Right, well 2006 is on the verge of buggering off... all the best for 2007 boys and girls...!
John
Sun Dec 31 23:48:32 2006

MESSAGE
siwarrior
Sun Dec 31 22:02:35 2006

Hello chaps! Just got an internet connection again after a few days absence... Hope evrything has been OK in my absence.... Happy New Year everybody!
John
Sun Dec 31 20:01:24 2006

Well, there's not too much time left to achieve anything this year now... So I'm making plans for 2007 instead!! :)) Best wishes Lox - and all my friends at the Maison. May 2007 strengthen friendships, weaken enemies and be productive, peaceful and civilized for all! Happy New Year All!! :))
Nigel
Sun Dec 31 17:26:57 2006

Guys and Glas, years drawing to a close, I wish you all a great Year and a lot of Happiness and Luck!
Lox
Sun Dec 31 16:30:42 2006

Morning everyone!!! Year's closing up, any second thoughts on things that you'd like to do in 2006?
Lox
Sun Dec 31 10:05:27 2006

Morning Maisoneers!! :))
Nigel
Sun Dec 31 08:03:31 2006

Nigel: Yep You are right, that comment sums it all... Let's hope that there will not be too many retaliations now... A bad day for the history of the world...
Lox
Sat Dec 30 16:25:28 2006

Indeed.
tom
Sat Dec 30 14:34:06 2006

Well, I've just been back to the BBC News pages to see what is happening... If you go to the Reader Comments section, the comment made at: Saturday, 30 December, 2006, 13:34 GMT 13:34 UK and which has received the most recommendations, says it for me as well...
Nigel
Sat Dec 30 14:10:29 2006

Hi Lox. Yeah, I can't quite get my head around what they have now done. The repercusions are bound to be disastrous... (
Nigel
Sat Dec 30 10:48:46 2006

Morning everyone!
Yes Nigel you are quite right. I have seen the news yesterday around 2ish (night), I think it's terribly wrong to do something like that, even if he was a very bad person and had done a lot of nasty things. Now he's a martyr. We certainly exported democracy there! Look how happy are they! :(
Lox
Sat Dec 30 09:56:30 2006

Morning all!! :)
I see the world is going mad - and sure to go madder... :( (Re:news)
Nigel
Sat Dec 30 09:35:40 2006

Travis: Safe travel!! That's a long way to go, but the trip sounds interesting... :P

Tom: I am waiting for the next fiscal year to put the expenses on the company :D. All the trouble that I am having with the wireless LAN is enough to throw windows from the "window" once and for all!
Lox
Sat Dec 30 00:03:12 2006

Thanks, Nigel. The plan is no stops for sleeping; just bathroom breaks. Wife and I will take turns driving. Could be interesting.
Travis
Fri Dec 29 23:50:26 2006

Phew! Drive safe, Travis!! That's a lonnnggg way! :))
Nigel
Fri Dec 29 23:49:44 2006

1750 miles of driving between tonight and Sunday morning. Should be a great time. I'll likely not post much in Pennsylvania, but have a Happy New Year, all! I'll be back on January 8th.
Travis
Fri Dec 29 23:31:27 2006

Good news, Tom! There's a lot to like, isn't there? And I notice even Apple are pushing Parallels Desktop as the VM of choice. It handles XP so perfectly there's no need for BootCamp. A good, easy and clean way to wean from the Windows platform to the Mac. Plus, if any "nasties" get in they're confined to the VM!
Nigel
Fri Dec 29 22:16:24 2006

Nice one Lox! It's totally changed the way I look at computing. Things. Just. Work. I've onyl had it a week, and I already hate using Windows.
tom
Fri Dec 29 21:46:30 2006

Blank
Sheri
Fri Dec 29 19:00:57 2006

Actually the weather is crap here too... Today we are cleaning the flat, no going out I think, maybe in the night we'll go to the cinema and then afterwards we'll discuss about new year's eve... As for the comics Sheri, she doesn't know... I have tried to explain the differences let's hope she understands now, but n any case I can't be arsed if she doesn't!
Lox
Fri Dec 29 13:31:49 2006

Hi all!! Well that's me sorted... Hair cut nice and sharp!! (Well short and grey anyway!) Took all that rubbish accumulated over the Christmas period, to the waste disposal tip...
Nigel
Fri Dec 29 12:29:03 2006

Arumpf!
Sheri
Fri Dec 29 10:53:12 2006

Lox. Puoi dire a Marta che, da noi in Francia, c'è una differenza tra pornografia e erotismo...! La bande dessinée che ti ho mandato è, secondo me, erotica...!
Sheri
Fri Dec 29 10:51:48 2006

Good morning! Hope everyone had a great Christmas. I did. I'm now gearing up for DH's birthday, which falls on New Year's Eve. (that means more eating and drinking - I feel so fat!). Happy New Year, all!
Tim's mum
Fri Dec 29 10:01:51 2006

Yawn... Morning all! :)
Nigel
Fri Dec 29 07:57:19 2006

... and so Good Night then!! :)))))
Nigel
Fri Dec 29 00:01:33 2006

Morning all!! :)
A "lovely" wet day here in the west of England!
Nigel
Thu Dec 28 08:52:43 2006

Good Morning everyone! Four spam messages already busted today, I think that spammers are going to appear again I am afraid... :(
Lox
Thu Dec 28 08:02:00 2006

Nighty Night everyone! Happy New Year Tom! My father Christmas will arrive a bit late (early next year) with a similar toy for me !! :D
Lox
Wed Dec 27 23:26:37 2006

Evening all!! :)
Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year Tom!! And a Mac too, eh? Splendid!! :)))))))))))))
Nigel
Wed Dec 27 22:52:45 2006

Hey all! Happy Christmas (belated) and a forward look to a Happy New Year. This is being posted from my Mac Book Pro.... (Father Christmas was very good to me this year!)
tom
Wed Dec 27 21:54:45 2006

Actually... "Afternoon all!!" :)
Nigel
Wed Dec 27 12:29:55 2006

Morning all!! :)
Safe journey, John. Enjoy France and the New Year celebrations!!! :))))))
Just back from a healthy walk... People are still grumpy out there!!
Nigel
Wed Dec 27 12:29:19 2006

Right I'm off then, please look after the site in my absence chaps!
John
Wed Dec 27 11:59:21 2006

Have fun John and happy new year!!!
Lox
Wed Dec 27 11:26:04 2006

...in fact I probably won't have a "proper" internet connection again now until I start the new job on Jan 8th, however I may occasionally be able to do dialup in the intervening time.
John
Wed Dec 27 11:12:53 2006

Right then chaps, I'm going to be leaving my Dad's house today and going to stay with my grandmother again for a few days... which means I might not be able to get on to the internet for a while.
John
Wed Dec 27 11:11:54 2006

Sheri: I've booked my train tickets, and I'll be in the Dourdogne next week, arriving late Monday night (New Year's Day), and returning back to the UK on the morning of Sunday 7th. I'm travelling to/from Brive-la-Gaillarde as I mentioned before, although my Mum is actually staying somewhere out in the middle of nowhere... I don't know if meeting up during that time will be practical or not as I don't have my own transport, but at least I thought I'd let you know the dates when I'll be in your fair country so on the off chance you felt like a bit of an excursion we could set something up perhaps...
John
Wed Dec 27 10:16:33 2006

Thanks Sheri!
John
Wed Dec 27 10:10:04 2006

erratum: gorgeous
Sheri
Tue Dec 26 20:38:07 2006

John: gorgious bride...!
Sheri
Tue Dec 26 20:37:32 2006

The thumbnails look a bit disappointing to my eyes, but the full sized images are generally quite nice.
John
Tue Dec 26 18:35:16 2006

