Interesting Day...

It has to be said, yesterday was one of my more interesting days since the Summer. And before I get started, I just wanted to say thank you for your kind messages after yesterday's post, it wasn't a cry for help, but I'm glad you're there. Anyway, interesting day...

As the cold dark evenings roll in and darkness becomes an ever present consciousness we might find it hard to be happy. I should know, I've lived with it and have parent(s) who do the same (I didn't say that). It's called SAD (ironically enough), Seasonal Affective Disorder, whereby the lack of sunlight doesn't allow the chemicals in your brain to work correctly and therefore you project most of the symptoms of depression whereby you sleep more, you lose interest in life, and interest in just about anything...

Obviously, I'm not the worst case in the world, but everyone has there off days, as I said yesterday.

So, with all that in mind, two things happened to me yesterday and both intrigued me enough to make it feel adventurous. OhItsJustKim came to see me for the sake of coming to see me, which was nice. (Have you met Kim?) But also, probably because I asked her whether or not she had been to VidCon, she invited me to a YouTube Gathering on the 7th and 8th of December outside Central Station. I think I can probably do the Sunday. I was glad of the invite and we stood and talked for about an hour more or less, which was weird as I was in work. And she said how she'd like to introduce me to her friends and we could all hang out some time. I was quite taken aback, but all things considered, I'm up for trying something new.

And along the lines of trying something new, I join PlentyOfFish.com last night (for the lolz), and have yet to receive a single message. I imagine Men have to do most of the messaging as I convinced Red to join too, and she got almost 40 messages in the hour. Tag then got involved and lectured us on how it's advertised on bad websites and that even the most sordid people he knows wouldn't go near the sight. 

Well, at least it's something to focus on and a bit of fun at the end of the day. Isn't life odd?

Carpe diem folks!...

The Loving Smile Implanted On The Memory...

Here comes the Sun...

It's a beautiful day outside, everything is okay and alright...

Lovely day, lovely day, LOVE-ly day...

Daily commitments over and done with, today will be my second Friday of the week. The weekend starts now, as it were in 9 hours time. And as such, I think I've got most things planned. Go to Big End to see La Famile a Clareg's tomorrow, return for daily commitments on Sunday only to travel to Ponty for a big of Bolognese with the Returned - how's that for a slice of fried gold?

All the while the Sun is actually set to get hotter, and possibly hit the 30 mark. Do we dare to dream? The parks will be littered with the bodies of the recently sizzled, the pubs will be surrounded by the sozzled, and the shops will, quite frankly be empty due to the first two reasons.

Oh, and not only that, but I'll probably miss the Wimbledon Final on Sunday, due to said daily commitments.

I miss gardening, one of my potted plants drowned the other day. Apparently, when my mother planted them up she forgot to put drainage holes in the bottom of one of the trugs, so now one of them look far worse than the other. Which is a pity, I hope you'll agree.

Pill and DarkHorse are away again this weekend, back to the Shire with them, visiting friends. Thankfully, this time, I have daily commitments to see me through the inevitable madness that I would surely befall, and thusly yourselves, due to being my readership.

Speaking of readership, I really want to get my short story finished and edited and proofread and all that jazz. Who knows. Who would read it I wonder. Is the time of fantasy-timey (IT'S NOT A TIME PERIOD!) crime drama over?

I don't think so, as long as there are still dreamers in the world. Although, I am wondering where the hell I'm going with this. 

I picked up a free magazine the other day, all about the latest cameras and the best deals. I'm thinking, perhaps I should save up. Or perhaps I should become a better photographer first. 

Red has given me her passport documents for my Father to sign, it's useful having a member of the British Empire in the immediate family, it gets you all kind of perks - namely being able to lord over the lower classes and get your passport signed and shizz. Useful no? Either way, potential holiday in the mix.

I think I miss Pokemon, which is an odd thing to say after just watching Luther (Oh Idris Elba, your voice is heavenly - POWAR, to You)

So yes, sun. I might be in my garden this evening if anyone wants to join me, bring a book and a snack and we'll stargaze like there's no tomorrow! Or I've got this urge to dance in the late afternoon light, hmm. (Alright, gay!)

Drinks?

Carpe diem...

It's a beautiful day outside,

Everything is okay and alright.

Your smile is a vast contrast from the things we said last night. (oh, last night)

Why did I say that line?

