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Yus [09 Oct 2006|01:42pm] [ mood | awake ] After some thinking, I've decided to move the entries of a newer blog here instead, too many people have access to that one, that I don't want to access it, so here is better. post comment

*growls* [26 May 2006|01:45am] [ mood | pissed off ] Another long walk home, following another transportation fuck up. This was after the coach eventually turned up at 1:10am, but took a "shorter" route, ie, nowhere near home. I don't mind working shifts, but I can't wait to get off evening shifts, so I can rely on public transport again! I'm going to eat toasted PB&J sandwiches, and watch the last, ever, 3 episodes of Charmed to calm down. post comment

Frappr maps and mobile phones [06 May 2006|01:14pm] [ mood | cheerful ] In honour of my new Frappr map (stick a pin in it, you know you want to! http://www.frappr.com/?a=myfrappr&id=1114152) I figured I'd write a mini update :) Tis the weekend, so me and Rach are trying to decide whether to go to Paris and stock up on the Lush essentials, or go to Plaisir, and get borings things like new sheets, and a measuring jug. Domestic bliss eh? I guess if we were less lazy, we could even do both, but I'm not even going to kid myself that that could happen. We are however planning on some sun worshipping in Versailles gardens on Sunday, should make the most of the weather really! I've been scouting round internet sites today, looking for a decent mobile phone contract here in France. Back home I had a Nokia 6680 on three, and had a great deal with them, I only had 1 hour of calls a month, but 180 texts, and for an extra £5 a month I got unlimited emails. Because the phone has a fantastic camera, I used to take lots of pictures, and email them to my MoBlog (see links). Now the phone is basically useless, it's locked to three, and I have to pay something like £250 to get it unlocked so I can use it on another network (that and there's the small matter of not having paid my current bill with them since I moved here hehe) so it just sits around and I use an old phone and a pay as you go French sim. I really like the phone, it's incredibly useful, and the software lets me download all the pics I take to my PC, dead handy. What I either want, is a contract that's similar to the one I had, with the phone (and I guess I could then sell mine) or mine unlocked. So far, no luck, but I shall keep searching! Anyways, I'm off to level my Shaman/Warlock/Priest/Rogue .. I don't have too many characters on the go, honest! Leo xxx post comment

Sick, and other assorted updates [18 Apr 2006|01:35pm] [ mood | busy ] My first entry in ages, have been so naughty, got sucked into lots of guild drama, and life drama and have been on the evil shift so not exactly the most sociable of bunnies anyway. But, since I've managed to get myself sick (again I might add) I figured I'd spend some quality time at the keyboard. On the subject of being sick, I don't know what's wrong. We had people round on Saturday, mostly just friends from work and their respective partners, about 13 in all I think. Made fajitas and drank tequila slammers and had a mighty good time. Woke up feeling a little dodgy on Sunday, but figured that was to be expected, but yesterday, was violently sick trying to get ready for work. Now, no-one else is ill, so everything was cooked just fine ;) so either I'm allergic to tequila, or something else is off. I've been wondering about the water. I know most Parisians drink bottled water, in fact, I think most of France do, however I thought this was just preference. Mostly we drink the bottled stuff, but on occasion we run out and drink tap water. Never really thought it a problem until now, but it seems to coincide with both times that I have been sick over here. Have a docs appointment for tomorrow anyway, so I might ask. Rach is still here. I'm starting to think I should probably get her a social security number and so on, but, as a same-sex couple, not sure how she'd be officially recognised over here. Obviously she's my dependent, and has no income herself, and to be honest, I wouldn't have the first clue about how to register her over here either. I understand it has something to do with a translated birth certificate (not actually done my own yet :O ) but where to send it is another matter. I shall start browsing some websites and see what crops up. I've also signed up for French lessons, my first being tomorrow (assuming I'm back from the doctors in time). Glad that I've done it, I can get by with no problems at all, but when caught off guard still hear pardon, je ne parle pas francais trotting out of my mouth on instinct, when actually, I have understood most of what was said to me. There are occasions where France still wins, such as the evil courier company that is holding my Easter Eggs, and refusing to answer to my attempt at trying to get them redelivered. However, being able to answer people that ask about my hair dye when I'm shopping would be nice! Ok, I need to go and try to eat something, to be sure I'm not going to be sick again, or know that I am ... Either way, I need to determine what the ominous gurgling sounds mean. Leo xxx post comment

