Finally managed to get the small ginger cat (Floosie) do go through the cat flap at Prentice Court after much shoving her through, chucking her into the garden and locking the door, extricating her claws from the carpet when I tried repeating the process, bathing my wounds etc. etc.  It's because we bought a bigger cat flap for the big fat Scuzzy who, despite her dimness, has no trouble getting through with her magnetic collar (even with the cat flap clicking).  Floosie on the other hand is little, and does insist on standing on the rim of the cat-flap to try to get in, ensuring that the collar is nowhere near the detector.  In the end, she managed to get through once, and so I left her to it, returning to the house a few times during the day to see if she was still in.  Sometimes you just have to leave them to it.  It's certainly a weight off our mind though, as the previous weekend, when we were in London for the Chelsea Flower Show and had taken the cats to kennels, a Tom cat had obviously managed to get in on a previous day and hidden in the house. When I got the cats into their baskets, I locked the cat flap to ensure that whilst I was chasing one, the other didn't escape.  Hence the bad cat couldn't get out, and ripped the place to pieces trying to find food, leaving the most unnatural sized pile of poo on the carpet (would have required minimal reworking to make a substantial if unusual vase), and peeing into every nook and cranny it could find.  Spent the whole of Bank Holiday last week shampooing carpets, disinfecting every available surface etc. etc.  Hence the urgency for getting Floosie to stop being so bloody stupid and get her furry brain into gear for once.  Seems to have worked.

As birthdays go, this one (today) was one that is best left undiscussed, if not forgotten.  However, plenty of stuff on the horizon, which I'm sure I'll cover in excruciatingly dull detail.

Pat got me a wonderfully serene picture to go on a wall in the flat, but unfortunately they seem to be made of titanium as no picture hanging device penetrates beyond about 2mm into the plaster.  Thus, lots of holes to repair, but until a solution is found, the picture is propped on the little round table by the window, kept upright by the lamp. It can be serene in odd moments of recognition.

Pat had a late night running the evening parents group in Kettering, so not much conversation, but now that E4 is on Freeview, I could watch the new series of Smallville at the same time as her.  Hackneyed plot of mutant boy ages quickly long enough for unlikely adoptive parent(s) to get attached and watch all hope disappear.  Reminiscent of a Deanna Troy Star-Trek Next Generation episode, I seem to remember (he says coyly). It's the Roman Candle hair that does it, you know.

Found an old program that I was part-way through developing to execute FTP scripts using an inbuilt scheduler.  Not sure why I abandoned this one.  As it happens, I could do with using this at the moment, especially as I resume working on the web site.  Will have to revisit...

Updated the web site with poems in Uricon and On, and the last three editions of the Helper's Network Newsletter. Haven't touched that site for a year now.  Some of the notes left on the site are quite interesting.  One person finds it all a very interesting trip down memory lane, but really shouldn't people have moved on by now?  I guess the problem for many people is that there's nothing more recent with similar sensibilities.  The closest ones (e.g. that Tarzan series) fail miserably in the quality of the screenplay.  We shall see.  In the meantime, as and when the newsletters come out, I'm sure I can spare a few hours updating it on the web site. Apologies to dear old Gwen for my tardiness on this one.

Started looking at expatriate / inpatriate stuff again today with the expats department before we start doing testing through the interface of P&O Nedlloyd production data onto ADP Freedom's test system.  Make sure we iron out any data issues before we send it through.

Having bought our ex-council house from Northampton Borough Council about eighteen months ago, we realised that it's just a wee bit annoying having all windows with uPVC Brown window-frames, except for two. One can get another's window when that window becomes French windows into the conservatory, which just leaves one window. And nobody does flat brown anymore - it's all that bloody horrible mahogany wood-grain stuff.  I contacted the borough council today in the distant hope that someone there might have some records of who they have used in the past, and who they use in this situation now - they must have difficulty matching stuff, too.

