Dominos

I'm becoming addicted to dominos, not the pizza company, the game. There is a link on my blog to http://www.pogo.com/ and it has loads of free games, which include poker, backgammon, chess, checkers, blackjack, solitare, word whomp and loads of other games, often including a chatroom with the game.
A lot of these you play against another player, online, and earn a rating depending on winning and losing, and I have a very competitive streak, and hate losing.
The dominos game on pogo involves making the end numbers add up to a multiple of 5 (coincidence i call myself No.5) and if you get rid of all your dominos you get the number of dots from your opponents dominos added to your score, first one to 100.

No.5

Cold Calling

I got home tonight from work tonight, and started dinner. I'd cubed two chicken breasts and marinated them in lime and coriander sauce, from a bottle, and put a bag of rice on to boil. Then I hear bbbrrr.. bbbrrr...from the phone. I have caller display and it was a Bury No. I didn't recognise, so I picked it up.
"Hello this is ***** from Drive Vauxhall, how are you". Me " I'm cooking my dinner at the moment" .***** " thats nice, would you like to change your car". Me "I told you in January, February, March and now June, I don't want to change my F***ing car until next F***ing year, how many times must I tell you". *****"Ok, thanks very much, bye".
A few minutes later I call back on the number that called me, and its the same person who called me. ***** "Hello, Drive Vauxhall, ***** speaking". Me "hello,can I speak to your manager please". *****"Yes, who's calling". Me "I'll tell your manager that". *****"Can I ask what its about". Me "I'll tell them myself". Call gets Transferred.
I point out my disgust at the four calls I've had this year, and the lady I speak to reassures me I won't now get any more. I enquired if I have my car M.O.T'd there next month are they going to start again. "No" she replied.
me,"Ok, thank you, have a nice evening,bye"

No.5

Cats

This subject about cats is a bit controversial, and thought I would mention it on my blog. I have adopted two cats, brother and sister, Jack and Tiggy. They are my wifes cats and came to live with me after I married, they were 7 years old, and their 11 now.
They are just basic domestic cats, but came over from America, where they had been declawed on their front paws.
This is quite a common practice in America, and the main reason it is done, is to stop them scratching the furniture around the house. They are basically housecats, because they can't defend themselves if they were to meet another cat outdoors. They do get to go out in the back garden when I'm out there, because they can't get over the fence, even though Jack is good at jumping.
The procedure is carried out when they are kittens, and they think they still have claws, trying to scratch at the furniture, trying to bury their food, padding when petted and covering up their business in the litterbox, which has to remain constantly indoors for them.
I think its cruel, and didn't have a say in it, but do know the damage they can cause to table legs etc.

No.5

Dilemma

Last night I picked up a book I'd been lent by someone who drinks in the Moreton hall pub. I like reading autobiography's and they had lent me Vinnie Jones's, and I had read four chapters. When I got home from work today, there sat on the doormat the new issue of FHM. A couple of months ago Emap magazines had cold called (I used to subscribe) to see if I wanted to take up a new offer. I could have the next 3 for £1, then the next 3 after that for £9, but I could cancel the second lot of three, after the second issue of the first three, (stay with me).
So tonight my dilemma is shall I carry on with the book, or open the plastic on the magazine, throwing in the blue bin the dozen or so junk leaflets enclosed with it, and read that.
I think the book is going to win because I was enjoying it, and was keen to read it tonight, until the magazine arrived, so do I sound con vince d....pun using Vincent Jones' name.

No.5

Every Sunday (2)

This sunday morning I thought I was not going to have to go to the Discount warehouse superstore, after the wife got up and said "I want to go to that store in Newmarket", but how wrong could I be. Off we go to Newmarket, and on the way back on the A14 (at about Risby) came the words "I want to go to the Discount warehouse"....Doh.

After that we headed to the Linden tree, we'd made a reservation, and had a nice meal and I had a pint of Old Speckled Hen to wash mine down with.

A man driving a 1949 DODGE in Bury St.Edmunds

Happy Birthday

I saw all of my closest family today, who live in this area, who gave me nice cards and presents. I also got an e-card from someone overseas which read "why do you get a cake on your birthday". Now, I do like to try and work out the punchline to a joke before i say "why", which can be really annoying if you can get it. But the answer was "because you can't but candles on a beer". I thought that was funny.

Happy birthday

Also today is the birthday of Mr.Ruby http://livinginburystedmunds.blogspot.com/ the husband of another blogger giving me a mention, so I felt I should wish the same to him.

I don't smoke

Next Saturday is the last time you can smoke in a public building. Sunday will be interesting, more so if it pours with rain all day. But I am looking forward to the ban, no more smokey clothes and hair.

