The Grand Old Duke Of York...

Did you know?...

He had ten-thousand men,

He marched them up to the top of the hill,

And he marched them down again.

And when they were up, they were up

And when they were down, they were down,

And when they were only half way up,

They were neither up nor down.

Really? That doesn't sound right. It doesn't no, you're right, but thems the words. Been a bit odd this past day or so. I am running super late this morning, wherein actual fact, I always have more than enough time to do everything I always do, even this. I'm just starting this a lot later than normal. 

Yesterday I went to a YouTube Gathering. And waited. For about an hour. Looking like a sad, confused old man holding a Marks and Spenser bag. No wonder the hipsters avoided me. I started walking home, feeling, I'm not too proud to say, a little upset. I threw the M&S bag at the ever growing pile of presents yet to be wrapped in my bedroom and played a bit of Skyrim (I think I should stop doing that now. It's been 100+ hours). 

Either way, later on I get messages from everyone, and I mean everyone. Red, Tag, Cherry, Mum, Pill, and Kim. I've never been so popular on a Sunday evening. Turns out I had to get food and wait around for my Parents as they were passing through to say 'Hi'. Kim was a little disheartened that I couldn't go hang out before she went to work, but then punctuality would have solved that issue.  

Pill and I are getting our Christmas Tree called Erik next Sunday, rota permitting. And then Pill went over the schedule for next weekend. He was like we need to watch Lord of the Rings, and then The Hobbit, and then there's Game's Night the Carmartheners are down visiting, and I want to squeeze in a bit of climbing and everything. And he was double checking everything with me, as if half the stuff was relevant to me. Lord of the Rings yes. Friday Night yo! (Though I'm not sure on whether it'll be at mine again). And Game's Night, because I live here. As for the Hobbit, the weekends are far too busy for the cinema, aren't they?

That was mostly my mood yesterday, yeah sure. I am so full of sedative now it's unbelievable. Karms for Lunch, Karms for Tea, sleep the dreamless sleep, Karms for breakfast, rinse and repeat. Herbs can't be too bad for you can they?

Well, we'll find out.

I see fire, inside the Mountains,

I see fire, burning the trees,

I see fire, hallow in souls,

I see fire, blood in the breeze...

Carpe diem, adventurers...

Here It Is, The Great Battle Of Our Time...

Oh, my, God! It's here, it has come!  Today is the day that I leapt around outside Cardiff Central Station yesterday with Tag thinking about. It's the start of Lord of the Rings Day part 1.

Its been so long, and I can't friggin' wait to see it all again!

I've got an idea, perhaps we watch them all in different locations every movie. So the first is at mine, obvs, because you're all coming over this evening. But the second and third you guys can fight over. One gets Two Towers, the other the Return of the King...

Could you imagine if they did what they're doing with the Hobbit to the Lord of the Rings. I reckon you'd only need like six movies, and possibly double the runtime of the Extendeds to 23 hours and 20 minutes. Could you imagine?! My Godfather kept rating all the movies, as he went to see them, as bum numbing, and yes they certainly would me.

The world is changed, I feel it in the water, I feel it in the earth, I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it.

The opening lines that forged a fandom. Frodo was originally going to say them in the movie, but that didn't make sense so they got Galadriel to say it instead. They're actually lines from Treebeard in the Two Towers. Odd that don't you think?

Could you imagine if the Barrow Wrights and Tom Bombadil were in this one? Glorfindel? Hell, Fatty Bolger and Radagast!

Either way, I think I've geeked out a little too much. I spent lots of money yesterday on Christmas and I estimate that was only a third of what I needed. Shit's gonna get real soon. But payday just happened. And I thought it was going to be tomorrow. Going to be an impressive amount of gifts for people this year I think. Who knows?

Catching Fire was good, and I went in there with no expectations other than the ones I carried from The Hunger Games. It's sometimes good to be ignorant...

Carpe diem my preciouses!...

Rainy Day In...

Yesterday, I had a day off. And that actually meant, for the first time in a long time, that I had no plans with which to do with my day, and that it was raining and miserable the washing didn't dry...

But what did you get up to? I hear your proclaim at the top of your voices, as there is nothing more important to read on the internets than this very segment of my life. Well, in truth, and if you know me well enough, I can't be sitting around all day watching TV or Films - well not by myself at any rate. If I had company it would have been quite different.

I woke up, and watched the remainder of a Top Gear episode I had switched off the night before to go to bed. Then I made coffee, set up the washing to dry inside, hoovered (not well), and eventually I left the house in pursuit of some shopping.

I bought the River Island bag (Pill is convinced its a Handbag), and then I went to the market. I bought a loaf of bread, some eggs, sausages, beef mince, potatoes, mushrooms, carrots, and a sandwich for under £15. And upon returning home I tucked into said sandwich and rummaged about on my laptop in front of the TV. 

I had hoped to watch Kingdom of Heaven, because I saw that it was on Netflix, but alas it must have been Tag's American Netflix (God Damn...summer in the city). Instead I watched 21 (a film about Blackjack. It was okay, but it spoon-fed you like Now You See Me), and then I watched a bit of Krod Mandoon (do you remember that crappy Fantasy proof on BBC2?). 