The last week or so I've had a horrendous sore throat and problems swallowing, and have been getting probably 2-4 hours of sleep (go on, give me a big aaaaahhhh!).  Could be hayfever related.  Hopefully calming down now, as I had a bit better sleep last night (probably about 5 hours in two jaunts.  Perhaps the hay fever medication is finally kicking in.  Could be worse, though.  Could be something that keeps me off work.  A contractor's worst nightmare.

Ben phoned during the day to ask why the Washing Machine didn't work. Suggested turning on the inlet tap under the sink.  Students.  Actually, he's just finished his exams last week - He's just got a first for his dissertation (He's doing a MSc in Physics with Space Research - Yes I suppose that does make him a rocket scientist) and will find out next week about the exams.  Apparently very difficult, so he's (and we's) on tenterhooks a bit, as it's on the edge between a 2-1 and a first.  Quite chuffed about the dissertation, as we collaborated on a Java program to work out the gravitational effects on the centre of a series of hollow cylinders placed around one large hollow cylinder in order to minimize the gravitational effects on a piece of measury type equipment in a satellite - preferably to zero, but if not, then at least to the closest possible.  With more time, I'm sure the model could have been further perfected, and some fancy integral worked out to produce the perfect model, but we did okay with an iterative process, methinks. Saved Ben some time, and meant he had a fancy-looking program in his appendices, and I got an honourable mention, so all happy as can be.

As Ben's in Northampton, he dropped by to visit his Grandma (Betty), Becca & Chloe, and finally Pat when she got back to work (his Mum / my Wife / her Person).  Off they were to trot to a restaurant on the assumption that Ben wouldn't whole-heartedly approve of calorie-controlled vegetarian microwave meals (Pat's not a vegetarian, she just likes the meals - I'm like that too - Often have the vegetarian option at Christmas dinners).  Hopefully they got themselves a table.

The fat cat called Gizmo that wandered into our lives last year was chasing the piece of string on a stick for three seconds before flopping down on his back to wobble his arms around vaguely, until he realised the grass was actually quite comfy, and snoozed off.  23-hour a day sleeping cat, that one.  I put it down to either a metabolic disorder, or because he just likes his sleep tooooo much.  I can sympathise.

Ah. Midsomer Murders is on.  I missed that series when it was first on, so might give it a try. Good old Digiguide and it's creepy robotic voice!!!

Blog pages added to the Personal web site now that I've got it a bit better integrated and organized. Oh look, the poor lass just got whopped over the head with a shovel. Serves her right for going within a hundred mile radius of Detective Barnaby.  Not quite the death toll of Arnie-beating Jessica Fletcher (who I now use as a synonym for Jonah without a second thought) but getting there.

The Weekly interface files since her departure for holidayings all went through okay, so looks like we're set to go live on Monday. Joyful and triumphant.

Pat talked of the joys of eating out at the Toby Inn with Ben in Northampton. The chatted about things, Ben having a very healthy but humungous salad, Pat going for something that wasn't the carvery, but ending up having to queue up to get it from there anyway.  Never mind, meant she could get a few roast spuds in.  The service was excruciatingly slow (probably because it was unusually busy for a Tuesday - balmy evenings do often flush people out of their little burrows) but I guess that meant they had a chance to catch up.  Ben had been down in London with Emily earlier in the week - she's worrying about some sort of show where they all get to display their talents to scouts [not the woggle variety] etc. so shall see how this goes.

I was lying on my bed in the flat looking out the window - wonderful azure sunset bleeding to an orange glow - and watched it disappear into evening as we were talking. Jolly aesthetically appealing to the finer sensibilities.

Adieu. Goodbye. Time to bog off.

My contract's due to come to an end at the end of July, so the first pangs of worrying about this are emerging, especially as a plethora of contracting agencies have been contacting me over the last few days double-checking my availability.  Evidently some company is looking to recruit some contractors for a project.  Never mind - it's the luck of the draw when they come up, I guess.

In the meantime, nose to the grindstone, making a rather messy red ring!

