Still here

Very frustrated as my walking is also going to suffer... so much for finishing by 3pm.

I had

forgotten how scathing this article was.... "one contributor offered the view that Gillingham 'is the place that makes Middlesbrough look like Monte Carlo'"

YesI am still here. Print servers. Don't trust them. At least the publications are now fixed... I want to go home NOW!!!!

Still here

Grr. Grr. Grr.

However it has meant on my interweb meander I have found the Gills FC Wikipedia entry - which is really rather good!! And the article on the Gills on Wikipedia has today been upgraded to "featured article" status, meaning that the administrators have decided that it meets every criterion of what constitutes an excellent article. Only 0.8% of articles have reached this level, and it's only the 8th English football club article....

Also the chairman has revealed the season ticket prices won't be out until JUNE!?!??!

Have also consumed a pack on display until 29th April sushi from tesco - so I maybe out of sorts by tomorrow....

501

The number of this post.
My 501st.
Levi 501's.
Our techie meeting room is 501.

At the current rate of testing I will be here until 5.01pm. Grr. Got here at 9.30am. Was hoping to leave around 3ish so I could do 2 hour walk home - clear my head and wear myself out so I'd sleep soundly in readiness for tomorrow. Not sure if people texting me is helping especially when they are out and about having fun! Shouldn't be so ungrateful I know. At least I can listen to the radio without issue - bit like being at home really. The Archers were fairly amusing - Jennifer really hasn't understood the Ruairi (that's Rory, for those of you not familiar with Archers Irish spelling!) issue has she... Am now onto Radio 5 for the footie commentaries of the day...

Bournemouth 1 - Gillingham 1

and by all web accounts the fans had a great last away day for the season. Well done lads - I was there in spirit. Shame the game sounds like a repeat of our Chesterfield experience. But without the win. Obviously!

Wish I had gone now... but tomorrow I have to work so with the week I had, I decided a lie in and some 'me' time was perhaps more beneficial for my well being.

Pity I had to spend most of it fixing my PC - but I think a re-install of my drivers has cracked it - watch this space!!

Furry on tour

My friend/colleague/boss is on leave on a canal boat and has been posting to his blog... I cannot work out if these postings are amusing or not!? They are though quite long - but at least the pictures are quite good! I can be quite smug though cos the weather was much nicer for my week off!! :-)

It's a mate thing!

Hi there still alive ! Hurrah. No major aches or pains just bad feet ! Put shoes on for the first time today for work - ouch ! Give me back my flipflops.

just wanted to say a absolutely massive THANK YOU for
a) sponsoring me (nearly up to £750)
b) coming to watch

but mainly for
c) for keeping me going when all I wanted to do was sit down and cry ! The water was a life saver and just seeing your friendly and familiar face was magic.

As I crossed the finish line I vowed never, ever again but hey, now all I want to do is beat my time !

Cheers, you're the best.
:-)

xx

------
This made me beam! A magic face!!

Rant 2

Supermarkets.

• Plastic bags - which in the case of Sainso's are now bright orange so really brighten up the British hedge rows...
• the laugh I had when realising that the supermarket were selling re-usable bags as a fashion item which they then put in a one of their own plastic bags.
• Whilst shopping on Wednesday I had taken my bright Green 'go green' and Cole's shopping bags (all the way from Oz - which, I know ,the flight alone questions my green ideals) to put my shopping in. I always take them - you can more in them and for carrying them home shanks pony they are by better/easier to carry than a palm ripping plastic one. The girl on the till though had other ideas and kept pulling off the plastic ones and expanding them so by the time she finished I had to fight my way through these things to find my shopping. Grr.
• Packaging. Calls to reduce it - I agree. Why do I need to put my British grown veg/fruit (don't get me started on foreign grown items) in a plastic bag - I can put them in my shopping bag loose and they are fine - means a bit of thought when putting items on the checkout so that packing is easier - but it becomes a habit.
• As I stand and watch around me people are just putting a couple of items into their 'free' plastic bag and then walking to their cars to travel ooh no doubt less than 3 miles back to their home. I despair. Where do they put them all when they have unpacked the other end? Why don't they bring them out with them next time they shop? Am I the only one who cares?
• There used to be a plastic bag recycling bin in the store. With the revamp it disappeared. You now have to be pro-active and ask the customer service desk to take your plastic bags - how many do that I wonder?

