Bat Attack

Just before sitting down in the back garden to have dinner, we had a little visitor in the house.




Click to see the big version!

We had the fire pit going on the logear, which is what I reckon scared him in through the french windows. Thankgod 2 minutes with a fishing net and a big bit of cardboard was all that took to get him back out again.

After a bit of investigation on google, we thinks he's either a grey or brown long eared bat.

Check these links out for a bit more info.

http://www.worlddeer.org/britishbats/clebat.html

http://www.worlddeer.org/britishbats/glong.html

My money's on the grey version, which would be cool as they're the rarer of the two breeds and only populate the south west. Either way, we're sending the photo to the wiltshire wildlife trust monday to see if they can tell us.

A Cunning Night Out

We went to see Tony Robinson's Cunning Night Out at Salisbury tonight. It was a mix of his own personal history and the more interesting (bloody/mixed with wee) bits of british history in a one man show with an added dash of republican politics to taste. (Don't know how well that went down given that Labour usually comes in a distant third in most elections in Wiltshire, the laughter was quite polite at points.)

But putting a few comments aside it was very enjoyable and I have learnt many an important thing about the history of surnames and how most of them have come about from doing some sort of job that involved standing up to your ankles in wee. For these are important things to know and frankly its shocking that I wasn't taught at School. I might write a letter of complaint.

But to be honest what really made it for me was the fact that Mick Aston and Phil Harding from Time Team were in the audience. Phil even had his hat! But alas no stripey jumper, but I guess you can't have everything. However the hair styles were as gloriously bad as always.

The whole thing was over two hours long, which is a long time to talk, so hats off to him. He had the odd film clip helping him along and some photos showing, but it was pretty much him just telling a story, which I have no end of admiration for. I have trouble stringing one along for over a minute. There was more about history and politics than about Time Team, which to be honest was what I really wanted to hear the most about, but I did learn that Carenza Lewis recieves no end of smutty letters from middle aged academics and that Mick Aston is one of the most propositioned men in Television.

Then at the end, we had a sing song. Very bizarre, I don't think I've done anything like that since I was 12.

Attack at Early O'Clock

Last couple of nights, since the weather hasn't been cat friendly, Tess has taken to coming into my room around 4 O'clock in the morning to sleep, which is fine, especially if she decides to sleep on the window sill or the end of the bed. Everyone's happy.

Except that she isn't doing that, she's trying to sleep on my face.

Nothing like a face full of fur to really wake you up in the morning.

Yesterday we compromised on her sleeping on my front, which given that I fell asleep to 7 O'clock goes to show how much I needed to sleep, or that the oxygen deprivation just got to me. This morning however I managed to loose ownership of most of my pillow and spent a good 2 hours hanging off the edge of the bed while a half stone ball of fluff stretched out quite comfortably.

Sometimes I'm not sure who owns who.

Stuff and Things

New job has now started and I've survived the first week. Its been exhausting but I think I'm going to enjoy it, lots to learn, but I'm getting a handle on the basics fairly quickly (hopefully).

The Bank has written back finally refusing to pay up and hats off to them, I don't think I've seen such a finely crafted piece of bollocks in my whole life, its almost a work of art. If they'd managed to work 'synergistically' and 'vision' into that letter it quite possibly could be considered a master piece.
We're onto round 2 now, where I threaten them with court. I suppose it was too much to hope they'd fold quite so early.

An update in several parts.

I have a job, its very exciting. Apparently being interviewed by five people is a good thing and even better, apparently they were impressed. Just got the paperwork through and things like the holday entitlement aren't half bad. 28 days annual holiday, plus bank holidays and such, its as much as the parents get after having signed their formative years away to local government. With opportunities for foreign travel down the road and a good training scheme, I'm a bit chuffed.

But between now and then I've got two weeks of temp work for a company in Bath. Its basically ringing up companies and updating contact records and emails. I've been at it for two days now and I'm about ready to gouge out my eyes. I'm only on the C's.....

