Monday, May 31, 2004

thewife has decided she wants a new hobby. Whilst roaming the streets of Ayr on Saturday, she had a look in a camera shop and decided that she wants to take black and white photographs and that she needs a 35 mm camera to do this. Aha I thinks. I have a Zenit 12XP somewhere in the loft. I haven't used it for years. That should be just the thing.

At the start of the day, I had planned to clear a large pile of bricks from the foot of the garden, however.....having spent a while in the loft digging tha camera out and cleaning it and realising that it needed batteries and film etc. those bricks will just have to wait.


The large pile of bricks at the foot of the garden. 
posted by timesnewroman at 3:30 PM  

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Cameras in hand, we needed to go somewhere nice to take some photographs. thewife had the Zenit with some very old colour film I had with the camera in the loft and I had a cheap digital. We decided on Eglinton (Eggy) Park, because its beautiful most of the year but especially now and its nearby.


Beautiful azelias in Eglinton Park 
posted by timesnewroman at 3:29 PM  

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Pretty soon thewife is going to gub me at arm wrestling. Zenit cameras weigh a ton.


thewife points and aims 
posted by timesnewroman at 3:27 PM  

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That's 2 weeks in a row that we haven't won anything in the Kings' Quiz. We must be becoming incredibly thick, or maybe we just read the wrong papers and watch the wrong television. I mean who the fuck is Little Mo?

Strangely though there was a bloke at the bar that I recognised, just couldn't place him in context. He was looking at me as well and eventually came over and said that he recognised me too. Turns out he was Alex W, who had been in our Woodies' Pioneer group, like 20+ years ago. Mygawsh, I definitely must be getting old. Then an hour or so later, a woman came up to us and did the same bloody thing, it was more like do you remember me? and of course relatively pished by then, I could sort of place the face, but needed help to remember that she was the young woman, wee lassie actually, who used to help in our Elfin group in the early eighties, there was something about a party at Reidski's ( way back in his northern days) which I won't go into, but she went off to London to live for a while and eventually came back. Turned out she also knew thewife from a time back as well.

We also spotted KW who was in all of our groups and sort of helped for a while, but he's turned into a bit of an arse, so none of us made any attempt to engage in meaningful conversation.

The weather forecast for the holiday weekend were so wrong. Its been really beautiful and the wife has a notion of gardening stuff. I'll leave her to it and feign backache.
posted by timesnewroman at 10:05 AM  

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Saturday, May 29, 2004

Take a pound of organic minced lamb. Season, add rosemary, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, a few breadcrumbs. Mix with beaten egg and form into burgers. Dust lightly with flour and fry. Serve with a Greek Salad. Bloody fabulous they were.
posted by timesnewroman at 12:08 PM  

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Thursday, May 27, 2004

European Election Broadcast last night, on behalf of the "Operation Christian Vote Party" I have to say, get your god the fuck off my television screen now! What a bunch of pricks. Don't they know we have moved into the 21st Century? The really funny bit isthe interactive voting bit on their website, where people are asked a yes or no question as to whether they want the Lord to be included in the E.U. Constitution. So far the result is a resounding NO!
posted by timesnewroman at 5:45 AM  

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Monday, May 24, 2004

thewife and I and Lady El went to see Troy. Fabulous yarn, jam packed with action if not acting and well worth the trip. Not convinced that Brad Pitt can do swords and sandals, seemed pretty weak as was Orlando Bloom, Peter O'Toole's eyes out-acted most people and Brian Cox is a brilliant baddie. thewife was extremely impressed by Mr. Pitt's arse.


Troy might not win oscars for acting, but its certainly an epic. 
posted by timesnewroman at 10:11 PM  

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Sunday, May 23, 2004

Gonna be some changes around here, now that Blogger are giving me photo space too.


