I need a holiday

I need a holiday after the effort of planning this one.

jeez everything, and I mean everthing that could go wrong has gone wrong, all thats left is that I'll leave my passport at home when I set off.

We need to go for a 2nd covid test in 30 mins becuase I didn't think to change the time of the PCR test I booked the day before travel for the old cancelled holiday to Cyprus,... I didn't take into account that the new flight  to Greece is 12 hours ealier, so there's strong chance our PCR test won't be completed before we get to the airport... it is a 24 hour test, and we only have 14 hours from the time we took it... too close a margin, had me frantically searching for fast tests.

But at least Greece accepts rapid tests so we're heading off shortly, and will have the results in 4 hours so just in time for tomorrows travel

I just don't deal with this kind of stress well....need this holiday.... yet somehow can't help thinking that its going to go wrong.....somehow.

Ahthankyew

my 5g is broken

2nd jab, no major side effects, a sore arm for a couple of days a bit worse than first time but otherwise good,.

Neither of us have expereinced any fever or illness and we're good to go, building up our resistance as we prepare for a nice holiday break

We were booked to go to Cyprus but it was cancelled when they went to corona orange status.

so now we go to Corfu... it'll be nice.

or else.

Ahthankyew

Hey fatty bum bum

its been no secret to anyone that reads this, that I've been aware of my weight issues for a while, and made some effort to get things under control, but...not with the seriousness and commitment it needed.

then I saw this video of an impromptu acoustic set at a Whetstone reunion.

It has shocked me... seriously, that big blue beach ball is me.... thats absurd... really.. Most of my life I have been a skinny short arse, now I'm a major fat lardy ball...and still short.
I start at 102.3kg.... and thats 30kg too much, put that into perspective I'm 30% overweight and thats going to do some harm to my heart or give me diabeties. Its certainly going to shorten my life.

I can joke all I want about Jirawans food being too tempting but its me that keeps shoving it in my cakehole.

I've posted this video on my facebook and pinned it to the top, it stays there till I lose that 30kg. It might take a year, but I can't ever let myself look like that, its just painful.

Dramatic cutback in food, more excercise and when I get a bit more in shape I'll do the gym thing. 

Can't stand looking at this video, even though we were having so much fun on the night, that fat bastard is me...and I just don't think I'll be around much longer if I don't sort it.

Ahthankyew

time for a rant

Not had one of these for a while have I? Did you miss them?

This time its social media... Facebook/Twitter./Linked-in etc

All sites I use regular;y and often, both for information and pleasure... I like being on there, it gives me a way to connect with people I have made connections with from all over the world.

Which if that was all it did I'd be perfectly happy. But I also have to endure the endless streams of fake/spam ads, and more worringly the misguided and sometimes fucking outright stupid opinions of others. Ok so opinions I can cope with...but some opinions need to be called out, or shut down.

Yes this is an anti-vax/anti science rant... And more importantly its about social media doing absolutely fuck all to stop them... not a damn thing, if you actually take the time to report something, their security teams (ie a bot) refuses to remove the post/profile despite even the most cursory glance showing it to be nonsense, often dangerous nonsense often with links to even more dangerous nonsense and...content they themselves (social media that is) claim they are not allowing.....

They are quite happy to give out warnings to people who post jokes about the crazy dutch collegues I work with.. because "crazy" means hate speech, even in a joke, but unwilling to remove a clear ad for sexual content, or misinformation that claims thousands are dying from covid 19 vaccinations with a link to an ultra right bs website.

They simply don't give a shit do they... and its time they did..they promised they would, they even were threatened by different government agencies... but all they have done is key word bot searches and ignore humans pointing out...ermm this friend request is from someong selling a porn site......oh its ok, its not against our rules (yes it totally is), thanks for helping us keep <insert social media here> safe..


twats, the lot of them.

Ahthankyew

oww but thats all

worth a follow up considering all the misinfromation around, which is absurd.

Only 2 side effects both of us had sore arms for a couple of days, and the day after I was pretty tired, not sick levels of go to bed tired, but both of us needed to take it easy but we were not in any way debilitated.

2 days later, soreness is pretty much gone for J, a litte bit for me and am my usual, need coffee then get started.

Roll on dose 2.

