Who fancies a wii?

Why do I do it to myself? Why!?
Religious orders from all over the globe and of many religious slants have in their most fundamental Cells/orders/sects/cadre, some sort of flagellation. For my part, it is any sort of shiny, new and above all HARD TO GET electrical gizmo. I must need my efin' bumps felt.
Shinny new toy arrived today, hurahh, one might say and in fact I did. From what I remember of the past I had a feeling somewhat akin to an infatuation of the "worst" kind and sadly like all infatuations it was doomed to a horrid painful death.
The games that came with the Wii, all on the same disc, are brill. They're also a good workout for those of us who know that they should go to the gym, walk the dog more, walk the kids to school or jog around the park once in a while. I had 40mins of golf, 15 mins of baseball and half an hour of boxing. I was blowing for tugs after the boxing and can now believe the cutting I read that said a couch nerd had shed weight thanks to his new console (the Wii), I wander if he could have irrigated a small field after his first bout of fun just like I could have? I thank Darwin that I had the good sense to draw the curtains ere this adventure began. Well, let's be honest, who of us wants to traumatize their neighbors? After all, they haven't done anything bad to me or mine. Plus a bit of modesty goes a long, lonnnngggg way.
Still, it doesn't get past the fact that after I'd rested I decided to have a go on the two new games I got for it that afternoon.
got to stop here as blogger has gone quite mad as you can see.
NO! I've done all those already. c u all in the next post, just give me a min.

"Plastic well and truly bashed! Sahhh!"....

They will be mine, oh yes they will be mine.

Tomorrow if all goes according to plan.

Time to give the plastic a bashing!

I know, I'll have another look for those 3D specs.

Ooo that's a bargain. 4Gb pro-duo cards for £26, I'll have two of those. Nice.

Glasses...hmmm...no, next...hmm...flippin' how much! next.....ahhh...At last a UK company that has the "Gucci" ones I saw on a US site, that's saved on the shipping and they're only £6. Get some.

Right, while I'm armed with a loaded card and I'm on t'interweb, let's see what's out there.

Frigin' sweet! Dawin fish fridge magnets and window stickers, that's three of them and one of those at £14 inc postage

I think I'll try grocery shopping on line next, but maybe tomorrow though as it has been a busy day on the web and I'm all tired out.

Found a pic of me when I was on watch at sea with the rest of my steaming watch, I may have to scan it and post it, we'll see.

TTFN

How the lack of 3D glasses is making me ill...

Me again.
Right this is a request from me to my UK chums only (sorry everyone else).

I am in desperate need of some 3D specs. I've had, on my computer, some 3D pics of the sun taken by NASA's STEREO Space craft and I've had them some time now without the ability to view them properly. It's driving me potty, not being able to see them as is intended,
So, when you're in a news agents buying a paper or a magazine would you please check the comics as well just in case one of them has a 3D strip inside and will therefor have the specs I NEED taped or pinned to the cover. I'd be ever so grateful. I even have 3D movie clips of said star to look at as well.
So please give generously.

I've looked on line for the specs, but in all the cases I looked at you have to either spend a minimum of £10 or buy a min of 500. £10 is too much and in the other instance I've only the one head. Hmmm, I suppose that with the remaining 499 pairs I could make something crap that'll be a dead cert to win the Turner prize.
So get on with the search you lot!

Right finished with that, so hello to all my foreign pals.

Did a spot of shopping the other day at the ASDA, mostly for some salad gear, an album and a few other bits and bobs. Nothing spectacular I will admit, however one of the bobs was an impulse buy. I got for the first and probably last time, some pastrami (200g of the stuff).
Watching so much American tv as we do over here (our networks will insist on buying some crap!) you get the feeling that everyone in the US who when eating out isn't eating a burger will ask for a pastrami on rye, hold the mayo. It's everywhere.
When I got home it was lunch time and I didn't fancy a burger, so I had a pastrami sandwich on whole grain with tomato while holding a jar of mayonnaise.

GODS THAT STUFF IS FOUL!!

I count myself blessed that I like English mustard, because the next time I tried this new meat product was with half a jar of Coleman's finest yellow goo lathered liberally between the two bits of bread. I could still taste the beef/liver/miscellaneous organ flavour thru' the mustard. The upshot is 150g made it's way to the bin and I needed to replace my toothpaste tube earlier than expected.