John: Wow! It will take me ages to see them all! But still I am resolute to get a glimpse at every single one of them!
Lox
Tue Dec 26 18:24:28 2006

Today I finally got round to uploading the "official" wedding pictures - if anyone is interested you can see them here.
John
Tue Dec 26 18:03:32 2006

Good to hear - both!! :)
Well a quick snack then we're off to the in-laws! :))
Nigel
Tue Dec 26 12:21:47 2006

Thanks John! I have managed to sleep until 10 this morning, given the last week average it's quite a result. I also managed to drown Christmas related issues in a nice pint of Guinness yesterday!
Lox
Tue Dec 26 11:49:15 2006

Hi Nigel! I didn't overdo it all that much yesterday so I feel fine today.
John
Tue Dec 26 11:23:34 2006

Morning Maisoneers!! :)
Are we recovered? I must admit I feel a bit more spritely than yesterday!
Nigel
Tue Dec 26 11:14:49 2006

By the way - the ampersand (&) will quickly bugger up your RSS feeds if you use it. So it is better if you type the XML/HTML compliant & instead.
John
Tue Dec 26 09:57:42 2006

Lox - the address changed, the RSS feed for your bit of the blog is now located here - similarly the rest of you can infer the addresses of your RSS feeds, they all follow the same pattern.
John
Tue Dec 26 09:53:50 2006

... Hmm... Just found that BBC link again - it's now at the bottom of the page...
[rant]The writer seems to forget all those people who need to keep in touch with friends and families around the world. What about those 800 sets of parents worrying about their offspring in Basra, for example? A bit of a cheesy dig, an easy swipe, f you ask me![endofrant]
... which I wouldn't if I were you! ;)
Nigel
Mon Dec 25 23:03:58 2006

Lox: Hypocrite
sheri
Mon Dec 25 21:05:39 2006

Evening all!! Yes, the kids are just going to bed! Me and Joc are worn-out even more now! The "big film" on the BBC this afternoon was Monsters Inc... Oh well... It made them cry and hide under cushions... :(
There was a somewhat thoughtless headline on the BBC News site earlier (it's gone now)... along the lines of "It's Christmas Day, why are you on the Internet?" I didn't dig deeper but thought it seemed a bit rich coming from them! I was checking world affairs, that's what I was doing. Feeling a bit guilty for having a good time when others less fortunate might not be... OK, I should have clicked the link and read it... But still...
Right... Time for a restorative! :)))
Nigel
Mon Dec 25 20:24:34 2006

John: sorry to bother, a friend of mine told me that the syndacated.xml file is not working anymore. New posts do not seem to appear in his feed reader, and I believe it is because we migrated to sbm... Is there a way to get it working again? Thanks!
Lox
Mon Dec 25 19:13:18 2006

Sheri: No porn for me I am a very respectable person... (YEAH AS IF), I do think that you should be more careful when visiting Italian porn sites, anyways...
Lox
Mon Dec 25 18:53:36 2006

Merry Christmas, all. It's a great day in Lubbock and hopefully across the world.
Travis
Mon Dec 25 18:45:51 2006

Hello again chaps, hope you're all still having a nice day. I haven't actually got anything to say really... erm.
John
Mon Dec 25 17:52:31 2006

LOX: You'll have to tell me why I keep receiving porn spams IN ITALIAN!!! You have spywares in your pc! Whenever you consult a porn site, use Spybot afterwards, damnit !!!!
Sheri
Mon Dec 25 17:17:37 2006

Buon Natale, Nigel (and to you all)!
Sheri
Mon Dec 25 15:47:29 2006

Lox: You'll have to let me know what the Italian for Merry Christmas is!!! :))
Nigel
Mon Dec 25 10:42:44 2006

Morning Maisoneers!! And a Happy Christmas - Joyeux Noël - to you all!!
Yes, the kids have covered the house in wrapping paper (we've had a few tears - but that was just me!!;)) and Mummy and Daddy are worn-out already...!! :)
Nigel
Mon Dec 25 10:42:07 2006

It must feel great to be back in England eh! I felt the same when I came back to Florence!
Lox
Mon Dec 25 10:37:06 2006

Merry Christmas chaps! I was going to say I hope you get some nice presents, but at the risk of being all serious and grown-up, more than that I hope you're able to spend Christmas with the people you want to be spending it with. For all that people whinge about having to visit relatives etc, I spent a large part of last year's Christmas day alone in my dreary flat in Tokyo, and I can tell you it was bloody miserable. Today on the other hand I have a generous helping of family members around me and it is great.
John
Mon Dec 25 09:32:51 2006

Good morning masoneers! Just woken up on Christmas day with a nice phone call from JAPAN, Oh joys of a multicultural and integrated world!
Lox
Mon Dec 25 09:10:13 2006

Merry Christmas to everyone!
Lox
Sun Dec 24 23:49:29 2006

Well all, I've just started on the gin and tonic - a bad sign!! :)))
Sheri: I just read this article and it caused me to grin (and to ask my Belgian friend if it is all true!!??) - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6205403.stm ;))
Nigel
Sun Dec 24 16:46:25 2006

Yes, John! go ahead! open it!
Sheri
Sun Dec 24 12:14:43 2006

Yes, I see what you mean Sheri. We were talking earlier, and trying to figure out where the term "Boxing Day" comes from. I guess it's some Victorian concoction...
Lox: So inputting the 192.1.1.50 does bring up the configuration screen then? With my hardware firewall there is no indication of any activity, it just works in the background, and not being a separate box it doesn't have all the logging etc.
John: I am hungry now....!!!
Nigel
Sun Dec 24 11:50:41 2006

Sheri: your parcel arrived by the way - thank you very much, it is very generous of you...! Is it appropriate to open it now, or should I save it for Christmas day?
John
Sun Dec 24 11:00:15 2006

Happy Christmas Eve everyone! Today there also happen to be a couple of birthdays in my family, so we're off out for a "posh" lunch now. However, given that it will be here in North Wales, I feel the use of the term posh will be somewhat relative.
John
Sun Dec 24 10:40:33 2006

Nigel. I'm not a fervent christian. 'Christmass' has too much of a religious connotation. Gift Day sounds better!
Sheri
Sun Dec 24 09:57:44 2006

Nigel: Yes that is standard... I configured the Modem for example 192.1.1.1 and the router 192.1.1.50 - I can surf the net but I cannot use the router to do all the filtering (even if I set the filters nothing happens...)... :(
Lox
Sun Dec 24 09:00:14 2006

Ah! Hi Sheri! I've not heard that phrase before. Tim has just come running in proclaiming loudly "I know what day it is! It's Christmas Eve!"
Nigel
Sun Dec 24 08:50:55 2006

Morning Maisoneers. It's Gift Day! Can't wait till tonight!
Sheri
Sun Dec 24 08:20:00 2006

Morning all!! :))))
Lox: You should just be able to input the IP address of the router in your browser and then enter it's configuration menu. Are you using the standard Tiscali USB modem?
Nigel
Sun Dec 24 08:17:33 2006

Tech help: I have my Tiscali modem, and a new router/modem/access point from Netgear. I managed to configure them so that the internet would work, but I cannot seem to be able to use the Netgear services (firewall etc etc)... Any ideas? Unfortunately I cannot DMZ the Tiscali router as it's firmware is blocked and that option is not for me to use I am afraid...
Lox
Sun Dec 24 01:37:21 2006

Why, yes asinakaraz, we always post answers to such "technical" problems as to how to get around Windows registration... I mean, "Derrrr"
Nigel
Sat Dec 23 18:53:49 2006

Hello Der Fehler muss also irgenwo in der Win-Registrierung liegen. Hat jemand ne Idee wo ich suchen muss ? Bye
asinakaraz
Sat Dec 23 17:49:48 2006

