Dirty windows

Click on pic
This is a window in the workshop attached to the tiny office I work a couple of days a week. Scot is my oldest brother. 30th October 1976 he wrote his name on this dirty internal window and to this day it hasn't been cleaned off. My family took over this buiding in February 1970 so the dirt had no doubt been building up since then. There are four windows in this window frame. One of them is now smashed so there was no space for me to add my name. I did shove a sticker on the wooden frame on the 29th March 1983 and it is still there.

Jelly wobbler

Click for bigger picture

Saw this lying on the beach as I cycled home. Brought back some bad memories of being stung by one when young. And by the ned of the day my whole body was stinging as I must have been spreading the sting about. I think someone must have had the same idea as me as a child - pelting them with stones.

Dirty water

I never knew just how much water I must swallow while taking a shower. The other day I took a shower and the water was slightly discoloured. I do have a shower every day - I'm just getting round to posting now. So I thought, well, it's not that dirty - I can get away with showering in it - but I won't swallow any of the water. I then realised just how much water goes in my mouth.

My computer

This is my computers specifications. To think that a few years ago I was told that I would never need any more than 4GB. Jesus - I can download that in a few days. Click to see full size.

Man having a fit on a train

What happened on the train was we arrived in Stevenston (a few stops after I got on). One bloke wearing a baseball cap and cycling a bike got on. I was watching him closely because I am considering taking my bike on the train so I was keen to see where he put it. He never fully made it onto the train. I heard a muffled sound and then a noise from his mouth - a weird noise.
Now I don't have too high an opinion of the younger generation. Illustrated by about five minutes earlier two girls and a boy (about 12 years old or 13 at the very most) getting on the train. All three were smoking cigarettes. I thought they looked stupid at that age smoking. Then realised they shouldn't have been smoking in the train at all. But did I say anything to them. Of course not. Back to the guy having a fit. The first person to react was another 12/13 year old girl - but she didn't know what to do so she went and got a bloke in his early 20's to assist. He dragged the guy off the train which was due to pull out at any minute. I'm not particularly sure what you do with someone that is having a fit. I thought you were meant to just let them get on with it. This guy seem to be restraining him. Although to be fair he later just seemed to be holding the guy's head. All this time I was sat doing nothing. There was a man and woman slightly older than me and they also sat doing nothing. The next people to assist were the two chavettes and chavs that had earlier been smoking on the train. One of the chavettes got on her mobile phone to get an ambulance. Another young girl in her early 20's started going through they guy's jeans pockets. Presumably to find some identification or if there any simple instructions - what to do in case of etc etc. Then the guy appeared to fall asleep. The train driver and ticket inspector had now arrived. 20 or 30 minutes after this first started he suddenly woke up and wanted to get up. But they wouldn't let him till the ambulance arrived. The bloke that was sitting across from me then decided to get up and see what was happening. Because all the initial danger was over. My excuse, if you can call it that, was I suffer from bad Social Anxiety. I wonder what everyone else's excuse was. The only folk to help were chavs and chavettes and an early 20's bloke with long hair. God I hate folk with long hair. And he was good looking. I'd have "given him one" and I'm not even gay. Or maybe I am? Nah - I just want a pair of girls breasts for myself. He never did get the train. I dread to think what would have happened if he had taken a fit while cycling. Or maybe that's impossible - I don't know how fits work.

I was very conscious of people on the train on Sunday - especially if they were carrying rucksacks. I wasn't caring if they were "olive skinned" or not. If they were carrying anything I was suspicious.

downloading images from my camera

I've just tried putting the card into my computer and it was a piece of piss downloading all the pics quickly. Strangely, the pics look even better on the same monitor than they did with the previous computer. I think I'll need to install the cradle onto my new computer as I don't want to have to take the disc out each time.

I've got my new computer now

Just went up and got it this afternoon. I think I must have got it up and running by about 7:30pm. It's now 11:37pm and I've downloaded my first lesbian video. Couldn't wait any longer than 4 hours. It was meant to be a 400GB computer. But it's down to 361GB already. Still, that's a lot of lesbian videos I can fit in that space.

Aren't thumbs great?

