Well not hunting as such but it is definatley stag season! I have had 2 quite long email conversations today, one confirming plans for a stag weekend in April and the other bouncing ideas about for another stag weekend in August.
The whole stag thing intriques me really because it just seems odd that a load of grown men will find amusement in dressing up often with other men you may barely know or have never met and more often than not they decide that this has to be done hundreds of miles from home often in the tackiest towns you can imagine.
Very odd really as I am sure that i am not the only one of the "stags" who on the face of it thinks it would sound the weekend from hell but when it comes to it, will happily go along with it all and will, i dare to say thoroughly enjoy it!
My own stag was in france and therefore a long way from home but, whilst very cool and very different for a weekend away, it was still quite low key, as i had wanted but very enjoyable.
The April stag is in London, and only for one night, and i am really looking forward to it as it will be an excuse to meet up with some good friends that live a long way away, and i am also happy knowing there will be no fancy dress, no chain "super clubs" and no mammoth journeys to get there!
I am a cheery old soul at times!
Tuesday 16 March 2010
I'm a changing man
Having a baby is of course a life changing experience, not least for the mother but i have been thinking recently how it has changed me as a person.
I think it has definately made me more paitent, which previously was one of my biggest weaknesses. I no longer seem bothered that we occasionally run late and have no eagerness get anywhere until we are completly loaded up.
I am amazed at my ability to operate with very little sleep, obviously this goes with the territory, but since i was about 25 i have really enjoyed and appreciated my sleep and the 1st 3 or 4 weeks without were painful, both physically and emotionally! Nearly 9 months on and she still wakes at night, normally only once now about 4 ish, but sometimes more. I would not say i am used to the lack of sleep at all but i just get on with it and carry on as if i have had a good nights sleep.
I have always liked a good night out and there was a time when i would go out 4 or 5 nights a week. Now we rarely go out because obviously we have to stay in and look after the baby but on the occassional times we have been out since she came along it is just not the same. Whilst I apprecaite a change of scenery and enjoy the time i am out, i am keen to get back home earlier rather than later, i never thought i would say that.
Also, I am definatley less lazy! I love going for long walks with the pushchair and generally i will do things that need doing as soon as they need doing rather than putting them off.
Funny really
I think it has definately made me more paitent, which previously was one of my biggest weaknesses. I no longer seem bothered that we occasionally run late and have no eagerness get anywhere until we are completly loaded up.
I am amazed at my ability to operate with very little sleep, obviously this goes with the territory, but since i was about 25 i have really enjoyed and appreciated my sleep and the 1st 3 or 4 weeks without were painful, both physically and emotionally! Nearly 9 months on and she still wakes at night, normally only once now about 4 ish, but sometimes more. I would not say i am used to the lack of sleep at all but i just get on with it and carry on as if i have had a good nights sleep.
I have always liked a good night out and there was a time when i would go out 4 or 5 nights a week. Now we rarely go out because obviously we have to stay in and look after the baby but on the occassional times we have been out since she came along it is just not the same. Whilst I apprecaite a change of scenery and enjoy the time i am out, i am keen to get back home earlier rather than later, i never thought i would say that.
Also, I am definatley less lazy! I love going for long walks with the pushchair and generally i will do things that need doing as soon as they need doing rather than putting them off.
Funny really
How clean is your house?
I have had quite a productive day today and have been spring cleaning the house like a little trojan. I actually quite like cleaning once i can get the motivation to do it, after all i make the mess most of the time, but it always helps when the wife has left me a list of what she wants done before she gets home!
Although i quite like doing it i dont think i am very good at it, i think there is definatley something in the belief that it is womens work! I dont mean that in a sexist way at all but the wife just seems to get on with it, and have the whole house spotless in an hour or 2. When I do it, it seems to take proper ages, (i dont suppose the internet and twitter help my cause) and no matter how hard i try, i always think it could be better. My glass is always streaky, my stainless always looks stained and i seem to acquire piles of junk everywhere!
Today though, i am quite pleased with my efforts, the newly mopped floors look shiny, the surfaces nicely polished, the bathroom looks as good as new and everything smells nice. I even took the lounge curtains down and washed them, hung them out to dry on the line and put them back up, they appear to have shrunk though!
In about 2 days the wife will decide that it is getting a bit untidy again and like a flash, (or a cif) it will be sparkling again, but least I know i have done my bit!
