Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in f0zzz's LiveJournal:

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Sunday, May 20th, 2007
8:02 pm	Ooooh. I ran the half marathon in 2hr 40 Mins. a bit slower than I was anticipating, but bloody hell it was hard. I had joked before that everywhere in sheffield was up hill. Little did I realise how true that was on the course! - And the miles.... Blimey. They seemed much longer than the miles I was measuring in training, but that may be the hills. I was fine until I got to 10 miles, then... ugh. Still, I've recovered OK, and really enjoyed it. Roll on the next one, wherever that is where I'll be aiming for a sub 2hr 30 time. Current Mood: content (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, May 18th, 2007
12:24 pm	This is it The Sheffield Half Marathon is this Sunday. I'm off to the gym in a minute for a final training session. I could hardly believe it last thursday when I woke up with a throbbing foot. After a years absence, gout has returned. I havent been able to train, and I'm still hobbling a bit. I've decided that, unless its really bad, I'm going to do the half marathon anyway. Gouty stuff is only painful, and I'm not in danger of doing permanent damage. In the latter weeks, before the gout, I was getting faster. I ran my 3.5 mile course in 34 minutes (when I first started, it was 47!) - I also ran a 8.5 miler in an hour and a half. As long as the foot stays OK, I'm hopeful that I'll complete the race, and do it in under 2 hrs 30. Wish me luck. Current Mood: nervous (Comment on this)
Tuesday, April 24th, 2007
11:50 am	Chance has no memory... Been having a good time of late. A lot of the recent financial concerns have been allayed, and I had a really good time this weekend on a visit to London. Mrs Foz and I went out for a chinese meal for the first time in a g e s on Friday, and we went out for the day boozing and eating in Greenwich on Saturday. For the evening the Earl, Countess, and I went in to central London, where we sampled decent wines and very nice food at one of the Earl's new hostelries, got shown round the (sadly closed) Basement bar there (Looks really confortable) - had some poorly made cocktails at a place near St Martins lane, then ended up in a Casino. It was my first visit to a casino ever (ever!) and I contented myself early doors by observing the Earl (An expert in these matters) at Roulette. When I finally plucked up the courage to give it a go I did pretty well. I left the casino with two crisp £50 notes more than I went in with... not bad for a (pissed) beginner. The Earl was desperately trying to convince me that cumulative 50/50 chances result in likelyhoods that approach certainty. It's been a while since I've done any statistical mathematics, so my arguments to the contrary were not as well formed as I'd like.. I can vaguely remember blurting out "Chance has no memory" about thirty times. Bet that wasn't annoying at all! Walking to London Bridge station from the Earl's on Sunday I bumped into a friend, who in turn was looking for his wife (She was running the Marathon) - I always love bumping into people in London as it always seems so unlikely - and supports my theory that there are only 5000 real people in the world, and the rest are figments of a diseased imagination. Chance coming in to play again... Does the fact that I bumped in to a friend in London lessen my chances of bumping in to a friend next time I visit the smoke? - I'll have to ask the Earl. Got back to Bristol, and the running is even going OK. Last week I had to abort an (admittedly ambitious) 8 mile run after about 6 miles. However Yesterday I ran 7 and a half miles in 78 minutes. I even felt I could do more. My pace is consistent at approx 11 minute miles, and I'm starting to believe that I'll be OK for the 20th May. Current Mood: happy (Comment on this)
Tuesday, April 10th, 2007
12:18 pm	Every day, in every way.... Had a run on Friday that was (By my standard) Brilliant. I went a little over 6 miles, and by the time I was done I felt as if I could have carried on. I'm aiming to do 5 miles tonight, 5 miles tomorrow, then go for a big one (7 mile minimum) at the end of the week. I still think I'm doing about 11 minute miles, but I've stopped worrying about that. Gone three days without a run, consumed numerous bottles of wine and let the diet slip as well over easter. Right back on the wagon now. Current Mood: working (Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 27th, 2007
9:14 pm	Time running out It's not been going well. One reason I haven't been posting is because I'm pretty ashamed of my progress, or lack thereof. I may have done this before, but this has been really hard. With 53 days to go till my first half marathon.. I should be running eight or nine miles by now with ease. Instead I've had to revise what I'm doing and concentrate on building the stamina to finish in whatever time it takes. Still A good run today. Not quick. Slow in fact, really slow. But by the time I finished I felt I could have gone on a lot more... 53 days to go 4.2 miles 50 minutes That is… 0.084 miles per minute 1.008 mile in 12 minutes 13.02 miles in 155 minutes so if I carry on at this pace, I'll finish the half in 2hr 35 minutes... or thereabouts Current Mood: awake (Comment on this)
