30 August 2004

Another busy day

Barry came round to finish off the chimney breast - not only a very nice man but also a very talented man too!!


PS - heated flooring rocks my world!

We're getting there

Found out yesterday that Nicci and Mike had been in a car crash on the A38. Car a complete right off, and Nicci had to be pulled out. She had to go to hospital on a spinal board (which she didn't like because she couldn't move - der!!). They were both discharged after a few hours. Apparently cause by "a more mature female driver" (I've inserted my own words here) deciding that the traffic was too heavy so she would do an emergency stop so that she could turn round in a gap in the v#central reservation!

Kitchen News
Well another new skill mastered. After having to chase out the newly plastered wall, I made a mighty fine job of repairing the damage

Following that I was on a roll and got loads done yesterday (including getting ready to do some plumbing - I'll let you know!


and just for you Mark....

28 August 2004

Fruits of labour

cooker
cooker,
originally uploaded by Phillip.
Finally got some reward for the effort last night as we banged in the cupbaord and cooker unit. Got all of it wired and operational too. This creates loads more space (previously the cupbaord and the cooker had been on the floor) and also allows to eat something hot!!

Redoing work

wall chase
wall chase,
originally uploaded by Phillip.
Chased out some of the wall (we've just had plastered) now we know were the new extractor fan is going. Bricked up the old whole, with some bricks from next doors skip! With Barry's core drill put in a new hole and tube for the Siemens extractor fan (hopefully in the right place!! This job was a nightmare and took ages. For some reason some of the lights stopped working in this part of the house too (the vibrations must have shaken a wire loose), thats the bad thing that happened tday - by the time we found out we'd lost light it was too dark to investigate

First Job

fireplace
fireplace,
originally uploaded by Phillip.
Well Friday turned out to be a complete mixed bag. The day started well with Baryy (what a nice man) coming round to brick up the fire place. Managed to gain a lot of good tips and tools from him too, that would help during the rest of the day. Fire place got bricked up and he did a very good job of making the wall smooth, back to plaster next week.

26 August 2004

The work continues

kitchen art
kitchen art,
originally uploaded by Phillip.
Tea break and tidy-up. Plenty of "quiet" jobs to do after bedtime!

Depression

Depression had taken hold of me on my journey home last night (my last day in the office for a week). We had a team brief, which highlighted the fact that our manager is an arse, who has no grip what so ever on the reality of life in the office. It was his boss who gives the team briefs and he can provide answers instantly (rather than the buzzing and fussing we get from our manager). Mark sums up the meeting beautifully and it seems that the doors are wide open to the mother ship at SWiSH, which is always good to have in the back of your mind (especially as the traveling is not as bigger concern for me).

The kitchen build has now started in ernest and the big cooker cubicle has been constructed and used for lining up all the other bits and bobs. Work continues and I shall post some images ASAP. Tasha has gone to IKEA because despite our checking, double checking and then reviewing, we still managed to order a cupboard we don't need and not order a cupboard that we do!!! F has gone to Maea's and Nate is in bed.....work must go on!

25 August 2004

Low Level

iPod NP: Dread meets punk rockers uptown
The office coffee chat this morning was at a really low level. At times 4 of us would be just sitting there in silence staring at the ground - no-one can say that that is a good thing. The Knightrider is here today, and can sometimes boost morale with his team brief sessions (hopefully he'll be on form today). Stevie D most unimpressed with Mavis' handling of the situation and has just left the building to return to site!!

Some good control room demolition shots, and was pointed to this site which has some great images (which you can use in your site by using the handy widget thingy which generates the code)
Photo by Derek Powazek, ephemera.org
Sam has come across QT's blog, worth a read

Everyone is still really depressed, in one way its quite good sitting in the test room on my own, as none of the bad vibes are getting to me. I image sitting out in the main office is pretty bad today. Roll on the team brief!

24 August 2004

Is it wrong...

...that my piss smells like chicken bhuna?? What do they put in these things to make it do that??

On a slightly connected issue - had word from my Mum that my Dad took it on himself to alter the timings of some of his medication. In doing this he seems to have sorted the problem that they couldn't find when he was in hospital for a fortnight. How does that work??

