Some people in the world have more money than sense and, by George, Dave wished he was one of them. Unfortunately, in his case that would require a very significant sum of money, whilst other lucky people could achieve it for a fiver…
On a completely unrelated topic, Dave’s good friend Khany, having recently gained a few bob from a house sale, had just purchased 20,000 comic books.
Yes, you read that right, twenty thousand comic books.
This was not only incredibly cool, but also meant he now didn’t need to bother buying furniture for an entire room of his new house.
Genius.
...
...
Apologies, I had hoped to be able to give a complete list of the comic books here in alphabetical order, complete with five-star ratings. I asked Khany for the list over a week ago.
I wonder what's keeping him...?
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Friday, May 07, 2010
CT4, 6 and 7.
April 2010 saw Dave approaching his second sitting of Actuarial exams, and his first sitting with any real meat on it. Sure he already had CT1 and CT3 behind him, but CT1 was baby Maths even open to non-Actuarial students and CT3 had been passed without even sitting the paper.
No, the September sitting had been nothing but an appetiser and it was time for steak.
CT4, CT6 and CT7, otherwise known as Models, Statistical Methods and Business Economics.
Dave received his study material a little before Christmas and studied non-stop straight through to the exams...
...other than a break for Christmas, obviously...
...and a short trip to China...
Anywho, come April he was ready, he was keen and he was focused.
... oooh look a puppy...
Focused!
All three exams were in one week, and even better, that one week was in Liverpool. True, he spent that week hermit-ed at home and he didn’t really see anyone the whole time, but he was home and he was with Jean.
Life was good.
Needless to say, they went well. Now he just had to wait till July for the results.
Bring on 2, 5 and 8!
No, the September sitting had been nothing but an appetiser and it was time for steak.
CT4, CT6 and CT7, otherwise known as Models, Statistical Methods and Business Economics.
Dave received his study material a little before Christmas and studied non-stop straight through to the exams...
...other than a break for Christmas, obviously...
...and a short trip to China...
Anywho, come April he was ready, he was keen and he was focused.
... oooh look a puppy...
Focused!
All three exams were in one week, and even better, that one week was in Liverpool. True, he spent that week hermit-ed at home and he didn’t really see anyone the whole time, but he was home and he was with Jean.
Life was good.
Needless to say, they went well. Now he just had to wait till July for the results.
Bring on 2, 5 and 8!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Wo Xiang Ni.
Having finally handed in her msc dissertation, Jean decided to take a much needed break before going back to the real world. To this aim, she was heading back to China to see her mum for Chinese new year.
Dave, having already joined the real world, was unable to go for the whole trip. He would, however, join her in March for the final two weeks and the pair would then come home together.
Although Dave had a history of getting all soppy and girly while Jean was away, whining for her like a little puppy, this time would be different. For several reasons.
Firstly, Dave had now had 7 months of being away from Jean, seeing her very little and doing the long distance thing.
Secondly, Dave would be kept very busy in her absence. He had his full time job, which he still loved, along with several exams to study for. He simply would not have time to miss her.
Finally, this time he would get to go to China too. He had only five weeks to wait and then he would be off. It had been far too long.
Yup, this time it would be different...
...this time, he missed her more.
Five weeks was far too long, she had been gone one weekend and he was already missing her like crazy.
An addict whose supply had just been shipped overseas.
Xiao Yi, wo hen xiang ni.
Zai na li?
Wo ai ni.
Xxx
Dave, having already joined the real world, was unable to go for the whole trip. He would, however, join her in March for the final two weeks and the pair would then come home together.
Although Dave had a history of getting all soppy and girly while Jean was away, whining for her like a little puppy, this time would be different. For several reasons.
Firstly, Dave had now had 7 months of being away from Jean, seeing her very little and doing the long distance thing.
Secondly, Dave would be kept very busy in her absence. He had his full time job, which he still loved, along with several exams to study for. He simply would not have time to miss her.
Finally, this time he would get to go to China too. He had only five weeks to wait and then he would be off. It had been far too long.
Yup, this time it would be different...
...this time, he missed her more.
Five weeks was far too long, she had been gone one weekend and he was already missing her like crazy.
An addict whose supply had just been shipped overseas.
Xiao Yi, wo hen xiang ni.
Zai na li?
Wo ai ni.
Xxx
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
The Caveman's 1st Cave
Dave had never been a very greedy person. His list of things he wanted had never been very long and grew shorter all the time.
There was, however, one item that had remained at the top of the list for as long as he could remember. Every time anyone asked what he wanted for a birthday/Christmas/souvenir he would answer the same, yet no one would buy him one. The world is full of selfish people.
It was, of cause, a house.
December 18th 2009, Dave finally ticked it off his list. That said, he hadn't actually seen the place. He was in London, it was in Liverpool and, being a new build, the last time he was up in The Pool it had been very much a work in progress.
He was back in Liverpool on the 19th, but on a pretty tight schedule.
Arrival into Liverpool.
House not seen.
Pick up van.
House not seen.
Go to Ikea.
House not seen.
Spend several hours shopping.
House not seen.
Load backaching amounts of funiture into van.
House not seen.
Drive to new house...
On the way back, Jean went to pick up Bian and his parents who had kindly offered to help with the move, Kin needed to return his car and Xiong stayed with the van, leaving Dave alone with a key.
And so it was, that despite numerous people helping out with the move over that day and the two weeks that followed, Dave's first glimpse of his new place he was entirely alone.
It was beautiful.
A dream come true. It was a good thing he was alone, because his breath caught and his eyes watered and if anyone knew he would have lost his reputation of World's Most Manly Man.
The walls were white, the floors wooden, the stairs carpeted in a cream. Everything was so clean and new. In a word, it was...
Perfect.
The moment passed, the work began, starting with four van loads of furniture up a flight of stairs followed by countless nails, screws and other such things. When the last of the furniture was finished two weeks later it was time for Dave to head back south.
It was agonising and physically exhausting, but, truth be told, Dave enjoyed every minute of it.
A fantastic Chrismas and a great New Year.
Huge "Thanks!" to everyone who helped out.
There was, however, one item that had remained at the top of the list for as long as he could remember. Every time anyone asked what he wanted for a birthday/Christmas/souvenir he would answer the same, yet no one would buy him one. The world is full of selfish people.
It was, of cause, a house.
December 18th 2009, Dave finally ticked it off his list. That said, he hadn't actually seen the place. He was in London, it was in Liverpool and, being a new build, the last time he was up in The Pool it had been very much a work in progress.
He was back in Liverpool on the 19th, but on a pretty tight schedule.
Arrival into Liverpool.
House not seen.
Pick up van.
House not seen.
Go to Ikea.
House not seen.
Spend several hours shopping.
House not seen.
Load backaching amounts of funiture into van.
House not seen.
Drive to new house...
On the way back, Jean went to pick up Bian and his parents who had kindly offered to help with the move, Kin needed to return his car and Xiong stayed with the van, leaving Dave alone with a key.
And so it was, that despite numerous people helping out with the move over that day and the two weeks that followed, Dave's first glimpse of his new place he was entirely alone.
It was beautiful.
A dream come true. It was a good thing he was alone, because his breath caught and his eyes watered and if anyone knew he would have lost his reputation of World's Most Manly Man.
