You Guys Are Awesome...

Here are two things that made me feel inadequate today. The first being a video of amazing people's amazing stunts. They aren't those of kindness or love or a type of selfless caring for one another in a world of turmoil but just acts of awesome...

And the second is a reminder that creative minds like myself can make awesome things too despite being physically or even mentally incapable of doing any of the stunts in the former video...

Both stand as a reminder for me, or more a sign, that no matter how low you get there are always highs, and no matter how good you get there's always a way to get better. Don't lose it if you think you've got it, and when you've got it, never stop making it better...

Carpe diem...

You Shall Be The Fellowship Of The Ring...

Last night I got to visit Middle Earth for the first time this year (this year) with some people I hadn't seen it before, and some I had and still would. We had pizza, and fizzy drinks, and chips and dips, with garlic bread and some flat bread (carb on carb on carb). I think we all regret that lack of balance. 

I am probably one of the worst people to watch the Lord of the Rings with because I quote, I sing, and I expend knowledge of Middle Earth, the general plot, and boring trivia, that I doubt anyone wanted to hear (sorry guys). I think I even amazed Red at certain points as she turned to me in the questioning manner and simply said 'and you haven't read the books?'

I suppose it is weird being so passionate and knowledgeable about something without foreknowledge of the base text everything is based on (everything!).

It was a brilliant evening, despite my Middle Earth lessons, Cherry and I spoke about Immortality and Elves and Prophecies, Tag got to know a lot more about Balrogs and Fatty Bolger, and Red and I secretly mouthed along to most of the movie (I saw you!). 

It is easily my favourite film of ever. And I look forward to including the Hobbit in it's watching schedule. Could you imagine the length on that? It would go on so long, we could commission a cinema to show them all extended for some sort of charity event. Oh my God, I'm getting tingles just thinking about the prospect. 

I think my favourite part of last night was when Sam found Frodo trying to leave without any of them and he nearly drowned himself. I made a promise, Mr Frodo, a promise. Don't you leave him Samwise. And I don't mean to, I don't mean to. We were all quiet and emotional at that point. Well definitely quiet. But it was a nice gesture towards the movie, that it's still so powerful it can make us shut up and nut up. 

If you want to know more about the History of Aragon's hertiage or what happened to Gollum between the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings then Born of Hope and The Hunt for Gollum is certainly for you. A pair of well paid, low budget, fan filmed, short movies for your viewing pleasure...

I will take it!

Carpe diem, mellon...

Over-Achieving Blowjob...

So, where were we? Ah yes...Friday Night. After a much accomplished day of work I traveled to the homestead to begin preparations for the much needed drunken debauchery. The guys arrived soon after and we were out and about again by about 8:30. Somewhere in the inter-meaning time the Boiler broke and someone arrived to fix it again...

We found ourselves in Borroco (is that how you spell it?) with Cocktails, Tag and I spoke with the Bar Maid, I got ID'd (it's so weird being told I look young), and I pretended to check out the room from the bar, in my blazer looking sexy as. Admittedly we were all looking hot, and I mean hot hot (just saying). We moved on through town, Brewery Quarter, Mill Lane, Le Lake Poob, and we sort of lost it at about Missoula - I know there were two toilet breaks after that in Revs de Cuba and Live Lounge - but they're so close together? - and there was lots of reps trying to entice us into their clubs, only two of which I can remember - Hayden a jolly chap who got paid £6 an hour (under minimum wage) and the skinny guy who was trying to get us into Floyds Bar. There was a lot of hand holding, hugs, general affection, and finally to Revs to pop Red's Rev's Cherry (as it were). There was where the night ended, there was where the night could have began, and we danced and celebrated. Had some free Chili Shots (they didn't go down well - Tag's idea), and then Tag bought some White Chocolate Shots (I suggested them and they were tasty). Cherry mugged Red for cash for a final pitcher, and we danced and mingled and danced some more. Red and Cherry got hit on my a few guys and Tag and I waded in to see if assistance was required. Needless to say, a short while after that we ended up home, after a short bought of carrying a few people, barefootedness, and then complaints that we didn't go get chips...

I don't think it would have worked that well if there were more of us, but then we'll never know...

And then came the morning after. I woke up and threw all my pain pills (got pills here) at the others who were somewhat feeling a little rough around the edges and then got them to go to Truffles via Primark for breakfast. It was nice in there. Food was required and some of us felt much better for it, and some of us didn't. Cherry and I walked Tag and Red to work, and we started the day rightly.