Just been lying in bed thinking about how great thumbs are. Just think how often you use them. Tying your shoelaces.....holding a spoon or a fork or knife. Holding a screwdriver. It's much better than a willy - it doesn't have a mind of its own. God, how embarassing would that be? Sitting on a train and your thumb suddenly does erect. Looking like some stupid seventies kids tv presenter. Although if a thumb was used instead of a willy it could be handy. I could pee round corners and run away. Oh wait, I used to suck my thumb as a child. That's not right. Although it would be handy when I was older. Shit, when I was lying in my bed this was a serious thought to me - now look what's happened to it. I could write my name in the snow with greater accuracy than at present.

A thumb is only good when used in conjunction with your other fingers. What purpose would a willy serve if the thumb was to take over its functions. None - get rid of it. Bloody stupid looking thing anyway.

More pointlessness

This is a picture of one of the cupboard doors in my kitchen. I'll need to move on to door number three soon. Door number four doesn't exist anymore as it came off during one of my temper tantrums.

Talking to drunks

There's nothing worse than if you're sober having to make conversation with someone that's drunk.

I was walking out to the football today and halfway there I met my Uncle across the street. So I walked out the rest of the way with him. Had I walked out at my own pace I would have seen the kick off but because I had to wait on him......well, I didn't want to look an ignorant git, I missed the start. No problem there - I only saw the start of ONE home game all of last season but I've saw the start of both home games this season and was wanting to keep the run going. My uncle had been in the pub a little too long. God, now I know what people had to put up with when I was drunk. At least my uncle was speaking in English - unlike the drivel I talk that no-one can understand.

We won 5-1 and we now top our section.

Another five goals

Another win at home - this time 5-1. More players sent off.
Should be another win next Wednesday away from home - then it's the last two games which are the toughies. I reckon we could qualifty for the quarter finals. Something we are not known for over the years.
A lovely sunny day. So why do I feel miserable?

You say tomatoes, I say tomatoes

I've placed some coins here just to let you see the sixe of these tomatoes. My father brought me down some macaroni and cheese to the office where I was working and had these tomatoes. He grows them himself. Huge aren't they?
That was all the coins I had in my pocket.

It's just another manic Monday

As usual - click on the pic for bigger version
I'm getting depressed thinking about the happy times I spent in this hotel. You'll have to read the rest of the blog - there was a hotel here and it's now been knocked down.
This place opened half an hour earlier than other pubs on a Sunday. I had a system whereby if I heard "Manic Monday" by the Bangles I would get legless because it contained the words "it's just another manic Monday, I wish it was Sunday, that's my fun day". It was on the jukebox in the pub so there was a fair chance it would be played (especially by me if truth be told). I wish I could go back in time to those days. There are a few things I'd like to change. A few mistakes I'd like to correct. A few things I should have done but didn't.

Stop the world - I want to get off. Any chicken left me-luv-pandas. I have no real desire to waken up in the mornings any more.

Cipramil

I think I'll need to go back to the docs and get myself back onto Cipramil. I hadn't really been depressed much lately but it's just hit me like a ton of bricks. I only get depressed when I think about my life so I avoid thinking about my life.....in fact I just avoid thinking altogether. But lately I've just been thinking - what the fuck is the point? I mean, I've been living in this flat for 16 years now and have achieved nothing in all that time. Nothing has changed. Everyone I grew up with has moved on with their lives. Got married, had kids, got divorced, killed their neighbours. But what have I done. Sweet Fuck All.

And the beat goes on.

New season starts

What a great way to start the season - by humping your oldest rivals 5-0. A player sent off, again, in fact - it was the same player sent off in Saturday's friendly, as well as a penalty missed. Life is good. Apart from my computer finally died last night.

Update : bloody typical. There's six teams in our section which means three games each afternoon or night the games are played. So what were the other two results.......5-0 and 6-0 (the team that won 5-0 is below us in the alphabet so they go above us in the league table).

You may wonder why I don't mention any of the club names - well, I don't want someone Googling their club's name and finding this blog. One of the teams we play, the last game in our section, we haven't won on their ground since the 1979-80 season. Over a quarter of century. I think it's time we ended this run of failure.

