OK, so the Gym hurt... My legs have been like lead all weekend. Not that it stopped me getting back to the Bodypump class this morning... Boy am I going to suffer tommorow!

Over the weekend, I have been playing some more with the re-design of my website, using CSS rather than tables. The test page is here... let me know if you get problems with it... ;-)

Went into the greenhouse yesterday, everything was covered with a grey fungus,,, I have had to have a major chop at most of the cuttings etc. to clear out the rubbish. I'ts amazing tho' some of the geranium cuttings are actually flowering. I have removed these, to give the roots chance to develop. and several of the other plants are budding left, right and centre!

Back to work today, it was was nice to have a week of doing nothing. Sometimes you just need to chill...

Have been playing with Access 2003, updating the CD database etc. All my Macro's have now been converted into VBA code, and DIGITALLY SIGNED!! Unfortunately this has re-awakened the desire to program, and I am now contemplating buying VB.NET 2003 (£87)!! Damn will this spending never end?

Talking about spending, I noticed last week, that the Nokia 6600 is now available on Orange pay monthly. I called Orange to find out what the damage would be... On my current Talk 60 plan : £240!!! However if I up my talkplan to 120 (Extra £10 per month), the phone is £120, Ok over 12 months its the same cost, but I can have more calls, and it's not all cash up front.

They requested a change to my talkplan, which comes into effect today. The very nice lady from Orange is due to call me back today at 13:00 to sort out ordering the new phone... Can't wait...

Took the laptop to Amy's drama group last night: I am doing the program, and was very impressed with the battery performance. I was up and running in MS Publisher 2003 for two and a half hours, constantly changing things around, saving, and changing again... and still had 33% left!!

One thing I did realise last night, there is a *lot* of politics in laying out a program... Costumes: Before or After "Front of House" etc etc etc

Never mind, its looking good now, just waiting for the adverts and photographs so I can get an almost finished version for aproval...

OK, I am now off to the Gym... should be fun...

Yesterday, I went to the Gym and had a much more aggresive work-out, and boy! do I know it... My arms and shoulders are very stiff today. Who said it was supposed to be good for you.

If I have loosened off by tommorow, I will go again... just a sucker for punishment I suppose

Just finished updating the Music listing on my website for last year. 38 CD's I bought in the 12 months !! I thought all this MP3 stuff was supposed to be reducing record sales...

As a matter of interest, the 38 purchases break down as follows :
New music by a 'New' artist : 9 (24%)
New Music by an 'Established' artist : 3 (8%)
Back Catalogue of an 'Established' artist : 17 (44%)
Audio Books : 1
Various Artist Compilations : 1

I do not really expect the large % of back catalogue to continue into 2004, and I have just about had enough of compilations; there are only so many ways to repackage the same 'couple-o-hundred' tracks...

The good thing is the relatively large % of 'New artist' purchases. Perhaps the reason that record sales have been increasing recently is the greater quality and variety of artists being released...

Got my copy of OneNote and Access 2003 from Microsoft this morning; I have installed Access on both Laptop and Desktop (allowed in the T&C's) and it works fine. Really don't see any differenec between 2003 and 2000 versions at present (except the obvious cosmetic makeover), but will use it over the next few days and let you know if I find anything. One Note, I have installed on the desktop, still not too sure what it's all about...

This is the first Blog entry to be done from the laptop... can you tell?

I have finally took the time to sort out recording to the Archos from the Turntable on my HiFi, and have spent a couple of hours recording some of my old singles to MP3. I am now recording a couple of Albums that a) Are not available of CD or b) I don't like enough to buy again, but don't want to lose.

Cinderella was absolutely brilliant... Julian Clarey was wicked without being too rude; the show was good; the acting was up to usual Panto standards (ie OK) but Dave Benson Phillips (Playhouse Disney's 'Big Dave') was brilliant, the Kids especially loved him - Oh Yes They Did...

We had front row seats, and I was picked on by the two ugly sisters right at the start!

The general feeling from all 50 people in our party was, can we do it again next year. Amanda has requested 75 seats for next years show "Jack and the Beanstalk".

The 'shopping' wasn't so bad after all, I suggested "The Trafford Centre" and off we went to Manchester. The traffic on the Motorway was light, the centre was busy, without being too bad, and we got everything we were after - including the coat! By the time we left, the local traffic was almost Gridlocked, and it too 45 minutes just to get back to the motorway, However from then on, it was a good drive back home.

I was in work yesterday, but with about 5 phonecalls and 3 faults between three of us, it was a pretty relaxed day. I suspect that next week will be a little busier, but I'm off so I don't really care!