My Vodafone mobile internet card needs updating, and I'm on the market for a new flat in London, Consolidation Loans, remortgage to a repayment buy-to-let, and funding for some home improvements. Threw that lot at a financial broker and I have to say he didn't seem that fazed - just said he'd look at a few options, and get back to me tomorrow / Monday.  We'll see what he comes up with.

Tomorrow, I'll be seeing the electrician to see how much it's likely to cost for the various work likely in said home improvements - nice chap who did our Front Porch light (that one Taxi Driver once commented on as making it stand out from the other houses around. That would be because it was evening and quite dark).

Otherwise, working from the flat tomorrow, trolling down to Northampton and saying "Howzyadoin" to Pat.  Who, incidentally, sent me a birthday card which arrived today (so she probably actually sent it three weeks ago) in a lovely bronzey-goldey type of an envelope.

It had a rip-roaring poem about a cat-based rag-tag band in it, which I shall immediately add to the Uricon and On web site so others can share.  It won't be indexed properly until the proper release next month of updates to that portion of the site, though.

Pat had a walk down to Weston Favell Centre today to meet her Mum there.  Gets her exercise in when she can - It's a good half-hour's walk going the slightly greener and more scenic route via duckponds etc.

Catching up on a bit of Alias.  The Amazon DVD Rental thing is great, except for the small point of only about half of them ever arriving. I can't work out if it's a scam, or whether some helpful postie / other flat dweller in the building is snaffling them.  However, very annoying. After all, it takes things about a week to get here first class at the best of times.

I wonder if other people have noticed a general decline in the postal system over the last few years.  I first heard about it in Coventry a few years back.  Other towns near Northampton started suffering too, and more recently Northampton is getting bad too.  It's always been crap since I moved into this flat nine months ago in Islington, London.  Except for a few weeks respite around about the time (I found out subsequently, thinking that something must have been done to perk things up) the posties got their bonuses. Hmmm.  Something you don't seem to hear about in the news.  Perhaps there's a postal sack with a hole in the bottom of it they reserve especially for me. I'm off anyway, 'cos I'm waffling now. Blah blah blah blonk.

http://www.itworld.com/Tech/2428/040622peoplesoft/

Nandan, by the way, is the support chap (IT Support is operated from Pune, India) who came over for a few months during upgrade, and went back again afterwards!  He's been joined by Sailaja recently to help with the various support tasks the ever-expanding HRMS (i.e. being adopted by more and more P&O Nedlloyd countries) requires.

Better stop, actually, because the train will be making it's way into Wellingborough shortly, and it takes a while to shut this thing down - ah yes, Northamptonshire countryside that I recognize. Gotta go.

Anyway, saw the builder bloke to see what would be possible with our renovations. Possibility of an RSJ (Rolled-Steel Joint to we plebs) to replace the dividing wall in the dining room / back office to become large sitting room.  Theoretically, a timber-framed house should be able to hold itself up, but the inside walls and joists do sort of help it from caving in on itself, just a tad. If the joists run the same direction as the divide, we should be okay without one, otherwise it shouldn't be too much dosh (he prays).

The B&Q bloke wasn't going to turn up until 12 o'clock, so I suggested he not bother coming as this would clash with the builder.  Anyway, they want to sit down and plan it all out over two hours, and really didn't have the time.

Managed to get the damnable 10ft work surfaces that have been propped up in the stairwell for about four months now moved with the help of my Van Man, moved back to Homebase where they belong. They were the original ones that turned out to look a bit out of place in reality, so got replaced with new ones.

Pat and I had a troll down to Weston Favell where we met up with Becca, Chloe and Caitlin (Becca = Pat's Daughter, Chloe & Caitlin, Becca's Daughters).  Chloe was as hyper as usual and I must admit I lost my temper a bit with her as she was swinging from the checkout at Tesco, desperately trying to pack the goods being torpedoed at me by the cashier who seemed to be going for a world record in swiping, and pay her at the same time.  Unfortunately, Pat was a little preoccupied with Becca at the time as she'd just been rang to be told that the person who put an offer in on her house had pulled out, which meant the home they were in the process of buying was clearly in jeopardy too.  About time they had laws to hold people to their offers unless they have good cause (e.g. they die!)