Ahthankyew

Pfizer membership confirmed

So at different times and locations, we both got our jabs yesterday, and we're excited to be on the road to some levels of normal. No major side effects, though our arms are a bit sore, that will pass though.

going to start planning our holiday, not quite sure where but we're certainly going to fly to osome scorching sun.

Ahthankyew

Jabs delayed

We're not quite sure what happened, but Jirawans appointment didn't go through, I guess there was a confirm/accept button on the booking site that was missed. We waited for the email and sms confirmations all weekend, and nothing came, so we had to check the site again to see our schedule and it was not there.

so I screwed up somewhere..

But its ok, Jirawan is far more resourceful than I am and she called up to get her a booking on the same day as me, the 9th, and its set, not at the same time and place as mine but sorted all the same.. we should therefore be free to travel during our summer break as we hoped.

fingers crossed.

Ahthankyew

Jabs ahoy..

Even though techically I was first in line, I choose to have mine a little later due to not wanting to travel too far on a work day.. so mine is in Breda on june 9. Jirawan was able to book hers a week later, but they offered here jabs on the same day, but quite some distance away... Sadly I still have not mastered the art of being in 2 places at one time so I can drive her so we had to wait a few days to book a new appointment.

and she gets heres before me on June 1st, though it is at a location thats some distance from here, I can at least drive her there.
Our 2nd jabs are 1 month later

so... hopefully that means end of July/start August, we'll both be immune and able to travel a bit in time for the summer holidays. A trip to Thailand is still not really viable, they are still in lock down there big time.. and I'd be in quarantine even with my jabs, but we can find a 2 week getaway and squeeze in a trip to the uk I'm sure.


Better get the kettle on mum, we will be heading over.

Ahthankyew

Life is good...but

I am sorry to not be updating so often recently, even though blogs are kinda old fashioned now I do like maintaining this, even if mum has almsot upgraded to facebook :D

I'm still doing fine, happy, so fucking happy with life at the moment, even cracking a few smiles. Work is hard, at times, but at least I have work, personal projects go in rapid cycles of wow, to ..ermmm what now... but all in all I can't be happier.. bored with the lockdown, but still happier.

I have been reflecting a little bit, as I do at this time of year on my experience with cancer, it never quite escapes me, due to the fact I have visible and physical reminders of it. But its pretty remarkable that I got through it and have so much to look forward too. I've got a bit of a dodgy tooth that needs to be seen to, I always hate going to the dentist though, but....well if I hadn't that time........dum dum duuuuum.

Ok well this is getting a bit soppy... nothing much to see really, life is good, no sign of holidays being possible due to lockdown, but we're considering a campervan tour of europe...though like many things its looking more expensive and less allowable than we thought... maybe a cruise...maybe

Waiting for our jabs...any day now for me, but Jirawan may need to wait another month or so...

right back to facebook for more pics of cats.

Ahthankyew

grrrr

One of the most annoying things about linux is when you want to quickly run something on a machine you've not used for a while, and it kicks into update mode.

ask me later when its finished, how that feels.

Ahthankyew

A year of confusion and yet...

Lockdown has been in force now for a year, despite a couple of short relaxations, its been a year of social restriction...

But its also been a year since the woman who makes me laugh every single day, moved in and made my miserable sad depressed single life a thing of the past.

Thank you lockdown.....you made it possible......but y'know its done now so...can we stop now and get back to going out and  all the other stuff we used to do?

Please?

Ahthankyew

now thats just silly Brian

102kg

thats it.... really no, thats it... only have 2 pairs of jeans now that fit me, its time to stop...

no more drinking except for special occasions and more walking, I'm shedding this flab

I got my hair cut the other day and there is nothing more depressing than watching a pasty walrus trying to get comfortabl in a fat arse chair infront of a full length mirror

fat...bastard

thats it...I've told J, that not too much has to stop, I'm on the diet from hell and thats the end of it.

Ahthankyew

getting bigger

Ahthankyew

Really loving the Pi4/400

Its not just that its fun, but it gets better with little tricks and updates you discover making more things possible. It really is a nice machine

Ahthankyew

Not so many updates

Well we're still in lockdown here in NL, so there's really very little to talk about, Jirawan still makes me laugh every single day, and we're loving our life, but we do want to go out and eat and be entertained but...yeah...nothing much changes each day, get up, go to my home office, work for 8/9 hours, go watch TV or go back to my office do some programming on my Raspberry or Coleco projects.

