Dark Alex's Really Long Post Thread.

[Alex]

So reviews for the first chapter of my first attempt at a full-length novel seem to be going well. Its only eight pages though, so still a long way to go. Its Friday today and that hopefully means an early finish. That is something I will miss when I return to civvy street. Can't think of much else I'll miss about the job lol. They are currently offering people a £15,000 bonus to sign of for an extra three years. Here is the thing, if I leave at my 22-year point I immediately get my pension (or at least the part that the dick of an ex-prime minister cameron didn't f**k around with. He really screwed the military good and proper and they wonder why they have problems retaining experienced people), which works out at a bit over £8,000 a year, plus a one-off resettlement payment of several thousand. A quick bit of maths says I am doing myself out of a lot of money if I was to go for that bonus payout. Ok, granted along with the 3 years I also have a steady paying job, but I could also go get another job in civvy street.

The news is talking about brexit again. On the original timetable, we'd have been leaving tonight, but that has been delayed as no one can agree on how to leave. May has said she'll quit as PM the day after the country leaves the EU. I see her plan there... cancel brexit and remain in the job permanently. Mind you, I am barely paying attention to what is happening anymore. It is all so f**ked up. They are talking about how every person in the country has this date indelibly etched in their minds. Funny, I'd forgotten today was the original leaving date until it was mentioned on TV this morning.

Ash did not want to sleep last night. Was quite late before we got him to settle. Of course, this did not equate in any way to him sleeping later this morning. Oh well, Kristi, Suzie, and Darlene wanted up early this morning. I fed him, but once he heard his mum getting up that was it, he wanted cuddles from her. It at least means I have some time to chill out and get ready for work without anyone trying to climb up my leg.

Time to go have a shave and get ready to face the world.

[Alex]

It has been pointed out to me that I don't say bye to people at the end of phonecalls, tending to put the phone down once the conversation is over. This seems to disturb Ryan. It isn't something I'd ever noticed myself. I did point out that I wasn't looking to engage these people in polite conversation. Either they are giving me jobs to do, or I am giving them jobs to do. It is all very, purely transactional and I am not overly interested in the social niceties.

After all, it would only encourage people to talk to me more. I have a wife to be sociable for me. Still, I have put up a postit to try and remind myself in future to say bye to people. It reads "The world is full of snowflakes who mistakenly believe they are important. Remember to say bye at the end of phonecalls to help them maintain their pointless illusions, even though you are sure they know they are meaningless deep down inside."

I would have said more, discussing the ephemeral and fleeting nature of our brief existence on this planet and how none of us really matter, and all we can do is make the best of what time we have but I ran out of room. Only doing it as part of my general trying to be nicer to my... fellow people.

The women were all due to go out just after half eight this morning to go for their tour of the woollen mill. I made Kristi get out of bed about 07:15 as I figured there would be no way they'd all be ready in time if I let her sleep any longer and got our guests up about half past just as I was leaving the house. Given how long it takes women to get ready in my experience I am not confident they will make it in time.

On a related note, I did conduct a sort of experiment. I have discovered it doesn't matter if I get Ash ready, or Kristi gets him ready, she still normally isn't ready to leave until 5 to 15 minutes after me. I've conducted a wide range of tests with how much I help out ranging from me doing everything all the way through to only getting myself ready and it still works out the same way every damn time. I can find no correlation. between the times. I can only conclude that my helping in some way interferes with her getting ready in such a way to negate any assistance I can provide by prepping Ash to leave the house.

But then, women are strange things and if we could understand them then they'd be called men.

[316zombie]

okay, i'm seriously laughing, simply because that is something that makes me crazy about my fellow women. me, i end up waiting on them because i don't ear makeup and i don't much care what i wear. ten minutes after my coffee's gone, i'm out the door. when i'm working, i get up 30 minutes before i have to leave and take the coffee with me,lol!
  okay, i can't figure out the time conversion, i'm CST in america, help!

[Alex]

The time change depends on where you are. If you are on the east coast it is a four-hour difference, if you are in Utah seven hours and eight for California. I am guessing you are five or six hours out?

That is our guests all gone away. They are heading down to Stirling for the day and then over to Edinburgh before heading home. Been nice having them, but it is oh so nice just to have the house to ourselves again. Ash is sleeping. We asked a lot of him, having him out two days running when he was mostly stuck in his pram, but he's been really well behaved. Kristi is lying in bed reading. Lovely day outside. I figure once everyone wakes up we can go enjoy the day and have a nice long stroll.

Its Mothers Day today in the UK. Kristi got some Disney DVDs, a Lord of the Rings book and a big card from Ash. Oh, and chocolates from me.

[Alex]

Still surprised that Suzie was complaining about walking more than 4 miles a day each day she was with us. Darlene I can understand, she is 75 with a heart condition, but Suzie is younger than me and works as a firefighter / paramedic which I would have though required a fair level of fitness.

Just as well I didn't walk them at my usual pace. But then I walk faster than most people, so expecting them to match that would have been unfair. I remember being slightly surprised how little people in the US walked when I visited there the first time. But then, I am unusual in the UK in not driving much, so maybe people walk as little over here too and I've just never noticed.

