Nov 4 2009

New Year, Birthday, USA

For people like me, Halloween time marks the end of one year and the beginning of the next.  And to be honest I’m not sad to see the back of this one.

It’s been a pretty lame year for me.  I’ve gone from a full time rubbish job, to no job at all, to very part time rubbish job.  I’ve had a 5 year relationship fail (getting a house, thinking kids, marriage - all dreams turned to dust), had to move back in with my parents, have been broke most the year.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s not been unbearable.  No one close to me has died, I’ve still got my health, my family, my friends, my car.  But for the most part this year has felt like a giant step backwards, and frankly I’d had enough of the wretched thing.  It’s been bleak, if not down right fucking depressing.

About the only positive thing that’s happened this year has been getting my CELTA qualification to teach, but even that has so far yielded no results.  Apparently it’s a bad time of year for those kind of jobs.  The only other good times have been when I’ve gotten a chance to see my friends.  Those times glow like lanterns in the mist for me.  And even they are far too rare and irregular.

The New Year is, however, looking markedly brighter already.  I’ve had a response about a job I’m very interested in, in the sector I want to work in, which is a huge bonus (if not a downright miracle).  I’m going for a beer with the bossman on Friday (the Kentish equivalent of a job interview) and discussing it further.  Fingers, and all other digits/extremities crossed for that.  I’ve also had a bit of a reunion with an old flame, and while it’s early days, things are definitely looking up in that department.  I’m trying to see my friends more often, trying to get back in shape down the gym, and I’ve (tentatively) started writing again.  As Summer turns to Autumn, Winter turns to Spring.  Yes sir, things are definitely starting to get better.

Oh, and today is my birthday.  Yay.

Peace

Ps. Harps peoples, I’m thinking of coming and terrorising you this weekend.  Be prepared.  Bring lube, a firework, a tin of iron filings and an amourous ferret.  You can’t stop me, you can only hope to contain me.

Funny Links (USA theme today)

US of A - Since we get a fair few yank readers here at the Blog I thought I’d stick up a link to an awesome song given to me by an American mate.  Get them flags a’wavin y’all. (My friend played it on loudspearkers while driving around Iraq in the army.

Gone Fishing - For every man who lives fishing more than his woman.

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Nov 7 2007

Updated to the max!

It’s been a busy week in Blogland folks, very busy. Hence the lack of posts. Once again I find myself apologising for being a lazy blogger. But you’re probably used to it by now, so maybe you’ll forgive me, indulge me, allow me my eccentricities, just shrug and say ‘hey, that’s just his way’. Or maybe you won’t, maybe, just maybe, you actually look forward to reading this. Perhaps, at the far range of the possibility spectrum, perhaps you even enjoy coming here to swim among the drifting tides of my often rambling writings. Perhaps after reading a post you pull yourself from the warm sea of inanity and sun yourself in the warm fuzzy feeling of once again being up to date with the to-ings and fro-ings of the Blog. It might just happen.

Anyway, where was I … oh, yes, busy - busy busy busy.

So it’s been Guy Fawkes night over here in the UK, where we celebrate our shared heritage by blowing things up. Personally I went down to the Tenterden Bonfire with my lady and bro. It was a slightly creepy experience, with the town crier slowly walking down the high street in all his antiquated finery, ringing his bell and the entire town’s population falling into step behind him and following like a herd of sheep towards the bonfire site. It was all very Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The bonfire itself was huge and awesome, the Guy an oversized blue teddy bear. Blue because burning any other coloured effigy is seen to be inciting racial hatred. The country has gone PC mad. The fireworks were amazing for such a small town, drawing a suitable amount of oohs and ahhs from the crowd. It was great really feeling part of the town for the first time, laughing and enjoying the kids excitement at the spectacle, enjoying it twice over - once for myself and again for the reflected appreciation of the crowd around us. My favourite firework had to be the machine gun like one which hurled hundreds of individual tiny fireworks across the sky in a constant stream of sparks and colour. Ohh, ahh!

It’s also been my birthday this weekend, which has been a quiet family affair really. Thanks to those of you out there in Blogland who left birthday messages in a bewildering variety of electronic formats, facebooked, emailed, myspaced, texted. Funny that no one just posts a birthday card anymore. A big thanks to my lovely lady for coming the width of the country to come visit, having you here really made the weekend special for me.

And also - I know, I know, so many updates!! - I got the results for my MA today. I am happy to announce that I PASSED, and rather well too. I’m not really fully on the ball with the marking schemes but I’m hoping to pick up a merit or distinction above and beyond the pass - not that I’m not chuffed just to have passed it at all! So at least 4 years of Uni weren’t a total waste. Bit of a shout out to the other Sussex PG’s in Brighton, doubt you’ll ever read this, but I hope you got the marks you were wishing for, I know you all deserved it! So now I pick up another set of initials - Lone. BA. MA. Now it’s down to me to make use of all that learning in the real world and try to do something worthwhile with all that education!

And that’s you up to date at the Blog!


Bushism of the day:
 “The problem with the French is that they don’t have a word for entrepreneur.” —George W. Bush, discussing the decline of the French economy with British Prime Minister Tony Blair

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