Very eloquently put Abigail.
John
Sat Dec 23 17:35:53 2006

vbbbaaa a\a\Xjhnh VFVV
Abigail
Sat Dec 23 17:24:58 2006

Home after a day zooming around. Welcome back to the UK John! Lox - Abi is doing very well, she loves the tree but has no expectations about presents!
dsp
Sat Dec 23 17:23:48 2006

26th is Boxing Day? We don't celebrate it here. It's Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day. Good luck to you, too, John.
Travis
Sat Dec 23 16:25:25 2006

Afternoon!!
Well I walked down to town to do a little last-minute shopping... Horrible!! People are all aliens!!!! (OK, maybe not strictly true, but most of those I bumped into were pretty unfriendly, with their eyes on the bargains...)
Travis: best of luck with the in-laws!! We go to mine on Boxing Day.
John: Glad you finally get to see how good a Mac looks on a nice monitor! They are something else, aren't they?!? :))
Nigel
Sat Dec 23 15:56:36 2006

John: The Maison on iPod? That's amazing. In other news, the in-laws are on their way here today. There is still a good deal of prep for their arrival. Mostly cleaning. The shopping is done. I did manage to misplace the book I bought for my father-in-law though. I'll need to find that...
Travis
Sat Dec 23 14:36:38 2006

The Maison backup has just completed - I feel all secure now knowing the site is all safely stored inside the lovely little Mac Mini. Actually I think I'm going to copy it onto my iPod as well, so I can take it all wherever I go... (although as far as I'm aware there isn't any way to browse the files on there).
John
Sat Dec 23 13:16:28 2006

Everyone in my family is getting either books or food this year - which means I've basically only really needed to visit two shops to do the lot.
John
Sat Dec 23 13:10:38 2006

Ciao Everyone, just finished the first half of shopping with Marta, fortunately all the things that I needed have been taken, and there weren't so many people as I thought... Oh well, these two days are going to be pretty busy I hope everyone is enjoying the pre-Christmas run...

Dsp: How is Abi doing? Excited? Thrilled?
Lox
Sat Dec 23 12:36:53 2006

Wow - the maison backup utility runs so much faster from the UK. :)
John
Sat Dec 23 11:48:34 2006

I've just got the Mac Mini hooked up here in the UK for the first time. I've borrowed a spare LCD panel my Dad has, it's the first time I've used it with a proper monitor - it looks really fantastic!
John
Sat Dec 23 11:43:22 2006

Yes, it's amazing how much I find I rely on the Maison, whether just to spout-off about something, or talk to real people, or just chill-out. I can see we're all becoming addicted!! :)
Nigel
Sat Dec 23 10:55:07 2006

I've just finally got my blog up to date. Of course a lot of it is rather bland drivel as a result, but that's not entirely what the whole process is about - I seem to have developed a sort of obsessive compulsive disorder over the whole thing, if I don't write my blog it's like those days haven't happened or something...!
John
Sat Dec 23 10:37:17 2006

I think it might be partly to do with the time of year? Not much daylight at the moment here in Blighty (plus all the fog etc) so my body clock is even more confused than normal.
John
Sat Dec 23 10:35:57 2006

Getting better Nigel - but it's really taking a while this time to work it out of my system - usually the ritual of waking up at 4AM only happens to me on the first night after I land, but this time round I've had it about four nights in a row!
John
Sat Dec 23 10:35:11 2006

:))))))
How's the jet-lag?
Nigel
Sat Dec 23 10:30:29 2006

Morning chaps! What a novelty it is to be able to say that and be in the same time zone and everything...!
John
Sat Dec 23 10:10:22 2006

Hi dsp!! Sounds good!! We saw the inlaws on Thursday and did a delivery then - we'll be back there on Boxing Day when the whole of Joc's clan gathers. Today is an open book ... so far!
Nigel
Sat Dec 23 09:38:34 2006

Hiya Nigel - any plans today? We're delivering presents.
dsp
Sat Dec 23 09:28:35 2006

Morning Maisoneers!!! :)))
Nigel
Sat Dec 23 09:26:20 2006

Yep, Travis. Joyeux Noël et bonne année!
Sheri
Fri Dec 22 21:18:07 2006

Incidentally incidentally, what do the French folk say? Joyeux Noelles (something along those lines). I may have mixed a masculnie and a feminine there. John, though I can't spell it, "Akimashite Omedeto gozaimasu."
Travis
Fri Dec 22 20:56:09 2006

Incidentally, we ONLY say "Merry Christmas," "Happy New Years," and/or "Happy Holidays." I believe "Happy Christmas" is fairly common in the UK; not?
Travis
Fri Dec 22 20:54:27 2006

I've been on "Christmas holiday" for a mere week now. Muahaha. The in-laws will arrive tomorrow, and I'll set out for the fatherland on the 29th. I'll be back in Lubbock around the 6th of Janvier. I will have an internet connection (or connexion). Fear not.
Travis
Fri Dec 22 20:52:59 2006

Splendid, John!! :)))
Nigel
Fri Dec 22 19:26:59 2006

GRANDE JOHN!!!! Welcome back!!
Lox
Fri Dec 22 17:46:44 2006

I'm back!

Sorry chaps, that may have been the longest consecutive absence I've had from any kind of internet connection for as long as I can remember. I hope everything has been OK here in my absence. My bit of the site is horribly out of date - I shall attempt to rectify that now.
John
Fri Dec 22 17:34:32 2006

Sheri: Good news - glad it arrived in time! I wasn't sure it would...
"All in good time" is fine, so is "All in due course". :))
Well I have about half-an-hour to go then I hope the roads are clear and fog-free! Homeward-bound... :))
Nigel
Fri Dec 22 16:25:54 2006

Or is it 'all in due course'?
Sheri
Fri Dec 22 15:57:08 2006

Sorry, I think 'All in good time' is more correct than 'everything in due time'. Isn't it?
Sheri Ze Frog
Fri Dec 22 15:53:39 2006

Nigel: got your card. It's very kind and it pleased us very much.
Sheri
Fri Dec 22 15:47:48 2006

Wait a minute! Christmass is the day after tomorrow. Why would I want to wish you a merry christmas now? Everything in due time!
Sheri
Fri Dec 22 15:46:39 2006

Ah!! Good news, John's Mum!! And Compliments of the Season to you! :))
Nigel
Fri Dec 22 15:36:34 2006

Don't worry about John, he's somewhere in Wales minus an Internet connexion. I saw him and the new Mrs John on Monday and they were both glowing. He got straight off the plane at Heathrow and to Guildford by 6 pm so I saw them for a whole two hours. Merry Christmas everyone.
John's Mum
Fri Dec 22 15:14:46 2006

Logging off now, but will probably have a quick look from home. Have a great holiday everyone.
Mad Mumsie
Fri Dec 22 15:00:40 2006

MM: Merry Christmas!! :))
Lox: sounds very nice indeed. I particularly like tortellini!!!
Nigel
Fri Dec 22 14:00:55 2006

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE. I hope Father Christmas bring you everything you want.
Mad Mumsie
Fri Dec 22 13:42:57 2006

Just concocted a marvellous meat filled tortellini served on a courgette, mushroom, cumin and milk sauce. HIGH CLASS!
Lox
Fri Dec 22 13:35:08 2006

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!! I was out this morning... :P
Lox
Fri Dec 22 12:32:56 2006

Have a great holiday - dsp and dsp's Mum !!! :))
Happily it's been an uneventful morning - hopefully the afternoon will be much the same... Time for some lunch...
Nigel
Fri Dec 22 12:22:33 2006

I finish work today, MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
Tim's mum
Fri Dec 22 11:55:24 2006

A 12 o'clock finish is pencilled in for today. Happy Christmas everyone!
dsp
Fri Dec 22 11:43:33 2006

