Thanks to this sad bastard who clearly has no friends and will never get laid, I and all my colleagues have spent the last four days at work doing bugger all. Apart from stuffing the aforementioned envelopes of course. And, more importantly, it has caused a delay in us getting paid as well. Look on the bright side - If he does go to prison, at least he'll get some sex.

One hour and six minutes! I'm feeling very pleased with myself.

After four years, I just about feel ready to let go. Only now can I realistically think about cutting the apron strings. It's an emotional step but, I think I'm prepared. I'm going to throw away all the empty hi-fi boxes in the shed. Seriously though, I've managed to make a load more space by throwing away lots of old tat and I can now store the mountain bikes and assorted paraphenalia by hanging them on big hooks from the rafters. Very low tech, but a good solution. Anyway, I'm off on my Cancer Research "Cycle For Life" tomorrow morning. Only fifteen miles, so it's a bit of a jolly jaunt really. I'm aiming for under 90 minutes - I'll let you know how I get on!

The water's back on - thankfully! You don't realise how much you take it for granted until you haven't got any...

I've been stuffing leaflets into envelopes all day. ALL DAY. Four years at university to stuff feckin' envelopes. And the Yorkshire Water are relining the water main in our street, so we're without water until 8pm tomorrow, meaning they've had to deliver fifteen litres of bottled water to us. However, my day brightened considerably this evening on three counts - firstly, I've joined the gym (which I've wanted to do for ages but never got round to it), secondly our neighbours cooked dinner for us, and thirdly I've got the wireless network running complete with encryption. Hurrah. I'm going to go and have a big cup of tea to celebrate and then go to bed. I think I'll have to get up early and go and have a swim before work in the morning just so I can have a shower!

Do I have to go to work again today? I mean, come on! I went in yesterday! What more do you want? Blood?!

Now don't get me wrong - I love technology, but sometimes it's just SUCH A PAIN IN THE ARSE! I've been fighting with the stupid bloody wireless network for the best part of the evening trying to make it work correctly, and finally I think I've cracked it. The annoying thing is that it was working perfectly all day, and then it just decided to stop. Computers have minds of their own. They're just biding their time until the moment is ready to strike, and then that'll be it. We're all doomed. Anyway, I'm writing this on the laptop from a remote wireless location, so if you can read this, it must be working in some form or another I suppose. I think I shall leave my battle with 128-bit WEP encryption until tomorrow. I've had quite enough of computers for one day.

I know it's not even the end of August yet, but I'm putting in an early request for my Christmas list. I quite simply have to own these DVDs.

The wireless laptop card didn't arrive on Friday, so I now have to wait to have it delivered to work on Tuesday - how rubbish is that? So I feel it's my duty to slag off the company I purchased from, just so you don't buy anything from them. They're called IT Chest (www.itchest.co.uk) and they're in Reading and they're unbelievably inefficient. Bastards. Should have just stuck to the tried and tested amazon.co.uk like normal. So there you go - public service announcement over. Anyway, the network's up and running nicely (despite the lack of wireless!) and I've been having great fun streaming music around the house. I've decided that I'm going to buy a huge additional hard drive for my PC and store all my albums on it! Then I can purchase myself one of these and hook it up to the hi-fi and TV in the lounge. Ooh, I do like gadgets...

Well, I've had the wireless router delivered, and its all set up and functioning nicely, but I'm still waiting for the laptop wireless card to arrive! Fingers crossed...

Just as an aside, I've put a few of our holiday photos in the gallery section. Click the "Gallery" button, and then follow the "Cornwall - August 2003" link...

And incidentally, it's our fourth wedding anniversary today. Good eh?

Finally back home! At last! Don't get me wrong, I've had a fantastic time, but I was beginning to feel like I'd never get home. Anyway, just trying to get all the stuff packed away and the house back to some semblance of order, and then attempting to get a couple of days of relaxation in before going back to work next Tuesday. The wireless networking kit is arriving tomorrow, so I shall have to perform some "creative restructuring" of the study today. That'll be nice...

Back from Cornwall now - but still not home. We've taken a detour via my parents' house, because my wayward Australian brother is stopping by on the way home from an international hot air balloon festival. Yes, you're right, it does all sound complicated. Even I don't understand what's going on, so I won't attempt to explain it. Anyway, I'll be here in the beautiful (?!) home counties until Tuesday evening, and then - hopefully - normal Low Fidelity service will be resumed!

Can you believe there are still parts of the UK where you can't get any mobile phone signal? How very last century. Anyway, we're on a day out today, and we actually have some signal, so I'm typing this sat in the car park at The Lost Gardens of Heligan - which, incidentally, is ace. So just to update you, we're having a great time, the weather's lovely and the surf has been good. We may never come home...

I don't think it would be overstepping the mark to say that it's really very hot here in Cornwall. Mind you, from what I've been reading in the newspapers, it's equally hot, if not hotter, everywhere else as well. Good show. If you haven't already done so, I recommend phoning in sick, and sitting in the back garden sipping a very long gin and tonic with loads of ice. It seems like the only sensible thing to do given the circumstances...

Well, this is a bit different... I'm posting this from a tent in Cornwall, via my palm pilot and mobile phone! I realised over the weekend that I hadn't explained that I was going on holiday for a fortnight, and I didn't want any of you thinking that I was neglecting you. I'll try and post to Low Fidelity again whilst I'm away, but if I don't manage to, then normal service will be resumed once I've returned. And, in case you're wondering, I'm having a lovely time!

Just found this whilst doing a Google search for some work-related documents. It probably won't mean very much to the majority of you, but the rest of you will find it unspeakably hilarious.