No Buisness like Snow Buisness

Before the snow started to fall I crammed in a driving lesson (7am-9am) followed by video editing (9:10am-5:45pm) and a fair bit of new gaming in the evening. My next video is all done and dusted now but I'm just holding off publishing it until tomorrow afternoon - I reckon I'll get a wee bit more traffic then. I'm actually immensely pleased with this one, I feel that my video editing has found a real nice flow and I found a nice rhythm with this one. I'll be posting it here tomorrow, but heres a little sneak peek of the video thumbnail just to whet your appetites.

I also just picked up the brand spanking new version of Resident Evil 2, having played nothing but the original game over the past 2 weeks I thought I could breeze through it without even getting a little scared. Turns out that was a naive way of thinking because this new game is all the right kinds of scary, especially while wearing headphones. Jumped out of my skin once or twice already but it gave me a mad rush and all I want to do now is play more! Hopefully work tomorrow won't be too turbulent because of the snow, it's settling down here in Bristol. I know this because I just looked out my window onto our courtyard and instead of seeing innocence personified in the while snow, I see a massive willy that a neighborhood have cunningly drawn on the floor; I don't know if I should laugh or cry. 

Wet Paint, Wetter Lattes

Had one of those wonky, grumpy days at work where the world seemed line it was against me going home on time. Amidst a big old school rush that produced a mountain of washing up our area handyman turned up to do a few bits and bobs. While he was a pleasant chap, he didn't half get in the way. Plus he got a paintbrush out halfway through and started touching up the walls behind the bar area before he was actually asked to so I had to contest with a minefield of wet paint during our busy period. Lastly, I got the barisa equivalent of jury summons as my manager submitted me into a latte art competition without asking me... And I can't do latte art. I got to go embarrass myself in front of a judging panel on Monday so stay tuned to hear how that farce goes.

Mary Queen of Scots was on the bill for our evening cinema outing and I have to say, its hard to recommend this one. Costumes and production design were second to none though, and if you like dramatic retellings of historical events then this will do the job. If you wanted a character study film though you may be a little disappointed.

Interrail Production Meeting

Last night I played the free demo for the new Resident Evil Remake, I was immediately hooked and I'm not ashamed to say that I went out and brought the full game after running home through the rain. I'm not going to play it until I've put my next video out though - it'll be my treat.

After dinner, Rebecca and I got to work on planning more around our interrailing trip, we've now locked in our travel schedule and know exactly where we wanna go. I'm calling our route 'The Iron Curtain Sweep' since we're starting in Berlin and heading east around Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. Can't wait to eat great food and then chortle about how cheap it was. Booking flights tonight made the adventure seem a lot more real and I'm already looking forward to it.

Push Yourself

Made a little 'To Do' list first thing today. Chief amoung my jobs was buying light bulbs and a brand new notepad which I ended up putting to very good use while writing the script for my next video. Rounded it off just before lunch, proof read it and sat smugly because I feel like this is going to be a good one. Looking to start video production on it one my next days off.

After I was done I was still in a writing mood so I looked at the time and decided to bash out a quick review for the original version of Resident Evil 2 seeing as I've been playing that a fair bit recently. So I wrote, got screenshots and published that post in just under three hours which I'm really pleased with, you can read it here if you fancy.  Five minutes after I hit publish I was in my running outfit and ready to embrace the early evening chill. I wanted to push myself a little bit this time around so I ended up doing just under 5K. While I don't think my legs will be too chuffed tomorrow morning, I'm immensely glad I opted to literally go the extra mile.

I really wanted to make the most of my day off following five very long and early days at work, between writing two projects and doing a big 'ol run I feel like I pushed today to it's limit.

Rosemary's Baby... Again

Highlight of my day was easily when Rebecca came to visit me at lunchtime, in the middle of a manic day my 30 minute break with her felt like seeing dry land after being a year out at sea. We headed to the Tobacco Factory market and saw a few snowdrops in the local park - felt wonderful to just decompress for a moment before heading back into the fray.

