Library Loiterer

Hit the ground running by heading back to the library to get some work done. For the first three hours I really got into a good focused zone where I got a hell of a lot done. I finished applying for another job and already started applying for another so overall I'm really pleased with what I accomplished today. I'll be headed back there tomorrow for sure, I've got my little 'to do list' now so I'll fly through my work - might bring a bigger lunch and a cup of coffee though, seriously regretted only bringing in a small sandwich to eat.

Levelling up our Flat

IKEA was very much in our 'weekend to-do list' this time around and we went in with full force. We picked up a few smaller bits like a spice rack and some cereal containers this time around, but we also dreamed about all the other bits we'd like to get. We made notes on some bigger bits of furniture with the intention of going back a little on down the line.

Other than that, I've had a hankering for a classic Sunday roast for a while now so Rebecca and I rustled up a very tasty dinner with some experimental roast potatoes - we put a bit of bicarbonate of soda in the boiling water because it apparently helps break down the outer layer of potato, resulting in a crispier shell. Results were very, very good too.

Back to it tomorrow though, I'm already planning out my day and feeling very positive about the week ahead.

Monalithic MegaBus Snooze

Yesterday I was up filming in Uxbridge for a BBC promo in a shopping centre. For the most part I was doing release forms again with a bit of running around to get some bits from the shops nearby and making friends with the local security team. When we wrapped though I was dog tired. I was so exhausted that the moment I got on the MegaBus, I closed my eyes, and I didn't open them again until the bus pulled in at Bristol. The work wasn't even particularly strenuous (I've done much harder days) but this one really knock me for six.

Got plenty of rest now though after a super, super chill Saturday. Rebecca recently developed a pain in her chest of last week which she thinks could be stress related so we took it easy today and I took care of her. Made her Breakfast in bed, brought her various bits and pieces and even rustled up some home-made meatballs for dinner. Hope after this weekend is over she's feeling a bit better.

Part Time Pondering

Wrote down a bit of a life plan at some point this morning. I've set myself a smattering of goals for next week alongside little tick boxes, its mostly job application stuff and I'd like to push out my next video too (got a good feeling about it already). Week after though, I'm seriously considering looking for a part time job just to keep the pennies rolling in while giving myself enough breathing room to apply for anything appropriate if it pops up.

In the meantime I'm back in London for one night only! Got a day filming gig tomorrow which is looking pretty fun, don't know exactly what my jobs will be, nor do I know the premise 100% but it could be a little spicy - more details tomorrow!

Wednesday No-Go

Was going to work in the library again today, just about finished packing everything into my bag before remembering it had some funny opening hours. Double check it and yep, closed all day Wednesday's. No problem though because I started much earlier in the day I felt a lot more productive. I got 90% of my next script done for the next video and I found another job I can apply - I've since started the application and keeping my head held high.

Dinner Party Pho

Today was a pho making day. Went to ASDA, bought all the bits and pieces and let the stock boil very slowly for just over 4 hours. Flat smelt amazing the whole time too. I cooked it in preparation for the arrival of Louis and Rachel, it was our turn to host a little dinner party and we all had a fun old time. Louis brought his new board game along and after a quick refresher on the rules, we dived into an epic battle for Celtic land. Rebecca won, but only just. I'm not a sore loser...

Sweet Driving

Put myself back into the drivers seat for another lesson first thing this morning and I actually surprised myself with how well it all went. I stalled a handful of times, but aside from that I feel like it was one of the better lessons I've had now.

Rebecca rustled up a very nice salmon and pasta dish which is exactly what I wanted after the recent hot weather. I needed to balance out the healthy stuff with something a little devilish though so I made my own sugar syrup from dark brown sugar for my overnight oats. Previously I've been sweetening it with maple syrup but I didn't really feel like taking out a bank loan each time I had oats, I reckon this will be the next best thing at a fraction of the cost! 

Netflix > Board Games

Got caught up in a sea of beavers and cubs celebrating St George's Sunday while walking around with Rebecca's parents. We were down by the SS Great Britain and all the young scouts were riding the steam train up and down the ship yard, waving to anyone who passed by, if I were their age I would have loved that too.

Once Rebecca's parents left us, we drove up to visit some friends for what was going to be a board game night, but a few people had to cancel last minute so it turned into a Netflix night. White Collar was the show of choice since Rebecca and the host have been making their way through the show, while it doesn't exactly rev my engines, its a perfectly watchable and likeable show.

