In Hoose Entertainment

Gah! the sink broke… fortunately we managed to fix it without having to call out another £65ph plumber, though!

In the last week I :

a) Saw Iron Maiden!
b) Went to a boozer in Leeds!
c) almost finished my christmas shopping!

But we we’re on tuesday, weren’t we?

Tuesday was my last bit of demonstrating for the year - I had to mark many matlab projects and it all went fairly swimmingly. I think I went over to Sarah’s for food but I’m not sure…

Wednesday has obviously drifted off into the nether regions of space and time…. Whilst Thursday was spent going to the MEN (for the first time!) to watch Iron Maiden (for the second time!).

Gary had come up from London and we started in Sinclairs, and finished in Jilly’s. Good night out, though I got a little drunk!

Friday sorted some work out and saw Sarah in the evening for pizza and beer! ace!

Saturday was the christmas boozer in Leeds, 10 or so of us turned up, though having turned up at the prescribed time (330pm) I found that no one else was there… so I watched the footie scores and drunk a pint until 430 when they all turned up.

Several bars were taken in and 10 of us were there (though Wayne had to pull out due to buggared pipes) and it was good fun. I was eventually convinced to go to Wire, where Mahinda and I promptly became the last ones there… we caught the late train home after a swift burger.

I sorted some stuff out at home on Sunday, before heading over to Sarah’s in the evening for a chinese. It has been the weekend of the “Takeaway”… We were supposed to go to a christmas dinner in Newton, but our host fell ill so hence staying in.

Lots of christmas shopping on Monday - very tiring - but almost completely done, and I know exactly what the presents will be for the three I have left to buy!

Tuesday is today.

Beneath this resides the regular diary post explaining how I ate lots of food this weekend, but I thought I’d add this in too..

1. Overall, have you had a good year?

Yes. It’s all a matter of perspective anyway.

2. What has been your biggest achievement?

There’s not really one big thing, and I don’t think of Sarah as an Achievement.

3. Did you take any exams, Pass?

nope

4. Have you had your birthday yet? What did you do?

I’ve not had it yet. It’s on Christmas Day.

5. Have you been on Holiday? Gone away anywhere?

Turkey (Istanbul & Bodrum), Riga, Edinburgh, Llandudno

6. Have you had a job?

Demonstrating.

7. Have you bought anything expensive?

Sadly, the most expensive thing I’ve bought this year was a new cold water tank for the house.

8. Made any big decisions?

Not yet, but they’re coming. Pretty soon I’m going to have to decide about what to do after my PhD. That’s pretty scary.

9. Lost a friend or loved one?

No.

10. Met anyone amazing?

Yes.

11. Made new friends?

No, though some people who were friends are now better friends.

12. Moved house?

No.

13. Tried something new?

Yes, Other parts of britain, several types of seafood, lots of types of poker, erm, plenty of other things that I can’t think of right now. I like doing new things.

14. Made any enemies?

Not that I know of

15. What music will you remember from this year?

Nothing in particular, I’ve more been getting into music from other years.

16. What movies have you seen at the cinema this year?

Some, alot of mediocrity. Children of Men was the best film I saw.

17. What was your best night out?

Mugss Ball, followed by the nautilus night in Riga, the rat pack date, and the night out in Llandudno.

18. What was your worst night out?

Can’t remember one.

19. Best Day?

Bizarrely, the Northern Ireland day when we got messed around by easyjet!

20. Worst Day?

Any day where I was hungover.

21. Was summer a gooden’?

Yeah, Hockey, Holidays, Heat, and Sarah made sure it were a winner.

22. How many people have you kissed in the year of 2006?

One, if you don’t count cheeks.

23. Did you fall in love?

Yes

24. Did you have your heart broken?

No.

25. Made any plans for next year?

Essentially : Work, Fret, Work, Fret, Work, Fret, Work, Fret.
Oh, I’m going to Bratislava, and Madrid too.

26. Changed your image?

I used to be suave and sophisticated.

27. Missed anyone?

Some people.

28. Know what you want in the future?

Job, Sarah & I to continue as we’re going, Car.

29. Regret anything?

No, I try not to regret too many things because it’s an easy way to spend your life miserable.

30. Who has been your best friend through 2006?

The Goonies & Adrian, I guess.
Sarah too if you can count that.

