Driving

Bit of a theme developing, but there we go. I’ll try and break it up with some other posts in between too…

So – no, I don’t have a particular problem with driving, and in fact when I’m doing it I actually quite enjoy it. It just never made the top ten on the priority list. People look at me in a combination of shock and horror when I say I don’t drive – and in some ways I can understand that thought process when they’ve been driving ten years or whatever. But all the same, for the most part it’s just not been something that was necessary. I’ve generally lived in towns and cities where I could get around no worries without driving.

Yes, weekends and the amount of travelling I’ve done would have been easier in a car. But at the same time I was able to sit on a train and read, or do work on the laptop, or even sleep. Sure I’d get there quicker in a car (well, most of the time) but I’d not be able to do any of those other things. Maybe I’m just trying to provide excuses to myself – but whatever the reason, it’s not been a matter of urgency.

Over the last year though, it’s become more important. The travelling between Manchester and Reading/Bracknell would’ve been a lot easier, and the move down here would’ve been easier and quicker too, I can’t deny it. And now, living with Herself, I’d rather be able to share the driving work, and make both our lives a lot easier.

So yes, now it’s more important to get it done, which previously it hasn’t. That doesn’t mean I’m going to suddenly transform into a “drive everywhere” type, because bizarre as it may seem, I actually enjoy walking to work, or (when I get it sorted) cycling to places. Because of the way I’ve been over the last decade or so, I don’t see the car as the way to get everywhere – but it definitely has its uses too. Bracknell’s got less of a transport system than the last few places I’ve lived, and as such driving will be useful. Getting around the area will be easier in a car – and yes, so will things like shopping (although home delivery is still a grand idea, and saves a lot of work!) and visiting friends/family.

It’s going to happen – and I’m sure many people, Herself included, will say “About bloody time too!”


Additional Technical

I’m actually wondering at the moment whether I should come up with some fixes on d4d™’s styling within wordpress, and build my own template. Currently the hack I’m using to get round the templating issue is fine, but it’s leading to problems in other areas.

The archives thing is still being a twat, and I’ve no idea why. And Quelle surprise the WordPress support forums are still as helpful as a kick in the conkers. Also on the comments pop-up, I’ve got something wrong where once a comment has been posted, it tries to reload the entire d4d™ page into the comments box. Pain in the ass.

There’s one or two other little bits that annoy too, so I’ll possibly work on splitting down the bits of d4d™ into that templating system that WP foisted on to version 1.5. Goody, that’ll be fun.


Vroom – part 2

The lesson actually went really well, I’m pleased to say. There’s an 8-week lead-time for the test itself, and I’ve been told to get it booked. Looks promising, anyway.

This time I’m learning in a Ford Focus. Much much much nicer than the Corsa I was in last time. (And yes, Razorhead, I’d agree, avoid BSM like the plague, they’re toss) For the first time ever, I actually had leg-room – being 6’4″ and the width of the proverbial shithouse, a Vauxhall Corsa is NOT the best thing to be driving. I could definitely get to like the Focus though…

Still, all’s good so far. Oh, and Herself has asked me to point out that she’s been encouraging me to sort out the driving, and NOT nagging…


Getting Old

I’ve just plucked out a grey nose hair. God help us all, I’m getting old.


Vroom

Yes, tonight the driving lessons start again. In fact, somewhere right about now.

Driving is one of those weird things that I’ve just never got round to, and never seriously felt the need to do. I don’t know exactly why – although there’s been a number of reasons in the past – but it’s just not something I’m overly bothered about. Yes, in some circumstances it would have made my life easier, but in others it just doesn’t change things all that much.

For example, even if/when I pass the test, I’m still not going to be driving in to work – I’ll be walking or cycling. It’s quicker/easier/cheaper, so why bother using the car? It’ll be useful on longer journeys, so it’ll be good to have it passed, but ’til now it’s just not been on the priority list really.

But Herself has been nagging encouraging me that it’s better to have it passed, so now I’m getting round to it.


B&Q – Finale(ish)

I’ve just cancelled the order with B&Q. Now we just have to fight to get the wrongly-delivered stuff removed before we can get a refund on it. The tossers.

Never again will I shop using the online B&Q site. It’s crap. The latest chapter in the epic has involved dealing with a person in their customer services team – one who was apparently offended at the word “effing” (I got told not to swear at her – she hasn’t seen this site, obv.) and who tried to say the entire farce was my/our fault for ordering the wrong items.

Speaking slowly, I explained that we’d used the website, where order numbers weren’t entered by the customer. If the twunting fridgelickers couldn’t get the right numbers into their website, how was that our problem? The offer to re-do the order (I’ll put in the correct code this time for you” – patronising shitehawk) and still not get it delivered ’til mid-March was, shall we say, received unenthusiastically by myself.

So now we’re back to square one, and need to order 2 x 3m worktops. I wonder what Homebase can do to fuck it all up?


Joins, Selects, and VPNage

Sometimes I just feel entirely out of my depth, and wonder whether IT is really the field for me. Today (and yesterday, if I’m honest) have been some of those times.

The bane of the last two days have been SQL joins. Not difficult stuff by any means – it’s just that at the moment I don’t understand the concept, or how to tell an inner left join from an outer right one. I know that once it clicks, I’ll look back and think “how the hell did I ever get confused by those?” but for now the logic of them simply isn’t there, and I can’t find a way to get it there, no matter how many of the keffing things I do.

Other than that, setting up Windows XP remotely and sorting out VPNs, server-based antivirus, along with working out why the Windows Firewall kept on restarting have proved to be a day of which I’ve had enough.