Well, my dry January days came to an end last night. Admittedly, this was the 30th January, so I didn't do a full month, but I did do over four weeks. I nearly buckled once or twice, but with the help and disdain of TW, I made it this far. I was planning on going out tomorrow night with a friend, but unfortunately he is otherwise engaged, so my plans fell a bit flat. And then I thought, 'why wait until Thursday?'. So two Buds later, my drought is over. I could have chosen a better way to finish.
I think I will aim for one week per month off the booze. I think this would be most beneficial. Now, where's that bottle of Jura whisky...?
TTFN!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Labour Declares War on Single Parents
Well, well, well. People always thought the Tories & Labour were amalgamating, even as far back as when Labour delinked from CND. But withdrawing benefits from lone parents because 'the quality of childcare is so good'? Tone should declare that he is 'New Tory' and be done.
TW and I have enough trouble fitting childcare for lickle Monkey into our days, and there are two of us. Christ knows how difficult, logistically, it would be for lone parents forced into work.
They should have worked out by now that the benefits pot is not bottomless, but I don't think they're focusing in the right area.
TTFN.
TW and I have enough trouble fitting childcare for lickle Monkey into our days, and there are two of us. Christ knows how difficult, logistically, it would be for lone parents forced into work.
They should have worked out by now that the benefits pot is not bottomless, but I don't think they're focusing in the right area.
TTFN.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Quelle Horreur
There's only so many ways to say it. We are fucking shocking.
I am quite disappointed. The English Cricket team seem to be rudderless, drifting from humiliation in the Ashes to ignominy in the Commonwealth Bank triangular series. How inevitable is failure at the World Cup and a swift slide down the rankings?
TTFN.
I am quite disappointed. The English Cricket team seem to be rudderless, drifting from humiliation in the Ashes to ignominy in the Commonwealth Bank triangular series. How inevitable is failure at the World Cup and a swift slide down the rankings?
TTFN.
Friday, January 19, 2007
We Lost Again, Boo!
Ho-hum.
Still, at one stage Australia were 4 for 48, which gave us hope. And then they were 108 for 6! Unfortunately, that was the last wicket to fall. And, in all honesty, we were kidding ourselves if we thought they weren't going to get 156 in 50 overs.
Good for Mal Loye, though, to get 36 from 36. Shame the others couldn't keep up. I can see us winning against New Zealand and ending up in the final against Australia, and getting royally humped. Just before the World Cup. Great (not!).
TTFN.
Still, at one stage Australia were 4 for 48, which gave us hope. And then they were 108 for 6! Unfortunately, that was the last wicket to fall. And, in all honesty, we were kidding ourselves if we thought they weren't going to get 156 in 50 overs.
Good for Mal Loye, though, to get 36 from 36. Shame the others couldn't keep up. I can see us winning against New Zealand and ending up in the final against Australia, and getting royally humped. Just before the World Cup. Great (not!).
TTFN.
We Won, At Last, Hurrah!
FINALLY!
At last, England have won a game of cricket Down Under. It may have been against a lacklustre Kiwi side, and they may have made hard-going of it, but a win is a win - which is exactly what England needed at this point. Good work fellas!
At last, England have won a game of cricket Down Under. It may have been against a lacklustre Kiwi side, and they may have made hard-going of it, but a win is a win - which is exactly what England needed at this point. Good work fellas!
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Happy 2nd BlogDay!
Who'd have thunk it? Still, I did get rid of the first blog. This is Treb's Blog II. More to come.
TTFN.
TTFN.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
It's Time for a New Watch
See what I did there? Here it is: the Klaus Kobec Challenger. I bought this from iBuy, a cable auction site which I find most entertaining. I am a bit disappointed with their customer service, as I will explain...
I bought the watch for £73 on 23rd December, and before they had despatched it, I found it on their website for £56. Despite the fact that the watch was still in their possession, and they had not billed me for it, they insisted on sending me the £73 watch. As far as I was concerned, at this point the transaction was not complete, and if they had any degree of flexibility, they should have sold me the watch for £56. If I had received the watch, and been billed, and then noticed the cheaper watch, I would have put that down to experience, and not even contacted iBuy. However, because (as I said) the transaction was not, in my eyes, concluded, I felt that I was being taken for a mug.