So I have come to the conclusion - ALL plastic bags should be banned. Thus enforcing people to think before they shop. Its wanton advertising - stop being a hoarding!!

STOP being so lazy!! Where do you think these bags end up?! In a land fill site along the Thames coast at Mucking. What a charming legacy to leave the next generations...

Rant 1

Chelsea.
Manchester United.

Or more pointedly Chelsea vs.Manchester United.

So looks the Premiership is a contest between them.
The FA Cup is a contest between them.
The Champions League looking very likely to be a contest between them.

Frankly - what's the point?
Why not just give them their own mini league so they can thrash each other to bits on a fortnightly basis.
Let's call it a North vs South football league and be done with it. Then the rest of the league(s) can get up and have something to aspire too again.

Witching Hour

Or more correctly week. I think I have worked out spot explosion and indeed connected it to the rather embarrassing hot cheek flushes I have been having this week. In the middle of meetings when the room has been cool. And for reference, if I haven't noted it before - be wary of typing 'hot cheeks' into a google search to work out what ills are associated with these symptoms. That's how people get sacked.

All I can say - hormones and who would be a woman.

I still have yet to fix PC so photos etc are on hold - plus my ever growing list of rants are also awaiting publishing - I guess this list too can be attributed to witching time of month.

In an update on neighbours. I hate them. It has got no better. I am now sleeping with ear plugs - which annoys me as it means I have to turn radio up a bit louder so I can still hear that but not thumping elephantines above. Then again no it doesn't annoy me - just hope it annoys them.

Face

Mask! Blitz those zits!

PC Update

Well Norton 2007 is finally installed without error and now all I need to do is get through a full system scan without it crashing! Oh joy - that's 16 hours of my life I'll never get back... and with another attempted scan I can't see me using my home PC until Thursday pm.

Stateside

One of the guys at work is planning a holiday to California, which took me back to my 3 month stay out there in 2000. Then whilst browsing for test images for an extranet I found this... a memory of my road trip with Scott from Sacramento - up via Lake Tahoe to Reno then back through the Golden State to Death Valley and onward to Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon... we returned via the Mojave in triple digit heat... aah what a great experience!

Spots

Eek. I appear to have erupted. My face has a total of FIVE rather big white heads/pimples. Do you think this is the stress of returning to work?? Or a sudden dip in dietary inputs? I just don't understand... I wouldn't mind but they are on the sides of my forehead so I am beginning to look like an alien in Doctor Who. Perhaps a sonic screw driver can blitz them...

Happy Birthday!

A known admirer celebrates the big 4-0 today! So best wishes and hope you have a great day and year!

Have you tried rebooting?

Well chaps our team came second out 20 teams in the firm's quiz with 225 points! 5 rounds of 20 questions plus a marathon name the album cover round! Split into questions on the 60's, 70's, 80's (our joker round), 90's and 2000's we did pretty well considering our team dwindled from 6 to 4!! Just goes to show general knowledge is a useful thing to know!!

Congratulations!

Lisa completed the marathon in 5 hours 30 minutes - which considering the humidity yesterday was a bl00dy marvellous achievement. Pictures of the intrepid runner will appear here shortly (once I have fixed my blessed home PC!)

Well done Lisa!

St George's Day

today - did you know that? What does it mean to you? According to the Metro he never even came to England!!

I meanwhile am back at work, in charge too as boss in on hols, - and boy did I resent the packed tube journey in this morning...

Just returned from weekly weigh in - now down to 10stone 8.5lbs - which proves that good food and walking is the answer!! oh and a proper pair of size 12 jeans - at last no saggy bum!

