News update

For anyone that follows this blog, and hasn't heard our news (and/or isn't on facebook, in SAGGA etc), there is going to be an addition to the Pinney family from March next year. That's right - I'm going to be a Dad.

If you want to, you can keep track of 'Bubble' over on the Bubble-making Magic blog that we are contributing to as things progress. There's already plenty of posts from the last 20 weeks, an no doubt more will follow over the next 20 weeks and beyond.

Update

It's been a while, things have changed for me, and we've been away on the boat.

Firstly, I'm looking for a job again, the one I had at the University was only ever a 1yr fixed term contract, and was never going to be extended beyond it original end date of 31 March. So, I'm again looking for suitable employment. Ideally I would like to work in the evaluation of Medical Technologies in/around Sheffield, or Yorkshire in general, however, I'm looking much wider than that.

Over the Easter weekend, once we had finished the children's activities at Church on Good Friday we packed up and went to the boat for the weekend. It's now moored near Skipton, close to SRM&C, and even closer to C's parents, so we took the opportunity to visit and get fed by them on Friday afternoon! On Sunday, SRM&C came to visit and by the end of the day, Molly was reasonably happy with Daisy, and I even got a kiss goodbye - I think it's the first time! On Monday the Wright family came to visit us in the morning, and they were able to help us down the locks at Gargrave during the morning before catching the train home again from Skipton.

We're also looking to change our car at the moment, and we've fallen out with the local Reg Vardy, and since it's attached to a Citroen dealer, it's no surprise!

What's up?

How quickly can you find out what is unusual about this paragraph? It looks so ordinary that you would think that nothing was wrong with it at all and, in fact, nothing is. But it is unusual. Why? If you study it and think about it you may find out, but I am not going to assist you in any way. You must do it without coaching. No doubt, if you work at it for long, it will dawn on you. Who knows? Go to work and try your skill. Par is about half an hour.

Lateral Thinking

(Apologies, this has been grabbed from another location - credit given in a while when I post the answer)

Add the pence - two pounds, 25p, £1.47, 16p, fifty pence.
(Clue, it's not 438)

Answers in the comments please


Answer:
The official answer is 506 from ITV, and here's how to fudge it (credit BBC Magazine Monitor that also show some other answsers and explanations)

first add everything. 200 + 25 + 147 + 16 + 50 = 438.

Now add the other sums which are visible. 5p (from the 25p) + 47p (from £1.47) + 7p (again from £1.47 [very tenuous!]) + 6p = 65p

Therefore 438 + 65 = 503.

Now add the 'p' from 25p and 16p and also the 'pence' from 50 pence giving an extra 3p.

Therefore 503 + 3 = 506p.

Although I like the approximation argument at the end of MM using 2lb of (new) pennies.

Practical Joking for the middle-aged

We went to Rich & Nicola's wedding at the weekend, near Bristol. These are friends of C from the National Scout and Guide Symphony Orchestra (NSGSO), there were several other friends there that we've not seen for ages. HM (most of you know him) regressed a few years, to the level of practical joking that used to occur during the annual NSGSO courses, and much hilarity was created in not only talking about the old pranks, but recreating them in the bridal suite.

Those involved will understand ironing board, traffic cones and upside-down furniture (all originally occured in separate years) . Those that weren't, can always ask!

Anyway, during the course of the evening, numerous props were liberated from their original position, and found their way into the bridal suite, however (here comes the middle-aged bit) the ironing board was not moved until late into the evening, so that it would not be required again that day and the traffic cone, having sat outside and was wet and muddy, was brought in, and sat on a piece of paper so that it didn't mark the carpet.

In the morning, once the props had been appreciated by the couple, they were returned to their original positions and uses.

All in all, it was a great weekend, with plenty of chance for catching up. We also managed to get in a quick trip into Bath, for old times sake!

SMIDSY'd (again)

Some of you may remeber that I was SMIDSY'd (Sorry Mate, I Didn't See You) last December. I was 'got' again last week, this time I was on the scooter.

Travelling along (at around 20mph) a city dual carriageway (30 limit IIRC), I was in the right-hand lane (moderately clear) passing a moving queue of cars in the left lane, and a woman pulled out, into the side of me withy minimal indication and observation, and hence I ended up in a heap on the floor in the middle of a (now busy) road. No serious damage to the bike (mirror broken off, and probably steering squashed off-line) and some nerve- or tendon-based shoulder pains, but nothing broken fortunately.

As a motorcyclist, while I'm driving the car, I'm much more aware of where a motorbike could be, and I now sub-conciously think to myself "have you seen a bike? Are you sure you've not seen a bike?" and I tend to be much more aware of other road users than I ever was before.

Also, I was quite heartened by the number of people that appeared on the scene offering to help. Amongst others, there was a doctor, a salesman from Reg Vardy came and offered to store the bike overnight for me, and several others tried calling for an ambulance/police. The ambulance people were quite good, and the staff at A&E were great (generally!) My faith in humanity has been restored!

And he dares to call me names!

On my way in to work this morning (on the scooter) I pulled up at some
traffic lights, and there was a bloke driving a Range Rover chatting
on his mobile phone. I signalled to him through the window to get off
the said phone. He ignored me, so I tapped on the window and told him
to get of the phone. He wound down the window and had the nerve to
call me a wa***r! It's people like him that kill other innocent road
users.

On my way home yesterday, I overtook an old fiesta, with the rear
fog-light dazzling everyone behind them (it wasn't anything like
foggy!) As I went past, I noticed the young woman driving and
composing a text msg as she went along in the (moving) queue of
traffic. It's people like her that kill other innocent road users. I
didn't actually stop and scowl at her as I was travelling too fast to
stop safely and not cause problems for other road users.

Another pet-hate of mine, while I'm ranting about drivers is those
people that drive around with their front fog lights on. There is
never any need for front fogs to be on, as you already have two bright
lights on at the front, so there's no need for any others! On our car,
when you turn off the normal lights, if I've had fog lights on because
of the fog, the switch for the fog lights gets re-set to the 'off'
position automagically - Why can't that happen in all cars?