Happy New Year 2020!

  
Where does all the time go on New Years Eve? Rebecca and I are on our way to ring in the new year with Mark and Lucy with some bubbles and board games. Just before heading over I had plenty of time to reflect on 2019 fondly.

Last year has been a real upswing for me full of personal milestones. I ran my first 10K in ages alongside my Dad and my Brother, I passed my driving test (finally) and I toured central Europe with Rebecca while interrailling. That was almost our biggest adventure together, trumped only by the excitement of buying our first house, we toured IKEA earlier on today for furniture ideas and we cannot wait to move in. Professionally, I had a good year of Running work too, doing commercials for bigger clients and meeting some really wonderful people. Even on a smaller note, I started writing for a small gaming website - getting my work published in any way is an immensly gratifying feeling. I feel more sure of myself than ever before and this photo best represents my year:

Sitting in Ljubljana, sipping a coffee and watching the world go by. If every day next year is even a fraction as lovely as that moment, it'll be a good year indeed.

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you're spending it with good company and the coming year is full of good fortune!

My First Memory Lane

Sparred with Louis for a little while on Smash Bros, then it was downtown for us to go furniture hunting. Along the way we went along the route I used to walk every day to primary school, I hadn't been that way for over a decade and the memories of walking to and from school rung around my head. Everything looked so much grander when you're only 7 years old.

The shopping itself was only dine to give is ideas about what we might want to pick up so we were fully prepared to leave empty handed but full of inspiration. Shortly after, Rebecca and I packed up our stuff and left Newbury after a really wonderful Christmas break. Its a shame the lead up between Christmas and New Years isn't longer because then I'd have an excuse to stay at home even longer.

Family Day and Name Game

Swabbed the decks and prepped some food all for the Christmas Family Day with my mum's side of the family tree. Got to see some relatives I hadnt seen in over three years so that was exciting, the food too that Dad mostly prepared was expectedly top notch. The ever popular Name Game made an appearance for the second year running and was a smash hit, Granny Sue's famous faces naturally returned too to the ironic chagrin of many patrons. Rebecca also dropped in for the day, first time I'd seen her in almost a week, lovely to have her back so show off all my presents to.

Trees Be Falling

Against all odds, work was actually very quiet today. Which was nice because I needed every ounce of energy for the travel home to Newbury as it turned out. A fallen tree on the line meant my train was delayed by 5 minutes, which meant I missed the only train heading home from Westbury. Luckily, the rail folk clocked onto this and started mass organising taxis for everyone so I piled into a small car with 3 other middle aged people coming home from a rugby game. Got back an hour later than expected, once I walked through the door I ravaged the fridge for a late dinner. Sat and watched TV with Mum, Dad and Louis for a bit but I'm dead tired now and ready for bed.

Orpington to Bristol

Woke up in Orpington, going to bed in Bristol, here's what happened in between. Saw some family, ate mince pies, met up with family friends, walked a dog, ate cheese and biscuits, got on a train, went home. Did quite a lot in retrospect, nothing felt rushed but the day flew right past me during my travels. I'm at work for one day tomorrow, chances are we are gonna be busy, soon as I'm done though I'm back to Newbury to enjoy Christmas part 2 with Mum's side of the family. Just gotta muscle through the day and all will be well after.

Boxing Day 2019

After a leisurely breakfast the family and I packed our bags and headed down to Orpington. I've been feeling incredibly lethargic all day and the moment we arrived at Grandma's home I found my eyelid's getting heavier by the second. So I curled up in an armchair and had a little kip. I just had a small glass of port with Louis and Grandma as we bid Boxing Day farewell. Its always a chill affair after Christmas Day and it was lovely just switching off for the afternoon.

Happy Christmas 2019!

For the first time in my life, Santa didn't deliver his presents in time for Christmas morning! Louis and I watched kids cartoons before Mum sheepishly brought our stockings in, if I was 20 years younger I would have been mortified, instead this little instance made me appreciate the human element to Christmas all the more. After our traditional breakfast we dished out the presents, Louis and I did especially well in the gifting department since everyone was chuffed to pieces with their gifts. I got a handful of coffee related presents plus Rusty Brown, a graphic novel I wasn't expecting to get but I already cannot wait to dive into.

