The Workings Of Ian's Inner Mind

Update Time!

2008-11-09T23:10:00.002Z

Blimey, it's been a long time since i've updated this. It's gone 11pm, I should be in bed ready for work tomorrow but i'm not really that tired so I thought i'd give an update on things.

Wendy and I have separated - techinically since the start of June but I only moved into my new place a couple of weeks ago. Things are very, very amicable between us (which is why would could continue living together). We just hit a point where we realised we are two friends, two very good friends, who live together with our daughter. Not fair on either of us to think that there could be something out there that we're missing out on.

Marianne started staying over a couple of nights last week and it's been great! She totally understands what's going on and knows that some nights she stays home and some nights she has sleepovers at daddy's house. The one thing we were both worried about was how it would affect Marianne and, so far, touch wood, she seems ok.

I've had the last week off work to sort stuff around the house and shockingly didn't take the opportunity to get a new tatoo done - mind you, i've still got a few days to book so the urge may hit me before the end of the year.

My sofas arrived on Friday so i'm now just awaiting the kitchen furniture and...... a bed! Life on a blow up bed is no fun, trust me!

Had a brilliant night out on Friday for my friend Sarah's birthday. I wanted to change my look for the evening and wore some eyeliner - I think I pulled it off! The girls were impressed that I managed to even put it on!

Having a lot of time to myself has been good and bad. On the plus side i've picked up my guitar and have been desperately been trying to remember how to play again. On the down side you have moments when all you do is think, and sometimes the thoughts that come into your head just aint that good and a kind of depression sets in - you desperately want someone there to talk to. Thankfully i've got some fantastic friends around who are always there for me when I need them.

So, the future...... who knows what it holds! I'm looking forward to finding out.....

Just Add Water

2008-08-30T17:11:00.000+01:00

Constant......

2008-08-17T10:14:00.002+01:00

With all the ups and downs in my life, one thing remains constant. The love between a father and his daughter.

Still Alive!

2008-07-27T23:43:00.003+01:00

I'm still about!

There's been so much going on in my life the last few months but i'm still not at a point that I can openly talk about it. Maybe within a couple more months, watch this space.

Marianne continues to expand her vocabulary, her numeracy skills and her attitude! I swear she's a teenager at 3 and a half!

Ciao!

Dishwasher For Sale!

2008-05-27T23:30:00.004+01:00

Just over three years old - purchaser is responsible for any damages caused.

Tat's Done It!

2008-05-02T09:52:00.003+01:00

Here's my new tat! Compare it to the design below, absolutely spot on. It was done by Leigh English at Emerald Tattoos in Attleborough. She is a complete genius. She hand draws all of her tattoos (i.e. she doesn't use stencils). All done and dusted in just over an hour.

Time Off!

2008-04-28T12:52:00.002+01:00

I've got this week off work as I need to use some holiday up. Last year I lost a few days as I didn't have enough time to take it (we were very busy at work!) and we have a 'use it or lose it' policy, so that was that!

Really don't know what to do. I've done a bit of tidying up and am now waiting to pick Marianne up from nursery.

It's good though. Just to get away from the office for a while will do me the world of good. Just need to unwind.

I decided this morning that I wasn't going to go back to Management Accounts after this week. Oh no, i'm gonna be a rock star! I picked my guitar up for the first time in ages and realised something.... I may need a bit of talent! Damn!

Grand Theft Auto IV should arrive tommorrow, if not I aint gonna be happy. Mind you, we've got a house to view tommorrow and another one on Wednesday. Don't want to get any hopes up as we've got to sell ours as yet.

As usual with time off work, i've decided i'll probably get another tattoo! Here's the design:

Probably update later in the week.

At Last!

2008-04-17T17:15:00.001+01:00

After my postings last year about getting the house ready to sell it's finally on the market!

Anyone with a spare £175k looking for a lovely 3 bedroom 17th century cottage please enquire!

Moving On Up!

2008-03-27T08:46:00.004Z

Good news!

I've been promoted as of 1 April (no joke!) to Senior Management Accountant!

My new boss (the Head Of Management Accounts) starts on 3 April.

What A Slacker!

2008-03-06T12:42:00.002Z

Blimey! I thought i'd take a look at my blog and can't believe I haven't updated since November!

So, what's been happening......

Well, we're still short of a Management Accountant at work but we've hired someone to start on 1 April. The whole department is being restructured so that we've all been promoted from 'Assistants' to full 'Management Accountants' with the new guy being 'Head Of Management Accounts'. There's also a new role being created of 'Senior Management Accountant'. At last! More staff!