Colds FTL! [18 Jan 2006|05:36pm] [ mood | sick ] No, really ... Colds suck. Especially when you are sat at work, attempting to concentrate on answering people's problems, and you have to redo everything four times coz your head just really can't concentrate. Still, at least I am at work, and not being all feeb and off sick, even if my call stats are suffering a little as I sniff and cough my way through my shift. Yay for the weekend tomorrow, I can sleep all... Well actually I'm going shopping and then out to a big company party (looking forward to that, might even take pictures!) but I can sleep on Friday! As Bryony so rightly put it: Children get colds; Men get 'flu; Women get on with it! Rach made a major achievement today, went into the bank and paid in a cheque for me. Apparently it took her 40 minutes of hanging around outside to pluck up the courage. But good on her for getting over it! Apparently her next challenge is figuring out the washing machines in the laundrette! I'm sending her home for a hospital appointment soon, and so that she can stock up on english essentials - parma violets, buttercup syrup, horseradish sauce and pink hair dye. Will probably retrieve some other stuff from the parents' garage while she's there ... Which is where all our stuff ended up when she moved out of our house. She's still no closer to work in France, but we're coping so far so maybe it won't be a problem. Right ... Back to my customers, they're always right you know ... Even when they're very *very* wrong! PS Thanks for the nudge Erin ;) post comment

There goes another weekend ... [07 Jan 2006|01:10am] [ mood | lazy ] The temptation to stay in and be lazy and play WoW is too great ... I must go out into the world and *do stuff* Yuss No idea what tho. Bit skint atm ... *giggles* understatement. Only got paid the other week and already only have about 100€ left ... post comment

Is this good ... Or very very bad ... [31 Dec 2005|10:58am] [ mood | nerdy ] Totally addicted You are 93% Addicted! When the server's down, its like the end of the world. You check your auctions before going to work, you love the game and everything it involves. Remember that other game called real life? Its not any fun, anyway! Keep it up! And remember, its just a game, but its the best game ever! post comment

Harry Potter et la Coupe de Feu! [21 Dec 2005|07:38am] [ mood | happy ] Forgot to mention, went to see that today (erh, Tuesday .. so yesterday .. technically) with Rach, Adam and Alex. Was a good film, tho the outing was a little badly timed and somewhat stressful (I'm on nights, couldn't get to sleep till gone 1 thanks to my stuffed up sleeping pattern and the "darling" enfants upstairs, Rach is really ill and tired, and I had 1001 other things to do!) and of course, then the car got an oil leak, we had to get a train home, and that nap I'd planned prior to going to work became 20 minutes to grab some bread and cheese before walking back out of the door! Great film though, I'd always felt a little disappointed with the others, at the amount of "story" that had been left out, and even though this was from a much bigger book than any of the others, there were no strange parts that weren't explained or cut too strangely. Of course, since I went with work people, Erin's O RLY owl had us all in fits before the film even started .. And everyone (naturellement) had to say it at the owl scene *rolls eyes* post comment

Christmas? Already? Oh Bollocks... [21 Dec 2005|05:49am] [ mood | stressed ] This year has been very strange, well, the end of it anyway. Moving out to France, setting up home on my own (not lived on my own for about 3 years now) and trying to juggle new stuff costs out here vs paying off the old stuff costs back home, have meant that Christmas actually doesn't exist at my apartment this year at all. No, really. I have no tree (not even the mini one my mum gave me, it's sat in Rach's parents' garage somewhere) and no decorations (ditto the mini tree). For me, Christmas never really feels like Christmas, until I sit down one evening with metres of wrapping paper and wrap everyone's presents up and put them under the tree. Of course, having no money, I can't afford to buy presents, and so there is nothing to wrap. Christmas is, apparently, like 4 days away, and it's not even hit me yet. My brother is arriving tomorrow (well, I guess it's today now, but it's after sleep, so that makes it tomorrow :p) so I have to get home quite speedily, and actually go to bed. As opposed to sitting up until 12/1/2 playing WoW that is hehe. Ooooh, tell a lie about Christmas presents, I have bought one *nods smugly* I bought my brother a jar of Tiptree Little Scarlet jam from Monoprix. He's nutty about the stuff (as am I it has to be said) but can never find it in the UK. And now I know why. All the Chaville-ian expats get it shipped over here!! I have no wrapping paper tho, (and really can't afford/be assed to get some for one jam jar!) so ... Interesting Christmas morning for Fergus! Hehe. There's a few people from work coming over on Christmas day. I figured since everyone was in the same boat - working, no family etc; it would be nice to gather in one place ... And having seen some of their places, I volunteered to host ;) Guess I should buy food for that at some point this week too huh? This is so unlike me, I'm usually totally organised, lists prepared weeks in advance, freezer stocked with freezables and a list of perishables to get on Christmas eve ... It all feels wrong. I want to go back a few months and do it properly. post comment

