Flops' Friday mini blog

Rush said:
I will do a website for you ...no problem m8 just give me a domain name and i will register it and do all the donkey work...I have a couple of free hosting opportunities still available.

Have sent a PM :)
 
Glad you got some work lined up, at least the ducks are safe for a week or so. :D

CCTV for shops, small one of internet set ups or sound systems for cafes are best ideas I can come up with. Looks like you have everything else covered. Private schools are worth a shot.
 
Finished Syberia 1, now for Syberia 2.

Finished Fallout 3, though I note from searches it's just one of about six endings.

I chose sacrifice and no loading the vial. Which probably sums me up, lol

I will play this again at some stage and tackle all the side quests, I note that it's quite possible to bypass whole chunks of the game to reach the end.

I also have the add-ons supplied with the GOTY edition to play.

Most excellent game, you certainly get your money's worth.

From what Ian said I'll be keeping my copy of Spore, I can quite happily live without being able to swap creatures.

Dentist in the morning.

Disco booking in Essex in May confirmed.
 
james said:
Glad to see Your still alive M8

Hiya James :)

James e-mailed me and wished me Happy New Year on the second day of this year and me being a lazy git never replied. Me bad, me lazy.

I have now just spent 30 minutes doing so. All I have to do now to have a totally clear conscience is e-mail the other three folk waiting on me. Why am I so bad? Damn.

Anyhow, that comment about 'Glad to see you're alive' got me to thinking.

I may have misconstrued the sentiments and it may just be James' way of reminding me what a lackadasical so-and-so I am not to write but people do say that sort of thing to me sometimes because I've had cancer.

The people I speak to and see on a regular basis never mention the illness now and I rarely think about it but those I am in contact with infrequently usually give a comment similar to James.

Well, sorry to disappoint folks but I don't have any intention of shuffling off this mortal coil just yet, life, for all the crapola, is rich.

It's a strange experience, suffering from the big bogeyman of all the diseases. Everybody thinks you're going to die, they really do. Even a friend of my best friend who is a GP told him in confidence that I wouldn't last more than three months and to expect my death. Some doctor he is eh?

Of course me mate only told me this 18 months after the event, gawd bless 'im, but it still didn't make me feel any good.

Now because everybody thinks you're going to snuff it you suddenly gain lots of friends who were previously only acquaintances. Your social life improves in leaps and bounds. Quite odd. Maybe it's a guilt thing, maybe everybody wants to show they were your mate before you drop dead.

But now, some 38 months after the treatment finished, things are back to normal. I only regularly see all the folk I used to and my newly gained social circle are back to their former status - I only see them at mutual friend's birthdays, the occasional wedding and funerals.

As for cancer, the window for the risk dropping dramatically when you're in remission is 5 years, that's 60 months. I've completed 38 months and with every minute that passes, the risk reduces. As I said, I rarely think about it now but sometimes in my darker moments I know it could come back.

If that happened with me, my neck area is too weak to take any more radiotherapy and the only treatment would be cutting out any cancer with surgery, which may or may not be successful. This may take the form of the tongue being surgically removed or the complete voice box being removed which leaves a permanent gaping hole in the throat.

In both instances to stay alive they insert a plastic tube in your stomach and your only food intake is in liquid form through that, which takes up about six hours of every day. I know this as I went through a dry run with the tube when I received radiotherapy in case I couldn't swallow during the treatment. When they took the tube out it left a scar which makes it look like I've got an extra belly button.

So, those thoughts never really leave me and it ain't nice. To be somwhat morbid I think if the worst did occur I'd agree with Terry Pratchett's campaign aboiut assisted suicide being legal, cos that existence would be no life.

Now, although I've got this off my chest, perhaps, just perhaps, all you smokers may read this and it may help you to quit. I do hope so, I sincerely do.

And James, stay in touch m8 ;)
 
Today I worked for the first time since early December, I think (apart from 1 small job).

Loaded motor up with steps, tools, drill and everything else.

Only three hours work, fitted loudspeaker, supressor device, cable, but it made me feel good.

I think I was born to work, working class roots indeed.

Had some good news today.

One of my twin daughters, Sophie, is in her final year at Uni at Bristol. She seems confident about passing final exams.

