Apparently, I'm 'defiantly independent'

So I had my annual appraisal yesterday. As part of the process we get feedback from colleagues and customers. And this phrase stuck out like a pikestaff. Of course, from the context, it was obvious that the person had originally typoed 'definitely' and MS Word's spellchecker had done its worst.

But I couldn't stop laughing throughout the day.

An evening at Fishmongers' Hall

I'm a Fishmonger. No, not a fishmonger as in someone who sells fish, but a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers. And we had a Livery Dinner last night.

So, I left work early to get togged up in my dinner jacket, only to find that I couldn't find my bow tie. You can't wear a dinner jacket without a bow tie. Fortunately, I was able to dig out my old school bow tie: twenty-five years old and a bit dusty, but it sufficed.

The journey up to London was quick but cold, and we were quickly welcomed with Pol Roger Champagne, or proper, freshly made, lemonade for those not imbibing. I met all sorts of people, including someone new to Fishmongers' Hall and showed him the dagger with which Sir William Walworth, Prime Warden of Fishmongers, slew Wat Tyler in 1381. There was also the Master of the Leathersellers, and some people from the British Shellfish Association.

Dinner followed, dreamed up by master chef Stephen Pini. My starter was lobster with a confit of crab and prawns. Delicious. Then there was a mussel broth with teriyaki salmon with a quenelle of watercress and greek yoghurt. Very creamy and utterly gorgeous. The wine was a Meursault-Genevrieres. The main course was a supreme of guinea fowl and basil, wrapped in parma ham, in a very rich shallot and calvados sauce. I found the guinea fowl rather bland on its own, but it provided a superrb base for the others, and the ensemble was simply wonderful. And swished down with a rather good Ch. Calon-Segur 1990. Then came the desert and then the speeches. The Prime Warden's guest (though actually a Fishmonger himself) was Major Sir Michael Parker, K.C.V.O., C.B.E, and while his speech got off to a bit of a shaky start, he soon warmed to his theme and it was really rather good.

We then retired for more drinks.

I should explain that dinner is served on a huge assembly of a table shaped like a U with a spur up the middle. The Prime Warden sits at the head of the U, presiding over the assembly. My dining companions were most congenial and included a retired microbiologist, an an ex-marine, and a Channel Islander.

The only downer was that my guest couldn't make it - scared of being in a dinner jacket - and no-one else wanted to come!

After that, things went downhill: they'd cancelled the d*mn trains. So there was me expecting to catch the 23:45 from London Bridge, only to have to trek across London and catch a train at one-ish which took the long way home. I got home about 02:30. Unsurprisingly, I was rather late in to work in the morning!

The Renter Warden, the Clerk, Stephen Pini, and the rest of the staff really pushed out the boat and it was a wonderful experience.

Domino's new Fajita pizza

I had one of Domino's new Fajita pizzas tonight. It was crap. Don't get me wrong, it's not badly cooked - the cooking's well up to their usual high standard - but it's just that the taste of the ensemble isn't remotely up to par.

The Yellow Peril also save from peril

A member of the much-maligned Parking Wardens writes up an incident. He did good. So remember, they're not always the enemy.

6 weeks and no update

No, I haven't been in a drunken stupor; I have, however, had severe PC problems. And been very busy at work.

140 bottles sitting in the hall...

Got back from my visit to France yesterday with 140 bottles of wine. And the odd bit of liver paté. That should keep me going wine-wise for the next 18 months.

I was very delayed by the events at Buncefield and missed my train by a whisker, but the staff were very helpful and re-arranged my booking. The return journey was also delayed - by an hour - due to an incident. No details, alas.

I visited Cité Europe where I got the plonk, then beetled round to Auchun for the better stuff, though I found myself rather disappointed with the lack of the good names. Never mind - I'll visit the right places next year.

I was bl**dy knackered after carry all those boxes from my car into the house. So I cracked open a can of cider!

Oooh! X3!

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/x3/

Looks awesome.

In what Hogwarts House am I?

Which Hogwarts house will you be sorted into?

Only edged Hufflepuff by one point, though.

Holiday!

Better late than never. I now have 2 weeks off work. And boy do I need them. I haven't had a real holiday all year. In between the fsckwits who create and distribute viruses and a distinct lack of cooperation from people within my own company, I'm plain bushed. I was thinking of visiting Istanbul but for reasons I won't detail that's not very sensible right now. So it's a booze run to Calais sometime this week.

We had the works Christmas do last night and we went to an Indian restaurant in Harpenden and it was very good. Well done Gareth! Good company, good food, good drink - for what more can one ask? I've been regretting it today, of course - spicy food doesn't really agree with me - but tonight's steak and chips should settle things down.

I have been so angry

Grrr...

This is work-related so I have to be discreet

Everyone agreed that it was a good idea, so why can't people get their bloody fingers out and get someone to help me?

GRRR!!

Thank goodness it's the weekend.

I love it when the citizen fights back

Citizen fights against fine.

He hasn't got a hope of course, but at least he's trying.

What Guards character am I?

Apparently, I'm



Discworld: Which Ankh-Morpork City Watch Character are YOU?

It's been a hard week

Why are bureaucracies so bl**dy minded? I just want something done, so why can't my colleagues extend me the same courtesy that I extend them? It looks like it's all going to get sorted, but slowly. Grrr...

Armistice day

Today is the eleventh of November. On this day in 1918, at 11:00 the guns fell silent after four years of war.

At the going down of the sun.

If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England.
There shall beIn that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England's, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.

Rupert Brooke, War Sonnet V, The Soldier

I almost lost my father

Yesterday I had an alarming call from my mother.My father's nearly 80. He caught a late night (arriving past midnight) train to return home. He fell asleep on the train and missed his stop, but woke in time for the next stop. At the next stop he got out and slipped and knocked himself out on the platform. Nobody noticed - or if they did, didn't bother - and the station was unattended.

He severely grazed his face. Fortunately the grazing by his eye didn't break - that can be very bloody. When he came to, he decided to walk home - only a few miles, but he is nearly 80. There were no taxis and he didn't have the means to call one.Fortunately it was a warm night, otherwise he'd be dead of exposure, either from when he knocked himself out or during the walk home.I'm much relieved that he got home safely. He now looks like he's gone a few rounds with Mike Tyson.

Car problems followup

It was the exhaust - a baffle up near the gearbox.

Car problems

Just today my car (Y reg Kia Shuma) has started behaving rather oddly. When the engine is cold it behaves just fine, but once the engine is warm, it really doesn't like being below about 2500 RPM. If that happens, the gearbox makes 'chr-rrrr-rrrr' noises. This makes driving smoothly and slowly very difficult.

I think it's the gearbox because if I put the car in neutral, the noises disappear. My car didn't used to do this. It's done less than 30K miles. It normally does 30 miles a week, with the odd 100-mile trip. What's happenned?

An excellent cartoon about Islam

http://pics.jp.dk/nybillede/default.asp?id=2253&pixid=31783

Just so apt.

Nano Review: Hero

A sumptuous film shot through with communist Chinese propaganda.

And everyone dies.

Go, man, go! #2

Murray's in the final! Good luck and good hunting.