of days you must all be wondering what's happening in the exciting life of me.

For the irony impaired, please get someone else to explain to you the meaning of the previous paragraph.

The excitement this weekend ? Well, being a bank holiday weekend, and it being of reasonable weather, and there being a music festival in Portsmouth - the 'Victorious Festival' no less. I was considering taking up my work friend's suggestion and going.

Now, I have to admit, normally the idea of camping in a field, where the mud is actually made of everyone's urine is not really my idea of fun. I like music, just not enough to want to stand, eat, or sleep in such conditions. I'd not be able to pack sufficient supplies of antibacterial wipes.

None-the-less. I digress. I'd thought about going along to said local festival, which wasn't in a field, and was instead in the historic dockyard. Even talked myself into how much fun it would be. (I normally hate anything that involves lots of other people, and certainly lots of other people having fun - I'm going to return to this statement later).

I of course put the idea to Chloe, my not quite resident teenager. She declared that she wouldn't mind the idea of going to a festival, but not with me. She would want to camp out, and dance with her friends. I said that I could dance, to which she stated that I could not, and should not anywhere near her. Ever.

The thing about camping though surprised me. Having turned down repeatedly the idea that we go camping. Again she explained the difference between her camping with her friends, and camping with her (already camp) father.

Scrub that one then.

Why do I not like going places that there are lots of other people ? Well, maybe it centres on two things. In my life, usually when lots of other people have been enjoying themselves, it's at my expense. Other times, I am just sat in the corner, 'not getting it'.

I just really don't feel comfortable with large crowds of people. There's some innate fear I think that at any moment they will turn into a baying mob, complete with pitchforks and chase me.

Anyway. After much deliberation I spent two hundred and sixty pounds on a new vacuum cleaner. The Dyson DC50 Animal, for those of you that want to be specific. (Question to self, why am I suddenly taken to writing as if there's actually anyone reading this ? - idiot). I was worried that I should get something with more guts, (mistyped that nearly to say 'more guys' - that's an entirely different blog entry), but the models concerned seemed much older and, frankly looked ugly.

The DC50 looks nice, packs a punch, is cute. AND the guy selling it to me complimented me on my Star wars / Banksie bag. I can't believe how much it's taken up from the carpets in the flat. Even what it got out of my mattress was embarrassing. I have to say, it's a real pleasure to use. I actually wanted to find more places to vacuum so that I could use it more. 

So cute !!!

Why a picture of a bunny ? I'll explain later

Monday August 19th. 01:10.

So rather than enjoy, or dwell in the last evening of 'freedom' before I return from holiday tomorrow, I went and did six hours of overtime.

What the hell is wrong with you ? - I imagine you saying. Well, screaming actually.

Hold the fuck on. There's logic to my zany ways.

By sacrificing six hours of my last evening of freedom, (which lets face it, I was going to waste on Second Life or watching some shite on the telly) I get to achieve three very important things.

1) I get a attack the email mountain. When I opened my work email, I had 156 emails awaiting my attention. I now only have 24 - and those are the ones that I actually need to keep.

2) I get paid overtime. Money.

3) I get paid overtime.

4) Did I mention the money ?

Look, the company are happy, the callers are happy - well mostly, I'm happy, hell even the inland revenue are happy.

See. Everyone's a winner.

You might go so far as to say that Chloe and ebay are happy. Because somewhere along the line they figure into the 'dispersal' of the said earned overtime.

Seriously. I am now on a 'not' spending spree. Attack the credit hill. It's not large enough to be considered a mountain, and it's too big to realistically be defined as a 'mound'. Something about that word, I don't like it. Take it away.

MY boss must have known that I was reading her emails, because she sent me a text saying she wanted to catch up with me when she comes into the office Monday.

Oh shit. I thought. (although I did moderate my response when answering her). I've gotten so used to returning from holidays to find chaos or trouble or beatings lining up for me, that I still do expect them.

She literally told me not to be silly, and went on to be complimentary about my 'can do' attitude.

It's not always been that way, and it's good to see the difference. I'm getting used to it, but it is taking time for attitude, aptitude and experience to align.

Marvellous, windy, wet, return.

Saturday August 18th. 23:47

In my own bed. Again.

Back home. The weather in Portsmouth has greeted our return with a wet and windy rather than warm welcome.

Chloe's choice

My Mum and Dad have done lots of things around the flat for me whilst I've been away, as well as looking after Midnight and Twilight. Glad that I bothered to buy them some holiday presents.

