I am writing this one from work. Must be quick. Things have been going really badly in the move- now BT are screwing us around. Dunno when I will be back online
Hope you all miss me

CJ

We still haven't had our phone connected so I have broken into our old place to check to see f the old line was still active. It is!
This moving lark has been hell. Things have gone from bad to worse. WE have both been stressed out and have nearly frozen to death! Bloody Gas people!
I feel worse ow than before half term, and I go back to work next week- I was hoping to relax a bit- but I just feel wound up.

It has been a nightmare of a day. The idea was that we get the keys and move in most of the little items (tomorrow we have a van so the main items will be done then- so our first night in the new home should be tomorrow night.... should be)
When we got to the new house it was freezing. There is a gas meter in the garden and we were left £5 on a car by the previous tenant. We tried to put it in- so we could heat the place up. Nothing. We tried again- the display said "Call Help". This was not good. So we phoned the Estate Agent, who tried to contact the gas people. They were told that we would have to be sent a new card, which could take several days. SEVERAL DAYS WITH NO HEATING OR HOT WATER! Bugger. Anyway, the gas people said they were send someone round, because it may just need resetting. So this put us in an irritable mood, and behind schedule. I stayed behind to keep an eye out for the Gas Man, whilst my OH went back to do some more loading. Her friend popped by and I sent sent her away to be with my OH. Twenty minuted later they both appeared... my OH was looking pale. Her friend said "She's done something a bit stupid"
"Have you broken something?"
"Worse than that"
There was only one thing that I culd think of that would be worse... "You've locked the keys in the house". My OH had taken my keys because she had lost her own keys somewhere.
She nodded! Apparently she was getting a bit stressed and cut her hand on one of the boxes. So she put my keys down to deal with it and forgot she didn't have them with her (After all, she now had new keys where keys should be)
So we were locked out- which isn't a bonus when trying to move out.
So we spoke to the Landlord who is back /supposedly// working on the house. He helped us by breaking into the house via the bathroom window!
Now we were a good few hours behind.
Then the gas man came... and said there was nothing he could do except fit a new meter. Which he did. Unfortunately, we need a new card! Which will take a few days to arrive (assuming he's ordered it) He did put an emergency £10 on the meter, so we got the heating to work! Not sure how long £10 will last but at least we got hot water and heat!......... One hour later we found a problem- we checked the meter... £8.82, we had used more than a pound in just over an hour! This will never last until the card comes and we will freeze. The gas man couldn't wok out how to set the heating... the estate agent haven't a clue, and the landlord is in Norway.
So what should we do? let the money run out then freeze until the card arrives? Turn the heating off so that it doesn't run down... then freeze? I really cant believe that gas costs a pound an hour. Over a hundred and fifty quid a week on gas? I cant believe that!

PS at the moment, we have turned it off because we are not there

..apparently. Then why are there so many things still not in boxes?????

I was flicking around the Web last night whilst listening to my iRiver when the song Lola came on (The Robbie Williams version from the Radio 1 album) and that got me reminiscing about one of my favourite adverts... The Weetabix ad with the scouts on the camping trip ( Does anyone remember it?) Well I thought I would try to find it. I checked on Youtube but it wasn't there. Then I thought I'd try the Weetabix website...
Now the website has a great old media seciotn called the the Time Machine. It has some old ads. And It was fascinating to watch them But they didn't have the Lola one.
Undaunted by this I decided to email them a request to put the Lola one up. Yes I really did.
Today I got this reply.....

Dear Mr CJ

Many thanks for your enquiry.

We are in fact trying to add old adverts to the Time Machine. Some are not in a suitable format and some have been lost in the mists of time but every effort is being made to increase the number available.

I cannot say if the Lola ad will make it but if possible it will be!

Hope this helps and thank you again for taking the time to contact us.

So I am still no further in getting to see this fantastic ad.
I hope it hasnt been lost in the mists of time- perhaps we can set up a Blue Peter Plea like they did with old episodes of Dr Who.
What d'you say? Shall I email Blue Peter?

I get quite depressed when I was listening to the news on the radio travelling home. The first item was about the three teenagers that beat up that man who challenged them about vandalising his wifes car. Two days later he died in hospital. the next item was an interview from a fireman talking about the amount of abuse from kids the firemen get out on calls. The third item was about a gang o kids that beat up another kid.

