Ian's blog

If only Heineken made home brew

2006-11-04T23:49:00.000Z

If only Heineken made home brew, originally uploaded by ianmcmillan.

Bonus points to anyone who can guess the ingredients of this pint, concocted at the Old Printworks last night.

Allan's cup

2006-09-30T15:11:00.000+01:00

Allan's cup, originally uploaded by ianmcmillan.

When you go on honeymoon and have 3 weeks off work, empty your cup of orange juice before you leave the office!

In other news, i'm currently about to turn 25 and will try and make some effort to blog properly!

A good night out was had last night with Mr. Allan, Barratt, Burrows, Neill and Miss. McCormack in the good old Minibar, really need to do it more often and that is a second resolution to start with the official beginning of my late 20s!

test subject

2006-01-02T17:48:00.000Z

test subject, originally uploaded by ianmcmillan.

Test body

Update!

2005-09-02T11:02:00.000+01:00

Passed my exam, last day at work today, start at Dell on Monday.

All good :-)

Can't be bothered writing any more...

Aaargh!

2005-08-05T09:34:00.000+01:00

Well, I'm struggling studying for my MCP thingiemabob, to be quite honest a lot of it isn't sinking in, and I don't think I'm putting enough effort.

Time to re-think my study strategies or else its a trip to the job centre to sign on on 5th September rather than Dell :-/

I've been speaking to someone who started in the same job on Tuesday, it sounds like the job is going to be rather demanding, and the training very intensive.

I hope I'm not getting myself in for something I can't handle....

Test blog photo and text from my phone

2005-07-28T10:56:00.000+01:00

Test blog photo and text from my phone, originally uploaded by ianmcmillan.

How does it work and how does it look?

Its been a while!

2005-07-28T10:51:00.000+01:00

Indeed, a long while since I last updated this thing.

Probably because I've not been doing an awful lot, but one major change is upcoming - I have a new job, hurrah!

I'm off to to business tech support for Dell, which should be nice. More money, better benefits, better job, better prospects, nicer office. I'm really looking forward to it. Just a shame I need to wait until 5th September, and also pass an MCP exam before I start.

Better start studying then, as soon as Amazon deliver the book which they haven't even dispatched yet, despite ordering over 24 hours ago...

Mon Colin!

2005-07-06T09:52:00.000+01:00

How amused was I this morning to see some new pictures from Colin, who is currently cycling around Malaysia. its a whopping 9 months since he left Scotland:

Before leaving
9 months later
10 minutes later

Very good. But still doesn't make up for the fact I should be at Alton Towers right now, bastards... Instead, I am bored at work :-(

On a good note, Oasis last Wednesday was absolutely fantastic - pictures here for anyone interested.

There are some pictures of a nice but largely uneventful trip to Balloch on Saturday also. We did see a ned jumping from a boat in to the loch after they realised they were getting further from shore, not closer as they were trying to do :)

Not much else going on otherwise, although planning to go and see War Of The Worlds at some point.

Pissed off

2005-06-28T14:50:00.000+01:00

Dodds of Troon are fucking scum. Avoid them at all costs, and if you see any of their coaches about, please do me a favour and slash their tyres. I've just had to send the below complaint e-mail to them:

I would like to make a complaint regarding your Alton Towers tour on 6th July.

I called to book places on this some time ago, and was told I would be called back when the tour was confirmed as running or not running.

Just two weeks before the tour was due to run, I called in to find out what was happening, to be told that this depended on "the boss" making a decision as you were running buses to the G8 as well.

I was then called back and told the tour was running, and paid over the phone by card. I have subsequently received the tickets.

Today, just one week before the tour, I have been called and told the tour has been cancelled due to a large party pulling out. I was offered a refund, or 10% off a tour in August - when the park will be far too busy to make the trip worthwhile.

I have accepted the refund, however thanks to the very short notice, I now can not cancel the holidays taken from work to go on this tour. In addition, no doubt the refund will take several days to filter through the system, too late to be able to use the refund to do something useful with the time off work.

I would like to express my disgust at the unprofessionalism shown by Dodds with regards to this tour. While other bus companies locally run tours to Alton Towers, Dodds offered the best dates, but I will need to seriously consider whether to use Dodds again, even after last year's tour being most enjoyable.

I also note you are still advertising this tour on your website. Perhaps you should remove this before disappointing anyone else.

A good weekend :)

2005-06-27T10:42:00.000+01:00

Ahh, its good when you get a good weekend!

