graeme.blog

Category: diary

  • Like the new look?

    I’ve just smartened a few things up on the blog, and made it so the header image changes from page to page (there aren’t loads, and it’s sort of random, so it won’t happen every time). Pleased with it, been meaning to get round to it for ages. I will probably add some more images soon.

    I had the opportunity today to walk around the roof of our new building at work. I’m kicking myself because I was thinking of bringing in my proper camera to take some pictures around the new building, and decided I’d leave it until later in the week. Still, it was a good view, and I took a few with my phone that came out alright. Have learnt my lesson, and will take it in tomorrow and plead for another opportunity.

    I’ve cut down by quite a bit the amount of time it takes me to get to the new place in the morning, and I was still being careful, so it looks like with a bit of preparation I can end up getting up at nearly the same time I was before. I can’t afford to miss my bus, as unlike the old route they are every half hour in the morning, rather than in bursts of four or five every ten minutes. I should be able to manage that I suspect.

  • Tired but chilled

    Long couple of days just past, but with satisfactory results. Sunday was spent helping support at work move into the new building, in the main testing phones and PCs. A nice little bit of overtime that will come in handy for New York. Then today was starting in the new building. I thought that it was going to involve two bus trips, but it became apparent on my first trip to the new place that it went a much handier route than I thought. Basic result of that is going to be an extra half hour in bed more than I thought, so that is all good.

    Other than that, nice meal out with S&T and their friends for a birthday, and thus a bit of a hangover for Sunday 😉 Got me in a good mood for the week

  • Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Checked it out

    Went to see the Beastie Boys at the Brixton Academy last night. Mostly a very enjoyable experience, they did put on a good show, and basically were doing greatest hits from every era. However, the sound sucked arse. Loud vocals, very quiet beats. As a big fan of their DJ Mixmaster Mike, this was particularly annoying. Still, I think it was worth a five hour round trip to see them, as I’ve wanted to since the 80s. If I had a things to do before I die list, that would absolutely be on it. It was the whole experience I think that made it worthwhile.

  • GaHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

    Annoying day at work. Well, 75% annoying, then got something good designed at the end. So not a complete write-off by any measure. Wound up though. Possibly a good evening not to try to create much, and instead to work out my frustration on trying to solve my Hammer Throw blind-spot on Track and Field. For a bit, anyways. Have some Heroes to catch up on as well.

    Oh, top tip for the day, I’ve been listening to the Money Talk podcast from fool.co.uk recently. Worth a go if you’re trying to learn more about money and suchlike, today they were explaining the recent stock market crash in nice easy terms I could understand, which is a bloody miracle.

  • King of Track

    I’ve been watching King of Kong tonight, a documentary about the World record holders for playing Donkey Kong. It’s the tale of several gaming obsessives. I found it quite inspirational, and having watched it, set three personal bests on Track and Field on Xbox Live Arcade. I’ve also watched the first episode of The Adventure Game tonight, which starred Fred Harris, as I probably could have guessed, and also Elizabeth Estensen (Diane Blackstock from Emmerdale), whom I really didn’t expect. So a good night all round

  • Getting me organised

    I’ve had quite a useful weekend, I’ve now got a random set of todo lists put into Google Notebook, so I’ve now got one place I can look to for things I’m trying to get done. I managed to get quite a few of these things done as well, which is always the more important side of a todo list.

    Not too much of consequence this weekend, we’ve just taken it nice and easy. Had a pleasant drink in the Brickworks on Saturday afternoon, where we got away with an outside drink without being rained on, which it has threatened most of the weekend, but kind of failed to do. Which was good. We also had a cheeky takeaway from the Spice Cafe, which as always was rather tasty. I upgraded my spice threshold to a hot Lamb Saag, which took it from nice to delicious, so well worth the spicerisk.

    This week brings my first ever Beastie Boys gig in Brixton, and a busy weekend. Looking forwards to both already.

  • Testing photoblogging from the mobile

    Testing photoblogging from the mobile

    Originally uploaded by flotsky

    Just wanted to test this out, can now send an MMS directly to here, thanks to a bit of intervention from Flickr.

  • Race over.

    Well, I survived the go-karting. Actually enjoyed it a lot, although I still ache from it. I managed 35 laps out of 50 before my arms fell off, or as good as. What I was happy with was that I was in control throughout, and was able on occasion to get up a good rate of speed. My cornering sucked though, just seemed to struggle with gettting the line right. It did make me feel more positive about the concept of driving, as that sense of being in control is important. And on real roads you don’t really have a racing line.

  • Head full of rubbish tonight.

    I don’t seem to be able to think straight tonight. I’ve got too much junk, too many ideas and little geek tasks floating around my head. I’ve thrown myself into them, written a list, knocked them off as best I can. I have actually made quite a dent, but I just can’t get this lack of focus out of my head. It’s not a problem, I’d just like to be a bit clearer. I suspect playing some games in a bit will help me to slow down. Space Giraffe in fact. So hectic and strange, I’ll have to concentrate. Nice game.

    EDIT: Playing Space Giraffe was exactly what I needed, far less hazy now. Good old Jeff Minter

  • In the middle of moving, haven’t unpacked yet.

    Moving in blog terms that is, to flotsky.org . Kind of feels like I haven’t unpacked yet. I’ll have a tidy up over the next few days I reckon. Add some links back in, neaten up the sidebar and suchlike. Then I’ll start thinking about themes. For reasons that aren’t entirely clear to me, I’m doing the same on several blogs at once. Still, it’s easier now they’re all in one place.

    News about this weekend, I’m driving for the first time in about, ohhhhh, two decades. I’m going go-karting at the Oxford Stadium (where greyhound racing and speedway are held). It should be a good laugh, I’m just hoping that my vague skills in console-based racing at least mean I don’t crash too much. I’m certainly not holding out any hope of winning, just to enjoy it and get a good bit of driving in. Slightly nervous about it, but also looking forwards to it.

    I’m a bit averse to the driving thing. Strange as I love watching motor-racing, just funny about driving. Part of me doesn’t see the need, I can get about on the bus just fine in town, and I don’t have to shell out for all the things that go with car owning, but part of it is just being scared of driving. Need to get over it, if we have kids in the next few years, I reckon I’m going to need a car at long last.