Family Day 2022

After a late night yesterday (and an equally late wake up time today), I walked right onto a kitchen conveyer belt. For today was 'Family Day', the annual get-together of my Mum's side of the family who were all about to knock on our door with empty tummies. Before I could even wipe my cereal milk from my chin, food prep, washing up and mulled wine brewing was on my docet. It was a big team effort as the family dashed around to finish all the preparations and it all went off without a hitch. Pen and paper games ensued and much hilarity was had, even after most of the guests left the ink was flowing as we played 'Stop the Bus'. Hot debates were had over how bad walnets smell (Dad wouldn't conceed to the contrary in this topic), now that all the adrenaline has gone I'm ready to conk out in bed.

Su-Beer 2022

 Louis and I planted ourselves squarely in the living room with controllers in hand. For tonight was Su-Beer, our (mostly) annual Smash Bros tournament and we were both feeling a might rusty. Louis talked a bit recently about training his mates at the game over the Summer, what I didn't expect was how much sharper the compititon was! I was sweating a fair bit more this year round, and in a Su-Beer first, someone actually beat me. Thankfully I played hard enough to retain my trophy and the entire night was extremely jovial. There was simultaneously more and less at stake, people were just there to have a good evening which is exactly what we got.

Chrimbo Limbo

With Rebecca's car temporarily out of action, she and I have been getting taxied around by our parents like we were both 15 again. I feel a bit guilty hopping between families, eating all their leftovers and getting passed around like a flabby baton, we're both very grateful though that they're willing to help us see through our holiday plans. We're both back in Newbury now, enjoying Dad's cooking and doing Mum's jigsaw puzzles - with our brains united we finished 1000 pieces no sweat. We're still in the thickets of 'Chrimbo Limbo', as we sit on our hands and wait for New Year's Eve. There's still a few board games to play and movies to see so that'll keep us going in the meantime. Gotta get that family time in while we can.

Family Functions

For a change, I drove the family up to Orpington to see Grandma. Dad prepared a superb lunch for us all and Grandma kept remarking how lovely it was to see us all. We each hugged her tight as we said our goodbyes until next year, never quite feels like Christmas until I've spent some time with her in that living room.

I then hopped between a table at Cafe Nero, then Subway as I waited for my meet up, this time with Rebecca's Aunt and Uncle. Remarkably they had both watched Gangsta Granny so we had plenty to talk about while we tucked into a takeaway curry. I shared film recommendations with them and we all enjoyed each other's company until the small hours. The Uncle in particular didn't hide the fact he was delighted to be spending time with us, but especially his brother (Rebecca's Dad). I hope Louis and I end up like that into our older years.

Boxing Day 2022

This year's Boxing Day was characterized by watching the last 5-20 minutes of movies. Ghostbusters and Bridge on the River Kwai sprung up, favourites of yesteryear and trying our best to collectively reconstruction their plots based on the ending was a lot of fun. Not quite zombified, but with a low energy we occasionally ventured out of the warm living room in search for edible scraps. Cheese and gifted chocolates was mostly my daily diet, 'tis the only day a year that's not frowned upon so why not indulge?

I was mentally ready for a Boxing Day walk, but one never materialized. So I took myself on a short walk around the block, up to my old secondary school and a nearby park. The school is different everytime I go back, but I'm startled by home much of it I remember when I put my mind to it. Spent so many hours of my life there and it continues on with me and without me.

Happy Christmas 2022!

Grapefruits and gammon, it's Christmas Morning! We gathered under the tree and watched Louis play Santa and dish out the presents. I got a lovely chunky jumper, a graphic novel and some board game bits. Not to mention a very nostalgic painting Mum did of me as a toddler. Can't wait to find a spot to put that in our home.

We shared a traditional English Christmas dinner with our Ukrainian guests, turns out a love for Christmas pudding and brandy butter is universal. I was so full afterwards I could barely manage a pair of crackers once the Sun set... After a slice of cake that was... and a few chocolates.

Just as things were winding down a slideshow of photographs from previous December 25th begun playing. Young, peppy faces of Louis and I smiled back at us, pointing at favourite presents and arms round relatives. We know how to keep Christmas well, a tradition we continue to uphold.

From our house to yours, I hope your Christmas Day was everything you wanted it to be. Happy Christmas to one and all!

Christmas Eve 2022

In preparation for the Christmas Eve party Louis and I were asked to hand up some external fairy lights - 64 meters of it to be exact! We went back and forth before settling on a design to wrap around the house and garden and spent well over an hour on the job, poor Louis just wanted a cuppa tea and a sit down as his lips begun turning blue.

In the middle of this I said goodbye to Rebecca as she drove off to spend Christmas with her family. So the very last person I expected to see pull up in our driveway 20 minutes later was Rebecca. She'd got an engine light after pulling away, a chap came out to asses the situation but nothing could be done this side of Christmas. And so, Rebecca's parents came out to get her and wish us a happy Christmas in person.

The party itself went very well. Louis and I made a batch of mulled wine which went down very well and I donned a pair of inflatable reindeer antlers so people could play hoopla on my head. Slightly smaller crowd than usual, but there was still a cosy atmosphere that got me excited for the big day tomorrow.

Pinocchio

Took our guests to see some of the lesser known sights if Bristol - instead they just got the brunt end of the drizzle that best characterizes the city. We dried off while eating leftover pizza, everyone then packed their bags and we each went our separate ways towards our Christmas destination. Louis, Rebecca and I drove down to Newbury and enjoyed the Christmas quiet before the storm - tomorrow is all about preparing for the Christmas Eve party. We haven't had one for a few years due to Covid, I hope we haven't forgotten all the steps.

The Christmas holidays wouldn't be complete without an alternative family movie so Del Toro's Pinocchio sounded like a good pick. It was ultimately a little disappointing however, it postured on having some interesting takes on death (the underworld initially was a unique spin) but it never coalesced into anything meaningful. It was a remarkably long film yet it still felt like characters learnt their life lessons all too quickly. Unlike the wooden boy, nothing felt organic, be it the unremarkable songs or the iffy pacing in the second half, it just never quite landed the tone it's subject matter commanded. 

But it did make fun of fascists - always points for that.

Back Seat Unmentionables

My latest rental car arrived just as I was about to pour my breakfast coffee. That usually wouldn't be an issue, except for I agreed to take the chap who dropped off said car a ways up the road as a favour. We chatted the whole drive thankfully and we had a cheery chat, I learnt a bit about the life of a rental car drop off guy and all the unmentionables things he's found lost under backseats when vehicles get off hired. 

Jamie's partner arrived to also spend the evening with us. Not that we need an excuse to order a pizza in, but this was a golden opportunity to do just that. Board games and pen & paper games followed as the mead flowed. It's the final night in this house for 2022 so we wanted to go out with a bang.

Heated Blanket

Rebecca and I bounded down the stairs towards our Christmas tree. This was our 'Christmas Morning', the perfect time for us each to exchange presents. It was an adorable way to start the day as just the two of us, as shortly after we got the house ready for our Christmas houseguest: Jamie Creed! Been almost two years since I saw him properly, but he's kicking it with us for the next few days in good old Bristol. To mark the occasion I boiled a joint of gammon in cola and roasted it up for dinner (and sandwiches tomorrow no doubt.) We all headed to Louis and Rachel's in the evening for a low-key cake and wine night and to exchange a few presents. A heated blanket was inside some wrapping paper for Rebecca and me, and we're chomping at the bit to try it out.

Christmas 'Wrap Party'

Once more unto the high street for presents, this time ticking off virtually everyone. I had a horrible moment where I mentally bookmarked a gift for someone the other day, but when I returned today the shelf was empty! In a panic I started dashing into all the shops, trying to find something appropriate. That tactic surprising paid off though as now I ended up with a better present than what I had originally planned!

There was a lengthy trip into M&S that ended with me leaving the shop empty handed as they had no stock left. I turned to Aldi instead and got what I needed at a fraction of the cost - lucky me again!

Turning in all these presents, Rebecca and I gathered round our dining table with scissors, tags and paper and had our very own 'wrap party' as we prepped presents. With all that out of the way we turned to a Christmas film and basked in the lights if our tree. The big day is drawing ever closer and the festive feelings are bubbling to the surface.

Gangsta Granny Strikes Again!

Here's something that's never happened to me before. I flicked on BBC One and there I was, right in the middle of the scene I'm an extra for in Gangsta Granny Strikes Again. I remember it was airing today on prime time, but didn't imagine I'd tune in during my 'blink and you'll miss me cameo.' We kept the show on in the background while Rebecca and I worked but we enjoyed it for the Christmas panto it is. It's still on BBC iPlayer if you want to catch it - you'll see me in the back of a police station sharing a scene with Sheridan Smith.

North Street Shuffle

Did the annual 'North Street Shuffle' - the final push for presents before the big day. We ventured towards yet another Christmas market, I think I've seen enough gift stalls this year to last several lifetimes now! Lots of local foods, artists and food stalls, it took all the willpower in the world not to go in for an aranchini ball (but I knew a bacon and cranberry sandwich was awaiting me at home). I ticked off a few more names off my list of people, still got a few outliers, plus a few things with the Royal Mail that's due to arrive... Any day now...

