Author: jogblog

I think winter’s here

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Although it took me all afternoon to warm up, due to a power cut at work which left us with no computers or heating all morning, I didn’t wimp out and buy a treadmill to run on when it’s minging but went out into the freezing cold instead. I wrapped up nice and warm though and put on my new gloves that the nice people at Start Fitness gave me (that’s the last mention of my free gloves, I promise).

And I think my diet of no alcohol and pizza is working because I’ve shrunk and my run was easy(ish) and reasonably fast for me today so hurrah to diets of no alcohol and pizza. But my diet of no alcohol and pizza ends next Thursday when it isn’t January anymore and me and Gary are getting alcohol and pizza. I said as we haven’t drunk for almost a month, we’ll be drunk before the pizzas get here so he said we should wait until the pizzas arrive before drinking. Got to wait even longer? Eek! And tomorrow when we go to see the greatest musician in the world ever (that’s Bobby Conn, by the way) we can look at Kate with disdain, as she’s drinking and smoking. Although she’ll probably be thinking, mmm, this wine/lager’s really nice and you can’t have any, ha ha.

Next month I’m giving up shopping. February’s a short month though so it should be ok and after all, there’s still a week left to shop in January. Yay.

Stats:
Miles: 2.63
Total time: 29:12
Average pace: 11:06 minute/mile
Total calories: 233
Weather: 41F
Greatest musicians in the world ever playing a gig tomorrow: 1
Shopping days left in January: 8
Days without pizza and alcohol: 20
Music:
Sultans of Ping – Michiko
Subhumans – Urban Guerillas
Soft Cell – Meet Murder My Angel
Human League – Get Carter
Sex Pistols – Satellite
Morcheeba – Let Me See

Cold and windy

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Brrrrrr, it was cold and windy this morning so I put on my new gloves that the nice people at Start Fitness sent me and ran to the gym. I thought the gym would warm me up sufficiently so that I didn’t need to wear the gloves on the way back but it was even more cold and my hands are numb because I didn’t want to stop and take off my rucksack and retrieve the gloves that the nice people at Start Fitness sent me and I can’t type properly now.

And I’ve got to go back out into the cold and go to Sainsburys because I went to the Somerfield near me that I thought was quite good and much better than the Somerfields near the gym but today it was crap and didn’t have any leeks or peppers so I threw my basket down in a strop and walked out. So much for me telling Kate on Tuesday that I’ve been more chilled out since I’ve been doing the no drinking in January thing; the last few days I’ve been back to my usual irritable self and wanting to kill the annoying people on the tube and train. Now I want to kill whoever’s in charge of buying leeks and peppers for Somerfield because they’ve made me have to go back out in the cold and waste more time instead of continuing with my letter to B&Q which is up to page 5/day 11 (out of 52) at the mo. I hope the people at B&Q can read. Maybe I should do an audio version for them too.

Stats:
Miles: 3.90
Total time: 45:56
Average pace: 11:46 minute/mile
Total calories: 334
Weather: 50F
Leeks and peppers in Somerfield: 0
Music:
Abba – Dancing Queen
Ween – Tired and True
Supergrass – Mary
The Specials – Blank Expression
Simian – Tree In A Corner
Sex Pistols – No Feelings
Rolling Stones – You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Rolling Stones – Let’s Spend The Night Together
Nirvana – Lithium
Auf Der Mayer – Beast Of Honor
Levellers – One Way
Half Man Half Biscuit – 27 Yards Of Dental Floss
Gary Numan – Remember, I Was Vapour
The Cure – A Night Like This
Citizen Fish – Back To Zero
Catatonia – Why I Can’t Stand One Night Stands
Bobby Conn – Whores
Blur – Trimm Trabb
Babes In Toyland – Magick Flute

No cows

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After being completely shattered this week and only having the energy to watch Celebrity Big Brother then go to sleep, I went out for my usual Saturday morning run and decided to take my old route and go and see the cows and horses. Just as I got round the corner from my house, a man stopped me and tried to give me a religious leaflet. I obviously look like I need saving. He must know I watch CBB and is trying to save me from myself.

It was quiet over the marshes this morning. This must be because THE COWS ARE GONE! Where have the cows gone? What’s the point of going over the marshes if the cows aren’t there? Who do I write to to demand the immediate return of the cows? Bah.

