Somehow I've let another full month slip by without comment. That means films I've not written about all kinds of fun that's been going on. Well, I say fun... and certainly some fun has been had... but, a couple of high points aside, this last month hasn't been great.
I'll get the crummy stuff out of the way first, because it's actually pretty brief: The biggest point is that I'm still out of work. The longer I'm out of work, the more worthless I feel, and it's now been almost two full months. This has led to the usual sense of apathy - I've left the flat probably only once this week despite needing to do some shopping, the washing up finally got some attention today (I found a fine bloom of mould in the set juices of a lamb joint I cooked earlier in the week... and haven't dealt with it yet), and all the phone calls I should have made this week were put off. Also, after a weekend away last week (more on which later), I found a couple of my shirts were quite badly stained by sun lotion... but only after they came out of the wash. Time to bring out the Vanish, I guess... but there's this creeping sense that they're ruined and that the effort would be wasted.
Similar feelings are aroused whenever I think about drawing or writing or - perhaps most strangely - playing videogames. Why start when it's going to go terribly wrong? Hell, I started this blog post first thing Friday morning, then gave up about two sentences in. I've got a cool idea for a sketch, but it's kind of only half-formed, and I just know I'll produce a shitty, scruffy scribble if I don't know exactly how I want to draw it... Or even if I do, for that matter.
And I've got a whole bunch of recorded TV that I wanted to get through... But I averaged about 15 minutes before putting anything on pause for anything between a couple of minutes and a couple of hours because none of the stuff actually interested me. Now, OK, part of that is because at least half of it turned out to be crap...
While it's been incredibly hot, the paper on my ceilings has been peeling in the lounge (about a third has come down already... and I'd pull down the rest if it weren't for the vacuuming I'd have to do afterwards), the hall (notably around the area where the ceiling was leaking) and the bedroom (strangely not just where there's evidence of water leaking in). I also had two rounds of baby spiders bursting forth from behind (above?) the paper on the ceiling, so I've been confining myself to a flat that seems intent on making me feel even worse than I already do.
Quite frankly, I've spent much of the last couple of days wishing I could just fade away, because I'm just not doing anything to justify the electricity/space/oxygen I'm using. I keep looking at my collection of stuff - toys, videogames, music - vacillating between wanting to sell it or just smash it.
On the upside... Well, for starters, there are more movies to write up than I can remember... Pacific Rim was OK, if rather predictable. The World's End felt a little overlong and, while it was probably the most thoughtful and thought-provoking part of the Cornetto Trilogy, the thoughts it ultimately provoked weren't as positive as those from Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. I'm sure there have been other movies since Man of Steel... but, like I said, none that I remember.
During the last full week of July, I popped down to Ladbroke Grove and visited a kind of theatrical installation called Crashed, put on by Immercity (see also here). For about the first half, I was wondering if this 'alien crash site' experience was intended as a form of edutainment, since all the 'aliens' seemed to be very similar to terrestrial sea life. Some of it was quite clever (though the use of filler foam and silicon sealant for 'alien coral' didn't quite work for me) and the overall experience was certainly enjoyable... though I can't help but feel it was diminished somewhat by the insight into life as a jobbing actor given by my group's 'guide' before the tour officially started.
The aforementioned weekend away was an awesome trip into Lincolnshire, to stay with my girlfriend and her family. While I saw more of her parents when I first met them (when they came into London), and barely spoke to her sister and her boyfriend, it was a bizarrely comfortable experience. I don't sleep properly on the first couple of nights in any new location whenever I travel - this has been part of who I am as long as I've been doing any travelling - yet I slept incredibly well there. The outward journey was delayed by a series of faults (signals, track and locomotive!) that had me arriving almost two and a half hours late, so the first afternoon/evening was a write-off.
Saturday was spent at Skegness, the kind of cheesy seaside resort that I just love. We wandered along the seafront, through the funfair, down the pier... Visited the seal sanctuary, had some pub grub, bought lots of rock... Even sampled some Skegness slurpees (of the non-alcoholic variety, but the range on offer truly boggled the mind) and Choco Kebabs. That was the only full day, as I was due to return home on Sunday evening... Giving me just enough time to take in a small portion of the sights in Lincoln in the morning and early afternoon. This was largely a tour of the shopping centre (including lunch) and a trudge up Steep Hill taking in the traditional delights of the tea shop, the sweet shop, the ice cream shop and finally the cathedral.
