Owner: London Calling URL:http://beansmail.blogspot.com Join Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2008 01:15:18 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Daily (well sometimes) observations on living and working in London Site statistics:Click here
Frog emergency 2008-04-03 03:18:00 Before I went to bed last night I went out into the garden to see how the occupants of the pond were doing.
We were very concerned to find a small frog tangled in the netting. At first we thought it was was just his foot that was tangled, but we soon discovered that he was completely caught, and had somehow got his head and arms into various knots.
Rich eventually managed to cut out the section
Motoring On Today (MOT) 2008-04-07 11:46:39 Despite the earlier gloomier prognosis that the car would not be ready to be collected by half past five I received a call at 10 before five to let me know that the car was in fact ready.
I arrived at the Testing Station to find an argument ensuing as to whether the car was in fact ready to leave of not (something to do with a clip and the chassis). It was eventually decided that, yes, the car Read more:Motoring
, Today
Another cold day in April 2008-04-07 06:39:17 I don't think that April
showers will be bringing out the flowers this year. Not if it stays as cold as it is, because then there is a good chance that it will snow.
I had to take the car to the garage for it's MOT this morning, and along the way I noticed a plethora of yellow signs on the lamp posts and lots of 'no entry' signs stacked adjacent to all the turnings. That is because this weekend
I'm only sleeping 2008-04-07 02:30:30 One of the most annoying things in the world, I find, is not being able to sleep properly. I love to sleep... I could probably list it on my CV as a hobby. If it was an Olympic sport I'd definitely be competing. The various steroids I took last month messed with my sleep pattern to the point where I was only getting about four hours sleep a night. Beyond irritating. I usually could fall asleep OK
Snooze Sunday 2008-04-06 22:28:51 This afternoon should have been quite exciting, as it was the Bahrain Grand Prix. So exciting that I fell asleep during the race. Apart from a few scuffles (mostly involving the British drivers) there wasn't much of interest that happened. Poll-sitter Kubica lost his place pretty much off the start, and sadly never got it back (sadly because I don't like Ferraris). Nothing so far this season has Read more:Snooze
, Sunday
More movies 2008-04-06 21:16:52 The concerted movie watching continues unabated. The most recent movie is Ratatouille. An absolutely top class animation from Pixar. Generally a pretty enjoyable movie, although the impression towards the end was that there was too much story and too little time as the storyline seemed somewhat truncated. The rendition of Paris was superb as was the quality of the animation generally. Not a bad Read more:movies
Home Working 2008-04-09 11:35:33 Home working is recommended for all sorts of reasons. Help save the planet, bin the daily commute; work from home! Help unburden the over-taxed public transport infrastructure, bin the daily commute; work form home! If you have poor health, or child-care issues; once again, the ideal solution. I've always liked working from home. I first utilised it many (many) years ago on the occasion of a
Plus ça change... 2008-04-09 11:26:51 ...plus c'est la même chose
Despite several weekends worth of being close for the "TfL Investment Programme" (or whatever it calls itself) I don't know why I expected any improvement on the Jubilee Line since last we are acquainted.
I arrived at North Greenwich this morning to find sever delays being advertised (despite the fact that the travel news had been checked as I left the house). Thick
Lost Day 2008-04-13 05:37:37 I lost today to a horrible migraine. Woke up this morning feeling nauseous and my head splitting in two. So took some paracetamol, put on my eye mask and went back to sleep.
Woke up again several hours later not feeling any better; so took more paracetamol, put my eye mask back on and went back to sleep.
Finally woke up in the early afternoon feeling a little better, with just a dull ache in my
More de-clutter 2008-04-13 05:34:53 I decided that the bedroom is still in dire need of de-clutter
ing. The shelves that are still full of Beanies even though I've pretty much stopped collecting now. They sit there and gather dust, and take up space. So I decided that it is time to put them away, or as much as could be managed.
