Blog Themes

Apologies for yet another change in blog theme. I just can’t decide which one looks best and which one feels right when I post a blog.

I need a new theme.

Cinema, Pizza Hut & Nintendo Wii

Synchronising an iPhone is an ideal time to write a blog post, considering it takes so damn long. So, here goes…

… and it’s Monday again. The past couple of weeks since we got back to work after Christmas seem to have flown by. Already we’re into the third week back (well, four if you count “snow week”) and we’re looking forward to half term in a few more. I’m hoping the weeks stay as positive as last week but I have a feeling things may turn bad as we go through the term. We’ll soon see. I’m still happy after a really nice weekend.

My daughter came to stay with us and we had a weekend of cinema, pizza and Nintendo Wii.
The film we saw was Planet 51. Another brilliant computer-animated film following astronaut, Chuck Baker, as he tries to get back to Earth following a landing on an alien planet. Funny for most of the film and recommended to people of all ages. However, try and choose a cinema with some heating that works. The Empire cinema in Wigan failed to do this and we felt like we were watching Planet 51 on the set of Ice Age.

Next was Pizza Hut and our usual trick of taking some sort of voucher for some money off. It did the job and we were able to get a 3-course meal for 3 of us for under £30. I was very chuffed and also very stuffed :-).
After stuffing ourselves with pasta and all sorts of other Pizza Hut goodies, we headed home and started on the Nintendo Wii. Game of the day was MarioKart playing with my parents and sister over the Internet. For a girl of eight years, my daughter is quite good at this game. I expect she’ll be beating Dad fairly soon, no doubt.
To top off a great weekend, we found out that my girlfriend has become an Auntie. Happiness ensued.

Then work today.
Everything is suddenly brought crashing down when you realise everything you put off on Friday afternoon. OK, so I didn’t put anything off but I had a sneaky feeling I knew what was coming.
Servers were doing nasty things on Friday and I kind of left them to it to repair themselves over the weekend so I was expecting disaster when I walked in this morning. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case and all was well. That set the tone for the day. All was quiet. Hardly a single request so I was able to get on with paperwork and all sorts of other outstanding things.

Without disaster (even finishing on a successful job), the day ended and I headed home ready to be greeted by an apparently blocked toilet. Lovely. Nothing nasty in it, just water up to the brim. Brilliant.

So now, with toilet unblocked, tea eaten, cats fed, I’m sat blogging waiting for my iPhone to synchronise.

Neglecting Forums

I've noticed, whether it be due to time constraints or simple not being
bothered, that I've been neglecting a few of my regular haunts on various forums around the Internet. There were a few that I would post to regularly. Namely Edugeek for work related things (and a few social) and Digital Spy,primarily focussed on entertainment but a good bunch of people on there, most of which I'm now in contact with through Twitter.

From noticing this neglect, I've decided to start again, so to speak, with these two favourites.
Both sites have brilliant people as members and both sites have offered help either personal or professional over the time I've been a member of each.

I highly recommend both so, if you're not a member, go ahead and visit the links to the side of this blog and take a look. You'll probably make a lot of friends as I have.

So, off we go.
Prepare for an influx of regular posts and interaction.

Thinking (and remaining) positive

... and so to the end of another day.
This day being Tuesday; this particular Tuesday being the third one of
2010. Already.

I'm writing this while sat in my office at work and sending it to my blog via email because blogger.com is blocked by the Local Authority.
Their reason is that it contravenes their filtering guidelines and, according to the page that appears when you try and access the site, it's on their "web-based Social Networking" list.
It's only recently been blocked. Blogs have appeared on blogger.com since at least 2004 so it's not a new thing. It just seems that now, it contravenes their guidelines when it didn't before.

Facebook received the same fate not too long ago. Facebook, of course, is a little more risky than Blogger which is fair enough. However, it's come back again which means that, in the Local Authority's eyes, Facebook is safer and more acceptable than Blogger. Facebook is also, as it turns out, safer and more acceptable than various Modern Language websites, some software driver websites and some Geography website which are just a big "no no".

