Is this what waiting for your first baby is like?

It spent 4 days on processing now it's moved onto pre-production.
Production is next. Then testing and then quality control. Final step is delivery.
I am of course talking about my new laptop.

Not sure what she's watching

But she is riveted.

Nice empty train this morning

My train must have missed a few stops before stopping at Tonbridge. It was nice for 10 mins before the Sevenoaks lot who normally have to stand got a nice trip.

Just how I like it

It's taking me some time to set up exactly how I had my phone set up. I'll get there though.

New phone

Vodafone couldn't fix my phone so I have a nice new one.

Do cats like hotdogs?

I don't know. But Biscuit does. Bloody cat!

Batteries included but flat

The car battery died again today. I managed to get it down the hill when trying to hill start it but it didn't work. We've got AA membership so within an hour and a half including my 30 min welly to charge the battery the car is now safe and sound back on the drive.

Trajectory of millions by Christmas

I won the Euro millions lottery last night. This time £8.10. This time next year I will be a millionaire. A couple of weeks ago I won again but that time only £3.10. Barely enough to pay for the ticket.

It's weird not having a phone

The amount of times my instinct is to go for my phone when there's a thirty second gap that needs to be filled. Today I've got to go to Battersea for some birthday/Australia Day celebrations and it's a fair walk from the nearest tube. I don't know the area so have printed an actual map. Things were much simpler when I was back in the 21st century.

Fingers crossed it'll be fixed when I go to collect it on Monday night. She said she'd call me when it was ready but seeing as I have no spare phone I'm not sue how she will.

Dodgy night

We went to see Dodgy last night at the Tunbridge Wells Forum with some friends. Excellent! Really good fun, great front man. We saw him last at the Half Moon, Putney nearly six years ago. We'd gone out for a meal on Valentine's night and walked past the venue on the way to another bar. The entry price was less than a tenner each so we thought why not. It was actually the same place I took April on or first date!

Anyway last night was good fun and it's a great venue. In fact it won best small venue in the Nme a couple of years ago. It's also got bottle of Sierra Nevada! My favourite beer.

Here's my blog entry from a couple of years ago.

http://www.watdefu.com/2007/02/great-night.html

21st century

Without my phone I don't have an alarm clock. Not to worry I'll download myself an app on my tablet.  Ha, world. 1-0 to Stu!

New laptop

I ordered my new laptop today, and yes it is kick ass. It cost just over a grand and should last me another 3 years. The only real extravagance was the option of extra thermal paste (?). I paid an extra £9 for that.

Can I have a sample of that soup please?

Idiot! I was waiting in a fairly big queue to get myself a sandwich from Eat today. The lady in front of me asked to try a sample of both the soups. Bloody hell! It's supposed to be fast food or at least in and out food. She didn't even move out of the way to let someone get served before her. Then she proceeded to pay by card. Idiot!

Incommunicado

As well as my laptop no longer working, my phone's decided to die too. Bloody thing. The screen's decided to calk it a day. It's now in the ship for repair. Due back next week. Boo.

Rip laptop

I didn't really have a chance today too busy at work, but I'm going to order a new laptop tomorrow, the Beast finally died. I'd have liked to have waited for the full three years before getting a new one (March) but football manager won't play by itself...

Bloody trains

This morning my train was 40 mins late tonight it was 50 mins. Although I was a little lucky. The train I got on at London Bridge went straight to High Brooms (1 stop too far) luckily due to the poor running of other trains they decided to make an additional stop at Tonbridge.

Anyway you expect better for £3.6k year. It goes up by nearly 5% when I renew it in a couple of months too.

No sign from April. Hope she's okay.

New laptop needed

I think my laptop has finally died. Poor thing. It had a good life. Nearly three years.

Now, what shall I get? Kick ass or not kick ass?

Kick ass I think.

A post for Markus

Log Scale

Twice in a row

I've been to the gym twice in a row now.  Same again tomorrow...  Friday however is our company annual lunch.  I will be drunk.  No more to say.

In case you missed it

In case you missed April's gig on Sunday here's a clip of her with her ukulele. She's showing off her new metal effect pedal. Whiskey in a jar.

The two headed cat monster

Poppet and Biscuit enjoying precious Stu time.

