Stu's Rusty Bucket

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Jabs!

Tommorow I have scheduled an appointment to get an MMR jab.. and diptheria.

Well heres hoping.. Costs more to get single jabs instead of a combined MMR… Shame I cant prove that I had all this as a kid but nobody keeps records of it :( and I dont have the time for a serology? test on my blood to see if I have enough levels of the antibodies.

So its gonna be great, pumped full of measels, mumps and rubella tasting vodka…

Thursday, March 24, 2005

London Day 2

I’m not sure exactly how much I slept for during the night but my excellent body clock kicked into action at 5:45am whereby I was up and away back into London.

It was to a slight drizzle and a heavy despairing overcast sky that I trudged up Mill Hill and back down again to the tube station. From an empty carriage at the end-of-line to a nearly-bursting carriage at Tottenham Court Road saw me make my way down to Marble Arch.

For some delusional reason I had thought my 8am appointment meant that it were personally for me, unfortunatly I found myself standing in the drizzle with eight to ten other people outside a closed doctors office at quarter to eight.

The meat of the medical involved a blood test whereby I nearly started hyperventilating and a chest x-ray that I didnt get to see (but really wanted to). Still, its nice to know I’m exactly 5’7, weight 63kg (138lbs) and have a 110/70 blood pressure. I was more interested in my chest x-ray than all that. I hear I get to keep it when I get to america. Maybe I can frame it.

The scariest thing to come out of the medical is that they want me to have an MMR (Measels, Mumps and Rubella) shot, despsite having mumps, chicken pox etc etc etc as a child, and also I need to have a diptheria shot, which for some reason I associate with dogs and stranger, typhoid.

So, an MMR and Diptheria… I particuarly dont want an MMR jab....

The interview at the embassy was a non-event. After waiting over two hours in a sweaty closed hall space with fiver hundered other visitors and nary an open window or fan in sight, all I had to do was hand over my police record certificates (which state I dont have a record), and that was it!!!

I expected a grilling, trick questions and a sleight of hand routine with paper clips, but it all came to nothing. I was told I would be sent a sealed envelope which I cant open, that I must present to U.S, customs (the contents of which are all the paperwork I have done to date to get my U.S. Visa)…

So all in all, a lot of stress for nothing..

Now I get to stress out about landing in America and being interviewd by customs there!!

Guess I wont be taking any tea bags and other tea-associated contraband with me to that interview..

Tonight for about two hours, I am going to be drinking with my ex-work collegues. This allows me to seague back into the soap opera that is work and all its intra-departmental gossip and shenanigans. Screwdrivers and orangejuice all night I suspect.

Drank an ultra-mega-grande starbucks tea, I’m not quite sure what kind of tea the tea-bags where but it was nice, and its a shame you cant get said tea from starbucks in America.

It was good to see old friends from work, but we didnt have much to talk about beyond the obvious. Feels like I never left, the complaints are the same from the same people. Quite boring actually. 

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

London Day 1

Things got off to an auspicious start this morning when I was fishing through my odds and ends bag, I managed to grab my razor (triple blade at that) and carve my thumb open. After haemoraging nearly a pint of blood I managed to wrestle half a dozen bandaids onto it. It was already seeping through soon afterwards…

Currently I’m sat in the waiting area in Darlington with half an hour to go. The rail networks must have done a lot of work since I had last ridden the train to London, todays journey will only take two and a half hours, where as before I’m quite sure it used to take four hours.

I have some slight form of trepidation going back to London for two days without anywhere to go. Once I have dealt with having my oddly U.S. sized passport photos taken I tihnk I will either go visit the National Museum out back of Tottenham Court Road or I might badger the travel agent about flights next week…

In the evening I’m going to stay with my dads cousin, Janet, whom I have never before met and I’m not quite looking forward to it. I feel as if I am putting her out.

Tomorow is going to be an early 6am start, and I’ve no idea how long those proceedings will last. This might give me a lot of time after the embassy to visit another museum or I could be there all day. Drinking with the boys in the evening before returning home at about 1am Friday morning.

For this trip I am going to read Neal Stephensons ‘Cryptonomicon’ for the second or third time. I have a faint memory of the finale of the book but scant memory of the rest of it.

Idling just outside of York now, the field outside the window is muddy green and plump full of dusky and black faced sheep with govs of fluffy white lambs. One of the ewes seems to have two lambs which I find quite odd, as I thought sheep like other cattle only dropped one offspring rather than twins. Its good to see spring coming to the farms.

Train in front of us as broken down, which explains the long wait next to this field. Might be here a while yet.

I have just seen a lot of ewes with two lambs each, so maybe it is a common occurance.

