Back from the cold

Oh my God, has it been cold lately or what!? I don't think I saw the temperature get over 7 degrees this whole past week. I am completely gagging for my holiday home now. My skin is so white I think I've become opaque... and without some sun I may soon start to disappear. Having said all that, my current bone white complexion does make the dark lines under my eyes stand out more, giving me that gaunt, haunted look so coveted by goths the world over. All I need now is the morbid attitude.

Ahh yes, those eye enhancing dark smudges. They come complements of work. I did some extra bits to help streamline my own work here in south west London and my line manager asked to see an example of what I'd done, so I sent him an e-mail with the work attached. He was quite impressed and thinks the entire team should adopt my ideas. He then asked me if I'd like a 20 minute slot at the next team meeting to present what I'd done. Not being the type to turn down an opportunity to stand out a bit, I said yes. So besides normal working hours, much of the evenings this week have been dedicated to bashing out a (pretty damn good if I don't say so myself) Powerpoint presentation on said ideas. Today I presented it. It went well. My name will be mentioned in high placed. I couldn't ask for more than that.

On the leisure side of things, I'm so keen to play squash that I dropped into JJB's this evening on the way home from work and picked up a new squash raquet, some squash balls, and... ohhhh... and and and... a Puma wrist band to wipe the sweat I intend to generate off my forehead. So will someone please come play with me now? And while I'm about it, if anyone in London reads this and feels like a bit of social touch-rugby then be at Clapham Common tube station at 10:45. There's a group of us who play every Saturday... hangovers and all. Usually followed by a couple of cold ones in the pub. It's a good vibe but the Aussies are KILLING us Saffa's at the moment so get yer green and gold on and come join! Uncle Madiba needs YOU! *pointing finger*

For some bizarre reason this is the funniest thing I've read all week. My 4 year old walks around the house saying: "hello. I am david hasselhoff." I blame spongebob the movie. It comes complements of Kit.

I see that the master of sampling, Eminem, is back with a wicked new tune. I think it's the dogs! It's like minimalist music - just a drum beat, a sample, and Marshal waxing lyrical. But the best bit is that he seems to have returned to his roots. No more wanky dumbass lyrics, instead they've been replaced by something with more substance. Bring it on I say!

And some more great albums to listen to:

The Vaselines - The Way of the Vaselines (The Vaselines are the original writers and performers of Nirvana covers 'Son of a Gun', 'Molly's Lips', and of course the anthem 'Jesus Don't Want Me for a Sunbeam' Not a new album, but recently re-released on Subpop Records. It's raw, dual vocal, pre-grunge punk rock' Geddit!)
Athlete - Tourist
The Zutons - Who Killed the Zutons

And it's at this stage that I decide this post is FAR too fragmented to be allowed to continue.

Brain Fart

It not so much that I dislike actually doing work on a PC. In fact I quite enjoy it. But I do have to ask myself why, at just gone 23:00, I've finally stopped slaving away over a fucking gargantuan spreadsheet, which I've spent the last week lovingly coaxing into existence. Ok, so on the plus side I can now make it generate HUGELY impressive graphs (or they will be in about 3 months time anyway), flip my data around left, right, up, down, and from the middle out. Do cartwheels. And even create origamy frogs.

I can already see that this bastard is going to consume some serious 'unpaid' time. Fucker.

And by the way I didn't check the spelling of origamy so it may be wrong. And I feel like swearing ALOT too.

I've had a company car for a bit over a week now. I now owe the council £90 for that pleasure. Sodding parking fines. Fuck them. And if you want me to pay them then fix your fucking telephonic payment system so that I don't get cut off before I get my receipt number. That way I would know if I had actually paid the fine yet... twice (because I tried to twice)... or if it didn't go through either time.

You should also see Closer. Not just because Natalie Portman looks the dogs bollocks in a g-string but because it happens to be one of the best films you'll see this year. Brilliantly constructed. Lovingly shot. Excellently acted (barring knobhead Jude Law who couldn't act his way out of a paper bag). I found myself admiring just about all the traits of Clive Owen's character, but saw more of myself in Mr Laws' character.

Don't ask me, I know less than you.

So that's 2 great movies in under a week. Next up it has to be Million Dollar Baby. Any film that scores 97% on Rotten Tomatoes has got to be special.

More to come...

Holiday Approved

Well it's a time to be happy. Despite working for the new company for all of one week so far I've just had my holiday approved for February! Personally I wasn't holding my breath while I waited for the answer. I mean, come one, start a new job, work for a month, and then get 2 weeks off?! Lets just say that I didn't rate my chances. But all of that makes nought difference now as it's confirmed that I'll be flying out of Heathrow on the 13th of February and landing in sunny Cape Town on Valentines Day. Just in time to wish my Valentine (via phone, but at least from the same country).

