Matt's Journal

5:32pm: Beer Fest
A bit early I know, but so none of you can claim you don't know, beerfest is 8th--10th Nov 2006:

9:40pm: @raynet email seems to have given up (yes again), pls use m.barnett AT student.manchester.ac.uk while I swear at people

5:47pm: Nothing very much exciting
Drove to parents, nothing very eventful.


Some memes to keep you entertained

No great suprise with this:

You Should Get a PhD in Science (like chemistry, math, or engineering)

You're both smart and innovative when it comes to ideas. Maybe you'll find a cure for cancer - or develop the latest underground drug.

Does suprise me overlly either:





What type of Fae are you?

4:29pm: You may remember that my TV was not behaving itself during show week and hence we didn't use it, I final got round to taking the back off it to see if there was anything I might be able to fix.
Well this is what I found:



Unsurprisingly removing the erroneous dress making pin has made it work fine!

2:45pm: My @raynet-uk.net email address has broken for the immediate future use pm@

EDIT: Just in case anyone wasn't aware this is now fixed

6:36pm: I, well actually my sister, have bought a car. BX05YZO, the Silver Rover Streetwise I had after christmas. £4750. Now to do some cunning swap type thing...

2:15am: Well I can't sleep, so in an effort to ammuse myself I decied to do charlotteu's ( girly meme )

3:18pm: Grr, email seems to be broken

2:15pm: I like Marks & Spencer

I do not like Manchester Computing

I do quite like the rain


That is all

4:53pm: In an effort to avoid doing any actual work

( What religion do you fit in with meme )

12:06pm: Back in UK
Arrived back in UK ~0830 this morning. Holiday overall as expected.

Longer update when I have time, inclination etc.

7:17pm: I am just writing an email and the (rather crappy) spell checker on my (even worse) webmail interface suggested lovechild as a correction for Levenshulme, most amusing

6:17pm: I should add to the previous entry that I managed to go shopping and actually buy some clothes, with out getting ridiculously stressed and engaging in retail theropy at an Engineer's Merchant.

7:39pm: As requested by utternutter
and becuase I don;t have anything else to.

Nothing really exciting...

THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:
1) Matt
2) Barney
3) Matthew

NAMES I HAVE GONE BY
1) Killer
2) The Guv'na
3) "You fat git" and such like

THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD:
1) matt
2) barney2706
3) mattbarnett

(spot orginallity!?)

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
I don't really think there is, I don't mind being built like a brick sh1t house but to honest I don't have an oipion. Suggestions?

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU DON'T LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1) Being a fat kit
2) Knees (since they don't work properly)
3) Feet (they are not the size that anyone makes shoes for)

In fact most everything really, though I can't say I care.

THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE:
1) English
2) Welsh
3) Kenya

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:
1) Being lonely
2) Not being able to make ends meet
3) Dieing slowly and painfully

THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW:
1) Shirt
2) Underwear
3) Slippers

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS OR MUSICAL ARTISTS:
I really have no idea

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE SONGS:
Not much of an idea here either; these ones mostly becuase of associated memories rather than the songs themselves
1) I Drove All Night - Roy Orbison
2) Jerusalem
3) Do You Hear The People Sing from Les Miserables

THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP
1) Love (quite obviously)
2) The other half not needing to be "joined at the hip"
3) Trust

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE (in no particular order):
1) I have broken/fractured someones jaw
2) I have cerwed a (professional) show at the Birmingham Rep
3) I once kicked a toilet roll through a window

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS ABOUT THE PREFERRED SEX THAT APPEAL TO YOU:
1) Sensible hair (what are stupid statement)
2) Proportioned breasts
3) Not having an extensive selction of ironmongery in their face

(not that any of the above really matter)

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES:
1) Theatre
2) Driving
3) Beer

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW:
1) Find a better chair
2) Find something more interesting to do
3) Eat dinner

THREE CAREERS YOU'RE CONSIDERING/YOU'VE CONSIDERED:
1) Something in Engineering in the power industry
2) Theatre techie (unitl I met some)
3) Lawyer (only until I found out what it involved)

THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION:
1) The poles
2) The Fawklands
3) Most the bits of the UK I haven't yet been to

THREE KID'S NAMES YOU LIKE:
1) Martin
2) Hayley
3) George

BTW I hate the term kid.

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:
1) Find another someone special
2) Be mostly content with life again
3) Get a better degree than my dad

THREE WAYS THAT YOU ARE STEREOTYPICALLY A BOY:
1) I am utterly useless at 'phoning anybody
2) I am bad at making small talk
3) I am even worse at telling people how I really feel

THREE WAYS THAT YOU ARE STEREOTYPICALLY A GIRL:
1) I mostly work hard at school (until I discovered you could succeed without bothering)
2) I always seem to have about three times as much stuff as I need
3) For some reason, I have an extraordinarly large number of shoes

THREE CELEB CRUSHES:
The nice looking one in you know that program of the tele...
I am clearly to boring/out of touch since I can think of any names (or anythign much else really).

THREE PEOPLE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE TAKE THIS QUIZ NOW:
1) sorceeressgirl
2) ickle_angle (Since you obviously don't have the same IT restrictions at work as I do!)
3) frinkuk

7:20pm: Well it seems like time to write yet more unexciting garbage about what I am currently doing; partially in the vague hope that someone may actually give a damn, but mostly 'casue I don't really have anything better to do.