Ah! Don't blame you MM! :) Yes, we have to be open until 5pm too. The town is said to be heaving with people - it was certainly busy even when I came in. I will not venture out until home-time, me-thinks!
Nigel
Fri Dec 22 10:35:05 2006

That's not how you spell sneak. That's better.
Mad Mumsie
Fri Dec 22 10:28:36 2006

Nigel: I'm glad to said "AT WORK" and not "WORKING". Most sane people are not putting their noses out of the front door to come to the libraries, so it is very quiet in the IT Section, but we have to be here until 5pm in case the systems go belly up. Having said that, it only needs one of us, so I may just sneek off in the middle of the afternoon.
Mad Mumsie
Fri Dec 22 10:28:05 2006

Thanks dsp!!! :)) You're a "good sort"!!! :)))
I tried posting earlier, but no joy. Are we all at work, or is it just me and MM?
Nigel
Fri Dec 22 10:22:54 2006

Except I now have to refresh the screen to show my messages. Oh, yes, Good morning everyone.
Mad Mumsie
Fri Dec 22 10:14:59 2006

For a nasty moment there I thought I was going to have to spend my last day at work before Christmas, without access to the Maison.
Mad Mumsie
Fri Dec 22 10:13:48 2006

Fingers crossed - its mended!
dsp
Fri Dec 22 09:36:40 2006

Is it me or when you make an entry there is always a nasty error coming up? Is the page holding together by miracle or what?
Lox
Fri Dec 22 07:41:55 2006

Sheri: Ok that you were drinking wine but isn't that a bit TOO MUCH!? :D Anyways good morning guys and gals!
Lox
Fri Dec 22 07:40:27 2006

Farewell, Friends. Adieu. Que Dieu soit avec vous (et avec votre esprit)!
Sheri
Fri Dec 22 07:26:23 2006

It's over. It's all over. La maison had its moment of glory. Time to shut down.
Sheri
Fri Dec 22 07:24:58 2006

Travis: John won't answer. Chie doens't want him to associate with us anymore...
Sheri
Fri Dec 22 07:22:49 2006

John: Having a glass of Laphroaig right now. This particular bottle was aged 10 or 12 years (can't quite recall). I don't like it as much as Highland Park, but it is very interesting. It's very "smoky" tasting, and is quite a bit better than, say, Dewars or JW. I may have spelled Laphroaig incorrectly.
Travis
Fri Dec 22 02:08:41 2006

Hi all! Back from the dentist and I'm glad to report we were all OK - well, except my wallet of course... :(
Well Done Sheri!! Now you can relax with that wine, over Christmas!
Nigel
Thu Dec 21 16:07:55 2006

Nigel: I don't know. We COULD see a white Christmas, but the family is heading back to my fatherland (Pennsylvania) just after Christmas, so I'm sure we'll see some snow or ice there. Incidentally, all of that snow has melted already.
Travis
Thu Dec 21 14:55:31 2006

Listen to MM ... things need to be done in the right order- as in "Always pillage *before* you burn" etc.
Jimmy
Thu Dec 21 12:45:22 2006

Sheri: I don' recommend drinking BEFORE shopping, or you will end up spending more than you intend. A well deserved glass or three afterwards as a reward for a job well done is quite acceptable.
Mad Mumsie
Thu Dec 21 11:52:47 2006

Wine. I need wine. A lot.
Sheri
Thu Dec 21 11:09:52 2006

Off to do some shopping now!
Sheri
Thu Dec 21 11:09:24 2006

SCRIPT FINISHED! I'm rather pleased with it! Far better than my first attempt (A Syrian Summer, if you all recall).
Sheri
Thu Dec 21 11:09:05 2006

Oh, and Good Morning all. Only two days to go. Awful weather here, foggy, cold, yuck.
Mad Mumsie
Thu Dec 21 10:33:06 2006

WHO?
Mad Mumsie
Thu Dec 21 10:31:49 2006

We bow to your great majestic aura of power OH sire Sheri...
Lox
Thu Dec 21 09:52:46 2006

Morning-people-of-Earth. I-greet-you.
Sheri
Thu Dec 21 09:11:07 2006

Dentist.... BAD!!.... Actually I have to go visit mine I am afraid.... :(
Lox
Thu Dec 21 08:19:45 2006

Morning Maisoneers!! :)
Well, it's the dentist for me and my brood today... Good fun, eh?!?! :)
Nigel
Thu Dec 21 06:54:33 2006

Coo! Could be a white Christmas in Lubbock, Travis? We had one here last year - and it *is* getting colder - so maybe we'll get a repeat! The kids will love it for one thing, and it gives them something to do over the school-holidays. Somehow a damp, grey Christmas is a bit of a let down...
Nigel
Wed Dec 20 22:18:15 2006

Bit of snow this morning when I awoke...bleah.
Travis
Wed Dec 20 14:39:07 2006

We're going away for a few days between Christmas and new year, so I think I'll spend the cash on a hotel-upgrade.
Jimmy
Wed Dec 20 13:02:02 2006

Jimmy, how much fun are you going to have spending the rest of the money!
Mad Mumsie
Wed Dec 20 12:48:52 2006

Way to go Jimmy!! A nice surprise! :)
Nigel
Wed Dec 20 12:36:53 2006

Bloody Hell! The car only failed on dim bulbs and wiper blades! That really is a first ... and I'd saved-up about 500 quid for the "Repairs" :)
Jimmy
Wed Dec 20 12:28:16 2006

Ho dear! Has the "Daily" page gone again... ?
Nigel
Wed Dec 20 12:07:51 2006

Sheri - Ah! Actually, no, I thought you were serious! How gullible am I! ;))))))
Nigel
Wed Dec 20 12:04:18 2006

Fair enough ;-)
Sheri
Wed Dec 20 11:01:32 2006

Sheri, of course, both in the same glass. Really, what sort of person do you think I am. I enjoy both, but usually on separate occasions. In fact there is a bottle in the cupboard for a special occasion, which we bought back from Fleurie in the summer.
Mad Mumsie
Wed Dec 20 11:00:00 2006

MM: concerning your last mail. Hope you don't mix Vouvray and Fleurie (which is a beaujolais). Quite different wines!
Sheri
Wed Dec 20 10:50:58 2006

Nigel: I hope you realise I was kidding. It's about 2°c over here!
Sheri
Wed Dec 20 10:47:48 2006

Hi Sheri! Hmmm. In fahrenheit that would be: "Nice and Warm" !! :)))
Nigel
Wed Dec 20 10:31:26 2006

Weather's fine here. 32° C in the shade. (What would it be in Fahrenheit?)
Sheri
Wed Dec 20 10:21:33 2006

Morning all Why is it that the thought of an MOT sends us all into a panic.
Mad Mumsie
Wed Dec 20 08:46:15 2006

'morning! OH NO! It's the day of the MOT (shudder) !
Jimmy
Wed Dec 20 08:15:49 2006

Morning all!! )
Nigel
Wed Dec 20 07:09:52 2006

Actually it got a lot colder in Italy too in the last 2 days... Shame shame... Anyways I got 3 more spam messages this morning, are we being attacked?
Lox
Wed Dec 20 06:51:04 2006

Yeah, Nigel. Lubbock gets snow on occasion, too. We had about 2 inches or so about a month ago. Now, Arlington (near Dallas) almost NEVER sees snow, and it melts almost immediately.
Travis
Wed Dec 20 00:02:50 2006

brrrr. freeing thick fog out here on the East coast, i can hear the faint sound of fog horns in the distance, quite eery!
kev
Tue Dec 19 23:49:26 2006

Hi Travis - Now freezing rain isn't something I would normally associate with Texas!! Here in old Blighty - well my part of it anyway - a sunny afternoon was replaced by thick fog which made the drive home horrible.
Nigel
Tue Dec 19 22:37:20 2006