The morning moaners back to full strength

It was great to see the Stevie D was back in the office this morning (hopefully all day). The bitching session and debrief on yesterday had already started by the time I arrived. Keith and the crew were here till 2130 hrs last night and a "kind of" solution was found - although it may be an unsupportable one. Mavis has her work cut out this morning trying to find that all important bit of paper that might get him off the hook (again!)

My heart seems to have stabilised after the fribrillation it received last night!! Had (another) lovely curry from Je-Ja-Jees, curry claw in evidence this morning!
Nintendo loves food - and so do I!

23 August 2004

Photos & electricutions

Managed to electricute myself tonight - the light I have been moving is quite unusually not on the lighting circuit. Quite a scary momment as I started shuddering in the bathroom, with the floorboards up!! Took about 10 seconds of it before a shook loose. Burnt fingertips and a pulled muscle in my wrist are my payments!

Anyway heres the photos

New windows


The plastering


Changing the light from above (ouch!)


The temporary Kitchen


...and finally the grass is definitely NOT greener on the other side of this fence. Mart has a real job getting rid of his patio! He's actually about 5 feet of the ground here and there is thick concrete and rubble all the way to ground level to clear

How to make friends....

Our illustrious leader really has bad personal skills. Hes under a little pressure - we have some visitors in and he forgot to arrange lunch for them. So in their earshot rings someone on their lunchbreak and starts belly-aching that these people need to eat and to bring something back....

TIT!

Weekend Work

Now Playing Laika come home - Spacemonkeyz vs gorillaz
Well the plastering is done, Barry is coming this evening to look at doing the chimney breast and some tidying up etc. Took some photos and meant to post them (perhaps tonight) but we got invited to Colin & Lisa's (along with Mart and Al) for a fantastic BBQ. There house is so cool (how it must change as Morgan gets older!)

Really shitty drive into work, its like its October - really wet, dark and generally not very nice. Loads of spray, a couple of accidents.....shit

Check out this movie of a genius crow. Biz reports about the scream being stolen....again!

Check out how cool the G3 looks with a crystal blue case


21 August 2004

More medals

More stress this morning as we watched Matthew and the boys get their gold medal (by about 1 foot)

come on!
Plasterer is here (with hangover bless him). Looks like it will be eating out as the kitchen space is definitely out of bounds for a couple of hours

Stressed & Tired

Very hectic evening trying to get things finished before plastering today. Got everything done in th end with loads of time spare! Bed early.

Nice email this morning to say that iSkins are accepting pre-orders - Wasabi is the skin of choice

20 August 2004

Building begins

"All hands to the pumps" in my mind means that everyone helps out.... Apparently not. Mavis, after pronoucing this when all the IOG machines turned up not built is very thin on the ground.

And so it continues

iPod Shuffle now playing The Vines - Ride (which is fitting)

The "bitchin' posse" back on it this morning, especially following yesterdays late afternoon developments of test equipment not being available for use! We have a load of gear arriving today (the day when most people leave at 12:30) that all needs building for a test on Monday. Mark has made contact with some colleagues in other offices to see what the feeling is like. It appears that the SWiSH boys seem reasonable happy at the moment (so would I working there though).

I have thrown a few tracks onto the iPod for F+N, and I find it quite disturbing when I'm on shuffle that I suddenly go to Hi-5 singing Boom-Boom Beat

Pete has a second blog tracking his fitness regime - what a great idea to stay motivated, knowing that the public is watching your every move.

Suw picks up on woot, where you can get some very very cheap gadgets.

Soon you will be able to run your entire life from your mobile!

Another entry in my ever expanding room of cool furniture!

Amber and Terri continue to brighten my day!

19 August 2004

I don't believe what I've just heard!

Mavis has just picked up a call..."I'm sorry Seb left about 4 years ago..", now its obviously an agency / mag subscription - which at the end of the day no one really wants to talk to. Then he says "..he was replaced by Steve Pearson.." hang on, shouldn't you be talking in the first person???..."...I'm sorry he's not in today!!!!"

I rest my case, m'lord

My New Development Station

Check out my new processing power!

Oh what a beautiful morning!