Saturday, March 3rd, 2007
9:07 pm	Better After a couple of indifferent and incomplete runs, it seems I've cracked it. This is much more like it. I've left the walkman-thingy at home, and I'm much better at pacing myself. Ran round the three and a half mile course with relative ease, while keeping my heart rate as steady as I could. When I finished I looked down at the stopwatch and saw that I'd done it in 39 minutes 14 seconds... Not a bad time for me considering I was concentrating on completing the distance rather than the time. My immediate aim is to do the course in 33 minutes, that should be reasonably acheivable. Current Mood: calm (Comment on this)
Sunday, February 25th, 2007
9:49 pm	Long way to go... Tonights run was similarly rubbish to the last one. I started way too fast, and cleared over a mile in about 11 minutes (Fairly fast for me) I need to learn to pace myself much better. By two miles I was finished. Timings pretty much unimportant until I can get some distance... Current Mood: apathetic (Comment on this)
Wednesday, February 21st, 2007
11:32 pm	Out of Character Dunno what's up with me lately. I'd had a reasonably good day ar work, got home this evening and had a massive, stand up, pointy, shouty, sweary row with the builders who are renovating the house next door. OK, so they are a bunch of short arsed, thick, onanist, desperately inconsiderate, filthy, thick, scummy, stupid cowboys. But it was me who went in there with all the attitude. A quiet and reasonable word would have sorted the problem without issue, but no.... I had to go in giving it the big one. Of course that immediately got their backs up and caused all the hoo-har, and at one point I was quite prepared to beat one of the REALLY stupid ones to a sort of proto-human mush. I remember clearly yelling at him him 'Yeah, you act the big man when my front door is shut' as he was hiding behind his boss... How's that for being cool and in control? All avoidable and all my fault. Wanker. Now we have got to put up with them for the rest of the week... and they aren't going to be even a bit co-operative now. Nicely done Foz... I'm starting to get a bit worried about my temper. I'm sure I never used to have one, and just lately I go from placid to thermonuclear in about four seconds. I probably need a break. Still, little chance of that. The division of the company I work for has 'De Coupled' from the (much) larger company. I'm helping set up the new structures and new departments in the current unit, and I have an application pending for the role of 'Head of Operations' in a newly created Business unit. Not that I could run a market stall at the moment given my short fuse. After work tomorrow I'm off to see Hot Fuzz with friends. Hopefully that will get my mind off being furious with everything and everyone. Tomorrow, will mark a decade since I moved to Bristol. It should be a reason for celebration, but I don't feel the least bit celebratory. Current Mood: pissed off (Comment on this)
Sunday, February 18th, 2007
10:47 pm	Crap Crap run tonight. Heavy legs, knackered after 2 miles. Gave up. Still, hopefully it will be a bit better the 'morrow. About 2 miles About 22 minutes Hurts like a bugger (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, February 17th, 2007
9:10 pm	Pounding pavements I've always been something on the heavy side. However lately, Its seemingly getting harder and harder to stop spreading out, and some fairly drastic action is required. I'm nowhere near as lardy as I was back in 2002, but the weight I shifted for my wedding is now wobbling around my midriff. That took six months on a low carb diet, and a fair amount of gym work to shift last time. This time I really can't be bothered with that, and I don't really have that much time for the gym anymore. Instead I have taken up running again. I have dabbled with this over the past two years, and I had originally entered for the Bristol half marathon in 2005. Back then, I shoved myself too hard, and managed to injure my foot ligaments in the month before the race. That took about four months to fix itself, and I wasn't able to run. I don't want to make that mistake again. This time I'm taking it steady. I've gone and submitted an application to run the Sheffield half Marathon. It takes place on 20th May. 91 Days 13 Weeks 3 Months To train, and get myself something like in adequate shape. This time, despite the weight I'm fitter than I was in 2005. Tonight I went out and lightly jogged round my usual three and a half mile circuit of Bristol's new cut and Harbourside. When I caned it round a few months ago (I wasn't that fast then!) I got round the circuit in just about 35 Minutes. Today was a sedate 42. Not a great time for three and a half miles, but it's somewhere to start. So, in the weeks ahead I'm going to put my experiences here. I intend to run 2 half marathons this year. My target for the first (Sheffield) is 2hr 15. I'm a long way off that (modest) pace, but when I set my mind to something, it usually gets done. Todays Stats Distance: 3.5 Miles Time: 42 Minutes HM Pace: 168 Minutes - 33 Minutes off pace 91 Days to go. Current Mood: mellow (Comment on this)