Freezing rain and a bit of a power outage. Quite unfortunate for little old me, who was stuck at home today. All seems to be in order now.
Travis
Tue Dec 19 18:50:12 2006

RAJ!!! How are you my man?! Where are you at the mo?
Lox
Tue Dec 19 16:42:22 2006

I only found out today that John and Chie got hitched Congratz to you both and yes I am the last to know anything :P
Raj
Tue Dec 19 16:41:24 2006

Well the wireless network isn't set up yet, I hope that I can amaze everyone around the end of the week... :D
Lox
Tue Dec 19 12:26:16 2006

Lox: You know you've joined the technical elite when you can surf from the loo. You're one of the fortunate 0.001% on the planet.
dsp
Tue Dec 19 10:34:14 2006

MM: Yes! That's better! I am refreshed!! :)
Lox: Just don't drop the PSP!!! :)
Nigel
Tue Dec 19 10:31:51 2006

Dsp: Soon I'll be posting with my PSP from the BATHROOM!!! :) Yes, my dreams come true! :D
Lox
Tue Dec 19 10:27:06 2006

Nigel: 6 minutes to go.
Mad Mumsie
Tue Dec 19 10:23:36 2006

Hmmm. This is not fair.... I would love a cup of tea! :((( First break will be at 10:30...
I'm mentoring again today which means a lot of sitting around smiling and looking helpful, telling people where they are going wrong. Whereas in reality I'm thinking of all the more interesting and useful things I could be doing far away from here... (I've logged in on a spare machine to "check my mail"... yea, right!! :))
Nigel
Tue Dec 19 09:45:25 2006

Hi everyone. Lox - I'm working from home today too. Trusty cup of tea by my side :-)
dsp
Tue Dec 19 09:34:24 2006

Working from home today... CUP OF TEA and some snacks! Unbeatable!!! :)
Lox
Tue Dec 19 09:23:03 2006

Mesdames, Messieurs, je vous remets cordialement le bonjour.
Sheri
Tue Dec 19 08:32:16 2006

Morning all!! :))
Hi-ho, Hi-ho, it's off to work we go...
Nigel
Tue Dec 19 07:34:10 2006

Good Morning everyone! It's not 6,30 here in Italy and I am awake! I hate jetlag like this! Anyways I took the liberty of cleaning the board of 5 spam messages it seems that they are trying to bother us again, but the clever system devised by John and Tim seems to keep them at bay. As for John, WHERE IS HE!?
Lox
Tue Dec 19 05:44:50 2006

Guys, if you receive a mail from me (or anyone else) entitled INVITATION, do NOT open it! Delete it immediately!!! Deadly virus!!! It is not a joke.
Sheri
Mon Dec 18 21:08:32 2006

Anyone else use Firefox? All of my blog entries are double posting, but I don't know why. I'm only hitting "Save" once.
Travis
Mon Dec 18 20:40:20 2006

Hi Guys! Well, I have been training a new member of staff today so have not been on the computer much... Madness is mandatory for the Maison though !! :))))
Nigel
Mon Dec 18 15:34:39 2006

Mmmmm it's full of nutcases in here Sheri.... :D Take me for example!
Lox
Mon Dec 18 15:25:15 2006

I'm 'le fou du roi', John being naturally the king.
Sheri
Mon Dec 18 15:17:52 2006

It's funny how quiet this board can be when I don't take part in it...! Obviously, I'm indispendable. You NEED my insanity!
Sheri
Mon Dec 18 15:16:07 2006

Do you think Watanabe San had to send the boat back when he found out John was leaving ?
Kev
Mon Dec 18 13:13:45 2006

Jimmy: The best laid plans of mice and men .................
Mad Mumsie
Mon Dec 18 12:45:49 2006

Not for Me! Hahahahahaaaaaaaaaaa! (evil laugh etc.) Sadly, this is my final week of not having to work on Friday. Not that it's done me any good ... I'd been hoping to spend my Fridays sitting around watching the telly & drinking beer ... but I've ended up doing the shopping and housework. Bugger.
Jimmy
Mon Dec 18 12:31:30 2006

Just Monday, still overcast here, but a brighter sort of overcast if you know what I mean. Still five days then a week or so orf.
Mad Mumsie
Mon Dec 18 11:19:08 2006

Hi MM. Anything specific or just a general Monday Malaise?
Nigel
Mon Dec 18 08:52:43 2006

Morning all, what a bloody awful day. And its Monday!
Mad Mumsie
Mon Dec 18 08:21:04 2006

Morning all!! :)
Nigel
Mon Dec 18 06:57:46 2006

Ciao John have a good flight back! Morning everyone by the way!!
Lox
Mon Dec 18 06:22:49 2006

Although you are a gaijin, many will miss you especially the Karaoke bars and several alcohol sellers. Goodbye John san!
JAPAN
Mon Dec 18 06:22:10 2006

About to get on the plane so this will probably be the last message from my beloved internet phone. Back to stone age technology at space age prices in the UK. So anyway, goodbye Japan!
John
Mon Dec 18 02:16:27 2006

John: Actually since you are at it, can you copy down the SECRET RECIPE of that marvel of culinary invention that is called PARMESAN, but has NONE in it!! :D
Lox
Sun Dec 17 11:39:20 2006

Right, well it is Sunday evening here now, we're on the way to the airport although the flight is not until tomorrow morning. I'm sure the hotel will be very dreary as airport hotels always are, but at least it means we don't have to get up too early tomorrow morning. Today has been a reminder of how much hard work it is to move house, even with a small apartment like we had. So we're both quite knackered now!
John
Sun Dec 17 11:03:25 2006

Lox: me and Chie are in Pronto in Shinjuku. I can see the fake plastic cheese and everything. I know how much you love it!
John
Sun Dec 17 09:23:11 2006

... it's OK Lox. I just noticed you've posted a new blog entry... I'll nip over and read it... ;)
Nigel
Sun Dec 17 08:16:25 2006

Lox: What did you do? :)
Nigel
Sun Dec 17 08:15:16 2006

Wrap up warm, John!! It's wet and cold over here just now :))
Nigel
Sun Dec 17 08:14:42 2006

Have a safe flight back!!! Mine was DREADFUL all because of ME (which makes it even worse!!)
Lox
Sun Dec 17 08:14:12 2006

Right, have now checked out of the flat, if that's the right term for it. Not too emotional but bloody hard work! We're now vaguely on our way to the airport, although a couple of errands to run first.
John
Sun Dec 17 08:00:37 2006

Morning all!! :)
Safe journey John! Hope leaving the flat is not too emotional!
Lox: Welcome back!! No doubt the spectre of jet-lag will wreak havoc!
Nigel
Sun Dec 17 07:32:58 2006

Although the posting time (6,30) might mean that I am still I Japan, I am indeed posting from my house!! HO JOY!!
Lox
Sun Dec 17 05:46:48 2006

Hello All, well, sorry I haven't been online much. As you can imagine have been pretty busy with leaving Japan and all that. Today is our last day in the flat, will check out of here this evening and spend the last night in Japan in a hotel at the airport.