...oh what a beautiful day!
iPod now playing REM - Green

What a view to be greeted with when you open the door to get in the car. Makes up for being up so early!! Good to get to the office early and find the "bitching crew" in full effect - some good gripes bashed around this morning (i.e. Mavis)

Check out what happens when your picture gets on the internet! As gadgets go the iBoom seems pretty cool. Not sure about the new look of the PS3. Well at least the weather's picking up (not)

The olympics are providing a flow (all be it small) of medals, hopefully pick up during the athletics week.

Have just myself a gmail account too!

17 August 2004

Milestones pass

This is my 107th blog entry - so I missed the centenary post! Well I have a new floor now


15 August 2004

Leonardo : Arms like tree trunks??

Not had chance to catch any news this weekend other than our first medal at the Olympics, and Mark getting a gmail account! (well done on that - I'm not in tomorrow to discuss, but would gladly accept a referral!)

The weekend has been entirely (and I mean entirely) taken up with me working my bollocks off. Have cut all the boxes and channels for the new sockets, cut a channel in the floor, removed the kitchen completely....

Our floor must be made of an experimental surface (probably used in space shuttle heat tiles). I tried to start to dig the channel by hand (after cutting using the angle grinder)

Old Leonardo must have been hard!! My forearms were completed fucked by lunch time (hard trouble holding my fork!!!!
Tasha felt sorry and had a go (for about 30 seconds, agreed that it was too hard and went and bought me a rather cool SDS compressor drill!!)

This made the rest of the task pretty straight forward, and had we bought one when we discussed it over breakfast and decided not too cold probably spent all afternoon down that park!!! (oh well!)

The finished results are in the photo stream if you're interested - I'm pretty shattered so will turn in shortly. Duncan is coming tomorrow to lay the floor (hopefully matching up to the channels that I've dug)

13 August 2004

Mavis strikes again

Last night when Adrian and Mav locked up they turned the air con off and the unit above my desk continued to run. When I arrived this morning, just my unit was running even though the main controller showed that all was OFF. Mav called the air-con man in, he walked to the controller turned it off and the unit went off. "So lads, don't turn the air-con on this afternoon".........

Weekend is nigh

Now Playing - Beastie Boys Check your head (on my iPod!)

After a nervous unpacking of the iPod (thinking I wouldn't be able to transfer music as the 6-4 firewire converter is now an "optional extra"), managed to get it going through USB hub. The rest of the evening last night was spent transferring in iTunes.

Follow hurricane Charley. Why would anyone want these beer goggles?

12 August 2004

Shabba!

DL080804 003
DL080804 003,
originally uploaded by Phillip.
Sweet, check out the stream

Its August for gods sake

The iPod has landed

iPod Update 120804later
iPod Update 120804later,
originally uploaded by Phillip.
Was busily chatting to MMQ about the iPod and showed him the status - which showed that it had left East Mids Airport. That should only take about 1/2 hour to get to my gaff. Then the phone ranf and Tasha said that Alison had assaulted the delivery man and signed for it while she'd been out (phew).

Also found out that MArk C has pulled out of the interview race for the project dept manager (a bit disappointed in his decision - he'd be alright) That apparently leaves 2 (one of them being Stuart). The final stage of the interview (a presentation of "what your visions are" is happening today, so with any luck we'll have a decision soon)

Genius and adictive

Curved Ball

Real Rooms Removal

Now Playing House of Pain
iPod status - Through customs


Just had a good rant and catchup with MMQ following yesterdays well timed "mood indicator" survey at work! He's also very generously lent me his iTrip to play with. He also found the link to our companies latest patent! I am certainly looking forward to watching the new news program on Sky! I have also just found the perfect "3D" TV to watch it on too!

Biz has found a great link to Prison Pete's blog!

I am.....


theOtaku.com: What Inuyasha Hero Are You?

...well this fits in nicely with me doesn't it! Tasha is now convinced that I could get a job as an advisor on queer eye!!


11 August 2004

Wooooh

Searching your surname in your lunchtime, you may not like the results!!