I went home to visit the Famille on Saturday. It was more or less the usual stuff. Talk about things I've already talked about, watch a movie (it was B-list but it was good), watch some Grand Prix, and eat too much. Mother and I went out shopping, and I bought a new jacket (you guys have got to wear this thing. It's like being in bed), and I searched endlessly for a cheaper version of GTA 5 - I think I'm going to buy it today. My sister has decided that she probably won't go to the interview I stuck my neck out to try and get her, and I've decided I'm not going to try and help that selfish bitch again. You know the sort of relationship I and my family have with her. Anyway, I got to see Clareg and in fact the whole Clareg famile plus Clareyloo as we had popped over to drop over some cards. Clareg's Mother (my Italian Mama) demanded to know why I hadn't seen her in such a long time, and I couldn't leave until I promised to come back and visit her on her birthday (which I fully intend to do). It was really nice catching up. It was warm when I last went home, and now winter is well and truly on its way.

Anyway, Sunday evening rolled by, and I came home to visit the Thompsons, before going out with the guys to go see Dan Sloss and Kai Humphries down the Bay in the Glee Club. I laughed harder and harder, and I was sure I was starting to annoy a few people in the audience (probably the guys too). But since then I've been thinking about Holidays next year - making actual solid plans - and doing the Bull Run. Could you imagine the experience? Kai Humphries can, google it. It was just nice, and even better, it was a completely sober evening too. We can tolerate each other for long periods of time without alcohol (we are friends, we are laughing). And we even got some Free Hugs from the acts afterwards too (who am I to turn down a Free Hug?), and Dan Sloss was making a lot of eye contact with almost all of us from what I could tell.

And that concludes this round of The Extraordinary Life of the Swingers, but I hope and undoubetly believe that there will be more to come. Just keep your eyes out and your nose to the ground...

Have a superb day...

Carpe diem...

Brain The Size Of A Planet, And Here I Am Blogging...

I'm two-types of toast into my day, and the trusty coffee mug sits politely by my side, begging for attention. The sun shuns itself through my window once more and unlike most sun's it is yellow, small, and has planets with life orbiting it. How cool is that?!

As I promised previously, I wouldn't have time to write a blog yesterday, however I can tell you that stuff happened and there was nothing you could do about it. Red invited us all to have spontanious drinks and food at Le Lake Poob it was nice, pleasant, and a good way to wind down the day. Upon returning home I was welcomed to a conversation about politics and inter-faith dialogue as well as a tirade of welsh vocab. Needless to say I went to bed and forgot the whole thing. 

In the morning I was left with a Mallard and a HB asleep on the living room floor, so I left them my keys and advised where they should go for breakfast; Truffles, we should go yo. And went to work and counted down the hours. For that day, was thee day, the day of Hitchhikers! There were people with hats, and people with towels, a woman/man with a blue wig who we don't like because he/she was a wave whore, and most importantly there was the show itself. A wonderful feat of entertaining entertainment. We all dressed up sexily to go see it, some of us more sexily than others, and interacted like a crowd should in a good stage play ("Oh Yes he did!")...

I think Marvin was brilliantly adapted from the forefront of our minds, Zaphod (zA-fod) started to grow on me towards the end, everyone else was as they should be, and Random was much more attractive in real-life than I remember her being on Radio. We had the guest speaker (voice of the book) Professor Sprout, with a few slip of the tongues, mispronunciations, and a tremendous amount of 'r' rolling (Trrrrraal!).

It was a good evening, and like Red said at the time, we should probably do more cultural things. Orchestra, I'm down for that. Gutted we missed the Last Night of the Proms, but then it was raining and cold, do you blame us for not going out, sitting on the Hayes, and pretending to be patriotic? 

The Christmas Lights are going to be switched on on my birthday. Note to self: this is not what I want to be doing for my birthday. 

I have completely downloaded How Long Will I Love You from About Time, and repeat is necessary, you're quite right. The long weekend calls to me, I'll just have to cling to the good nights out we've had this week. 

I have started work on completing my Real World Fiction - it's called Bute Wall. But I thought you knew that already. Where's Tag's RomCom?

I like hugs...

Carpe diem...

Luck's Got Nothing To Do With It...

I am a lucky man. I'm not the luckiest man in the world, but I'm not the most unfortunate either. I haven't won the lottery, I haven't got money, houses, yachts, holidays, Latin American democracies, or fame. But I am a lucky man.

And I think the main reason I feel like this is due to my friends. Some people say I have too many, others wonder how I have time for them all. Well the truth is, I don't. I do have to choose. Some days its you, and other days its you. That's the long and short of it. And I'm not writing this to be an arse, or to say that I've got more friends than you, nah, nah, nah. nah, NAH! I'm writing this to thank you all. 

Whether you've driven me to the ends of the earth, or you've downloaded my favourite movies and music, read everything I've almost ever written, or simply sat there and spent an afternoon with me. I've laughed with you all, cried with some of you, and made you all my special few. I've played sports, video games, board games, party games with almost all of you. I've danced, and sung, and enjoyed myself the entire time. 

We've all had our ups and our downs, I know that my moods do swiftly change, week in and week out, but I'm glad you guys are always there for me. I'm glad in the knowledge, the security, the understanding that we're there for each other, not all the time, but when it matters most of all. 

And I really want to thank you for the decades, years, months, days, just time that we've spent together, and I hold you all in the high of highs. You are my family (and I know my mother will hate me saying that, but you're my family too) and I do actually love you all, old and new. You have completed my life so far, and I hope you continue to do so for decades to come.

Now, let's ignore that sentimental crap and watch this video of the Bennett's year so far (he's been busy)...

Carpe diem...

The Crawl...

The Swingers and I went to watch The World's End the other day (Bacon Wednesdays) and throughout it, despite being wonderfully refreshed after spending the day with Cherry and Red drinking, eating, and shopping, I couldn't help but get the thirst desperado feeling only a man marooned in the desert gets as he stares at a glass of water he can't reach evaporating. I don't think it helped that the cinema itself was the same temperature as a desert, and the cornettos we had (kindly provided by Cherry) did not help the thirst. If you didn't know, The World's End is essentially (Hi Tag!) about a pub crawl. And if you want to know more you should probably go check out Red's blog here...

But it got me thinking, let's do a crawl of our own. I've not quite figured out the basics, but I think if everyone buys their own drinks it'll avoid arguing over who's round it is. Some generous souls might provide shots throughout (or halfway). And the ladies can drink their own girly drinks (or perhaps Gin and Tonics a la film?). Either way it's got to be the equivalent to a pint's content or whatever. But as for the circuit, I've been thinking about that too. And you know how much I love a good map...

View Larger Map

1. The Westgate

We'll start at the Westgate, not only an obvious starting point, as it is a few steps from our base (Pill and I's house), but also, symbolically, the doorway we all entered the real world and Cardiff from the West (i.e. Carmarthen, Big End, or Ponty).

2. The Gatekeeper

Obviously, as we enter the city, we need to pay the Gatekeeper, and where better to do this than at the home of the man himself?

3. The Queen's Vaults

And then, as we intend to get blind drunk, I think we should pay homage to our country's Royals, starting, obviously with the Queen herself. We should raid the vaults and wet the new Royal's head.

4. O'Neils

Moving swiftly to the Irish Quarter we'll show them what the Welsh are made of and finish our fourth drinks and walk out of there, heads held high, and arms linked in a River Dance.

5. The Prince of Wales

The second Royal to receive our blessing of the evening, the Prince of Wales, our Prince. He shall quench our thirsts and we shall move on.

6. The Great Western

Then we pay homage to the form of transport that carried most of us to this beautiful city. The Great Western, not only our main haunt, but the place we met.

7. Duke of Wellington

Now for the man who helped provide us our freedoms from Europe. A toast to Wellington, and his generals, one of which resided in Carmarthen (hence Monument Hill).

8. The Borough

Then we toast to the Borough we now call home. The great city of Cardiff!

9. The Owain Glyndwr

But let us not forget our past. We are Welsh, we are free, and Owain Glyndwr cemented himself as the icon of our Welsh identity.

10. The Rummer Tavern

A place to remember that we are an island nation, and a great one at that. We shall never forget that Britannia Rules the Waves! 

11. The Goat Major

Our Army's Mascot, the great welsh buck, Royal, Deadly, and Completely Welsh. A toast to that glorious beast.

12. Dempseys

And finally we finish in the oldest establishment in town. The talk of Cardiff since 1720. We finish on the very foundations of a city, and celebrate our triumph with a lot of music and dancing.

How's that for a slice of fried gold? (should that question mark be there?)

Carpe diem...

AWESOME FUN!...

Let's face it, I've had some pretty fun weekends, but last weekend took all the biscuits, ate all the pies, and generally stomped on that belief that life couldn't get much better...

And do you know why? Because I did something new, and I enjoy doing somethings new. I enjoy them very much, although there is the risk of disliking the new thing. For instance, I don't like high board diving, I've done it, and I don't like it - or falling in general for that matter. But last weekend, we the special chosen ones, ventured to the oldest pub in the Diff and sat in a stuffy upstairs room, paid to be there, and viewed a lovely acoustic concert put on just for us. 

