Recently in Things I Like Category

So...we went to London on Friday. I bought The Boss tickets to see Russell Howard (of Mock The Week fame) at the Hammersmith Apollo for his birthday back in August. The show was on Friday night.

West London + Friday Night = Err...I'd give it a miss.

Really, it's less of "West London" and a Friday night, it's more "Hammersmith Apollo + Lack of Management = Err...I'd give it a miss". I am not joking when I say that I think it's the worst organised event that I have ever been to. RIAT was cool, and they had approximately 100,000 people, but then, it would have been organised with military precision. The Hammersmith Apollo was just appalling.

Take my advice here. If you want to see someone that is appearing at the Hammersmith Apollo, but you have the opportunity to go elsewhere to see them...definately go elsewhere.

The tickets that I got through Ticketmaster said that the doors open at 18:30. Cool, right? Well, we turned up at about 18:45. The tickets also said that the show started at 19:30. When did they start letting us in? 19:15. I kid ye not. Is 15 minutes enough time to get anything up to 5000 people seated? Is it bollocks. We were seated pretty quickly, probably by 19:20. We were sat for the next fourty minutes in sweltering heat and really oppressive noise waiting for something to happen. Yes, you read that correctly, the show didn't start at 19:30.

It got to 20:00 and the lights dimmed. Everyone seemed to think that Mr. Howard was coming on. We were all slightly disappointed to find that it wasn't. It was the warm up comedian, whose name I cannot remember, but who was rather amusing. He stayed for 20 minutes, maybe 25 at the most and then buggered off, at which point there was an 'interval'. An interval in a stand up comedy show? WTF?

We were sat for between 30 and 40 minutes, again is sweltering heat, and oppressive noise waiting for Mr. Howard to come on. He didn't come on until 21:00. We had been sat in those seats for an hour and a half waiting for it to start before he came on. It just smacks of piss poor management. If nothing is going to happen for two hours before the show starts, then don't open the fucking outside doors two hours early. Not exactly rocket science, is it? Don't allow 4000 - 5000 people to pack into a tiny little space and then leave them hanging around for two hours. I was amazed that I didn't pass out considering how hot it was.

FFS. It's not difficult. And another thing - don't print a start time of 19:30 on the tickets if the fucking thing doesn't start until 21:00. What's the point in that? Probably to get us in and drinking. Doesn't fool us. We sat through the heat without a drink because it didn't appear that they accepted cards. How is it sensible to have that many people loitering around for hours? FFS.

On another note, Mr. Howard was very good. I certainly enjoyed that part of it. I'd recommend people to go and see him...however, I would look for somewhere other than the Hammersmith Apollo if I were you.

The following morning we had decided to get some food somewhere and ended up walking about 1.5km further than we needed to. We stayed in Southwark, and took an exceptionally long route to Waterloo Station which took us about 20 minutes, when we could have walked for about 5. Heh...it was pissing it down with rain too. After a visit to CyberCandy on Garrick Street (yes, the same street as The Garrick Club), where we spent over £30 on sweets, we went for some lunch at Ed's Diner on Rupert Street, and then we made our way home. Wonderful. Lots of processed junk food, and a visit to Britain's capital of consumerism and capitalism - what a lovely way to spend 24 hours.

Yeah, well, I've been away. Here's a quick overview of what we got up to.

Monday
Travelled to Norfolk, not leaving until almost 3pm. Cool by us - we couldn't arrive at the cottage until after 4:30pm. We arrived at the Cottage, unpacked, looked around. Very nice cottage, would most definately stay again.

In the evening, we had to get some food, and thus we ended up at The Lawns, for a very nice meal. We went back to said cottage, and eventually to bed.

Tuesday
Tuesday, we went on the North Norfolk Railway from Holt to Sheringham. It was a steam day, so we were hauled by a steam train. Sheringham is probably the strangest place I have ever been to. It is seriously weird.

Foodies that evening was pasta and butter, made by us, bought from a very overpriced Spar in Holt.

Wednesday
Wednesday we went to Titchwell Marsh. Did we see a varied number of birds? We saw a few, but it was the wrong time of the year - this is when they all migrate south. We did see a lot of geese, some Avocets and Oystercatchers. We also saw a lot of middle aged or really old people with huge digiscopes. I think that they outnumbered the birds.

