I had an email a few weeks ago (back in February) informing me that one of the fanlists I had signed up to had moved to a different address, so with a little spare time I figured I had better update the link before it got forgotten about.

While I was doing this I also checked the other links I had on the fanlistings page and needless to say there was quite a bit of clearing up to do – amazed to discover that some of the fanlists I had joined simply no longer exist. Those dead links were removed and those that had changed were updated. It came as no surprise that some of these sites had moved over two years ago so shows how little interest they have in updating members or of me visiting.

Saying that I run two fanlistings myself both for television shows, they being for the original CSI and the long cancelled Quantum Leap both were taken over by others who had simply lost interest or lacked the time to maintain them. Combined both these sites have over 6000 members but if I decided to delete both these sites I doubt anyone would notice as over the past few months the numbers of people joining have dwindled which is to be expected with fans of a show and with the much more widely used social websites that are available today the programme makers can very easily set up and maintain a presence online that can be interactive for fans. (An example can be see at CSI on Facebook)

I really do need to do some updating on the site!!

Whenever I sit down in front of the computer to write about what I’ve been up to my mind rather surprisingly goes blank!

Anyway I am still volunteering at the book store and it is quite handy if I want to read any books – the whole not having to pay is quite a good incentive. I do still get rather annoyed with customers (can they be called that if they are not paying) who just appear to want to take advantage. The big problem at the moment is people who think it is okay to just take three books and walk out the shop, or take three books and come back an hour later for more.

I finally went to see The Woman In Black the other night and not sure what I made of Daniel Radcliffe’s performance, I did think it maybe because I kept thinking of Harry Potter but no think it was to do with the fact that I thought Daniel Radcliffe was too young for the part of Arthur Kipps. It did have some scary scenes but not really spine chilling – I did have a look for the book today but would you believe it could not find a copy. I would also go and see the stage play again as that had followed the book by Susan Hill and I seem to remember it being a lot creepier.

Talking of the theatre I went to see an adaptation of the Charles Dickens short story “The Black Veil” at the Grand in Swansea. I will be the first to admit I was expecting some sort of ghost story and what I experienced was something so different, it is one of the first times I have ever heard an audience whine and moan about a play in such a negative way.

Admittedly the first half was just a lot of talking and setting the scene (a lot of it seems to be random) and I think the audience did deserve the interval to gorge itself on ice cream and sweets before settling in to the second half while was a lot better. However I think as a stage adaptation it was lacking which was a shame as the three cast members did a wonderful job.

Had also been forced to take some time off work so instead of wasting time in front of a computer I took a trip to Wiltshire to do some research for my family tree – this is something that I have been wanting to do for some time now so it was great to be able to get the opportunity to do so. I did spend a few days at the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre looking through records for baptisms, marriages and burials and have the task of going through all that raw data now.

I also managed to get to Warminster and took a look around a few of the graveyards and the areas that I know the Whatley families of Warmister would have lived in so anyone coming across this entry after doing a search for “Whatley’s of Warminster” please get in touch!!

While down in Wiltshire I stopped off at Stonehenge and it was one of the first opportunities I’ve had to use my new camera – with some mixed results as the sun was behind the monument at first.

This was taken with a FLD filter on, think it gives the image a very 70′s look or at least I think it does. Well not sure when my next entry will be as going to London at the end of the month to a Charles Dickens exhibition/museum.

Well we are getting on towards the end of the first month of 2012 and my aim to try and write here a little more frequently has not exactly gone to plan. I’ve got two draft entries that I just can’t seem to finish off.

Let hope this does not become the third!

After thinking about volunteering last year and speaking to someone at a local charity about helping out I have made a commitment to help out every Saturday – when I say commitment it is likely to be until I get board or something better come along.

Hate to say it but it is true, so far I have done three weeks and have to say generally I am enjoying it – however I do find some of the people who come in to get free books rather irritating.

The rule is simple each person can take three books for free but it is very tiresome when you get traders or others who come into the store and want to take advantage!

I was on my own for most of the day yesterday sorting out books and dealing with people coming in with donations and people taking books, found a very nice book “The Complete Chronicles of Narnia” in hardback it looked like it had never been opened and I thought it was too good to be put out so put it on behind the counter so that the people in charge could make the decision on Monday.

