Yeowling

Our cat was so happy to see us yesterday that she didn't want to leave our side... Literally. Rebecca and I had a tough time sleeping as the cat yeowled outside our door almost all night. I felt borderline jetlagged when I finally did get up properly and never quite shook the feeling.

We took the day off for the most part, plus a bit of New Year's prep for tomorrow. Our plan is a lil' cocktail night seeing as we have copious amounts of alcohol and because I received a lot of nice glasses for Christmas that would look good with a classy drink inside.

Bye Christmas Hols

I nursed a very small hangover with sips of water and pops of painkillers. All the whole I tapped away at my top games of the year article which is now ready to rock and roll... Just need Rebecca, proof reading extrodinaire to cast her eye over it before I put it into the world. We had lunch in London and soup in Newbury - we did our final batch of farewells before saying goodbye to the Christmas holidays. Still got New Year's to enjoy before reality returns.

Clash of the Families

There's often an awkward juggling act Rebecca and I need to do around this time in the Christmas holidays. The clash of the family events! We started off in Newbury with my Mum's side of the family, it was a significantly smaller shindig this year. No young cousins to talk to about Dr Who and Roblox, just the older crowd chatting about parking tickets and bypass operations.

The clock struck the hour and next thing I knew I was driving us up to London to spend some time with Rebecca's Uncle and Aunt. Her cousin brought her fiance along too, we got a wedding invite so a lot of the evening was spent learning about tasting sessions and venue selections. Plenty of warm family vibes from both gatherings, the one thing I've learnt is that I'm knackered from all the Christmas socializing. Tonight marks the final thing before I'm back in Bristol - Rebecca and I already can't wait to be sofa vegetables.

Su-Beer Combo Breaker

This was the perfect milling about day during Crimbo Limbo. I'm still beavering away at my best games of the year list that I like to do, and I helped Mum out with the annual jigsaw puzzle. But mostly I trained for Smash Bros as Su-Beer was tonight. Our often annual Smash Bros tournament was tonight so I lugged the trophy back to the event as a prize for the winner. The running joke is that I get to bring it back just so I can take it back home with me later. For about 10 years this has been the case, but regretfully I didn't defend my title this year. I handed the trophy over to the new champ, my living room shelf will look all the bearer for it. Now I have a mission... To win it back next year!

But it's not the winning and losing that matters, it's spending time with friends. Mark and Dan both went out of their way to come down for some games and that was such a treat. I'm very lucky to have such good chums.

Boxing Day 2023

Resited the urge to eat all the leftovers as we had family and friends to visit. A schlep to Tunbridge Wells to see some family friends who I haven't seen in a good long while came first. We took the dog out for a December stroll before returning to theirs for a lovely lunch... Or a 'Meaty Dinner' as they colloquially call the dish that was served up.

Then it was off to see Grandma in Orpington. I'm always blown away by the quantity of Christmas cards she gets each year, each of them with sincere warm wishes inside. We gave her our gifts and stayed a while for tea, my uncle, aunt and cousin dropped by briefly for a quick big family meetup - That's what Boxing Day is all about in my book.

Happy Christmas 2023

Grapefruit and gammon, the two staples of the Durrant Christmas breakfast were laid out on the table - the first feast of many. Our Ukrainian guests joined us once again for present unwrapping and for the big dinner. I don't actually remember eating that much at lunch but I struggled to eat anything else for the rest of the day so it must have filled a hole.

We retired to the living room afterwards for a film, Cyrano. As a historical musical it still felt apt for festive viewing, but calling in panto would be a grave disservice. Just a rock solid romance film with Peter Dinklage continuing to flex his acting chops. The sun had set at this point and I was terrified that we might end up watching the entirety of 'The UK's 50 Favourite Karaoke Songs'. We only saw 26 to 19 before turning over, somehow I'm more content not knowing. 

I asked for cold, hard cash mostly this year as I'm in the process of upgrading my computer. But under the tree was also Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow (a novel about gaming) plus a very nice spice rack which Rebecca will be equally thrilled to see. 