If I shut my mouth, we'd be fine.

I've got perfect hindsight in the daytime,

I'm starting to see that

In a perfect situation, I'd be doing things much differently.

And I just thought, thought you should know,

I'm sittin' by myself, but I'm never alone.

In fact, I'm making myself heard,

I've found something louder than words.

Sunshine and Cocktails...

Tonight, an iPod died in Cardiff. Somebody knows why...somebody knows. He sat there, upon his chair, and stared into the night. The man was very ordinary looking, apart from being a few pounds too heavy, and having a wavy mouse-tail hairstyle. He had just been dismissed, which confused him, and forced him to recap his evening...

The day was one of oddities, he thought, as he remembered having to stay inside when pleasantness was occurring in the outer realms. He did manage to steal a few minutes of sunshine during his breaks, and that was how it started.

The ever delightful Red was in town, spending yet another day off, and made her rounds through the workplaces of her associates. She apparently missed the man, though his colleagues informed him that she had been there. He left her a non-committal message and went about his sunshine. The lovely Cherry was working, and the man ventured forth, beckoned into her workplace by her workmates. The ever delightful Red returned and informed the pair, though namely the man, of the developments.

Cocktails were to be had an entire three days earlier than planned. The man had no idea why, though he suspected that a cat was involved somewhere. So as he completed his daily tasks he was greeted by the ever delightful Red and an upstanding gent. They noticed that the man had changed, as was suggested to him earlier in the day.

The trio moved from the airless shopping centre to the more comfortable street corner, awaiting the arrival of the final couple of their party; the lovely Cherry and a fine character of gent. Despite his insistence, the party moved to a nearby Chicken Eatery, and ate away their cocktail money. And soon after, they maneuvered their way through the city. All-the-while the man was being criticized and complained to because of his decisions.

He thought he'd ignore it, though he did something much worse, he became the joke. The man hated himself, and he simply continued being and doing. The night carried on. The cocktails were expensive, as cocktails tended to be, the group had missed out on the happy hour due to the man's late finish. He did not get drunk, nor did he feel the warmth of the alcohol in his stomach. He was disappointed, though he gathered that everyone else had a nice time...

Carpe diem...

The Smile That Stays With You...

It was Saturday, and all was well. The birds and bees were doing the rounds, the sun was much higher in the sky than most citizens could handle at that time in the morning, and our hero was preparing himself for the day ahead. 

He managed to miss the majority of the sun, though, donning his shades, he marched to and from town without so much of a good morning or a goodbye from anyone. He passed the usual sights of delivery men delivering, shoppers shopping, and pubs and clubs cleaning their doorsteps. Though there was one thing that caught his eye. A soldier in uniform, sat upon the hard stone, begging. Our hero, a swell guy, ignored the poor man, as was his inclination since moving to the big city, and continued on his way; ever with the thought that the soldier might be hunting him.

Later on in the evening, he had arranged with his flatmate, another person of great standing within the community, to have a small dinner with a few guests. Knowing that two of his associates were out of town, there were only two others they could call upon, one had had her phone eaten by a cat, the other was the ever delightful Red. 

The evening progressed well into the dark with just the four, and a marvelous time was had. Countless drinks were drunk, the embers of the coals shone darkly beneath the grate, and the stars were showing their faces by the time the foursome retreated inside. Many more discussions were had, and a bit more drink, though as with all good things, it soon came time to say goodbye. 

Morning quickly approached, and our willing hero ventured out into the night air with the ever delightful Red, and walked her all the way home. Along the way though, he crossed many lines, and said numerous misconstrued statements allowing him to become the fool. He thought a while after he had left Red at her door, and incorrectly gave directions to a drunk. Our hero seemed convinced that he always crossed the line, and no matter how he did it, he always did for good intentions and the laugh, no matter if one came or not.

Our hero was a simple soul with so many complexities, and upon looking up into the night sky to witness a phenomena that wasn't there, he plugged in his music and marched on home.

Carpe diem...

The Italian Adventure...

You know your holiday begins when the plane you're sitting in magically lifts off from the ground and zooms through the air at a terrific speed that only something made of metal and stuffed full of human beings can do. This was my first plane ride and may I say it was quite an experience.