I went to the gym, for the first time in three weeks, at lunchtime. Nothing too strenuous, just a nice relaxed workout designed to wake a few muscle groups back up. I intend to go two ot three times next week, with the aim of starting back to Bodypump on the following Monday.

Today, we are going to the Pantomime "Cinderella" at the Birmingham Hippodrome. Should be fun.

Happy New Year to you all.

Three days back at work, it was deadly quiet, so boring... there were only 3 of us in most of the time with about enough work for 1 busy person, or 2 if you wanted a really quiet day! On top of which I managed to pick up a cold sore on my bottom lip!

On the plus side, I have finished my on-call session, and am now free from that burden... No more taking my cellphone to bed hoping it won't go off at 02:00 am!

New years eve was spent at the Amanda's mom's with here family. The two kids have stayed there for a couple of days, giving Amanda and I chance to do what we want... So yesterday - Pictures! We started off the day with some shopping at the 'Fort' in Birmingham. I finally got my Trainers and a couple of casual shirts, Amanda failed to find a coat!. I then took her to see "Return of the King" at 'Star City'. I saw the film it just after release - She loved it, and I enjoyed watching it again. We finished off the evening with a meal at 'Ask', a classy Pizza and Pasta restaurant.

Now today, my cold sore is almost gone and the postman has just delivered 4 tickets for Manchester United v Southampton (Sat 21st Jan 2004 12:30) - North Stand, 3rd tier (a long way up!) level with the half-way line. Arthur Finikin and myself are going, of course, but our respective spouses are not available that day - damn! Barry's wife; Carol has been wanting to go to Old Trafford for years is now going, and I am asking around for a 4th person. Should not be too difficult... and if all else fails Barry has agreed to go.

We have also booked a weekend away in May at Llandudno (Wedding Aniversary) so Plenty to look forward to in 2004... Starting with a days shopping :-( an Amanda goes in search of a coat again.

Call me mad, but I agreed to going to Merry Hill this morning.... OK, not so loud... We got there reasonably early (10:45) and mad directly for the Debenhams Restaurant for breakfast. Once that was out of the way, we wondered about aimlessly for a while before passing an almost empty Lunn Poly.

2 hours later we emerged, proud owners of a 1 week vacation to Paris, France in August. We are stopping in a hotel half way between Disneyland and Paris itself. We Fly out on one Saturday, return the Next, and have three-day passes for Disney.

All in, inc. Flights, Accomodation, booking fees, C/Card surcharge, Insurance and Disney passes etc. - £1200 for 2 adults and 2 kids. Mind you the deposit was over £600! The flights with Air France needed to paid, in full, in advance.

I have also booked the theatre & Train tickets for our trip to London to see "Phantom of the Opera" (for the 3rd time), so all in all a very expensive couple of days!

Christmas officialy started at 08:20 in the Bright houshold this year, that the time both kids woke up and came downstairs. For the next hour there was the usual mayhem of ripping wrapping paper, and cries of "Cool!" and "Wow"; meanwhile Amanda was trying to read the label, before total destruction, and I was writting it all down.

Amy was very happy with the GameBoy Advance SP + 2 games, and the Ticket to see Shania Twain in concert. Alex was really chuffed with his 120cm high crane, I am not so impressed on hearing the noise it generated at 08:00 this morning! Thank for that Stuart!

Well here we are Xmas eve, all set and ready to go. Kids getting excited, weather wet and miserable. Too tired to really enjoy it... Just a normal christmas.

I was rather suprised today, I walking into Birmingham city centre at lunchtime, expecting it to be a nightmare of packed short tempered shoppers - it was the quietest I have seen the town centre on any luchtime ever! I could even walk freely around the Bull Ring.

I did surcomb to temptation, and got a 5 pack of DVD-RW disks for use with the DVD burner in the laptop, and at £19 it was a bit expensive, but I want them now!

My cold finally appears to have cleared, still the occasional cough, and more blowing noses that would be considered normal, but I feel OK.

Yesterday I installed Publisher 2003 on my home PC & the laptop - it says I can in the EULA, what you mean you don't read them! - Shame on you.... It is actually rather good. I have got the first draft of the program for Amy's panto, cinderella, completed and printed out in under 1 hour. I now just need to find time to sit down with the powers that be, and agree the actual real content - and get the photographs of the cast members!

Well, I can't just sit here all night, I am going next door to a party soon, so I suppose I had better get washed and changed!

Merry Xmas everyone.

What a lousy night - I am so congested with this cold... I slept downstairs sat up in the chair from 03:00 to 08:00 this morning - I just can't breath when I lie down.

