House hunting

Two weeks ago a house went up for sale and we were among the first to see it. It's the best house we've seen (out of about 25 that we've viewed) and wanted to go for a second look before putting in an offer. Unfortunately the estate agent couldn't get in touch with the vendor to arrange it and this week the sold sign was up. We could picture ourselves living there, it's a fantastic house but someone must have beat us to it.

On the plus side, the decorating is nearly finished here - the house has been modernised and is looking gorgeous. The wife started with the bedrooms just before I move in four years ago and every room has been done since. Just the living room needs finishing off. Because it's so nice we're not bothered about staying. It's not a brilliant area but the neighbours seem to be behaving again and the cars haven't been damaged recently (I still need a new wing mirror and aerial though). And the house is looking and feeling fantastic. We won't move until we have found somewhere with the space we have here but would love a garden in time for next summer. While the tomatoes are ripening one by one, they would do better in a proper greenhouse!

Strange dreams

I had a dream last night that I was sitting in my car in a big carpark when TVs Emma Kennedy pulled up nearby in a big, silver, left hand drive car. I got all excited because I read her blog so and went to speak to her. The wife who had been with me in the car wasn't interested and wandered off. I was trying to convince Emma to just give me her autograph and not to read the contents of the notebook I'd handed her, when from the far corner of the car park the wife started shouting loudly at nothing in particular. Emma asked me what was wrong with her and I replied "don't worry about her, she likes having arguments with imaginary people".

I don't often remember dreams but this one was so vivid and the wife did see the funny side when I told her about it.

Story time

Picking up a friends little girl from school the other day, while driving back home I asked her what she'd been doing at school.
Kid: "Mrs Williams and Miss Price took me out in Miss Prices' car at lunch time".
Me: "Why was that?"
Kid: "We went to the shops and bought beer then took it back to school and drank it".
Me: "Really?"
Kid: "Yes. Thats why I'm dizzy"
Me: "You're dizzy?"
Kid: "Yes. I keep falling over"
I burst out laughing
Kid: "And I'm not lying"
Me: "You're not lying but you're telling me stories?"
Kid giggles: "Don't tell my mummy!"

Problem solved

I didn't take that nap, instead I did something disgusting to make me feel better - I had a pot noodle and the most sugary drink I could find and wrapped myself up in a comfy old jumper. Then came the cheesy tunes.

iTunes, although wonderful, take all the pleasure out of creating mix tapes - it's not the same as scattering CDs everywhere and spending hours compiling a tape, only to record over it the following week with a completely different set of tracks. To brighten up this afternoon I found the following, played loud, were particularly effective:

Divine Comedy - National Express
The Cure - Friday I'm in love
Tiffany - I think we're alone now
Rick Astley - Never gonna give you up
Chesney Hawkes - The one and only

Dilemma

I have spent the last few days up a ladder with a paint brush in my hand, so much time in fact that when I got into bed last night, every time I closed my eyes I felt like I was falling from a ladder. After working all day on the house I have been spending all evening working on my thesis and last night spent half the night on it as well. The result is that today I'm tired and could quite easily go to sleep now, in the middle of the day. The problem I've got is do have a nap now and see if it makes working later easier or plod on and crash early tonight? If I sleep in the day I tend to wake feeling groggy but my bed looks so inviting!

Someone's in trouble

The crew of a fishing boat managed to jam the emergency radio channel while they watched an erotic film, thus broadcasting 'Crash' to every vessel within a 30 mile radius. The amusing part of this story is however the skipper of Oceania claimed that although the film was on in the background, he was working hard at the time. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when he got home to his wife!

Excuse for hugs

I don't need to be told that going home to a hug after a stressful day is healthy. Apparently a supportive spouse can lower blood pressure and I need to go and get my BP checked as it was so high last time the doc didn't trust his machine. Hopefully if I get lots of hugs in in the next couple of days it will be nice and low and the doctor will start to leave me alone. Well that's my excuse!

Manic missus

The wife is a life-long supporter of the local football team and until their recent bad run I never imagined that someone's mood could be influenced so much by the outcome of a footie match. I have seen her go from her usual happy self to miserable in the space of 90 minutes, so much so that I have wondered if she is borderline manic-depressive (or bipolar to be PC). Today however, the opposite is true. After something like 22 premiership defeats, away in a local derby today her team pulled off a win. Perhaps the abusive message left on the clubs website last week worked!