Friday night in with Donna with a lovely Kerim's takeaway and vegging in front of the telly (Kinga from Big Brother needs shot).

Saturday was a good afternoon/evening out to see Ocean Colour Scene at the ABC in Glasgow (who now have a proper website) - clicky here for pictures. Had a pint in the Sports Cafe next to it which is a very nice place with tons of pool tables (reminds me of Strathy Union) - albeit pricey (£2.60 a pint of Carlsberg). We retreated to the Hengler's Circus for a quality Spoons dinner! Shame I got too pissed and woke up at Prestwick Airport instead of Troon on the way home - £8.50 and a 30 minute wait for a taxi home :-/

Sunday was a lazy/hungover day, and over to Donna's for another relatively quiet night in.

All my work backlog from the weekend is up to date, so providing nothing major goes tits up, it should be a nice easy day at work, looking forward to Oasis on Wednesday :

Congratulations!

2005-06-21T14:36:00.000+01:00

Congratulations to Donna for passing all her uni exams, no resits :-)

But she is still a Magnum stealing bitch!

Neglected

2005-06-21T12:48:00.000+01:00

Well well well, this blog is becoming most neglected! The main reason being that I haven't been up to much at all :-/

A busy time approaches though, which is good!

This Saturday I'll be off to see Ocean Colour Scene (again) at the ABC in Glasgow - a new venue which hasn't actually had a proper gig like this yet so it will be interesting to see what its like.

The Wednesday after is Oasis at Hampden Park - I'm REALLY looking forward to this one, its only taken me 10 years of trying to actually get tickets for an Oasis gig :-)

The Wednesday after that is a day trip to Alton Towers, which was confirmed to day hurrah!

Oh, and on a bum note, I sat on my glasses last night (clicky for a photo), so they are a bit fu><><0r3d :-( Need to visit the opticians after work to see if they can fix them.

Oh dear

2005-06-08T12:39:00.000+01:00

Folk at work have discovered this blog, so they will start abusing it severely!

Had a nice day off yesterday for Eilidih's 1st birthday, went out for lunch to The Foundry in Kilwinning, which was rather nice.

Wandered about in the lovely weather for a wee while, and got the obligatory Magnum to celebrate the weather.

Back at work today, which is worse than usual thanks to some fuckwittedness on behalf of one of our clients which they didn't make us aware of in advance :( Their systems are down (again) so I can't even work on the backlog now, fun!

Until next time...

You can tell you are bored when...

2005-06-03T15:42:00.000+01:00

...You disappear from work to the toilet to play Tetris on your phone. And return 13 minutes later to dirty looks from your boss...

Musical blogs

2005-05-30T10:11:00.000+01:00

Being bored at work with very little work to do, given that its a bank holiday, time to rise to Ponder's Challenge:

Total volume of music files on my computer: 59Gb (need a clearout!)
The last CD I bought: The Delays - Faded Seaside Glamour
Song playing right now: Not right not, but last song heard on the radio was Gwen Stefani, Hollaback Girl
Five songs I listen to a lot, or that mean a lot to me:
Ocean Colour Scene: North Atlantic Drift
Oasis: Lyla
Manic Street Preachers: Motorcycle Emptiness
Ocean Colour Scene: Wah Wah
Damien Rice: Cannonball

No more whining!

2005-05-26T09:43:00.000+01:00

Well, less of it at least hopefully!

I'm going to stop using this blog to vent my frustrations as and when they happen, and instead try and make it a bit more positive!

All quiet on the Western front at the moment, but congratulations to Donna for finishing her exams. Fingers crossed for no re-sits!

After the debacle that was my ranting about being asked to work Saturday, I'm going to do it anyway. Gets the time owed out the way in a quick and easy manner. I won't be hungover anyway as Friday is most definitely a Big Brother night. Ooh, the excitement!

I'm off to do some work now, so until I have something useful to say, ta'ra for now!

More nazi-ism

2005-05-24T13:48:00.000+01:00

Time for another rant...

Nazi boss wants me in on for 4 hours Saturday morning to make up for the time off with my Mum being ill. I said no to this, as I was expecting to make up the time simply by working late over the next few days.

Now he wants me to work till 7 today, Wednesday, and Thursday, and "the rest" on Friday, whatever the rest may be. That doesn't quite add up!

Currently awaiting advice from his boss on compassionate leave and the like...

Work = SCUM!

2005-05-23T11:44:00.000+01:00

My Mum took ill on Friday quite suddenly and ended up in hospital. Had to leave work immediately, at the time they are absolutely fine and even quite sympathetic with this. "If there's anything we can do" and all that.

