Getting my first comment on blogspot

I am so happy to have had my first comment on Blogger. I had started to wonder if anyone had been reading the posts and more to the point what the thoughts were. True this is my personal bit of the web where it doesn't really matter who or what people think as it's not ably that, but I am delighted to hear that I have helped someone out, especially knowing they were interested in Train2Game (please see my blog about that). I really hope they can now find a better course and path to achieve their goals.

Wedding Day

Went to a friend's wedding yesterday and it was pretty nice. We attended a church and turned up just as the bride was about to walk down the aisle. It was pretty brief, just a couple of tunes played over the PA system and a short service and then it was outside for photos of the grand day.
After we had all been filmed we filtered our way to the reception. It wasn't quite what I think many had expected but what the place lacked in form seemed to make up for in warmth and love as the people all were genuinely very happy.
It's funny thinking that the last wedding I was at was my own!

Heatwave in the UK

It looks as though finally summer has started. Spring showed a taste of what hopefully should be to come and after a few wet days and nights and mud being on the menu at all the festivals (when isn't it?) if today's anything to go by, we are going to be all having a proper summer that will be just what we've wished for - who needs to go abroad when you've got days like these? I just wish I had air con in my car! Man I am roasted!

How do you uninvite someone who's invited themselves?

I was wondering how to uninvite someone who's invited themselves to a family holiday? Both my wife and I were planning to escape to the countryside later this year and our friend ended up inviting herself along with her two kids. Since then we've been wondering if it's such a good idea for a number of reasons but when it's been brought up in conversation she's managed to play on things and avoid getting told she can't come. So now we're left feeling a little cornered into taking them along when it was meant to be a romantic break away. How can you let someone down gently or should it be done quickly and sharply like a plaster?

Helping my neighbour pays!

I got home today to find out my neighbour had asked her carer to deliver a card with a thank you note inside as well as a £10 note to treat ourselves with a drink on her. I feel awful about accepting the money but I don't want to offend by handing it back. We pressed the intercom and said thank you to her and we had a brief conversation. I wonder if she'll start being more involved now? Probably not but I hope she doesn't feel so intimidated.

Good Deed for the Day

I had a shocking day at work and basically when I got home couldn't crawl into bed soon enough. I woke up hearing a gentle tapping on the door and discovered it was my neighbour upstairs. I've never seen or spoken with her in my life (despite being her neighbour for about 2 years - I think this is normal for London). She'd managed to blow the fuses and couldn't get the lights or sockets to work so after a few tentative flicks of the switches, I found it was the kettle fluking the switch as she'd managed to pour water over the base (and power supply).
I hope this means she won't think we're ogres!

Grab an opportunity with both hands...

It's not often you get given a golden opportunity. Sometimes it's not clear to see the potential that something has to offer but if you inspect it closely enough you could well find that it's a perfect step in the right direction. I'm starting to develop some creative ideas and also I keep getting headhunted which is always good. I think things will be changing on the horizon.

Getting Drunk and Partying on a Saturday Night

Staying at home in London is much more preferable than going out these days. You avoid the scrum at the bar, being deafened by loud music and being unable to hear your friends. Staying at home is such a better idea, you can set the mood, pick the entertainment and when the room starts to spin, no taxi rip-offs and you can plonk straight into bed. Also you have no queue waiting at the toilets either.

Cheating boyfriends... exposed!

My friend's got a cheating boyfriend who's just come clean that he's been seeing someone else on the side (we all thought he was anyway so it doesn't come as a total shock). The bad thing is, he has a son who's less than a year old and rather than try to do the right thing, he's still attempting to be a player. He was putting on crocodile tears trying to say he'll make it up to his girlfriend and then as soon as she's out of the door he runs over to his bit on the side.
I had hoped the girl he's with would kick him to the curb and initially she did but he's managed to still balance both of these women somehow. I don't see how this sort of thing can be tolerated or kept going for any length of time.

