Long time no write

It's been a while since I updated and that's mainly because little has happened. We've made a few outings of course - to the beach on a freezing day, shopping, the pub. You can see J's page for a description of the beach. Suffice to say it wasn't quite what we were expecting!

Winter has begun. Most of the leaves are gone, and it belted down with rain yesterday. In a scene familiar to some of you I stayed in my dressing gown the entire day.

Today we are off to a meal at a colleague from work's home - the first time we've been invited into an English person's home, if you don't count M.

It's very quiet at work. This month's run was early and went smoothly (and so it should after all the mistakes made the previous two runs), so the bulk of my work is done until the end of December. I've been documenting, helping others where I can, getting the drinks in, and so on but it is going to be a boring month coming up.

Last week they announced a recruitment freeze because of the fall-out from the 'sub-prime' collapse in the US. This has hit J just as she was looking for work, and she had two interviews cancelled. It may mean my assignment doesn't get extended into Jan as well, but since I'm already there I may be OK. LloydsTSB is one of the bigger employers around town, and if the other banks are doing similar it will make finding temp work that much harder. The flip side is that the agents are desperate to get other income so are offering J all sorts of crappy work, presumably so they can get any sort of commission. They certainly don't seem too concerned about her own needs at the moment.

Mum's starting to think about a trip over here next year, and R is doing the same. We hope they will be able to coordinate their efforts, as they can help each other through the hassles that travelling inevitably brings. C's trip is much closer of course, and she (and O) is busy working every hour she can to make up for the unfavourable exchange rate.

JP has sent over his first drafts of the book, so there has been much toing-and-froing over that. There is still a long way to go of course. If any of you know anyone in Washington DC who might have time on his/her hands, we need someone to get into the US archives...

But first we have to survive Christmas. Bah humbug.

Why is it so dark?

In the news this week was a story about a teenage hacker who was arrested for the theft of furniture from a virtual hotel room, in a virtual world called Habbo Hotels. I thought it was interesting that a virtual theft could result in real arrest, but it turns out the headlines were wrong. It was true that virtual furniture was stolen, but the actual crime was phishing, where a fake webpage is constructed to sucker you into providing personal details such as passwords or credit card numbers, etc. The hacker then used a username and password to access an account or accounts where he then purchased 4000 euros worth of furniture for his own Habbo Hotel room. So, sadly, not such an interesting story after all. Also sad is that with 4000 euros at hand the first thing he does is buy virtual furniture. Get a life - blow it on real sex, drugs and Rock 'n' Roll I say!



We had dinner on Friday at an average Mexican restaurant in an above average building. It used to be the main Lloyds Bank branch before they moved to the new building I'm in now. It had a huge foyer with ornate ceilings, sturdy columns, a domed roof, etc. Now it's covered in sheets, has leopard skin chairs and sofas, and plastic plants everywhere. First impressions were of an Ottoman harem, somehow mixed up with a Mexican cantina. Unusual to say the least.


On Saturday we struck car trouble, and couldn't find anyone to start the car when I couldn't push start it. Apparently the UK is the only European country who doesn't have a reciprocal agreement with the AA, and our local garage wasn't insured to work off-site. Eventually our Italian friend upstairs provided jumper lead and his car to get us started, but not until after a one hour chat. It was very good of him, but we didn't get going until 2:30 and it was cold and dim before we got to Wells. There was very little light inside the Cathedral, so it was a little disappointing. By the time we got to Glastonbury at 4:30 it was dark, which was a good thing for an illuminated carnival, but meant we couldn't have a decent look around the town. It was a long wait for the procession to start, and it took 2 1/2 hours to pass by. If the pubs sold tickets for their toilets they'd have made more than from selling beer I think. Actually the combination would be a real winner...

I enjoyed the carnival and there were some awesome floats. Clearly they were not the work of an afternoon in the back shed (well, one or two were). There are whole circuits that most of these do, and you can follow a link on J's page for more. Of course, I have photos, so if you want to see more click these words.

Sunday saw rain and gloom, so we had an inside day, reading, blogging, shopping, etc. J's done a handful of Christmas cards, so I'd better get on to mine.