The new football season

The season officially begins tomorrow night with our first game in the sectional league cup. This is organised in geographically local groups (4 groups of 6 clubs). Which means our first game is againt our oldest rivals. They are actually in the league below us.......this is the first time in our history we have started the season in a higher division than them. We beat them twice in this cup last season (3-0 at home and 6-3 away.......this was the first time we had scored more than 5 goals against them in one game since the 1950's). So we will start this game as favourites to win. I don't really care about this cup. I can't see us qualifying (the top two qualify) - but if we beat our rivals I'll be happy.

Last season had a strange situation. The way the quarter finals were drawn we went into our last game of the league section knowing that a win would mean our quarter final tie was away from home to the runners up of the section. So both clubs in that final game were determined not to win. Even got to the stage of one club missing a penalty. But we eventually won by a late goal. The player was sacked. Only joking. I think we got humped 6-1 against the same club in the quarter final.

Usually, at the start of the season the club is in dire straits. There is usually no committee, no money, hardly any players have re-signed. But this season almost all the players have now signed, we've got a better goalkeeper (he also lives in the town - plus another local player looks as though he will be signing up for another stint at the club). There is a few more on the committee. The ground looks a little bit better. There is now an anti-climb grease on top of the fencing round the ground to keep supporters from escaping. There is still a lack of money - but we can't have everything. We get a flag for winning the leage the previous season - unfortuinately, we have to pay for the flag ourselves.

Nowhere is safe from clutter

Click on the picture for larger size

Even my kitchen is full of junk. A bag of marbles. A radio (tuned to Westsound and only used between 2pm and 6pm on Saturday's - even if I'm not in the flat).

Weird dream

I had this really strange dream that I was in car with my gran and grandpa. Both of them are now dead. I've been in a car with my grandpa many times before, he was driving up until he was nearly 90 (and that was usually the speed as well), but I can't recall ever being in a car with my gran. On the radio was someone doing a cover version of Dido's Life for rent....but it was being sung in french. Also strange was the fan blowing air around the car was really blasting air out and I didn't know how to switch it off.

It's light outside

Great (he says sarcastically), it's light outside. I'm still struggling with this VAT return and it is now light outside. So it looks like I'm going to get no sleep before I start the new day. BOALAX.

CMOS/GPNV Checksum Bad

CMOS/GPNV Checksum Bad
Now, what the hell does that gibberish mean. Although, at least it's kind enough to say it's "bad". No fucking Sherlock - the fact it takes 100 attempts at switching the computer on tells me it's bad. I want to know WHAT is bad.

Fat Bastard

I know someone that's bid on a Fat Bastard on Ebay. I was soooooooooooooooooooo tempted to sneak in and outbid them just for a laugh. Actually, given what it's wearing I reckon it looks quite like me. Maybe I should outbid them after all. I think it closes in about 8 hours time. I should be doing a VAT return just now (it was due in yesterday so given the post it will be a few days late) instead of looking at Ebay. God it's after 4am and I'm shattered.

Time to invest in a new computer

It took just a little too long to get started. I mean really long. I'm not exaggerating when I say it probably took around 100 attempts. I have to switch it on and keep my finger on the on switch for as long as I can before it switches itself off again. Just a case og judging it and the computer wants to come on as well. man and machine in perfect harmony so to speak. So I think I'll be burning all my personal files as I feel it may not see out the week or even the day if I switch it off again.

Not much left now

Not much left of the hotel now. I was talking to someone at the football today about the place. A lot of memories from that place. More and more houses and flats are being built in the village yet more and more shops are shutting down. The main street now just has a Post Office and a picture framing shop. Even the spot this picture is taken FROM is no longer a shop - it is just a workshop/office. Gone are the newspaper shops, ladies dress shop, mini-market, butchers, antique shop, chinese carry-out shop and others that I can no longer remember. Gone are the tennis courts (3) but they may be making a comeback. Gone are the two putting greens. Gone is the police station. Gone is the railway station. Now there is just a shelter - it is no linger a "manned" station. Gone is the tennis pavillion. It would have been gone many years before before it actually did go as I accidentally nearly set fire to it. I lit a fire behind it but part of the pavillion caught fire. Gone is the boat building yard. a massive area of the seaside village - to be replaced by blocks of flats. Gone is the pier and its associated railway station/yard.

