I went to the surgery to drop off a prescription renewal for Katy just before catching my bus for work. I thought I had loads of time, until I saw the queue for the reception. Suffice it to say, the blue-rinse brigade caused me to miss my bus. Crap. The only way I had to get into the office was to take a cab, because the bus to Hinxtom takes forever – when it's running, that is. Unfortunately, you just can't hail a cab in Cambridge, you have to order one and it took me 20 minutes to get one. Then there's the price…. 20 quid to get to work!
Month: September 2005
Deep philosophical question
How can a nose be runny and stuffed up at the same time??
FYI
Katy was taken in for her operation about an hour ago.
How the hell did I manage that?
I managed to catch a cold in Italy.
We are not amused.
An exercise in pain
I think getting a mortgage is going to be even more fun than I thought. From talking to a few people at work, a mortgage advisor suggested by my estate agent and the mortgage department of Natwest, it seems that nobody is really sure what the criteria are for me to apply… Getting a 100% mortgage is difficult, getting a mortgage when you're a foreigner is difficult. Getting a 100% mortgage when you're a foreigner who doesn't pay UK income tax and whose partner is a UK resident is… possibly impossible.
Seriously, I don't fit the nice pigeonholes, so people don't know what to do with me. Natwest tells me they can give me an 80% mortgage (if I pony up 20% of 165K!!!) but I also need to have more than a 3 year work permit. But since Katy will also be on the load, that muddles the issue. They want to know what my gross annual salary is, but that's also meaningless as I don't pay UK tax!!!
Urgh. It should come down to the fact that we can afford the loan we want. You'd think it would be simple. NOT!
Growing up
Katy and I went to see a house yesterday.
As in, seeing-for-interest-in-purchasing.
As in, man, I'm getting old.
The house is ok. It needs some TLC paint-wise, and the kitchen needs to be redone, but it has lots of potential and ain't that expensive. I'm tempted, and so is Katy. We've started talking to mortgage advisors to see what the costs are and how much we can borrow. Apparently, even though I make a damn good salary at the EBI, the fact that I'm a foreigner and that I'm not paying income tax in the UK will be a problem. Meh, we'll see what happens.
In the meantime, if you're curious about the house itself, have a look at it here.
Your comments welcome as to what you think of the place.
Yoinked from <lj user="suzn">
I am bisexual or homosexual.
I've consumed alcohol.
I've run away from home.
I have lied to my parents about where I am.
I don't like Bush because he is dumb.
I don't like Bush with my own reasons to back it up.
I am for Bush.
I listen to political music.
I collect comic books.
I am shorter than 5'5.
I think I'm ugly.
I shut others out when I'm depressed.
I open up to others easily.
I am keeping a secret from the world.
I watch the news.
I own over 5 rap CDs.
I own an iPod or MP3.
I own multiple designer purses, costing over $100 a piece.
I own something from Hot Topic
I own something from Pac Sun
I own something from The Gap.
I own something I got on e-bay.
I love Disney Movies.
I am a sucker for hair
I don't kill bugs.
I curse regularly.
I paid for that cell phone ring.
I am a sports fanatic.
I have “x”s in my screen name.
I've slipped out an “lol” in a real conversation.
I love Spam.
I bake well.
I would wear pajamas to school/work.
I own something from Abercrombie.
I have a job.
I love Martha Stewart.
I am in love with love.
I am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS.
I am self conscious.
I love to laugh.
I smoke a pack a day.
I liked Perks of Being a Wallflower.
I liked Go Ask Alice.
I have cough drops when I'm not sick.
I can't swallow pills.
I can swallow about 5 pills at a time no problem.
I eat fast food weekly.
I have many scars.
I believe in ghosts.
I can't sleep if there is a spider in the room.
I am really ticklish.
I see a therapist.
I take anti-depressants.
I love white chocolate.
I bite my nails.
I am comfortable with being me.
I play video games.
I'm single.
I'm in a relationship.
I'm married.