The walls were white, the floors wooden, the stairs carpeted in a cream. Everything was so clean and new. In a word, it was...
Perfect.
The moment passed, the work began, starting with four van loads of furniture up a flight of stairs followed by countless nails, screws and other such things. When the last of the furniture was finished two weeks later it was time for Dave to head back south.
It was agonising and physically exhausting, but, truth be told, Dave enjoyed every minute of it.
A fantastic Chrismas and a great New Year.
Huge "Thanks!" to everyone who helped out.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Snowflake
Snowflake was my cat, so called because when we first got her, nearly 20 years ago, she was white and weighed about the same as her namesake. As a kitten she was ill treated and left for dead and it left her with a lifetime of mistrust for humans. She wasn’t fond of cats or most dogs either. The number of people she ever got close to was very limited and I was privileged to be counted amongst that number.
She recently passed away. It was to be expected. She had been ill for some time and she was getting old.
That said, I haven’t cried so much since I watched Up.
She liked boxes. Any small places really. Any place she could hide away. She liked to climb inside, or if she didn’t fit, sometimes she would just stick her head in.
She loved computers. She loved sitting on games consoles as they kept her nice and warm. She particularly loved hitting the reset button right after one of us had done a particularly difficult part of a game, but right before we had saved.
She liked books. If she ever saw me lying around reading, then clearly the spot I was staring at so intently had to be the best spot around and it was the only spot for her. Time after time she would come and park herself on whatever I was reading.
She liked playing. She liked to sit on a fabric chair while we played with it so she could chase our hand around.
She hated baths. She had very few, but she was adorably cute when she did. She shrunk down to less than a quarter of her normally fluffy self.
She hated haircuts. She was noticeably embarrassed whenever she had one. She liked to look her best.
She liked warm places. She liked sitting in the sun. She liked to purr.
Farewell little one.
Rest Peacefully.
She recently passed away. It was to be expected. She had been ill for some time and she was getting old.
That said, I haven’t cried so much since I watched Up.
She liked boxes. Any small places really. Any place she could hide away. She liked to climb inside, or if she didn’t fit, sometimes she would just stick her head in.
She loved computers. She loved sitting on games consoles as they kept her nice and warm. She particularly loved hitting the reset button right after one of us had done a particularly difficult part of a game, but right before we had saved.
She liked books. If she ever saw me lying around reading, then clearly the spot I was staring at so intently had to be the best spot around and it was the only spot for her. Time after time she would come and park herself on whatever I was reading.
She liked playing. She liked to sit on a fabric chair while we played with it so she could chase our hand around.
She hated baths. She had very few, but she was adorably cute when she did. She shrunk down to less than a quarter of her normally fluffy self.
She hated haircuts. She was noticeably embarrassed whenever she had one. She liked to look her best.
She liked warm places. She liked sitting in the sun. She liked to purr.
Farewell little one.
Rest Peacefully.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Viva La Viva!
Four years of work. 400 pages of writting... which later became 330 pages due to word count limits... It all boiled down to this. The final step in the PhD rollercoaster ride.
The Viva.
(aka, the interview for being accepted into the "Doctor" gentleman's club)
It started at 2pm. Dave arrived cool and collected in his office at around 1:30pm. He was imediately snatched up by his secondary supervisor Dr Cox (not the Scrubs one), to give him some last minute advise.
The conversation did not last long, as he was quickly snatched up again by Damian to start the viva. Kamila briefly said hi and good luck, but was too late for a chat. Tony and Damian were ready, the process had started.
Game on.
It began with Dave giving a brief overview of everything he had done. After which it was down to Tony and Damian to go through chapter by chapter asking all of the questions they had come up with.
"Have you considered...?"
"No."
"Why is this...?"
"No idea"
"What did you mean by...?"
"Your guess is as good as mine."
It went on like this for just over two hours, with a brief stop for water mid way.
"OK, we need to discuss things, can you go somewhere and wait."
"Sure," said Dave, "I'll be in my office."
Didn't quite work out that way, he was imediately snatched up by Trevor and Kamila.
"How did it go?"
No time to reply, Damian had come looking for him straight away. Back to the viva. Results time.
"We believe you have done more than enough for a PhD. Congradulations. You gave a very good defense. Calm, but sensible."
And with a hand shake it was confirmed.
Trevor and Kamila came in to join the merriment. Congradulations all round.
Doctor David John Natsios.
Or just "Doc DJ" for short.
The Viva.
(aka, the interview for being accepted into the "Doctor" gentleman's club)
It started at 2pm. Dave arrived cool and collected in his office at around 1:30pm. He was imediately snatched up by his secondary supervisor Dr Cox (not the Scrubs one), to give him some last minute advise.
The conversation did not last long, as he was quickly snatched up again by Damian to start the viva. Kamila briefly said hi and good luck, but was too late for a chat. Tony and Damian were ready, the process had started.
Game on.
It began with Dave giving a brief overview of everything he had done. After which it was down to Tony and Damian to go through chapter by chapter asking all of the questions they had come up with.
"Have you considered...?"
"No."
"Why is this...?"
"No idea"
"What did you mean by...?"
"Your guess is as good as mine."
It went on like this for just over two hours, with a brief stop for water mid way.
"OK, we need to discuss things, can you go somewhere and wait."
"Sure," said Dave, "I'll be in my office."
Didn't quite work out that way, he was imediately snatched up by Trevor and Kamila.
"How did it go?"
No time to reply, Damian had come looking for him straight away. Back to the viva. Results time.
"We believe you have done more than enough for a PhD. Congradulations. You gave a very good defense. Calm, but sensible."
And with a hand shake it was confirmed.
Trevor and Kamila came in to join the merriment. Congradulations all round.
Doctor David John Natsios.
Or just "Doc DJ" for short.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
CT3
Actuarial exams were designed to be tough. Only the best were expected to apply, yet out of these applicants the fail rate was still expected to be high.
CT3 - Statistics and Probability, however, had proven to be the easiest exam Dave had ever gone after. In contrast to the 3 months of work for CT1, Dave had spent no time at all on CT3. Heck, he hadn't even bothered to show up to the exam.
All he had done was send in his previous results in Stats and Probability related exams and had been granted an exemption without any fuss. The formality of sitting the exam was deemed too much of a time waste on this occasion.
1 down, 14 to go.
CT3 - Statistics and Probability, however, had proven to be the easiest exam Dave had ever gone after. In contrast to the 3 months of work for CT1, Dave had spent no time at all on CT3. Heck, he hadn't even bothered to show up to the exam.
All he had done was send in his previous results in Stats and Probability related exams and had been granted an exemption without any fuss. The formality of sitting the exam was deemed too much of a time waste on this occasion.
1 down, 14 to go.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
CT1
For the past 3 months Dave had been studying. Studying harder than he had ever studied before. This was true for several reasons:
1. He had never really studied hard before.
2. He had nothing else to do during the week after work. No TV, no Wii, no friends and for a while not even any internet, shock horror.
3. Unlike other exams which helped towards some vague goal somewhere down the line, passing this exam would actually earn him money now. A pass would see his wage increase by 750 per year.