First we consolidated the video tape collection which lives on top of the wardrobe to make some extra
Marathon Sunday 2008-04-13 05:28:25 I can't believe that it's that time of y ear again already. Pretty much the whole of the borough of Greenwich (and a lot of the rest of South, East and Central London) comes to a virtual standstill. I didn't think that I'd make it out to watch this year, due to my terrible cold that insists on hanging around, but I felt much better when I woke up this morning, so made my way to the end of the Read more:Marathon
, Sunday
Spring is sprung 2008-04-15 11:34:01 Today was a working from home day. This morning was so cold I had to put the heater on as I sat at my desk and my hands turned blue!
When the sun is out it is a pretty nice day. This afternoon turned so warm that I had to turn off the heater and open the window (go figure).
I took a break from working to go and have a quick wander in the garden. Sadly necessary. As my desk is in the bedroom Read more:Spring
, sprung
Oh Dear, O2 2008-04-14 14:29:02 The Jubilee Line was beyond packed this evening. At first I thought this was because our train was 'regulating it's service' and spending at least 5 minutes at every station between Waterloo and Canary Wharf. When there was a mass exodus at North Greenwich I quickly changed my mind and surmised that the O2 must be to blame.
The crowd control barriers were up on platform 3. They finally seem to
Halfway there... 2008-04-17 03:00:59 ...both metaphorically and physically.
Today was an office day; that is to say that I was working at the office rather than from home. Each has its merits and each has its drawbacks. Merits of the office: well obviously I have more resources (both in terms of information in the office and on the office computer system) and specialist software, the office telephone system (even my new mobile with Read more:Halfway
Morning tech news 2008-04-18 03:51:57 FAST weighs in to piracy row - Web User News
However, FAST and the BPI's wishes to implement a system that would see persistent downloaders cut off were dealt a serious blow by the European Parliament recently when it ruled that cutting off customers was a 'breach of human rights'.Since when has an internet connection been a human right? Does that mean that all the people who can't afford one can Read more:Morning
All quiet in SE7 2008-04-18 03:46:57 Things have been pretty quiet this week. I haven't come across much news (interesting or otherwise). I haven't done much except go to the office a couple of days and work from home the rest... it really has been very quiet.
I've discovered a new hobby in my leisure time. Genealogy. I'm trying to put together my family tree. When I told my grandmother she said "Oh, you should ask your Uncle, I
Stand clear of the doors please 2008-04-21 07:43:10 This morning my journey to work started quite well. I only had to wait a few minutes for a 486 to take me to North Greenwich, and the bus encountered no traffic and not too many passenger stops. I arrived at North Greenwich and to my delight found a train on platform 2 (the reversible platform where trains which terminate at North Greenwich turn round and go out again). This means that you get a Read more:Stand
Movie night (again) 2008-04-21 07:36:55 Last night we watched 'The Good Shepherd' tagged as "The secret story of the birth of the CIA". Except, not so much. I don't know if I expected more history or more spying, but there wasn't really much of either. We'd not got around to watching this for ages due to the extreme running time (something over two and a half hours), but I'd really been looking forward to it. The acting it should be
Euro-whiff 2008-04-21 07:32:45 In London on Friday 18th April there was (so I'm told) a very bad smell. I didn't experience this first hand as I didn't go outside much on Friday, but a friend told me of her experience of a bad odour walking down Holborn. She attributed to a fast-food restaurant but it turns out that there was a more meteorological explanation (or so they would have us believe). The malodorous experience was
Greenwich nightlife 2008-04-21 07:24:50 Last night myself and a friend went out on the town in Greenwich. It's been a while since we've done this (before Christmas in fact). First we went to the delightful 'Gypsy Moth' (which is confusingly right next to the Cutty Sark, which means that I always want to call it by the wrong ship's name!). I first made the acquaintance of this pub about 7 years ago when Rich and I used to go there a lot Read more:nightlife
More Monday musings 2008-04-22 07:41:01 After the broken down train in the morning by the time it came to my evening journey yesterday I thought that I had probably paid my penance to the Jubilee line for one day. I was wrong.