Although i quite like doing it i dont think i am very good at it, i think there is definatley something in the belief that it is womens work! I dont mean that in a sexist way at all but the wife just seems to get on with it, and have the whole house spotless in an hour or 2. When I do it, it seems to take proper ages, (i dont suppose the internet and twitter help my cause) and no matter how hard i try, i always think it could be better. My glass is always streaky, my stainless always looks stained and i seem to acquire piles of junk everywhere!
Today though, i am quite pleased with my efforts, the newly mopped floors look shiny, the surfaces nicely polished, the bathroom looks as good as new and everything smells nice. I even took the lounge curtains down and washed them, hung them out to dry on the line and put them back up, they appear to have shrunk though!
In about 2 days the wife will decide that it is getting a bit untidy again and like a flash, (or a cif) it will be sparkling again, but least I know i have done my bit!
Friday 12 March 2010
Stand up and deliver
I have a great love of stand up comedy and have been to several live shows in various size venues, and it is, if i am honest the one thing i really, really would like to try. Some people say they would to love to try a bungee jump or sky dive but for me, to perform live stand up would truly be fulfilling a lifelong ambition. i love the idea of telling stories to get a reaction and to leave yourself completely vunerable and wide open to a room full of strangers!
I dont think i ever will fulfill the ambition because a) i just cannot see myself actually being able to do it, b) i am not anywhere near funny enough, and what i think is funny in my head certainly isnt on paper or when shared with others, c) living in thanet is not a great place to launch such a career as there is nowhere to ply your trade.
of my favourite live comedy shows, i think Rob Brydon at Margate Winter Gardens reigns supreme, he is a true comic genius and a proper showman. I have quite a few live dvd's too and i will always watch them once for the laughs and then watch them again to study the performer and the way they present thier art, all the time picking up ideas and tips, although just storing them in my mind.
I have a book too, essentially it is a text book and it covers the theory to writing and performing comedy, i have also looked into a course associated to the book, designed to teach you the industry, it is, unsurprisingly in London, and over weekends, and also its expensive, so due to finances and work it is not practial for me, but i suppose if i could get a mon-fri job and save some bonus pennies, i might give it a go!
I dont think i ever will fulfill the ambition because a) i just cannot see myself actually being able to do it, b) i am not anywhere near funny enough, and what i think is funny in my head certainly isnt on paper or when shared with others, c) living in thanet is not a great place to launch such a career as there is nowhere to ply your trade.
of my favourite live comedy shows, i think Rob Brydon at Margate Winter Gardens reigns supreme, he is a true comic genius and a proper showman. I have quite a few live dvd's too and i will always watch them once for the laughs and then watch them again to study the performer and the way they present thier art, all the time picking up ideas and tips, although just storing them in my mind.
I have a book too, essentially it is a text book and it covers the theory to writing and performing comedy, i have also looked into a course associated to the book, designed to teach you the industry, it is, unsurprisingly in London, and over weekends, and also its expensive, so due to finances and work it is not practial for me, but i suppose if i could get a mon-fri job and save some bonus pennies, i might give it a go!
Bonus, its a bonus
I am a partner of the John Lewis Partnership, which basically means i work for them. i have previosuly blogged about my disatisfaction in my job, and since that blog post that has certainly not changed, in fact possibly worsened. What is odd though i think is i am very much a minority in my lack of enthusiasm, and generally speaking, the majority of my co-partners are very satisfied in their jobs and i would go as far to say that many love thier work.
I can never see myself, in any job, truly loving it so much that i want to stay there for years and years but many people i work with have been doing basically the same job for 20 or more years and i just cannot get my head round this. One of the "benefits" of working for the Partnership is if you do work for them for 25 years you are entitled to Long Leave, this is 6 months off work on full pay, and it is amazing how many people i do work with have qualified for this. Although it would be nice to take 6 months off, i would hate to have slogged away for so long to qualify for it, especially knowing that when your 6 months are up you need to go back to the everyday grind. In fact my manager left only today to take his long leave and when he returns in October, he still has 10 years left doing the same job in the same place before he is due for retirement!
Another benefit of the Partnership and probably the most well known and publisized is the Partnership Bonus. This is a percentage of your annual pay and it is announced each March and depends on things like profit, cost control and productivity. This years bonus was announced yesterday and it was a healthy 15%, up from last years 13%. This is very welcome and nice that all partners get it regardless of grade or hours worked. It will be paid at the end of this month so i need to start scratching my head as to what to do with it!
