Community @ The Rev Counter - Blogs

20 / 365 - Boxing Day

Olly — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 18:59:21 GMT

Well, this Xmas has been just perfect. I woke up at 9 this morning, coffee, than started getting ready to go away for the next few days. By 10:30 we were on the road in the motorhome, and arrived at my parents' house in the Scottish Borders by 1pm.

Plenty of wine and food, and some good movies. I'm SO proud of my family, we're all very close, and are having a wonderful time together. I've just put the gas heater on in the motorhome so we'll be warm to sleep tonight.

My old granny is here - she's 90 years old, and finally starting to lose her marbles. But she's a sweetheart, and I've spent most of the afternoon carefully steering her onto happy memories and innocuous chat. Bless her. :)

Long drive tomorrow, from Scotland to the New Forest. :D

19 / 365 - Christmas Day

Olly — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 23:11:04 GMT

What a lovely day I've had. :)

A proper basic family Xmas. I was first up, at 7:30. Coffee and cigarette, as the family dragged themselves up, and we were al together in the living room by 8:15. Daughter already had her main pressie (a car and driving lessons), and son was given his cymbals and drum kit. We spent a very happy hour together, putting it all together, then I discovered just how rusty a drummer I am! Quick shower and some new clothes on, and first beer at midday, shortly followed by a beautiful traditional Xmas dinner. The girls prepared dinner, and the boys did the cleaning and washing up. By 4pm, I was well established on the sofa, nicely down a beautiful bottle of Rioja, with the Wii taking a hammering!

Daughter disappeared early evening, so the three of us spent the rest of the night playing Wii, drinking, and eating chocolate. Rest of the family have now gone to bed, and I'm left to contemplate the day.

The older the kids get, the less Xmas holds it's traditional 'pretend about Santa' appeal, but is more a day for us to spend together with no other distractions. And with that end in mind, today has been perfect. I've been relaxed and happy from start to finish. The kids have been happy too, and Chrissie seems satisfied as well. Result. :)

I'm looking forward to heading up to Scotland tomorrow, to see my parents and grandmother. But for tonight, there's still half a bottle of Wolf Blass Yellow Label to be finished off....

;)

MERRY XMAS!

The changing face of Christmas

Bigjawa — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 14:38:58 GMT

When I was a brat, Christmas always followed the same formula, get up, open presents, play with presents, have dinner, watch her maj, play with presents, go to bed. But whatever happened you would have been out showing off your new bike or whatever, the streets would have been full of kids.

Fast forward to the present day and the most striking thing is the pure silence that has fallen over the area, the streets are deserted! It reminds me of when Chernobyl blew up and the town beside it was evacuated. It's bloody unnerving to say the least! So are all the folk inside playing with their Wiis or X-boxes? What the hell is going on?

I heard that there are more people going online to shop than are going to church today, I'm not religious, so I don't give a fuck, but I think that is more indicative of the changes in society than anything I can come up with!:)

Happy Christmas:)

18 / 365 - Being Santa

Olly — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 18:05:11 GMT

As a parent, Christmas is completely different to non-parents. Even though the kids are old enough to know Santa is me, I still have to be Santa. If you see what I mean. :wtf:

I spent this morning doing final bits and bobs on the motorhome, ready to go away, and cleaning and tidying the house. The rest of the family went out this afternoon, so I spent 3 happy hours wrapping presents. :) Got most of it done, just my son's stuff left to go, and that will have to wait until he's gone to bed.

I can't wait for tomorrow, mainly to play with my son's present - a Mapex drum kit, with Zildjian cymbals :D Woohoo!!

My health has been a little better over the last 2 or 3 days, so I really, really hope it continues over the next week. Fingers crossed!

Right. I've just poured myself a beer, Toy Story 2 is about to start, pizza for dinner tonight, and mince pies and wine later. Hurrah for Xmas Eve! ;D

17 / 365 - More mechanicking

Olly — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 21:20:21 GMT

Decided to have a go at giving daughter's Metro a thorough service today. Intended to change head gasket, timing belt and water pump, as well as oil, filters, plugs and coolant. All was going fine, until it came to removing the alternator pulley, from the end of the crankshaft.

