simonh.uk - personal

Things That Make Me Angry 2025 Edition

2025-03-06T00:00:00+00:00

I’m not a particularly angry person, however, somethings really wind me up. Here are some of them.

Horrible car noises when driving

I get this quite a lot (today most recently). I’ll be driving somewhere and I’ll suddenly hear a high pitched, scraping sound of metal on metal.

Oh God!!! Is that my car???

There’s probably a van or lorry in front, something else behind me. But which vehicle is making that horrible noise? Occasionally, I’ll have to pull over to let the other suspect vehicles pass. 9 times out of 10, the sound has gone. Still, it freaks me out every time. Other road users — scraping metal noises coming from your vehicle is not good. Not for you or for those of us worrying that it’s our car. Get if fixed for crying out loud.

Facebook marketplace sellers who don’t reply

Ugh. This makes my blood boil. I’m not on Facebook, so I borrow the other halfs account when needed. Sometimes I’ll find something that I really want. Price is good, condition is good, they’re nearby. So I message them and…

Nothing!

Sometimes they’ve seen the message, sometimes not. I don’t care. I’ve got a couple of messages that haven’t been acknowledged after over two months. Part of me hopes that they’ve died. If so, surely a family member could arrange the sale?!

Prospective customers who suddenly go cold

This is a new one that I’ve experienced twice over the last year. I send out emails trying to drum up business periodically. Sometimes, I’ll get an enthusiastic reply as they’re having problems with their current supplier. After a few more emails, we arrange an in person visit to work out the details.

Then they cancel the day before (I always confirm the day before). No problem. I leave them for a few days, then try to rearrange. No reply. Maybe they have some mental illness. Maybe their business is made up. After all, anyone can setup a website in minutes. Perhaps I should visit their “business” and see what’s going on…

Afterword

That’s it for today. As new things annoy me, I’ll add to this post.

Why Losing Contact with Friends as You Get Older is Good

2025-01-08T00:00:00+00:00

Friend (noun): A person who you know well and who you like a lot, but who is usually not a member of your family — Cambridge Dictionary

Watched a Video

Posted by a ~~guy~~ Youtuber who was concerned that he no longer was in contact with his old friends. It was probably a tactic to get more views / subscribers. But I’ve noticed over the years that some people experience the same thing and seem to think it’s bad. It’s not. It’s natural and should be accepted as a good thing.

When you’re young and have minimal responsibilities and committments, friends are important. Through them, you all learn how to form relationships with the horde out there. If you can make a few friends as a youngster, chances are you’ll be able to figure it out when you grow up and are forced to get a job or go to college.

People Change

They have relationships, raise families, move away, go mad. All sorts of things change people. Sometimes, only a few months can pass and you think, “Wow, Bob sure isn’t like I remember him!.” Get used to it. People tend to change more in directions away from what you might want. Up to, and beyond, the point where you have much, if anything, in common anymore. It’s just one of those things.

I had a mate when I was about twelve(ish) and we were going to go to the big old U S of A and become truck drivers! We both decided on the style of truck and there was no doubt, it was going to be this style (black for me, white for Foggy):

Of course, it never happened, but that’s what kids do. Have crazy ideas and dreams that they quickly grow out of.

Travel Broadens the Mind

I think the turning point for me was a year in Australia from ’96 to ’97. I landed in Melbourne alone. No contacts, no friends. Just me, my awesome personality, and my backpack.

When you’re on the other side of the world, making new friends easily, you realise that your circle back at home is somewhat limiting. You remember that your group back home, hasn’t ever really grown. It’s just the same old faces, same old banter.

Friendship Churn

Churn (noun): The number of customers who decide to stop using a service offered by one company and to use another company, usually because it offers a better service or price. — Cambridge Dictionary

Although usually used in relation to customers switching from one service provider to another, churn also applies to friendships. You have one group at nursery, another at junior school, secondary school, college, workplace 1, workplace 2 etc. And most people have multiple friend groups at the same time.

My point is that these groups / connections come and go. When you leave a job, after a few months, you’ve normally lost all contact with them. There are exceptions of course; I know blokes in their sixties who are still best mates with someone they’ve known since they were about three.

Friendship churn is inevitable and it gives you an opportunity to replace tiresome friendships with new, exciting ones. Until they then go stale and they then need replacing…

Manage Your Expectations

People say that you discover who your true friends when you’re ill. I disagree. It’s only your immediate family who I think should make the effort. Friends should not be expected to. Sure, it’s probably nice if they do stop by, but the intranet people will just see your photo on their feed (that you took from your hospital bed) post a quick sad face, and keep on scrolling to see what else is happening. It’s just how things are now.