Thursday, November 23rd, 2006
4:39 pm	Looking Up No entry since March. Not because nothing's been going on (because it has....) more like I couldn't be bothered to continue the journal. This has mainly been due to a crisis in confidence, and I seem to know a lot of people who write with a wit and fluidity that I can't match. So, what's happened... This year started very promisingly, but unfortunately got quite sour in its middle quarters. I wasn't getting along very well with Mrs Foz, and to be honest nothing either of us did seemed to help. Coupled with this - the situation with money went from Good, to OK, to concerning, to worrying, to alarming, to lying-awake-all-night-feeling-sick with a speed I wasn't prepared for. Losing a second income had hit us a lot harder than I initially had calculated (Seems I forgot the evils of compound interest) Adding up the numbers brought me out in a cold sweat and prompted some fairly fundamental changes in lifestyle. Not my idea of fun. In fact, so far 2006 has been very little fun indeed. Not just because of the situation with money - for much of the year Mrs Foz has been unwell. Sadly this only served to emphasise our differences. Her illness is quite debilitating, and it means that we can't do many of the things that I like to do together. Going out is pretty much out of the question for reasons of finance and health - so we've been sitting indoors a lot - rattling cages... Still five months later, and we seem to have established a degree of control. I'm sinking everything I earn into basic subsistence and the necessary repayments. The budgets I set out are working. These were a cause for friction a while ago, but we are both used to them now. Mrs Foz also gets frustrated about not being able to help financially – but she’s starting to understand that she’s ill and needs to rest in order to get better. On this front I am quietly hopeful about Mrs Foz's health. She has shown a steady (if not marked) improvement over the last few weeks. This makes me so glad I can barely think of it without feeling a little surge in my chest, but I'm cautious as its still early days yet. A saving grace of this year so far has been music. There is SO much great stuff about at the moment. I can't afford to buy it of course, but that doesn't matter. This journal originally started as a gig diary, and I have been out to see quite a few gigs. In the middle of all the year (and all the shite that was going on) I took myself away for a couple of periods and followed the CUD band reformation. These were really affirming, despite many local rag review jibes about portly skinheads, and older men reclaiming their youth. I had a great time, and unashamedly so. I even get down to the front of gigs again, and bizarrely I'm lots fitter than I was because of this. Also made a couple of new friends, and it’s been several years since I’ve been able to claim that! Work has also been great! - one person in my team for who the term "Passenger" could have been invented left of his own accord (Saving me the guilt I'd have felt by firing him). Since then we've improved lots. I've had five successful trips to Greece and Albania to see the Clients and all seems well. We are set up well for next year. The only shadow being the remote prospect of redundancy due to the potential for offshore outsourcing of the function we perform. If it happens, this is at least a couple of years away - and frankly with the cash I'd get in compensation I couldn't care less... So. Things are looking up. It's my Birthday on Saturday and I'll be 36. I'm hopeful for the coming year - I really am. The one blot on the landscape is Christmas – I hate Christmas now, and I really don’t relish the prospect of buying a load of tat that people neither need or want. Humbug. Current Mood: hopeful (15 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 7th, 2006
6:38 pm	Whiskey Sour Had a really good weekend following a week that proved tougher than tough. lots of things playing up at work. Moaning colleagues, Programs not working, Difficult attitudes. A load of shite that I was happy to leave behind me come Friday. A weight lifted from me as I left the office on that evening. Mrs Foz must have found me a right pain in the arse to live with. Still... I had Friends down to visit, and there was the ever present prospect of a Gig! Euros Childs and Euros Childs' Guitar player Friday 3rd March 2006 - The Cube, Bristol --------------------------------------------- Quite excited about this one (What's new) - I have never been to the Cube before, and the prospect of seeing a gig in a seated cinema environment is something I'm relishing. I'm used to seeing gigs in dedicated environments and pubs - this should be