Steven is on the right in this pic of The Tet Offensive live at the HAC 29-08-1998 
posted by timesnewroman at 1:18 PM  

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Busy weekend indeed. Friday night and we are going to Steven's 21st. thewife offers to iron my tee-shirt, then shouts upstairs that she is popping out for a bit. We were cutting it fine time-wise, so we are going to be late. She re-appears a half an hour later with a Tesco bag. Apparently I don't have any half decent tee-shirts that don't have a greasy stain on the front of them, so she went and bought me a new one. She is now in a tizzy because we are going to be v. late and she hasn't even washed her hair yet. The phone rings, it's Lady El, who we are picking up at 8:00pm she's running late, could we pick her up a bit later, yippee shouts thewife, sorted. Still in a tizzy though and realises as we are en route that she has no earrings on. Do I turn round and head back? Nope keep going she says. We pick up Lady El, who has a spare pair of earrings with her! Go figure women?

Steven is son of Lady El. Steven played Bass Guitar with The Tet Offensive in 1998 on the occasion of my fortieth birthday, he was only 15 at the time. It was one of the best nights of my life. Me, Manuel, Steven and Paul Forde, one time drummer of The Trashcan Sinatras I formed the Tet Offensive for a one off, although we did play one more time again.

Steven was apparently a bit apprehensive that no-one would turn up to his 21st, but they did, plenty of them and we had a great time. Disco, followed by Karaoke, physical note here, do NOT attempt to sing Lazy Sunday Afternoon in A Karaoke ever again.

Saturday and I have to show face at neighbour's stag night. Quite quiet affair, at least until I left. I had intended to be there for an hour and a half but ended up staying for 3 hours.

posted by timesnewroman at 10:40 AM  

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Thursday, May 20, 2004

Obscenity.Obscenity. Obscenity.
posted by timesnewroman at 5:50 AM  

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Wednesday, May 19, 2004

Looks like there's definitely more than one cuckoo in the nest then. Did they all start as cuckoos though, or did they just become a bunch of power crazed tory scum when they reached the dizzying heights of power? One things for sure, anyone who tries to tell me that the only choice I have is the present government or a return to the tories can just fuck off!
posted by timesnewroman at 6:09 AM  

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Monday, May 17, 2004

Banks, doncha just love them. In February, thewife paid an amount into an account for me, I had lost the statement, but knew the amount and had the other details so it went through okay. At least I thought so. In March I received a phone call from the bank to tell me that my account was overdue, my first reaction was shit the cheque must have bounced. But no, there it was on my statement cashed and on time. So I phone them back and tell them, this is okay, but I will need to get my branch to request the return of the cheque to confirm where the money actually went. (Okay I know it doesn't physically go anywhere.) I have to go into the branch personally to do this. So I have a flexi day cos I a m going to the dentist, so I can go in then, I do and they advise that they will need to request a trace which can take up to 10 days. I phone the people who never got the payment back and explain this, so they put the details in their system and I assume I'll hear from the branch and I forget about. About a month later I get a call back from the bank that never got their payment to say that they haven't heard anything yet and that my account is still in arrears. I tell them the story again and tell them that I'll need to go back into my branch, which I can manage in a couple of days time. At the branch they take ages trying to find out stuff and get back to me explaining that there is no trace of the original trace request, so they will need to do it again, they have all the details printed out on a sheet though and it has definitely gone through, they suspect its in a holding account somewhere. I let the people waiting for payment know and tell them it will be sent to them.

I then get a letter in from them, telling me my account is in arrears and that they will charge me £ 20 for this. I don't fucking think so. I paid you, you lost it, serves you right for having so much fucking money in the first place. I phone them and politely inform them of this. The woman is really quite nice about and explains it'll be sorted when the trace is complete.

They have phoned me back twice so far, I think there's some big call centre where they take it in turns to phone me as a wind up. I have the story marked down to perfection dates and sort codes, the people, the works.