Earlier this month I wrote here that following a friend's Christmas dinner I would be surprised if I had a better one, today I got to not only eat my words, but also tuck into the best Christmas dinner I reckon Dad has ever made. He always goes above and beyond with the Christmas lunch and his cooking deserves every ounce of praise that's coming to him.

The mandatory 'sofa veg-out' session began after dinner and carried us long into the evening. I sincerely hope everyone else had as good a Christmas as I did and that the good vibes were spread throughout the day.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve 2019

Twas the morning before Christmas, ASDA's carpark was brimming before day break and I trudged to open the cafe to greet the festive customers. It felt like every regular popped in today to wish us a happy Christmas, one even left a £5 tip as an early present for us. Work wasn't too busy which was ideal because I had a manic time getting on the train to head back to Newbury. My reference number bounced and the help desk needed a lot of cajoling before they extended a helping hand, I was a hair away from using the line '...But its Christmas' as a bargaining chip. Luckily, I didn't need to rely on clichés and I was on my way home for the Christmas Eve Party. Felt great coming home to help out and to see my folks, after a few beers and some nibbles the party was in full swing and I felt like I was home. Bring on Christmas.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

For years my Brother has moaned about how chilly it gets in his flat. I always secretly suspected he was just being a bit precious, but while parcel-sitting in his home this morning I grew increasingly conscious of how rapidly my body temperature was dropping. I never should have doubted you Louis!

Fortunately, I wasn't there long as his package arrived quite quickly, it gave me plenty of time to finish writing up a game review for Sick Critic (which you can read here) and get a few other bits done. So after my chores were all done I figured I could have a little bit of solo Christmas time. I poured out some advocaat, sat in the multicoloured glow of our tree and watched A Charlie Brown Christmas to honour the fact that all I've listened to this Christmas was the jazzy soundtrack. After my cockles were warmed, I packed for tomorrow and dreamt about being at home on Christmas Day - I can't wait.

Carols Abound

Bid farewell to Rebecca this morning as she drove home to spend the holidays with her folks in London. I cracked on with a lil bit of work before heading out to the other side of Bristol to what I though would be a simple night of carol singing. Little did I know, I actually signed up to head to a church to sing in The Festive Nine Lessons and Carols. You know what though, I had a jolly good time. It was a very small congregation, less than 30 people, but afterwards everyone got together in the vestry for mince pies and mulled wine and it felt nice to be part of a Christmas tradition with a group of friendly strangers.  

Yule Yolks

Cracked open a double yolker while prepping scrambled eggs this morning, the rest of the day was all uphill from there. Rounded up the last drips of Christmas shopping/wrapping with Rebecca and we even exchanged presents. I got a board game and a neat little book about films - both look great on their respective shelves. Originally we planned to head out and meet a friend this evening but those plans fell through so we wrapped up indoors and watched A Christmas Story, its been many years since I last saw it but its power still resonates. There is just so much truth and humanity in this little comedy, it charms the pants off me on every watch and it comfortably makes its way somewhere in my personal top 5 Christmas films.

Chocolate Orange

Got called into work for a very cosy 4 hour shift just to help out someone who was feeling poorly. Ended up doing a bit of running around after work though, I sent a parcel over to Rebecca's work to save us some time, instead I ended up making a special trip to collect it... Never mind though. We popped round to visit a friend in her new flat today and got gifted a chocolate orange which I was irrationally excited to receive - rarely get one to have all to myself. Done a lot of Christmas meet ups recently, feels good to wish people a merry Christmas and make the effort.

The Good News Bomb

Dad dropped the big 'good news bomb' on us this morning and announced that we have just exchanged contracts for our house. Completion is set for Jan 15th and Rebecca and I couldn't be happier. I immediately hopped on the phone to let our letting agents know that we were looking to move out the flat next month and it made me feel wistful about our humble flat. Sure the bin store is a faff to use and our letting agents have been truly dreadful, but the flat itself has endured and treated us well during our time here. Eager to move, but I'll likely pay a small tribute to the space just before we move out just to say thanks for the memories.

