rosyatrandom

Yeah, what the hell, thought I'd change it yet again...

http://www.okcupid.com/profile/SlightlyRandom/

You know that new bike I bought a month or two ago? To replace the bike that had been stolen from outside Sainsburys? Well, I went round the back of the house this morning to ride it to uni to discover the wheels and saddle missing.

Fecking bastards.

Fecking, fecking, bastards.

It may not sound like much, but I reckon it could cost £200 to replace everything. I think the following components are needed:

• Front and rear wheels
• Front and rear tyres
• Front and rear hubs, skewers (depending on wheels)
• Disc brake rotor
• Rear gear cassette
• Saddle
• Seat post

Grrrrrrrrrr.

So.
Fecking.
Angry.

( Apparently.)

Now I know this wasn't meant to be entirely endearing or positive, but I kind of like it.

Unfortunately, though, I am rather boringly normal a great deal of the time. And this distresses me. I don't think I make a very good normal person. And so, when I have no other source of distraction (such as The Internet, Books, or Some Kind of Running Around A Lot) and I'm with a bunch of people.... well then, I use the only source of distraction available. Me.

It's either that or boring myself, and you, senseless, folks.

Admittedly, I do sometimes go a leetle bit too far and embarrass myself, but it's a price, a sacrifice, I am willing to make. For your entertainment! (Of course.) Remember, you are always free to play the Shut Up, Rosy card. And if you want me to calm down, I think you're all going to have to show your appreciation of Calm Rosy a bit more. He's kind of sensitive!

In other news, I now have some self-sealing inner tubes for my bike. And I almost want to get a puncture in my old ones, just so I can replace them.

In other, other, news, I fancy getting a poker game together. Somewhere between 6-10 people, I reckon. let me know if you're interested.

I've given the blog a visual refresh and a new name -- one I am astonished hadn't occurred to me before.

It is 4am right now and I think perhaps my body clock is out of whack.

In the last couple of days I have been fighting vague urges to buy some kind of media centre -- a fight made easier by the undefined and conflicting roles I want it to cover. I think I want at least 3 different new computers, really. Anyway, I've quenched that thirst by ordering some new trainers and, bizarrely, a thing to help stretch my legs.

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Oh, and as to girls... yes, I know I've been possessed of an air of optimism and expectation lately. I still am. I'm just not in a particular hurry, OK? Stop judging me. I'm biding my time. I'm sure I'll be right on it real soon now.

Tell me something that just drives you crazy. I'll start us off:

• Loud (and invariably awful) music on buses.
• Noisy eaters.

Hello, people!

As you may not be aware, I am not the most normal person in the world.

In fact, believe it or not, I am something of an oddball. A weirdo. Some kind of hideous and strange freak of a manchild. You hadn't noticed? It's true!

And there is nothing wrong with being different!

Per se.

Perhaps, though, I am a bit too different.

But this isn't an angsty post! No! Do not be alarmed, my child, for at no point herein am I going to wallow in any kind of self-pity, or anything like that. Instead, this is going to be constructive.

Basically, what I'm asking you is this: why do I act the way I do, how should I act, and what do I do about whatever those pesky underlying causes are?

I've been thinking about this lately (well, obviously), and predictably I've focused on the girls side of things. Well, of course I have. You know me. But hey, I reckon what's true of that extends to general truths about everything else, eh?

Anyway.

Over the years, I've put my lack of anything even vaguely resembling a love-life down to many factors and indulged in psychobabble of the lowest order.

Well, I've had an idea, and it's quite a good one.

Perhaps it's not just about fear, and nerves. I think it's more about _motivation_. Motivation and resignation. I don't go out on the pull because there's a barrier of anxiety and uncertainty that I lack the motivation to get through; I quite 'happily' back down and decide I'm fine not trying, that perhaps I never even wanted to in the first place.

So that's the thing: I've got to want it more. And not want some nebulous abstract concept of a relationship; I've got to have a clear and rather more... intimate idea of what I want. Otherwise it will always be something in the distance, never something attainable.

