…grayblog…

Month: September 2004

  • Blimey

    Talking of the fact that this is one of the longest-running blogs in the UK, I note that it is, in fact, grayblog’s fourth birthday today.
    <insert introspective comment on the nature of blogging here>
    Sounds like a good excuse for cracking open a couple of beers from the fridge when I get home.

  • Quitter

    Reuters covers Belle de Jour’s decision to stop updating her blog, one of the great interwebnet non-events of the year (second only to the Grauniad’s "best" blog competition, in my opinion – or do I sound bitter because I wasn’t shortlisted?).
    Believe me, if ever I decide to quit, Anna Ford will talk about it as headline news at one o’clock on the Beeb. This is one of Britain’s longest-running blogs, after all.
    (via LMG)

  • Palms

    In one month from now, precisely, I will be standing in front of an altar, with palms that will most likely be very sweaty indeed.

  • tempus fugit

    I’m having one of those days when, whenever I look at the clock, another whole hour has scooted by with very little actually being achieved. This hasn’t been helped by having to take at least 40 minutes out of my day to update software in order to avoid miscreants trying to do unspeakable things with my lovely data.

  • Testing

    Currently, our patience is being tested by surveyors who suggest that the house we are about to buy is going to fall into a large hole that could open up at any time. This in spite of the fact that all the houses in the street were built at least fifty years ago, and none have yet fallen into any mysteriously appearing holes. In addition, there are no nearby mineworks or quarries.
    Furthermore, we may find ourselves being slowly poisoned by terrible toxic waste arising from evil landfill. This in spite of the fact that these very same houses were built on a green field site just after the Second World War, and nobody has been poisoned yet.
    Our suggestion that we could bring in our own (local, knowledgeable and experienced) surveyor (and I don’t mean Dad) to provide an impartial view of the situation has had scorn poured upon it by the dear folks at the NatWest, who insist that we must only use one of their registered surveyors. My knowledge of EU competition regulation would suggest that this practice is anti-competitive and therefore illegal, but we are in no position to argue with a bunch of surveyors who are clearly only out to serve their own interests by suggesting that we have surveys done to check against things that exist only in their own imaginings. At our expense, of course. Considerable expense at that.

    Later today, we are expecting a response from the NatWest to our full application for our mortgage. They’ve already said that they will give us the mortgage, based on Hels’s income, but it seems clear that they want to check my financial status to ensure that I won’t be reliant on H for financial survival. Which, of course, I am not (*cough*). What’s the betting that the financial statements that I have sent to them will not be satisfactory?

    There has to be an easier (and less stressful) way.

  • The peas process?

    From Nick Assinder’s report on today’s PMQs:

    …there were two fairly straight answers.
    One was to Charles Kennedy who is pressing for the Gurkhas to be given British citizenship. The prime minister said he had no problem with it and would give a full answer soon.
    The other was to backbencher Andrew Turner who asked what the prime minister was going to do about mange tout – forgive me for not noting down why.
    Mr Blair hesitated, looked at his notes and declared: "I don’t know. But I’m sure we are doing something."

  • Comedy name

    Driving along the M27 this evening, I passed a lorry which bore the name "Pratt’s Bananas". There has to be a joke there somewhere.

  • X

    Really rather fab Asteroids game.

  • Ticking off

    I’m working through a lengthy list of jobs that need doing. So far, new jobs are only being added at twice the rate at which they are being removed. So far today:

    • prepared directions to the new home
    • arranged to go and look around the new home with Dad – cheaper than a surveyor!
    • signed and sent off Very Important Papers to the solicitor
    • scratched the cats behind the ears
    • paid self
    • ordered fresh stationery supplies
    • considered tidying my desk (didn’t take long)
    • wrote list of jobs.

    How’s your day going?

  • Beer with…

    … Lord Percy, Paul F, Aris, Arron and Al.