Yup, actuarial exams were sweet. It remindered Dave of the "Level Up" of so many of his childhood/teenagehood/adulthood/old-age-hood video games. Studying was like gaining experience points, passing was a level up and brought with salary increase and a larger life meter.
And so, as the exam approached, Dave was on form and this being a maths related test that meant he had already passed, sitting it would be just a formality.
Speaking of formalities, Dave decided to read up on exactly where and what would happen. Students go to the centre, bring your own pens and calculator and everything else is provided. All good. True, he had forgotten his calculator in Liverpool over the weekend, but had since borrowed another so no worries.
He kept reading... if you are unable to attend... blah blah blah... ill... blah blah blah... Your money will not be returned if you do not have your entry permit... blah blah blah...
... entry permit...?
... hmmm.... he decided that was interesting enough to read more about.
Turns out an entry permit will be sent out 2 weeks before the exam. If you have not received your entry permit 10 days before the exam please contact us. Please allow two working days for delivery.
It was 10pm the day before the day before the exam. Two working days may be an issue.
"Oh fudge."
Very little else was said about the entry permit. It was hardly mentioned anywhere. No where did it actually say what happens if you dont have one, other than the previously mentioned warning which did not sound too promising. This was not good.
With only two nights before the exam, Dave was destined to not sleep at all during the first.
9am the day before the exam, Dave was on the phone getting info.
"Thats fine, we'll email you it and you can print it off."
On the one hand, "YAY!", but on the other hand, "Why the F*&K don't you write that on your website!!!"
25hrs later he was sitting his first actuarial exam, CT1, financial mathematics. 28hrs later he left the hall with everyone else.
He would have to wait now till December to found out how he did. It was possible he could fail and it would all have been for nought, but in all honesty that thought never crossed his mind.
He was more concerned with whether or not he would get the number 1 spot for the year...
1. He had never really studied hard before.
2. He had nothing else to do during the week after work. No TV, no Wii, no friends and for a while not even any internet, shock horror.
3. Unlike other exams which helped towards some vague goal somewhere down the line, passing this exam would actually earn him money now. A pass would see his wage increase by 750 per year.
Yup, actuarial exams were sweet. It remindered Dave of the "Level Up" of so many of his childhood/teenagehood/adulthood/old-age-hood video games. Studying was like gaining experience points, passing was a level up and brought with salary increase and a larger life meter.
And so, as the exam approached, Dave was on form and this being a maths related test that meant he had already passed, sitting it would be just a formality.
Speaking of formalities, Dave decided to read up on exactly where and what would happen. Students go to the centre, bring your own pens and calculator and everything else is provided. All good. True, he had forgotten his calculator in Liverpool over the weekend, but had since borrowed another so no worries.
He kept reading... if you are unable to attend... blah blah blah... ill... blah blah blah... Your money will not be returned if you do not have your entry permit... blah blah blah...
... entry permit...?
... hmmm.... he decided that was interesting enough to read more about.
Turns out an entry permit will be sent out 2 weeks before the exam. If you have not received your entry permit 10 days before the exam please contact us. Please allow two working days for delivery.
It was 10pm the day before the day before the exam. Two working days may be an issue.
"Oh fudge."
Very little else was said about the entry permit. It was hardly mentioned anywhere. No where did it actually say what happens if you dont have one, other than the previously mentioned warning which did not sound too promising. This was not good.
With only two nights before the exam, Dave was destined to not sleep at all during the first.
9am the day before the exam, Dave was on the phone getting info.
"Thats fine, we'll email you it and you can print it off."
On the one hand, "YAY!", but on the other hand, "Why the F*&K don't you write that on your website!!!"
25hrs later he was sitting his first actuarial exam, CT1, financial mathematics. 28hrs later he left the hall with everyone else.
He would have to wait now till December to found out how he did. It was possible he could fail and it would all have been for nought, but in all honesty that thought never crossed his mind.
He was more concerned with whether or not he would get the number 1 spot for the year...
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Three Little Words
“I love London.”
Three simple little words, together with a smile and a hop and just like that the city that had been nothing but an empty place for Dave to work in was suddenly transformed into home.
Magic.
Jean was down for the weekend and they were hitting the sights. British Museum, Pizza Hut, Shops, Donor Kebab, Shops, China Town, Crab, London Eye, Thames, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Burger King, Cartoon Museum, Little Bear in the Zoo, Sheep, National Portrait Gallery, Muji, St Paul’s church, Charles, lost, China Town, Crab, cake, King’s Cross, China Town.
Euston.
Every moment was golden. Every moment was far too fast. The days flew by and within the blink of an eye Jean was back on the train to Liverpool.
Dave was left in the empty place he had started in.
Three simple little words, together with a smile and a hop and just like that the city that had been nothing but an empty place for Dave to work in was suddenly transformed into home.
Magic.
Jean was down for the weekend and they were hitting the sights. British Museum, Pizza Hut, Shops, Donor Kebab, Shops, China Town, Crab, London Eye, Thames, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Burger King, Cartoon Museum, Little Bear in the Zoo, Sheep, National Portrait Gallery, Muji, St Paul’s church, Charles, lost, China Town, Crab, cake, King’s Cross, China Town.
Euston.
Every moment was golden. Every moment was far too fast. The days flew by and within the blink of an eye Jean was back on the train to Liverpool.
Dave was left in the empty place he had started in.
Monday, August 03, 2009
2010...
Despite Jean still being in China, Dave had spent another pre-booked Saturday back in Liverpool. Although not geographically true, Dave felt closer to Jean up north and boy did he miss her. As an added bonus he could also steal a free McDonald's from Alan and destroy Xiong's phone by spilling a cup of tea.
Yup, he missed Liverpool... though he could understand if Liverpool didn't miss him...
Sunday came and he headed south. The 1648 from Lime St, arriving Euston 1903, he'd be home before 2010.
... or not...
At around 1730 the train stopped suddenly near Tamworth.
"There is an obstacle on the track. Expect major delays or even the cancelation of this service. We will let you know when we have more details."
The speaker's voice sounded a little shaky. Half an hour later it became apparent why, as the "obstacle" was confirmed to be a man that the train had hit.
"Again we apologise for the delay, we thank you for your understanding. We will let you know as soon as we have more information. There are complimentary snacks available at the shop."
Considering a man was dead, Dave decided not to claim the free pack of crisps, it somehow didn't seem quite right. He just sat quietly and read his book. The Sheep Man told him he had to dance to the Muzak...
At around 1930 more news came.
"Coaches will arrive at around 2030 and go directly to Euston. It will take approximately 2 hours, depending on traffic. The coaches will arrive around 2030 and the best guess is that it will take a couple of hours to get to Euston."
'... a couple of hours...'
At 2030 there was no sign of any coaches. But everyone was offered a complimentary tea or coffee. Having been waiting now for 3 hours, Dave decided to accept, but he drank it black.
2100... no coaches...
2130... no coaches...
A man came round offering out chocolate bars. Dave gobbled it up greedily, enjoying every bite.
At around 2140 the coaches finally arrived and people started moving towards the front of the train. At 2145 people stopped moving, as it was getting dark outside, so they needed more light and had to wait for a fire truck.
2200, the evacuation continued.