Bullying at the workplace - how not to motivate your staff!

I've had a really rough day at work. The bosses had taken it upon themselves to get everyone standing up in the office until they sold something. This sort of practice died out in the 80's or 90's but according to the director this is perfectly acceptable to expect.

Thankfully my boss saw through the rubbish and didn't tell myself or my colleague to join in with this barbaric practice and abuse of authority. It's probably just as well as we would have flipped.

We instead left the office to visit the areas around us but the whole time we had our thoughts for those left behind. I was fuming and we made certain to do everything we could to not go back until we absolutely had to.

When we got back we saw everyone completely demoralised and demotivated by the experience. The stupid bosses were all congratulating themselves for their efforts to appease the director. It was totally callous and unfair treatment. Even one girl sold something and sat down but as it was something that was agreed yesterday but the confirmation only came through today she couldn't claim that as a sale and was promptly told to stand back up again.

Maybe somewhere someone thinks that this sort of practice is normal or acceptable and even offers a bit of an edge. It doesn't work though when you have to use the computer to send emails and so on. Sure it may motivate people to push harder to stop the punishment and sit down, but seriously, when we're used to being on our feet (as we're all field sales) it doesn't do anything other than frustrate and hinder us from doing what we need to do when we are in the office.

Needless to say, some girls were crying and everyone resented this practice. And if you look at the fact of what was sold and if indeed it resulted in anything bigger or better than usual, chances are it did absolutely nothing positive and actually made people less enthusiastic and unhappy at the workplace.

I swear, if they try this on and try to make me comply, they will regret it far more than me! I really want to leave this place more than ever now. I'd really like to see these incompetent members of staff leave or be caught out and fired for their inadequacy.

DIY

Went to my sister-in-law's who gave my wife and I some left over paint. We then went to Homebase to pick up some more paint to spruce this place up a bit and make this house more homely by putting our stamp on it. My wife can't wait to be doing something with the place! I'm happy she's happy!

Mid-Week Blues

I know loads of people hate Mondays... others hate Sundays (when you realise it's work or school tomorrow). I am kind of hating Wednesdays, as it's like the deepest part of the ocean e.g. not the beginning and not the end of the week, so you've got no buzz left from the weekend and it's still a while until the next weekend.

Bullying - help, what can I do?

My friend's daughter has been picked on in school by her ex-best friend. She has a small birth mark on the tip of her nose (a large freckle) and of course school kids are being cruel calling her names because of it. I know that this girl who's bullying her is clearly messed up (there's evidence that shows she's been abused) but it's really upsetting to see this sweet kid be upset and afraid of going back to school.
Now I don't condone violence but I could really see some form of satisfaction come from seeing the bully get a dose of her own medicine but I don't know what to do. Has anyone got any advice?
Please bear in mind, there's not much point talking to the parent(s) as they're the ones we suspect doing the abusing behind closed doors and the teachers seem to take the side of the bully (as she keeps framing the other girl for doing stuff she's not doing).

Sri Lanka - Crime Against Humanity

I just saw a harrowing programme on Channel 4 about the recent war in Sri Lanka and how the UN basically ducked out in time to let genocide happen because they were told by the Sri Lankan government that it couldn't guarantee their safety.

Sometimes evil comes more through the lack of doing something rather than the act of letting it happen. When someone needs help I'm inclined to help, so when a nation cries out for help why should I be any different? HOW CAN I HELP?!

I guess it's crazy thinking that one person can make a difference but I pray that somehow this helps and that I can be of more help in the future.

We all know why this happened or more to the point was allowed to happen whilst the world's eyes were drawn away elsewhere. I guess the spotlight has returned to some degree and of course knowing how much of a tourist hotspot this area is but it takes the shine off it somewhat when you know the forces behind the scenes and action that has happened elsewhere.

