My Online Diary

30/11/05

Lousy day today. The day began with me meeting a customer to discuss some review comments and they turned out to be much more severe than I thought they were going to be. Looks like there's still more work to do on that project! Then had to go through a methodology this afternoon and that sort of thing is draining! Finished the day with a nice little headache and now I'm just about ready for bed!

25/11/05

I cashed in my American Express card "points" last weekend and my "reward" has now arrived - a Xmas hamper and collection of wines. Yes, we are going to be eating very well over the next few days! LOL. Had fun analysing the stats for this website this evening - I have now had over 30,000 visitors from 143 countries. Top of the list is the USA with 31% of hits, followed by the UK with 22% of hits. India, Australia and Canada bring up third, fourth and fifth spots. Just one other thing to say. George Best - one of the greatest footballers of all time - died today. Rest in peace, George.

23/11/05

Snow is forecast for England on Thursday night - if it does snow then that will give me a perfect excuse to work from home. I always tend to get more work done from home than I do at work anyway. Just for once I cooked a very nice dinner this evening - chicken in white wine sauce with asparagus and mashed potato. The chicken and sauce came ready made from the supermarket, but at least I made the mashed potato myself! I don't think my cookery will ever win any prizes, but just for once I got it right this evening!

18/11/05

More cold weather here in England, and it's due to last for a few days yet. I must say, though, the countryside in Oxfordshire really does look lovely with the frost and sunshine on it. I must say, I am glad that the weekend is here. I've had much fun with work this week, but now it's time for a rest! Cheaters was fun this evening - people are so funny when they have a TV camera thrust in their face while cheating on their loved ones! It's all they deserve, though, in my opinion.

16/11/05

Well, I think that winter is rapidly approaching England - it's very cold this evening and the car is already frosted up. Great - that means five minutes of scraping the ice off the car first thing tomorrow. Things are very busy at work at the moment, people seem want to keep disposing of radioactive waste, but at least it keeps me out of mischief. Spent the last part of the evening watching Cheaters on TV - one of those shows that is both depressing and entertaining at the same time!

04/11/05

Not very much happening here at the moment, hence the slight lack of diary entries over the last few days. I had today off from work, and went for a morning out in Oxford city. Had a lovely train ride through the Oxfordshire countryside, and took loads of photos, though some of them didn't come out too well. Tomorrow is Guy Fawkes night here in England, and so there have been fireworks banging away for the last few evenings. It'll all be over tomorrow, though!

26/10/05

Amazing to think that Xmas is only two months away! Where does the time go? There is certainly some truth in the theory that the perceived rate of passage of time increases as you get older! Had some very strange emails today - will need to think through the implications of some of them! Otherwise, there really isn't much to say about life at the moment. In fact, getting strange emails hardly qualifies as something terribly noteworthy!

20/10/05

A nice early diary entry today, as I'm working from home this afternoon. I have the task of preparing a data set for a PA this afternoon - not very riveting, but someone has to do it. Good vibes to Connie and Melissa need to be sent - both are suffering a bit in their own ways. Connie, life and people don't always behave the way you think they should. You just have to accept certain situations and move forward.

17/10/05

Oh boy, I am getting slack about adding to my diary, aren't I. Well, there hasn't really been much to add over the last few days - life has just plodded along fairly normally with the usual blend of work and play! I've managed to finish today a new web page, which I will put up to see what people think. The web page is all about that most English of games, cricket.

03/10/05

Thanks to Connie for (inadvertently) reminding me that I haven't written a diary entry for ages! Well, not much has happened between now and the last diary entry, apart from the fact that I spent a very pleasant long weekend with the family up in Yorkshire, about a week ago. Not much happening at work and not much happening outside work, either! I do have two sick penpals on my hands at the moment, so ... get well soon Connie and get well soon Lissa!

18/09/05

Got back on Friday from Cologne, and what a superb week it was. We got on really well on the training course and everyone seemed happy with the progress we made. I've added some photos to the Photos section if you're interested. The other good news is that England beat Australia in the cricket series and thereby got back the Ashes - for the first time in nearly 16 years. Well done, my boys!

09/09/05

Well, I think I'm just about ready for my trip next week to Cologne. I fly out on Sunday (and it hasn't escaped my notice that Sunday is the anniversary of 9/11), and get back next Friday, so there will be no diary entries between those dates. Had to go back to work this evening to make some final preparations for the trip, and got soaked as we had an enormous downpour this evening! Exciting life, isn't it. LOL

07/09/05

Spent this evening getting some time in so that I can watch as much of the crucial England vs. Australia game that's coming up. Hopefully the game will finish before I fly to Cologne on Sunday! Felt a bit weary and depressed yesterday - my thanks to Connie and Sarah for helping to cheer me up, in their own inimitable ways! Also made a minor revamp to the England section of the website.