Once I got back I collapsed into a coffee-smelling heap on the sofa and wanted to do nothing more than watch a film and Rosemary's Baby suited the vibe well. The only other time I saw that film was with Mark in our 6th form common room, cramped around a tiny mini-DVD player screen and sharing headphones... In three parts. The viewing experience this time around was much more optimal, as a result I could really just sit back and appreciate the ever compressing spring that is the story. Rebecca had read the book and wanted to see the film but we were both caught up in the wild ride and far, far better that I remembered. Glad I gave it a rewatch.

Foaming Milk

Did battle with the Saturday crowd, making coffee and grilling sandwiches for a swarm of unrelenting and insatiable people. We are busy on Saturdays and I sometimes take a step back and sometimes wonder just how many people there are on this Earth, and how the hell do we manage to cram them all onto our 20 tables? For hours I nestled my head deep into the land of swirling, foaming milk, when I raised my gaze it was already home time.

Rebecca cooked a gnocchi and sausage bake which made the day all seem worth it (the thought of food often pushes me through the wars). Got one more early shift to finish tomorrow and then I can rest and write all day Monday - cannot wait for that.

Dead and Breakfast

Had a bit of a mini run-in with a chap who tried to steal our tips jar. I clocked that it went missing while my back was turned and a customer informed us that she saw him bundling something into his coat. I let my manager do the confronting part while I hovered over the 999 buttons on the phone in case things got hairy. Luckily it was fine, he dropped the money after some verbal prodding and the threat of the police - with that, our tips were safe for another day.

Joined Louis and Rachel for a Burns Night feast in the evening: Haggis and a traditional pudding of toasted oats and boozy cream. The night was also a perfect opportunity to try out Louis board game that he illustrated 'Dead and Breakfast' which was a lot more fun than we all expected, plus I won so of course I have a good impression. If you like good art and a domino/empire building style of game then this is a real winner. Well done bro!

Pigsty

The above video is a tribute to the unbridled glee I felt as Rebecca and I agreed to finally go out and try a lil' restaurant called Pigsty - can you guess what their signature cuisine is? The meal was a total triumph too, got some award winning sausages atop the best mash potato I've ever had, plus some tasty gravy and a few bits of crackling for good measure. I left feeling a bit piggy and a bit full, but I could've eaten it all over again.

Going the Distance

Keeping up with the running too as tonight marked my second run since recommitting to training. Upped the distance by fraction and I feel like it was a perfect little route at 3.2K. That's going to be my go-to run for a little while but I've already got an extension planned that'll take me into a really lovely part of the harbour side. Came back from the run feeling a little tired so that means I'll sleep like a baby, which is good because I'm on a super early shift once again tomorrow.

Cousin Meet Up

A bit out the blue my cousin got in touch with me yesterday saying he'd be in town tonight and fancied meeting up for a pint. In turn Louis and I joined him for a drink near his hotel and we chatted the night away. Never really hung out with my cousin outside of family events but I ended up having a really nice evening, think he did too.

Committing to the Run

Sat down to do a big old scripting session for my next video, I reckon I've got a good conclusion so now I just have to put a little more meat on it all.

Stayed true to my word and went on my first run of the year, simultaneously I discovered just how it can be at night-time in mid January while only wearing T-shirt. While the chill was bracing, I managed to go out for about a 2.5K run which is perfect for me just getting back into the swing of things - key now is to keep going out and doing more tuns over the coming weeks.

Fame and Coffee

Last Thursday I picked up a phone call at work and I got chatting to a production manager for a filming company who wanted to use our coffee shop as a filming location. After ironing out some technicalities they agreed to turn up today and do some charity interviews in the corner of our shop. I was nominated by my colleges to be the first point of call for the film crew so I introduced myself to them and offered them all some free coffee. We got chatting about the project and who was going to be in it, alongside some other ladies the video was going to star the local legend: Briony from Bake-Off! Couldn't resist asking for a picture:

Really glad I pushed for us all to invite the film crew in now - my coworkers were all buzzing with excitement too.