Printer cables

I found this bundle of printer cables in a cardboard box under my bed. I don't have that many printers so why do I need all these fecking cables.

scandisk

If there's one sight I hate seeing then it's this one (click for bigger pic)

Theatre of Dreams

28 years of my life I've been going to this dump of a ground. It's seen a slight lick of paint (probably for the first time in 28 years).
Click on the picture for a larger version. No point in showing the other pictures as they are either blurred or show nothing. The remainder of the ground is open terracing. I was the first person in the "stand" today. When the next person arrived he asked "have you been sitting there since last season" because I've been in hibernation since then as well as I sit (or usually stand) and the same position, week after week, season after season. Today we beat a team from the league above us 2-1 in a pre-season friendly. Although it can hardly be classed as a friendly when we had two players sent off and they had one sent off. Last week we also had a player sent off in a pre-season friendly.

24 bags of crisps

As the 18 bags of crisps didn't las long the last time I went for 24 this time. First bag was opened at 9:06pm......we shall see when I finish. I actuallt just went in for two 6 pint cartons of milk and ended up spemding £11.16

Cycle journey 4 (final)

The final picture is looking through the underpass to the start of the cycle lane.

I have already posted a picture looking from the other side. This is the best piece of cycling on my whole journey home. It is the smoothest of paths. I even try to cycle "no hands" but I can only manage a couple of yards and that's without pedalling. I once managed to cycle round the island of Millport completely no hands. I was stoipped by the police but I think that was because I was eating a bag of chips while cycling and I didn't like the pickled onion I was eating so I threw it behind me.....only for it to hit the police car windscreen. That takes me back to my rebellios youth. i could only have been about 14 at the time.

Cycle journey 3

This is looking at the underpass with the railway above. This is the third gate I come to. This time I couldn't be arsed lifting my bike over so I moved the rusty gate to the side.

Cycle journey 2

Click on the picture for the larger version

After throwing my bike over another fence I then cycle along this stretch of rough road (which is actually back in the direction I have just came from)

Cycle journey 1

Click on the picture for the larger version

Above is a rough road. I throw my bike over the gate and cycle (slowly down this road). This is the view looking up towards the main road. Now if I was looking down the way I would then turn left and I'd see this view........next post above

Test picture

Click on the picture for a bigger version

So I can upload a large picture and bloggerdoof will make it a reasonable size. And all this time I've been making them smaller myself. What a dumbass.

I think this was a bible thumping place at one time. Now it's bulldozed to make way for housing. Whattawaste.

Crisps

At 6:27pm tonight I bought 18 x 25g bags of crisps. It's now 1:28am and there are only two packets left. There just isn't the same amount of crisps as there used to be when I was a kid.
Time for some spaghetti bolognaise.

What's that gobshite doing on TV?

I'm bored with the crap that's on TV just now - so I thought I'd watch myself instead. And I just had to wave at the CCTV camera like an 18 year old. I was watching it earlier and because my hair had grown a bit I REALLY noticed the bald bits when I was walking underneath the camera (whose idea was it to have it up there looking down?) - so I had to shave it all off again. I'll need to get rid of the moss on my face now.

The object up against the wall (with the hideous wallpaper) is a table. Strange logic behind the buying of that table. I had bought another similar (but smaller table) earlier for about £120 then I noticed this larger one for about £60 (or less). Because it was cheaper I decided to buy it as well even though I didn't need it.

Shell

Shell - if I ever find you I am going to rip your fucking tits off.

This was on the stairway leading up to my flat. It's been there a few months now but I only just decided to take a picture of it. I was worried the person in the bottom flat came out while I was taking a picture of it. Or worse, came out when I was taking a picture of my wheelie bin.

21st Birthday presents

I mentioned below about a tv I got for my 21st birthday - well, here's the picture of it.

















19 years ago it would have been worth something but nowadays you can buy them with dvd players attached and teletext as cheap as chips. As you can see from the picture, England are on their way to their first (of five) humpings in the Ashes series against Australia.

I also got a razor :

It's getting easier to add pictures now to my blog. I got this pennant for sponsoring a match once. Doh - that's why it says "Match Sponsor". The first I knew I'd sponsored the match was when I read it in the matchday programme. I think I'd been drunk a few weeks previously and agreed to it. Then they were chasing after me for money.

