Truck DJ, Encore

My main responsibility today was being truck DJ. I'm fast approaching the end of my tenure so it doesn't make much sense to be given any more long term responsibilities, instead I'm just dealing with everything as it comes in. I'll mostly be doing my receipts tomorrow and get ready to hand the reins back to the real team member. Been a fun couple of days though, nice to get a few more pennies in the bank too. I'm feeling the sting of sleeping less hours though, as if I were on a long job. How the hell did I do it all when I was younger? I crave sleep now like I yearn for tiramisu.

Under Everything

Everyone at work had a thousand yard stare. I'm just a daily and I still felt the second-hand exhaustion of it all. Personally I was a little under slept and undernourished. The milk in our fridge curdled and I didn't find out until I poured it all over my precious Fruit & Fibre. Even now I'm back home enjoyingy evening I just feel like the husk of a person. A proper night's sleep will set things right, and right now that sounds better than a paid holiday.

Healthy Competitive Streak

The social weekend continues. I got a chance to rest up after last night's exploits, which put me in good stead for a a pair of back to back board game sessions. We met up with Mark and Lucy for a BBQ and board games lunch, as we packed down the last game Rebecca and I whizzed across Bristol to head to a new friend's house for dinner and more games. Both old and new chums today basically, all united by a healthy competitive streak and a love of games.

Delicious Sweat

In spite of getting 8 hours sleep, I still woke up groggy. And in my living room. We're still down there in the heat wave and it still caught me off guard when I woke up. Rebecca felt identical to me, headachey and in a stupour. So we both took it super slow, careful not to overexert ourselves in the heat. I had a long Birthday blowout party to go to later and I wasn't in any state to head out without a midday nap.

15 minutes later I was a whole now man. I was then at the pub have chats, on a boat having pints, watching England play in the world cup, then onto a bar for a final bout of drinks and dance. About 5 years ago as the mist of COVID was starting to lift I remember going out to dance with some crew, one of them was especially eager for a real session. "I just want to taste somebody else's sweat in my mouth". That was the line that always stuck with me - a true measure of how hard you're looking to go. I daresay a few innocent bystanders may have gotten a few droplets on their tongue.

Base Runner

Did more of my thing on set today. Wrangling ice and all other manners of things that land in my lap. We all thought the heatwave would be subsiding but we were still in for a warm one but we just about got through it all. I inadvertently ended up doing a spot of Base Running this afternoon. I stood by for cast, put them in the chair and grabbed lunch orders - all in a day's work for little old me. 

Sleeping Downstairs

 Got into work early to get a handle on the shoot day, wrangling ice and waters at every turn. The temperature in my car just climbed up and up and up. Good thing I was sat in it all day, slowly cooking myself.

Rebecca and I moved the mattresses downstairs this evening so we could sleep in the comparitivly cool living room. I slept so badly recently that I'm about ready to drift away. 

The Ice Man Cometh

Back on a Production truck, sorting out problems and making dreams come true. For the most part I was sourcing ice for the crew, money is apparently super tight so the gold prize is getting ice for free from local venues. A bowling alley obliged us for a Google review, but after that it was tough pickings. When I got home I batch made iced tea for myself and Rebecca - I sampled the tester and ended up drinking all of it. Now we got three liters of the stuff! 

At the tail of of the day we caught wind that our local board game place was hosting an impromptu evening, mostly to flaunt their new air conditioning. Like lizards who just wanted off their hot rocks, we made the pilgrimage up the road to enjoy feeling a normal temperature for a couple of hours. 

Ice for Days

Just been batch making ice cubes for most of the day, hording them like a squirrel. Every 4 hours, cubes come out the tray, into a box, tray refilled, rinse and repeat. Got enough for doomsday now, also known as tomorrow.

Only twice in my life now have I seen a Red Weather warning for heat, and of course it's those two days where I'm going to be driving around in a car without air conditioning. I'll be careful mind, plenty of water etc, but it's just a sorry state of affairs we find ourselves in. Just before bed tonight I played some online games with Louis while I sat in the hottest room of the house. I kid you not, the heat started to get to my computer, causing all sorts of problems. Guess I'll just back off for a couple of days.

