“Computer games don’t affect kids,
I mean if Pac-man affected us as kids, we’d all be running around in darkened rooms, munching pills and listening to repetitive music.”

Feeling yuck again, but I suppose I could have it worse. Combination of poor diet and lack of sleep still getting me down.

Things have taken a turn for the worse with Rach’s Grandma. Apparently she’s not being fed properly at the hospital she’s at. They have an automated menu system, were you put a vertical line in a box next to the meal you want on a menu form. Well Ethel doesn’t understand that and also keeps on missing the box (she has arthritis in her hands). She then ends up missing meals. And when something comes up it is less than appetising. All this makes me several shades of angry and sad at a system that lets our old people rot in hospital. Rach has gone over to her parents until Thursday so she can visit her.

Work continues to be a grind, but gradually getting there. Potentially an exciting web programming project in the new year. Watch this space sports fans.

Not sure what to do tonight, got the chance to go rpging playing Cthulhu Rising, but feel that hibernating at home may be a better option.

Last night I decided to take a break from playing my usual first person shooter games and try a different type of computer game. This resulted in one of the most humiliating gaming experiences of my entire life!

Ladies and Gentlemen I present…

“Why I shouldn’t be allowed to play the Sims“

So another chapter of my exciting life begins to unfold. Finally beaten off the dark cloud of depression that has held me in its thrall for the last week or so. A good session of chilling out with beers and Men shouting over loud guitars, specifically my favourite punk band ever Fear (which is a tad worrying) and Fudge Tunnel’s “Complicated Futility of Ignorance”, which both fitted my mood perfectly. “Have a beer with Fear”? Well yes I did and most pleasant. As keefybabe used to say “The Terror never ends, it just stops for a pint once in a while”.

Rachel is now off nights until Sunday, which is joyous, and I’ve broken the back of work with my big project now easily achievable instead of a humiliating disgrace. However I’m exhausted so apologies to bitvacuous & dr_misrule but I won’t be joining you at The Damned this evening as previously advertised. Instead I shall be gently geeking out at home after a nice home made tea packed with lots of fresh vegetables (vegetable biryani seems a good choice here).

Currently working from my warm home, steeling myself to go out into the great cold outdoors to stock up on provisions just after lunch. Stripping down an old PHP/Mysql website I wrote yonks ago which was in itself based on the dynamic site I wrote for my MSc almost five years ago!! The idea being that I’ll have a very simple CMS that I can use for a site at work and for my own personal web pages. If I get it robust enough I’ll make it available for download. But then again……

I had a wonderful moment on the train home yesterday. For half an hour I slept peacefully. It was a good sign for the coming sleep in the evening. My head touched the pillow and without tossing or turning dropped off.

The only problem was that I haven’t woken up properly . Worshipped at the altar of Coffee on the way in, and boy was the communion intense. Kinda sleep walking my way through work, occasionally grumping about this issue or that (my milk of human kindness is low today).

Tonight I’m going to have a rest full evening and make a deliberate point of not switching the PC.

Back to my perky self this morning. Noticeably better humoured for sure. Some residues of grumpiness, but rapidly being replaced by an almost giddy sensation.

Off to a wedding this weekend. A course mate of Rach’s is getting married in Oldham this Saturday and we’ve been invited to the evening do. So off into town today I marched to get a present. It struck me as I manfully strode through the crowded streets of Manchester that this is going to be hell on earth in a couple of weeks. therefore tomorrow war is declared on Christmas shopping. It will be a brief and brutal campaign, with presents successfully located and purchased.

As they say “It will be all over by Christmas!”

Had a terribly depressing weekend, the only good thing about which was the two films I watched Sunday evening.

Once upon a time in the West directed by Sergio Leone, the last of his westerns where he took his directing skills to another level. Argued by some to be the greatest western ever, IMHO shits all over The Good the Bad and the Ugly, which don’t get me wrong I still enjoy heartily. Henry Fonda as the villain Frank and Charles Bronson as Harmonica, more than make up for the lack of Van Cleef and Eastwood. Heck I shouldn’t even be comparing the two films, since Once upon a time in the west is in a different league of film, perhaps only kept company by Once Upon a time in America. Shows that cinema can be art not just a vehicle to make money.

Bubba Hotep Excellent film that transcends the genres it mixes up. Is it a horror b-movie, an alternative Elvis biopic, a comedy, a statement on the plight of the old? The answer is greater than the sum of these parts. Plot is well thought out too, despite the thrown togetherness of the elements. An aged Elvis Presley, a black JFK and a cowboy Egyptian mummy. A classic which deserves more recognition.

Well last week sucked big balls. I usually don’t post unless I have something pleasant to say. But tonight I’m breaking that rule.

Mum’s visit was cool. She was her usual self-centred cantankerous self, managed to anger Rachel up not once but twice, but it was good to see my old ma, since we hadn’t seen each other in the flesh in over a year. However the europhoia gradually disappeared as the week went on, as I realised we aren’t out of the woods yet on my mother being even half way normal front.

Work is tense, since our boss has disappeared admist moving responsibility of line managing half our team to our network manager (who just wants to be a techy nerd not a manager type). I’m weaselling to the new IT support team, since I’m at the end of my tether with my present boss. Suffice to say our so called “Team leader” has no idea what his job entails, and is winding people up right left and centre. Plus I have a couple of tight deadlines coming up, with no support from aforementioned team leader. Joy.

Rach is working nights which is a load of crap. I’m not sleeping well, as the lateness of this post suggests. Self deprivation is an interesting experience. Saying all this It was nice to see her this weekend.

On the plus side, I’ve just bought The Burning Wheel Rpg”, which is a classy set of books which is revigorating my interest in my hobby, and tonight I’ve watched Once Upon a Time in America and Bubba Hotep.

This coming week better be easier than the one gone, or else I’ll cry.

At this present time I hate everyone, my self first.

“Every bitch cockroach, like you, you should know. Never mess with the King!”

Or if you still haven’t got it

“Its been two presidential elections since I had a boner like that!”

Or

”
‘….Ask not what your rest home can do for you, Ask what you can do for your rest home.’

‘Hey you’re copying my best lines’

‘Well let me paraphase one of my own. Lets take care of business’
“