Duster

My mother gave me this duster. She visited my flat one day and saw the state of it and had to give me this. Quite a handy wee thing. The place is still a mess though........but, like British Rail (an old advert) "I'm getting there".

Rap music

I don't dislike ALL rap music - but I'm getting pissed off the amount of times they will take a sample from a good song and then blurt their shit over the top of it. Or they will play the same bit over and over again from a really good song without completing the song - instead we have to listen to their inane drivel. Ot you will have some famous rapper blurting out crap........and at the back of the stage you will have some female singer doing the real singing but un-noticed.

The joys of being an old fart........they just don't make music like they used to.

Rabbit food

I'm sick and tired of buying "rabbit food" from the supermarket, for instance, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber etc and then forgetting to eat it. The two or three weeks later I have to throw it all out. Why can't lettuce come in tins?

Spider

There's a freakin' huge spider in my bathroom just now. Much bigger than the one I have already posted on this blog.

New computer

When I get round to buying it I'll then be faced with a new set of problems of getting it safe again....firewall, anti-virus. Then there's all the programs I'll need to re-install. I'll have to find them on this computer and try and figure out what all the various installation programs are. Nightmare.

Hay fever

I'm suffering from hay fever again.

Cricket

Imagine wanting it to rain so as you can geta draw out of the game. It's just not cricket I tell you.

Confusing

I've used a splitter cable so that now both my main computer and my laptop both use the same set of speakers. It can get confusing at times. For instance, just there, I removed my camera which is on a cradle attached by USB to my laptop. At the same time I was typing here on the main PC. The laptop beeped to warn me of the camera being removed and I thought I'd done something wrong while typing here.

Similarly, when I'm burning a CD. Because of the ancientness of this computer it still takes around 40 minutes to burn one and strangely I can only burn 642MB on a 700MB disc. I'll start the process and then start working on my laptop. I'll make a mistake on my laptop, it'll beep and I'll automatically think there is a problem with the cd burning process as I'm tha used to the PC using the speakers.

What a complete load of drivel. No wonder I never have a girlfriend. Who in their right mind would put up with me. Maybe Luba (see post below).

Another text

Another mysterious text that could be misinterpreted.

 

Shithole This was  a reference to the state of the flat I live in being rather untidy. I think I had mentioned I was going to take some pictuires of it as an incentive to get it a bit tidier. Back entrance This is the back entrance to this person's house which was being done up. Maybe it's just my filthy mind that read something more into this text.

My tv is about to die

My wee portable in the bedroom is about to die. It's had a good life. I first met him (or her) on my 21st birthday. He (or she) has served me well these last 19 years but I think the end is near. The good thing is I can then get a decent portable for the bedroom. God, (he (or she) is not even gone yet and I'm talking about a replacement. I also got a razor on my 21st birthday which I'm still using. Weird thing is - the hair clippers I use to trim my beard and rarely ever use on my head now. And the razor I NEVER use on my face but use to shave my head bald. No doubt this post will give me an excuse to photograph both items.

I wonder if Luba (see post below) would still want to meet me if she knew how I lived.

I half cleaned the kitchen yesterday. That floor was a flipping disgrace. I'm sure there were things growing on it. Still, the major part is now a bit cleaner.

Luba

Is this not desperate? I mean - how bad must it be for someone to resort to this? I feel sorry for you Luba, I really do.

The new school

A wee bit below is a post with a school on fire. Well here are three pictures of the monstrosity that took its place.

I've just remembered - this bit above was actually an extension to the original new building.

Going, going.....but not yet gone

Another picture of the hotel being knocked down. If you want to know why it is such a crappy looking picture it is because it is being taken from inside the office/workshop and the windows are absolutely manky. It will probably be down to the ground by the time I get back on Wednesday.

A poet

This is a photo of a text that was sent to me while I was at work. I won't say why it was sent and I've cropped out who actually sent it. But I don't think Robbie Williams has anything to fear when it comes to songwriting. I don't normally photograph text messages but there was no way I was not going to keep a copy of it. There is another text but I'm not sure if I should post it. I don't even understand what it means myself.

The wee red book

You know the new football season is about to start when the week red book appears in the newspaper shop. It's a lot bigger now than it used to be. I've got versions of this book going back to the 1950's. The original version was only 2�" x 4�" (70mm x 107mm) but now it's up to 3�" x 5�". t's now 264 pages (and was 144 pages)

Spider

This is the spider hiding in the toilet at the workshop/office where I work a couple of days a week. The wall is absolutely manky.