Hope they've taken our advice on going to Edinburgh tonight and getting a hotel near the airport. If they stay in Stirling, well they have a flight that leaves at 6am, so they need to get to the airport by 4am-ish and Stirling I would say is about an hour or so away from Edinburgh. Given they have been using trains to get around and I am pretty sure that there are no trains running at that time in the morning between the two cities.

Cooking dinner tonight. Was going to cook it last night, but we just didn't feel hungry. Other than feeding Ash we just skipped an evening meal.

[Trevor]

Cooking dinner tonight. Was going to cook it last night, but we just didn't feel hungry. Other than feeding Ash we just skipped an evening meal.

I had pizza for breakfast this morning: not exactly healthy but the six mile walk I did after eating it should have burnt it all up. I expect to see some very strange things in the toilet bowl tonight 

[Alex]

Cooking dinner tonight. Was going to cook it last night, but we just didn't feel hungry. Other than feeding Ash we just skipped an evening meal.

I had pizza for breakfast this morning: not exactly healthy but the six mile walk I did after eating it should have burnt it all up. I expect to see some very strange things in the toilet bowl tonight 

[316zombie]

trev, curtis's heart doc says pizza is a better breakfast for him than sugary crap he was eating.
happy belated mom's day, kristi!
alex, i'm unusual that way too, being a nondriver, i walk everywhere. one of the things i like about this new neighborhood is that so many others here walk, so nobody looks at me funny, or stops and asks if i'm stranded.

[Alex]

Started out as a really nice day, with clear skies. By the time I was heading home from work it had changed enough for (first off) hailstones, which then faded into a merely chilly rain which has been on and off all evening. The clouds are just dark enough to promise this will continue all night without getting heavy enough to rain itself out.

Work was filled with a headache-inducing amount of staring at figures on a technical readout and data mining them. Having a whisky and coke to relax with. Shame the night is so cold and wet. Would have been nice to take a stroll through the village tonight.

Cliffy told us his wife is expecting. There first child is only five or six weeks younger than Ash. I wish them luck. Although it would be really funny if they'd had triplets. I am assuming they aren't since he told us about it just aftert they had the 13 week scan and a man who'd just found that out I suspect would look a bit more in shock. Certainly Kristi looked in shock when for a moment the nurse thought we were having twins.

She wasn't impressed with me singing "It takes two baby" either come to think of it.

Watching an interesting film called 'The Dwarves of Demrel'. Went looking for a fantasy film I hadn't seen before, decided to try this one. Not what I was looking for, but it is something different from the usual films out there and I am liking it so far.

[Alex]

So Stress Head Jim is coughing up blood. As part of my duty of care I have told him to seek medical attention for this, although I doubt he will.

If he dies, he dies. He is a grown ass adult and this isn't quite the same as when that army lad was threatening to commit suicide and I went up his chain of command to find out where he lived and have some people go round and intervene. We are talking about the same guy who used household detergent sprays as a hand cleanser so who knows what the f**k is going on there.

The rain continues today, although not as heavily as it was for the past couple of days. Being from a desert, Kristi isn't used to the rain we get here and doesn't care to go out in it. There was one day after months of having to drag Kristi out of the house when she didn't feel like peopling that I said I wanted to go up to Aberdeen by myself to buy her Yule presents. Of course, fuzzy logic being what it is, Kristi insisted on coming out shopping with me.

Chicks huh.

Anyway, that day it rained very heavily. As heavy as it ever rains. Before we'd hit the first shop Kristi was soaked through and I'd to buy her a whole new outfit. Since she hates clothes shopping this was a great day for her as you can well imagine. Since then she has been more willing to go out in the rain. Having seen the worst it can throw at you, I guess lighter rains don't bother her now.

Doing a sweepstake at work for the Grand National (horse racing). I don't care for horse racing much, I see too many desperate gamblers spending all their money to get into it, although I do understand the thrill of betting. The Grand National however quite often has accidents and horses end up getting put down with broken legs or what ever which seems like a waste of a life to me. Its not like they get a choice on wither or not to race.

[Alex]

If anyone had asked me what I was going to be doing today, my reply certainly wouldn't have involved escorting a plane with no engine power.

Still it is nice to get out the office.

Was nice enough today that Kristi and Ash walked back up to work with me for a bit. As soon as he see's we are going outside Ash gets super excited, which makes putting his jacket on him a fun adventure every time. As soon as we get him outside though, he goes all quiet and just watches everything around him. One of his cheeks has been very bright red for the past few days so I am thinking that is the side the next tooth is going to break through.

Oh and Jim didn't go to the docs about the whole coughing up blood. He has stopped though so I guess he is better.

