What a week that was!

Upgrading the site didn’t quite go as expected this week. The first problem was moving the database, which was easy enough. The second was upgrading the database to the new “improved” format. This didn’t go too well. The automated upgrade script dumped some of the data, removed some fields and then threw out a whole load of errors. Once I’d hacked the script and upgraded it myself everything appeared to work ok, so I put the site live (after about 58 seconds of testing!) It promptly fell down on its arse, and I then went about installing some acceleration software. This seemed to work much better, but as the numbers on the site rose (up to around 400), it started collapsing again. It wasn’t due to CPU loading, but the sheer amount of MySQL queries it was doing – a mental amount.. some just plain unnecessary. So anyway, I switched back and decided to continue on with this version after moving the whole thing (email, web etc) to the USA. This bit is now done, and thankfully everything still works fine. Hopefully now I can do the necessary tweaks to get the login system working better.

Other than this highly boring techy sh!te, I’ve also been down the pub quite a few times this week ‘cus.. well, I’ve been working far too much :) On Wednesday I went to the boozer to watch some of the footie, but mostly to get trolleyed. After the footie finished I paid a surprising amount of attention to the mid-week lottery show fronted by that fat talentless bloke. My attention was drawn to the random bird (this is not her on the right….unfortunately) who was standing by the lottery machines. Now, I guess it could’ve been the amount of beer I’d consumed at the time, but she looked remarkably fit. I’m guessing that she was employed due to her ball skills (ha). If anyone knows who she was, gimme a shout .. or pictures, I’m not fussed. I’ve already laminated my screen ready.. (ooo.. too far!)

Anyway, while we were down the pub there was a conversation going on about the local “secret societies”. Y’know the sort, the Freemasons etc.. Apparently there’s several more.. One called “The Inner Wheel” and another calling themselves the “Boffs”. We talked about the advantages of these clubs (funny handshakes, getting preferential treatment for things from fellow members etc), and then decided that we should create our own secret society. Now, at this point we had half the pub chipping in with suggestions – names, ranks and all sorts.

“I’ll be Head Chicken”, said someone… for no real reason..

“And the new guys can be called ‘eggs'”, said someone else.

“And if you go up the scale, you become a cock!”

“I’ll be the cock-master!”… said someone else, who quickly shut up after he realised that everyone was laughing there head off… :)

Ah well.. Here’s a selection of pictures I got sent in an email this week. :) I must go and reply to some emails now!