Anyway one of the last people who looked around the store came up to the counter so that I could check the books she had – she had her quota but noticed the book and asked if she could have it…WTF

Healthy Planet

I have noticed that a lot of people are coming to the site after doing a search for Harveys, or the Lima wardrobes – unfortunately a lot of what I had written about these for them to be picked up by search engines were lost when the site had some work done in a few months ago.

Basically I spent a year comparing the prices of two of Harveys Boxing Day offers to see how the prices changed over the 12 months and found that the price did indeed increase at points during the 12 month period but they charged exactly the same for the products on Boxing Day 2007 that they did on Boxing Day 2008.

The point I was trying to make back then is that Sales are pretty much pointless, if you see something that you like and you want to pay the price listed then just buy it – I would of course recommend looking online to see if you could get the same item cheaper elsewhere!!

We’ve finally arrived at the start of 2012, and what sort of year does it hold in store for each and every one of us? There will be a few who believe that we will not get to see the end of the year as some global catastrophe will befall the planet, well either that or the Mayans decided not to carry on with their calendar!!

Watched the firework display in London on television and have to admit I thought I was watching V For Vendetta when all the fireworks started erupting from Big Ben and even through it was a great display I do have to wonder how much the display cost and more importantly who footed the bill?

I must be coming up with a new way to celebrate the new year as for the last two years I have spent the evening cleaning up and New Years Eve 2011 was spent no differently with me still going through some of the stuff that I have removed from the shed at my mothers. I have found a new home for my collection of Doctor Who books and magazines, having cleared out my old craft magazines – they are already loaded into the car ready to be given away.

I was not able to save my radio controlled Dalek – the moment it had been thrown into the shed was the moment it was destined to be thrown into the bin.

New Years Day was spent rather quietly at home where I cleared out the fridge – no more turkey for me which is rather shameful as I could have made a batch of turkey curry and frozen it for later in the year with the amount of turkey I had left over.

Managed to watch a few films during the day, saw It’s a Wonderful Life and The Muppet Christmas Carol – both fantastic films and two more films that I have managed to watch this holiday season.

Washed the car today and will have to remember to not use the jet wash after a stinking 4×4 has used it as I had to drive over a pile of mud which had been taken off the said 4×4 so I spent a few minutes just pressure washing the ground to clear all the mud out of the way. Here’s hoping I will be able to wash the car at least once a month.

We arrive at the end of another year and in the past I would normally do some sort of digest of what I had been up to over the past twelve months. I know that I have not really devoted the amount of time to this site that I used to and even when I did post some sort of update it felt half hearted.

As with every other year that has gone before, 2011 came and went and I cannot think of anything that I’ve done that is of note – I don’t mean that to come across as being negative and I’m sure if I really thought about it I have not just sat in front of a computer screen for the last twelve months.

I spent my 33rd birthday getting up at the crack of dawn and driving three and a half hours to North Wales where I climbed the highest mountain in England and Wales – Mount Snowdon. I do regret that another year has passed and I’ve still not managed to make to New York or Australia, both destinations that I wanted to visit for as long as I’ve been online.

As my last entry stated I have finally called it a day with my “101 things in 1001 days” project three years after it should have ended and while looking at some of the items that I had not accomplished I was surprised to find that some were relatively straight forward with no real excuse for them not being completed.

2011 saw my family tree research slow down considerable, maybe because over the last few years I have spent loads of time building the tree and to extend on this means having to visit record offices and spending time looking through church baptism and marriage records – this would involve a trip to Warminster and an overnight stay to make the most of it.

I have however already restarted work on my research by ordering a birth and marriage certificate, so at the moment waiting for them to arrive from the General Records Office.

I have however been keeping my research skills honed by working on a new project, in fact I’ve spent the last year and a half working on it and will eventually reveal all!
I’m generally happy with how I’ve been managing my finances over the last twelve months and having cancelled my Lovefilm membership yesterday I’m looking forward to being able to find another use for the £13.27 a month subscription. Anyway over the last twelve months interest earned from the majority of my accounts amounted to £88.97 an improvement on the £55.65 I earned in 2010.