Right lets try and end this on a high and not sound like I'm Yank bashing (which I am most definitely not).

I know.
The album I got was the second offering from Classic FM. Titled Classic FM at the movies (the sequel). Marvelous is all I can say about this album, well not all, because in this outing we actually get to hear some music from Star Trek:the motion picture AT LAST! You couldn't move for Star Wars music in the last instalment.
It's a nice 3 disc set and is something to listen to while I surf the net or BLOG. Like my profile says, my musical taste is wide and varied.

OMG is that the time!

One last thing. If you like cartoons/anime and music and have a weired sense of humor AND have 1hr 8mins to spare and a couple of drinks on standby, look for and watch AMV hell 3: the movie.
It's the best thing I've seen on the net lately other that PK's and OLPP blogs. Go see for yourself.

Nightie night.

A job for those of job age...

I just sent off for a job application at a place that has a name ALMOST as good as NASA, it's Seacombe Spaceport (LOL).

It's a scientific tourist attraction on the Wirral, it's also a place you should see at least twice in your life (visit JPL once, visit Cape Canavril once but visit Seacombe Spaceport twice{we need the visitors}). Seriously it's great in a Mr A. Tiger way. Just go there.
I spent an entire afternoon there once with my teenage nephew (thinking he'd hate it), we got asked to leave as they had to lock up. I like visiting the place so imagine getting a job there! Need I say more. Now here's the fly in the ointment, if I don't get my dream job it will be because of my age (I am now in my 40's, just) and the fact that I still believe in public transport (petrol 70-80%tax, road tax being diverted to other projects, congestion charges coming to a town near you soon, polluting the environment when buses are already there, revenue cameras everywhere and pay per mile on every road soon to come) so why should I get a license to drive now?
Fingers, legs and pseudopodia crossed.
"Ed for Spaceport tech!"


Don't know how old these albums are but I'm listening to my new acquisitions as I've just put them on the Babbage.
"Minutes to midnight" by Linkin Park:- By far their most melodious and least shouty album to date, gets my vote (the only one that counts in the world of Ed). And seeing as I've upgraded the bluetooth system I can now hear this (and all the other) album (s) all over the house from the one thinking engine, groovy!
Next is "Yours truly, angry mob" by the Kaiser Chiefs ( and looking at them on the front of this latest offering I'm truly surprised they had the mental agility to come up with such a cool name and great sounds, but one of them does look like a young Jhon Peel I suppose that helps).
It's good, really good even if Mr Blinky on the front cover scares potential customers away.
One thing that both albums have in common given that they are very different in genre is that both first tracks are crap.

You know I said that thanks to my upgraded bluetooth thingamajig I could hear music all over the place? Well NOT in the loo it would seem, DAMN!!!

TTFN

Shoe shopping for beginners...

Today I did something I have not (to my knowledge) done before. I shopped for shoes, I'll explain.
In the past I have had dealings with only one or two shops that cater for those of us cursed with hobbit sized feet, it's one style take it or leave it, so you go in ask for, "the usual please", hand over the cash and walk out with a newer pair of shoes in the same style as you already have on your massively over sized plates of meat.
Today that changed (hopefully for good). For today I went to Brantano, hallelujah! ( I know this sounds like a shameless plug, just bear with me I do calm down in a minute I promise).
And I came forth unto the world with not one pair of shoes, no! Neither was it two pairs but three pairs of shoes AND in different styles! What do you think of that?

{breath in, breath out, breath in etc}

I was confronted with whole shelves full of massive shoes, boots and trainers made by the likes of Nike, Pod and Ben Sherman. The sort of things I thought forever lost to me because of my over sized pinkies. Now this is where I thought I was on candid camera, the prices stayed in double figures and bellow £60, I nearly had to sit down.

I tried on several different styles before settling on a pair of approach shoes (v comfy), a pair of blue suede brothel creepers (had to buy a pair of blue jeans as they didn't look right against my usual black) and a pair of black Nike jobs that came with a spare pair of laces (wow).

I reckon I know how they manage to get these big sizes, at least in the branch I visited today, the store can't be more than 300 yards from Camel Lairds Shipbuilders and probably have all the shoes made locally under license on a spare slipway.

