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Post by grahamthomson on Sept 22, 2008 11:16:03 GMT
I've moved house. It's great.
Also, while out shopping for "housey" things I noticed a lot of shops now stocking Christmas-themed tat. It has begun.
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Sept 22, 2008 13:21:56 GMT
I've moved house. It's great. Glad it's all gone well for you, Graham. When I got my place six years ago the previous owners gave me some sage advice re: furniture. It's a small house (though I'm not complaining, since I'm lucky to have one at all, and it's the right size for me) but they had gone and bought a living room suite, sofa and everything, which made the living room rather cramped. Learning from their mistake, I just bought a few high-backed armchairs, which make the room feel correctly proportioned. Now, I have always wanted to own a leather armchair or somesuch thing, since every time I've ever sat in one, in a pub or wherever, it has been the most comfortable, relaxing experience outside of a bubble bath. But I know my living room isn't quite big enough to accommodate them and retain its feeling of spatiousness. But today (the first day of my cancelled Paris holiday which I am now taking in Cardiff) I have realised a happy medium. Fed up with the wooden chair at my computer desk, with its thin seat cover and sadistic piles-inducing springs, I have acquired a leather office chair from MFI. It's great! It reclines when I recline, it spins, it goes up and down with a PHEWWW when I pull a lever, and it's dead comfortable. Best of all, it was a display model from a discontinued range which meant I could push it home on its wheels, scattering first-year students to left and right as I went, rather than having to pay for it to be delivered and put it together myself. MFI customer service better than Wilkinson's. Tried to buy such a chair from them first, but they were all out of stock. I asked if I could have the display model, but they said no, because it takes a staff member half an hour to put together a new display model. Which raises other questions, but never mind. The MFI chair was more expensive but I don't begrudge it them. As you might have gussed, I've been drawing out this post as long as possible, as an excuse not to leave my comfy chair. So how are you doing furniture-wise, Graham? Got a big house? Got anything in leather? Also bought new pillows today, since my old ones were sad and flat. Lay down on the new ones to test them out. Twenty minutes of staring at the sky thinking later I shook myself out of my trance and forced myself off the bed. Comfy counts for a lot in life. Martin |
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Post by grahamthomson on Sept 22, 2008 13:44:43 GMT
I've moved house. It's great. So how are you doing furniture-wise, Graham? Got a big house? Got anything in leather? Martin Furniture-wise, most of what we had is being reused in the new house. All except my desk, sadly. The house is three floors and my old desk, being of the corner variety, couldn't fit up the stairs. So that and the old dishwasher (since the new kitchen has a bigger one built in) have since been donated to charity. Leather-wise, the living room suite is leather. One of the downsides of dog ownership (especially a labrador) is the copious amounts of drool. Coben's worst habit is taking huge mouthfuls of water then coming to visit ones knees when sitting, relaxing and emptying water/saliva/grass/daddy long legs legs all over the edge of the sofa. So as well as being super comfy, the leather is also easy to keep clean. My shoes and belts are also leather. Glad to see you've treated yourself to a bit of added comfort. MFI are a lot better than they used to be; I even got my desk/office furniture from there (see above). |
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Post by The Doctor on Sept 22, 2008 14:03:04 GMT
Having run out of money and options, I put my notice in on my flat this morning. From December I can look forward to living out of my parents spare room at the age of 30 and a half, possibly with no job. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
-Ralph
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Sept 22, 2008 14:05:59 GMT
Leather-wise, the living room suite is leather. One of the downsides of dog ownership (especially a labrador) is the copious amounts of drool. Coben's worst habit is taking huge mouthfuls of water then coming to visit ones knees when sitting, relaxing and emptying water/saliva/grass/daddy long legs legs all over the edge of the sofa. So as well as being super comfy, the leather is also easy to keep clean. Thank you. My lifelong view of leather armchairs and sofas as the epitome of luxury, decadence and comfort now ends, as it is to be forever associated with the graphic image of a dog spewing up water, saliva, grass and bits of daddy long-legs.  Leather shoes and belt, yes. Also wallet and getting on for a dozen nice leather-bound books. Not exactly Hells Angel's, are we? Martin |
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Sept 22, 2008 14:44:01 GMT
Sounds like a sensible decision, Ralph. People of our generation (let alone those poor hopeful first-year students I callously scattered with my office chair on Colchester Avenue this afternoon) are lucky if they own their own places by 30, and still living with parents is no longer out of the ordinary. Indeed, I would recommend it to anyone out of employment, if they have a supportive family, as it's the only way I can see to break even each month. I hope the new base of operations helps you achieve success in your job-seeking. But I know my living room isn't quite big enough to accommodate them and retain its feeling of spatiousness. Ha! See what I did there? The correct spelling should be 'spaciousness'. And yet it's 'spatial' rather than 'spacial' (a recurring mis-spelling in the first but not second edition of Eugenesis, you see). Hoist by my own petard! Or I would be if James Roberts had been the one to point out my error. Funny old language, English. But without correct spelling there would be anarchy and civilisation would disintegrate! Martin |
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Post by Philip Ayres on Sept 22, 2008 15:17:08 GMT
Having run out of money and options, I put my notice in on my flat this morning. From December I can look forwad to living out of my parents spare room at the age of 30 and a half, possibly with no job. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. -Ralph The one time I fail to ask Baines for his address before sending something and he decides to leave ! |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2008 16:08:52 GMT
Don't worry Phil, Bastard Bob might still be in the flat to receive the parcel and who knows, he might even pay Ralph a visit to his new abode to tell him that there is something waiting in his old flat for him.
