10:24, 30 June 2006, Feeling cozy

It's raining outside and the sky is totally grey, but the new office layout seems to make me feel very cozy indeed. The weekend is almost here, and that means July is coming - sad to think it's all down hill from here! I really must get out and take some more pictures while it's still so green, but the rain is going to make that quite difficult I think. I need to get some more frames too; still got a couple of large prints to hang up on the wall

12:57, 29 June 2006, Feeling accomplished

When you've been sitting at the end of one room looking out of a window in one direction for a couple of years and you change to a different room looking out in a different direction, it feels very very strange! It's almost as if I'm in someone else's house now

I noticed the other day that Channel 4 is trialling a live TV over internet service; see http://geo.channel4.com/player/simulcast/index.jsp - you have to register, and it seems to show you a load of adverts before putting you on to an actual live feed, but once you're there the quality is pretty decent and certainly very watchable. Annoying how they can't show any 'bought in' television shows yet, but that's licensing for you!

19:15, 27 June 2006, Feeling content

I'm writing this on a laptop that has spots of paint on the keys...

Yesterday I had carpet laid throughout my flat, which of course created many problems over the weekend. I got some friends over and we moved all my furniture into one room, then ripped up the old floor, underlay and so on. Sorting broken floorboards is not that much fun, but at least it gives you something solid to walk on! Then the painting began, first the walls and then the skirting boards. And then touching things up here and there. Before I knew it it was 9PM on Sunday evening - spent the night with my parents (thank you) because I didn't really feel like sleeping on the floor, and then up at 5.45AM the next morning.

Surprisingly, the carpet laying went very well up until the point the guys tried to do my hall; the front door needed about half an inch taken off the bottom So off came the door, which I later cut down to size with a very r0x saw!

So it's all done now, everything is moved back, and I worked again today (ish!). Time to sign off and chill out

21:53, 22 June 2006, Feeling happy

Had my first run in a transit van today That may not seem like such a big thing, but I kinda feel that the transit van is a bit of an institution now! But... the suspension was terrible, it smelt kinda like someone had errrr left a present in the back, and performance was rather lacklustre It did, however, get the job done, without issue, and I guess when it comes down to it that's just what the Transit is all about. Respect to Top Gear for taking one round the Nurburgring; I'd have died off a heart attack after a few minutes!

17:44, 20 June 2006, Feeling odd

Scotland is a strange place. It's absolutely pissing it down with rain, the wind is blowing and the sky is dark, but... the ice cream van is still going. I almost feel like going out and getting something just because of the effort the guy puts in. But, please please please change your bloody music!!

11:39, 20 June 2006, Feeling amazed

Yippee! Having received a letter from Bulldog stating that my line is too long to sustain their ADSL2+ service, I have now been put on to an ADSL2+ linecard and am syncing somewhat higher than I used to! Now I just need them to remove the 8meg cap from my service

20:35, 18 June 2006, Feeling nice

Wouldn't normally post about the trains here, but OMG the funniest thing happened today when travelling up to Stirling. The first stop out of Glasgow is Lenzie, and the train just went straight through the station at 80mph The driver suddenly realised what he had done when he noticed the passengers standing on the platform waiting, but of course it was all too late. He hit the emergency brake and the train came to a halt about half a mile further up the line Now at this point I'd have loved to have been a fly on the wall in the cab. I guess it would have gone something like this... Train driver says "Shit shit shit shit! Errmm I think a f***ed up a bit". Signalman says "How so?". Train driver says "Well I kinda forgot to stop at Lenzie". Signalman says "WTF, you tit. You're a complete and utter retard". Train driver says "Can I go back up the line?". Signalman says "No, you are doomed. DOOMED I tell thee!".

Meanwhile, the conductor made the oddest announcement to the passengers, along the lines of "for those of you travelling to Lenzie, we WILL be calling at Lenzie in just a few minutes". I'm sitting there going "how the hell, that's kinda impossible now ". 5 minutes later, we pulled away and took the poor Lenzie passengers all the way to Stirling where 'alternative arrangements' had been made. What were those I wonder? Sending them back on the next train I guess. A whole hour later Anyway, I guess the driver is gonna need his horlicks tonight!!

22:18, 15 June 2006, Feeling amused

Big Brother is totally funny tonight... "11.53AM, Lea is talking about her breasts" like how often do you hear that? Especially from the amazingly unique drones of the BB narrator! Anyway I guess it's about to get boring again.

So I've put in this crazy list of moods that I can add to my blog posts. 187 moods in total to be exact. I'm not sure I know 187 different moods, but I'm sure it'll be great fun learning a new one each day

23:48, 14 June 2006, Feeling tired

What happens when you start fiddling around in Dreamweaver? Well, in my case, not a lot. But whatever happened it took me a good couple of hours to do it So the changes are very subtle, but I think they make a (small) difference!

