A Long Weekend…

I’ve had a 4 day weekend. I finished work on Wednesday, left the ‘Technical Assistant’ a bunch of stuff to do on Thursday and Friday, in my absence, and then left work at 6 (an hour late).

The reason for my extended absence was for the simple, and soul-destroying reason that, I’m moving house.

In August I got confirmation that the tenancy on my apartment was not going to be renewed which meant that I would have to move out by the end of January. Then, a little while before Christmas (it could have been November) instead of looking for another place to rent I decided that as I was 30, and a big boy now, it was probably time to look into a mortgage, found a house, signed my name, the rest is history.

Problem! My house will be completed (built) by June, hopefully!

Homelessness is not an option, and 4 month rentals isn’t really an option so, what did I do? I moved back in with my Mum.

My weekend therefore was long, and busy, and consisted of:

• Thursday: Packing boxes, emptying drawers.
• Friday: Borrowing a van, moving big stuff to my Mum’s garage like beds, fridge, wardrobe, sofas, shelves.
• Saturday: Moving small boxes, lamps, shoes.
• Sunday: Cleaning bedrooms, bathrooms, cookers, ovens, carpets, curtains.

Needless to say, after 4 days of hard work, and Monday morning drawing ever nearer…

I feel like I’m ready for my weekend! :(

A Saturday that lasts a whole day!

I've been busy. And by busy I don't mean unable to surf the Internet or check my emails, but busy enough so that I don't get the chance to sit down and write anything of a reasonable length. (more than 140 characters)

As you can see, it's been a while since my last post, and I'm afraid to say that the reason is mainly 'Crown Green Bowling'. Now, I could bore you with the facts of the sport, and the rules, but to cut a very long story short, you throw 2 'bowls' at a 'jack', and try and make them stop closer than your opponent's bowls. Then, after the game you have a couple of beers, and have a laugh. It's fun, trust me.

Anyway, tomorrow, or rather today as it's after midnight, will be the first Saturday that I can remember that I do not have anything planned. No bowls. No motorbike riding (this is something else I've started doing this summer). Just the whole Saturday to myself (unless Claire takes me shopping). And I'm a little scared!

Usually, by one o'clock I'll be out and have something to do which will last me till after 5pm, by which time I can get home, relax for a little while and then open a beer or two (or 8). But tomorrow is different. Nothing planed to start at one o'clock. Nothing to pass the time, which make me scared that the day will feel like it lasts the full day.

Is this winter just going to be boring? Are the ever darkening nights going to be a prison of unmanageable days that are everlasting?

I was complaining when I was busy, but now I'm not busy, and I'm worried I'll have nothing to do. Perhaps a winter hobby? But what?

Anyway, time will tell! Watch this space!

Is it Monday Already???

When you're a child days last forever. Weeks seems to pass by infrequently, and months like Blue Moons.

I'm almost 30 now, and it's not like that any more! So frequently do I think to myself, “Is it Friday already?”, or “Back to work in the morning!”

The truth is, it seems that the longer we exist on this planet, the faster things seem to appear. But does one day for a 15 year old, seem to last twice as long as for a 30 year old?

I'm not sure, and this is one reason why I'm keeping this post short, because if time is moving faster, the older I become, I'm not wasting any more of it!!.

Yes, it is Monday tomorrow, and I am back to work, but it'll be Friday soon and (following a short stint at the Hut) I'll have another weekend to ponder life, and drink beer.

So, peace out, and take care, cos Life's short, and speeding up by the day.

Apparently I'm a Website Dude!

It seems that in the last week I have become a website builder! I'm not sure how it happened, but let me give you some back-story!

When I was 17, I'd been learning guitar for about a year, and a friend at school, Danny Bemrose, was also learning to play. We wrote some songs together, and then he went on to play in the junior side (Under 18) for Huddersfield Town (that's Football if you're reading this in the UK, and soccer if you aren't). Nothing much happened, for me (music wise), in the time between then and now!

Twelve years later, well, eleven because I started hearing about this band last summer. They'd got a booking for the Isle of Wight festival, and it was the first year in 3 that I wouldn't be going. The band was called 'Scars on 45', and their lead singer was Danny Bemrose!

This guy who I played junior cricket with, went to school with. Sat next to in Year 7 French was in a band, and playing at the Isle of Wight Festival. That was awesome!!!

Ok, so I hadn't seen him in like 9 nine years. Think the last time was in some club in Wakefield and he was drunk, and I was drunk, and the conversation wasn't exactly coherent.

So anyway all of a sudden, in March 2009, I hear that a band called Scars on 45 have made this song which was going to be played on the soundtrack of an episode of CSI: New York. This unsigned band that has the lead singer that I sat next to in French has managed to get one of their songs featured in an episode of a drama series that I watch every week.

Their mailing list is at scarson45@hotmail.co.uk and so I joined the list. I received some songs and that was cool.

