Tuesday, November 30, 2004

8.13 On Time
Last night, to kill time while waiting for a non-cancelled train, GeekBoy went for a drink. It made him chattier than usual.

That's all for now.

All Apologies - Kathryn Williams
Piano Fire - Sparklehorse
Goddess On A Highway - Mercury Rev
Each Time I Bring It Up It Seems To Bring You Down - Lambchop
Hot Burrito #1 - The Flying Burrito Brothers
Nightswimming - REM
The Day We All Died - The Reindeer Section
Time Is Running Out - Muse
Mad World - Gary Jules
Breed - Nirvana

Labels:


Monday, November 29, 2004

Stop Crying Your Heart Out

Well that's not likely to happen as long as things like this continue to.

Party Fears Two

17.17 Cancelled
Despite the fact that the web site told me it was on time. They lie. They lie.
So, here I am, back at work, in an empty office with an hour to kill.

I could do some work.

There appear to have been no repercussions from Friday night, which is good obviously. But, also a little disappointing. The seating plan was implemented with, lets say, 90% success. Charlie and PerfectTeamMember were close enough. LovelyTeamMember was centrally placed, for entertainment purposes. LineManager was distanced from EggshellsColleague. MegalomaniacColleague was safely shepherded away from both EggshellsColleague and RecentlyBereavedColleague. Sadly, the sacrificial lamb turned out to be me. Who'd have thought it? With hindsight, maybe my 'no wine' policy was a bit of a mistake.

I still managed to be sitting next to Leanne though, so it wasn't the end of the world.

If I were paranoid I might start to wonder if someone else's plan had been 100% successful.
Good job I'm not.

Fingers crossed for the 18.23:
I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten - Dusty Springfield
Lydia - Dean Friedman
Single - Everything But The Girl
Time After Time - Eva Cassidy
Back Of My Hand - Gemma Hayes
All Kinds Of Time - Fountains Of Wayne
Wichita Lineman - Glen Campbell
Miracle - Josh Rouse
I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love ... - Natalie Merchant
Fuck Me Kitten - REM
Everybody Come Down - The Delgados

Labels:


Friday, November 26, 2004

7.37 Six Minutes Late

Party......?

Alan Parsons In A WinterWonderland - Grandaddy
Little Drummer Boy - Dandy Warhols
Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas - Eels
Maybe At Christmastime - Drugstore
When I Come Home For Christmas - Snow Patrol
O Come O Come Emmanuel - Belle & Sebastian
Just Like Christmas - Low
Everyday Is Christmas - The Webb Brothers

Thursday, November 25, 2004

It's MY flexi-time you're wasting

7.37 Fourteen Minutes Late
The trains don't seem to like these dark mornings. It doesn't bother me anywhere near as much as it used to in the pre-mp3 era.
I rail at trains much less now.

A man looking like Clint Eastwood got on at PoshStation, except Clint Eastwood wouldn't wear a maroon anorak. Would he?

Last night there was a man who looked like a wolf. Or would it be a werewolf? It was definitely a man, but very wolfish. Or would it be wolvish?

Already Gone - Stephen Duffy
Mellow Doubt - Teenage Fanclub
3 Speed - Eels
I Didn't Understand - Elliott Smith
An Open Book - Stephen Duffy
Indoor Fireworks - Elvis Costello
Switching Off - Elbow
High & Dry - Radiohead
Dead Of Winter - Eels



Wednesday, November 24, 2004

7.37 Nine Minutes Late
There are some people on the platform who have allowed ten minutes to make a really, really important connection and they are getting anxious as the train is late.


May I suggest, well, duh! What did you THINK was going to happen?

I was going to be nicer.

I thought it was time I addressed my own uncorrected personality traits for a change.
I had decided to stop being all sneery and superior (stroppy, some might say) because it really isn't an attractive quality, and start making allowances for people.


But it's hard.