'Oh Crap, It's Christmas Soon!'

Been out and about today! Louis and I met up to do our annual 'Oh Crap, It's Christmas Soon!' shopping spree to tick off all the people that our outstanding on our lists. Thankfully, we live in a city that worships artisanal goods so we managed to pick up a bunch of bespoke presents while supporting local shop fronts - feels good man. The second half of our quest fell through a little bit though, we took a fruitless trek up to a far away shop just as the heavens opened up. I was cradling a brown paper gift bag all the way and it just about hit max saturation point moments before I burst back into my flat, ready to take my soggy shoes off and revitalize myself with a hot chocolate. I've still got a handful of little bits to get but today was the big push in present buying and I already can't wait to give some of them out. 

Gremlins, The Return

Tuesdays are often a quiet work day and today was deadly silent, I was actually relieved to leave and go shopping with Rebecca since I felt like nodding off on the job. I had a good old fashioned brainstorming session for any missing presents on my hit list after work too and I think I've got everyone sorted now, Louis and I are going on a shopping spree sometime tomorrow so with any luck I'll have a mini mountain of presents to wrap.

Went over to Louis and Rachel's for a really delicious Thai green curry with a yule log chaser. Gremlins was put on afterwards and we all basked in the kind of Christmas magic that can only be delivered by mass murdering little green men.

Adopt a Zen Perspective

Experienced a first at the cafe today. A customer insisted we made them a new coffee after they put their artificial sweetener in their friend's drink since it was all our fault. At this moment, I found myself at an impasse. This is a classic Baby Boomer moment and if I were to go along with the contemporary school of thought that pits Millennials and Boomers against each-other in a culture war I would have considered this instance as yet another excuse to hate another generation. Me though, I ain't got time for that. I made him another coffee and sent him on his merry way.

This week is my dedicated Christmas shopping week for anyone I haven't sorted already. Got a bit of a hit list to work through so I should be alright. I'm oddly calm at the moment about present shopping (to Rebecca's chagrin) but I think we can all learn a little something from my zen attitude concerning manic shopping. I'm sure the moment something goes wrong that'll all change.   

StophMas

Newbury to Bristol is often such a simple drive, an hour tops, but due to an accident on the road today it took Rebecca and I three hours to get back home. We were in a small hurry to get to Mark's Christmas lunch (which I loving dubbed Stophmas) we ended up being rather late, but luckily we weren't the only guests effected by the bad traffic - Dan was visiting with his VR headset too. Once all the gang arrived though, it was a blast! Great to hang out in Mark and Lucy's new house, bask in their tree and open fire, and spend some quality time together. I've had a jam-packed weekend but this was the icing on the cake.

In smaller news, I managed to retroactively fix my latest video! The audio in the final moments still goes out of sync with the cuts, but I fixed a really crummy sounding blip at the end. So here's An Open Thank You Letter to Yacht Club Games!

Coffee 'n Smash

Initially I planned today to be a pretty quiet affair, little did I know the universe had different plans. A Nintendo club public gaming event was going on in a Newbury coffee shop this morning so I just had to go to that. Ended up playing Smash Bros against a bunch of 12 year olds and teaching them the value of losing gracefully. No time to stuck around for a trophy though because the Twin Town Christmas meal beckoned, I picked some rather un-Christmassy options to make a change, in hindsight a noodle basket really wasn't what I wanted to eat after pulling a cracker and wearing a party hat. No matter though, Rebecca and I met up with some friends from Newbury at the meeting and headed out with them for a quick drink at a local pub which was lovely. Lot of impromptu things today, but that actually made the day memorable! To top it all off, we decorated the family Christmas tree so I'm really vibing with the festive spirit.

