Thursday, February 23, 2006

My week in words... And a picture! (but not a very nice one)

Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday dear
Garethsbrain
Happy birthday to you

Yes readers, this blog is 1 year old today! It may not be the cleverest website. It may not win any awards for the number of hits it gets per month, but it's my own little corner of the internet and I love it to bits...

... Right, that the sentimental bollocks out of the way. Lets blog on.

Well it's been a WEEK since my last update and I'm still not a millionaire playboy, married to a lingerie model... Life can be so cruel.

During the half-term holidays I got all nice and relaxed. I spent my days doing as little as possible and taking interesting trips out. On the thursday I picked John up because I was feeling artistic and wanted to take some photographs somewhere to paint from. We ended up at Sarehole Mill but it was sodding-well shut until the spring. It was at this point that I felt a sudden urge for some chocolate. Now I realise that I could have stopped at the shops. I realise that any newsagents sell chocolate bars but I was bored. And when I'm bored I go a bit silly and do things just at random.....

..... So I bought one from Cadbury World! Yep. I drove over to Bournville (with John) just to purchase a single bar of Choccy. Whilst there he spoke of a magical vehicle. A car so outrageous that it could only have been made by pixies in an enchanted factory.... The Cadburys Cream Egg Car!!! could such a thing exist? Is there really a car shaped like a Cadburys cream egg? I drove round the factory grounds hunting for this rare specimen. Finally I gave up my search and I said to him that this must surely be myth!... But 'er it isn't because
here's a picture of it.

On Friday I got up and phoned John again, wondering what adventure we would have this time. We ended up in Stratford-Upon-Avon... Eventually. I set off for Stratford but when we actually got there, there was nowhere to park. After half-an-hour of driving round I found a secluded pub just over the canal from the main shopping area. We parked and went in for a pint. There were some drunken men in tatty clothes playing darts.... Well I say "playing" darts, it was more like they were randomly chucking the darts around, and if any of them happened to land near the dartboard they would scribble on the chalkboard next to it... I'm not sure how they would score if they actually hit the chalkboard, although I'm sure they would have found a way. We left after our drinks and walked around for an hour admiring the views and stopping off at shops to gawp at what was on sale. I then got hungry...

... Very hungry.

Luckily I know a nice pub by the canal (The Red Lion... Ooh, thats original) where me and my dad have stopped many-a-time before for some grub. John had scampi (I think) and I had the 12oz fillet steak and chips. It was lovely. I then had the "3 choice dessert" which was a small slice of cheesecake, a small slice of chocolate gateau, and a small slice of chocolate pudding all served on one plate, it's basically for people who can't make up their mind, or for greedy bastards... Being the type of person who falls nicely in to both of those categories, it was the perfect option. We then went home because I had work.

The weekend was crap. I'm not blogging it.

I woke up bright and early Monday morning because I was back at work for our "teacher training" day (snigger, snigger) I put on a nice fresh shirt, my grey trousers and set off in the cold. When I got to Woodrush I discovered that everyone else was wearing jeans, big jumpers, scarves, and hats.... No uniform required.... Shite. I thought to myself "I look like a tit" and shot back home (at a speed I'd rather not mention) to get changed. I got back to school 10 minutes, and several layers of clothing later. It was a good thing to because the heaters were off and the school hall was like a refrigerator... a really really good one, too. After the speeches about education and national statistics we split in to our departments and had the department meetings. (Of which I am more involved.) I got out of Woodrush at about 1:30 so I decided to go and enrol on the Numeracy course at Monyhull. (I know I said it was pointless because I can't do the GTP but I might as well do it because it will need doing sooner-or-later.) I am waiting on my password to the system so I can start learning online (woohoo!)

On Tuesday I woke up to find a dead Magpie underneath my window, on the garage roof. I don't know if one of my cats is responsible but it seems more than likely. I took a photo of it... Don't ask me why.


Sorry about the slight blurryness of it, I took it whilst kneeling out my window at 7am... I had forgotten that there WAS a 7am!

Hey. This is my first photoblog in quite a while. They have been "text only" recently haven't they?

Well let us leave this sad little scene and move on.





In the evening I met Kate and Corrine from college for a drink in the Coach House in Solihull. We had a few drinks and then went over to Whetherspoons for something to eat because Corrine was feeling hungry (a woman after my own heart) I decided to join her and had steak (for the second time in one week.) When it was time to go i got a hug off Kate, with the promise of meeting up sometime in the next few weeks in Wythall. Corrine is on a PGCE and placed at Baverstock School so I can meet her in the Swan and Kate can come and meet us (since she can now drive) which will be nice.

Wednesday was a typical day at school and by lunchtime I was ready for another holiday. My prayers for a nuclear holocaust went unanswered and so I didn't get out untill 3:30. In the evening I went to fathers house for a couple of hours and then went to the Swan to meet Jason and Benji. Julia and Dianne turned up a little later and much fun was had by all.

I will be getting merry in there again later so I had better sign off and have something to eat... I might phone John and see if he has had Battlefield 2 delivered yet. He ordered it a week ago and I'd like to try it out. If it's any good I might get it.

