Camelenga the Hallowed

I'd just like to say what a wonderful boyfriend I have. Last night, being a Thursday, is one of my 'stay late at work nights' as Stefan usually goes out geeking (board game club / role playing). I think I ended up leaving the office shortly after 22.00. Whilst sitting there I was getting more and more annoyed at the amount of work I had to do before going off on holiday (I've been off sick for two days this week). What was annoying me more though was that I wasn't at home to run Headless Horseman to try to get my squashling pet...the one thing between me and the Hallowed achievement.

On getting home I saw a light on upstairs...and wondered whether Stefan forgot to turn it off before going out. I rang the doorbell just in case, and he answered. He hadn't gone out as he had a headache, but rather than ringing me and telling me (knowing that I would have come home from work and had to work during my holiday instead), he decided to stay home alone and let me think he had gone out.

It got even better tho... he'd decided to run HH for me...and he won the pet for me (sorry Issy!). He didn't even click on it, so I could and get the achievements....I instantly turned from a having a really bad mood to being really happy...

My happy mood even lasted this morning...where I may have been seen dancing around the house singing 'I love you squashling....I do, I love you squashling....I do...'

Hands off my desk you bastard!

I've recently moved desk in the office. After two years in my old desk (lovingly known as the James Bond desk due to it's number - 5W 007) I decided to move when my secondment ended. The James Bond desk had it's advantages...if I peered carefully I could see the River, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, and it did have a cool name. However it also had many disadvantages, principally being just off the corridor in an open plan office so everyone could see exactly what I was doing at all times. Not good for the secret forum reader or blogger.

One of our partners (fondly known as licky lips - don't ask) retired at the end of June. He had a prime desk, which I was eyeing up. Prime as it's off the beaten track...it's as isolated as it can be in an open plan office and it's not overlooked. The neighbours are friendly, and have reasonable standards of personal hygiene (a distinct advantage over the old desk). It's also by the window with lots of space for shoe storage. Oh and did I mention it comes with it's own tree for above average oxygen levels to improve productivity....After debating with myself as to what was a suitable period of leaving the desk empty out of respect for it's previous occupier I put in the move request. I moved, unpacked, carefully arranged all my accounting books and made it home.

However it looks like my joyous new location may be short lived. One of our partners (who I will refer to as Weasel from Wind in the Willows due to the physical likeness and his generally weaselish personality)is coverting my desk. He's made various snide passing comments about what would it take to make me move. I've currently been offered two bottles of champagne. I told him where to stick them. Make it a case, a payrise and a promotion and I may reconsider. Otherwise go take a long walk off a short pier.

The thing that really pisses me off is that he could have moved to that desk when Licky Lips left. I estimate that the desk was free for approximately 68 days, 10 hours and 34 seconds (OK I made that up but i was well over two months). He only wanted the desk when I moved in.

So as far as I'm concerned the desk is mine. I've moved in my shoe collection (currently 6 pairs). I've staked my claim. And you Weasel boy can go fuck yourself.

Well I thought I'd investigate how to add picture to my blog...having some issues formatting it, but from left to right... Camelenga - holy, Camelenga - dps, Brachio - resto, Brachio - dps

Blogging

Let me start off by saying that I'm completely new to this world of blogging, and I have to admit I'm rather cynical. Cynical in: my ability to be able to write something that is both interesting and coherent enough for anybody to willingly want to read; cynical in my ability to keep blogging for anything more than one week (previous attempts at keeping anything resembling a diary have been abject failures); and cynical that I've just used the ':' and ';' punctuation marks correctly. At least my boss (who I'll refer to as Mr Burns due to an astonishing physical resemblence) isn't here to read this and make another withering comment about my incorrect use of the English language.

I like to think that I'm actually OK at the English language. Actually not just OK, which I think sounds distinctly mediocre, but almost good. I'm a Chartered Accountant and the holder of three degrees from the University of Cambridge (OK I did blag one for free six years after I matriculated for successfully still being of good repute...). These qualifications give me the dubious priviledge of being able to use the letters MA(cantab),CA, MSci, BA(Hons) after my name. In gaining these qualifications I estimate that I've written in excess of 50,000 formally assessed words in the form of theses, scientific papers and accounting exams. In my day job I estimate that I reguarly churn out in excess of 7,500 words a week. Yes I write a lot.

I think that part of my problem with Mr Burns is generational. Mr Burns is approaching retirement, and I suspect benefitted from a traditional education which included being well schooled in the classics. I'm from the generation where they decided that teaching grammer in schools was definately not chic. I strongly suspect that Mr Burns would choke on his morning cereal if he ever read a sentence starting with the words And or Because. Saying that I saw fine examples of such sentences in The Times this weekend, which did make my toast stick in my throat a bit...

My point is that the English language continues to evolve - people break the rules (either to make a point or because the rule was pointless anyway) and the broken rule then becomes the norm. Who ever understood the use of the possessive apostrophe anyway? English has evolved to be almost unrecognisable from the language which was used in the Middle Ages and is continuing to do so. I suspect that in another 100 years the English in use will be considerably different than that used today, with the death of the vowel following the evolution of txt spk and continued technological advances. Compare words commonly in use today - text, internet, email, wikipedia with those in use less than 50 years ago.

Oh dear, I seemed to have already digressed from my point of my cynicism of my ability to blog (hmm does blogg have one 'g' or two...) to an unintentional rant on the English language. I think I went on a course at work once where they tried to teach me a theory relating to cynicism (one of the many pointless courses I've been on which are designed to mold and sculpt me to a leader of the future. In reality these courses are just an excuse to stay in a hotel for a couple of nights and drink copious amounts of beer whilst sharing gripes about (a) how much you hate the course, (b) how much you hate your job and (c) how you'd much rather be at home at 21.00 hours rather than trying to exert your newly discovered influencing skills making small talk with some random person whilst passing the sugar bowl).

I seem to recall that the theory went something like this: in order to achieve a success you have to travel along a path, and the route that path takes is often similar. You start on a high with the concept (my blog), before starting on a gradual decline as the initial enthusiasm wears off and the reality sets in (you mean I have to write in this thing every day?!). You enter the pit of depair as you wish you'd never set off on your journey in the first place (I wish I'd never started that bloody blog...). After that you set off on the path to recovery (well I guess this blogging thing isn't so bad after all)... before the euphoria of reaching your goal (wow - I have a blog that's fun and interesting and I like writing!).

Regarding my blog I think I've moved rapidly from concept into gradual decline. We shall see whether I make it through the pit of despair and onto the path to recovery and eventual euphoria and whether my cynacism evaporates at some point on the journey.

It would seem that I did learn something from one of those pointless courses after all and that my cynicism of them has been proven unfounded. I'm sure my employer would be proud that the thousands that they have invested in my are now coming to bear fruit in the form of a blog. I'm sure it's just a matter of time until the same happens in my day job... or am I being cynical again already? Or do I mean sarcastic?

I'm not too sure what form this blog will take in the future - my intention is that it will be in some way related to World of Warcraft. However I consider it very likely that other things will creep in, like my rant today.

That is of course if I ever write in this bloody blog again...