Christmas, a Little Early

Rebecca and I put our Christmas tree up earlier this evening alongside the festive songs of Mark Kozelek. And we didn't skimp on the Ikea mushroom decorations that Mum bought for us either, as odd as they are, they sit nicely with the rest of the tree. After being disappointed with the range of advent calendars Asda had in yesterday, Rebecca went on a successful mission to get some really pukka Dairy Milk ones for us each to crack into tomorrow. Christmas is coming quicker it seems, but I think I'm just about ready to take it head on.

Fishcake Frenzy

Struggled a bit at work today, had one of those session of brainstorming that just went round and round in circles while never really landing on a winning idea. I'll stick at it again tomorrow and hopefully hit a home run then. Tonight I made fishcakes, another new(ish) meal that I haven't really cooked in a very long time, not since first year I believe. When you are forming/cooking them, they look vile and awfully unappetizing, but after a bit of heat is applied to it, they turn delicious in moments.

Halloumi Love

Being so close to work really is marvelous. I got to swing back home today to get a cheeky game of Battlefield 1 in during my lunch break and it was a jolly good time! Tried something a little bit healthier for dinner tonight with falafel and halloumi pittas and I can easily see myself eating that many times again in the future. Never actually cooked halloumi for myself before either but I decided to be a total bloke and disregard any instructions and just go for it in the frying pan - came out perfect and mouth watering. Left a few bits for my sandwiches tomorrow too...

Fairy Lights of Doom

Chill Sundays are exactly what everyone needs. Ate up a few rounds of the loaf of bread that comes from Louis' girlfriend's bakery and that stuff is just incredible, had it with butter and then with scrambled eggs for an ultimate lunch combo. Rebecca and I mostly goofed around today while trying to put up fairy lights in the bedroom. At first we had this grandiose concept for them, which involved ceiling attachments and command strips, but that fell through very quickly. No matter though, as we have opted to simply wrap it around the bed-frame for now - it gives off a very inoffensive glow for late night Reddit surfing.

Housewarming Party!

Took a spin back into Broadmead to check out Bristol's Christmas market this afternoon and it was bustling and beautiful. Couldn't resist getting a pork roll with stuffing and apple sauce alongside a hot chocolate with a shot of Baileys as a tasty alternative to mulled wine. We later hosed our housewarming get-together with a small group of friends and had a really lovely evening. We were mostly playing games of Secret Hitler, and with a group of 10, the game really did sing. More than ever, I feel like I've moved in now and i can't wait to see what the future holds.

Popworks Part Deux

Had a stellar day at work as we were all still on the high form a few days ago from our latest project going through so freely. In fact, we even got office beers after 5pm, and I was given a complimentary Nerf gun! Probably my best day ever in other words.

Rebecca invited a bunch of her old uni mates round across this weekend so we cooked for them and went out for drinks/cocktails. First night out in Bristol since moving in too and it was actually pretty dang fun!

In other news, part 2 of the Popworks film finally went live, and I get a near-star role in this one! Check out the ad below and look out for m just after the halfway point.

Greenlights Ahead

Bunch of videos at work got green-lit today so we were all really chuffed with ourselves. Our big Christmas push video is finally going smoothly and that has provided a lot of relief in the office, so much so that my boss want to go out to lunch tomorrow to celebrate; who am I to say no?

Did a bit of entertaining this evening too, as an old uni friend came over to pick up some of my kit but we decided to make an evening of it. So I cooked him and Rebecca dinner and we all played games and watched The Apprentice together. First time we've actually done something like that in our home, and we all genuinely had a really nice, quiet evening.

Adult Lego

Once again, I went to IKEA, but this time with Rebecca to hopefully do one last push for bits to fill up the house with. Ended up getting some swanky new cushions, a laundry bin and a shoe rack, all of which have been placed neatly around our rooms and they have given our space a bit more of a cosy edge.

I also got to do some more adult lego by assembling Rebecca's new desk chair. She insists that hers is better, but I beg to differ as my reclining action is on point. Deep down though, I know shes jealous of my chair.

