One Last Friday Morning

Just in the office this morning then out of here and into the holidays! Got to get home for a haircut then help getting the house tidy for Ken this afternoon. He wants to show his parents our house so I guess the survey report hasn't put him off buying it. After the visit then it's packing time ready for an early start in the morning.

Still fired up from last nights loopfest. Don't know where some of those sounds and interactions came from. The creativity unleashed has really re-energised me in splendid timing for the coming break. Looking forward to the mental space to consider my thoughts.

Laptop Session Over

Just completed a superb dual-laptop session with Mike. The sonic goodness just poured forth. We were both stoked. Nothing recorded, but somehow that doesn't matter. The methods worked, the grooves were natural, we can recreate it. It's a real-time thing.

Both agreed that new samples are required. I'm on the look out for snippets that can be dropped into a mix with lots of chained delays. Top of the head, I think I'll be ripping some Satie sections and some dub elements from Lee Perry and King Tubby. Also some guitar noise would be good, MBV, Kitchens, rehersal tapes, backwards stuff.

Buzzing.

Wednesday Snapshot

Pleasant enough day in the office sans Beard. Updating a system architecture just about kept me motivated, but it was a close run thing. On site tomorrow fitting an overload at Hemel. Just a day out really. Winding down for the hols.

Harriet round at Molly's house when I got home. Jacq bought her a Mudkip Pokemon toy today and left it in her bed to discover. She was overcome with emotion when she saw it. Tears of joy. So sweet. Dylan was happy with his Beckham Euro 2004 coin from the petrol station.

Jacq watching ER which give me the willies. It's just WRONG! All that pain and unpleasantness! So I'm in the front room as usual pottering with pooters. More CD's onto the iPod. Soulseek in the background.

Mike round tomorrow night for some laptop goodness hopefully. Must dig out my new stuff for 'show and tell'.

Been arguing with Jacq about bringing the lappy on hols this weekend. She said no and I said yes but really I'm looking forward to the enforced non-computer time.

Muted Day / Nice Evening

Moved back to my desk. Sent out some emails. Apologies to Fergus. Benny came up trumps with Hellboy. Must do him the latest Step 7.

Harriet had her hair cut and looked lovely when I got home. Me and Dylan spent the evening saying "Congratulations!" to each other and shaking hands. He thought it was great fun.

Beach Boys playing in the front room. Disney Girls, what a great track and I only just realised it's not even a Brian Wilson song!

Watched Chelsea Flower Show on telly. Most enjoyable. Listened to a bit of net radio. Lard on 6Music. Good stuff. Caught up with some gaming news. Last few bits from recent E3. HL2 looks superb, City17 really immersive.

Sorted out some CD's to transfer onto the iPod for the hols. Lloyd Cole, Throwing Muses, Smiths, Beach Boys, Belly. Keeping it 'sing-a-long style' as t'wife won't allow any weird stuff and she'll be on the controls.

Sunday Night Summary

A quiet weekend really.

Saturday was just routine swimming lesson, chores and bit of retail therapy late afternoon at Merry Hill. The traditional pre-holiday purchases of magazines and toiletries were made. Just need the discipline to not peek before we head off down to Cornwall next Saturday. I bought Computer Arts and I've got an un-opened Wire. They should do me. Fire the inspiration in both directions. Other purchases were funky undies for Jacq and cool clothing for the kids. Why is it such fun buying clothes for the kids? And they look so good in everything too! I can't face it myself lately. I look like a right prat in everything.

Today was great because we just lazed around with no chores or commitments. I love days in. There's just so much stuff to do! Paul came round in the morning. Picked up the backscratcher that he asked Jacq to order for him off eBay. Go figure! Played with the kids in the garden. Took some Jackass style video footage of Dylan hurling himself over a blow-up chair. It took him four attempts before he went completely over and boy did he go flying! But fair play to him, he got straight up and wanted to see the video! Pleased with the camcorder. Haven't read the manual yet. More reading material for the holiday! That was something else that we bought yesterday, a bag for the camcorder. Sony of course. Twenty-five quid for a little bag! But you've got to have the real thing haven't you?

Capturing A Feeling

A sunny day, like today. Mid-morning and nothing much that HAS to be done. The bathroom is a calm refuge from the sun outside. The window is open and the distant sound of a small aircraft mixes with the tones of an ice-cream van a couple of streets away. The room is cool and the clean smell of bath products clears my mind. I feel good.

Too Tired To Type

It's Friday night again. A glass or two of wine and Derren Brown on telly. I'm dog-tired. Got back into office this afternoon in time for Nat to announce his resignation. Now everyone in the office is as pissed-off as I've been all week. Who knows where this is leading? In the words of Han Solo "I've got a bad feeling about this."

Getting Things Out Of The Head

I like it when I see someones site/blog describe the things that they love. I find it pleasing even if I don't agree at all with the things they say. I connect with the fact that they got the thoughts out of their head and onto the screen.