Anyway, enough ranting.
So far, this week has gone to plan and has actually been ok. Things have been done on the days I've wanted them to be done and have been completed and fairly successful. It's very strange for me to be feeling positive about the week this close to the middle. Yes, ok, so it's only the second day but I'm usually moaning by the end of Monday.
I think it's because I've had a few tasks that have lasted a while - meetings lasting close to two hours; video conferencing lasting a lunchtime - that have made yesterday and today go so well. There hasn't been room for things to go wrong. Tomorrow may be a different kettle of fish (what does that mean?!).

My diary for Wednesday isn't particularly full. Parents evening which
I'm no way involved with (why it's in my diary, I don't know) and a
software installation. Other than those things, a particularly normal
day with plenty of room for things to go pear-shaped. No, Paul, stop it. Think positive.
Pay Day - it's pay day tomorrow. There we go. Something to look forward to.So thinking positive and much forward planning makes a happy network manager.
I've designated Friday afternoons for reviewing the week that's gone and planning for the week again. I started that last week which I think is the reason this week has gone well so far. Keep going and all will be well.

Just hope teachers don't get in my way.

Snow… and then nothing.

The intention was to write this blog post some time ago. It’s not necessarily about something specific, I just intended to write a post. Still, with my organisational skills, I’m not surprised I forgot.

The snow has finally disappeared. I’m all for a bit of snow but that was just too much for too long. I just started getting angry at the stuff because it was preventing me from doing things. I got to the stage where I was actually shouting at the ice – verbally punishing it for trying to make me slip over. Idiot.

Then, just as quick as it came, it went… like me… right now… because I’ve suddenly lost all blogging momentum.

Another time.

It’s Getting Tedious

Day 4 of being off work now because of the weather conditions. I suppose you could also say I’ve had a 3-week Christmas holiday. Whatever it is, it’s now starting to become too long. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed the time off with my girlfriend. We’ve been able to spend some time together when she’s not working herself but when she IS working, like today, the day is just a bit tedious.

Towards the end of a holiday period, usually during the last couple of days, you psyche yourself up for the beginning of a new term. You kind of prepare yourself for what’s to come. When something like this happens, you lose that slight bit of momentum.

Still, can’t do much about the weather. It’s happened and it’s being dealt with. When we get the “word”, we’ll head on into work and start from scratch.

I’ll just head over to Facebook for the millionth time this week.

Thank You, Snow

Snow causes problems depending how you look at it.
Right now, I’m quite happy with the current snow situation. I’m enjoying my second day off work because of the weather conditions and earlier it was confirmed that tomorrow will also be a day off work.

Waking up this morning I was met with the same view as yesterday; a thick, white sheet of snow covering everything. Nothing had moved. I don’t think any more snow had fallen but none had gone.
Someone has attempted to leave the terrace but gave up half way up the street when his car wouldn’t go any further. Most of the street were watching him and he sheepishly reversed back in front of his house. He hasn’t moved since.

The sun is trying to shine but it’s not doing much good. The slight breeze shakes the telephone lines which shed their load of snow but otherwise no snow is shifting.

So, the alarm is being turned off again for tomorrow morning and I’ll have a lie in if my body clock allows it. I’ll spend the day watching mindless daytime TV and waiting for a phone call asking me to update the school website with the latest information.

Secretly, I hope this continues for the rest of the week. Going into work for one day in the week is a little pointless.

Snowed In… But Tech Rules

So, for, I think, the first time in the 5 and a half years I’ve been in my current job, I have a day off due to snow… and, yes, it’s pretty snowy. I haven’t seen this much in my street for a while so it makes a change.

In situations like this, you realise the power of technology that’s in our lives today, the speed that information is passed from one person to another in a matter of minutes. It was quite strange this morning to see quite a few of my work colleagues jumping onto Facebook to check if work was closed. Texts were flying backwards and forwards from person to person to tell them information. The school website was updated to let parents know what was going on. Without all this technology, no one would be any the wiser without actually turning up and finding out there was no one there.

So, to all those that have snow and can’t get to work, enjoy the day off. To all that haven’t and have to work… well, too bad.

Her Conversational Grasp

The start of this post is being written on a bus on the way to St Helens Central station. My intention wasn't to blog. It's a means of distraction. A way of preventing something else from happening.