Crimbo Limbo looms, that bizarre week where people's diet continues to consist of cheeses, leftovers and chocolates. We have an activity a day over the holidays so it was nice to catch a breather this afternoon and just veg out in the company of each other. 

Hope everyone had a merry Christmas and got the day they deserved.

Christmas Eve 2023

Chopping salads, wrangling lights and brewing mulled wine, it was all hands on deck for the Christmas Eve Party Prep. Rebecca lent a helping hand before heading up to London (her car didn't break down this year so that's a big win already), we sad to see her go but I already hear her folks are enjoying my gifts to them all. The party this evening was initially marred by some late cancellations, but in reality the crowd we got was pretty good - but perhaps we over catered a tad as there's plenty of leftovers. No bother though, we'll put a dent in it tomorrow. 

Nothing left to do but wait until Santa turns up to scatter the presents. I forgot to leave out a mince pie and some milk this year... And for a few years running now that I think about it! Hope everyone has a merry Christmas tomorrow!

Rushing around on the 23rd

Turns out, we forgot a teeny, tiny bit of gift buying so we high-tailed it to the high street for a final, final sweep. As is customary, we have arrived back in Newbury on the 23rd ready for a Christmas break with the family. No doubt we'll be put to work prepping food and decorating the house, but that's become part of the tradition now too so I don't mind it so much. We're officially in the big run up to Christmas Day now, barely 24 hours away.

3 M's

With Rebecca joining me this week as a person of leisure we decided to inject a bit of culture into our day with a trip to the cinema. Anatomy of a Fall has been highly recommended by our friends (and likely to receive a smattering of Oscar nods) so we wanted to see what the fuss was about. Without question, we got a prestige foreign drama - it just carried itself in a classy way you don't see outside of Europe. It's a fairly intellectual courtroom film, in that a lot of characters say very eloquent things about the struggles of being in a failing marriage. I personally found the film a little spiritually wanting, but in the films defense its clinical approach to law keeping was the point and it was wholly successful in its endeavor. A film I respect immensely, but could never love.

In the evening we had Louis and Rachel round for presents and the 3 M's: Mulled Wine, Mince Pies and Muppets. I now can't remember the last year I didn't watch the Muppet Christmas Carol, a tradition for sure that signals the big day is just around the corner.

Champagne Bar

Alongside a few hundred others, we took a ride up to the giant shopping centre to score our last few presents. I forgot how much the mall experience adds to the Christmas vibe. There were a few cute displays around the place and shopping assistants wished people a merry Christmas left, right and center. It was charming to a point. There were a few too many people and I also learnt that Cribbs Causeway has a champagne bar in the middle of one of their stores. I also learnt I couldn't keep a straight face when I saw it and laughed a little too loud past the patrons at the absurdity of it all... It wasn't even midday and there were people on barstools on a Thursday!

We got all our gifts though, after we wrap them all up it'll be fully time to relax.

Mince Pie Master

Left home with an empty rucksack, came home looking like Santa with a bulging backpack. Christmas shopping with Rebecca went better than we had hoped, round two tomorrow commences at the mall, no doubt it's going to be heaving with last minute shoppers, guess there's some humility to that.

In keeping with tradition we also made mince pies. After 4 years of totally bungling shirt crust pastry I decided that instead of doing the same thing again and hoping for the best, I re-educated myself at what to do. Long story short, I always overworked the dough in the past. This time however I treated it like radioactive waste, touching it only when absolutely necessary and the results speak for themselves. At last, I've cracked it.

Logging off for 2023

Rebecca finished up her final day of work this year, logging off as I prepped some mince pie filling. Christmas is coming to our little home as the holiday break is becoming a firm reality. Though I've obviously been off work, I'm very much looking forward to having someone else to laze about with in the sofa next to the Christmas tree. We're doing the classic last minute North Street Christmas shuffle tomorrow, at least we have a pretty good idea of what we're doing though, plus her bonus is apparently buying us a little lunch out. Can't wait!