Christmas Camel

Slept unusually badly last night so I got up and kinda mulled around a bit at 4am. I got a sense of the election results and managed to watch the final moments of The Game Awards live, though I got to sleep alright after that, it still felt like I spent the rest of the day recovering. Christmas shopping was on the cards for me and Rebecca, she got a decent chunk done while I did my best camel impression and lugged the goods up and down town. We headed to Newbury this evening for a pre-Christmas weekend, we wacked on Klaus, Netflix's animated Christmas movie and had a blast watching it. Occasionally it creeked, but the sentiment held it all together. If you want a new animated film to watch over the holidays this is a good pick!

Little Blarp

Worked all morning to finish the edit on my latest video, I watched it back once, watched it back twice, nodded and thought, 'this is great'. Four hours after I uploaded it, I watched it back on YouTube and discovered a small glitch occurred during the export that de-synced the audio during the final moments of the video, resulting in an awkward 'blarp' noise during the big finale I constructed. Now I don't know what's best, I could either leave it as is, or I could re-upload the video tomorrow after triple checking the export (which in theory, shouldn't have done this). I'll sleep on it and think about the best solution in the morning. I'll post it here tomorrow.

On a happier note, I headed into the cafe, not to work but to put up decorations. I wrapped lights round windows and put lights round the Christmas tree to get the shop looking gorgeous. I jetted off home to get ready for Wildseed's Christmas party which was going down this evening. Lovely to see a lot of familiar faces and enjoy a lil' drink with all of them, some folks I hadn't seen for years! A whole bunch of good eggs that lot and I'm proud to be associated with them.

Twice the Spice (And Everything Nice)

Brewed up a half litre of coffee and cemented myself to my video editing chair to smash through a hearty chuck of my next video. I'm about 80% done and I'm getting some real good vibes off this one, very eager to share it with the world tomorrow.

As a reprieve for the edit I turned to baking my first ever batch of mince pies. Didn't stray too far off the beaten path, I bought ready-made pastry and mince meat, but I did throw in a few extras to zhuzh up the filing. The zest (and a little juice) of an orange alongside a few dried cranberries, plus a hearty glug of port were my extras to make for a deep but zesty flavour.

They ain't lookers, but for a first time I'm pretty pleased with them - the taste especially. They'll make for a great pick me up as I do the finishing touches to my edit.

Hot Tea and Hot Hands

A day at work wouldn't be complete without someone burning themselves on scolding hot water. Usually its me, but this time it was a customer after a lid slipped off her re-usable cup, she spent the next few minutes hanging out with us in the back as she ran her hand under the tap. Her spirits were high considering (she won't be pressing charges basically). Walking home from work I finally bought my first Christmas present, one of several I know, but at least I've brainstormed what to get, just have to go out and get it all now!

Yesterday's To Do

I tell ya, the secret to a successful day is to make a to-do list on the day before, that way I can mull about what I have to do just before bed and wake up with a sense of direction. Result was a day I smashed, got all my odd jobs sorted and I finished writing yet another script for what'll likely be my last video of the year. This is one I've been biding my time for, waited the better part of a year to produce this one, I'm pleased with the script so I know I'll be chuffed with the end result. Shock and horror though, I'm at work tomorrow. Feels like ages since I last did an early morning shift, but I'm sure I'll remember all the steps.

Not So Noisey

The bustling sounds of a main London road rudely awoke me from my slumber on our friend's living room floor. Luckily, I wasn't alone in this, Rebecca started to stir at this point too so we endured the noise together and drifted back off to sleep. Shortly after, the gang burst into our make-shift bedroom and rustled up a cooked breakfast which set me up right for the rest of the day. We drove back to Bristol a little while later and enjoyed a few hours of quiet time at home to recharge after the weekend bustle. As much as I love having a busy social calendar, it's always nice to be back home.

Trees, Grub and Games

Bought a Christmas Tree with Rebecca's parents and decorated it too - the first of may I'm sure this year. Smitten with our efforts, we basked in its glory for a a few moments before dashing off to Tooting to have a little Christmas dinner with a group of old Uni friends. They pulled out all the stops too, they went to a local butchers to get a joint of beef which was excellent, I'll be surprised if I eat a Christmas meal that'll top the one I just had! Just set up some sleeping bags on the floor after playing boardgames til midnight, reminds me of spending nights with friends at sleepovers, can't wait for breakfast though.

