All entries for July 2006

I'm flattered, but spoken for….

So, in a rare day off today, I went for a trip out with my Dad on the train. On the outward journey, we got on and sat at a table, without realising there was already a guy sat there who, presumably, had gone to the loo or something. Anyway, he returns, then sits in the seat next to me, with my Dad opposite myself. No problem with that, but there is a problem with the way he is sitting. He insists on sitting with his legs wide open, cramming my legs into a tiny little space (already shared with my Dad's legs), as my lovely diagram indicates:

So our knees are in contact, which I can just about tolerate. However, about ten minutes into the journey, I realise something. He is gently raising and lowering his left leg so that it is rubbing against my leg. Now, I'm not saying he was trying to 'get me on his side', shall we say, but I started to feel a little uncomfortable, as any straight person should. And, no, I didn't get turned on! After about 5 minutes he stops doing it however, then initiates a conversation with me and my Dad about computer systems. Then, somewhat unfortunately, we reach his station while he is in full flow.

Oh well, at least it's another life experience under my belt!

: 31 Jul 2006 20:45 |  Tags: News |  Comments (3) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Sunburn

While I was bugling the short life aisle yesterday (i.e. Tidying the ready meals), I had a flashback to a TV series I used to watch called Sunburn.

Does anyone else remember this? It was shown on BBC1 on Saturday evenings circa 1998/99, and it was a comedy–drama sort of thing about a group of holiday reps. I even remember the lyrics to the theme tune:

For summer long it sounds like fun,
Working hard for everyone,
It's nothing like a holiday,
And the only souvenir is Sunburn,
I've got it, Sunburn,
I'm getting Sunburn

or something to that effect anyway.

I even remember some of the key characters in it. There was the young guy who may as well have bulk bought condoms to save money, the old boring guy who once used his day off to sharpen pencils, and the person who Michelle Collins (I think) played.

It's unusual, because this is the sort of stuff I'd normally dismiss as utter claptrap, but, for some reason, I was an avid viewer, watching every single episode.

How sad, I know!

: 28 Jul 2006 10:12 |  Tags: Nostalgia TV |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

It ain't so bad after all!

Regular readers of this blog should know by now that I've not exactly been overly enthusiastic about working at Tesco over the last few weeks. Well, that seems to have all changed this week for some reason, as I've actually rather enjoyed the last few days I've worked there (despite one of them being a split shift). It's the first time I've ever done 'daytime' stock control (as opposed to doing it in the evening), and I was expecting the time to drag on and on, and for me to be messing up my counts all the time. But that hasn't happened, and my co–worker seems, surprisingly, to be praising me for actually doing a good job. I'm strangely passionate about it all too, having just about got on top of the juice mismatches (apart from the Del Monte juice which keeps seemingly disappearing and reappearing, thus confusing me). And the time has actually flown by (6 hours today just didn't seem like 6 hours at all!).

Anyway, I've now done 7 of my 11 straight days working, so there's light at the end of the tunnel finally! I'm so looking forward to Monday off anyway. And maybe Tuesday and Wednesday too, provided my boss doesn't ask me to do any more overtime, which he shouldn't due to the 3 people who are off this week returning.

In other news…... well, there is no other news, as I've spent most of the last week at Tesco!

See you later!

: 26 Jul 2006 15:52 |  Tags: News |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

…and another thing that annoys me….

…are those friends (usually, but not always, girls) who insist on dressing the same as one another. Just today I spied (with my little eye) two friends in near matching white vest and denim skirts.

Why? Are the so insecure about the state of their friendship that they have to so obviously copy each other to try and convince themselves that they have things in common (such as dress sense)?

It was just like when, a few years back, almost every girl in Bolton owned one of those anorak things with the furry, dangly balls. Which were hilarious to watch when two friends invariably got theirs tangled togther!

: 22 Jul 2006 18:15 |  Tags: Opinion |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

And now I've seen everything…

So, I'm in Tesco today, and I'm walking past the CDs enroute to the Fresh Food area, and I pass a mother and her young daughter (I guess about 6 years old or so). Anyway, the mother is buying her daughter the new McFly album/single/whatever, and, as the mother hands the case to her daughter, the daughter goes and kisses the case.

My, she really does like McFly!