I was also asked to champion the Samaritans fundraising campaign we are doing at work. I was given a brief and had to develop some ideas for the team meeting in the evening, amidst the obvious 'guess how many coffee beans in the jar' ideas, I announced that I would train up to do a 10K run to support the charity. Got a little round of applause for saying that and I may have even inspired a few others to run with me. Now that I've said it though, I feel inspired to go out and actually do it now. Been a long time since I ran a 10K but I feel like now is the time to get back into running.

Boozy Bristol

Took our visiting friends all around some parts of Bristol that even Rebecca and I haven't seen yet. We took a a ferry down to the end of the harbour down to the Pump Rooms, what started off as a cultured little tour of the marina quickly (and expectedly) turned into a early afternoon booze up. The good times rolled on with board games at ours plus a nice meal out at a nearby Indian place. Ultimately we staggered back home for 'one more drink' before we decided to call it a night, a good idea because I've got a very short shift at work tomorrow!

Driving an Appetite

Checked in for another driving lesson which went ok. It was probably my weakest one in recent memory but I've made my peace with the fact you have good ones and bad ones, just gotta keep going.

Afterwards I finished up the flat cleaning and welcomed in our old uni friends who are coming to stay over the weekend. Rustled up some fajitas for dinner and there are talks of a full English for breakfast tomorrow so it looks like I'm in chef duty for the weekend, and I'm totally cool with that.

The Favourite

Drummed up a lot of excitement to go out and see The Favourite this evening and man, it sure was a Yorgos Lanthimos film. Actually that statement does the movie a disservice since there was a lot to like here, the performances are all great and I really enjoyed the fact I was watching a costume drama that felt like it had human characters rather than romanticised historical figures. There was also a healthy amount of poo on the actors faces at times, that paired with the natural/candle lit sets gave the film a gritty sense of realism. It was too long though, I leveled the same criticism at The Lobster and I think both films could have done with some fat trimming as the unique pace of the film does get a bit taxing after a while. It'll make you laugh out loud at times and there's a genuinely interesting love triangle here though and that's more than enough for me.

Operation Winter Clean

Operation 'Winter Clean' begun the moment I came hone from work. In anticipation of some guests we are hosting over the weekend Rebecca and I are doing a deep clean of the whole flat. I was mostly stationed in the bathroom, scrubbing limescale off the taps and toilet. I better get some nice comments about the condition of the room because you could eat dinner off the our loo now since its so clean!

A heartily cleaning session requires a hearty meal - the perfect excuse to make burgers! Haven't made them in ages so I felt a bit rusty going into it but I was reinvigorated by the idea of putting some of Louis' hot sauce on the bun for a little extra kick. Would have been a great idea had I not horrifically misjudged the intensity of the sauce. I was headed straight for the milk after I had a taste sample. Very tasty sauce, just potent.

Management Styles

Interview prep was the name of the game today, a good portion of my morning was spent going over the job description over and over until I had it all down to a T. The interview itself went fairly well, but they had a tendency to ask me questions that I just couldn't have anticipated. My favourite was: 'What kind of management style works best for you?' That one genuinely left me a bit speechless since I don't know what style suits me... or if there were different style beyond good and bad management. Nonetheless, I was ready to take it easy this evening, and with Rebecca out for the night I thought it would be a good idea to hang out with Louis and Rachel to play some games. Had a short but sweet evening with them because I'm working the early doors shift tomorrow, my overnight oats are ready to go, I just gotta haul myself out of bed.

Peanut Breakfast Balls

4:55am always rolls around so much quicker than I expect. Didn't help that there was very little choice for breakfast this morning as we had just enough milk to cover an ant. Opted for dry cereal in the end which is never a good time, but it kept me going as I opened up the shop and had a very, very ordinary Monday. On the plus side I've got interview at 3pm tomorrow too. Had a quick go at getting prepped for it once I got home from work, but I'll be doing the bulk of the prep tomorrow morning. Keeping my fingers and my toes crossed for this one!