Marianne had a great Christmas (ie: spoilt rotten!) and a fantastic 3rd birthday. She had a birthday party at Monsters with her friends from nursery. It was great fun and all the kids behaved really well.

She continues to enjoy her three morning at nursery but will be going in for five mornings from mid April as we will start to receive Government Funding to assist with the fees. All good preparation for when she goes to school and it will mean she won't miss out on aything the nursery does as week long projects.

I hit 34 a couple of weeks ago and the day before Wendy and I went to the Royal Festival Hall to see Eels play live. Absolutely fantastic night out, so glad we went.

Off to visit a practice at Bradford On Avon tommorrow, so a nice four and a half hour journey, do a bit of work, and then drive back again.

Ciao!

Another month has passed.....

2007-11-30T23:48:00.000Z

Well, i've successfully managed to avoid posting for a whole month. Now, I don't mean this as a good thing. This means that i've been so busy with work and family that i've just basically not had time to sit down for 5 minutes to type anything.

But now, at close to midnight on a Friday evening, whilst chatting to a mate on MSN, i've found a few minutes!

I've had a week off from work this week. I realised I had a fair bit of unused holiday to take (i've not had a break since the start of June) and work has been sooooooo hectic and stressful I just needed a break from everything. Wendy was working Monday and Marianne was at nursery in the morning so I did absolutely sod all - it was great! However, my first week off in months turned out to be quite expensive.....

Purchased some of Marianne's hand designed christmas cards Monday: £41
Took the car for service and MOT on Tuesday: £280
Taxed it on Wednesday: £180
Realised the bank had paid Mariannes nursery fees twice on Wednesday: £216
Washing machine packing up, bought new one today: £380

Soooo, probably gonna think twice before having a break again!

However, on Tuesday I was walking through town when a couple of elderly ladies asked if I would help them change a flat tyre. Of course I would! How on earth to garages expect people to remove wheel nuts after they've put them on with one of their air guns? I had to jump on the the spanner thing to shift them so these ladies would be absolutely stuck if it happened in the arse end of nowehere.

After changing the tyre I was happy that i'd done my 'good deed' for the day, but one of the ladies gave me £25. I gave it back but she shoved it in my pocket and walked away saying she was glad to see there are some 'proper gentlemen' in the world. Me? Gentleman?

There'll be some changes at work when I get back on Monday. My manager left the company yesterday so we'll be pretty busy in December trying to publish the accounts, but hey, i've had a relaxing week and am ready for it.

Marianne's A TV Star!

2007-10-25T19:49:00.000+01:00

Well, the BBC loved Marianne dancing on the One Show - they featured the clip tonight!

I'll see if I can encode the clip from the show soon!

How To Enter A Ball Pit!

2007-10-24T11:29:00.000+01:00

Marianne shows how it's done.

Note: Supportive father laughing in background!

Children and Music

2007-10-22T14:15:00.000+01:00

Have you seen the One Show on BBC? This is what happens to my daughter when it comes on:

Foo Music

2007-10-09T23:27:00.000+01:00

One of my all time favourite bands of all time released their new album a couple of weeks ago. I've been a fan of Foo Fighters from the off and they just improve with time.

The new album is fantastic and I recommend everyone go buy it now from all good and crud record shops!

Tat's Done It

2007-10-09T23:22:00.001+01:00

Folowing my last post, the tattoo was done last Thursday. I'm really pleased with it but as it's 'thicker' than my last there's been loads of really crusty scabs that i've been desperately trying not to pick! Soooo much temptation but i'm being good!

I'll get a photo on here as soon as it's all calmed down.

Here's a pic of my first tattoo - excuse the quality, it was taken straight after being done!

My Next Tattoo!

2007-09-23T22:37:00.001+01:00

Here's the design for my next tat. Hoping to get it done in the next couple of weeks. It's the Chinese symbol for 'Father'

Quote Of The Day!

2007-09-10T14:28:00.000+01:00

Handle every situation like a dog.

If you can't eat it or hump it. Piss on it and walk away.

Still About

2007-09-09T17:30:00.000+01:00

Hello!

I'm still here, alive and kicking. Work has been an absolute bi-otch over the last few weeks. Plenty of extra hours and so on. We've had auditors in which has made the available hours required for 'normal' work disappear as we deal with their queries, such as 'why is this figure £24 different from this'. For crying out loud, we're a company with a £50m plus turnover!