For food this evening, I believe we ended up going to Wells-Next-The-Sea and attempting to get food. The first place we got to was fully booked. The second place we got to had stopped serving by 8pm. Yeah. Chock full of oldies, is Norfolk. Eventually we went to Tescos at Fakenham (about 25 miles from where we were staying) and got some food, as all other shops were closed too.

Thursday
Thursday didn't start off well. The Boss spent half of the day working remotely as there was a problem at work, and of course he was the only person who could fix it. It wasn't until almost midday that we left to go to the RADAR Museum. We had originally planned to go to the Norfolk Aviation Museum too, but we didn't have time.

Nom for Thursday evening was taken at The Red Lion in Stiffkey. No, that's not really "Stiffkey", it's actually pronounced "Stoo-key". I suppose it's a bit like "Haysborough", which is actually spelt "Happisburgh". Nom was on nom, as was the beer.

Friday
Leaving in the morning, we went to visit some friends in Lincolnshire. Got shown around that town, had a nice lunch with them, it was nice to see them. Then we had to go to Oxfordshire. We were a bit later than planned after some traffic delays, but we eventually arrived there a bit after 5pm.

Saturday
On Saturday we went to Legoland. I got very wet on a few of the rides. It was a good time out - shame that there had to be badly behaved children, and even worse parents there.

Sunday
And Sunday was taken up with a visit to the Cotswold Falconry and Bird of Prey Centre. We left to come home after 10pm. By the time we got home we had gone through 10 counties in 7 days.

We arrived home at about quarter to one this morning. Yeah. I was useful at work today. So much so that The Boss told me to come home and work from here instead. That I am kind of doing...

What was I talking about the other day?

Now, now, now. We cannot complain about a course average of 81% can we?

Edited to add: Comments now appear to be working on here. Fat lot of fucking good that I didn't realise they weren't until having a go. Grr to MT4.

1) Why is it that you do something for someone, and they don't appreciate it?
Oh yeah, that's right, you can't do anything right for anyone anymore, can you? And of course, the rest of the freaking world is too selfish to realise that you have actually done something for them. That includes a lot of time and physical work. This isn't about me, for once, it's about The Boss. If he gets pissed off, the whole department gets pissed off. Makes it fun to work in that department though.

2) There are few things that I hate more than sitting in and waiting for a serviceman to arrive
I don't mean serviceman in terms of someone in the armed forces. I mean the boiler dude. I hate the fact that they have to come and service things in the first place. While I appreciate that it's only once each year, I still hate it. I really hate to have someone enter my house, not just my house but my home, uninvited. I didn't ask this guy to come, we were told that he had to, and he's supposed to be coming today, this afternoon, in less than an hour. I will feel as though my home and my personal space has been completely invaded and violated.

3) I'm sending someone a birthday present.
Nothing big or exciting about that, right? I don't normally send them one. I'm terrible with birthdays. Christmas is fine, but Birthday? Nuh-uh, unless it's someone that I see on a regular basis then I don't normally bother. This is my Brother's girlfriend. Saying that is probably doing a disservice, more like partner. They've been together for years. I don't see either of them often, but as I bothered to send him something for his birthday, I should probably do the same for her. That's the same brother that I reference here in an entry called "The mysteries of the family". I often don't remember much of what people say to me, but one thing that his partner said to me once really stuck out in the mind. Shortly before The Boss and I got married, she said that she couldn't believe I was getting married before my Brother, and that she might have to spur him on. I realise that he is almost 16 years older than me, but he's not the marrying type. Anyway, she's getting a Fortnum and Mason hamper.

4) It's the summer, and I'm bored.
"Go out!" I will hear people say. Yeah well, the weather's been shite for that recently and today I have to wait for the boiler dude. Maybe tomorrow. Hell, I'll take the camera out. Even though today is supposed to be warmer than yesterday I feel much colder.

5) I said I'd put a picture up of the new hair. Well here it is.
I took this portrait for shits and giggles, and because I'm supposed to be photographing a number of people in a portrait fashion this week. I figured I might as well have a go at doing myself first. The hair isn't too easy to see, but the shape is all there. As usual, click for bigger.

