Author: Andy

So Close

For around a year, we’d been looking forward to the next Waitrose 5-a-side football tournament.  Last year, with 90 teams entered we made it to the last 8, to be knocked out cruelly on penalties after giving away a cheap goal to allow the eventual winners to knock us out.  We joined a league and have been playing once a week since then.

This year, John Lewis were included too, meaning around 140 teams were entered. Our team had changed slightly, but the core was the same still. Armed with a better striker and goalie, we felt confident going in.

Continue reading So Close
Categories:Sporting, Work

My New Lens

For well over a year I’ve been toying with the idea of buying a new lens for my Canon 400D. I’d been keeping an eye on the Canon 70-300mm IS lens, the same as I’d borrowed from my dad to go to Brans Hatch last April, but they were up over £350 and didn’t seem to be coming down in any way. A couple of days ago I noticed Canon did a 55-250mm IS (Image Stabilized) lens, which I found for only £169 from a place near Bloomsbury Square, so this afternoon I headed in a bought one.

It’s about twice the size of the original lens (18-55mm) with a smooth zooming and auto focus motion.  I’m not sure how often I’ll get to use it.  Many places these days wont let you take a camera in if it has changable lenses.  So, if I go back to Wembley to see the Saints play the Chargers for example, I wont be able to take my 400D with me.

While I was testing the lens, next doors dogs came out, so I put it to test.  I was able to zoom right in on the dogs faces, and had to zoom out slightly to take the picture you see on the right.

Categories:Technology

Work AGM

Thursday night was our Waitrose AGM, once again at The Oval.  It starts of with a presentation about how we’ve done this year and what we’ll be doing in the future before heading upstairs for a meal of rather small proportions.  It was some kind of meat hanging on the end of the bone followed by a strange Creme Brule with seeds and green bits in!?!

Once the excuse for a meal was done with, the music started and the drinking began!  Feeling rather tired myself, it was a dissappointment that they didn’t have RedBull to go with my Vodka, so I had it straight instead.  After 4 or 5 doubles I definitly started to feel them.

Unlike me though, some people didn’t know when they should slow down…  Some of the stories going round on Friday.  Bottle’s of Vodka being downed, minesweeping tables at the end of the AGM, vomit on tube station platforms, phoneboxes as toilets, thrown out of clubs, not allowed into others, collapsing on floors…  it was a good night!

Categories:Social, Work

Snow!

Friday was so warm, I rode to work in my Summer gear. Yesterday morning it was a lovely bright day. In the evening it started to get colder and looked a bit muggy. I got woken up this morning to look at a snow covered back garden! In April! Just as I was thinking summer was on it’s way…

Then me and Robert set off for training, but didn’t get very far. A minute into the North Circular and we hit stationary traffic. We hardly moved for half an hour, so left at the approaching exit and made our way home again. TomTom said the Circular was closed at Neasdon and the FA Cup Semi Final at Wembley wont have helped.

Instead we headed to the gym, for a work out, then home for dinner and some relaxing before back to the grindstone tomorrow.

Categories:General

April Begins

So, yesterday was the first day of April and this weekend the clocks went forward, I guess summer is just round the corner?  Yeah, right…

Today’s been my day off after seven hard days work and it seems to have flown by.  I woke up thinking I’d get myself down the gym, but if I’m doing that I prefer to start before 10am so it’s not busy and before I knew it, it was 11am!

It’s been a funny day, I’ve not really stopped, but looking back I’m not sure what I’ve achieved?  I’ve not played any games, my ‘to do list’ has 9 items on it (like it has for the last week or so) I’ve not watched much TV or any films and now there’s only a few hours left…

Pictured is where I’ve spent most of my day though, pottering round the internet, editing some images (like my new banner image for this blog 🙂 ) and posting on forums.  Hows that for a fulfilling day!

Categories:General

Bonus Party

2008 saw the John Lewis Partnership achieve another great set of figures leading to all of us being given a bonus of 20% of our years earnings in one lump sum. That’s over 2 months pay paid in our March pay slip, woo hoo! Unfortunately, most of mine is gone, half into bonus save (again) for the future and the other half paying of my credit card…

Anyway, such a great bonus called for celebrations, so off to the Gunmakers pub we went!

A pretty good turn out for a Sunday with 20 -30 people bearing the cold conditions in the name of consuming much alcohol. It wasn’t long before someone called for the Tequila and Vodka shots (who on earth was that…) and things started to get a little messy.

Still, it was a fun evening, with minimal casualties I believe… here’s to 22% next year!

Categories:Social, Work