While the day trips were amazing fun, just hanging around at my girlfriend's home was cool... not least because of the swings in the back garden. For a short trip involving a fair bit of travel, it was surprisingly relaxing, and I got back into town feeling ready to tackle the week I had planned...
...Which leads me to suspect that what I'm feeling is the crash after a sugar high brought on by my binging on sweets since Monday. A box of 1980s-themed sweets lasted me to Wednesday (and that was through rationing - I thought - quite harshly), so I've only got a few sticks of rock left. My fridge is basically empty, not just of healthy stuff, but of anything that isn't bread, pickles, or processed cheese.
If I'm right, then this low should clear itself pretty quickly... I've actually been feeling a bit better since reaching the conclusion that my state of mind is largely induced by sugar poisoning, so perhaps all I need is a good night's sleep... but I've been staying up to silly o'clock all week, and sleeping fitfully... Maybe I'll get back on track this weekend.
Saturday, 3 August 2013
Tuesday, 2 July 2013
Recap
It's very rare, in the history of this blog, for the month of June to go by without a single mention of my birthday, but that's just what's happened this year. That's not through lack of things to blog about - quite the reverse. If nothing else, the small fact that I'm now less than a year from turning 40 is something to write about. So, yay! 39!
For my birthday, my girlfriend and I had a cool day out at the Tower of London. I've been meaning to go back there for years, as the only other time I've been was a school trip, wayback when. Since I remember so little of the original trip, it's probably not surprising that it all seemed completely new... either they've changed things around a lot in the intervening years, I've forgotten more about it than I thought, or it's a mixture of both. Probably the latter, since I've heard tell of Living History shows (in addition to the beefeaters and guards), though there were none in evidence the day we went.
For anyone looking to go to the Tower, I would heartily recommend going on the London Walks tour, since that offers not only a fascinating load of history about the tower, its occupants, and the politics of the time, but it also gets you into the Tower cheaper. The whole thing got off to a bad start, with the guide arriving about 45 minutes late, but the walk - taking in areas outside the Tower grounds as well as inside - was very lively and interesting (London Walks generally are very good!). Once the guide left us - the tour finishes in the interminable queue for the Crown Jewels - things became a bit more random, as there's virtually no structure to the Tower as a tourist attraction. You can pick up a map, and then you are set upon your way. There's plenty to see and experience but, after such a brilliant guided tour, I felt something of a spare part. Some sections of the grounds are very definitely one-way systems, with rope barriers preventing visitors going where they shouldn't. Gift shops are everywhere and, while there's some crossover in the products available, most have something unique somewhere in their stock.
Interesting fact about the guards at the Tower: If you're in their way when they're marching, they shout "Make way for the Queen!"... and they really do expect you to make way for them. Also, the reason the queue for the jewels is so long isn't the jewels themselves... but an unaccountably hypnotic video presentation in the room before. People just bunch up in the doorway, so my advice would be to move straight on as soon as you see that room.
We ended up staying quite late and, despite the day being overcast and quite rainy at times, I ended up with some slight sunburn on my nose, forehead and, very probably, the top of my head where my hair is thinning - I do keep forgetting to wear a hat and/or use sunscreen...
I've also been a bit unwell lately. On my final day at my last job, I was struck by either food poisoning or a stomach bug of some kind (the latter being very common in that office - at one point, barely a fortnight went by without someone on my team getting a stomach bug and, judging by the sound effects in the Gents, it was just as common on other floors). About a week later, the same kind of thing happened to me at home (seemed very likely to be food poisoning that time, since I'd eaten something that was a little past it's 'Best Before' date). Just yesterday, the same thing happened again... though it's not exactly the same. This round came with terrible stomach cramps (which woke me up during the night and required pain killers) and a couple of other symptoms I shan't mention. Suffice it to say, I've made an appointment with my GP.