There’s No Shortage of New Friends

But, you need to define friend differently. I am a fairly personable, chatty bloke. I have lots of new style friends. These are people I know through my work, people I see regularly in shops and the like. We all need contact with others, but guess what: people are everywhere!

My family (and fifteen year old daughter in particular) are often astonished when they come out of a shop or somewhere, and I’m having a laugh with someone. “Who was that?”, they ask, assuming it’s an old workmate. No idea I say. Just got chatting while waiting for you lot.

Why You Should Get into the Habit of Thanking Strangers

2025-01-04T00:00:00+00:00

In July 2024 I was working on a Python project and wanted a way of showing elapsed time in the following format:

1 hour, 20 minutes ago

or,

15 minutes, 42 seconds ago

I knew datetime didn’t have anything like that, so searched the internet for options. I also knew there are lots of packages, but all I really needed was a function.

Eventually, I found ago which looked perfect. I dropped the file in my project directory, tested it out, and it was perfect for my needs. I was so happy to have avoided probably an hour or mores work, I decided to send the developer (Russell Ballestrini) a quick email, thanking him for making it available for lazy people like me (also put a screenshot of how I was using it).

Not longer after, I got a reply. He seemed genuinely happy that I’d found, and was using his code. Told me to check out his other projects to see if there might be anything else of interest.

So, his work saved me hours. That’s got to be worth, what, two minutes to take a screenshot, compose an email, and press send.

Developer Burnout

It’s well known that programmers often suffer from burnout, see here and here. If someone is having a bad day (or not) it’s certainly not going to make their day worse, if they receive a random “thank you” email.¹

Not Just Software

Sending a quick thank you email isn’t just for code you use. Same applies to tutorials, which may have taken hours or days to write. Maybe you learnt something new. Maybe someone made you laugh. Maybe your opinion was changed.²

Have I Convinced You?

If so, think of the last stranger who helped you, even though they don’t know it, and let them know they did.

Footnotes

¹ Correct me if I’m wrong. Doubt it though…

² Not me. I’m always right!

What's it Like to be Bitten by a Cat?

2024-12-30T00:00:00+00:00

Monday 8th May 2023

We’re trying to train our latest cat, Jack, to use the cat flap. It’s not going very well. We’ve done the usual me on one side, missus on the other and pushing him through. Then the other way, but he’s not getting it. We also tried to get him to watch his older brother who has always gone through very slowly, but successfully.

Jack’s method is to try and grab the cat flap with his paw, possibly to pull it open instead of pushing it open. We tell him (yeah, I know he won’t understand) that’s not going to work, and that he could get his paw stuck, but he won’t listen. After a while, I get bored and head back to the computer.

Five minutes later there’s all hell breaking loose!

The missus is screaming, shouting, crying

He’s got his paw stuck! He’s got his paw stuck! SIMON!!!! Jack’s got his paw stuck!

Jack is wailing, making blood curdling sounds the likes of which I’ve not heard before, or since.

I leg it to the back door and quickly assess the situation. Yep, paw stuck. Jack’s going ape ****.

“Watch out the way”, I tell Kirsty. My plan is straightforward. Grab his front right paw (the stuck one), yank it out of the cat flap (these things need dealing with swiftly), and try and settle everything down.

So, with my left hand, I hold the left side of Jack’s body. With my right hand I try and prise the stuck paw. Maybe two seconds have passed and Jack turns his head toward my left hand and bites down on my thumb. When I say bites down, it’s like a knife cutting through soft butter. No effort on his part.

I look at my hand, and the cat that’s now clamped himself there. The paw is still stuck, by the way.

Ok, so things haven’t gone to plan (to put it mildly). Now I start to scream

He’s bitten me! He’s bitten me! Arghhhhhhh!!!!! The little ******!

So. I yank him from the cat flap in one swift motion. Paw is now unstuck. I’m about to try and now yank Jack off my thumb next but he’s realised the situation has changed and must have let go. Runs upstairs.

Won’t Stop Bleeding

Even though we’re only maybe thirty seconds into the drama, there’s lot’s of blood all over the place. The missus gets the kitchen roll and we attempt to stop the bleeding. Shortly after, I say to her, “it won’t ******* stop bleeding!”. It just won’t. So I phone the emergency services to get some advice.

Eventually, we agree that I don’t need an ambulance, but don’t want to drive, so a taxi to the hospital it is.