This is a photograph of a poster I made for the workshop/office toilet. It is actually a quite small spider but I zoomed in on it using the "macro focus" on my camera.

My defrag problem

I think I may have discovered why my defrag failed. I think the power may have been off in my flat for a couple of hours. Just noticed the time on my bedside alarm clock is two hours different from my computer clock which suggests the power was off for two hours. Or does it? I'm not too sure. Too tired to try and figure it out. My alarm rests to 12:00pm when the power goes out. So that's what probably buggered things up.

The cheap pot noodle

I have one of these as a "scooby-snack" when I'm at work. 35p from Morrisons.

It's amazing how something as disgusting looking as this


can turn in to a delicious meal just by adding boiling water


he says sarcastically.

Almost finished


Finally - all gone


a view from an angle


a tower of pot noodles

Cycle path

Elsewhere I posted a picture of a cycle path that ends in the middle of nowhere. Well, tonight, when cycling home I thought I'd cut across a field at roughly where this cycle path is on the main road. After jumping over three large gates I finally made it to the cycle path. It means I don't have to use the main road as much......especially in winter and the dark night. But the best thing of all is - because this cycle path is next to a yachting marina it is floodlit. There are no lights on the main road. Yippee.

Defragmenting

Started to defragment my computer at 11am today. 40 minutes later and it hasn't got beyond 10% yet. That's usually the first hurdle. So I'm guessing this is going to be a long one. I'm betting on 36 hours. From memory I think the last one was around 32 hours. I tell a lie. I did another defrag shortly after that mammoth one and it only took 8 hours or so. And that last 5% takes forever.

Update : after 47 minutes it changed to 11% and at 54 minutes it is still 11%. So by my calculation it should only take just over 7 hours. If only it were as simple as that. I wish there was something to indicate approximate time left. I'm still betting on 36 hours.

Second update : after 1 hour and 8 minutes it is 12%......getting up towards 9½ hours now if it was based on this. Thankfully I'm going to work now and won't be updating every % increase.

Think I'll need to start buying computer magazines as I prepare to buy a new computer.

Third update : I know I should have gone to work by now. At 12:54pm it reached 13% but it keeps going back to the start....although it quickly returns to where it was. Worrying when you notice it for the first time. Maybe the 36 hours prediction was too short.

Fourth and final update : Well, I get home from work about 9pm and the first thing I see is the monitor is showing the desktop - when it should be showing defrag either continuing or at most the defrag finished screen. Bugger me - it has failed. Need to try again tomorrow morning. Bugger.

This was just across the road from me. I remember sitting at my bedroom window as the drama unfolded outside....then started to worry as the flames got more intense. They've since built a new modern looking school in its place. What an absolute waste.

Evening Times

I'm pissed off the Evening Times waits until 5pm before updating its site now. Used to be 2pm and sometimes I could linger about my flat until 2pm just to see the sports update before going to work. Not any more. Only another 5 minutes to wait. What am I going to do for 5 minutes. Well, I could have a........but that would still leave 4½ minutes. Oh good, just typing that has hasted one minute. 3½" minutes now. The tension is undearable. See ya later - I'm off.

Mobile phone working again

Well my mobile is working again and I'm getting all these texts from a mad person thinking I have fallen out with them because I never replied to any. Well, I haven't fallen out with you......even after you called me a fat bald freak (I knew it wasn't meant in a bad way - at least I hope it wasn't meant in a bad way). All it took was switching the phone off and then back on again. I never switch the phone off - I just bung it on re-charge when the battery is going low.
So I'm in a slightly happier mood than my usual miserable self. I even managed a bit of work yesterday and I might even do some today. But I've still to make a decision on all these monitors. A wise person would just throw them all out.

Monitor wasn't burst after all

Just got my new flat screen monitor working and it looks as though it is the computer that is faulty and not the monitor. Well, as I couldn't test any other monitors on it how was I supposed to know. So I've now got an extra 19" CRT monitor. I may replace one of my 17" monitors with it and just have the 17" one sitting about doing nothing. I already have five 15" monitors sitting about the flat gathering dust and one 13" monitor. Why can't I just throw them out? I've also got a scanner that only works on Windows 95......and none of my computers have Windows 95.