Spicy Goat

Rebecca's folks came down to visit so we thought we would take them out somewhere they had never been before: Pinkman's Bakery. They spent the whole time marveling at the cheesecake they bought, Rebecca and I made eye contact because at that point we knew we had converted them into Pinkman's fans.

We initially planned to take Rebecca's parents to The Stables for dinner but it was rammed so we had to improvise and ended up in Las Iguanas. Thought I'd push the boat out slightly with me meal choice so I ordered the 'Spicy Goat Curry', initially I scoffed at the word spicy, but after a few mouthfuls I was sweating uncomfortably. But I persevered to finish it off, the music in there was like the rhythm of a Limbo drum, it begged me to polish off the meal despite the hardship my tastebuds had to endure. Moments after the spice subsided I got cocky and bit into on of Rebecca's leftover jalapenos - instantly regretted that choice.

Prolonged Porridge

Yesterday I called up my Dad and asked him on his tips on how to make a great bowl of porridge. 'Cook it low and slow' was one of his bits of advice which I think I followed a little too closely. Ended up stirring a pot of oats for well over 20 minutes since I wanted to cook it on a lower than usual hob setting. If your stirring anything for that long, you're gonna feel like a bit if a mug though.

Got the flat looking ship-shape and all ready for Rebecca's parents tomorrow. I'm hoping the good weather holds out just a little longer so we have an excuse to go to a good ice cream bar in town.

Library Dweller

For the first time ever, I thought I'd head into Bristol Library to get some work done. After an initial stumble (I sat down in a section without means for charging my laptop) I found myself getting into a nice productive groove. Haven't worked properly in a library since my dissertation days but it was like riding a bike. I'm beavering away on the script for my next video now which is taking shape very nicely, so I thought I'd treat myself to a few library books, seeing as I was in the area. Might head back there tomorrow!

A Quiet Place

Last time I went to go see a horror film at the cinama was back when The Woman in Black came out... that was 6 years ago. I was worried I might be a bit rusty, but then again, you never forget how to scream. Luckily, A Quiet Place didn't make me audibly shriek at any point and it actually found a very comfortable level of horror with me. It was far ore interested in creating tense situations that it was with how many times it could go BANG per minute. That kind of restraint is apparent in the dialogue and story too. After a quick set-up the rest of the plot is rather minimalist in nature, which is something I'm again very thankful for since it never felt baggy or melodramatic. Because there is basically no talking in the film, you really have to keep your eyes glued to the screen to see whats happening next - this was hard for me at time because I like to look away during some of the jumpy moments, but I really wanted to see more of what was going on whenever I did because I was enjoying it so much.

I dig simple movies, and A Quiet Place is exactly my kind of horror film. Really glad I braved my fears to see this one.

Bye-Bye Exeter

Rebecca and I spent our last remaining hours in Exeter visiting the film memorabilia museum (my idea) and a charity book shop (her idea). Both were actually really chill and lovely things to do on our last day. We heard legend of a five star burrito place in town centre called Taco-Macho, the place is run by one guy and he makes authentic Mexican food which was celebrated all over Trip Advisor. Sadly, it was closed when we walked by this afternoon so we resorted to grabbing a pasty instead since we were in the west country.

Bit sad to come back home and say farewell to our holiday, all good things must come to an end though. We do alright at the whole holiday thing though and I'm already looking forward to our next chance to chill together.

Welcome... to Jurassic Coast

Feeling like we've had our fill of Exeter, Rebecca and I decided to spread our wings just slightly and head to Exmouth. We took a long stroll along the beach and up towards the Jurassic Coast which was pretty nifty. They are perhaps some of the oldest rocks in the whole of England, so I decided to sacrifice some of my dignity to them by striking this amazing pose in one of its many alcoves:

This evening we visited the Exeter Picturehouse (great little cinema) to watch Isle of Dogs which I really quite enjoyed. Animation certainly compliments Wes' style and it was a real step up from Fantastic Mr Fox in its scope - it was damn near mesmerising at times. It made me chuckle a few times and the characters really won me over by the end, its a good 'un!