Anyway they phoned again today. I thinkChristt is this still not fixed. I phone my branch, I have the person's name I want to speak to. Instead I get Nigel with a Norn Iron accent, I immediately think call centre which he confirms. I tell him I want to speak to the person in the Irvine Branch and he asks me to spell it. "Is that Irvine in Scotland?" he asks. Yep. He says its a Bank Holiday in Scotland. Its not I tell him, it is next weekend but not today. He puts me through in seconds and I get the person I want to speak to at the local branch. She recalls what its about, takes my number and rings me back minutes later to say yes she has the trace through, unfortunately, they have only sent the front of the cheque despite a specific request for both bits. She takes the details of the other people, phones them, tells them stuff, phones me back again and tells me that it should all be fixed on Monday and she'll phone to let me know.Noww if she was doing the fixing at the other ends I believe it would be, but why am I not too sure on this one?


posted by timesnewroman at 11:39 AM  

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Saturday, May 15, 2004

So Piers Morgan has been sacked. No surprises there then. I don't dispute that The Mirror was duped at all. The remaining question is by whom and why. Was it a voice, like that of the BBC, too critical of the government's involvement in Eyerack and which had to be silenced and punished? I think The Mirror wasn't the only dupee (is that a word?) There were others in the lead up. The Labour Party was duped that Tony Blair had any semblence of Socialism in his heart, the people of the country were duped into believing that they elected a Labour Government. Instead what we have is a lying cheeseygrinningbastard, put there by the dark side, the establishment that you don't see. That's partly Manuel's fathers cuckoo theory and I'm well with him when you see how easily he manages to rein in the hidden and sinister forces of the establishment to silence dissent. The Hutton whitewash, followed by The Mirror fiasco. Who is next? This post was brought to you by conspiracies'r'us.
posted by timesnewroman at 11:15 AM  

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Friday, May 14, 2004

So Adam Ingram can categorically state that the Daily Mirror's alleged torture photographs were not taken in Eyeraq. How does he know this for sure? Simple really. It was a set up and the government were in on it. I'm convinced that because of it's pre-war doveishness, the Mirror has been a target. The photographs were professional looking because a professional took them. Yes someone who had served in Iraq gave the Mirror the photographs, that's probably what they were told to do by someone from the dark side of the MOD. Piers Morgan jumped at it, foolishly, but the Mirror will be discredited and he will have to go. Its just a theory of course.
posted by timesnewroman at 6:35 AM  

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Wednesday, May 12, 2004

Today was "National Bridge Day" in Scotland. Most people were probably completely unaware of this. It was however the main reason that I chose to cross the Tay Bridge (twice) unecessarily and of course explains the bizarre choice of route home from Dundee, via the Forth Road Bridge and Edinburgh at peak time. Alternative explanations of course may well be that I took a wrong turn, ended up on the Tay Road (Toll) Bridge heading away from Dundee and having to come back across it on reaching the other side. This coupled with completely missing signposts to Stirling and thence ending up crossing the river Forth. thewife, who had blagged a lift woke up at this point asking where we were, to be pointed in the direction of the rather distinctive and imposing Forth Rail Bridge which runs parallel. Face was a picture of utter confusion.
posted by timesnewroman at 7:01 PM  

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Tuesday, May 11, 2004

Wot no seventies Saturday dinner? Well sort of, it was a flat chicken thingy with spicy breadcrumbs. No, not from Colonel thingy, we did it ourselves.

Sunday it was hot, I decided I needed a haircut. We have those little electric shearer things. thewife has become a dab hand, although I never get to do hers. I opt for a "Number 3", which is short, but not too short. thewife starts them up and I can feel the hair just peeling off. Its at this point she notices that the small plastic "Number 3" wedge thingy is sitting on the worktop. Oops exclaims thewife. She then duly attaches the plastic bit to said machine, and starts again. Of course its too late isn't it. By now there are 2 very short shorn patches at the back which frankly can only be sorted by an all over "Number 0." This explains the raised eyebrows, numerous comments and lollipop at work on Monday.

Quiz night, we were shite. Good first round and fell away rapidly, so no prizes for a change.

I'm off to Dundee tomorrow, with jimty. The "City of Discovery" gives us Best Value and Service Reviews. Can't wait.
posted by timesnewroman at 7:35 PM  

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Sunday, May 09, 2004

Despite the fact that Killie have had a pretty crap season and have little to boast of. It makes no difference that our arch-rivals are poverty ridden no-hopers, that we have spent so long in a league well beyond their wildest ambitions. You just can't escape the need to indulge in Schadenfreude! smirks.
posted by timesnewroman at 10:35 AM  

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Friday, May 07, 2004

Shopping with thewife last night in Tesco. Group of young people, gathered in the cafeteria , looking rather ominous. Dressed in distinctive uniform, dripping with Bling! Gold everywhere and making a fucking helluva noise.