05/09/05

Got all my arrangements for my Cologne trip sorted out today. One of my Ukrainian friends emailed to say that he was bringing a good supply of Crimean cognac with him to Cologne - should be a boozy few days! The only downside is that I will miss some of the next England vs. Australia cricket game, along with the fact that I have to work hard during the course, as I'm giving it! Also, some news from work which unfortunately I can't mention on here, but something I will have to keep a very close eye on.

04/09/05

Got back from a lazy weekend in the Cotswolds a little earlier, and enjoyed a pleasant South African white this evening. I'm glad I did, as we have an almighty thunderstorm here at the moment, and luckily the wine is making me think that the storm is not as bad as it really is. I don't like thunderstorms!!

02/09/05

Finally got rid of a work proposal today, for a nice little trip to Canada. We probably won't win it, but at least we gave it our best shot. Seeing what's happening in the aftermath of Katrina really is depressing. My heart-felt commiserations to everyone in the South, and to anyone who knows someone who lives there.

31/08/05

Wow, hot and sticky in England today! Luckily I have my air conditioner to keep things cool here. Two other things to say. First, it was lovely to have some contact with Lissa over the last few says, even if the circumstances were sad ones. Second, I hope Connie gets things sorted with a penpal of hers. Sometimes people don't realise that they've upset another person, even if they didn't intend to. Once that realisation kicks in, then a solution can always be found.

30/08/05

Not very much to say today, really, apart from to offer sympathy to all those in MS and LA who are now picking up the pieces after Hurricane Katrina. I spent today sorting out my trip to Cologne in 10 days time. So nice to be going on a trip that the company is paying for!

29/08/05

First up, well done to the England cricket team for thrashing whose whining and whingeing Aussies in the latest test - well done boys, you're all heroes, even Geraint Jones! LOL. Second, let's hope that Katrina doesn't do too much damage to LA and MS and the other Southern states. Third, I'm too pissed on cider to write more, so goodnight until tomorrow!

27/08/05

I lied - here's a diary entry for Saturday. Got an old laptop working at my parents home and found this website had gone offline, so I dashed back down to Didcot to sort it out, and found there was just time for a diary entry before going to bed! Good night!

26/08/05

Second day of my long weekend and loads to say! First up, big big big congratulations to the England cricket team, who have the Aussies in all sorts of trouble in the cricket game, helped by some dodgy umpiring in our favour! It's high time the use of TV technology is increased to help with the umpiring. Second, I got my new web pages up! It didn't take as long as I thought it would. Thirdly, bearing in mind Connie's penpal difficulties at the moment, I couldn't help but think about an old pal of mine, and wondering if she's doing OK in sorting out what she wants to achieve. Funny, but no matter what the circumstances are for saying goodbye to someone, you never really stop caring about the person that you got to know so well. Anyway, no more diary entries now until Monday, as I'll be spending the holiday weekend with my parents up in the Cotswolds.

25/08/05

First day of my long weekend today. I intended to make a start on some new web pages, but was far too lazy so didn't get very far!! Today was also the first day of the latest cricket game between England and the Aussies - it's just about even at the end of day one, for anyone who's interested! Had an email to say hi from someone I worked with many years ago. The terrible thing is, this guy knows me, but I just can't place where I've met him. This is the second time this has happened. Serco recruited someone a couple of years back who recognised me immediately when she started work for us, but I just couldn't remember where I'd met her before. How totally embarrassing!

24/08/05

A bit of a mixed day today. The weather has been appalling again - it rained all day and with a nice gusty wind just to add that certain je-ne-sais-quoi. My parents visited today, and turned up looking like drowned rats. They both put on pairs of my old work trousers, and looked ridiculous as a result. Very funny! The bad news is that Tess (my parents' black labrador) has another leg injury, just as she was getting over her previous TPLO operation. Very sad for such an active and loving pet, as she is on restricted exercise once again. On the plus side, I'm off from work this Thursday and Friday, plus Monday, which is a holiday in the UK, so life isn't all bad!

23/08/05

Wow, I'm tired today. Didn't sleep very well last night and spent most of yesterday evening at work trying to get ahead of myself so that I can watch cricket later on in the week. The British weather is letting me down severely again today. It poured with rain yesterday and feels like autumn right now. have downloaded a new batch of photos which I will put on the website in due course (i.e. when I can summon the energy to do it!)

21/08/05

Enjoyed a quiet weekend with the folks over the last few days. The town where they live, Shipston-on-Stour, had a theme weekend this weekend, based on the seaside. Shipston, like much of the UK, was under the sea at some time in the past, and so had a bit of a celebration this weekend. Photos will be posted as soon as I get them off the camera. Connie has made a very wise decision regarding a penpal who has been acting a bit silly just lately. Good for you, Connie. Don't let people treat you like dirt.