I just missed a train as I was getting to the platform (if I had really hurried I might have made it) but it looked a bit crowded and the departure board said that another one would be along in a minute. Another Read more:Monday
Earth Day 2008-04-22 03:41:25 According to my wall calendar today is 'Earth
Day'. I had to check this on-line as my wall calendar isn't to be trusted. It has nothing listed for tomorrow, for example, even though tomorrow is St. George's Day. I'd say it was because my calendar isn't religious... but it lists religious feast in several languages for multiple religions. I checked and neither St Andrew (Scotland) or St David ( Read more:Earth Day
It must be Thursday... 2008-04-24 07:36:20 ...as it was another bad morning for the Jubilee Line... in the manner of Arthur Dent and the Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, it would seem that it never could get the hang of Thursday
.
I got to North Greenwich to find them announcing 'severe delays' on the Jubilee Line (again!). From the ticket hall level I could see down to platforms 1 and 2, and there were a lot of people waiting on
Mango 2008-04-23 13:34:39 For some time I've been considering getting a new phone for the house. We had a digital phone with an extension upstairs in the bedroom, which was great. The trouble was that the display on the downstairs phone was going, which meant you couldn't double check the number you had dialled, but other than that it all worked OK. Then last week the upstairs phone started acting up. The sound quality Read more:Mango
Rubbish... 2008-04-25 07:31:06 ...collection day in my part of the Borough of Greenwich, yesterday.
Regular readers will be aware that we have been under a new refuse collection regime in Greenwich. There are two types of rubbish... rubbish you recycle or compost and rubbish that you don't. The bins with dry recycling and the bins with the food and garden waste are collected every week. The black bags which contain all other
More movies and Sunday stuff 2008-04-27 13:59:07 Saturday night's movie this week was Christian Slater in 'A Quiet Man'. In my youth I had quite a thing for Christian Slater, his picture adorned my rough book along with Marti Pellow (I know, I know... I had a sheltered upbringing!). I was rather shocked by his appearance in this movie where he was, well, ordinary. Rich hastened to assure me that this was prosthetics and a wig. It's a wonder Read more:movies
, Sunday
, stuff
Petrol panic and shopping trips 2008-04-27 13:46:28 Today I arranged to meet my Mum at Bluewater for a shopping excursion. I decided that I had better be off early to fill up the car's tank as I had heard various rumours about impending strikes by petrol workers in a refinery in Scotland, panic buying, rising prices at the pumps (more than usual) and petrol shortages. Sure enough, the first garage I came to had a queue back onto the road and the Read more:Petrol
, trips
Service disruption 2008-04-29 07:29:35 It has been a long time since I've had to have a really serious rant about Virgin Media. They annoy me on a regular and sustained basis, but every so often they really take the biscuit.
Working from home today I booted up Thunderbird to check for emails. Gmail, check. My own domain, never gets any mail anyway. Ntlworld, times out. Annoying... especially as I use it to communicate with the office Read more:Service
New shoes 2008-04-29 07:21:20 Ah, the Jubilee Line. What would my day be without it?! This morning I arrived at North Greenwich station to find a train on both platforms 1 and 2. The train on platform 1 was akin to a sardine can with something less than standing room only available. The train on platform 2 was beginning to fill rapidly, despite the drivers repeated assurances that the train on platform 1 would be leaving Read more:shoes
May Day or Mayor Day 2008-05-01 03:56:44 Today is finally the First of May. Fellow London dwellers will be relieved that the Mayor
al Election is finally upon us.
As if you possibly needed reminding, don't forget to go out and vote. I'm sure everyone has read the instructions on how to vote. Yes, honestly, instructions. Because it is that complicated. Wait a minute, no it isn't. Get papers (OK, yes more than one paper) put cross in box
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