Arriving in York 20 minutes late and a toasted ham and cheese sandwhich later, an elderly woman said to me ‘Excuse me, but I think your in my seat’, and sure enough her ticket had my seat number on it.. Apart from the fact I booked it over a month ago, the silly todgers have double booked us! All is well as train staff tell her to sit in any vacant seat…

Ten minutes out of London and I have a throbbing headache…

What a day.

So the train gets in thirty minutes late and I manage to get into town about 4pm.. Rushed off to where I know of a place that does odd sized U.S. passport photos and.... yes.. their equipment is broken down. Aaaargh!! So I rush off with vague directions from the shop assistant but end up getting confusaled, its 4:30pm, and another shop gives me directions to this mysterious street I am hunting.. Just shy of ten to five I get my photo taken.

Photos in backpack, I decide its tea time and push off back to Soho for my long awaited rendevous with Wagamamas restaurant. Ooooh its good stuff. I had a fantastic chicken ramen and peached ice tea (not sweat tea like in america).

It was great to meet David and Janet that night, they are such nice people and we talked family all night, going over bits of the family tree and me learning some new info and finding out about more of my kin who died in world war 1 and such. The George side has a complex family, illegitimate kids back in the 1880’s, marrying deceased wives sisters, that sort of thing. Scandals with aristocracy!

Seems Pa George had a sister called Amy George! how weird a co-incidence. I learnt Compton is a very old posh name.. I’m still glad Dad didnt stick me with the Compton name. 

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

To London

Off to London tomorrow for my fiancee visa inquisition… The right to be able to marry whomever I choose to marry now hinges upon the might of the U.S. government…

Should be loads of fun. I am taking every scrap of paperwork I own that isnt remotly connected, just in case they ask for something out of left field.

The only hurdle is the vaccination record.. I dont have one. I mean, the local council fed us polio vaccine etc when I was a baby, and all that other stuff.. And I’ve had chicken pox, mumps, etc etc etc.. But I dont have a card with ‘Catch 5 diseases get a free vaccination’ reward scheme like they have in starbucks and affiliated coffee dens…

I can only tell him I have had these things… and.. well.. I dunno....

He might balk and say I get no admission since I havnt had a dengue fever vaccination or a typhoid-b vaccination..

Monday, March 21, 2005

Programmers Editor

Sigh. What I would really like is UltraEdit for Linux or a version of JEdit that doesnt run under java.

Java makes my laptop work. The Sun JVM seems to make it work harder than native apps, so the fan constantly goes, etc, and everything gets hot, and should I run anything intensive, the lappy overheats and shuts down… Native apps dont make my poor laptop work as hard as the JVM apps....

sigh… Im not gonna find a programming editor that I like, I can feel it, unless I go back to windows…

Bluefish is just.. far to basic and minimal… and even 1.0 is very very crash prone and buggy…

I mean, I love using JEdit now, but I still pine for UltraEdit…

Ebay

Sometimes, selling stuff on Ebay can be fun. You advertise Item A has property B and the postage is C…

Then someone sends you an email and says, Does it have property B? and how much is postage?

Its not as if you write war and peace as a description of the item, but bloody hell, I’m sure some people just look at the item picture and not read the two line description…

So I am selling my mountain bike suspension forks and it has a 7 and 3/4 inch steerer tube legth.. and yes someone sent me an email asking how long the steerer tube was…

Tuesday, March 15, 2005

Hunting for a suitcase

I went suitcase shopping today. Need something to transport all the roopoo and koala bears to america in. On saturday I did my initial dry run intelligence gathering operation where I scoped out several cheap-ass retailers for the shonkiest made in chechnya stuff I could find. Undercover bargain shopper intel reports pointed me to a hidden nook in the shopping area known to locals as the Wilko. It was about 3 clicks south of the main enterance.

Dilligently I made my way toward it; Avoiding the hoards of hostile survey takers and mobile phone pamphleteers I alighted opon the automatic doorstep of the Wilkinson. It was now or never. As a woman with a baby trolly and 3 grotty kids triggered the mechanism, I bunched in with the kids and pretended to be one of the slovenly family. It worked, and I was inside.

The buzz of fluroescent lighting blinked on and off. Time was short, as I knew the lighting conditions could trigger a seisure and blow my cover. Manouvouring around bargain bins and a large tub of brightly coloured plastic I found myself between the Gardening isle and the Homewares, and here people, was the target of my search. An entire row of suitcases all made by the same company were stacked either side.

Magnificent shiny blacks, dark blacks, suede blacks and even a rare navy were on display. Prices were reasonable. I duly noted said economic conditions.

My daring escape from the Wilko is a story for another day.

Suffice to say, the intelligence gathering was a success, so today with my plan all formulated, bargin bins mapped out and the knowledge that the teenage acne riddled shop floor manager would be haning out near the easter egg display, I had decided it was time to go back in and make the purchase.

First I had to make my british pounds look like some form of illegal tender, passed hand to hand secretly under the table in the pubs and factories of the region, lest I rouse suspicion.