Then I got to the bridge where the girl was attacked and, bloody hell, there’s a new big yellow sign appealing for witnesses to another serious sexual assault on 11 October at 5pm. But that doesn’t make sense as the first one was on 8 October and for a week after there had been one or two policemen permanently there not letting anyone through the bridge. I don’t think I’m going to be going under that bridge again.

I only saw four people over there today. There was a dodgy looking man standing by a fence off the track but then I saw he had two dogs with him so I decided he wasn’t dodgy. Then when I was walking up the steep (steep to me, ok?) bit on the other side of a bridge a female jogger came along and said “morning” to me and then just as I got to the last stretch there was a woman walking her dogs who also said “morning” to me. Aah, it’s nice when people are friendly. Unlike the people in the gym who are completely miserable and yesterday when I was in the gym and thinking that they’re all completely miserable a girl came into the changing room and said hello to me and so I thought, hurrah, not everyone’s completely miserable after all. Then on the last stretch a man zoomed past me and then stopped a bit further up and pretended to do stretching exercises but he did give me a smile as I went past him.

So that’s my run for the day. Now I have to do some work and write my LONG letter of complaint to the morons on Planet B&Q and speaking of B&Q, here’s the before and after pics of my new bathroom light.

Stats:
Miles: 2.96
Total time: 33:20
Average pace: 11:15 minute/mile
Total calories: 274
Weather: 51F
Christians trying to save me: 1
Cows: 0
Magpies: 18
People saying good morning: 2
New signs appealing for witnesses: 1
Days without alcohol: 17
Music:
Stereo Total – L’amour a 3
Kula Shaker – The Dancing Flea
Kasabian – Pinch Roller
Marc Almond – Saint Judy
The Holloways – Nothing For The Kids
Half Man Half Biscuit – The Song Of Encouragement For Orme Ascent
Eminem – Kill You
Eminem – Kurtis
Bikini Kill – Jet Ski
Big Boi – Bamboo

B&Q bathroom installation – THE END (ish)

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Monday morning the electrician turns up at 8:20 and I show him the new light and he says, yes, that’s ok.  At 8:30 the plumber turns up.  I leave them to it and go to work.

I get home and the new light is on the ceiling and the toilet’s got the new seat on and it’s been resealed and doesn’t squeak anymore.  Hurrah!  But have they f****d anything up?  Of course they have.  The plumber’s managed to scratch the floor by the toilet.  Grr.  He’s even stolen two toilet rolls.  I’m going to assume they’re stolen as the alternative isn’t something I want to think about.  And I hadn’t even thought of that until I went to work and told a colleague there were two toilet rolls  missing and she said “eeeeeeeeeeeeeugh”.

But my bathroom is finished (except for a new blind that I still have’t bought) and that means that B and poxy bloody useless fucking Q won’t be stepping foot inside my house again, yah!!  Bye bye B&Q.

This morning (Tuesday) Alan from the installation centre rings and says how’s your bathroom?  I say it’s all finished although they have scratched the bathroom floor but it’s not very big and I can live with it as I don’t want them round again.  He says you need to send us a couple of quotes for a new kitchen floor, have you got any quotes yet?  I say no, not yet, does it have to be like for like?  He says what do you mean?  I say does it have to be the same sort of floor?  He says he supposes so, it should be about the same price, although the colour probably doesn’t matter.  He says do you have our address?  I say no.  He says hang on, he’ll get it.  I say don’t you know where you work?  He says yes but I don’t know the exact address.  He says he’ll pass on the notes so I can get compensation.  I say is that just for the kitchen floor?  He says he’ll send them notes of the whole thing.  I say because I want to make a complaint.  He says he thought I would.  He says am I happy with the bathroom?  I say it’s not a brilliant job but it’s ok.  I thank him for his help.  Aw, I’m going to miss my daily moan about the fitters to Alan.  I don’t suppose he’s going to miss me.

Next stage is writing my letter of complaint.  That’ll keep me out of mischief on Saturday.

Powered by a mango smoothie

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I don’t usually eat before I go running in the morning but today decided to have a mango smoothie and hurrah, I actually managed to run to the gym and back without stopping today. First time for everything, yah!