Anyways, back to it tommorrow. I had a trip down to Guildford on Thursday to visit one of the practices which was nice. It's always good to put faces to voices on the telephone! Then I had Friday off to do some decorating which was good and bad at the same time.

I'll try and do a proper post sometime soon..... but don't bank on it!

Is this fair?

2007-08-17T10:17:00.000+01:00

Have you ever noticed that the higher up a chain of command there is generally less work and more money being paid?

I'm annoyed for a 'friend' of mine who is having to effectively do the job of his boss as she/he doesn't have a clue and doesn't seem to have the need to learn.

My 'friend' is also having to tell another more senior member of staff how to do their job whilst they sit around playing computer games and searching the internet instead of working.

I feel so sorry for my 'friend'. He has got a lovely family who he would like to spend more time with but at the moment is so busy and fed up with his work life that when he's home he's in a foul mood.

Big TV For Auction!

2007-08-11T14:10:00.001+01:00

Come get some! I need it sold and collected ASAP:

http://tinyurl.com/2fe9n7

Toddler Poem

2007-08-05T23:13:00.000+01:00

Two little eyes

Discovering what's new

Two little hands

Touching everything in view

A sweet little voice

Asking you why

A mischievous smile

And a whimpering cry

Two little feet

Jumping on the floor

A toddler's mission

is to explore

Toddler Rules!

2007-08-05T23:09:00.000+01:00

Pretty much sums it all up. A poem by an unknown author:

If it is on, I must turn it off.
If it is off, I must turn it on.
If it is folded, I must unfold it.
If it is a liquid, it must be shaken, then spilled.
If it a solid, it must be crumbled, chewed or smeared.
If it is high, it must be reached.
If it is shelved, it must be unshelved.
If it is pointed, it must be run with at top speed.
If it has leaves, they must be picked.
If it is plugged, it must be unplugged.
If it is not trash, it must be thrown away.
If it is in the trash, it must be removed, inspected, and thrown on the floor.
If it is closed, it must be opened.
If it does not open, it must be screamed at.
If it has drawers, they must be rifled.
If it is a pencil, it must write on the refrigerator, monitor, or table.
If it is full, it will be more interesting emptied.
If it is empty, it will be more interesting full.
If it is a pile of dirt, it must be laid upon.
If it is stroller, it must under no circumstances be ridden in without protest. It must be pushed by me instead.
If it has a flat surface, it must be banged upon.
If Mommy's hands are full, I must be carried.
If Mommy is in a hurry and wants to carry me, I must walk alone.
If it is paper, it must be torn.
If it has buttons, they must be pressed.
If the volume is low, it must go high.
If it is toilet paper, it must be unrolled on the floor.
If it is a drawer, it must be pulled upon.
If it is a toothbrush, it must be inserted into my mouth.
If it has a faucet, it must be turned on at full force.
If it is a phone, I must talk to it.
If it is a bug, it must be swallowed.
If it doesn't stay on my spoon, it must be dropped on the floor.
If it is not food, it must be tasted.
If it IS food, it must not be tasted.
If it is dry, it must be made wet with drool, milk, or toilet water.
If it is a car seat, it must be protested with arched back.

If it is Mommy, it must be hugged.

Simpsonize Me!

2007-07-31T17:22:00.000+01:00

Keep Smiling

2007-07-26T14:59:00.001+01:00

If you can keep your head whilst those around you are losing theirs....

you will be a mad-man my son.

Film Quiz

2007-07-25T10:36:00.000+01:00

Ok, i'm taking a few minutes out of for some fun today.....

70%

Erk..... I Hope There's No Zombies!

2007-07-25T09:50:00.000+01:00

36%

Cadaver Calculator!

2007-07-25T09:31:00.000+01:00

$3675.00

Stress!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-07-18T11:19:00.000+01:00

Aaaaaaaaarrggh!!!!!! Work is going to pot!!!! Too much stress!!!!

Work Mates

2007-07-13T13:52:00.000+01:00

I've often been put off making comments about work as you never know who may stumble upon your blog (hi Heidi!) and what grief you could get into if you made a deregotary statement about a colleague.

It makes me think about the term 'work mates' - are they really your 'mates'? You basically get to spend 8 plus hours a day with people who you have not chosen to be with or particularly want to and spend less time with people who you class as actual friends. Do you get to the end of each day and think 'you know what, let's all go out for a beer and a chat?' - I doubt many would.

I have to say that on the whole I am quite lucky about the people I work with - there will always be one or two that can wind you up or annoy you but you have to push feelings aside and get on with the day.