She wants to be a teacher. Apparently you have to do an extra year's studying after the 3 year's Uni to get your foot in the door. Where you do this studying doesn't really matter but Cambridge University is the best, it seems.

Just over 2 weeks ago Sophie went for an intensive interview and some tests at Cambridge to try and get in. There were 54 applicants, 8 would get places.

Sophie found out today her final year would be at Cambridge University.

Woot! I feel good.

Where she found her brains from I have no idea. I suppose I was fairly savvy but the drugs messed that up, always thought her mother was averagely bright. Sophie takes after her mother more than me.

Looks like I'll have to re-evaluate things, lol

Anyhow, I'm kinda chuffed :)
 
Go go Sophie

Nice one Tony..
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Hi Flopp's....i reckon teaching is the way to go...my ex-wife is a teacher(IT) and she's doing really well for herself, i hear. They get loadsa hols and wonga....i hope it works out for Sophie. She seems to have a plan. When i left school i had no plan at all. I think it makes all the difference.
 
Yay Flopps, it's great to hear that you had some work at last. I hope this will be one of many jobs which will come your way in the near future. :nod:

Brilliant news about Sophie being accepted for Cambridge! Very impressive when there were so many candidates and so few places, so very well done and here's wishing her every success. :D

What a good start to your weekend :D
 
Today is Faye's 23rd birthday, her sisters and friends here yesterday evening, we drunk champagne, they all went for Mexican meal and dancing. My place overloaded with bodies sleeping everywhere, almost made me feel guilty for sleeping alone in my double bed taking up all that space when I could have curled up in a sleeping bag. Almost. Soddit, they're young and I do apreciate my comfort at my age. Gawd knows I've slept on enough lino in my time.

23 years ago since the forceps birth early hours of the morning, the panic as doctor called from sleep cleared her throat, she breathed.... and cried. Celebration of life.

Today my three daughters have taken their grandmother for a meal with their cousins, quite touching to see them care so much for her. That's my ex's Mum btw, not my Mum. And my ex's Mum is a person I hold very dear, she's one of the good ones. Just thought I'd say that.

Sophie daughter told me a tale today. She went into the karzi at the Cutty Sark pub some time ago and into one of the traps. Noticing someone had deposited a huge log in the waters that wouldn't flush away she exited and chose another stall. Afterwards, washing hands, she noticed a woman go in to the trap with the large deposit and come out again looking a little cheesed off.

Sophie caught her eye and said 'I done that'.

The woman looked at her, a surprised expression turning to something approaching disgust and left the ladies room.

Sophie then realised that whereas she had meant she also entered the cubicle and exited the woman thought Sophie meant she was the one who had laid the rather large unflushable egg when she said 'I done that'.

Well it made me laugh.

Games. Today I thought I'd try my racing games and steering wheel within Win 7 as I hadn't done since install in Oct 09.

Disappointing.

The only racing games I have that worked in Vista are:

1) Race 07 (Steam)
2) GTR Evolution (Steam)
3) Flat Out (Steam)
4) Live For Speed (Demo only, independent)
5) Race Driver GRID (Codemasters)

Race 07 and GTR Evolution wouldn't work with the steering wheel whereas they did with Vista, they worked really well, so I'm a bit poxed off about that.

Flat Out works well, it's a cheapo arcadey game but good fun.

And Live For Speed (demo) worked better. But LFS is a bugger of a game to set up for the steeering wheel, took me ages to work out the software settings. But when I finally got it working, this is a superb game engine. I'm going to buy this one. Originally recommended to me by Chris Postill, incidentally.

Racemaster GRID never worked well with the steering wheel in Vista and it's just the same in Win 7. Which is a damn shame cos it looks beautiful. And it works ok with the X-Box controller as well but handling is not good with this joypad, just not the same as a wheel.

And that's it. Like I said, disappointing. I'm wary of trying newer racing games, tbh.

My steering wheel was a gift from a mate for building his computer and is a Thrustmaster F430 Ferrari wheel. It is quite possible, I suppose, that this is not a very good wheel. I do have the latest drivers installed which apparently is a beta for Win7.

But it does work so well within Live For Speed (particularly) and Flat Out. So I dunno.