Unknown Entities

I ran some odd jobs to kick off the week. Mostly running around for some last(ish) minute Christmas presents... Think that might end up being a theme for the rest of the week. At least I have a semblance of a game plan for the rest of the stuff, but I'm always little antsy until they're in my hands, ready to be wrapped - everything else is an unknown entity.

Dawn of the Nugget

Louis and Rachel wanted to have us over for a big end of year meal - when those guys are cooking how can we say no? Pork belly and and an Ottolenghi salad, it was excellent. We headed over a little after midday but stuck around til the early evening, sipping advocaat and playing Smash Bros.

We also tuned into the long awaited Chicken Run sequel: Dawn of the Nugget. And it was just ok. If anything it made me appreciate the original all the more, that film has themes, flawed characters and imagination. This sequel is tempered and much more scaled back in scope. The wit is dulled and the creativity is still there, but it just doesn't delight in the same way that Aardman is classically known for. Most noticable is the total personality shift of the leads, Rocky the Rooster in particular has apparently turned into a lame Homer Simpson. It missed the mark overall.

Leave The World Behind

Rebecca and I both independently went out for some drinks last night and paid a small price for it this morning. A bacon sandwich set us in the path of redemption though and after a few brain-off video games we were back on fighting form. Some fresh air was necessary though so we took a walk to Wapping Wharf for coffee and for some gift inspiration. Instead we stumbled upon a monsterously good deal in a reduced time clear section of an upmarket grocery store so we committed a daylight robbery.

We wanted to watch a film tonight so off the back of Rebecca's recommendation we saw Leave The World Behind, she vouched for the book so I was down. However the film was rough. So much so I felt compelled to write my first ever Letterboxd review on it:

A pretty rotten film. The tone can never tell if it wants to be stylish or taken seriously, and the key reason it doesn't get away with walking that tightrope is because the script loathes its characters. It tries so hard to sow seeds of distrust to build a mystery, but it's stretched out for so long that it loses all momentum. Once you start noticing the 'woah bro' cinematography and shallow theming, all hope is lost.

One More Meal Before Christmas

Committed to a little bit more scribbling before grabbing my bags for another social engagement with my old boss. I think he's only just noticed my penchant for explaining board games fairly well and has started inviting me to a few shindigs of his. I'm a goddamn roaming games library these days so I'm glad they're getting some use. It turned out to be an annual meetup he does with some of his best chums in Bristol so it was a great honour to sit at the table. Might be the last of my extravagant get togethers now before Christmas, meals like that just gets me more and more excited for the big day.

A Trip to The Dentist

 It's been a long time since I found myself in a dentist's waiting room. So long in fact that I was embarrassed to write my estimated answer in the tiny questionnaire I was asked to do while I waited for my appointment. Over the last few days I noticed that it was suddenly painful for me to rest my jaw as I normally would. One of my front teeth is now butting up against some on my bottom row, gently, but uncomfortably pressing it and bending it back in a nasty way. So now my mouth has no 'default' position, I'm constantly inventing new ways to keep my teeth from touching while also relaxing my jaw. Enter the dentist. I was pleased to discover I remembered all the steps to the dance: get in chair, scooch to the far end, forget how far back the chair eventually tilts and constantly mistime my verbal communication to a moment when an implement is deep in my gob. The dentist didn't have to appraise me long before telling me that braces would be the best way forward. Luckily it sounds like no teeth require extraction, but the price tag and commitment is a lot to take in as I sit vulnerably on the reclining chaise lounge. Since there's no appointments to be made before the New Year, I will grin, bear and consider next steps.

Xmas Brainstorming

It's getting to Christmas crunch time and I still have a fair few names with no presents on my list. A quick brainstorming session usually helps but I'm drawing more blanks than usual this year. It saddens me because I really do love the feeling of nailing a present and then get excited at the thought of someone else receiving it. I don't want to phone in any gifts so I guess I gotta keep mulling it over until inspiration strikes. In the meantime I made cranberry sauce again which is always easier than I remember. I couldn't even wait for it to cool down before ha ing a brie and cranberry sandwich for lunch. Glad it tastes good because I end up with so much of it left, I'll likely be Hocking it around to all of my Christmas stops.

