made from girders
Irn bru now comes in 500ml cans. Perfect for that looking-like-a-drunk-on-the-train look!
Swaggering
When I heard that the excellent old spice adverts were going to be aired in the UK – http://goo.gl/BslRk – those ones – I figured that they’d be doing with the brand here what they did in the USA, which is completely reinvent the brand with new lines and away from the fusty old mess that it was before.
In the USA, its worked. Old Spice is back to being a leading brand among the under 35s – something that the viral campaign proved at the time, getting a massive following, followed by the follow up purchases. I even bought some in America, two bottles infact, of shower gel. Swagger and matterhorn. Both smell really good, and work really well.
So, like I say, I was happy when they announced they’d be bringing the brand to the uk. However, they’ve badly replaced the shower gel in the old spice mans hand, with a deodorant can – the normal awful stuff they had before.
Suffice to say, I’m disappointed. Given the interest in the advert over here I think they’d have a good shot at taking a good Market share. If only with what goes in my basket!
Claira
So, I left the best til last, 4 101 entries that I can happily say I have completed. The last post saw me visit Scotland again, more specifically, Edinburgh.
65. Find someone I ‘like’ (and them like me too) - Edinburgh is where Claira lives. Claira being the most wonderful lassie I’ve ever met and someone whom I never in a million years expected would fill #65, more specifically the last caveat anyway, but yes – she did, and I did too 
Well, after a bit of to’ing and fro’ing over the nature of things (and the distance). Thankfully the latter wont be an issue soon 
47. Cook a meal for someone – I’ve cooked for people in the past, but before the list and not in the same manner so they’ve never really counted (and so, haven’t been documented here). This meal however does, as I cooked it for Claira and Claira only. It was my trademark dish “Swiss Chicken Alfredo”. I think it went down well 
I always make a slight change every time I make this dish, and this time was no exception. The special bit about this was I fried some garlic with the bacon and added some extra black pepper than normal to the bacon (inspired by the bacon-jack bacon I had in Yosemite California). Let it be the first of many things I cook for her. I do really enjoy cooking, but strangely never the eating. I think its because I engorge myself on bits as they’re cooking, while I’m cooking!
86. Have a candlelit dinner – Well, this happened on Valentines. We went to Le Bistro Pierre on Ecclesall Road, a French affair that I’d booked a few weeks previous. The trouble was that I’d been ill the last 2 weeks, and I still wasn’t right by the time Valentines day came around. I was actually signed off work from the doctor with strict orders to relax as much as I could and do nothing too taxing (like work), but also on annual leave too strangely. I didn’t want to let Claira down, especially with it being our first valentines day, so I tried my best to be somewhere near human at the restaurant. Claira ended up not feeling too good either, so we were quite a picture at the end of the main course where we both looked like we were in the wars. It wasn’t the end of the story of me being ill though, as that evening I took a turn for the worse that left me deaf in my left ear (still now, a month later) – so certainly a valentines day and a candlelit dinner to remember.
And finally… 99. [private] - The meaning of this one which has remained private since the list was first conceived, for my eyes only. Put simply the 101 entry here is; Fall in love
Edinburgh Castle
Well, I definitely went over the time line for the 101 project. But, never fear I ticked a lot off since then and am continuing to go through them. There have been a few that I didn’t expect to complete within the timeline or anytime soon after but did, so I’ll go through these now in a bit of a 101 round up (which also acts as my 1000th post on this blog!) in the next couple of posts.
100. Buy a new DSLR - well, I already did this as you can see in the link, but I did it again. Now I own a 7D as well as a 40D. Having said that, I haven’t used the 7D yet in anger, despite owning it for a few months. A combination of poor weather, unreliable models and illness has put paid to that. I have a number of photography bookings soon though, so it will get used.
33. Photograph a funny place name - Well, I did this eventually. It was a hard toss up between “Spital” (on the Wirral) and this one, but I’m pretty sure that the “land of nod” is considered a funny enough placename to pass this particular 101 test. I might keep adding to this one actually.
27. Do a (tasteful) portrait shoot of a female friend – In the end I didn’t need a female friend, as a female friend of mine who is a make up artist arranged a model for me, and another good friend Charlie came along as we were using one of her excellent dresses from her fashion degree. Anyway, here is an example from the set of photos. I think they turned out quite well.
