On the eve of March

It's the 1st March tomorrow. I've had a busy week at work, my time off last week put me behind a little bit so I've been playing catch up. This week coming up is another busy week as well.
My wife and a friend went to Paris this weekend. They saw the Eiffel Tower and rode the elevator to the second observation deck, the view is quite something she says. Paris is quite flat and the river runs through it. It's been about ten years since I was in Paris I think, a long time anyway. She was only there for a few hours before having to head back. I didn't go up the tower when I was there, my fear of heights took over.
I'm quite tired, Saturday on my own with the children wore me down a bit even though they behaved well. I hope the weather gets warmer and more Spring-like now March is here, I like Spring.
Last bit of news, while waiting for my wife to return after midnight last night, it gave me an opportunity to complete a couple of pages of my comic strip Adventures of Stan.

Saturday update

Well, we went to the cinema on Thursday to see Up. The weather was wet and horrid, so it was the best thing to do. The film was really great, the only downside of the whole thing was I had a headache when I came out. It soon cleared up after I got home. On Friday, I drove us all down to Brighton so that my wife could go shopping for glass. She loves glass and there is an area of Brighton known as The Lanes. It has lots of little shops that sell all manner of things, it really is an eclectic mix of shops and I've never seen anything like it anywhere else. The streets are narrow (hence "the lanes") and the buildings have murals on them. My wife did buy herself some nice glass ornaments. I bought myself a great volume of black and white Spiderman comics in a book format. I love super hero comics and Spidey is a favourite of mine.

Lastly, I've bought a game for the Wii that is quite unnerving. I usually only buy games for the Wii that we can all play. Mainly because I have an Xbox360 and it has plenty of great adult games that don't seem to translate very well for the Wii. The game was Resident Evil 4 and I can recommend it for the story as well as the gameplay.

I finally also got to watch the Star Trek film this week. I really enjoyed it. I borrowed it from the library and also borrowed GI Joe at the same time - I started watching GI Joe and fell asleep though: it's not something I'd recommend except to people who insomnia sufferers.

Thursday

I have today and tomorrow off. Just began the day by popping out to the drive thru Macdonald's to get breakfast for the family. We haven't yet decided what we're going to do. We may go and see a film at the Kid's Club, Up is on and my son wants to go see it. No other plans at the moment, other than to have a relaxing time.

Courtney

Courtney Love appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross last week, the equivalent of a show like David Letterman I guess. It's the second of these two videos. I don't really know if this appearance is under the name Hole or Courtney Love, I heard she was releasing a solo album next. I've always liked Hole ever since I bought a comilation CD in the first half of the 90s that had a track by them. I have Pretty On The Inside on vinyl and the other two albums on CD. I once saw Hole live in Wolverhampton's Civic Hall. I really like Melissa Auf der Maur's solo album. I don't know what the other former member of Hole, Eric Erlandson is up to these days.

Falling in love

Falling. Into the terrifying pit. Like jumping out of a plane to your death. It's a phrase I've never thought about but falling implies an unstoppable certainty. It also implies a landing that might be hard or soft. I think it's a good phrase, which is probably why it's stuck around.
I heard once that there is a difference between being "in love" with someone and "loving" them. I've been "in love" with some women who never knew how I felt (for the better I think). I am friends with some of them to this day and they don't know how I felt about them. The feeling of being "in love" can fade and be replaced with a kind of friendly love that you would never act on: the word is friendship. Friendship is a kind of love is it not?
I have been a fool of love. When I felt I could manage it and tame it. But I was wrong. You can't tame love. It changes and moves as we grow and change as people over the course of our lives. Loving a partner is a much richer experience but it's a long haul one. You might not like what they do at times but we are all subject to external stresses and pressures that make us behave oddly or unlike ourselves at times (drink and drugs being a big example of an external factor). But essentially, with a partner you admire and respect them and you both protect each other and just enjoy the time you are together much more than the time apart. This is how I feel about love and now I'll shut up about it.

Valentines

There has been a noticeable amount of advertising for Valentines Day I've noticed this year. I don't know whether this is because:

• it always happens but I just have noticed it more this year
• more advertising money has been spent by those selling products/services this year
• everyone wants to spread some fruity good news as we come out of the recession of last year
• it falls on a weekend this year and it gives an extra shopping day or two to get sorted out

The whole thing has always left me slightly uncomfortable. In the same way that asking a girl out did, usually because it was such a difficult thing to do I made a hash of it out of embarrassment and my shyness.  After my experience, my advice to my son (if he asks when its time) will be, just be direct and ask. I found that if I got to the stage where I was taking a girl out for a night, I would instinctively know if she was interested. The danger is when it's borderline and you can't tell. I've probably lost a couple of friends that way and the other way too: rushing into something physical when it should have remained platonic. Can you have a platonic friendship with someone you could have loved? Or does the love eventually destroy it by rearing it's ugly head?

