Yarks. So busy at work lately. I'm not used to that at all. There's always plenty to do, but normally it's quite possible to leave it til later or avoid it altogether, but this stuff is of the unignorable variety. I'm not complaining, incidentally, and it brings me back to one of the great paradoxes: given that I really don't mind work on those occasions when I get around to actually doing any, why is it that I dedicate so much effort to not doing any? Answers on a strike-delayed postcard.
Prospective parliamentary candidate visited the other day. I was non-commital and unenthusiastic, but in a way that was designed neither to encourage nor discourage the chap. I'm sure he means well. I just don't feel that political at this point in my life. Another paradox, since the election and some of the issues surrounding it are of some considerable interest to me, yet I feel no desire to take part, even if only to steal a pencil.
Weekend's are very nice I always think. I'm off to have one right now. Toodles.
Friday, 9 October 2009
Friday, 14 August 2009
140809
Glory be! The Weekend approaches. It's been one of my more procrastinatory weeks, which is probably understandable given the time off I've had in the last month or so. As I settle back into a routine of work I'm sure I'll become gradually more productive. I'll pretend for a moment that someone is interested in what I do for a living: basically I work in the public sector, and sit in an office. There's obviously a little more to it than that, but talking about it in detail depresses me because it reminds me that I have yet to sign for a Premiership football club or win an Academy Award. Frankly my third ambition of becoming the first man on Mars is looking more unlikely by the day. Where was I? Ah yes, I have quite a lot to do at work just now, but progress has been frustratingly slow, and largely it's my own fault. The perfect antitode is of course a Saturday, followed by a Sunday, known around these parts as a weekend.
And what of it? The weekend, that is. Well, there will be competitive sports x 2 (one knee-harming, one non knee-harming), pub, family, another pub, takeaway food, chinchillas (we have three!), and the opening weekend of the Premiership football season. An attractive package, no?
Despite a background horror at the realisation that summer fun has come and gone, I'm holding up. Thanks for the imaginary comments, by the way. I'm really enjoying thinking about reading what someone reading this blog might actually think of me.
And what of it? The weekend, that is. Well, there will be competitive sports x 2 (one knee-harming, one non knee-harming), pub, family, another pub, takeaway food, chinchillas (we have three!), and the opening weekend of the Premiership football season. An attractive package, no?
Despite a background horror at the realisation that summer fun has come and gone, I'm holding up. Thanks for the imaginary comments, by the way. I'm really enjoying thinking about reading what someone reading this blog might actually think of me.
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
090909
Let's talk supermarkets.
Morrisons
We shop there about 60% of the time. Solid performer on the whole, though I have to say we go there largely out of convenience. Bakery good, wine selection good (I don't drink, but I take an interest), fruit and veg average though improving. Decent offers. They lose marks for the missing apostrophe in the name. Clientelle quite wide-ranging, but certainly more bearable than those of other 'Big 4' establishments, which I will come to.
Score: 7/10
Asda
We shopped here last night, hence this post. We don't shop here very often (it's a good deal further away) - perhaps 5% of the time. Whilst I don't have huge issues with value, and even quality (though value brands are to be avoided (except 9p noodles)), I always leave the place feeling dirty. The bakery is average, fruit and veg seem to be quite good, but the giveaway about those who shop there is the whopping cider and lager section. There was a topless man there last night. I'm not kidding. Slogan: "Why pay more?" Answer: "Because I don't want to shop with scum." We only went there yesterday to get my imported tea bags and they didn't even have those. Never again. Well, at least not for a long time.
Score 4/10
Sainsbury's
A store which knows how to correctly punctuate its own name. Good start. I suppose there's a little of the snob about me when it comes to brands, but a long and illustrious history surely counts for something? So the value isn't so good, and the quality isn't always any better than competitors, but Sainsbury's shopping somehow makes me feel a better person. The bakery is normally very good, likewise fruit and veg. They seem to clean the windows a bit more often. I like Sainsbury's. I'm not sure why we don't go there more often than around 10% of the time. Perhaps it seems frivolous to spend more than necessary. I suppose this is what keeps us from doing our food shopping at M&S or Waitrose. The quality of food at both those places is generally
way above any of the others I've discussed here, but so are the prices. It's not as though we couldn't afford to shop there, but for whatever reason we don't. Maybe it's a class thing. I like to think that in a few years we'll be regular Waitrose shoppers. The parking at our local one is expensive and limited though. I seem to have digressed from Sainsbury's a little...