I'm back on a job for just over a week now, parachuting as a covering member of the Production team. It ain't glamorous, but it pays the bills. 

Toy Story 5

With a couple of days work coming up I treated today as a mini finishing things up day. My current game and book were completed before midday and as a small bonus I taught myself how to make a decent iced tea to combat the heat. I nailed it right out the gate I'm pleased to say - and I don't even like tea! Better still ai think I cracked open the writing project I'm doing, I had one of those epiphany moments on how to restructure it to make my conclusion hit harder.

And EVEN better yet, we took Louis and Rachel up to see Toy Story 5. If you thought the fourth one was unwarranted, then you may want to skip this one. The franchise formula is a bit long in the tooth now and the sense of danger and creativity wanes with every entry. I know it's folly to believe that a long-standing sequel to something that should have probably ended years ago might still have the magic, but Toy Story 5 is inessential. 

How Many Toy Stories?!

Sunday's a meant for lazing around and catching movies on the hoof. We're heading to the cinema to watch Toy Story 5 tomorrow, so Rebecca wanted to refresh her memory with the fourth one. It sure is the black sheep of the bunch (maybe 5 will be even moreso, TBC). While it still has all the heart you'd expect, the pacing and sense of humour is way out there, disconnecting it all from the previous movies. I mean, it's still a good time, but it ain't exactly hall of famer. Guess we'll see how 5 holds up tomorrow.

Calm Before the Warm

The calm before the warm today. It's also one of the only weekends we have coming up without any plans so we enjoyed being coach potatos. I was playing games and reading my book for the most part, quietly chipping away at my hobbies. Since it wasn't so hot we roasted a chicken today so we wouldn't have to put the oven on to cook so much over next week. That and we stocked up on ice creams. Bring it on heatwave.

Backrooms

Bided my time today doing all the usual bits and bobs. The main event was a trip out to the cinema with Rebecca a couple of my old work gang to watch Backrooms. We've done quite well in getting through some modern horror films together now, I guess we all just commiserate together in our fear. This was our first attempt at a big horror film on the silver screen though and it was a huge success. It helped the film was just the right amount of scary. Lots of disconcerting imagery, liminal spaces and handheld cameras. Considering most of the film consists of great actors looking concerned as they silently navigate a labyrinth, the tension was maintained throughout and it went by in a heartbeat. We've been really treated to a lot of horror films that don't fit into the 'quiet, quiet, bang' category in the last couple of years and I'm a firm believer that horror should delight more than it scares.

Ragu

Set my focus timer (the one that plants a little tree on my phone and tells me to not look at a screen for a couple of hours) and got to writing. I'm tugging at a couple of threads that have been left dangling and fraying for a while now. Things I've wanted to work on for a while but convinced myself I didn't have the time. Well, as luck would have it, time is all I have. That and a set of notepads and some fountain pens. 

When I wasn't focused I was hanging out with Rebecca. It was our 'anniversary' last weekend so we marked the occasion today with a trip to a very nice restaurant. Wine, fried artichokes, aioli, ragu and a pistachio panna cotta. What dreams are made of. Bristol in the summertime is a wonderful time and place, Dan and Jamie felt it too because they were nearby getting drinks out so we joined them to enjoy the cooling summer evening. 

Jetlagged at Home

My eyes jolted open a little after four this morning. I had no cause to be awake at that hour but my brain decided to kick itself into gear and start thinking about nonsense which made me restless. Defeated, I got up and got a very early start to my day, but it meant I was totally sapped of energy. I knew I was in for a late night too though as I signed up for some online games this evening, it was someone's birthday so it was bound to be a blowout. In fairness it was very much worth staying up for as the games of deception and teamwork was played with the perfect crowd. So ready to start the day properly tomorrow though.

Consolation Work

Thought getting up early was the secret ingredient to siezing the day but instead I hit roadblocks everywhere. Sat down to write but nothing came naturally. Went for a run but ran out of steam too quickly. Played a game but couldn't get past a tricky bit. I was half convinced that the day was out to get me. It 'almost' didn't feel deserved when I got a message for a week of work coming up. Naturally I jumped at the opportunity but I still couldn't shake how it felt like a bit of a consolation prize.

