Storm Damage

I would like to apologise to my next door neighbour. Actually, I wouldn’t – it’s all her fault anyway. Last night was – well, pretty bloody windy, and as such there’d been severe weather warnings (although whether that’s a warning about severe weather, or a severe warning, I have no idea) to say so. Gusts up to 60 or 70mph, blah blah blah.

And yes, for once they got it right – it was bloody windy. No idea on wind speeds, but it was gusty enough to be believable at that kind of speeds. And my neighbour has – well, technically had would be more accurate – wind-chimes hanging from the tree in her front garden.

By 3am it was beyond a joke. I think an extra-strong gust of wind must have broken the string holding the wind-chime to the tree. Not helped at all by scissors. No sir. I’m a good neighbour – wouldn’t think of doing anything like that. Honest.

Travelling

As Sarah astutely pointed out in the comments yesterday, it’s been a while since there was a decent (or, more accurately an indecent) piece about transport. However, I’m vaguely optimistic that the situation may be rectified tomorrow, when I’m travelling to Reading with – you guessed it – Virgin Trains. Oh goody, how lucky do I feel?

As it is, while there we’ll be visiting Westonbirt Arboretum for their “Illuminated Trail” – basically plants and trees with lights. Typically, their website has no bloody pictures, so I’ll take some of my own.

I’ll also try to add in a couple of longer pieces again – the joys of between six and eight hours on a train, plus late nights etc., although they may not get uploaded ’til Monday. We’ll see. And in the meantime, I’ll also be upgrading my Dreamweaver installs to MX2004. Which’ll be fun. no, really, it will.

Constructive

So far, today’s been an infinitely better day than yesterday. The PHP stuff is working much better – I’ve given up on using DreamWeaver for most of it, and just writing the necessary by hand. The learning curve is rather reminiscent of a cliff, but that’s nothing unusual either. Instead I’m finding the difference between = and == (and === , although I’m not planning on using that one) and I’ve already managed to get some of the necessary stuff written, tested, and working.

Various epithets have been used in the development process – like, there’s a shocker – but at the end of the day it’s worked and I’m happy with it.

Obstructive

If someone were to tell me that today is “a day of celebration for the unutterably crap” I really wouldn’t be surprised. It’s also a day that should be sponsored by the manufacturers of high-blood-pressure pills.

All day I’ve been cursing a combination of 34sp (the hosting company for another couple of websites as well as d4d™), Macromedia’s Dreamweaver and PHP. In short, the stuff I need to do is on a site hosted by 34sp, using pHP, and pox-ridden shuff-sitling Dreamweaver won’t farking connect to the site at all for PHP use. Pigging thing. The incredibly helpful error message of “an unidentified error has occurred” isn’t exactly helpful when it comes to fault-finding and trouble-shooting either.

Also in the running for the infamous “shitbag of the day” award are two crews of mentally deficient customer services people. First of all, say hello to Halifux. A week ago I contacted them about an account that had been fraudlently applied for in my name – at which time they promised to send out all the relevant paperwork. Luckily I didn’t hold my breath while waiting for it to arrive – so today I called them, gave them the address information etc., only to be told “we’ve no record based on the address. Haven’t you got the account number?” – frankly, no, I haven’t, because I forgot the bloody piece of paper. However, the address/postcode/surname combination should work, except that the cerebrally relaxed operator who took the initial details has obviously managed to stuff them up. So it’ll wait ’til I get home, and then I get to call the ‘tards all over again. Oh joy, oh happiness, oh lucky me.

Second, a big hairy extended digit to the customer services department of Three, the 3G phone network. I needed to change my address with them, and get another copy of the latest bill sent to me. Definitely nowhere near rocket science. Of course, it’s too complicated to have customer services details like that on the bloody website – why would anyone want to use that? So it’s on the phone to “333” , the Three customer services department. First of all, an incomprehensible automated system that’s supposed to filter calls, and actually seems more suited to “you’re not coming in” levels of security. Finally it connects to a human being. In India. Twenty focking minutes of call, just for two things. I ended up spelling the street name letter-by-letter, having repeated it eight times already.

Amazingly, so far I haven’t actually really sworn once. It’s chuffing tempting though…

Ideas

Another thing I really must stop doing – or at least do in a more productive fashion – is having ideas. While working away on other things today, my brain’s been planning out how to do a decent “to-do” list for another client of mine, where the on-line list can be accessed, items added, amended, deleted, or crossed off, as well as a selection of other useful functions. I’ve got the schematic for it in my head now – but I’ve had to be thinking about it today because it simply popped into my head while talking with the client, and they were – shall we say – rather more enthused than I’d expected.

So I either need to stop having ideas, or learn not to say whatever’s on my mind. I’m not sure which option is going to be the easiest.

Impulse

One thing I do need to now stop doing ’til New Year is the impulse purchase of DVDs and CDs on the day of release. Well, there’ll be one exception to that – when the Alien Quadrilogy is released, I’m buying it. Then again, it’s expensive enough that I wouldn’t expect anyone else to buy it for me – but all four Alien films, remastered, redone, extended, and in double-disc sets, plus another disc of interviews etc., well, it’s a must-have.

But having bought the X-2 DVD yesterday, I’m now going to make an effort to not purchase anything else ’til 2004. It’s probably inherently doomed for any number fo reasons, but at least it gives me some ideas when friends/family start saying “what do you want for the Festering Season™?” (and the answer “a months induced coma” is deemed unacceptable, as is “the ability to hibernate”, or “simple – a shotgun and unlimited ammunition”)

We’ll just have to see how it goes though…

Pub(l)ic Information

Again, relating to Bottom Live, if you’re in Manchester and missed the shows in the last week, they were advertising that there’s going to be another performance at the Apollo on the 12th December. So there.