snicker

(from XKCD)

I think I'm finally getting over my jet-lag (I thought it was a myth till I spent 4-5 days as a virtual zombie) so blogging will return to normal soon. Heh. Whatever 'normal' is for me - posting some inane crap every 3 weeks I guess..

News from the beaurocrat front tho - I've been made permanent! Yay! ...I think. Maybe.

How depressing - once I worked with fish, now I'm just officious..

stingray 1 crocodile hunter 0

Crikey!

I wrangled* stingrays at the aquarium and found them to be placid and gentle beasties, despite the vicious spine. It takes quite a lot to piss one off, you have to really annoy them to get any response. Unfortunately, up in Queensland yesterday, one met the man who could have irritated for Australia at the Olympics.


* No, it's not illegal.

home sweet home..

Well, Australia at least.

Sydney at that.

But it'll do for now, they at least speak a version of English* here.

Recap: Loved Paris, loved France in general. Blown away by Barcelona. Amsterdam was great. England... meh, not so much.

So: au revoir Paris!

I shant forget you - I'll be washing the smell of cheese out of my clothes for a month.


* Apparently.

sheesh

Have just flown from Paris to Bristol via Dublin.

In a word: mad.

If you're considering travel to/from the UK at the moment my advice is don't.

Although viewed in the right way I'm sure it could be considered a bit of a giggle. If you happen to be slightly unhinged..

Paris

So, after a brief 18 hours flying (not including airport time and general dicking around) I'm here!

Actually it's even day 2 for me - I didn't have time to blog yesty since I was busy biking through the crowded Paris streets and almost dying. And almost getting arested within 4 hours of being in France. And eating and drinking nearly my bodyweight in cheese and wine. And being gobsmacked on a minutely basis by architechture and the sheer age of things...

Today was a relatively sane trip into town and peruse of the Musee D'Orsay. Which was quite fantastic. I recommend it if you're ever here. Photos will follow when time allows.

Sorry I've not texted anyone much - ran out of credit.. Will get more soon. But don't call me! It costs a bazillion euro for me to receive calls...

Gotta go, there's more wine to be drunk. Au revoir!

PS Apologies for any spelling mistakes - what is up with these damn keyboards? Bloody French, they just have to be different..

22.5 hours to go..

Not that I'm counting.

So with all the last minute packing and frantically trying to sort out all the things I meant to do weeks ago I've not had time for blogging..

Not much to say now either - still trying to get my book selection down to a reasonable level. And don't tell me I won't have time to read coz I'll be too busy doing things - I know that but it's an absolute physical impossibility for me to go on holiday without books. Or go pretty well anywhere without books actually..

Anyways, here's this wee article that fascinated me. Ahh, the romance of the sewers.. (hat tip to LinkMachineGo)

And finally, having recently started checking my stats it's been amusing to see the searches that draw people to my blog. Such as:

"nicknames for nasal speech impediment"
"Darth's real name"
"fnar fnar"

Weird.

unluck

I meant to blog about my recent string of bad luck - the dojo fire, the break-in, the car collision - and bad luck coming in threes and all that crap, but a friend from work died today so there goes that theory.

Let's face it - it only takes one bad throw of the dice to screw things permenantly.

countdown

One week from now I will be winging my way to sunny Paris! w00t!

Ok, technically I'll be halfway to a 2 hour layover in Singapore but I stand by my w00t.

Anyone who lives in Paris, Narbonne, Barcelona, London, Bristol, Amsterdam or the sprawling metropolis of Reigate may catch a rare glimpse of me at some stage in August. Ok, the chances are slim but you never know your luck. Drop me an email if you actually want it to happen.

Vanessa - I had no idea I was expected to plan anything... I'll try and organise myself and catch up with you around the weekend of the 12th/13th.

YouTuby goodness

A NEW POPE

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Apologies to any Catholics or Jedi who may be offended..

nostalgia?

A somewhat disturbing thing happened to me the other day: I was standing out the front of the registry where all the smokers and pigeons hang out (yes, and the smoking pigeons and pigeon smokers...) chatting with a smoker and I actually wanted to have a cigarette!

Very disturbing. Especially since it's been probably more than 15 years since I've had more than a single drag on a fag (that means cigarette to those from North America, I'm not revealing the last time I dragged a fag..). I've never really been attracted to smoking again since. Well, occasionally when extremely drunk and have regretted it. Very quickly. Regurgitantly.

I was a little concerned for a while that I might be getting back into the addiction. Fortunately, just this morning, I sat next to someone on the bus I swear had been wearing the dried lungs of Asian businessmen whilst wrestling Joe Camel in an ashtray. My clothes were turning yellow just being that close to him..

I managed to hold down my breakfast. Also managed to hold my breath for about 10 minutes without passing out. But it did me a favour really - my stomach churns just thinking about it even now..

So if you're a smoker and standing anywhere near me at some stage in the foreseeable future and I happen to projectile vomit on you, don't take it personal eh?