60. Buy or get bought Maid Marian on DVD - I bit the bullet and bought Seasons 2, 3 and 4 to complete the set and own them all. I haven’t watch them yet though – but I no doubt will soon enough.
49. Go to Scotland – (Pictured above) Well, I did that alright. After first visiting Edinburgh in 2005 with work I was always determined to return there one day because I really enjoyed it. I went back in August to visit my friends up there, as documented in the august round up post, and well, I ended up heading back, more than a few times…
… and yes, this is my 1000th blog post
Meta
I’ve been slack. Sorry. Wait, I apologised. Well, I’m gonna pop together my usual end of year lists (and the christmas CD tracklisting) and I might even add some 101 entries!
Watch the skies.
Lego winter gardens
Last weekend I headed over to Manchester on my tod to renew my Merlin annual pass. They were doing an offer that weekend whereby instead it costing £150, the renewal rate was just £75. Thats £75 for a year of merlin attractions (Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Chessington, Legolands, Sealife, London eye etc. etc.) so a good deal all round.
I decided to pick it up from Lego land Discovery Centre in Manchester because it was closest, but I was reluctant because they’re new, and it wasn’t listed on the voucher. It caused a bit of fuss, and mistakes were made (they cut up my old card, it had a month on it still..) so I have a 13month card now anyway.
Popped to Piccadilly Records too, as usual and picked up some vinyls, then came home, went to cinema to see the social network… but that’s a new post in itself.
If anyone wants to visit a Merlin attraction anytime soon, you know my answer is YES.
Not Laura. I only had a film camera that day.
An ongoing injoke between myself and former Unilever co-worker/placement bezzie mate Laura is that she’d never set foot in Sheffield, despite my multiple visits to Liverpool, the Wirral and Chester in the near 4 years since placement happened. But a few weeks ago, I was shocked to see a reply of something along the lines of “yes I’m coming to Sheffield” after me asking for the one billionth time. I can wear people down still it seems ;P
Due to train ticketing mistake the trip was a short one, leaving us with just 4 hours of time to do stuff in-between the journey time of nearly 2 hours each way. She also brought her fiancée Adam, someone whom I regard quite highly as well, so it was a 2 for 1 that day for me. I hold him even higher in regards now after his valiant attempts at work to bring in fairness with certain lets say, militant, factors of a public sector office. But that’s another story entirely.
I first showed them round the Millennium Galleries, where they both made a free bookmark with the sheffield hallmark on, and then into the Winter Gardens, where Fancie was spotted quickly. A quick whizz around the centre of town in some of the shops, and up the cheesegrater/borg cube carpark for a free look around the skyline and latterly some of the Bookshops like Rare and Racy we headed onto the tram for Meadowhall as Laura indicated she’d like to see it. This also timed well for food, so we ate in Chilangos the Mexican cantina in the Oasis. I enjoyed mine, and I think they enjoyed theirs too. I wish they allowed beans on the tacos though, as they don’t anymore 
Because we were pressed for time it meant I couldn’t show them some of the pubs I had planned to visit, nor a visit to SWFC for obvious Liverpudlian based reasons. We’ll have to do this another time. Nor could I show them the polar bear in Weston Park, or up to any of our lovely parks.
We finished off the trip with a drink in the Sheffield Tap though, given its proximity to the station. They had Stone brewery’s Sublimely Self Righteous ale on tap too, which is, sublime (if not a tad heavy).
All in all, it was a fun, if not slightly rushed day, and I hope to see the both of them in Sheffield sooner rather than later.
Coaster-go-go
Last week I was trying to tie down some holiday plans and so far I’ve booked annual leave for spring, and shoring up plans for June where hopefully I’ll be heading to Hamburg to visit Heide Park and Minatur-Wunderland. If you haven’t seen the latter, google it because it’s incredible!
A clue
I’m currently working on a top secret project as a consultant. I can’t tell you what the top secret project is at the moment, but I have a team of physicists at my disposal, £1000 and I’m pretty sure it might even get me on Look North if all goes well and the bit I’m consulting upon works.
I can’t say much more for now, but this is gonna be pretty cool if it all comes off.
This was really in the sky.
Today is the 10th of the 10th, 2010. I spent it photographing around the city and Park Hill, seeing “The Other Guys” at the cinema, and updating www.rpgphoto.com – what did you do?