Ian Sweeney http://www.iansweeney.me.uk Personal Website www.iansweeney.me.uk Fri, 04 May 2012 12:37:49 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Naga http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2012/05/03/naga/ http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2012/05/03/naga/#comments Thu, 03 May 2012 18:18:36 +0000 Ian Sweeney http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/?p=1199 Continue reading →]]> Yesterday was weird. For the past few weeks I’ve had a bad bout of Athlete’s Foot; so bad that even walking is extremely painful because of the damage to the soles of my feet.
I didn’t sleep properly the night before and got out of bed at three am to come downstairs and get started on a day’s work. I worked through until just after one pm. Then I showered and dressed to go to a two thirty podiatrist appointment to see what might be done about my feet, as my GP seems to have given up.
As I hobbled down the street the podiatrist’s office called to say that the appointment would have to be moved to three o’clock. C’est la vie.
The podiatrist looked at my feet, suggested some over the counter treatment (Lamisil Once), told me to see my GP if it didn’t work, and charged me £51 for less than five minutes of his time.
I hobbled home again, and had a five minute nap. Unfortunately five minutes somehow lasted until seven pm which is when I awakened. Even then it took me another ten minutes to realise with horror that I was supposed to be hosting a Gusto dinner at seven thirty at a restaurant, Naga, an hour away.
As I rushed out of the house, I used my smartphone to look up Naga on the internet and called the restaurant to say I’d be late and the other fifteen diners should go ahead without me. The guy I spoke to seemed surprised to hear that a table for sixteen people was booked that evening but he promised to pass on the message. It was only after I was underground on the tube, incommunicado, as I pondered his confusion that I came to realise that I’d called the wrong restaurant. I was heading for Notting Hill Gate and the restaurant I’d called was in West Wickham. Oops!!! That meant the West Wickham restaurant was now expecting sixteen people who weren’t coming, and the Notting Hill Gate restaurant and my fellow diners were unaware that I was running very late.
The problem was compounded when I got to Notting Hill Gate, where I then realised that the restaurant wasn’t there either!!! The tube station I should have been at was High Street Kensington. I decided to throw myself into a taxi and of course then wasted ten minutes unable to find one that was available.
As the taxi drew up outside Naga I was called by the other Naga wondering where I was. I told them I was just drawing up outside.
Oh dear, the table for sixteen was already full. I’d under-booked because I’d miscounted the reservation emails and we were actually seventeen for dinner. They managed to squeeze me in.
I was only half an hour late. My phone alarm went off to remind me to take my diabetes medication with my meal. Of course I’d left that at home in my rush to get to the restaurant.
I was grumpy!!! My feet were sore, and I was embarrassed that everything was going badly with only myself to blame. I was hungry and that affects my mood too. I’d just sat down when they served up a sharing starter. I dived in and ate way more than my fair share; something else to apologize to my fellow diners for. At least then I started to feel better.
The food at Naga, 2 Abingdon Road, really was excellent. The beef with scallions main course was fantastic, as too was the Chinese broccoli with ginger that I had on the side. The service almost had me in tears of either laughter or frustration because it was so bad. Still, the food was very good and the final bill was less than I expected given how much wine we’d drunk.
After dinner five of us stopped in a local pub for a few drinks.
It was a long day and you may be surprised to hear that I didn’t notice the pain in my feet going home, nevertheless it was back with a vengeance this morning.

]]> http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2012/05/03/naga/feed/ 0 Sunny Day http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2012/03/12/sunny-day/ http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2012/03/12/sunny-day/#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:13:01 +0000 Ian Sweeney http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/?p=1195 It’s a beautiful day here in sunny Stockwell. Not warm yet, but very nice to look at.

]]> http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2012/03/12/sunny-day/feed/ 0 The Gym http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2012/03/02/the-gym/ http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2012/03/02/the-gym/#comments Fri, 02 Mar 2012 17:45:57 +0000 Ian Sweeney http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/?p=1192 I hate to admit it but i think the visits to the gym with Ian are doing me good. My heartrate is no longer off the scale at the end of the warm up.

]]> http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2012/03/02/the-gym/feed/ 0 Etihad Customer Service http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2011/07/26/etihad-customer-service/ http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2011/07/26/etihad-customer-service/#comments Tue, 26 Jul 2011 16:54:43 +0000 Ian Sweeney http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/?p=1188 Continue reading →]]> I tried to book my September flight to Abu Dhabi yesterday using the Etihad website. During the process there were a number of messages telling me that the website was overloaded due to popular demand and suggesting I try again later.
I eventually finished the booking and payment process, or so I thought, but when I tried to email the reservation number to myself the website redirected me back to the Etihad home screen.
I thought nothing of it as I’ve booked with Etihad often in the past so was happy to wait for their confirmation email.
The email never arrived. The website allows me no way to check the details of a booking unless I have a booking reference which I don’t have.
I called their UK customer service number, 020 3450 7300, and listened to their brand tune for 15 minutes before speaking to someone, AGENTID04318979, who put me on hold (more band tune). The call lasted for 38 minutes in total.

http://www.etihadairways.com

]]> http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2011/07/26/etihad-customer-service/feed/ 0 Waggon and Horses http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2011/07/15/waggon-and-horses/ http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2011/07/15/waggon-and-horses/#comments Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:24:13 +0000 Ian Sweeney http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/?p=1185 Continue reading →]]> I went to Stevenage today to see Stuart’s new flat and to take Mum out for lunch. I took her a present too; an amarylis ‘kit’. The kit had no bulb! It’s been that sort of day.

