Humbug.


I imagine you all wanted it, and now you've got it. The grumpy FoX is back in town.


Today I was forced at gunpoint to actually visit IKEA - You can only imagine how much I hate this shop, and everything about.


From the minute you hit the traffic on the way there, to the minute you can't find a parking space and far, far, beyond, it's a complete and utter ordeal.


The rambling aisles, that force you round stacks of jars with silver plastic lids. The disorienting nature of the store is so bewildering, that only a monkey on acid could possibly have conceived such torture.


I find the desk I so desperately need, and we have to queue up to get someone to print out a ticket for us.


We make the half hour treck to the till (cash register).


I pay. We are then directed to a pick up point, where the excrutiating wait, in what can only be likened to a dentist's waiting room is a mere half an hour.


Traffic coming out - gridlock.


I want to kill someone.


I will allow my customer feedback form to speak for itself. (Click image to read in full)

Board games.

One of life's guilty pleasures for me, is to play games.

I'm not particularly fussy about the type of game.... Computer games, board games, and I've even been known to play the odd mind game or two (although these DO tend to bore me more than other games).

Lately, I've been playing loads and loads of Guitar Hero on the PS2 - It comes complete with a George Formby sized plastic guitar that you have to strum while you rock out to the likes of Boston, Queen, and Franz Ferdinand. It is good!

I've probably reached saturation point with Guitar Hero for the time being, and I've developed a serious craving for some board game action.

I'm surprised, that in searching, there doesn't appear to be many board game clubs or societies anywhere. Surely there are people out there who would like to get together (informally, of course) and play games like Mousetrap and Risk mebbe once or twice a month.

If there's anyone in Huddersfield who would like to embark on such a mission, then feel free to get in touch with me. I think it'd be nice for a group of board game fanatics to get together and to bring their favourite games to share with other people who might never get the chance to play the games otherwise.

My latest purchase (in this vein) is a strange game called Gulo Gulo, which I've never played, but am eagerly anticipating.

If you've got a favourite board game, or feel like hooking up sometime to play some games, then give me a punch and we will see what we can arrange.... Who knows, this could turn out to be the worlds first international board game society?? (Yeah, right!!)

Here's a few of my fave board games, past and present:

Escape from Colditz
Chartbuster
Battling Tops
The merry game of floundering
Yahtzee
Backgammon
Scrabble
Cribbage

Wanna play a game, neighbour?

Does it get much better?

Lately, I have a lot of stress in my life. It's difficult sometimes to keep juggling all the balls, all the time. Sometimes you feel like you need a rest from it. In my case, taking a rest from it, generally means there's twice as much to do when I get back to it.

So, the dark mood descends, and I get into a spiral. I think everyone that knows me, knows I have very high highs, and very low lows. It's just something you have to deal with.

Yesterday, I was dragged out of my spiral by a series of sweet events.

The first great thing that happened, was that my new phone arrived. The old phone has been a weight around my neck for some time, to the extent that I don't even bother switching it on, or even using it any more. I love new toys!! (for reference - I have switched from an absolutely awful "O2 xda mini S" to a lovely Nokia 6280).

The second thing, was a birthday present, which was delivered to my mum's house. A present so unique and insightful. Thanks to Pol, and the two Chrisses, I am now the very very proud owner of an extremely fine pair of bongos. I drove everyone and everything mad with my ensuing drumming frenzy.

The third piece of smiling fortune that graced my door, was a big fat cheque from the local council, by way of a rebate for overpaid council tax - no less than £800 (that's about $1500 to my American chums).

I went out for a meal, and the good things kept coming. Amazingly, when I asked for a box of matches at the bar, they refused to accept payment. The Guinness was superb, and came complete with shamrock on the top and delivered to the table. The meal was great, and they undercharged me for it. I pointed out their error, and they insisted that we "forget" this minor issue. Bargain.

And so, mood elevated, ready to start juggling again....

THE FOX IS BACK!

Obviously....

I am doing anything except the things that I SHOULD be doing.



Posting in Blogger is becoming a royal pain in the backside - It's taking forever!!

On the plus side, I managed to get my Pogo bowling badge with a few hours to spare!!

I am, waiting for the man....

The man with a van... and on that van is my brand spanking new HD ready CRT widescreen telly.

8:00am - I am waiting......

9:30am - and waiting........

10:00am - resorted to cleaning and sorting out junk.....

10:20am - Pogo procrastination.....

10:41am - Pogo frustration boils over - more cleaning......

11:30am - Cleaned all the bird feeders and refilled as necessary.....

12:46pm - Drunk too much coffee - made more mess than I've tidied - Playing Pogo and sulking.....

