Tuesday, May 02, 2006
We're forever being told about the impending end of the world; pretty much due to our abuse of the planet over the last couple of hundred years.
I like to think that I try to make a difference. There's no way you could accuse me of being a sandal-wearing peacenik living on a diet of cous cous and beansprouts but I certainly try to make some kind of difference. I carefully sort and recycle all my paper, card, tins, glass and plastic bottles. I compost my kitchen and garden waste on either one of our compost heaps or using the Council-supplied garden waste bin. Unwanted clothing and household items go off to the charity shop.
If I have to buy a new appliance I'll always get the most energy-efficient one I can get and do my best to run things like the dishwasher and washing machine at night so that I tap into the world of surplus electricity. I use energy-efficient bulbs where possible and remember to turn off the lights when possible.
At work I started to take home waste paper so I could recycle it because my employers didn't have a recycling program in operation. I followed this up by getting one set up using local recycling facility who now look after our paper, plastic and tin recycling.
But still I feel guilty that I?m not really doing enough even though I know that many of those around me are doing far less. In theory if we all make one tiny change the world would be affected in a monumental way. Make that one tiny change.
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by Antz at 11:07 PM | Permalink |  | |
Friday, April 21, 2006
It's been 108 days since I last lit up a cigarette so it looks like I might have got this stopping smoking thing sorted although It's not been easy. Bizarrely it's seems to have been tougher recently too. I thought that after the first month it would have been plan sailing but over the last couple of weeks the urge to light up as been stronger than I've known for a while. I guess it could be something to do with my body getting used to now smoking so that when I get a pang it's much more obvious. Despite the pangs I haven't given in and I'm pretty sure that having managed to last this long I can keep off the fags full stop.
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by Antz at 5:56 PM | Permalink | | |
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
In a week it'll be my birthday once again and having already dealt with the horror that was moving from one administrative tick box to another a couple of years back I now have to face the fact that soon I'll find myself stuck in my late-30s rather than my mid-30s.
The thing is I'm not really sure I'm ready to be in my late-30s yet; somehow I just don't seem old enough to be, well, that old. 37 is 'proper' grown-up and I just don't feel properly grown-up yet. Yes I have a long-term partner, am nearly 10 years into a mortgage and a nice car but I still feel like a big kid at heart.
I'm now seven years older than my dad was when I was born (he was 29 then and I'm 36 now) and yet I don't see myself as grown-up in the same way I believed my dad was back when I was growing up. It's probably got something to do with how you perceive stuff when you're a kid, or maybe growing up is just one of the things you have to do when you get married and have a young family to deal with.
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by Antz at 7:46 AM | Permalink | | |
Monday, April 17, 2006
"Don't you have anything better to do with yer bank holidays?"
That's what the worker at my local recycling centre (aka the tip) says as I unload what will turn out to be the first of many trips to get rid of stuff resulting from my mammoth clear-out over the easter break.
He has a point. Suddenly I feel old. A few years ago I would have been in some random city in some sweaty after-hours club surrounded by my mates as we dance our way through the bank holidays. A weekend where we wouldn't see our beds for over 48 hours while having the time of our lives; sure that the feeling would go on forever.
Time moves on and weekends that were once spent heading from club to club around the country; rendezvousing with clubbing mates from other parts of the country at motorway services are now spent clearing out garages instead.
Like all other ex-clubbers we blame clubland for changing but we all know, secretly, that it's us that changed. Life gets more comfortable and band holidays get less about going out and become more about gardening and DIY.
It's sad... but true.
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by Antz at 7:45 AM | Permalink | | |
Saturday, April 15, 2006
If you've read the blog over the last couple of years you'll know that I tend to drop off of the face of the blogisphere every so often and then just reappear as if nothing has happened.
So that you don't feel left out here is a micro-blog of a couple of events you've missed: Firstly, my mates Chris and Rob tied the knot last week in a private ceremony with only them and their witnesses present; we sent champagne. Secondly, my brother and his wife have taken delivery of a new puppy which my bro has christened Steve; sadly its a girl.
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by Antz at 7:17 PM | Permalink | | |
Monday, March 20, 2006
Posted
by Antz at 9:09 PM | Permalink | | |
Sunday mornings are usually spent either having brunch in one of the understated cafes in Leicester's West End or having a lazy morning in bed; not so this Sunday morning though. This weekend I find myself (along with David and our mates Rob and Adz) in the freezing cold surroundings of Silverstone Racetrack. We're not here for a Grand Prix or something like that, we're here for something much slower-paced; Robsta's taking part in the Adidas Flora Half Marathon and the rest of us are here to give him a little moral support.
I'm a veteran spectator when it comes to Silverstone Half Marathon's as David did the run as a warm-up for the London marathon last year. I was well aware that Oxfordshire in mid-March can be cold as ice if you're standing around waiting for the running to come to an end. I made a point of wearing loads of layers and my warmest gloves and hat. Sadly David and Adz didn't believe me when I told them how cold it was going to be. At least one of us was warm!
Robsta got round the 13 and a bit miles in just over 1 hour 50 and we managed to catch him twice as he went round the circuit. The first time at 9 miles and the second time just before the finish line (it's him in the red top in the photo). David declared that he'd rather run the half marathon rather than have to spectate it. Next year I'll just stay in bed; I've done my fair share of spectating.
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by Antz at 8:02 AM | Permalink | | |
Sunday, March 19, 2006
I've never been a real fan of card games. It's probably got something to do with my bro and I being sent off to bed early at family get togethers so that the 'grown-ups' could play exotically named card games way into the small hours.
David has made it his dedicated mission in life to get me into playing more cards and I have to admit over the last few years I've found a couple of games that I can handle to pass the time; namely Sh*thead and another one that I've completely forgotten the name of at the minute.
Over the weekend David dug out a poker set he got for a present last Christmas and set about getting a group of us to give poker a go. Over the last few weeks he's been glued to Challenge TV's poker coverage and has pretty much got the lingo down to a tee. Sadly the same couldn't be said about my poker playing which left a lot to be desired.
I can safely say that I've got my poker-face sorted. I can keep a straight face no matter how bad my hand is. I can bluff my way all the way to my last chip and if you couldn't see me pile of chips dwindling you'd think everything was rosey. Sadly the poker-face is the only thing I've worked out; it's gonna take a lot more work before I can hope to play the game and end up with any chips.
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by Antz at 9:01 AM | Permalink | | |
Friday, March 17, 2006
Having gone on the other day about how the BBC's Jamie Kane game was proving to be a great experience I suddenly run into a problem on the penultimate. For some reason there appears to be a bug in the game that just won't allow me to continue. No matter how much I sweet-talk the game's chat-bots they still won't let me finish the day's task. Bloody robots.
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by Antz at 9:00 AM | Permalink | | |
Thursday, March 16, 2006
The little counter on the index page says it's been 72 days since I last had a fag. I'm on the final stage of the patches and in just under a fortnight I'll be free of the NRT and ready to fend for myself.
The process of stopping seems to be getting easier but also tougher at the same time. Unlike during the first weeks the thought of lighting up isn't all I think about 24/7 but that means that when cravings do hit me they really make themselves known.
Luckily my resolve is strong, and anyway having done 72 days I'd be stupid to ruin all my hard work and go back to stage one.
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by Antz at 11:30 PM | Permalink | | |
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