Funny how fast a week can go by

It's so weird how a week can go by without you really noticing, isn't it? I can't believe it is Thursday evening already. I haven't felt very well the last couple of days. I have a thick cold and it doesn't seem to want to go anywhere. I blame the changing weather, the cold retreats a bit and lulls you into believing Spring is on the way and then it comes back with violent snow and sub-zero temperatures. At least it's not as bad as the weather I see on the TV in Washington.
Not much to say at the moment, kind of feel like sleeping off this cold.

Don't panic!

I was listening to the radio on Wednesday morning I think, as I was driving to the train station and the DJ dedicated a song to everyone who was trying to ignore a warning light that morning. Thinking about that, I imagine that there are thousands of people around the world doing just that right at this very moment. I've done it some times, I had a car that had a break light indicator come on without warning and I would ignore it. Probably ill advised but it never affected the car, I did get rid of it though eventually. I try to ignore the petrol low light sometimes but I don't keep the resistance up for long because....well, obviously I don't want to run out of petrol!
Anyway, I was listening to a Liz Phair song from the nineties and thought I haven't heard a song from her in years, so I watched a few old clips of her on YouTube, she was a good singer sonwriter but I don't know if she is still going. Somehow, like you do, I moved on to another singer songwriter I really like called K T Tunstall. She dedicates this song to long distance love, I really really love this song and I love KT. I hope you like it too.

Constant Traveller

It feels like I've spent a lot of time on trains this week. Mainly due to a marathon yesterday, cancellations across the board. A journey that would have normally taken 1.40 hours took 3.30 instead. Today I feel exhausted. I tried something this week I've never tried before - a bottle of Lipton's Iced Tea. I chose a lemon flavoured variety. I never thought it sounded very nice before - tea is usually hot and with milk, at least I've always drunk it that way before. But I broadened my perspective this week and it paid off, I really enjoyed it. It's always pleasing when a new experience really works out.
When I hear on the radio about soldiers being killed in Afghanistan it makes me sad. There's a phrase that is now commonplace on the news: "Their families have been informed". It just makes me think about the terrible sadness and sense of loss those families must feel.
Katie Price (Jordan) and Alex Reid tied the knot this week. Marriage doesn't seem to mean the same for celebrities as it does for the rest of us.
My last thought is on the news that Pete Waterman is going to write the next UK Eurovision Song Contest song. I look forward to the competition every year, each year the prospect of a UK win seems more remote - I don't think there is any way we can win the competition anymore. It doesn't really matter who writes the song or produces it. Still, even though I know this there is a little voice in my head that is full of hope. Grow little seed, grow!

A song from a songwriter I love

Final Day of January 2010

I can't quite believe its the end of January. It doesn't seem that long ago since I was returning to work after Christmas. The weather is very cold, we had a few flakes of snow for a few minutes but nothing prolonged or longlasting.
I was thinking about what this year might bring. And thinking about the usual things I look forward to. Things like Easter, the Eurovision Song Contest (Pete Waterman is apparently composing the UK entry), booking a holiday and looking forward to summer in general. I'd quite like the weather to get lighter in the evenings and mornings: not to mention it getting warmer.
Moving house is something I look forward to, although that's an adventure that's not really begun yet. One step at a time. I am optimistic about this year though. This weekend was good overall.

Week of travelling

Had to do a lot of travelling for work this week. On Thursday I got a new cell phone. A Samsung Tocco Lite, a kind of iPhone without the expense! The touch screen is pretty cool on it. It's got a 3 megapixel camera so I hope to be posting a few shots to Twitpic with it, see my photo from Knightsbridge on Friday looking towards Harrods lit by afternoon sunlight.
My boy and I got our hair cut yesterday, my hair is quite fine and I don't know what the best style is for me. My wife prefers it short, so I had it shaved close to my head. The minus temperatures outside are going to be felt a little closer!
On the tube in London this week, I saw my first commuter holding an e-book and reading it. I don't know how I feel about e-books really. I'm not filled with a new sense of enthusiasm. I sort of feel the same way about music downloads, there is something precious about handling books and albums that you don't get from a purely digital format.
Apple launched their iPad this week. It looks great of course. I'm sticking with my Netbook, it's light and portable and has a proper keyboard, which has to be quicker than a touchscreen. The jury is out with me whether the iPad size is correct; size, feel, screen contrast and battery life are the most important factors when selecting a portable device.
I'm starting to think about booking summer holidays.

Presenting the work of ... A.A. Twanklebagg

You might be interested to notice that I've started doodling again and you might like to check up occasionally on the progress over at Doodles and Dinkums. (or even Dinkums and Doodles! - ed) For your pleasure this week I would like to present the latest book by that great geologist Aaron A. Twanklebagg - or rather it's book jacket, designed by yours truly.
I've always been easily amused by making up silly names and AAT is not real of course (disclaimer) but in a small way I've been amused by Aaron being one of The King's middle names. The idea of having a middle name exactly the same as a first name also appeals to my funny bone.
Holmes never actually said "It's elementary my dear Watson" in the books, only the films, but I felt I could extend that license. Please forgive me and tell me if you like this sort of thing. And have a nice, fun, weekend!