Systematic extermination of people, whether they're a soldier, sympathiser, civilian, or just unlucky enough to be caught in the middle of it all at the wrong time is still murder, no matter how someone spins it. Having prisoners paraded, tortured and then killed or allowing women to be raped and killed, letting old and young people be blown limb from limb takes the glory out of war, especially when it's an unarmed person seeking refuge and forced from their home and told to go to safety zones which turn out to be concentration camps.

Sure, Tamil Tigers probably were doing their part to make the most of things and using everything they could to cling onto power as the noose was tightened, but seriously, this is just unacceptable and frightening that this happened during the past couple of years!

I hope that those behind these atrocities seek and find forgiveness for their crimes, and I pray that those wronged get everything they lost returned to them and peace is restored fairly.

So it's a stark contrast about the reaction of the various governments in implementing demands in bringing those to justice for crimes against humanity for other people in other countries, and yet those in power in Sri Lanka are not being dragged into a court and made to give account for their actions and pay the price for any wrongdoing.

It makes me sick, it really does and I really feel helpless but I want to do something and I honestly don't know where to begin. Can anyone help? I guess it only takes one to start a revolution!

There's no pleasing some people...

I went to work today and my mate turned up late as he had pulled a muscle in his neck and it was lucky we had him in at all as he seemed in agony. No sooner does he get in my manager calls us to the boardroom for a quick meeting where she basically picked on him for being late and that he's always late on Mondays (he's only had one other late Monday). I just found the whole thing really stupid honestly. What is the guy supposed to do? He comes in and is bullied and if he hadn't have come in, he probably would have only had a slap on the wrist - so he probably should've thought better of it than to make the effort!
Anyway, we managed to escape the office shortly afterwards as we thought the option of dragging our boss out with us would prove less than useful - so we bundled into the car and got away.
When out on patch we visited a few shops and one was handing out smoothies to taste and as we are involved with local magazines the worker suggested speaking with the owner about marketing the business. So we made our way in and was greeted with "What are you trying to sell?" To which we replied nothing, just wondering if he'd seen the magazine at all and if there could be some hope for reviewing and promoting the business. He rudely just interupted to say "Cut to the chase, what are you selling?" So I said "The magazine as we're interested in your business and would like to make it succeed" and again before I could even say anything really he bellowed "Not interested!". To anything we said, he kept repeating "Not interested!" and I just was agast really as he was so rude and I had to laugh really quite openly as there he was tucked away on his own table, piercing in his eyebrow, chav hoodie clothing and reading The Sun (as that's mostly pictures probably). I just turned around saying "it's a shame you won't let us help you make this place busy, cos you clearly need the business - just take a look around, this place is empty and everytime I've come by it's been the same! - Perhaps you can't afford to advertise this business as you have no buyers!" My colleague just turned around shortly after and was apologised to by the other member of staff.
I was really up for a proper fight and usually I'd stay cool but after the day like today and being greeted with such hostility, I thought we had nothing to lose! I really hope his business fails as he's such a nasty piece of work!

Discovering British Countryside and the main thing to say is Southampton sucks!

I went around the UK today for a short spin to see what I could find. My wife and I went to Salisbury and that was pretty nice looking with some lovely historical buildings. There were a few kids trying to act hard but coming from London, they wouldn't last a second.
We turned around to Southampton and discovered it really sucks! Talk about thoroughly lame! Driving around and getting held up by the hundreds of traffic lights and interlinking roads we ended up looking at the marina and it was almost like nearly every other one... utterly pointless expensive development surrounding a haven for boats. I couldn't possibly imagine anyone really looking at the shallow and heartless developments and thinking "I really want to live here!" it missed every part of what makes a house a home. I'm sure there's someone who'll love something that serves a purpose but the song "Little Boxes" lept to mind.
Eventually getting free of that awful location (via the rugby and cricket ground - which equally are located in bizarre locations), we ended up heading towards Midhurst but sadly there was a massive accident and we had to turn around and made our way to London instead. Devil's Punchbowl is a nice place and the forest surrounding it is so cool.
The heavens opened up as per usual with a British Summer. We got to see a variety of wild animals too today including a Fox, Badger, Eagle, around a hundred Magpies, a Rabbit and a Squirrel. Sadly all but the birds and rabbit were squished road-kill! Not a pheasant in sight though... blasted birds - they really are suicidal I swear!