The Princess

...has been in for considerable crititism here today (and hex not here to defend himself either) - the main points were

1. The new laptops appear to have incorrectly ordered, so when the arrive (after he told us) they won't be able to do what they're supposed to. Also it appears that DogDirts PC hasn't had the capex signed

2. He was supposed to arrange for someone to commission a project I'd worked on - this hasn't been done

3. A colleague has been bailing him out of the shit on site and hes telling other people "that he's ill"

4. The project that hes "managing" (to 'F' up some would say) is going bad. Hes had engineers from others offices here all week and hasn't showed in.

5. He keeps swanning off to this place to keep a customer sweet - he shouldn't be dictated to like that - he should be saying that he will attend review meetings twice a week for 1 hour. You can't have a manager out of the office full time can you????

Apart from the laptop (which isn't a big deal really - although I won't tell him that!) the issues don't affect him - but there have been quite a few "open & frank" discussions about him in the office today - lets leave it at that shall we.....

Progress

Now playing DJ Food - Jazz Brakes Vol3
iPod Status (seems to be having a little jolly around Europe)


Well the rest of the kitchen arrived just after I got home yesterday - 92 items arrived, so I now have a kitchen to build! Tasha spent the evening re-grouting the shower (so ended up having a shower at my Mum's when I went to see Dad). Dad was feeling a lot better last night (he is taking a tonic), generally seemed to be with more with it and alert.

For all the times that we were out and wished we had an excuse not to be there - finally an answer!!
10 most important pieces of software has been listed, glad to see photoshop is there! TP found a great pencil drawing

Doesn't appear to be many people in the office today. With a relatively "free from kitchen" evening in prospect I do hope the old iPod arrives today (if not I can always watch ..kick ass moves, Shaolin Soccer or the sopranos)

10 August 2004

Arrrrr Sweet

Now Playing School of Rock OST

Well the tail end of hurricane Alex may still be here but this pretty scene greeted me at my desk this morning, see the bouncing bunnies...just before I realised the cleaners hadn't been...and I grabbed a brew and found that it must have had a layer of washing up liquid in it (yak)....and then grabbed another brew in a clean cup....and burnt my tongue trying to get the taste out of my mouth!

Well last night was eventful, Neil came round and told me that my bath sealing was water tight and the leak in the shower area is actually from cracked grout - so he left me a big tub of grout (for free) - nice bloke. A plasterer (very rude man) gave us a quote - but he can shove it his ass. Guy came round at 7.30 and we went off to IKEA (again). By the time I'd ordered everything (after releasing the 2 metre length of custom worktop was going to cost nearly £350), it was quite late - got home at gone 11 o'clock!

Its good to see that with DOOM3 only out a few days, the mods and skins are coming round, check out this flash light mod that would scare the shit out of me! Yet another desirable sofa!

Still liking Flickr, but following a link from Biz, am looking at BlogRollling made easy too

09 August 2004

Hell Boy

Finally got round to watching Hell Boy last night, and I think that the review by MMQ pretty much sums it up - no further comment - but enjoyable.

The weather here is shitty, and apparently its going to get worse, all down to hurricane Alex which is winging its way from the US. At least sitting in the dry office is marginally better than a row boat in the Atlantic thats just split in hald by a big wave!!


08 August 2004

Test

DL080804 001
DL080804 001,
originally uploaded by Phillip.
Blah

Big League BBQ

Firstly MMQ had exactly the same idea as me on Friday, as I also set up a Flickr account, as can be seen from the last few blogs. Due to our poor network at work though my new template is sitting at work ready to be uploaded.

It was the Mellow BBQ last night and Tony Thorpe and I were the master chefs catering for nearly 70 people!! Luckily we had the BBQ range from hell ....

... which had 4 range BBQ and a hog roaster (which we used for the serving area)
There were 120 1/4lb burgers (made that day by the local butcher); 120 sausages; 100 chicken thighs (Chinese, plain, Cajun and lemon pepper); 100 ribs, then all the usual condiments & salad topped off by the European rice salad quota. As with all catering things that Tasha is involved with no-one went home hungry! (infact most people also took things home to feed their families!)

Continued doing a bit in the kitchen (on hold for a moment while I write this, Nate & Tasha in bed)

06 August 2004

Do I cut my wrists or go to Scott Bader?