And from a map enthusiast's point of view it was a Cartographer's dream. I loved seeing Britain, France, and Italy from the sky, but that wasn't my only joy of being up in the air. Seeing clouds and their shapes, and the differing levels making their own little islands and mountains and forests. It was just brilliant.

As for the touch down, it was quite relieving for a first-time flyer when the entire cabin exploded, I know that's probably not the best word to use for plane travel, but the cabin exploded with applause. It's only a bit strange when the plane actually touched down, and the Italians' applause turned out to be a bit premature.

Stepping out into the heat of the southern Italian sun I could hardly believe anyone could survive in such a climate. After a short car journey we arrived at the house we would come to call home for the next two-weeks.

Needless to say it was lovely and we went traveling all about the place from our Italian HQ. One of my first comments about Italy was that it was 'sooo blue!' That was obviously a comment on the sky and sea, and not the land itself. The land was, well, Italian, covered in Olive Trees and Sunshine. Oh how Italian it was.

One of our first outings was to a town called 'Lecce' which was absolutely spectacular as my first taster of Italian life, architecture, and heat. Leaving more than half the group on the pedestrian roadside eating superb ice cream we travelled a bit more taking pictures, knowing how to get back due to this...

Or so we thought, as we returned to this...

And this...

It's fair to say, we were lost, though we returned, unscathed, and unflattened. Italians like to drive in their historic and pedestrianised town streets. And for that matter, the Italians like to drive almost anywhere, in a very lazy and speedy fashion, turning without indicating at eighty-mph and even tailgating a police van through a traffic jam.

Moving on, the holiday went on very much like this for two-weeks. And we saw many brilliant and mystical things. Much to the disappointment of my more atheistic readers (Hi Tag!) these mystical things were mainly churches and sanctuaries. From golden ceilings...

To altars in catacombs...

And Cathedrals in fantastic mountainous villages...

But none of these things matched the magnificence of the white city of Ostuni. From the motorway you see a white stretch across the hills in the distance, and when the sunshines the whole city glows. Then, following the road, you journey down into an Olive Tree Forest. For miles this forest stretches then the road climbs a hill and you look over the forest and up at the hill...

And Ostuni lies before you. White stones piled upon one another to form this city, the unknown brilliance of the south.

And that was a summary of my Italian Adventure. If you would like to see more photos then by all means click here. And until next time my blogging readers...

Carpe diem, until next time bloggers...

Dumb, de de, dumb, de de, dumb, de de, duh duh, HEY Macarena...

Corridor Disco's are very underrated.

As stated, corridor disco's are the future. Sure there's no where to run, you can't really dance, but by God you can do something. Music blaring, disco lights revolving, all the occupants of the corridor sweating. Life's great when you have corridor disco's.

Okay, so where to start. Hmm...I don't actually know with this one. Every now and then our Flat (ABN4:9) turns into a scene from Fame or something. Everybody just gets up and dances and sings. Things get pretty funky, and we dance the dance of people who aren't afraid of what other people think - the Dance of the Student. No matter the dance, the Student will do the dance, because the Student has nothing to lose. The Student has no money to lose from gyrating hips, the student has no friends to lose because they are doing the Student dance as well, and the Student has no dignity to lose - they've not acquired any yet.

The Disco began in the kitchen with Tag's iPod and (battery powered) speakers - battery's fail people, let's get this straight. But Smeccles comes to Uni more than equipped to take out anything Flat 5 can throw at us - be it Hakuna Matata at 3am.

Disco is coming back - we're going to drag our bedraggled youths into the 21st Century - and by God it will stay that way!

Moving on:

Today I was confronted with an angry message (about the blog) from an ever militant Sunshine, which went something like this:

'But I'm NOT in it. How is this even possible? Don't pretend I'm not your guiding light, stylistically. Furthermore, what's this rot about American English? If it weren't for us, you'd still be wearing mutton chops and NOT watching Glee. Because, you know, we did that.

I should like to continue this faux-patriotic rant, but I have things to attend to. Like making my tea in a MICROWAVE because kettles don't exist here.'

So, yeah...awkward...you're in it now?

The American comment: I was just trying to make a point and (to get me out of further militant actions) I said: 'as a friend of mine would say' (Hi Clareg). So Sunshine - Hi, I hope you've got your Credit Cards back now. (*note: I did not take these Credit Cards, nor did I pay anyone to take said Credit Cards, case closed - Hi Duckhead, in a completely unrelated way.)

