Category: life stuff

Day One

So, like a good chunk of the country I’m now working from home for the foreseeable future. This is something of a departure for me, as whilst I have the sort of job that could feasibly be done from home, I sort of like the office environment and the ability to interact with others, talk over issues and problems with work, that sort of thing.

However, needs must and all that.

Still, at the moment it’s more about making sure I can still do most of my jobs, getting used to being in a different environment, different computer setup etc.

Being able to listen to music without headphones is nice I suppose. Not having to wear socks is another. Not sure it’s something that I want to move to on a permanent basis though.

Haven’t tried my first meeting yet, that’s going to be another one.

Cough

Ever had that odd feeling that you’re paying for something you’ve forgotten to use. And that the reason you got it in the first place was because you actually found it somewhat beneficial to write for your own mental well-being?

Yup, I knew I had something lying around here for that…

So, what’s prompted the sudden burst of activity (trust me, after eighteen months without even looking at it, this is a burst of activity), well, new work surroundings mean that’ve a fresh view, which has perked me up a little bit, but mainly, I’ve remembered that this used to be good for me.

I’m not promising regular service, but I’ll try and at least remember this is here.

Harry Potter World / The Making of Harry Potter

Sj’s birthday was a little different this year, as instead of wondering what to get her as a present I decided fairly early on the year to take her to The Making of Harry Potter. Now, I’ve always been slightly hesitant of the Potter films, which aside from the third one I felt never really managed to hit their stride and were too beholden to the books. However, the artistry in the design & crafting of the films couldn’t be denied and this is what the exhibition focusses on. I didn’t expect to be quite as bowled over by the exhibition as I was, but that made for a pleasant surprise.

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Stabcon 2017

Okay…cobwebs…fair bit of dust, springs on the chair could do with a bit of an overhaul, but everything seems in working order…

How are we? Good, good. Keeping well? Glad to hear it!

Me? Things over here have been busier than usual, and I’ve not really had the time or energy to sit down and write anything beyond emails to people explaining why they can’t build death traps even if it is cheaper to build that way (although not in the long run when the court cases begin), run up and down the country to various jobs here, there and everywhere and then try to stay sane at the weekend. However, it’s a new year and I thought I’d make the effort to write a bit more, although I’m not entirely sure what about.

So, let’s start with board games. This weekend gone was the excellent Winter Stabcon. Now being less than 500m from my bed it would be rude not to attend and I did get to play a few things whilst I was there. Board gaming seems to have become the most frequent sort of gaming I’m involved in these days as there’s little planning needed. Didn’t manage to get a game of Quartermaster General in, but that was the only downside of the weekend. Games I did play!

Internal Affairs. A neat little card game based around cracking numerical codes and trying to figure out which side your opponents is on. Not sure about the longevity of the game ( I suspect that it plays better with more players), but a nice one to have around for between meatier fare.

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Belfast 2015

Sj and I had a long weekend in Belfast last week courtesy of the folks as a birthday present. With everything that has been going on this year it was really what we both needed and very welcome. We’d been booked on the Game of Thrones Tour (or “Pretty places in Ireland that are connected” to give it a more accurate title), but mainly we mooched around and enjoyed a couple of days peace away from everything.

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Another update

The last time I was around here I commented that it had been a while since the last update, but that it had been a busy old month (with Sj’s operation et al). Now we are nearly six weeks since the last update and it’s still the same. Sj’s been back in hospital once since then as a result of a post operation infection and life still seems to be pretty hectic. She’s hopefully on the mend now (and it has given me a great / gross story for parties) and will back to normal soon, but it’s been far longer than either of us imagined.

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The “I’ve been utterly ignoring a blog update” blog update…

So, over two months since I actually sat down and wrote anything meaningful (or even meaningless) for my blog – not for want of trying – but time and (to be frank) an element of Writer’s Block seems to have gotten in the way.

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Memories of green

It’s been a strange old Christmas & New Year, relaxing as per usual (with two days back in work this week that can best be described as “light duty”) in between the more usual running about the country to see relatives. It’s all been very nice, even though we haven’t been able to quite catch up with everyone we wanted to (and I’ve not managed to read as much as I’d usually like) but it’s all occasionally got a bit “otherworldly” for want of a better phrase as the likely events of January loom on the horizon.

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