Unfortunately the gods have not looked favourably on me today and I have been requested to attend Scott Bader site (the mother of all bad jobs) to support an engineer from Belgium on Monday (and possibly Tuesday too!) That has really put a downer on my day - and whats more I have to wait in the office today so that "the princess" can give me the low down

View

Fog

Now playing Liam Lynch - Fake Songs.....whatever!

It started out really foggy this morning

Took a while but made the bath good last night, just in time for BB which was evil. It has been good and some of the characters are pretty likeable - but definitely the pick of the extremes is a viewing winner as well as the extra nudity!

The Prez George W blog is a very funny read!!

Dad seemed to have had some good sleep and had also managed to walk around the village - road to recovery me thinks

05 August 2004

Loads of good news

Now playing Echo & the Bunnymen - Crystal Days

Went for a run last night (first time in over a week). Stopped in on Mum and Dad (about half way round) - Dad out of hospital and said he felt OK apart from being really tired - hopefully he'll have a good nights sleep now. Its also their wedding anniversary today (38 years).

Tasha had a productive night stripping the chimney breast, and we may have found a buyer for our fireplace (without having to go down the eBay route!) Also found exactly where the bath leaked from, so I can repair the sealing.

Got an email last night to say that my iPod had been dispatched. And this is not what I want to hear.

Lewisham Chainsaw massacre is a truly tradgic story in the press today. Stuart was the surprise evictee in the surprise eviction last night - a very surprising surprise!

Nintendo picks out some great shots - check out these bad wheels! And these ones too

Sounds like our new machines at work will arrive by the end of next week - a little email prompting and surprisingly they got ordered - why wasn't this done by our manager??

.....and a little bad news - Nat's last day today, so down TGI's at lunchtime. Hope that his new venture is sucessful.

04 August 2004

Dad

Now Playing Blonde Redhead - Misery is a butterfly

Just had an update from Mum - it appears that all Dad's tests have come back OK, which is odd 'cos he is still quite poorly. Now that that's done though they are talking of letting him out as early as this afternoon!!

Sooooooo Tired

Now Playing: A C Newman - The Slow Wonder (picked up after a review in MOJO)

I'm really tired, had a great chinese last night (another can't be bothered cooking after kitchen work day), but I deserved it - not eaten since breakfast. Anyway woke up at 2:29 this morning, and had had enough sleep - so couldn't get back off again. Lay there for 2 hours but was then conscious that I was probably disturbing Tasha - did some work, then came to work (nice). Seems very quiet in here today - also sent an email from home that hasn't arrived.

Thought the weather was a little shitty, but didn't quite appreciate how shitty

Had a look for an iSkin yesterday, but unfortunately there aren't yet released for the 4Gen iPod (should be mid August).

03 August 2004

Hot water service resumed!

If anyone wants the name of a great plumber - I've got one. Great job done, reasonable clean considering that new 4" holes had to be made, the wall needed bricking up and all the central heating drained etc. What's more with Tasha's bartering he put in a new waste system for the dishwasher and washing machine (which ended up costing him quiet a bit - oops)

As well as all that happening it looks like we'll be getting our new roof light fitted tomorrow, and the survey went ahead on the windows this afternoon. FULL STEAM AHEAD!

No Hot Water!

Chaps arrived bang on 8.30 as promised, and took less than an hour to rip out the radiator and boiler.

02 August 2004

Wedding ring

Was doing a few pull ups last night and I've left my wedding ring in my shorts pocket, its amazing how something so small can make you feel so very naked....

Adrian back in the office (so is beardy though), sounds like Nat's leaving thing will be on Friday.

Are people getting worried that the iPod will take over the world? Just to show that there are no hard feelings of us trounching the Windies, I've taken the match report from a Jamacan publication!

Dio points out a good Slang dictionary, which might be fun.

01 August 2004

Good weekend

Altogether its been a pretty good weekend. Very productive on the kitchen front, managed to get all of the tiles off - found a few things hidden under them too (concreted in power cables for the cooker etc) Got all the shopping thing done too which was a bonus. Skip is nearly full now and we've hardly put any units in there (I feel that another one will be required quite quickly)