Not to mention its a slllllllllllllllllowwwwwwwww day at work

1. What achievement are you most proud of?

Getting my Masters in Software Development (with Merit) which proved to me that I’m not a drippy waste of space, and has led to much goodness and happyness in my life.

2. If you could kill one person with impunity (and by that I don’t mean using Impunity as a weapon :-P) who would it be, and why?

Like peace out dude.

Ok then. Who evers pulling the strings of those twits Bush and Blair. The Grand Illuminatus thats pulling down the Total Control agenda at the moment.

3. Is there anywhere in the world that you’d like to visit that you haven’t previously been to?

China.

4. What wrong would you like to put right?

That widowz is the dominant Pc OS. I’ld make the world run on Linux, games too.

5. What is your favourite kind of pizza?

A good crunchy vegetarian WITH olives.

This time next week I’ll be heading off to Furnace, the roleplaying convention I’m helping run in Sheffield.  It suddenly dawned upon me that this is the culmination of a dream that I’ve had for the last six years or so , a proper RPG con, more or less on my doorstep. Nearly there with the scenario preparation, goto sit down and write characters up but the adventure outlines are pretty much done, and all I need to do is book a train and we’re there. 

Saying that things nearly fell apart this morning when I rang the hotel where its being held to book a room for me and Ginger and found out they are fully booked. Ok my bad I thought, and then moved onto nearby hotels. Nope they’re all booked as well. Move onto the city centre, no joy there. Turns out Furnace is being held the same weekend as the Sheffield Folk Festival, grrrr. Fortunatly I have mates (and a brother) who live in the city so crash space is being sorted. Still a bit of a shock!

UPDATE: We lucked out in the evening and found a B&B just up the road from the venue!!

Been dying to tell you this for a couple of months now since this rather excited picture of me was taken.

Friday. Ended a gruelling week in fine style by going down the Marble Arches pub down Rochdale Road, just outside the city centre, to meet Martin Smart and his missus Melaca, who’s just moved up to Manchester from Essex to be with Smartin (arr). Buoyant from finishing off my first ASP.net web app (its finally clicking kids!!) and surviving a week of cold crap without taking a day off to be feeble, had too much Cold medicine in the form of the cider and real ales on offer. Got home after Rach who had just done a long day and who wasn’t impressed with my inebriated state.

Saturday. Didn’t wake up with the hangover from hell as expected. Obviously God was smiling on me for this one. Did some tidying of the house and watched two films that were shown on Film 4 as part of the Korean season.

Brotherhood, was an epic in every sense of the word three hour war movie. About two brothers who get drafted into the Southern Korea army at the beginning of the Korean war in 1950, it follows their fortunes. This is probably one of the most grittiest and intense war films I have ever seen. All the battle scenes are as intense and omfg as the Omaha landing scene in Saving Private Ryan ( a film that allot of reviews compare it to). The character scenes didn’t let up either, as the relationship between the two brothers becomes increasingly frought. This film really hit me in the gut to be honest. Having a younger brother I could really relate to the central dilemma of the two main characters. Also the Korean war itself is treated in a no holds barred manner, with the savage injustices and killings inflicted by both sides of the conflict on the civilian conflict being shown in all its grotesque detail. I enjoyed it but I’m in two minds whether or not to record it onto DVD to keep. Defiantly one to show any future Newtlets if they get any daft ideas about signing up to join the Armed Forces.

R point was a change of pace, being a ghost story set in the Vietnam war. A group of nine Korean soldiers head out to an deserted island, referred to as R point on the maps, were even the Viet cong won’t venture in search of another platoon that went missing there. Its fun and predictable, and very well done.

In the afternoon had a nice walk in the sun to Royton town centre to pick up some provisions at the Co-op. Concillitory chocolates were bought for the good lady wife.

Sunday. Started sorting out the office/middle bed room which over the last three months has become a dumping ground. This led to some sorting in the garage, which has also become a dumping ground. The triumph of the day has to be that I started the autumn prune in the back garden. What jolly fun, hacking back the bushes and shrubs that make up the front bed. Also got a good feeling that this was my garden, and some idea of how I would like the garden to develop, rather than just keeping it as it is. Still a work in progress since I’ve got the other three beds to do and a spot of lawn repair. Then over the winter I am going to sort out the Jungle which is the back of the garden.

• That I’m going to visit Leeds sometime in November and see everyone, shower them with hugs and presents, to try and make up for being a slack bastard and missing loads of birthdays/special events. Crash space sought (noting I won’t be bringing my horse or full set of armour on this occasion).
• I want Nikkyboy to write all my movie reviews
• A colleague at work who is giving me grief is the Lady of the Lake. Time to work out if she has already given me Excalibur or not.

Well that was a different weekend for sure.

Took Friday off works and after a couple of hours on the PC playing with my new install of , whizzed round the house and did all the cleaning. Becoming very impressed with how I’m becoming quite a domestic god at home 😀 Then picked up mum around 2, bought fruit and veggies, caught bus home, made tea and talked for hours until Rach turned up.

Saturday zoomed round about 5 different houses of all shapes and sizes but within Mum’s price range, gave her the guided tour of the local town centres, before going to our local Pizzeria for tea (yum). Then talked for hours until going to bed.

Sunday, was less structured for house hunting, and quite frankly I had enough by now. Saw one house of dubious quality, which mum being mum liked!! Had a long walk round Tandle Hill park (the stunning park at the end of our road) and explained what was wrong with it, and the practicalities of her moving down here, while enjoying the relaxing walk. Then returned home and despite best efforts to watch some TV, ended up talking until bed time.

Overall it the visit was very much mission accomplished. Mum got to see what its like down here, and is pleasantly impressed, and despite some heated words (especially about the last dump house we looked at) there was no fallings out. Now all she needs to do is put her house on the market, which she plans to do in the next fortnight, and for it to sell.

She went home this morning and while I’m looking forward to seeing more of her when she moves down here I’m getting home as quickly as possible to spend time with my inner geek tonight!!

Arggh in three hours time my mum turns up in Oldham!!!!!!

I’m busy making the house spotless (obviously not now Newt’s need to stop for coffee once in a while) to avoid whinges both from her and Rachel (something makes me think I’m onto a loser).

Its the knightly eqivalent of meeting the Black Knight armed only with a twig!!!!