Mum's choice

Mine..

The plus side of getting home, was that the bags that I'd brought off Groupon before going had arrived. Chloe instantly claimed the one that she had her eyes on, and my Mum ended up claiming the pink one. It was a lovely pink though, but I think it may have been a step to far, even for me.

I am happy with the one I've been left with though. It's funky.

Just one of the things that I discovered over the week, which didn't make any sense whatsoever was that Chloe kept reacting most unfavourably the me using the word 'Marvellous'. I have not so far gotten to the bottom of why this word is worthy of such a reaction. But there we have it. Perhaps this will stay.. a marvellous mystery ?

Outside the wind continues to blow, the rain continues to fall. I have to say, I've missed wind and rain. I do like them. I guess it's easier to like them when you're not out in them, but hey ! Paint me burgundy, poke me with a Tiger and call me a hypocrite.

Savour the flavour

Friday 16th August 2013. 18:06

Another late-ish start to our last day, partly because it decided to rain mid-morning, partly because Chloe didn't surface from her pit until 10am.

Eventually, we left the caravan, to take our last trip on the bikes. Cycling into Rye to have a look around, and to return the bikes.

I had hoped to go see Rye castle, but we got hopelessly lost in the lanes and streets of Rye. Chloe attempted to direct me after checking her phone for directions, but I was confident that I knew which way it was.

I was wrong.

In the end, having gone round the town twice we gave up. I wasn't that fussed in the first place.

We found some gifts for people,  (to compliment the postcards that we bought yesterday - that will probably arrive next week some time) and then walked the 2 miles back to the caravan.

Nearly got tearful this morning, thinking about how this was our last day, and that pretty soon Saturday would flash past in a blur of train journeys. We've really had a great time this week, and it will be hard not just going back to work next week, but also not being with Chloe. It's that bitter-sweet moment that I face every year. Such is life I guess, but it doesn't get any easier.

Enjoy it while it lasts. Savour every day, because they do not come again.

We've got a ticket to Rye....

Saturday. August 10th. 23:30.

I write this from the bedroom of our caravan in Rye.

Our trip here was a lot shorter in time, and a lot cheaper in money than our previous trips to Paignton, in Devon. Not sure how they compare in sure distance. (Guess that'll be something else I google in a second).

I appear to have brought with me enough technology to open a small branch of Currys. Before booking, there's three things that I checked upon. Proximity to a train station (as I don't drive, it's the only viable method of transport open to us), Swimming pool. (if there isn't at least an outdoor swimming pool, then it's a no go. Although last year we only used the pool once). Is there 3g signal.

All those things checked out.... and here we are. I have to say it's probably the smartest and newest caravan we've ever stayed in. It even has a pitched roof. (like that's so 21st Century).

The struggles with transport though were due to our journey coinciding with that of lots of Brighton and Hove football fans. Our one change was at Brighton, and our train into Brighton was delayed by the many football fans not understanding that if they moved down the train, there would be room for them all to fit, or just generally trying to get in train doors where there was a mass of crowd-sheep.

exploring starts here

I may not have mentioned before, but I don't really like football. It's not just football to be fair, it's actually all sports. I haven't got one ounce of interest. I have occasionally gotten bothered about international matches, or finals of Wimbledon (that's Tennis). Really my objection isn't the sport itself. To me it's like religion, I don't care about it, I don't believe in it, it's not my thing, but I know it goes on, and it means a lot to some other people.

there be wind power in them there fields 

I guess the similarity continues onto what is my main gripe with both, in that the fans (or followers) seem to be completely blind to the concept that there are other people on the planet that don't share their passion, fascination or care for their love.

I don't mind either, really I don't, as long as no one is going about saying I MUST love or follow something.

Anyway, was quite a squeeze. Our first train, was meant to get us to Brighton with about 14 minutes to spare before our next train left to take us to Rye. Because of all the delays with hordes of Brighton Fans pushing to get onto the train at each of the last eight or nine stops before Brighton, we only just made it in time.

Once we were finally in Rye, it became a case of figuring out if getting a Bus to the caravan park was viable, or even possible, or if we should bite the bullet and get a taxi.

£7 later, we were in our caravan. The one thing that is an adjustment is that there's no shop on site to speak of, and nothing anywhere nearby, as far as we can make out. (we've looked on google maps - god forbid we actually ask someone).

Tomorrow we plan to walk back into town, and hire some bicycles for the week. This will give us some independence and mean we can really explore the place.

