Red's Place

So its been 30degC today here in Farnborough, which is too hot for the average UK house. My US and Aus mates will say "that's nothing" and they're right, however the UK did not have regular temps of this type regularly before the mid 90s. (except for the summer of 1976, and that was considered a freak). Since about 1998, summers have had a few weeks of this temp.

The issue is our house design. Our houses are designed for cold winters, the architects did not have design goals for easy cooling, throughflow of air is very unlikely. Compared to the US houses I've visited where rooms are spacious and airy with lots of high celings for airflow.

Mostly noticed at night of course... it being 10:30pm as I write this and still 28degC outside, that is "un-british weather" for summer. A daytime high of 26degC and a night low of 19degC would be atypical. Guess B&Q will sell our of aircon machines again.

Hope we don't run out of water...!?!

Ok, yes, I'm taking the piss out of McDonalds in the USA. (If you've never been, the large 10ft tall signs by the McDonalds say "over 1bn served").

Yes, its the humble GSM mobile phone. Amazing the technology has reached so many, except the US, where they have two totally incompatible technologies alongside their own (deliberately different) verson of GSM. Even in the US, the population has realised the benefit of standardisation, and the modified GSM is the winner. Incredible.

Any other technology that has reached so many in such a quick time? Unlikely. Any other technology that has reached the developing world as fast? Nope.

Its very impressive, a standard that just "works" to coin a phrase Honda made popular here in the UK.

Oh, the weather has this week disappointed. Whilst being 22, or 24degC, it has been overcast (8 octa) which means it has been incredibly sticky. Horribly sticky, even at work where there is limited and aging aircon in some areas. I actually found myself wishing it was hotter, and drier. I doubt it on this island :( The current 5 day forecast reckons it might get to 26 or 27 by the end of the week. I suspect they'll change their mind radically by Monday. Oh well.

And on a local level, Lever has a great photo on his blog, very relevant if you live in Farnborough in the next few weeks !

Yes, the airshow is back. As someone who lives in the housing estate between the bypass and the airfield, we get the bear the brunt of the traffic.

So for the next week, when you think of traffic, think about what it would be like to have this immensly popular event on your doorstep :-) Our one way system is being 'flipped', there are more cones than you've seen on the M25, and large buses full of visitors will be causing traffic jams from the M3 all the way into town.

I suspect I'll be late for work a lot next week!!

So I've just returned from a trip to Yorkshire (the TV transmitter at Emley Moor, largest free standing structure in the UK, taller than the Eiffel tower).

So on Wed afternoon on the way up, I'm just past Northampton on the M1 in the fast lane, very busy, lots of large lorries and other commercial vehicles around. Suddenly I have a total loss of power. Rapidly slowing from 70/75mph, I hit the hazards and pray I can make the hard shoulder. Lorries swerving around me is scary as hell.

Manage to get to the side, and contact the AA, who will be with me in the next 1.5 hrs. Sit waiting on the grass, and the highway patrol turn up (not police) who offer a bottle of water, nice guys.

AA guy turns up and thinks it could be like an issue he and his mates have seen on the diesel 206's, an oil vapour build up which caused the enegine management system to think the emissions were off limits and just shut the
engine down. So he opened the oil filler for a bit, and the engine started again... we drove to the services (watford gap) and did paperwork and checked the car again. I then carried up north.

On the way home this afternoon, I left at 2pm, and about 6:30 was going past my sainsburys (3miles from here) and the car died again. Same way. Then I was able to restart it after a few swearwords and get going again... then it does it again, and again and again, and I manage limp home eventually rolling into my parking space.

*%$£$%$ cars!!

So I'm likely stuck here until Monday when I'll try and limp the stupid thing to the nearest dealer and get them to look at it.

I really hope its not expensive to fix, as I have no money at the moment having paid all my annual bills in the last couple of weeks. Arrghh.

Apparently I'm spiderman. Yes, checkout the questions, some are absolute class!

