Hallowe'en

I've never agreed with the practice that came across the Atlantic, mostly via Television, of encouraging greedy children to go around after dark knocking on strangers doors in the hope of obtaining a few sweets.

Not so bad the ones that go around accompanied by an adult, but still pretty intrusive when people that you don't know turn up on the doorstep demanding confectionery.

We avoided the "Trick or Treaters" this year by disconnecting the doorbell. Reckon that we had about 8 or so calls tonight. They all gave up fairly quickly, except for one bunch who hammered on the door and rattled the letter box for a bit.

I'm no killjoy though. I've always enjoyed Hallowe'en, and this year we had a smashing time getting up to a few traditional activities with our little Vampires!

HelloJohnGottaNewMota

Picked up our new car today. No it's not a Cortina! it's a brand new VW Touran.
Looks very black and shiny right now - give it a few days for a layer of dirt to take the sheen off it.

It's been a bit of a struggle getting it delivered when we wanted it. What was that quote by Mark Twain again? - "There are lies, damn lies and car salesmen".

Breaking Rocks

We've asked a pal, who's a landscape gardener by profession, to help us transform our back yard into a garden (and are paying him for his services).

We're looking forward to having grass. To prepare for this the concrete floor where the garage/shed used to stand has to be broken up.

Spent a couple of hours today helping him do this, with a whizzer (aka angle grinder), a sledgehammer, a pick and a giant crowbar. We've now got about half of the ex-garage area broken up.

I'm now aching, and have a few blisters on my hands. Now I know why this sort of activity is traditionally a punishment for convicts. Owch!

Stardust

I read the book last year. Now I've been to see the film.

I went with Impworks and Novelist Supermum who both liked it too, and have each blogged about it.

Thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought that it followed the book (by Neil Gaiman) pretty well - until today when we took another look at the book and realised what had been changed. This doesn't detract from it being a good, fun, fantasy film

Lady Boys Photo

Last month I blogged about a works night out. See Lady Boys.

We all had disposable cameras, but unfortunately the photos on our camera either haven't come out, the camera has been mislaid, or somebody has destroyed the evidence!

I've finally tracked down this little gem from our night out:

Dr Who - Close Up

We got up and got out early(ish) today, to take the Hobbits, dressed in their new Dr Who shirts, to the Dr Who Up Close Exhibition at the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry

We didn't tell them where we were going. Samwise started to get excited when he saw a poster on a building as we approached, and by the time we got to pay the entrance fee both boys were literally jumping for joy.

As well as the usual static displays, there was a real live Ood, a Cat-person and a Scarecrow. We got to meet all three. Samwise shook hands with the Cat-person and the Scarecrow, but was a little more wary of the Ood who was "holding his ball".

Frodo kept his distance, and just waved. They both had a go at operating a Dalek.

When we got to the end we went back in for a second look, before heading out through the inevitable shopping area. The toys on sale there are about 3 quid more than they are in Toys-R-Us, and they only had one new thing there (a Dalek-Sek voice changer mask). We bought a couple of posters and some badges.

Eventually we had to leave. The BBC were holding an event in a small circus tent, with loads of free swag designed to encourage parents and children to read together, so we wandered around this and watched some of the show.

We also had a quick look around the rest of the museum. An old ICL valve computer caught my eye - I took a photo and hope to sneakily add it to the Technology Refresh knowledge base at work.

There was a shed full of locomotives and steam engines, and another full of aircraft. I spotted a Japanese Kamikaze flying bomb (which for some reason hadn't been labelled?).

Here's some photos of the Dr Who exhibition.


Big Ben - after being hit by a Slitheen Spaceship


The Face of Boe


Cyber-Controller


"Daddy, Daddy - the Cyberman Talks!"


Cyberman


The Empress of Racnoss


The face of the Sycorax (Mask in a props-box)


The Lazarus Machine


Daddy tries the Lazarus Machine. "My name is DarkDwarf and I am 43 years old!"


Samwise at the controls of a Dalek


Exterminate!


Don't Touch!


Judoon


Clockwork Robot


Samwise Meets The Ood


Scarecrow


Samwise meets the Cat-Person


Samwise meets the Scarecrow


Don't open the airlock!


Burn with me!


Frodo and the Face of Boe

Nocturnal

Working from 18:30 to 01:00 tonight, carrying out a Disaster Recovery exercise.

Much of it is waiting around waiting for somebody to press the panic button, or complete their part of welding the system back together - then it's Go-Go-Go until our part is done.

I probably have to spend more time giving status updates to all concerned than I do in actually getting on with the job.

My green light should come on around 21:30. Hmmm - now could be an opportunity to try out the Team Hammock, if I can be bothered to set it up in the middle of the floor. Danger is that it might turn out to be too comfortable.

A Walk in the Park

We went on an outing to Calderstones Park with Samwise' Nursery School last Friday morning. He had a great time running about with the other children, and trying to catch a pigeon.

A few more snapshots of London

Here's some more pictures, taken whilst we were whizzing around London in our car the other weekend. Along the Embankment, across Lambeth Bridge, back across Westminster Bridge, hung a right at the statue of Boadicea, over Tower Bridge, U-turn then back over Tower bridge then navigating around the "Monopoly Board" to find the A40 - M40 and headed home.