12:59pm - Cryptic phone call from the man with the van - "I'm giving you a call about an hour before I arrive" - I explain that I am eagerly awaiting his arrival, and he says "I'll be there in half an hour" - Go figure!!

2:02pm - I am watching Karate Kid on my new telly - I've got a bad back - 58Kg TV is NO joke on your own. The picture has too much colour and it seems a bit ghosty,so I guess I'll have to spend a few hours reading the manual and tweaking it. Seems ok for the money.

4:37pm - Karate Kid 2 - Waiting for the final piece of my televisual extravaganza to arrive. At least the wait isn't too painful now I have a TV to watch - The associated cables should be here soon. Couriers - Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.

The wisdom of Fox states that: By its very definition, Bed and Breakfast comprises of two equally important parts. No matter how good the breakfast may be, if you are situated in a room which is directly below, and separated by thin floors, to which are kept a pair of insomniac, incontinent elephants, then at least half of the equation is sadly out of balance. I shan't name names, because I am sure that St John's Lodge in Windermere are already painfully aware of their flimsy walls!!

Hey Charlie....

... it's my birthday..... it's my birthday.....

I'm gonna be partying like it's 1999!! Or perhaps I'm not.

I don't have any plans, and it doesn't even look like I am going to manage a special birthday pint.

I've just got home from a very sunny Lake Windermere - Have had a good old time of it, and returned to copious amounts of birthday cards and texts and chillies!! (the chillies were grown by Riv, and I am sure he can tell you what they are, much better than my feeble attempts would convey).

I've eaten too much, and on the odd occasion drunk a little too much, but why the hell not?

Tomorrow is TV day - For those of you on the wrong track, this DOES NOT mean I will be taking the day off and dressing up in women's clothes. In fact I am taking delivery of my new televisual equipment. As tony the Tiger would have us believe, it's gonna be greeeat!

Many thanks to everyone who has made it back to my blog since its reincarnation - it sure is fantastic to see you all again, and I am looking forward to catching up with all your blogs soon, but then you've all heard THIS duck farting in long grass before!!

Thanks to all for cards and texts today - greatly, greatly appreciated you all are!! It's super nice to think that, no matter how remiss or lackadaisical I have been as both a friend and a human being, some people just won't quit - true friends!! I'm humbly blessed.

Well done to the people who beat my "monkey football" score - you're more degenerate than I.

Alas, and alack, I ramble too much.

To do.....

I've recently been advised to start a "to do" list. I have been accused of being disorganised. So, much to my own annoyance, and general loathing of such lists, it has begun.

I started yesterday, and so far there are twenty nine outstanding items on my list.

Obviously, now, instead of actually tackling any of the items, my sense of playful procrastination has kicked in, and I am obsessed with searching deep within my soul to extract every single last outstanding action I can imagine.

Where does it all end..... are the following items acceptable on my "to do" list or are they not?

1) Make list.
2) Cross out number 1).
3) Cross out number 2).
4) Have a moment of realisation that this is going nowhere.
5) Order more notepaper.
6) Climb Mount Everest.
7) Get out of bed (repeat daily - presumably never to be crossed off the list).
8) Brush teeth (repeat daily, unless half way up Mount Everest and the water is frozen).
9) Have yet ANOTHER moment of realisation that regular events should not be added to the list.
10) Prepare separate "regular events to do" list.
11) Cross out 7) 8) and 9) as all complete.
12) Be incredibly smug that I am managing to cross off more items than I am actually adding to the list.
13) Cross 12) out.

So, as you can see, my list is going quite well.... NOT!

I hate lists, in all their superfluous glory.

On October the 13th, if you would like to come and meet me, I will be in Manchester, at the Boddingtons Brewery, attending an evening of dancing and puking. Come and join the fun.

As for this weekend, it's my birthday.... my 38th to be precise, and I am going to the Lake District for a couple of days. Remember this time last year?? I went to Scotland and rode my mountain bike over a couple of silly mountains - now THAT was a laugh.

So much has happened in the last year, I can't even begin to tell you... so I won't!!

I guess there'll be an update after the weekend, unless I get some web time at the B&B.

Adios amigos.

Well, what do we have here?

Rather than bore you all to death with the reasons for my prolonged period of absence, I merely wish to state that:

This Fox is back!

I could moan on for hours about why I haven't visited your blogs, or why I haven't updated mine, but that would just be rude.

I hereby proclaim that the Fox is back in blog world.

In order to mark the occasion of my return, I bring to you a challenge. This is by no means an ordinary challenge mind you.... oh no.....

Beat the Fox if you can!!