Tractor Tailgating

Had one of those 'oh crap' moments when an email came in asking about a potential error on some paperwork we sent out to crew today. It turned out to not be a biggie, but it got my heart rate going. Things are cranking up with now too since the new Block are starting, lots of pieces falling into place and need actioning. In the middle of it all I got to drive a long-wheel based van down some very narrow and windy country lanes. It's been a hot minute since I've been behind the wheel of anything that size so I took it slow... For anyone behind me it must have been like being stuck behind a tractor.

Drained

'I'm a long way from floating in the Spanish sea' thought I, as I reached into our clogged outdoor drain to remove a blockage. I was down to my armpit in pipes before the lipids broke free and things ran smoothly again. Though once you've smelt that sewage stink you notice it repeating on you throughout the day, no matter how much Fairy washing up liquid you scrubbed yourself down with. 

Back to work today and boy, there was a lot of emails to catch up on. Once I broke the back of it though, everything subsided and flowed beautifully (yes, the pipe metaphor is extending into this paragraph too). Since we were working til much later tonight I buried myself in reading the new scripts and other lil bits. All prep so no curve balls attack me down the line. 

Our of Practice Roast

One last decompression session prior to returning to work tomorrow. Mostly catching up with games and films on my end. Rebecca always had fond memories of The King and I which turned out to be the perfect Sunday afternoon watch. I had to pause the film every now and then to do prep work for the Sunday roast I was making - first one since the end of Summer and I'm already a bit out of practice. Then again, it's a meal that basically just tastes of gravy, the sides just provide a variety of textures.

Cluedo Strikes Again

The cat served as our ever diligent alarm once more, though I was she came with a snooze button. After getting back home in the small hours of the morning a chance to sleep in a bit more would have been much appreciated. Thankfully I just about got enough sleep so was fit and ready for an afternoon of board games. Mark, Lucy and another friend all met up for an afternoon of activities and snacks. Highlights included playing my latest Formula One style racing board game, then a trip down memory lane with a bout of Cluedo. Technically it was Harry Potter Cluedo but the core was all still there, fully capable of re-dredging memories of how Mum used to just trounce us when our family played.

Lil Crabs

Slept in during our final morning in Spain. I needed all my beauty sleep to walk along one more promenade and drink black Americanos at cafes. Rebecca and I dipped our feet in the sea one last time and she took me to the Marina, her favourite place to spot crabs.

Caught a late flight back home and currently sat on the last connecting bus that'll shuttle me to bed. Just the weekend of my holiday left to enjoy. 

Packed Spanish Day

Made the most of our last full day out in Spain with an early rise to go see another nearby beach town. Breakfast was followed by a walk to the old town, then coffee, then lunch, then another dip in the warm, warm Sea. It wouldn't be a trip to Europe without a scoop of ice cream too. All in I'm starting to feel very well rested on my holiday... Just in time before we fly home tomorrow evening.

Warm Sea

A favourite activity of Rebecca's parents while away in Spain is visiting seaside towns and sitting in for a coffee. They never make it past the threshold of the promenade onto the sand though, so Rebecca and I had to do that for them. For the second time this year we waded into the ocean, which was the perfect temperature, for a swim and a float. Feels like we were out there for ages, meters away from the Spanish holiday makers and the tourists but because it was out of season it felt just right. 

My body has started to relax a bit now that I'm deep into my week off. That means that I overslept last night and yet still felt tired. I had a wee nap in the afternoon and now I feel right as rain. The next few days should continue to unwind me so I'll be fighting fit for when I return to the job. 

Secret Surcharges

Got charged just over £4 for a coffee at the airport, I'd be outraged if it weren't for the nearby lady crying down the phone about Ryanair's ruthless back size quotas that are designed to just rinse people from their hard earned cash. Can't complain about the actual flight though, we got to Spain just fine and the book I was reading carried me through the whole trip. Mostly I had my nose deep into the short story of Babette's Feast, a film I cherish and the original story is just as powerful. I could just about get away with blaming the plane's overcranked air conditioning on why my eyes got a bit teary. 

Touched down with Rebecca's family who were awaiting us in the arrivals lounge. Day one was a real settle in day, the only big outing was one to the local superstore, but I love foreign supermarkets so I had the time of my life. I also clocked it has been about 7 years since I last stayed in Rebecca's Parent's Spanish home. Another lifetime ago.