The wife is ecstatic, all is well with this little corner of the world and I'm off to see if she wants to celebrate in style!

Under garments

There was I laughing at the wife for having one sock on inside out, completely unaware that I myself was sporting an odd pair. Needless to say, she had the last laugh. My undies are probably back-to-front as well (perhaps I'll get her to check later)!

Sad, I know! This is the most exciting thing to happen to me in two days. I really should get out more (but that would mean changing, just in case I get hit by a bus and end up in hospital embarrassing my mother by the state of my underwear. My Mother used to be worried that "if you get run over with holes in your knickers, the doctors will think I'm a terrible mother").

Ahem... as you were, thank you.

Good vs evil

I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. 21 days ago I suggested that by the end of this month Christmas would appear in the shops and indeed yesterday I tripped over an artificial Christmas tree and ploughed into shelves stacked with flashing icicles and Santa selection boxes! God help us - it's still summer, just. Well for another 24 hours at least.

In other news I just found out that my last paper has just been published. It's the first paper that is actually all my own work and is the most interesting chapter in my thesis. It was quite exciting work at the time but now I'm sick of the sight of it now! This is of course no interest to anyone other than my parents (who insist on taking all the credit as they did such a good job in bringing me up)!

Talkin the talk

I have a habit of talking to the dog like I expect him to answer back. The wife often doesn't know if I'm talking to her or him. Even more disturbing is that he gives me the same look she does - as if to say "I wish you would just stop waffling on and leave me in peace"!

New Faces

I keep hearing about how face transplants are about to be performed by surgeons in the US. Although I haven't read much about it here are my thoughts on the matter.
I may be being cynical, but how much medical use will this technique have and is it a case of a couple of surgeons wanting their 15 minutes of fame? Unlike the routine transplantation of other organs which are often necessary to save life, I'm guessing that most face transplants will not be life saving. I'm hoping that they would only be for people who have been severely disfigured and not as alternative to a nose job or botox for example (Presumably if people are psychologically disturbed enough to require face transplant for no reason other than vanity they wouldn't cope to well with walking around with the face of a dead person). Then there will be the anti-rejection drugs that recipients will be required to take for life. However, I would imaging that the new face will actually look more like the recipient than the donor as it is the underlying bone and tissue that gives the face its shape.

Whatever the ins and outs of it, I personally don't like it. But that's just my opinon.

I think the paint fumes have got to her

Last week the wife got a couple of builders in to quote for a small repair job. The job was supposed to be done at the end of last week only the guy never turned up. Last night the wife decided to phone to see if and when he is coming, the trouble is all the builders around here seem to have names like and M&J or A&R or S&M. The guy she phoned had no recollection of either the wife or the job she was talking about even though she tried to convince him that he had sent her out to buy a tin of paint - he was having none of it. Fortunately the guy who is supposed to be doing it turned up this morning.

And people wonder why I am devoting myself to a career in dementia research!

Sunday afternoons

No matter how hard I try I could never be butch. Not by putting on my paint splattered jeans and heading off to the DIY superstore. Not by arguing with a 4x4 driver in the DIY store carpark. Not by saying "no darling, you put the kettle on while I finish off the ceiling". Not by ignoring the visitors in order to get the walls finished. The result of trying is blisters on my hands, red skin from trying to scrub the paint off and my arms are aching so badly it's all I can do to lift the glass to my lips. And the worst part is - no matter how appreciative the wife is, I just won't have the energy!

Then again, I'm not quite so 'femme' either. This is from a recent conversation;
WIFE: You could wear your pink dress for the party
ME: Nooo, do I have to?
WIFE: laughs

Black trousers it is then!

