We’re clearing the final parts of our office ahead of the IT building move this weekend. Boxes, furniture and piles of paperwork are being moved. I am very scared that we will disturb the mother of all arachnids – especially after we found one mummy’s babies yesterday…
Pav brought me in a copy of the newspaper, The Metro. Inside was an article written by former Radio 1 DJ, now journalist, Colin Murray. The article, which concerned Leeds United and their controversial owner, Massimo Cellino, impressed me greatly.
The gist of Murray’s write-up focused on how The Football League has disqualified Cellino from owning Leeds until March 2015, for a previous conviction for fraud. Murray questions the relevance of this, considering the conviction was for an incident unrelated to football. Murray points out that Cellino has personally rescued Leeds from crippling debts left by previous regimes, and compares the good he has done with the trouble caused by owners, who the Football League deemed ‘fit and proper’ to take charge of a football club supported by fans worldwide.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the article online, but if you trawl through the bins at train stations or jump on the X39 bus between Bath and Bristol, you’ll probably be able to find a copy of the newspaper.
I found the article to be very refreshing. Colin Murray is not a Leeds fan. He supports Liverpool. However, the article was well written and more importantly, without bias. So many football journalists, pundits and ex-professionals appear to have a vendetta against Leeds United; spreading hate when writing their newspaper articles, commentating on and analysing televised Leeds games.
I don’t really understand the hate for the club. Granted, there was a lot of dislike for Leeds in the 1970’s, and that is debatable whether or not it is fair. However, that was FORTY years ago! Many of the journalists and pundits who comment on Leeds with such prejudice weren’t even born during the era of Don Revie’s ‘Super Leeds’. They should really put their superfluous bitter feelings aside, allowing them to act in a more professional manner. I know this blog makes me sound bitter, but what the fudge – I support Leeds. I know everyone hates us and probably always will. We are Leeds, Marching on Together, etc, etc…
While finishing my lunch, I was startled to hear a series of petrified screams from down the corridor. This could surely be one of two things – either the ghost of Fred West had escaped from Hell and was trying to murder someone with a rusty breadknife, or a spider had been found.
It was the latter. We are moving location. Therefore everything in our old building is being placed into boxes or the bin. Considering the current building has been used by us for a decade and is falling apart, it is somewhat messy and a haven for spiders.
Look at this beauty that was caught. Luckily it was detained using a large glass and a mouse mat, while we waited for security to arrive.
I had a fortunate escape. This spider was found on a blanket, hung up on a coat rack – right next to where I keep my own coat and scarf!
I am sure there are many more spiders like this in our building, still to be found. Hopefully I won’t stumble across any, or I’ll need to go home early to change my underwear.
Earlier this week was the first morning of the year where I wore my Bath City scarf and Leeds United gloves for my walk to work. Yes, that makes me a ‘two club wanker’, but I was a ‘warm two club wanker’.
As the winter months get colder, I will have less concern about the walk to work, as my commute will be cut by around 10%. The IT building is moving around 100 meters closer to my house – therefore cutting my journey from 10 minutes to 8! That’s 2 minutes a day, 10 minutes a week, approximately 40 minutes a month and 480 minutes a year. 480 minutes translates to 8 hours, which is just over a working day. Effectively, I have gained an extra day’s annual leave. Woo-hoo!
The new building is nice and has some impressive views of Bath and the surrounding countryside. Unfortunately, one side is blocked by a taller building, which is obstructing the view of Weston. If that bigger building wasn’t there, I would probably be able to see my house. There would then be the temptation to build some kind of a walkway in the sky, so my journey to the office would be even easier and avoid cats, dogs and scooter-riding school children.
There is also that lovely new carpet smell, which is just amazing, and one of life’s small pleasures. Sadly, like with the scent emitted from a new car, it won’t last. My ‘Dragons Den’ idea, which will one day make me millions, is to package the smell from new carpets and cars into an aerosol can. Then, regardless of how old your house is and how much mud and dog mess have been tramped into your nice home, you can mask the stench with a new, pleasant smell. If you’re in on my business idea, have a lot of money to invest and are a little mad, then leave a comment in the box below.
At the start of last week, Claire and I received a rather alarming email, informing us that the landlord of our house was paying a visit. Shit a brick! We always try to keep our house tidy, but unless you are an ‘obsessive compulsive’ type that cleans the kitchen at 3am and vacuums the front lawn, there are always improvements which can be made in regards to household tidiness. We felt with the equivalent of a royal visit just days away, we had better do some spring cleaning (in December).
It was the last day of my annual leave and Claire’s day off. I had planned on having a well-deserved day of rest, after the previous 9 days I had just taken off work spent doing nothing. The disturbing email changed everything. We cleaned the house from top to bottom, vacuuming all floors, using endless packets of anti-bacterial wipes and disturbingly, becoming intoxicated off bleach fumes. It was hard work, but worth it. All I had to do was keep the house clean until the landlord had come round. That meant not cooking in the kitchen, washing in the shower or doing a poo in the toilet.
The landlord came on Saturday. They seemed happy with how we have kept the house, so I don’t think we will be kicked out onto the streets and be forced to sell The Big Issue anytime soon. If I’m being honest, I don’t think it was the cleaning, but the Christmas tree which impressed them most of all.
Yes, those are rabbits under the tree.
About Me
So you stumbled across my blog. No doubt after searching for something bizarre on Google. Before you hit that 'Back Button', why not stay and have a read for a few minutes?
If you are after a website which gives advice on how to hack an iPhone X, download the latest Steven Seagal movie, or view nudy ladies, you've come to the wrong place and may now press 'Back'.
However, if you would like a lifestyle blog, written by a 30-something chap, living in Bath (England), feast your eyes on this.
You won't discover how to copy PlayStation 4 games. What you will find is a blog, covering life in the West Country, the highs and lows of supporting two unsuccessful football teams, while sharing a house with a wife and rabbit.
All written by a man, somewhere on the sanity-scale between normal and eccentric.