It's a lovely area, from just what we've seen so far. Miles of walks. We're right next to a nature reserve. We went for a bit of a walk along part of it this evening. I practically had to force Chloe to get back off her arse and leave the caravan, but having realised the shopping choices were so limited, we needed to get to the site office (where they have a very limited selection of bare essentials - we're talking loo roll, milk, bread, tins of baked beans) before that shut.

Of course the other alternative, which we may take advantage of tomorrow, is to order some food online and have it delivered to the caravan.

I'm really looking forward to getting out and about and doing some exploring, either on foot or on wheels.

Saturday. Oh, how I love you Saturday

This weekend's a bit out of the ordinary, because I'm not seeing my daughter. She's gone away for the weekend with her mother.

Nice for them to get away, and in a funny way, it also sets things up nicer for her to go away with me for the week. Making that just a little bit more special.

I have to be honest, I've been fighting the 'holiday mode' since booking the holiday last weekend. I have to keep reminding myself that I do need to get up at 7am and go to work each morning.

Got out of work late. Had to take a call from an unhappy customer. The day had been really quiet, and rather pleasurable in fact, just that as normal, as the shift ended, everyone else seems to be too busy to be able to deal with this.

In between making sure I don't enter holiday mode too early, I need to continue with the editing of the NaNoWriMo story, get some cleaning done, make a start on the editing of the episode of Stephen Brown and write a review.

Not a lot going on then. Easy enough to balance out really.

Tomorrow evening the BBC are showing a live TV show at 7pm, in which they announce who the new Doctor Who is. One set of waiting will be over, and then another starts, as the Whovians count down to November 23rd, when the 50th Anniversary episode is aired. The regeneration to the new as yet un-named Doctor won't occur until the Christmas special.

There's plenty of speculation online about who the 12th Doctor will be. Will it be someone Ginger ? Will they be black, will they be female or male ? I'm not about to launch into some detailed analysis of who the next person to fly the Tardis will be. I have no idea. I have no preference.

In Moffat we trust.

Photo by ADRIAN ROGERS – © BBC.  
"I guess we just have to watch the box and find out."

Day Off

No lazing in the sunshine for me. No sleeping in.

Not even considering that I'd been up till about 3am, reading. I did however get to lay in until about 9am. Although I had left my normal alarms in place (for 6:30am). This frustrated the cats a bit, as they were, no doubt hoping that I would get up at the normal time to feed them. 

They were mistaken, hungry and disappointed.

I did, however, get up at 9am and got myself ready for the day. I had previously arranged with Steve Launay to come down so that he could bring the files of footage and sound, that hopefully I am going to be able to edit into an episode of The Adventures Of Stephen Brown. 

Because I knew he was coming down around 10:30, I got my 'wiggle' on and got up, got washed and dressed, and went into Cosham. (funnily enough they don't react too well if I go the shops naked -No. I haven't tried it, but I'm pretty certain it wouldn't go well). 

I popped into the bank, to cash a cheque from my parents (toward Chloe's birthday present), brought a fleece, and then went and sat in Costa Coffee, writing - or more precisely editing my NaNoWriMo novel. Lately I have been moved by the content of some of the books I've read on my kindle, and the realisation that the only thing holding me back from self publishing on Kindle (as it's free) is myself, and the fact that I haven't finished editing the damn thing. 

Just pecking away at it, bit by bit each day means that I make sure and steady progress. Some days quite a lot, some not very much, but still a great deal more progress than I would have been making otherwise. 

The Chromebook comes into its own here. Enabling me to continue this editing process pretty much anywhere and to update the file on the 'cloud' which means I only have one version knocking about, and I can access that on my iMac, my ipad and of course the Chromebook. 

There's something more serious and focused about writing or editing on the Chromebook. I do still find myself trying to touch the screen in order to navigate on websites or the select a word or phrase. I still feel that for the £120 I spent buying it off Ebay, I got a really useful tool that's easy to use and super efficient. 

I have now found that I am leaving the ipad at home, and making sure that I always take the Chromebook. If it weren't for the contract that I have for the iPad, I would be thinking about getting rid of it, and considering a 7inch tablet (what you mean like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 that I donated to my Mum and Dad ?) for those moments when a tablet's portability and interface comes into its own. This does not need to be a £400 plus device. 

Helpful Youtube Video

Anyway, the workers in Costa, filtered the coffee, I filtered the noise, and there was a lot of it, in order to write / edit. I still got a fair bit of work done, and was interrupted, not by the rowdy people around me, but by Steve arriving. 