Just to add to the fun, after my ant infestation back in April, I've notices wasps flying in and out of a hole left by a loose and protruding board beneath the guttering around the roof. At some point, I shall have to call in the exterminators again... but I've only seen two or three at most for the moment - no sign of any swarming. I shouldn't be procrastinating, but it's another expense I can do without right now.
On a similar note, I received a letter from the managing agents of my flats - asking for a little over two and a half thousand pounds, to ensure the roof works can go ahead. Now, on the one hand, this is great news, and exactly what I've been hoping for over the last two or three years... On the other hand, they basically wanted the money within ten days of the date of the letter when, only a couple of years ago, I had to stump up just over two thousand for roof works which didn't happen. I had expected, based on my many conversations and email exchanges with the managing agents, that the landlord would foot the bill and then recoup the money in service charge. I did not expect to have to pay for roof works before they happened... not after last time. I wrote back to the managing agents, saying as much... and it took a week for them to get back to me, saying only that they would get back to me...
In other news, I've seen a few movies recently... World War Z is roundly described as having only the title in common with the book. It was a fairly dull, generic zombie movie in which the CGI hordes frequently behaved like a fluid, rather than crowds of former people. It also had a rather politically dodgy sequence where the singing of a group of Muslim refugees caused the swift downfall of a Jewish safe zone. I gather the book was quite far-reaching - evidently beyond Hollywood, either in terms of budget or intelligence and insight... Or possibly both. Perhaps I'll pick up the book, and see what the story was supposed to be about.
Man of Steel wasn't quite the triumphal return of Superman I'd hoped for. On balance, despite its flaws, I much prefer Superman Returns. Superman is one of those heroes that just doesn't do 'gritty', so this virtually monochromatic reboot, with it's jumpy camera work and dark tone seemed like something else altogether. Henry Cavill was great, Amy Adams was better than I'd expected as Lois Lane (I should expect better of her, but since I've only seen her do comedy thusfar, playing a seasoned investigative journalist seemed like a stretch... then again, I haven't like the casting of Lois Lane in any version of Superman in my lifetime!). The premise was superficially similar to Christopher Reeve's Superman 2, in that it featured General Zod and his cohorts arriving on Earth. The rest was like that rash of 'alien invasion' flicks that hit a couple of years ago. If this is paving the way for a Justice League movie, I suspect it's still a good few years off... The Avengers worked by coming after two Iron Man movies and one each of Thor and Captain America. Justice League would require a deeper look into this new Superman and, at the very least, introduce this continuity's Batman and Wonder Woman... the latter being a contentious property at best.
Movies aren't the only things I've been seeing lately, though. My girlfriend invited me to the recording of a Greg Proops podcast uptown, which was a very entertaining evening. I remember Proops from Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and had listened to one of his podcasts a few months back, so I had a fair idea what to expect. Seeing something like that in person is always a treat, though, and since each show is a completely new podcast, it was a unique experience.
A couple of days later, I took my girlfriend to see Derren Brown's new live show, Infamous. Due to the nature of the show, they ask that everyone in the audience keeps quiet about the content, so I won't go into detail. It wasn't as new and unique as I'd hoped - quite a few parts of the show were repackaged from previous tours - though it was an incredibly good evening, and seeing his performances is always a treat. The Palace Theatre is a beautiful venue - intricate carvings adorn the balconies and boxes, and it has the labyrinthine layout of all old London theatres. I've been wanting to see Derren Brown live for many years now, having seen previous shows when they turned up on television, and will probably try to see his next show, whenever that might be.
One thing I will mention, since it's not directly related to the content of the show, is that one of the possible 'volunteers' seemed to be faking his trance-like state. While most seemed genuinely hypnotised, this one guy, when 'dismissed' behaved very differently from the others, stretching and yawning as if he'd literally been asleep on his feet. I was only a little disappointed that I didn't succumb to the trance... Part of me was terrified by Mr Brown's description of what we should be feeling, so I found myself very deliberately checking myself every few moments. Weirdly, it's been said of me before that I'd never relax enough to let anyone hypnotise me, and I guess that evening served as confirmation.