Silly title really, I mean "Where's Your Hair At?"

Mine's gone. No really. Had most of it cut off yesterday.
I'll have to take a good picture.

I can't stop stroking my head. Hmm, that's not as uncooth as it sounds.

It's still a bit odd to look in the mirror. I feel as though I'm on the cusp of almost passing for a boy if I didn't give any features of a 'curvy' nature away.

How long this will last, no - one knows!

So for a while now you've been coveting an ND8, or rather Neutral Density Filter. It's Monday, it's June, you come home from work, you find the filter on your door mat. Wonderous.

What is the natural course of events now? Sure, you want to take it outside and give it a try...Good on you. Can you do so? No, of course you bloody can't. Why not? It's raining.

Although now it appears to have cleared up a little. I might risk it in a short while, after taking a look at the sky. It's not looking too good, but I think I'll give it a quick go anyway.

--------------------

Back a bit later. So I went out and gave it a go. I had, in my style, forgotten to look up online the best range of settings to use with an ND8 filter. Moron. I have now fiddled with one particular setting that should be good for it, but frankly, unless I stack a few of these ND filter atop one another, it's a little bright right now. My main purpose for getting one (I had a purpose?), was for evening/normal long exposures. You know, the kind of stuff that displays movement. As we're now in the time of year when the sunset is nice, it will be good to try. I just hope that the next time I see light streaming through the clouds, I do in fact have my camera on me for once. Short of that, I will be required to carry the camera and tripod everytime I leave the house. Not ideal.

So yes, Saturday. We watched my Father do military driving. Good fun was had by all. We got a little bit sunburnt, oh well. It will wear off. There's not really a lot to say about his driving day. He had fun, it was entertaining to watch him, I took lots of photos, end of really.

After many early mornings, and very late nights last week, all I wish for is the chance to have some real R&R. Ugh, hate that term. I get the distinct impression that I'm not going to get it. That will be both through real world commitments, and through my own overzealousness at wanting to do things (or should that just be "boredom"?).

And before I sign off, one of the nicest things this week has been the purchase of a bird feeding stand. It's at the end of the patio, and lots of little birdies that we either haven't seen before, or don't see much of are using it quite a lot. How lovely.

I'm still in a little bit of a "Huh? You mean to tell me it's all over?" mood. And now I find it strange not to be doing anything in the afternoons, even a little disconcerting. I know that the OU have received the essay, which is good. But it is still a serious question...what do I do now?

My parents are coming this week, which will distract me for a few days. But what about next week? I suppose if the weather stays okay, then I might go out more, like I did yesterday. However, it's not looking so good, a bit wet and chilly. Although yesterday was particularly warm. I'm waffling.

It's early. You know, I was up, showered and had a wash on before 7am. That's rare for me. Now I have half an hour until I need to be in work. I have a cup of tea in hand, have just had some toast, and am now slowly going through the stuff on this desk, which desperately needs tidying. And I figure - what better time to do it than before my parents arrive? Now is as good as ever, right? I suppose. The rest of the house could do with it too. We've made some progress, and now have two fully assembled DVD/CD, or rather "media" cabinets next to the TV where there just used to be a pile of paperwork. They are getting slowly filled up. It certainly looks much better.

So yesterday afternoon I went for a walk into the wheat field opposite. The weather was nice, I have a camera and I'm still learning how to use it. I had a serious Gladiator moment. In fact, I had wanted to take the following picture for quite a while, ever since I had seen the wheat field across the road. Yesterday was the perfect opportunity. I think I will go out and take it again once the wheat has turned yellow, and maybe in colour this time. Maybe even a wider shot. Both of these images get larger if you click on them.

If you're at all interested in the technical (Exif) details of the following image, here they are:

Camera: Canon 400D
Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec.
Lens Aperture: F/11
Flash: Did not fire
Focal Length: 34mm
ISO Speed: ISO-400
Shot In: Black and White.

I've been driving him crazy over the past week because of this. I laugh at it randomly even if I have not seen it for a while. It is so good that I downloaded it for keeps. It is, quite frankly, the best thing on TV at the moment.

Right, yes, I said that I would write about this.