My Fair Lady

Rebecca got a generous end of year bonus and decided to treat the both of us to a cute December lunch out. Little Hollows, the pasta places Rachel works at is a stalwart favorite of ours that we don't visit enough but today was prime time for pasta. It's always good there, but they do like to find ways to outdo themselves. 

Full on pasta, we were craving a long, lazy afternoon/Christmas watch. For too long we discussed watching My Fair Lady and today was finally the day we put it on. I was so excited for a jolly 60's musical, and for the first 90 minutes I was totally on board with it, but the final half really, really soured the experience. It dawned on me that all the characters were dreadful. Everyone got exactly what they wanted, yet still remained to be ghastly people with seriously distorted convictions and sexual politics. If a character has a defining moment of rebellion and announces 'You'll never see me again' you don't then expected them to turn up 6 minutes later with a 1000 watt smile on their face as they're reunited with someone they loathe. A bizarre one for sure, some people adore this film, I'm glad to have finally seen it but it didn't gel with me anywhere near as much as I had hoped.

Pizzas, Pies, Party

Totally nailed the office Christmas party. All the prep departments came in to break bread and make merry while tearing off slices of pizza and chugging mulled wine. Really lovely atmosphere as everyone chatted about their plans over the holidays and the like. It only lasted about 30-40 minutes, then everyone swiftly disappeared, finished up the day then drove home.

I'm officially done with work for the year which is a lovely thought - I'm already tucked up in bed and I think I'll stay that way a few hours more tomorrow morning.

The Cranberries

I did something that aged me by about 20 years this afternoon. While building a flatpack piece of furniture I noticed one of the instructions was indisputably misprinted, so I call the hotline to let them know, so that future builders of an Argos kitchen trolley may flourish where I failed. I was in a charitable mood after our Line Producer came into the office, gave everyone a warm hug and announced Production we're hosting a festive lunch for all the prep crew. It was if every Christmas Carol spirit had visited her overnight, she suddenly knew how to keep Christmas! I wrangled together a pizza order and purchased bits for office mulled wine. I proudly told me team I asked my family on tips for the best stuff but they just said get the pre-mixed bottles. Ah well, guess it saves me making a cheesecloth spice bag. I did make some cranberry sauce to bring in tomorrow though - perhaps as something for people to dip Thier pizza crusts in? It turned out a little thick as I slightly overreduced it. Taste is deep though with just the right amount of sweetness.

Locked in a Room

Our Art Department were firing away with requests today, lucky for them I was on the case. Pow, pow, pow - I put requests in, checked in with our on-site team and prepped their shelves to be put up. The key with things like this is to let people feel like they are being heard and prove that wheels are turning, it helps if you do some of this face to face instead of over email too. 

As a team building exercise I headed out with my Production crew to do an escape room. With a cup of mulled wine fortifying my wisdom, I bowled into the room treating it like a big Professor Layton puzzle - mostly with success! Each team member bought something to the table too and we got out with plenty of time left on the clock. I keep saying this but I've got real good vibes off this team, real glad I landed with such a good bunch.

Retail Park Prodigy

I was back and forth to the nearby retail park collecting radiators, shelves and lunches throughout the day. I even got a chance to quietly announce 'I'm off to go oil some wood' as I treated some planks ready for our Art Department. Basically a lot more running around which kept me busy. I daresay I'm a little ahead of the game now so I might just read through the rest of the scripts if nothing urgent falls into my lap.

One Shopping Bag

Not sure why but I felt like I underperformed a little at work. I did my utmost looking into the costings of lanyards and measuring shelves but it rang oddly hollow today. Having said that I think I successfully pitched for our transport team, I really want to get the chaps we had on Sanditon back on board and I reckon the planets will align to make this dream a reality. I endured this horrific cost of living realisation tonight too, Rebecca put in an online click and collect order I went to pickup which cost £41... It barely filled a single shopping bag! Thank goodness I've got a job at the moment, else I'd be starting to properly panic.

Personal Presents

Bleary eyed, we hopped back down the motorway for our next social engagement - thankfully this one was just with Louis and Rachel back in Bristol. A Christmas makers market popped up in the center of town, we only went to scope it out but left with presents for ourselves and others! The weekend closed with one final visit to a friend's for pigs in blankets and board games, the perfect wind down event after a chocker two days. One more week of work before the hols, keen to put a neat bow on my to-do list and start 2023 with a clean slate.

Christmas Tapas

 'London- Ho!' we cried as the car was loaded and we hoofed it down the motorway. It's that time of year where there's plenty of social engagements to keep before Christmas and Rebecca does her traditionally fantastic job of coordinating the best way to see all our chums. First up was a pair of Rebecca's old school chums, I saw their new apartment, their houseplants and their nice art - taking mental notes all the while on how to spruce up our own pad. A Christmas party with some shared friends followed where I ate my first battered prawn of the season and indulged in a 'baige buffet' or 'Christmas tapas' as I like to call it. Riding the night buses and trains home now. Even though someone clearly vomited in the litter receptical of train carriage, that won't deter the good vibes of the day.

Helping Hand

Gave our Art Department plenty of help sorting out their printing woes (I am of course, an expert in solving those issues now). It was all in preparation for a small meeting with our heads of department, which concluded with a lunch run to a nearby favorite Thai place again. I returned a troubled printer for a full refund (my life revolves around these machines!) And lastly I ran up a prescription to my boss ready for the weekend. Lots of little jobs done well today, everyone was very grateful for the helping hand and smiling faces always soothe the soul.

Christmas on VHS

I once again dove into the UK TV archives to learn about what was aired during the holidays in 1997. A video tape of many seasonal cartoons shown at the time was made byy parents but has been lost since. Everytime around this time of year I try to piece together what was on that tape, slowly but surely I've managed to track it all down on YouTube. My white whale is still this creepy cartoon version of the Nativity, free if dialogue and drawn in swirling browns. I even found the time slot for it: 4:45pm Christmas Day 1997 (squeezing it in before Count Down on Channel 4). Yet try as I might, I cannot track it down.

One short that I had surpressed came to light today though during my research - a hand drawn version of A Christmas Carol from 1971 which was gorgeous to look at. The artstyle took inspiration from Victorian drawings and the end product is a vintage soot-stained Christmas card. It's also heavy on the disturbing side, leaning into the ghost element of the story. Jacob Marley was horrific, and the children of Ignorance and Want were tough to look at. It warms my core hunting and rewatching these old shorts from my youth - as Christmas is built on traditions, one of mine is stepping back in time through the power of imaginary video tape.

Swing Top

For love nor money, I could not find a swing-top drinking water bottle in South Bristol. It's the kind of thing that IKEA have some kind of monopoly on, because you just cannot get a cheap and cheerful one in any other inexpensive home ware shop. I returned empty handed after driving the wrong way down a one way street and nearly mowing down a street cat; no animals were harmed though.

Since we're still in the early stages of prep there was less pressure to stay at work til fairly late. It was also a colleagues' birthday so everyone clocked off a little early. Just as well because some new Mario Kart levels just landed and Rebecca and I were hungry for more stages to play on.

Family, Friends and Fighting

Learnt what it was like to be a middleman. Some people on my job are keen to get some more equipment purchased, I have to run all costs by our Line Producer who exists to be skeptical about how we spend our money. So I get to play messenger for both sides, commonly sharing bad news to both sides and hoping that neither of them hate me in the process. I don't think they do, but I always have that doubt.

Louis and Rachel invited us over to play Smash Bros - tis the season after all for friends, family and fighting. The Su-Beer tournament is coming up again soon so we're all getting some practice in. Rachel in particular has gotten scarily good - I think she's keen to beat all of Louis' mates at the event which would be very hype.

Gift List Grief

Returned to the office bearing mince pies, and with it, swathes of appreciation from my colleagues. I was mostly doing online shopping for our Art Department and doing runs to the nearby dump, an easy way to get into the swing of a new week. I'm slowly trying to brainstorm present ideas for people during quieter moments at work. The ones I've got planned are all winners which I'm really pleased with, but the gaping holes on my list are daunting. I don't even know what I want this year!

The Polar Express

Christmas is about being thankful for everything across the year leading up to the big day. For me, I'm thankful for all the petty cash I got to spend on filming jobs and claim the points back on Tesco's club card. Rebecca and I saundered into the Supermarket, placed a chocolate orange and a bottle of Bailey's, port and advocaat in our basket. Ended up only paying £3 for it all! 

I did also purchase all the ingredients to try my hand at mince pies once again. I'd been burnt by Mary Berry's recipe too many times now so I set my sights on a new one I found online. The results were a marked improvement, though the pastry still lacked that buttery quality that I drool over. I'm taking the leftovers into the office tomorrow to surprise my colleagues, hopefully they won't scrutinize them as much as I do.

I'm also trying to see a few Christmas films that have slipped through the cracks this year, The Polar Express being at the mountaintop of my list for a few years now. Right off the bat it's easy to mock how poorly the facial animation has aged, and indeed many emotional beats were lost on me because my brain couldn't quite unpick what expression was meant to be conveyed at times. But the visuals themselves hold up really well and brought me into the world and the story, I deed I was more charmed by it that I had expected. The breadcrumb themeing of beliving in the spirit of Christmas was sincere, overstepping only gently into mawkish territory. Luckily, I am a huge sap so it generally worked for me. It's a great example of a film where you can point to it's flaws with laser precision, but it's heart is in such a good place it's hard to stay mad at it.