I am not sure yet it I will come up with a list of goals for 2012 but have already said I will volunteer a few hours every week to help a local charity – so will see how that goes.

I have decided to officially end my 1001 Project three years after it should have ended and it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

Okay a few things I saw a programme on television a few days ago (Obsessive Compulsive Hoarder) and it was someone in work who mentioned that the bloke (Richard Wallace) kept newspapers as he wanted to keep a keep a digital record of events – this is something that I do but at the moment I scan what I think might be useful and recycle the rest of the paper. I’ve known for some time that I am a hoarder and don’t like to throw things out that might be useful or hold some sort of sentimental memory for me and watching the programme scared me, as all it would take is for me to slow down on the scanning element for the papers to build up!!

How do you decide if something you have is trash and should be gotten rid of or kept – I have a load of card craft magazines all stored just in case I need to refer to them at some future date. It is only now once I have typed that do I realise that I have not needed to look at them over the last twelve months. I have a vast collection of VHS videos that for years I have been storing and it is only recently that I have decided to get rid of them but even this is being doing in a slow and ordered pace.

Today I have started to empty the shed at my mothers, as she wants all my books gone so she can reclaim her shed – looking at some of the things I’ve already taken out the majority of stuff will end up in the bin as it has been destroyed by damp and my brothers.

A few weeks ago someone in work asked the question – How does someone know if they are having a breakdown?

Today I went out to get a Christmas tie, I never knew it would be so much trouble to find one in Carmarthen. I tried both BHS (I asked here and they had no idea what I was talking about and finally pointed me in the direction of the normal ties) and Marks & Spencer with no luck and even a visit to the numerous budget stores like B&M and Poundland proved to fruitless.

Eventually got one from Debenhams who were having yet another special EVENT the prices have been the same for the last few weeks regardless of any special offer they appear to be promoting.

Got some drinks (soft) for a work buffet we’re having this week, still not sure how much would be needed for the twelve of us and it somehow feels wrong that I have bought the premium brands even though I normally get the budget brands for my own consumption.

I did manage to get the the clothes recycling bank yesterday and have unloaded all the clothes from my car and spent a little time last night going through my wardrobe and clearing that out.

Well home now for my lamb stew, which has been in the slow cooker for the last few hours and iron my shirts for the week ahead

Well since my last entry I have completed a great deal of my Christmas shopping, rather alarmingly this has to be one of the only years that I have not made a list or budget for presents. I have asked family what they want and have gone out and bought them – think it is much easier to get what someone actually wants or needs.

I still need to get a few things and am awaiting a few deliveries but the fun will be when it comes to wrapping them all up, luckily I still have wrapping paper left over from last year.

In other news December is looking like it will be a busy month, with work Christmas dinner and the work night out it is probably a good thing that I am not looking at what I am spending.

Been busy over the last few weeks having a clear out at home, I have a load of old clothes that I have had to admit I will never fit into again and have these bagged up to go to clothes recycling and took a bag of new things (yes still with the labels on) to a local charity shop.

Also decided that my VHS collection needs to go, I had originally hoped to replace each video with the DVD but since joining the amount of DVD’s I buy has gone down considerably with me only really buying a few DVD’s in the January sales.

So far I must have gotten rid of about 20 videos and the majority of these were ones I was “forced” to remove from my mothers house a few months ago that have been sitting in a bag in the corner for the last few months!!

However all this space I appear to be creating will be filled when I move more of my things from my mothers shed – my collection of Doctor Who videos and books, and old school books.

Will have to remember to remove my old microwave to my car so that I can take it to the tip at some point, that is something else that has been sitting in the corner for nearly a year.

Time is very much like a handful of sand and slips away all too quickly no matter how tightly you grip.

Nearly two months since my last entry and I have had no more parking tickets since I began “hiding” my car which shows just how Carmarthenshire County Council operates it car parks in Carmarthen.

Today I officially started my Christmas shopping, when I bought my first gift – well ordered it online actually to save a few pounds (buying locally the CD would have cost £9.97 online it was £6.99 and hopefully I will get cash back as well)

So since the last time I wrote -

* Met up with old school friend
* Weekend away with work colleagues

I will talk about the above in the next couple of weeks