After downing my second unnecessarily huge coffee, we set off for mine, to complete the file transfer.

I also treated Steve to some lunch. 

The power units that enable me to use the power sockets to connect the iMac to the router, without resorting to wifi (because it's slower). These had ceased to work. So important is it to me that I have a hard wired internet connection for the iMac, that I'd stated to think about how I could reorganise the room, rearrange things in order to preserve that connection.

After struggling to get them to work, and being initially really angry that they had failed I turned, of course to the internet. 

On youtube I found a very useful video that showed me how to reconfigure them to work correctly. 

Just another manic Monday

Hang on, haven't I used that title before ? Maybe. Maybe not. Don't care. It was Monday, and it was manic.

The weekend was very, very nice, despite being rather tired, I got to spend extra time with my daughter. Always a good thing.

Trying to sort out the bike that she wants for her birthday. She's found one that she really likes at shop near her. It's not a chain shop, but rather an independent that refurbishes and brings to life old bikes. Chloe's friend has one already and really loves it.

I still can't process the concept that my daughter will be 14. In a couple of years she'll be leaving school.

Finally finished the playing around with the Doorstops script that Steve needed. I wrote the thing about a year ago now, and he'd needed me to rework it a little. Wasn't happy with the terribly trifling little detail that it didn't contain a few things that were in the synopsis he'd written for the episode. Ooops. Still, it's a much better script now than it was.

Still no progress with rewriting / editing the NaNoWriMo novel, but I guess that's because I've been working so much last week that I've barely been home. Talking of which. Idiot ! I'd forgotten to submit my overtime form.

Off to visit the acclaimed bike shop tomorrow after work, and then off out with the guys from work to the pictures on Wednesday. Round Col(v)in and Derrek's Thursday... Friday ? Well, on Friday Steve's coming round with his hard drive so I can copy the files that I need in order to be able to edit the Stephen Brown story that I've volunteered to edit. Eeek. Why did I do that ?

Hot Hot Hot

It's been super hot lately, and this has coincided with the week that I am on standby for the emergency call centre. I have been in rather a lot, and tonight (Thursday night) is the last night of my stint, but also the only day so far this week that I haven't been called in.

I had thought, or hoped that it not being the middle of winter that I wouldn't see much 'action'. I couldn't have been more wrong. I don't know how the guys out in the field were keeping up with all the problems that were going on. Trees causing problems, fires, lines coming down, over zealous gardeners digging through cables. All sorts of things. You could tell how tough it was getting in the delays that were creeping in for first response to faults - because the engineers were already out on another job.

The most stupid thing has to be someone deciding to prove that the power's out by using a ladder to climb up the power pole and test the supply themselves. Lucky the supply was dead, because otherwise they would have been. Important bit of advice people, don't climb up power supply poles, don't go near the cables if they happen to come down. Don't touch them. They have a really bad habit of killing people.

Having not spoken too much to my daughter this week, I text her tonight for a cursory chat about things. I couldn't call her from my mobile because I have to leave the line open in case I'm called in. The chat moved from sms texting to facebook chat, where I then sent her a picture of my new Chromebook. She then proceeded to lecture me about how I didn't need another device and that I 'just keep buying things'.

The problem is, she may be right. Okay, I have brought another device. But I did buy it ridiculously cheaply, and can always sell it on if I don't want it any more. Having identified a need, that I thought could be filled with my iPad and a portable keyboard, I went for the absolutely cheapest way of filling that need. Not the most complicated or expensive. But she is right, that I have an iPad, and iMac, why, oh why, oh why do I need a laptop. Well I do. I need to be able to type easily. On Wednesday, when I sat in the 'garden' working on a 'Doorstops' script for Beacon, it was on the Chromebook that I did it. I couldn't have really managed to sit out there on my camping chair with my iPad and a bluetooth keyboard. I have done in the past, and it's a thing of managing to balance everything right, setting them at the right angle on my lap so that I've got room to move or sit comfortably and type. Also the heat doesn't really do nice things to my iPad. Last time it actually shut itself down and refused to work until it had cooled down somewhat. The device itself, being made of metal was white hot. Picking it up in my hand, I was genuinely concerned I was going to get branded by the Apple Logo, burning into my palm.

I know that I can come up with loads of different reasons to justify my expenditure. To justify it to myself maybe.

It is finally dawning on me that our holiday is not too far away, and I should really get my arse moving and actually book one. There are emails I get frequently from some of the holiday places, offering me short notice deals, but those are still too close - and not yet for the week that we want.

