On rowing at midnight

I have a rowing machine. I bought it on a whim when I bought my aquarium. Not necessarily an obvious connection but they were both second hand and being sold by the same family. And I’d already borrowed the van. It’s not especially good quality. It’s not, according to my brother who actually rows, a […]

On learning how to program a snake

I’m not particularly keen on snakes. I don’t have anything in particular against them, but I have less for them. I have no desire to be bitten and/or poisoned and possibly even less desire to be squeezed to death. This isn’t about that kind of snake. *** Recently I started learning Python. That’s a programming […]

On soldering on

Once upon a time, I soldered something together in school. At some point between then and now I made some stained glass windows and some small Tiffany style pieces. That kind of involves soldering, but with a huge soldering iron and a reel of lead/tin you could probably knock someone out with. Since then, my […]

On missing my Ks

I use various instant messaging apps on my phone. Just now, I opened one, and all the Ks were missing, from all the words. ​ Just imagine a world with no Ks. Edit: my brother says that it was very k-less of me to lose them…

On rainbows and double ended candle burning

I’m trying to finish my ‘book’* before Saturday evening. Or at the very very latest by Sunday morning. That would mean I can send it off to be printed before I go on holiday. ‘Holiday’ is used in the loosest form here – it’s more a chance to revise ALL the things than a chance […]

On firsts

Today was a day of firsts. Not only did I drive the best part of 600km across Germany, I also ate at a restaurant by myself :). In addition, there were a whole heap of smaller and/or tiny firsts, including mending/editing the directory of the work’s computer to get it to recognise the user profile, […]

On sight-snoring

I am on the road again. Or more rather on the tracks. Since I’m travelling almost entirely by train. Whatever. It’s a 7 1/2 hour journey from where I live to where I have to be at 7pm. Instead of leaving at midday and making a usual late appearance, I chose an early train so […]

On SatNags and Maps

I wrote this ages ago, but somehow never got round to posting it… *** Last summer, DB and I went on a road trip along the south coast of England in a weird and wonderful VW van. The van is truly wonderful in all sorts of ways, but its weirder habits are a little bit […]

On brand new computers v clean hair

I have 2 jobs. Both are part time, but I always work full days, if that makes sense. One of the companies I work for bought me a brand new computer today. I’ve never had a brand new computer before, unless you count my first laptop, which I suppose I do, and even that was […]

On balancing the books

I’ve just spent a very pleasant hour or so balancing our finances in a programme called YNAB. If you don’t know what it is, Google it. I’m not sure how useful it is yet, but it’s pretty coloured and congratulates me when I get the numbers to match up. Shame I can’t get the rest […]

On leaving windows (or not)

I have been given the ‘opportunity’ (read: taken it upon myself) to get rid of XP from the work computers and make them ‘safe’ again*. At work there are 2 computers in use and a 3rd in another room waiting for a cable to connect it to The Internet. None of the staff are especially […]