There are some classic characters in my department. When I started I worked alongside Zack and Malcolm and we had such a laugh. Last week all the girls from our office were out which left the three of us and we had a great afternoon full of laughs, music and of course lots of hard work!

Burger!

2007-07-13T13:33:00.000+01:00

In a bit of a quandary today as it's Burger Friday at work and i'm on my diet. However, some of us are going out for a cheeky pint after work so........ sod it! If I eat well now then I won't need anything later that will lie on my stomach all night..... am I convincing you? Go on, agree it was a good idea.

I'll tell you what, it was gorgeous! (Together with the onion rings and chips). Diet will be back tommorrow - hey, Rome wasn't built in a day!

Rate it!

2007-07-10T13:34:00.000+01:00

I got this link from Tanya's blog.

Weird thing is that last night my blog was rated PG - something must have dropped off the bottom.

Maybe i'll have to say $£"£$ *$%£^ and &&$£!"!"" a few times to get the rating up!

Diets

2007-07-10T13:27:00.000+01:00

I've had to bite the bullet and start a diet again. I was going to start a while ago but after getting measured for my wedding suit I figured i'd better not lose wieght and mess the measurements up!

I'm using the same diet I did a couple of years ago when I lost 3 and 1/2 stone in three months (which, according to the scales, i've managed to slap back on again!). It's a diet I made up myself and is dull but, hey, it works. Crackerbread and low fat soft cheese for lunch followed by jacket potato with tuna for tea. Repeat every day for 3 months!!! It's a nice feeling though when you get the scales out each week and realise it's working. The 'work walk' should also help things move along as well.

Weddings & Music

2007-07-10T12:31:00.000+01:00

We attended our friends' wedding on Saturday. I was an usher and Marianne was bridesmaid again.

Improvement over the last wedding for her - again she wouldn't walk down the aisle but she became the photographers darling afterwards. I can't wait to see the pics when they're ready.

I was asked to witness the signatures which was a really nice surprise as I didn't know about it until the registrar called me forward.

All in all it was an absolutely fantastic day. Marianne was collected by my parents at about 6:30pm (the poor thing was shattered!) and was asleep in bed by 7:15pm. We took advantage the next morning by going to the cinema to see Die HArd 4.0. Fantastic film - leave your brain at home!

Since getting my iPod for Christmas and the 3 mile walk to and from work each day i've really started appreciating my music again. One of my favourite bands, Buffalo Tom, have released their first studio album in nine years and Play.com confirmed on Sunday that it had been despatched to me. I can't wait. You can listen to some of their songs on their Myspace page.

Mind you, the new Velvet Revolver album was posted last Monday and only arrived on Saturday. And i've just read there's another postal strike this Thursday for 24 hours from 7pm. Aaarh!

Still Here!

2007-06-19T11:56:00.000+01:00

Just a quick post to say i'm still about. Work has been quite busy, but also quite rewarding in the fact that we are on target for getting the accounts out a week earlier than normal. I'm already writing off the entire of July as June is our year end so we've got to get everything in order prior to the auditors arriving at the start of August.

The way our department is structured is that we are each responsible for veterinary practices in certain areas of the UK. One of the regions I look after is the south west and we have acquired a practice in Devon. I am also responsible for a practice just outside Swansea and may have to 'pop over' there next week for some staff training. It's gonna have to be a two day trip I feel!

Fathers day was great. We took Marianne to Africa Alive at Kessingland as we took her there for fathers day last year when she had just started to walk. It really is amazing the change in a year.

And finally, the other reason i've not updated my blog recently is due to purchasing a Nintendo Wii. Soooooooooo much fun!

Walking With A Ghost - Tegan & Sara

2007-06-08T23:01:00.000+01:00

Available on i-Tunes and all good music stores - go get it! Absolute top track. I've been hearing it for months thanks to Soccer AM on Sky Sports.

One of my all time favourite bands of all time ever in the world ever (volume one) is Eels. Here's a link to a vid (not official as it uses the Cardigans 'Favourite Game' video) of the track 'Living Life' which is a cover of a Daniel Johnston track:

And while we're on YouTube here's one of those 'you know what's gonna happen' clips

Celebrity Looky Likey

2007-06-08T22:52:00.000+01:00

Just spotted this site from Brian's blog and gave it a go - interesting results!

Oh yes, an F1 driver, a bit of Bond, the humour of Mochrie, the vocals of Ringo, the gut of Travolta... it's all there!

We're Back From Holiday!

2007-06-08T19:32:00.000+01:00

Well that went far too quickly! Great weather until today when I awoke at 5am to hear the thunder and rain but we had to be out of the caravan by 10am anyway so not much lost in the day.