And Batman Arkham Asylum. I'm stuck. I'm only 8% into the game and got my first boss level: Bane. I've tried to defeat him about 25 times now and I can't do it. I've read all the tips, all the hints, there are no cheats available, I'm stuck.

I really hate it when games are so hard they rather defeat the enjoyment. I honestly don't enjoy them at all.

So, I'll try on and off for another week and if I still can't get through this level it's the uninstall button and flog game off.

Since losing my CoD4 profile in BIOS flash crash I've gradually been working up again, up to gunnery sargeant 2 now, a little frustrating but still enjoyable getting there. It is SO much better than CoD WAW2.

And have been playing Unreal Tourney & Unreal Tourney 2004 again. very enjoyable, almost finished the first one, they seem so easy now where they seemed fairly difficult then.

Have decided to start playing vinyl again and have moved turntable into living room with Valve amp. Am going to sort out vinyl I want to keep next time I visit lockup. Am going to build turntable stand from pine board and paving stone. Very novel, playing vinyl again. And yes, it really does sound better, though not all, it really does depend on the quality of the pressing.

Currently using Shure 35C cartridge, have ordered new Nagaoka Boron MP11 stylus from 'net to suit my old cartridge, should arrive by Friday, looking forward to trying that.

Currently using cheapo phono preamp, will eventually build valve phono preamp and also acquire retro turntable, either Lenco GL75 (the most likely) or garrad 301 or 401. I am on a mission to Hi Fi loveliness. Odd to think I almost totally transferred to compressed audio for playback on digital devices only to discover analogue again at the 11th hour. Phew.

It's me mate's birthday party this Saturday coming. Band & Disco at The Pelton Arms, the pub where they filmed parts of 'Rock Salmon' the Only Fools & Horses Prequel recently shown on TV.

And that, folks, is about enough waffling from me for now. May the last year of the noughties be a good one for you all :)
 
floppybootstomp said:
Sophie caught her eye and said 'I done that'.

Bwahahaha, I really did laugh out loud at this part :lol:

What's she studying at Cambridge btw? :)
 
The "Sophie story" made me laugh too, it's just priceless! :lol: In fact, your whole blog is enjoyable Flopps, a good read :D
 
Seriously funny part with Sophie in the toilet...Like others I p**sed myself laughing at that..:D

I really hate it when games are so hard they rather defeat the enjoyment. I honestly don't enjoy them at all

Thats getting the same for me on some games these days Flopp's, I think lots of the games developers nowadays are taking the rise, as lots of games are shorter to complete and have become far to difficult..Gameplay seems to have gone out of the window in favour of Graphics and difficulty, some developers need to get back to basics and make a game for playing..To enjoy!

It's me mate's birthday party this Saturday coming. Band & Disco at The Pelton Arms, the pub where they filmed parts of 'Rock Salmon' the Only Fools & Horses Prequel recently shown on TV
I think you mean "Rock and Chips"
laughingsmiley.gif


Great blog mate.
 
Aye, Rock And Chips. Oops :o

Games.

I'm getting a little peeved off with latest games tbh.

Assassin's Creed 1 looked gorgeous but was repetitive and ultimately dull.

Same went for Far Cry 2

Call Of Juarez Bound In Blood had crap graphics, poor gameplay and long annoying cutscenes.

HAWX was difficult (but that's just me, lol, I'm crap at flight sims, it actually looks like a good game).

Batman Arkham Asylum I was really enjoying and then I come across a boss level I just can't do. This really poxes me off. Usually I'd use a cheat to get past really difficult bits in games but no cheats available for this one.

And I will say, using a cheat is ALWAYS a last resort for me, I'll only use when game enjoyment is being destroyed.

Today I reinstalled my used copy of SPORE, I can live without beiung able to exchange creatures.

I bought the SPORE 'Creepy & Cute parts pack' from the GAME store at Bermondsey today to go with it. As it was in the '£10.00 each or 2 for £15.00' category I also bought Resident Evil 5 with it.

I thought Resident Evil 4 was crap, had a poor control interface, I hope this one is better, we shall see. Have installed both, but haven't played seriously yet.

Next long sober free time I get I'm finally going to try and get into Guild Wars online.

Listening to vinyl again is proving very enjoyable, albeit with mixed results, the quality of the pressing is paramount.