Bijou Bag

My tiny bag arrived, although very much on spec, I was still taken somewhat aback by how bijou it is. The Switch just about fits (to the detriment of my fashion options), and I've economised on space by simply not packing a wash bag - giving my deodorant and toothbrush a penthouse suit wasn't an option. 

The rest of the day felt almost like sitting in an airport anyhow, a good chunk was spent clock watching as I waited for my holiday to start. We just set our alarms for 5am, a wake up call I'm incredibly familiar with... Time will tell how Rebecca manages.

Teeny Tiny Bag

Returned to the dump to finally say sayonara to the remainder of the apple tree trimmings. Also sized up a few of my rucksacks to see if any qualified as Ryanair hand luggage... None fit the bill so I hastily ordered one to arrive tomorrow. I'll be vacuum sealing my Nintendo Switch in there while wearing all my layers of underpants to onto the plane, God help me if I have to get a random security check. Otherwise I spent the afternoon hanging out with Rebecca and sparring with Louis online over Street Fighter. Think I'm getting closer to matching his skill level now which is great, it's quite humbling being the Brother who keeps loosing for a chance.

Free National Trust

You can always count in Rebecca to find a good deal on National Trust days out. We visited one for free today - didn't even pay a penny for their usually scandalous parking surcharges. The best part was queuing up with Trust members, watching their world crumble hearing that their subscription doesn't net them any perks today - they let the riff raff in and Rebecca and I were leading that charge. We basically had a nice day going around a stately home and is adjoining land. The chills of Autumn are certainly in the air and the trees are very slowly showing their colour. So glad I live somewhere where I can stay around to the seasons.

Hiatus #2

Which a little less sleep than I'd like, I managed to get through the final day before our Hiatus break. The crew were simultaneously low energy from the night before and stoked for the prospect of a week's long holiday. The day it's was uneventful, minus the final hour when everything suddenly kicked off. But we got through it and now all I can see ahead of me is vistas of easy going and spending time with Rebecca.

Bad Decisions (lol)

 It was our midway drinks tonight. I'm usually pretty good at avoiding bad decisions, but then our Block Producer bought everyone a round of shots... 

 

Happy Birthday Louis 2025

Between getting my teeth filed at the dentist and doing a day out on location, I had Louis' Birthday on my mind. Seeing as he got me a bunch of Street Fighter stuff it only felt right to get him some stuff too so we could keep the sparring matches going strong. I caught traffic on my way back home but we still had plenty of time to hang out altogether. In honour of Bread Wee on Bake Off, Louis made focaccia and Rebecca made flatbread. My eyes were bigger than my stomach though so now I am full of gluten.

Reckon Louis had a good day though - Happy 30th again Broski. 

Carrot and Marmite

The whole office fell into a collective slump around lunchtime. Did we eat too much? Did our workload stagnate? Was there a gas leak? Turns out opening up a window and letting in a bunch of fresh air really does make a world of difference to concentration levels. It sounds like an old wives tale, but it had a similar effect to painkillers, the hurt just melted away. Without it I wouldn't have made it up and out of work to make a steaming batch of soup.

Believe it or not, I've never made soup before. But a friend recently shared their recipe for Carrot and Marmite and I just had to see if I could do it justice. One thing I am legit good at is following recipes so there wasn't much room for disaster (unless you hate Marmite of course) the immersion blender I got for Rebecca's birthday yonks ago was finally in my grasps and I gotta tell you, I think I like making soups now. I made a whole cat of the stuff ready to take into the office next time I'm there. Everyone is a self-confessed Marmite lover (statistically rare I know) and hopefully it'll bring a bit of fun to the day.

Muzzy Monday

Didn't quite feel as rested as I wanted to when I woke up, always a cracking way to start a Monday. With the hiatus coming up though I know I'll be in for a good decompression session, in the meantime we're kinda winding down on the way to Friday. There's a few extra hurdles to get over before then, all very manageable but we want to avoid any shenanigans before our time off. A semi schedule of sorts has appeared for the next couple of weeks so there's plenty of ways to get ahead which is nice, with any luck things will stay as is so we won't need to unpick any plans. 

Wet Leaves

Went toe-to-toe with the apple tree for round 2, this time it was all about disposing of the parts we amputated. The real logistical nightmare for us is taking the detritus through the house, over the new carpet while also minding the doors so the cat doesn't run out into the road. I settled on using a fabric potato planting sack to transport bits of branch through the house after I chopped them all down again. First one I did was easy peasey, then the rain decided we were now playing on hard mode. I just soldiered on, trudging wet compost through the house as I just got soggier and soggier. It's a job well done at least, I just wish my weekend wasn't wholly consumed by this damn apple tree.