My heart raced as I reached the suitcase isle. Oh god, I had to think on my feet. A new plan was needed. They had re-arranged the isle. The rare navy was gone, and on one side a wall of solid black cases stood haphazardly. I dared glance to the lee side of the isle and nearly had a heart attack. Shade of Hitler having tea and scones with Churchill, there was a non-black suitcase.

I broke out into a sweat. As I started toward the non-black suitcase a bleach haired girl appeared and eyed me off, her stance askew. I was sure my cover was blown, but I wasnt giving up without a fight, I made a sound like sucking a load of snot down the back of your throat, spitting on the floor would have proven without a doubt that I was required to shop in the Wilko, but such filthy manners is not part of my repetoir. I wiped my nose on my sleeve and she left.

My nerves are frazzled, I might make it out in one piece.

Then I made a fatal mistake…

I grabbed the non-black suitcase and head for the checkout. Passing the easter egg stack I saw the girl talking to the shop floor kid so I broke into a bad-back-shuffle thats common to the factory workers. Checkout went smoothly. Too smoothly but my adrenaline was up and I didnt notice. Chavs in english football shirts eating choclate and drinking cola loitered around the automatic exit doors, fresh air and freedom. I was going to have to push through them.

Its easy to look back on my foolishness now, but remember folks, only professinals should interact with wild animals.. Anyway, I pushed through the gathering of chavs and blended a quick word into their conversation, I think I said ‘sven should be sacked’ in the best faux north-yorkshire accent I could muster.

One of them blocked my path, and I nearly started to cry. I was so close. Fresh air was wafting on my face and I needed it badly. Luckily the chav-blocker was only moving to insert more coins into the mars bar machine and I made it through.

Fresh air was never quite like this, but I was too close to the wild chavs to break out into song.

It was a tough ordeal but I think it made me stronger. Many valuable lessons were learnt, and I am thinking about adding a chapter on Chavs into the urban survival guide. There is talk of a film, but I think its a bit premature. I told Ron Howard that I would think about it over a cup of Tetleys. I mean, he was all PG Tips and I was like, no, Tetleys tea Ron, you just cant bargain about something like that.

Anyway, I’m quite proud of my Bright Red suitcase. At least I will be able to pick it out on the baggage-claim roundabout…

I think there is a lesson in there for everyone dont you?

Sunday, March 13, 2005

VMX

I have been futzing about with yet another iteration of my VMX system. This time I have more progress whooo!! I should add the whole system now is configurable to run with 16/32/64bit size with a single define.

My script compiler can compile this;

and turn it into this;

and run it like this;

Thursday, March 10, 2005

Journal Entry : Post #1

Well, I’m off trail! How quick was that? Well, that night outside of drymen, I spent the entire night from 6pm to 6am in my sleeping bag with everything on and I was still shivering like mad. Could not feel my fingers or toes, and my nose just seemd to not be there, i could touch it and not feel myself touching it… I was freezing. It sounds kinda silly, but at the time the thought of making hot tea never even crossed my mind, all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and wait for the sun to come up… I dont think I was thinking too straight at the time.

Considering the weather was ‘good’, I decided to get out incase the weather turned bad, had there been any snow or rain, it could have got a lot worse. Plus it was easier to make this decision while I was relativly close to a town than had I been further up the trail.

I’m not quite sure what happened, gear that had held up well with the snow in the smokies froze me to the core on a wee Scottish hillside…

I’d rather make it to my own wedding than risk hypothermia and loose some fingers or toes…

For some reason, I feel like I cant trust my sleepingbag anymore… nevermind.. 

Tuesday, March 08, 2005

Journal Entry : Milngavie to Drymen

Journal entry for 8/3/05

Breakfast consisted of cold unsustaining toast and tepid tea, which I
quickly drained.

The two redeeming things this morning the hotel offered up was the
steaming hot shower and the hostess on the desk who gave me the
lowdown on the pronunciation of Milngavie, so now I sound like a
local..

So I wandered around Glasgow Queens Street station for a while trying
to figure out where I am supposed to be, after watching the boards for
a while I was directed to the two lone platforms on the ‘lower level’.
Naturally I want to go to the end of line on a spur, and only every
Xth train goes there, so I have spent 45minutes on the platform…

Have stopped for lunch in Dumgoyne, 7 miles in 2+1/2 hours. The way is
very flat and easy to hike. I have just passed Glengoyne whisky
distillery but they dont do tours until April.

I have managed to startle two grouse/pheasant which is cool. They are
biiig, bigger than I expected. The highland sheep could seem to care
less of my passing by.

Its an absolute beaut day out with a cloudless sky, crisp air and
crisp grass under foot. Lots of frost and surface ice on the ponds and
lochs.