Since finishing my last job, I've spent rather too long worrying about my lack of 'productivity' and not enough time striving to be productive. That lasted a good couple of weeks then, last week, I actually managed to start getting stuff done. On a whim, I did some sketching. I started adding to my other blogs. I finally got this update written, when some of this stuff could have been written about two or three weeks ago.
Still, any progress is good progress, right?
For my birthday, my girlfriend and I had a cool day out at the Tower of London. I've been meaning to go back there for years, as the only other time I've been was a school trip, wayback when. Since I remember so little of the original trip, it's probably not surprising that it all seemed completely new... either they've changed things around a lot in the intervening years, I've forgotten more about it than I thought, or it's a mixture of both. Probably the latter, since I've heard tell of Living History shows (in addition to the beefeaters and guards), though there were none in evidence the day we went.
For anyone looking to go to the Tower, I would heartily recommend going on the London Walks tour, since that offers not only a fascinating load of history about the tower, its occupants, and the politics of the time, but it also gets you into the Tower cheaper. The whole thing got off to a bad start, with the guide arriving about 45 minutes late, but the walk - taking in areas outside the Tower grounds as well as inside - was very lively and interesting (London Walks generally are very good!). Once the guide left us - the tour finishes in the interminable queue for the Crown Jewels - things became a bit more random, as there's virtually no structure to the Tower as a tourist attraction. You can pick up a map, and then you are set upon your way. There's plenty to see and experience but, after such a brilliant guided tour, I felt something of a spare part. Some sections of the grounds are very definitely one-way systems, with rope barriers preventing visitors going where they shouldn't. Gift shops are everywhere and, while there's some crossover in the products available, most have something unique somewhere in their stock.
Interesting fact about the guards at the Tower: If you're in their way when they're marching, they shout "Make way for the Queen!"... and they really do expect you to make way for them. Also, the reason the queue for the jewels is so long isn't the jewels themselves... but an unaccountably hypnotic video presentation in the room before. People just bunch up in the doorway, so my advice would be to move straight on as soon as you see that room.
We ended up staying quite late and, despite the day being overcast and quite rainy at times, I ended up with some slight sunburn on my nose, forehead and, very probably, the top of my head where my hair is thinning - I do keep forgetting to wear a hat and/or use sunscreen...
I've also been a bit unwell lately. On my final day at my last job, I was struck by either food poisoning or a stomach bug of some kind (the latter being very common in that office - at one point, barely a fortnight went by without someone on my team getting a stomach bug and, judging by the sound effects in the Gents, it was just as common on other floors). About a week later, the same kind of thing happened to me at home (seemed very likely to be food poisoning that time, since I'd eaten something that was a little past it's 'Best Before' date). Just yesterday, the same thing happened again... though it's not exactly the same. This round came with terrible stomach cramps (which woke me up during the night and required pain killers) and a couple of other symptoms I shan't mention. Suffice it to say, I've made an appointment with my GP.
Just to add to the fun, after my ant infestation back in April, I've notices wasps flying in and out of a hole left by a loose and protruding board beneath the guttering around the roof. At some point, I shall have to call in the exterminators again... but I've only seen two or three at most for the moment - no sign of any swarming. I shouldn't be procrastinating, but it's another expense I can do without right now.
On a similar note, I received a letter from the managing agents of my flats - asking for a little over two and a half thousand pounds, to ensure the roof works can go ahead. Now, on the one hand, this is great news, and exactly what I've been hoping for over the last two or three years... On the other hand, they basically wanted the money within ten days of the date of the letter when, only a couple of years ago, I had to stump up just over two thousand for roof works which didn't happen. I had expected, based on my many conversations and email exchanges with the managing agents, that the landlord would foot the bill and then recoup the money in service charge. I did not expect to have to pay for roof works before they happened... not after last time. I wrote back to the managing agents, saying as much... and it took a week for them to get back to me, saying only that they would get back to me...