Winded and Windfalls

Went out for some Birthday drinks with my team last night and woke up feeling fragile. I was curled up on the sofa for a good hour after getting out of bed just trying to stave off a headache and waves of nausea - totally self inflicted but I still felt very sorry for myself. Luckily, Rebecca took pity on me and helped me through the rough spots of the day until I bounced back at lunchtime. Then it was gardening time - the apple tree has been running rampant for a couple of years now, so it was high time for some cutbacks. I even had to bust out a hacksaw (I only just remember I owned) to hack the tree's limbs off with... It was all very surgical and knackering but the garden is in a much better state now. A nearby cafe was also asking locals for windfall apples to make their sauces with - we had a few leftover and got a free slice of cake out of it. A very fair exchange!

GOAT 2025

 A teammate suggested that I went down. To set today for no particular reason.

Sidebar. We have a weekly running Friday bit where the 'biggest legend' of the team is nominated for a GOAT award. It's given to a new member of the crew every week and the winner has a picture of posted up on the lunch chat.

And the winner of the GOAT award was mn! Cue everyone clapping and asking for a speech. I was too flabbergasted to launch into anything massive but I just about managed to communicate how humbled I was by the whole thing.

Long Day for Old Me

Did a trademark long second unit day for old Theo. I was up at the crack of dawn to make sure everyone was all happy at base, before dashing away to grab a bunch of breakfast rolls for the tech recces. Fast forward 12 hours and I was still at the office to set up meeting spaces and shoot off last minute emails. But all day long I just felt tired behind the eyes, that kind of weariness where if you hold a blink for a little too long you realize how nice it feels to have your eyes shut, and by extension, how nice sleeping would feel. I'm treating myself to a bit of extra snoozing time tonight. I'm 32 now, I needy rest or I'll barely function.

Happy 32nd Birthday to Me

The cat's birthday gift to me was not waking us up at the crack of dawn. My alarm did that for us and Rebecca very kindly elected to get up with me so we could share a morning together... It was still dark outside when we got up so she got a mite more than she bargained for but that made the gesture all the sweeter. I unwrapped several well curated books from her alongside my cards which now adorn my mantle piece.

Flash forward to work and my one colleague who was in earlier than me managed to do a heck of a job decorating, AND making coffee for all the grown ups before their tech recce. I helped wrangle them all onto the bus and someone loudly announced it was my birthday... So of course a room full of very important people all started singing happy birthday to me which is as embarrassing and cool as it sounds. My team continued to spoil me throughout the day with cake and well wishes, greatly appreciated when I was actually running around a fair bit today. 

Back home I was joined by Louis and Rachel for some Street Fighter, burgers and Bake Off. Which meant even more cake.

The existential dread was staved off for the entirety of the day, I was just so happy to be surrounded by people who genuinely enjoy my company and wish me all the best. Even on a long work day I felt very special. 

Knocking on 32

Donnedy coffee coordinator hat once again today and put everything in place for a whopping 40 orders. Thankfully the place we got our drinks from today is an old haunt who know the drill. They were pretty pleased to see me personally because I have such a honed system in place to tick off names and help the baristas out where I can. Years of actual coffee making experience put to practical use once again. 

The coffee run was a fun baby project to help take my mind off the fact that tomorrow marks another year of aging for me. Birthdays have somehow shifted away from something I have untempered enthusiasm for, into something more existential. There's that nagging feeling telling me I have once again hit a milestone with very little to show for it, but I think I'm just a bit down on myself. I gave my 31 to two TV shows in the making. Minus Christmas and hiatus dates, I worked and worked some more, earning plenty of dosh but perhaps missing out on some other things as a result. My free time is somewhat limited and I always feel the pressure to spend it well, which in turn feels like my fun has been scheduled which makes me feel like I'm always on the clock.

32 has oddly been a year I've looked up to. Two feet firmly into 30, but still young at heart. Perhaps some of my life wisdom will tell me to slow down, take stock and cherish what I value most. And maybe just maybe, write my Great American Novel. 

Coffee Coordinator

I was one of the first people to park up at unit base today because I was getting in early to take an important phone call. The phone never rang so I used that time to catch up on emails from my time off which went by pretty quick. By midday I was caught up and everything equalised. My attention is now shifting up and towards our next wave of tech recces, of which I have become the coffee coordinator for. Whenever I try to escape arranging foodie bits somehow I keep getting pulled back into it. 

