Went out to get a Suit to wear at my Wedding Registry. Bought one very quickly indeed, like most things Men buy. Walked in, saw a grey one, tried it on, Salesman found an even better grey one, got that. Sold. Bonus that Icy thought I looked alright in it too.

Went to DFS, to buy Sofas for the new house. Walked in, sat on one, liked it. Walked around, sat on another. We liked that too. So we went back to the first one, and bought that. Simple really.

Went for a great meal at Strada. Lovely place.

And I have decided to name a new phenomenon. I will call it the Tom Tom effect, after the Tom Tom GPS device. I was thinking, imagine a massive traffic jam, and 70% of the cars have Tom Toms. Suddenly they all decide to ask it for a new route avoiding the gridlocked road. They will all go the same way. Why? Coz the algorithm in the Tom Tom will have the same data fed into it largely (well largely assuming their destinations mean they get routed down the same roads). So suddenly, they all end up gridlocking on the same roads again. Given the mild effect of slightly different GPS positioning of each car, the effect is like a Swarm of Bees after a hive. So theres a market out there for a GPS system that knows the routing of the main competitors, so it can develop a 'anti swarm' route to avoid new gridlock.

Wonder if it will ever happen...

Have to exchange on my house this week. It is imperative :)
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dp

58 mph in a 40 mph zone on the M25!!!

Let's face the music...and dance.
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dp

Yesterday was my Mum & Dad's 48th Wedding Aniversary.

I didn't even send them a card!

I feel so low, so bad. My intentions were there, but nothing was done about it.

If I can't look after my own parents, who have done so much for me, and who continue to do so much for me, what kind of imbercile am I?

I seriously need to think about how I treat my Mother and Father. I must take control.
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dp

Today I'm back in Gloucester again. For the last time I hope. Back in the same store I was at about a year ago, hearing the workers complain bitterly about the lack of support and help. I do my best, but its not me they are angry with, which is good.

AC Milan play Liverpool today. I hope AC Milan win - European Champions for the 7th time :)

The house buying is coming along well, though the solicitor has been rather quiet for my liking, but as long as we can sign and exchange next week I don't mind. I need to get onto her case tomorrow I think.

I still need to buy a Suit for the Wedding, and pick up my Indian one - which is suspiciously absent right now. Boo hoo.

Got a provisional yes to the project in Paddington, which is nice. So I can get out of here ASAP. And about time too!
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dp

Boy what a week I've had. Largely down to being a victim of a weird collection of bugs going round London I'd say. I woke on Monday to a bad fever and so stayed at home. Got back into to work to another 'all hells broken loose' environments. In reality, it hadn't, but you know its easier to blame the guy who isn't there. Luckily in this case, the facts clarified the situation immediately.

Then I faced another set of hilarious questions and situations by a major telecoms Vendor we work with. Actually its one guy who is the main culprit, he seems to be an amazingly incompetent fella. Get this, a spreadsheet was mailed to him with data on various stores in it. He mails back with a curt comment - we need the store number, next time mail me the store number. The reply email sent to him? Can you guess?

"Scroll left"

Yes, column A had the Store Numbers in it. How fantastic is that? I love it.

Then I confirm my roll off date from the project/programme. The good news, after 880 days I'm free. The bad news, there's nothing out there in the South East. :( So I start to send out feelers, and get back cold air, nothing in the water around me. I'm all alone.

I also had to endure a rather weird encomium, which had no real point other than to just make me think - urm, what's the point? Still I had to endure it, so I did. If it even begins to happen again i'll have to do a Num Num on it and just make it blatantly obvious I'm not impressed.

Its good to know that Icy Lady has had her Hen Night. Her friends gave me a call on the mobile, lots of giggling and talk of hunky strippers and frilly lingerie. Worrying in a way, but I guess it comes down to trust. And trust her I do.

Made me wonder what I should do for my Stag. Had thought of doing a Paintball day, but I have a bunch of lazy sods for mates, so figured I'd just punt a day into the email ether and chill out in a restaurant and head off to a bar I guess.

Man Utd lost to Arsenal, in what was a rather weird FA Cup Final. Neither looked like they would win, and Rooney's shots were way off target. Van Nistleroy looks a man off-form, and Arsenal, well they were lame ducks. They won 5-4 on penalties.

