Musings of a Muppet

And so the end of the decade closes in on us and I feel like I’ve acheived nothing in those 10 years. So let’s see what I’ve done and what’s happened.

Well back in 2000 I’d only just discovered the internet and I created my first ever website for the Blackmore Players using nested tables all hand-coded in notepad! Five years later I landed my first webmaster job and I now own my own web design company so I can do freelance work!
I started the decade as an unemployed insurance underwriter and finish as a self employed web developer – I know which I’d rather be!

I haven’t had too many holidays but back in 2000 I did all the overtime I could and paid for a 3 week trip to Australia. I went on my own and dropped in on my best mate’s Aunt and Alex, someone I’d briefly met while he was over here in the UK! The trip took in Sydney, Bondi Beach, Melbourne, Adelaide, the Grampians in Victoria and a week with Alex in Mount Gambier. I was in Sydney just after the Olympics had been staged there and saw the Olympic complex which was mighty impressive.
I also went to Portugal and France (3 times) – the first time we went to France we managed to go on 07/07/2005 – the day of the London bombings, and we knew nothing of what had happened until late afternoon! The France trips involved staying at my cousin’s who has a house set in the most amazing location overlooking the Pyranees. Good times are always guaranteed there!

The decade has naturally had some sad points – the only grandparent I really remember, my nan, died in 2001. My Aunt and my Uncle also passed away, as have some friends from my drama group.
My mum thought she’d get in on the act and decided to have a heartattack on New Years Eve 2005 but luckily it was only a mild one and she was in hospital by the time she actually had the attack.

In 2002 I bought my first flat and ventured out into the big wide world on my own! Dad made me plan a budget which I stuck to ridgidly – so much so that for the first 2 years of living on my own, I didn’t spend any money except for what was in my budget!

I started the decade single and end it a married “woman”. I still act like a five year old though! Yes in 2008 I took the plunge and married the love of my life, after many years of internet dating it finally worked! The best day of my life so far was my Wedding Day!

The one constant has been the Blackmore Players. I have been in chorus – I have played the lead. But I have always been involved!

I started the decade with a Ford Fiesta 1.25 Si, and end it with a Peugeot 306 GTi-6 – albeit one that isn’t currently working! They are the only 2 cars I have owned this decade!
I started the decade living with my parents near Brentwood, and end it living with my husband in Colchester after a stint of living on my own (lovely) in Boreham, near Chelmsford.

I started the decade with one website and now have around 20 to maintain…how on earth did that happen?

In world events, I know I will miss some, but we have been dominated by terrorism and Al Quida. In 2001 the World Trade Centre was destroyed and in 2005 the London Underground and a Bus were bombed.
We had the devestating Tsunami in Asia, New Orleans was flooded, Harold Shipman became the UK’s most prolific serial killer, the last WW1 veteran died and the UK banking system came close to collapse and needed govenment bailouts.

I suppose I thought I would accomplish more, yet I am happy with what I have. And I guess that in this mixed up world of ours, if you can be happy, you are in a much better position than a lot of people.

I’ve had my new free upgrade to the new HTC Hero running Android for a few weeks now. And I LOVE IT!

You can take your iShite and shove it up your ass! I don’t need to create playlists on my PC and THEN transfer to the phone, I don’t HAVE to download music from iTunes, and the Apple advert tells lies – you can get tens of thousands of Apps for the G2 – only on the iPhone my arse!

My other half had the G1 which was a true Google phone, and he thinks the new G2 is a step backwards, but I am coming from a Windows Mobile 6 platform that was slower than a wounded snail on a go slow! I loved my old MDA Compact IV (T-mobile’s version of the HTC Touch Diamond) and if it had the Android operating system it would have been my most perfect phone since the Nokia 8850 (shhh don’t tell James – Nokia hater!).

The G2 (HTC Hero) is so easy to use and as I am a Google girl, makes it really easy to use my email, calander, picasa, any other Google applications, twitter, facebook, ebay etc. I love my new Hero so very very much.

I’ve downloaded loads of free apps, to help with shopping, to listen to music, to play games – there’s anything you can think of! Favourite so far has to be the barcode scanner app that lets you take a photo of a barcode and search online for alternative places to buy. That and an amazing Sudoku game!

I haven’t been this excited about a phone in years – thought I was getting too old to be impressed by new phones, so I’m pleased someone has finally given me a phone to drool over!

I don’t have a bad word to say about it – for a slightly more balanced view, I’ll post a link to James’ comparison of the G1 and G2 – when he eventually writes one!

It’s a tricky question…should James and I buy a Wii?
We spent a lovely few days at mum and dad’s for Christmas and while we did play the obligatory board games (Trivial Pursuit at my behest, and Monopoly at James’), we spent rather a lot of time playing on mum and dad’s Wii. James is now addicted to Wii golf, while I quite like Wii tennis – and everyone likes the bowling.

But we have a Xbox 360 and PS2 – do we need another games machine?
Yes, yes we do. Sports games are just not fun without nunchuks!

Currently the best deal I have seen is £165 for the black Wii with Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort – although I can’t remember where I found it on the web. Just look under the shopping results in Google! Might have been ebuyer.

I think it’s a given that eventually we WILL submit and get one, but I think we need to ensure that the flats get the attention they deserve and we have better(?), no, other, things to spend our money on at the moment!

Christmas drivers are different to Sunday drivers…for a start, there seem to be more of them.

We have come across so many drivers since Christmas that seem to think that even if they don’t have right of way, it is a good idea to cross the give way markings and pull out in front of us. Or they want to kill us by slowing down to 40mph on the A12 just before a junction we want.

Seriously people, if you don’t like driving, then don’t drive. If you experience a number of people sounding their car horns around you, then you are probably the problem.

Drive with consideration to others – if you are going to pull out in front of a car that has nothing following it, then you better put your foot down to get up to traffic speed pretty fast, or use a bit of consideration and wait for the car to pass then pull out with all the time in the world.
Know the limits of your car. The above applies.
If someone behind you is indicating to turn off at a filter lane that you are blocking because you have left a car length space in front of you, then move up.

These are all fairly sensible things but this week – in 2 days – we have experienced all of the above, and it is so frustrating as most people don’t seem to even notice. Which is worrying. Exactly how much attention to the roads are they paying?