First post of 2008

Hello CATCOUK readers!

Welcome to the face of CATCOUK in 2008. That's right, it's exactly the same as the old one. In actual fact, I haven't changed anything. And Top Gear claim that Porche have the laziest designers...

Well I've had a reasonable break. A couple of easy blog posts, and now I have to recap the last few weeks...

For the first time in my life, I didn't spend Christmas Eve evening at home. Instead I was out with my friends from the other side of the Adur (and this time I don't mean to say that they're gay...) Michael and Dominic. Anothger first for me, was that this was my first ever 'pub crawl'. Well, in so much as we started in a bar, and finished in another pub. Maybe the shortest 'pub crawl' in the world, but I think it counts...

The most amusing part of the story has to be our access to the bar. We wanted to go to our 'local' on Shoreham Beach (The Waterfront), but for some bizarre reason, that Dom didn't stop bitching about, they had a ticket only evening. So it obviously isn't a public house then? We continued on down the beach to a yacht club that Michael knew about. Unfortunatly this is a private club, and we weren't members. Now, to most this would seem unsurmountable, but (and read this bit carefully), Micahael's girlfriend Amy's friend works there. So we thouht we's try.

Sure enough there were some blokes on the door, and they asked us if we were members. As we are all honest, we said that we're not members, and one started to turn away. What followed was a little confused, but the other guy on the door said, 'it's alright, they're going to join, aren't you lads?', whilst Micahael asked after his contact. The guy that started to turn us away, said that membership fees were £150 (or something like that), whilst the second guy piped up again with 'it's alright, they're family'. And then we were in, drinking tax free drinks, with a rather drunk and bizarre taxi driver...

I spent a quiet Christmas at home (that was really exciting...), and then a few days later sauntered up to Crawley. Another of my friends, Rob, shares his birthday with Jamelia, on the 27th. So I went to attend his suprise Birthday party. It wasn't as big as Rob's girlfriend, and Rob's mum were hoping for. I was the only non-family member that attended (which was a rather bizarre situation to be in). Two days later, I went back to Crawley to join Rob, and our friend Scott. Whilst I was up there, and whilst Rob was buying a XBox Controller that won't work, I bought a new PC game that wouldn't work. I was really excited about it, until I realised that the game needs all of the computing power on the Earth!

New Year's Eve rolled around, and I spent an enjoyable evening at Michael's new flat. Well it's actually Amy's (his girlfriend), but they almost live together. You can see many an embarressing photo on FaceBook. I'd like to say that I was fully able to enjoy the evening, but my mind was weighed down with another matter...

For the first time ever in the history of the planet, Ernie the Escort (still statistically the most reliable car in my household) wouldn't start!!! After half an hour of constant trying, and fiddling, Dad and I eventually got him ticking over. Then, most worryingly, I spent forever getting to Lancing, as I only had two maybe three cylinders of my four firing, and no more than 2000 revs. As you can imagine, this had me severly worried.

So after a downer on New Years Eve (apologies to all that had to put up with me), I rushed Ernie into W Jones (the garage) for a full 100 000 mile service. Not only a big service, but there is this underlying engine problem, the sound system is non-operation, and I had a feeling the brakes weren't quite right. A courtesy Ford Fiesta, and £340 later, Ernie was equipped with new brakes all round, a cleaner distributor, and a still non-operational sound system. And worse still, is that a new £90 distributor may be needed. Bugger.

Anyway, Ernie is back on his... er... wheels, and together we spent the weekend in LA. Well, Little'Ampton. I am now halfway to being qualified as an Archery instructor. Tough course though, very intense. While most of my fellow class mates are cool (with many being fellow NTC Officers), there is one guy who is a real pain in the backside. All agree that he is a bit picky, and he just seems to be really aggressive in the way he says it. Nevermind.

Well, best wishes for 2008. Whilst you all look forward to the rest of your week at work, I am looking forward to my second term at Chesswood Middle School. Hoorah! How many of you enjoy your jobs as much as me? TTFN.

If you have a 1988 Ford Escort that is still going with no problems, why not leave a message a gloat.

If you have working parts for a 1986 Ford Escort that you want to give away, and you know how to repair the sound system in a 1986 Ford Escort 1.4 GL Estate, I want your babies!

Quote of the Week: 'Piles can cause alot of problems...' Philip, the Archery Instructor Instructor tried to explain, as we all laughed at the double meaning, when a pile is the Archery name for the point of an arrow. '...Piles can come out...' they just never end...