However, I have also received some praise for the blogging works, from a good friend who I'll call, Tim-timiny-tim-timiny-tim-tim-timmy - long I know so let's just call him Tim, he'll hate that. He had this to say:

'This blog would be perfect for procrastination, but sadly I no longer need to procrastinate against anything. However, that being said, the inner workings of Big Tom's mind are truly interesting.'

That's a good point, riiight?

Later down the line:

I had something else to talk about, but I've forgotten it, so onto the most important issue of the evening. Yesterday I posted a question to the blogging community - that age old question brought forth from the realms of the playground: If you could have any superpower, which superpower would you have? I was literally inundated with two responses one from Tag (Hi Tag), who chose the power of either Teleportation or Time-Travel (*hint* choose both) and his girlfriend Cherrybelly who chose, well about six different powers (greedy - love you). But then she did something of unspeakable evil, she asked me a question in response to my question - dun dun DUN (I know right?).

The question:

Cherrybelly asked me - if you had a constant companion (like in Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' - the deamons that your born with that have to be the opposite gender than you) What kind of animal would you have and what would be its name?

The answer:

Well Cherrybelly, I think I would definitely have to have a very manly creature - though saying that, the animal would have to be female, and you'd definitely get a butch-lesbian-vibe from it. So scrap that. Something seductively simple. I think my animal companion would have to be a giant fox-type creature - not so giant I suppose - okay, a fox-type creature, maybe a fox, and it's name would be...Vixen? No it's been done. Ember? Stop thinking of Pokemon! Rahrah? - does that count as a name? I don't know, I like it - I might even name one of my children that...

But that's me, until next time bloggers...

P.S. In response to your questionable response of my question Cherrybelly, I have another questionable response: if you were turned into a fruit (it can be any fruit) and had to be a fruit until the end of your days, which fruit would you get turned into and why?

You Word Twisting Red-Coat!

Hail all those of our race and not.

I have been mortally offended. Have you ever been British? Have You ever had an American friend? Has she ever told you that you were a 'word twisting Red-Coat'? Well I have. But less of that. Is Red-Coat really a derogatory term for the British? I think it could be, but then the term Red-Coat sort of makes me proud. It reminds me of a time not so long ago. A better time. A prosperous time. A British time. And as a friend of mine would say (Hi Clareg) - it all came to ruin with America, we let it slip out of our grasp and so the world fell. People now prefer coffee to tea, they speak ungodly english, and they have no manners. But then, that's me talking about the British Empire as if I were there - Pish posh, toff toff, pip pip, tallyho, and chucks away!

I am Welsh. I am British. Therefore, if you are not any of these denominations then I own you! And you know it (I kid, I kid - Hi Duckface, Sunshine, and Tag).

We've crushed the Rebel Alliance, by the way. Smeccles and I finally trounced the pathetic rebels. I destroyed their tanks while Smeccles destroyed their leaders. And then we captured their Princess, killed their Jedi, and did all around bad things to them. Wookies hurt. Aren't you glad I parted with that vital piece of knowledge.

Today I met Jimbo's brother (one of them). He was a quieter version of Jimbo - though still as quirky. Wodge, Pill, and I were greeted with a big hug from him. It was all really bizarre, but then it doesn't matter. Jimbo's family is our family.

Moving swiftly on...

Yesterday I posted, what I would describe as, crap. So I posted another one. It's much better, you should read that one instead. And in the latter one I promised some writing. To be honest, I haven't done as much writing today as I thought I would have done. I woke up at 10, fulfilled my morning routine, watched this week's Glee (which was Gaga-fied), and then called my dear Mum. Whilst doing this Wodge and Pill returned to the flat, and then it was lunchtime and Jimbo and his brother arrived to meet everyone. So a relatively busy day which had me spend the longest amount of time in my Pj's, I've ever spent conscious (yes I still wear Pajamas, and yes I call them Pj's). But writing I promised you and writing you shall have.

The Meadow-Field Dance

The Meadow-Field Dance

Is quite a place to be.

If you catch it by chance,

I'm sure you'd quite agree.

The bees and birds stare

As the Daisys stand tall,

And dance in the Meadow's Square;

It is the Meadow-Field Ball.

The Buttercups join the fray.

Music bounces all around.

Behold the dancing bouquet

When the Meadow-Field Queen is crowned.

