Iola

Spending money like water (on the water drinks available from the bar..).

2008-09-05T12:48:15Z

Saved myself £75 by getting the company to quote my cavity wall insulation direct rather than waiting for British Gas to do it. So £149 it is not £225-£250 as per british gas web site. Yippee cue letter to the energy saving trust because they recommended I go to British Gas but they were inflexible about survey dates, so I let me fingers do the walking with Yell.com.

Bonus to savings: the roof fixing will be a financial challenge and I was feeling a bit deflated as I was woken up by my slate chippings delivery at 7.25 this morning (and had maybe had an extra drink and a late one last night) so spent a very wet 2 hours shovelling it off my drive. I have not had the joy of being soaked through despite a waterproof jacket for some time.

Thank goodness I'm back at work next week because all I do when I'm on not there is spend/arrange to spend money

Today's conversation of joy...

2008-09-03T17:33:36Z

"That's not rising damp it's falling damp" - you need a roofer (phew he hadn't rung back yet after looking at the things I'd asked for a quote on so now gets extra job) to put flashing on that frame thing that's probably causing it... oh and what's this under the new boiler? - a bit of solder thats not been soldered right and has a tiny water leak... (gasboard person commeth tomorrow) And if that doesn't fix it then call us again so we can take off the plaster and look for an old pipe...

However the garden is now a patch of uneven earth - rain stopped play - and there is a plan for the future of the garden, which I will no doubt completely ignore when distracted in the plant shop. The veg patch hasn't been started on (rain really has stopped play) but that's not exactly got a time limit on it - noone is going to dump a tonne of slate chippings on my drive on Friday for that side of the garden .

Other repairs doing well - despite the possibility of Asbestos, stray electrics and glued together cupboard interiors... Andy the Handyman is a star. Unlike Discount Cars who are a bunch of big furry mildew covered weeping sores on the face of the planet and should be avoided at all costs. Preferrably after all staff of the company have been lightly peeled and dipped in salt, rinsed with tepid water, and dipped in salt again at least 10 times. This was due to their attempts to sabotage Mondays adventure to Alton Towers. We thwarted them by the mighty power of Stewart and Crane and had glorious fun anyway.

Loverly morning

2008-08-30T09:12:20Z

Ah 10 am and the ~~totty~~ Ikea people have dropped off my purchases. That was worth getting up for. Now operation decimation begins...

today is brought to you by the power of IKEA

2008-08-29T09:47:36Z

Ah Friday - bless you in all your glory. Friday before a week of garden attack and leisure even more so. Today I drove the car to Hyde park (I'd forgotten that it's such a wasteland without students because so many people who work with me live there I'd begun to think there were more permanent residents ) so I can go to IKEA after work and sample it's beauty in the peace that is Friday evening, rather than the hideous ugly if it on a weekend day. Not rock and roll but I can take orders.

Reasons not to read the labels...

2008-08-27T13:03:04Z

recently I heard an article on the radio that was going on about "food prices up so eating more chocolate and crisps as they are cheaper than veggies" and other such bobbins arguements for food prices up calorific value of food up. Or so I thought, in my Iola style ranting at the radio.... however I have just had the cheapest bought lunch I've had in ages - 1 x pork pie (needed pie) and 1 x potato salad (really fancied it) and a banana - total £1. then I looked at the calorie content of the processed stuff out of some kind of self flagelation (because bananas are fruit therefore you don't count their calories right?) pork pie - 400+ calories, potato salad 400+ calories. However I don't feel I've eaten enough to fuel an Iola for 10 hrs....

It's too big and just doesn't fit.

2008-08-20T20:47:37Z

I'm tired of it's looming presence but removing the book case of doom may be trickier than I thought. successfully moved it and stripped the wallpaper behind it and expected it to all dismantle but nooooo tis all glued together big style. How the chuff did the previous occupiers get it into the room? I envisage giving in and chopping it in 1/2 to remove it, but the joiner guy looked horrified at the suggestion and swears he will find a way to sort it.

how to grow legs like treetrunks that wobble from the ankle up

2008-08-20T12:41:57Z

When you go to NHSdirect and look at something I expect to have a wall of "don't worry, it's actually really minor" or "please phone this number" I don't expect the only thing that matches is "lipoedema" and the writing about it can be sumarised as "it's something incurable, and usually mis-diagnosed, most Doctors don't really know, but can be come to terms with using compression stockings and therapy." Having eliminated the worrying things like liver or heart disease I'm going back to the self diagnosis of "weird water retention caused by being alive not worth special trip to Drs." And may drink some nettle tea.

what's under the paper?

2008-08-19T15:22:29Z

Sadly it appears a damp patch is under the paper - cue potentially expensive damp-proof fixing around the french windows. (got carried away and stripped lots of wallpaper yesterday, once I discovered the paint wasn't going to mask the foulness of the terracota/gold walls that mean I've been avoiding my living room for months). Fortunately on the other 2.5 walls stripped so far is smooth smooth plasterboard so super-easy repapering and painting is likely to be occuring this bank holiday.