[316zombie]

so, our meetup this year is off, my friends, because brad is taking me to fantasyfest in key west!!! it starts right after my birthday, and he'll pick me up at my friend al's in ft. lauderdale and we'll drive across to the keys.
  so i get to meet al's new granddaughter before she's into double digits agewise, lol! we'll go out on his boat and do some night fishing too, looking forward to that.
  and i'll get to see hemingway's house, and the closest point to cuba that's still american soil, and lighthouses. lots of those i hope. i can't climb them, but just seeing them makes me happy.
  his cousin and her hubby may come with us, since we have a suite, that should be...interesting, lol! they're a little..uumm..old fashioned, shall we say? and fantasyfest is filled with insane people, some in costume, some in bodypaint, all weird, i can't wait!
  so 4 days at al's, 4 days in key west, then i'll stay with brad a week or 2, so the timing won't work this year. but we'll start planning way ahead for your next visit here, i promise. and i will drink craft beers at the festival in your honor too.

[Alex]

Will miss you, was looking forward to meeting up with someone I could have a beer with but hope you enjoy Key West.

1547 days left to go. In 1547 Ivan the Terrible became Czar of Russia. Henry VIII died. His nine-year-old son, Edward VI of England becomes King, and the first Protestant ruler of England. Battle of Mühlberg. Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba, commanding Spanish-Imperial forces of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor or Charles I of Spain, defeats the troops of Schmalkaldic League. The Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, the last full scale military confrontation between England and Scotland, resulting in a decisive victory for the forces of Edward VI of England. Despite this loss the Scots refused to surrender. Edward established some forts in Scotland but as he wasn't able to pacify the country these only amounted to a drain on his treasury. This period was referred to as the Rough Wooing, when England attempted to force a union on Scotland, having failed to achieve one by political means (royal marriage).

East window says the weather is nice, but overcast. South windows says it is foggy. My stomach says it is lunchtime (10 minutes early). Kristi is going to be out today with a dentists appointment so I'll get to make myself lunch. Fried egg sandwich is a calling me. Should be sorting out bank holiday leave I guess, but there is still plenty of time between then and now and the only leave I am really concerned about is our month long holiday in October/November. Reminds me, must apply for my visa waiver.

[Alex]

Kristi was mocking some of my music last night, so knowing how much of a fan of Disney she is, I threatened to corrupt some Disney songs if she didn't stop.

Ended up with me dancing around the room singing "Cthulhu ftagan, what a wonderful phrase. Cthulhu ftagan, 'aint no passin' phase..." and so on.

Not as good as the night I had a dream where Cthulhu was singing "Under the sea", but not bad for an impromptu song I guess.

Trying to get the group to let me know if they want to go after the Ogres, or down into the Underdark. I'll work on maps for both, but it might be a rather short session depending on how much I can get down.

Told Kristi I wouldn't tickle her tonight, so I sat and ran a feather up and down my arm in front of her. Poor woman, even just doing that has her in a fit of giggles. Looking at the new Jaws boardgame. Quite fancy picking it up. But then I also fancied picking up a copy of Cthulhu Wars until I saw the $200 price tag. Anyway, the Jaws game comes in two rounds. The first round you are trying to hunt the shark down around the island while it tries to eat people. The more it eats, the more powerful it is in the second part. When you reach part 2, the shark is attacking the sinking Orca and the other players have to kill it before it kills them. Still, I'd rather get a copy of Outpost 31 first. Or Nemesis. That one looks like it is Alien: The Boardgame regardless of who owns the IP. Still, that one isn't cheap either.

[Alex]

Got that 'Cthulhu Ftagan' song stuck in my head now. Kristi might get to hear me singing it all night tonight if it doesn't fade out. Slow day today. No ravening hordes of Canadian's coming tearing over the hillock just outside the window, so I guess the country is safe for another day.

Relatively speaking. Apparently the oath I swore to protect the country doesn't include protecting it from its own idiocy. Indeed I think I might even be supposed to defend that too.

Wow, talk about something I should have thought more about back then. Oh well, 1546 days left to go. Not much notable happened that year it seems. Someone wrote a book after 11 years of not writing, and some guy painted a picture of a pope and two nephews.

Well done them then.

Thinking of underground encounters for the party, ranging from mixing it with some monsters they won't have seen before to the kinds of natural dangers one would potentially encounter wandering around a subterranean environment.

Maybe I'll put in a creature that sneaks into their camp at night and steals a single sock from each person. Pretty sure such a creature does actually exist and has managed to remain undiscovered despite living in close proximity to humanity since pairs of things were first conceived of. Never mind the Loch Ness Monster, or Bigfoot, the Yeti or even the Mothman. Find the damn sock thief you useless cryptozoologists!

Bally is currently upset with his computer. For our annual assessments we all have to put in a load of things that we want to achieve for the year. For mine, I wait until my assessment is due, have a look at what I have achieved and then put in that these were my objectives and that I managed to get them done blah, blah, blah. Bally spent the morning updating his, writing loads of stuff and then when he went to submit them got told his session had timed out and lost everything he'd written. Oh, and we are also required to put something in about promoting an inclusive culture for everyone regardless of wither you care about that sort of thing or not. I'd rather treat people as people than whatever pigeon hole they care to stick themselves in, but hey if this gives the higher ups some sort of warm and fuzzy feeling then whatever. I'd love someone to say to me I was picking on them because they were whatever minority so I could reply, no that is irrelevant. I treat you the way I do because you are an a***ole.

Anyway, given Bally's impulse control issues I am surprised he didn't damage his computer. He did have to walk out the room for a minute.