Dandylions skip, jump, and shout;

Taking Daisys and Buttercups alike.

They all dance, all about.

Until the Thunder's strike...

Rain brings the Ball to a halt;

The drops have shattered the romance.

Wait until we sing and exalt,

It was the Meadow-Field Dance.

What did you think? Did you enjoy? You know you did, and you should tell me you did. Comment, and tell me how much you loved it. Compare me to Wordsworth, Chaucer, and Blake - all at the same time. You know I know you know you loved it.

Where next? I think that's it for another day. I would like to thank Wodge and Pill for feeding me this evening. Cod and Mash is a weird thing, but I ate and enjoyed nonetheless. Mmm...Fishy Mash.

But that's me, until next time bloggers...

Breakfast at Tiffanys...

I have a girlfriend.

Okay in the intervening time between then and now, I have acquired what some would call a girlfriend. She has long wavy red hair, lovely blue-green eyes, a curvaceous figure, and a brilliant personality to complement mine. I'm so happy. We went to town, we had dinner and drinks, and then we just walked back in the warm summer night. The moon was up, the stars were out, and the streets were empty. It was perfect. She was lovely, the night was lovely, everything was just so, dare I say it, lovely. But then I woke up...

Alright, so I don't have a girlfriend, so what? It's not like I'm lonely or anything.

Back to reality:

Believe it or not, instead of staying in today, because that would be a logical thing to do since we went out in the daylight only just yesterday, we went out again. A mutual friend of the flat, Jimbo, called me up at 10:55am and started to discuss the possibility of a Frankie and Benny's Breakfast. He said they serve breakfast until 12:00pm. This I thought was a bit late for breakfast so I rallied the troops together, much like Tag did on the previous day, already mentioned.

(Hi Tag!!!)

Anyway, so I managed to wake everyone who wanted to come, and get them all ready within 10 minutes. A world record for most of the ladies who came with us - not to name any names (Bells and Scurvy). So we left at 11:10am down there for 11:20am and I had American Pancakes with maple syrup. It was Looooooooooveeeely.

So we sat there with Jimbo, wondering what life would be like for people who just don't get up at that time of the day (namely normal Students) and go to breakfast.

I have to think that Breakfast, when done properly is perhaps one of the best and most filling meals of the day. A view both Jimbo and I agree with.

Here we are eating our pancakes, and drinking our drinks. I had Apple Juice (ordinary breakfast drink), Scurvy had tap water (the cheapskate), and there's Jimbo, Bells, and Tag with Alcoholic beverages ranging from a Pint of Bud to a Strawberry Daiquiri. I judged them, though Tag defended their alcoholic breakfast abuse with the phrase, 'it's two o'clock somewhere'. I still judged them.

So after, what was essentially, brunch, we went into the old townstead...again. I failed to acquire anything this time. Namely because I didn't need to, which is always good. Stopped off at Jimbo's, as was our leisure, and see how our friend had been living all that year. It turns out, it was quite well. A nice sized kitchen, a nice sized garden, and a nice sized bedroom. The only downside that I could see, was the overall smell and the lack of any sort of shutting device on the lavatory and bathing rooms (which were the same room as is the usual). This worried me a little, I mean how much protection can a sign saying 'In Use' really be when there's a drunk flatmate around, especially a drunk Jimbo. Not very much, and one of Jimbo's flatmates was a lady (lucky Jimbo - you advantage taking swine - lol - not really).

And that was my day so far - or at least the interesting bits. Quite peculiar, I have to admit, for us to do stuff two days in a row. We do get excitable and the need to calm down and just blog is a great one. So blog I shall.

My back is fine today. I'm in peak physical health, with a high recovery rate (not really, but my back is fine now).

So now I'm sat here writing this, thinking about writing that, and watching Tag blow up Wii Mii's using his ex-world-war-one dog fighting floating plane, on Wii Beach Resort. It's always fun when you turn a typically childish children's game into GTA (for all you non-gamers that's Grand Theft Auto - and an obviously adult sounding game). And I just saw him fly into the centre of a live volcano and burn to death (the poor Mii).

I don't actually know where I'm going with this but I just wanted to ramble which I have done.

But that's me, until next time bloggers...

P.S. I haven't actually written about Sleep-poetry or Chaplin today, things are looking up (oh wait, technically I just did...damnit!).