Just noted also that Matt Jarvis is in the League One PFA Team of the Year - well done Matt! Please stay!

And tonight I am off to the firm quiz - representing popular music - which is a laugh as I don't listen to music radio anymore! Oh well!

Gillingham 3 - Port Vale 2

With only 3 games of our season remaining and League One safety already secured today's game was all about ending the season on a positive note. And the side did not disappoint! Hoorah! armed with our 6th goalkeeper of the season (we REALLY must sort that out over the summer) we kicked off in the sunshine with just under 6,000 fans watching. (I reckon Vale bought about 75!)

Our stalwart defender Cox breaking the deadlock just before half time, and the captain Flynn perhaps somewhat belated proving his worth as owner of the armband with a double on the 49th min and 53rd. However in true Gills spirit we allowed Vale to score two and as the game drew to a close it was a relief not to succumb to a 3 all draw!

Goods news really - puts us 13th

10 Doncaster 44 6 62
11 Millwall 44 -4 62
12 Crewe 44 -6 58
13 Gillingham 44 -19 58
14 Port Vale 44 -1 57
15 Northampton 44 -3 57
16 Huddersfield 44 -11 55
17 Brighton 44 -8 52

the aim surely now is to finish above Millwall!! And my aim now is to enjoy falafals and roasted veggie! Yum!

Pictures

Of Wednesday over at Kazza's Walks - words to follow!

Debating the Capital Ring walk from Wimbledon Park to Richmond....

Needless to say I did not get a text on Wednesday so will not be going to 7/7/07 - oh well. And now time for a wander... ttfn.

Go on!

LOOK LIFE

Today has been about several of my loves - walking, London, good lunch time banter, art and reaching my set goal.

Today I walked to work! It was a challenge I set myself several weeks ago to do when I was on leave. There was a team meeting at 11.30am so I had a purpose and a goal. Full pictures and commentary will appear on Kazza's Walks! The route defined by walkit.com took me over 8 miles, I left home at 9.10am and got to Blackfriars Bridge at 11.15am so I was well within the fast walking pace time.
Made the team meeting, went for lunch with Mike and Gary @ Tiffins and then trekked over to Tate Modern for some culture!
Gilbert & George was my mission - recommended by Mike which was reason enough! Interesting approach to colour and words and themselves.
For me the fascination came from watching them as a couple grow old within their art. Especially rewarding today were the London E1 pictures - suspect some overlap will occur in my walking blog!

Need less to say the Northern Line was suspended so a bit more walking beckoned.

Today in total 14.232 miles; 28627 steps and NO blisters!

What is it with England ...

and World Cups?

Face it we have been naff in the Footie one, just proved our lack of ODI class in the Cricket one (I have listened and cringed all afternoon and evening to our final hope against SA. Pants) and have the disaster of the Rugby one to look forward in the not too distant future... Oh to be great at something...

Anything.

Kent - Part IV !

And the Mecca!


No, not BINGO!!! Finally after EIGHT hours fannying with my PC I have managed to transfer my Mobile phone pix over to my PC. I have had to restart more times than the Grand National did on Saturday and at one point the dreaded System Restore was upon me.. joy joy joy. All that and even now I am not sure its OK. Anyway herewith the walk to Priestfield and the mighty stadium itself! For those with a vague interest more Rotherham and Chesterfield pix now with blog posts!

Gucci

Please allow me to introduce one of my favourite animals! This is Gucci.

Back in 1997-98 I dog sat for Rosie and looked after a much younger Gucci for 6 months. He turns 10 in July this year and bless the old fella his back legs are crippled by arthritis and by all accounts he is now a tad deaf. But he still recognised me and we shared a hug or two. Hard to believe he is the same dog who used to wake me up at 6.30am by bring one of my walking boots and waving it in my face while I lay in bed. The great thing about Gucci is that he has a naughty streak but between us we walked miles around the quiet and lazy lanes of the Downs. I never felt threatened by him - he is a big softy - except when he sees a car, cyclist or indeed another dog! But I learnt the art of using a strong arm and a short lead! If I ever have a dog - it will be one of this sort of size. A real dog who likes walking as much as me!