At the Hospital

Get to the hospital (with the other half) and approach the A&E reception. The woman on the phone told me that they’d be expecting me. I tell them that I’ve got a cat bite and it wouldn’t stop bleeding although is does seem to be stopping now.

No word of a lie, about four other women get up from their chairs and come over to the window.

Can we have a look at the injury please?

asks the first woman. I remove the wad of kitchen tissue and show them the wound. They go “owwww”, “oh gosh!”, “ughhh”. She then says they were all a bit surprised when they heard a cat bite was coming in. I tell them I was surprised too (at getting bitten by a cat and needing the hospital)! But, the woman on the phone had recommended a hospital visit due to the bleeding, so here I was.

It’s Not Funny

About a week and a half later I’m on a job, chatting with a couple of welders I know, Dave and Andy. One of them asks “been up to anything?” Yeah, I reply. Had to go to hospital. “What for?”, he asks. Cat bite, I reply.

They both look down. Maybe they don’t know what to say. Then I see they’re both smiling. Smiling!? I remove my left glove and show them the damage. The smiles turn to tears. Ok, I made that last bit up, but they were shocked at the mess.

The Photos

The first photo was taken on the day of the incident. It doesn’t look so bad because I’d quickly taken the photo after wiping up the mess. You can see the swelling had already started after a few minutes. The kitchen sink was filled up with blood soaked kitchen roll just before I took this photo.

The second photo is a week later, after I’d removed the bandages the nurse had put on.

Lessons Learned

Obviously, in hindsight, this was possibly predictable. Maybe I should have held his head underneath the neck. I don’t know how easy that’d have been though (with one hand). Probably should have got the missus to have both hands around his neck to prevent biting while I did the paw yanking. But, that might have led to her getting bitten instead. I’m an old fashioned fella, and if someones going to get bitten, I’d rather it be me.

Who was Better Looking: Father vs Son?

2024-12-28T00:00:00+00:00

My son is 21. His name is Tyler. He is taller than me (by a titchy bit) and claims that he is better looking than me.

I agree (about him being taller). Better looking? Today… probably yes (I might have a chance with the partially sighted in low light levels). But what about when I was in my prime?

The Question

Maybe this happens to all fathers. May be I’m the first. I’m referring to the moment when my son said to me:

Dad, how does it feel that I’m better looking than you have ever been?

I waited for the punchline. Instead, he said nothing. Stood there looking gormless. He actually believed this!

Let’s Settle This

As we cannot agree, it’s up to the internet to decide. I’ll go first. Then my son.

The Rules

Three photos. 600px maximum width. No filters. No cropping.

If you’d like to participate,¹ simply use the Reply to this Post link at the bottom of the page. Just put either Simon or Tyler as the subject. Thanks!

May the best man win…

I’m up (Dad)

Tyler (Son)

Footnotes

¹ It should go without saying that I won’t share or publish your email address!

R.I.P. Ian Latham (aka Bones)

2024-12-19T00:00:00+00:00

Just a quick one to the family and friends of Ian Latham (aka Bones as I knew him). I worked with Ian at Coleman Manufacturing in Burton from 2010 to 2019. I think he left a couple of times but I got to know him fairly well. We and other lads would talk **** about this and that in the smoking hut day in and day out. He often spoke about his two boys and the antics they got up to.

I bumped into a former colleague who told me the grim news of his death in November 2024 (he died in June 2024). Anyway, I’m not one for speeches, so I’d just like to send out my condolences to all who knew him, especially his family as we get near to Christmas.

He was one of those guys I’d have enjoyed randomly bumping into in Derby and having a catch up with.

Obituary

R.I.P. Lissa King

2023-10-14T00:00:00+01:00

Ady, Lissa, Zippy @ The Anchor 2006

I bumped into Zippy today in ASDA (on right in above photo). Whilst chatting about this and that, he asked who I’d seen lately. I mentioned that a few years back I had seen Lissa King in New Look (where she worked). He asked me if I knew she had died! Nope, I had no idea.

I spent many days and evenings with the Knopiks. Over the years we drifted away, as you do, but they’ll always have a special place in my heart.

Ady, Dom, Ben, Josh, Callum, Georgia: I’m really sorry for your loss. I remember your Mum fondly and the world seems slightly less interesting without her in it. Here’s a drunken vid taken by me in 2006 of Ady, Lissa and Zippy at the Anchor on New Street:

Night Out

Happy times!

RIP, Lissa.