We (Mum, Stuart, Nicole, and me) had lunch in the Waggon and Horses in Graveley as Stevenage was deemed to have nowhere decent to eat. The garden of the Waggon and Horses is quite a nice setting.

Stuart’s flat is beautiful. I wish I had something as nice. Instead I have to live in substandard accomodation which is all I can afford while he benefits from all the council have to offer. Bitter? Me?

http://www.thewaggon-graveley.co.uk

]]> http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2011/07/15/waggon-and-horses/feed/ 0 The New Freezer Is Dead http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2011/07/15/the-new-freezer-is-dead/ http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2011/07/15/the-new-freezer-is-dead/#comments Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:14:16 +0000 Ian Sweeney http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/?p=1183 Continue reading →]]> I’ve just had a new fitted kitchen installed and the brand new freezer, full of recently frozen food, is dead. It’s very irritating that so much food will be binned, and who know how long it will take to replace the f****er.

]]> http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2011/07/15/the-new-freezer-is-dead/feed/ 0 L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2011/07/10/latelier-de-joel-robuchon/ http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2011/07/10/latelier-de-joel-robuchon/#comments Sun, 10 Jul 2011 10:04:17 +0000 Ian Sweeney http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/?p=1180 To celebrate Helen’s birthday we (Helen, Ian, Susanne, and I) lunched yesterday at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, a two star Michelin restaurant in central London. It was top notch, both in terms of food and service. Highly recommended!!!

http://www.joelrobuchon.co.uk/

]]> http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2011/07/10/latelier-de-joel-robuchon/feed/ 0 Don McLean and Anne Boleyn http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2011/06/16/don-mclean-and-anne-boleyn/ http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2011/06/16/don-mclean-and-anne-boleyn/#comments Thu, 16 Jun 2011 18:50:00 +0000 Ian Sweeney http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/?p=1177 Continue reading →]]> I saw the Don McLean concert at Hampton Court Palace last night with Martin & Patrick. The songlist was fairly dull although American Pie went down well and the venue was a great setting for his closing number about the ghost of Anne Boleyn.

With Her head tucked underneath her arm

In the tower of London, large as life,
the ghost of Anne Boleyn walks they declare.
Poor Anne Boleyn was once King Henry’s wife
until he made the headsman bob her hair.
Ah, yes, he did her wrong long years ago
and she comes up at night to tell him so,

Chorus:
With her head tucked underneath her arm
she walks the bloody tower,
With her head tucked underneath her arm
at the midnight hour.

She comes to haunt King Henry. She means giving him what for.
Gadzooks, she’s going to tell him off. She’s feeling very sore,
And just in case the headsman wants to give her an encore,
she’s has her head tucked underneath her arm.

(Chorus)

Sometimes gay King Henry gives a spread
for all his pals and gals and ghostly crew.
The headsman craves the joint and cuts the bread
then in comes Anne Bolyn to queer the do.
She holds her head up with a wild war whoop
and Henry cries, “Don’t drop it in the soup!”

(Chorus)

One night she caught King Henry, he was in the canteen bar.
Said he, “Are you Jane Seymour, Anne Bolyn, or Katherine Parr?
How the sweet san perryann do I know who you are
with your head tucked underneath your arm?”

(Chorus)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_McLean

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampton_Court_Palace

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Pie_(song)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/With_Her_Head_Tucked_Underneath_Her_Arm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Boleyn

]]> http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2011/06/16/don-mclean-and-anne-boleyn/feed/ 0 Anthems – You Had To Be There http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2011/06/12/anthems-you-had-to-be-there/ http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2011/06/12/anthems-you-had-to-be-there/#comments Sun, 12 Jun 2011 11:19:54 +0000 Ian Sweeney http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/?p=1173 Continue reading →]]> We went to see Kerry Ellis and Brian May at Hampton Court Palace last night.

As part of the Hampton Court Palace Festival Kerry Ellis sang every song from her album Anthems. She also sang a selection of Queen hits which included ’Love Of My Life’, ‘Save Me’, ‘We Are The Champions’, and  ’We Will Rock You’ as well as the Brian May track ‘No-One But You (Only The Good Die Young)’. Brian May accompanied her as lead guitarist as he also produced the album. Of course Dr May (PhD in astrophysics!!!) did a few sets on his own too.

I hadn’t even heard of the musical Kristina before but ‘You Have To Be There‘ was cracking.

I’m embarrassed to say what I spent on the tickets but I thought the show was worth every penny and then some. Kerry Ellis has a fantastic voice and Brian May’s talent speaks for itself. The venue wasn’t bad either.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthems_(Kerry_Ellis_album)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerry_Ellis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_May

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampton_Court_Palace

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_(band)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristina_fr%C3%A5n_Duvem%C3%A5la

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0040EFVBK/ref=dm_mu_dp_trk6

]]> http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2011/06/12/anthems-you-had-to-be-there/feed/ 0 The Gaping Hole http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2011/06/08/the-gaping-hole/ http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/2011/06/08/the-gaping-hole/#comments Wed, 08 Jun 2011 15:25:42 +0000 Ian Sweeney http://www.iansweeney.me.uk/?p=1171 Continue reading →]]> I’ve been to the dentist and had one of my back teeth removed. My tongue tells me that the gap left behind is huge. The tooth, which was returned to me, doesn’t look all that big although it does look fairly gruesome. It doesn’t smell too good either. Yeuch!!!

The dentist, Rosie d’Souza, I happily recommend. As the local anesthetic wears off I plan to max out on pain killers and catch up on some sleep.

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