Here's a pic of them

Of course now I have a unique problem. When I wake each morning I'll have to decide what shoes to wear. Oh the irony.

One last shoe related gush. I'll be paying their web site a visit for a pair of modern desert wellies.

Remember I said that my dad had gotten himself a new printer and I was dead jealous, well not any more, I got one and it's impressive. That's all I have to say about that.

And now a pic of some geese and their young.
Awhhh.

This pic as your desktop looks pretty damn good on a 50" monitor.

I just thought you should know.

A night in the life of a research chef...

Hello chums,
Another sleepless night last night, caused by a get together that ended not on Sunday night but on Monday morning, after the milkman had been! oops.
The upshot of that was a lie in of biblical proportions and a body clock shot to hell.
It's the night/ morning of Monday / Tuesday and at approx 2am I give up hope of ever finding sleep and fed up of my internal eyelid inspection I throw off the covers throw on a t-shirt and some shorts and some big woolly socks that I use in lieu of slippers and head downstairs.
What to do now with my time, while I wait for everyone else on Earth to wake up. A mug of tea that should kill a bit of time, so while I'm in the fridge for the milk I spot the making of a stew and have a thought.
Leeks, cubed beef, carrots, garlic, onions, spuds(on top) and lentils in a jar on the counter top. Now all that needs to done is to decide on what spices to use.
Or do I forgo the spices and use Guinness instead of stock, hmmm, nahh! Not this time maybe next time I find myself adrift in the sea of insomnia.
Two hours later I have a stock pot full of the best stew I've ever made, with the exception that it could have had some more beef in it (where's the beef?)
I allowed it to cool for a bit and then ladled it all out into plastic containers, each one a meal for one.
While I was washing up and cleaning down another great idea came to me (yes another one actually!) I've got the makings of a chilly there and seeing that I'm already in the kitchen and there is still some time to go before the rest of the world is awake, I'll make a big pot of chilly, yum.
So I did. I now have enough food in the freezer to last me at least a month and a half. Dead brill.

It's now gone 9pm and I'm flagging a bit, sleep tonight will not be a problem, an early start now that might be tricky.

Chin chin.

PGL&I (updated)

From left to right.
P, devoted dad of two lads, divorced (and better off for it) and working for the local transport authority.
G, when last I called his house I was informed that he couldn't come to the phone right now as he was feeding baby, nothing much has changed except he's a little thinner on top.
L, well he just kept growing after we left school, part time property developer (making my list) and super dad, fosters as well as his own kids, cool.
Last but not least I, trained in psychology and worked in odd jobs in the UK, US and Italy before returning to the UK and getting a job with a load of other misfits called the MET, our locally produced Poirot is even now on the hunt for a ne'er-do-well (or possible relative it's hard to say at this stage).
And me? well someone has to hold the camera.

pals are thining out

A friend of mine, I, from school and cadets has come home for a while, hardly earth shattering news I will admit, well lets see shall we.
He's married to a wonderful, funny and yummy Italian girl called F, they have two cute little girls (I know I got to see some phots on friends reunited). But the girls have been sent home with their mum for a break back with their only Gran, in Italy, for A WHILE.
My friend I is a detective constable with the MET, that's the London Metropolitan Police not the opera, I think the detective part is the giveaway, well he could have been the Constable of France in some operatic remake of Henry V (V=the 5th) I suppose?
However. The other day I got a text from a number not on my mobile, curious? This is how the conversation went

Hey, r u back home this weekend?

Who R U

I%$£(*&^% (name withheld by me)

What u been up 2 these last years?

Got married, 2 children, detective constable in london. Got a malignant brain tumour, had surgery, radiotherapy, trying to sort chemotherapy out. Life begins at 40 my ass! And you?

{i don't remember my reply}

Life eh?! Think its going great then SLAP! across the chops. You start having seizures, get diagnosed with epilepsy, have an MRI. Then discover a 7cm tumour, which turns out to be very angry. Then in the meantime your mother dies. Life begins at 40 they say. I say to 'they' FUCK OFF!

At this point I phoned him and we talked, firstly, this was too big for mere texts and secondly I hate texting for no good reason.