I also managed to buy the remaining clothes for my comic-con costume. All I need now is a few maps, and some shoes to go with it. Though Red had suggested broaches or something. I don't know. This is the most I've ever done for fancy dress, and it's actually starting to be enjoyable now that I'm getting to a size where certain sizes fit. 

So, all in all I managed to spend money and sit in front of the TV for a while. I tinkered about on my Laptop for a bit as well. Clareg wants me to download Lord of the Rings Online (I know I had it once, but that was a long time ago), and I downloaded Age of Empires Online and Civ 3. AOE wouldn't let me log in (I'll try that again later), and Civ 3 wasn't what I remembered it was, i.e. it's no Age of Whatever You Played...

A pretty staggeringly poor day, by all measures. And then Cherry text. Sherlock are in town! And I stood outside the film set, on the Hayes for a short while, telling Cherry everything I saw every now and then, and I would have some pictorial evidence although crappy HTC failed me. But I did see Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, and Benedict Cumberbatch.

A not bad end to the day indeed. Pill and I watch Atlantis, and watching Disney films with him is fun, because if he hasn't seen them before, he will analyse it and throw science at it. My simple response, it's a cartoon. 

I suddenly got an urge to go to Oxford. I'm not sure why. More on that story as it develops. 

Carpe diem...

Resentment On Gower...

Yesterday was my Mother's birthday, and as such, I traveled to Big End to wish her a lovely birthday. And then we went to Gower...

I'm not sure what my siblings bought her for a present, but I did see my brother's card. My brother hates being forced to do anything, very much like the rest of us (and we were already miserable being made to go to the beach), but when it comes to birthday cards that takes the biscuit in his book. He, like me, sees the birthday card as a useless item and thus we hardly ever buy them. This year he bought a 'Happy Birthday Son' card and scribbled out the word Son, and replaced it with the word Mum (subtle). The yellow sports card on the front of the card (a Lamborghini Aventador J), didn't influence his decision in card at all, because when Mum confronted him about it, he simply said 'cheapest'.

Dad drove, as he had a plan, and drive he did, an hour and a half into the Gower Peninsula, looking very pretty and Middle Earthian. I even got to see Bury Port from the other side of the estuary. And I thought that was quite cool.

We arrived at the King Arthur Hotel and set about sitting outside and eating lunch. I helplessly flirted with the staff (cooey!) and we moved on further into the Gower. I should add that the burger I had was massive, and the chips were quite nice. And there we were on the edge of the land. Mum fell down a hole, the drunk, and we all fell about laughing. And when we reached the beach she set about ordering us to sunbathe. My response being to point at a ruin I could see in the distance, and then a marker rock I saw on top of the cliffs. 'I'll be over there if you need me.'

Ben came with me and we discussed manly things like Lego Lord of the Rings, and other video games and computer schematics. It was a nice walk, but it only took and hour, and I didn't take enough photos. I dangled off cliff edges, looked out to see, and even tried to find a hole in the wall (Good Luck with that). We had Milkshakes and went back. I requested to be dropped at the station, you know that feeling you get of restlessness when you just want to be doing something else, somewhere else, with someone else? Well that came about and I returned home.

Pill was there and informed me he was out for the evening visiting his brother, so I set about watering the garden, and watching all the catch-up telly, before deciding to go shopping for BBQ food. And let's face it BBQ food, plus this weather, sprinkled with friends, after daily commitments, equals a good time. 

Today I'm talking to 60 kids or so about flying toys. I don't know what I'm going to say, but apparently they've got questions or something. I think I'm gonna need that BBQ.

I hate the beach...

Carpe diem...

You Know When...

Well I'm about to play Saint's Row 1...

I'm going to Dark Horse's Birthday Party this afternoon/evening/tomorrow morning/day...

And most importantly, monday, tuesday, and wednesday were terribly productive. Not at all for my career but for my housework load, my gardening, and my social life.

Monday: HB and I went shopping in Cardiff, we had Sushi, I spent lots of money. I hope a great time was had by all, especially me. Is that creepy when I say things like that? Anyway...

Tuesday: Everyone, well nearly everyone, piled into HB's house to shelter from the Riots that have been occurring throughout the country this week, so we could play DADAD, or for those of you who don't know Dragon Age Dungeons And Dragons. Sad I know, but we were bored, we made it up, and we have fun playing it.

Wednesday: I was roped into cutting down some trees, and hedges in our back garden, and you know what, it has left me drained pretty much for the rest of the week. Which is why I have managed to collect so many things for the Legend of the West costume on Red Dead Redemption. I have it now, and I look pretty all the time!

And for those of you who don't know. Last weekend the Carmarthen Zombie Apocalypse website went live, and you can now find out more and buy tickets for the event here.

Carpe diem, until next time bloggers...

P.S. Next Week I shall begin my new regime, early starts, exercise, writing, the whole shebang, or I will get tired by Wednesday. Who knows.