Kittens, or no Kittens, or, "will sense prevail over the must-have tantrums?" [25 Nov 2005|10:05am] [ mood | thoughtful ] Big decisions to be made at home, do I get kittens now, or wait till the new year? The sensible, wait till the new year head, has these reasons: 1. I still need some furniture for my apartment, can't really afford to kit my kitties out with stuff and buy furniture; 2. The windows in the apartment are being replaced between now and the new year (allegedly, I won't hold my breath), don't really want kittie kamikaze out of the window holes whilst they're being done; 3. Mum's coming to visit at some point over Christmas and New Year and will likely have a fit about it being impractical/too expensive/whatever else she can think of. The "I want kitties NOW!" head says: 1. Obviously, I want kitties now! Having helped Mark pick his out, and spent evenings playing with Dave-the-kitten, I miss having cats around. I've been cat-less for too long. 2. With Rach over for a while she can kittie-sit while I'm at work until they have settled in properly. 3. I do have the money, and after I've bought a sofa the other furniture isn't too important, stacks of clothes on the floor instead of a wardrobe is all the rage these days, isn't it? So ... Who will win in this battle of conscience... It could go either way if you ask me! post comment

Oooh, I belong, at last! [25 Nov 2005|08:57am] [ mood | accomplished ] Finally got a senior at work. A team and a senior. Sounds very silly, but Mark and I have both been "floating", the way work is it's not really been an issue, there have been always people we can ask for help and so on, but it's nice to know we've finally been accepted into the actual gang :D Won't meet most of them till I move onto evenings next week mind, and then of course 4 days later I move onto nights for a month , but it's a start, right? post comment

Interesting ... [24 Nov 2005|11:01am] [ mood | geeky ] I'll admit I got the link from someone else's LJ ... Fe... Iron You scored 19 Mass, 40 Electronegativity, 56 Metal, and 0 Radioactivity! I don't really need to describe you do I? You're the backbone of any well put together group... communally minded, out going and social, but you don't demand to be the center of attention. Without groups of people like you, human society would crumble. I mean that... don't change. With respect to realtionships, I don't know what to tell ya. I guess I'd reccommend a first row transition metal... or if you don't mind being submissive then go for an oxygen... everyone else will wonder how you ended up with one of those drama queens, but you'll probably secretly love it and he/she will bring out colors of you that you didn't know existed. post comment

A clean page, a fresh start? [19 Nov 2005|12:13pm] [ mood | bouncy ] I like a new blog ... All that potential for wise and insightful outpourings of the soul. In truth, I start blogs, people find the links, and then I don't want those people to read about me anymore, so I stop writing in the blog. I shall learn to use "private posts" from here on in. So, readers of the MoBlog will know that I recently moved, my last post was of the car loaded up and ready to leave. That was about 9 weeks ago (pretty much to the day I believe!) When I moved my Three mobile decided it wasn't going to work at all, so no moblog updates. Then of course it took at age to get my phoneline and internet access working. You wouldn't think it was so hard to enable a line for ADSL, who knows, maybe it's really complicated. But finally ... Yesterday evening, I was back in the real world :D Of course the first thing I did was patch WoW and do a LBRS run, followed swiftly by a tribute in Dire Maul. My guild missed me :D But net access at home means I can finally start to contact all those people I promised to keep in touch with when I left. In other news, Rach is due over to visit tomorrow. *bounces* So much has changed at home that she now has some time to spend over here which will be cool. It's nice to have her around again. When I left the UK the plan was that she would keep on the house so that I had *home* to go to if this all didn't work out. Unfortunately thanks to Greggs and their BS, that hasn't really worked out, so she's quit work and moved back in with the folks. This means that my little apartment in Chaville really is my *home* now ... Scary! She's still no closer to finding a job out here, maybe one day but for now I guess she's just keep clocking up the airmiles :) She has offered to re-paint my apartment while she's here tho. Bye bye evil peach walls of doom! Mwahahahaha Then all I need is a few more bits of furniture and it will be home properly. Obviously it's fine for me, I just sit at my computer desk in my big squishy chair, everyone else has to make do with the floor tho *grin* post comment