Score 8/10
Tesco
Hmmm. I tend to think of Tesco as a cross between Sainsbury's and Asda. I don't dislike shopping there, though we rarely do 'big' shops there. They have started opening 'local' stores and devouring the business of independent local shops, which is a nasty habit. Bakery is fine, fruit and veg okay. All in all a solid performer, but with this inescapable and rather alarming apparent intention to take over the world, or at least the UK. Moving into finance more heavily now, and rumoured to be interested in acquiring Northern Rock when it is released back into the wild. Not bad for a 90 year old surplus grocery stall - thanks Wikipedia.
Morrisons
We shop there about 60% of the time. Solid performer on the whole, though I have to say we go there largely out of convenience. Bakery good, wine selection good (I don't drink, but I take an interest), fruit and veg average though improving. Decent offers. They lose marks for the missing apostrophe in the name. Clientelle quite wide-ranging, but certainly more bearable than those of other 'Big 4' establishments, which I will come to.
Score: 7/10
Asda
We shopped here last night, hence this post. We don't shop here very often (it's a good deal further away) - perhaps 5% of the time. Whilst I don't have huge issues with value, and even quality (though value brands are to be avoided (except 9p noodles)), I always leave the place feeling dirty. The bakery is average, fruit and veg seem to be quite good, but the giveaway about those who shop there is the whopping cider and lager section. There was a topless man there last night. I'm not kidding. Slogan: "Why pay more?" Answer: "Because I don't want to shop with scum." We only went there yesterday to get my imported tea bags and they didn't even have those. Never again. Well, at least not for a long time.
Score 4/10
Sainsbury's
A store which knows how to correctly punctuate its own name. Good start. I suppose there's a little of the snob about me when it comes to brands, but a long and illustrious history surely counts for something? So the value isn't so good, and the quality isn't always any better than competitors, but Sainsbury's shopping somehow makes me feel a better person. The bakery is normally very good, likewise fruit and veg. They seem to clean the windows a bit more often. I like Sainsbury's. I'm not sure why we don't go there more often than around 10% of the time. Perhaps it seems frivolous to spend more than necessary. I suppose this is what keeps us from doing our food shopping at M&S or Waitrose. The quality of food at both those places is generally
way above any of the others I've discussed here, but so are the prices. It's not as though we couldn't afford to shop there, but for whatever reason we don't. Maybe it's a class thing. I like to think that in a few years we'll be regular Waitrose shoppers. The parking at our local one is expensive and limited though. I seem to have digressed from Sainsbury's a little...
Score 8/10
Tesco
Hmmm. I tend to think of Tesco as a cross between Sainsbury's and Asda. I don't dislike shopping there, though we rarely do 'big' shops there. They have started opening 'local' stores and devouring the business of independent local shops, which is a nasty habit. Bakery is fine, fruit and veg okay. All in all a solid performer, but with this inescapable and rather alarming apparent intention to take over the world, or at least the UK. Moving into finance more heavily now, and rumoured to be interested in acquiring Northern Rock when it is released back into the wild. Not bad for a 90 year old surplus grocery stall - thanks Wikipedia.
Score 6.5/10
Co-Op
The Co-Operative is the venue for the remainder of our weekly shops. It's the largest consumer co-operative in the world, don't you know, and for some reason this makes me feel happy to pay prices which often seem to bear little resemblance to those in some of the above mentioned stores. My local Co-Op superstore is always alarmingly empty to the extent that one wonders how on Earth the place makes enough money to stay open. The answer I suspect is that it doesn't, but that 4.5 million members generate enough profit elsewhere in the various businesses to sustain the odd dead duck for a few years. I suppose the conclusion I've reached here is that, within reason, price is not the biggest issue for me when shopping. Quality, and nice wide aisles punctuated with a manageable volume of fellow middle-class shoppers are far more important, and when you couple this with the Co-Op's almost unrivalled (and I tip my hat once more here to M&S) commitment to fair trade, animal welfare, environmental friendliness and general all-round good-heartedness, it's a combination I don't think can be beaten.
Score 9/10
Monday, 10 August 2009
Thursday, 30 July 2009
300709
Tootling off to Cornwall for a wedding at the weekend. Not a fan of weddings on the whole - needless dressing up, boring ceremony, enforced talking with folks you've gone to great lengths to avoid over a number of years - you get the picture.
There will be fun elements to the trip though. There are those I will be pleased to see, those I have heard about but have yet to meet, and the chance to meander back slowly on Monday and take in some scenery. Who knows, perhaps the sun will shine? I'm not holding out much hope of that last one.