Speedy Brief

First thing I do at work is check my emails, and since I'm still quite new, I seldom get anything of interest. Today though, my boss wanted me and a collegue to step it up a notch and prepare a powerpoint for a client in only a handful of hours before presenting at 2pm. We knock something up and handed it over to our boss who was really happy with what we made and felt really confident leading it with our pitch. The call came a little late with the client, which was fine, but then he completely shot down all of our ideas and instead spouted off a few of his own that, from our point of view, really missed the mark with what they were trying to communicate. Which is s shame, because I think we had something really interesting to play with in our brief. Ah well, can't win them all.

Feel Good Rain

By golly, it was a wet one today. Strolled into work without an umbrella and got thoroughly drenched in the process. Oddly enough however, I was really grumpy when I left home but I felt better and better the more soggy I became; it was actually quite cathartic.

At lunch, I had to go and return a bit of kit to Mark and optimistically headed back out in the pouring rain in hopes of getting some more of that 'feel good rain.' Mother Nature had some different plans however. It looked borderline apocolipyic walking through the park and I eventually got so drenched that every inch of me was miserably damp. Mark was kind enough to lend me a brolly for the walk home so that kept me safe from the downpour. Returning to the office, I noticed my socks and feet were really wet and that made me uncomfortable for the rest of the day, making me grumpy once more.

Funny how the rain can make un-grumpy, then back to callous once again.

The Tweasers and the Drain

Had my all day pyjama session today and I couldn't be happier. Finished up a few of my ongoing games before doing a handful of jobs around the house. The most demanding of which being unclogging the bathroom sink. The previous tennants left an ungodly amount of hair down there and it was up to me and my trusty tweasers to tackle the blockage. Generally speaking, I don't have much of a vomit reflex when it comes to gross things, but this job put me pretty close to the edge. There really was more than just hair down there and it was just grim.

About 5 hours later my appitite returned so Rebs and I prepped a Sunday roast, minus the stuffing because I forgot how long that takes to cook. We pulled it off too, had a huge portion and I'm about to sleep all that meat and gravy off.

London Loos

Finally writing this blog on my own PC again after having to write it on my phone over the past week. We have wi-fi in our place and it's doing us good so far!

Got back from London after a traveling day of hell. Woke up at 5:30 in order to catch my train into Central London, it occurred to me in my early morning state of sleepiness that I may have actually woken up too early, but I would have time to spare and get a breakfast McDonalds. I was beginning to romanticize the thought of a lonely, early fast food binge, but that very daydream ensured that I missed my train as it switched platform at the last minute. Got in on time though, so all was ok for the filming.

Leaving London was also a big faff. As it turns out, there is no-where in the London Victoria area that has a toilet where you don't need to pay to do your business. I wandered around for longer than I'd care to admit to find a free loo, but ultimately had to go into a pub and casually use theirs. Did the old trick where you pull out your phone and look around anxiously, as if looking for a friend, when I entered so no-one would assume that I was commandeering the toilet as a non-paying customer. Maybe I over think things a bit though...

(Actual day of filming was really great, the bits around it however, were a bit poo.)

Got back safe and sound in the end, ready to enjoy my Sunday of pure, deserved laziness.

Mega Bus Friday

The Mega Bus, Clapham Junction and a bus were all in store for me this evening as I once again found myself in the capital. I'm doing a sound recording job for a Uni friend and it feels like it's going to be a really fun shoot. I'm staying over night at Rebecca's parents house which has be immeasurably useful actually, otherwise I would have had to catch the 'stupid o'clock' express to London. Still got an early one tomorrow, but its much more manageable now that I'm tucked up in Rebecca's house.

Office War

Since my work are doing a job that indirectly involved a bunch of nerf guns, its my pleasure to report that a fight broke out in the office just before closing. I merely stood back and observed as the other had a blast with them, I felt like the parent who over watches their noisy kids. Not to say I felt above it though, of course I'm gonna bring mine in tomorrow and see what they think.