2205 Dave, being at the far end of the train, finally got outside. They were in the middle of nowhere, and had to be led across piles of stones, through big fences which had presumably previously been locked. With a walk bridge over the track not far away, Dave could think of no real reason for a man to have been on the track, bar one.
Suicide.
He had no way of proving this, but he kind of hoped it to be true. The man was dead regardless, surely it was better that he chose to be?
2210, Dave was standing outside the last coach... it looked remarkably full... its door closed... it drove slowly away...
'..hmmm...'
They hadn't sent enough coaches.
"Minibuses and Taxis will arrive in 20 min to take the rest of you to Rugby," a police officer announced.
"And then?" someone asked the obvious.
"I don't know, thats all I've been told."
A single taxi pulled up. It was quickly filled... with the train crew...
'... seriously...?'
2230 a lady came around with snacks. Dave had a double chocolate muffin.
'...mmmm.... muffin....'
2240 another update. "Minibuses and Taxis will be taking everyone directly to Euston. They will arrive in 20 min."
That time estimate sounded remarkably similar to the one given half an hour ago.
The muffin lady came round asking everyone where they needed to go from Euston, as further taxis would be provided, ready and waiting.
2300. Finally signs of movement.... from the train... which pulled away, empty, on its way to Euston, while its passengers waited outside for taxis.
All Dave could do was laugh.
It was 2335 when the taxis finally showed up and Dave finally left Tamworth. Around two hours later he arrived in Euston. No taxis were waiting, the guy in charge of the taxis seemed surprised, having already got 3 coach loads of people home and didn't seem to have been told any more were coming.
He also didn't seem all that sympathetic to the people who were now 7.5 hours behind schedule on a 2.5 hour journey. A woman asked to use the toilet, he pointed her in the direction of the standard pay-as-you-go ones.
"Will I have to pay?!?"
"Yes."
"Can you give me change?"
"No."
"I don't have any."
"Well you'll have to find some..."
"I've needed the toilet for 3 hours, I'm not paying!"
"Well what do you want me to do? I'm not a magician."
She was not best pleased. Nor were most of the other travelers when he annouced the taxis would arrive in 20 min. Alot of people had enough at this point and walked away to find their own way home.
... which proved to be a mistake because taxis started arriving almost immediately.
Although sharing a taxi with a couple who presumably lived not too far from him, Dave was far too tired to make small talk and the couple seemed happy enough to mostly ignore him. Instead, Dave watched the meter. It went up 20p roughly every 10 seconds. Dave arrived home at £23.40. The bill, of cause, would not be paid by him, but he felt sorry for those who hadn't waited.
Dave fell asleep a little before 3am after setting his alarm for 7.30 for work. He had not quite made his 8:10pm target. Heck, he had been lucky to get back before the year 2010.
Still, it could be worse.
Could have been hit by a train.
Yup, he missed Liverpool... though he could understand if Liverpool didn't miss him...
Sunday came and he headed south. The 1648 from Lime St, arriving Euston 1903, he'd be home before 2010.
... or not...
At around 1730 the train stopped suddenly near Tamworth.
"There is an obstacle on the track. Expect major delays or even the cancelation of this service. We will let you know when we have more details."
The speaker's voice sounded a little shaky. Half an hour later it became apparent why, as the "obstacle" was confirmed to be a man that the train had hit.
"Again we apologise for the delay, we thank you for your understanding. We will let you know as soon as we have more information. There are complimentary snacks available at the shop."
Considering a man was dead, Dave decided not to claim the free pack of crisps, it somehow didn't seem quite right. He just sat quietly and read his book. The Sheep Man told him he had to dance to the Muzak...
At around 1930 more news came.
"Coaches will arrive at around 2030 and go directly to Euston. It will take approximately 2 hours, depending on traffic. The coaches will arrive around 2030 and the best guess is that it will take a couple of hours to get to Euston."
'... a couple of hours...'
At 2030 there was no sign of any coaches. But everyone was offered a complimentary tea or coffee. Having been waiting now for 3 hours, Dave decided to accept, but he drank it black.
2100... no coaches...
2130... no coaches...
A man came round offering out chocolate bars. Dave gobbled it up greedily, enjoying every bite.
At around 2140 the coaches finally arrived and people started moving towards the front of the train. At 2145 people stopped moving, as it was getting dark outside, so they needed more light and had to wait for a fire truck.
2200, the evacuation continued.
2205 Dave, being at the far end of the train, finally got outside. They were in the middle of nowhere, and had to be led across piles of stones, through big fences which had presumably previously been locked. With a walk bridge over the track not far away, Dave could think of no real reason for a man to have been on the track, bar one.
Suicide.
He had no way of proving this, but he kind of hoped it to be true. The man was dead regardless, surely it was better that he chose to be?
2210, Dave was standing outside the last coach... it looked remarkably full... its door closed... it drove slowly away...
'..hmmm...'
They hadn't sent enough coaches.
"Minibuses and Taxis will arrive in 20 min to take the rest of you to Rugby," a police officer announced.
"And then?" someone asked the obvious.
"I don't know, thats all I've been told."
A single taxi pulled up. It was quickly filled... with the train crew...
'... seriously...?'
2230 a lady came around with snacks. Dave had a double chocolate muffin.
'...mmmm.... muffin....'
2240 another update. "Minibuses and Taxis will be taking everyone directly to Euston. They will arrive in 20 min."
That time estimate sounded remarkably similar to the one given half an hour ago.
The muffin lady came round asking everyone where they needed to go from Euston, as further taxis would be provided, ready and waiting.
2300. Finally signs of movement.... from the train... which pulled away, empty, on its way to Euston, while its passengers waited outside for taxis.
All Dave could do was laugh.
It was 2335 when the taxis finally showed up and Dave finally left Tamworth. Around two hours later he arrived in Euston. No taxis were waiting, the guy in charge of the taxis seemed surprised, having already got 3 coach loads of people home and didn't seem to have been told any more were coming.
He also didn't seem all that sympathetic to the people who were now 7.5 hours behind schedule on a 2.5 hour journey. A woman asked to use the toilet, he pointed her in the direction of the standard pay-as-you-go ones.
"Will I have to pay?!?"
"Yes."
"Can you give me change?"
"No."
"I don't have any."
"Well you'll have to find some..."
"I've needed the toilet for 3 hours, I'm not paying!"
"Well what do you want me to do? I'm not a magician."
She was not best pleased. Nor were most of the other travelers when he annouced the taxis would arrive in 20 min. Alot of people had enough at this point and walked away to find their own way home.
... which proved to be a mistake because taxis started arriving almost immediately.
Although sharing a taxi with a couple who presumably lived not too far from him, Dave was far too tired to make small talk and the couple seemed happy enough to mostly ignore him. Instead, Dave watched the meter. It went up 20p roughly every 10 seconds. Dave arrived home at £23.40. The bill, of cause, would not be paid by him, but he felt sorry for those who hadn't waited.
Dave fell asleep a little before 3am after setting his alarm for 7.30 for work. He had not quite made his 8:10pm target. Heck, he had been lucky to get back before the year 2010.
Still, it could be worse.