There is lots of stuff I love. I mean REALLY love. Lots of really diverse stuff. And it's shocks me when I realise that these things can languish in the back of my mind for years without being thought of, contemplated, chewed over, enjoyed or communicated. I want this blog to help me get that stuff out there. And if I start to get a collection of these things, then what will that say about me? Will it define me? Will it pigeonhole me? Will it restrict me?

No, it'll just be a list of stuff.

Why I Hate Secrets

Given some SERIOUSLY shit news in the office today. Gutted. And the worst thing is I can't tell anyone about it until it comes out official later this week. Hate being in this position. Now it's started me thinking about what my future plans are again. I'm finding it hard enough to put a full week in at the moment anyway. Confusion reigns.

How Rubbish Am I?

Got a postcard from Fergus. He thought maybe my email address had changed since I had not replied to his last mail. How rubbish am I? I really do have to get my act together. I never thought I was an un-organised person but the evidence would suggest otherwise.

Dylans 5th Birthday

Today is Dylans birthday but we had the party and prezzies yesterday. Lovely sunnny day. Long day. Paul & Rachel came over in the morning. Miles walking now. Promised Paul a drink down Broad Street sometime soon.

Cousins in the afternoon. All the doors open. Little kids outside playing. Big kids upstairs gameboy-ing. Adults downstairs gamecube-ing.

Dylan had a good day. His favourite prezzie was his skateboard. His pirate-themed party was a big hit. Jacq did a great job of dressing the room.

Grandparents in the evening. Didn't stop till nearly ten. Endless washing-up. The next house MUST have a dishwasher!

Working in the office this and home this afternoon. Picking up Harriets PC from school.

The Joy Of Friday Nights At Home

Can't think of a place I'd rather be than at home on a Friday with t'wife and wine and some good telly. Tonight Derren Brown continued to amaze. It's the quickest half hour of telly ever. I just hope he keeps his self-deprecating manner. If he veers off into David Blaine territory then I'll have no time for him but tonight was top notch.
Also watched Morrisey on Ross. Now we like Ross so we watch anyway but I almost didn't want to tonight. I don't understand why everyone is going mad for Mozzer right now. He always been there. He should be left to fade. I don't know why he still releases records. Some of his solo stuff is so shit it's shocking and I speak as a massive Smiths fan. I've been playing Smiths records this year and they sound amazing and vital. We don't NEED Morrisey. I kind of like the bloke. But we don't NEED him. Leave him alone.
Oh well, bed soon. Looking forward to a pleasant weekend focused on Dylans party on Sunday.

Start Of Friday And The Possibilities Are Endless

How's that title for positive? The sun is through the clouds for probably the first time this week (and the first time this blog!). Only in the office for the morning. Going to take the lappy home to work. Got some project tasks to do that should hopefully keep me motivated. Picked up a couple of egg muffins before arriving at the office and I'm going to have them now. Bring on the day! Bring on the weekend!

End Of Thursday Update

Mike couldn't make it tonight having been stressed out at work today. I still did a bit myself though which pleased me. Not the music. Just the fact that I'd bothered my arse to set up the kit and mash up a bit of Fruityloops. Set up the mixer and had some loops running alongside some shortwave radio drones. Adjusting the radio antenna caused some Theremin-like effects resulting in me doing a reasonable impression of Bill Bailey for t'wife. (Well, I thought it was funny)

Trying To View The Glass Half Full

Bill Bailey made me and t'wife laugh last night.

Site this morning provided a welcome change of scene.

Then back into the office and back into the same old rut. God, something better change here soon! My motivation level is zero. Got to get myself out of this mental space. Or do I need something more drastic? Maybe my tour of duty is coming to a natural end? I don't know. Just wish change would come and things settle down so I could make some clear decisions.

On a brighter note, hopefully Mike is coming over tonight for a dual laptop session. Got to get the mixer down out of the loft so we can bust some righteous loops.

Crushing Tedium In The Workplace

I'm not in a boring job. Not by a l-o-n-g stretch. So why am I feeling so desparately bored? So bored that it's a struggle to do anything about it. I think it must be to do with the types of task I currently have on my desk. There is not one single thing that requires any form of creativity. I suppose this here blog is the nearest thing to a creative diversion that I've had today. So that's a good thing.

Going to see Bill Bailey tonight. Should be good. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have a more positive outlook.

Late breaking news. Over to Kingsbury site in the morning to fix a minor bug. That should get me into the flow a bit more.

Why Is My Mind Blank?

As soon as I'm faced with this empty posting field I struggle to find a single interesting thought to record, but I'm going to carry on with this post regardless. If I don't get used to doing this thing then I'll not capture creative ideas which is one of the main points in doing this. So these initial posts may just be posts about posts but eventually, as I get more into it, I'm hoping that the little nuggets of genius that I foolishly think might be in my brain will see the light of day.

My First Blog Entry

OK, here we go. Having not kept a diary for years now, I think it's about time I tried out this blogging thing. Not because I want to record events, more as a focus for the hundreds of fractured thoughts that go whizzing through my head on any given day. My hope is to see if I can organise these thoughts and thereby do something with them. So let's see what happens...