Anyhow, we managed to have a little respite in the evening (well, I think Pat ended up consoling Becca for several hours, but there we go) and that's that, really.

It was quite nice catching up.  Rebecca couldn't come over, as she'd been up all night being ill (stomach bug probably - they seem to get them all the time in that family!)  We decided to have a spot of lunch in Weston Favell Centre at Oliver Adams, so Ben & Emily went in his car, Pat and I went in mine (Pat driving of course, as I'm sooooo terrible and aim for each and every lamp-post / pedestrian that I see).

We spent a little while enjoying Chav central  (really, Northampton seems to make people fat & ugly - I'm taking some time to recover myself, even living in London most of the time).  We bought a few bits & pieces from Tesco to keep us going, including some hair colour for myself and Pat - my hair seems to have turned dark brown over the past few years. Probably because all the lighter hairs have dropped out (hence generally baldiness creeping up on me).

Ben & Emily went to visit Becca and were back at about quarter past six. In the intervening two hours, I had managed to colour my hair, Pat streak it, and prepare a very scrummy dinner that was enjoyed by all, before Ben & Emily departed for the cinema.  Then it was a small rest before I had to scoot off to London again with all my washing. Did I mention that on Saturday I managed to get through three loads of Washing & Drying in the morning at the same time?  No? Probably because it's incredibly boring. Spent a couple of hours in the evening preparing + checking file for Monthly people for tomorrow. Bye then.

Three new CDs received through post - two by Bt and the new one (Unholy) from Martin Grech. Bt does sound a bit like a re-hash of Fatboy slim / Euro Dance music of the nineties, but there we go.  Martin Grech sounds like a chorus of worried Czechs going through a threshing machine, but there we go.  I won't compare him to early Radiohead with an emphasis on the avant-gardy bits, as I'm sure that's an eye-rollingly common comparison.  Will give it a few more listens (not at suicidal moments, though) to help make up my mind.  I'm liking X&Y - the Coldplay album.  Rather like the Red Hot Chilli Peppers' "By The Way" - The more you listen to it, the more melodious and middle-of-the-road it sounds.  Give it a few months, and it can join my Barry Manilow!

Watched "Shaolin Soccer" on DVD - Very funny, and actually quite a cohesive plot for this type of flick.  Well worth a watch for anyone who enjoys the old Martial Arts type stuff and tongue-in-cheek type comedy

Bit worried that Pat's going to lose a day's medicine as the prescription I ordered today won't be available until Wednesday afternoon.  Unfortunately, Rebecca's in hospital on Tuesday (possibly overnight depending on how the anaesthetic hits her) so won't be able to help, and of course David will be looking after the kids, and I'm in London, and Pat's working late. Sounds like a hell of a week for her, as she's doing groups every night, late back all nights too by the sound of it.  This is the irony of lopping a day off your working week.  You end up being expected to fit a whole week into the same space, and consequently don't end up having enough time to take the time back that you took off in the first place!!!  I wonder sometimes if it would simply be easier to go back to a full working week.  Really, she needs more help, and until the people where she works acknowledge this (she's been trying for seven years) I can't see it getting any better.  Next step grievance process, if they're not careful.  We've already spoken to ACAS about it and I've got all the HR info about the process from the internet, so at least we're prepared.  The Care Manager there will hopefully come back with some news soon, otherwise there's really very little alternative.  Hell at the moment for Pat.

I've fancified this version a bit so that it incorporates a few variables to make the translation easier, and a facility to store these variables to a file in case the process needs to be repeated a few times before getting it right.  I'll release it onto the software site as Freeware when I get the time.

Took Pat's espadrilles (shoes made out of bits of old string to you and me) back to Oasis and was rewarded the princely sum of £28.  Have to take things back more often. Wonder if they'll take my holey old knickers. Must be worth at least £40 a pair for all the effort I've made into making them that way - abrasive flatulence and all.