Should have been easy enough - car in gear, brakes applied, and impact wrench to undo the nut. Except this one is automatic - so I can't pop it in gear. Mr Haynes, the filthy liar, glibly suggest 'fabricating a suitable tool, pictured, to lock the flywheel' :wtf: Yeah, righto... ::)

Decided that this was beyond my current ability and motivation, so put it all back together again, and settled for just a basic service, and flushing the cooling system. :) It's running beautifully this evening - will see how it behaves in the morning.

Xmas eve tomorrow - I plan to spend most of the day wrapping presents. I love wrapping, I find it really enjoyable. :) Might manage a glass or two of wine, as well........

Holiday Rage

MrFiction — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 11:52:47 GMT

Right, first off, even that title pisses me off. It's fucking CHRISTMAS - not 'the holiday season' or whatever you dumb cunts keep trying to change it to!

I'm not religious, but even I know it's bloody Christmas!

Stop. It.

This year, I've managed to do almost all my CHRISTMAS shopping online. I'm sure most others will be able to say the same.

So how in the blue-knobbed CHRIST are you all still pissing about in the shops like a bunch of stray mental patients???

It's Hell out there! I've recently started using one of those self-scan thingies at the local supermarket to dodge the queues, but now all the Christmas Numpties have caught on to it, too. Except that they can't fucking grasp the concept of scanning the bar code on an item and then putting it in the designated area. Look, it's hard, so fuck off back to the tills and let me get on with it!

And what's happened to all those smug bastards who started their Christmas shopping back in July? I'll tell you what's happened - they're in those bastard crowds of shoppers still!

Next year, if you tell me you've started buying Christmas presents before mid-November "to beat the rush", I am going to kick you in the cunt. Hard.

And yes, I do understand that the majority of the braindead twats shuffling about the place are buying essentials like food for Christmas. And let me just tell you something:

THE SHOPS ARE CLOSED FOR ABOUT TWENTY FOUR FUCKING HOURS!

You're not going to starve to death! Stop buying like there's a nuclear war coming, then we can all relax and just shop normally!

And what's with all the wheelchairs and stuff?

Is it just me, or is every cripple in the UK out for a joyride at peak shopping times this year?

It's no wonder Woolworths went bust - I couldn't even get to the damn stuff for Wheeley Old People (get it???) in Shopmobility carts, fatties being wheeled around on oversized skateboards, and any other immobile cunt they can put wheels on and push into the busiest crowd they can. And yes, this includes YOU, with your pushchair that's bigger than a 1950's Cadillac!

And all this to the lovely accompaniment of the same songs we've heard every shitting year after year after year after year after year...

Even without having some tit coughing their Christmas Cheer down the back of my neck, whilst his dozy lummox of a wife abandons her shopping cart in the middle of the aisle AGAIN as she waddles off to poke a mince pie three aisles down, Christmas Music sends me almost instantly psychotic.

Talk about bringing out the misanthrope - mine comes out like a trap-door spider covered in tinsel and anger!

You bastards!

If I haven't killed you - hope you have a great Christmas.

16 / 365 - Driving Daughter

Olly — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:36:13 GMT

She passed! :D :burnout:

A perfect drive - NO faults at all. Examiner commented that she would have passed a level 2 instructor test with her standard of driving! ;D

She's spent most of the afternoon pootling about in her wee Metro. Just gone off to get Chinese for dinner. Will take a while for this novelty to wear off, I think!

I'm mega proud of her. :) Now, I think I may just open a bottle of wine to celebrate...

Help Me I'm Melting

mrlongbeard — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:51:27 GMT

For the love of all things Holy, why do I have to suffer a lab environment full of the old, infirm and women :dunno:

And why do the above forementioned group insist on having the air con and radiators blasting at "bowels of hell" levels :shaking::doh:

26 Sodding degrees Celcius and I'm struggling to stay awake.

Do you think they'd mind if I had a kip on company time:whistle:

15 / 365 - Driving Test

Olly — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 10:32:04 GMT

My daughter has her driving test today. At 12:43pm :wtf: Why do they have such bizarre appointment times?