Saw some documentary on Michealangelo painting a 'end of days' on the cistern chappel for a pope dude that thought it was really happening.

I'm tired. Time to surf some blogs...

Daily Capricorn Forecast
	Quickie: What's the secret of happiness? Friends -- having them and being one.
	Overview: Your agenda for the day should be rest, relaxation and getting back in touch with what you really enjoy doing. Whatever it happens to be, allow yourself to become (temporarily) completely absorbed.

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dp

Thats how long I've worked here. 880 days* and then I'm gone.

No more making life taste great. No more hassle about repeating the most obvious things to people umpteen number of times.

8th June 2005. Thats when I am free from this particular sentence.

Where next? Who knows....



*Well near to 880 days anyway, if not more due to late late hours!
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dp

By Steve Kingstone BBC news, Brazil

On this occasion, just under half of the deforestation occurred in Mato Grosso, where trees have been replaced with soya fields.

Last year exports of soya, mostly to China and Europe, propelled Brazil to a record trade surplus.

But campaigners say exports are being put ahead of the environment.

In a statement, Greenpeace called the governor of Mato Grosso the "king of deforestation".

He himself is one of the world's largest soya producers.

Responding to the figures, the government points out that it has increased satellite surveillance of threatened areas and created some of the largest environmental reserves in Brazilian history, but so far there is little to show for it.

The broader fear among environmentalists is that a shrinking Amazon will soon become a net polluter of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide as its absorbing properties are reduced and more and more felled trees are burned.

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dp

Whilst I wait to interview someone for a job (done my research, know his skills and background), here are some items that have caught my attention or piqued my interest.

• A gang of 4 kidnap a child in West London, are caught, and sentenced. Question is, what would YOU do to them if given a chance?
• Eating family meals together could potentially assist in fostering a better quality of manners and character in a child. But what if everyone shouts around the dinner table and swears a lot, like in Eastenders?
• EDS is cutting lots of jobs. Does that mean that the Independent is right, and we are about to enter a heck of an economic downturn like not seen in years?
• Montblanc Starwalker. A fine writing instrument that I turned down (don't ask), but luckily Icy retains possession of :)
  

That's all.
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dp

Capricorn
You've been bored and restless lately, and are thinking that a change of scenery might suit you just fine. Stop telling yourself that you're just trying to find a way to duck out. You're not. You're trying to find a way to rejuvenate yourself, and you need it. Take a loved one along for the ride -- someone you're sure won't just be company, but will also be part of the regeneration process.
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dp

A nicer weekend at last. :-)

Friday night was tiring. I got home, unwound a bit, and had a good chat with Captaindamo. We were shooting the breeze when I commented the biggest mistake I made with my iBook was not buying a burning drive. A few URLs later and we were pondering whether the drive in there is actually a burning drive or not. Anyway, I got a sudden migraine (I am unwell, cold creeping up) and headed off to bed immediately. I was out like a light till this morning.

I woke up and voila, the iBook burns cds. Super duper! Definitely worth leaving for my sister to use now, its much nicer for her to know she can sync her digital camera pics to the iBook and then burn them to CD to share with the family. Bonus Points!

The lady and I then proceeded to Ealing to wander a bit, went into an awesome shop called Oil & Vinegar (don't mock it, it was ace if you knew what you were doing with various oils in cooking). I saw a jar of sumptuous looking Green Olives stuffed with Garlic - alas it was £10 a jar!!! We decided to buy one of that, and one of Olives stuffed with soft Almonds in July as a treat. Popped into a new branch of my favourite health shop. Headed off to our favourite Tapas restaurant for Yet Another excellent meal there (they are so good, they topped themselves by getting the aubergines crisp and oil free this time).

Then off to Changeofhart's 30th Birthday in Reigate - he was in a great mood. His fair lady and he were having a ball, and we headed off after 45mins since we don't really drink and we had a long drive back and a busy day tomorrow. We do have to urge him to get in some more competition for us in the 'who has the best tan' gig. We won that one easily tonight ;-)

Anyway, home to eat on the most excellent Seeded bread from the shop, indulge in the Green & Blacks chocolate, and some Law & Order tv before bed.