June 23rd 1970

Tomorrow I will make my 37th year in this lifetime. I am often reminded by my father that on the day of my birth that it snowed ! It probably does snow on the day some people come into the world, but when you look at the date of my birthday you probably wouldn't get the same odds at a betting shop as it snowing on Christmas day.
This weekend there is a stag weekend going from my local (Moreton hall pub) to Blackpool. So at lunchtime today I wished the groom good luck. Not on his wedding, but more a case of being chained to one of the many lampposts in Blackpool naked. Anyone know of a Blackpool webcam ?
So tomorrow there won't be many people to buy me a birthday drink :-( , so if you visit the Moreton hall pub, put one in for Cashier No.5 ...LoL

No.5

June 16th - 20th, Brancaster, Norfolk.

On Saturday 16th, my brother, sister-in-law, nephew and I, left Bury St.Edmunds at about 2pm to go to Brancaster in Norfolk. On the way there we stopped off at Beers of Europe in Setchey on the Kings Lynn road.

When we pulled up the car we'd parked beside started rolling backwards as we got out, with nobody inside. So while I held the car stationary, my brother asked inside for the owner, who came out and pulled his handbrake on. I hope he hadn't been drinking already !

In this off licence / warehouse there is three long aisles of bottled beer, wines and spirits. They stock local and national beers, ales and ciders. Beer from all over europe all labelled by country, and some beer glasses to match. And all main spirits. http://www.beersofeurope.co.uk/
After we had made some purchases we drove on along the coast road through Hunstanton on to Brancaster to the house we were staying at with my parents. http://www.glavenvalley.co.uk/millhill/

Sunday 17th June - Brancaster beach

After a cooked breakfast courtesy of my mum in the kitchen and my brother on a gas barbecue on the patio, at the house, we set off with bucket and spades (can i say that ?) , to Brancaster beach.
Now the sea or tide does go a long way out between low and high tide in this area making the water quite shallow, and a lot of people come here to fly kites, kite surf, walk the dog, and like me use having a young person (nephew) with you to get away with making a sand castle.

After a day on the beach with all that sand I found my mouth was a bit dry, so along with my brother we stopped off at the local hostelry The Ship Inn, which was just a 5 minute walk from our holiday house, where we were welcomed by the landlord called Mike. Who, honestly, keeps the best pint of Greene King IPA I've ever tasted.

Monday 18th June - Wells-next-the-sea

Set off monday with the plan to go to Burnham Market. On arrival there, a village similar to Long Melford or Lavenham around these parts, it was bustling with people and cars and no spaces to park, so we carried on further to Wells-next-the-sea.

I caught crabs

And i can strongly recommend bacon, as bait, to catch these little nippers.

Having walked up the main shopping street, and stopping at the butchers for the next days sausages and bacon. We tried the bacon in the bait bag, you don't use hooks, the crabs grip on to the perforated bag. Off the habour wall

During my whole time away the weather was pretty much the same as in Bury St.Edmunds all be it a couple of hours later, realised after conversations with my wife back here. When we left Wells to return to the house in Brancaster, we stopped in Holkham at The Victoria Inn, where one of a few thunder storms and heavy rain past over us.

Tuesday 19th June - Hunstanton

The consistency of the sand was not as good on this beach, and good sand castles were not easy to make, as those on Brancaster beach. So we decided to make a sand person instead. You will see from the picture that "collars and cuffs" match, made from seaweed.

Wednesday 20th June - Snettisham Park Farm

Came back home today via Snettisham Park Farm, where you can pet and feed some of the animals,and also a deer safari (which I didn't go on). There are a lot of goats and chickens but also, sheep, cows, llama, rabbits, ducks, tortoise and pigs.

This new mum has a lot of mouths to feed.

No.5

Short holiday

Tomorrow afternoon (saturday) I'm off to Brancaster, on the Norfolk coast, for a few days. My parents have rented a house up there for a week, and my brother, sister-in-law and nephew and I, are going to join them for some of the time. Its part of my fathers 60th birthday and just happens to be fathers day this sunday too. So I won't be posting anything from now until about thursday.

Model Railway Exhibition

This saturday the 16th of june, in Bury St.Edmunds, there is an exhibition of model railways in the church behind Mcdonald's in Looms lane. I don't know the church name, it may be methodist, but I happened to notice the signs for it on my way home last night.

I had a train set as a child, but what some of these guys spend hours creating, can be extemely realistic. So take a look after you've visited the St.John's street Fair, the same day.

No.5

Did it rain last night !