Special days

J bought me some balloons so that I can make swans and monkeys and elephants and things. So far all of my attempts look like dogs. We've also got some chokky bikkies to finish now. The best gift was our meal. It's an oddity that I could buy Young's Double Chocolate Stout in Dunedin but haven't found it in any 'offie' here in Bristol. J booked a surprise meal so I followed her to Horts, which turned out to be a Young's Pub-Restaurant. And there they had Young's Double Chocolate Stout. Happiness filled. The meal was nice too, but the beer was just a perfect present.

Since the Young's weren't the only beers that day I took a while to recover on Saturday. We did the shopping and picked up a few books from the library then spent the day mooching.

Sunday was walkies time, so we popped up to the Royal West of England Academy of Art to check out a display by local artists. The usual mix of the good, the bad and the ugly - it's all in the eye of the beholder isn't it.

We kicked through the piles of leaves coming home - most are off the trees now, and the light has the watery quality that you don't get at home. My body clock hasn't adjusted to the 4:30 darkness, though, so I'm discombobulated.

It was a quieter day at work, and we got rewarded for our hectic fortnight with a lunch shout followed by a boat trip on the harbour. I ran a quiz, mostly on Bristol harbour trivia, which showed that most of the natives don't know much about their own city! Then it was back to work where I got into trouble for some incorrect responses to some queries. I plead insufficient training, but whatever, you do the best you can.

There was sad news from home as we heard that Sue McDonald died from cancer yesterday. RIP Sue.

A week of it

Well, what a week it's been. Work has been a disaster, with my colleague in tears this morning. Everything that could go wrong with our remuneration run did. This morning we discovered (or she did since she starts before me) that our 'corrected' run was incorrect! We tried to recall the emails, but most got delivered anyway. Good for over-time though...


I've been unofficially offered another 3 months there which would be OK as long as I get the time off when C's over. Mind you, they may reconsider after all that's gone wrong this week.

On Friday last we had dinner with some people from the apartment buildings. Usual conservative bunch, but the odd interesting conversation. One fellow had done his National Service but clearly didn't like the basic training. I think he was a bit of a mummy's boy so having to clean soggy paper out of the bottom of a bathtub was not his idea of fun. I guess he learnt to have clean boots on parade!


On Saturday we had a long stroll along the Avon toward Bath. We walked about six miles before giving up and getting the bus back. It was a lovely day and with the trees in autumn colour it was quite picturesque. Next time we'll start there and walk further, then get another bus and so on. If you'd like to see some pics, click here.

That night we went to the big fireworks display that turned out to be a fizzer. One of the mortars fell over and fired a rocket along the ground, slightly injuring a few people, so all that type were cancelled. We still got to see the smaller ones but these were behind a big building as they were for a charity and you had to pay to see them properly. A bit disappointing really for the crowd of several thousand. The pubs on the road back to town must have done a roaring trade though. Again, you can see some snaps if you click this.

Sunday was a day of rest: reading mostly. Which brings us back to the start. What an exciting life we lead!

I don't know if J told you all about the Crimewatch we were involved in. Some night last week (Thursday?) we heard kids outside the apartments. I was watching them from the window thinking they were just playing around but they were on the jetty which is not publicly accessible so it looked a bit dodgy. Some bloke came down the jetty to see what they were up to and the kids scarpered out of sight, with him following. Then the kids came back but he didn't, which I thought was a bit dodgy. J and I went down and found some stuff that had obviously been stolen from one of the boats. We were told that the bloke had been pushed in and "nearly died". J and I walked around the harbour and spotted four of the miscreants on the bridge. 18 or 19 year olds I'd say. As we got back to the flat we met the police so we told them what we knew and that we'd seen the 4 at the bridge. They couldn't find the bloke who'd called them or the one who'd fallen in so couldn't do much at all. J did point out the wet footsteps leading back up the jetty though, so perhaps they followed those. Anyway, there's often something interesting outside our window, even if the opposite isn't true.

More stuff...

Or not. After pointing out to you all that it was daylight saving we turned up to a movie an hour early, wondering why no-one was around. We eventually saw Metropolis, the 1926 sci-fi silent movie by Fritz Lang. I'd been wanting to see it for years, and clearly so had others as it was a sell-out. It had a live musical accompaniment which wasn't as bad as it might have been: after all, it could have been Radio Gaga. It was all very melodramatic and for some reason our hero ran like Groucho Marx walked. Never mind, the Workers and the Capitalists were reconciled at the finish - don't you love a happy ending?