State of Mind

My boss commented “You look brow beaten” to me today. I worry about work a lot. I worry about work more in my current job than I have in any other job I’ve had. I worry about doing something wrong and getting humiliated. I have a co-worker who confides in me about everything and everyone. She is handful at times and while I might be a good listener to vent off to, some of her paranoia rubs off on me. As if I didn’t have enough already. It’s like I’ve been loaded down with her baggage as well as my own.

Enter title here

Couldn’t think of a title for this post. It’s been a bit of a funny week really. Work has been a mixture of very busy and then pretty quiet periods. I don’t really mind being busy, I prefer it, but if it’s quiet I do stuff that isn’t so pressing. One of the things I don’t like about my work is that some of my co-workers feel they work harder than everyone else and if something is forgotten about they are quick to point fingers at others. As if it’s ultra-important and they have to defend themselves and be seen by everyone to be really busy. As I said, I’ve nothing against busy but I don’t broadcast it to everyone and be really crotchety with others. I just get on with it. My other pet hate about work is when their is a bit of vagueness in determining what needs to be done. I like to be clear what I have to do and how to go about it. I don’t like wishy-washy and hesitation until its too late to do a good job. I don’t like being micro-managed, if there’s a task or project to do, I just like to get on with it and do it to the best ability I know I can. Not having enough leeway to make decisions and quick progress gets me down sometimes.

Anyway, that’s quite enough about work, it takes up enough of my life as it is. The weather here was shocking on Wednesday. Icy roads and more snow hit me when I got to my car, I luckily had a shovel in my boot and helped someone get their car moving after they got stuck trying to reverse out of a lay-by. Lots of schools closed, including my children’s. We really aren’t prepared for this continued cold period with snow. The road gritters are conserving stocks, meaning not all routes are gritted. I got so far and realised I might not make it up a steep hill on the way to the train station, so I decided to turn back. Good thing I did because my train was cancelled anyway. Better working at home instead of being stuck out in the middle of the country miles from anything.

2010’s first disaster has happened with the Earthquake in Haiti. I feel sorry for the thousands of families affected. Events like that always remind me how fragile life is.

Snowed and blue

The cold weather got colder on Tuesday evening this week when the snow started. I parked up and was out for a couple of hours and when I got back to my car I had to shift about two inches of snow off my car. We’ve probably had 7 or 8 inches of snow altogether so far and more is forecast. We haven’t had this much snow since 1981 apparently. I see that the US, Western Europe, China and Japan have had it bad too. The weather map even showed parts of Florida in blue.

Here’s a photo I took at lunchtime of some icicles hanging off my shed in the backyard. Wherever you are, I hope you stay warm and comfortable.

 

Inglorious

I watched the Inglorious Basterds DVD last night. It was a very watchable film.
I have one more day of holiday tomorrow before work begins and if it goes as quickly as today did then I'm out of luck! Oh why oh why do we have to go to work? It's totally not fair!
There is some pork belly, sausages, onions and potatoes roasting in the oven: a treat for my wife who had to work today while I looked after the children, so I hope she enjoys it all when she gets in. Certainly smells good. I took the children to a town about half an hour away where there is this large play structure. All of the trees looked beautiful today because of the frost giving every branch a crystal white appearance. I noticed that the trees looked exactly the same on our return journey, so I guess that means the air temperature has stayed in the minus numbers all day. The forecast talks of a chance of snow for later this week. If it's bad it might affect my journey to work. I can still work at home though, so there is no chance of escape for me really.

Welcome to 2010

New Year greetings to you!

I was pondering what the attributes of a good horror film are after a discussion between a couple of family members after Christmas lunch. They had both seen Paranormal Activity (I have not) and were saying how frightening it was and how it sucked them in. Here are a few things I can think of:

(a) a good horror will include scenes that make you jump or cover your face the first time you see it
(b) it will include scenes that scare you even after seeing them again
(c) it will come back to you when you are alone or when you are in darkness and scare you again
(d) the concepts of the supernatural it explores will stay with you forever
(e) you should eventually be able to laugh at how it still scares you

I'm interested if you agree or if you think some of these aren't just applicable to the horror genre.

Locked within the crystal ball

I saw this today and really enjoyed the video and the song. I've read that Ritchie Blackmore's Night stuff wasn't very good but on the strength of this, I have to disagree.

The wretched shopping

Ventured to the shopping mall today and regretted it. It was probably quieter than Saturday but even so, I'd had enough after an hour. I went mainly for my son, who was just desperate to spend the money gifts he was given by some friends and family members. He bought some of the new Lego Power Miners kits, which are quite good I must admit, and a videogame for the Wii (Pokemon Battle Revolution). I picked up a couple of games that were reduced in the sale too but when I got home I looked up some reviews and one of the games is supposed to be a total turkey but sometimes reviews are misleading and I've had great times when the reviews said that I wouldn't. At least it was nowhere near the cost of full price and I can always do a trade in, if I don't like it. After the mall we called into the hypermarket and I picked up a bottle of "cuarenta y tres" as a birthday present for my mother-inlaw, I've enjoyed a few glasses of this liqueur in a Spanish bar with collegues from work and I think it's a delightful drink.