A good day.
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dp

Yesterday was a fun day.

In the morning I was on a course with some nice chaps in our Fenchurch St offices. Got to have a good natter about technology and stuff. A very pleasant bunch indeed. I then proceeded to work where I was greeted with our Wellbeing Day. An entire day of free sessions with acupuncturists, herbalists, smoothie makers, massagers, nurses etc.

I had previously signed up for the Alexander Technique workshop, a 1-2-1 session where I'd have my posture adapted to be better. But whilst waiting, a nurse who was measuring Blood Pressure and BMI asked if I wanted mine checked.

I was very pleased to discover that despite my bundle of nerves about my house purchase, my Blood Pressure was absolutely normal, and my Body Mass Index (BMI) was a fantastic 20.4 - I was also given a free company branded (sic) step counter. I've now put that on Daddio so as to be able to ensure he walks a bit further every day whilst recovering :)

So there you have it. A piece of good news at last.
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dp

Things are moving on now.

I've instructed my Solicitor to have me pull out of the purchase of the previous house I was trying to buy. The offer I made was subject to completion in April, and its long gone that and theres still no sight of the end date. The seller will be unhappy, but my parents are currently unhappy that I haven't completed yet. I call that evens.

The lady and I have found another property. We are considering it and probably will move on it seriously. Its out of town and cheaper.

Changeofhart has bugged me to write something cheery, to put on a smile and get on with life. He's right you know. He has moments of good insight now and then, I put it down to him nearing the decade of maturity and wisdom.

With that in mind, I am rather chuffed to see AC Milan make the final of the European Champions League. Its fanatastic. They have effectively lost Serie A to Juventus, but that's fine if they beat Liverpool and take yet another European Cup :)

I've a fun day tomorrow. In the morning I am on a course in another office, and in the afternoon I have a Alexander Technique Session at work - its part of the Wellbeing at Work programme. I liked the idea of it. I have a book on this, but it may be useful to see how it works in real life.

Mum and Dad are progressing well, though not as fast and well as we could hope for. Nevertheless they are coming along fine.

More later...normal service is slowly resuming.
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dp

A lot has happened to me in the last 2 months, and it looks like the pace of this will not abate.

Through this all, I've learnt a lot of valuable lessons, and I've shared these with everyone ever since - including the readers of this here blog. As in all lessons, being able to learn from them and to apply the learnings effectively is a sign of a modicum of maturity and wisdom. Its this character that I'm trying to foster right now.

With everything going on around me, it seems things can and will get more troublesome. Today it became apparent that the Upper (Onward) Chain of the house I'm trying to buy is dangerously close to going out of time scale on me, oreven collapsing completely. Obviously this is not something I can afford to deal with right now.

So I'm doing my best with the dear Lady to find alternative properties.

One conversation I had with my Manager at work, has led me to apply a lesson I learnt over these past two months to my search. We were talking about our respective careers and ambitions in the near future, and we are both of similar opinions of the outcomes. It was with this knowledge in mind that we discussed the most suitable location of where I should buy a house. It turns out the location of his home is pretty good for me too. With this in mind, the dear Lady and I are going to embark on house hunting this weekend WAAAAY outside London.

And yes, its West of where I am.

Other news:

• Wedding Invitations have been posted and are being received by guests. I'm receiving lovely compliments on the choice of my card, so am very happy about that (aren't I vain ;-).
• Dad is so far looking good at home, and slowly getting better and better.
• Mum is ever so slowly, ever so slowly, improving also and is learning to relax.
• Other Wedding preparations are now firing up again, much to my Sister's enjoyment.
• Work is slowing down a tad, though not much.
• Labour won again, but thankfully with a lower majority - hence making them realise (I hope) that they have to change a few things or face losing next time around. So now, is the Party stronger than Tony Bush?
• AC Milan are in the finals of the Champions League, facing Liverpool. Hopefully Milan will win again :)

I continue to hope that my time will once again return to me, and I'll be able to continue surfing, reading the blogs I enjoy reading, and participating the active banter that goes on amongst them. Also I am hoping to catch up on the barrage of emails I have so far neglected.

Here's wishing you all well again...
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dp