The gym’s still quite busy with new year resolution people (grr, bloody new year resolution people are filling up my body pump class so I can’t book myself onto it) and yoga lady was in there as usual doing strange things on the rowing machine again so when she got on the cross-trainer I wondered if she was going to use it differently to how everyone else does and yes, she went on it backwards without holding on to the sticks. She did it without falling off too.

I found out last week that the flats opposite the gym cost from £220k. Eek, £220k (when they were built, so must be about £300k now) for a two-bedroom flat where you’d have to keep the curtains closed all the time as it overlooks the gym and you’ve got everyone looking at you. You’d need the gym though if you lived there as the gym’s next to Pizza Hut (mmm, pizza!), which is next to KFC (I think, or is it Burger King?) and also it’s opposite the supermarket and the tube, so the furthest you’d ever have to walk is about 100 yards.

B&Q update
Jackie from the installation centre rang on Friday and said the electrician will be round at 8 on Monday and also a plumber will come and replace the toilet seat and fix the squeak then, fingers crossed, it will be all finished.

Aah, a life without B&Q, could it happen? Will Monday be the end of this saga? I still need to write my long letter of complaint though and get some compensation and I still need to get a quote for a replacement kitchen floor that the tossers ripped.

Stats:
Miles: 4.26
Total time: 45:68
Average pace: 10:44 minute/mile
Total calories: 358
Weather: 51F
Weekends without alcohol: 2
Music:
Cardiacs – Eden On The Air
Bjork – Violently Happy
Divine Comedy – Songs Of Love
Daisy Chainsaw – Everything Is Weird
Babes In Toyland – Laugh My Head Off
The Cult – Speed Of Light
The Cure – The Walk
Courtney Love – Zeplin Song
Citizen Fish – Over The Fence
Boomtown Rats – Looking After Number One
The Beta Band – Quiet
Ash – Orpheus
Arctic Monkeys – When The Sun Goes Down
Air – Sex Born Poison
Baby Bird – Eyes In The Back Of Your Head
Cribs – Another Number
Hard-Fi – Cash Machine
Half Man Half Biscuit – See That My Bike’s Kept Clean
Ian Brown – Lions
Kula Shaker – Guitar Man
Stero Total – I Love You Ono
New Model Army – Poison Street
Soft Cell – Fun City
The Young Knives – The Night
Sultans of Ping – Veronica
Straw – Moving To California

No photos

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My camera broke, waa!!! I’d gone out for my Saturday morning run round the marshes and took pics of boats, canoeists, swans, geese, moorhens (I think), a squirrel, pubs and a wreath (eek!), then it broke. It had broke on New Year’s Eve when I dropped it. On the way out, I might add, not after I’d been drinking for hours. But it was sort of fixed but now it’s sort of unfixed itself and my photos are stuck in it. Damn. Casio aren’t going to fix it for me again after last time when they blamed me for breaking it even though I hadn’t broken it. Maybe if I throw it against a wall it will fix itself?

Still, I had a good run and did 4 miles, you’ll just have to take my word that I only stopped for photo emergencies in the form of squirrels and swans.

Stats:
Miles: 4.12
Total time: 49:48
Average pace: 12:05 minute/mile
Average speed: 4.7mph
Total calories: 386
Weather: 55F
Swans: Lots
Geese: Lots
Moorhens: 4
Squirrels: 1
Broken cameras: 1
Shoelaces coming undone: 2
Music:
Soft Cell – Chips On My Shoulder
The Police – Bombs Away
The Police – Next To You
Muse – Supermassive Black Hole
Kula Shaker – Mystical Machine Gun
The Kooks – California
Ian Brown – Can’t See Me
Eminem – Rush Ya Clique
Depeche Mode – Just Can’t Get Enough
The Coral – Bad Man
Citizen Fish – Invisible People
Andre 3000 – Love Hater
Bobby Conn – The Power (of the Addams Family)
Primal Scream – Movin’ On Up
D-12 – I Remember

Deja vu

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Against my better judgment as my left ankle and right knee have been twingeing (is that a word?) a bit the last few days, I went out for a run and my iPod decided to play the same songs as it did last time. Oi, iPod, you’re called Shuffle for a reason, you know! So I skipped through them (even Soft Cell, although one snuck in there later) and went for a 3 mile run. I thought it would be further than last time as I took a slight detour and went past the road I usually go down but because I have a hopeless sense of direction, it turned out to be quicker. I need to get my mileage up and stop thinking, yay, three miles, that’s me done, now I’m going home for my dinner but running past my second favourite Chinese restaurant didn’t help.

