Things to do to amuse yourself

I was sitting thinking about my new job starting next week and pondering office behaviour. This led me onto thinking about how far I'd go in public with little things designed to confuse / amuse strangers. Nothing rude or aggressive and nothing that involves anyone else. Just little behaviour quirks. So I made a little list and I challenge you all to try and do at least one of them this week. Also please feel free to add your own. So, try these:

- When entering a lift with other people go stand in the corner facing the corner and don't move.
- When sat at your desk at work, or when out and about, pretend you've heard your phone ring and pick it up and answer it, but then look confused when no one is there (this will have a good effect if you do it two or three times over a few minutes)
- Walk with a pronounced limp. But when someone asks what's wrong tell them you're practising for a role as a pirate
- Pretend you've heard a noise and ask the person next to you if they can hear it too.
- Skip somewhere
- When talking to someone keep glancing over their shoulder and when asked why you keep doing it say "doing what?"
- When in your car on your own and you've stopped at traffic lights just sit there and scream (having the window open optional)
- When being served in a shop or pub gently sway from side to side. When asked why you're doing it say "doing what?"
- Act with massive confusion when someone asks you for something very simple and basic (e.g. "Can you pass me that book?" "Book?!? That BOOK?!?!")
- Celebrate any news like an American footballer just scoring a touchdown (whoops, cheers, "Yeah!! Alright!!" - ANY news)

Have fun...

3 days to go...

...Until I start my new job. Still got weird feelings - I mean I've been moaning about being bored and lonely during the week because I'm off work but now I'm going back to work I feel like I'm going to miss the time to myself. Stupid I know.
And going back to work will present it's own problems - working out the best plan for having Jake overnight, traffic problems, being nice to people in the office... But I know all these are secondary to the fact I will be working again which of course is the best thing.
My mum is here tonight after bringing back Jake from London and then when she's gone tomorrow I'll have a couple of days to gather my thoughts and get on top of housework etc.
Oh, and it's my lovely girlfriends birthday next week so I'll be getting her something nice.
Anyway - if I don't post over the weekend, stay tuned next week as I'm sure I'll have loads to post about.
Have a nice weekend all.

Some good news...

It was a strange day yesterday. In fact it's been a strange couple of days.
I had an interview on Thursday for a sportswear company. Not one of the big boys, but an exciting company nonetheless.
I thought it went well, I got on with the guy who would have been my boss, and the thought of working for the company was very exciting.
Yesterday was the first anniversary of my dads passing. I was fine for most of the morning but then on the drive to the second interview for the sportswear company (turns out they liked me and thought I was worth seeing again) I did get a little upset. I was thinking about the drink I was going to have with him when I got back to the pub, which got me thinking about the wake...anyway I didn't get to the point of crying but it was close.
So after a quick, perfectly timed phone call from Mr. P. Senior (thanks mate) I went in to the second interview. Oh, at the first interview I was suited and booted as is the custom at interviews but the office is a dress down office and they said to turn up to the second one in clothes I normally wear. Now I knew they didn't mean what I normally wear at weekends (chaps and a pair of swimming goggles) but it still felt strange going to and interview in jeans and a sweatshirt. To cut a long story short (too late!) they offered me the job and I accepted. I start a week on Monday. Of course I'm very happy to be getting the last piece of my life back on track but I'm also nervous and a little scared. I think those feelings are normal though.
Oh and the job is as a software developer - so basically it's the stuff I've been doing anyway which is cool.

**note**
In case you're wondering why I haven't mentioned the name of the company I don't feel it would be very professional for someone to be searching for the company name and come across this blog! It happened at my last job and I don't wanna make that same mistake!

Have a nice weekend everybody.

An anniversary

Today it is one year since my father passed away. At the time of writing this, I feel ok. I'm obviously more concerned about my mum and sister than myself and to be honest I wasn't too worried about how I would feel today. This might change later when given the chance to reflect but I think I'll be ok. One thing I will definitely be doing later is having a 'club double' - this is the drink my dad used to drink all the time when he was at his bowls club. It's basically a large scotch and coke.
I don't think I've posted this before but I will admit that I'm glad he wasn't around to see the way my marriage ended. It would have broken his heart to see me in so much pain and although he wasn't a person who communicated or showed emotions very well I know he would have been there for me. But to save him those feelings is the one small benefit of what happened.
Anyway. Today I will mostly be feeling anxious & nervous - I'll give more details in my next post.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Childhood games

This post is about Japan, and my desire to go visit.
I love so much about what I know of Japan. The culture, the history, the etiquette, the food, technology, Manga, the language... Loads. But it's hard for me to ever picture myself there. My friend Mr. P. Junior has been there for the World Cup in 2002 and I know he enjoyed it. But I've never been the sort of person who has the courage to travel like that on my own. At the moment due to no job and my recent house sale I have both time & money enough to take a trip like that - but the thought of me actually doing it just doesn't compute. Organising the flights, hotels, having the courage to go out in a country where the language doesn't even resemble English (as in a lot of European countries)... It's all too much. And this frustrates me as there have been a lot of things in my life that I haven't done for precisely these feelings. It's ok for someone to say "just do it, be brave" etc. but saying and doing are two different things. There are a lot of "life's too short" type quotes out there which should inspire me to take the plunge but again, hearing those things and nodding sagely while thinking " hhmmm you know you're right" doesn't actually make me want to anything about it. Maybe I'm destined to never actually do those big things I really want to do because if this fundamental flaw in my character?
Thoughts to the usual address...