So I followed their advice and returned the watch, and then bought it a second time at the lower price of £56. As my Ma said, I wouldn't have enjoyed the watch if I had paid £73 for it. And despite the extra postage costs, I still saved five pounds - result!
I guess the moral of this story is, think twice before falling for the 'theatre' of these auction shows. The way they present these goods is very clever, though. Firstly, they show the item (watch, diamond ring, Gucci bag...) at its RRP. So it is presented as unattainable. Then they plunge the price, and all of a sudden it is within the consumer's reach. Then they stress the exclusivity of the item (iBuy tend to sell three or four of each item per sale). So the pressure is on - do you want to lose out? You'd better buy it, then! And all of a sudden, you're £70 or £599 worse off. But you do have a lovely watch/ring/bag.
TTFN.
I bought the watch for £73 on 23rd December, and before they had despatched it, I found it on their website for £56. Despite the fact that the watch was still in their possession, and they had not billed me for it, they insisted on sending me the £73 watch. As far as I was concerned, at this point the transaction was not complete, and if they had any degree of flexibility, they should have sold me the watch for £56. If I had received the watch, and been billed, and then noticed the cheaper watch, I would have put that down to experience, and not even contacted iBuy. However, because (as I said) the transaction was not, in my eyes, concluded, I felt that I was being taken for a mug.
So I followed their advice and returned the watch, and then bought it a second time at the lower price of £56. As my Ma said, I wouldn't have enjoyed the watch if I had paid £73 for it. And despite the extra postage costs, I still saved five pounds - result!
I guess the moral of this story is, think twice before falling for the 'theatre' of these auction shows. The way they present these goods is very clever, though. Firstly, they show the item (watch, diamond ring, Gucci bag...) at its RRP. So it is presented as unattainable. Then they plunge the price, and all of a sudden it is within the consumer's reach. Then they stress the exclusivity of the item (iBuy tend to sell three or four of each item per sale). So the pressure is on - do you want to lose out? You'd better buy it, then! And all of a sudden, you're £70 or £599 worse off. But you do have a lovely watch/ring/bag.
TTFN.
Oh, England!
The worst defeat, then, in 85 years, looms. Oh deary me. It seems that winning the Ashes in 2005 was the worst thing that could have possibly happened. England have gone into this Ashes series woefully under-prepared, without the appetite for a win. After this, there are a couple of one-dayers against the Oz, then a triangular one-day series against the Oz and NZ. Then it'll be time for the World Cup. Only by some sort of miracle will England have any interest in playing cricket in the West Indies. By then, I expect their spirits will be broken and they will have been completely and comprehensively stuffed by the Antipodeans. I would not be surprised if England fall to Zimbabwe or Bangladesh in the first rounds and take an early bath.
It's a shame, because I think England have some good players, but they are just not functioning as a team. I think major improvements can be expected after the WC. Things can't get any worse.
TTFN.
It's a shame, because I think England have some good players, but they are just not functioning as a team. I think major improvements can be expected after the WC. Things can't get any worse.
TTFN.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Dry January Days - II
Well, I've made it to Thursday 3rd and am still dry. I've also dropped four pounds or so and am now pretty much exactly on 13 stone. If that's what happens after three days, think what I might achieve in 31 days! The wife reckons I spend more than £20 - £25 per week on booze, so will be even better off than I first calculated. I'm feeling quite tired, I think it must be the reduced number of calories. Even tho' booze calories are bad calories.
I'm not finding this temperance hard, but it's only been a couple of days, and I haven't got an empty weekend stretching out ahead of me (yet). Still, if I'm not drinking, I might actually get around to reading the newspapers which I buy every weekend, which then sit in a pile until the following weekend, which are then thrown out. I just don't want to be getting edgy in the early evenings. Still, if I haven't had a drink since last Sunday, I won't feel the need for more, will I?
TTFN.
I'm not finding this temperance hard, but it's only been a couple of days, and I haven't got an empty weekend stretching out ahead of me (yet). Still, if I'm not drinking, I might actually get around to reading the newspapers which I buy every weekend, which then sit in a pile until the following weekend, which are then thrown out. I just don't want to be getting edgy in the early evenings. Still, if I haven't had a drink since last Sunday, I won't feel the need for more, will I?
TTFN.
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