I am confident that we will be able to get something. Part of me would like to have been able to go to Jersey, but it turned out to be so fucking expensive that I would have nearly had to sell the flat in order for us to go.
I may have just exaggerated slightly. Slightly. There's something special about Devon. Heading westwards has a spiritual draw to it. Heading Eastwards, like we did a few years ago when we went to Hastings doesn't have the same charm. I don't know how to put that into words, or explain it, but that's how I feel.

I would also like to go to Scotland, or Ireland, but there's also the part of me that thinks we should not be heading further North. Further South = warmer. Further North = colder, in my mind. Would I feel cheated spending my summer holiday deliberately going somewhere colder ? So that when I come home, it's warmer ? Now that doesn't make sense.

If it was somewhere more special, maybe Iceland, or Canada, or cruise up the Norwegian fjords, then maybe, just maybe. But to damp Edinburgh ? Nah. Does not compute.

I'm probably talking a load of shite and am about to get lots of comments from very angry people in the Scottish Tourist Board.

July ? Already ? You have to be having a fucking laugh !

All fucking ready ?  You must be bloody joking ! How the hell has half the year passed without so much as a blink. It's ridiculous. I want a refund. I want to speak to a manager. 

Monday July 1st. Not really a bad day. It was very warm last night, and it's only moderately cooler tonight. I couldn't get that much sleep last night. As it was I decided to make things easy for myself, and allow for a lie in, but having a bath Sunday night. 

The bath, I'm not going to lie was absolutely lovely. It's been quite a while since I pampered myself with a nice soak. Anyway. To bed I went. Fresh and clean. Ready to slumber I may have been, but my body and mind we not really on the same page as it were. I was just wide awake. So there I lay, trying to get to sleep. Feeling hot, with windows open as much as I dare, worrying slightly that the cats might try and get out the windows overnight. 

None the less, I've had a really good day today at work. I'd rather have gotten more creative stuff done, but I foolishly turned on that machine which sucks away my evenings. It is only now, as I type that I realise one of the reasons I had not gone to bed sooner was so that I could stay up and watch the first episode of the last series of Skins - the exceedingly well written, casted, directed and acted youth drama that's been running for about the last five years. Every couple of years they change out the characters, and present a different set of backgrounds and problems. 

I had made myself stay up in order to watch that. But have forgotten when it got to Ten O'Clock and started watching some other stuff (Have I Got News for You) on Dave. I've probably seen the episode fourteen times already. 

Dammit. I will just have to check up on the catchup application tomorrow. I am not now going to watch it tonight. 

Okay. July 1st. I actually did some work editing my NaNoWriMo over the weekend. I didn't make a huge amount of progress, but still, I was satisfied that I actually started looking at the damn thing again. 

I have brought a pair of flip-flops. 

Every self defacing middle aged man should buy himself a pair of flip-flops. Just so everyone else can laugh at him when he trips over and stubs his toe. 

Seriously, it was bloody boiling over the weekend, and having gotten on a train to go pick up my daughter, only to have her call me to tell me she was getting a light to mine, I suddenly found myself with the opportunity to get off the train at Hilsea, walk back towards the flat - going past Lidl. I don't normally get to go in there, so had a peak, and ended up buying a couple of things for Chloe's birthday. 

I also brought the flip-flops. To be honest, at one pound forty-nine I couldn't give a shit if they fall apart next week. (Remember this, because if they do, I will be moaning like hell. What a waste of money, I'll say). 

Anyway, with only weeks to go, Chloe has finally acted upon my request to provide me with that which is most arduous and difficult. The challenge to end all others. The list to separate the idiots from the stupid. I speak of course, of the birthday list. That sacred thing which the parent of any Teenager knows they dare not purchase gifts without consulting THE LIST. 

 

Bird catching

Out of the depths of despair...

.... you come across some successes, and grab them, as seldom as they may be, with both hands and hang on like hell for dear life.

It's been another tough week, in so many ways. Within an hour of my shift finishing today, I felt pretty much invincible. Not only had I managed to resolve two particularly tricky customer complaints, but I also manage to 'negotiate' the tricky situation that had been brewing all week with Chloe wanting to spend some more money on yet another gadget from ebay.

12 year old ebay addict ? Maybe.