Lovely Day in Dartmoor

After taking full advantage of the free hotel breakfast, Rebecca and I hit the road and headed into Dartmoor. I found what may be my new favourite castle ruins too at Okehampton. Really gorgeous site with some well preserved bits and pieces, us we got half price entry because of our Cadw membership! Here's a few snaps I got, plus what may end up being Rebecca's new profile picutes:

Following that we headed to Haytor Rocks via a very funny country road detour our sat nav recommended. The 'no service' symbol on my phone felt like it was going to be a permanent fixture at one point - the bumpy road was worth it for the views though!

Lovely day in the country overall!

Exeter Holiday Part 1

Rebecca and I are officially on Holiday! We haven't had a real getaway since we went to Amsterdam about 14 months ago and we decided that we both need a little time off and a chance to take it easy together. Exeter is our new destination and so far, we are really enjoying it. We've been to a very nice independent cafe for lunch and visited the cathedral and history museum in the centre. Then we took a bit of time off to read back at our hotel before heading out to dinner and then an ice cream parlour. For a first day, I think we did very well.

Farewell Itunes

At long last, I committed to removing Itunes of both my laptop and my desktop - I've never felt so free. No more will I be badgered by that horrendous pop-up message asking me to update my Apple software and that's such a nice feeling. I migrated my library over to Dopamine after Louis' recommendation and I'm loving it so far.

I attempted to make 'smash burgers' for dinner tonight, its basically a technique for cooking them that results in something more similar to a fast food burger since they turn out so thin and crisp. I reckon I ballsed up the first batch I made, but the second lot I made for Rebecca were a bit more on the money. Not sure if I prefer them to a thicker burger, but they are a good one to bust out every now and then to spice things up.

Celtic Board Game

Whacked on my hob first thing this morning so I could start cooking up some oats for my experimental apple and cinnamon porridge, and I think this picture is all you need to see in order to appreciate it:

Topped off with a bit of brown sugar, this was a pretty epic way to start the day. I actually think there may have been too much apple going on in this mix. But that's what cooking new things is all about, testing out different flavours and combinations until you find the right balance. At least that's what Jamie Oliver is always saying - I'm sure my next batch will be even better.

Got a bit more work done and even sent off a quick email to the game studio Mountains to ask if I could interview a member of the team for my next video. It would be incredible to get their input if they agree and it would really up the production value of the final product too if I actually got the chance to do a wee bit of journalism.

This afternoon I decided to get out the house for a bit so I went to visit Louis who is only down the road. We tested out his new board game Inis which has this stunning Celtic art theme:

It's not just a pretty face though, as it played a lot like Risk but with a slightly larger emphasis on town and world building which was a really welcome addition. I also won our first game, so I may be a little biased in my opinion, but I'd certainly play it again if I got the opportunity.

Dreaming of Apple Porridge

I treated myself to a bit of a day off today (spent it finishing up Season 4 of BoJack Horseman) I'll be starting work writing up my next video tomorrow which is actually going to be about a mobile game, makes for a nice change of pace. I shot off my application first thing this morning too, got some good vibes while writing it all up so I'm hoping for some good news a little on down the line.



Saw a recipe for apple and cinnamon porridge which I am dying to try out tomorrow morning. So many YouTube tutorials show people absolutely loading up their porridge with honey, I mean, I like sweet things as much as the next guy, but it can get a bit much.

He's Off Facebook

Got a chance to play some games with my bro tonight too. Since he left Facebook a few months ago (just before it was cool to delete your Facebook) it's been a little tricky coordinating game times with the rest of our friends. Think we need to set up a WhatsApp group now though so we can keep him in the loop because gaming with him tonight was good fun... after we waited 45 minutes to actually log onto Overwatch that is.

Remainder of the day was spent furthering my efforts on the upcoming application which has just about been polished to a mirror shine. Just doing one final pass before sending it off tomorrow morning.

Paddington Pains

Last night while watching Paddington Rebecca suddenly felt very poorly, to the point where we were uncertain if it was worth calling the emergency services or not. I stayed up with her until midnight before whatever was causing her grief started to subside, I was so tired after that bit of drama that I didn't get a chance to blog last night. She's alright now though which is good, just a little bit stunned by what happened 'it all felt like a dream' is what she keeps telling me today. I made her up some tasty overnight oats for her to take into the office and that put her in a very good mood so I'm still getting boyfriend points.

I started writing up an application very, very promising looking job opportunity in Bristol. I know I've said that many a time here on this blog, but I've got more fire in my belly for this one than many of the previous ones. Fingers crossed.

