With a slight twist.

Four Jobs I’ve Had:

• archaeologist
• head of security for a stone circle
• oceanographer
• sewage disinfection equipment researcher

Four Movies I Can Watch Over and Over Again:

• Ghost Dog
• The Big Blue
• X-Men 2
• Death Machine

Four TV Shows I Like to Watch

• Green Wing
• Due South
• Never Mind The Buzzcocks
• It’s Me Or The Dog

Four Places I’ve Been on Holiday:

• Avoriaz
• Morzine
• Dorset
• Jura

Four Favorite Dishes:

• Roast chicken
• Lasagne
• Smoked salmon and cream pasta
• Goats cheese, olive and red onion pizza

Four Websites I Visit Daily

• gentlemencyclists.org
• Blogger
• LJ
• ravenfamily.org

Four Places I’d Rather Be:

• with my husband
• British Columbia
• on my bike
• with my best friends.

Four Computer Games I Will Not take Back to Gamestation:

• X-Men 2: Wolverine’s Revenge
• X-Men Legends II: The Rise of Apocalypse
• EyeToy Antigrav
• Prince of Persia

So ideally, obviously, I’d be with Frood and my best friends, riding bicycles in British Columbia. Hmmm. Bit late to organise that right now. Lek, anyone?

Howl’s Moving Castle is fab! This could simply be because there aren’t any squealing children in it, although I think it’s because I liked Calcifer and Howl turns into what is fundamentally a big crow. I also liked the way Sophie just got on with being an old woman and didn’t whinge about it too much. I liked the scarecrow and, in fact, I liked everything about it except for the weak and sugary-sweet ending.

I liked the way that, from about the middle of the film on, Sophie would apparently randomly switch betwen being old and being her normal self, and the pattern of why this was slowly revealed itself. I liked the vision of the warring states, the blend of unfeasible technology with magic.

Only one other issue, apart from the ending: the presence of a strange icon that looked like a movie camera with 1/2 written underneath in the top right corner of the screen, which I could not switch off.

More than made up for The Hills Have Eyes.

To be fair, the weather pixie is for what the weather actually is. The Metcheck cyclist’s forecast is an actual forecast. Sweat index, wind direction and everything. Once I’ve resolved my ftp issue, I’ll stick that up there in the useful links section.

The Pixie has been apprised of my relocation to Fife and is now displaying weather conditions for RAF Leuchars, which is about the closest place to here, I suppose. It was either that or go for Edinburgh airport, but that’s across the Forth – practically a different country.

I think I got Jophiel because of the environmental protection thing. I’d rather have had Gabriel, or even Michael. But it’s just an internet test. I’ll check with the boys down the bar later and see how hard they laugh…

Jophiel So you need Healing (25%), Knowledge (30%), Inspiration (40%), and Strength (43%)?

Archangel Jophiel is the Angel of endurance, freedom of thought, wisdom, truth, beauty, and illumination of the mind and spirit. He assists us in absorbing intricate information and in dealing with complex matters, and guides us along our aspired spiritual path to enlightenment. Jophiel, inclined to help us see and maintain beauty in life, is the Patron Angel of artists and helps them in every step towards the completion of their work. Also, he loves those using inventions, discoveries, or revolutionary ideas for the greater good of humanity, and gives them special support, for as well-meant as the efforts of a pioneer often are, success will seldom come without doubt and humiliation. Jophiel shares with us his wisdom and selfless patience that will strengthen us at times when we are close to resignation, and encourages those who are wishing to make a change that seems impossible to do to keep going. He teaches that everything can be made possible. Striving and struggling souls, continuously searching for solutions and answers will find the strong and unshakable support they need in Jophiel, which goes for spiritual matters as well as earthly problems calling for solutions. He comforts those that were denigrated and abandoned, unwearyingly staying by their side to light their way and lead them out of hopelessness and despair. Jophiel is also concerned in beautifying the planet by cleansing it of pollution and lends his assistance to those engaging in the vital mission of helping our environment. A Bit of Trivia: Jophiel is one of the two Angels assisting Michael in battle, the other being Zadkiel. Just like Gabriel and Ariel, Jophiel is sometimes referred to as female. Jophiel – Michael – Israfel – Raziel – Ariel – Uriel – Gabriel – Raphael – Zadkiel – Jeremiel

I haven’t got a decent ftp programme so I haven’t got around to changing the location. My weather pixie thinks I’m still in Exeter.

Fuck me! It’s bloody Baltic again! It started snowing today while we were out inspecting a Paragraph 9 (Section 3) exemption in a wee place called Kelty. Here was me thinking that the weather would turn nice and sunny and warm now that Munky has sent me his Nokia studded tyres. I might have to stick the cross tyres on Shackleton as well.

I was going to go out for a bike ride tonight, but it was getting dark by the time I got home and I’ll be buggered if I’m going for a random ride in the dark in a blizzard.

I finally got fed up with elbow polishers and I’m no longer interested in just making noise if forced to slap the side of the car as a warning. The driver is less likely to do it again if he finds himself with a bit of paint restoration work. Also, there’s the whole thing about risking damaging the hands.

So I got myself a pair of these:

They are so cool.

Do NOT, under ANY circumstances, attempt to pay money to see The Hills Have Eyes. It was, without doubt, the WORST film I have seen in a good 8 months (except for that British Manga shite thing). Worse than The Cave. Worse – by far – than The Core.

I should review it properly. I probably will later but I’m too hungry right now. Suffice to say that execrable faeces is too good for it.

I went for a run yesterday.

Wait. Back up.

My new job is Environmental Protection Officer. It’s basically an environmental policeman. Because this involves going to sites and sampling and doing inspections, I need to have my car for work. Where the office is located is not somewhere I’m overly happy about leaving my car overnight, otherwise I’d drive to work on Monday with the bike in the back and leave the thing there all week. I might buy a cheap car and do that anyway.

This means I haven’t been getting my requisite amount of exercise, which is something of an issue.

So I did twenty miles on the fixie on Saturday, and yesterday I thought I’d run down and along the beach and back, about 3 miles, mostly off-road.

Ow. Over the past year I’ve been having this problem: for the ten days or so before my period starts I get intense cramps brought on by exercise. Usually after about ten minutes of exercise. The first time I went running I thought I was going to pass out from the pain. Don’t know what causes it, doctor didn’t seem interested.

Yesterday this started about, well, ten minutes into my run (about a mile and a bit – I can run a mile in 7:15, which is okay, but not on that terrain). I had to walk through it, and that was agonising. It was either that or be stuck at the beach for the rest of the day. Took me about a mile to walk it off, but I did walk it off, so I’m quite chuffed with myself.

So chuffed, indeed, that I’ve decided to treat myself to the new 2006 model MULE. Mmmmm.

But if anyone has any thoughts on what could cause this, I’d be delighted to hear them.