And that is what I think!

... what _would_ it be like to brush a girl's hair over her ears? I think I need to know.

So, the 24 hour show just happened!

And it was pretty damned good, too.

Now, I have never been much of a fan of a certain Swedish quartet. Like everyone else, though, those damned songs have seeped into my awareness. A good thing, too, since we did a certain musical based upon them. And no recording devices were used, and no copyrights were infringed.

Despite completely ballsing-up my small side role (and single line) as a misplaced pirate in every rehearsal, I managed to do it OK (and actually follow the script and direction) on the actual performance.

Tiredness never became an issue... for me, at least. I had been intending to stay up all night, but no-one else seemed interested. I had also been intending to host the aftershow party, but people failed even to make it to an aftershow curry. 

Also, I apparently talk in my sleep. Now, I know what goes on in my brain. Despite appearances to the contrary, I do actually control what comes out of my mouth. So Matt Helmers diary room entry announcing I'd been parroting away entirely unconsciously in a room full of people was... more than a little worrying. Thankfully, though, all I seemed to have on my mind was how thirsty I was.

Aww, hell, I'll admit that I would like nothing more than to meet someone, have my life changed completely, and be... 'completed'.

That probably just speaks to how incomplete I am. Hmm :O :D

Cycling back from Altrincham yesterday with my new bike was OK, despite nearly getting on to the M60. It's a bit more lively than the last one, especially when the seat is set too low (the quick-release needs tightening, I think), so took a bit of getting used to.

Cycling to Sale and back today was somewhat more uncomfortable. Can't wait till I redevelop the padded, unfeeling ass of a cyclist.

As to hockey, we won again! 1-0, and I can't claim a hand in this one, but another cracking game.

Just for posterity, I think the formation was:

GOAL: Ant
DEF: Mahinda -- Tony -- Briggsy -- Ed N
MID: Liam W -- Dave K -- Ben S -- Me -- Mark
ATT: Ian E

SUBS: none

Ian scored in the 1st half from a short corner; I think he deflected H's shot in. We kept control in midfield, had some very nice attacks up the wings (Liam's fast and can run with the ball too!), and there was some very nice work in defence, particularly by Tony.

Tony's away next week, and we're playing a team who won 7-0. Oh crap. Well, never mind, we can still do it!

 http://fr.decathlon.com/triban-road-7_119_192458.htm

Might as well start saving any interesting food things I make, so here's the 1st. This is more for my memory, but if you have any suggestions then let me know!

Chicken: ~15 mins
Thin chicken breast slices, coated in wholegrain mustard and honey, cooked on griddle pan.

Bean stew: ~90 mins
Slow-fried garlic, onion, carrot & green pepper (in olive oil), with paprika added towards end.
Port, worcester sauce, mixed herbs, celery salt, pepper, hot chilli sauce, chicken stock cube added.
Tinned tomatoes, soaked/par-boiled mixed beans (white kidney, chickpeas, moong, yellow split peas) and more paprika added.
Raw chopped spring onion added at end.

Lemon rice: ~30 mins
Brown basmati rice cooked in v. light vegetable stock.
Sliced leek added towards end.
Drained, with lemon zest & juice, fresh dill and e.v. olive oil added.

Served with fresh wholegrain bread.

Notes from Damion: too much lemon. I liked it just fine...

Today, I am no longer a boy, but  a man. Yes. I have now tasted the sweet taste of...

... winning a league game of hockey!

And, what's more, I set Ian up with both goals. 

Moar plz.

If anyone sees anyone riding a Claud Butler Classic 2008 with a black front fork, please:

1) detain them
2) call me
3) wait while I kick the crap out of them

Yes, my bike was nicked from outside Sainsburys

Something seems to have its ugly claws into my Firefox.

When I visit an Amazon page, the item URLs are altered through some apparent affiliate scheme. I noticed because whoever did this ugly hack didn't bother to distinguish between the UK and US versions of Amazon, leading to lots of server errors.