Ah the joys of holiday [23 Feb 2005|11:28am] [ mood | nerdy ] Hehe, two weeks holiday from the evil office! This week I have been mostly: doing all the washing up (I *have* a kitchen once more!) cleaning the kitchen top to bottom, washing the clothes that don't get washed if I'm at work, tidied "the office", browsing round Leeds, and of course... playing WoW! Well it had to figure somewhere right? lol Seriously, it is the most addictive game I have ever played. More so that the Sims (if you know how much of a Sims addict I was...) I think it's the competitive side of me coming out, trying to be a higher level than everyone else, trying to get the best weapons, the cool drops, the most kills :D Who knows... Right, I'm off to play hehe Monkey -x- 3 comments|post comment

On exhaustion and work-related stress [17 Nov 2004|06:44am] [ mood | exhausted ] [ music | none - trying to sleep in front of the PC ] Did I mention I hate working nights? post comment

Work to live... Don't live to work... [16 Nov 2004|06:37am] [ mood | tired ] [ music | Radio Aire ] Work blows. Yet another out of hours week and I was pissed off with the idiots by about 9pm on Friday. This is not a good thing, considering OOH lasts until 8am on Friday *cries* Have been thinking a lot recently about what I want to "do"... IT just bores me these days. Yes it makes me use my brain, but not in a way I like, and to be honest most of the time it's a case of telling people the same thing over and over again. I want to do something interesting, but I also want a life. I WANT MY LIFE BACK! I don't want any particularly weird hours (I'm semi-flexible but nights are a no-no!), some responsibility, but nothing that gives me these awful chest pains and has me stressing at home when I should be chilling. I've semi considered things like: driving a taxi, becoming a check-out chick and going on the dole :D None of these are really me tho. It is definitely time for a change. This job takes up too much of my life and I barely see Rach as it is with her new weird shifts. So, if anyone has any career ideas for me... Feel free to let me know! I need all the inspiration I can get at the moment!!! Monkey -x- post comment

On bunnies and bliss [09 Nov 2004|12:11pm] [ mood | happy ] [ music | none today - it's work time ] Life is good. We wrote to the evil landlord types about our beardie, Freddie, to get permission for having him (bit late really, we got him in March but hey!) we had also been seen recently lurking around the bunny pens at Paws for Thought, so figured we'd chuck in a request to add a couple of bunnies to the menagerie at the same time. They could only say no and there would be nothing lost! But they said yes, surprise of surprises. So we are now the proud new mums of Fleur and Flic (we didn't realise about all the F names until we'd already named them!!!) Very beautiful little girls. I've seen differing reports on what their colour is "officially" called, but I'd say that Flic was a light orange, and Fleur is white with orange markings. They are outdoor hutch bunnies, but they come indoors most evenings for cuddles and tv watching, and are generally to be found hopping around the living room at weekends too! Hmmm, child substitutes I hear you say? More than likely! They will all (Freddie included) have Christmas stockings and presents. After losing our kittens so close to Christmas last year, we want to do it properly this year!!! We had a very interesting housewarming party at the end of last month. We decided to go for a Halloween theme, seeing as it was on 30th October. A lot of people dressed up and we had a very interesting evening of drinking and fireworks (safety first!). I guess I'm going to have to sign up for one of those image station or similar things, so I can post some photos... *toddles off to research photo hosting* Monkey xxx post comment

Not too much happ'nin' on the Monkey front... [08 Sep 2004|04:32am] [ mood | calm ] [ music | Radio Aire (I do own CD's, honest!) ] Things are coasting along a bit at the moment. You know how you go through patches of major *everything* and then life just kinda plateau's for a few weeks/months? But this is a good thing :) After all the upheaval and stress of "the move" it's nice just to chill for a while. I was having another few "hate my job days" at the beginning of this week, but the boss has been reasonable since I've started telling him my every movement so maybe that's the trick I've been missing all this time! Tell him that I've left early and he doesn't moan about it, tell him I've been too busy and that's why my stats are shite and he doesn't mention it again. I like this!!! So tonite I'm much more chilled, I've done some work, I've dome some surfing. Everyone's happy! Still waiting for the phoneline to be installed at home so we're still broadbandless *cries* Can you believe I've been offline for nearly a month now? A self-confessed nethead and total internet-nut with no 'net access at home. Work access doesn't count coz it's monitored so I can't surf all the sites I want *WEG* But it's all go for Friday. Phoneline gets installed and as soon as it is done and we have our number we're rushing to the office to use t'internet to check the broadband availability and get it ordered, and sort out our sky+ subscription too :D Anyways, I'm surfing Rashida Jones sites *drools* so laterz all :) Monkey -x- 2 comments|post comment

