We bought a cooker just over 12 months ago from Comet, a DeLongi, gas hob, 2 x electric ovens. Within a month or so, the left-hand themostat broke, heating it up to 200oC+ no matter what temperature was selected. That time it was fixed for free, so what happens just after the magical 12 months expires?

There's a distinct lack of places in Lancaster to have a good veggie fry-up on a weekend morning, the Whale Tail being one of few. And, after recently being mentioned in the Observer as one of the best places in Lancashire, I thought I'd give it another go.

I never did anything with my airmiles, so thought I'd use the balance I'd worked up over the last 10 years to buy something, anything. So why, 3 weeks after ordering, has nothing turned up yet?

Virgin trains seems to have one of those phone systems that you have to speak 'naturally' into...

I decided to buy an Asustek Eee Pc 7" 512MB Memory 4GB Flash Linux with a bonus I got from work at the end of last year. BT's on-line shop seemed to be the best, cheapest deal I could find. I wasn't in a huge rush for it, so even though it was out of stock, I placed an order and waited... One month later, I'm still waiting...

I recently flew to Amsterdam with KLM from Manchester airport, and despite ordering vegetarian food in advance, calling to confirm this, and then asking at check-in again, they *still* gave me a chicken salad! This is a record of my letter-writing campaign to them.

Natwest have a problem with me because I won't give them my phone number. It makes them cranky and irritable. So they often send me letters urging me to get in touch as they had 'a problem' phoning me. Invariably, they want to speak to me in order to convince me to take out a loan instead of using my overdraft and credit card balance.

Before we got to the party, the few people I was walking with decided to head to the Vine and Hops pub for a last pint. It was already 1am, and I thought this ambitious, though I held my tongue. On the phone, I managed to lose most of the them before I started, but someone, perhaps imaginary, told me that they would be round the back and that there was an alleyway entrance that avoided the main door (which was full of bouncers).

I sent a text round to everyone at 1:30pm to remind them about the smoke-a-thon:

I suppose they're all very nice, especially, as many people are overly fond of saying, if you can give them back when you have enough.

There is some debate over who my new niece looks most like - the mother or father? I think this picture should settle the matter.

I was just listening to this track by David Bowie, and I just love the verse at about 2 mins 30 secs in so much that I felt compelled to blog it and encourage you to go and listen to it right now. The odd voice trick is what I like. Great... the 'ahh' is just great.

Damn my IT luck. Whatever I buy, it doesn't work, or has a fault that involves me carrying it back to the bloody shop. Only this time, it was the last one, so I got my money back.

The whisky had been blessed with magical powers, this night. So I tend to shy away from it and instead stick to the three bottles of Stella Artois and two bottles of real ale that brought. I sipped at the whisky instead, and insisted the the Colonel drank the lion's share.

Id like to say that changing the loft insulation in a 100 year old house is fun, and full of amusing stories. But so far it isnt, and there arent any. Its simply dirty, nasty work in a loft full of cobwebs, dust and other unspeakable grime.

The back door is a little shoddy, truth be known. It looks like its been cobbled together from bits of old firewood and ikea furniture, and then added to over the years in an attempt to make it more secure / draught-free. It doesnt open fully, grinding on the kitchen floor, yet when closed proudly boasts a one inch gap at its bottom, through which can been seen slugs and spiders, hastening inside out of the cold and wet weather.

So my father is here, helping fix up the house, fitting new locks, pulling off my skirting boards etc. And he brings some tea, as I don't have any (bare cupboards). Yorkshire Tea. An acquired taste, he says, as I pull faces drinking it.

Moving home is supposed to be a stressful business.

Watching 'A Cock and Bull Story' last night, Gillian Anderson, of X-Files fame, appeared.

So we're walking through the streets in the rain. I'm upset already as we spent a valuable 30 minutes of drinking time watching some god-awful move-to-spain-and-fix-up-an-old-house programme. The rain really doesn't improve our moods as we splash through puddles and scowl into the wind.