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Post by The Doctor on Sept 22, 2008 16:49:45 GMT
I'm still stuck in the flat until end of November. It's the earliest I can get out of the lease and if I've paid for it I shall fulfil the Scottish stereotype and stay until the last bloody minute.
-Ralph
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Post by grahamthomson on Sept 23, 2008 7:39:34 GMT
Once I finished university I was back with my parents for a few months until I could find a job. It was tough to go back to the old "home" environment after being away for four years and I was working pagesetting night shifts for the local newspaper for very little money. But setting a goal really helped and I kept in my mind that it wasn't going to be permanent.
But sometimes a little "restart" while appearing at first to be a step backwards can actually be a very positive move. Perhaps the change will clear the board and help you set your sights on a new target (i.e. new job) and work towards that.
Oh and good for you for sticking to the end of the lease... not many tenants tend to do that!
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Post by The Doctor on Sept 23, 2008 11:14:24 GMT
The bizzare thing is that I'm still in the flat for another 8/9 weeks due to the lease. So the change is a while away yet.
RE: the lease. Well, I may need a reference from the letting agency in future so best not to piss them off.
-Ralph
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Post by legios on Sept 23, 2008 11:45:27 GMT
good for you for sticking to the end of the lease... not many tenants tend to do that! In my experience not only do some not stay to the end of the lease, they don't always give notice. Heck, sometimes they don't even hand back the keys for the property.... A bit of a mad week beckons for me - following a doctors appointment this morning I have to give a blood sample tomorrow morning, unfortunately it is a fasting sample which means I can't even have any breakfast before I leave the house or anything. Then once they have sucked out my blood I have to head into central Edinburgh to carry out a site visit with my IT hat on, followed by rattling back to the office to try and get caught up with the big wodge of work that is currently circling my desk like predatory lizards. On the bright side, it certainly isn't going to be dull..... Karl |
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Post by grahamthomson on Sept 24, 2008 7:47:32 GMT
The bizzare thing is that I'm still in the flat for another 8/9 weeks due to the lease. So the change is a while away yet. RE: the lease. Well, I may need a reference from the letting agency in future so best not to piss them off. -Ralph Ralph, you are wise beyond your trousers! Good luck with the tests today, Karl. |
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Post by The Doctor on Sept 24, 2008 10:11:03 GMT
Also, the pressure of being chased for money would finish me.
-Ralph
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Post by The Doctor on Sept 25, 2008 10:41:47 GMT
I'm feeling bizzarely upbeat this morning. Ah, the joys of the wild mood swings of unemployment.
-Ralph
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Post by longtooth on Sept 25, 2008 11:28:20 GMT
I went out dancing lats night after one too many energon:
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Post by grahamthomson on Sept 25, 2008 12:04:58 GMT
Your dancing partner is a bit on the ugly side.
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Hero
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King of RULES!
Everything Rules
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Post by Hero on Sept 25, 2008 12:06:36 GMT
Been prepping for my return to uni next week. My timetable still isn't sorted though.
===KEN
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Post by longtooth on Sept 25, 2008 12:28:37 GMT
Your dancing partner is a bit on the ugly side. Too much energon and 'a good idea at the time'..... rather like the time I wrote "I want to be a big **** off walrus. One with a crazy eye" on my Pretender application form. |
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Post by grahamthomson on Sept 25, 2008 12:30:20 GMT
But at least your crazy eye is good at determining the clarity of diamonds.
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Post by longtooth on Sept 25, 2008 12:41:12 GMT
My careers advisor suggested that to me once my Marvel career ended. It was either that or Seaworld.
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Stomski
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YOU INTERRUPTED MY SPEECH!! But don't worry. It won't happen again.