In other news, I've seen a few movies recently... World War Z is roundly described as having only the title in common with the book. It was a fairly dull, generic zombie movie in which the CGI hordes frequently behaved like a fluid, rather than crowds of former people. It also had a rather politically dodgy sequence where the singing of a group of Muslim refugees caused the swift downfall of a Jewish safe zone. I gather the book was quite far-reaching - evidently beyond Hollywood, either in terms of budget or intelligence and insight... Or possibly both. Perhaps I'll pick up the book, and see what the story was supposed to be about.
Man of Steel wasn't quite the triumphal return of Superman I'd hoped for. On balance, despite its flaws, I much prefer Superman Returns. Superman is one of those heroes that just doesn't do 'gritty', so this virtually monochromatic reboot, with it's jumpy camera work and dark tone seemed like something else altogether. Henry Cavill was great, Amy Adams was better than I'd expected as Lois Lane (I should expect better of her, but since I've only seen her do comedy thusfar, playing a seasoned investigative journalist seemed like a stretch... then again, I haven't like the casting of Lois Lane in any version of Superman in my lifetime!). The premise was superficially similar to Christopher Reeve's Superman 2, in that it featured General Zod and his cohorts arriving on Earth. The rest was like that rash of 'alien invasion' flicks that hit a couple of years ago. If this is paving the way for a Justice League movie, I suspect it's still a good few years off... The Avengers worked by coming after two Iron Man movies and one each of Thor and Captain America. Justice League would require a deeper look into this new Superman and, at the very least, introduce this continuity's Batman and Wonder Woman... the latter being a contentious property at best.
Movies aren't the only things I've been seeing lately, though. My girlfriend invited me to the recording of a Greg Proops podcast uptown, which was a very entertaining evening. I remember Proops from Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and had listened to one of his podcasts a few months back, so I had a fair idea what to expect. Seeing something like that in person is always a treat, though, and since each show is a completely new podcast, it was a unique experience.
A couple of days later, I took my girlfriend to see Derren Brown's new live show, Infamous. Due to the nature of the show, they ask that everyone in the audience keeps quiet about the content, so I won't go into detail. It wasn't as new and unique as I'd hoped - quite a few parts of the show were repackaged from previous tours - though it was an incredibly good evening, and seeing his performances is always a treat. The Palace Theatre is a beautiful venue - intricate carvings adorn the balconies and boxes, and it has the labyrinthine layout of all old London theatres. I've been wanting to see Derren Brown live for many years now, having seen previous shows when they turned up on television, and will probably try to see his next show, whenever that might be.
One thing I will mention, since it's not directly related to the content of the show, is that one of the possible 'volunteers' seemed to be faking his trance-like state. While most seemed genuinely hypnotised, this one guy, when 'dismissed' behaved very differently from the others, stretching and yawning as if he'd literally been asleep on his feet. I was only a little disappointed that I didn't succumb to the trance... Part of me was terrified by Mr Brown's description of what we should be feeling, so I found myself very deliberately checking myself every few moments. Weirdly, it's been said of me before that I'd never relax enough to let anyone hypnotise me, and I guess that evening served as confirmation.
Since finishing my last job, I've spent rather too long worrying about my lack of 'productivity' and not enough time striving to be productive. That lasted a good couple of weeks then, last week, I actually managed to start getting stuff done. On a whim, I did some sketching. I started adding to my other blogs. I finally got this update written, when some of this stuff could have been written about two or three weeks ago.
Still, any progress is good progress, right?
Friday, 7 June 2013
Shortbread
So... what's new in the world of //ƒuƶƶy[løgic]?
Well, today was the last day in a temping assignment that started last year... I was almost on my own in the office, and kept quite busy managing a potential disaster that occurred as a result of a misunderstanding at the Printers. The returning mum - whose maternity leave I had been covering - had been absent from the office for the last few days because her baby has been unwell (getting unwell is basically what babies do, after all), and there's no certainty that she'll be back on Monday... But I won't be there either way... I'll be taking a well-earned break. I'm intending to write a bit of a rant about the job - certainly some events from the last few months, at least - but that can wait. I am genuinely sad to leave... the work has been fun and, by and large, I like the people there... but the company as a whole is a little bit nutty.