Could have been hit by a train.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Dave vs Swine Flu
Round 1
Waking up Monday morning Dave didn't feel too good, but then he hadn't expected to. His pre-booked weekend back to Liverpool had not been anywhere near as relaxing when he was just going to visit an empty house. Jean being in China due to concerns over her mother's health, Dave had not got the recharge he needed.
In addition, last night his landlady had told him after one month of staying in his new place that she was putting up the rent. He thus informed her he would be looking for a newer new place. A very brief exchange, but still not one that aided his sleep.
On top of that, he had a bit of a cough.
Still, he dragged himself out of bed, got himself to work and played round with excel for a few hours. By home time the weariness was clearly starting to show.
"Are you alright, Dave?" asked John
"I think I might be getting a cold. Just hope its not swine flu."
"Let's hope. Go on, go home, get some rest, hope you feel better tomorrow."
On arriving back home, Dave collapsed into bed immediately.
Round 2.
'No,' thought Dave, 'stop it.'
Every time he was ill, the same old thing, his mind would hook onto one obscure thing and just loop it around in his head until he went insane. Today it was an excel sheet to fill out. In his dreamy state it would seem really important, but for some not quite known reason. The more he concentrated on it, the more his head would hurt, and it really messed up his sleep.
The worst part of this insanity was that he was always sane enough to know he was going insane.
'Argh, there is no excel sheet, just please let me sleep!!!'
When his morning alarm went off he called John to let him know he wouldn't be coming in. His cold had gotten worse.
"Do you think it might be swine flu?" asked John.
"I'm still hoping its not."
Dave drifted in and out of sleep for the next few hours. When awake, he found it difficult to move. Even switching his laptop on seemed like a massive chore. Surfing the net was hard work.
He was boiling up, but shivering. His head ached, as did everywhere else, his nose was blocked, his throat was sore. It wasn't until early afternoon that he finally found the strength to check his symptoms on the NHS symptom checker.
Swine flu.
'Cool.'
So he called NHS direct, who told him to call his GP, who told him to call a local pharmacy, who told him to call a local hospital. Boy was all that exhausting, with conflicting advise, some telling him just have paracetamol, but the result was that a pack of Tamiflu was now waiting for him just a 20 min walk away. He just needed to get someone to go pick them up for him.
Being in London, he'd hit a bit of a snag.
"Do you do a delivery service?" he had asked.
"No, sorry," replied the bubbly receptionist, "I guess if you really can't get anyone you can come pick them up yourself."
"..erm... isn't that completely against the guidlines...?"
"It should be OK, we have people pick up there own, they'll give you a mask to wear and everything. We're open till 9."
Dave went back to sleep. He drifted in and out once more, debating the two equally important matters of whether or not to attempt the journey to pick up his medicine and how best to fill in a nonexistant excel sheet. By around 6:30pm he finally dragged himself out of bed, the deciding factor being that he was running out of food and drink, so he would have to leave the house regardless.
The 20min walk took over an hour and it was excruitiatingly painful. It was not helped by the fact that although Dave looked like something straight out of Night of the Living Dead, people in London still wanted to walk into him, and he desperately did not want to pass it on to anyone else. If zombies ever do hit London, it's going to take alot less than 28days to wipe everyone out.
When Dave made it to the hospital, having successfully avoided touching anyone or anything and keeping his breathing and his coughing down to an absolute minimum, the reception was clearly not the one he had spoken to.
"Is the prescription for you?!?" she was far from pleased.
"Yes... sorry..." Dave whispered.
She quickly put on a mask and thrust one at Dave. Seriously, given the postion, do you really only put a mask on when the sickees come in? EVERYONE who picks up a prescription for someone has come into contact with the disease. Chances are, a few of the healthy ones are still carrying some germs.
Anywho, Dave was shown through to a Doctor who explained the drugs he had just killed himself to collect. She gave him a rather large list of common side effects, including most of the stuff he already had a few he didn't, such as vomiting. She told him all these things are normal, even if you get them continue with the treatment, two a day for five days.
'Hmmm...'
The walk home was worse that the walk there and he still had to buy supplies. He avoided Tesco due to its popularity and went instead for a quiet garage. He stocked up on juice, apples, tomotoes and paracetamol.
He would save the Tamiflu for next time.
Round 3
When his alarm went off he called John again and told him the good news. Now he had nothing to do until Monday and thats exactly what he did.
Nothing.
His symptoms were already starting to improve, which was good, but he was still very tired. He slept alot easier without the worry of restocking supplies however and he was happy knowing that at this rate tomorrow he would have only minor symptoms, Friday he would be better and Saturday he would be playing the Wii back in Liverpool.
He had this swine flu on the ropes.
Round 4.
'WTF?' he still felt as weary as he had yesterday.
'Argh.'
He slept another day away.
Round 5.
Dave was awake. He felt alot better, and after shaving and showering away a week of sleep he looked alot better too. He still had a cough, and that horrible "ill" taste in his mouth that just wouldn't go away, but the worse was clearly over. He had regained his strength with several hours to spare before his trip back to Liverpool for a fun packed relaxing weekend.
Dave's train left Euston station at approximately 9:07pm. Dave sat back and relaxed.
He was, of cause, not on it.
Although better, he was still contagious and although swine flu was not the big bad some stories made out, it had claimed 29 lives in the UK and Dave would not risk bumping into number 30 on his way back.
The germs in him would find him their final resting place.
KO
Dave 1 - 0 Swine Flu
Waking up Monday morning Dave didn't feel too good, but then he hadn't expected to. His pre-booked weekend back to Liverpool had not been anywhere near as relaxing when he was just going to visit an empty house. Jean being in China due to concerns over her mother's health, Dave had not got the recharge he needed.
In addition, last night his landlady had told him after one month of staying in his new place that she was putting up the rent. He thus informed her he would be looking for a newer new place. A very brief exchange, but still not one that aided his sleep.
On top of that, he had a bit of a cough.
Still, he dragged himself out of bed, got himself to work and played round with excel for a few hours. By home time the weariness was clearly starting to show.
"Are you alright, Dave?" asked John
"I think I might be getting a cold. Just hope its not swine flu."
"Let's hope. Go on, go home, get some rest, hope you feel better tomorrow."
On arriving back home, Dave collapsed into bed immediately.
Round 2.
'No,' thought Dave, 'stop it.'
Every time he was ill, the same old thing, his mind would hook onto one obscure thing and just loop it around in his head until he went insane. Today it was an excel sheet to fill out. In his dreamy state it would seem really important, but for some not quite known reason. The more he concentrated on it, the more his head would hurt, and it really messed up his sleep.
The worst part of this insanity was that he was always sane enough to know he was going insane.
'Argh, there is no excel sheet, just please let me sleep!!!'
When his morning alarm went off he called John to let him know he wouldn't be coming in. His cold had gotten worse.
"Do you think it might be swine flu?" asked John.
"I'm still hoping its not."
Dave drifted in and out of sleep for the next few hours. When awake, he found it difficult to move. Even switching his laptop on seemed like a massive chore. Surfing the net was hard work.
He was boiling up, but shivering. His head ached, as did everywhere else, his nose was blocked, his throat was sore. It wasn't until early afternoon that he finally found the strength to check his symptoms on the NHS symptom checker.
Swine flu.
'Cool.'