A bit off topic, but what the hell is this 'Deal or No Deal' game on Channel 4 all about? I turned the telly on a couple of nights ago just before Big Brother, and there was Noel Edmunds complete with tight tucked in shirt trying to act all serious in what looks like Channel 4's attempt at 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?', except without the questions. And who did the music for it???!! Anyhow, I think it might be time for bed - WMP stopped playing music ages ago and the flies have started to come in my window...

20:50, 13 June 2006, Feeling pleased

Just reorganised the gallery to make the index page a display of my most recent work. Kinda made sense to me since the pictures that were in there were quickly passing their sell by date

13:43, 13 June 2006, Feeling intrigued

By now any of you that are in Glasgow will have noticed the great big plume of black smoke floating above the west end; apparently it's one of the Glasgow Uni Student Halls buildings that was being refurbished - I'm guessing they're gonna need to start again now! Anyway I snapped a shot from my window - http://www.martinsawyer.com/images/fireoverkelvingrovepark.jpg - it's meant to be of the smoke by the way, not the guys

22:51, 11 June 2006, Feeling happy

Went up to Mallaig yesterday on the train as the weather was gorgeous (still is!) and I've never been in June. It was awesome; the colours were just so vibrant, the green was lush and the blue was so intense. Went up the hill (see pic from last year...) and drank a couple of ciders while sitting roasting in the sun, it was great! The train was packed on the way back, but the atmosphere was brilliant - everyone had had an excellent time.

On a sidenote, got my first framed picture up on the wall today (after much stress) and it just looks awesome!

14:59, 9 June 2006, Feeling content

What incredible weather. The sun always seems to bring the best out of people - everyone I've seen has been so chilled out recently. I wish there was a way of bottling it up for use during winter! Went down to Ayr yesterday evening, and after going to the pub went for a stroll down the beach - wow, I had no idea that the beach was so massive there. Anyway, we see a guy very obviously showing off on a Jetski - two girls come along the beach and shout to him "Are you a hotty?" - this puts the guy into OMG show off mode and he starts spinning round and round at high speed. It was totally funny, although you probably had to be there. Gonna have to find a new camera bag this weekend; my camera has grown somewhat and however hard I try it doesn't fit into my old one

13:59, 8 June 2006, Feeling annoyed

Argh I hate PCs. Sometime during yesterday afternoon my Microsoft Exchange server broke, except at the time I thought it was a problem with my main PC here - so I spent the evening reformatting and installing Windows, only to suffer from exactly the same problem as soon as I loaded Outlook again. 3 more installations later, and I was no nearer to a solution! So I called my hosting company this morning, and spent a while trying to explain that this was definitely a problem at their end and not mine. Eventually the girl tried out what I told her to do, and suddenly she came back to me and said "yes, there seems to be a problem just now"!

Went out on Tuesday evening with Abe, and I took the camera and fisheye with me just in case. I still can't get over how wide the lens is, you have to be SO careful not to get yourself in the shot! The weather is absolutely gorgeous just now and it sucks having to stay in and work, but the weekend is near and things are meant to stay warm and blue so that keeps me happy Really need to go out and take some more shots with the fisheye....

10:20, 6 June 2006, Feeling pleased

It arrived, at last! http://www.martinsawyer.com/gallery/sp_index.php?file=./Cameras/Canon%2015mm%20Fisheye.jpg

17:20, 5 June 2006, Feeling alright

The beginning of a new week brings... another Monday. Great. Why is it that the weather is always better when I'm working? And as if to try and annoy me further, there are students outside on the grass having a BBQ and listening to music. I want it! :-)

Actually, the weekend was good - I'm not sure if it's actually Summer yet, but it totally feels like it. It's great to be able to go out without a jacket; even if it rains it's still warm. Went to see Poseidon yesterday, and apart from the lacklustre cinema the film was pretty good. Ignore all the awful looking CG at the beginning, and the fact that they've obviously only bought one piece of 'generic' disaster movie music which sounds suspiciously like something from "The Day After Tomorrow". Worth seeing once :-)

Pigeon problem should be solved now; all windows in the close are closed and hopefully they'll remain that way!

17:11, 2 June 2006, Feeling awake

Hah, it's June! Who would have guessed it would come so quickly...? Anyway, it's not a bad day (17c, blue skies) and I can't wait to get out and take some more pictures this weekend. Hopefully the weather will hold out! Annoyingly those pigeons from the other day seem to have returned. I can't ever remember it being this bad before, maybe they've been moved on from somewhere else in the city. And, I've come to a sad realisation - I've got nothing more to sell on eBay!! :-|