On a lighter note, My copy of office 2003 arrived this morning, £109 from Amazon. It is the Student edition, so technically it is Amy's copy but the box states that it is licenced for use of three PC's - Mine, Amy's and The Laptop...! There was an offer enclosed for a copy of One-Note and Access 2003 at reduced rate. £30 the pair - I have taken them up on that. I use Access occasionally, and have no idea what ONE-NOTE is about - so I'll give it a try.

All the xmas presents are wrapped up, I still need to get a pair of Trainers, for me - off Mike & Carol, but I will wait till after Xmas.

I still am getting used to this idea of total mobility with the laptop on the wireless network. , I am upstairs sitting on the edge of the bed entering this !

I successfully configured a network printer on the laptop, so I can now print from wherever I am in the house - As long as the Main PC is switched on!

Amanda has taken the kids out shopping with her - She has gone to Merry Hill... She must be mad, but at least I am left in peace and quite to feel sorry for myself... I am not good at being unwell!

Well, another day out of the office, but this time is a Rota day and I am feeling a lot better.

So I started the day off by going to the cinema - Lord of the Rings : Return of the King. A truley amazing film, not to close to the book, but an excellent film just the same. Mind you at 3 hours plus it was hard work on the bladder!

From there into town to tax the bike, just 6 months - I don't want to do it again next xmas!

When I got home, my new laptop had arrived! Switched it and charged it up, configured the wireless networking and I am on line in the lounge... The first couple of hours was downloading the updates and security hotfixes from Microsoft. Next was installing the supplied Norton Antivirus, followed by the obligitory updates! Finally drive image went on and the C drive was backed up.

The screen is amazing, 1400 * 1040... Thats a really wide display. The keyboard is good, or at least as good as any laptop keyboard is!

I now need to get some DVD - R discs to test out the DVD writer! How about configuring a network printer? uhmm I'll give it a go...

back again,

I am off work today, I have a very sore throat, and sound not unlike Barry White! It started on Saturday as just feeling a little "Under The Weather", increasing into a general feeling of "Urghhh" by Monday, before settling into my throat, and dropping my voice 2 octaves! Apart from the fact that I feel pretty awful, talking is a little painfull, and the thought of spending another day on the phone tipped the balance.

Well Xmas is almost here, everything brought, presents hid etc. Tree and decorations are up - Bring It ON...

My best present is one that I am buying myself - a new PC! In fact a laptop - The Acer 661LMi which I am buying from The Laptop Shop

I have added a little festive decoration to my "Localsite" website, and as yet have not really progressed with the mainsite revamp. It's still on my to-do list, but I really do not feel up to it at the moment.

I have almost finished the 2nd book in the "His dark Materials" series on BBC Audio Book. Not only is the book very readable and engaging, the BBC dramatisation of it is excellent. Well recommended.

Nothing much to report over the last couple of days, Amanda has been running around like a headless chicken : Drama, Xmas parties etc. so I have been doing the "Child Minding" thing.

Amy's Birthday was on Friday, but her party is this afternoon, that should be fun.

We went into Birmingham yesterday evening and had an hour around the German Market - it was brilliant. Lots of free samples of the food, interesting craft stalls and a really great atmosphere. I should have taken the camera!

I have started on re-vamping the website this morning... Nothing too major, more a cosmetic overhaul. The live site has had a "partial", that is the colour scheme has been changed in the CSS file, but there are a large number of inconsistencies where I have not used templates or Syle sheets! I have now made a copy, and am working my way thro' updateing the general feel. If I get it right, I should be able to change it much easier next time! Once it is fully CSS'd I may go for a more radical redesign... who knows?

After 3 days of a 230 mile round trip down the M40 to Maidenhead I am officialy knackered, even in a rather nice Rover 75 1.8L estate. Excellent drive on the motorway, but the seat was just *not quite* completely comfortable.

The bad side of it was - an accident on the Motorway on all three mornings causing quite a hold up in the traffic, and generally heavy rush hour traffic when you get back up to Birmingham. 230 miles was taking about 5 hours a day!

The good side was, I have finished "Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix", *AND* Northern Lights (Part one of 'His Dark Materials' by Phillip Pullman on Audio book, before getting three chapters into "The Subtle Knife" (Part Two of "His dark Materials")

Rockbox 2.1 is now released, and is now happily flashed onto my Archos FMR.

I have changed the Ink cartridges from the 'Inkrite' to the new 'ColorJet' ones and they are a big improvment, they actually print onto Photoquality paper... Also the Paper I purchased on Sunday : 200g/m2 'Ultra Photo Glossy' (£5.50 for 20 sheets) and 230g/m2 'Matt Coated - Both Sides' (£6.50 for 50 sheets) gave excellent results.