Non work related, in an act of consumers activism or something, I've sent one of those 'I want all the money you've buggers have charged me over the years back, you bastards' to the bank. Given that when I added all of my charges up it totalled to something just over £2000 pounds, I don't think its unjustified. We'll see what happens.

Job Interview

Had a job interview today, interesting little experience, it lasted most of the morning, and I was interviewed by a total of five different people.

Have to say I'm feeling a little drained, as far as potential employment goes, we'll have to see. I'm vaguely hopeful, but beyond that? Its difficult to get a handle on that many people and what they thought of you. We'll just have to wait and see.

This afternoon I have a packed schedule planned, starting off with a snooze, half an hour on world of warcraft and perhaps I might watch a movie if I can work out what the hell Sky has done with its movie channels.

Big announcement, huge.

Today, finally, in my epic quest of not being crap on World of Warcraft, I have reached Level 40 and am now in possession of a shiny new War Horse.

Which means finally:

NO. MORE. RUNNING.

That is all.

Still Here

Still alive, still lacking full time employment.

Unemployment I have decided is quite possibly the dullest thing I have ever done and sponging off the state is harder than it looks.

Have just done a weeks worth of temping for BBC Audio, which against all expectations was actually quite enjoyable. Admitably, I have just spent 35 hours sticking labels and barcodes on to things, but I got a comfy chair, a break and an hours lunch. One. Whole. Hour. I watched the News and Neighbours on the telly! Absolutely surreal and it turns out Neighbours is even more ridiculous than I remember it being. The whole place really brought previous employment into perspective. ie: a shambolically run shit hole, with very few properly working systems and absolutely no awareness of staff needs. I could have certainly coped staying a bit longer, but one week was all I got.

I've got the house to myself this weekend, which means I get first crack at the papers and control of the sitting room with the big TV, so the plan is to kill the housework off, find a Cat for purposes of keeping my legs warm and watch England more than likely being stuffed by the Welsh in the Rugby.

Also, While I hold Tony Blair entirely at fault for most of the ills of the modern world and hold great satisfaction of never having voted for him in my life, I laughed like a loon at his sketch for comic relief last night. I may have even clapped. Not much of a fan of Catherine Tate either, but fair do's, she was brilliant. David Tennant wasn't half bad either.

And Matt Lucas as Vicky Pollard. Performance.

Well, thats that then.

So employed? Not so much.

Quit work for good now after the failure of the snow to arrive. Incredibly liberating and a bit terrifying at the same time. But there was no way in hell I was staying a minute longer. There are some things you should never say to anyone, especially if you want them to continue working for you and an awful lot got said today. The question remains is whether to cut my losses now, or sue his arse for constructive dismissal and loss of earnings.

Its tempting.

Serious job hunting will commence tomorrow and I do have the luxury of H's promise of a good reference, which is a comfort. She at least knows what an absolute tit her husband is.

Well, I lasted longer than most employees there and I didn't physically assault him on my way out which has happened twice before apparently. I was tempted briefly to take his head lights out, but hey, the Inland Revenue can do that for me.

Once more unto the breach, unless it snows.

Rather an eventful day all round, considering it was my day off. Work managed 4 phone calls today demanding attention. Which has got to be a new record, but considering the circumstances I was honestly surprised it wasn't more.
A in a masterful stroke hasn't paid the inland revenue an undisclosed amount of money for what I suspect is something to do with PAYE. You do not f**k with the Inland Revenue, at all. They Will Collect. Thus they sent the baliffs around to the shop this morning. A apparently refused to pay and so they're going to repossess his car. Given that his car is a heap of rust and masking tape, I doubt this is going to cover what I expect is quite a large sum.
So cue what was probably a hellish day for poor old P, in which he was instructed to call me about an order I'd done previously in the week, a parcel cock up from yesterday caused by M that I had no dealing with whatsoever, and best of all a mistake on an item stock file that was obviously an input mistake somewhere along the line and was so inconsequential I almost laughed at P when he told me. A always throws his most obnoxious behaviour around when he's under stress and made a cock up, all this adds up to is one hell of an argument with A when I get back to work. The chances of me still being employed by the end of the week are slim to none at the moment.
Hell even on a good day, we haven't managed to talk to each other without devolving into an argument. (We've had some special ones this week, A listened into a minute of conversation I was having with a tech support guy that had lasted half an hour and I was treated to a full ticking off for being to leniant with him. Not to mention his absolute conviction that I should have sold someone another product (that we hadn't got) instead of recommending and ordering something they had specifically requested.)
It would seem the God of something is smiling on me at the moment, because if the man off the telly is to be believed, its going to really snow over night and there is no way I'm going to manage to get to Bristol in those conditions, I'll just take a snow day and tackle this mess on friday.