interesting. Mrs Foz (Yes, she's here too!) and I wait in the Bell Inn on Jamaica Street in Bristol, a mere halfbrick throw away from the Cube. The Bell is a very nice pub indeed. An old fashioned pub that Women feel they can walk into alone and feel comfortable. It's cold outside and the fire is roaring. I get a pint - my alcohol abstinence temporarily suspended. The Earl is coming over and I have had a shit week - I'm weak. Sue me. We meet up with Harry and Stu and get along to the gig. The Cube is a very interesting place. You walk into a tiny bar/foyer/dj space and a smiling man in a beige hemp cardigan stamps your hand with a symbol and smiles. I have always liked the idea of hand stamps at clubs and gigs. I think that someone should compile a coffee table book showing photographs of thousands of designs and thousands of stamped hands. Stamps come in all colours of the rainbow (If rainbows were black, red, blue, and green anyway) - I remember being stamped ADDICT once in red. It wouldn't wash off for days and I felt branded, but slightly cool... If it's a big gig, and you run in to a fellow stampee later in the week, you can nod at each other in cameraderie, and nod your head in a 'yeah, I was there...' way. The cube's stamp is a (ahem) cube, and it's black. I grab another beer (a polish number, bottled) - We meet up with some more nice fellows and go into the gig. Euros Childs' Guitar player is already on. He's strumming away on an enormous takemini acoustic in a vaguely earnest fashion. We take some seats on the back row and watch... At the time, we didn't realise he would also play guitar for Euros Childs. However, the longer he played, the better things got. Here is a man singing gentle songs about bicycles in Welsh, and I'm lapping it up. He switches to a black and silver Les Paul standard and does a song electrically through pedals. Oooh - this man is versatile. The fact is, all the songs are in Welsh. If it wasn't for the descriptions of the titles I wouldn't have a clue, however the guy holds my attention. When he leaves the stage I'm a bit regretful that I had missed the start. After the week I have had I'm now very relaxed. Thanks mate... Euros Childs then takes the stage and swears at us. And my, he's brilliant at it. He's funny too. Very funny, and witty. He's joined by two other musicians. They all swap instruments. Some songs are quiet and reflective, others are mad as a donkey... or a monkey. They are all totally unique. The musicians are skillful. Mrs Foz and I have a thoroughly enjoyable hour. After the gig, we repaired to the Glue Factory to meet up with the Earl and Countess who are staying with us for the weekend. After this, it all gets a bit hazy... Current Mood: tired (Comment on this)
Monday, February 27th, 2006
11:06 pm	Nine Years I have now been in Bristol for Nine Years. Even Gary Glitter didn't get that. Current Mood: sore (Comment on this)
Friday, February 24th, 2006
11:59 pm	Gig 2, still sober It’s Friday, and it has been a tough week at work. I have worked a full week, and one 00:15 to 04:00 night call out and I’m knackered in that way that feels so exhilarating. The customers have got on my nerves a bit, but it’s all under control. Overall by 16:00 I am satisfied with the week’s efforts – and a good thing too as I have to be at Bristol ‘Carling’ Academy by SixThirty for a ridiculously early gig… Gig 2 – The Editors – Brakes – Kubicheck Bristol Academy I have braved the cold, and walked from my little house to the centre of Bristol, and the Academy. It’s only 20 minutes, but lordy it is freezing out there! However, the tickets are hot stuff, and I have a spare. I’m approached by a tout before I even get past the Hatchet ‘I’m buying tickets’ says he, ‘I’m selling one’ says I. ‘Give you a fiver for it’ says he. ‘Tenner or nothing’ says I. He accepts. I’m happy with the face value of the ticket, but I do feel guilty that the tout would probably go on to sell my ticket to a fan for forty or fifty quid. This gig sold out months ago. As I arrive, and purchase the now essential lime and soda, Kubicheck are already playing. It’s not yet ten to seven. Still they are kicking out quality (If not entirely original) indie rock. It’s all very pleasant and passes the time. My friend Harry tells me Kubicheck singles are swapping on E-Bay for twenty quid. On this evidence it’s hard to see why, but perhaps they are having an off-night (afternoon…) I have obtained a prime position at the front of Bristol’s cavernous Academy. I am standing stage left, right at the front by the time Brakes take the stage. Now, I have seen Brakes before, I know that they are made up of ex-members of the Electric Soft Parade, and British Sea Power – both bands of whom I am fond. I purchased Brakes’ long player some months before, and it lived in the car stereo for several weeks. My friend Stephen thinks they are shit. I think Stephen is wrong. Brakes start with one of their many sub-minute songs. ‘This is about watching quiet bands’ says Eamonn, the singer cum guitarist. I like Brakes because they are varied, I like Brakes because they do so many things so well, and I like Brakes because they are you. They have thinning hair and expanding waistlines. They are standing next to you at the Sleater Kinney gig. ‘Anyone here from Stroud?’ shouts Eamonn. Fantastic. Afterwards, a colleague (also at the gig, and enjoying it) described them as Country Punk. Right enough by me. Brakes end with Comma, Comma, Comma, Full Stop. Guess what the lyrics are, and how long that particular number is? After Brakes have left the stage, and their equipment cleared, it’s time for Editors. The stage is sparse, save for the Band’s equipment and three standard lamps with dark shades that would look more at home in your grandmother’s parlour (if Granny were a goth anyway). Here is a band with style, perhaps they ought to have a couple of armchairs, complete with antimacassars up there also? They take to the stage with gusto, making a lie of their miserable, and doom laden image. In fact, they look as if they are having the time of their lives. As a band, they are incredibly together – complimenting Rickenbacker guitars emit a sweet sound that is both modern and archaic. There is something of the fifties in the guitar squall behind their biggest hit Munich. ‘Thanks for buying Munich; it’s been an incredible few months’ says Tom the singer politely. His Mum and Dad are in the audience. Dark, atmospheric, and frequently loud enough to rouse the recently deceased, Editors play a blinder. Who needs alcohol anyway when you can go out and drink in atmosphere like this…? Current Mood: satisfied (Comment on this)
Thursday, February 23rd, 2006
1:35 am	Gig 1 / Sober I have decided to stop drinking for a while. I'm not saying a week, a month, three months, a day, a minute or anything like that. I just feel that I'm going to stop for a bit. I intend to start again, but not for a while. When I do start again, I am going to get on it in a big way. Oh yes... As always, my timing is rubbish. I have decided to stop drinking around the time when there of lots of gigs going on in Bristol, and lots of drinking opportunities. Not that I'm letting this faze me. I'm considering it as a test of resolve. GIG 1 - !Forward Russia! - This Et Al - Some Essex Bloke Bristol - The Fleece It's freezing. Its raining ice, the weather is typical BST, and I'm not drinking at all. It wasn't a tough decision to jump into the Courtesy Corsa for this one. When I arrived a queue of the young and disenfranchised was already forming around the arched doorway of Bristol's (Don't call it a Firkin) Fleece. I parked the Corsa on some doubleyellows (It's not my car...) and dashed through the meteorological hideousness. I was meeting fellow bandmates Dazza and Harry in the historic pub next door to the Fleece. The Seven Stars is one of Bristol's better earthy pubs. It's small, has formica tables, linoleum on the floor and a pool table at the back. It's usually full of musicians and bands getting tanked up in time to play their gigs next door. I have never failed to enjoy myself in there. Dazza, Harry, and I chatted about music matters over my delicious Lime and Soda. Until it was time to go on round to the Fleece. The crowd was varied, bust mostly young and large of hair. It was getting busy fairly quickly, and there was a certain buzz about the place. I nursed my second soda and lime as we awaited the arrival of the first support. He wasn't really called 'some Essex bloke' - I quickly forgot his name. He was incredibly young, very hirsute had an amplified acoustic guitar and an Apple notebook for accompaniment. His guitar playing was really very good, and he was going down a storm with the young and tonsorial, however I had to admit that he left us largely cold. He had a nasty habit of explaining the meaning behind every single song before he played it, after he had fiddled with the notebook for half a minute, and mentioned Essex....... Surely if your songs were that good mate you would be able to let them stand up for themselves, and get a band for the sake of the lord! If I wanted to hear a laptop, I'd go to work. He also made a fatal error in trying to engage some audience participation for the last song in the set. How deeply embarrassing. Harry made a startlingly accurate comparison of Essex Kid with wobbly-head mortgage friendly guitar botherer David Gray. Next! Next indeed were This Et Al. And I was SO pleased. Here was a BAND, that looked like a BAND, and behaved like a BAND, a BAND not from ESSEX. In fact, they hail from Leeds, but obviously had no need to mention that fact. They entered stage right, broadcasting the fact that they were This Et Al. 