At last

We've seen so many houses (lost count at 21) that, although nice places, just didn't have what we wanted. Then last night there was a new one in the paper and we went to see it this morning. We have been celebrating since. It has everything we want and then some. The living space is amazing, a huge conservatory (which I wasn't too bothered with but this is fantastic), a huuuuge kitchen, two bedrooms and an office. Then there is amazing room that could be anything. At the moment it has a pool table, dart board, computers and still space left - it's huge! Then there's the garden - complete with apple trees! It is more than we were thinking of paying for a house but is worth stretching to. Now all we have to hope is that our offer is accepted, we can get this house sold and that I can get started on my new job soon. I can see us living there, the feeling is there as well as all the physical things we want in our new home!

Dream house?

Victorian terrace with lots of original features, three bedrooms plus a games room with a bar, looks immaculate and it's bang on budget! Going to see it in 1 hour, 23 minutes and getting excited. We're sick of looking at dumps and I can't believe that some people dare try to sell their houses in the state that some of these places are in. (Tip: if you are trying to sell a house, it doesn't look good when the tiles that have fallen off the walls are propped up against the bath and there are holes in the wall).
We have seen a mortgage advisor and there shouldn't be any problem getting the mortgage we want (actually, the mortgage is mine, the wife is paying her share out right from the sale of her house - one of many advantages of being with an older woman). I could get up to five times my annual income which sounds terrifying so will settle with 3.5 times which sounds a little less terrifying.

UPDATE:
Not a dream house. No garden = no where to grow veggies. Crap kitchen = crap place for cooking veggies. Not quite so immaculate. Other than that there was loads of house, perhaps too much - I hate housework!

Dodgy dogs

The wife woke up this morning to doggy diarrhoea all over the living room floor and I woke up to much cursing! He is now sitting feeling sorry for himself, all curled up an a ball with his nose tucked under his tail. Should have known something was wrong when he didn't want his beer last night. Whenever you sit down with a bottle of beer he comes and asks for some, he can even tell the difference between Stella and the cheap stuff. But last night he didn't even bother when it was offered to him. Unless it's all just a ploy to get me down on the floor making a fuss of him.

The Sound of Music

I want a night out. The wife and I still haven't managed to find much time for us recently and we love live music, the best gigs being the small, intimate ones. Like a wet bank holiday afternoon in a small bar serving good wine, with about a dozen other people and two guys on their guitars. On holiday in Scotland a couple of years ago we came across a fantastic folk trio, they had us humming the tunes for a fortnight. Folk is best in that sort of small, cosy pub but I was gutted to find out that Kate Rusby is on at the new Sage next week but has sold out. As has James Blunt. David Gray has a new album out but I can't really afford it at the moment and he isn't coming anywhere near here on his tour anyway. Rumour has it that Juliet Turner is touring early next year and she tends to play smaller venues. We saw her last year and that was fantastic (saw Norah Jones that same week and there is no comparison - she was just dull). I can't get to our CDs either, they're buried in the spare room while the decorating is being done so it's just iTunes and a rather limited library after Radio 2 goes a bit strange at this time of night!

Rant no. 3

I didn't panic buy - I needed to put petrol in my car this week so I did it yesterday, before everyone else did it would seem. I didn't buy more than normal, I always fill the tank (it's only a little tank). The wife also bought petrol yesterday (again need, not panic) and I couldn't believe that the first place we went to had no fuel left. I was even more amused to read that people are stocking up on food as well! The plan as I understand it, is not to blockade refineries but simply to protest about the tax amount of tax we pay on fuel. And quite right too! Almost half the cost of petrol is tax. I get frustrated with the majority of the car journeys I make. I could use public transport to get (most of the way) to work but it would take me twice as long, is dirty and unreliable and costs as much as driving. Visiting my parents can take twice as long as it should do because of congestion on the M1 but is still quicker and cheaper than taking the train (or three trains as the case may be).

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Okay, three rants in one day is maybe too much. I have a target to write so many words each day and this is the only way I will make it today!!

Hot and Bothered

My laptop has a habit of crashing once it has decided that it has been on for too long. I think it might be overheating, perhaps I should read the destruction manual. If that is the case it may need regular breaks, like myself. The trouble is that I do take regular breaks (okay, irregular but frequent breaks) but spend such breaks on the computer - reading/writing blogs, playing SuDoku etc. The other day I took 5 minutes out to send the wife an email. She was only downstairs but I thought it was a romantic gesture. Our first ever dance was to Van Morrisons Have I told you lately... So in this email I simply asked her that same question. To which the reply came in the form of a shout up the stairs "told me what"? This has to be the only fault my woman has but I often have to tell her that she doesn't have a romantic bone in her body. This morning I told her I love her and her reply was "do you think these new cushions go with the rest of the bedding"!