I have a surfit and need to know...

2008-08-18T14:10:30Z

Can you freeze either single or double cream?
Can you freeze cottage cheese?
Can you freeze cheese cake ?
the "vegetarian gelatine substitute" was not hard enough - so I appear to be eating too much slightly unstable cheese cake (not quite sylabub) so don't fancy using any of the above products for a week or so....

bitvacuous @ 2008-08-13T09:54:00

2008-08-13T08:58:03Z

I love IMAX it's soooo big. have now see the Dark Knight, and it was huge and funny and entertaining and engaging and all that a block buster should be.
I appear to have shut down a day early for a holiday. If I was any more tired my head would implode.

mission eat less...

2008-08-12T15:13:59Z

sod shreddies, I can confirm sardines on toast keeps your hunger locked up till lunch.

7hrs to weekend

2008-08-08T09:29:55Z

Funny just how many other things you "have to do" when what you really "should do" is collate a bunch of information onto a monitoring form devised by someone who never actually thought "is this measurable". The trouble with people who've spent too long thinking strategically in central govt departments is they seem to have lost the concept of what is data and what is an idea... Although the lessons learned document from this is as long as your arm...
And nothing like dull work to make you notice weird pains and crunchings that probably shouldn't be happening in your knee/tibia... I'll take it to the Dr when I manage to
a.bring home enough work reading for a 2 hr wait so I can count it as work time and
b.get up in time to turn up there at 8am and wait (surgery is on emergency appointments only this month). On current surfacing time frames it may happen by Xmas...

you cannot find a book by the cover alone

2008-08-05T12:22:11Z

Wish I could remember the title.
better wish I'd managed to buy it when I saw it at a conference, or perhaps note author or ISBN no. Even looked in graphic novels as it's a "history of the labour party in comic format" if the cover and recollection of the flick through was anything to go by.
Did spot shakespeare plays as graphic novels. Given this is the merging of 2 art forms that I find very difficult to grasp perhaps a return visit to peruse may be in order. or does anyone has a copy of one perhaps I could borrow? (pretty please - with tasty cheese/sardine/lemony goodness topping on...)

This week is brought to you by the power of booze

2008-08-01T08:56:06Z

Bugger - made plans for Saturday night last night and have no idea what they were. That'll be a "end of project quick drink" gone wrong then.

school night drunkenness.

2008-07-30T22:35:16Z

there is something particularly satisfying about being blindingly drunk on a school night - but not so drunk you can't function and hold it together for the things you need to do after spending an afternoon with old colleagues.
I wonder how tomorrows board meeting will be for me...

Nothing like a nice petition

2008-07-22T23:11:16Z

Oh I'd forgotten that little gem that is the petitions to the PM page
Of course if you have time it's always worth searching the about to expire ones for the nutters and their views, as well as expressing views more dear to ones heart.

getting political

2008-07-16T12:41:08Z

Ah the Unison/Unite rally was entertaining - a predictable mix of sense and "I believe all I read about the john lewis list in the daily hate" That annoys me (not getting ones facts straight I mean). Enough to make me have aquired a placard to use tomorrow. Then I meet with the chap from Compass. I'm really beginning to suspect I should join a political party but I've always been a militant floating voter and so parting with money for one over another seems wrong. Fortuneately I see the hairdresser after the man from Compass so will enter the world of right of centre for an hour for balance. (hairdresser has previously described himself as a Tory wet ).

Really hoping that Love film come up with the next 3 installments of "our friends in the north" having finally sent me the 1st 3 which of course were consumed instantly (great series I have missed 1001) . Ooh and I've finally grasped the humour of Westwing and so may be experiencing accellerated DVD consumption shortly.

Got a free paper in the hotel in Bournemouth yesterday, probably the first time I've read the Times in about 2 years. It was surprisingly intelligent - sense on knife crime, fair statement on the impeding strikes (as in today/tomorrow/next weeks ones) and it didn't make my eyes bleed. May take a while to get over the shock, although it may have been it's "appease the lefties" day since it had a "public sector appointments" jobs section.

lacking literacy skills

2008-07-09T09:28:32Z

I have a letter telling me that next weeks strike ('cause I work for the council and am in unison) starts at 1minute past midnight on the 16th and ends at midnight on the 17th July. Now I know from the papers that it's a 2 day strike but I am clearly being very dim because I read that as being the 24hrs of the 16th July. Clearly an example of why the 24hr clock would have helped. from a clarity point of view wouldn't "A 2 day strike starting at 00.01hrs on the 16th July and ending at 24.00 on the 17th July" avoided confusion?
I may be expressing frustration at the way this has all been organised or rather not organised. I may be joining another Union soon...

seeking a 2nd opinion....

