Bright Idea?

I really want both a PS3 and a Nintendo Wii.

Now clearly at the moment I don't have hundreds of pounds to throw around and so this is pretty much a pipe dream.

Then I had a dawning realisation...

May 2008 is Mobile Phone Contract renewal time for both Serena and I.  I am no longer precious about changing my number (although Serena might be), so I reckon I will go for a good deal and worry about the number afterwards.

I had intended to go direct to Orange like always, but looking around I can get a better deal from the likes of The Link or Carphone Warehouse AND I can choose a free PS3 or Wii.  Since I have 2 phone contracts to upgrade I reckon that means I could get both!

I need to check the fine print, but I see the start of a beautiful friendship coming!  (Although I may not get the phone I really want - Blackberry - with the deal).

Cry God for Harry, England and St. George!

Happy Birthday Will!

I didn't know that St George only formally became England's patron saint after we won the Battle of Agincourt!

Happy Deathday Will!

I also never knew that the day on which we celebrate Will Shakespeare's birthday is actually a mistake by an 18th century historian.  He mixed it up with his date of death, as Shakespeare's birthday is not recorded!

Good Customer Service

The new Media Centre PC currently has an old Heat Sink on the CPU as the silent one I bought broke when I tried to install it.

Serena emailed Zalman direct on Sunday morning about the broken clip and one arrive in the post yesterday morning, no questions asked.

Now that is good customer service in my books!

More PCs!

Well the replacement parts for my dead PC finally came on Saturday.
After much annoyance I have finally got the system up and running in a Media Centre style case, which will be desk bound until we can afford a decent 2nd PC, allowing this one to move under the telly.
The end count for my damage of the other week was:
Processor - DEAD
Motherboard - DEAD
1 of 2 RAM modules - DEAD
Wireless LAN Card - Seems DEAD
Soundblaster Audigy 2 Card - Also Seems DEAD
Hard Disks - Survived
Important Data - 100% Recovered
PSU - Survived (but obsolete)

So all in all I well and truly stuffed it! Ho Hum!

This does mean that we now have 4 PCs up and running again! Since I only have space for 2 monitors and a laptop, I have two machines driving off the dual inputs on one of the monitors... I just wish you didn't have to go through 3 menus to switch between inputs!

Results

Lauren's horse placed 3rd and Serena's came in 4th which meant that for the £120 bet I got back £87.50.
I am well gutted as my horse was looking good until it fell about 4 fences from home.
Jocey's horse finished 12th and neither of my two longshots made it beyond the fifth fence!
Still I am up if you count back over recent years! All good fun!

All Ready for the Off!

The choices are:

Serena:

#12 Slim Pickings @ 11/1

Jason:

#11 Butler's Cabin @ 14/1

Lauren:

#16 Snowy Morning @ 16/1

Jocey:

#29 Cornish Sett @ 80:1

Jason's Outsiders:

#10 Fundamentalist @ 66/1
#31 Tumbling Dice @ 125/1 

I couldn't choose between the two outsiders so my bet becomes £120 down.

Grand National Day

Those that know me well will know that I always like to have a flutter on the Grand National.  Due to my addictive personality I generally won't bet at other times as I don't want to get myself into a mess, but once a year I allow myself a bit of fun!

I can't say that I have a particular formula or method, other than picking some horses based on their colours, some based on their name and usually one based on my reading of the form.

Past experience has shown that I usually do better with the former two methods rather than the latter!

This year I'll pick one horse for each of my girls (although I may let Serena and Lauren choose their own) and a then two others one based on form and one with odds or 50-1 or more.

I always bet each way so you get more chance of getting your money back if one horse places.  e.g.  A £10 each way bet (costs £20).  If the odds are 50-1 then you can get three possible outcomes:

Horse Wins = £10 x 50 + £10 x 50/4 + £20 = £645. (£10 at full odds, £10 at quarter odds and return of full stake)

Horse comes 2nd, 3rd or 4th = £10 x 50/4 + £10 = £135. (£10 at quarter odds and return of half stake)

Horse does not come in top 4 = £0. (Nothing)

 

Once the bets are laid I'll write them up here.

My form in the past two years is:

2006 - Bet £100, Won £220

2007 - Bet £100, Won £432.50

A-bloody-Choo!

So much for Sea Air!

I had a bit of a cold when I left on Monday morning.

I am now suffering from serious Laryngitis and a raging fever!

I think I'll stay in bed for a day!