a view through my own eyes

After lunch (smoked mackeral rolls for the interested), I pootled over the Tanglewood to collect a staff ID card:

“Hi, can I have a staff ID card?”
“Whats your name?”
“Paul Osborne”
“Where do you work?”
“Computer Science”
“We only issue ID cards for members of Hospitality or Estates, you can only have a Cashless card, you will have to have one of those”
“Ah ok”
“Sorry we don’t have a Computer Science Department, I can’t help you”
“Oh, well I have worked there for several years”
“We have a Computing Service Dept and a Computing Lab”
“Ah, try Computing Lab”
“Sorry but you are not listed as eligible for a staff ID card”
“Ah, how do I get listed?”
“Our contact from the department has to confirm that you are eligible”
“OK, who is the contact from the department?”
“I cannot tell you that”

Absolutely brilliant.

The University where I work has an arrangement with the local bus company: £20 for a monthly ticket for unlimited travel between the University and the bus station.

This is perfect for what I need as the next stop on from the bus station is the one I need.

The Bus Company won’t sell you a bus pass unless you have a staff ID card, a passport and a current payslip is apparently not acceptable.

Sigh.

Time for another episode in the saga.

I received a letter a few days ago:

I am writing to inform you that your appointment has been changed…

Shit, thought I.

I carried on reading:

We have brought the appointment forward one hour

Phew.

Then it occurred to me that a couple of things may have necessitated the change.

1. The consultant wants to hit the golf course early
2. Its suture removal/adjustment time – the consultant did vaguely mention it last time I saw him.

To be honest I am not looking forward to suture removal/adjustment, not looking forward to it in the slightest.

…excuse me whilst I take a deep breath and sit down.

Last Saturday I finally went to the Post Office to send off for my passport renewel.

I would have done so weeks ago, nay months ago when firstly it would have been fifteen pounds cheaper and secondly I would have known that the expired one was hiding under the television obviously.

Anyway a week later a courier bangs on the door and delivers my new passport.

Only a week – whatever next.

New passport is a biometric one where apparently there is a mathematical analysis off my face from the mugshit encoded into the chip. Which is a good thing, because if I need to go to the USofA then I won’t (until the daft buggers change the rules – again) need a visa.

Yesterday was my birthday and what a wonderfull day it was.

I am now allowed to openly admit that the camera I received from mrspao a couple of months ago was my birthday present and can now say that it is a Canon EOS 30D. Muchly happy I am with it too.

On the day itself mrspao excelled herself, some extra memory for the camera (always usefull) and a DVD – Grand Prix – fantastic film perfectly captures what F1 Racing is all about.

Thankyou mrspao.

In the evening we ordered a Chinese to be delivered from Kudos, we decided to take it gently over the evening.

So whilst I dished up the starters mrspao put the rest in the oven to keep warm ready for later.

The starters were grand, we watched a bit more of the film (Grand Prix) and then it was time for melted crispy duck:

Click on the picture to see the duck in all of its glory.

Someone had, it appeared put the oven on a fraction high to just keep dinner warm and the rest didn’t look much better. It would have certainly been a fusion of flavours.

Laughed? We were crying. mrspao ordered another delivery….

Second time around the duck was most enjoyable.