Jirawan likes to take advantage of my working and have long lie ins watching her Thai soaps on her phone in bed till midday (she's addicted....but who am I to complain).  Then she gets to go out to work at the Thai restraunt from 3 till 9ish..(take away only)  So she at least gets to have a bit of a social life, which I think is the only reason she's not lost her mind :D  Thats when I do my own work, in the evenings when she's out, so don't think I'm neglecting her...unless I have bugs. :D

Life is falling into a very hum drum routine, but its not at all uncomfortable or stressed we  have so much fun together doing our own things and being daft together.

Waiting for the jab though so we can go on a holiday, get to Thailand and meet the family, or England and meet mum..

One day......

Ahthankyew

phew just a cold

Had a tiny scare,  for the last .....how long has it been? We've been in rigid lockdown, not seeing anyone, mixing with people or going out without mask..

So when I start to get symptoms of a cold, it was panic stations, there's just no way I can pick up a cold virus, and if I can get a cold, I can get... athletes foot...or worse

Anyway the rules here say if you have any cold like symptoms to get a covid test asap which I duly booked last night, and attended this morning to get the results this afternoon.

clear...no covid.

Its just a cold........but of course, its a bad horrible man flu kinda cold and I need my feet rubbing and stuff.....

good job I'm married now.

Ahthankyew

Curfews and snow

The Dutch introduced a curfew at the end of Jan which we all hoped would be lifted tomorrow, but no its going to extend to the beginning of March.... at least

That and the fact we've finally hit winter with the most snow NL has had in a decade means going anywhere is now impractical AND illegal after 9pm

sigh... If I am honest we're not too bad, J gets to go to work part time 4 nights a week, so that keeps her in touch with her thai friends and sane, I come upstairs and work on my projects. That keeps me....hmmmm

But we do want to get out and about a bit, there's just nowhere to go and nothing to do, my drinking is...well its undercontrol...kinda, a bit, but I am having a few more snifters of an evening. Our sleeping is all over the place, though I have to be up at my puter at 9 so I manage that but often doze on the couch after work.

We just want normality to come back to our lives, like everyone else...our resistance is strong, but it is getting thinner.

Ahthankyew

at last...oh its only February

It really is moving very very slowly this year... but at least its moving.

Grading time at work, so nothing much going to happen for a week or so.....

in other news, J, finally got her refund for her flight to Thailand that was cancelled last year at the start of the pandemic/1st lockdown... almost a year... and they took a charge...but meh...

nothing much else to report, its been such a long sllllllloooooowwww month.  We really want to go out, on holiday to a beach somewhere with sun...  sigh

Ahthankyew

January isn't going to end is it?

Its dragging on and on, not helped by the fact our lockdown has now added a curfew to the mix, which means we're locked in from 9pm, and can't do our late night walks any more...

Still crazy times here, ,NL has been painfully slow to get traction going on the vaccination program, so it looks like its certainly going to be summer before we get a jab and can start thinking about any kind of normnal.

Life as a newlywed is still wonderful, but not being able to go out for meals, entertainment or travel togher is really a pain. But at least we have each other to make us laugh every day and keep the moods at bay.

oh well...just have to keep focused, at least we're not sick.

Ahthankyew

Gawd its still January....

Lockdown continues.... we're coping pretty well generally but I must admit I do miss being able to go to the movies, or out for a meal, or just drinks.

Its a crazy time for all.. NL isn't rolling out the vaccine as fast as we'd like, for a small country with amazing government systems for keeping tabs on you, they should be doing better, but it slow so far.

Hoping we can get the jab before summer and maybe then see about a holiday to get well away from this crazy..

In the meantime I am worried about mum back in the UK, she's locked in a cage basically and going very stir crazy, Jirawan and I are hoping we can ship her over here sometime this year to chillax and recover...dunno how easy that will be, it will depend on jabs, mad dogs and new brexit visitor rules... all a bit argghh

Speaking of Brexit,....thats going really well isn't it..... muppets.

Oh well, back to work, my home office chairs arse indent isn't going to fill itself.

Ahthankyew