'Too heavy for NME, not heavy enough for Kerrang' - I liked them immediately All dressed in red and black, with dyed hair and striped tramp gloves, I expected some kind of horrible noometal nonsense - not some top noise sort of reminiscent of Loveless era My Bloody Valentine, New Order, and a load of other stuff far too cool to mention. They were tight as January denims, blisteringly loud, and ace. Harry wasn't impressed, but we can't all like the same things. Harry's into hats, I am not. Period. Next up were !Forward Russia! - I don't think I have seen a band in a long time with the energy, zip, and downright insane kinesis as this. The singer prowls all over the stage, wrapping himself in microphone cord to the point he can barely prowl further. The drummer shouts, the guitarist bristles, the bass player breaks strings, has to play an inferior instrument for a song, and then calms the fuck down.. All their song titles are numbers 'This is thirteen!' the singer shouts, despite the knowledge that I have no idea why that should matter. The energy becomes infectious and people start jigging about, even moshing in a polite way. The drummer keeps on shouting, the singer now cocooned in microphone cord. 'This is the crap one!' ejaculates the guitarist before the best one. A quiet, quiet LOUD angular number of a type that is very much as of the now. Very, very good indeed. Alas. All good (and bad) things have to end, and we are turfed out into the freezing, shitty West Country night. I gave Harry and Darren a lift to the Hatchet (Another great Bristol Boozer) but I gave it a miss and drove home with the sound of loud rock music ringing in my ears. Current Mood: cheerful (Comment on this)
Sunday, February 19th, 2006
12:43 am	Vroom Car is in the bodyshop again after some pikey and his revolting wife reversed their ancient Rover into me. All kind of sorted though. The guy tried to confuse me by giving me loads of false details and chat. I was pretty shaken, but kept my nerve and just wrote out his Registration number seperately to the piece of paper he thrust beneath my nose. I'm glad I did. The pikey twat turns out to be uninsured. However, my insurance company are happy that he can be traced as I got the correct number. They asked me about thirty times if I was hurt. I wasn't at all, and I have no inclination to claim unnecessarily, but I can see where all those ambulance chasers get all their business. So, I am zooming about in the coutesy corsa until at least the end of next week. Had a few days off this week and have done precisely nothing. Drank some wine, ate out a lot, slept late, and tried to unwind following a taxing few weeks at work. However, quite bored now, and am looking forward to going back and kicking arse again... Got a couple of gigs to go to this week coming. Looking forward to that too! Current Mood: calm (Comment on this)
Monday, February 13th, 2006
10:45 am	Lists OK, The earl did this, so I will too... 1. When you look at yourself in the mirror, what's the first thing you look at? My new, and rather fanstastic spectacles 2. How much cash do you have on you right now? Forty two quid 3. What's a word that rhymes with "TEST"? Blessed 3. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone? Georgios 5. What shirt are you wearing? Dark purple shirt 6. Do you "label" yourself? Not a big fan of labling 7. What did you have for breakfast? porridge 8. What were you doing at midnight last night? Watching TV, pissed on Champagne 9. What did your last text message you received on your cell phone say? It was from a member of my team, telling me he wouldn't be in today as he got twatted on the head with a bottle at the weekend! 10. What's an expression that you say a lot? as you do... 11. Who told you they loved you last? Mrs Foz 12. Last furry thing you touched? I wouldn't like to say 13. How many hours a week do you work? approx 43 14. Favourite age you have been so far? 24 15. Your worst enemy? Procrastination 16. What is your current desk top picture? I don't have one, I favour a blank screen 17. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to go back in time and fix all your mistakes which would you choose? I'd go for the million. I have no regrets 18.Name someone with the same birthday as you. me. Tina Turner. 19. Where was your first kiss? At a bus stop in Sheffield 20. Have you ever seriously vandalised someone else's property? I once broke in to a public phone and nicked the coinage within. This was a LONG time ago. 21. Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex? Only if they asked me to. 22. Have you ever sung in front of a large number of people? Yes, loads. Does 8000 people count? 23. What’s the first thing you notice about the preferred sex? Eyes. Gotta have blue eyes. 24. What really turns you on? Humour 25.Have you ever hurt yourself on purpose? Does trying to drink myself to death count? - Also a long time ago. 26. Say something totally random about you: I haven't needed to visit a dentist for over 20 years. 27. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity? Bruce Willis (Really!) - Other than that Mike Phelan (Ex Man Utd player), Various WWF wrestlers. 28. What magazines do you read? Word 29. Have you ever ridden in a limo? No. 30. Has anyone you were really close to passed away? yes. 31. What’s something that really annoys you? wilful ignorance 32. Have you ever thought that you were honestly going to die? Yes. 33. Have you ever been rushed by an ambulance into the emergency room? Once - but I was 10 weeks old at the time. Pyloric stenosis was killing me, and I still have a deep scar to prove it! 34. Do you actually read these when other people fill them out? Yes. they are facinating... (Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 31st, 2006