Out and About, and About

In my term of 'fun-employment' I at least like to be useful to the people around me. Rachel called upon me for another drive up to her new recording studio to drop off some final pieces before she was fully done with the setup. Then in the very early evening I went out with my old boss to the pub for some board games. I honestly lost complete track of time as the next time is checked my watch was quarter to midnight. In the run up to Christmas it's especially nice to spend time with good company and this evening was no exception. Just hope I'm still not feeling too 'jolly' tomorrow morning.

Meet me in St Louis

Totally forgot the new Internet chap was coming at early o'clock this morning. I had to answer the door in my pyjamas and the guy looked me up and down as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes - thank goodness he had a loud knock! Thank goodness he sorted it all out too because, so far, our wifi feels much more stable. It's been causing no end of grief to Rebecca as she works from home, the shame of her running downstairs into the room with the router shall hopefully be no more!

In my endless quest to see all the Christmas films, we sat down to watch Meet Me in St Louis tonight. At least, 20% of it was Christmas, otherwise it was a slice of rich life in the Midwest, complete with a big house, snippy maids and kooky younger daughters. It didn't quite have the charm or magic I had hoped for and the plot/stakes didn't fully materialise until the halfway point. But the Technicolor look and the upbeat songs do make it bizarrely nostalgic.

Tree Fest 2023

Our traditional trip to Tree Fest this year included a few chums if ours who I thought would get a kick out of the event. Turns out my hunch was right - they loved it and all the wacky, original trees that came with it. I don't think there were any standouts this year but it's just another thing to help get me in the spirit of things. That and mulled wine of course, we were lucky enough to get the last goblet of the good stuff before they ran dry.

I had to drink and dash though as I had another social appointment at The Cube, a microplex cinema that screen some oldies. A friend said he was going to see The Night of the Hunter and I couldn't resist. Watching it again I was reminded of why I love it so much. The ethereal direction, the eerie silhouette of the murderous preacher and the frequently jaw dropping cinematography. I think I've only even seen the film alone so to share that moment with a few dozen others was such a wonderful way to spend 90 minutes.

Lethal Company

Played a few games with Mark and Dan this afternoon. We checked out a new one called Lethal Company which paired horror with comedy pretty neatly. A big nasty thing come come out of the shadows at any moment, but you can also blast an airhorn to make yourself feel better. We had fits of giggles in between heart palpations.

Tonight I did something a little different. A colleague of mine from Rivals invited me out to a short film festival, she helped work on one of them so I wanted to show my support but I ended up seeing all 7 of the shorts they put on. The theme was about place and memories, topics that often resonate with me and occasionally I found myself vibing with a few of the films. Glad I got to support a friend and do something outside my normal comfort zone.

Does Lightning Strike Twice?

I don't know why but I'm at the height of my productivity on Fridays. I'm working on writing another YouTube video and in-between pecking at a word document and doing bits of research I apparently clocked in 380 minutes of work time today according to my timekeeping app. I mostly continued writing a skeleton plus a 'vibe check' on the piece so I know where it's headed and what I want to say. Again, the topic is a little nebulous but I'm enjoying the challenge. I got a big uptick in my motivation once my latest video inexplicably garnered 11 thousand views since I posted it last week - easily my best engagement ever. Does lightning strike twice? Only one way to find out.

Once the timekeeping app was done for the day Rebecca and I took some time to celebrate the end of week. A pizza from our favorite joint and board games at the nearby Art Gallery were in order. The latter was an especially good night as just the right number of people with just the right skill levels all turned up. Heck, one chap even bought in his own game which we all playtested for him with glee. A super solid end to a week and a fab start to the weekend.