"Bear with me"

An Open Book - Stephen Duffy
Something Vague - Bright Eyes
Bled White - Elliott Smith
Climbing To The Moon - Eels
I Wonder If The Snow Will Settle - Clearlake
The North Star - Roddy Frame
Ghost Of A Shark - Tom McRae
In The Darkest Place - Elvis Costello


Tuesday, November 23, 2004

17.17 Three Minutes Late
First Thought: What makes me snigger when the imminent arrival of the Virgin Pendolino is announced?

a) It is a dumb and meaningless name yet it manages to be full of self important swagger
or
b) I am juvenile

Second Thought: Only 3 days left till the OfficeChristmasDo. No, really. November 26th.
This year it has been seamlessly (ruthlessly?) organised by Charlie. There is one small problem - she has been so successfully inclusive that there are now one or two serious seating issues. How are we going to manipulate and connive to implement a Seating Plan without 'anyone' realising it's happening?

This must be the sort of tough assignment that Management get paid for.

I have weaned myself off Teenage Fanclub, however, this has resulted in the appearance of a Stephen Duffy Jukebox.

I Won't Die For You
All For Love And Love For All
So Far Away
The Family Coach
The Silence
Black Velvet
Return To Yesterday
Oh God
An Open Book

Listening to "An Open Book" gives rise to the Third Thought: I hope he's feeling better.


Monday, November 22, 2004

8.13 Eight Minutes Late
Did
this on Saturday. Apparently it's about time we got back into walking up hills again. I was worried enough to leave instructions with TheOlderBoy relating to Mountain Rescue/planned routes/estimated return times etc. When my knees gave up at about 3 miles from the pub safety and wiry seventy year olds were jogging past me, I had visions of a humiliating air lift, but I struggled on bravely without complaint.

Or, according to
Tim, whimpered & looked as dispirited as if I'd been losing 7-0 when the eighth goal went in. If only we'd known how things were going to turn out he could've said "Like a QPR supporter at the half time whistle", but that would've been getting ahead of ourselves a little.

At least I didn't
sink into a bog.

We returned to the news that
this had happened. So, pretty good all round, really.

Please help. I can't stop listening to the jangly guitars. Please help.

All Kinds Of Time - Fountains Of Wayne
All Kinds Of Time - Fountains Of Wayne
About You - Teenage Fanclub
Sparky's Dream - Teenage Fanclub
Mellow Doubt - Teenage Fanclub
Don't Look Back - Teenage Fanclub
Verisimilitude - Teenage Fanclub
Neil Jung - Teenage Fanclub
Bank Holiday Monday - The Lilac Time

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Attack of the Jangly Guitars

8.13 On Time

Serious Question:
How many rickenbackers did it take to make todays playlist?

Pain Killer - Turin Brakes
That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore - The Smiths
Standing In Line - Astrid
I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better - The Byrds
Neil Jung - Teenage Fanclub
Run - Snow Patrol
In My Place - Coldplay
All Kinds Of Time - Fountains Of Wayne




Tuesday, November 16, 2004

8.13 On Time
So anyway, we don't have a specific code for "Bishop" apparently. A Bishop, for future reference, is to be classified simply as a 'V.I.P Reverend'. How disappointing.

What with that, Ben Folds canceling Sunday, and the 72-hour DIY-a-thon I've been on, I'm feeling somewhat deflated this morning. And my legs hurt.

Yesterday was the first day I've had to myself, to be all alone in the house for ... well, it seems like ever. And how did I spend those precious hours? Eating chocolate? Drinking 'special' coffee? Watching back to back episodes of the L-Word? All three? No. Eight hours of painting woodwork that's how.

I feel virtuous but cheated.

I'll be quite glad to get back to work for a rest.

