Monday 18 March 2024

Snacks and Stationery

I returned to the studios that I remember wistfully saying goodbye to about 6 months ago. My new job has begun, I'm mostly just getting the office all set up and happy, snacks and stationery basically. Saw a few chaps from my team which was fun and overall the vibe seems pretty good so far. This has the makings of a very nice gig, I just want to pace myself a little better than I did in the last one to keep my enthusiasm and my energy high.

Sunday 17 March 2024

Baklava in the Rain

A nearby London farmers market tempted us to brave the drizzly weather. The customary meats, eggs and cheeses were there but what really caught our eye was the Middle Eastern gazebo with their trays of glistening baklava. We couldn't resist (and the prices were hilariously agreeable too), so with a coffee we took a bite and all locked eyes and smiled.

That was certainly the days highlight, we spent the remainder of the day traveling home where I begun packing my work bag. I'm not kicking and screaming about returning to work but I will miss my cosy routine. New challenges are welcome though and first days have the tendency to be easy breezy, I just hope tomorrow goes well and I get good vibes from the project.

Saturday 16 March 2024

Featherweight Taproom

A light breakfast was all that lined my stomach from a very dark pint of stout from a London taproom. We went out to stay with our friends who have recently moved to a place with a significantly larger footprint. We walked through a muddy trail in a nearby park to get to said taproom, I spent most of the journey back pretending to be sober. 

Dinner with our hosts brought me back from the brink though, that and a few board games and watching Stanley Tucci sample the delights of Italy (they saw the book I was reading and hit play on the program, there was no protest from me). I'm already sad tomorrow is Sunday, I'll have to make the most of our time with our chums before we head back to a new reality.

Friday 15 March 2024

Writing Flow

I was not ready for the sudden flow state I found myself in as I sat down to try and finish my current writing project. All week I'd been chipping away at it, like a sculptor using a toothpick, but today I busted out the hammer and went to town on my work. I blocked out my day but all that went out the window as I found myself writing, editing and sharpening - all making the end product better and more cohesive. I dragged it to 95% completion before backing away to give more thought to my conclusion... Which came to me while reading a book on the subject a few hours later. I basically had one of those thrilling days where you end up smashing your goals. More of those please!

Thursday 14 March 2024

Pi Day

I'm doing a wee bit of research into films about food so I woke up extra early to watch Like Water for Chocolate. I think I did anyway, the movie kinda passed me by as if I was in a fever dream. I was super on board for the magical realism at the beginning but it lost all momentum by the second half. But you got to hand it toexican filmmakers, they know how to make something explosively emotional and allegorical.

Seeing as it was Pi day too (03.14, hohoho), it felt apt to watch Waitress, a movie that concerns itself mostly with pies. This one was much more watchable while dripping with mid-life crisis revelations and that cosy early 2000's small town comedy feeling. It's a cult classic with the heart of an angel.

Wednesday 13 March 2024

Halcyon Days

Continued to peck away at my keyboard, writing and rewriting one more short project before I'm back to work on Monday. I'm going to miss the freewheeling days of quietly sitting at my desk, sipping coffee and stroking the cat. But then again, I miss financial security more.

Still, if I have to stop writing I'll at least keep reading - that's my resolution to myself. It took me a while to get back into the swing of being an unpublished nobody, but if I keep reading I'll at least keep my hand in. I got Stanley Tucci's biographical cookbook from the library and Blood Meridian to keep my mind sharp, very much looking forward to starting one of them this weekend.

Tuesday 12 March 2024

Numbers Go Up, and Up

The iconic mizzle in Bristol kept me locked indoors when I should have been out running. Eventually it staved off and I completed a 3.7k - not bad for a third run since a hiatus. The rain was unbelievably fine throughout the run though, I felt like a pampered vegetable, getting continuously misted in a posh grocery store.

I ticked off a new game (Dordonga) and a new film (Mrs Doubtfire) today too. I certainly do derive some reptile brain satisfaction from updating my online databases, but really they just feel like another body for the pile. Why do I feel compelled to record every film I watch? I guess I like seeing that little number go up and up but is that a healthy way to treat art - as something to consume rather than consider? I need to find people to discuss these things with really, otherwise I watch movies and impress no one but myself.