Nothing interesting to report, unlike Joggerblogger who yesterday whilst out on his run, had an 80s experience and ran into a flasher. Today he’s taking his camera with him. I would just like to point out that the reason I sometimes take my camera out with me is not in case I run into a flasher. Honest.

B&Q bathroom installation – day 55

Alan from the installation centre rings at 4:15 and says was the toilet seat delivered? I say it’s at my neighbours’ house but they weren’t in last night so I don’t actually have it but it’s in my road. He says it’s getting closer then. He says he’ll ring the fitters and see when they can come to do the light and put the seat on. I say I’ll ring him tomorrow to let him know if I got the seat from the neighbours.

Alan rings back at 4:35 and says the fitters are sending an electrician round first thing on Monday and hopefully he should be able to fit the toilet seat as well. I say well, it’s simple enough, isn’t it? You just unscrew one and screw the other one on, how difficult can it be? Alan says yes well, I’d have thought so but if for any reason he can’t do it, let me know. He says you never know, it may be finished soon.

Yeah, right.

My neighbours weren’t in when I got home from work but, hurrah,, they were in when I got back from my run and now I have my replacement toilet seat. I haven’t checked the box though to make sure it’s a special non-banging one. Hmm.

Stats:
Miles: 3.07
Total time: 35:35
Average pace: 11:35 minute/mile
Average speed: 5.2mph
Max speed: 7.7mph
Total calories: 268
Weather: 55F
Flashers: 0
Replacement toilet seats: 1
Music:
Graham Coxon – All Over Me
Ween – How High Can You Fly
Toyah – You’re A Miracle
Supergrass – Shotover Hill
Stereo Total – Cinemania
Soft Cell – Memorabilia
Pixies – U-Mass
Massive Attack – Lately
Gary Numan – Love Needs No Disguise
Foo Fighters – Enough Space

B&Q bathroom installation – day 54

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Jackie from the installation centre calls at 11:30 and says I’m ringing about the Parcelforce delivery which was supposed to happen yesterday.  I say no card was left.  She says no, no delivery happened because Parcelforce didn’t pick up from PJH, the suppliers.  She says they’re delivering today between 8 and 4:30 and I have a tracking number if you want it.  I say there’s no point, I’m not there.  She says well they’ll leave a card and you can ring them to rearrange delivery.  I say why can’t they deliver to the store?  She says she doesn’t know.

Jackie calls back at 11:50 and says that she’s spoken to the store and they’re happy to take delivery and bring it round to me on a Saturday but there’s nothing she can do at the moment because it’s in transit with Parcelforce but they’ll leave a card and I can just ignore it or keep it for future reference and she’ll ring Parcelforce tomorrow and call me tomorrow.

Why couldn’t they just have arranged for it to go to the store in the first place and why don’t they even bother to tell me that they’re going to try and deliver it to my house sooner than the actual day they’re going to deliver it?  Although Alan said on Monday that they were delivering on Tuesday so just as well I didn’t take the day off because they didn’t deliver on Tuesday. 

Yawn.

Yellow fever

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Woke up this morning looking forward to going for a run tonight then got home and thought can’t be bothered then thought that I must banish the phrase can’t be bothered from my vocabulary and to get out there and anyway, I’ve got a new top, and I need to try it out. So I put on my new luminous yellow top and hmm, not sure it’s really my colour but ho hum, at least there’s less chance of me getting run over now, seeing as my winter running kit consists of black, black and more black. Duh. Here’s my nice new yellow top:

I had decided earlier to do my three mile route but then I decided to do my two mile route but then changed my mind again and decided to do the three mile route, then almost changed it again and was going to do even less than two miles but then decided to carry on and do the three miles. And three miles I did. And I didn’t even get much of a breather on the way due to all the traffic lights being on red when I got up to them and cars stopping for me immediately at the zebra crossings. Why doesn’t this happen when I want the lights to be on red when I’m standing waiting to cross the road for ages?