All Kinds Of Time - Fountains Of Wayne*
Verisimilitude - Teenage Fanclub
Bend and Break - Keane
Good Souls - Starsailor
Estrella - Cinerama
1776 - Hope Of The States
Found My Rosebud - The Thrills
Give Judy My Notice - Ben Folds
All Kind Of Time - Fountains Of Wayne

(*This is my new favourite song)


Labels: , ,


Friday, November 12, 2004

8.13 On Time
Ever turned up to a gig/concert/show/15 girl value-for-money event and discovered you're a whole day early?

No. Thanks to the intervention of PerfectTeamMember, neither did we.

We're going to see The Thrills tonight. TONIGHT. Friday.
Not Thursday.

I dial the IT Department number with the question I've been waiting all week to ask:
"Hello TechGirl, it's Beth. Can you ask ChiefGeek how to enter a Bishop?

The Last Hour - Elliott Smith
Rule Nor Reason - Billy Bragg
Orange Crush - REM
Kathy's Song - Simon & Garfunkel
Black Math - The White Stripes
It Could've Been A Brilliant Career - Belle & Sebastian
Days - Kirsty MacColl
These Are Days - 10,000 Maniacs
Found My Rosebud - The Thrills

Labels:


Thursday, November 11, 2004

8.13 On Time
I know I should be worrying about Palestine.
Instead, I'm thinking about last night's Property Ladder and how you've got to admire a man who's prepared to bath in a bucket for three months.

Don't Steal Our Sun - The Thrills
Company - Dean Friedman
Let Myself Fall - Rosie Thomas
So Long Ago -Nanci Griffith
There's No Other Way - Blur
Chocolate - Snow Patrol
Michael - Franz Ferdinand
Old Friends, New Lovers - The Thrills

Labels:


Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Supply & Demand

17.17 Four Minutes Late
Overheard on the platform tonight.
TwentysomethingSouthernBlonde, loudly, into mobile: "I really need a couple more girls for tomorrow babe ... no, no babe, I'm not having a go at you ... I'm just saying, a couple more girls would be nice ... it's not really a Value For Money event with less than fifteen girls is it? ... Well, O.K... but if you could just try and get me a couple more girls for tomorrow ..."

GeekBoy caught my eye: "Are you laughing at what I'm laughing at?"
I nodded: "Are you picturing that Event tomorrow?"
He nodded.

We went back to our own private contemplations.

Down To The River To Pray - Alison Krauss
Wolf At The Door - Radiohead
Beautiful Girl - Robyn Hitchcock
Planet New Earth - Lorien
Everything's Not Lost - Coldplay
All Kinds Of Time - Fountains Of Wayne
Scarborough Fair - Simon & Garfunkel
Guess I'm Doing Fine - Beck

Tuesday, November 09, 2004

Paid To Smile

17.17 Eight Minutes Late
Somedays, by five o'clock I'm so brain dead I can barely be bothered to unplug from the headset and go home. This was one of those days. We're down two staff members who are not going to be replaced any time soon, and today we had to handle all the backlogged calls that had stacked up as a result of yesterday's fabulous office-closing "Communication Event".

So, some "Etiquette For Service Users".
It seems appropriate at this time to mention some of the things not to say to the person who answers the phone when you are making a call to a 'free at point of use' service and are anticipating getting some help from them :

"Are you a machine?"
"Are you human?"
"Oh, you've finished your tea break then?"

Because, just to re-cap you are anticipating getting some help from them. They didn't want that previous caller to have been on the line for twenty-five minutes, believe me. It was doing their call stats no good at all, but, and here's the thing, some calls just take that long to deal with. If you'd like a shorter wait we can cut you after after you've had your four minutes and you can join the queue again? Is that better?

And I know, I'm paid to be polite, however much you try to piss me off. I'm just not very good at it.
End of rant.