Bank Holiday Anyone?

Set myself out on a power morning to do a speed run of all the errands that went on ice over the weekend. Freezer defrosted. New toaster collected. Cat food pouches recycled in store. Brake light bulb replaced. Weekly shop completed. I managed to do all this before the coffee in my travel mug was cool enough to sip. With the chores done I gave our new TV a spin with some games and two movies. It basically sounds like I invented a Bank Holiday Monday today.

MS Paint Me

I aided Rebecca's parents in cooking a slap up breakfast for us. That was the hearty meal I needed before lifting out their old TV into our car and later loading it into our house. Did a little cable re-arrange and spruce in honour of the the living room centerpiece. At long last, we join the modem era and have access to HD live broadcasting. No more will Bake Off nights or Eurovision be witnessed in standard definition! 

I actually wanted to play around with it a bit more but I got suckered into some online games with some chums. We were all influenced by social media to get this new game where players hide themselves in a funny map, then paint themselves so they match their surroundings. I outdid myself by recreating the texture of a wooly jumper, all with the same tools as MS Paint. We had so much fun that we lost all track of time too. Only our yawns betrayed us and made us realize that sleep is probably a good idea.

There's a Plane

A bus and a train was all it took to get us to see some planes. The royal fly past took place today and it's become semi-traditional for us to join Rebecca's folks in doing some plane spotting. I mean, they already knew the order of every aircraft that would be going overhead so it was hardly spotting, but it was still a day out. Rebecca conked out asleep when we got home so I got to reading and pottering around, it's kinda nice being bored in someone else's house, it's like being on vacation but your phone already knows the wifi.

Fast Paced Friday

Tended to my cowboys briefly then went out on another quick run. I'm getting to a point now where my old pace is returning, I was dying the first time I ran a little quicker but it keeps getting easier. I packed a bag too as we were back off to London once again for a weekend celebrating Rebecca's Dad's Birthday. I'm mostly just here for vibes but it's always nice enjoying a change of scenery.

Cowboy Problem Solver

Had a pair of back to back bad night's sleep this week and now it's payback time. I slept in til a bit too late, but even Rebecca knew I needed the rest so she let me kip. At least I felt good and fresh for attacking my writing desk again. This time I was determined to crack the next Western campaign I've been cooking up. I hit a couple of roadblocks recently that kept me from really running with my idea. I nailed the setting and the scenario, but the actual activities for the players was a little up in the air. I got my problem solving hat on though and ironed those kinks into a crisp, clean line - these cowboys shall go to the ball.

Writing Spree (Thanks Stephen King)

Perhaps I internalized Stephen King's 'just lock yourself in a room and do some writing' mantra a little too much. I went to bed with a short article idea about Zelda last night and typed it all up this morning and afternoon. A thousand new words, written and edited in just a couple of hours, easily one of my best ever writing sprees this year. 

You can read the piece here - it's intentionally tounge-in-cheek and is more statical and jokey than anything else. But it was a joy to write, which is what it's all about.  

Ocarina Remake

Got up early to finish up playing a massive and flabby game about being a Yakuza in the 80's (aptly titled Yakuza). At times it has the heart of a John Woo Asian Action piece, with dramatic moments of bromance and bravado, but in between that it's a lot of tapping A to get through the dialogue. I also just about finished up ready Stephen King's memoir 'On Writing' which Rebecca thoughtfully got me as gift a while ago. There's lots of nuggets of wisdom in there, chief amount them being you just gotta listen to your gut and get writing. Good advice and always nice to hear one of the modern greats saying it. 

I did a little run now that the weather has cooled off a bit. All of this was to bide my time as I approached the  start time of the latest Nintendo Direct. The rumour were true, the final announcement of the show was a remake of Ocarina of Time. My heart has already decided that I'll always prefer the original, it's dreamy art style and sound design. But I look forward to seeing how they approach this remake and what bells and whistles they could add to the greatest game of all time.