My wife has taught her to drive (she used to be an ADI), and we're expecting her to pass, she drives well. I can't believe how nervous I am for her, though!

Fingers crossed......

Parties and Police!

Bigjawa — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 15:40:45 GMT

The nice folk next door decide that last night is the perfect night to have their Xmas celebrations, fine, they don't give any bother the rest of the year, so the festivities start around 7pm with the teenagers all gathering round playing some sort of karaoke game.

Badly!

I'm on here till 11pm until I can take no more of drunken teens murdering "wonderwall" so not being a party pooper I go for a drive until 1am, when I come home to find peace reigns over the street! Bliss! I crawl into my pit and drift off........O0

5am and all hell breaks loose, the adults have arrived home and discovered the karaoke machine, oh dear God, this cannot be happening!

"JEALOUSEEEEEEEEEEE TURNING SAINTS INTOOOOOOOO THE SEAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHH FOCK YOU'VE KNACKED MY WKD OVER!!! OPEN UP MYYYYY EVILLLLLLLLLL EYEEEEEEEEE COZ I'M MASTER BRIIIIIIIGGGGHHHHHHHHHTSIIIIIIIIDDDDDDEEEEEEEE"

I'm sure Brandon Whatshisname never intended his tune to be "sung" at 5.15 am by a drunken Belfast woman, and to be honest, homicidal thoughts went through my head at that moment!

Instead I grab a duvet, jump in the Mondeo and head to the most isolated car park I know and go sleepy sleeps in the drivers seat.

Next thing I know, there is a police officer knocking the window, I roll down the window and he asks what I am doing. When I tell him that I am sleeping, he invites me to step out of the car for a breath test, which to his obvious disappointment comes back clean as a whistle, then he asks me if I have taken anything and once again he's disappointed. Then he tells me I can't sleep in the car park and to basically bugger off.

Charming!

So wearily I drive home, nearly falling asleep the whole way and come through the front door to find the party is winding down and I can get a couple of hours rest.

They're all asleep next door, so I thing my drum and bass CD's will be given an airing! ;D;D;D

14 / 365 - Brain dump

Olly — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 21:28:13 GMT

Why was I the only kid that described sirens as 'nee-nee' instead of 'nee-naw' like everyone else?

Why do teenage boys hang around in menacing packs outside convenience stores, and where are all their female counterparts?

Why are shopping centres always mega-super-heated? If I was environmentally concerned in the slightest, I may suggest that a lot of energy could be saved by clicking the thermostats back a notch or three.

Why am I embarrassed to dance in public unless I'm quite drunk, but I'm happy to sing anytime?

Why did my daughter's boyfriend steadfastly refuse to summon the motivation to check the coolant and oil levels in the car we gave him as a birthday / Xmas present a month ago, until it 'just died' yesterday? :shaking:

Why do I have SO many pairs of shoes?

I wish John Sergeant won Strictly Come Dancing. And I really, really fucking hate Bruce Forsyth.

Why do some people never learn to swim? It's not difficult.

Aren't maps brilliant? How did people manage without them, before they were created?

When will Britain adopt the Euro?

I'm glad it's the shortest day tomorrow. Long dark evenings suck arse.

Why is red wine so much nicer than white? And why do only gurls drink rose?

Why is stout called stout?

Why aren't people from Darlington known as darlings?

Why did fashion / convention end up with men wearing trousers and women wearing skirts? Surely as we have testicles, it should logically have been the other way around, for comfort?

~~Football~~ Soccer would be greatly improved if it was rugby.

:)

13 / 365 - Vehicles

Olly — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 23:03:04 GMT

I spent most of today fettling vehicles.

