Friday, December 11, 2009

#ThatsMyDave ?

So, the next adventure is going to have to be next year...

However. I am considering taking Dave The Cat along with me next time. What do you think? You lot get to choose what Dave experiences?

OR I may go it alone and start from Bristol airport.

Either way I need people to actually be interested and have plans for me.

Get thinking people!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Episode 1 part 3

So, http://twitpic.com/n540u

The steak had arrived. Sirloin with mushroom and Stilton sauce. Had to hunt for the Stilton in the sauce and the steak was a little tough.

At least while chewing I had time to plan my route to the Roman Baths.

My phone being a GPS was fairly good but I stopped for a smoke in a park so it took me about an hour to get there. I posted http://twitpic.com/n5bcs to show I was there and paid £11 to get in! Yes, £11. I didn't think it would be worth it but thanks to the audio tour technology it was a great experience! (Even though my back STILL hurt from the wasp stings!)

When you have paid you get directed to collect your Equipment, that turns out to be what looks like a mobile phone with a neck strap. "Press 1 when you get outside and listen." They said.

After getting outside and pressing 1 I got a lengthy explanation that basically said, "If you see a number on something you like press it and listen!" Such a simple but effective system. There were all sorts of labels, some for kids, some technical almost hidden away, even an adio tour by Bill Bryson.

There was even an option as if I were in Starship Troopers on many of the audio descriptions.... "Do you Want To Know More?"

All in all a very enlightening and interesting hour and a half or so. I would suggest going if you get the chance.

Unfortunately I had NO signal during my tour of the Roman baths apart from when I was in the courtyard rather than undergroung in actual workings of the place so the only proof I had was http://twitpic.com/n5gpb

After leaving the Baths I was all ready for more adventure, got a phone signal and checked messages. A few Tweets and a Txt inviting me to a pub quiz. I tweeted "Baths were good what next?" and waited. And waited.

After 20 mins I checked the Txt and realised I was invited to a pub quiz.

Pub quiz vs sitting staring at my phone, waiting in a strange city, for people I don't really know to possibly give me something to do? I chose the quiz.

Train station, Train, on the train I remembered @GreenKermit had said "
Your mission is to somehow get your hands on a strawberry ice cream cone!!" and that was the only request I hadn't fulfilled.

I found http://twitpic.com/n5reg in a petrol station between the station and home!

That about sums up Episode 1. Episode 2 MAY still be this year but don't hold me to that.

Episode 1 was fun but Episode 2 should be far better!

Hopefully it will be soon.

x

Episode 2 is postponed.

Sorry to anyone who was waiting for Thats My Bis Episode 2, Due to unforeseen circumstances it is postponed. May even have to be next year. Not that I expect many people to have been waiting but I know of at least one.


My workplace announced today that my Christmas meal is on that day. Gee thanks!

As an apology I will do the rest of episode 1 soon.

x

Sunday, November 15, 2009

ThatsMyBis Episode 1 Part 2

So, where was I? Oh yeah. The Bus to Bath because Botticellireject said yes..... No Wasp on that one...

I was on the bus to Bath, took a pic, ( http://twitpic.com/n4qe1 ) and noticed MaliciousMel had posted a link to a steak restaurant ( http://bit.ly/3u8gL1 ), That looked like a very good idea but it was still early.

When I arrived in Bath I had all sorts of connection errors but finally managed to ask Twitter what it wanted me to do, then waited. And waited.... Then my phone bleeped to tell me my update had not been sent!

I started wandering (Kind of looking for a chemist for some wasp sting medicine) and actually got a signal and a pile of updates. I found somewhere out of the flow of pedestrian traffic, as I was in the main shopping center by now and it was almost lunch time, and checked my tweets. Vikkeh saying "You should go get lunch" jumped out at me so I rechecked the link Mel had sent me to The Hudson Steak House, put the details into google maps on my phone with GPS enabled and I was off! (It even gave me walking directions that ignored one way streets etc)

It only took 20 minutes of hilly walking, passing all sorts of interesting food establishments, until I found it..... Here is the main entrance..
http://bit.ly/3u8gL1 ... It opened in 4 hours!

So I backtracked to the last place that looked like it would do steak, to at least try and stay in the spirit of #ThatsMyBis and eat what I was told!
http://twitpic.com/n4xph Ha Ha Bar and Grill fit the bill!