Rebecca is on a holy crusade to find a new breakfast option that she can get excited about, in her quest she stumbled upon these peanut butter and oat energy balls things which we couldn't resist whipping up. They look awful, but taste like little breakfast Ferraro Rochers! Can't wait to wake up tomorrow to redeem myself after today's breakfast.

Pants

5am came along and my mouth was craving water like nobody's business. I decided to take the long walk downstairs to Rebecca's parent's kitchen to grab a glass of water. In my desperation, I ignored any semblance of comments sense and opted to go down only wearing my pants. 'I shan't be long' I figured and the likelihood of bumping into any member of her family seemed slim at 5am. Once I poured myself a glass though I heard footsteps above, someone else was stirring! Quickly I dashed into the downstairs toilet in fear of having a chance encounter where I was substantially underdressed. I locked myself in and kept an ear out for the happenings upstairs and to my horror, not 1, not 2 but all of the family got up to use the bathroom in the night while I huddled downstairs, cold and in my pants. Note to self, always look decent when you pop down in the night.

Blackout Blackjack

Slept like a log last night and had a glorious lie-in that set me up right for the rest of the day. Went out for a little walk around Richmond this morning, looked around Petersham Nurseries too, admittedly a little out if season, but it was lovely to see some vegetation in mid January. I spotted a little orange tree at one point and I made a mental note to myself to get one - they're just so lovely.

Later on in the evening I joined Rebecca's parents in a little meet up with some of their family friends for a decidedly boozey evening. After dinner, pudding and cheese and biscuits we settled into a big game of blackjack which took up most of the night. The hosts offered me a shot if Fireball halfway through - who am I to turn down that offer? The added Dutch courage served me well in cards though and I went out in third place overall by the end if the night. Looking forward to sleep off the alcohol tonight now.

Strange Cities are Familiar

Had a short but sweet 3 hour shift at work today which was unusually busy. Friday morning can be a little more hectic but folks were piling through the door today. Glad I got out early so I could pack my bags and head out to London with Rebecca to see her family over the weekend.

It dawned on me that it was around this time last year that I worked on the short film 'Strange Cities are Familiar'. Being here in Rebecca's parents house in January reminded me of the early call times and listening to Tom Waits' Bone Machine while catching buses and tubes. I recently got linked the trailer to that film so I'll post it here.

You Were Never Really Here

Kicked back a bit on my day off and started the script for my next video essay. I wanted to take a look into the representation of parents in games and so far I've come up with some really interesting observations plus some really fun case studies so it should be a good one. Later on I jumped into the car for another driving lesson which was fine, not the smash success of last week but I learnt a few extra bits now so that's always a plus too.

Last week I grew aware of the fact that my film watching quota was rather low so I'm trying to top it up a bit, seeing as Rebecca was out this evening too I found the perfect opportunity to watch You Were Never Really Here which was one of the best things I've seen in a while. You follow an aging hitman on a mission to retrieve a kidnapped young girl. Gritty and minimalist, Lynne Ramsey lets actions speak louder than words, scenes of characters sitting in silence feel just as unnerving as the implied action sequences. Amidst the violence and dark themes, there are occasional moments of serenity and grace which are all backed up by a truly remarkable performance from Joaquin Phoenix. Looking back I could hardly believe they crammed it all into a 80 minute film and I couldn't take my eyes off it for a second.

Settling back into Things

Another super early start for me, I've left the house every day this week before Rebecca has even gotten out of bed. Got a day off tomorrow so I already can't wait to sleep in past 5am, its going to be so nice waking up at a normal time again. Otherwise today was nothing special, I think all the Christmas hype has drained away now and the normality of life has settled back in.

What's he Building?

Pick up where I left off on listening to Tom Waits' Mule Variations while walking to work and I couldn't have landed on a worse song to leave a deadly quiet building at 5:30 in the morning. 'What's he Building?' Puts you in the shoes of a paranoid neighbour living in a net curtain community and it made me hyperaware of all the people I passed on the street. Didn't help that the soundscape is just so damn creepy too, it woke me right up though since I thought could feel a tight hand gripping my heart. In hindsight, its hilarious how spooked I was (I was nervously laughing at the time) but now I think its a genius song - give it a listen here, but only if your not doing anything in the dark and/or in isolation.