Mince Pie and a Coffee

Make way London, because I'm coming down for a long weekend! Rebecca and I have a full social calendar to stick to over the next few days, but we were a little weary from the journey, and we could only refuel via coffee and mince pies. Once we perked up a bit we headed out to see Rebecca Grandmother and I prepped myself for an evening of typing and writing while Rebecca went out to see White Lies with her Dad. We done good today, but it's just a warm up for the Christmas dinner/party we'll be attending tomorrow night.

Pamper Pizza

Had breakfast, made a cup of coffee then I sat down to a day of writing. It feels like ages since I've been able to commit to a day like this and I really made it count. I hit my desired word count and had time spare so I wasn't stressing - always a bonus. I closed down my laptop and headed out to meet Rebecca at Treefest, St Mary Redcliff's little Christmas tree showcase. We've made it our own tradition to go and visit the display every year, every time I go I'm glad I did. While the trees won't blow you away, there is something very humble and community minded about the whole event which taps into the nature of the season. Since we were out and about, we decided to treat ourselves to an impromptu restaurant visit for pizza, we're both headed to London tomorrow for social calls so we wanted to celebrate the end of the week a little early. We're both going to be busy bees in the leadup to Christmas so its nice to carve out a bit of time to pamper ourselves.

Celebrities in Gaming

Sat down and smashed the final cut of my latest video: Celebrities in Gaming. I've recently played a handful of games that include a lot of famous faces and that got me thinking about the subject. The video only really scratches the surface of the topic, but I stand by my points and I'm generally pleased with it, check it out below if you fancy.

More Muppets

Work, work, work. Once my morning shift was over I was back on my video edit, aiming to have it done tomorrow afternoon.

Once again, I dove into the comforting world weaved by the Muppets in their rendition of A Christmas Carol, Rebecca enjoyed it so much when we saw it that she fancied seeing it again. I think if someone was keeping a tally of 'films I've seen the most times' I wouldn't be surprised if this one came in the top ten. Its a staple part of my Christmas diet every year and it never fails to put a spring in my step as I march towards the big day on the 25th.

Ponderin' 'bout Prezzies

Waking up early is much easier when you're not the only one rolling out of bed. I cooked Rebecca some 7am porridge before we both headed off for some long working days. A few friends dropped into the cafe by chance so that brightened up the day, otherwise getting through the day felt like a bit of a mission. Thankfully I'm not actually working too much this week at the cafe so that'll give me a so breathing room to crack on with some other projects of mine. Sick Critic scored me a review code for a game I'm personally very excited for, and I'm getting to play it a little in advance to the general public which is a really cool feeling. I need to really commit some brain power to buying presents for Christmas this year too, I only have some murmurations of ideas right now, with any luck I'll have my 'present ideas' spreadsheet filled out in good time this year.

Scrooged

December is finally here, and with it, come tidings of merriment and joy. I wrapped up in a blanket and sat on the sofa with Rebecca for most of the day, enjoying some time off after a busy week in and around London. We eased into some festive fun in the evening though, I rustled up some 'Christmas Burgers' with brie and lashings of cranberry sauce. A warmed mince pie with custard was served as pudding, though Rebecca curdled her custard while warming it (yet another great reason why cold custard is the superior form). We then took a gamble on watching a Christmas film neither of us had ever seen: Scrooged. 

Though Bill Murray carried the movie, structurally it was all over the show. Some story threads were a little undercooked and it wasn't anywhere near as funny as I wanted it to be, despite all that though, it did eventually win me over. The design for the Ghost of Christmas Future was a real highlight and the rousing speech Murray's character delivers at the end thawed the cockles of my heart. It ain't a classic in my books, but it's sentiment was heartfelt even if the route there was a bit wobbly wobbly.