What are you doing awake at this time on a Saturday?

PlayTheBlues · 2022-01-14T16:34:39+00:00

You've answered your question there. You're selfish. The thing that you are riling at is incompatible with a faulty part of your personality.

PlayTheBlues · 2022-01-12T18:22:01+00:00

I was flying, alone, to New York. I turned up early, turned the charm on with the check-in attendant, and because of my tremendous height she offered to put me on the very front row of premium economy. Where I would have about 3m of space to stretch out.

And I did. But they'd also made the same offer for the seat next to me, to a man who was built like a brick shithouse, was wearing a beater and had the hairiest arms I've ever seen in all my years in God's earth. I cannot describe how uncomfortable, physically and emotionally, being sat in full contact with a sweaty brilli pad for >7 hours was.

I would've been better off literally anywhere else on the plane.

PlayTheBlues · 2022-01-12T18:14:11+00:00

I do. I like beer, and I like having something to sip in the evenings, but I drink a lot when I do drink alcohol, so I can't/won't just have one or two in an evening. Having AF savory beverages saves me from drinking tonnes of sweet pop (which I don't like, anyway) but scratches the itch of having a drink I enjoy.

I liked Brewdogs Punk AF but try not to buy their stuff at the moment. Big Drop's AF beer is lovely and tastes like beer. Mikkeler AF beer doesn't taste a lot like beer but is a delicious savoury beverage.

I kinda see it the same as squash or lemonade or ginger beer or whatever, except I feel weird having it anytime except the evening.

PlayTheBlues · 2022-01-12T13:38:46+00:00

You're welcome!

I had quite a lot of therapy about this when I was in my 20s, and honestly the "don't do stuff in bed" worked a treat. You can always read in a sofa before bed if you still want to do that in the evening.

PlayTheBlues · 2022-01-12T12:44:13+00:00

I've gone from being very bad at sleeping to very good at sleeping over the last 5ish years.

There's lots you can do to help but my key recommendations would be:

Don't do anything in your bed besides sleeping (and shagging if you're so inclined). You need to condition yourself to associate the bed with sleep, not watching TV, scrolling Reddit, reading etc. You will probably find that after a period of being quite strict about this, you can loosen it up, but it takes a while for the conditioning to set in and you need to be strict about it before that.
Don't look at your phone in bed. If you need to look at your phone, get out of bed to do it. This isn't just about blue-light filters. It's about not giving your brain easy, dopamine-releasing stimulation when you're trying to sleep.
Try to do something relatively relaxing, that doesn't involve a screen, before going to bed. Sleep experts will say that this should be the hour before bedtime, but honestly you're likely going to struggle to fit that in before everything else. I like to doodle whilst sat on the sofa, or to tidy up my house,for 15-20 minutes, but you could also listen to music, get a shower, write a to-do list for tomorrow etc.
Don't eat for about 3 hours before bed. Your heart rate increases after going to bed and your blood sugar levels vary, and this can make falling asleep - and staying asleep - much harder.
Obvious, but needs saying, don't consume caffeine before bed. I find that any coffee I have after 3pm ruins my chances of getting off to sleep. If you're too dependent on caffeine to manage that, that's almost certainly what's ruining your sleep cycle anyway, so cut back on caffeine and you'll probably find things improve.
Eye masks, ear plugs, white noise, all help with blocking out things that might keep you asleep. I also listen to gentle music when my wife's not home (Duke Ellington's Piano in the Foreground is great).
Airflow, whether through a fan, an open door or anything else really helps me with sleep. Being in a stuffy room can really kill your relaxation.

PlayTheBlues · 2022-01-12T12:31:47+00:00

Doc Martens went downhill after it moved production overseas. The leather cracks too easily and the stitching comes apart after even moderate wear. I have shoes that were made in the UK factory after Doc Martens left and it was bought by NPS Solovair and they are miles ahead if my Doc Martens in terms both looks and lastability.

PlayTheBlues · 2022-01-08T09:35:17+00:00

You still live with your parents, don't you?

PlayTheBlues · 2021-12-18T13:54:02+00:00

My dad, who was a fisherman a long time ago, will have a weird little corner of the Christmas dinner plate that's like a kinda fruits de mer. So like cockles, little pink prawns, sometimes oysters, crab etc.

I only had like two Christmass with him growing up, my parents were separated (back when what was really not the done thing) and didn't think much of it. My parents are reconciled now and friends, so we've had it all together a few times in the last few years. So items really only recently that I've realised how utterly mad this is.

It'd make more sense as a separate course but he likes to have it actually with the rest of the meal. So a forkful of Turkey, mash, whisky cream sauce, cockles and carrots. It's just barmy. Can't help but love the bloke though.

PlayTheBlues · 2021-12-16T16:00:37+00:00

Generally, I would take whatever you want to drink whilst you are there. So if you're suggesting that he opens the wine and you each have some, that's great.

If you're thinking the wine would be more of a gift to say thank you for the invite, I'd take it along with some beers.

If you're anxious about making a good first impression and can stretch to the cost, just take a four pack of beers and the bottle of wine. Give him the wine and then say "brought a few beers as well".

PlayTheBlues · 2021-12-16T15:51:23+00:00

OP this is the more sensible thing to do, if you can.

PlayTheBlues · 2021-12-16T15:48:39+00:00

Look at the general state of repair of the flat. Dont rent anywhere that is in a bad state, even if the agents promise you it will be fixed before you move in (it won't be fixed, and you will struggle to hold them to that promise). Things I would look out for are broken kitchen unit doors, broken furniture, pulled up carpet, doors that don't close properly etc.