The last picture makes me look like I did when I was about 10 years old!

Kent - Part III

Grafty Green - Monday 16th April

Visited my mum's friend Rosie today in another hidden part of Kent! The rolling downs surround her cottage and as you can see the views and spring Bluebells are not a scene you see in SW19!

Kent - Part II

Reculver - Sunday 15th April

Home of the Roman ruins and a bit more besides...





I have never been to Reculver before - it has always been a curiosity viewed from the car as you travel along the Thanet way. From a distance it looks huge and foreboding. So in order to test this feeling I requested a visit. The remains up close are indeed awe inspiring - the view across the estuary and the history hidden within. However the reality is that the ruins are a magnet for teenagers who think playing football up against the grave stones is a great thing to do. No matter that there is a filed opposite which is free of obstructions. So I was disappointed at the lack of respect being shown to our heritage. One of the pictures show the beaches were Barnes Wallis tested his bouncing bomb - crucial during the Second World War in cripplingly the German dams - and of course instrumental in the infamous Dambusters story.

Kent - Part I

Westgate to Margate...Sunday 15th April

Those of you who know me well, know I have a soft spot for my local riveria. So Sunday, fresh from Chesterfield, we ducked down the A2 to Westgate. We stopped in at the nursery to purchase tomato plants - whilst all around (happy-couple-Sunday-shoppers! or rather bossy matriarchs and subservient blokies) were returning with trolley loads of plants and compost - Pops wandered back with a tray, held like a waiter, containing just TWO tomato plants! It was at the time an amusing sight!

Amazing how the first taste of summer and everyone is buying folliage that come July they won't be able to water because the hose pipe ban will be back in force... ah well.

We continued on to the hazy filled coast - parked at Westgate and did the customary walk to Margate... the wind still held a chill so the trusty body warmer was a relief.

Margate in the distance...





The groynes of the Kent coast....... which reminds me Margate beach was full of Britons stripped off and enjoying the sunshine. Playing football, tennis and having a donkey ride..












The beaches between Margate and Westgate. Various children discovering the rock pools. Dad and I merely commented on the rubbish washed ashore. Litter -its everywhere.

When did we become such a filthy nation?




















Me @ the beach!


As for this picture it just goes to show how hazy the day was - the horizon is there - somewhere!

Leave

Well I have had a great couple of days in the sunshine. Am now looking out at the clouds and planning the rest of my week. First up a bit of domestic work - the usual spring clean - net curtains, winter wear and things for the washing machine. Then I have some great photos to share and some long walks planned! So expect some additions to Assume Nothing during the day!

Chesterfield 0 - Gillingham 1

I can only describe this as a dull game spent on the terrace in the blazing sunshine. So not all bad. How we won I do not know - but all I care about is that we did! An 89th minute string of passes and proper football - led to a screamer of a goal from our Welsh man Crofts. Good for you Crofty! The coach journey home was full of potential wins for the rest of the season (only 3 games to go) and play-offs! What is really scary is if we do get a couple more 3 points we will finish higher in the table than truly reflects our season! Funny old game!

Crooked spires

Up the Gills here @ Chesterfield

A.W.O.L.

for the weekend - but I did note that 14th April is the 40p man day! So just thought I'd recognise it once more! And wonder - where the bl00dy hell as the time gone?!

Expect a blogger photo to appear at some point after 2pm tomorrow, not of 40p obviously, but of Chesterfield!

Also today invested in my second pair of size 12 jeans... at last my saggy denim bottom has gone - and they fit in all the right places! Right, gotta fly!

Live Earth 7/7/07

Just registered for the Live Earth concert - I'll let you know if I am successful on Wednesday!

London Marathon

My good friend, Lisa will be running the Marathon on April 22nd. Please, please sponsor her as I know she has been working fairly hard, despite a few accidents along the way, to be fit enough to complete the 26 miles.

You can sponsor her here. All donations going to the British Heart Foundation.