Anyway, the man is just about to come and disconnect our internet connection. I'd really hoped I might get a bit more time to update the site etc, but it seems he's decided to come early... So just the mobile now!
John
Sun Dec 17 00:51:19 2006

John and Chie, I hope you have a safe and uneventful journey back to the UK.
Mad Mumsie
Sat Dec 16 23:13:57 2006

"Lated" = "latest"
Travis
Sat Dec 16 19:45:55 2006

Any idea why I double-posted my lated blog? I didn't hit send twice or anything...
Travis
Sat Dec 16 19:45:42 2006

Nigel: Forget what I said, I got it!
Sheri
Sat Dec 16 10:26:20 2006

Nigel, what's your surname btw?
Sheri
Sat Dec 16 10:22:24 2006

Ah Good!! Yes, happy to help in whatever way I can, Sheri! :) Remember to send me those details via email!!! I've been busy this morning writing Christmas cards!! ;) Well, after days of rain, today has started sunny (but cold) Hurrah!
Nigel
Sat Dec 16 09:51:46 2006

Nigel: I finished the scenario last night! I need to check a few things , then I'll send it to you (if you still want to help with the syntax) .
Sheri
Sat Dec 16 09:35:00 2006

Sheri: You busy writing? How's the project going? You haven't mentioned it much lately...
Nigel
Sat Dec 16 08:16:24 2006

Morning all!! :)
Hope you are back safe and sound now, Lox!! Frightening stuff!!
John: I guess you are hung-over ?!?!? :))))) How was the last day at work?
Me? Well, I was just woken by the post-lady.... (Ooeerr!) Sadly nothing exciting...
Nigel
Sat Dec 16 08:15:21 2006

You will never believe what happened to me today.�@I have lost the passport and tickets at the airport, I left them into the basket that comes with the carts here... After two hours of frantic searching, alerting every person in the airport and everytihgn (I was going to loose the ticket and of course I couldn`t go back until at least Monday when the embassy would reopen to get me a new passport), I found it!! Lucky me that I speak Japanese it would have been impossible otherwise... I`ll post something from Europe, I have much to tell about yesterday night as well....
Lox
Sat Dec 16 03:26:06 2006

Travis, I think in the context of Lox's statement, fumble, would be the kind of thing that might occur in the back row of a cinema with a young lady, as Nigel rather eloquently suggested ;) rather than he made a joke, or somehow manged to drop a football under the table :) - at least thats my interpretation, maybe DSP actually meant something different like he was in the rock band Fumble
Kev
Fri Dec 15 22:19:20 2006

Dsp: Actually I was hinting to the fact that too much drinking would get him "under the table", hence the exploration... :P

ANYWAYS I am off to Narita to get the plane that hopefully will get me back to Pizzaland this evening, have a good day!
Lox
Fri Dec 15 21:57:16 2006

DSP: I'm intrigued. What is a "fumble"? Is it some sort of gaffe?
Travis
Fri Dec 15 16:49:19 2006

Ah... Well it sounded vaguely "risque" all this fondling going on under the table. I can't explain why talk of "naughty goings-on" made me think of you, my friend!! ;))
Nigel
Fri Dec 15 16:08:54 2006

Nigel. Sorry, grab what?
Sheri
Fri Dec 15 15:36:10 2006

Gosh that was a bit in yer face, wasn't it.
Mad Mumsie
Fri Dec 15 14:40:37 2006

Phew! Glad things are back to normal...
Say! Why is the *whole month* jiggered now?!?!?! How can mistakenly adding an opening BOLD tag affect everything before it? That's spooky, that is...
Nigel
Fri Dec 15 13:22:00 2006

Sorry guys and galls, I must have got my HTML tag wrong just then :(((
How's that?
Nigel
Fri Dec 15 13:19:42 2006

Hey! I'll have some of that!!! (c'mon Sheri!!! This is a joke I expected you to grab first!! :))))))) Well I've just been reading the fascinating Wikipedia articles about iPod and it's history. (It's my lunch break and it's raining out there :(( ) I'm also begining to notice how much celebrity stuff, TV and Film stuff, is appearing in the articles. It's kind-of watering down the on-line encyclopedia feel, I think. A shame as it's generally a great resource. To my mind IMDB should stay king of movies and stars. Horses for courses as they say...
Nigel
Fri Dec 15 13:18:34 2006

Lox: I am intrigued, what is an "under the table exploration" is it some kind of fumble?
dsp
Fri Dec 15 09:07:51 2006

Morning all!! :)
Seems like you guys have both got an emotional day ahead of you! Something I sincerely hope mine isn't!!! Best of luck! :)))))
Nigel
Fri Dec 15 07:01:02 2006

Well, productivity today so far has been pretty minimal. I did at least tidy up my desk though. Going to have some final meetings this afternoon, and in about three hours time I'll no longer be an employee of this well known software company.
John
Fri Dec 15 05:32:15 2006

John: Have a nice day, I am sure you'll feel like a million bucks at the end of the day, but by night I predict an "under the table exploration" that might put that feeling into prospective...
Lox
Fri Dec 15 01:52:34 2006

Well I'm on the way into the office for my last day at work!
John
Fri Dec 15 00:12:32 2006

Good Morning! Today I will send my very first hate mail to my new employers!!! OH OH OH!!! What a prospect, I might set a record for the quickest company to be written off the records ever!
Lox
Fri Dec 15 00:09:04 2006

Nigel: if he told you that, you'd have to kill him. Er...
Travis
Thu Dec 14 18:16:00 2006

John: When can you go public on the new job? "Nice Job" sounds like such a Holy Grail...
Nigel
Thu Dec 14 16:19:08 2006

Hi Travis. You must be true fans of the teams!! :)) I reckon the effects will kick in around 3pm when you'll start nodding-off!! Perhaps as John and Lox suffer from jet-lag so much, you could suffer from Basketball-Lag. We could be hip and trendy and call it "BB-Lag" :))) (Or maybe.. er.. not)
Nigel
Thu Dec 14 16:16:19 2006

Just completed an interesting run of events. Yesterday, the wife and I left Lubbock, Texas in our car at 1:00 PM. We arrived in Dallas at 7:00 for the Lakers/Mavericks basketball game. After the game, it was 11:15 PM. We took shifts driving/sleeping and arrived here in Lubbock at 6:00 AM. It's now 10:00 AM. I've slept less than five hours, which is tragically little for me, but I feel good. The game was quite exciting.
Travis
Thu Dec 14 16:03:54 2006

Sorry chaps, again busy drinking today, and now I very much need to go to sleep. After a bit of a lull in communications for the last few weeks, today I spoke to my new employer again, and reassuringly I still do have a very nice job to go to in January. It wasn't all a dream!
John
Thu Dec 14 15:59:35 2006

Hmmm. "Tasty Delicious" I think I'm going to have to make more use of that one!
Nigel
Thu Dec 14 14:09:41 2006

Yeah, I thought so too...!
Sheri
Thu Dec 14 14:01:50 2006

Sheri - John will come back because, frankly, he has nowhere else to go.
Rob Lang
Thu Dec 14 14:00:28 2006

As for School Dinners, the staff at my school would use the ubiquitous prefix "Tasty Delicious", which seemed to be used in place of the more honest: "Nice but not exciting".
Rob Lang
Thu Dec 14 13:59:44 2006

I never had a Manchester Tart. Most came from South of Watford. *snigger*
Rob Lang
Thu Dec 14 13:58:48 2006

Hi T'sM :) Yes, that pink custard!! I'd forgotten such delicacies!! It probably had a red colour in it that has now been banned! As for the tart... Didn't now the name but it sounds familiar! I went to many different schools, and sampled so many dinners - it was just comforting that everything was the same, everywhere! :)
Nigel
Thu Dec 14 13:19:34 2006

What about corned beef hash with red cabbage, chocolate sponge with pink custard. Our school dinners were cooked at a central kitchen, put into huge aluminium containers and delivered by van. (ergo no chips). They were served up or ladled out by dinner ladies, if you were lucky you got 'seconds'. Nobody had even heard of yoghurt and happy meals hadn't been invented.
Tim's mum
Thu Dec 14 13:06:06 2006

Nigel: I see we are both fans of the traditional 'school dinner' - I loved them! Did you have Manchester Tart? (pastry case, jam, coconut and custard? You can buy it in M&S - expensive tho.
Tim's mum
Thu Dec 14 13:05:39 2006