19/08/05

The great British weather let us all down today - it did nothing but pour down this morning, and then it turned hot and horribly sticky this afternoon. The Toronto proposal has advanced a bit, but I seem to be doing more cogitating than writing at the moment. Must try and remember that work proposals don't write themselves! Anyway, I'll be off for a couple of days in the Cotswolds tomorrow to enjoy the weekend.

18/08/05

Not very much happening today. I worked entirely from home today, working on my work proposal that will get me a trip to Toronto if I play my cards right! I'm not in the best of moods right now. Connie has had a bit of a penpal upset over the last couple of days, and I know how she feels. Getting to know people online can be very hard on the emotions at times.

16/08/05

Had an interesting drive home this lunch time - the main route from work to Didcot was snarled up with road works, the first alternative route was "access only", and on the second minor route back some cretin of a van driver nearly crashed into me! Not good for the blood pressure. Spared a thought for a recent friend today. I can't help thinking that I treated her very badly in the time I knew her, and she deserved better. That's not something to be proud of, is it?

15/08/05

Had a nice quiet weekend visiting the parents up in the Cotswolds, and now it's back to work again. I also learned that I'll be getting my trip to Cologne from 12th to 16 of September. I'm also working on a nice proposal that should land me a week in Toronto, if we win the work. Needless to say, I'll be working flat out to win that work!

11/08/05

Well I managed it, and got all my stuff done so that I can have today and tomorrow off. I hope my boys do me proud in the cricket and that all the effort was worth it! Honours are about even at the end of the first day's play! The other good news is that I've been able to use the air conditioner that I bought about a month ago for the first time - at last, summer is arriving here in England!

09/08/05

Two very hard days at work coming up for me, as I intend to take Thursday and Friday off to watch my boys thump the Aussies again in the cricket. I have a report to finish off today and tomorrow - will I make it or won't I? I got into work this morning at 6:50 am, which is my record for the earliest time I've ever got into work!

07/08/05

A very big congratulations to the England cricket team for beating the Australians this weekend. Well done lads! We're all proud of you!

05/08/05

Had today off from work so that I could watch my boys get ahead in the latest cricket game between England and Australia! Well worth it! Also, decided to give this website a bit of a facelift, and hopefully it all looks and works a bit better now.

03/08/05

Had some good news today. It turns out that I will be getting a nice week-long trip to Cologne in Germany in September. This is to give a training course to some Ukrainian folk, but will give me plenty of time to see around this beautiful city. I've been once before, and I expect this visit to be just as nice. Worked again this evening - but on the positive side, it means I can have tomorrow off from work!

01/08/05

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me! etc etc. 37 years old today and how did I spend the evening? Back at work making up some time to watch the cricket later this week. Sadly I had to say goodbye to one of my regular penpals today, which is very unfortunate, but alas, time and circumstances move on. I think that you get out of penpalling what you put in. If you make the effort, you are rewarded with some wonderful friendships. But you have to take the lows as well that come with close friendships, and today was one of those days. Sad.

25/07/05

Mental note to self - am not doing a very good job of keeping this diary up to date. So, I will try to provide entries on a more frequent basis. Today I was off sick from work and so have been lounging around the house all day doing nothing. That's probably why the thought has now occurred to me to provide another entry! Haven't heard from Melissa for a few days - must find out tomorrow if she got my last few emails or not.

03/07/05

Back from my holiday, and what a wonderful time I had. The weather was blazing hot in MS, but a lot cooler in North Carolina. Both Melissa and Connie were superb hostesses - it really is so wonderful to go and see a place with good company. What a memorable time it was - what a shame I'm now back here in Didcot again. I was amused to hear that Connie tried to call me on the Friday to see if I got back safely, and she ended up having a chat with both my mother and father. That would have been a cultural experience for her. LOL. You can see some of my holiday snaps in the "photos" section of my website.

09/06/05

Today's the big day - I'm off on my three-week holiday to the USA, starting off with 10 days in Jackson Mississippi to see Melissa and then off for 10 days to North Carolina to see Connie. Melissa refers to me as a "pimp daddy" for having two girls in different parts of the USA, and when I describe my holiday in those terms, then I guess the term is rather apt! I guess I'd better start packing.

09/05/05

Wow, at along last I've finished this website and can get it up and running. It seems as though I've been working on it for weeks now (which I have) and so it is immensely satisfying that it is now up and functioning. The question is, will I get any visitors? If so, how many? Will the effort have been worth it? I guess that only time will tell!