Checked over and started the motorhome for the first time in a couple of months, and gave it a good run. Then I put the TDM back together again. The front end still isn't completely straight, needs new yokes, but it's a lot better than it was. Fitted muffs, too, then gave it a wee run. Gave the Pan a clean up, and a little run as well. Then re-organised the garage a bit. It's very cramped in there, I wish we had a bigger garage.

Feeling listless this evening, just watching silly cop shows on telly. Bed soon. Can't be bothered with much else.

12 / 365 - What's really important

Olly — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:35:10 GMT

I'm good at what I do. I take pride in it, I strive to be excellent, I expect excellence from my staff, I push myself and my department hard, I work until the job's done as well as I know how, and I hate failure.

It's nice to feel like you're at the top of your game. It's nice to feel appreciated and be recognised for it. It's nice to earn good money for it.

But do you know what's really important? My family smiling, being relaxed, natural and happy, feeling secure and knowing I love them, no matter what. Feeling proud of who I am as a man, not just as a job description. Falling asleep knowing that should I fail to wake up, I'll be loved and missed. No matter what job I do, or how much money I earn.

That's better than any job, any promotion or pay rise, any career opportunity. That's where my energies should go.

:)

Another boring Christmas

Bigjawa — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:04:09 GMT

Christmas is by far the most boring time of the year, at least for me it is. I'm not a particularly social person at the best of times, but the faux sentimentality being hurled at me from every direction, with the sole purpose of lining someones pockets, leaves me somewhat amused, if a little sadder every year. Christmas is a family time, and when you live on yer own, you can feel a bit left out, the last few december 25ths have passed in an alcoholic haze, but since I'm now a teetotaller, it promises to be a repeat of xmas 1999. This has often been described as my defining moment by my friends. And in a way it's quite funny. It was a lovely day weatherwise, and I was very bored as usual. So, being a practical chap I decided to replace a wheel bearing on the car. The old bat next door wondered what all the noise was, only to come out and see me grinding the old race off the stub axle. "It's christmas!" she snarled. "So what?" was my reply, "This bearing is growling and it's doing my fucking head in!"

I daresay this year I will find something similar to do, although I will probably get some nice grub in, and try not to burn it this time, having my lamb joint emerge from the oven the size and texture of a cricket ball did little for my festive spirt. You can't even marvel at the happy faces of the kids riding about on their new bikes, they're all inside glued to the Wii or PS3.

If anyone has an idea of something interesting you can do by yourself on xmas, let me know, as for the rest of you, Happy Christmas!:)

11 / 365 - Family Plans

Olly — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 22:49:11 GMT

Right, that's all the plans made for the Christmas period. Xmas day at home, just the four of us. Then up to my parents on Boxing Day, where my Gran will be too. Will stay there in the motorhome on boxing night, then on Sat 27th will be heading way down south, to the New Forest to see Chrissie's family (and my 1 year old nephew, Sam :) We'll head back home on 30th, then I'll pop back up to Scotland to collect dog, as parents will be looking after her. Then home again for NYE. Lots of miles, but hopefully keeps everybody happy!

I must check the motorhome over properly this week, it's not been run for a couple of months now, so will need to make sure everything's in good shape ready to go away. I love going away in it, always feels like a mini adventure. And for some reason, I always seem to sleep better in there than anywhere else!

Shame I don't have a bike trailer any more, would be nice to be able to take the TDM down south with us, to go for a post xmas bimble around the south coast. :( Maybe Dock Gate 20 could loan me a Buell for a 2 day test ride? :D I'm liking the look of the XB12XT Ulysses Touring.

Still not done anything more about actively selling the Pan. Needs a clean, it's still muddy from my Welsh adventure. Actually, my camping kit is still in the topbox! Why do I only remember this sort of thing late at night, when I can't be bothered to get off my arse and sort it out?!

Slight problems with one of the Metros - the automatic one, that daughter is learning to drive in. It's not happy starting and idling when cold. Plenty of juice in the battery, but it's stuttery and won't run right until warmed up. I'll have to have a look at it tomorrow morning, as it needs to be in good shape for her test on Monday. :wtf: