Things that ur happy about

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I've left stuff at my folks house even though I have room for it here. As have my 4 brothers. I think sub consciously it maintains the family bond. I really wouldn't like to have no bits and pieces there.

[Rufus Gwertigan]

I've left stuff at my folks house even though I have room for it here. As have my 4 brothers. I think sub consciously it maintains the family bond. I really wouldn't like to have no bits and pieces there.

My eldest still has stuff here, but to be honest I just dont like clutter. My ex was obsessive about keeping everything as "you never know if you will need it". There was a room literally stacked to the ceiling with boxes. A few years back, and a few years after she had left, I just had enough. Some of there boxes had not been opened for years and I just emptied them straight in the dustbin. My eldest wanted to start to rummage for stuff to keep and I just said "if we have not needed it in the past year we are not going to need it". I could not afford a skip and would leave stuff out for the bin men. Over 6 weeks I filled 2 wheelie bins each week and put out 20 dustbin bags full of stuff each week. That does not include the stuff that got freecycled or took to the charity shop. It was all rather liberating when I think back on it. I have very little in the way of "stuff" that is mine. I have my 2000ad collection, my Action Man stuff and my books (lots of books). I have really put my identity into the house but that is all based around the kids. My living room is full of cuddly toys, in my 'study' I have a scalextric pinned out on a piece of MDF hanging on the wall, the bathroom is full of floating toys and old Matey bottles. Mind you I have no problem releasing my inner child although the Social Services did.

I dont know he you realise but my kids were in care for a while. Last summer my eldest chucked uni and came home for 4 months until he sorted everything out. One day we had a massive argument as I had asked him to contribute to the household (10 quid a week). He said something like "But this is our family home". I just burst in to tears. Not due to his lack of consideration but the fact he identified it as "our family home". Also we were in Sainsburys at the time so that may explain why he offered to say for the shopping to stop me crying.

No idea how all that is relevant to anything but hey hum.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

No idea how all that is relevant to anything but hey hum.

It was interesting to read and you were able to 'let it out'. Therefore it was vaild in my books.

[feral chile]

My eldest still has stuff here, but to be honest I just dont like clutter. My ex was obsessive about keeping everything as "you never know if you will need it". There was a room literally stacked to the ceiling with boxes. A few years back, and a few years after she had left, I just had enough. Some of there boxes had not been opened for years and I just emptied them straight in the dustbin. My eldest wanted to start to rummage for stuff to keep and I just said "if we have not needed it in the past year we are not going to need it". I could not afford a skip and would leave stuff out for the bin men. Over 6 weeks I filled 2 wheelie bins each week and put out 20 dustbin bags full of stuff each week. That does not include the stuff that got freecycled or took to the charity shop. It was all rather liberating when I think back on it. I have very little in the way of "stuff" that is mine. I have my 2000ad collection, my Action Man stuff and my books (lots of books). I have really put my identity into the house but that is all based around the kids. My living room is full of cuddly toys, in my 'study' I have a scalextric pinned out on a piece of MDF hanging on the wall, the bathroom is full of floating toys and old Matey bottles. Mind you I have no problem releasing my inner child although the Social Services did.

I dont know he you realise but my kids were in care for a while. Last summer my eldest chucked uni and came home for 4 months until he sorted everything out. One day we had a massive argument as I had asked him to contribute to the household (10 quid a week). He said something like "But this is our family home". I just burst in to tears. Not due to his lack of consideration but the fact he identified it as "our family home". Also we were in Sainsburys at the time so that may explain why he offered to say for the shopping to stop me crying.

No idea how all that is relevant to anything but hey hum.

The thing is with social services, if they go in looking for something, they'll find it. Self fulfilling prophecy and all that.

[Ed209]

Flying back to UK tomorrow to see my family for the first time in 13 months

Heathrow's gonna be a shit show, but can't wait

[feral chile]

Flying back to UK tomorrow to see my family for the first time in 13 months

Heathrow's gonna be a shit show, but can't wait

Nice one.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Flying back to UK tomorrow to see my family for the first time in 13 months

Heathrow's gonna be a shit show, but can't wait

Everytime I've travelled to and from Heathrow it's gone swimmingly well. Hope it's the same for you tomorrow.

[Ed209]

Thanks, but I can't help but think the Olympics is really going to push the place to breaking point.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Thanks, but I can't help but think the Olympics is really going to push the place to breaking point.

Oh yes. I'm not into sport so had completely forgotten about the Olympics. In that case I wish you good luck.

[The Nal]

[jump]

That's probably the best review I've ever read.

[rexclark]

I think they were too soft on the chunt.

[grumpyhack]

Just had my Glasto registration reminder from SeeTickets. I'm still registered so all I need now is a ticket on T Day.

But little E-mails like that all help towards the festival spirit.

Also made a pretty decent beef strogonoff tonight for my daughter who's living with us at present - well she was impressed anyway.

And it's only a week till I'mm off to the Croissant Neuf Summer Party.

So a pretty good day all round.

[grumpyhack]

Got a TV sorted in my caravan for under £20. Found a really clever gizmo in Maplins that goes into a USB port on a laptop and gives you all the Freeview channels. You need an aerial (they provide a mini one with it but my caravan already has a good one).

It's a kworld USB DVB-T TV Stick (DVB-T 395U)

I was going to buy a 12v TV (about £70) but then spotted the USB option. Also installed the software on my desktop so I can now also have full Freeview TV on my main computer.

[eFestivals]

Got a TV sorted in my caravan for under £20. Found a really clever gizmo in Maplins that goes into a USB port on a laptop and gives you all the Freeview channels. You need an aerial (they provide a mini one with it but my caravan already has a good one).

It's a kworld USB DVB-T TV Stick (DVB-T 395U)

I was going to buy a 12v TV (about £70) but then spotted the USB option. Also installed the software on my desktop so I can now also have full Freeview TV on my main computer.

I bought one of them - at least I think it was (it might be a different model) - but very annoyingly my laptop (a few years old now) isn't powerful enough to make it work successfully.

Which is bloody annoying as I'm off a fest at the weekend where I'll get an electricity hook-up.

[grumpyhack]

Tested it out today. A bit of a lash up system but it seems to work (tecchies here might warn me otherwise though).

I'll be at the Croissant Neuf Summer Party for five days with no electric hook up so I'll be running entirerly on leisure battery.

The caravan has a little three pin round socket which is a power socket from the leisure battery delivering 12 volts. Into that I have a plug connected to a power inverter that ups the output to 240 volt.

Into the power inverter 3 pin square socket I plug the mains adapter from my laptop that then knocks the output back down to keep the laptop running (it's got a knackered battery and needs mains input).

I then connect and run the laptop with a small pair of USB speakers, plug in the TV USB and hey presto TV in my 12 volt caravan.

It's a bit of a lash up and I'm sure I lose some power stepping up via the inverter and then back down but I can but give it a go.

[jump]

I've just got free tixs to Strummer Of Love

[rexclark]

I've won a Brothers Festival pack!

[BlackHole2006]

Going up to London tomorrow to show them my new place and to go out and get smashed in Cheapskates- a club in Soho where it's £1.00 for a Vodka and any mix, £1.00 for a dissaronno and any mix and £1.00 for a bottle of beer.

Up for it!

[Rufus Gwertigan]

Just popped to shops and it is absolutely pissing down. I have to in under a railway bridge and there is a nasty dip in the road. The drains get blocked and it always floods. It is about 7 or 8 inches deep on the outside on the pavement and a couple of feet in the middle. So I am wading through in my wellies and a car comes down towards me. He first slows down then looks at me, starts laughing and them speeds up. He obviously did not realise how deep it was and the spray flooded his engine. He was still stuck in the middle on my way home and he have a few other drivers screaming at him as he has blocked the narrow road. I could not stop laughing :-).

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Just popped to shops and it is absolutely pissing down. I have to in under a railway bridge and there is a nasty dip in the road. The drains get blocked and it always floods. It is about 7 or 8 inches deep on the outside on the pavement and a couple of feet in the middle. So I am wading through in my wellies and a car comes down towards me. He first slows down then looks at me, starts laughing and them speeds up. He obviously did not realise how deep it was and the spray flooded his engine. He was still stuck in the middle on my way home and he have a few other drivers screaming at him as he has blocked the narrow road. I could not stop laughing :-).

Now, that's a result. Fair play to the Karma police.

[feral chile]

Just popped to shops and it is absolutely pissing down. I have to in under a railway bridge and there is a nasty dip in the road. The drains get blocked and it always floods. It is about 7 or 8 inches deep on the outside on the pavement and a couple of feet in the middle. So I am wading through in my wellies and a car comes down towards me. He first slows down then looks at me, starts laughing and them speeds up. He obviously did not realise how deep it was and the spray flooded his engine. He was still stuck in the middle on my way home and he have a few other drivers screaming at him as he has blocked the narrow road. I could not stop laughing :-).

Ha! serves him right!

[AcademicPistol]

Just popped to shops and it is absolutely pissing down. I have to in under a railway bridge and there is a nasty dip in the road. The drains get blocked and it always floods. It is about 7 or 8 inches deep on the outside on the pavement and a couple of feet in the middle. So I am wading through in my wellies and a car comes down towards me. He first slows down then looks at me, starts laughing and them speeds up. He obviously did not realise how deep it was and the spray flooded his engine. He was still stuck in the middle on my way home and he have a few other drivers screaming at him as he has blocked the narrow road. I could not stop laughing :-).

Excellent!

Reminds me of a time when I was in Spain and what can only be described a rodent-child decided to kick puddle water all over us while we were having a drink outside, he ran off laughing and pointing at us but wasn't looking where he was going and smashed his face into a metal sign (hard enough to floor him for a while) so naturally we all roared with laughter and pointed back at him.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Excellent!

Reminds me of a time when I was in Spain and what can only be described a rodent-child decided to kick puddle water all over us while we were having a drink outside, he ran off laughing and pointing at us but wasn't looking where he was going and smashed his face into a metal sign (hard enough to floor him for a while) so naturally we all roared with laughter and pointed back at him.

A vicarious schadenfreude moment has just swept over me while reading that. I really shouldn't be feeling all warm and tingly at a brats misfortune!

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Happy because it's Friday evening and I'm going to a get together of friends later. It'll be nice and indulgent and they'll be a lot of laughs. Just what's needed after an uneventful week.