Back to Bath

Barrled into Christmas head-first this year with an early tree purchase. If the internet has cautioned me of anything, it's that cats are most mischievous around Christmas trees. It's out first tree with the cat so we wanted to see how she'd react to it before we committed to decorating it. My worries were unfounded as she was totally nonplussed once we unwrapped the tree and put it up in the usual spot. We also somehow bought more than we bargained for as this year's model is significantly wider than we've had previously. It has plenty of personality though and I can't wait to decorate it.

Next up was Tree Fest, the charity Christmas tree exhibition at a nearby church Rebecca and I like to see every year. Looking back at my old blog posts I learnt that I stumbled across this event by pure chance, funny how it's now become a humble tradition. While there were overall less trees this year, their creativity had on average improved. One was made of food crates, another was constructed from crisp packets, then there was one which was a straight up robot - it wasn't a tree at all! Which is why it got my vote for best in show.

Then in the evening we joined forces with Louis and Rachel to tackle the Bath Christmas market. Challets aplenty stocking beeswax, wood carvings and pottery. Rebecca and I ended up not buying anything (besides a hit chocolate and a gaint hot dog for dinner) but left with some inspiration on gifts for friends and family. 

I confided in Rebecca that I've only got some much bandwidth for Christmas sometimes. I get anxious if I get a little swept up in festivities before the big day, else I'll be all 'Christmas'ed out'. I felt the tingle in my fingertips at times today, I permitted myself that feeling before the surge of wishing goodwill to all men consumed me. Gotta stagged the good vibes else I'll turn into Scrooge before months end.

HP Support

A curious job I got landed with at the start of the week was to fix my boss's printer. I got mixed messages from every repair center I called and the conclusion was fixing it would cost more than replacing it... So that's what I did. New printer arrived today, I hooked it up, tested it and readied it for my boss who took to it well. That is until I was yanked out of a Zoom meeting to try and troubleshoot the brand new machine that suddenly decided to stop working. I then spent almost two hours on support phone calls before finally cracking the issue. Now I never want to see a printer again. 

In spite of that I left week one with a spring in my step. I've done well and I'm immensely glad to have landed in with a good team of people. Here's to many more fruitful months on this job.

Welcome to Amazon

My morning was relatively quiet, and that seemed to extend out to my colleagues too. Some if them took a trip to M&S and got their photo taken with a chap dressed as Percy Pig which caused a lot of merriment around the office. I mostly read scripts before going out in a big run to a nearby lockup to collect the unwanted bits and pieces from an old production. It wasn't till we go it all back we realized that 80% of it was all old costume pieces that we had no use for... Now the office looks like an Amazon warehouse thanks to all the boxes. As our Line Producer put it 'It's all crap, and it'll be crap for a thousand years.'

Prodding Printers

My oddest job today was driving a laptop charger over to a colleagues house. It was only 30 minutes away but it took me to parts of Bristol I'd never seen, and perhaps were better left that way as their driveway was down a literal country road. While clutching onto the wheel of Rebecca's dinky car for dear life I pushed on, bless that little Corsa. 

The rest of the working day was spent troubleshooting printers. We have 5 desktop units that can be given to other departments, all of which needed testing. So one by one I reeled off test sheets and got chummy with each of their user interfaces. Once I pass them onto their new owner I ideally never want to hear about them again.

Office Party Trick

Exactly twice in my life prior to today have I had to buy cigarettes. Once as a prop for my old pinata film and another time was for a cast member on a previous job. I've doubled that number today after buying two of my colleagues a carton of smokes. I'm always appalled by the cost of them though, glad I never went down that road else I'd be skint! 

My coffee making cracked the team wide open. It's become my office party trick, a conversation starter and a promise of good brews to come. I was showered with compliments and possibly made a rid for my back in the process.

Yearning for Shorthand

Day one on the new job. I'm borrowing Rebecca's car for a spell and ainput it through it's paces today by ferrying out a metric ton of stationery from one office to another. I was actually saddled with a fair amount to do today so I didn't get a chance to make a round of tea and coffee for the team, that's tomorrow's silent objective.

Mark Stopher once commented that when going into a new job with a lot of new faces he lacked 'shordhand' with people. That kind of friendly lingo and easy way of talking to people that makes everything socially simple. It always takes me a while to drop my guard around new people so I know I'll get my shorthand soon, for now I'll just work hard and try to impress folks.

Dining Room Finally Tackled

 I reckon Rebecca overheard me lamenting the state of the dining room so we did one big last push today to get it all done. I washed up my last paintbrush and roller tray while my heart did a little dance - it was all done. We even did a small furniture re-jig, tucking a side-board under a little shelf to hid our messy cables. Looks very swish now! Yet I still had to drive out to the dump to get rid of all the detritus that comes with finishing such a big job. While the tip itself ain't so bad, the act of putting all the crap in the car is horrific. Especially when you have manky bin liners full of 1 month old garden waste which was trickling out a putrid liquid. Could have done without that on my Sunday, but it's a job well done.

Mentally prepping myself for my new job which I start tomorrow. The whole team is moving into the new office space together tomorrow so we all get to hit the ground at once. Eager to meet the team and see what curve balls day 1 can hurl my way.

Glossing Over

Tackled all of our weekend chores in a bit long conga line. I hung out the laundry, did the weekly shop and cleaned the cat's litter tray while Rebecca donned her painting clothes once again to gloss some skirting boards. The dining room is in that awkward 99% done phase now but there's still some tiny touch-ups to do. Seemingly that list will never end until we commit to putting all the paint back into the cupboard. Can't be much more now though.

Jean Genie

Only a few sleeps before starting my new job a sudden thought dawned on me: I don't own any trousers that aren't full of holes! I couldn't go in on day one looking like a reprobate so I hit the town, only Black Friday of all days. The ever savvy Rebecca whipped out a 20% off code for me to use too, my very cheap jeans just got even cheaper! 

I begun writing up vegetable dialogue into Louis' master document, it's a little time consuming but it gives me time to edit down and sharpen any text I put in before inputting it. I also get a chance to read all my work with fresh eyes. Nine times out of ten I'm impressed by past me, he did a good job and made present me chuckle. What more could you ask for?

Once done with that I was committed to finishing up a game I picked up in the sale called Tunic. The final portions hits the player with some incredibly involving puzzles, I even roped Rebecca in so we could put our heads together. Only illuminated by the glow of the TV screen, we swaddled together and solved it piece by piece. Such a fun gaming memory, easily one of the best games I've played this year.

Cram Cram Cram

It's hard to appreciate just how maliable your brain was when you were younger. Prepping for exams by cramming revision notes into my brain used to be so easy, now I'm finding it ever tougher to look at written notes and commit them to memory. Or maybe that was just pre-interview nerves? I hopped onto my Zoom call and gave it 110% while I was talking. I decided while prepping I really wanted this job so I wanted to make a great first impression. A few hours after the Zoom I got the phonecall: I got the job! Starting Monday I'll be on a nice long gig all based within Bristol. Super nice production team by the sounds of it too so I'm really excited now.

Along Comes the Next One?

It's been almost a month now but this morning I got the message I'd been waiting for. I lined up an interview for what could well be my next job, sounds like a very long one, all Bristol-based so it's a dream opportunity. Crossing my fingers and my toes that the interview goes well tomorrow. If I'm successful I could start as early as next Monday! Here's hoping.

PC Master Race

 Typically whenever I get a new part for my PC I call upon Louis to help me put it all together since he has all the expertise. Today was the big one though, it wasn't just subbing out a single part, it was moving everything into a brand new case. Louis agreed to help and in the meantime I started watching some YouTube videos so I could drink in a little bit of that knowledge. About 10 minutes into watching the video though, I suddenly became emboldened. I glaced into the cavity of my case, scanning my motherboard for all the inputs they mentioned. Like a surgeon doing an autopsy, I took notes and thought to myself 'I could probably do this'. 

It started with just one screw. 'I cam always put everything back to how it was if this doesn't work out' I kept telling myself. Before I knew it I stood on the precipice of no return, yet I didn't even slow down. I even found some mental bandwidth to route the cables in a decent way and keep it all neat and tidy. Then it came to turning it on. A single wrong cable could cause a lot of grief, and as a beginner that prospect haunted me. Power on. We're in.

When I woke up this morning I couldn't tell you the first thing about building computers. But I surprised myself and developed a confidence I never thought I could have in just over just two hours. Looking over at the new computer I'll remember this moment fondly, though it's only something a little daft like building a PC, it's proof of a inner capability that many of us often leave dormant.

It's A Kind of Mastic

For the final day Mum spent with us down in Bristol we kept the most fun activity til last: Mastic Application! 

Yes, because it was pouring down with rain and Mum's function got cancelled we did a bit of DIY. We started by scraping off all the mouldy sealant around the kitchen and bathtub then reapplying it all. Mum fancies herself as a bit of a mastic expert so she showed me the ropes so I could do future jobs confidently. House is looking increasingly swanky as the days go by. Eagle eyed guests will even notice the new bin and shoe rack I bought too. These little upgrades keep renewing our pride in our home - particularly Rebecca who is pleased as punch after all the work.