Here's a sample change:
Link (in Chrome) to some football socks: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nike-Park-Football-Socks-7H-11/dp/B002DPGB9Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sports&qid=1251819026&sr=8-1
Link (in FF) to same: http://amazon.com/o/ASIN/B002DPGB9Y/ref=nosim/betteraddons-20

So what's doing this? I've checked my extensions (including Greasemonkey options), and can't spot anything. There's nothing in the page source I can see. I'm running checks with Spybot, Adaware and AVG and have got nothing so far.

Update: turns out it's an option in the Better Gmail 2 extension.

I am Rosy. (Do please note the spelling.)

Facts about Rosies:
- Rosies are short
- Rosies like to run around a lot
- Rosies likes to run around very fast
- Rosies are merry, manic and friendly
- Rosies can be very withdrawn and introspective
- Rosies might be a little bit bipolar
- Rosies might be a bit ADHD
- Rosies don't take things personally
- Rosies think too much
- Rosies are very silly people

And the most wonderful thing about Rosies?
- I'm the only one.

The last summary wasn't very serious, was it? I don't think this edit is, either...

SELF SUMMARY

I am Rosy. (Do please note the spelling.)

So... you're looking for someone smart, funny, well-adjusted, creative, passionate, well-off and smoulderingly good looking.

Good luck with that. In the meantime, hi there. I'm not perfect. I've asked. In fact, I'm rather rubbish. You're probably better off going round blindfolded and grabbing people 'till you find one who's single...

... but, tell me, where are you going to find a blindfold? Hmmm?

But I see I pretty much said what I was going to say a couple of entries ago. Oh well. Damn, I hate being maudlin. Anyway, I find myself looking at OK Cupid and having absolutely no inclination to message anyone. Not because I don't know what to say, because I know I could think of something funny for at least a first run in, but because I know it would never get anywhere.

'Know' may seem a little strong and self-fulfilling, but it's still accurate. The strength of the conviction is that strong. I simply cannot imagine being in a relationship anymore, any more than I can imagine captaining the hockey 1st team next season. And I have no idea why I'm blogging about it.

SELF-SUMMARY:
I am Rosy. (Do please note the spelling.)

You're looking for someone who is smart, funny, well-adjusted, creative, passionate well-off and has smouldering good looks. While you're waiting for that guy to show up, you could do worse than give a short little weird oddity a go. Well, perhaps if you really tried, probably.

I'll be honest, I'm afraid it's just not working out between us. No, it's not you, it's me. We can still be friends, right?

I know, I know, I have not blogged for a while. This can be attributable to a couple of things: my own life is rather dull, and I lack the skill or patience to say anything interesting of it or anything else.

In one word: ho-hum. Or is that two?

Still, I should make some kind of effort. And I should warn you that, if my lying awake and fretting into the early morning is anything to go by, this might get unpleasantly emo. So I shall start out with just an update. I'm sure that you're all looking forward to it!

First, if you will excuse me, I'm going to check just how far back I need to... oh, no, sod it, I'll just get on with it. In fact, suffice to say that I have moved. (Though the old house does require substantial cleanup - joy.) I've moved back down to Withington with Sam and Damion to a house that seems like it started out well, but has been repaired and furnished with whatever cheap, bodgy solutions the landlord could find. Lots of drawers coming off their runners, doors with painted over locks that don't close properly, that sort of thing. Oh, and a 40" flat panel TV.

I have to admit, I was deeply, deeply allured by the prospect of living with a 40" TV. 


<i>Deeply</i>.

As it turned out, of course, the TV (an old Sony plasma) was a bit broken: ugly lines running down the left-hand side that just ruined the whole thing.

And having set my heart on a 40" TV, what did I do? I went and splashed out £600 on one, that's what I did. And it rocks. Here is is, a Samsung LE40B550A5. Beautiful.

Anyway, enough with that. Anyone who has read this far can probably skip the rest, as I want to talk about feelings. Well, no, I don't, but they keep me awake at nights so clearly I have to do something with them.

( Blah )