Started work at CN on Monday; surprisingly they were vaguely organised and I at least have a desk (although only till Thursday when its owner returns) and an PC with account that does what it is supposed to. Not done a huge amount yet but what I am supposed to do does seem interesting and at least has some point.

Living with Ben's parents is a bit strange, but better than the commute. His dad can certainly cook -- I even got bacon and eggs for breakfast! Should give me the opportuntity to read all the books I have been reading for the last few years!

New wheel cost me £76.30, not impressed but could have been worse I suppose (the guy in question could be dead).

Not much else to say really, so I'll stop waffling.

11:38pm: Will someone please explain to me when I got up at 0545 this morning, having gone to bed at 0215 and needing to get up at 0600 tomorrow to drive to East Midlands airport why I am not even slightly sleepy? Damn useless body!

A part from that no real winges, except while on my way to camping last week I did a good attempt at he elk maneuver in order to avoid killing a cyclist who decided to launch himself across the road in front of me and in turns out I require a new R/O/S wheel, yet more money I am not spending. Thankfully, I have managed to nick one of my mothers car (putting her space saver spare on instead) and she is going to sort it out... Camping was good fun though, utternutter gives enough detail of what was done for my current level of inclination.

In better news, I have solved my 2 hour each way commute; thanks to the other half of the Seaby property empire. Since I have now had to explain it twice here is the plan for all of you who care:

I am working at Central Networks which is (near as makes no difference) at East Midlands airport for 4 weeks starting tomorrow, then taking 4 weeks off, then working there for 4 weeks again. While I am working I am going to live with Ben's parents during the week (they are offering DB&B for £5 a night) but at my parents at the weekend (mostly).

(The wonders of logging IM conversations!)

Also I have a conference in Liverpool/Chester on 14 & 15 July providing a convenient excuse for visiting Manchester, yey.

11:32pm: Back in the Midlands, the joy (not)
Well I have returned to my parents place. The journey down was a bit of a nightmare -- the M6 was a disaster, but I avoided it all thanks to Traffic Master. I have far too much stuff, not quite sure what the loading limit on my Rover 25 is but I damn sure it is less than I had in it. A fair few of the boxes were at least a 2 man lift; unfortunately I came to this decision having carried them down Ben's stairs, 10 yards along the road, lifted them into the car, driven for 2 hours, unloaded them and carried them up stairs again (perhaps I should be less shocked that the physio told me I have the body of a 35 year old). My room is full (not helped by me not having half the drawers I normally do as my dad is apparently fixing the airing cupboard (he started it in October of last year)), the hall is full and I have left a fair bit of stuff up in Manchester.

The house is a much of a mess as usual; my dad still has an in room rather than an in pile and yet more paper is appearing from Longbridge. The relationship between my parents is as harmonious as usual, i.e. not, my sister is being a pain and it is ridiculously hot -- it's going to be a long summer break! May have to invite some people to stay in effort to stop me strangling one of them. Went to scouts and the local on Friday, and met few old friends, chatted and drank too much (again); was a nice evening back in a pub that has an interesting interpretation of closing time!

Off camping in Pembrokeshire tomorrow (naturally with about 3 times as much stuff as I need -- inclusing 3 tens, 36 pints of Enville Ale, a gallon of meth's, 4 pints of parafin and half a hundred weight of food), should be fun, pity a few more people aren't coming (its not too late!). Then next week I finally stop being a teenager and have to start this strange thing called a job.

10:13pm: Obligatory update of what one is doing
Since it appears to be obligatory to update with what one is doing, here goes:

Much socialising and drinking end of last week coupled with flight case building, very enjoyable although it is starting to dawn that I'm not going to see most of these people for a good while :-( Now have an IDP, one of the most pointless documents ever, although the post office where very efficient; also the place of issue is Basingstoke which made me laugh. Weekend been a bit slow -- mainly been attempting to avoid making a decision about when to go back to my parents and catching up with washing, tidying, sleeping etc. Final came up with the following plan this afternoon and have started packing (well I have got the boxes out the roof):

Mon -- go to surgery to arrange jabs for RSA, pack

AM Tue -- Manchester -> Stourbridge, unpacking

AM Wed -- Stourbridge -> Manchester

PM Wed -- Packing, hockey, pub

AM Thu -- Packing, maybe jabs

PM Thu -- Packing, dinner and Dr Who watching (last 2 weeks) at mine (email to follow)

AM Fri -- Packing

PM Fri -- Manchester -> Stourbridge, unpacking, scouts, pub

Sat -- unpacking, packing for camping

Sun -- Stourbridge -> Wales, camping for short week


Mon 27th (My Birthday) -- Start work for CN, they have nearly decided it'll be near East Mids Airport (which is just slightly too far away to commute)

And yes, I am staying in the same place I just have that much stuff to take home.

10:29am: first post
After much general bugging and threats of "if you don't get one we'll do it for you and then post to it telling you how you are feeling", combined with some desire to understand more of the conversations people have, I have finally got a live journal. Not entirely sure what I am going to do with it, apart from probably use it to vent my "permanent degree of moderate irritation with the world in general". We shall see...