Today is also a demi-anniversary... I know I haven't said much about my successful dating on this blog, and that is likely to continue to be the case... Still, six months, eh? I somehow resisted the urge to post something 'subtle' on Facebook. Then again, I dislike Facebook, and try to keep my interactions with it to a minimum anyway.
So now I'm free to do my own stuff for a bit, and happily in a relationship. Nice coincidence.
In weird news, I almost bumped into another actor recently... While strolling to the station on the way home from work, Douglas frickin' Henshall wandered along the road right in front of me. This sort of thing hasn't happened since I worked in Notting Hill Gate (when it was such a regular occurrence, it almost became passé... Though seeing an unshaven Charles Dance lugging around a pair of Sainsbury's carrier bags laden with groceries can surely never be truly passé) but I guess actors can occasionally be found near the great shopping streets of London... Especially where there are theatres nearby.
Then there's the strange dream I had, in which my girlfriend left my home (actually my parents' home in terms of the way it looked) in such a hurry, she left a whole load of stuff behind, and I had to go after her. Or the dream in which I sort of became Spider-Man (the Tobey Maguire/Internal Web Shooters version, rather than the Andrew Garfield/Truer-to-the-Comics version), escaping from some pursuers in a damp labyrinth by swinging up to a higher level using webbing that seemed to come out of my wrists.
And for the last few days I've been rather ill... I seem to have picked up some kind of stomach bug (and, going by the sound effects in the gents at the office, there's a lot of it going around) which has been most unpleasant, and is the reason for me being here, at home, blogging, rather than with my girlfriend, celebrating six completely amazing months (or more, were we to include the full length of time we've known each other).
If my stomach doesn't clear up over the weekend, I shall be visiting my GP first thing on Monday... Really don't want illness getting in the way of my doing stuff with all this free time I have now...
Well, today was the last day in a temping assignment that started last year... I was almost on my own in the office, and kept quite busy managing a potential disaster that occurred as a result of a misunderstanding at the Printers. The returning mum - whose maternity leave I had been covering - had been absent from the office for the last few days because her baby has been unwell (getting unwell is basically what babies do, after all), and there's no certainty that she'll be back on Monday... But I won't be there either way... I'll be taking a well-earned break. I'm intending to write a bit of a rant about the job - certainly some events from the last few months, at least - but that can wait. I am genuinely sad to leave... the work has been fun and, by and large, I like the people there... but the company as a whole is a little bit nutty.
Today is also a demi-anniversary... I know I haven't said much about my successful dating on this blog, and that is likely to continue to be the case... Still, six months, eh? I somehow resisted the urge to post something 'subtle' on Facebook. Then again, I dislike Facebook, and try to keep my interactions with it to a minimum anyway.
So now I'm free to do my own stuff for a bit, and happily in a relationship. Nice coincidence.
In weird news, I almost bumped into another actor recently... While strolling to the station on the way home from work, Douglas frickin' Henshall wandered along the road right in front of me. This sort of thing hasn't happened since I worked in Notting Hill Gate (when it was such a regular occurrence, it almost became passé... Though seeing an unshaven Charles Dance lugging around a pair of Sainsbury's carrier bags laden with groceries can surely never be truly passé) but I guess actors can occasionally be found near the great shopping streets of London... Especially where there are theatres nearby.
Then there's the strange dream I had, in which my girlfriend left my home (actually my parents' home in terms of the way it looked) in such a hurry, she left a whole load of stuff behind, and I had to go after her. Or the dream in which I sort of became Spider-Man (the Tobey Maguire/Internal Web Shooters version, rather than the Andrew Garfield/Truer-to-the-Comics version), escaping from some pursuers in a damp labyrinth by swinging up to a higher level using webbing that seemed to come out of my wrists.
And for the last few days I've been rather ill... I seem to have picked up some kind of stomach bug (and, going by the sound effects in the gents at the office, there's a lot of it going around) which has been most unpleasant, and is the reason for me being here, at home, blogging, rather than with my girlfriend, celebrating six completely amazing months (or more, were we to include the full length of time we've known each other).
If my stomach doesn't clear up over the weekend, I shall be visiting my GP first thing on Monday... Really don't want illness getting in the way of my doing stuff with all this free time I have now...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)