Is it just me that thinks that world is going to Hell in a Handbasket? And kids are getting away with murder- literally

Sorry. Moan over

1) Blue Peter or Magpie?
Definitely Blue Peter. Lesley Judd- who went on to be the Adventure Game Mole!

2) What was your favourite comic?
Eagle- Doomlord and Dan Dare! I have a set of eighties comics somwhere here

3) What was your favourite sweet of all time?
The Sherbert Lemon! Nice! And Wham Bars!

4) Ever set light to something with a magnifying glass?
No, but I got my scalp burnt by the school bully!

5) How did you cover your school books?
Embarrassingly with wall paper

6) Favourite lesson?
It changed with the teachers. I enjoyed drama, but because there were others better than me, they got more attention. I was good at maths- but the lessons were tiresome. Physics was worst! I enjoyed Art but failed it. And PE was hell!

7) Were you ever a monitor, prefect, headboy/girl?
Everyone was made a prefect. But I was made head of the CU!

8) Ever represented your school at sports?
Only when forced. It was a house thing. If you werent quick you got put down for the 1500 meters!

9) Ever played an Instrument?
Ah yes. The Cello! But gave up when I wasnt allowed to play it (for fun) without joining the orchestra- and I was never good at that!

10) What did you play in the Nativity?
I played a snow-flake obviously! I did actually play Joseph in a televised one!

Last night (at about 1:30am) we were woken by a very loud alarm. After a few moments to get our senses we ran to the window- thinking first that it was a car alarm, But our cars were safe. Then we realised it we the next door house alarm. But the neighbours were supposed to be away in Spain, (Although we knew that the man would be coming back at some point) Tentatively we ventured outside. The Alarm was going and the front door was wide open.........
And that's when we saw him..... The neighbour- Drunk and fiddling with the alarm. He had come back earlier that day (and decided to get drunk first) And he had forgotten the security code. Not only that... he was on the phone o his ex-wife to see if she knew what it was. He didn't phone his partner (our neighbour and landlady).
Luckily we know the code and turned off the alarm!

Has anyone noticed my Grange Hill Sausage?

Just to be different

Tonight Matt diAngelo returns to Albert Square as the hapless Deano Wicks, after his incarceration in-soap allowed him to participate in Strictly Come Dancing.
And I will be watching, waiting for a great line "What makes you think you can come Waltzing in here".

Please, let the script writers have put that in

SO that it it. Grange Hill has come to an end. I was listening to the radio this morning and there was a quote I was trying to find that said.. "It no longer reflects the going on in schools these days. If we were to show what was going on in schools at the moment, the program would have to be shown after the watershed"
Is it just me, or does anyone else worry about the truth of that statement? Our children's school lives are post-watershed.
Anyway, I was searching for news related items about this when I came across a website I have never seen before. Click Here to find Hecklerspray.com. It really was quite an entertaining read.
Firstly, this website starts off by saying..

Grange Hill - officially the best children's TV show in which the theme tune went 'wah-wah-wah-waaaahh' while a surprised cartoon boy stared at a sausage - is to be axed after 30 years.

I just love the fact that the show will be remembered for the cartoon sausage!

According to the BBC, though, Grange Hill just isn't speaking to the youth of today. The cheeky little youngsters of the modern era are too busy either forming gangs, playing Call Of Duty 4 online or claiming Pete Doherty to be a poet (only the particularly dim ones, mind) to tune into a long running TV favourite.

Sounds like modern kids... and the swearing. Don't forget the F%$%ing swearing.

And then it goes on to describe the same concerns that I had

Secondly: doesn't it seem like a depressing thought that teenagers wouldn't be able to 'identify' with Grange Hill (ostensibly a group of non-patronising screen characters dealing with issues that genuinely affect the audience at home)? Isn't it genuinely despairing that young adults would now have to turn to something like Skins as a reflection of their lives - a gaggle of whiny upper-middle-class catalogue models who perpetuate the uniquely British myth that getting pissed and shagging is apparently revolutionary, and not something human beings have been doing since the dawn of time? Yeah, yeah - we know that Skins isn't technically a show for kids. But tell us it's not being marketed as such. Go on. You'll be lying.