On Tuesday 13th May we attended a recording of QI (as it is known to its friends, it is Quite Interesting to everyone else) at The London Studios on the South Bank. And what a cracking night it was.

We turned up approximately three hours before the recording was due to start and joined the queue. That's what the British do best. After a few worries that we weren't going to get into the recording as the line of people with Priority tickets got longer, we were finally admitted around 7pm.

We took our seats. A little while later the warm up comedian came out and warmed us all up. He was quite funny. Then he introduced a man known only as Stephen Fry. The audience, myself included clapped this tall, dark haired, bereted man who stepped out before us. We all clapped for a bloody long time actually, must have been a couple of minutes. He spoke for a little, then commented that he was babbling nonsense and began to introduce the guests. In order of appearance:
Hugh Dennis
Jo Brand
Phil Jupitus
And of course Alan Davies.

This was the point at which we found out that the show was about France and The French. We couldn't have guessed though - they were all wearing Berets and garlands of onions around their necks.

And so the next two hours followed with an almost perfect recording which required no pick-ups or retakes at the end. A rare occurance according to one Mr. Fry.

And you know what, I'm not going to tell you all of the detail because that will spoil the show when it is eventually aired in the Autumn, however I will mention a couple of things that I believe will not make the final cut. We were after all warned by the warm up comic (a one Mr. Stephen Grant) that most of what we would see would not even make the DVD edit because it would be too dirty or too libellous to broadcast. And when you think about it, out of a two hour recording, they only end up broadcasting a quarter of it.

There was comment made about smoking, which had Jo Brand whipping out...(you and your dirty minds!) her packet of fags (Marlborough menthol I believe) and flaunting them on camera, because of course in Britain there is a smoking ban and we cannot show or talk about these things on television. "Fags! They're fucking lovely!"

There was also comment passed upon Vanessa Feltz and her appetite for "personal trainer cock". Oh yes, far too bad to be broadcast. Her bad fashion sense was also touched upon. Cannot stand the woman myself, so I had a hearty laugh.

However, the best bit, which I can almost guarantee will not be broadcast, and will be very unlikely to be put onto the DVD came from a joke about a rather questionable Japanese sexual practice. I was one of a very small handful of people (probably about 10 in total) in the 500 strong audience that laughed at it. I laughed very loud. The response given by Fry to those members of the audience who laughed very loud was "All of the members of the audience who just laughed at that, leave now". There then followed a conversation amongst the panellists about what it was, or rather Hugh Dennis asked what it was, Fry went to answer and then told him to Google it. Jupitus told him to erase his history afterwards, Davies said he knew a good bit of software that could do that part for him.

All in all it was a bloody funny evening, with five of the greatest comics that Britain has to offer. Each one just had great anecdotes, or in the case of Alan Davies, was funny while messing around, which is what seems to make him so lovely. It firmly cemented in my mind just how funny they all are, and what a lovely, lovely, lovely gentleman Mr. Fry is (it kind of helped that I had seen Stephen Fry: 50 Not Out the previous evening).

I am thoroughly looking forward to seeing the "F" series in its entirety, and particularly this episode on France and The French.

QI, The "F" Series will be shown on BBC Four and BBC Two during the Autumn schedule in 2008. Most likely from the end of September until Christmas.

When it comes to things like "weight loss" I generall heave a sigh of discontent at how pathetic people are. Good on me I say - I just cannot put on any weight, which is pretty much true, I've weighed the same for years even though I shovel a good amount of shite, no, I don't eat shite, but junk food into my gob. And, my reasoning for not doing much any exercise is two fold - I must be fairly careful, having had M.E. for a decade, and secondly, I had a problem with my joints and late last year was banned from every form of exercise except for swimming.

Early this year we managed to get a Wii. I noticed a couple of months ago that Amazon were listing Wii Fit. I signed up to receive an e-mail when it was available to pre-order. About ten minutes after the e-mail arrived I pre-ordered it. Six weeks later it arrived - that was yesterday. What joy!

And today was the first time that I used it properly. I did all of the available exercises and felt a little worse for wear afterwards - to be expected I suppose. I will continue to do them every day, every week day at least as my afternoons are fairly free and easy.

Here, have a photo that makes my arse look huge. I will assure you though - it is only the exercise friendly clothing that is creating that look.