Cereal Box Boy

Still watching the rain roll down the window as we enter June. I had to time my trip to the supermarket carefully so I didn't get soaked, but instead I got too hot carrying everything back. I realized last week that the bulkiest thing I get in the shop each week is my jumbo box of Fruit & Fiber. Most weeks I can't fit it in my bags so I end up clutching it through the park. I really hope I don't get a reputation as the cereal box boy.

I did a couple of other life admin but today, including putting in for the couple days work I did yesterday. As I sat dreaming about what my newfound riches could get me, a letter from HMRC came through the door. Inside was a massive tax rebate! I flipped over the Chance card of life, and it smiled at me. Thought Monday would be gloomy, but things are on the mend.

Book Club... Today?

Our plan was to hit the road back to Bristol pretty early after breakfast, but a overly long lie in altered our plans. It was just nice not to have a little cat attacking my feet for once so I slept without fear. We got back in good time ultimately AND I got to do some prep for my impromptu online book club meeting tonight... Which turned out to be in two weeks time. I'm just a man out of time these days. 

House Cooling

The cat attacked my feet at the exact moment in my dream that an unspeakable horror was chasing my through a ever-shifting corridor. Needless to say I was jolted awake with a newfound fear of God. Otherwise it was a calm morning. Porridge boiled on the stove and Don't Tell the Bride re-ran on the telly. 

Rebecca hit the streets in search of some final Birthday gift bits for her friend we were due to visit this evening for a 'house cooling' party (they're moving out). Rebecca and I split the drive up to London and caught the trains the rest of the way. All I know is that four hours somehow passed and all we were doing was chatting, now I'm on a night bus en route to bed. Today was our dutiful day, tomorrow we'll veg out on the couch. 

Rivals Episode 6

 Did part two of van driving, going back and forth to a handful of bases and dropping kit off. I bumped into even more familiar faces today, we've all been scattered across the four winds since Rivals but people still remember their work besties.

Speaking of Rivals, my old colleague invited Rebecca and me over to watch the mid-series finale episode tonight. Ever since reading the script for this particular episode I've been ravinous to see it put to screen. Today finally came and we all laughed, cheered and gasped at all the big moments. I had a silent smile the whole way through though as one thought kept turning over in my mind: 'They bloody did it.' 

Almost No Van

Had the morning to myself to do my usual spate of pottering and trying to do some writing. Come midday I was off to work! First point of call was going to pick up a van the Production team hired for me. I cruised up to the hire place, sunglasses on ready to take on the world and make some dollar. Then they declined our reservation as it needed a payment off a 'credit' card, not a debit. So I broke the bad news to the team and we were sent off to another hire house, where we faced the same trouble. This repeated a few more time as the daylight was burning, all the while we had no van to do the kit ferrying we were brought onto do. Nearly three hours into the day we scrambled and got a van for me to drive, then we were off to the races. Got to see a bunch of old faces along the way, and I'll get to do it all again tomorrow. 

Van Man? Sign Me Up

Got a stroke of luck today when an old colleague offered me a few days work for tomorrow and Friday. It will just be driving a van but I will be doing it for a Bristol shooting crew which means I'll keep my hand in. I mostly stayed indoors otherwise, marvelling at how quickly the weather flopped from rain to shine. All the while sharpening various writing projects, as one does when sat at the writing desk.

Commiserating Pint

Tomorrow was a new day. I made some bigger steps forward and made sure I abided one of the golden rules: Be Kind to Yourself. I gave myself some time for work and some time for games, not giving too much of a damn about the silent judgement I impart upon myself. 

I also had something to look forward to in the form of a pub trip with some old colleagues. A couple peeled away closer to the time but that left a distilled group of us that had a good laugh at the pub and commiserating where appropriate. 

Monday Monotony

Walked into this Monday with some lofty ambitious for getting some things done. I'm trying to tackle another small writing project amidst a few other things. What ended up happening is I just over thought my next moves and paralyzed myself. I shook off some of the guilt by going on a run and ticking off some to do jobs but I still reckon I could have done more with the day.

When you write a daily blog it puts into perspective how you always need to try doing something noteworthy each day. Every moment is precious and it's a mite frustrating when you go to bed feeling the same as when you woke up. We'll try again tomorrow though.