: 22 Jul 2006 18:10 |  Tags: News |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Last Week

To be honest, not much of interest really happened. On Tuesday, I went out with my ex–school friends to watch Pirates of the Caribbean 2 (despite normaly steering clear of films that have Johnny Depp and/or Orlando Bloom in them), and went to Nandos for the first time (which is pretty much a posher version of KFC).

Then yesterday took a trip out with my parents to a place called Hest Bank (by the sea just north of Lancaster), then on to Kendal for a little shopping.

That's about it really!

I'm working this afternoon, got 3 days off, then I'm doing 11 days straight all in name of Tesco. Two people are on holiday, and my boss's solution is to ask me to cover everything, which I've agreed to do, although I'm going to see if someone else can do one day in the middle just to break it up a bit. Failing that, I may just have a nervous breakdown instead.

They daren't say I'm not committed, at least!

: 16 Jul 2006 11:07 |  Tags: News |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

I think I may be making a habit of these jokes…

I made this one up in a car park yesterday….

Have you heard that in some places you can be fined for stripping off in car parks?

Its known as 'Display & Pay'.

: 16 Jul 2006 11:00 |  Tags: Funny Joke |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Red Hot Chili Peppers at the Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield

Wow, the Chilis were simply incredible last night. I was blown away by them, particularly as it was the first time I've seen them. They opened with Can't Stop, followed by Dani California, which were both incredible. Some of the other highlights were Californication, Otherside, Scar Tissue, Snow (Hey Oh) and Parallel Universe. They closed their main set with By The Way, which was brilliant and the crowd went crazy during it.

Then they returned for the encore with Under The Bridge (great for singing along), and finished with Give It Away.

In a word. Fantastic!!!!!! And I liked the support acts too!

: 07 Jul 2006 23:03 |  Tags: Chili Hot News Peppers Red |  Comments (10) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Superman Cheap Day Returns

Continuing on a transport theme from my previous post, during my change at Manchester Piccadilly on my way back from Sheffield this afternoon, I couldn't help but be drawn towards a rather unusually liveried Virgin Pendolino waiting to depart on the 1405 to London Euston:

At the very front, it doesn't look immediately different from an ordinary member of the class, but, continuing down the platform….

Is it a bird? Is it a plane?

No, it's a 125mph tilting train!

In full Superman Returns promotional vinyls! Was a very interesting change from the usual procession of trains!

But it admits it isn't as fast as a speeding bullet….. Never mind!

Anyway, I walked further down to see the name of the fleet member that had been chosen. I thought the most likely would be Virgin Hero, or maybe Virgin Lionheart or Virgin Warrior. Which one was it?

City of Stoke–on–flipping–Trent. Oh well.

: 07 Jul 2006 22:54 |  Tags: Photo Transport |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Sprint: Nuneaton – Coventry – Kenilworth

Writing about web page http://www.sprint-there.co.uk/

I've just fould details of the plans and public consultation for this proposed new bus–based rapid transit system linking Nuneaton, Bedworth, Coventry, Warwick University and Kenilworth.

Basically, it's a new high frquency bus service, which will be operated on new, segregated sections of road (I assume guided busways will be involved), using new tram–like vehicles, like those currently operated by First Group on their 'ftr' initiative in York.

The route would run from Nuneaton to Coventry city centre via Bedworth and the Ricoh Arena, then continuing via Coventry station, Kenilworth Road and Cannon Park to the University, then optionally onto Kenilworth Town Centre and the proposed future railway station at Kenilworth.

This seems like quite an interesting scheme, which looks like it will provide a high quality link from north to south Warwickshire via Coventry, and will improve access to and from the University. One thing I'm concerned about however, is that (for one route option) – the route would be built across the University playing fields which, to be honest I'd rather it didn't do, as I'm rather a fan of the greenery around the campus, although an alternative is to use the existing Gibbet Hill Road/Kenilworth Road route.

Although I'm normally a fan of light rail over guided busways, the large capital cost of light rail would not be justified for a route such as this one, so a guided busway seems like a more viable option, at a cost of £85 million, and 5 million passengers a year are estimated to use the service.

I'm all for these plans, and they would definitely bring benefits to the University as well as the other areas it would serve. And would easily beat the 12 and its circuitous route for getting into Cov!

What does everyone else think of these plans?

: 05 Jul 2006 17:28 |  Tags: Transport |  Comments (3) |  Close comments |  Report a problem