I spent enough time on GTA Vice City to become a bit bored with it, so yesterday I started eventing again using the excellent Lucinda Green's Equestrian Challenge. Good fun, though my girlfriend keeps insisting I should ride a real horse. I'm not so sure, so it's time to buy another game altogether. FIFA 05 should be on it's way and because the Rugby World Cup has been a good watch sofar, I thought I'd order EA Sports Rugby 2006. It got better reviews on line than the later versions. Unfortunately I made a slight error on Amazon and ordered Ubisoft Rugby Challenge 2006 instead.. It might still be a good game, but this screenshot of 3 podgy All Blacks doing a wee dance while England score a try, has me worried. Mind you, let's hope the South Africans dance similarly next Saturday!
Having brought home a massive new monitor on Monday, I've been getting re-acquainted with Lottie's desktop computer. Noticing its RAM and graphics memory could do with an upgrade, I wanted to visit a computer shop and as I couldn't find any decent indy shops around Wythenshawe, Manchester or Bolton PC World would have to do. However, PC World shops cater for people with cars - how could I reach one by public transport?
I grabbed a bus from the office at Wythenshawe to the airport at 5:45, then a train from Manchester Airport to Piccadilly. I did this because I could remember seeing a PC World just before rolling into Piccadilly last time I took a train. I lost my sense of direction when I got out the train though, as I couldn't get out the train station in the direction I wanted to go. Walking away from the city centre, then underneath the tracks and on, I ended up on Greater Ancoats street and turned back. Who knows, A PC World may have lurked around the corner, but from my map I had to South from Piccadilly instead, to Chester Street. Trudging back I thought 'Ach well, never been here before, at least I'm getting to know the town."
I decided to grab a Metrolink tram from Piccadilly and to get out at Trafford Bar. Unfortunately, as Manchester United were to play a Carling Cup match, the tram was crammed full and I couldn't even try to get out before the next stop: Old Trafford. Here, I decided not to follow the crowd towards the cricket ground and stadium (should have), instead walking back towards Trafford Bar on the wrong side of the tracks, again noticing the Industrial revolution past its peak. From there I walked towards a trading estate but found no PC World, and on to Chester Road. When I did come across the shop, I couldn't find an entrance, so decided to walk around it. Only to end up in a neighbourhood and going against a stream of United supporters again. It was 7:35 when I finally entered the shop, less than half an hour before closing.
On the way back I obviously had to wait another 20 minutes for a bus due a bit sooner, then wait for a conenction to Bolton.. And got home at 9:20, a whopping 2 and a half hours later than usual. Hardly enough time left to try the new graphics card and notice the PC does not have a PCI Express slot for it.. Grr. After ripping up the cardboard packaging, that is. I called it a day. United lost 2-0.
After work I grabbed a taxi to get to a shop on the Manchester/Stockport border before 6pm, to pick up a Dell 21" monitor I bought on Ebay. Having gotten there, I realised not only that it is a monster, I would also be utterly unable to carry the thing back to Bolton on public transport. I could have had it delivered for £20, but I saved money on grabbing a minicab back (not). On the way back, it also started really pissing it down, so I had to throw my coat over the beast and carry it in, getting soaked myself. Lottie was in awe when she met the beast, not sure whether it would fit on our desk at all. It did though, and thankfully it works too, at a massive resolution of 1600x1200 and 85 Hz. It's a joy to look at when it's on, but neither of us are sure of it's beauty when it's off. Black may be a good choice if you want to look thinner, but it does not seem to help the largest (though also coolest) CRT monitor I ever got.. For £25. We got the desktop PC at home working again with it, after 10 months or so of non-stop laptop use. Now if only I had brought the GTA III cd-roms that the laptop can't handle!
I bought a wee remote controlled car two weeks ago and before trying this outside, I thought I might strap my camera to it and start filming. Have a look, to know what it's like being a drunken and disorderly mouse. Oh, and avoid radiators.
My team leader, Ayse, was alright with me leaving earlier today, as I had to sort out some financial papers at the bank before 5. When I was clearing my desk at 4:15, I knocked over a cup of coffee and noticed neither the mouse nor keyboard would respond after that. Of course I cleared the coffee as best I could, but realised some of it may have gone in the computer, as it has air vents at front. I gave it a hard reboot, after which it beeped a few times and the screen remained black. Obviously, I had ruined the motherboard. Like Stephanie's phone yesterday, it was dead. Ayse joked: "You really are trying to get fired, aren't you?" but if that would happen now it'd be disaster.
