Sunday, July 23, 2006

happy cat - part 2


swe200607180018
Originally uploaded by pcgxk.
big cat , little cat (that's not my lion BTW)

Happy cat


swe200607180020
Originally uploaded by pcgxk.
chilling in the sun, taking a rest between chasing butterflies

How complex can it be to sell a house?

So - my house sale must be as simple as it possibly comes.

I'm looking for a quick sale - have no chain - have left country and am desperate to sell. There's no holdups , no structural problems, no nothing.

My buyers also have no chain, they're first time buyers with money in the bank renting a house down the road.

We've both been ready to do the deal since about mid May - and yet its now nearly the end of July. This week we resorted to phoning the solicitors and the estate agents at least once a day, just trying to find out what the fuck everyone was doing, and what the possible delay could be.

It seemed to eventually turn out that basically both solicitors were just completely lazy and useless and the only reason they haven't exchanged is that they just couldn't be arsed. Frankly I'm unimpressed, but they kinda half me by the balls I guess. To change at this point in time would be pointless and they're now assuring us that they're gonna exchange this week, but by god its been painful. I hate to think how it would have been had either of us had somewhere else in the chain....

Its continues to stupify me how difficult a relatively simple process can be made. I suppose I could bang on here now about how easy it is to do such a deal in Sweden, but that'd just be pointless eh? I guess we should have just spent alot more time alot earlier in the process ringing them every day trying to make it happen, but frankly I'm paying them so why would I want to do their f'ing job for them...it's like "Have you phoned the other solicitor" - "well no" - " well do you think that maybe you should"...god its frustrating. Why they think its going to magically happen without them actualyl doing any work is beyond me....

I think that it would also be far fairer to note that Sarah has done all of this, and showed extreme patience in the process. i think I would have just called everyone a complete fuckwit by this point in time, and alienated any hope of the solicitors every getting off their fat arses to earn their money.

respect to sarah...
bollocks to solicitors....

Anyway - roll on us being given a huge sum of money - we're nearly there....

more lakes = more swimming

A brief summary of the week:

Fell off bike (well actually 2 weeks ago now, but I still have the scars and scabs so it feels quite recent). This will teach me about riding a racing bike with smooth tyres on a cycle path made of gravel and loose material.

Went to see Pirates of the caribbean - part 2 - I was rather underwhelmed.

Reading "Inside Windows 2000" - which considering who its written by also reminds me that Microsoft bought sysinternals this week....no word of how much they paid though.

Jumped in several lakes - but again forgot to take my camera so I have no photographic evidence.

Made plans for trip to England next week, and in September

Made plans for a trip to the archipelago in August.

tidied up the computer room and finally cabled and filed everything properly.

Didn't do my tax return - didn't do my non residency in UK form.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Sandhamn


swe200607180015
Originally uploaded by pcgxk.
We took the boat to here at the weekend, and sat on the beach all day. Its in the depths of the Stockholm archipeligo. Its called Sandhamn and its a small island about 4km by 1.5 km.

Kings of Leon Rock

So I've been sitting at home all evening playing computers (as I often do at the moment) - well after its dark anyway - cos as a Swede said to me the other day - its summer , you must leave work by 5pm if not earlier every day - and take beer in the sun - its compulsory....they really mean it as well.

some guys were betting me at lunch the other day that I'd stop smiling come winter - or at least come half way through winter as I'm known at work for being a bit too jolly I think. Strange that - especially as I was a bit miserable in June, but then maybe its just that I stand out against the quiet and restrained swedish men somewhat...anyway

so yeah - I'm here and I'm listening to the kings of leon (youth and yound manhood) and frankly its just absolutely f'ing excellent and has had me dancing about the room and acting like a bit of a tit generally....nice!

On Wednesday i went to a party in central stockholm, and got absolutely ratted with a load of people from work. It was a pleasant evening indeed, I spoke alot of very bad swedish, we drunk alot of cocktails and I made a few friends.


It was a classic case of planning to leave at a reasonable hour, getting to the front door and then being confronted by drunken swedes saying "one for the road" - in swedish of course - and 2 hours and a bottle of whiskey later, well you know how it goes....

I can;t really remember how I got home, but I made it all in one piece, so alls well that ends well. It was good to be out and about and being social, although frightening difficult at times doing the whole swedish thing. fortunately of course we can alwasy break into english when anything gets tough, but I've been really trying generally.

Often at lunchtimes now, I have to speak swedish with my colleagues. They find it entertaining (sometimes) and I get some good practice.

Sarah has started a new swedish course this week, but I'm unable to because they're all during the day in the summer months. My next one ought to start in september hopefully.

anyway - beyond that my focus is about being excited with an imminent return to the Uk for toms stag at the the end of the month

so roll on croydon fun.

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

a quiet evening at home

So i worked a 11 hour day today which was far too long and my head was a bit rotted at the end of the day, from looking at query plan cardinality estimations.

The cat's sitting on my lap and I'm stroking her ears. Life is good in the cat world.

If anyone wants to instance message during the day I can IM at work now, and at home of course, but I'm always online during the day and my IM account is globalgoat@gmail.com

login and say hello....