Dentistry

So yeah, have you ever had a tooth pulled? WOW it takes some welly!

About two years ago I tripped over a bicycle on the pavement (I admit I wasn't exactly sober but bicycles should at least be stored upright). I spat tooth segments a result. Sure, I should have gone to a dentist straight away, but these things can wait right?

WRONG. So last week I start with the toothache. My shatterered tooth has finally decided to go public. After seeing the dentist I'm told we can have it pulled... in THREE DAYS. Gee thanks.

Three joyous days later I'm in the dentist's chair. The nurse has never done this before (she's usually on reception) and has no idea what she's in for. The dentist spends about 20 minutes jamming a tyre lever into my upper jaw until it finally gives way with a satisfying crack, whereupon he fumbles it! I reflexively swallowed but the dentist thinks I'm choking so he pushes me up and starts with the Heimlich* maneuver, causing me to spew blood and ooze all over the chair and floor. The poor 'nurse' thought she'd killed me and had to go outside for a smoke.

*Many people believe that the Heimlich maneuver is named after Henry J Heimlich. In fact, 'Heimlich' is the sound required from the recipient. Upon having ones stomach violently crushed, one must produce the sound 'Heimlich! Heimlich!' repeatedly until the blockage is removed. Hence the name.

Sardinia

So here we are in Sardinia (or rather, just on the edge of it). Beautiful beaches and relatively free of English people. We had a lovely, untroubled week of swimming, sunbathing and fine dining, plus fun with phrasebooks.

Food was good. Avoided the Casu Marzu. Lots of pasta of course, and lots of seafood for Donna (not me, I don't dig on sea-monsters much). They do a local dessert called seadas which is best described as a cheese samosa covered in honey - not bad!
 
Here we see a gang of Sardinian hoodies loitering outside the one-stop:


Here's a pic of me looking confused by a fountain:

The beaches really are gorgeous. We tried a different one each day by hopping on the train or bus. There was a beach with pink sand up the coast a bit, but sadly we couldn't get to it. Here's my babe floating around off Golfo Aranci:

So yeah, lovely place for beaches without the club 18-30 crowd, and a great place to practice your language skills as even most of the tourists are Italian.

It's My Birthday...

...tomorrow!

I'll be 34, which is very nearly 35, which is half of three score and ten. Could be worse, it could be raining.

::checks weather forecast::

oh right, rain then. Never mind it's perfect weather today, and you've still got time to check out my wishlist before the big day! Those in the know will be at Mrs Fitzherbert's (next to the Mash Tun) in Brighton tomorrow from 4pm onwards.

Meanwhile here's what I looked like 30 years ago:



Much the same really, with funkier 70s trousers.

Mouse Invasion

Meet our new flatmate, Phillip, seen here relaxing in his pint glass. Seems the mice have heard what a good place this is and are trying to muscle in.

I received this pic from my other flatmate Lee last night. After being startled by Phillip in the kitchen a few nights ago he set out to apprehend the beast and has apparently been successful! Aw isn't he cute? Bet he's the one that's been eating my socks.

Orac

I have a decent computer of my own at last! Cute huh? He's only about the size of a small dog, like a yorkshire terrier maybe. Here's the basic specs for people who care (like me!): Athlon 64 3200+, Corsair 1024MB TwinX XMS 3200, 2 x Seagate Barracuda 160GB SATA II in RAID 0, Sony 16X x 16X DVD +/-R/RW Dual Layer. It's a lovely machine, and the most important thing is of course that it looks so cool :-) With the wireless broadband up and running too there's no longer any need for me to leave my room. Oh except to go to work I suppose.

The Duke no more

<- Keith can't believe the drinks are really free!

Yes the good old Duke of Wellington had one final night of old-school hard drinking and bad dancing on Saturday night, as it's changing hands shortly.

After 17 years of regular attendance I can't quite believe it's over. Never again shall we be told by Lee to 'drink up and fuck off'*

A concise history of me and the Duke:

1988 Get drunk in pub for first time, watching Miller play the guitar at the Duke every Wednesday.
1990? Brother Adam forms legendary band Stone House as the first of several line-ups to play the Duke in the hope of rock stardom and maybe impressing the girls.
1993? I destroy half of garden wall while climbing over it in order to avoid paying at the door. I never tell anybody about what I have done and feign alarm and surprise when the damage is pointed out to me.
1995 Rare video footage of Duke recorded in classic home movie 'The Good Years', published by Jude-Ra the Everliving.
2001 A space oddyssey. 'E's become prevalent, as does loud dance music and spontaneous hugging. Partying at the Duke reaches a new high.
2002 The come down. Duke closes it's doors for 18 months for a posh refit!

Add to that all the Christmas lock-ins, the Summer BBQs, the countless friends and acquaintances made, and the one thing that never changed - the Hardys! Cheers guys :-)



*never say never

Grizzly Man

There's a new film I have to see! Grizzly Man is a documentary by the awesome and slightly bizarre Werner Herzog. It's about a chap by the name of Treadwell who devoted his life to grizzly bears... and then they ate him. Check it out, sounds fascinating! Herzog was big in the new German cinema of the early 70s, and hasn't stopped filming in five decades. Check out the classic Aguirre, the Wrath of God, or Fitzcarraldo to name two of my favourites! Or for the truly strange, the superbly titled Even Dwarfs Started Small.

I'm so busy these days with work, studying for microsoft certs, the gym and of course OGame that I don't know when I'll find the time, but it looks like one not to be missed!