Every Sunday I take this journey to St Helens to catch a train to Liverpool. As I'm waiting for the bus, I never fail to be in the company of some elderly Irish god-fearing lady who insists on trying to start some sort of conversation with me. Most of the time I'm able to avoid it and pass her on to someone else before I get on the bus. Today, however, I wasn't so lucky and today she's on a roll.

I saw her approaching with 4 minutes to go before the bus arrived. Knowing what she was like, I tried to think of something that would make it look like I'm occupied. The obvious answer would be to pretend I'm on the phone but at the time I thought pretending to text would be the answer. How wrong I was. This was an ideal conversation starter and one that would lead to more weird and wonderful subjects.

It started with her asking what make my phone was because her sister had bought her one for Christmas. I have an iPhone and this lady is 71 (I know this because she told me for some reason) so I knew she must be mistaken just by listening to her. The old "that's the same phone my sister bought me" trick was the touch paper that was lit to lead to a detailed outline of her relationship with her sister.
She doesn't like her, apparently, and the supposed gift of the phone had prompted her to sever all ties with her sister. Hence the reason for her journey to church this morning. Every Sunday, she needs someone to pray for and today would be forgiveness for not talking to her sister. So now another subject had come along and sister was left behind to make way for church, religion and God.

During this part of the conversation - conversation being totally the wrong word because I had hardly said anything on purpose. Even if I'd wanted to, I couldn't get a word in - she spent most of the time talking to God himself leaving me out completely. Her sister will be pleased that she's in good company when it comes to blessings. Among the others are poedophiles and people who have sex with dogs (the RSPCA are getting a letter regarding a random news story in the south of England as well as a blessing themselves).

As my own blessing, the bus appeared around the corner and here was my hope of escaping this Sunday morning mini-torture. Even as we got on board, the lady asked me to sit near her which I politely turned down as I "had to make a phonecall". Better late than never, eh?
Then, disaster struck, in her mind, anyway. The bus driver failed to leave the second we were on board and therefore she would late for church! Panic ensued (in her mind only, again) and, with no one else to share her current dilemma with, she decided to tell herself. Words of insult and complaint flew back and forth between her and… well, her and then, to save her from her own torture, some poor unsuspecting soul got on the bus whom she latched on to instantly. I couldn't help but give a slight smile and continue with my imaginary phonecall as the poor young lad was drawn deeper into the conversation I had managed to escape.

There he stayed until the bitter end when she left the bus. The few people who had joined us along the journey were safe because she had hooked her prey and kept him in her grasp. The entire bus seemed to give a sigh of relief.
I, on the other hand, have 7 days of freedom until I risk being drawn in again.

Is that it?

Well, here we are – 2010 (twenty-ten, as it’s pronounced. Makes it sound futuristic and takes less time to say).

New year, new look to the blog. Less dark in quite a significant way.
I don’t know why I considered the change and I don’t know why I’ve made it look plain. I guess I thought it was all about people reading the thing rather than seeing how good it looked. If it’s readable then that’s ok.

So, it’s all over. Christmas and New Year done with until just under 12 months from now. Better get all that cheap wrapping paper and Christmas trees bought in the sales, make profit from your unwanted Christmas presents on eBay and then forget about it all until at least December 1st.
Once again, it’s all gone very quickly. It doesn’t seem that long ago that people were, ironically, stressing over a time to enjoy yourself (I WILL get that, someday) and now people are nursing hangovers which, apparently, means you’ve enjoyed yourself the night before. More irony. Hence why Christmas and New Year tends to be peaceful and quiet for me. I don’t do the pointless stressing and I don’t drink. Perfect.

We’ve also had the, now traditional, family illness that some or all of us suffer every year. This year it’s sickness and diarrhoea which, I think, every member of my family has had now since Christmas Day, including myself and my girlfriend. It’s not the best thing to have. Going to the bathroom every 15 minutes not knowing which end something is going to come out of (apologies for the detail).

Now it’s all over, things can return to normal. People are returning to work (myself on Monday), Christmas decorations are coming down (ours on Sunday) and we don’t have to think about anything more traditional until Valentine’s Day.

Has it really been Christmas?