Desks for Days

My good deed of the day was driving Rachel up to a nearby furniture warehouse to pick up a desk. She's in the process of building a studio space in a nearby industrial estate, and the desk was the very first piece of the puzzle - glad to have been a part of it! Gave me flashbacks to this time last year setting up the office for Rivals, conjuring desks out of other bits of desks, thankfully this was much easier for all parties.

Otherwise I was at the writing desk with the cat, the cat who much prefers Rebecca's company it must be said. She'd rather yowl for her than play with me sometimes, one day I'll be the favourite.

Zoom In, Hold Fast

If you zoomed into a small street in Bristol, you'd find me at my writers desk, feverishly taking notes while trying to craft some new material. I got in touch with a few TV contacts about potential work at the moment but folks are still holding fast u til the new year it seems. I'm keep my ear to the ground, but while I wait I might as well tinker away at personal projects - the kind you wish you had the time to work on, well now I finally do. And if the cat didn't hop onto my desk every few minutes I'd arguably get more done, but I wasn't exactly mad.

Sim's Scrooge

Gracious, where is December going? The month is slipping through my fingers and I've barely even thought about gifts to buy people. At least I'm having this thought train now, usually I start panicking a week from now so I have plenty of time to pack a parachute for the inevitable buying jump. Some brainstorming today helped me get ahead of that curve but it had the unintentional side effect of making me feel festive. Keen to steep for a bit longer in that mood I corraled Rebecca into watching Scrooge from 1951 with me - the oldest adaptation of a Christmas Carol we've both seen. Aside from seemingly laying the groundwork for the visual flavour of future film adaptations, this one also has a handful of additions. Christmas Past was elaborated on, giving Scrooge more backstory. Usually I wouldn't get much out of this but the new stuff thankfully didn't feel laboured. It mostly served to change the dynamic between Scrooge and his Nephew which actually worked well. The text is ripe for adaptation and this was simultaneously faithful and refreshing. Just needed Kermit and then it would've been a classic.

Down for a Downpour

A gloom hung over Bristol. Rain trickled down virtually all day, the day I was due to walk to the supermarket to get our shopping no less. About once a year though, normally in early December, I develop the urge to get soaked on a stroll. I reckon it reminds me of walking home from school as the Winter hours draw in and the sun sets way too early. I got predictably drenched but it didn't bother me, I headed up to a part of Bristol I don't head to much these days and got to appreciate it in the rain - I forget how much I love this city.

Traffic and Trees

The worst part about leaving our London chums is leaving them. Not only are they such generous and wholesome hosts, us departing marks the end of the weekend. Plus it means a lengthy drive home, exacerbated this time by traffic. At least there were some leftover mince pies to nosh on during the trip.

Our tree was decorated in earnest tonight. I think we came to the conclusion that we need a slightly longer chain of lights these days, but alas, Wilko has closed it's doors for good so replacements will need some more braincells to coordinate. We just wanted to veg out and bask in the majesty of a lovely tree tonight, which we did. All the little decorations came out again, each bespoke and carrying a story about it's acquisition. Some generic, some endearing, always with warmth though.

Another's Tree

Alarm went off at 6:30 for a porridge breakfast and a quick shower. We were due up in London for a Christmas hangout session with some London chums. I only regret not packing my Xmas jumper because today was filled with festive activities. Our friends hadn't brought their tree yet so they invited us along to buy theirs. I've never lugged someone else's tree up the high street, nor have I decorated anyone's tree but mine before but I feel so privileged to be invited to be a part of someone's Christmas tradition. We played board games in between the run up the the new Dr Who episode which was legit pretty good. Our friend was a big fan of the show growing up and he loved tonight's installment, it was classical and modern at the same time, hopefully a precursor for things to come.

Early Tree

At the risk of looking like keen beans, during Rebecca's lunch break we took a drive to go get our Christmas tree. This is admittedly early even by my standards but our upcoming social calendar kinda made it necessary to go get it today. It came with perks though! No traffic, no people and first dibs on a decent tree. It's currently sitting in our living room doing the old 'droop out my branches' thing. We'll be in London til Sunday night when the tree will be ripe for decorating.