Gotten lost in your city.
Saw a shooting star.
Wished on a shooting star.
Saw a meteor shower.
I had a serious surgery.
Gone out in public in your pajamas.
I have kissed a stranger.
Hugged a stranger.
Been in a fist fight.
Been arrested.
Laughed and had milk or another drink come out of your nose.
Pushed all the buttons on an elevator.
Made out in an elevator.
Swore at your parents.
Kicked a guy where it hurts.
Been close to love.
Been to a casino.
Been skydiving.
Broken a bone.
Skipped school.
Saw a therapist.
Played spin the bottle.
Gotten stitches.
Drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour.
Bitten someone.
Been to Niagara Falls.
Gotten the chicken pox.
Kissed a member of the same sex.
Crashed into a friend's car.
Been to Japan.
Ridden in a taxi.
Shoplifted.
Been fired.
Ever had a crush on someone of the same sex.
Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back.
Stole something from your job.
Gone on a blind date.
Had a crush on a teacher.
Celebrated Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
Been to Europe.
Slept with a co-worker.
Been married.
Gotten divorced.
Had children.
Been to Africa.
Driven over 400 miles in one day.
Been to Canada.
Been to Mexico.
Been on a plane.
Seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Thrown up in a bar.
Eaten sushi.
Been snowboarding.
Been skiing.
Met someone in person from the internet.
Been to a moto cross show.
Gone to college.
Graduated college.
Done hard drugs.
Had someone cheat on you.
Miss someone right now.
Taken painkillers when you didn't need them.
Smoked weed.
Snorted cocaine.
Ate shrooms.
Inhaled Nitrous.
Been in love.
Cheated in a relationship.
Woke up crying.
Cried yourself to sleep.
Peed from laughing.
Had sex in a car.
Had sex in public.
Had sex in the shower.
Had sex in a sibling's bed.
Had sex in a parent's bed.
Tuscany pictures are up
http://www.flubu.com/various_pics/tuscany-sep2005/
Quick update from Italy while we can steal internet access
Thursday – day 1
I've been in Italy for less than 30 minutes and my first impression is that it's a very photogenic country. I've just put away my camera in frustration because I can't take a decent picture through the coach windows – there's too much glare from the sun and I always see my reflection superimposed on the scene I want to capture. We're driving through mountains right now and I'm salivating at the number of pictures I'd love to take. It's beautiful. The countryside is lush with greens and browns, the mountains are impressive and you see the odd roman ruin to add a bit of spice once in a while.
[later]
The view from the hotel is impressive. We're rather high up in the mountain and the view on the valley below is, in a word, panoramic. My room in the hotel is comfortable, though I'm in one of the little chalets. The room is nice, but apparently it doesn't compare with the ones inside the hotel proper. For one thing, I don't have a jacuzzi in my room. Rank doeth have its privileges, apparently. The one thing that's going to be bad is the buzzy thing situation. I've been strafed too many times already and I'm rather jumpy… silly europeans with the utter lack of proper window screens *grumble*
[later]
Whoever thought it would be a good idea to hold 5 hours of talks on the first day might want to reconsider that one… I stopped counting at 7 the number of times I fell asleep during that session. That was just painful. Getting up at 2:30 am definitively doesn't help. At least the espresso is good and there's plenty of it.
Friday – day 2
We went to Pisa today. I walked up to the top of the tower; I even went above the bells. It's really weird. I get vertigo looking down a 2 story building or riding up glass elevators. I was 60 meters in the air with only a rather flimsy metal railing to keep me from falling and I wasn't even bothered in the slightest! The view from up there is … wow. Took lots of pictures – the usual touristy thing. Amusing anecdotes – we ran into a group of tourists from Quebec/Montreal (but the lound aunt type of tourist, the ones that keep saying inane stuff like “Do you realize that we're going the leaning tower of Pisa? Do you realize the number of people who touched this wall and climbed these stairs? Do you?? Do you??? really!”. It was amusing to hear proper joual again :D
What really impressed me from the tower is that there are two inches of stone completely worn off from the stairwell. You really have to be careful when you come down, especially when your legs are rubbery from having climbed 300 stairs. The staircase leading to the uppermost level is so narrow that my shoulders rubbed on either side and I had to crouch down to avoid braining myself on the stairs twisting up above me.