FedEx Faff

Never had to ship something to America before, and after today I never want to do it again. For work I had to shoot something over to LA in an almost 'next day' time frame so the heat was already on. Managed to wrap up the product rather nicely into one my old graphics card boxes and decided to go through FedEx for postage. I will say their customer service was very plesent, but the actual process was about 18 steps too many. Having never truly dealt with customs paperwork or the like, I was in a bit of a pickle. Ended up calling them after my online order went though, but didn't and they scheduled a courier over to grab it. The guy turned up in record time, which would have been great if I actually had more than 15 minutes to locate the invoice documents and fill out 3 copies of them. Bless the courier, he elected to wait until I had just about filled all the necessary fields. So after much toil, the package was picked up and is en route to sunny LA.

Probablybthe most stressful thing I'd had to do a Rubber, so when I got home I had to do some major de-stress therapy. Luckily, I was making a salad and the large and incredible sharp kitchen knife Dad got us as a housewarming gift came in handy. I was reading through the manual earlier and it seriously bigs up the blade, basically saying it was machined by romans, and passed down by prestigious people from eons long past.

Joking aside though, chopping cucumber with it was a near-religious experience so I'll be very dedicated to keeping good care of it.

Vox Pop Central

Small change of pace at the office, this afternoon I was put on film making duty by doing vox pop interviews around Bristol. We asked a bunch of people about their opinions on big brands and their abilities to do social good. I was then put onto an edit job to chop it all down and make it flow neatly - already got the rough cut sorted and I'm doing the final touches tomorrow. Certainly cool to work somewhere that you're always doing something different.

Electric Hobs

Cooked my first ever meal in my new home using an electric hob, which was an interesting experience. Gotta get used to more gradual changes in heat and learn what all the increments on the dial mean as they have all rubbed off. I surmounted the learning curve though and prepped a very nice curry for din-dins. I think it warmed Rebecca up something fierce as she started to nod off after eating, just as GoldenEye was starting on ITV4 too! Guess I'll just have to rewatch it some other time.

Unpacking Day in Bristol

After nearly a month of waiting, Rebecca and I have finally moved into our new flat properly. I got back to Bristol early this morning to unpack and I only just finished putting all the bits away at 7pm this evening. In between it all Mum and Dad took me out to IKEA to get some essentials and a new desk + chair, and after assembling them both I have to say that they are absultly brilliant.

In fact, the whole flat is excellent and I'm already feeling settled.

Eye in the Sky

Packing was the primary objective today and I did that with flying colours. Just about crammed everything into a set of bags and cases now, though I'm a little surprise with just how little I seem to be bringing along. As long as I have my computer I'm a happy bunny is the gist of it.

After all the reshuffling, I sat down with my folks to watch Eye in the Sky, a military drone film that was surprisingly investing. The film initially got my attention because it was the last film that Alan Rickman ever starred in, and while he didn't get the biggest role, but he definitely got the best lines.

It does take a little while to spout out the premise and backstory, but after the first 20 minutes, its hard to take your mind away from what happening and the ante is always being raised - and in my book, that's the hallmark of good action.

I was legitimately surprised with how good the film turned out to be, so if you are looking for a army based thriller, then I would highly recommend. And while it does work on a more cerebral and political level, its hard not to viscerally enjoy this one with friends too. 

Moving Into Bristol!

As of midday, Rebecca and I officially are renting a small flat in Bristol! I ran there during my lunch break so I could meet our letting agent and sign all the final bits of paperwork. Got a better chance to look round the place this evening and even with barely any furniture, I can already see it turning into a cosy haunt. I'm back in Newbury tonight and tomorrow to pack up my last few bits and pieces, and I'll be settled in fully in the next 48 hours, can't wait to chill out in our new home!

Lunch Fun 'N Games

It was such a chill day at the office that we all just played a board game during our lunch break. The game was called Sunken Treasure, and while it was totally made for 8 year olds, its was a blast to play! Finished up another PowerPoint pitch before heading back to Louis' for the last time. Rebs and I have packed up all our belongings and we are at long last ready to move into our new flat tomorrow morning. Really, really excited to settle in.

Graduation Video

Work was unusually quiet today, mostly because I was the only one from Rubber Republic in the office for most of the day. Got to mutter to myself a lot because no one was sat next to me, but as a result, time really dragged this afternoon, and I had to make all my coffee myself! Travesty.

I also found out that my graduation ceremony was put online in all its glory so here's a link!
Props to the guy ahead of me who took the selfie, I included that part in the video as well in case no-one believed me.

