Bali

Well here I am sitting at Glasgow airport - destination Denapasar Bali - off for three weeks - Holiday +

Sam & Hud are to be married on 2 June in Ubud Bali. Cathy & I set off this morning and as with all journeys it has gone without its mishaps already - considering we have only just arrived at the airport - we are not doing too badly. What has happened well I've forgotten my suitcase locks key and Cathy in her wisdom (actually my fault) decided to use my suitcase and I used hers - the wheels seems to have come off the suitcase. She has left already - we are travelling independently of each other and she booked from London nopt Glasgow - so her luggage is not going straight through - she has to grab it and run at Heathrow . . . mine I do not see until my arrival . . .she had me in stitches - I know I shouldn't laugh but the case was hopping along and then she has to rush when she arrives - I'm sure (and in fact hope) all will go well . . .

So Sam's wedding . . . a big event - Jessila and Arran coming over - 25 guests in all . . working on my speech (a long way to go yet) - I am really looking forward to it all and the time in the sun and the water . . . will be a watershed period for Cathy & I - see how we get on etc., - may find we have different approaches to life in general - who knows?

We have a week before and then a week after the wedding basically . . .

I am still with my utility company although I think the writing may be non the wall - will have to evaluate when I come back - at least 2 weeks work left on contract - and hoping for at least another short extension . . . abd then the job of my life!!! Lol . . . I don't know what it is yet . . . but it is just around the corner - I think . . . lol

All for now - I am sitting in the departure lounge . . . time to go . . the adventure begins!

Edinburgh festival,Travel; London; Vancouver coming; Life, Dissertation

Howdy folks

Well 'tis Tuesday on the morrow -Oops looking at time that's today now . . .lol.

What have I been up to not a lot - turns out our mechanised chair my Mum bought - didn't work - but all is not lost they have taken it back and have promised given an undertaking that it will be sorted . . . watch this space.

Was over at Judi's on weekend and she surprised me by just turning up on Friday evening - Wow! it was a nice surprise - I had said I''d be over on Saturday - so we drove over - the Edinburgh festival is in full swing - Fringe weekend - lots and lots of people . . . .terrible weather though - Saturday absolutely poured the whole day . . .

Right well had a meeting with my supervisor Murray and basically we had a long hard look at the dissertation - in real terms we are left with about 2 weeks to finish off - my number 1 priority is to address the evaluation and specifically beef up and evaluate on object oriented principles - i.e. have a look at each one of the IDEs and rate them in terms of pedagogically how well do they assist students (the likes of me) in learning oo principles - simple enough - I have some books and some additional material - need to compile a list similar (in a way) to my errors and then apply that to all of the IDE's and rate them . . . simultaneously finish off rest of body - but I will have a week for that after I finish criteria . . .so its all go - its been ongoing for quite some time now - need to just pull it all together now and finish . . . .

I suppose not the best time to take a trip to London then is it . . lol - well more a case of house sitting as Sam & Hud leave for Switzerland on Thursday evening - so its just a change of scenery and I can house sit and look after Bubbles although because its locked inside Sam says it will drive me through the roof . . . lucky their place Hanwell is on the suburban Haethrow - Paddington line and is only about 20 minutes on the suburban train . . . .then a wee walk and I'm there - the key is to be left somewhere discreet . . . . under the front door mat???

So its the Jazz Cafe Wednesday evening - criteria there will be whether or not they have Leffe beer and not oo principles - perhaps ooi (out of it) - well you need to relax as well . . .

2 bits of exciting news -- received a tax rebate last week - a sizeable one I'll have thee know . . . and lo and behold returned home this evening and voila a bonus bond prize awaited me - I was hoping it was the £1m . . . . not yet though I'm afraid . . . . just short by £999 950.00 - it was close though . . . .

More exciting news - when I finish my dissertation - my Mum & I are off to Vancouver for a week - 14 Sept - flying Zoom - direct flight from Glasgow and we come back via Manchester - although we don't get off the plane . . . just off-load the MU Rowdies then we'll be on our way again - arrive back the Sat afternoon and then its off to the rugby world cup with Judi - Scotland vs New Zealand @ Murrayfield on Sunday 23rd.

Anyway that about all for now - wow what are all these photos - well as you can see an ecelctic Fringe / Festival (all borrowed from the Scotsman festival blog - don't tell anyone . . .) weel lets see Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum - the 2 exhibitionists; a random female flasher - I think not - Vaudeville couple; and a whole lot of other random stuff; Charlise Theron; a squirrel - yes well that comes from a number of squirrels that were arrested near the Iranian border for spying - it is claimed they had eavesdropping equipment strapped to their bodies ???? - and the other picture is what most Iranian's in Baghdad have to put up with - how long have the allied troops been there - they still don't even have basic services and we want to talk about democracy . ???? I think not - or perhaps a bit premature . . . . stop ripping off their oil money and let them gut the place and put in all of the essential servise that they need - they must be ruing the day allied forces arrived in their country . . .