I went for a decent meal in Warrington on Friday night, with Sarah’s family. The steak was very nice, but overall it wasn’t worth the expense.

Saturday night was the meal with the Weighton bunch, in Sheffield. Graeme, Jez, Alan, Anna & Sally all turned up and we ended up in a very good and relatively cheap chinese on west street. Nice.

Sunday I had Sarah drop me off in town so I could christmas shop. Despite my lowly expectations, I got LOADS done. I neglected to update my blog.

Monday I played football, it was a very defensive game - and quite cold. Supermarket shopping followed with free mince pies and a fiver off.

Today is Tuesday, I have to teach, but first I’m doing some research!

Christmas is soon, so I hope you’ve got all your shopping done…. !

I’ve decided to (try and) update this more regularly, since I always forget what I’ve been up to, so here it is, a 2 day turn around on diary posts for the first time in ages! (I think)

So what’s so ground breakingly fantastic that I’ve decided to update the blog to convey the news to you, my readership of approximately 10 people per day, well I can tell you : Precisely Nothing.

But then you were kind of expecting that weren’t you.

Anyway, here’s a rundown of the recent mundanity.

Yesterday I sorted lots of stuff out, like a plane to Bratislava, and a train to Manchester (from London). I also played some poker (I’m getting right back into playing cash games, and ended up another $12 up after moving back up to the $0.25 BB (it’s only my third session since I started playing again, but the aim is to be rolled for $0.50BB by January)).

I made two awful calls, but overall it worked out for me, since it gave me the reputation of a maniac who couldn’t get pushed off a hand, and I promptly set about stealing all my money back again (though I actually sucked out with the first awful call). It’s fair to say that I need to relearn one or two things, but finding cash games again has been great, I MUCH prefer them to tournaments - and I’ve generally been playing well.

After which I was pretty wired, so didn’t go to bed until ridiculously late, and even then wasn’t sleepy.

Today I’ve been (trying to) work from home. I’ve decided that it’s too cold here during the day (and I can’t afford to have the heating on all the time) so until I get myself a room heater (so I can just heat one room at a time - Sarah has offered me the use of hers, which is currently in Saint Helens. Hmmm. I never thought about this before, but is Saint Helens officially spelt with the abbreviation St. or in full like I’ve just written it, only I’ve never ever seen it written in full… ) I’ll probably be working more from the office.

My office will not go to waste though, since when it gets to spring time and the all important summertime (when I should be writing up and working very long days) it will be invaluable.

I could now add another paragraph explaining how I’m off to play badminton tonight and then meeting up with Sarah, but I don’t really see the point since I lost most of you during the poker paragraphs, and the rest of you during the office one. Oh.

Tarra for now. I won’t update tomorrow as I’m out having a meal, or on saturday because of the same reason. But maybe (and no promises here) just maybe, I’ll see you all on Sunday again.

Bye.

Memory, a fleeting thing at the best of times, has deserted me. I’ll therefore have to try and figure out what I did last week as best I can…

One part of Tuesday is easy to remember because I always do my demonstrating. I seem to remember getting a subway on the way back to the office, ah yes, afterwards we went to the Paul Weller gig, which was pretty good (introduced by Peter Kay, too) though afterwards we found that Sarah’s car had been broken in to (irritating!). We fixed it up with cardboard and the like.

Wednesday where I went to the Christmas Market (decent) and corbieres (or however it’s spelled).

On Thursday I was likely, busy. During the day Sky and a plumber came round.

Friday was the first of decemeber, but more than that, I can’t say. Saturday I had breakfast round sarahs place before coming back to tidy the house. A plan to go to the cinema was ruined by the paucity of the alternatives so we stayed in, had some beer, and watched some TV. Liverpool won 4-0.

Sunday didn’t live up to it’s name - but Sarah and I made the best of it with a celebrationary meal at “Livebait” - a fine resturant, very nice, Monday was a day off so we did some christmas shopping in town.

Tuesday was yesterday, I watched the cricket, which was amazingly poor, unbelieveable in fact (we were on top for three days, looked like a set on draw by the start of the fifth, and then we threw it away). RUBBISH.

I played poker badly at the union (I was dealing so couldn’t concentrate properly, and people kept catching me out whenever I tried a bluff…) and then I went home and cooked burgers. Lovely.

Wednesday is today, and as per the norm. I’ve a million and one things to sort out.