11:26 pm	Club foot I have somehow damaged my foot. I believe I must have done it at the Gym, the last time I went there was Friday, Saturday was twingy, Sunday it's agony, and it doesn't seem to be getting much better. So much for the de-larding. As I can't exercise I'm sitting at work, busy and grumpy all day. Mum's 60th birthday was a laugh. Lots of people recognising me who I haven't seen since childhood. Of course I didn't recognise them, but it is nice that some people can see through the addition of years, lard and baldness. On sunday my sister ran into the parental home declaring that someone had stolen her car. We all jumped out (I hobbled) and got in our cars to trace and chase the culprits. Five minutes later I got a call. Her handbrake wasn't on as hard as it could have been and the car had simply rolled very slowly down the hill. It had come to rest against the kerb out of sight of the parents house. Cue one very embarrased sister. The hotel we stayed in was very nice. We had a suite that had a panoramic view of the town centre. The hotel was only opened in the last month, and the concierge told us that we were the first people to stay in the room. Well. Back at work this week. Booked some time off week after next. I need a rest. Current Mood: sore (Comment on this)
Sunday, January 22nd, 2006
11:31 pm	Grrrr How long can a game of snooker last! - I'm waiting for match of the day to come on! Current Mood: frustrated (Comment on this)
10:40 pm	Sprength A weird week this. Not much cash sloshing around despite all the work and standby I have been doing, and not a deal going on with Friends. Not much to write home, or waffle about, but in the spirit of keeping this up I shall proceed. However, I have been trying out some new spectacles to great effect, and have had a pretty good week at work. Been going in for eight and leaving at six (Longish hours for my standard) - but have also been doing stacks at the gym in an attempt to de-lard myself. Careful eating, and burning an estimated 3000 calories in the gym over 4 visits has resulted in a 6lb loss. Not bad for my first week of care. This is especially satisfying considering that Mrs Foz and I went even further South, and ever so slightly West on Tuesday to see a London friend currently working in these parts. We went for an Indian Meal in Shepton Mallet (A place, rather than a posh relative of the erstwhile Timmy). My thoughts about acquiring a country pile were somewhat disheartened by some elements of the experience. Though the meal was passable (if a little bland) - and the company and conversation superb (as always with the individuals involved) the attitudes of some of the locals left a fair bit to be desired. One such not-really-a-youth thought it highly amusing to throw open the door of the establishment and yell 'YOUR PLACE STINKS' several times at the amazingly patient asian proprietors. Sadly, I got the impression via the proprietors indifference that this was a fairly regular occurrence in Shepton Mallet. It started me thinking about what it would really be like to live in such a place. Suddenly all that clean air and space had a rather ugly, narrow minded, and racist price attached. I was reminded rather starkly of parts of my childhood and adolescence in my hometown, where and when such stuff was commonplace until depressingly recently. Not that areas nearby to where I live now fare much better. But even in a little city like Bristol, there is a certain cosmopolitan attitude that drowns out the fear and nonsense. Mrs Foz still seems keen on a move, but I fear she may have a bit more of a Romantic view of it than I. After all, she is from London originally, and still reels in amazement when bus drivers, heading in different directions stop their vehicles and block the street while they have a chat. The rest of the week was less eventful. I have been on Escalation with work for the entire period, so have had to keep myself sweet, clean, and sober. I went to a friends house on Friday night (Originally to write some songs) but ended up watching Nu-metal pop videos and slagging them off mercilessly from a mid thirties perspective. Today was good though. I rose fairly late, and after some morning ablutions and several brews the wife and I went for a wander and a coffee in the rugby shirted haven that is Clifton. As soon as I got back home I received a text message inviting me round to the Glue Factory to meet a friends new Russian Girlfriend and (Finally) drink some booze. Several large glasses of Merlot later, I find myself relaxed, and satisfied with the week. No escalation next week! - and will be off up to the hometown for my mum's 60th Birthday party. Mrs F and I are staying in a supposedly nice City Hotel after the event, so there is lots to look forward to. Current Mood: relaxed (Comment on this)