And just to really date this blog post for the following years, today was the day the world found out that Donald Trump was elected as President, guess we will all see how that goes...

The Graduate

Returned once again to Bournemouth to reunite with my fellow course mates for our graduation ceremony. Going into the event, I had no idea what was in store, putting on the gown and cap was an interesting experience, I thought I looked like a lemon, until I saw that everyone else was in the same boat as me.

The event was really well handled really well. It took a little while until it was time for them to call my name, but it was amazing to graduate alongside the friend I'd made from TV Production. Just before I got to pick up my degree, the guy in front of me decided that he wanted a selfie with the chancellor on his disposable camera - that was by far the most amusing thing that happened during the ceremony.

Rebecca and I are currently train-bound back to Bristol, its going to be a weird feeling going back into work tomorrow, but at least I can go ahead in life saying that I am a graduate of Bournemouth University.

To be Graduate

Tucked up in bed once again in Newbury. Louis and I got the train down after work to our hometown, and what trip down memory lane would be complete without a trip back to our friendly neighbourhood burger place? So after our Rios Burger, we went back to see Mum and Dad while getting ready for my Graduation. We are all headed to Bournemouth tomorrow so I can put on the gown and finally get my £27K piece of paper! Next time I post here, I will officially be a graduate!

Tokaido

Rebecca had an absolute beast of a day at work, so I did my dardnest boyfriend duty to male sure it was as painless for her as possible. We organised a lunch date at 5 Guys which was expectedly excellent. I love buying burgers and seeing how they assemble them and how the stuff is all cooked - gives me tips on how to make my own. So after that huge lunch, I went back to Louis' for a board game bonza, aged my first ever game of Tokaido and won by a single point! Beginners luck I guess.

Just walked back down to get Rebecca and now we are tucked into bed. My eyes are heavy and I'm feeling apprehensive about embracing Monday tomorrow... Gotta be done though.

Fireworks on a Bridge

Tidied our stuff out of Mark and Lucy's house as we prepared for our second act of sofa surfing, this time at Louis house! Got to his early this afternoon and just hung out with Louis for a bit, which is always nice. After dinner, all of his housemates and I went out to see some of Bristol's various firework displays from the suspension bridge. Never been on the bridge before, but it was an amazing view across the river, and at night it was gorgeous.

One step closer to our big move now, Rebecca and I are really pumped to move into our new home and now that it's less than a week away, it is slowly becoming a reality.

Friday Food Sesh

Friday is all about the free food at work. Got in and was offered the usual bacon sandwich for Friday early birds, that's the expected food. After lunch I bought back a bag of cookies for everyone while some others came back from lunch with a whole bag of chicken wings! Couldn't pass those up. Few hours later, our PM headed out to the shops to get some beers for the last hour of work, its truely a great Friday when you leave work with a full tummy.

In House Projects

Got assigned on a new job at Rubber. Basically, whenever the company gets some downtime they like to work in some in-house projects that flaunts their tone of voice. They have a few promising ones lined up and I was tasked with doing a little bit of research/thinking on how to bring them to life which is actually a nice change of pace. Got back just in time for Rebecca's renowned garlic-mushrooms pasta, with a side of The Apprentice. Lovely evening.

Tea Rap

Whacked out some of my best and funniest ideas at work today for a brief. One of the was centred around the 'Bro Sub-culture' while another revolved around the use of mobile phones in the cinema. Wrote them both up and presented them to the team and got some positive reception. They did say that they may not be ideal for our client, but they might be able to rework them slightly to pitch to an entirely new client. So I guess that's a good thing.  

Never got a chance to promote this at the time, but we also made a 'tea rap' for Yorkshire Tea. While I wasn't really involved in the making of this, it's still a very cool advert that I'm proud to say that we made. If you like tea, give it a watch:

Try to be a bit Spooky

After failing to get into the Halloween spirit yesterday, Rebecca and I decided to try our hand and do something faintly spooky together. Rebecca had never seen The Nightmare Before Christmas so I took it upon myself to educate her and we both had a blast. For dinner I made my classic burgers with a scary twist... Since they were scary good! Think I've nailed the homemade burger now, I ought to stretch my culinary wings a bit now.