So he called NHS direct, who told him to call his GP, who told him to call a local pharmacy, who told him to call a local hospital. Boy was all that exhausting, with conflicting advise, some telling him just have paracetamol, but the result was that a pack of Tamiflu was now waiting for him just a 20 min walk away. He just needed to get someone to go pick them up for him.
Being in London, he'd hit a bit of a snag.
"Do you do a delivery service?" he had asked.
"No, sorry," replied the bubbly receptionist, "I guess if you really can't get anyone you can come pick them up yourself."
"..erm... isn't that completely against the guidlines...?"
"It should be OK, we have people pick up there own, they'll give you a mask to wear and everything. We're open till 9."
Dave went back to sleep. He drifted in and out once more, debating the two equally important matters of whether or not to attempt the journey to pick up his medicine and how best to fill in a nonexistant excel sheet. By around 6:30pm he finally dragged himself out of bed, the deciding factor being that he was running out of food and drink, so he would have to leave the house regardless.
The 20min walk took over an hour and it was excruitiatingly painful. It was not helped by the fact that although Dave looked like something straight out of Night of the Living Dead, people in London still wanted to walk into him, and he desperately did not want to pass it on to anyone else. If zombies ever do hit London, it's going to take alot less than 28days to wipe everyone out.
When Dave made it to the hospital, having successfully avoided touching anyone or anything and keeping his breathing and his coughing down to an absolute minimum, the reception was clearly not the one he had spoken to.
"Is the prescription for you?!?" she was far from pleased.
"Yes... sorry..." Dave whispered.
She quickly put on a mask and thrust one at Dave. Seriously, given the postion, do you really only put a mask on when the sickees come in? EVERYONE who picks up a prescription for someone has come into contact with the disease. Chances are, a few of the healthy ones are still carrying some germs.
Anywho, Dave was shown through to a Doctor who explained the drugs he had just killed himself to collect. She gave him a rather large list of common side effects, including most of the stuff he already had a few he didn't, such as vomiting. She told him all these things are normal, even if you get them continue with the treatment, two a day for five days.
'Hmmm...'
The walk home was worse that the walk there and he still had to buy supplies. He avoided Tesco due to its popularity and went instead for a quiet garage. He stocked up on juice, apples, tomotoes and paracetamol.
He would save the Tamiflu for next time.
Round 3
When his alarm went off he called John again and told him the good news. Now he had nothing to do until Monday and thats exactly what he did.
Nothing.
His symptoms were already starting to improve, which was good, but he was still very tired. He slept alot easier without the worry of restocking supplies however and he was happy knowing that at this rate tomorrow he would have only minor symptoms, Friday he would be better and Saturday he would be playing the Wii back in Liverpool.
He had this swine flu on the ropes.
Round 4.
'WTF?' he still felt as weary as he had yesterday.
'Argh.'
He slept another day away.
Round 5.
Dave was awake. He felt alot better, and after shaving and showering away a week of sleep he looked alot better too. He still had a cough, and that horrible "ill" taste in his mouth that just wouldn't go away, but the worse was clearly over. He had regained his strength with several hours to spare before his trip back to Liverpool for a fun packed relaxing weekend.
Dave's train left Euston station at approximately 9:07pm. Dave sat back and relaxed.
He was, of cause, not on it.
Although better, he was still contagious and although swine flu was not the big bad some stories made out, it had claimed 29 lives in the UK and Dave would not risk bumping into number 30 on his way back.
The germs in him would find him their final resting place.
KO
Dave 1 - 0 Swine Flu
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
London
For those who were wondering, Living in London has it's pros and cons for Dave:
Pro: The underground is very very handy during weekdays. If your waiting more than 5 min your pretty unlucky.
Con: Despite this, it's consistantly packed to bursting point during regular going to and from work times.
Pro: A packed tube allows you to rub against pretty girls completely guilt free and without getting slapped!
Con: 90% of tube users seem to be male. The other 10% generally aren't pretty.
Pro: The room Dave was renting was clean, tidy and less than 30min away from his job.
Con: The 2 housemates were less than friendly. The girl said little more than hello, and sometimes not even that. The guy... well, having lived there for over a week, Dave still hadn't even seen him.
Pro: The near non-exsitance of his housemates made the shower rush far easier.
Con: The temperature on the shower tended to jump from one extreme to the other without warning.
Pro: Dave's new job was paying him to play around with numbers making pretty graphs.
Con: ... erm....
Pro: The people at Dave's job were friendly, fun and smart. The guy who was his direct line manager was full of life and pretty damn sexy. The work he did actually mattered, unlike a Thesis.
Con: ... OK, I got nothing, I like my new job.
Pro: Dave's new job gave him £27K per year.
Con: Tax, NI, student loan repayments, a room in London, travel expenses, food and a Jean in Liverpool meant he had approximately £0 per year spare from that.
Pro: In addition to 25 days holiday they also gave him 40 study days every year.
Con: They actually expected him to study on those days.
Con: The general public in London are generally souless. They will not step aside if they see someone wants to get past. They will not apologise if they barge into you. Smiles are rare.
Pro: You can sing really loud and no one will even look at you. Looking at fellow humans is forbidden.
Con: Jean and everyone Dave knew and cared about were all up North, sitting around the pool eating liver.
Pro: Jean would be heading south in a few months.
How's u?
Pro: The underground is very very handy during weekdays. If your waiting more than 5 min your pretty unlucky.
Con: Despite this, it's consistantly packed to bursting point during regular going to and from work times.
Pro: A packed tube allows you to rub against pretty girls completely guilt free and without getting slapped!
Con: 90% of tube users seem to be male. The other 10% generally aren't pretty.
Pro: The room Dave was renting was clean, tidy and less than 30min away from his job.
Con: The 2 housemates were less than friendly. The girl said little more than hello, and sometimes not even that. The guy... well, having lived there for over a week, Dave still hadn't even seen him.
Pro: The near non-exsitance of his housemates made the shower rush far easier.
Con: The temperature on the shower tended to jump from one extreme to the other without warning.
Pro: Dave's new job was paying him to play around with numbers making pretty graphs.
Con: ... erm....
Pro: The people at Dave's job were friendly, fun and smart. The guy who was his direct line manager was full of life and pretty damn sexy. The work he did actually mattered, unlike a Thesis.
Con: ... OK, I got nothing, I like my new job.
Pro: Dave's new job gave him £27K per year.
Con: Tax, NI, student loan repayments, a room in London, travel expenses, food and a Jean in Liverpool meant he had approximately £0 per year spare from that.
Pro: In addition to 25 days holiday they also gave him 40 study days every year.
Con: They actually expected him to study on those days.
Con: The general public in London are generally souless. They will not step aside if they see someone wants to get past. They will not apologise if they barge into you. Smiles are rare.
Pro: You can sing really loud and no one will even look at you. Looking at fellow humans is forbidden.
Con: Jean and everyone Dave knew and cared about were all up North, sitting around the pool eating liver.
Pro: Jean would be heading south in a few months.
How's u?
Friday, June 12, 2009
Fairwell Echo
After 5 years of going door to door, it was finally time for Dave's last knock. Like the majority of previous knocks, it was a crazy old lady who didn't read the paper.