Apparently, Becca had her operation today, was sitting up and chatting by one o'clock and home by four!! And that was a triple bypass with a blood transfusion and bone marrow transplant thrown in!!  The NHS today - they really do get you up on your feet in no time.  With props. And heavily starched clothes.  Hopefully, she'll be okay.  Although it wasn't really a triple bypass operation.  An exaggeration for political effect.  Right.

Bought a new notebook (paper kind) for £3.25 which is annoying because it has different coloured sections that I just can't utilise, but is exactly the right size for daily "to do" lists that I keep on doing because life is so damned complicated these days. I keep a master "to do" on Outlook / my organizer (actually it's mainly an MP3 player / encyclopaedia, but serves it's intended purpose at times). Oh, and each page on the notebook has a little rectangle at the top to put a heading - a place for the day of the week!!! Ooh, so exciting, so exciting. Highlight of my week!!!

On the espadrille front, I was supposed to be exchanging it for a cream bolero, a grand £35 (It's the holes you're paying for - very complex to put in - small square holes require small square anuses, you see). However, they only had white or blue (the white is like the "Elmlea" of cream boleros - just as expensive, goes with everything fine, but just not so interesting), so just had to keep the money.  I was woebegone.  I'll pop in there from time to time to see if they restock, otherwise I will be perpetually seeing Pat's tearful "I have no cream bolero" face in my mind's eye, which could account for the two hours sleep I had on Sunday night. Or not.

Popped into Tesco on the way back. They do cans of barley wine. How nice. I picked up a four-pack so I can put one in my Tower of London pitch-innarded leather mug / "leather drinking vessel".  Not had the courage to try it yet, as it cost so much. Not allowed to wash it. Oh god, how will I cope?  Barley wine is about as alchoholic as normal wine, but sort of beer like. But made of barley. And stronger than beer.  I shall give it a go, not having tried it before, and tell you if I say "Mmmmm...",  "Hmmmmm?", or "Phlugh!! My guts, my guts!! Hraaaarrrhhhhh..." or similar.

Also picked up Rabies from Babies, Whores from Bores, and Rhymes from The Times.

No, I didn't actually.

I picked up some shopping bags.  And went up the stairs to my flat.  And put them shopping bags back down.  Then wrote this - just for you.

Ben phoned up in the morning to let me know his Master's degree results. A first!  I was unusually enthusiastic - but then, he's done incredibly well, against lots of odds (and it sounds like some of his tutors were very odd) but well deserved - he really was incredibly dedicated in his revision and project work.

Anyway, congratulations to Mr. Msc in Physics with Space Research (a first in Rocket Science!  Now there' something to brag about!) and I couldn't help suggest the he perhaps shouldn't get so drunk that he dies and never has the opportunity to enjoy his success!!  A little grey cloud to accompany any bright ray of sunshine!!!

Alliance & Leicester, who we currently have our mortgage seemed keen enough to give us another fixed rate mortgage for another two years (the last fixed rate is up this month) - just goes to show, it's worth asking - I was genuinely considering a new mortgage, so good think I asked, really.

Watched "eternal sunsine of the spotless mind" yesterday, in which Jim Carrey comes across as a painfully shy person (I guess he can be something other than "The Mask" or similar - although, you get the vague suspicion that it's bubbling away under the surface there) who meets a wonderful person, relationship descends, she has a procedure to blank her mind, he finds out, does the same, film plays out in his psyche during procedure (see "Maribou Stork Nightmare" or similar) and Hollywood ending on vaguely arty-type film follows.  Sort of interesting, but the arty loose-end bit that leaves you thinking is lost in the general tidy-up at the end of the film (i.e. Hollywood style).  Shame, really.  One of those films that had potential, but leaves you wondering if it was really worth the effort.

