What’s right?

Apr 5

Posted by admin in It's All About Me, Learning | No Comments

Y and I sat and talked.

Sometimes it probably sounded like we were fighting.

But we were talking.

We were in the Belguim Beer House in Clerkenwell.

We drank lots!

We wanted to work out what should be next for us.

The little issue with the dog at The Barbican has got us thinking about which way we should turn, whether we should carry on in our well paid jobs that we don’t give a toss about. Sorry, but it’s true.

Or should we leap into the unknown.

That would be OK if we had a clue about what we can do well enough to make it worth someone paying us to do it.

There must be something.

But how do you work through such questions?

Does anyone really love what they do?

Or are we in the minority as folk who don’t know?

We talked. Lots.

But we haven’t found an answer.

Yet we’re both happy knowing that we did a little searching.

What is City Visitor all about?

Apr 4

Posted by admin in London, The World | No Comments

I guess when I’m in London I sort of know where I go to get anything I need, and being in a fairly big banking office i can just ask someone and find whatever I don’t know. But outside of town, well I’m a bit lost really. So of late I’ve started using City Visitor for a number of jobs where I’ve had to find something like say a hairdresser in Bristol or how about finding a solicitor in Manchester? I guess it’s just a fairly simple advertising site really, but while it turns up the information I need then it’ll do for me. As it matures it’ll get better too, at the moment the range of places isn’t quite there, but each time I come back to it I find it’s a bit better. It makes me think about what it must be like not to have the amazing network the bank provides, like for example my mum, if she needs something she’s most likely to ask me to sort it out, not because she’s lazy, just because she doesn’t know who else to ask, and because I usually turn up the goods. Mum, if you’re daft enough to read the drivel I write on a regular basis, please don’t worry, I don’t mind in the least. In fact I actually enjoy the opportunity to do something for you.

PayPal

Mar 30

Posted by admin in Banking | No Comments

I just remembered the rants I was having at Paypal a couple of weeks back.

We’d received a nasty and threatening letter about us owing them money, but we knew that it definitely wasn’t our debt.

I spoke to several arsy people who just seemed to push me from one place to another, then this week I decided to give it one more go. I got an Irish lad who told me that it happens all the time and that I should ignore it!

I was happy to get a degree of resolution, but frankly I was even more pissed off at the company than before. Some poor sods would have been really upset by the letter, in fact Y was even though she understands some of the ways such things work. I imagine my mother in the situation and it makes my blood run hot.

Well I’m not forgetting it, I’ll just file it away like some Norman and refer back to it should I get any other grief from them in future.

Beware of mail that isn’t quite right!

PLymouth

Mar 29

Posted by admin in The way we live | No Comments

So old Baz wants to start a new life in Plymouth.

I asked him that most obvious but boring question of “Why?”.

And I was quite delighted when he answered that it’s because he has never been there before, knows nothing about the place, but heard someone mention it and thought that it would do nicely.

Of course I’d have been a whole lot more excited if he’d applied the same logic and decided to go live in Japan, or even France. It’d kind of mean I could live some of my fantasies through my mate if he hit either of those – I’ve always loved France and the French, and I’m fascinated by Japan even though I know little about it.

But Plymouth it is. Well, it’s a stop off point on the way to Cornwall I guess. I’m deliberately looking at post codes of places out near the A38 when we’re searching for a place for him. A decent sized flat with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, I’m happy to keep one clean for our visits, as Y wouldn’t go near anywhere Baz considered to be clean enough.

Let’s see what happens. It might all blow over tomorrow.

Friends on the move

Mar 28

Posted by admin in Home | No Comments

My man Barry. Overweight but trying to get sorted Barry. Has decided to change his life.

His idea of doing this is not to carry on cycling or jogging, or cutting down the booze, or even getting a new job.

No. Barry has decided to chuck in everything and move to a new city.

For no good reason that I can decipher he has chosen the once busy naval town of Plymouth.

Plymouth?

Rebuilt in the 50s and 60s after taking a serious pounding in the second world war, Plymouth is not your archetypal dream destination. In fact I’d go as far as to say that most of it is bloody ugly.

None the less I’m now helping Baz to buy a house in Plymouth, scanning all the property ads. I suggested that he just rent at first, but he reckons it’ll be too easy for him to back out if he does that.

I can’t say that I’ve been overly supportive of the idea. In fact I’ve been downright blunt and told him that I think he’s off his head, the only bit I agree with is his need for change, but really I’m only thinking of diet, job, girlfriend and getting a decent flat. OK. Maybe he has a point.

Dog Days, they’re on again!

Mar 26

Posted by admin in London | No Comments

We spent the weekend worried about little Sheila and whether or not we’d have to move out after someone must have reported us for having her in the flat. We started trying to decide whether we were finally going to buy in London again, or whether we would take the leap and buy out of town, and even tried to think whether we would even contemplate giving Sheila to a friend. She’s such a top little character that I don’t  think we’d have much trobule finding someone who’d care for her for a few months while we got sorted out.

