Do something new every year

I like the idea that you should try something new every year.  Karen got back from yoga yesterday and told me about kendo classes in the local sports centre.  Now, this looks great, BUT, they practise Tuesday, Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings.  Tuesday and Sunday are out, as that's climbing wall days.  At the moment, Thursday IS ok, but the karate club I'm in is a Wednesday lunchtime and Friday night, and run by a researcher, who only has 8 months left.  If she leaves, then she wouldn't be able to run the Wednesday, and if she has to move for work then the Friday night could be over, meaning......that I'd have to go to the Whiteinch club we're affiliated with, and it's on.....a Thursday.

So, I'll leave it this year, see how things pan out with the karate club, and possibly give it a go next year.

There's a part of me that is screaming out to me to de-clutter.  I find this incredibly hard to do so, as I am a hoarder.  I used to have a bag full of old tour shirts from the 80's when I started going to gigs.  Now, these t-shirts were pretty much all medium.  My build means I now wear XL.  I could wear L, but I find them a little tight under the arms.  Anyway I struggled with myself for months before getting rid of them, but the charity shops benifited at least.

The problem now is that I've a pile of football shirts from countries I've visited (Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal), and I don't even like football.  Every country seems to be a bit footie daft, and it's a cheap (usually) souvenir of a trip, but - and here's the rub - I don't think I've ever worn any of them, so they are jsut lying un a drawer takin gup space.

My head says "Charity shop" but I've having a real problem letting go.  There's more than the footie shirts, but that's the best example.

Pretty much accepting the new level of suck that is work.  On a cheerier note, I'm of to the theatre tonight to see Fiddler on the Roof.  Before that we're going for some Japanese, and before THAT, I've been instructed to sit in the pub until K arrives.  Doesn't get much better than that :-)

I'm toying with the idea of having a teetotal March.  I want to raise my fitness level and lose a little gut, so it can't hurt, although, it might not make any significant difference as I don't really drink much anyway.  I can but see.

Had an enoyable weekend doing nothing.  I jsut basically vegged out and caught up on the last of Season 1 of True Blood, which was pretty cool.

While it's good to get away from work and do something else, it's also good to occasionally do absolutely nothing but veg out.

Just heard a song on the radio that I've not heard in ages.  The lyrics just resonate so much with me. Marillions' Script for a Jester's Tear will always give me goosebumps and make me maudlin.

Today was the complete opposite of yesterday.  Just before lunch I get an email from my line managed sent to myself and a collegue asking for a plan for a new layout and new furniture for my room.  The furniture in here is about a year old, so I asked him why new furniture was being bought and he said for the new people coming into the room !  Now, I'm only the person occupying the room, a little warning that the occupancy was going to go past the three it's currently laid out for would be nice. 

Oh, and BTW, where exactly are you going to put them, as the last remaining wall is a glass partition.  How exactly are you going to put the trunking for the power and network cables along a glass partition?

I've said I want moved out.

I was on the recieving end of a random act of kindness today, when one of the lecturers in work, who was in front of me in the queue for coffee, waited till I'd ordered, told the girl to make it large, and paid for it.

Things like that restores my faith in humanity.

SIXTY-ONE NAILS

There's a quote on the cover of Sixty-One Nails by Mike Shevedon, calling it the "Neverwhere for the new generation."  This is true, but the book is oh so much more than a mere Neverwhere clone.

The story follows the exploits of Naill.  Divorced and living a crummy life of work, home, sleep, work, his life is thrown into turmoil when he "dies" on the platform while waiting for a tube, and is rescucitated by an old woman who turns out to be one of the Fayre.  She explains to Naill that he is in fact a half-breed, part fayre, part human, and that there are seven fayre courts.  Six of which bred with humans to continue the bloodline, and the seventh - the Untainted - which refused to, and withdrew, promising to return and restore the land to the way it was before humans.

When he "died" one of the Untainted tried to enter his body, and she managed to prevent it.  Unfortunately they were now aware of his existance and the fact he's a mongrel.

With the Untainted trying to kill him, and also cross back into this world, Naill and his saviour discover that the only thing keeping the barrier up that prevents the Untainted from carrying out their wish is an ancient ritual, that is carried out once a year.

The battle is on for Naill to stay alive and with the help of his saviour - Blackbird - to ensure the ritual takes place and the barrier held intact.

Sixty-On Nails is an absolute page turner.  It's one of those books you really don't want to end.

The comparison to Neverwhere is only accurate in that it IS and urban fantasy, and it IS taking place in a world hidden beneath/behind our own, that we might just glimpse, but never see.

Highly recommended.
 

Books books books.

In the space of one day my "To read" pile increased by 4 books, three of which I've to post reviews of.  I can't remember if I'm posting them here or on my LJ page, so I'll do both.

Watch out for a review of Sixty-One Nails by Mike Shevdon, coming soon.

Work is a bit sucky today.  Not that what I'm doing sucks, it's more the people.  There's too many people who seem to have an agenda, and they're all game playing.  Some without the knowledge to back up what they're saying/doing.

It's all shite, and not a little pointless.  Score points off each other is retarded.

I may turn to drink.

I *think* I need to de-clutter.  There's a lot of psychic baggage, and ironically I seem to be comfort shopping to cheer myself up, which jsut adds to the problem.

I made a start by giving my old trusty denim jacket to the homeless guy at EK shopping centre, who helped K carry the plasma telly to the car.  He was really chuffed.

There's more that could head to the charity shop if I just got round to it.  I need to get round to it.