Ah well. TTFN readers.

Monday, February 13, 2006

Skittles, Beer, and Depression

Yes readers, 'tis I. I thought I would blog today as a marker for several things that have happened. Some good, some not-so-good...

Today was the first day of the half-term holidays. I had nothing planned so I got up late after a fantastic lie-in and bummed around the house for a bit. I then cleaned the livingroom and did the washing up (well I loaded the dishwasher.) I then noticed the post in the porch so I got it in. There was a letter for me from Warwick... I new what it was, it was the letter saying how I had done in the interview...


... It was not good.


Basically, even if I do my numeracy course, I still don't qualify for a place on the GTP. This really hacks me off because I thought I did quite well and was told that my responses to questions were very good. I think I may have to face up to the fact that I am simply not good enough to get on the course, and that at some point will need to choose a different career. The problem is that I have spent 7 years of my life working towards my goal, and now that it is within arms reach, I keep being turned away...

Anyway, after reading it through I decided to update the stuff I have on my phone. I put on a few music files that I had on the PC and sorted them in to folders on the memory card in my phone. Nothing really happened then until about 8pm when Adam, John, and Marcus arrived at the front door. We had planned to go bowling so we jumped in my car and set off for Rubery. I won the first game and Adam won the second. We then spent some money in the arcade. We played a game that involved holding obsenely large guns and shouting at the screen... Very strange. On the way home we decided to stop off at the Swan for a drink. Jenny, Nicola, and Julia were in there so we sat with them. Marcus did OK for himself as he left with Julias number, and the promise of a date.... Wonderful, but why can't I end up with people's phone numbers? I'd like to sit down with a group of girls I don't know and end up with a valid phone number, honesly, I am so far out-of-the-loop it isn't even funny...

Ah well. At least I've got Valentines day to remind me how lonely I am....

TTFN readers.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

A blast from the past

Update time readers. Well it turns out that I was right... February IS about random occurances! Last Saturday I was shopping in Tesco's in Shirley, and who should I see in there? Jackie from college! I haven't seen her since we all graduated nearly 2 years ago. Then on Sunday, I received a text of Kate from college saying that she'd passed her driving test. So well done to her.

Changing the subject, Gemma from the Legion was 18 on Tuesday, so congratulations to her as well... Right, thats the news out of the way so I will blog on...

I finaly managed to speak to the people in charge of my numeracy course. There is no problem except for the fact that I need to go and enrol... Guess what time they enrol to during the week.....

... Thats right, 9am until 3pm... How the hell do they expect people who work full time to go and enrol? It's not like I can book time off from Woodrush either. I am going to have to phone them again and see if there is any way of enroling by post. It is so annoying! Ah well at least I am going to the Swan later....

That's all for now readers. TTFN

Thursday, February 02, 2006

February is all about random occurances

Ah yes readers, 'tis true. The title alone is proof...

... Sorry, I'm not sure why I did that. Anyway, I have been trying my best to get on a maths course (if you can't remember why, scroll down and read my previous post.) I found a loveley little course through ICS training that would be just the thing... But it cost £270.00! Fortunately a similar course, run by learn direct, is virtually free... But do you think I can contact the person in charge of my local Learn Direct Centre? No. My only option was to go and find the place on Monday (it is on Monyhull Road) but by the time I got there at 4:20, the reception was closed... Shite! So I went on Tuesday. I raced out of Woodrush and shot down the Alcester Road. I then proceeded to race up Bells lane, slowing down only momentarily to avoid running over a gormless looking Baverstock pupil. I got in to the car park at 3:20 and, fortunately the reception was open. I spoke to a rather polite lady who obviously, at some point in her life, had traded in her brain for a bag of clay...

After a rather long-winded conversation about people who I needed to contact, I was given the extension number for the lady who ran the adult maths and numeracy courses. She then told me that this lady was "in the office from 9 'till about 3-ish." This is just crap because I don't get out of Woodrush until 3:15. I will have to phone her during the day tomorrow. (I didn't get chance yesterday because I had an hour off work to go to a funeral.)

Changing the topic entirely, It was my nans Birthday yesterday! She was 82. We went for a Balti at Kings Balti in Kings Heath. My cousin rachel organised it all and I was told that this restaurant was "one of the best Baltis in Birmingham".....

.... Clearly my cousin doesn't go for Baltis very much. The food was good, but it was dingy and the waiter was an arsehole. Next time I will take them to Bano Phool in Rubery. Not only is the food top notch, the guys there are a real laugh. The skiing party always goes there before a holiday... Which brings me neatly to my next topic...

... Father and the lads went skiing last Saturday. I dropped him at the airport and said hello to everyone. Unfortunately, less than 3 days later dad rang and said that Steve had a bad fall and cracked a rib! So thats his holiday over. It's a real shock too, because out of everyone Steve is just about the best skiier in the group.
I have to pick dad up at the airport on Saturday at 12:30....

... I will type that again to drill it in to my own memory...

I have to pick dad up at the airport on Saturday at 12:30....

Right. Well I am going out in a bit so I will sign off... TTFN readers