Dot Matrix Portraits

 There were still unvisited hot spots on the Totterdown Arts Trail, so after a hearty breakfast at the Sundial Kitchen we went out to hunt down the remaining homes. There was a chap selling recycled ocean plastic and cooler yet, someone offering dot matrix portraits (it was such an affordable novelty that Rebecca and I had to give it a shot.) Once lunchtime rolled around we really had seen everything and our homes are all the richer for it - we'll have to chase down some nice frames for some if our bits while the rest can hang on this year's Christmas tree.

Totterdown Arts Trail 2022

 Mum knocked on our door and after a tea and a biscuit we braces the chilly morning in search of one thing: Art. Luckily it was the Totterdown Arts Trail once again, the community open door event where strangers can barge into people's homes and check out (and maybe buy) some of their works. It's right up Mum's alley and without Covid this year was a lot more easy to navigate and enjoy. We got some very lovely prints to adorn our new dining room and I bought a postcard with a duck in it - everytime I look at it I chuckle. We'll be hitting the streets again tomorrow to finish off the trail but the mood and atmosphere was great this time around, lots of passionate people and friendly faces all doing what they love.

Three Bean Salad

A friend invited us to a dinner party this evening and instructed us to bring a salad. Taking a page out of Louis and Rachel's book I looked up 3 bean salad recipes as they always go down well. I settled on a winner and hit the shops. While unpacking my bags we found out the main course was bean based... Back to the drawing board (and the shops) for me. The pomegranate and feta salad with homemade honey mustard dressing went down well though, I kept getting compliments on a dish I had literally never made before but who am I to argue.

Rebecca and I often stay over into the small hours of the night with these friends and tonight was no exception. Nice to stay up late some nights though, especially if the company is good and the wine is flowing.

Carpentry Calling

I meticulous measured and remeasured my shelves before taking them to a Bristol Wood charity for cutting. They did it in a blink of an eye and I spent the whole drive home with my fingers crossed that I got it right. Hallelujah, they fit a dream. I got chummy with the masonry drill again and finished the job to the chagrin of my neighbours. Better yet, we adjusted their height a bit from the originals so we could better fit books and board games on them too - a fully revamped dining room in every sense.

 

Speaking of, I made one extra subtle improvement to the room. For years a gap in the floor boards silently threated to swallow up errant dice and board game pieces that should fall off the table. No more! With an offcut of wood I managed to trim, sand and fit in a piece to plug the gap. This dining room will be our DIY masterpiece.

Cream Cleaner

I'm a little but over doing DIY at present, yet I still had the urge to do good around the house. So I busted out the cream cleaner and did a few rounds in the kitchen. Opened up the cupboards and scrubbed them til they sparkled, then did a near full home hoover and dust. My sneezing levels have been off the charts recently and cleaning always helps though the sniffles are still coming. 

I coordinated getting out shelves trimmed back down to size with a local charity. Though I've measured multiple times I still have the fear they'll come back from the workshop still wrong. Mostly my ego would be left aching, but we'll see.

Super Shelves

Drill duty beckoned, as much as I was wanted to put it off those shelves weren't gonna put themselves up. Employing the tried and tested 'measure twice, cut once' philosophy the job generally went a lot better than I had anticipated. Moving over to the other side of the room to repeat the trick however yielded some different results. The original shelves had once again inexplicably expanded so they no longer squeeze into the gaps they were originally in. It's like the wood has grow almost? I'm going to call up a local timber company who offer a cutting service, with any luck they'll be able to sort us out. Otherwise it'll be me and a big saw, and Rebecca isn't super confident with that plan.

Mallard Green

With great effort we cracked open our small tin of feature wall paint and slapped on two layers. Rebecca went 1mph applying paint across the edges of the walls, striving to never touch the pristine white walls while I pick up the fuzziest roller we had and slapped it all across the plaster. The results are already excellent:

Paired with the yellow curtains there will be a real mallard look to the room which will make me silently smirk. We still need to gloss the window border and skirting boards - that's Rebecca's jurisdiction. I got to put up not one, not two, but several shelves. There'll be cussing for sure.

Feature Wall Fears

 Second coat of our white walls and ceiling done! We're moving onto the feature wall tomorrow which is what we're most excited to see in action. We picked out a library green colour which should make the space feel cosy. I'd be lying if I told you I didn't share my Dad's worries that every room will feel like cave if painted in anything other than an off white, but Rebecca is coaxing me out of my monochrome ways. The fireplace and shelves will be a sharp white though which we're hoping will give the wall some suave accents. Time will tell tomorrow though!

Decorating Day Cometh

The big decoration day had a slight false start. We drove to B&Q to get the paint so all happy there. After shimmying into our painting clothes we needed to prep the platered walls by sanding them down... Alas, we underestimated how much fine grain sandpaper we had so I had to dash out and get more. Thankfully that didn't slow us down too much and we managed to prep everywhere, masking tape all the edges, do a first coat on the ceiling and put a mist coat onto all our off-white walls. It has already had transformative effects on the room, a precursor of what is yet to come!

Pitching Quests

Typed up a lot of my work for Louis' game this morning. I'm in the process of pitching ideas to him now as there's little point developing an idea he's not super jazzed about. So far I think they're all pulling in the right direction and I'm keen to get his feedback.

Before any of that though the builders returned to do one final sweep of the dining room. It's a skeleton room now, ready for decorating which is what Rebecca and I will be toiling over this weekend. With colours chosen and paintbrushes at the ready, we're prepped to make the room sparkle.

Resonate Quests

Mostly working on quest design for Louis game at the moment as constructing little narratives has always been something I've enjoyed. I'm drawing inspiration from a lot of my favourite games in terms of approach, they use quest lines as a means to emotionally invest the player. Giving each if them a beginning, middle and end in a concise way is like building a tiny story and if done well I think it can resonate with players, especially if they are heartfelt... And more importantly, give the player a new hat at the end.

Thankful Party Person

 Made the builders a round of tea and coffee. They put in the skirting boards and sorted out our electrics in the dining room. For about 10 minutes they had to power the house down and it already caused sweaty flashbacks of when the wifi conked out last week - thankfully that was not the case today.

Rebecca and I saundered up towards North Bristol to be with a friend for their Birthday. They were an old colleague from my Coffee #1 days, we stayed in touch and frankly I'm honoured to have been invited in the first place.

Cinnamon Buns

 Felt bad about not contributing much baking to our Bake Off nights. Granted I've been working mostly, but now that I'm slumming it I got time to try my hand at some sweet treats. Cinnamon buns were tickling my fancy so I got ahold of a good recipe and got cracking. Made a sweet dough, rolled it out, sprinkled on cinnamon sugar and attempted the roll. This is where looked like it was about to fall apart. The dough stuck to my worktop and I couldn't scoop up my swirls without them spilling out all their filling. I pushed through the dark thoughts and learnt that cinnamon buns are rather forgiving. The final bake turned out really delicious - I bodged the icing though so Rebecca did that part.

As a chaser I rustled up some grapefruit lemonade using the technique I use for standard lemonade. It produced an incredibly fresh and honest tasting drink, though next time I'll throw in a single lemon to brighten it up. Busy day in the kitchen, think I spent more time washing up than baking though.

Demoulding

Back to it this Monday, sat with Rebecca and cracked in with a bit of writing. I have noticed the house getting increasingly damp in places still which prompted me to do a little 'demoulding' of the house. The underside of my beloved coffee shelf plus a handful of windows around the place we're scrubbed until the cloth turned close to black. Feeling all the better for it too, but gotta stay vigilant, don't want our house to be mushroom central.

Stovetop Soup

B&Q let us down yesterday as they didn't have the tester pot of a paint we were interested in getting. So we check stock levels of our next closest branch, drove 25 minutes to get there and they didn't have any either. Rebecca was seething with rage the whole car ride home, all the while I managed to buy a pot of our hopeful colour off Amazon. Come hell or high water, we'll have a decision on our dining room feature wall soon.

We haven't turned the heating on yet, firstly because we're trying not to give into the energy companies, but also because one if our radiators is disconnected. The house feels a bit muggy at times so we have turned to the trusty woodburner. I took the next logical money saving step and heated up my soup on the top of it once it got roaring hot. It was alarmingly effective actually, despite making me feel like I was living in a Dickens novel.

2022 Bonfire

Despite feeling a wee bit ropey after last night, Rebecca and I went out to do some 'adulting' early on. We compared paints for our new dining room and did the food shopping, jobs that would have gona by much quicker without the mad tafiic around the city. Once the Sun set it was all about bonfires. Not since 2019 has there been a Guy Fawkes night at our now local park - I remember going to see the bonfire then with Louis, Rachel and Rebecca and suggesting to attend every coming year. Though we both moved closer to the park, Covid had different ideas. Tonight it finally came full circle, especially as we went with an old Coffee #1 chum I met in 2019. Funny how life works like that.

Jazz Friday

Rebecca was working from home today and wanted to make us both a batch of coffee. I showed her the ropes and she brewed a batch with the V60 while I put on some cafe-style jazz music. We sipped and worked together in the living room while the cat strutted around, hunting for chin rubs. It was a pretty idilic working environment, especially for a slopey Friday morning.

For the past 2 months Rebecca had been drumming up hype for her work due. Free bar, fireworks, live music and most importantly, a hog roast were all on the cards. Tonight was the night I finally got to be a plus one for this fabled event and I got to fill my boots with pork. The food wasn't the main takeaway though, instead I was impressed by the characters of her work colleagues. Rebecca's been a work-from-home housecat for a while so it's lovely to see her hanging out with work chums in person. I hope I didn't cramp her style too much.