The upshot of this call was, he came to mine! that evening. I was doing a pre pack list in my head while texting {after the bomb had been dropped} thinking I was on the next train to London! It wasn't till we talked that I found he was within taxi distance. Anyhoo, I said yes come to mine (his aunt would give him a lift), {we both established that he was fit enough for the 2 mile journey by car, hells bells, he made it from London on his own}. 40 mins later there was a knock at the door.

There stood a gaunt figure in army fatigues, but the smile was still the same. I also remember thinking that, "how can someone who has just been thru all that, have a little double chin?". What the hell was I thinking? Obviously I wasn't thinking at all. I welcomed this familiar stranger into my home and found myself asking him if he needed help to step upto my house {the step is quite big even my parents struggle with it, it's on my list, now}, yes a little help would be good.

A vital if thin person, robust in every respect had turned into a shuffling ghost, a ghost that is compared to what he used to be like. But that is only the outward view. You get the feeling that this is just a minor inconvenience, and that given time and enough help from the doctors he'll soon be kicking in doors and catching bad guys and saving us all from smegheads intent on doing us all no good.

That may not happen, thanks to the postcode lottery that exists in this country. Remember that I talk to you all from the UK and that we (are supposed to) have a national health service, health care free to all regardless if you work or not and / or can afford to pay national insurance contributions. A system that should have been the envy of the world has now been turned into the laughing stock of Europe {and it's new eastern members}. Therefore my friend I has had to come back home to a lighter population density in the hope that there is a budget to save a WORTHWHILE MEMBER OF SOCIETY. And my friend.

Can't stop...

Is this considered as "knitting pr0n"?

http://www.videojug.com/tag/knitting

right I'm off back to video jug to watch the astronomy section.

Bye now.

A picture...(updated)

... paints a thousand words. Or some such rot.

Here is a pic of me with some pals.

I'm not either of the ones on the ends

Or the dead one

That leaves two, but which one?


Just thought a little bit about this phot. The schools forms/sets where (and probably still are) based on the schools motto, "DOMI NUS REG AT" and as a rule the students didn't normally mix with those not of their set during break times, or come to think of it, out of school hours. Yet here is a phot of a group of friends with one person from each set, that friendship has been stretched because we've all moved about a bit, stretched is probably a bad choice of words as that implies enmity where non exists, we all have our own paths to tread and every once in a while those paths cross and we get together to catch up over a pint or a cup of tea, even after a quarter of a century, marvelous.

Chin Chin

Lost in Knitty Speak...

Right. Can someone please explain to me what is meant by blocking or something being blocked, where it applies to wool? And show examples please (drawing, photo or line diagram). My engineers curiosity has been piqued. Thanks.

Change of subject.
I did try and have a look at my two nieces "My space" pages on the web. I got to see our K's which was bright, colourful and flashy, so unlike K herself. Well I mean she is bright and colourful but not flashy if you see what I mean.( looks like i got away with that one.)
But I couldn't get to see our A's site in all it's goth (or is it emo?) splendour as you have to be on her list to have access. That in my eyes is brilliant as she's still only 15. (going on 28.)


Mum and Dad came for tea today. Dad is chuffed to bits with his new printer and I'm dead jealous (they brought with them some prints he did, wow!). So I've decided that I'm now in the market for a new one myself and will therfore be visiting the place he got his from at the crack of 2pm tomorrow. I did some pork steaks poached in sweetened cider with some proper mashed potatoes (with proper butter, naughty) and some peas and carrots. The secret is to let the steaks rest in the cooling liquor for 5 or so mins while you finish the veg. Also saves on the need to buy apple sauce. I've had a tin of cider rattling around in the fridge for quite a while now and it was while I was reaching for the milk to put in my tea, while mulling over what to do for M n P, I saw said cider and had a brain wave. I should drink lots of cider instead of tea while I try to work out what M n P would like to eat. The reality was a steaming mug of milky tea and poached Pork for the evening meal. Win win.

TTFN

For OLPP, PK and any other knitty types

Wanted to find out what an Icarus was and so googled the word.
Lots of results, as you'd expect. Once I scrolled down past all the scientific and mythology results I found the wool section and this link.

http://thepurloinedletter.blogspot.com/2006/07/better-day.html

It put a smile on my face and I found out what the shawl looks like on, as opposed to sitting in a heap on a table.

