Warning, the Following Post May Offend

I have been internally debating whether or not I should do this for a while now and have eventually come to the decision that indeed yes, I should. I've said this several times before now but I'll say it again, this blog has evolved from another silly method of procrastination to something more, a diary of sorts but with some little added extras for those of you who can be bothered to read it. What I'm now deciding shouldn't change that too much and I will endeavour to prefix any new such posts with a warning of the content that may follow thus giving the choice as to whether or not you want to continue reading. From now on, I will be including posts that let me say things I wouldn't want to say to someone directly. Not because I'm a coward (well actually it probably is some of that) but because I don't want to offend any one and this way I can get things off my chest without the people in question having ever heard it. So, here goes!

This rant of sorts is basically a development of this and this and the problem is still ongoing. Today pretty much toppled what had been a reasonably good couple of weeks and so decisions have had to be made that will no doubt prove unpopular but on reflection seem more than fair. My TV viewing habit conflict greatly with that of the rest of the house and so far I have caved in and let the majority rule. No longer, I'm fed up of feeling second best and trying too hard to please others and getting nothing in return. I think I do my fair share of jobs around the house and there are those who most certainly do not and yet get away with it. Why is it fair that some people contribute more than others? Well it isn't but how do you approach someone and say get off your lazy arse and muck in? I can understand if it's just on the odd occasion, you just have the odd day or week off if you have deadlines to meet etc but when it happens all the time it starts to get on my nerves.

Today a couple of things happened that brought this whole previously buried subject back to the surface again so now at least those responsible will know that it is them who brought this upon themselves. Firstly, going back to the knife thing, I came downstairs to find that all of them had been turned upside down, points facing the floor in a frankly dangerous and stupid act. I have no idea why someone would do this, it is clearly targeted at me - suggesting I've offended someone (again) but it's difficult to try and sort things like this out like adults when the retaliation is an anonymous prank. Short of making me annoyed, it doesn't accomplish anything from where I sit, apart from possibly providing an outlet for someone's childish behaviour. Later on this evening, the knives (now used and drying on the side) have been replaced by all sorts, egg cups, teaspoons etc. Seriously... why? What actually is the point other than to provoke this kind of rant?

The second and more annoying of the two issues boils down to TV again. Recently another TV was introduced to the lounge so that the PS3 can be connected - my telly is too old to support spangly new HDMI interfaces. The result of this is that the lounge is now 100% more occupied than it used to be and when once I might have been able to find a hour or two to catch up on the weeks missed telly, I'm really struggling to find more than twenty minutes now. If it isn't being used for games or TV, then someone is using their laptop in the lounge with the telly on in the background - which they aren't really paying much attention to - which is pretty selfish really. Today broke the rules though, I managed to find the lounge empty, the football had just finished so I grabbed the chance and started watching Merlin. Half way through, the door opens and they return from the co-op, harmless enough you might think but then, out comes the laptop and on goes the football from an internet stream - with the sound turned right up. I was trying to watch a programme but they seem not to care, anything is inferior to football which must be watched as it's broadcast and there is no way it could be recorded and watched later. As if that wasn't enough, they made their position so clear that I was unwelcome in my own lounge that they connected the laptop to the other TV and started watching a very poor quality stream of the game from the net. If they'd have asked, I would have paused my programme, let them record the game so that in twenty minutes or so when my programme ended they could start watching it. Nah. Remember the rule, must be watched live. So for the final twenty minutes I had people glaring at me whilst I continued - some what defiantly - watching my programme, gradually increasing the volume to cover their incessant witterings about balls and what not. I had planned to watch about three hours of recorded TV today, as well as Top Gear's hour later this evening but couldn't stand being universally hated for any longer that I scarpered as soon as Merlin had finished and went to hide in my room.

So I have decided, after Christmas the telly magically moves from the lounge - where is has been kindly left for the past year and a bit - and finds it's way to my room where I can watch in peace. At the moment I don't have an aerial otherwise it would have moved tonight but that would be a bit like cutting off your nose to spite your face. So added to the Christmas list is an aerial to make next year a little bit less stressful.

If you decided to ignore the above warning and have read on then well, now you know. I hope it plays on your conscious for the next couple of weeks and you feel terribly guilty for depriving someone of some entertainment and making them feel angry and miserable.