Ahhhh... I remember so well the first week of married-life.... Washing the dishes, mowing the lawn, painting the walls... :)
Nigel
Thu Dec 14 12:31:20 2006

Predictable. Then, when the heat of their passion will cool down, he'll come back to us on his knee, begging for friendship. I don't know about you, but I'll ignore him superbly. that'll teach him a lesson.
Sheri
Thu Dec 14 12:26:01 2006

I think John is on his honeymoon. I told you, guys! Now that he's married, we count for mothing...
Sheri
Thu Dec 14 12:23:37 2006

Noooooooo!
Sheri
Thu Dec 14 12:21:36 2006

:)))) Only perhaps because I'm trying to translate an English Institution (albeit an old one which everybody but me hates!!) using my school-boy French! ;))
Nigel
Thu Dec 14 12:08:52 2006

Why would I wish to do so, Nigel?
Sheri
Thu Dec 14 11:40:55 2006

"Pommes de terre cassées avec Poivre et chou".. Sounds soo much better in another language!! :)) Please feel free to throw stones at me Sheri!! :))
Nigel
Thu Dec 14 11:28:44 2006

... I also liked my mashed-potatoes served from those ice-cream spoons with the rotating cutter jobbie. Nice neat little hemispheres of spud you could then mash satifactorily into your gravy etc! And rice-pudding with a dollop of jam on the top... Ahhhh... :))))
Nigel
Thu Dec 14 11:20:04 2006

I see...!
Sheri
Thu Dec 14 10:25:44 2006

Sheri, you're not a frog, you're Belgian. Nuking them would be a swift end, I think it's better to let them tear themselves apart through social instability.
Rob Lang
Thu Dec 14 10:05:33 2006

Sheri: Nuking is bad and you cannot use the are for more than 50 years. I think that the car park idea is better.
Lox
Thu Dec 14 09:40:11 2006

Am I the only one who likes boiled cabbage?!?!? :) Genuinely! Fond memories of school days. Plenty of mashed-potatoes and boiled cabbage, covered in a great sprinkling of white pepper!! Yum!! (OK, I'm as mad as a fish, I know!! :))
Nigel
Thu Dec 14 09:24:22 2006

And why so much hatred in your voice?
Sheri
Thu Dec 14 09:20:45 2006

What do you suggest, Rob? Nuke the damn frogs (me included)?
Sheri
Thu Dec 14 09:17:17 2006

YEAH! French wines taste like cabbage! I think that we should build a huge parking lot out of France (excluding beautiful Vienne of course)...!! Actually, jokes aside, Californian wines are getting quite popular in Italy as well, they aren't all that bad and pricewise they are quite reasonable... Although I wouldn't trade a Cote du Rhone or a nice Chianti for an Ozzie wine so easily...
Lox
Thu Dec 14 09:16:48 2006

I'm with Sheri on this. Furthermore, the French need to wake up a bit because their snobbery won't be shared by the rest of the globe for long!
Rob Lang
Thu Dec 14 09:07:33 2006

Morning Maisoneers!! :))
Sheri, your knowledge is better than mine, I concede. I find my own palette has changed over the years and I no-longer appreciate white wines at all... :( Must be all that Guinness I drank!!
Nigel
Thu Dec 14 07:11:06 2006

Nigel: French wines are no longer superior. There are now many 'foreign' wines (American, Australian, South African,...) whose quality is equivalent, if not better. French supremacy is over, I'm afraid.
Sheri
Thu Dec 14 06:16:48 2006

Morning Maisoneers!
Lox
Thu Dec 14 01:50:26 2006

Ah! Well I trust they are worthy of your palette!!? White wines leave me a little confused. I remember well a holiday we took to the wine-growing regions of Germany. Their wines are very... er... teutonic... From this experience I realise French wines are superior! :)
Nigel
Wed Dec 13 21:25:33 2006

Women...! As for the wine, I finished a Savagnin (Côtes du Jura) and started a Mâcon Village (grape: chardonnay).
Sheri
Wed Dec 13 21:05:22 2006

Hi Sheri! I hope you have become inebriated on some quality beverage! A nice red perhaps? A Scnapps? Brandy - Napoleon. Not Champaign surely!?! Sadly my wife will not let me join you this evening... :( Sensible girl...
Nigel
Wed Dec 13 20:58:17 2006

And of course I forgot DSP! Silly me!
Sheri
Wed Dec 13 19:29:11 2006

By 'you all', I mean you, Chie, MM, Nigel, Lox, Travis, Jimmy, Kev and - yes! - even Rob, my worst detractor.
Sheri
Wed Dec 13 19:27:55 2006

John. About your trip to France. I don't want to impose on you. I'm sure you want to make the most of your stay with your mum. But I maintain what I said: next summer we HAVE TO meet, the lot of us, maisoneers. It would be truly wonderful. I'm not entirely sober right now, but you all mean something to me.
Sheri
Wed Dec 13 19:24:06 2006

Wow! You're going to be busy then, John! Will your magic Japanese phone work over here too? You could surf from your Grandmas with that if so... If it won't... well you could always sell it to someone at tomorrow's party!! ;))
Nigel
Wed Dec 13 14:24:31 2006

Anyway I need to go to bed now as I was up until 4AM last night (on a school night!). Lox if you want to meet up tomorrow or Friday let me know and we can try to sort something out (although as I say, as long as you don't mind sharing me with some people from work).
John
Wed Dec 13 14:20:51 2006

Lox: if you don't mind joining in on a night out with some people I work with then it's quite possible... Tomorrow (Thursday) night is my official sobetsukai which will be in Chofu - 15 minutes by train from Shinjuku. I haven't yet heard the plan for Friday but I think that will involve a repeat performance with a slightly smaller group of people from the office (i.e. the ones I actually get on with). Maybe that one might be in Shinjuku or something...
John
Wed Dec 13 14:18:31 2006

John: That means that we cannot see each other before Friday correct? :(
Lox
Wed Dec 13 14:04:59 2006

Sorry chaps I've not had much time to spend on the Maison over the last few days. I'm in my last week at work (and in Japan) now so very busy really... Hopefully normal service may be resumed next week when I'm back in the UK (although having said that it sort of depends which part of my family I'm staying with, strangely enough my Grandmother doesn't have internet access).
John
Wed Dec 13 13:53:54 2006

I HAVE TO START BUYING PRESENTS YET!!! I hope that all the beneficiaries will understand that I was quite crippled in the shopping spree galore this year, mostly because I am 6000miles away from where I should be! :P
Lox
Wed Dec 13 13:41:11 2006

Nigel: Who said anything about shopping finished. I'm sure there must be one or two things I've forgotten. Cyberdad did ask last night if I had any idea how much was on my credit card! I said no idea at all.
Mad Mumsie
Wed Dec 13 12:33:26 2006

If at all...!
Sheri
Wed Dec 13 11:26:05 2006

Ah... So Santa is going to have a rather high-pitched voice this year! :)
Nigel
Wed Dec 13 11:24:47 2006

I met yesterday an old man with a white beard, all dressed in red. Kept saying something like Ho-ho-ho. I don't know what he was laughing at, but I didn't like it and I gave him a hard kick right in the genitals. His Ho-ho-ho turned mute, preceded however by a swift but distinctive 'ow-ow-ow'. Weird guy.
Sheri
Wed Dec 13 10:58:38 2006

Sheri: Are you thinking of the famous Monty Python sketch! :)) How go the Christmas preparations in France?
MM: Yeah, it's good when all the shopping is done!!! :))
Nigel
Wed Dec 13 10:55:48 2006