So I'll be in Cape Town for a whirlwind two weeks. Trying to cram in as much time with my folks as possible, spending some time in Knysna with Nat's folks (errr... and the lady herself), catching up with old friends (especially the two I didn't get to see last year, namely Caryn and Jay... sorry guys, I did try though). I see at least one massive night at Cornerhouse and one at La Med. After that maybe a revisit to some old university haunts. I don't know. I guess I'll just go with the flow, although this time I do intend to spend some serious time on the beaches and go up Table Mountain. I'm such a slacker when it comes to that stuff!

Other than that there's no real news at the moment. I went out to the Swan on Saturday night to see Esterche's last night in the smoke off properly. And boy did we do it proper! Beers and wine in the flat before hand, followed by 'Snakey B's' at the club. If you happened to be at the Swan that night I was we were that REAAAAALLY drunk group on the dancefloor. You know, THAT one.

Actually I don't think I want to talk about that night much. It's rather embarassing really.

Off to work now. Catch you all laters.

Such Great Heights

I am thinking it's a sign that the freckles
In our eyes are mirror images and when
We kiss they're perfectly aligned
And I have to speculate that God himself
Did make us into corresponding shapes like
Puzzle pieces from the clay
True, it may seem like a stretch, but
Its thoughts like this that catch my troubled
Head when you're away when I am missing you to death
When you are out there on the road for
Several weeks of shows and when you scan
The radio, I hope this song will guide you home

They will see us waving from such great
Heights, 'come down now,' they'll say
But everything looks perfect from far away,
'come down now,' but we'll stay...

I tried my best to leave this all on your
Machine but the persistent beat it sounded
Thin upon listening
That frankly will not fly. you will hear
The shrillest highs and lowest lows with
The windows down when this is guiding you home

- The Postal Service, 'Such Great Heights'

Such damn good sentiment.

I watched Garden State last night. I was going to write a review about it, but Adrian just did. His is accurate so I won't bother. The film is brilliant. For a while the end of the film mirored my own life, and past decisions I've made. Then it decided to make a 180 degree flip... and make me cringe and wonder. Should I have stayed? I guess we'll never know. One thing I do love is recognising obscure songs on movie soundtracks. Like The Postal Service's 'Such Great Heights playing in the middle of Garden State (although it was the Iron and Wine cover version). Damn... I'd like to watch that movie again.

Proper work starts tomorrow at 09:30 in Brentford. To see me through until my new car is ready the company had a hire car delivered to me this morning. A Pugeot 307. Initially I was excited about it as I quite like the new Pugeot styling. I am however not impressed with the car. From the moment I pressed the break pedal I knew it was going to be a disappointment.

Ok, so maybe I was spoiled for having a big ass Vectra for my last company car, but still. The 307 looks great, like it should be reasonably pricey in it's class (I haven't checked), but just doesn't feel/drive anywhere near as good as it looks. Not even close. I realize that I've probably lost about 6 inches of rubber contact with the road across 4 tires between the Vectra and the 307... but that can't account for the vast difference in drive quality. It could account for the fact that it took me 3 months, at just under 1000 miles a week, to get the Vectras' ABS and Active Stability Management systems to kick in (while going too fast, on a bend, down a hill, in the rain) and only 11 miles to get the 307 to do the same (on a slightly wet road). *shrugs* Who knows. I'm not overly impressed.

I'll write more when I get back home on Friday evening. Stay safe.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

I made some New Years resolutions this year. Two sets in fact.

The first set (decided a couple of days in advance):
1. To start running regularly again.
2. To get back into playing squash again (I'm proud to say that I played 6 and a half games this evening, 3 against Claire, 2 against Wendy, and 1.5 against Steven. Now my bum hurts and I can barely walk but it's a beginning.)
3. To find a club team and start playing field hockey again.

The second set (written down on a postcard at the pub on New Years eve along with eveyone else)
1. To get fit (ties in nicely with the previous set of resolutions).
2. To make my immenent relationship work.
3. To begin to see Europe.

They're all good I think. Getting fit will be the biggest hurdle. The relationship, well, I don't have too many worries there - we're used to working hard on maintaining it. Seeing Europe will just involve me getting off my arse and planning a bit - and with a rocking partner motivation won't be a problem any more.

It's got to be said that 2004 was very much a year of ups and downs for me. The end of 2004 marks the end of my first year in London. It saw me hired by a blue-chip company, working my arse off for a number of months for said company, and then resigning from the company. However, after surviving all the scandal the last 12 months kicked up the beginning of 2005 sees everything beginning to settle down again. It's another beginning, with another blue-chip company, more market leading brands, and in many respects an opportunity which suits me more than the last one did. Without rehashing too much, 2005 holds alot in store for me. I hope it does the same for you.

Best wishes for the New Year.