A correction...

It would seem that my use of someone else's words may have led some readers to believe that I am in fact married. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am more than happy in my singledom and long may this state of affairs continue. To say that I'm a little set in my ways is a gross understatement and I would not wish myself on any woman in the blessed union of marriage, no matter what she had done to deserve that fate.
The phrase, "I hate you, my wife hates you and everybody down our street hates you", is a direct quote from a listeners letter to the BBC. The letter was one of complaint (obviously) and was directed at Tony Hancock after the first or second of his radio shows, Hancock's half hour.
Sorry for any misunderstanding caused.

Thanks to A for some more top line PC bashing in my comments box, git.
How are you all down there in sunny Pompy?

A great big thanks to J next door for putting me onto directions to get all that I'll need for a ridiculously coloured beard, marvelous.

And finally.
I've got to find out where to look on "my space" for our K and A's sites, I've been told that one is bright and colourful and the other dark and sinister. I'll let you know what I find in due course.

TTFN

Pick a colour. Any colour...

Hi everyone,
it's been a while since my last post for two reasons, firstly nothing of any note has happened to me recently (except for my beard getting a little longer), and secondly my computer has been sulking for the last week and refused to let me log on to the Internet, this minor niggle was fixed (I hope) by restoring back to a point some months ago, fingers crossed it'll stay sorted. I know what A will be thinking, "Macs don't have any of the problems PC's have."
I KNOW!!
In fact I have a message to all mac snobs. "I hate you, my wife hates you and everybody down our street hates you", except A.

That feels better. But not much as I've just had to reboot the pc and by using the on off switch, again! This thing needs some love but I'm afraid the only love and attention I could give it at the mo would be very tough love indeed. I think a spell in the pc hospital may be on the cards, I mean I normally do my own bug chasing and fixing but I feel that a comp with these specs shouldn't be having the problems it is having. I'm sure it's all down to windows being crap. Right I've made a command decision, one of the laptops is going to be converted to Linux and I'll see if I can get all my usual stuff done in that enviroment and if I can then Mr Gates' operating system will be sacked from the desktop comp. The trials will start tomorrow. Huzzah!

Popped into the hairdressers shop the other day to ask how much they would charge to dye a beard, mine in particular. This rather simple request was met with some surprise as for a few seconds I was confronted by wide eyed and open mouthed confusion and it gave me the impression that I was looking at some rather attractive (if slightly over made up) bowling balls.
After they had got over the surprise and they found their voices I was left wondering if they had indeed gotten over the shock, as they then went into a round of Umm? Ahh! Ermm!? What do you think? To each other that lasted some minutes. Honestly you'd think that I had walked in and asked for an elephants ear in a bun. When clarity of thought did return and vocal chords where back under control the price was "About twenty quid love". Marvelous says I heading for the door, I 'll see you in July when it's a bit longer.
Now all I have to do is decide what colour I want and what shade, the agony of choice.

That's it for now I'm off over to read what my knitty chums have been up to these last few days.

Chin chin.

"Back home for good" or "There and back again an Ed's holiday"

Hello chums.
Well I'm back home again after a few days in Pompy visiting friends (D,K and A (and R for about an hour)). The journey down was actually quite pleasant, the weather here in blighty land over the last week has been warm to say the least. The met office said in was in line with global warming models, smashing eh. That should help D+K's grapes no end (see bellow).

I kid you not, if you look real careful like you can just make out the smallest of small forming grapes, they're so small I thought they where a special effect.

On the Wednesday evening D, K and myself met up with a couple that they know, D knew the bloke thru' work, I think the bloke's name was Norm can't for the life of me remember his wife's name ( I've a brain like Swiss cheese when it comes to names), charming couple, we all had a V good meal, and stayed chatting around the table long after the table had been cleared, that's the sort of place it is, busy but not shoving you out the door as soon as the meal is eaten. The place is called Bombay Bay and it's in Hillsea marina down in the Pompy area, the best Indian grub I've ever had (including the stuff I make myself), don't take my word for it go there yourself, you wont regret it.