2008-07-04T10:22:57Z

Has anyone else read the "Reluctant Fundamentalist"? and if so what is your take on the ending because I think mine is completely different to the implication of the back page review so I'd be really interested to know.
Of course if anyone wants to read the Reluctant Fundamentalist I have a copy so you can do so and then hopefully put me out of my confusion....

May be needing to fade away...

2008-07-03T18:47:09Z

Is it my imagination or just me being unused to the stuff but meat is just scarily more filling than other protein products isn't it?
Although that may mean a sudden increase in the carnivorousness of me if I'm going to loose the layer of bulk I've aquired. Nothing fits, and to me I just look bulky in pictures I've seen taken recently ( fraochyou may have presented the straw that broke the camels back....). Since the scales tell me I'm carrying around the equivalent of an extra 4 bags of potatoes compared to what I was 10 years ago and that was nearly 4 bags more than when I was a 1st year at Uni it's hardly a surprise but I can't get my head round that's only 1.5 dress sizes. There is no logic in this lard malarky.
A further irritation is the realisation that the more attention one pays to ones weight the more you seem to put on/the harder it is to loose. I think this occurred to me a few years ago when I lived with a permanent dieter but I thought at the time it was just one of my crazy ideas.

not the most exciting saturday

2008-06-21T16:43:39Z

well my "in work at 9ish out at 12 turned into in at 9ish and out at 4.20. I know I moved all of our teams boxes myself not got the porters to do them at all beause they were doing everything else. I know I'll get shouted at on Monday because I told them to stop moving stuff at 4pm for one of the other 2 teams who are moving into the same area as us on the basis there was no more room for the boxes. Ah well I did my best and discovered just how self centred everyone else is. And my flex sheet is 7 hrs up again so back to normal.
But I missed the cat rescue event and a tea party event which is disappointing.
Sing a long a sound of murder calls me now....

weekend fun

2008-06-15T21:23:50Z

well this was a very interesting way to spend a Saturday, Some serious Hatton hate went on one or twice, Ed Milliband got a nice dig in about his brother's right leaning (comparied to the rest of the family), Harriet Harman looked suitably po faced when David Simpson of Unite reminded her (and Ed) that it's all very well anouncing a new Equailties bill but the need to remember that for the last 6 years this govt has been fighting the Europe push to do so. And that was all in the first hour's initial speaches. Uncle who I was staying with was on good form, No idea if Sister and other rellies managed to complete the London to Brighton cycle today, but they were all very abstemious so hopefully it paid off.

My sister managed to say lovely hurtful things in that way only sisters can (yes apparently you're in need of therapy if you get pre-interview nerves that make you feel queasy. Oh yes and telling someone that they have an inappropriate interview technique based on the way one talks when around family is probably not very constructive either. I walked away rather than pointing this out and 1hr awake in the early hours of this morning tells me I should have maybe dealt with it differently. The reason why I respond quickly to questions when around her family is because if you don't answer to deflect you get a grilling instead). But then that's what family is for - pressing the buttons to make you feel completely unsupported at random times. Oh yes and I'm sorry if thinking that earning £100,000 is a lot of money when only 10% of the population take home over £40,000 a year, and the median salary is around £22K. Just because you can't get a mortgage with that salary for anything more than a shoe box in london doesn't mean it's not a large salary it means there's something rather mental about the house market and many peoples attitudes towards the difference between "worth" "value" and "cost".

And another pleasant day was had today doing absolutely sod all in the company of my uncle then an extrodinarily long train journey home - and still 10 minutes than scheduled. St Pancreas - absolutely beautiful looking Train station but for the love of diety do not select the train that departs from there just because it's £2 cheaper than the other one and fail to notice it takes 4 hrs rather than the usual 2.5 from london. I feel like I've been on holiday for a week!

Squirrels!

2008-06-13T08:56:13Z

Given the number of cats that hang out in my garden (I am the latest thing in Cat TV apparently!, When in the living room I am under surveliance if I fail to shut the curtains most evenings) you'd think that they wouldn't be so checky but this morning I discovered it's a Squirrel ferreting around in my pots not cat's at all. They may be cute but the sweetpeas just aren't going to win are they...

technologically challenged.

2008-06-11T10:53:33Z

Mysterious LJ - I deleted a post yesterday but it was still there today - it was gobbledegook (the houswife thingy I came in at -10 but the cut and past hadn't worked so I thought I'd removed it). So not only can't I find data I want I can't make data sytems work for me now. I detect cracks in reality appearing all over the place - I knew something was wrong when I managed to get "bring down the oligarchy" in a social email yesterday...
In fact the main high point of the day so far is being designated a freak of nature by colleagues!

I wish people liked numbers more.

2008-06-09T16:33:38Z

Isn't it funny how helpful people are with suggestions of who else you can ask for data, when logic suggests they are the ones who should have been collecting it.
Why do people hate keeping a track on how much has really been done eh?