I plan to be somewhere on the course so will try and publish some photos of the day.

Good luck Lisa!

Strange

The things you find in ur parents garage!

Gillingham 1 - Bristol City 0

GET IN!!!

After the abysmal showing at Rotherham it was a great surprise to see practically the same team come out and play their socks off. 3 points secures our League One status and I for one am so relieved. After the second half taunts witnessed up north I really did think we were rubbish and were going to drop. Anyway one goal from super sub MacDonald (he came on, he scored, he went off again!) was enough to secure it. Good shows from the mature Ian Cox (OK he is my age!) and the somewhat confidence busted Spiller made for a great afternoon in the sun at Priestfield. Even the train engineering works couldn't dampen my mood! Bristol City will naturally feel they deserved at least a point - and indeed it was good to see so many away fans packing out the other end. But sorry lads today was our day - at home with a team in blue who finally showed some fighting spirit and refused to give up. Read the 'unofficial' report here.

UP THE GILLS!!!!

Rotherham 3 - Gillingham 2

It's a fairly long trip up the M1 to Rotherham. An 8.15am start and a stop off at Leicester Forest East services. You veer off into the Sheffield hinterland toward the Rotherham district.

The Millmoor ground is nestled in amongst scrap metal yards and railway lines. It's northern. But the sun was shining, the locals were friendly and we had a pleasant pint in the away end Millers Bar (it was like Peter Kaye's Phoenix Nights - the disco light above door professing 'The Millers Nightlife', the MDF tables and old fashioned chairs which have graced the backsides of many a large sweaty pie eating away fan). The one thing less pleasant was the toilets - damp loo paper, wet floors, draughts and sinks out of use, but you when you have got to got, you have got to go! Beer in, through the turnstiles to the Community Stand. From here you can see the bridge over the railway lines were buses head across to Blackburn.

The Millers' mascot is Dusty a huge lumbering character with a large red hat. The pre-match presentations went on a bit and the piped music was in a time warp! But it was an away game and the hard core Gills fans were in good voice. Team wise our International goalie, Mr Jack, was back, to which we groaned. Our squad is depleted at present. Jarvis is still injured and 'Dave' Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu & Dean McDonald are not exactly hot shot scoring players. In fact our lack of strikers is causing problems. Gary 'Twiglet' Mulligan was playing and curiously Mr Spiller had been moved up front. So it was with trepidation, after the Miller Men song had been played &the coin tossed, that the game kicked off.

Within 7 minutes we allowed the Millers to do exactly what we let Brentford do. Take the ball from the goal kick two touches and oops back of the net. Groans. Here we go again.

But there was some light - our strike force maybe numb but we have some persistent midfielders - and they scored some cracking efforts. Bastiens, out German loan signing who really does have some forward thinking scored a brilliant effort from the edge of the box in the 21st, while our international Crofts headed home in the 24th. We went loopy!

Half time - no real entertainment just 15 minutes of lottery winning numbers - etc etc.

Second half. Oh dear. Not much to say except what the hell happened during the 15 minute break? Did get the sulks cos their numbers weren't drawn?! Whatever happened the second half was a case of Gillingham defending so deep they may as well have played in the goal mouth and diced with the goal line.. oh - they did.

Consequently the Millers scored and if they could score one then 2+ was on the cards. I missed the winner - I dared the toilets at the back of the stand. An improvement. The echoing of Millers fans being happy was enough to know. I re-sat in time for the final whistle and chorus of 'What a load of rubbish' from the following Gills fans. Indeed. So, no safer and little hope of getting the coveted 3 points on Monday.

The trip home was long but the sun sets and rolling countryside was a pleasure to enjoy. And the Rotherham No 23. Martin Woods was a bit of a sort! ha ha!

Back to Kent at 9.30pm. What a day. What a way to spend it!

UTG!!

The Millmoor Lane experience!

Up north!

Made it-now in bar!

Maundy Thurs

Capricorn: In the event that crass commercialism is wearing on your soul, you may head for a beautiful retreat to revive your spirits. Nature is wonderfully restorative.