Then this morning I rang the Corporation and came clean immediately and admitted and laid on the violins about what a sound and well behaved dog she is. I said we were renting and hadn’t realised that she wasn’t allowed, but also that we have been there for the best part of a year and to our knowledge no one has had cause to complain.

And the girl just said “Fine”.

What? Like fine no problem?

Yep. Exactly that.

We’re off out in a minute to celebrate our relief and joy!

Shame we didn’t actually drive any useful conclusions out of the experience though. Ah well.

Oops. Trouble with the dog!

Mar 22

Posted by admin in The way we live | No Comments

Oh bugger!

We’ve had a letter from the Corporation telling us off for having the dog in the flat. That means some arse with nothing better to do must have grassed me up. Or grassed the dog up at least.

This could be a proper problem and may mean we’d have to move. We knew that you’re not allowed dogs in the Barbican, but thought we’d try our luck as we know ours isn’t the only one.

If we have to move it would be a pain on various levels. One is that we love living here, but also the whole thought of moving is just too much. I wonder if it’s time for us to actually find a flat to buy again?

Watch this space, it could be all change again for Y & S.

And no. Getting rid of Sheila is not an option.

Study

Mar 20

Posted by admin in Learning | No Comments

Y has been studying for a while now, and I’m often dragged in to help the family’s older kids with their coursework, which is actually quite interesting as I’m learning alongside them quite often. I’ve subscribed to updates from a few sites that help out, whether paid or free, and this is a link to a new site called marked by teachers. It’s not actually live yet, but it looks as if it’ll be a good one. The kids like the excuse to come up to town and stay at ours for a night and so I’m sure they’ll just keep coming. If I knew what I wanted to have a go at I’d quite like to fit a bit of study into my already crowded life too, but other than Spanish I don’t know there’s anything I fancy.

How funny. As soon as I’d typed that line the subjects started flooding into my head! Certainly Spanish, but then I’d like to understand a bit more about political history, of Europe, Russia, China and other countries. And the other thing I’d be interested in looking at is completely different – I’d love to properly understand  energy use in buildings with a view to consulting on reducing it. As we move to a crazy escalation of fuel bills in the coming years I think people will finally start taking the subject seriously. It’ll be interesting to see how governments handle the pressure they’ll come under to bring prices down when markets will force them up.

Rugby!

Mar 19

Posted by admin in Sport | No Comments

There’s blokes who like to sped their time with blokes.

Blokes who like to spend their times with women.

And there’s blokes who seem to like their time on their own and consider that precious.

I fall a little in each category, but probably least in the first.

That makes it all the more strange that I completely enjoyed going to the rugby to watch the six nations Ireland and England match at the weekend. It was a full hospitality affair in the Will Carling suite. Carling himself was an excellent the host, cracking a lot of jokes through the afternoon and telling entertaining stories even for a non-rugby fan such as myself.

Four of us went along, two old boys and two in their forties.

A few stars turned up, though of course I missed most of them. Daniel Craig was the only person I recognised.

I’m sure the excellent score line helped too, and the entertainment of the whole day was a cracker.I won’t rush to my next game as that would be silly, but I’ll try to make another before long.

Back at home Y managed to spend as much on a day of pampering as my mate did on our tickets, but then it mean that back at home as was happy, even when I rolled in several hours later than I expected to, drunk as a wheel, and fell to sleep with in minutes, but that was probably some kind of defence strategy to save me getting into trouble.

An old people’s film?

Mar 14

Posted by admin in Film | No Comments

Y’s folks are not the cinema going types, but a whole gang of wrinklies went to see the recent Anglo Indian Most Exotic Marigold Hotel, they loved it and so suggested that we went too.

Now parents suggestions of films are not necessarily the most obvious ones to follow, but last night I met Y in town and we saw an early showing.

And utterly loved it.

Set in Jaipur mainly it tracks eight English oldies on a trip that is supposed to be to their alternative retirement home. It combines all sorts of messages and stereotypes in a completely charming film that makes you laugh and cry, even at the same time now and then. And it actually made me want to go there which is hugely unusual for me.

To pull off so many transformations in a two hour film is quite an achievement but it didn’t feel forced to me. Though I have to say I’ easily pleased.

We watched Top Gun in the week too. We were both about twelve when it came out so it was rather different to watch as an adult, and no less fun. I do love a good film!

I’ve realised that I haven’t mentioned work in ages, that’s probably because it’s bobbing along ok at the moment. No horrible stresses, and not even the threat of a structure change on the horizon for a while. I don’t trust the calm!

Anyway, go see Exotic Marigold. It’d be a hard nosed person who didn’t enjoy it.