I have never seen Skins (and I have no intention to) but I am sure there is more realism in that kind of drama to today's school population than the Bash Street Antics of Televised school kids.
However, I did watch Grange Hill- and it was revolutionary for me. The Death of Danny Kendall and Jonah Jones. Zammo on drugs and {shudders} Mr Bronson's Wig! Woah! It's a shame that it has to go because Kids are progressing into adulthood quicker than TV scheduling can allow.

And now a guilty secret... I did buy the Just Say No single

This morning lying in bed, my OH looked me up and down.... then said "I see you're celebrating Shrivel Tuesday early"

Thanks Love

Can I say thanks to AJ and Subs for their invaluable help in my Mpeg4/MP3 dilemma. I know have several pieces of piece of me for me.
Subs linked me to Zamzar.com and I have just got that song downloaded where AJ has bombarded me with emails in an operation reminiscent of the Blitz.
Thanks Guys

I downloaded a tune from iTunes today. I thought I would do the respectable thing and pay for it all legal like. It is a single I quite like and it downloaded fine and plays on the iTunes player thing. But when I put it on my MP3 player it doesn't play- and I don't know why. The song says it's an MPEG-4 which is all gobbledeegook to me. Is it too sophisticated for me little MP3 player to deal with? Will I have to buy it properly from a shop so I can record it and put it on my MP3 player?
In other news I got a phone call today- kind of. It was an automated machine saying "Your tickets are here ready to be delivered to you. Please phone this number and have some passport/credit card detail available ready. Then we can deliver them" Now the problem is I am waiting for some tickets {Sugababes} but I bought them from Ticketmaster and they have never done something like this before- they just post them. I am thinking it is some kind of con where they get you to phone a number and charge about £10 a minute for it. The message doesn't quite me by name or in fact quote Ticketmaster at all. What do you think?

As I sit here watching Telly
Thinking how to fill my belly
Glass of red wine in my hand
I think of how the day has panned
This morning cinemas revealed
Sweeney Todd and Cloverfield
So blood and monsters filled my day
(Like any school day- some would say)
I feel relaxed- I thought I'd share it
'Cos tomorrow's Monday- I shall grin and bear it!

Why not create your own poen for the day

The Bloscars nominations have been announced. And I got a nomination! Woohoo. And it likes like there is a good variety of nominations as well. But the award I have been nominated for is.... Blogger you'd like to know personally. Considering my work situation I find that quite ironic!

Perhaps I should Tell them all to vote for me.

{Actually wouldn't it be ironic if one of them were a secret blogger and did vote for me}

And now another moan. God I am in a real ranty mood tonight.
This time it's something that Marks and Spencers have done (well to my OH anyway) They charged her £21.02 for late payment of the bill. It was due on the 23rd of January and she paid it online on the 20th January. Well, that doesn't seem like over due to me.... But no! What do they do? They say... you must pay it at least four days before hand to clear. WHAT!? Are you telling me that it had to be paid on the 19th January? Well why didn;t you bloody say that!? Your letter states the 23rd!. If we pay it on the 20th we expect it to be cleared on the 20th! If you want it paid on the 19th- WHY DON'T YOU BLOODY WELL SAY ON YOUR LETTER THAT IT HAS TO BE PAID ON THE 19th!!!!! I'll tell you why. You want to charge people for bloody late payment!

And where the hell is the money for four days? It can't just be floating around in the middle of nothingness. Why should it take four days to clear?

.....inchiiiiiiiiiiin
Happy birthday to yoooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuu!

I have upset my OH a bit, but am bloody annoyed.
My OH told me that when she got her wages it was £20 short. When she asked the bossman why he said that his wife must have taken it out to pay for their mistake in undercharging on this greek night. When Bossbitch came in she told her husband that he should have let my OH know that that was what she was going to do it even though we hadn't agreed for her to do it.
I am bloody annoyed because we payed the bill given to us- we even remember that the bossman said he knock a bit off for us- we didn't ask him to. If he had charged us the correct amount we would have paid it. But I hate the fact that the bossbitch can think she can just take money that my OH has worked for to compensate for it.
I want to punch her lights out make sure she is aware that she has done something illegal, but my OH doesn't want me to rock the boat.

What should I do?