PS You Rock My World - Eels
Pounding - Doves
Girls & Boys - Good Charlotte
Babylon's Burning - the Ruts
Funeral Pyre - The Jam
Promises - The Buzzcocks
Whole Wide World - Wreckless Eric
Another Girl Another Planet - The Only Ones
Teenage Kicks - The Undertones

Labels:


Monday, November 08, 2004

Steven's Last Night In Town

17.17 On Time
Still no word from the Bishop of Haiti. I'm beginning to suspect he wasn't as bothered as he was making out. On the other hand I did get a letter from my Stalker on Friday. Strictly business, obviously.

Friday was also LaidBackColleague's last day and, naturally, Leaving Do.
Respects were paid, gifts were exchanged and a few tears were shed. It's not as if he's moving to the other end of the earth - or even the other end of town - but things just won't be the same without him. In a bad way.

Even UncorrectedPersonalityTraitColleague came back for the event, which was a little ironic, as it was his continued employment that had been the catalyst for LaidBackColleague's job search. But, hey, he didn't know that, and distance does lend a kind of enchantment...

No?

Anchorage - Michelle Shocked
Caroline - Kirsty MacColl
The Way I Am - Eminem
Rockin' The Suburbs - Ben Folds
Everyday Is Like Sunday - Morrissey
Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking - Snow Patrol
Kelly Watch The Stars - Air
Alison's Starting To Happen - Lemonheads
Unbelievable - EMF

Labels:


Wednesday, November 03, 2004

United States Of Whatever

7.35 On Time
I spoke to the Bishop of Haiti today. He wasn't in Haiti, he was in Rossendale. Or so he said. I'm making him put it in writing just to be sure.

Just sing up will you!

As if that wasn't excitement enough, Tim & I went to see the "let's rub salt in the wound" named 'Hope Of The States' again tonight. They've got some half decent / potentially anthemic songs. Unfortunately, they also have a lead singer who throws away cast iron certainty crowd pleasing choruses by mumble-singing.* I think they did better in Boston when overcoming the adversity of the vomiting drummer.

All U Can Eat - Ben Folds
From Red To Blue - Billy Bragg
For You - Bruce Springsteen
No Better Place - Fountains of Wayne
Because - Elliott Smith
Everything Beautiful Is Far Away - Grandaddy
George Washington - Hope Of The States
Free World - Kirsty MacColl
United States Of Whatever - Liam Lynch

(*Just to clarify, in case that sounds a little harsh - I did enjoy it, but I think they could do so much better!)




Labels: ,


Tuesday, November 02, 2004

17.17 Cancelled
This always happens just after the clocks have gone back.
The trains go crazy.

But, as I've decided it's too risky to leave the fate of the Free World to omens and superstition, I'm much too busy trying to influence the election by the power of my mind to get sarcastic over timetable issues.

Mellow Doubt - Teenage Fanclub
Bank Holiday Monday - The Lilac Time
Dry Your Eyes - The Streets
Jenny - American Music Club
I'll Fly Away - Alison Krauss & Gillian Welch
Trouble Me - 10,000 Maniacs
California Stars - Wilco
From Wisconsin - Wolf Colonel
The Universal - Blur


Monday, November 01, 2004

Mellow Doubt

7.35 On Time
I seem to have the US Election all sewn up.

After all, the Washington Redskins were beaten by the Green Bay Packers yesterday, which means Bush will lose. Simple as that. No need for any further hoo-ha or shenanigans.

When, under duress from TheYoungerBoy, I randomly picked my Football team on the basis of cheese and community involvement I didn't realise they'd have political clout too.

On a more serious note, over the past couple of weeks I have become obsessed with Teenage Fanclub's "Mellow Doubt". Why? Is it the whistling? Or the stoppy/starty bits? Or the melancholic lyric? Whatever it is, it's lodged in my head til the next thing comes along and drives it out.

Mellow Doubt - Teenage Fanclub
Mellow Doubt - Teenage Fanclub
Chocolate - Snow Patrol
Tomorrow - James
Regeneration - Divine Comedy
Galveston - Glen Campbell
Temptation - Elvis Costello
Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley
Mellow Doubt - Teenage Fanclub

Labels: ,


This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?