Hard work today though, I think I need some pizza, crisps, chocolate and alcohol for strength. Now Kate’s thinking about joining me in the no alcohol thing ’til the end of January. (Yes I know I said I was giving it up, but forever seems like a long time, so I’ll just see how it goes until the end of January. And if I don’t make it ’til the end of January, I’ll just delete all reference in my blog to not drinking and deny all knowledge of ever having said such a stupid thing.) But she said she’ll have to start on Monday as she’s out tomorrow, then it’s the weekend. We’re going to the pictures on Tuesday, so let’s see if we can go out and not drink, eek!

B&Q bathroom installation – day 53

No card from Parcelforce so Alan at the installation centre must have been lying.

Either that or they only leave a card after three attempts at delivery have failed? Or the driver crashed on the way or maybe my road is the wrong kind of road or something. Or maybe it was just Parcelforce being their usual efficient selves.

Stats:
Miles: 3.13
Total time: 34:38
Average pace: 11:04 minute/mile
Average speed: 5.3mph
Max speed: 8.3mph
Total calories: 278
Weather: 57F
Green lights: 0
Cars not stopping at zebra crossings: 0
Deliveries from Parcelforce: 0
Music:
Bikini Kill – Bloody The Cream
Foo Fighters – Enough Space
Graham Coxon – All Over Me
The Killers
Pixies – U-Mass
Toyah – It’s A Mystery
Ween – How High Can You Fly
The Who – Squeeze Box
Soft Cell – Where The Heart Is

B&Q bathroom installation – day 52

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As I haven’t heard anything for a while about when the electrician’s coming back or when the new toilet seat’s being delivered, I ring the installation centre and speak to Alan.  Hello Alan I say, happy new year.  Happy new year he says.  I say all I’m waiting for is the electrician and the new toilet seat.  He says what date is it today?  The 8th?  The toilet seat’s coming on the 9th.  I say tomorrow?  I’m not in.  Alan says ah, it’s coming by Parcelforce so they’ll leave a card and you can rearrange a delivery for when you’re in or you can collect it from the depot.  I say I’m never in, I’m at work, unless it’s before 9 or on a Saturday and I can’t go to the depot, it’s miles away and I don’t drive.  Can it be delivered to the store?  Alan says no, he tried that.  I say but the panel was delivered to the store, why can’t the seat?  He says he doesn’t know.  I say no one told me it was being delivered tomorrow.  He says he tried to call me on Friday but couldn’t get through.  Ever heard of leaving messages?  That’s what voice mail’s for.

Alan says that when the installation manager called round I said the fitters were Mayers but he was under the impression that I didn’t want them back again.  I say I only need the electrician, as long as they don’t burn anything, rip anything, leave windows open or anything else that they’ve done in the last six months, I don’t mind.  He says ok then, he’ll see what he can do.

Bloody hell, dealing with B&Q is like wading through treacle.  My six months interest free credit runs out soon and I’m going to have to pay for an unfinished bathroom.  Can’t believe it’s been six months since I first ordered it and it’s taking all this time.

Update
Alan from the installation centre rings at 4:30 and says about your delivery tomorrow, it’s with Parcelforce, if you’re not in, what they do is try your neighbours on either side, I don’t know how well you get on with your neighbours, and if there’s no one to take it, they’ll try to deliver on three consecutive days and leave a card and you can arrange for a delivery when you’re in.  I say but I’m not in any day.  He says I don’t know if they do Saturdays or if you can take a delivery on a Saturday?  I say Saturday’s fine or before 9 o’clock.  He says I don’t know if they do before 9 o’clock.  I say they do because I looked on their website but it will cost B&Q more.  I say I spoke to someone last year, I think his name was Gary, when I was trying to get my panel delivered and he said that you can’t rearrange a delivery until the delivery’s failed.  I say a neighbour took in the sink so hopefully someone will be around tomorrow.  Alan says will they take delivery for you?  I say if anyone’s around, yes.  I say it is just the seat that’s coming, isn’t it?   He says yes, the special seat, the non-banging one.  I say the non-banging one, ha ha.  He says I can’t remember what the proper name is.  I say hydraulic action?  Oh yes, that’s it he says.  Alan says well let’s see what happens with the delivery tomorrow.  I say any word on the electrician?  He says I was going to wait until you’ve got the toilet seat and then he can do both at the same time.  I say oh ok, fair enough.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

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