Smirking Vegetables

Trying to commit a bit more time to Louis' vegetables these days. In doing a lot of little witty quips I realize what a giant task maintaining a daily comic strip like Garfield or Dilbert must have been. Those guys had to be funny in three to four panels every day for years. As long as my text elicits a single smirk from one player my job will be done.

Aioli

Tore a hole in one of my favourite shirts, but our wifi magically started working again... When God closes a door, he reboots a router it seems. 

Thought it might just be the dust from the building work, I think I'm coming down with something as my nose is all kinds of blocked. All bets are off if I sit in a comfy chair too as I'm finding myself drifting into a slumber. Hope I'm not poorly, I'm going to a hog roast on Friday and I want to be able to detect all the subtle, porky flavours with unblocked sinuses.

Speaking of sinuses, I attempted to make aioli with minced garlic and olive oil for a quick chicken burger sauce. The end result blew my socks off, who knew that eating 5 microchipped cloves of raw garlic could be so potent. Likely won't be making that again, but some recipes called for waiting 24 hours after making it - it gets a lot milder afterwards.

Late Halloween Scare

 As a late Halloween scare, our internet box decided to just keel over. Rebecca and I both made furious phone calls to Virgin and the best they could offer us both was a Saturday appointment to try and resolve it which might cost us £25.

So without WiFi I'm trying to make the best out of a bad situation. I went for a run, did some more writing and have turned to books for some bedtime reading. All through gritted teeth to some extent, but tomorrow I'm going to forget my frustrations and lean into an internet free week.

Happy Halloween 2022

A stencil for my pumpkin was lovingly printed off by Rebecca while at her parents house, though when it came to taping it on it was a little big. So I attempted to do something that I usually pester Mum to do for me: freehand draw a design onto my pumpkin. The results were dreadful though so I swallowed my pride, gave up my dreams if ever being an artist and went back to the stencil. 

I lost a bit of symmetry on the eyes, the stalk was a bit too thin on one of them so it sagged a smidge, but overall it was a fun look.

Rain kept the treat or treaters at bay so we tucked in to the chocolates I bought while watching Hocus Pocus 2, which was a 'satisfactory sequel'. It honoured the first film admirably and all the returning cast reprised their roles with impressive gusto. Not much to latch onto for newcomers and it was still a lot of screaming at stuff, but for a Disney + original, it surprisingly didn't feel like a cash-grab.

Hocus Pocus

At the tender age of 29, I sat down to watch Hocus Pocus with Rebecca - a film revered by one Mark Stopher and many of my other chums growing up. Is it just nostalgia talking or is this a Halloween gem I have long overlooked? 

Despite a fun set-up and overall A+ production design, the film honestly was just 90 minutes of screaming and running around. As a result, the one quality that shone through was the feeling that everyone was having a gay old time making this picture. Its energy is endearing to a point however, a bit like panto, it can get exhausting after a while.

Halloween Nostalgia

Just me and the cat today. A trip to the supermarket was the only real thing on my agenda and while trawling through the aisles I realized that this year we might legitimately get some trick or treaters. I threw a chocolate bars in my basket, if we don't get anyone knocking then I'm sure we can find a good home for treats like that. I also saw jelly and got nostalgia blasted back into my childhood. That was always the signature sweet thing during my Halloweens growing up so it'll be fun to make it again. 

I've been engaging with a lot of psychological horror games and films recently so I was craving something a little more campy. Enter The Return of the Living Dead, the kind of film I would have fallen in love with 10 years ago, and it turns out that part of me is immortal. Rollicking 80's zombie film, complete with special effects, synth music and brash characters. The sheer volume of on screen zombies at times stole the show and the energy of the piece was a ton of fun. 

Operation Draft Exlusion

My objective: minimize draft from our front door. Operation Draft Exlusion was a go. I yanked off the old brush bar at the bottom of our door and used it as a size reference to trim the new one down to. Once that was installed I put on the new internal letterbox (yes, that also has brushes in it for a double whammy of insulation). At some point I had to then unscrew the brush bar again to gently refit it, to my horror someone shoved a pizza flier through our letterbox as I jumped out of my skin. Once my heart rate stabalized I affixed some sticky mufflers to go around the arch of the door. 

The cost of energy has forced our hand here and I'll be damned if I'm not gonna try and be a little thrifty this Winter.

The Banshees of Inisherin

 
Met up with Mr Chris Pearless for a cup of coffee, hotdog and pint of Bristol beer. Been a little over two years since I saw him properly so there was plenty of catching up to do. We chatted games, plans and jobs. So far he's doing well and is planning on taking some big holiday soon on the other side of the world. I'm just trying to keep my house warm and my cat fed.

Evening time was cinema time and The Banshees of Inisherin was on the Watershed docket - a film about two Irish island-dwellers who have an unsolicited falling out. Right off the bat there was a faitly classical quality to the film, thanks in part to its gorgeous setting, but moreso through its reigned character count and dialoue - it could have almost worked just as well as a play. Past all trademark Martin McDonagh witty one-liners though there was genuine pathos to be found here as the film subtly explores men's mental health when paired with fickle egos. Combine typically Irish topics like music, booze and senseless violence and you've got a rich film to dive into.

Millennial Relief

With two noisy builders round for most of the day, I was on cat-sitting duty. The cat and I played horror games together, brewed coffee and hung out in the garden together (as it was the only place in the house where I could avoid overhearing the builders talk about House of the Dragon spoilers). Our dining room is in the final stages of completion now which is great. Plastering is done, in more rooms than we bargained for too which is fun. Once they're out for good we can start the decorating part.

Usually on Wednesday evenings I try to go to a local board game night, I combed my hair and dressed up nice but it looks like they may have stopped doing the event now. I felt a millennial relief wash over me, but I was also kinda bummed, perhaps it'll come back soon. But for now Rebecca will have to be my board game buddy.

Running Buddies

Totally forgot to mention that Rebecca and I went for a run together yesterday! I keep meaning to get back into the swing of that but recently I kept harming my ankles and work picked up again so I couldn't commit to it fully. Rebecca hadn't tried it in about 6 years so I took it at a very relaxed pace, she was pooped afterwards but I kept telling her it only gets easier - delayed gratification.

For the first time this year I was able to attend our weekly Bake Off viewings, I missed these mostly because Louis and Rachel bring such good weekly bakes. A custard slice was presented by Rachel which I actually couldn't believe how delicious it was - it was difficult not to lose all decorum and eat it hastily. Guess I have to start doing something too now.

Post Box Moustache

In my pyjamas Rebecca and I pooled our brains and came up with a plan to tackle the heat loss we suffer via the gaps in our front door. Tape measures, YouTube videos and a mug of coffee was all we needed to determine a letter box draft excluder (or post box moustache as I like to call it) plus a new brush bar will do the trick. Rebecca also bought some fuzzy lining to go inside the gaps which I'm keen to put up soon. If all goes to plan we're finally going to have a warm home this Christmas.

Otherwise I just enjoyed some time off today to be with Rebecca and our cat who has well and truely settled in now.

Meaty Cheat Code

Because we're trendy Bristol locals, Rebecca and I hit up some vintage clothing shops on Park Street. Rebecca's looking for something funky-fresh to wear to an upcoming party and I just enjoy a mooch. I did see some very affordable trench coats that suites me... Except the sleeves were half the length of my arm in every instance. We found one nice dress for Rebecca, broswed a few bookshops, got a very nice coffee from a newish cafe and headed home in time to avoid the rain. 

Cost of living forced our hands to roast a chicken tonight, the spoils of which will be enjoyed throughout the week. Stock for pho, pickings for Coronation Chicken and dregs for meaty lunches! A traditional, meaty cheat code for the tough times. Even the cat was treated to a bit.

WD-40

Purchased and used my first ever can I'd WD-40 today. In doing so I realized this was a masculine right of passage, I had become a man. A squeaky doorhinge hurt our ears everytime we used it so we put a stop that that with a bit of grease. Energized by a 15 second improvement, Rebecca and I tackled the garden to prepare it for the Winter. I re-oiled the garden furniture, cut back a lot of the apple tree and cut the grass. More DIY jobs are on the cards in the coming weeks but this was a good headstart, I can put the garden out of my mind until next year now.

The Accidental Long War

While working from home, today was technically my final day on Gangsta Granny. It's only now. 4 hours after the end of play I realize I forgot to put my out of office on. Not to worry though, we did such a thorough derig I doubt I'll be getting any slap dash messages - I just want peace and quiet for a few days instead with a cat on my lap.

Rebecca and I got a chance to get stuck into an accidentally beefy board game evening. We bought an expansion for one that we're enjoying currently and unknowingly played the optional 'long game' varient. Over two hours later it was down to only a few nail-biting points that separated our scores. I can think of far worse ways to have a Friday night in.

Dropping my Keys

My keyring got a lot lighter today after surrendering my car and office keys. This was my last day down in The Big Smoke, I rode my last train and tube into the office, did a few jobs and gave hugs to my team as I strode out of the office. Our Production team was so tight this time around, great personalities and professional - everything we did was clean and well planned, I was honoured to be part of such an elite squad. I've still technically got two more days working from Bristol but it was bittersweet saying goodbye to them all... But I was so ready to get out of London and back to Bristol. I petted our cat and admired the renovations going on in our house and now I'm tucked up in bed where I belong.