Right now I am walking on an old railway and the scenery is just fantastic…

Today has been a very mixed day, Once I reached Dumgoyne things
started going downhill, I went through mroe than 20 open/close stiles
and did heaps of road walking. Crossing a field before Drymen, all
looked serene and calm, but the next thing I know I was mid shin deep
in a bog and whoooeeeeeee does it SMELL like some rotting fettid ..
THING FROM ANOTHER PLANET!

My intended campsite was 16 miles from Milngavie except the Forestry
Commission are loggin this forest (its all managed forest), so I have
to detour towards a town and road walk for another 3 mile. To avoid
this I have to put up camp near a field (never try to pitch on old
forest road, no amount of moss can hide the chipped stone underneath
that neary a tentpeg will dent!)…

Right now I have a splitting headache and its 10 to 5pm and I’m about
to do dinner, solitude is a two handed slap to the face. Its peacefull
and introspective, but this nobody to talk to in camp thing sucks.

Tomorow I have 3 miles of road walking into Balmaha then along Loch
Lomond all day. I intend to get to Rowchoish Bothy on the loch shore
which is 15 mile from here, or if I go further, to Inversnaid at 18
mile.

Tonights meal consists of noodles (rame to the usaians) unflavoured,
chipped garlic and a packet of John Wests finest Tuna with Dried
Tomatoes and Herbs… Taste quite nice..

I am watching the sun sink ever so slowly behind some hills and its
casting a beaut orage glow through the pine trees, where my tent is in
the grove, its already in darkness…

Lots of random throughts today, two things right now, A) Drink more
water., B) I want breakfast at the Little Chef in Tyndrum.. I know its
daft and I dont even know when I will get to Tyndrum, all I know is
that I had a great breakfast there once and I want to go there again..
Even tho Little Chefs are expensive and nothing startling…

It really annoys me that the loggers are clearing wholesale 1/3rd of
the forst, I know its a working forest but.. aaaaargh its awefully to
walk along newly logged acres, and the fireroads are absolute mush
from the trucks…

Monday, March 07, 2005

Journal Entry : Darlington to Glasgow

Journal Entry for 7/3/05

Darlington to Glasgow

Stu was kind enough to give me a lifet to the station, which was
great! Trail Magic straight from the house.

From Darlington I jumped a sleek and fast GNER (Great North East
Railway) express and pointed the driver toward Glasgow.

Once near Edinburgh I started to see snow was still layong on the
hills. Mmmmm OK I thought, then I started to notice it in the lowlands
in places. I guess I can expect some on my hike.

Somewhere on the ride I started thinking about pizza and luckily
enough there are 3 pizzabars near my hotel, but I ended up with a
turkey and cheese sub from SubWay… Bit of a letdown… (As I write
this, someone outside my hotel window has fired up the bagpipes to
serenade me and the throng exiting from the station in the rushour,
while I avail myself of a hotel supplied cup of tea and digestive
bikkie).

Tomorow morning I strike out alone, on my own, in solitude… Its
going to be very strange to be out hiking and not have Joy somewhere
in front or behind me.

My hotel is the Buchannan and is right next to the station and my room
overlooks the main street which is closed to traffic, but apparently
its a free as far as bagpipers are concerned.

Its hard to say exactly how I feel right now, I expected to be a
little anxious, but I’m not, I am a little lonely if anything.

I’m out here to tackle these two Scottish trails simple for the love
of hiking, so it will be interesting to see what sort of things go
through my mind. Tomorow I have to get out to Milngavie, which my
little guide says to pronounc “Mull-Guy” or nobody will know where I
wat to go…

Luckily the worst of this mispronunciated Scots will be left behind in
Glasgow…

(ps.. UHT milk and hotel water make for a piss poor cup of tea)

Its also good to see that even at 6pm this far north I have plenty of
light left to hike in. Time will tell if it holds the further north I
go.

I didnt take any photos of Glasgow, as to me its the same as any other
british city and looks like Edinburgh or London.

Sunday, March 06, 2005

Gone Hiking

I’m off hiking for two weeks, doing Glasgow to Inverness (The West Highland Way and the Great Glen Way).

Then when I come back its off to London for my Fiancee VISA. whoooooo!

Anyway, take care all and see you in two weeks.

Friday, March 04, 2005

VISA VISA VISA

YATTA!! My visa paperwork came through the door this morning. Now its just a formality to getting my fiancee visa to go to the usa! whoop.

I have a medical exam (chest exray for TB and a blood test for HIV) and they give me the VISA on the spot.

whoohooo… I can nearly taste the stale sweat of the wedding throng of June summer heat in the south. Oh yeah!! Bring on the wedding!!

So I have 20 odd days to occupy myself with and I might go hiking but I need to check the weather conditions before I set off on a two week unsupported expedition trek…

I feel a weight off my shoulders now I have this date in my hands for the commencement of my inquisition by the US consulate.