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2002-02-21 Entry: "Odds and Sods"

I'm a little nervous about having to talk to the guys from Dallas on the phone - I'm not all that good on the telephone. I have no problem with e-mail, and I'm just about okay with face to face meetings (although, I'll admit to some nerves), but I'm hopeless on the phone. For some reason, where I can think on my feet in other situations, telephones make me clam up. Hopefully though, the talk will be fairly relaxed and easy - check my skills, find out what I want to do out there and if they've got something suitable. They probably haven't - I'll end up doing something fairly dull and monotonous (much like what I'm doing at the moment), but hopefully the change of scenery and the initial learning curve will keep me attentive. I wouldn't want to slip back into major web surfage too quickly...

In the meantime, I've really got to start making progress on some of the other little jobs. Getting my passport renewed will probably take an age, and I'll need to get some photos done first (which will necessitate the haircut I've been putting off, so that the photos are half decent). I've also got to send back the DVD Play sent with no disk in the case. I also need to call the bank and sort out some financial stuff, and see some independent financial guy about pension issues and stuff. Lots to do, lots to do.

I've also got to commit to either going or not going to the Leeds Beer Festival - it's been on the calendar for the past few years, so I don't see any harm in going again (except the drive to Leeds which is nothing but painful), but I'll have to take the Friday off work and we've got a software delivery to make the day before, so it isn't the best time. It does however clash with my birthday, so a day out drinking is almost a must. Which probably means I'll go...

The transfer of videos to VCD continued apace last night. This amidst me having a stack of DVDs to watch a mile high, and the possibility of stuff on TV. Fortunately, step-parent took the Sky option out of the equation, and I couldn't be bothered to reverse the video cable between video and PC, so the DVDs were out. That left the video transfer. I'm getting there slowly, but on a good night, I'll still only get five or so episodes transferred, and we're talking quite a lot of tapes, each with about 8 episodes of various shows on them. Slowly, slowly. And I realised last night, I'd need another carry case shortly, not that I've got anywhere to put the one I already own...

I still can't work out where the traffic has gone this week. Last week was half term, so the cars were off the road and my drive to and from work was fairly clear. This week has been slightly busier, but even Monday and Tuesday mornings (usually the worst two) weren't all that busy. Not that I'm complaining, it's just that I'm getting lax in how early I manage to set off, and at some point it's likely to bite me (especially if it's a morning where I have to take my sister to the station, a short but annoying detour).

And, because I have to comment on it, I've no idea where the phrase "Odds and Sods" originates - even the World Wide Words site doesn't cover it. Are the sods in the phrase people or bits of turf? Answers on a postcard...