Hay fever

Suffering from hay fever just now. Sneezing like mad and rubbbing my eyes till there's nothing left of them

TFT Monitor

Well, I've finally been forced to join the modern world and get a flat screen monitor.
BENQ FP937s 19" is the one I went for - because it had just been reviewed in PC World and was cheap. I hope I don't have any bother getting it to work on my computer. No other monitor has worked on it yet but I assume with the correct disk I should get this new one to work. I'd be better off getting a new computer. All my computers run on Windows 98SE and that's just too old.

Loud music
I had to laugh in the supermarket tonight. They had put the music on far too loud by mistake. It was only when they noticed old grannies disco dancing they thought to turn it down.

The end of the road

This is where the cycle path comes to an end. If I did manage to get my bike over this gate (dunno if it's locked or not) I'd then have to walk with my bike some distance to get me back on the main road. maybe someday they will upgrade it and I can start to use the cycle path home instead of risking my life on the road. You see, whenever I get on my bike, I seem to become invisible to car drivers.

A tideir flat?

Why is it I can spend most of the day tidying up my flat and it hardly looks any tidier. It would help if I actually threw some things out instead of keeping them.

Like this for instance

I have no idea what these cables are for. I bought a huge bundle of cables off Ebay and threw most of them away as they were no use......but I kept these. Nine months later and I still haven't used them yet.

Lights, camera, action

This is my living room door of my flat. There are flashing disco lights surrounding it just now. Also in the picture is a camera pointing towards my settee. I have in the past lay on the settee and watched myself lying on the settee on the TV. Exciting life I lead.

I really should throw things out

This can of lager was bought two days before my 17th birthday. 29th May 1982. Scotland had just been beaten by England at Hampden and when I saw this in the "carry-out" shop after the game I juts had to buy it.

The untidy flat 2

Second picture - On top of the wardrobe Beneath the green Safeway baskets is old neswpapers sports pages going back years. I keep the sports pages of The Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald, The Ayrshire Post, The Irvine Herald and The Largs & Millport Weekly News. I've been keeping some of them since 1991 so as you can imagine it is quite a bundle to keep in my tiny flat. Next to this is my tumble drier. Next are some football magazine and then more newspapers archive in A3 Landscape Lever arch files. On top of these are a couple of computer monitors and a tiny tv/radio.

The untidy flat 1

Ans so begins a series of untidy flat pictures. This first one is in response to Bananaman's comment asking if I really never did throw anything out. Well, apart from the football magazine in the case, on top is a dot matirx printer, a fax machine and an A3 printer. None of which I use. The fax machine does have the phone part connected - I don't know why because just out of the picture is a small phone I do use when in the bedroom. The small phone cost �1 on Ebay plus �2.25 to post it. The fax machine - there is a fax machine in the living room but the fax friend thing was fried by either lightining or the power going on and off. So if anyone wants to send me a fax they need to phone me first so I can plug the fax machine in. So the fax machine has never been used as a fax machine - just a phone. The massive roll of bubble wrap. Why do I keep that? I'm not going to send anything to anyone. Maybe I'll use in in some weirs sexual perverted game.....but that would mean kidnapping some unsuspecting woman and dragging her back to the flat. Not funny I know.

Milk carton full of rubbish

I manage to crush most of my rubbish into a 6 pint milk carton so there is no spillage in the wheelie bin - so I get annoyed when other people use my bin and just throw their rubbish in and stinks the bin out. The metal tins are cleaned out and crushed up. I was wishing the council would have recycling bins for them but they assure me the metal is seperated out at their rubbish tips.

My untidy flat

I've been taking photos of various parts of my flat. It ios an absolute disgrace just now. I intend posting the pictures on her in the hope it will shame me into tidying the plae up.

Craigie Rock

Craigiw Rock in Fairlie. I was just cycling by this tonight and hurriedly took a photo (I did stop). To the left of it and out of view was the old church manse - now bought by someone and used as a normal house. As a 15 and 16 year old we used to pitch our tent at the top and get legless on cider. Of all the places to park a tent. It was great for throwing things at passing cars.

.....and from the side

and now a view from the side