It's finally 2010, and for some reason I've a feeling that a corner has been turned.  I wasn't aware of any corners NEEDING turned, but today for some reason, I can't help feeling that something is going to change, and for the better.

Maybe I'll drink less and excercise more, maybe I'll get the hang of the BBC self study Japanese course I bought.  Maybe work will imprrove, or maybe, just maybe, I'll win the lottery.

Whatever it is, it'll be interesting.

Wow, you don't post for a couple of weeks and the next thing you know it's Christmas, well, almost. 

The radiator in the living room ain't working, and in this weather, that's not a good thing.  Called Scottish Gas, and even though I'm not a customer, there's an engineer coming out tomorrow to fix it.  They've even said he'll definately be out between 8.00 am and 1.00pm.  OK it IS a 5 hour window, but it sure beats sitting in ALL day waiting.

Not cycling this week, as it's a hectic one.  Tuesday and Wednesday I'm in Edinburgh on a course - Introduction to GIS.  On Thursday it's the Glasgow SF fan meet-up, and Friday is karate.  Today is the only day I could have cycled, but I opted to get the train and buy a weekly ticket as it will save me around £5 on travel this week.

Went to see W.A.S.P. last night on their 25th anniversary tour, and it was really good.  They're playing wee clubs, so there's no over the top pyro like they had in the 80's and 90's, but they still have it, and it was a great gig.

Tonight I need to veg :-)

Spent last week in Tunisia, which was really nice, except I didn't get any diving done as I was slightly bunged up.  Apart from that it was a great week.
Now I'm back to a cold, wet, and windy Glasgow, and it's not fun.  It really is grim.  It's pitch dark when I leave for work, and it's the same coming home.  Miserable.

I've not been using hte bike this week, as I reckon with the winds we're getting, it's more dangerous than it's worth cycling on the roads.  I'll still be doing karate and going to the climbing wall, although the yoga class has stopped now, as the teacher is very pregnant.

I still have a couple of days to take off between now and Christmas, so I'll see about getting them sorted out, and booking myself in for a floatation session as a wee treat.

Since freezing my fingers off on Monday, I haven't used the bike to get to work.  This has nothing to do with the cold, and everything to do with a rather hectic social life necessitating not having a bike with me after work.

Last night I was at the Tramway for a couple of artist films, one about a woman in love with the Berlin wall, and the other, a documentary about an artist collaborating (and falling n love with) a death row inmate in the three months leading up to his execution.  Excellent stuff, if a bit off the (Berlin) wall.

Tonight is the Glasgow SF group meet, and tomorrow it's back to the Tramway for Taiko drummers, which should be damn good.

I'm off to Tunisia on Sunday for a week, and the holiday reading is Japanese for Dummies.  It seems/seemed like a good idea at the time.  Why Japanese ?  Why not.

Well, winter is definately here.  On the ride into work this morning, I had to stop a couple of times to defrost my fingers.  Couldn't feel them, and had to rely on the sound of the gears changing to confirm that I had indeed changed gear.
Once in work I took longer in the shower than usual, just enjoying the warmth.

Despite the cold, the ride in was actually nice, especially the bit through Bellahouston Park.  There was freezing fog, and the fog over the grass and trees was quite spooky, and would have made a really nice photo.  I really should make a point of taking a camera out with me when I'm on the bike.

So, I should either get new gloves (I'm wearing 2 pairs atm, fingerless over full fingered) or at least, liners to wear under the gloves I've got.

Tunisia for a week on Sunday, so at least I'l be warm there !

If you've read any of my drivel before, you'll be aware that I cycle to/from work.  Well last night I almost didn't, as some idiot had decided that chaining their bike to mince was a good idea.  Let me tell you it was not.

It wasn't a problem really, just an inconveniance, as I had to go to security, and get a man with boltcutters, to cut their lock off, so I could get my bike and get home.

I lose 15 minutes out of my day, and they have to pay for a new lock.  Seems like a fair swap to me.

So, in conclusion, take 30 seconds out your day to ensure that when you've chained your bike up, you haven't wrapped the cable round someone elses bike.  It'll save you some cash in the long run.

Life lately has been good if tiring.  On Saturday, there was a karate day course at Whitinch, so I took myself along, and after a fun but hard day, came away with my green belt, which was awesome, as I hadn't been expecting a grading.

On Sunday I headed to the climbing wall for some bouldering.  This provided the arm aching yang to the leg aching yin of the karate from the previous day.  Now my arms AND legs were achey, so my body was once again in balance :-D

This weekend will be a lot more relaxing as I head to the floatation tank on Saturday, then later that evening, we're having a couple of friends over for some Hallowe'en horror movies and a meal.

I need to chill a bit more and let my body recover :-)

There's a bit of a stushie going on about tonights appearance ot the BNP's Nick Griffin on the BBC's Question Time tonight.  Now, much as I'm NOT a supporter of the BNP, they ARE a legally elected party, and as such are entitled to airtime in the same way other parties are.

The anti-fascist lobby are trying to deny legally elected MP's their freedom of speech.  What irks me is that in doing so, they are in themselves being fascist.  Don't they see the irony, or is it a case of conveniently ignoring hte fact becuse it suits them. 

You can't cry "Freedom of speech" and they deny it to others.  I'm sorry that that smacks of fascism.  It 's the price you have to pay for living in a democracy, so ANL and AFA and all the others, you'll just have to suck it up.  What would you call the police if they tried to stop you protesting?  Exactly.  Grow up.