The F* words (Fuel, Forgetfulness, Fixable)

(Retrospective post -actually posted on 24-5-06)
I'm in near Manchester. Drove up today - it got rainier the closer we got.

I didn't bring my own vehicle up, I used the company people carrier with all the seats removed - that way it doubles as a van - allegedly. This actually had two major downsides:

a) Trouble removing seats
b) Really dodgy fuel computer.

To address these in more detail:
a) I had to remove all the seats from the bloody thing before it would resemble a van instead of a bus. The TV ad's make this look simple with young ladies pretty much throwing the unneeded seats to one another to demonstrate easy removal and stowage. In reality I think I've crushed two vertebrae and I think I've contracted a hernia. This was just trying to unhinge the fucking thing thing with the instruction booklet right in front of me. Sod the graceful throwing of a 300lb row of seats to an attractive girly. If I really tried that it'd crush her to death and I'd be sued...

b) Having finally reconfigured the thing into a van in only 17 hours and 27 minutes we set off. Then I noticed the fuel economy. Stop. Pause. I'm not a normal blokey, I'm not going to whinge about how much the fuel cost, (dinosaurs sacrificed themselves under thousands of tonnes of rock for my journey and I didn't hear them complain? So I wont moan about something so mundane as fuel prices and the robbing British government. Will I? - Well, Maybe later....)

Anyhoo, by the time we got close to destination the thing had drank almost a tank of petrol. That's lots for 250 miles. We pulled into a service station and filled up. Then I had to take a phone call so we parked around the back and I done that. The whole time the "Range computer" was showing how many miles we could do with current fuel. And average miles per gallon. All the time we were sat behind the gas station doing 0 mph/kph. And yet both displays were going down.

Honestly, the range was dropping by the second. And mpg got as low as 12 while we were sat in a carpark! Dodgy bloody Chrysler! It's disconcerting when gauges start going the wrong way while you're doing nothing.

Sorry to girl readers, this is very "boyish" gibber. Lets move on. Jeez, I bet y'all hate it when I go a few days with no interaction with anyone?!

I got up to Manchester area where I was actually supposed to be presenting a small stand at a conference. My company do this lots and I'm often the guy that ends up standing around all day. Usually we get a good reception as we look very professional.

Not today! I forgot so much stuff it really wasn't funny:

- I forgot the lights that illuminate the place - They're important
- I forgot the blanking boards that cover the PC's under the table - They're very important
- I forgot to bring enough power sockets - They're very important
- I forgot one VGA lead - That's a very important thingy. Makes pictures and stuff.
- I forgot sales brochures - I think they're important too. At a sales conference.

So I'm here with almost nothing set up. Oh well, I have plans to cover most of it. They may involve deceit and dishonesty, but only in the nicest possible way...

Oh, and this Travel Inn isn't my favourite one in the world either. After the shitty realisation of how much stuff I'd left at the office, I then checked in and was told internet was down. Two days without internet. Oh joy!