The amoung of junk sellers is impressive. And on that note, let me just mention that anybody dumb enough to buy a rolex from a dude on the street should have a sign on his back saying something along the lines of “please feel free to rape my ass” – it's just asking for trouble.
The food situation is hit-and-miss. Even though they were warned about my allergies beforehand, I couldn't eat most of the lunch buffet yesterday. Dinner was completely ok, but again lunch today was buyer-beware. Same for dinner – they had to cook me a special meal (for which I had to wait another 20 minutes). At least the bread is good and there's lots of wine. I'm going to be eating salads when I get back to Cambs though…
Saturday – day 3
I slept badly last night. One reason, I found out later, is that there's a troup of italian Morris dancers (or the equivalent thereof) that's at the hotel and apparently, they were up all night running around the hotel last night and there was a lot playing the drums outside on the terrasse near my room. I think they're a mix of marching band, drama group and SCA† types. It takes a lot of confidence for a man to dress like a fool in tights and not be self-concious about it. They also crashed our breakfast buffet this morning like a pack of seagulls and ate everything in sight… bastards. Another reason I slept badly is that I kept dreaming about my presentation today. It's really weird. Whenever I'm worried about something, I always dream I'm back in school. I had rather disturbing dreams last night… bad imagery and worse situations. Somebody was putting on a play and one of the characters was saying shit like “Do what you want to me cause I'm worthless and I'm going to kill myself anyway”. Weird. Not nice. Even Parsley couldn't ensure a good night's sleep. Left me a bit off-kilter this morning.
[later]
Long day today. I was uber worried about giving my presentation. I dislike public speaking, even when it's only in front of an informal group. I tense up. I was utterly convinced I was spouting inane gibberish all the time I was giving it. It really didn't help that my powerpoint presentation was being given off my boss' micro subnotebook computer and I couldn't read off the screen (it was being projected behind me). I could make out the slides themselves – so I knew what I had to say about all of them – but I couldn't read the details I'd written on the slides because the damn screen is too small so I had to wing it for the most part. Apparently I pulled it off because the feedback I got from it was very positive and I didn't look as nervous as I felt. One of the very positive points of this retreat though is that I got to really interact with a lot of the people that work in the Sequence Database Group that I only see in glancing at the office. A lot of them are really nice people and some of them are scarily intelligent.
[later]
I went shopping. I bought some olive oil, a nice bottle of red italian wine. A good dinner awaits (after the salads, that is).
[later]
Dinner was disappointing again. The soup was ok, and the pasta was good (though the portion could have been more generous for both of them, especially considering that I could only eat half of what was served to me afterwards). Blergh. That's the really big downside of my allergies and group travelling. At least when I'm on my own, I can pay a premium to have a decent meal that I can eat. I'm getting fed up of bread and wine, as good as they may be.
Off to bed now.
Sunday – day 4
I slept poorly again last night. I woke up at 5:40 and couldn't get back to sleep, so I ended up reading until it was time to get up and go for breakfast. I'm tired and I don't feel so hot physically and psychologically. I think I caught the cold that's been running around the EBI folk and I miss Katy. Travelling for work is fun for a while, but right now, I want to get home and cuddle my sweetie :( The conference ends right after lunch, then we have a few hours to kill until our 10pm flight. I'm going to get back home in the wee hours of the morning again. That's getting old really, really fast.
† Society for Creative Anachronism – people who like to dress up in medieval garb.
I went to sleep later than this at times…
I'm convinced that the travel agent for the EBI wants to kill us all slowly.
2:40 AM is an even less civilized time to have to wake up for a flight.
There will be conference talks until 7pm tonight
Joy.