Musings From The Chair

I just had 11 hours sleep  - went to bed at 8pm last night. Nice and refreshed.

Also, had some very vivid dreams. I am the weirdo who not only remembers their dreams, but also the characaters, what they were wearing and even what they said and can replay them like a movie in my mind, even ones I had years ago. I guess that's because I have a very vivid imagination.

Nothing has been going on of late - I might got to the cinema next week to see The Other Boleyn Girl. And I have bought 3 Muse albums (for Hubster) and he has got me the new Duffy album. I also have Blue Harvest - Family Guy's take on Star Wars to watch and David Tennant's version of Casanova to watch. So it's media all the way for me. May sit in the garden (as the sun is out and it's not raining at the moment) to get my fix of the sunshine. I can't wait for it to arrive. When do the clocks go forward again? I take that as my yardstick for when the good weather kicks in.

Nice moustache...

Don't forget to put the cat food and water down before you go to bed. At 6am this morning you'd think Armageddon was taking place in Chez-Gil.

Savage fur fights, small animal blood smeared on the walls, the loudest and wailiest of moos as if calls were being made across the meadows in sympathy to other under-fed over-starved fat bastards who do nothing but sleep all day.

I honestly think if I'd waited a second longer to prise myself out of bed for a wee I would have got my head thoroughly clawed in. God praise the good weather will arrive soon. Methinks cabin fever is starting to send my boys over the edge...

Oh, and after Hubster brought a car because the old one was playing up, he has now since solved the problem with the first one. He loves both, and is now torn between the two. So I ask you. Which one would you prefer? Comfort or Fun? Airbus or Boeing? Sophistation or a Roguish Charm? James Bond or Indiana Jones? Help him decide, please....No, really. Please.

I reckon Indy's gonna win.

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Edited by Gil's other half with permission !

A weird comparison indeed, my love, but for those who can't quite make the mental leap... here's the dilemna.

My BMW had been giving me grief, on and off, for around six months and it had to go. There were a few cosmetic things that needed attention to make it attractive to another buyer, so I had them done. Lo and behold, one of the 'cosmetic' things turned out to be quite critical and fixed all the problems I'd been having !

In the meantime, I'd raided the trusty savings account and bought a Volvo estate. Boring, boring, boring, right ? Except this one has been modified to produce over 400bhp, along with suspension modifications, brakes.. everything. It is, what we car-geeks term, a Q-car. It looks like a Volvo estate (because, well, it is), but it will do a standing quarter mile drag-race in 11 seconds and out-perform seriously expensive sports cars from about 30 through to very-illegal mph.

The BMW has sat-nav, phone, 12 speaker surround system stereo, is hugely comfortable and quiet. It is ever so slightly dull, and illicits a lot of two-fingered salutes from other road-users which I can only assume is a modern way of showing appreciation for a fine automobile. Gil won't drive it, either, due to an incident involving a brick pillar and thinking that the faster the beeps on the parking sensors.. well.. beep... the faster you are meant to reverse. Seriously.

The Volvo has none of the above, crashes around the roads due to having rubber-bands for tyres, the stereo is pants, but it makes you giggle like a school-girl when you drive it. It is, frankly, mental yet brilliant.

I won't be allowed to keep both and I'm just procrastinating now.

Provide links and pics if you want, would be good.

1. Latest blog friend? Why?

Rubychoo. Find her blog interesting - and sometimes surreal. I love that. Also met her at the blogmeet last November. Go, Choo!

3. Groups. Good, bad, annoying?

Good. Although the photography group seems to be monopolising things a bit! I'm sure it'll die down, just goes to show what a popular hobby it is. I've seen some amazing photos on there. I have my own group, but it's not that popular at the moment. Am dying to start the nonswindon group, but don't want to tread on AJ's toes.

4. Who do you miss the most from your blogfriends that have left BCUK?

Little Nate and Lindow. They blogged infrequently, but they were quite personal and very articluate and funny. Both of them always got lots of comments and I will miss them both, I don't think they'll be back.

5. Who out of your blog friends that have since left do you not really miss?

I have to say (sorry) Steph. Bloscar winner or not, at the end of the day, she was quite annoying. Was funny to see the Steph parody. I shouldn't have laughed, but I did.

6. Would you want to meet the bloggers who are your blog friends in real life?

Yes - have and did. I can thoroughly recommend it. People on BCUK (I'm sure with the very rare exception) are pretty much the persona that they blog. I can vouch for that.

8. What is the most annoying thing about using BCUK?

At the moment, not being able to alter the design of my group, although I understand it is at BETA stage and that will change. I think that the design functions could be a little user friendly - took me a while to get to grips with it when I first started.

9. Are you a Pro? Why/Why not?

I am a Pro, probably after my first day. Fancied havng a nice design for my blog, which you need a pro acount for. Oh, and to get rid of the ads - yes, I think that was the main thing! Also get tonnes of image space, it's like £2 a month or something anyway.

10. Post a link to your very FIRST blog post here, so everyone can have a laugh....

12. Do you think blogging has improved your life?

I'd like to think yes, but not sure how or why. I certainly have more friends in my life, and that's never a bad thing.

But what about? Haven't been up to much. Went to the cinema in a vain attempt ot have a social life (Cloverfield - review on film group blog). Had a very stressful time at Barrow-In-Furness on a job, but all turned out OK (I think). Managed to sneak in a trip to Furness Abbey though - will try and getsome photos of that up soon.

We have done so well this year with our targets that my target next year is huge (but I have been promised another assistant - hmmm, we'll see if that pans out). Still toying with the idea of doing another Masters this autumn (distance learning). I keep procrastinating about it, but think I will do it to keep the old brain active and also make myself better at  my job (not that I'm bad at my job, but you can always strive to be the best, can't you?). Lots of people are pregnant or have just given birth. Gonna have to start writing down lots of dates in my diary for even more birthdays. Meh.

Have been watching Ashes to Ashes and Torchwood (still can never decide whether Torchwood is a lame pile of tosh or really good - I think it tries too hard all the time, and the characters are all rather annoying. Not liking them means that that you're not that bothered about them. Ashes to Ashes is excelllent, though - 'fire up the Quattro!' and gloy gum, and an evil Zippy & George from Rainbow (which is just wrong). Keely Hawes needs a few good sqaure meals, though. I was thinking by the time this is over, they could do one in the early 90s, which will be almost 20 years ago in 2010 (scary thought). Bowie song in the early 90s though? They were the Tin Machine years, hm.

I was particluarly pleased to find that there was a 'Diana Monkey'  - although hiding at the time, the plaque was very informtaive:

I particluarly like the bit about filling my cheek pouches and then descending to eat at leisure. I do that too! Here is an actual Diana Monkey for those who want to know. He/She is not a huge baboon with a big red arse, as people were trying to tell me - so there!

So what do people think about these groups then? They snuck up on me pretty quick, but they seem very good. Was toying with the idea of a sci fi group, although we do have notswindon, nobody has written anything for a while, and don't want to abandon it for the sake of AJ and CJ, although it's been pretty quiet of late.

But there you go. Time to put some eggs on for breakfast and then I shall write my work to do list, which is always another good procrastinator.

Speak to you later, Gil xx