The saga of the new house.... [27 Aug 2004|10:21am] [ mood | drained ] [ music | Someone's chavved the speakers from my desk! ] Why do moves never quite go to plan???? Lets be honest here, the packing didn't really get... well... packed!!! That's not quite true, we did get a lot of our combined shite into boxes, but it's all the little things that you don't notice that catch you out! Hired a van for Saturday (the one just gone) and bribed dad-of-Rach and brothers-of-Rach to come help with the lifting and the manly stuff. Of course we didn't get everything moved on Saturday. So we also spent Tuesday with one-brother-of-Rach helping us to move the rest of our shit and clean up the flat. *phew* Well, anyway, we finally get finished up in the flat at about 11:30 or so (pm that is), I scrubbed and polished, mopped and cleaned the whole place and hoovered and cleaned windows etc etc etc. I was knackered by the end of it all. Of course, you can see what's coming next right? I forgot to take the electrickery meter readings before we handed the keys back (ooops!) so I called the agency coz they write them down during their inspection. Anyways, the lovely Marie tells me that the landlord wasn't happy with the state of the flat when he went to have a look. Uhm, I'm sorry? Run that past me again? Apparently, and this isn't an exhaustive list, there were "issues" with, the skirting boards, the windows frames and ledges, the internal doors, the kitchen - in particular the tiles, the bathroom - in particular the tiles, the intercom, some of the carpets... Rach and I can't believe they were actually looking at the same flat. It was cleaner when we left than when we moved in! Anyways, as we're having to move out so fast coz their new tenant wants to move in over bank holiday, they "tried" to call me yesterday morning to see if I could correct these "issues". Hmmm... no phonecall received here love. So, because they "couldn't get hold of me" they have instructed a cleaning company to go in!!!! At a cost to us of potentially £160 or more! They can't tell me how much as they didn't actually get a quote! GRRRRRRRRRRR Seems their standards only work one way however, the new house was filthy when we moved in, and alledgedly, the delay was due to the fact that they had professional cleaners in to clean it up? Hmmmm, I think you were robbed love. We pulled the fridge out to plug it in and found cat hair, piles of dust and bits of rubbish. We swept the kitchen floor and amassed quite a sizeable pile of dust and other stuff. Not to mention that the house is infested with fleas *eugh* Seems the brilliant minds at the lovely Fleming Property Rentals had noticed "evidence of cats" after the previous tenants moved out, and thought that having the carpets cleaned would do the trick. Hmmmm... So now we are awaiting a pest control company to come and rid of us of the little bastards. There have been plenty of other problems too but I'm trying to focus on the positives of the house now! The garden is great and since I've moved in some plants and flowers it's looking even better. I've bought literally hundreds of bulbs to plant into the lawn ready for next spring. It's going to look gorgeous! We're getting there with the unpacking and sorting too, the charity shops of Pudsey are going to awash with some great items next week. Think we've got about 10 bags of charity stuff so far, and still more boxes to unpack! Today I could do without being at work - I feel a bit wasted here knowing that I have so much to do at home. Came in early tho so I can bugger off early and get all the cardboard to the dump before it shuts. Should give us more room to walk around at home and get to stuff! Right... Enough rantering for now. Monkey -x- post comment

On the move again... [17 Aug 2004|09:37am] [ mood | rushed ] [ music | None... The boss is in a bad mood (bah humbug!) ] Finally the rental agency from hell have got back to us about the house! Woooo hooooo! However, they are rushing us out of the flat because the new person wants to move in over bank holiday weekend. So we have 7 days to pack and move! Should be interesting to say the least! Went over to the house last night, let ourselves into the garden (don't have keys yet!) and peered in through the windows. Why is it that these houses always seem bigger when you look round them, then when the deal is actually done? *chuckles* ah well... The furniture might be a bit of a squeeze... But we'll fit it in somehow! So excited about moving now tho. We're having a mass, emotionless clear out of old stuff. I think the charity pile is currently bigger than the pile of things to pack. Which is great news to me, less to unpack at the other end! I have a constant "To Do" list in front of me now... Every day planned out to the minute so that everything gets done in time. It's proper crazy. Right, must go and sort out van rental for the weekend before it is too late! Anyone fancy lifting a sofa or two for us? Monkey 3 comments|post comment

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