Saved by the quiz

You've been saved from me blathering on about how ill the family and I have been this last week by Julie's mention of completing a quiz.

So contain your disppointment at thought of never reading those wonderful descriptions of the inside of lavatory bowls and read on about other sorts of drivel - we all were very ill, actually.

1. First name: Rachel

2. Were you named after anyone? Nope just liked the name and fancied a change from Vanessa.

3. Do you wish on stars? Nope.

4. When did you last cry? Can't remember.

5. Do you like your handwriting? Nope

6. What is your favorite lunch meat? lamb, rabbit and beef

7. What is your birth date? 02/11

8. What is your most embarrassing CD? not embarrassed about any of the CDs I own.

9. If you were another person, would YOU be friends with yourself? That would depend on who I was.


10. Have you ever told a secret you swore not to tell? Nope.

11. Do looks matter? Looks make it easier for people to make the effort to get to know you, but ultimately no and if possible one should ignore looks while getting to know someone. Of course, if we're talking romance looks obviously play a part. My theory is people are attracted to each other if they have similiar looks so there's hope for everyone. And then again if you're blind then you've know worries about looks, you can concentrate on getting on with each other by finding out tabout the things that really matter and make for a long term relationship, if that's what you're looking for. Hope I don't carry on like that for the rest of the questions! Be here all night.

12. How do you release anger? Shout, thump the desk, steam out of the house with the dog and go for a long walk.

13. Where is your second home? If I had one it would be the Auvergne, quiet, unspoilt... and cheap!

14. Do you trust others too easily? Yes and no and in all the wrong places.

15. What was your favorite toy as a child? Rabbit with floppy ears. Still got it somewhere.

16. What class in high school do you think was totally useless? R.E.

17. Do you have a journal? Err, what's this? O.K. so it doesn't get updated very often, I know.

18. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Used to, but found it was wasted on so many I gave up. It comes out occasionally.

19. Favorite movie(s)? Mad Max, Lethal Weapon, virtually all Clint Eastwood ones, tombstone, Top Gun, Notting Hill, Pretty in Pink, Chocolat - better stop now.

20. What are your (acceptable) nicknames? None.

21. Would you bungee jump? Nope.

22. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? If you mean the laces, yes.

23. Do you think that you are strong? In some ways, not in others.

24. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Mint chocolate chip

25. What size of shoe do you wear? size 7

26. What are your favorite colors? Black, pink, cream, tan.

27. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? Hair, with the exception of the one place I'm loosing it.

28. Who do you miss most? My father.

29. Do you want everyone you send this to, to send it
back? I'm not sending it to anyone.

29. What color pants are you wearing? Charcoal.

30. What are you listening to right now? Weather Report: Sporting life.

31. What was the last thing you ate? Cornish pasty, baked beans. Fresh pineapple, mango, orange and banana.

32. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Misty rose.

33. What's the weather like right now? Cold, windy and raining.

34. Last person you talked to on the phone? Vanessa.

35. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? The eyes and smile.

36. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Definitely, yes. Although we haven't met yet.

37. Favorite Drink? Asda medium fresh ground coffee.

38. Eye Color? greeny/grey.

39. Do you wear contacts? No. Reading glasses, which reminds me I had an eye test recently and took advantage of specsavers 2 for 1 deal. I chose from the unisex range. One pair that would look great for male mode and a pair I hope look good in Rachel mode. Choosing the first pair was easy, but took ages over rachel's. The girl who served me looked at the second pair and commented on how different the two pairs were. Me? I said nothing. My wife doesn't like the second pair. May be she doesn't think they're me.

40. Favorite Day of the Year? Christmas day with the family.

41. Scary Movies or Happy Endings? Happy endings.

42. Summer or winter? Spring.

43. Hugs or kisses? Both. Can you have one without the other?

44. What is Your Favorite Dessert? My mother-in-law's apple pie and custard - never been bettered.

45. Who is most likely to respond? Pass.

46. Who is Least Likely to Respond? I have my thoughts, but I'll keep them to myself - not that I'll ever know.

47. Where Would You Want to Go on your next vacation? Skiathos.

48. What Books are you reading? CSS Mastery, Instant Cashflow, A Short History of Nearly Everything, Oz Clarke's Pocket Wine Book 2006, Wine International Wine Buyer's Guide 2006, Superplonk 2006 and The Best Wines in the Supermarkets 2006.

49. What's on your mouse pad? My mouse is optical, it doesn't need one.

50. What did you Watch Last Night on TV? Nothing.

51. Where was the farthest you have been from home? Turkey, near Antalya - not sure of the spelling.

52. Thirty-one.

Feel free to grab the questions on this page and use in your own blog - if you've got nothing better to do, that is. :)

Bloody cars!

I've always thought (well ever since I started riding a motorcycle) two wheels were better than four.

Afterall, show me a car that can do 0-60mph in 2.4 seconds, and cost less than 10k brand new. No, didn't think so. But you didn't come here to be educated on the superiority of motorcycles, I'm sure.

So why have those tin boxes with a wheel at each corner got my goat this week? Because the clutch packed up yesterday, four days before I was due to go to Angelic's 5th Birthday Party. Not only that, but I've f*cked up Charlotte's night out, coz I was taking her too.

Here's wishing all those going a safe journey and may your bloody car get you there and back without mishap. Goodnight!

Pissed off of Lincoln.

Proud Dad

No, there hasn't been a new addition to the family!

Just that my eldest daughter, as only one of two in her year, has been invited to an Oxbridge talk at her school being given by whatever Oxbridge body goes around doing these sort of things.

Thinking about it I don't know why I was surprised when I consider her grades and expected GCSE performance. Her recent PT meeting was a bit embarrassing when all the teachers considered her the star pupil. One even saying she'd never awarded 100% before.

But before you think may be my SO and I are typically over-ambitious parents where our sprogs education is concerned, let me just say that both of us have been concerned that she drives herself too hard. And we have been known to tell her that she mustn't take too much notice of the teachers, as they will always tell a pupil they can do better.

Mind you any thoughts of Oxbridge, I feel, are way too early. There's the actual GCSEs (in May) and A levels too. So I hope she doesn't get her hopes up only to have them dashed. But if she continues to do her best and enjoys her work I'll be a happy dad.

Thanks for bearing with me during this proud moment...

Honest or stupid?

Feeling a bit fed-up today.

A client gave me the go-ahead to do some work for him - nothing exciting just setting up a blog.

But I decided to ask him what he'd paid to have a shopping cart set-up. He'd decided to go with another firm, because that firm had set-up another company's shopping cart and the other company had done very well out of subsequent sales.

The figure he quoted quite literally shocked me. So I decided to see what was involved in setting-up this open source shopping cart - it took me less than five minutes to have it up and running!

Having done it I thought about what I'd have charged. So, I added up time for addtional work on graphics to the standard of the other firm and came up with a figure of £500. The other firm charged £4.5k.

And the guy was very happy. The service was quick and efficient - but then you'd expect it to be at that price.

Suppose the moral of the story is to charge more and deliver quickly.

Guess my problem is too many clients paying too little, which makes for one very tired, disgruntled bunny.

May be it's not a question of honesty, but just stupidity.

Prices are going up - significantly!