Drinking with Old Friends

A handful of our old uni friends came down to visit us here in Bristol so we took them to the various sights around Town. We are talking Cabot Tower, Park Street and then much later, the pubs on King's Street. We drank and played video games like student again and had a jolly good time doing it. Bit lightheaded now, but I'm in my bed and ready to cook up our guest some pancakes in the morning.

Breakfast Detour

Got to my call location a little bit earlier than I expected so I took a breakfast detour. Since it felt like I've been eating a lot of naff stuff recently I thought I would have a healthier morning meal, ready made porridge seemed like a logical choice. Sainsburys had this middle class looking porridge pot which In thought I could give a shot, plus it was advertised as being 'delicious hot or cold' turns out cold isn't the ideal serving suggestion however since all the processed milk had basically turned to geletin. Made for a funky start to the day anyhow.

The crew seemed pretty chuffed with the Conservative contributor I managed to source. Really glad he pulled through in the end, we've gone through this entire shoot without any major hiccups which is excellent.

Summer in April

We were up and down Chiswick highstreet filming various iterations of the touching speech from Braveheart today, alongside doing an-house vegan cooking tutorial video. We all gathered round afterwards to take a bit of out this vegan BLT our chef made us and it was way better than it had any right to be. Felt really like I was on the top of my game too for most of the day, I was taking down coffee orders and didn't even need to ask the crew what they wanted anymore and I actually got to do a bit of sound recording for a few takes since they needed our soundie as a walk-in. Best thing of the day was the weather though, the sun was beaming all day and everyone was in such a good mood on set. They even sent me off to buy lemonade for everyone and they went down a storm, it's really starting to feel a lot like Summer now.

Lugging a Mystery Package

Commute was actually quite leisurely this morning, only had to venture into Acton which is pretty nearby for me, makes a change from going cross capital anyway. In fact, the whole day was rather cushty, single interior location all to ourself and I didn't actually have too much to do in the morning, aside from get a few lunch orders. At one point the crew took sweepstakes on how fast I could run to Sainsbury's and back again with a prop, that brought a bit of mirth to the set.

The definite 'weird point' of my day was when I lugged a sex robot up four flights of stairs with our director. It was one of those introspective moments where you just have to analyse yourself in the third person, a better man would have thought long and hard about his life choices that brought him to that point, all I did was laugh my ass off. It was just lifeless and wrapped in plastic when we opened up the box, bit like Laura Palmer. None of us really want to touch it, but it's a key prop for tomorrow's filming, I'll let you know how that goes.

After all that I came back and gave Dad a call to say Happy Birthday to him. Five years ago we were down in Wales opening a bottle of champagne to mark the same occasion, I always look back fondly on the mini-break and I hope Dad had an equally good day today.

A Sweet and Sour Experience

Dreaded the thought of having to make a few more phonecalls to arrange a contributor for our show. Went to bed all of last night plotting my course of action and I found it really tricky to make that first call to get me in the swing of things. First call of the day, got an instant yes. Miraculous luck and good fortune that was. Rest of my day was spent buying props in Kingston high street which was a little bit of a faff in the rain, but all good otherwise. I thought I could treat myself so I went into an old fahioned sweet shop and asked for £1 worth of some 'sour apple sweets.' Popped one in my mouth and they turned out to be those horrid blow your head off with the sourness type, I must have been pulling some very funny expressions on the bus ride home.

Farewell Funfair

Waved farewell to the Italians who were staying with us, only to welcome two more this evening. I met up with Belgian Steve, his wife and son briefly this afternoon since they all had a hankering for an English scone (with jam and clotted cream of course). We visited a faintly sad looking funfair, but it was actually quite a nice way for them to spend their last day in Newbury. Saw Mark and Dan very briefly too and they were both on top form.

Happy Easter 2018!

Went to the Donnington Grove for our Twin Town Easter dinner, it's a venue of high esteem but the meal was really underwhelming. The icing on the cake was when we waited an hour after our dessert for a cup of coffee, when it finally arrived it turned out to be instant coffee - what a let down!

With bellies full of mediocrity, we trekked up to Donnington castle for a little Easter egg hunt with everyone from the Twin Town, the rain held off for just long enough for us to show them a little slice if Newbury's part in the civil war.

This actually marks the first time in my life that I haven't spent Easter with my Grandparents down in Orpington. As a result, today never really felt like an Easter Sunday to me. I'm missing my simnel cake and lazy afternoon with the family. No matter though as I'm sure we'll visit them soon.