First visit to the gym in ages

I went to the gym for the first time in ages today. Over three months I think. I haven't played rugby since I did my hand back in October too so thought I'd better start up again. I've been putting it off as I wanted to avoid the January rush but forced myself at lunch time. As it turned out it wasn't that bad. Other than the same lame ass music that they always seem to be playing.

I ended up doing 40 laps of the pool. A little sore on my finger to begin with but fine when I got used to it.

Off again tomorrow.

Jeez it's cold

The heating's been on since 6 and it's still bloody freezing. Four layers on the bed tonight and a hot water bottle me thinks.

The Swallows

April's gig last night at the Punch and Judy.

Good night in town

Come on friends... Join in the fun. Hawksmoor first, then random pub due to the Crobar not being open till 4. Then Garlic and Shots for lovely garlicky Tabasco shots with Shaz. I love shots... I love Shaz... Urgh...

The pub

Best in Tonbridge

Posh chap in the city

On the way into work I spotted this chap. Ridiculous! It's either salmon pink or mustard yellow with these guys.

How much?

2 pints of Becks Vier in the city. £4.80! Less than a fiver for two drinks. And it's a Corney and Barrow, not a weatherspoons.

There will not be blood

I turned up to give blood a little while ago and was turned away due to my operation. Doh!

Our collection

All alphabetical of course...

New game

Ben recommended this new game yesterday. FTL or Faster than Light. I gave it a quick t last night and it was fun. Until I died... Boo hoo!

Bum in face

They love each other really.

Brace yourself

The new finger brace. The hand specialist said the movement in my finger was much better that expected. In fact she was a little worried and thought I was doing too much to it.

Doctor's next week for an xray

New claw

Just waiting at the doctors to see my physio,
I should be getting a new smaller hand protector today. The one I have combined with the two finger splints make my hand virtually useless. Hopefully this will help as it's a real pain.

On the plus side movement in my hand has improved massively although it can still be quite painful. Not as bad as before the operation though. I couldn't even open a stubborn pistachio nut. And April had to help me open a bottle of champagne. The trials and tribulations of Stuart continue...

Are you alive in there

Biscuit checking that I'm still alive after being in the bath for an hour.

Keeping my towel warm

Thanks Biscuit.

Back to work tomorrow

Yeah! Towards the end of last year work really began to drag. I think it was partially down to everybody winding down towards the holiday period but also down to me just getting noted with my role. Each quarter I seem to be doing the same stuff, never really doing anything new or progressing in my career. If any thing the new set up of the team has pushed me backwards. 

Roll on bonus time, despite a probable chunky loss due to Sandy they should still be half decent.Once that's out of the way I can concentrate on what I want to do. Or more importantly, what I need to do to get there.

Finger update photo

Review of 2012

Well, so what have I been up to in 2012?

House move
We're still living in Tonbridge.  At the tail end of summer 2011 we put our house up for sale which the view to moving to Greenwich.  We even went as far as putting in a couple of offers on a couple of houses but due to no activity on our place removed the house and decided to stay here for another year or two.

Pub
We love Tonbridge though and have made lots of friends in addition to the few we knew already.  We've also made the local pub the P&J a second home and the land lady now knows us by name.  Other than the pub I worked in back in Corby that's never happened to me.

Glamping
With part of a present from April's dad we took a trip down to the south west where we went glamping, or glamorous camping.  In the summer it would be fun but we did this in March / April.  Bloody freezing!

Portugal
In July we went to Portugal with a couple of friends.  One of their colleagues owned an apartment out there and lent it to us for a week.  Good fun indeed and the little place we were in was really friendly.

Shaz's wedding
Shaz got married this year.  Great fun was had by all.  It was like being a teenager again.  Aston!

Anniversary
We made it!  Our first year anniversary.

Mexico
We went to Mexico for the first time in November.  A great place with really friendly people.  The weather was great and was what we needed but it was an awful long way (10 hours) to go for just a week.

Operation 
I hurt my finger playing rugby back in October and it ended up being both dislocated and broken.  Ouch.  I've since had an operation to reattach some tendons and to fix the knuckle.  Although still sore, fingers crossed it'll get better soon.  The physio is impressed with it's movement so far.  Watch this space.

TV
I convinced April to go in half way for a new TV.  47 inches of pure HD.  Lovely!

Work
Big changes at work, my old manager has now left and the team has changed considerably.  It's been interesting.  Let's hope it stays that way

Here are some key words for 2013

Kitchen
Job
USA