I can at least have a 'Lie In' tommorow - back in the office, so I don't need to get up till 07:00, I have been up at 06:00 for thr last three days to get to Maidenhead in time to start at 09:00!

Sunday I went to the Micromart computer fair at the NEC, I treated myself to a new video card - A Radeon 9600 128 MB one. That's now installed and performing rather well. I will have to load Unreal II back on and give it a good work out at some point. I also got a pack of 25 blank DVD +R's for £21, some good quality photopaper and another set of Ink cartridges for my Epson 950 (£30 for all 7 cartridges) - see if these (ColorJet) are any better than the last "Clone" one's I tried (Inkrite)

I finished off the cabling at outlaws, and installed my old Sky box - it worked fine, but without a viewing card it did not receive many of the "Free" channels. Barry has an unused box with a viewing card, so he has sent that up to me. I will put that in later in the week and see if we do indeed get a good range of channels.

I put their (6 week) old Freeview box in at Debs, and it worked a treat. All being well with the Sky box at Mike and Carols, she will be keeping that.

Monday was my first day back at work after a week off, and most of the day was spent getting up to date with my e-mails, the latest Nortel patches and updateing two PC's in the office with the latest set of MS Hotfixes.

Today, and for the next two days - I am at Nortels training centre in Maidenhead - travelling daily, so I am shattered - and I still have another two journeys to do...!

Well Friday was a busy day... went to the outlaws new bungalow.

Started off with helping arrange the furniture in the lounge, then working out where the speakers for TV and Hi-Fi should go.

I then re-assembled the hi-fi (with temporary speaker cables) and tested it all worked OK.

Third stage, reconnect the Home Cinema system, and "FreeView" digibox. TV, DVD and video were fine, but the terestial picture quality is pants! The digibox only picks up BBC 1, 2, 3, News 24 and CBBC - not much use really.

Lots of trunking, new speaker cable and 6 hours of hard work and it's still not all connected up properly... Hope to get some more finished late on Sunday, when we go to collect the kids...

Yep, we have lost the kids for the weekend.... :-)

So, today we took a trip 100 miles up the M1 to "Meadow Hall" shopping centre in Sheffield. Lots of Xmas presents purchased, a very nice meal out, and a trip to the cinema to see "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" before a nice steady run back - arriving home at 22:00 - Well knackered!

Tommorow is the MicroMart computer fair at the NEC, a day out with Barry - The girls are going to the "Good Food Show" that's on at the same time.

What a busy day, run around like a headless chicken and seem to have done bugger all...

Started off well enough, Amanda's Birthday, so she had a cup of coffee in bed and got to open Cards, Gifts etc. and after getting the kids packed off to school, I took her to work at 10:15.

From there to Deb's - Ariel man was there, son once he was finished, paid him... Trip into Pensnett to get a timer for the boiler, non in stock but the really helpfull guy behind the counter pointed me to one of him competitors that had a Digital version in stock at 1/3rd the price of the original...! Result!

From There (Kingswinford) to Cosely to pick up some stuff from the Outlaws, back to Kingswinford to drop off at the new house, then back home just in time - to collect Amanda from work.

Fitted the new time clock in the boiler - works a treat... Hope this one lasts longer than the 3 or 4 year average of the mechanical ones...

OK, you ask, where were you for the last month?

I was here, but after an accident with my PC, I had lost the cached login information to the Blogger site, and the tech support link to get you details back was faulty... They have now fixed the page, and I am back on air.... Whoopeeee

Well whats happened in the last month... I have managed to spend two complete weeks in the office, but I am on leave again this week ;-)

Alex's Sunday morning football has failed to take off, only 4 to 5 kids most weeks, so not sure if that is going to continue.

England won the Rugby World Cup, but you already knew that...

I stll haven't finished decorating the hall...! 4 panelled doors upstairs to paint.

Have managed to go to BodyPump classes twice a week for 4 weeks now, have lost about 2 Kilo's, but about 1" off my waist.

I have informed the boss that I am no longer prepared to do "On-Call" - That's created a bit of a stink...

I am activelly looking for a new job (again) - I am just getting bored and need a new challange.

My Out-Laws have finally managed to sell their house, and are moving on Thursday - I have been roped in on Wednesday and Friday to dismantle the HiFi and Home Cinema systems and rebuild them at the new address...

I have changed the Sky box for a Sky+ box - Worth every penny - what a magnificent bit of kit.

Finally my Archos came back from repair - fully working again... and Rockbox is about to be Rls 2.1

That's it for today...