The most Sunday, Sunday

Got up early to feed the cat and the play some video games before our guests woke up. It was just me, the cat and the early morning thunderstorms. All we really could do today was stay indoors, which made it feel like the most 'Sunday, Sunday' ever according to our friend. I mostly did that thing everyone does on the last day of the weekend: bury my head in the sand and try to forget I'm back to work tomorrow. It's been a nice long four day holiday for me, but a busy week is on the horizon and I'm already worried I've forgotten all the steps to this particular dance.

Bristol Tour Guides

Rebecca's school friends came on down to visit us in Bristol, and without wanting to boast too much, we planned the ultimate day. Lunch was procured from our local bakery (and Tesco, but that doesn't sound so fanciful). Next up, Clevedon for a coastal hike around Poet's Walk as our friend pointed out the fossils in the old rocks. 'I forgot how much I like looking at rocks. It's like scrolling, but better.' Back at home we took a quick break before heading to the hottest new pizza place in town: Gigi's. I hadn't been before so I was relying on a LOT of words of mouth to impress our guests. Thankfully it was tremendous - earning the covented double thumbs up from the gang. Finally, we headed to a local taproom for a cheeky pint. That really is a best of the Southwest kinda tour. We've been doing these long enough now, I daresay we're pretty good at it.

Westonbirt Arboretum

With bellies full of hotel breakfast, Rebecca and I headed back south to Tetbury. It's a town I'm pretty well-versed with after doing a bunch of filming there so it was lovely to share a part of that with her. The town is only really a high street though so after grabbing coffee and buying some quirky bars of soap we headed to the day's main event: Westonbirt Arboretum! It's been on my Bristol bucket list for a long old while and today the planets aligned and we took the plunge. We went around the old gardens first up and they were stunning. The trees were obviously impressive, but without sounding a bit crazy, the planting arrangements were really cool - long clearing draw the eye towards funnels of leaves in a way I've not really seen done before. Pretty special place.

 

A Good Friends Wedding

Hit up my all time my recently most rewatched YouTube video: 'how to tie a half Windsor tie'. All in prep for the wedding we attended today. I've not sat in a car for a handful of hours in a full suit before but there's a first time for everything.

The wedding was for an old University course mate and Rebecca's old housemate. As such there were a few old faces there from my course and we had ample time to catch up like old war veterans. Time flies so fast, but it felt like 10 years never went by at all. The ceremony itself was refreshingly low-key, all of us guests were up for a laugh and there were no dramas, no backstage shenanigans, just good vibes through and through. Rebecca and I boogied in the dance floor til our cloths were drenched in sweat and even made a few new friends along the way. 

Backpedaling the Backfoot

Had a morning to myself again in which I mellowed right out and felt good about life. Then headed to the office and found myself on the backfoot and only just about recovered by hometime. Mostly I was shoring up my workload while I'm off for the rest of the week by planning ahead and keeping people in the loop. I *think* I got it all done in time, plus I did a mammoth purchase order that took most of the day on and off to do. But now I can sit back, enjoy my extra two days off and enjoy a uni friends wedding tomorrow.

Script Tracker

I tended to my writing desk for the first time in a while, only to put my thoughts to paper on a game I recently played ahead of my end of year review. I have time in the mornings right now so it's nice to do something a little more worthwhile. At work I was throwing out script after script, good thing I keep track of all the amendments because a lot of the cast and crew are starting to lose track (at no fault of their own, there honestly is a lot floating around right now). Otherwise I was on logging duty for the taxis we booked in the month of August. While there was about 30% less than usual, I still had to input over a hundred lines from one spreadsheet to another, ready for it to be PO'd in detail. It's riveting stuff I assure you.

I also low-key forgot I was on leave over after tomorrow so I hastily reconciled all my outstanding jobs and looked ahead to next week. Think it's all in hand, I have tomorrow to wrangle the last bits. 

Crockpot

Last week I mentioned how the batch of brownies I brought in May have ignited some kind of baking revolution within my team members. I certainly did not expect a member of the Accounts team to bring in a full on Crockpot full of their home made minnistrone soup to share with the masses. A good deed has ripples and inspires others it seems. That certainly made going back into work after one day off much easier to swallow, but in fairness it went pretty quick.