Ashes

Am I the only person in the country not bothered about the cricket? I just can't get excited about a game that lasts five days and still ends in a draw! It's not as if it was even a fantastic victory, from what I've heard, Australia were beaten by the weather rather than any fantastic play from England. I may be sounding unpatriotic here but lets get things into perspective. There was all this hype when England won the rugby world cup two years ago and look what happened to them. They've done nothing since and all those fair-weather rugby fans are now die-hard cricket fans! And I suppose next summer will be full of football fever - providing England can qualify for the world cup at all! Personally I can't wait for the Winter Olympics and the Curling - no honestly, I love watching the Curling. Sweeeeeeeepppp!

Why I blog

I blog so that I can work out what day of the week it is. With working at home 7 days a week and Corrie on five days a week I actually have to work out what day it is. Blogger tells me easily. I hope that I don't get knocked out and end up in hospital being asked what day it is. Year and Prime Minister I might manage but day of the week.... is it Friday yet?

Treats

A while back I got into doing surveys online for a couple of companies. I have so far been rewarded with CDs and shopping vouchers. This morning I got a second £20 HMV voucher and was even more impressed when I read they could also be redeemed in Waterstones! I'll wait until my Phd is done and then go and spend spend spend on lots of lovely books. Fiction books, nice trashy novels! I can't remember the last book I read that wasn't a text book.

In the mean time I'm going to turn this computer off and try and take the wife to the pub for some us time away from all the distractions associated with our home.

Katrina

I don't want to harp on about New Orleans too much, especially as it is all being said better than I could say it elsewhere. This story from two paramedics caught up in the hurricane is one story which for me has stood out. Beth is one of the 'ordinary Texans' mentioned there and her experiences make interesting reading. It does however seem that it is still the case that many of the people in control of various operations are not doing much to help.

Procrastination

After hearing complaints of high petrol prices both here and in the US, and that a repeat of the 2000 fuel protests is possible, it started me thinking.

Apparently in the US a gallon now costs $3 and one gallon is approx 3.78 litres. If my calculations are correct then that is 79 cents per litre and by todays exchange rate that is 43 pence per litre! Even 10 years ago in the UK petrol cost more than 43p per litre. I'd happily pay $3 per gallon. And surely it's not all down to Katrina, it has cost more than twice that for a long time!

Results!

I finally have the last of my results through so can start finishing my thesis. A few late nights and a little less blog reading should get it done in the next few days. I am also having to do little bits and pieces in preparation for starting the new job. Finding the motivation for all of this is hard at the moment. I have had enough of my old project and am itching to get back into the lab and start something new. Plus the new project has the potential to produce something which is really useful and could, hopefully make a difference. I remember saying something similar four years ago and will probably keep saying it every few years throughout my career. But this new stuff is a lot more focussed than my PhD project and hopefully I am now better at getting done what has to be done.

This all sounds a bit vague but I can't give away too much information here. There are reasons why I have to retain some degree of annonymity here and any more details may blow my cover. I will get around to explaining some of this soon but I think that's enough rubbish for one post!

Weather

Following on from my last post but on a serious note this time, my thoughts are with those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Not even going to try to say any more on it.

Should get out more

Is it sad that I find the traffic reports on the radio interesting? Also, I wish that we had a TV weather channel over here rather than just having to make do with the short, half hourly bulletins on the news channels. The BBC used to be quite good but their new graphics give next to no information. It's not that I am particularly bothered about what the weather is doing day to day I just find it all interesting.

September

September always seems to me to mark a beginning in a way that is different to any other month. It’s almost as much of a new start as January is. Perhaps this stems from all those years where September marked the start of the new academic year. Perhaps it is because this is month that marks the end of summer. By the end of September the leaves will be turning, the days getting shorter and the temperatures falling. I’m sure that within the next 30 days where barbeques have been piled up for the last few weeks the first signs of Christmas will appear! Argh…