Come Monday, I need this afternoon off to take my Mum back to hospital. Will they give me a half day holiday? Will they fuck! "Those upstairs" won't allow a same-day holiday request, no matter what the circumstances. So I'll need to work late for the rest of the week to make up a piddly 3 1/2 hours (nothing has been said of the 6 hours on Friday) to get this afternoon off. Wankers!

Fame again!

2005-05-22T13:07:00.000+01:00

I'm on BBC News Online's "Your Pictures of Scotland" again - scroll to picture 10 :-)

Topsy turvy!

2005-05-22T09:48:00.000+01:00

What a strange few days. Friday morning, got a phone call at 10:40 from my Mum having severe chest pain :-/. Got my arse to Ayr Hospital pronto, after several hours of waiting about (I have a whole new view of the NHS after Friday/Saturday) and an overnight stay, they still don't know what caused it. She's home now, and on the mend so get well soon to her!

Saturday, went and picked up my Mum, watched Eurovision. Now Eurovision really was a pile of pants this year. None of the entries were half-decent IMHO, and the 39 countries voting politically rather than musically at the end was slight overkill! I don't think I'll be watching it again in its current format.

A bonus was I got bored half way through Eurovision, so nipped down to the Spar, bought an Instants, and won £18!

Sunday is looking average - F1 is on today though so need to watch that, get some odds and ends in from the shops, then off to Donna's!

Fucksticks!

2005-05-19T14:40:00.000+01:00

Its back on :(

Better go get some food, caffiene, and nicotine before it starts!

Woo hoo!

2005-05-19T14:38:00.000+01:00

Meeting cancelled :)

And it gets worse

2005-05-19T14:36:00.000+01:00

Headache is splitting, and I've got a shitey 2 hour meeting from 3 till 5. I just want to sleep.

I promise i'll post something positive here sometime, and stop whinging. Probably around 5pm on Friday!

Another day, another headache

2005-05-19T10:28:00.000+01:00

Lets hope the paracetomol I took over 2 hours ago starts kicking in soon - no sign of it doing that so far.

On a more positive but geeky note, I got Bluetooth working to some extent with my phone/PC, so I can send files to it and get them off it.

On a negative note, Opera doesn't want to connect to the Internet on it. Looks like it works with GPRS only, which is a complete bitch!

If anyone knows where to get plenty o' Series 60 software free, please let me know, as I'm having problems.

Work is less stressful today which is always good. Roll on the weekend however.

Getting better

2005-05-18T14:28:00.000+01:00

Kinda... The headache has almost gone, but the working day gets worse and worse. If only other people could actually do their job, it would make mine a whole lot easier :-(

But thats what happens when your fuckwit manager employs fuckwit staff.

Bah!

2005-05-18T09:45:00.000+01:00

I've got a splitting headache and a shedload of work to get through today. What a fantastic morning eh!

A busy evening...

2005-05-17T21:46:00.000+01:00

...Or not really.

Mainly been pissing about with my new phone, and getting increasingly pissed off at how it won't work with my (admittedly old) Bluetooth dongle on the PC, so I can't upload MP3s and Appz to it :(

A special note for the love of my life Donna - GET STUDYING!

Political Correctness gone too far?

2005-05-17T16:29:00.000+01:00

We are no longer allowed to use the words "gay" or "gypsy" at work.

Nazi managers...

What a fud

2005-05-17T10:36:00.000+01:00

My birthday in the profile is now correct, why the hell does this use American date formats? You'd think it was an American site or something! :)

Still bored at work

2005-05-17T10:23:00.000+01:00

I think I'll fire up Transport Tycoon, my favourite work pastime!

If you are bored, check out this banging ringtone.

Welcome!

2005-05-17T10:10:00.000+01:00

Well, here is my first blog posting.

I've been pressurised by many in to starting a blog up, despite having absolutely nothing of general interest to post to it. Not that it stops gazillions of others from having lifeless blogs.

Colin was the first to start this blogging phenomenon, but at least he has a decent excuse, travelling around fuck knows where for fuck knows how long!

Neil quickly followed, for reasons still unknown.

Andy even has one, but its full of Cold Fusion shite.

Thomas quickly joined the bandwagon, but neither his or Andy's are RSS friendly, so they are bollocks.

Finally, Larry told me to "get a blog ya dirty wee skite", which pressed me in to action while skiving at work.

So here you go, my first blog entry. I'll need to fanny about with this to see if I can make it pretty. I might even add new entries sometimes!