I think this post has made people wonder why i would even consider a new career, they sound like great benefits!!
I can never see myself, in any job, truly loving it so much that i want to stay there for years and years but many people i work with have been doing basically the same job for 20 or more years and i just cannot get my head round this. One of the "benefits" of working for the Partnership is if you do work for them for 25 years you are entitled to Long Leave, this is 6 months off work on full pay, and it is amazing how many people i do work with have qualified for this. Although it would be nice to take 6 months off, i would hate to have slogged away for so long to qualify for it, especially knowing that when your 6 months are up you need to go back to the everyday grind. In fact my manager left only today to take his long leave and when he returns in October, he still has 10 years left doing the same job in the same place before he is due for retirement!
Another benefit of the Partnership and probably the most well known and publisized is the Partnership Bonus. This is a percentage of your annual pay and it is announced each March and depends on things like profit, cost control and productivity. This years bonus was announced yesterday and it was a healthy 15%, up from last years 13%. This is very welcome and nice that all partners get it regardless of grade or hours worked. It will be paid at the end of this month so i need to start scratching my head as to what to do with it!
I think this post has made people wonder why i would even consider a new career, they sound like great benefits!!
Wednesday 3 March 2010
I am The Music Man
Over recent years I feel I have really and regrettably let my love of music slip away somewhat. I used to take pride in my extensive collection which was very diverse and I was often listening to stuff that a lot of my friends had never heard of and telling them all about it.
I have always had quite diverse tastes, from Kanye to Morrissey and used to spend a lot of time and money in my pursuit of a new big tune. Obvioulsy priorities change and time becomes precious but i have decided to dust down the ipod and listen to some old stuff and invest in some new.
For my recent birthday i was bought Florence and The Machine - Lungs and Jay-Z The Blueprint 3, they are obvioulsy very different albums and of course my choices are hardly groundbreaking, but they are both particularly great and are getting loads of "air play".
My aim is to not follow the mp3 route but return to good old classic CD wherever possible, you can forget your Spoitfy's and your Last FM's, this boy is going retro!
I have always had quite diverse tastes, from Kanye to Morrissey and used to spend a lot of time and money in my pursuit of a new big tune. Obvioulsy priorities change and time becomes precious but i have decided to dust down the ipod and listen to some old stuff and invest in some new.
For my recent birthday i was bought Florence and The Machine - Lungs and Jay-Z The Blueprint 3, they are obvioulsy very different albums and of course my choices are hardly groundbreaking, but they are both particularly great and are getting loads of "air play".
My aim is to not follow the mp3 route but return to good old classic CD wherever possible, you can forget your Spoitfy's and your Last FM's, this boy is going retro!
Tuesday 2 March 2010
Update the Captains Blog
goodness me its been a while, and not a good return to bloggerland!
Well the electric meter is still whirring away and we seem to be using a bit less but not quite there yet, but hey the sun is out so it's having some effect!
Went back to work yesterday after a great week off, we didnt go anywhere in particular but it was good to spend time with the girls, and of course not be at work. We always try to make use of our time off and so we went to some places we would not normally go, although on our doorstep, Canterbury, Whitstable, and not qute so cosmopolitan, Ashford.
Its been quite a while since I had been to any of these places simply cos we never seem to find the time and i was surpirsed at how much had changed, new shops and resturants etc and old, apparently well established ones disappeared.
Being off had its unfortnate downside, which off course is having to go back to work, but I have a more positive outlook now, in part i am sure, thanks to the comments on my last post. I am very much still looking to change but I ma taking each day as it comes and what will be will be.
Well the electric meter is still whirring away and we seem to be using a bit less but not quite there yet, but hey the sun is out so it's having some effect!
Went back to work yesterday after a great week off, we didnt go anywhere in particular but it was good to spend time with the girls, and of course not be at work. We always try to make use of our time off and so we went to some places we would not normally go, although on our doorstep, Canterbury, Whitstable, and not qute so cosmopolitan, Ashford.
Its been quite a while since I had been to any of these places simply cos we never seem to find the time and i was surpirsed at how much had changed, new shops and resturants etc and old, apparently well established ones disappeared.
Being off had its unfortnate downside, which off course is having to go back to work, but I have a more positive outlook now, in part i am sure, thanks to the comments on my last post. I am very much still looking to change but I ma taking each day as it comes and what will be will be.
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