Wow, what a rant.

Enquiring Minds

For those who have wondered, I kept schtum about this blog until I was sure it wouldn't be a 2 post wonder and a bit sheep like, then I got distracted by stuff, then forgot, then, (Seriously, this is any surprise? I positively excel at being crap at any form of communication) Anyway, there you go.

In other news, I had to venture off the A roads in deepest darkest Somerset this evening, I almost didn't make it out alive.

Geiger counter in my ear!

Tinnitus is having a full rock concert in one of my ears at the moment. Its quite possibly one of the most irritating things ever. I don't usually notice it during the day, too much noise, but it even managed to drown out A today. It doesn't hurt, its just uncomfortable and on the edge of being ticklish. Today its the geiger counter, lots of little clicks very close together. I also get a pinging sound that sounds alot like the crazy frog. The urge to gouge out the whole area is quite high when that happens.

In other news, I've started playing world of warcraft at the little sister behest. Its annoyingly...addictive.

Lazy day and whatnot

Have spent a rather glorious day doing absolutely nothing beyond reading and watching TV. Somewhat marred by evil monthly pains of doom, but I do enjoy a good grump and I managed to work up a good one today. Capped off by little sister having her normal weekly/daily crisis that involves me going out in the rain to do her bidding.

Work tomorrow, which should have the consequences of the latest 'chat' with H that has filtered back to A, probably accompanied by the domestic violence that currently punctuates her communication with him. But not my problem, there's a job advert that I'm hoping will be mine and I'll be free of the place soon. H will have a bit of a shock, I've decided to take 'ownership' of the stock take he has commanded we do, we're going to do it properly, sensibly, thoroughly and sort out all those problems he keeps declaring we have to sort in some generalised future. We will not be doing anything else. This is the january project, the february one will be the website and hey presto, the shop will be all ready for the rearrange! Fancy that.

2007, Looks alot like 2006.

Have survived the festive period and other assorted celebrations reasonably intact and still able to fit in all my clothes, which is a plus.

Birthday came and went as it usually does, there is nothing celebratory about the 2nd of January, regardless of how hard you try. Even the restaurant only had one other couple in it.
Another year older and thirty is beginning to loom large, best not to think about it really.

Was feeling quite chuffed as I had managed to upgrade my internet connection to super speeds and reduce the monthly bill, with the wireless router thrown in for free. Just in time for my shiny new laptop!

The wireless router arrived today and with it the most frustrating 2 hours of my life. Seriously, what flash installation CD actually crashes a perfectly healthy system? Couldn't get the software loaded on my PC, couldn't get the laptop to connect to the server in either wired or wireless mode. It took me three attempts to get it to acknowledge that it didn't have a firewall running. In short, the Orange Livebox is the most uncooperative piece of mass produced crap I've ever had to deal with and is currently doing a stellar job as a stand for the shiny laptop while my trusty speedtouch connection wizzes along as well as its always done. I'll have another go when the urge to chuck it out the window has receded.

In other disturbing news, I found a photo today of myself aged 15. I hadn't changed a bit. I find this deeply worrying, but could go along way to explaining why I still get carded from time to time.