What's been going on

This post is inspired by my friend Mr. P. Junior who asked me today "what happened to your plan to update your blog daily?"
My life is pretty much going at a snails pace at the moment hence the reason I haven't been updating. STILL no job, hamstring knackered so I can't exercise and not much else to do. So, I thought I'd just make a little list of what's been happening.
Currently reading Simon Pegg's autobiography "Nerd Do Well" with Chris Evans second part of his life story waiting in the wings.
Kings Of Leon have a new album out today which I will be buying tomorrow.
Putting on weight (see earlier point about knackered leg etc.).
Visiting my mum & friends in London a week today for a few days.

God I just read that back - how bloody dull. I really will try and think up some more interesting posts for the future. If anyone has any suggestions please feel free to send them over.

Oh and a note on the iPad - still loving it. I switch it on when I wake up and I use it all day to browse, Twitter and check facebook. This post was even written on it. So far, no regrets in buying it.

More interesting posts to follow, honestly!

To buy or not to buy...

Hello. Don't worry this isn't another post about buying the iPad and getting buyers remorse. I'm not THAT boring (shut up Graham).
I'm renting a house at the moment - those of you who have paid attention to past posts will already know that. One of the worst things about it is there is carpet in the kitchen AND then bathroom. Carpet in the bathroom isn't too bad I guess but in the kitchen is unforgivable. So, even though I'm only renting the place I can't really live with it any longer so I have decided to get it changed. So I've just had a guy come round to measure up and the price? £170.00 (ish) fitted. Now the dilemma. I don't plan on being here for more than a few months really - no more than a year maybe - so do I spend that much money on a new floor or not? I've already spent £40 on a small piece of flooring for the bathroom so that's been changed (not a picnic I can fcukin' tell you) but it's done. So what to do about the kitchen?? Decisions decisions... Comments to the usual address.

More about the iPad

I had told people that I thought the iPad was too expensive for what it is. Also I think the price will come down fairly soon. So why did I buy it!?
Since seeing and playing with my friends (Mr. P. Senior) I have lusted gently after one for a while. And as I have a little spare cash at the moment, and the Apple shop obviously has some kind of air freshener that drugs you into making obscene purchases I thought "why the heck not?".
I've been using Facebook, Twitter, the browser and this blog on it so far and it is very sexy. I've yet to even fully explore all the apps that are available for it yet. And the iBooks thing looks awesome especially for someone like me who reads a lot. Oh, and you can subscribe to magazines like Wired on it which also will be very cool. I know you'll all be bored about it soon but I'll keep you updated as to how it goes.

Mr. P. Junior came up and spent the afternoon / evening / night with me which was brilliant. Good food good drink good company. And yesterday after he had gone home I decided to have a couple of beers and relax.
So all in all a good weekend. Now to get a bloody job...


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Buyers remorse

Just bought an iPad. Good Lord. And now the buyers remorse has kicked in with a vengeance. .
Do I get buyers remorse when buying for other people?  I have to say I don't. So what does that say about my psyche / self esteem?
My friend Mr. P. Junior is arriving the afternoon for an evening of cocktails and fine conversation - or it could be a night of Pygmy wrestling and illegal granny fights. But no doubt we will have a nice time.
Oh and I bought a t-shirt by the designer / tatooist Lou Molloy (I know!!). I'll post a pic of it.
Take care listeners.

Finally recorded that song

It's not the best version, but it'll do for now while I try and improve it. Be kind!

Fountainhead on Box.Net

Service Announcement

I'm sorry people but I have had to return the 'Word Verification' to my comment section as I was starting to get a little inundated with spam comments. Hopefully this will stop what ever worm is out there hitting my blog and we can return to normal.

Thank you for your patience.

I'll try not to do this too often

I want to keep this blog more upbeat and positive than it has been over the past few months, but today I can't help but feel quite low and fed up so I thought I'd share with you all why. ("Oh great..." I hear you cry).

The thing is it's Monday today and whereas most of you will have got up this morning and thought "Oh Christ, Monday, I hate Mondays" etc. I can honestly say I envy you all. I would love to have woke up this morning and be thinking the same thing because it would mean I have a job to go to.
You can tell from that I still don't. The weekend comes around and it feels normal - Friday night, Saturday & Sunday football, relaxing Sunday evenings... but then when everyone else goes back to normality I remain in limbo.

It didn't help that I had one of the few things I enjoy and look forward to taken away from me yesterday. I went to play football on Sunday and due to an injury picked up two weeks ago my hamstring pulled during the warm up so I couldn't play. Gutted. I will definitely be missing next weeks training game and I am worried that I might not be fit for the following week, so losing my place in the side. *sigh*.

Anyway... I hope you have all had a nice weekend. I know I keep promising a new recording, and I did try earlier today but due to my melancholic mood it wasn't sounding right. I will get it recorded soon because this is actually the first song I think I sing well and I want the opinions of all of you. Stay tuned.

Insert title here...

Because I couldn't think of one.
A very frustrating couple of days as far as Jake is concerned this week. I won't go into all the gory details but because of the seperation I don't see Jake as often (obviously). The problem is, I want the time we have together to be nice. Chatting about good stuff, chillin' out etc. But the past few days all I've done is tell him off. I hate it.
I've heard / read literature that says it's important not to over compensate during a seperation and that's something I agree with. I want to keep things as normal as possible for Jake during this difficult time for him and that means disciplining him when he deserves it. But when I'm only seeing him for short bursts it gives less time for both discipline AND making-up-having-fun. I can't forgo the whole telling off thing for the sake of a nice time here, as that would send the wrong message and make things harder in the long run.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not complaining as such. I have a wonderful son who I love more than my own life, but when I have days like the past few it's hard to remember that. In fact he's handled this situation a lot better than me. I'm immensely proud.
I have him here tonight and most of the day tomorrow, and then he's back to his mums until Tuesday night. While he's away I will record a cover of "The Fountainhead" by The Bluetones. That's a promise. Have a nice weekend.