It's been two steps forward and one step back at work, with minor and major problems turning up every hour. It got so bad that we had to re-do a whole month's reports, and even then I discovered another error. I'm enjoying the challenge of getting my head around the process, and suggesting improvements, but it really is a piece of s**t that is almost designed to cause errors.

I popped up to see about joining a hockey club, but in the dark I couldn't find the bloody entrance! It's out in the countryside so you'd think they'd put a light at the driveway. I'll have to try again during the day...

C is in the middle of exams but is also celebrating her birthday. It's the first one that J hasn't been around for. We gave her a call and she sounded well - from a distance, since I seldom get to say hello directly. She and O are looking forward to their trip over here, and we have booked an apartment in Barcelona for a few days, and in London, and in Oxford.

We received our first power bill this week - it's only taken 6 months. There is still a bill for the previous supplier to be settled, as they want to charge as much for one month as the new one charged for 5. In the end it isn't in our name anyway, so they can't cut us off, but the landlord may need to get involved 'cos for some reason it's in his.

It is dark coming home, but there are lovely reflections on the harbour. I will have to get a tripod so I can photograph some nightscapes.

Stuff...

Not much to report this week. It has been busy at work trying to sort out last month's mess and getting ready for this month's. We discovered two major errors and one less major one, totalling a mere L100,000 overpayment, and that's just September! Still, we've all got our heads around the process a lot better... With such large numbers involved it seems pathetic that all the extra work earned me just L34. 8-)

J is wanting a pet. If she wants something to fondle and to clean up after she already has me, so I'm rather upset. Today we wandered around a pet store looking at gerbils, hamsters, rats, fish, rabbits, chinchillas, stick insects and hermit crabs. She didn't buy any and for now has settled for an aquarium screen-saver. I don't think the urge has passed though...

We went looking for a hockey team and I have found a club that might fit the bill - it isn't too far away and has a range of teams including a 'veterans' league team (35+). I'll have to go through the palaver of getting all the gear again I suppose, but it would be nice to have a run around every now and then. the team I watched wasn't playing at too scary a level and that was their second team.

There is a paper over here that has a consumer's affairs page, a bit like Fair Go, but written. Can anyone think of an equivalent in NZ? I'm still looking for a way forward with Col Blimp.

Daylight saving this weekend, as the nights are already closing in. For the millions of you intending to ring, you will have to do so an hour earlier.

We are considering moving to Edinburgh after our next lot of travel. Not because we don't like Bristol, but just to keep looking around. We've heard it's very nice and the street names will be familiar...

J's been bringing home plenty of books to read, but most are of the gory murder, forensic scientist genre. I'm hoping she'll find something a little lighter next time, but one wonders about the recommended reading at the schools she gets them from.

Speaking of gore, we saw what appeared to be a student hostel jaunt today, with around a hundred zombies on a pub crawl. Some were pretty convincing, and will probably only get more so with more booze in 'em. Brains for dinner then. Yummy!

Gorgeous cheese?

We wandered around shopping on Saturday, as I was looking for some sturdier walking shoes than I have at the moment. Of course anything is sturdier than jandals, so there was plenty of choice. I'm now trying out a pair around the house.

They weren't tested in time to use them for real the next day when we visited the Cheddar Gorge, the original home of Cheddar Cheese. It was a nice sunny day to be walking through and around the gorge, which is quite spectacular. It cuts through the Mendip hills and you can travel through close to 200 million years of time as you climb through the layers. I was looking out for Arthur Dent's towel but didn't find any sign of it.


We only had to push start the car once so that's a bonus. Apparently the alternator is kaput, but bloke at garage said it will be cheaper for us to buy an emergency starter than a new alternator. And cheaper still for me to push it but not so convenient.


Today at work the frustration continued. I don't need to say any more as it's the same reasons as last week. However, it's clear the stress is completely different than teaching as faults are in the system and not personal, so I can leave them at work. That feels good.


Not a good week for the English sports fan - almost out of the Euro 2008, 2nd for Lewis Hamilton and 2nd for the Rugby team. Good for me though as I got L32.50 for my L5 'investment' pre-tournament. It paid for a below average meal for two, and some goodies from Cheddar though.

J's computer has been showing some nasty virus and/or spyware infections so we've been trying to clean them off before they cause any lasting harm. She has up-to-date antivirus thank goodness, so we've got rid of most of the undesirables. It's always a bit of a worry though.

For photos of the weekend follow the link below.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Italythenandnow/CheddarGorge