And so, with a card and a gift, a few hand shakes and hugs and a drink or two, Dave said his final goodbyes and set off for pastures green.
A few days later, the following letter arrived at the Echo:
"Dear Echoers and Jayne.
Just wanted to say a huge "Thank You!!" for the gift and the card. Speaking of the card, Ann the feeling is mutual, if only I weren't married, Brian, me too, Lisa any day now I swear and thanks and best wishes to you all.
Looking back I've seen so much working here, alcoholism, violence, verbal abuse, nudity... but enough about Brian... I've knocked on thousands of doors, spoken to thousands of people and got around 10 of them to sign up to the Echo. It's been good... mostly...
Jayne, should you ever try to replace me, the new kid's going to have some pretty big shoes to fill. I've been consistently the cheapest employee of the Echo, bar none. In addition, I can read maps, find the car and ALWAYS remind people when its time to go home... usually at around 6:30pm... I used to be responsible for switching on the light in the car too, but that proved too much to handle.
Kate, I know how much you like that Internet thing, so I've put my email and my Blog at the top of the page. No excuses.
I'll miss you all, but I'll be in touch.
Now hopefully this letter will reach you before the redundancies start...
Dave."
And so, with a card and a gift, a few hand shakes and hugs and a drink or two, Dave said his final goodbyes and set off for pastures green.
A few days later, the following letter arrived at the Echo:
"Dear Echoers and Jayne.
Just wanted to say a huge "Thank You!!" for the gift and the card. Speaking of the card, Ann the feeling is mutual, if only I weren't married, Brian, me too, Lisa any day now I swear and thanks and best wishes to you all.
Looking back I've seen so much working here, alcoholism, violence, verbal abuse, nudity... but enough about Brian... I've knocked on thousands of doors, spoken to thousands of people and got around 10 of them to sign up to the Echo. It's been good... mostly...
Jayne, should you ever try to replace me, the new kid's going to have some pretty big shoes to fill. I've been consistently the cheapest employee of the Echo, bar none. In addition, I can read maps, find the car and ALWAYS remind people when its time to go home... usually at around 6:30pm... I used to be responsible for switching on the light in the car too, but that proved too much to handle.
Kate, I know how much you like that Internet thing, so I've put my email and my Blog at the top of the page. No excuses.
I'll miss you all, but I'll be in touch.
Now hopefully this letter will reach you before the redundancies start...
Dave."
Monday, June 08, 2009
2005+
In 2005, Dave and Jean got married and Dave could not have been happier.
He also started his PhD and visited China. And, of cause, he started writing a blog, so perhaps it would be best to simply read on from there now.
For Dave, just a week before his 25th birthday and a fortnight before his new job started, it was time to look forward now, not back.
The new era was coming. He would face it head on.
He also started his PhD and visited China. And, of cause, he started writing a blog, so perhaps it would be best to simply read on from there now.
For Dave, just a week before his 25th birthday and a fortnight before his new job started, it was time to look forward now, not back.
The new era was coming. He would face it head on.
2004
19 years, 7 months, 5 days and Dave's wait was finally over. He officially had a girlfriend and she was everything he could hope for and more. She was fantastic. She was, of cause, Jean.
Everything changed. Dave's life had purpose. It was like someone had hit a big on switch, or replaced a flat battery.
It was wonderful.
Jean had tuition fees to pay, and no gal of Dave's would need to struggle by herself or rely on her parents. Having quit his job some months previously, he had to find a new one. An early morning Daily Post sales person.... and a teaching assistant... and a student mentor... and Santa's little helper at a local grotto. Dave was working 7 days a week, while getting his Uni work back up to acceptable levels of above 80%.
The world was his Oyster, and for the first time in his life Dave found he could eat sea food.
Everything changed. Dave's life had purpose. It was like someone had hit a big on switch, or replaced a flat battery.
It was wonderful.
Jean had tuition fees to pay, and no gal of Dave's would need to struggle by herself or rely on her parents. Having quit his job some months previously, he had to find a new one. An early morning Daily Post sales person.... and a teaching assistant... and a student mentor... and Santa's little helper at a local grotto. Dave was working 7 days a week, while getting his Uni work back up to acceptable levels of above 80%.
The world was his Oyster, and for the first time in his life Dave found he could eat sea food.
2003
2003 was year crammed full of ups and downs.
It started with a fairly major up, moving to Kili, one of Dave's all time favorite places. Within a day or two of moving in, however, came the first down.
Major toothache, which eventually led to the removal of Dave's two back teeth.
The ups were rather general, the downs more specific and as such seemed to weigh on him more in his quiet times. He enjoyed his nights out, seeing friends, hanging around Uni without actually doing any work.
He hated his job, data entry. He worried about his brother, who had got into some bother. He was hurt by revelations. He was ashamed of himself for getting far too close to a girl he knew nothing about. He was starting to majorly suffer from lonliness.
Although he often tried his best to hide it, and indeed sometimes succesfully forgot about it, there was a cloud growing on his shoulder.
Until one day a ray of light broke through.
"Hello, can I sit here?"
Dave had been sitting outside Uni, waiting for Aline (as usual), when a cute little Chinese girl had approached him. Wait, that can't be right. A girl? Had approached him? That had never happened before. 'Aaahhhh! How to respond?!?!?!'
"I've seen you in class, I just wanted to know your name."
"Dave"
True to her word, that was ALL she wanted, her friend showed up at exactly that moment and she left, without even repaying the favour.
A few days later a class had changed without Dave's knowledge, probably due to a lack of attendence of a previous class. Only one other person showed up. The same cute little Chinese girl. Her name was Jean.
Since they both clearly had an hour free, Dave suggested a quick drink. She accepted, and there began a beautiful friendship.
It started with a fairly major up, moving to Kili, one of Dave's all time favorite places. Within a day or two of moving in, however, came the first down.
Major toothache, which eventually led to the removal of Dave's two back teeth.
The ups were rather general, the downs more specific and as such seemed to weigh on him more in his quiet times. He enjoyed his nights out, seeing friends, hanging around Uni without actually doing any work.
He hated his job, data entry. He worried about his brother, who had got into some bother. He was hurt by revelations. He was ashamed of himself for getting far too close to a girl he knew nothing about. He was starting to majorly suffer from lonliness.
Although he often tried his best to hide it, and indeed sometimes succesfully forgot about it, there was a cloud growing on his shoulder.
Until one day a ray of light broke through.
"Hello, can I sit here?"
Dave had been sitting outside Uni, waiting for Aline (as usual), when a cute little Chinese girl had approached him. Wait, that can't be right. A girl? Had approached him? That had never happened before. 'Aaahhhh! How to respond?!?!?!'
"I've seen you in class, I just wanted to know your name."
"Dave"
True to her word, that was ALL she wanted, her friend showed up at exactly that moment and she left, without even repaying the favour.
A few days later a class had changed without Dave's knowledge, probably due to a lack of attendence of a previous class. Only one other person showed up. The same cute little Chinese girl. Her name was Jean.
Since they both clearly had an hour free, Dave suggested a quick drink. She accepted, and there began a beautiful friendship.
2002
Aline had moved into the beautiful Kili House, built on church grounds in Mossley Hill, surounded by fields. It was fantastic, and Dave quickly became a regular visitor while he had the chance. They would all be going to Uni soon.