The film title (must be arty with a title like that) is taken from a very thoughtful Alexander Pope poem, according to a passage in the film.  Must pick up some of his poetry some time, as I keep stumbling across it and being quite interested, momentarily.  None of yer, "Theres's a pretty flower, let's compare it to Cherubim" crap.  Well, actually it's more yer, "How funny people are, let's compare them to Cherubim" [crap].  Ho hum, to live in a secular age.

Five hopefully skilled professionals (actually, one of the plumber chappies we've used already and is great, hence booked up six years in advance) to meet at Prentice court in two hours tomorrow to see if we can get some quotes on Windows, Conservatory, Electrics, Plumbing, moving radiator, knocking down a wall, building another, putting doors in etc. etc.  Possibly slightly cheaper than bombing the place.

Anyway, we had ourselves a merry little microwave meal and bag of veggie each, watered the garden, put down some ant stuff and slug stuff, tied up the Buddleia which is getting a bit too big for its branches now, and cleared out and covered the barbeque ready for next week. And just to make sure it doesn't rain (which it would if I didn't).  Then in the evening, I went all out to clear out two rooms and move all the stuff, including dismantling of furniture, to the previously cleared out room. I was actually doing this from about 10pm to 5am (alongside washing / drying my clothes so I'd have something to wear to go to work in), showered and readied myself in half an hour, caught a taxi (which I had to reschedule twice due to thinking I am Superman or something) and off to Wellingborough to catch the train back to London, whereupon I went straight into work, and prepared the files for Weeklies, Monthlies, and test data for expats. My God, I only survived the day by drinking ridiculous amounts of Coke / Coffee, taking regular stumbles, and propping my eyes open with match-sticks.  People must have noticed my head nodding every thirty seconds!!!  Embarrassing.

Anyway, got to bed early, and managed to sleep from about 6.30pm to 9pm, 10pm to 1am, and 1.30am to 7am approximately, so caught up a bit, I think.  Not sure if I ate anything. Oh yes, curry at lunch and something indeterminate before I slipped into a coma.

Watched Bubba Ho-Tep in the evening. It was shite shite shite.  Oh, and boring.  It was a bit like a good idea someone had for a drama production (amateur drama production) that somehow found some funding for a film.  And never quite broke into the genre.  The concept had huge comic potential, but basically it was a one-joke film - look at the funny decrepit mad old people who think they are famous people (or are they really famous people?) eventually fighting Egyptian forces of evil.  Unfortunately, the actual interesting bits (i.e. when there's no embarrassing dialogue going in that just doesn't quite manage to reach humour pitch) are when there is some sort of fighting of special effects beatles or mummy. And that's only interesting because you need something interesting to hand your interest on in the mad desperate hope that you haven't just wasted a few hours of precious time.  Oh god, just don't watch it, it's so bad.  It's not even so bad it's good!  If it's trying to be cultish, it even fails there.  You can understand how something like Bad Taste became popular - it's so bad, it's good, and yes, it manages to have actual humour that isn't wrapped up in horrendously boring and clearly scripted monologue, er... dialogue?  And yes, the director of that film went on to do the Lord of the Rings films some years later, so I guess someone saw the potential there.  The sooner this goes back to Amazon, the better. Managed to get my clothes washed from last week, and the bedclothes all washed and changed ready for Pat's arrival on Friday.

Well, actually when I got back to the flat, I just couldn't be bothered.  So did a bit of shopping at Sainsbury, booked some tickets for Friday to see Batman Begins at the local cinema after we'd finished restauranting, and that's about it. Shall have to have a quick whip round with the hoover tomorrow morning before I go in.

Watched Batman & Robin to get myself in the mood for the next film (not seen it before).  Very pantomime.  It's a bit obviously pantomime, which was fine in Batman Forever, as Jim Carrey excels at the sort of thing, but George Clooney was... George Clooney, and Chris O'Donnell looked a bit lost with the crass "I'm a Kevin Teenager" script - try acting that rubbish!  Anyway, at least it was better than Bubba Ho-Tep.  Then the grey fuzz left over after I've taken the DVD out of the telly is slightly more enticing than Bubba No-Hope. To bed....