Reading:
Wired - Web 2.0 leaves porn behind - at last?

Voting with their hearts and what it means for the UK??

Listening:
Rodrigo Y Gabriela he is coming to Carling Academy in November - methinks.

Watching:
best football transfers of season

Old South African Ads (thanks Matt)

FLying Confessions - on at Film Festival

Dumbarton Rd; Chair; Bed; Travel; Dissertation;

Well it was the week of toothache . . . eventually managed to get a emergency appointment . . and really felt that I was butchered . . . last Wed 14h05 walked in - first question was which tooth was giving you the problem - a logical question - I didn't have a definitive answer - so we took an x-ray and then he blew air in amongst my teeth - well the very first one it was OUCH! that's him - he then told me there was nothing wrong with my crown - I'm like OK - and then he told me I had had root treatment on my crown - do we see a pattern here . . I told him I had had extensive root canal work on my crown . . . so he had to take a filling out to get a look at what was going on but first he gave me about 4 injections - felt way too much - I was still shaking when I left and you know how you feel your face is all swollen well mine was . . . he took out my filling and then drilled some of the tooth away and put in a new filling - now all my other teeth feel quite smooth - this one feels like a gravel road if you know what I mean - feels very rough - almost like it was an emergency appointment - wait a minute - it was - Hmmm maybe - but I'm not convinced - I must say he kept up a running commentary - apart from that he had a couple of aerial pictures on the ceiling so at least I had something to look at - I think they should have flat screen TV's flat on the ceiling - but hey! What do I know . . lol - Anyway I have another appointment on Wed - with both my dentist and oral hygienist . .

So what have I been up to - well had to use some whisky again as local anaesthetic again - damn that is me run out now - seeing as I don''t pay for medicine at moment - you think I could go to off-lic and get a bottle for medicinal purposes - No??? Hmmm.

T'otherwise been a quiet week really - Judi was on week's leave - still suffering with yon eye infection apart from that she just had a lazy week - hanging out with the boys - taking the boys to the airport - lol . . . 2 sons left the country - No, they're coming back . . . .

Me watching a bit The Wire still - finished Harry Potter - a bit drawn out really and didn't think the 19 years later part was necessary . . . I think your own imagination is better in that regard - perhaps she done because she had made that decision that there would be no more 'arry Potter's??? Not sure.

Still in limbo with PhD - had preliminary discussions with paisley and I am very excited about undertaking the studentship - Games-based learning is something I think I could really get into . . .looking forward to starting . . . but need to complete my dissertation first . . . how is it going your thinking - still loads to do - more or less finalised criteria and thus far worked through all the tutorials for each environment - now need to move over to evaluating each one against the rest of the criteria. I have a number of programs and want to introduce faults into the programs and see how each environment deals with it - error messages it generates whilst writing it and then debugging and how that works - still on schedule but time is running out . . . next 2 weeks crucial.

Friday night went through to my Mum and we had a good couple of drinks not been seeing much of her lately - work; travel; Edinburgh; etc., - anyway good catch up and a good blether - we hit Dumbarton Road all the charity shops working our way along - Maureen my sister came along and she was looking for toys for her 2 grandchildren coming out soon - me just looking - cut a long story short my Mum getting on in years has been struggling to get up / out of chairs recently and we had told her (Maureen and I) she needs one of yon lazy boys - why not? One of the chairs with remote - where you can stretch out but it also tips forward to throw you out - no well help you out of the chair. So we spy ed one - well Maureen did and I led the charge and my Mum bought it - then on the way out a bed caught my eye and it was one of yon electric beds - so you can sit up to read etc., and she bought that as well . . . shop assistants were calling her the Bionic woman before she left - one guy said all you need is a power cut now . . . lol - so that was Saturday and as you know today Sunday has been a bit miserable - but I don't really mind as it fine for me when I am working as it is somehow easier when it is cold wet and overcast - it is murder sometimes when it is lovely weather and you are stuck inside typing away trying to be creative with words when it would be nice to be strolling along the waterfront or somewhere in the sun . . . .lol

Another snippet of information - might be off to New York next month . . . still need to do my research - flight prices / accommodation etc.,

Photo's - Czech Republic: Prague - Lenin Marx Engels photo by Radim Beznoska - the three liars - celebrating independence from Russian domination. Monthly wages in Zimbabwe - money but its worthless . . . just Germany after world war 2 . . . USS Enterprise sailing through the Suez canal - show of force for Iran's benefit - photo Be Curtis; Zapiro - infant mortality rates in South Africa - swept under the carpet; Bush & Brown meet for the fist time - Rowson

Read all about it:

• Removable permanent tattoo's - Contradiction in terms


• kids sentenced to life in prison - yep America


• Listening to Sum 41


• Watching: Spider cat


• Watching: Cat Hello!