Morning all. Grey day in London. Cyberdad is going to buy the Christmas tree today. Super. Cards all written and sent. All the prezzies nearly wrapped up. I love this time of year.
Mad Mumsie
Wed Dec 13 10:48:21 2006

arh! Parrot, not parrots. Always ruining my jokes because of silly spelling mistakes...!
Sheri
Wed Dec 13 10:20:08 2006

Hello John. Heloooooo. Wakey-wakey! (Reminds me of a dead parrots. Where was it again?)
Sheri
Wed Dec 13 10:18:46 2006

Glüt früt hü. (That's how we say 'good morning' in Norwegian)
Sheri
Wed Dec 13 10:17:00 2006

Morning!!! :) Another windy day here in the UK.
Nigel
Wed Dec 13 07:06:14 2006

Morning all!
Lox
Wed Dec 13 00:13:43 2006

Tum-te-tum. Doodle-dum-diddle.... :)
Nigel
Tue Dec 12 21:49:03 2006

Well, I'm off home now. Just had a friendly chat with my boss - back-to-work proceedure as normal. And it was decided I could go home early!! :))
Nigel
Tue Dec 12 16:09:14 2006

Sounding a bit "rough" there, Sheri! It must be all those cigars!
As you can tell I'm not so busy here. My bosses had expected me not to be in today... So I am checking my emails (100's of corporate "Urgent!" waffle...)
Nigel
Tue Dec 12 11:38:23 2006

Bleuark berk bluck cough grüt.
Coughing Sheri
Tue Dec 12 11:24:05 2006

Sheri: ;)
Still, my colleagues were happy to see me!! If my bosses were not!
Nigel
Tue Dec 12 10:09:31 2006

In Siena, ther was a nice vinoteca. I used to linger a lot there, discovering Italy through its many wines. Good old days.
Sheri
Tue Dec 12 10:07:43 2006

A grape apparently more demanding than the almighty carbernet sauvignon, but which could equal it in quality provided you grow it in the right conditions.
Sheri
Tue Dec 12 10:01:47 2006

Yes, it grows everywhere but as every grape it is deeply influenced by the territory. In Chiantishire the soil is good and the wine is a good as a result, but there are a lot of CRAP Sangiovese wines out there...
Lox
Tue Dec 12 09:58:53 2006

Lox: in the article, it says it's a grape which is hard to 'tame'. Difficult to obtain a standart, homogenous wine, for it changes a lot depending on how and where you grow it.
Sheri
Tue Dec 12 09:57:24 2006

C'mon, Nigel. We know it's fake! You just like to lament, asking for attention...
Sheri
Tue Dec 12 09:53:13 2006

Nigel: I hope it improves, (the shoulder and the job situation), in Japan they would say "GAMBATTE!!" (try your best!)
Lox
Tue Dec 12 09:26:04 2006

The herrings sound great Sheri... Not sure about the chocolate or wine...! Well I'm in work again, but the old shoulder is back with a vengance... :( Ho dear... Let's see how it goes then...
Nigel
Tue Dec 12 09:19:50 2006

Brunello=barrique x 5 years, but still 100% sangiovese from the montalcino area. Sangiovese is quite a rough grape as far as I know, grows in a lot of places and it's quite strong and full bodied!
Lox
Tue Dec 12 09:15:56 2006

Lox: sto leggendo un articolo sul Sangiovese e la denominazione Brunello di Montalcino. Molto interessante.
Sheri
Tue Dec 12 09:04:07 2006

Only a French would mix SALTED HERRINGS with CHOCOLATES!!! But it sounds incredibly interesting to eat......
Lox
Tue Dec 12 08:15:47 2006

Had a salt herring for breakfast this morning. Then I continued with a handful of madeleines coated with chocolate. Mmmmm, yummy!
Sheri
Tue Dec 12 07:43:37 2006

Good morning, citizens of the World! Wake-up, glorious Great Britain! Buongiorno Italia, paese dell'arte! Good day to you Japan, Isle of the Rising Sun! Hello America, Land of (so-called) freedom! Greetings to you all from Frogland!
Sheri
Tue Dec 12 07:32:57 2006

Morning all!! :)
Nigel
Tue Dec 12 07:06:46 2006

John: Did you know that the link on the little camera next to the posts entries on the mainpage do not link to the pictures anymore? They just sit there doing nothing as a matter of fact...
Lox
Tue Dec 12 05:27:30 2006

Ah, good morning by the way!
Lox
Mon Dec 11 23:27:37 2006

Nigel: Great stuff!! I am waiting to run Mandriva on the PC that I am currently using to post and browse from Japan... Fact is, until I buy the new Imac there's no chance to update to the new system! :D
Lox
Mon Dec 11 23:27:13 2006

Hi Sheri: Yes.
Nigel
Mon Dec 11 21:30:08 2006

What means: "nuff"? Enough?
Sheri
Mon Dec 11 21:14:17 2006

Lox: Just installed Mandriva 2007 (in a VM). It's just about the same as the 2006 version to look at, but it is a flawless install and configures itself perfectly. Ran first time and even connected to the Internet with no problems.
Nigel
Mon Dec 11 18:45:13 2006

You mean to tell me 398 euros are all you got for your work?!!!! Got to be kidding, pal! (I must have missed something there!)
Sheri
Mon Dec 11 11:20:38 2006

say no more say no more...
Lox
Mon Dec 11 10:47:29 2006

And they nit-pick over just 3-euros?!?!?! Madness!!!!!!
Nigel
Mon Dec 11 10:22:00 2006

Well it was 401 euro and it is now 398.... Not a lot really... :D
Lox
Mon Dec 11 08:35:18 2006

Morning Maisoneers!! :)
So Lox, they are decreasing your commission already?!?!?! The only posititive I can think of is that you must have earned sooo much already they want to claw some of it back??!!!
Nigel
Mon Dec 11 06:57:34 2006

John if you read this, will you gimme a call to arrange everything for tonight?
Lox
Mon Dec 11 04:48:42 2006

I can't wait to be back in Florence, I am still quite eager to enjoy my new home and everything, shame that I must leave again for Tokyo in less than a month :(
Lox
Mon Dec 11 01:57:44 2006

First good news of the day, since my boss apparently calculated an exchange rate that was not quite the correct average for a certain month, then they recalculated my commissions, effectively DECREASING THEM by 3 EURO!!!! HURRAY!!!
Lox
Mon Dec 11 01:13:18 2006

Good morning World! I can proudly announce that I have eradicated yet two more spammers from the board. OH WHAT A SATISFACTION!
Lox
Sun Dec 10 23:05:38 2006

Just got back from a long weekend away. To John and Chie: Congrats to you both!!! I was thinking about you on Friday. Hope it went well. I look forward to any UK celebrations!
dsp
Sun Dec 10 21:56:40 2006

John: There are two problems with California and late January. Late January, I'm back in classes. California is more than 1000 miles away. Curse our conquering ways. If only the US weren't so big.
Travis
Sun Dec 10 15:05:57 2006

JOHN:!!! I have a request for the new version of SBM... TAGS to write bold, Italic and maybe a couple of sizes for the characters! I am sure you can do it! BRAVO!
Lox
Sun Dec 10 12:57:15 2006

On the contrary I have gone around a sunny and crispy Tokyo today and it was quite pleasurable!
Lox
Sun Dec 10 12:50:22 2006

Cheers John! Well France in the new year has got to be better than Oswestry today - brrrrrrrr. 'Orrible!!!
Nigel
Sun Dec 10 10:45:32 2006

No prob, John! The first week of January would be perfect. If we can't make it, I'm sure we'll have other opportunities.
Sheri
Sun Dec 10 10:17:45 2006

Sheri: I haven't made firm plans for my trip to France yet, but it does seem likely if I do go and visit my Mum it would be in that first week of January. Of course, that is all dependent on whether or not it is actually possible to travel across France around New Year! I'm going to give my Mum a call and check out the trains this evening, and if it d