Oxford and Back

Wouldn't be a wrap week without a hefty day of drop offs. I did Twickenham to Brixton, to Hounslow to Oxford to Twickenham - 6 hours total. Bit miffed nothing of interest happened during the driving, it was just dull and unseasonably warm in the car. Though after doing all those miles I start to feel a little discombobulated, like my brain is exhausted from the concentration it takes to be on the road for so long.

Luckily the second half of the day was much better, I headed into the office, did a few hours work then hung out with Matt Winlow and my colleagues at the office. We planned a mini games night there with drinks and pizza, just what we all needed after this shoot.

Shuttles and Drop Offs

Caught an Uber into the office again as I had almost everything from our production truck piled up into Rebecca's parents hallway. Buses, trains and another Uber were on the cards too as everything is getting dropped off and returned this week so I was shuttling all sorts between our camera house and main office. It's all winding down now though, even my team are packing up to go home at 4pm today as there's not too much left to crack on with. I got an important, but not stressful day tomorrow with drops to Oxfordshire and back again, but one last drive in my hire car will be a hoot.

Charity Choir

With little else to do on a lazy Sunday morning we all went along with Mum to support her singing in her choir at a charity function. It was being hosted at an old nature discovery center that I used to go to all the time when I was younger - everything looked so much bigger then. Though the crowd was small, we cheered Mum on at a respectable volume, the gathering itself really was quite meager likely because of how anemic the offerings were for a fare-like event. We somehow ducked out of the £5 a head entry fee but I felt bad for everyone who coughed up the money to get inside.

Dad plates up an early Christmas dinner for lunch and in the spirit of the fake holiday we all played a board game together afterwards. Shame we had to leave shortly after, weekends are over and done with too quickly these days. Once I'm a man of leisure again after this week I'll make sure to enjoy my time off to the fullest.

Standby Button

Just like a TV, it turns out I also have a 'standby' button. It automatically flicked on first thing this morning as I felt my body go into shoot recovery mode. I mustered up enough strength to hoover the house and drive back to Newbury to spend the weekend with my folks. Rebecca, Louis and Rachel met me there a few hours later, it's been about two weeks since I last saw Rebecca so a lot of hugs were in order. Juts a few more days in London next week til I'm done and dusted with this current job, then I'll become a full time cat-sitter and DIY fiend.

Gangsta Granny - That's a Wrap

 Arrived at work at 5:45am and didn't stop hustling til about 7:15pm. There's always plenty for me to do on final days but this time round I really was doing a bit of everything. Handing out our wine wrap gifts was top of my list. I bagged them all up and presented them to the crew who all sniggered at the custom labels I made, for a low budget gift I think we gave them a lot of soul that people appreciated. All the adrenaline left my veins about 2 minutes before I finished my drive home so I just pancakes on the sofa when I got back - I can already tell I'm going to sleep so well.

M&S Mecca

I spent so much time wrangling the crew wrap gifts I almost forgot to get my own team some little presents. Thankfully we somehow landed a day off before our final shoot day so I hit the shops in search for some treats. I had most of my team pegged for wine and chocolates, but one chap I'm working with revealed to me his love for peanut butter and chocolate and that he's becoming a father soon. He's also just shy of 7ft tall so I knew this was the perfect gift:

It's a product only available from M&S and thankfully I'm living out in the yummy mummy outskirts of London so they weren't hard to come by. An M&S Simply Food was nearby so I walked there but the branch was too small and didn't stock it. I figured an M&S Food Hall would do them, but to my confusion and chagrin, the Food Hall I caught a bus to get to was the same size as the Simply Food. I almost lost hope at this point, but the perfection of the present spurred me onto try one more shop at a retail park - I knew it was Big Daddy or bust here as it was the mammoth shop. I was getting mighty hungry at this point of the mid afternoon and I could barely believe my eyes when I finally saw the fabled peanut butter bar in the corner of a shelf, my hands trembled with disbelief and malnourishment - the journey was worth it.

As  a cherry on top there was a chap giving away free iced coffee there too. My hell quickly turned into heaven.

Hope everyone likes their bits anyway. I have to head in even earlier than usual tomorrow to reprint a portion of the callsheet - a coffee cart is coming to set and we accidentally misattributed it's funder. There zero humbleness in this business, what's the point of doing a nice thing if none knows you've done it is a prevailing but flawed thought.

Prancing Pret

 If you were in Central London and looking out your window at mid morning today you may have spotted me and asked yourself 'is he really going into that Pret again?!' I was in and out, in and out getting our cast breakfasts and coffee and more breakfast and peppermint teas. Two hours later we had fed everyone and it was time to head back to base to crack on with prepped the wrap gifts. There was a bit of arts and crafts involved which meant 4 hours of my day was spent getting glue all over my fingers. But like the cast breakfasts I could picture in my mind's eye how pleased people would be with the end product. I showed everyone in the know about the gifts and got glowing responses, just hope everyone likes them as much as my team.

Bouquets and Buses

Was up early buying ground coffee for my team as our supplies were low and an under caffeinated Production Team is a sluggish sight. After driving for 90 minutes into work I got to drive some crew to our location in Central London and back again, another hour in the car basically. No matter, the only other big job was going out to buy someone flowers as a thank you gift, only they never delivered them to the lucky recipient so that was a little useless too. Especially as it meant I riding the bus for over an hour to get them. I did get let off work early though as I'm needed first thing tomorrow to help buy breakfast for the cast. Where am I buying food from I hear you ask? The one, the only, Pret a Manger of course!

Skeleton Stationery

Last week of filming and already a day down. Everything is beginning to wind down now and we're shedding all the assests we don't need anymore. I drove a hire car back this afternoon and begun to trim the fat in our stationery cupboard - all the while wondering why on Earth I packed on so many Pritt Sticks. The wrap gifts also arrive tomorrow and I'm really hoping they turn out well. I was stressing about the design and the printing on them for ages, but once I see them with my own eyes I'll finally be able to put it out of my mind.

Swiss Army Man

With my one day off I caught up on some sleep and some movies - with just me in the house it seemed like the best way to spend the day anyhow.

Swiss Army Man is the first film directed by the Daniels, the chap's behind this year's stellar Everything Everywhere All At Once. It shares a lot of DNA too with absurdist humour blended with heartfelt 'human experiences' montages a la Eternal Sunshine. I think audiences weren't quite ready for this film when it first came out but now it'll find a place as more people explore the director's back catalog. While it still had a trancendant quality that totally worked for me but it is a bit rough around the edges, especially the ending which tonally collides with itself. That was undoubtedly the intended purpose but it effectively undermined it's own 'life is worth living' message by instead saying 'wasn't that all a bit weird?!' For a film as confident as this it just needed to stick to it's guns on the ending too.

Boy is Taika Watiti's second outing, showcasing the natural beauty of New Zealand and the people who live there. Really sweet film about a boy idolizing his fugitive father and the ebb and flow if their disfunctional relationship. Lot of laughs, lot of heart, lot of landscapes.

Secondhand Home Sick

Had another one of those days where I felt like the day went quickly and I was always busy, although I couldn't tell you exactly what I got done. I got the bulk of the wrap gifts ordered and sorted - my big job that has long overstayed its welcome. Otherwise I've just been listening to how great a day Rebecca has been having. She had some of our uni friends over for the weekend, had coffee out, went day drinking and hit a curry house for a lazy takeaway dinner. It was impossible not to be jealous while my teeth chattered in my mobile office. I reckon I might be a little homesick now but not much longer to go.

Bye Bye Breakfast

 Beat the traffic, got in early and immediately got snowpiled by urgent requests. Couriers, people on vehicle insurance, Producers amending the wording on the wrap gifts - every time I got up from my desk I physically bumped into someone else that needed my help. It's nice to feel needed, but I was so swampped with early work I missed the breakfast service hour. Hungrily I got on with my day, a late Friday working is always a bit naff because you keep hearing about everyone else's great weekend plans. I'm going to go sit in a car park tomorrow next to a generator and crack on with another days work... And hopefully get some breakfast this time!

Scrub the Copy

Part of our wrap gifts have a space for some flowery language, I spent most of my downtime over the past few days filling the space with fun, story related jokes and easter eggs. Once I sent it off to the higher ups I got the "we like it, but..." email. They want me to scrub off the fun copy and instead just shoehorn in all the names of the heads of departments, all while keeping it 'funny'. As much as I like a challenge, it's a little bit crushing in the moment. Guess that's my tomorrow now.

PCN

Hope everyone else had a grand day. Opened my inbox to learn I've been issued a PCN while driving around London - that's half my day rate for a very honest and harmless mistake. 

That put me in the grumps and the rest of the day didn't do much to brighten my mood. Instead a swirling vortex manifested inside my heart where I begun to doubt all the goodness in the world. Things felt stressy and uncomfortable, the weather took a turn and the day just went on and on. On the plus side we start much later tomorrow so I get a long night sleep - almost like the clocks are going back. I just want to wake up tomorrow with a rejuvenated sense of goodness.