Marianne really enjoyed herself and she got to stay up a bit later than usual as she was on her holidays. I was really impressed with how she adapted to being away and she got excited every night about sleeping in her caravan bed.

We got home, unpacked and agter a few hours decided we'd drive to the supermarket to stock up on a few things... only to find that the the little alarm that tells me i've left my lights on doesn't work anymore so the battery was dead, so it turned into a nice walk to the shops instead.

Yep, the holiday is over!

We're Going On Holiday!

2007-06-02T21:53:00.001+01:00

We're off on a family break on Monday. No biggy, just a few days at the coast to unwind.

Bye Bye Bubba!

2007-05-28T20:04:00.000+01:00

When you become a parent one of the first things many of us say is 'we won't use a dummy!' and before you know it, somehow, it has appeared! All well and good and research has proven that babies who sleep with a dummy reduce the risk of cot death. However, getting the little nipper off it is a different matter!

We spoke to the health visitor a few weeks ago about it and her advice was to just get rid of it and get ready for a couple of days of hell!

Marianne refers to her dummy as 'bubba', her bugs bunny is called 'ya ya' and her eeyore is called, well, 'eeyore'. When she gets upset you can guarantee the sentence of 'ya ya bubba eeyore' will come out. (Wendy and I refer to it as the unholy trinity!)

Yesterday I was in a tired and crap mood and Marianne was winding me up, so when she wanted her 'bubba' I told her she was a big girl and only babies have dummies. And you know what? It worked! She has occassionaly asked for it but I just shake my head and she replies 'Marianne big girl, bubba's for babies'. I'm sooooo chuffed. She's really advanced with her word skills and this will help her even more. It makes it soooo much easier to understand her.

I love coming home from work and talking to her about her day. She's two years three months and a bit and I can honestly say we can spend ten minutes having a conversation. Ok, she's not into full gramatically perfect sentences but it makes me smile and so proud.

Linkin Park - Minutes To Midnight

2007-05-25T09:26:00.000+01:00

It's music recomendation time again! You've gotta check out Linkin Park's new album. It's got a different sound from the first two albums but it's a feeling of 'we've grown up and this is what we are now'.

One of the songs is called 'Hands Held High' and I played it over and over on the way to work this morning and, I have to admit, it put a bit of a lump in my throat. Here are the lyrics:

Turn my mic up louder,

I got to say somethin.

Lightweights steppin' aside,

when we comin.

Feel it in your chest,

the syllables get pumpin.

People on the street,

they panic and start running.

Words on loose leaf,

sheet complete coming.

I jump on my mind,

I summon the rhyme of dumping.

Feeling the blind,

I promise to let the sun in.

Sick of the dark ways,

we march to the drumming.

Jump when they tell usthey want to see jumping.

Fuck that, I want to see some fist pumping.

Risk something.

Take back what's yours

Say something that you know

they might attack you for

cause I'm sick of being treated

like I have before.

Like it's stupid standing for

what I'm standing for.

Like this war is really just

a different brand of war.

Like it doesn't cater to the rich

and an abandoned the poor.

Like they understand you

in the back of the jet,

When you can't put gas in your tank.

These fuckers are laughing their way

to the bank and cashing their cheque

asking you to have compassion and to have some respect.

For a leader so nervous

in an obvious way

Stuttering and mumbling

for nightly news to replay

and the rest of the world

watching at the end of the day

in the living room laughing

like what did he say?

Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen

In my living room watching,

But I am not laughing.

'Cause when it gets tense,

I know what might happen.

The world is cold,

The bold men take action.

Have to react,

To getting blown into fractions.

10 years old is something to see,

Another kid my age dragged under a jeep,

Taken and bound and found later under a tree,

I wonder if he even thought the next one could be me.

Do you see?

The soldiers that are out today.

That brush the dust with bulletproof vests away.

It's ironic.

At times like this you pray,

But a bomb blew the mosque up yesterday.

There's bombs in the buses, bikes, roads,

inside your markets,your shops, your clothes,

My dad, he's got a lot of fear I know

but enough pride inside not to let that show.

My brother had a book he would hold with pride

A little red cover with a broken spine.

In the back he hand wrote a quote inside,

when the rich wage war, it's the poor who die.

Meanwhile, the leader just talks away

Stuttering and mumbling

for nightly news to replay

and the rest of the world

watching at the end of the day

both scared and angry

like what did he say?

Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen.

With Hands Held High

into a sky so blue