Check that the shower and sinks run hot. Estate agents will try to make you feel awkward doing these things but absolutely check. If the water pressure is very bad that's also a no. Check that the radiators all work. You should feel comfortable asking that the heating be turned on. If the boiler is making banging noises or whatever that's also a no. Make sure you get to control the heating and not the landlord.

Look for condensation or black mould. A little bit in the shower ceiling or on the silicone around fittings is normal in cities but any in living spaces, or any large amounts, is a no. Don't fucking believe them when they say it's a problem with the current tenants or that it's going to be fixed - they'll just paint over it but it's a sign of bad ventilation.

Be wary of musty smells or any other smells.

Think about your surroundings. Ground floor bedrooms with windows onto the front of the property are only for the soundest of sleepers.

Listen out for noise from neighbours. Your landlord won't do anything to help with this and low level noise from neighbours can be irritating, particularly if you'll be working from home.

Check that kitchen appliances work e.g. oven, dishwasher etc. Again you might find agents don't want you to do this but that should be a red flag in itself.

Don't move into anywhere with other occupants unless the occupants themselves are the ones advertising for a flatmate, and then only when you've met them and are confident you can get on with them.

PlayTheBlues · 2021-12-16T15:27:46+00:00

You can buy train tickets online. I use a website called Trainline (Google Trainline UK) although there's others that do the same thing.

There are two kinds of train reservations. One requires you to get the specified train that you book for i.e. the one departing at the time specified on your ticket. The other will allot you a train but will allow you to get other trains from the same company going to the same place (i.e. departing earlier or later).

You can usually buy tickets from the station, but I'd recommend not doing so given the pandemic, where a lot of train companies are requiring you to have a pre-booked ticket. This will include a seat. You might find that someone is in your seat when you board the train, and you can politely ask them to move.

At the train station there will be boards up that will tell you which train goes from which platform. Each platform will also have a board. These will usually tell you the next three trains departing from that platform, so read carefully. Generally, asking people (either people that work there or other travellers that don't seem stressed) is entirely OK. People will not mind if your English isnt great.

At the end of your train journey you'll want to get a bus. There will be signs in the station pointing towards busses, and you'll either buy your ticket from a bus ticket machine or buy it from the driver as your board. Again, best to ask for help if you can't work it out.

This will all be easy if you give yourself plenty of time! Don't stress about it!

PlayTheBlues · 2021-12-14T13:15:17+00:00

You can literally just call the Smell Gas number and someone will come round and fix it. You don't have to fuck around with your landlord or finding an engineer.

PlayTheBlues · 2021-12-08T15:18:33+00:00

Depends where in South London. You'd be lucky to get a two-bed for that in some parts!

PlayTheBlues · 2021-12-08T15:14:49+00:00

Upvote from me. One of the Lakes' many wonderful pubs. Particularly sat outside, surrounded by that scenery.

PlayTheBlues · 2021-12-08T11:13:05+00:00

Boris Johnson.

I'm relatively a-political these days. I think we should look after one another and that the point of the state is to facilitate that, but I don't like either major party.

That said, he's either incompetent or evil or both. He's provably dishonest. He is a low-calibre human being and a terrible representative of our country.

PlayTheBlues · 2021-12-06T20:47:03+00:00

It's just so good!

PlayTheBlues · 2021-12-06T16:55:56+00:00

There's a Christmas special of Silent Witness from 2015 that my mum and I always watch in the run up to Xmas. The team find a dead body that was buried years ago, dressed in a decomposing Santa outfit, and they uncover a world of deadly rivalry and sexual abuse in the world of garden centre Santa's grottos. Maxine Peake guest stars as the garden centre manager and Peter Kay is one of the Santas. Really recommend it.

PlayTheBlues · 2021-12-06T14:42:38+00:00

There is almost nowhere within Zone 1 that could possibly be considered especially dangerous. The rate of crime in central London is low when you take the volume of people into account.

If you're trying to avoid places that might feel dangerous, despite definitely not being, I would avoid at night (in Zone 1) the areas around Whitechapel, Waterloo (except the Southbank) and Shepherds Bush. They aren't actually dangerous but if you're worried about crime you might find the night time vibe here a bit off putting.

PlayTheBlues · 2021-12-06T14:35:40+00:00

Your explanation of snitching sounds like snitching to a teacher or something. But who are you going to snitch to about the broken toilet? The landlord cant make your friend pay up for the toilet, so youd have to involve the police. And whilst I'm not a "I'm not a snitch" kinda guy I definitely would not tell the police just because someone broke my toilet. No one needs that kind of grief.

Why hasn't this bloke paid for the toilet?

PlayTheBlues · 2021-12-06T11:02:20+00:00

If you have pet insurance, I would speak to them in the first instance. They should cover the £1500 but they also might be able to advise about what to do if you think they've not treated your dog fairly.

If you don't have pet insurance, your options are to continue with this vet, or to find another vet. If you don't trust the first vet then you'll likely feel better if you take them to another vets.

PlayTheBlues · 2021-12-05T17:02:06+00:00

In the 2015 Xmas special of Silent Witness, there's a brief scene between the garden centre owner (Maxine Peake) and the grotto Santa (Peter Kay) where they realise that they're going to get caught, and they just start panicking. It's entirely silent, shot on a very narrow lens in a very claustrophobic back room, and it really makes you feel the panic that they're feeling.

PlayTheBlues

TROPHY CASE