Turns out they are they local youth brass band from Irvine and Dreghorn and very good they were too.
posted by timesnewroman at 4:52 PM  

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Thursday, May 06, 2004

Keep your evil Swiss Francs. Yup its another ethical boycott!

Deedum, a much loved work colleague is THE most un-pc man on planet earth. In the nicest possible way of course. I and a number of others were in creases laughing at the wonderful job his former female colleagues (that he was taking out to lunch) had made of his beloved motor. On the exterior they had placed a very large sunvisory thing with "Bawheid" (testicle head) on the driver's side and "Bitches" on t'other. Oh how we laughed.
posted by timesnewroman at 7:15 AM  

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Tuesday, May 04, 2004

So suddenly half of Eastern Europe, and the Med is now part of the EU. Suddenly overnight, asylum seekers from new member countries are no longer asylum seekers and now need to support themselves in employment as they no longer qualify for NASS support.

Despite the difficulties having to find both accommodation and employment overnight - Blunkett is such a nice man - What I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to know is why the fuck is the EU admitting new member countries when their citizens are fleeing persecution from the fucking places. Mostly this is the Roma population of Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, and ethnic Russians in the Baltic States. I mean for chrissakes, if previously NASS were supporting these Asylum Seekers, they must have felt there was some degree of legitimacy to their claims, so what the fuck is the EU up to? Expel them I say!
posted by timesnewroman at 9:44 PM  

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A 70s weekend mealwise, was had by residents and vistors to tnr mansions. First up, starter on Saturday evening was Seafood and Avocado Salad, followed by Beef Stroganoff, I've only ever had Mushroom Stroganoff previously and although that was good, this had an edge. Sunday evening we were joined by Lady El, prior to the Kings' quiz and had Steak Diane no less, followed by cheesecake. Washed down with a significant quantity of red wine and later Guinness. We came second (again) in the quiz and opted for a case of beer as our cupboard has an elegant sufficiency of vodka, given that I rarely drink the stuff and thewife refuses to touch a drop since the councillor's party, see circa January 2nd.

Monday morning, thewife helps me recollect the evening's proceedings which I must admit to having poor recall. Perhaps because towards the end of the evening I was sleeping, also there was a trail of clothes leading upstairs and I had to get up frequently in the night.

Nevertheless I had promised to clear the junk in the back bedroom and make it habitable again, so that was the day's task, that and assembly of mumsy's new cd towerthingy from IKEA.

posted by timesnewroman at 5:53 AM  

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Saturday, May 01, 2004

There's a really funny bit in the film, Casablanca, where Claude Rains has been ordered to close down Rick's Place, by the SS. He asks on what grounds and is told it doesn't matter. He then proclaims shock, shock that the bar is being used for gambling. He then collects his winning as the bar is forcibly closed. I couldn't but help to reflect that this is perhaps the same kind of shock currently being felt by our Tone and Dubya with regards to the torture of Iraqis in Abu Ghraib prison.

The country is in meltdown, you have a bunch of kids policing the place with guns and they end up surprised that something like this happens. The high moral ground has been levelled. Tone and Dubya are no better than Saddam Hussein.

Close to the end of the season, a relatively meaningless game, Partick Thistle are already down, Killie have put the prices down to ?1 to try and attract a bit of a crowd and the sun is shining in the sky. From the kick off, thing are looking bad. Livingston are commanding in defence and are beginning to look menacing at the front. Before long they are 2 goals up and look to be cruising. Killie are not in it at all. Second to every ball and trying to punt high balls past Marvin Andrews of all people. They are booed off at half time and emerge after everyone else for the second half. God knows what Jeffries said to them, but if he said it at the start of every game this season, we wouldn't be where we are now. A totally different team in the second half. Played with conviction played with style, a sensible passing game and 4 goals later we are cheering them off the pitch and heading home with a spring, nay, 2 springs in our steps, more of the 2nd spring later, but it involves a senior management potential decision by my employers who want to do something that they wont be allowed to haha;-)
posted by timesnewroman at 5:41 PM  

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