Wrap Gift Budget

Back to the grindstone with a funny old day. My big boss was off sick today so we were flying a little blind. I continually got saddled with increasingly weird and wonderful jobs from the powers upstairs and I knuckled down on the wrap gifts. I've been given a budget, a brief and they said 'go' - I've got a good little thing planned so I hope it'll all come to fruition in good time. Wrap gifts always get the shaft until the penultimate day it feels like so I'm trying to keep my head above water.

'Monday Sunday'

My 'Monday Sunday' was a wellbeing superday. Are porridge with Rebecca and played games for most of the morning while still in my PJ's. Rebecca was working all the while, even while I was cursing at the TV screen when the games gave me grief (I was careful not to be too loud when she was in clinet calls). Then I did perhaps my favourite thing to do in idle afternoons: watch films. Swing Time with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers was a dreamy delight and the samurai ridden Harakiri was a cerebral slow burn. Purging out my watchlist is ever gratifying. Better yet, both films are featured with Roger 's great film books, an elegant essay about each awaits me when I get the chance to head back home to Bristol.

Rebecca's back there now, leaving me home alone for a spell. Got work to keep me and my mind busy though - onwards and upwards towards another week on the road.

Croydon Pad

Been just over two years since Dan moved into his Croydon flat - only now did I get the chance to go visit him properly. It was a classic hangout day, complete with Nandos and a go on his VR headset which never gets old. Since the pandemic ended I'm trying to reach out more and more to old chums and see them in person and laugh with them in the real world rather than the virtual one.

Hunting for Haribo

Working Saturdays is always a bit low-stakes in my department. No vendors to call or be called by, instead I used today as a chance to play around on Photoshop a bit more to design the branding for our wrap gifts. Otherwise the day went slowly, so slowly in fact I went out hunting for Haribo as snacks for the truck. Very much looking forward to some time off now though, tomorrow and Monday will be true rest days so I can catch up on some sleep, these early starts rack up eventually.

Putting on the Badge

We were a supporting artist down on set, so guess who had to strap into a police outfit and save the scene? I got chummy with the shooting crew and shared scenes with some fairly famous faces as a heavily featured extra. It certainly makes for a nice change of pace compared to my normal day. I made my team back at base very jealous, like baby birds they all turned to me for nourishing stories about being on set. If nothing else I was a morale injection for most people's day as I got many double-takes and wry smiles from my colleagues.

Return of the Wrap Gifts

Back on wrap gift duty, this time it's a little easier. I shan't spoil the surprise here but I'm doing a fair bit of graphic design work on it to hopefully impress the powers that be. Otherwise I was playing around with the script for a lot of today as the dreaded amends cropped up again. One small clearence issue sent ripples across the entire project so I got to edit it all out before sending it out to the crew, communal groans ensued...

Mr Three Cars

From little workload to a full-on day - that's the nature of this biz! Made multiple trips up to set and stuck around long enough to get roped into putting up some EZups and collecting some lunch orders. Back at base I somehow became the car man, I insured myself on 3 cars and drove each and every one of them - filling them up and pumping up tires when required. I'm poised to help out with scripting stuff tomorrow as me and the Assistant Producer have pencilled in a breakfast date to go through a bunch of stuff so nothing falls through the cracks.

Genuine Italian Espresso

I promised myself this blog wouldn't turn into a London Traffic grumble spot, but I will round off this saga with one more light moan. It almost took me as long to drive to work today as it did driving from Bristol to Twickenham yesterday. That is all.

Back on the truck to an oddly easy day. My job notoriously gets a bit easier once filming actually begins so it was unsurprising to see the workflow slow down a bit. It got so slow I managed to pop out to a nearby cafe in central London with an authentic and refurbished Italian espresso machine from the 1950's. The machine was only there for a limited time and I was stoked to get to try a drink there. Twas a very European little lunch break and a sincere treat. The coffee itself had all the punch of espresso, plus that warming fire feeling you get when drinking hard liquor. Very unique and very delicious.

Tender Cake

As is now customary for me mid-shoot, I did some baking. A classic coffee cake to be exact which I couldn't resit eating a slice of it before serving to my colleagues tomorrow (I got to do quality checks!) I think I have outdone myself here in terms of cake moistness thanks to barely mixing up the batter, it was very tender throughout and the lack of gluten development is likely to thank. Very keen to see what everyone makes of it tomorrow, keener moreso to take home whatever is left!

I drive back to London tonight ready for another 5 days of mayhem and giggles. I didn't answer any emails today but I did take a peek at my inbox so I knew what was brewing... I could be an interesting morning tomorrow.

Understairs Underworld

Come hell or high water, our shelves were going up today. I put a bracket on the wall a bit skew-whiff so I had to re-drill new holes and mount it all again. That was the easy part compared to what came next... Inexplicably the shelves that were under our stairs originally suddenly didn't actually fit between the walls - perhaps a layer of paint made the fit a bit too snug. So I had to shave off some wood. Initially I thought I could just sand it down but that yileded no meaningful results within a decent timeframe, so I instead got sawing. Rebecca kindly bought me a little hacksaw for the job on my request, but in hindsight I should have gotten a big boy saw because it took bloody ages to trim down a bit of wood with my rinky-dink saw. My iron-clad resolve was the only thing that soothed my tired arms and eventually, we had a shabby-chic looking shelf that could squeeze into our understairs cupboard. 

This was the culmination of my weekend. A job well done despite being hit with one roadblock too many.

SIX

A morning of DIY was on the cards after catching up on some sleep. Since the dining room is getting damp proofed next month we started derigging there. All the board games, notebooks and nick nacks were uprooted and tucked away, once light shines on them once more they'll see a gorgeous new room to call home. The masonry drill I got for my Birthday got put to very good use today too as the were some shelves that just looked out of place  sitting on the floor. 

Once all the noisy tools were put away Rebecca and I headed to the Hippodrome to see SIX - the Broadway musical about Henry VIII's wives. Been a while since I saw a theater style show, and minus the audience participation parts I had a good old time. It was a light 90 minute show without an interval, the pace was fast and the show had a clear pulse that was hard not to respect. My favorite parts where sneaking glimpses of Rebecca's face. Everytime she was grinning from ear to ear.

Endurance Test

Marched through the rain, worked an 11 hour day then elected to drive home to Bristol. I've had more relaxing Fridays that's for sure, but at least the week is behind me. Can't wait to sit back and enjoy another 3 day weekend. I'll mostly be doing housework that has fallen by the wayside, but when I'm not doing DIY I'll be on the sofa vegging out.

Honk Honk Honk

First day ever doing a shoot day in Central London. Left my base at 8:30 and only arrived there at 10:15, it really is gross driving amidst the winding lanes and aggressive motorists. Thankfully I was told I wouldn't need to drive home so I just left my car at work and I'm now on a leisurely train. The work day dragged a bit, I basically finished up all my ongoing jobs so now I'm being reactionary. It'll no doubt pick up again so I'm enjoying the calm and the free food - if I keep making everyone teas and coffees I stay in everyone's good books too.

Midday Tip Midnight (Almost)

Day 2 of the shoot was a split day, I only headed into work at 12 noon after catching up on Bake-Off. Late starts mean late finishes though and we kept going until 11pm tonight. Once all the phone lines close in local business that gives me ample chance to catch up on all the busywork I keep putting off. Get to do it all again tomorrow, but next time I'll be in the very heart of central London, wish me luck.

London Traffic

There is no middle ground with London traffic. You are either 30 minutes early or 90 minutes late, and I got to experience both ends of that spectrum today. Flew into work, barely seeing another soul on the road. Loaded up the truck (which is the exact same one I used on Sanditon) and got on with my day. Halfway through though I had to do the dreaded lunchtime rushes run as a one off favor. Getting stuck in heavy city traffic then discovering the route you wanted is cordoned off is a horrid feeling. Getting held up for over an hour at the edit house exasperated the issue until I was just really grumpy... But we completed the day so that's a success in my mind.

State Funeral

Sounds of church organs, bagpipes and marching seemed omnipresent as I made my breakfast and lunch. Watching the State Funeral was really the only thing I did today, once the precession was over it was time for me to grab my coach back to London. Due to obviously London road closures I had to go a slightly different route which took a lot longer than I expected. All I wanted to do was get into a bed and sleep in it because my alarm is set to go off at 4:50am tomorrow. That's a time I haven't seen in a little while...

Shoot Day 1 tomorrow, I feel ready!

Is It Jumper Weather Yet?

Rebecca's parents were once again in Bristol so we met up with them for a Harbourside Walk. I wore a jumper for the first time in months and loved every second of it, even if I got a bit hot while walking out in the sun.

Rebecca and I sat down tonight and made a long list about all the things we want done to the house over the coming months. There's a big damp-proof and painting job to endure next month plus a host of smaller projects that all are due some love and attention. It'll all make the house better though, it's effort at the time of course but it's always well worth the effort.

Happy Birthday Louis 2022

Rebecca clearly didn't feel my absence so strongly after this week. I know this because she hogged both the duvet and the mattress as if she wasn't sharing a bed with anyone, she was all elbows and diagonals. Rather than waking her I decided just to get up, feed the cat and got on with my morning. Rebecca felt rotten about it afterwards and to ay sorry she let me cook her porridge... I still think I got he short end of the stick though.

This evening was all about Louis and his Birthday which was a low-key affair (as he typically prefers). A trip to Acapella for a great pizza plus we got to drink up all the leftover beer from my shindig last week. He looked comfortable stepping into the shoes of a 27 year old, slightly subdued but altogether fully mature - I hope I projected that kind of energy two years ago.