As for games, hate to sound old farty but old skool games such as Doom, Quake, Duke Nukem, even Daikatana for gawd's sake, to my mind were more enjoyable than the graphic-intensive, cut-scene overloaded games we have now.

Seems to me presentation, supposed cleverness and difficulty have superceded pure enjoyment. I may be wrong but that's how it seems to me.

CoD WAW2 is actually great for single player but they have totally b******d multiplayer. Sad.

Today the sun shone and it didn't start getting dark until 5pm

My eldest is currently spending a few days in Glastonbury with her Mum, my Ex.

Groovy :)
 
Oh, I know the game SPORE is coming up for 2 years old but I just started playing this tonight and I love it. I thought it was a kids game - it probably is, lol, but I don't care - but I really am enjoying this.

Just started playing it, not even sure what all the keys for the controls are but I managed to progress.

At last I've found something I can play when I'm inebriated, lol.

Seriously, it's good fun imo, and for the first time it's just been reduced in price, I've seen it in GAME for £15.00, haven't previously seen it for less than £25.00.

I do also play CoD4 & CoD5 when sozzled. Not that I'm much cop (unless there happens to be a lot of crap players on at once and this does happen) but at least it gets me profile upgraded and I enjoy meself.

And so far I have never, ever, come last so I can't be too bad.
 
Perhaps I should re-title this thread 'Confessions Of A Drunken online Game Player', lol ;)
 

Before getting our first computer, back in 2001, I was quite "sniffy" when anyone mentioned playing games. Games? What would I want with games...?

Ha! Then I discovered what I'd been missing. They're fun! Some even say that they help to keep the little grey cells functioning, which can't be bad :thumb: Whether slightly sozzled or completely sober, enjoyment is the thing :D

Another of my chars completed the final mission in Factions yesterday, yay! But, I'm a bit miffed, because just as all the celebratory fireworks were about to start, I accidentally took a wrong turn and left the area! :rolleyes: :D
 
Good to see our TC likes games :)

Ok, last post on this thread, I think it's run it's course, perhaps arrogant and self-indulgent of me anyway. Those who read, those who commented - thank you :)

Today I went to Guys Hospital and saw my consultant for a checkup. From the visual and touchy-feely exam it seems I'm ok.

Some good news though. For those who don't know since the radiotherapy my saliva glands don't work properly which means I have a permanent dry mouth. This means I can only eat foods high in moisture content, think lots of sauces, pasta and gravy.

There was acupuncture treatment available that could stimulate the saliva glands that was only previously available privately but is now available to NHS patients who are 'suitable candidates'. And it would seem I am a suitable candidate.

A very attractive lady doctor (sorry, can't help it, lol) told me she'd write to me in a couple of weeks and give me details, I would be one of a group of ten taking part in this treatment, which at this time is largely experimental.

It's not guaranteed to work but has been shown to work with some patients suffering same symptoms as me.

So I'm kinda hopeful. To be able to eat a wholemeal bread with real butter and cheese sandwich would be sheer luxury.

The doctors were worried I'd be doubtful about 'alternative medicine' but hell, I'll try anything.

Friend of mine had a frozen shoulder which acupuncture cured and another mate's wife runs an acupuncture clinic, so I have some knowledge of it's effectiveness.

Took some pix of the starting stages of The Shard, a huge London skyscraper being built next to Guys Hospital on my visit today, actually remembered to take my camera. Earlier stages would have showed foundations but lower parts of skeleton framework now in place, I kept forgetting me camera.

If anyone wants to see pix, say so and I'll post them but I figure they're probably boring.

Right now listening to Robin Trower's 'Bridge Of Sighs' A Superb album.

Anyhow, that's it, blogs within a forum are likely self-indulgent and I don't want to come across as a pratt, so Uncle Flops is signing this thread off :)
 
I think you should keep writing Flopp's. Personally i think it's therapeutic to write things down and get sh**e off your chest. In a job i had way back we used to write shift handovers for the next shift and it turned out to be a great pastime. Everybody always looked forward to reading mine.At one stage i was known as the "Redpen" cos i always used a red pen. I was brought up to believe that red ink was rude....so there ya have it.
Getting back to your blog....i'm still waiting to hear about you exploring them tunnels in London Taahn.
keep up the good work, Floppyblogstomp.
 
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