Must be time to head to sunny Kent then!!

Bet the Man U fans wish they had stayed in sunny Manchester yesterday! Oh ah. All sounded a bit nasty out in Rome. If it had happened in England heads would be rolling...

OK Baggy!

You're right - I have been lax in returning to fully document my weekend!

I guess a good weekend starts with a slow Friday night - i.e. not going to the Bishops Finger and drinking my weight in Spitfire/Bishops Finger/Master Brew or Porter* (*delete whichever is on tap at the time). Dad was right with his well told phrase - 'Shepherd Neame - Shit 'n' Scream', as vast quantities of any of the above beers does have a tendency to put me in a rather bad way the next day. Anyway this Friday I restricted myself to a pint and a half. Got home in good time and was able to organise washing etc. Saturday morning I awoke fresh as a daisy and set about tidying up, hanging washing out and generally getting set for an early show at Victoria.

I was on target. I even had a good chat with the man at Victoria Station ticket office about who the Gills who playing and our distinct need for 3 points. Got the early train, thus avoiding the Tit and read 'Angry White Pyjamas' - thankfully there were few Brentford fans on board! Once at Gillingham I undertook my marathon stomp to meet Dad at the car (always confuses other home fans as I am walking away for the ground!) - certainly helps get my steps on a Saturday up to 10,000. Smiled inwardly as Dad relayed his week, the 'dad version', having had the 'mum version' via text message. I suspect that after 37 years of wedded bliss there are going to be times when there is either nothing to say or everything that is said is due to tedium or mild irritation?! Either way as the only offspring in the country able to listen, I do tend to get both sides! It's what makes me love them!

So having successfully made contact with Pop, we ranged our way back towards Priestfield concerned at what lay ahead. Well Gillingham won - screamer from Jackman sealed it. There were a few shining lights but on the whole I was guilty of my attention wandering off to other directions. It's amazing what you think about at football when you're not 100% into the game, I am sure if I remembered half my brain waves I'd be a millionaire! So 3 points in the bag I sped off to the station and got the slow train back to London - so whilst I missed the Tit I did have to share my journey with a bunch of very disgruntled Brentford fans!! Oops. From what I could gather a few of their number had been chucked out before/during the game and as such they had not yet managed to see an entire game at Priestfield.. oh well. Drinks in, sense out and all that.

I did though manage to get back to London without verbal abuse or bruises, and still defiant as a Gills fan - I had seen my team win - always a pleasure! However whilst sat just outside Victoria station waiting for the green light to let us into the station I noticed some of the great buildings which flank the sides of the station. Looking closely I tried to work out how many flats on each floor and judging from the chimney pots at the top of each chimney stack I would reckon quite a few. I got a real sense of how these flats had evolved as I imagine they have been there for almost a century - with their windows bricked up and the smoke that no doubt used to pump from each flat.. very intricate designs. What sort of noise pollution and view does a tenant of one of those places have?

The slow train also takes a different route through Sarf London so trying to spot where is goes as opposed to the fast train is also a fascination I have... many passengers I suspect just pass by and not really take time to notice or contemplate such thoughts. I see it as our history - compare these aging monsters to the new purposes build apartments on the other side of the river with their coloured panels and curved windows! Progress?

Anyway in the spirit of 'not noticing' my next mission was to be home in time for Doctor Who... and when my tardis arrives I'll let you know how that went and of course Sunday!

Pretty Good Weekend!

Hoping to blog it all properly later today!

Remind me to talk about bricks, chimneys, Saturday couples, Saturday tubes, Brentford fans, Jackman's screamer, 3 points, early trun to Next 2 day sale, expired cash cards, power walking up Wimbledon Hill, using my oven to full effect and even doing my ironing! Fun packed huh!!

UTG!

Knees

And waist!

Aliens!

Seemed amusing on the day Doctor Who returned to our screens.

My phone has face warping software - and it is very amusing! Especially when you try it with your friends! After a pint or two!!