Going out with my baby...

We're on the road again today and where we go no-body knows! I love random adventures and excursions... especially with my boo! :)

Going down to the pub to kick start the weekend!

I'm so shattered but I really am looking forward to having a quiet night out with the wife and friends for a couple of pints.

A busy but great day!

I have had a frantic week and it was capped off with a manic day. I got to work on time, avoiding the rain and the worst of the traffic. I got straight on with work, given a special project selling a summer guide special magazine for London. I made the first sale and then made another and virtually nothing else shifted during the day for anyone else.
I got a chocolate bar as a prize - it felt a bit like I was a dog performing a trick and getting a treat as a reward. I'd much rather get a fairer deal than the one everyone gets at work - but that's for another time.
What made my day was I got to speak with someone at FrightFest which hosts some great events. I found out that they could need some editorial contributions (not that I doubt for a second they struggle to get offers). I put this to one side for me to tackle outside of work hours.
I then got speaking with another client who I a reply from an earlier email from a listing on Gumtree who are looking for someone who can do some editorial for them. I'm keen to get any editorial work but I hope I can work something which means I get paid for my contributions.

Should I go to the doctors about a problem I think I have?

I've had a spot in a sensitive part of my body come and go for quite a while. It's not dangerous as far as I can tell, just gets sore and flares up from time to time. I'm not one for really wanting to go and hassle the GP for one reason or another, but it isn't going and I think I may have bite the bullet to get it checked out.

Losing your wallet really sucks!

After a tough day at the office all you really want to do is put your feet up and veg out to slowly thaw out and start to feel a bit more human. Well, when you have to throw into the mix your weekly shopping, it's fairly safe to say you're likely to feel a little frazzled and struggle to make it through the evening without incident. Take my poor wife for example, we went shopping and left the shops to start flipping out that the purse has gone! We quickly spin back around and check the car over again, looking in all the bags and running through the security tapes to see if the purse is able to be found.
We resign ourselves to the fact that we were going to have to cancel the cards and all that fun stuff but as luck would have it, the purse had managed to drop out between the seats of the car! So, heart attack over with and crisis averted. It's just funny how she was more concerned about wasting people's time hunting for the thing than anything else! But as the shop assistant said, these things happen!

Feeling Broody

I went to my friend's daughters birthday party today after work and it was really quite similar to the sorts of birthday parties I was used to when I grew up - loud screaming kids, balloons, cake and lots of sweets!
I was feeling a little old but I ended up chilling out minding over the baby once things were quieting down and I ended up having quite a decent chat to this gurgling little fellow. Interspersed with the squeals and drool, he and I seemed to build up a bit of a bond and as it was getting late I could tell he was starting to get a little tired so rather than leave him I decided to rock him and sure enough after a little bit he nodded off and I just had a really good vibe and I think it's fairly safe to say I'm feeling pretty paternal and broody right now... I guess it's different having your own kids and sure there's the whole benefit of being able to hand them back to the child's parents after you're done with them, but I really would like to have a little sprog sometime and watch them grow and turn out to be whatever they end up being and being amazed at how they develop from the little bundle of joy to who they turn out to be (still hopefully being a joy rather than pain!).

My PC is totally screwed!

After a day at work, don't you just hate it when you get home to find that somehow, someone's managed to hack your PC and put on some evil malware trojan virus thing which just corrupts the system and causes you to spend more hours than you care to believe trying to undo their evil work! So to all you hackers and evil people who make these damn things, you really should stop! Don't you realise you're only fuelling the needs of these anti-virus software companies which makes them richer! So much for anti-capitalism or whatever you believe in!