Friday Lurgy

The thing that was causing me a barrel of worry has finally been resolved so I wanted to spend my Friday smiling. A few people in the office have some kind of illness but I also thought I caught something recently so I was totally immune. Went up the road for beers and board games, took one sip of stout and then it all hit me. Bunged nose, sore sinuses, fatigue, the works. Guess that's my weekend plans now - getting rested up.

Swelling Dread

Experienced yet another day that went by far too quickly for the amount of things I actually got done. I'm sat on my hands a bit again though as I I'm waiting on other people authorizing various bits and pieces before I can do anything. We got a 2nd Unit coming up (my specialty!) so I'll be across that no doubt in several of its aspects. In the midst of all this, I can't shake this feeling of impending doom lingering in the pit of my stomach. I honestly can't place where it's stemming from either...

Perfect Facsimile

We hired a temporary member of the Production to help us around the office, and without hyperbole, he looks exactly the same as me. I kept getting messages from the team laughing about how he's my clone and how our boss will keep having to do a double take. It actually put me in a bit more of an emotional spin that I had prepared for. Here I am, believing that I'm a beautiful, unique snowflake and all that jazz, yet here is my perfect facsimile, walking around the same office, in the same department as me. I know we're all instantly replaceable in the grand schedule of the job and this brought that to light in a way that was more uncomfortable than I expected.

But to be fair, it's also pretty funny. He's with us for two weeks, I wonder how long the comedy will stay fresh.

An Easy One

Got back into Bristol after a work day that went far too quickly. My team all stood behind their desks, unpacking their laptops after everyone went down to set. 'This'll be an easy day', one of us said. I also think that was the last thing that was said to each other as we got our heads down and powered in through the day. I came out the other side wishing we had a few more hours of the day, but that was all reserved for travel back home which felt painfully long. Time is relative as they say.

Time and Memory

Drove down a very literal memory lane first thing this morning. First two hours were admittedly not super nostalgic, but when I slowly approached the location that was so synonymous with Malory Towers in my mind, I started to feel all warm and fuzzy. Is there a word for a homecoming for somewhere you've never lived? The Germans or the Japanese almost certainly have a phrase for it, but we'll just call it a bittersweet sense of relocation. So many memories of Malory came flooding back on approach. The wrap parties, the landscape but most of all the people. Like all the cells in our bodies, coming back felt so alien yet so familiar. Something old and something new at the same time.

Somehow I lucked out and landed in the same accomodation wing as all of our big dog HOD's. (It was also where we put the cast up on Malory). We threw darts, shot pool and drank arguably too much for a school night. All the while I glanced at the pub tables and booths where past crew members and I sat. I remembered the conversations, their energy, their ghosts. But in this space I made new memories, just as fond as the old ones. Their moments overlap and interwine all at once, not unlike remembering multiple Christmases from long since past. What a hell of a thing time and memory is. 

Speedy Sunday

Heatwave out so the perfect day to drawn the curtains and stay indoors. After a big Saturday it was refreshing to lock myself away and potter around. Movies were watched, games were played and dinner was cook, consumed and washed up. Monday frankly has come around too quickly, especially when I had to spend a small chunk of the day packing for an overnight tomorrow - I'm a little out of practice since the last job but thankfully I can just about remember how to pack a pair of underwear. 

Pampering #1

 Without really planning to, today became a bit of a self pamper day. First up was a trip to the barbers, the guy recognized me from last time and he did me a really good cut - really Summer ready now. Up next was a trip to town for some clothes, I'm running low on hot weather wear but I emerged with a new polo top and a more utilitarian shirt. Last up, I've been eyeballing a fountain pen for a little while so walked up to a nearby stationery place to scope some out. All the ones I was interested in were behind a display cabinet so I had to ask to try before I buy. The clerk produced the sanctioned 'test unit' which to everyone's dismay, he couldn't get to work. Then, lightbulb. He remembered he had one in his personal bag. A few moments later he reappeared with the exact pen I was looking to get (clearly we both have great taste). So I played around with it and decided to pull the trigger on a little present to myself. I walked back home with a new haircut, some new clothes and a swanky new pen - a whole new me!

We had a picnic in the park with a few friends and they're very well behaved dog in the evening. Rebecca pulled out all the stops with a main course, side salad and she even packed the plates and cutlery. I just brought beer.