Just after 9pm I went to put out a wheelie bin for its thursday collection, and I was going to water some plants in the garden as well. When I stepped out of the back door I realised the latter was not going to be neccessary, because of the dark clouds, and soon to follow first spots of rain.
I always find if I put the bin out the night before collection, its still there when i leave for work. If I don't put it out, I am always shaving with my face covered in foam, when I hear the lorry coming, and you can't afford to miss the collection of the black bin.

No.5

Rook Pie !

This little chap/chappess came down from his parents nest today, maybe a little to early. He could fly a bit, but not high enough to get back to the nest on the chimney of the Mh pub.

He sat on a picnic table for a while, being hand fed by some customers and I was able to get this picture on my phone. I hope the bird survives, I'm not sure if the pub has a cat I've not seen any around there lately.

No.5

Carp or Piranha's

Today was my day off this week, so I've had a nice long weekend since friday. The furthest from home I've been today was the Tesco express shop at lunchtime to buy The Sun newspaper, which i get every day.

Then around 16:30 today i went off to the local for a couple of pints. If you've ever visited the Moreton Hall Pub the pond is a big feature of its landscape, but the carp in it are a huge attraction and quiet a few people bring bread to throw in for them. There are a few ducks on the pond also but they can't get near the bread before the carp turn the water white and have devoured it in seconds, like Piranha's.

It was also my wife's day off today so she was doing dinner tonight. Chicken, peas, broccoli and baked potato. Night of soaps and big brother.

No.5

Every Sunday

Every Sunday my wife insists i take her to the Discount Warehouse Superstore off Anglian Lane, beside County upper school. Now if you've ever visited this shop not much changes week to week apart from seasonal goods, like any shop does, such as Christmas goods, fireworks, and garden furniture. We do buy a few odd bits there like soap, light bulbs, bedding plants and bird fatballs.

Anyway off we go again this sunday, its on the other side of town from us, and walk round without buying anything at all this week. We then stopped in the town centre and called in a few shops before going to Sainsbury's, where the wife works, to get groceries.

Coming out of Sainsbury's I'm told that we have to go for a ride around the countryside in the car before I can think about going to the pub for a pint. So after cramming all the food into the cupboards and fridge freezer we set off and go through Gt Barton,Ixworth, Bardwell, Stanton, Hepworth, Wattisfield, Finningham, Bacton, Haughley and back to Bury via the A14.

When we got back to Bury we stopped at the John Banks Honda, Mitsubishi, Suzuki garage, for a look round at my wifes request ! Her favourite was a Mitsubishi truck for £22k but it will be staying on the forecourt with my budget. I then dropped myself off for a pint or 2, and the wife took the car home.

No.5

Cattle Market (Arc) Development

I work close by the cattle market development, and took these pictures today. To begin with I was against the shopping centre being built, along with the other buildings plannned. But when you think about other buildings in Bury St.Edmunds that have caused a lot of controversy over their planned construction, e.g. Cornhill Walk, Bus Station and the Cinema. I think you have to take a step back and say "look how they work" and they are all well used.

Not everyone would agree the style and design is in keeping with the area, you only have to contrast Moyes's hall with the Cornhill Walk right behind it, and the hundreds of years between their building.

My fear now is of the possible degeneration of the old shopping area of the town, but hopefully an expanding town will be able to grow and accommodate all tastes. After all, in Cambridge, the Grafton Centre area and the town centre still thrives.

I must add, I do feel sorry for the residence of Nelson road that back on to the stacked up porta-cabins you can see in the top pic in this post, above the Lacy Scott & Knight auction centre. And I don't see why the trees across the top of Nelson road had to be cut down. www.arc-burystedmunds.com

Friday after work is pub night

My wife was asked to change her hours of work for this friday. Usually she doesn't finish until 9:30pm but agreed to start early and finish at 5:30pm. So i pointed out that friday after work is my pub night, and don't get back till about 7pm, which is always before she gets off work. So when I got up for work today I was pleased to hear her say "I'll see you about 7pm". I love her.

Ok, Here Goes!

I started setting up this blog a couple of nights ago but didn't post anything because, 1. I couldn't think of anything to post, and 2. I wanted to watch Gordon Ramsey's F word on channel 4 and ran out of time. Now I am the worlds worst cook, but I do like watching those who make it look so easy, like Gordon, Hugh Fearney-Whittingstall and Jamie Oliver.

I woke up in the middle of the night, and it kept me awake thinking about what content i could possibly put up that may interest anyone, and whether I was going to bother at all. But having looked at a few other blogs the following evening, I felt that I could do better than some, but some had such a funny take, like one about lower case L's in signs. Anyway I hope to give it a go, and get a few readers.

No.5