On Thursday while D+K where at work I went for a bimble around the shops and around town in general. I even went to the shop where I used to get my shoes from to see if they had anything in my size and style, 1 out of 2 isn't too bad They actually had three pairs of shoes in a 14 but all of them where just not my style, lets just say I fancied something a bit plainer for walking around in, not something to wear while performing at the Starlight Ballroom!

Around lunchtime I headed back to my old base and mess one last time, to have a spot of luncheon and to idle the afternoon away with the papers in a comfy chair. I'm getting ahead of myself a bit, while I was leaving the shopping area behind me I came across this signpost, I have passed it many times during my tenure in Pompy and never gave it a second thought, it just shows that we here in the UK never really wanted decimalisation, regard.

Shouldn't it read 1.75 Km?

Anyway got to the mess and for my last meal with the RN I decided to have the same meal I had on my very first day in basic training all those years ago. Gammon steak with mashed potatoes and green beans (22 years ago it was baked beans, you can't have it all), it wasn't half bad once you cut away the inch thick rind from the steak, yumm!

So after lunch I retired to the reading room to peruse a daily or two, there was quite a few people in there mostly in groups chatting over coffee or just watching the news on sky. I awoke alone about an hour and a half later with the paper on the floor and my coffee stone cold on the table in front of me, that little kip did me the world of good, I must have needed it. A little later D phoned me to see where I was and to see if I wanted picking up, the course he was on had finished early and he had some time off (always good), I think K was a little jealous because it wasn't just the afternoon he was getting off it was Friday as well, nice.

That evening we where going to have a barbie so D went to the butchers and got some steaks, the biggest I have ever seen outside of the USA, one of these monsters was really enough for two people but not this time, here's what they looked like before cooking...

Here's what they looked like on the barbie...

The yellow things are the veggie option for A who had come around for a bite to eat before his open mike night, and they're not too bad, speaking as an ex-veggie. The sausages are made by the butcher and are a Spanish recipe, the only trouble is he only does them a few weeks in the year a great shame as they are fantastic. Here is the steak I had almost eaten...

I'm flagging a little at this point but faint hearts and all that...

Thank dod that's over with! Oh crap! The sausages are yet to come! (still managed 2 of them). Did I mention we had chips as well with some curry sauce? To those reading this not from this sceptered isle, chips are french/freedom fries not crisps.

We then sat around for a few hours feeling stuffed to the gunwales and chatting, after a while A got his guitar out and tuned up and went through the 3 songs he was going to do later that evening. One was a new one for him that he'd not long learned (is that right A?) and this evening would see him up on stage without his wing man as his wife is about to have a sprog, real soon.

A few hours later we all strolled across to the pub to get in early and get a descent seat, it's not as if hundreds of peeps pitch up to these events, they don't, it's mostly fellow players and their friends. The reason we got over there sharpish was because the place is tiny and once the desk and stuff is set up a large area of this "snug" is used up, so good seats are at a premium. I think we could have got across earlier. Here is some blokes who are good...

No really, they are...

However not so good that I can remember their name, sorry.

But enough of this tot, here are some pics of the act (or half of it ) that we came to see...

Above A is singing a song by Leonard Choen (the one from the Shrek movie)...

Above, tuning while chatting to the crowd in between songs...

Errmmm?!

All in all a good evening with friends, a few drinks and some very good live music, even if it did get dangerously folky at times. But rest assured good reader that had any of the performers put a finger in their ear while singing a nasal tune yours truly would have made a quick exit, petrol bombing the venue on the way out.

And now some pictures of cats...

Above is a pic of my favorite, Indie

Above is the "unloved one", can't recall the name but I think its a male.

Now this fella, above, is blond, blue eyed (as you can see) and big with it, but what this photo can't convey is the fact that he is a raving queen! If these three cats where the last ones on Earth he would be trying to start a family with the unloved one.

That should put me in K's bad books, it's only a bit of fun and it;s not as if the cat's ever going to read this.

Anyhoo, came back up the line today on the train and all was going well until the leg from Euston to Lime street. Eight carriages, four first class and four standard class. I have a ticket for....

No I'm not doing this again. Suffice to say I stood till Crewe!

Nighty night. I'm off over to OLPP's blog to catch up then it's over to PK's to be scared.

TTFN