One morning I was randomly searching through some domain names to see if they were available or not. I found one richthemexican.co.uk, which I picked up for £8.00, for 2 years. Having recently been browsing http://myspace.com/scarson45 I wondered whether they had sorted a site out yet. So I checked it, and scarson45.com was available. I dropped the band a line on email, telling them that the domain was available and that they should get it before they hit the big time and someone else gets the idea, and exploits it!

Fast forward to about a week ago. I notice that scarson45.com has been registered, and has a very simple website that mentions a little bit about the band, so I email the band's address (scarson45@hotmail.co.uk), asking if they took my advice, and registered the site that I'd seen. It turned out that the domain had been registered by someone else, who was now looking to sell the domain back to them at an elevated price.

To cut a long story short, since last Wednesday (7th April 2009) it seems that I have become the unofficial tech/web guy for Scars on 45, following numerous emails to Stu. My first actions seem to have been persuading Stuart (bass player) to purchase scarson45.co.uk, and scarson45.net, and then convincing him that I can build websites. Ok, so I bought this software online, and what I have produced so far looks ok, and includs some embedded video and audio media. And I'm doing all this because I once went to school with this guy who is now in an unsigned band, who I want to help make a success. For free!

Anyway, that's about all I have time for. Just thought I'd share with you. Check out the myspace page. I think the music is really good. Listen for yourself!

Lost: Update...

So, at the end of last weeks episode Sayid shot the Young Ben Linus! Does this mean that everything is going to change? Will Ben cease to exist from that point on and everything that has happened so far be changed, in a kind of temperal distortion??!!?!?

My money is on the fact that Ben (young) doesn't actually die from the shooting, because that would just cause all sorts of plot changes. Plus, other things have happened which haven't caused the future to change, so I guess they always went back in time, and always shot Ben. Which means Ben will not be dead.

Only 40 minutes to wait, to find out.

**Geek update over**

I'm nearly 30 and I'm working in the Kitchen at Pizza Hut

At the tender age of 29, I find myself working 5 hours on a Friday night at the Pizza Hut in Huddersfield, by the football stadium. It's not due to the credit crunch, I do earn enough money with my regular nine to five, and it's not really because I'm trying to save up for anything in particular.

About 6 weeks ago I decided that my Friday nights were being wasted with unsatisfactory television, and over indulgence in sparkling beverages (mainly Lager), and so thought that a regular evening of diverse conversation crossed with £5.73 (rising to £6.09 after 3 months) per hour would be a good substitute, for this weekly wasted evening.

My working history is quite simply. I started working at Pizza Hut 12 years ago, when I was 17, became a Junior Manager after graduating University, left Pizza Hut in 2005 to join Chiquito (a Mexican Themed Restaurant), and then left restaurants in 2007 to join the real world. One where people have lives outside of their jobs, and didn't work 70 hours per week.

During my 8 years at Pizza Hut I had made many friends, and remembered, that when not running the restaurant, it used to be quite a lot of fun, in between serving food, and dealing with customers (BLOODY CUSTOMERS!). So, I sent a text to an old friend who now runs the Pizza Hut next to the Galpharm Stadium in Huddersfield. He called me back, and I confirmed that I was not taking the piss, and did actually want to give up my Friday evenings to work in the kitchen, for him, making pizzas.

6 weeks on and I'm enjoying it. It's nice not to be in charge. It's nice being in the kitchen and away from bloody customers. I finish my day job at 5pm, drive to Huddersfield, and start making pizzas 6 till 11. Simple!

I started because I wanted to meet different people, and talk to new people, because quite frankly I think my Girlfriend has heard everything I have to say, and generally switches off! Topics of conversation vary, and include: films, music, women, drinking, science, andpizzas (of course).

So there you have it. After working 40 hours per week as Technical Manager, you'll find me Friday nights, in the kitchen, at Pizza Hut in Huddersfield. No Joke!

I recommend it.

Earth Hour

I've just been reading about earth hour. It's basically where you turn all your electric lights off, to prove to the world that you are serious about saving the planet.

I like the idea. And there seems to be a lot of people joining in. The first example being the Sydney Harbour bridge going dark at 20:30 (Australia time).

I am worried though. I saw a documentary on television not so long ago, detailing the precision required to keep a constant power supply to any given area, taking into account when people wake up, go to sleep, turn their kettles on during Coronation street, mowing the lawn etc. And they have to match the output to the demand, otherwise the result, on both extremes could be 'Blackout', if the demand exceeds the supply, or electricity being wasted, for the opposite reason. And if electricity is being wasted, then this means that the planet is being abused, with no benefit to it's inhabitants (us).

In other words, I hope that us turning of our lights doesn't trigger the most inefficient day in the history of electricity production!!!

Problems aside, I have been practising for my big switch off, at 2030 (GMT). I am currently in my spare room, at my computer. The only light on in the house is my desk light. Please see the pictures (above), to show how I will be working during my Earth Hour.

(Please note: I have been unable to switch off my camera's flash, and therefore the red haze which can be seen on the wall, is the light from the flash passing through my finger, which is covering the flash)