Having considered several options and going through a rollercoaster of decisions, Dave finally settled on the boring stay in Liverpool option, Macca would be same town different Uni and Aline would be moving to London.
Dave had decided, however, that to get the full Uni experience you need to leave home, and had thus applied for a place in the halls of residence.
With just weeks to go, things rather suddenly changed. The halls were full, Aline didn't make it into London and would be staying in Liverpool and a spare room was available at Kili from Jan 03.
Funny how things work out.
Having considered several options and going through a rollercoaster of decisions, Dave finally settled on the boring stay in Liverpool option, Macca would be same town different Uni and Aline would be moving to London.
Dave had decided, however, that to get the full Uni experience you need to leave home, and had thus applied for a place in the halls of residence.
With just weeks to go, things rather suddenly changed. The halls were full, Aline didn't make it into London and would be staying in Liverpool and a spare room was available at Kili from Jan 03.
Funny how things work out.
Sunday, June 07, 2009
2001
Having aced the AS-levels, school became one long sit off for Dave. He could average around 50% in the second year and still get straight A's, and since his subjects were Maths, Further Maths and Physics, there was little fear of him dropping below those levels. The teachers didn't even pretend to try to make him work harder and he became almost untouchable.
Almost.
He did at on point get threatened with expulsion for wearing a Disney tie, though that was from a member of staff who didn't know him and who got annoyed when Dave point blank refused to take it off without being told why it was necessary to do so. But otherwise.
The Eastern European duet became a solo act mid-year when Maris returned to Estonia. Dave had never really got to know her all that much, she didn't do his subjects and hung with the more "cool" crowd.
Alina, on the otherhand, was a Maths girl and, due mostly to Macca at first, Dave started to get to know her a fair bit. And then a bit more, and a bit more and he soon found he really liked her...
...bits...
Almost.
He did at on point get threatened with expulsion for wearing a Disney tie, though that was from a member of staff who didn't know him and who got annoyed when Dave point blank refused to take it off without being told why it was necessary to do so. But otherwise.
The Eastern European duet became a solo act mid-year when Maris returned to Estonia. Dave had never really got to know her all that much, she didn't do his subjects and hung with the more "cool" crowd.
Alina, on the otherhand, was a Maths girl and, due mostly to Macca at first, Dave started to get to know her a fair bit. And then a bit more, and a bit more and he soon found he really liked her...
...bits...
2000
3...2...1....
...
... oh well, no end of the world... maybe in 3000...
Since the world wasn't ending, Dave had some time spare and decided to pass all his GCSE's and master the Rubik's cube. Then he needed to find something to do with the other 360 days of the year.
Like every other underage teenager, he partied. Unlike the others, however, despite popular belief to the contary, he generally didn't drink much and the dancing had got his weight down to a less life threatening level of between 12 -13 stone.
Having never been drunk, however, Dave felt he might be missing something. And so, once apon a time in the Flute and Firkin, he decided to find out with Macca's help.
Drink, drink, drink. Not much effect. Drink, drink, drink some more. Still naught. He decided to more or less forget it and go dance.
And then it hit him like a ton of bricks.
The rest of the night is hazy, though it involved staggering around, being sick and asking Macca to call his mum while he went to sleep on some steps. Thankfully Macca decided not to leave Dave for dead and instead helped him home.
Dave never really found the appeal in being drunk, nor the later hangover. His returns to that state were few and far between from then on, an average of less than once a year, and brought on only by a genuine miscalculation in amounts of alcohol or temporary depression.
He stuck to dancing.
Towards the end of the year, the start of AS-levels brought with them some new faces to LC, including two pretty girls from Eastern Europe who were an instant attraction in the largely male student population. An Estonian and a Moldovan named Maris and Alina.
Although undoubtably a pretty pair, Dave did not see the appeal of that either. He was put off by the flocks around them, and in particular found it annoying that they distracted Macca.
Still, first impressions don't always hold...
...
... oh well, no end of the world... maybe in 3000...
Since the world wasn't ending, Dave had some time spare and decided to pass all his GCSE's and master the Rubik's cube. Then he needed to find something to do with the other 360 days of the year.
Like every other underage teenager, he partied. Unlike the others, however, despite popular belief to the contary, he generally didn't drink much and the dancing had got his weight down to a less life threatening level of between 12 -13 stone.
Having never been drunk, however, Dave felt he might be missing something. And so, once apon a time in the Flute and Firkin, he decided to find out with Macca's help.
Drink, drink, drink. Not much effect. Drink, drink, drink some more. Still naught. He decided to more or less forget it and go dance.
And then it hit him like a ton of bricks.
The rest of the night is hazy, though it involved staggering around, being sick and asking Macca to call his mum while he went to sleep on some steps. Thankfully Macca decided not to leave Dave for dead and instead helped him home.
Dave never really found the appeal in being drunk, nor the later hangover. His returns to that state were few and far between from then on, an average of less than once a year, and brought on only by a genuine miscalculation in amounts of alcohol or temporary depression.
He stuck to dancing.
Towards the end of the year, the start of AS-levels brought with them some new faces to LC, including two pretty girls from Eastern Europe who were an instant attraction in the largely male student population. An Estonian and a Moldovan named Maris and Alina.
Although undoubtably a pretty pair, Dave did not see the appeal of that either. He was put off by the flocks around them, and in particular found it annoying that they distracted Macca.
Still, first impressions don't always hold...
1999
A life time of doing nothing had started to take it's hold on Dave, and this year, at 15, probably saw his weight peak. He didn't check the scale, but certainly over 13 stone. He spent as little time in front of a mirror as possible, but looking back at the pictures of him around that time is freightful.
It was not the best time to start noticing girls and left his confidence shot.
He was awful at all things sports, always had been. "Fun" activities were often far less fun for the guy certain to be picked last and laughed at throughout. Doing them less, of cause, made things worse.
Towards the end of the year, however, he finally found his excerise.
Dance.
Dave originally started dancing because he just couldn't stand drinking, at all. Hated the stuff. But with everyone else getting drunk, he wanted to fit in. How better to seem drunk than dance around like you don't give a damn?
Funny thing was, he soon discovered he didn't give a damn. Dancing around like a madman was fun. It very quickly became his only real reason for going out. While everyone else was sitting around like a bunch of bores, downing glass after glass of foul tasting awfulness, Dave generally had a whole danceful to himself.
Happy days.
It was not the best time to start noticing girls and left his confidence shot.
He was awful at all things sports, always had been. "Fun" activities were often far less fun for the guy certain to be picked last and laughed at throughout. Doing them less, of cause, made things worse.
Towards the end of the year, however, he finally found his excerise.
Dance.
Dave originally started dancing because he just couldn't stand drinking, at all. Hated the stuff. But with everyone else getting drunk, he wanted to fit in. How better to seem drunk than dance around like you don't give a damn?
Funny thing was, he soon discovered he didn't give a damn. Dancing around like a madman was fun. It very quickly became his only real reason for going out. While everyone else was sitting around like a bunch of bores, downing glass after glass of foul tasting awfulness, Dave generally had a whole danceful to himself.
Happy days.
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