Be Excellent To Each Other

Your PM inbox be HOT, mofo.

My inbox trembles with gratitude, sir.

After a week of rest, decided to walk the length of the Malvern Hills yesterday, and then do a stupid hill run today... my calves are killing me.

http://www.polygon.com/2015/4/6/8285529 ... ss-history

Really interesting article on the history of Looking Glass (Ultima Underworld / System Shock / Thief)

One for Mimi.

http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/06/anim ... ng-chrome/

Been lovely here this afternoon.

Hahaha! I have downloaded it and it is playing now!

Coincidentally I was thinking of the Animal Crossing Soundtrack CD I got from my Secret Santa for Christmas whilst I was at work today. I want to get a baby monitor and have seen one that you can play MP3s via, and was thinking how lovely some of teh AC tracks would be for that

I have AC music playing now

A tip.

When you are buying a box of cocktail straws, that only come in boxes of 1000, make sure you order the right size, and not ones that don't even reach over the rim of your gin glasses.



Anyone want some straws?

So, what DO the lyrics to Amercan Pie mean, apart from Don McLean 'never having to work again' (his words, apparently)?

I have this sneaky suspicion that they mean bugger all, like so many lyrics. They just rhyme and scan nicely when sung, and in this case probably mean that they will generate a top-up for Don's pension, now that more copies will be sold to people who don't already own it/have lost their copy and who want to try to solve the puzzle.

I could be wrong, of course.

Well most of it is impenetrable toss, but it's 'about' the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valence, and The Big Bopper. And, like, that being the day the music died, and shit.

I've never driven a Chevy to the levy, but I did once drive a Mazda to the Asda.

As soon as as the grounds keepers move their van, I can take the child to North Korea (Or Holywell Bay, as it is known here).

That's just the start, man.

It goes on for frickin ages after that.

Looks like I'm being sent to Amsterdam for 3 months, which is a bit annoying.
Still, there are worse cities to work in!

It seems Byron are throwing themselves into the utterly ludicrous dog pile that is Glasgow's burger restaurant 'scene'. Are they any good London folks? Should I care?

For a chain, they're decent. Good, well cooked burgers, but nothing wildly exciting.

They don't seem to offer to put peanut butter on a burger for me so they're already losing points.

The Byron is right next to the GBK on George Street here in the 'Ford. I think GBK has the edge, although Atomic Burger on the Cowley Road is better than both.

Byron are better burgers (though the GBK Salvador is pretty epic). GBK is great for a multiplicity of toppings, though most are stupid.

GBK garlic mayo is the shiz. It's weapons grade.

I had a relatively normal burger from GBK the first time I went and wasn't at all impressed but the second time I had the Camemburger which threw loads of good stuff on it (including the fucking lovely onion jam) and that was a lot better.

That's the USP of Byron. Just burgers. Not some flimsy bun and paddy used solely as a vehicle for the conveyance of sauce/topping.

Speaking of burgers, the 'Big and Tasty' I had at the Mcdonalds at Taunton Deane services was neither.

Paddy?

Irish beef be the best.

Sum bleddy lovely me booties.

Surf was only 18 inches so I did not resent not go in in too much

Amsterdam is an awesome city. Chilled out residents, vibrant night life, etc. it is bloody expensive eating out though and there's the constant threat of being mown down by cyclists who appear to view the city centre streets as a demolition derby.
Still, I'm jealous.

Party at Trooper's!

We're waiting for the big house!

Tell me about it...

Watching the rest of "Coalition". It really is very good. Some spanking character actors, and it's quite entertaining reliving it all.

Really really hope you get your dream place, Trooper. You both absolutely deserve every happiness and I hope luck is always on your side xx

<hugs>

It's looking likely, but it's been a long old road to get here, and still a ways to go.

A potted history:
House up north made getting a mortgage tricky, so that took a while.
My flat was undervalued, so the buyer had to apply for a different mortgage, which took a while.
Person i'm buying from is going in for a back operation this week, so will be out of action for a bit.
Person who is buying mine still has a rental contract till July. He was happy to move in March, as he could find someone to take over his lease, but after that it would be tricky as the lease would be so short. Now March has passed he wants to move in June so he doesn't have to pay rent and mortgage at the same time for too long.
The company who look after my ground rent don't have a phone number, only an email address. Which they never respond to. That caused another delay.
Etc...

Upshot it we still haven't exchanged yet, and the move date is planned to be the start of June at the moment.

We have just put our gaff on the market, so we've got all this fun ahead of us again. Good luck troops

Good luck.

Aww, it will all be worth it in the end when you have your lovely new home.





And your house warming party.

Are you heading East?

Move to Bedford, it's the done thing these days.

#rosetilclose

Potentially, yes, but not by more than about a mile.

Oddly enough, though, I got called about a very very good job down in Reigate yesterday. I'm about to decline to apply for it though.

All the very best people work in Reigate.

Speaking of which, Bedforders, how awful is the London commute in terms of rammajamm trains? Getting in at 8am, leaving at 6pm. Can one normally get a seat?

If you leave from Bedford on a "slow" train (stops at Luton, LAP, Harpenden, St. Albans, St. Pancras, Farringdon, Blackfriars, carries on down south) then yes, 100%. Harpenden is the first station when seat availability becomes an issue.
If you get a "fast" train (stops at Luton and terminates an St. Pancras) then it's not always a sure thing, but it's pretty likely.

Cheers, that's good to know. Would be aiming for a fast train, as with the time the slow train takes you could be living by the seaside, fighting seagulls, eating chips.

As I have to go to Blackfriars, it makes no difference to me - the fast train is 45 minutes and the slow one 62, so if I got the fast train and changed at St Pancras I'd be changing onto the same slow train anyway

On which you'd be guaranteed to be standing.

Yup.

...and paying a lot more for a smaller house, and standing all the way, and paying more for your season ticket

and fighting seagulls. Don't forget the seagulls.

It's tempting. What's Bedford like? Chavvy urchins fighting on the streets?

It's a bog standard old town really, some nice bits, some chavs, usual chain bars and restaurants, with a few independents dotted around.
I'm not actually moving to Bedford, I'm moving to a village just outside it.

Well, with all fingers and toes crossed once you do move just don't ask for Russell's help with decorating. Unless you want a Bob Ross style landscape. I, however, am a dab hand with a paintbrush and will work for Pringles