I got a pint of cider at the bar, got a menu, checked it was ok to eat outside with the bartender, and sat outside so I could smoke. Once I had sat down I realised I should have asked twitter what to drink but nobody's perfect. I had a dodgy signal again so couldn't get a pic of the menu so posted steak choices instead. I thought the waiter might arrive before twitter decided what to order but Vikkeh and widget53 both had options, Vikkeh first. I was all ready to order a well done Fillet....

So, the wait for service starts... just to take the order...

In the mean time (while trying to catch a staff members eye) I googled things to do in Bath and the top thing was visit the Roman Baths.... So obviously tweeted the question, "Anyone want a tour of the Roman Baths after I eat?"

MaliciousMel to the rescue again wanted me to go to the baths so at least I had something to do after I had my food.

Half an hour after sitting down someone actually came to take my order for the fillet steak.. Finally!

15 minutes later the waiter comes back and says, "Err, sorry, we haven't got Fillet. Do you want something else?" So unhappily I went for the medium rare sirloin instead.

It took another 15 minutes for THIS to arrive...
http://twitpic.com/n540u
without a word of apology for the delay!

Then I ate it!

There is more to this story, probably even less interesting than what I have told so far, but if you want to know the rest, let me know!

Bis

Friday, November 13, 2009

ThatsMyBis Episode 1 Part 1

Here we go then, I've decided to do the story of my first attempt at #ThatsMyBis so you might want to participate in Episode 2.

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin... :)

The Adventure I had set myself.....

Let my Twitter followers decide what I do for a day. Where I go, What I eat, Where I eat it and so on. It almost worked...

I started at a bus stop in Nailsea about 10:20AM, waiting for the bus to take me to Bristol Bus Station where Twitter would start making my choices for me. I was nervous about what may happen when I got there, little did I know the worst would happen before anyone else could make a choice!

The bus was on time and I sat at the back by the emergency exit. Not because I wanted to be able to escape quickly but because that seat always has the most legroom. I'm not short remember!

While leaning forward, checking Twitter on my phone I felt a tickle on my back, it felt like my necklace was the wrong way round. I checked it but it was fine so thought it was just an itch...

Just a word of advice, DO NOT try and scratch a WASP as if it were an itch!!!

With a fairly dignified "AARRGGGHHH" I stripped my top half naked and shook the discarded clothes to discover the waspy git still alive to go and terrorise other bus passengers (who were already staring at the weirdo stripping on the bus). Luckily another passenger swatted the wasp before it could do any more damage..........

Finally arriving at the bus station I asked twitter if they wanted to see a list of bus times or I should go into Bristol... and waited.... suddenly there was a suggestion to go to london!!

I checked the departures just as the hourly bus to london left. the next bus went to Bath. I tweeted that as an opion and I was off! Bath Spa here we come! (With a very sore back)

So that's part of the story, I will do the rest if anyone wants me to.

Bis

How it all began.

First things First, I have never blogged before so if I make some terrible blogging breach of etiquette please tell me.....

So how did the idea of #ThatsMyBis aka My Twitter adventure come about? The simple answer is boredom!
I had to take holiday time off work or lose it, so I booked a week off. I didn't want to just laze around at home for a week so started asking Twitter for ideas of what to do. There were so many varied ideas I couldn't do them all and couldn't decide which were best. That's when the plan started forming. I decided I would let Twitter choose what I did for a day. Where I went,what and where I ate, what I did for entertainment etc etc.

#ThatsMyBis episode 1 was fun but I (and all the amazing Twitterers who participated) were underprepared. Also there were a few unforseen problems. I will post about that in the near future!

That's why this blog has been created (Thanks @flacatlady), so I, and anyone else interested, can start to prepare for #ThatsMyBis Episode 2 on Friday December 4th.

I'm not sure what to post next, the story of episode 1 or the loose details of Episode 2.

I'm sure you will be on the edge of your seats until I decide!

Bis

ThatsMyBis

Howdy

@bisthetall is planning the next adventure for December the 4th 2009. There will be details of possible destinations, choices, thoughts, etc. in the coming weeks.

Thank you for following my adventures!
Mr. Bissett