Away From My Desk for Two Minutes...

 Was thrust into the bustling (and somewhat Autumnal) streets of London to go pick up a hard drive of some camera tests we filmed yesterday. The idea was is that I'd pop out during a quiet moment. Instead, the second I sat down on the bus I got 3 phonecalls, 4 separate Whatsapp messages and 2 emails in a 2 minute window. That, dear reader, is Sod's Law epitomized. Dealt with it all though since I'm a pro now and manicured my first ever shooting script before pushing that out into the wide world. It's all getting real now and we're in a decent place for filming on Tuesday.

On the coach home now, very glad I got a National Express and not a FlixBus, the latter of which got delayed by two hours. I invisibly waved farewell to the grumbling travellers and fell immediately asleep on the coach. It's been a long week but I'm so glad to finally be almost home.

Uber XL

Everything we could possibly need for our short shoot was collated  by me and lugged down three flights of stairs. Admittedly it was a paired down list, but it still filled out and Uber XL, now I've got to squeeze it all into my Ford Fiesta... That's tomorrow's problem though, for now I'm totally shatted and ready for one more sleep until I'm back in Bristol. Rebecca is starting to miss me more and more and even the cat can't substitute for my wit and charm. I'll be back home soon though, a d that thought makes my heart smile.

North Circular

Managed to catch up on Bake Off by cramming in a whole episode across my time standing on the Waterloo bound train. Trying to stay in the loop so Rebecca doesn't speed ahead of me and spoil who's in and who's out. Our Production meeting was also going on today, I half tuned in on my headphones but I was pulled away a few times by couriers and other bric a brac jobs. After a long day of work I got to travel to East London so I could drive my new hire car all the way round to the West side. I got chummy with the North Circular just as I was warning up to another new car. Got it back in one piece but all I want to do now is sleep.

Topsy Tuesday

My unofficial duties as a script coordinator continue to grow as I was asked to write a memo for the new draft that just came out. Basically, this is like a changelog, you document all the additional, amendments and omission between the versions so people can glance at the changes. I e seen hundreds of script memo's before but if felt odd to finally be writing one. My good friend Matt Winlow does a mighty fine job of it and I wanted to channel his professionalism. I also helped our Coordinator 'tone down' her sternly written email. We got hit with some bad news, the kind that would rightfully tick off anyone in our position. My teammates' original message was a vengeful knee-jerk reaction, but she asked me to give it a bit if decorum so as not to burn any bridges. Never thought I'd rise up into a spot to start dictating emails to my superiors, guess it was a bit of a topsy Tuesday.

Return of the Pret

Just when you thought you'd done your last ever Pret lunch run for a job... My main goal today was asking 29 people what they wanted for tomorrow's lunch remotely. It was a fiddle but I think I got them all in... Guess we'll see how that goes tomorrow after my proxy collects it for me. Otherwise it's business as usual, though with a little more of the sense that we're sitting on our hands. With only a week to go before filming starts there's an ungodly amount of work still to be done, yet because there are one too many unknown factors everything is taking longer to sort.

Victorian Courtship

Scaling a mountain of washing up was first on the Birthday Boxing Day agenda. Rebecca and I rolled up out sleeves and put the house back together after a boozy board game night - every empty can and glass a fun reminder of the night before. The day was our to veg out too, plus I still had a new monster sized board game to learn and teach Rebecca how to play. Turns out a game about Victorian courtship and stately home management is quite involving... And riviting! Despite knowing the ins and outs of the game once again Rebecca beat me by a measly 3 points. We all know how to maximize our efforts for next time and the intimidating 'first play' hurdle now looks like a molehill in hindsight.

On bus back to London now, mentally preparing for the final week of our preproduction. Lots of nails to hammer in still but hopefully more and more things will slide into focus after tomorrow. Still tough saying goodbye to Rebecca only 3/4's of the way through a Sunday but we really make the most of our weekends together these days so it's something to look forward to on the other side of this week.

Happy Birthday to Me! 2022

As if waking up in my own bed wasn't enough of a treat, today was also my Birthday. 29 years of age and still getting excited about unwrapping presents and facing the day. I went down North Street with a spring in my step - an Arts Market was being hosted near the Tobacco Factory and I couldn't think of anything I'd rather do than take a walk with Rebecca to one of our favorite places.

Since I couldn't make it down to the Newbury Beer Festival this weekend I thought, 'why not bring it to me?' Ahead if time we bought a crate of craft beers and announced we'd be having a fun beer and board games evening with chums. To show my appreciation to all my friends I wanted to cook everyone a banging meal. My nachos made the rounds again, once more accompanied by some salads made by Rachel - they're a killer combo that always makes people come back for seconds. Chatting and games followed with 8 of us crowed into my dining room as we made merry, drank fun beers and got competitive.

Bless Rebecca's heart - she baked me two cakes. One was a coffee cake she didn't think was presentable enough as a main cake so she did her signature Victoria Sponge too. I never dreamed I'd be worth of two cakes but I'm honoured to be loved by someone whose willing to go through all that trouble.

Credit to Lucy for getting this great action shot.

 

This was one of the best Birthdays I've had in a long while. I humbled to have so many good friends that all contributed to making the day so special.

Palace Pilgrimage

Used my mental protractor to ensure everyone's script was 'just so' for our read-through. Served tea and coffee to BBC execs and made myself useful right until the moment they were ready to go. That was my chance to sit quietly in the back and catch up on emails... Until the Producer beckoned me over and asked me to get my phone out, stand in the corner and film the whole thing. Almost an hour of standing still later, I returned to my inbox and back to my work, rubbing my poor, poor legs all the while. The read-through itself went by without a hitch, a testiment to how well planned it all was. Their always like prepping a mini wedding and come at an awkward time when people are stressing about the shoot - but the cast love them and it gives them all a chance to meet everyone.

With a little over an hour to kill before my coach home I figured a walk instead of a tube to the station would be nice. My London geography is terrible and I was only halfway there when I realized my GPS was taking me straight up the Mall to Buckingham Palace. I was never planning on paying respects to the Queen, but since it was on the way it seemed like the right thing to do. 

The Queen is Dead

News trickled round the office that the Queen's health was rapidly declining. We got on with our daily tasks and stresses, but the thought that our monarch could pass away today was an unspoken truth almost too big to mentally grapple with. Sure enough, a few hours later everyone crowded round the Producer's laptop to listen the the official announcement. The Queen is dead. I almost couldn't believe it when the news finally broke, the whole evening felt like a dream. While riding the tube and train back it seemed like everyone was carrying the same secret.

All the while in London it poured and poured and poured.

Urban Sardines

Got chummy with my good friend the printer once again to rattle off numerous copies if the script for our read-through on Friday. Lots of moving parts over the next few days and trying to stay on top of everything is a challenge but we're managing quite well. Tomorrow will be the real litmus test to see just how well our organising is going.

I'm not the first, nor the last person to have this thought... But working in Central London is pretty awful. In particular the travel costs to and from work, I wondered why my bank account was looking a bit peaky, I guess that's how it'll seem when 10% of my weekly wage is spent on getting to work and home again. Is it a privilege to not have a seat and get squished into a filthy train? I'm taking a vow here and now to never do a long stint of work in London again unless totally necessary.

Looks like I forgot to post yesterday's blog - must have crashed out!

Smiling Ducks

Yet another 9 til 7 work day in prep - there's still plenty to do and like little ducks we're smiling while paddling fiercely! Seems like I've also become the unofficial script editor for this one as I'm literally rewriting the script whenever the Producer asks for changes - that's a hefty amount of responsibility that we all kinda laugh about since it really isn't in my job description. A few last minute updates forced us all into the office after all the senior team had left, it's lovely little Production team this time round, just don't want to burn out before the shoot even starts!

Mon-daze

Thunderstorms in London kept me awake so I was a bit groggy catching the tube and train into work. The Monday daze never really lifted either, especially when the whole work day was a one-note drone of emails, busywork and spreadsheets. I was rinsed when I was done for the day, and train delays made me disassociate myself from my physical being - I was looking at myself in the 3rd person thinking, 'Wow, this guy needs an early night'. That's what I'm doing now, just trying to take it easy and reserve my strength for the rest of the week.

Dreaming of Next Saturday

After breakfastest Rebecca quietly announced that today would be a pyjama day... You heard no protest from me. A greatest hits of our favourite things was on the cards basically. West Wing, games, late dinners and crumpets. Zero obligations meant I felt a true lack of stress, even heading back up to London I felt remarkable chilled out. It was a little sad saying farewell to Rebecca for another 5 days, but I had a near-perfect weekend at home with her to keep me going til next Saturday.

Blockbuster on a Budget

 It's lovely to be back home for the weekend. My own coffee, my own bed and my own pace of living. Only thing that could make it better would be a trip to the movies... And seeing as it was national cinema day it seems rude not to go. Rebecca and I paid the low-low price of £3 each to go see the latest Spider-Man film at (what would be) one of the more expebsive picture houses in town. Felt right going to see a blockbuster on the big screen with the booming sound. All the trailers were for upcoming superhero films that looked a bit naff, then I suddenly realized that's exactly what I was about to watch. Ah well, Spider-Man was just ok. We both left with mixed feelings about it but glad we went to the cinema nonetheless.