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Post by Stomski on Sept 25, 2008 15:06:14 GMT
Sepaking of walrus', WalrusGuy, credited as the best YouTube Pooper ever has had his account suspended on YouTube. Mama Luigi is not impressed.
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Post by The Doctor on Sept 25, 2008 16:05:04 GMT
I'm feeling bizzarely upbeat this morning. Ah, the joys of the wild mood swings of unemployment. -Ralph Well I was upbeat until I got another job knockback, only 6 days since the last knockback. Hurrah. -Ralph |
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kayevcee
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Post by kayevcee on Sept 25, 2008 21:26:01 GMT
Store manager gets back tomorrow. Half the floor staff are either on holiday or back at uni this week, so the place is a bit knackered. I expect either tomorrow or Saturday to be the annual "the place is a tip because you're not doing your jobs so work harder or you're all fired" speech they always roll out as the customer/stock load starts to ramp up but the staff budget hasn't increased yet to cover any Christmas staff.
We have a new clock-in system, supposedly designed to prevent people from clocking their mates in and out to prevent them showing up as late. As well as swiping your card you have to have your fingerprint scanned. No joke. Needless to say it doesn't work 80% of the time and once we have 90-odd extra Christmas staff added the break room is going to resemble a cattle shed full of pissed off twenty-somethings who want to go home but can't because their fingers are invalid.
Yes, "FINGER INVALID" is what is says when it doesn't scan properly. Perhaps "SCANNER BOLLOCKS" was too many letters.
-Nick
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Post by The Doctor on Sept 25, 2008 21:45:42 GMT
That's aburd. One day I am going to set about TRU High Command just like the way Arnie set about Bennett's evil men at the end of 'Commando', but instead with high pressure super soakers from a TRU store itself. Poetic justice.
-Ralph
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Post by grahamthomson on Sept 26, 2008 6:55:43 GMT
Washing machine now plumbed in and Sky now hooked up.
We wanted Virgin Media, only for the high speed broadband but they wanted £5000 (how they asked that with a straight face, I'll never know) as, since we were in a brand new build quite far away from the nearest already-serviced house they would have had to lay new fibre optics all the way out to us.
So back to Sky, then. Ah well.
Still no broadband though as I simply can't bring myself to go back to BT. Not ever. We're instead using a little known company who supply our broadband at work and they're happy to extend that to a home service as well.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Sept 26, 2008 8:01:28 GMT
Did you think of trying sky's broadband ?
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kayevcee
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Post by kayevcee on Sept 26, 2008 19:36:24 GMT
I'm pretty sure my supervisor at TRU thinks it takes me three attempts to put my trousers on in the morning. Today was a particularly good one. I wanted to murder her at the time but thinking back now all I can do is laugh.
Some context: We keep kid-scale keyboards on a pallet in the middle of the shop floor. They're half price and sell like crazy, and so need topping up daily. Also, my supervisor has a mildly irritating habit of telling underlings to only fill up one pallet-item at a time (and woe betide you if you're caught doing something else) so that we have to call her up every five minutes for fresh instructions. This morning's task was "fetch more keyboards" and that was it. I raised the issue with a co-worker just as my supervisor apparently shot up through the floorboards, and the following exchange took place:
Super: "You bitching again?"
Me: "I just thought... you could have given me more instructions than 'fetch more keyboards'."
Super: [stares dumbfounded]
Super: [slowly] Then put them on the pallet. [walks away]
Me: I... [picks up a box of keyboards and contemplates the easiest way to dispose of a body in a workplace setting]
It's almost as good as last week when I used the tannoy to call for a member of babies staff to call me for some assistance. After I made the call the line became clogged by a customer query. When it cleared the babies staffer called back and explained that I had to put the phone back on the receiver before she could call me.
Do I really give the impression of being THAT stupid?
-Nick
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Post by The Doctor on Sept 26, 2008 19:43:49 GMT
I would shop your supervisor to the whistleblowing hot line, in all honestly. They are a bully and need their collar felt.
-Ralph
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Post by legios on Sept 26, 2008 19:52:31 GMT
I would agree with Ralph's assessment of your supervisors personality to be honest. From what you have said it seems that they are someone who gets off on the exercise of power, and takes any opportunity to belittle people who have lower perceived status as them. The pattern fits - issuing minimal instruction at a time, so that staff have to go cap-in-hand repeatedly. Phrasing said instructions in the most demeaning way they can think of. Yeah, definitely a bully. I know the type, I have worked with one before and this bears all the hallmarks.
Karl
(For my part, my long, strange and very exhausting week is over with. Time to catch up with a pile of things outside of work that need doing, and have a rare opportunity to meet up with my sister as she is in Edinburgh for a conference.)
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