Taking those in reverse order, I'd spoke to Chloe's mother in the week about how we were both worried that she'd yet again wanted to buy something new (a radio controlled hover car). Having sold her old netbook a couple of weeks ago, the proceeds are burning a hole in her pocket. Not unexpectedly, her Mum is urging caution, and saying that she can't spend that money, and needs to set it aside. Chloe, reacting like an apprentice teenager saying that it was 'unfair' and that her mum was being 'out of order' not letting her spend her own money.

Apparently she'd even said that she thought that if she took her mum to court she would win, as it was her own money. Bless her, she is her Father's daughter. Her poor Mother.

In the end, a deflected suggestion that I go halves with her, and let her have the damn thing as an early Christmas present, we eventually stood our ground and agreed that if she really wanted it, should could have it for Christmas, but would not have it early. More decries of 'unfair' and 'out of order' followed, but eventually she succumbed to the reasoning that getting it in two months time is still better than never having it at all.

Happy daughter. Happy ex-wife. Good bit of parenting and standard setting. Joint operation. Job done. (until, of course the next crisis comes up). There had been some drama and crisis at the weekend about how things were going between Chloe and her Grandparents, who live next door to her. She had been rude to them, and used some colourful language. A bit of peacemaking, listening, understanding and then talking with her Mum seems to at least not made things any worse. For my part the explanation that treating her Grandparents, or parents like that isn't acceptable, no matter what she feels they did, and even so, if she wants to get them to change their minds and treat her differently, is shouting and swearing at them the way to do it? She's clever enough to see that it's not.

As shameful, cringeworthy it may be hearing that these things have happened, I'm pretty sure I said some choice things to my relatives over the years, and although I feel like I had more respect for them, I knew where the boundaries were but was resolutely determined to push them, not just a little, but with a full sized jump kick to the head.

Hopefully, whilst maintaining that this behaviour is unacceptable, getting Chloe to see that there are much more effective ways of getting what she wants will be a better way of getting her to chose the right way to be, and to treat people.

As for work. The things that are difficult don't get any easier. After all, I really do think that I would be in the wrong job if I actually enjoyed the things I'm talking about. I am being necessarily vague about some things that I have to do, as this is entirely proper. Some times it is hard to do the right thing. Doing the wrong thing is really, really, easy.

Now, to resolve that broken friendship.....

Right ! End of a good week. Sadly marking the last day that my current boss will be with us. Parting is such sorrow. I've really learned a lot in my time working for Heather. She's such a breath of fresh air.

So looking forward to the weekend though, as I haven't seen Chloe for two weeks. To tired to say that much more.

Monday Monday... (text version)

Been a good day today. Got an upbeat feeling about this week.

Chloe's back in the UK, the ship she was on docked into Portsmouth this evening. I'm glad to know that she's back in old blighty. I'm just a tad amazed that she didn't manage to start a major international incident, war with France, ejection from the European Union or something...

Her priorities are right on though. She was more worried that she'd missed some youtube videos from Yog's cast. (something to do with that Minecraft game she plays incessantly).

 It's now the second month of life with my HTC Wildfire S. I am still rather impressed with the nifty little thing. I'm getting more used to it, and have managed (as you would have seen) to shoot some video on the go with it, and use that to include into my (v)blog.

I have completely forgotten all the excitement that temporarily besotted me about the prospect of an Iphone (4 or otherwise). They still haven't deigned to announce to the world what the future looks like. Personally I think they like messing with us.

No, not feeling like I missed out Iphone wise. I am, however still longing for the Blackberry. I lament about the battery life of the Wildfire S, and although that's got better since I got the Juice Defender App, it does run low to unusable after a day's work, and that's without me really using it that much throughout the day. It's the lack of the keyboard, and the frequency of updates that I could comfortably get on my Blackberry (without shedding loads of battery life). The decision to not pay for unlimited usage, when I don't need that much has worked out ok, I don't actually use it all. I'm not exactly being frugal with my internet usage on the phone, just careful, and I'm not running out of the 1 GB I got with it (£20 a month). Nowhere near running out of voice or text messages.

Either way, it's not possible for me to change this phone, there's no way in hell I can afford to buy a simfree handset to use with this sim, or to get a different contract just on the whimsey that I have yearnings for the joyous ease of the Blackberry real keyboard. Touch type is all well and good, but it's annoyingly inaccurate. It's that couple of milliseconds slow (not anything like the unusable of the old Windows Mobile in the late 90s. God that was torture) and the faff of typing with my fingers.

Maybe I should file my fingers down, to make them easier to use with my phone ? Sharpen them to a point or something. That'd work, right ?