If nothing else, after a busy week at work (whatever next?), the distraction and alternative surroundings will be welcome. Just not the bloody wedding.
For the first time ever, I am approaching the status of regular gym goer. Not that I ever suffered from a lack of regular exercise. I just never used to get that exercise in a gym. I had always supposed that I would get horribly bored, but this doesn't seem to be happening so far. It's proved useful as a way to get some low-impact cardio-vascular exercise without aggravating my knee, which actual running and even swimming seem to do. Keyhole surgery is looking likely now. The sooner the better. The 5% loss of performance in the explosive and power elements of my chosen sport (football) which results from the various wear and tear issues within the joint is becoming more noticeable almost by the month. It's frustrating to know that I would be able to accelerate more quickly and kick harder, not to mention play more frequently, were it not for some minor damage and debris which can reasonably easily be remedied.
There will be fun elements to the trip though. There are those I will be pleased to see, those I have heard about but have yet to meet, and the chance to meander back slowly on Monday and take in some scenery. Who knows, perhaps the sun will shine? I'm not holding out much hope of that last one.
If nothing else, after a busy week at work (whatever next?), the distraction and alternative surroundings will be welcome. Just not the bloody wedding.
For the first time ever, I am approaching the status of regular gym goer. Not that I ever suffered from a lack of regular exercise. I just never used to get that exercise in a gym. I had always supposed that I would get horribly bored, but this doesn't seem to be happening so far. It's proved useful as a way to get some low-impact cardio-vascular exercise without aggravating my knee, which actual running and even swimming seem to do. Keyhole surgery is looking likely now. The sooner the better. The 5% loss of performance in the explosive and power elements of my chosen sport (football) which results from the various wear and tear issues within the joint is becoming more noticeable almost by the month. It's frustrating to know that I would be able to accelerate more quickly and kick harder, not to mention play more frequently, were it not for some minor damage and debris which can reasonably easily be remedied.
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
230609
Summer has really grown on me in recent years. Like most people, I have fond recollections of endless summers comprised of unfeasibly long school holidays, weeks spent by the seaside, trips to the park and the like. But early adulthood brought with it a loss of affection for summer. Aside from the occasionally memorable holiday, the months of June, July and August became a meandering wilderness of unnecessarily hot days, high pollen counts and absolutely bugger all to do. Sports I liked to watch, and play, were replaced by those I wasn't so keen on. I wandered aimlessly around at the weekends, achieving nothing. I can't even remember what I did in the evenings, so it can't have been anything significantly life-enhancing.
My new perspective on summer has, I suppose, been influenced by having someone special in my life. Long days and clement weather now bring with them opportunity. Opportunity to explore, both locally and afar. Opportunity to be active, try new things and learn new skills. Opportunity to have fun. Citirizine even allows me to do it without sneezing (most of the time). As for the paucity of winter sports - frankly, nowadays I need three months to recover from the exertions of last season anyway.
Whilst I still prefer winter, I have to admit that summer has a lot going for it. Rejoice in the differences, as someone once said.
My new perspective on summer has, I suppose, been influenced by having someone special in my life. Long days and clement weather now bring with them opportunity. Opportunity to explore, both locally and afar. Opportunity to be active, try new things and learn new skills. Opportunity to have fun. Citirizine even allows me to do it without sneezing (most of the time). As for the paucity of winter sports - frankly, nowadays I need three months to recover from the exertions of last season anyway.
Whilst I still prefer winter, I have to admit that summer has a lot going for it. Rejoice in the differences, as someone once said.
Friday, 5 June 2009
050609
Election fever! Hardly.
Summer well and truly upon me. Mini fitness regime underway. Abbreviated sentences for no apparent reason.
I stayed in a very ordinary hotel this week. Being away always reminds me how much I prefer being at home. Not entirely because I am the sort of person who prefers to be at home. It has a lot to do with my home being such a great place. If it weren't, I'm sure I'd be a lot more inclined to travel.
Say hello, if you have the time.
Summer well and truly upon me. Mini fitness regime underway. Abbreviated sentences for no apparent reason.
I stayed in a very ordinary hotel this week. Being away always reminds me how much I prefer being at home. Not entirely because I am the sort of person who prefers to be at home. It has a lot to do with my home being such a great place. If it weren't, I'm sure I'd be a lot more inclined to travel.
Say hello, if you have the time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)