Your results:
You are Spider-Man

Spider-Man 90% Green Lantern 70% Hulk 60% Robin 50% Iron Man 45% Batman 45% Catwoman 40% The Flash 35% Supergirl 25% Superman 20% Wonder Woman 0%

You are intelligent, witty, a bit geeky and have great power and responsibility.

Current Music: Pet Shop Boys - Heart

Yeah, its too warm and "muggy" in this flat to sleep. So I put the music on and surf the net.

Guess what's playing?

"Long Hot Summer" by the Style Council.

Arrggggggg

Yes, its the end of July, and therefore the start of 'school' summer. The main roads are quiet, yet the towns are busy, the shopping areas are chaotic. The weather has started to turn autumnal today, strangely, and it got dark very early :(

I seem to be in a melancholy mood tonight. Perhaps because a mate of mine is moving to the US (and into the 7 hour, slightly shifted, timezone). That might be the best description for him, slightly shifted or in a physics term, out of phase! Yes, its the Doc. No, he's not invented the time machine, or actually anything worth filming, he's just a regular guy who's leaving these shores.

Or perhaps its due to the weather? Or the fact that I'm trying to work out if I'm going anywhere professionally. We have a split management structure, so I have a 'career manager' who I see quarterly, and a task manager, whom I see daily. Due to resourcing issues, that I'm told are not my problem despite them affecting me, I'm aware I'm just keeping track of the daily requirements of the job, not able to think "strategically" or even personally. Doubt its a corporate failing, but it is me... hmm.

Perhaps I just need a holiday, or I need to move to an area where I can walk to a local pub and meet a friendly face after work. Perhaps I should have lived in Boston during the Cheers years !!!

Just played:Every Second Counts - Chris Rea
Now playing:Enjoy the Silence - Depeche Mode

Yes, its late, and I should be asleep, instead I was reading my own blog history. Now I suspect there is something medically worrying about that, but I came across this entry from Oct 2004:

Musical choices

One of my friends asked a bunch of us to list our 5 favourite tracks. So here are mine, with a few comments.

1) Secret Messages - Electric Light Orchestra

This is very recent. This reminds me of the trip to California 2004. I was listening to my iRiver on the plane on the way back, and set the ELO greatest hits album to play when trying to sleep. This was at the end, and I woke up and had to hit repeat. Fantastic tune and great lyrics, and it'll remind me of a very relaxing holiday that had no worries for me. (Coming back home? Don't talk about that!!)

2) Livin' La Vida Loca - Ricky Martin

Reminds me of the trip in 1999, Wendy's and Al's wedding in DC and the trip to New York, being with a huge gang of friends. I think the biggest group of people I've been travelling with. This track reminds me of the trip, but its still not one I'd choose to play, but if it comes on the radio it stays on.

3) Dreaming while you sleep - Genesis

This will always remind me of trying to revise for important exams in the early 90s. I used to blot out the sound of the rest of the family with headphones and try and get some assignment or essay done. Don't think it worked, but I remember the track as being great, the album is also good.

4) Walking down Madison - Kirsty MacColl

This will always remind me of leaving Melbourne on the very long flight home last year. After the amazing trip for Caroline & Jason's wedding, and the few days in Sydney, leaving was the last thing I wanted to do. Listening to my old MP3 player whilst trying to get some sleep, and discovering that we were on the wrong side of the aircraft to see Ayres Rock/Uluru that the captain told us we could see. This song reminds me of the 8.5hr trip from Melbourne to Singapore vividly!

5) Its all about soul - Billy Joel

This will remind me of the California trip in 2002, starting out with Teresa&Jon's wedding in San Fran, and then driving the I5 to LA and onward with Rob, listening to various CDs.

Scary how there is no Dire Straits in that list. Currently Love Over Gold is playing and its the pure class of that track that makes me wish I'd managed to learn a music instrument. However I know I'd be medocre at best, at least I can appreciate it.