We were mainly there to cheer on Cherry's Friend's Boyfriend, which we did. And then, as the evening went on, other bands started to appear, like wild pokemon, and entertain the hell out of us. If only there was a large room for dancing and not upsetting the band with your poor dance moves. Oh well. 

So we heard from Jack Barnett, Firewood Island, and Old Colours and they were all very very good. Tag and Cherry had to leave for a train about half way through though. But that left the drunk pair Red and I to enjoy the rest of the gig, and to then see another gig downstairs, wander over to Live Lounge for a dance, complain about the size of the bag she was carrying, contemplate seeing her boss in Pulse, walking to the Bay, getting Subway, trying to get into a rave tent, and then sitting in the moonlight getting blown about by a nice sea breeze. It was a good night out, and you don't get many nights out that start with a gig, so I'd be more than willing to try that again. 

I want to go proper dancing and clubbing again, but not in the crappy clubs. Payday is next week, possibilities and all that jazz!

Then on the Sunday, instead of Date Night, I had a shift that lasted 12hours until I was sent home purely because I had work in the morning. 2am is a funny time to be getting back from work, to say the least.

And Pill loved his present from me, and is now planning a Friday night in with Rocket Joes pizza (look it up), drink, and the Game of Thrones board game. Just to warn you.

The World's End is happening tomorrow, and I can't bloody wait. I'm sure it's been ages since Hot Fuzz, we need another cornetto, and I want to relive watching a WrightPeggFrost movie in the cinema, and rekindle some childhood memories (I'm not that old!)

Day off tomorrow, endless uncertainties to come. Bring it on... (Amandi!)

Carpe diem...

I'm A Bell End...

I like friends. I love all my friends, and I know that me being all sentimental and shit like that at the moment, means like I might miss out a lot of what I planned on saying about every single one of you. Because you're all wonderfully special and brilliant, and you've stuck by me even though I've started to become rather dickish, toolish, and quite frankly an arrogant arse. So, I just want to say thank you...

But yes, recently I've noticed yet another change to my overall personality (I swear if Pill read this he would call the men in white coats). It's not a very big change, but it has made an impact on a few things I say, that I doubt I would ever say again, or remember saying in the first place.

Confidence is a stupid thing in my hands. I'm quite sure of the words coming out of my mouth, and yet the people closest to me don't understand a single word, mainly because I've gone and got them in the wrong order, or they've gone and become some creepy pervy comment (usually accidentally). I know when I'm being creepy and I know when I'm not, so it sort of hurts when people don't understand that I'm not (you get me, blood?!)

For instance, the other night, when shopping in Tesco, Red and Cherry stopped in the middle of the aisle and I put my hands on Red's shoulders to try and move her and Cherry along. I would have done that if it was anyone of my friends stood in the middle of the aisle. As such, the action was perceived by some as the molesting gropes of a sinister swine. And the offer to carry Cherry to bed was yet sincere and found to be creepy. I don't know, I don't think I'll ever get this shindig right.

Cherry, Red and I sat in the Ponty Garden waiting for the rain, drinking in the two o'clock somewhere afternoon, and making light of the music on the boombox. We waiting for Tag to return from work, so we watched countless movies, and ate too much. When Tag appeared we replenished our stocks and continued to eat too much, not drink enough, and watch movies. I got an angry stare for offering to sleep on the sofa, to save the hassle of an inflatable bed, and that was that.

That next day we were driven to town to do our daily tasks, and I was to train to the Big End for Clareg's birthday get-together. It rained almost the entire way from the train station to his house, and since departing the train, I didn't see a single soul until I reached my destination. I almost took a picture, except I was concerned the zombies might have gotten me if I stopped.

Apparently World War Z, Man of Steel, and The Internship are very good.

I got to Clareg's, and was greeted with Cider (ma fav in a Chalice) and welcomed by a load of old faces. We spoke of life the universe and everything, and much merriment was had. I made plenty of bad jokes that some people laughed at. I met up with an old ex-friend of my sister, and pizza hut was had. And oh how I regret it. Two days of eating large quantities of crap. My body hates me.

Oh well. I got a lift to the station (thank you very much). I got called a bell end for booking the wrong week off work (to be fair, that was a bell end kinda thing to do). And I got back and to bed for about midnight, before waking at 5am, 6am, and finally 7am where I just had a shower.

I finish today at 5pm. If you fancy doing anything, but let me know, but other than that I'm looking forward to day off day (Wednesday) for sleepings. Hi TimTimmonie! (thank you for reading)...

Carpe diem...