After work I prepped a banging Sheppard's Pie for Louis and Rachel. We all shared a bottle of wine and played a bit of Codenames, the evening was worth pushing through a busy day.

Jelly Leggies

My legs wanted to give out by the end of my 9 hour shift today. I could physically feel my energy levels slowly ebbing away and just before the big 'first day back at school rush' came in I wanted to find a big slab of concrete and bash my head into it. Just once. I didn't though because I knew I'd come back home to a very tasty veggie curry followed by some relaxing time to rest my weary legs.

Ready Shreddies

A bowl of shreddies was all I needed before walking up yet another mountainous climb. We did the Valley of the Rocks yesterday and that felt like a big one, but today we were up even higher. Rebecca initially struggled up the steeper parts but now that she's worn in her new walking boots you'd barely recognize the city girl that lies underneath.

We drove back home early evening and I'm already dreading work tomorrow. Its that horrid Sunday feeling where you just want the good times to last, I've got next weekend off too though so there's plenty to look forward to.

Hiking Around Lynmouth

Didn't actually realise exactly where we were staying in Devon until this morning, and we were a heck of a lot closer to the coast than I expected too! Lynmouth is a rather pretty place as it turns out, a lot of good views and footpaths to hike along. Ended up doing nearly 18,000 steps today going along trails and up steep hills but it was all worth it for pictures like this:

I already know its going to be a real drag to go back home tomorrow, but we all made the most of today. Even though it flew by, its been a great day.

Driving on the Right Side

Finally caught up on some sleep after New Years Eve this morning, woke up feeling like a new man and ready to face my driving lesson. And what a lesson it was! Ended up going really quite well, got the parallel parking right first time again and driving around felt a lot more natural today, all very positive signs!

Once Rebecca got home from work a friend picked us up and drove us to Devon for the weekend. Feels like we are having a mini holiday, can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store.

Was there an Audit?

Golly, work was underwhelming. I was expecting some big nasty day where a scary lady comes and critiques everything we did, in reality though she was with us for 40 minutes, sat in a corner and just kinda said it all looks good. Guess that's good news but there was a lot of build up for this visit. No bother, we were deadly quiet for the rest of the day which made for a change of pace, actually got to do some of the smaller jobs we needed to do for ages as a result.

Got back home and applied for another job and started planning my interrailing trip with Rebecca. Looked at a lot of Air B&B's tonight and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't into that, kinda looking forward to home hopping while we're away.

Here comes the Audit

We got a internal review coming up tomorrow at our coffee shop, one of the big cheeses is popping in with a clip board to evaluate how the store is running. They always like to see the front counter looking well stocked, but the thing is, we are totally out of food. No delivery came in today and the situation felt even more dire after we got a call from our food suppliers who told us they wouldn't be delivering anything tomorrow either. Fingers crossed it all goes well tomorrow despite all that, I'm not in the firing line if anything does go wrong, but I still want to get a good score tomorrow.

Happy New Year 2019!

Happy New Year all! I rung in the New Year once again at a friends house overlooking hundreds of Bristol back gardens. Once the countdown finished there was a panoramic view of all the nearby firework displays going across the city - it was spectacular! Shame I couldn't have spent the morning to recover from a rather late night since I was up to work bright and early today - busy day too!

After work I thought I'd start the year right by watching the latest 'interactive' episode of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. As a fan of Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror and video games it pains me to say that this really wasn't very good.

There was a fairly good concept in there that was lost amidst a sea of chaff, a lot of which read as a desperate attempt to make the episode appear a lot deeper and darker than it actually needed to be. Its biggest failure however, is its inability to use its interactive format to give anything meaningful to support the narrative. Black Mirror of all shows could have done wonders with this concept, but it somehow simultaneously does too little for it to feel reflexive and too much for it to be coherent.

I was actually quite excited to see this concept expand, I know Netflix are releasing a similar thing for a Stranger Things project,