So I have an issue with BT Broadband

I decide to give BT a call because of an issue I have with a new order. I call at about 6 in the evening, this is the busy time, most people with issues have just got home and like me decide to call at the same time. I dial, I listen to the voice prompts and press my buttons to get into a queue and then I make my first mistake.

I am told that they are busy and that there will be a wait, I can, if I want, press some more buttons and wait for them to call me back, however, I am a little concerned about the issue I have and want to sort it out, so I decline this option and begin to hold.

In total the call lasted an hour and a quarter, in which I was passed through four people before I got to talk to someone who took my details, took down the issue and said he would call back within twenty minutes. He called back within ten, telling me the issue was sorted. I await to see if it will be sorted, but I think he was from a call centre several thousand miles away, unlike some of the people I had spoken to in the previous hour or so.

Mid-crisis Life

Compared to other people I have an awful lot, I have been blessed many times, am healthy, wealthy (apparently in the top 5-7% of earners across the whole planet) and wise (well I'm educated). However, as is the way of so many Gen Xers it seems my life has lurched from one crisis to another.

I now believe that I am going through some sort of mid-crisis life. I feel more focussed than ever before, I feel more confident than ever before and in general I feel good about things. That isn't to say that everything is peachy, the norm is still crisis, however the life is starting to break through.

Now who was it that said 'life begins at 40'?

Cacti got my tongue

My fingers are reasonably long, friendly relatives have previously said they are piano playing fingers. However, this has not proved true... I can't play the piano apart from bashing out a few chords, the lead and bass lines of Kraftwerk's Das Model (showing off with my linguistic skills there) and experimental riffs that Ross Geller would be proud of.

My fingers are definitely not green. The garden that I tend (ha - I use hay fever as an excuse) is a mixture of lawn, concrete and weeds. Many a time I have bought a house plant to add that eco feel to the living space and many a time they have died, usually in a long drawn out process that I have been unable to stem. If there was an RSPCP association I am sure they would have convicted me.

Nevertheless I have once again ventured into the house plant arena and bought a cactus. I have a picture below, enjoy it while it lasts.

The year of 2007

It was a summer that we will remember for not happening, for never arriving. However, one weekend the summer did arrive and we took a trip to the coast. On the journey we listened to the audio version of Sepulchre by James Herbert, which was nice. When this got a little too heavy we put on Radio Two, and we heard the classic Nancy Sinatra track Summer Wine. (I say classic but I had never heard it before)

Now we liked this track and so when we got home we searched for it, found out who it was and then went to youtube :-) And that is where we found this version, which is quite good, and which I would like to share with you.


PS, I don't particularly like the Corrs and U2 are a little hit and miss with me, but together this really works.

Stop talking about who's to blame, when all that counts is how to change

It is so simple; yet so difficult; yet so profound... life, let's let James explain

One month and still going strong(er)

One of the goals I had set for this year was to create and do some structured exercise. Well, I researched, thought a little and wrote down a list of weight training exercises and basic non-weight exercises I could do. Decided that I would do them on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, giving a day inbetween to rest the muscles (this seemd to be quite important when reading up on it all).

I started this almost a month ago and have been regularly keeping up since then. I am now in the position where I may need to add one or two more exercises to the list, but I’m not rushing into that as I would like to add some aerobic exercie to the days inbetween. Running is the easiest but I find that terribly boring, skipping could be an option as at least I wouldn’t have to leave the house. If I ever get the shed put up in the back garden I could get myself a bicycle.

However, I am pleased that one of my major goals for the year has been achieved.

See more progress on: Have a structured exercise regime

Radical extemism in Yorkshire (rated 4 stars)

The Death of Dalziel

by Reginald Hill

This was a good read. I don’t normally like or go for crime novels but this one was given to me and I enjoyed it. Reginald Hill (no relation) keeps the plot moving, the humour flowing and although not with a great whodunnit twist at the end, it did resolve things nicely.

See more about The Death of Dalziel

I have a new favourite spam email

The latest in a long line of spam emails to hit my inbox has taken top spot in my all-time favourites list. This one is nicely left-field and has had me chuckling since I saw it. It is for Viagra (which despite it being random spam always worries me) but it was the sender that made me chortle. I was being offered Viagra from Stewart Camp.

Well I laughed.

It's not easy you know

I am off on an international venture in November. It means crossing into the territory of our European partners and looking at scenery such as the following

The thing is, this trip is at the same time as the Cardiacs are touring for the first time in years. I normally see them at the Astoria in London but if I want to do the international trip and the Cardiacs I may have to see them in Stoke or some other place. What a choice, the above or the below... you help me decide ;-)

Mock the iTunes

Well it was the first week back to work after the summer break. This is one of those times that marks out the year, for me it means summer is over. But just this once I wish summer had actually started.

Being on WinXP at home, I have stuck with Windows Media Player. I quite like version 11 and once used to one media player it can be difficult to change. I do however, use iTunes and have an account at the iStore where every once in a while I'll buy a track I quite like. The problem is that it seems like every time I run iTunes there is a download, so instead of playing the one or several tracks I felt like listening to I have to wait about twenty minutes while I download and upgrade to the latest version. iTunes has now taken over from Adobe Reader as the most updated piece of software I use. Well, perhaps firefox updates more but that update is seamless, quick and often rewarding.

Loved, Mock the Week and in particular Andy Parsons this week. He made the point that people being upset and complaining that they didn't want Camilla to be Queen was ridiculous. It is the whole point of a Monarchy that the people don't choose who will be Queen. If you want to choose then you need a presidency.