Friday, July 28, 2006

Freak Lightning Storm on Wednesday



On Wednesday night me and Lisa were chilling out with a meal and watched Sideways. I hadn't seen it before but I've heard lots of critical acclaim for it and was intrigued by it upon it's first theatrical release. I saw it in ASDA for £3.50 so thought I'd snap it up. All I gotta say is it's a great film and it HAS to be watched. A work of genius!

Anyway, it finished at 9 o'clock just in time for Big Brother ... but it turned out it wasn't starting til 10:00!! So I suggested we go for a walk cos it was still warm out and it looked like there was gonna be a nice sunset. As we were walking through Fisherman's Walk towards the clifftop we thought we saw a few flashes of lightning. We thought it couldn't be lightning and just put it down to holiday makers and foreign students taking pics. By the time we got to the clifftop we suddenly realised that it was, in fact, a lightning storm miles out at sea. The weird thing was the fact that there was no sound. There was no thunder or rumbling sounds, just the freakish light show. It was totally mesmerising and eerily still. We watched it come in from the sea (somewhere over France) and went north west towards Southampton, then it started flashing behind us. Before we knew it we were surrounded by the lightning and it started to rain. The time was coming up to 9:50 so we ran back to the flat (collecting Lisa's car on the way - she'd parked it miles away from her flat cos of holiday makers nicking her parking space!).



The next day there were news reports of buildings that were stuck by the lightning - one of which was just down the road from us in Boscombe!!! Click HERE for BBC News report and HERE for the map of where it was. It was literally just round the corner from my house!!!

Picture from BBC Website

EMAP Awards

Last Thursday was the usual annual work event - the EMAP Awards! This is a regular outing for employees of EMAP where we all bundle into a coach and get driven up to london to the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane for free food and booze... oh yeah, and there's an awards ceremony to celebrate all the hard work people have done over the year. Each year we have a celebrity to present the awards. Hosts have included Phill Jupitus, Jonathan Ross and Claire Sweeney(!) This year we had Dr Neil Fox.

The coach journey is always a bore. Some people take alcohol with them to reduce boredom, some people take little travel games with them, other people try to sleep through it. The group of people I was with played a name game where one person has to think of a person (celeb, character, politician, whatever) and the others have to guess who they are by asking Yes/NO questions. ie. Are you Male? Are you in a band? etc. That killed time for most of the journey.

When we arrived we had a champagne reception. As it was free I kept going back for more until we were all ushered to our tables. I think I had 4 glasses of champagne! When we got to our tables there was a little shuffle around as to who was gonna sit where and it turns out that the MD and the Head of Research had a whole table to themselves so they came and joined out table. Bummer! I poured myself a white wine as the last glass of champagne was almost finished and then the food arrived. It was actually quite nice this year compared to last year.

Things tended to get REALLY hazy at this point cos I was starting to feel the effects of excessive drinking. Er.... I think I ended up going on stage with a colleague for an award that wasn't for us and got a free bottle of champane and shook Dr Fox's hand (very surreal moment). Hmmm but I do remember getting so drunk to the point where I thought I was gonna puke! I had to find a quiet corner somewhere and sit on the floor with my head between my knees for the last 30 mins!!

Anyway, on with the pics....













...incidently, that last pic was taken while I'd disappeared to try and sober myself up! You could probably tell because of the 'arty' angle!

At midnight, the coach arrived to take us all back to sunny Bournemouth. The weird thing was, as soon as I got on the coach and started chatting I sobered up! I think at one point we were all chanting 'England til I die' for no real reason. I can't remember much else!! Except when we got back I went back to Richard and Emma's house with a bunch of people to play Singstar til about 4:30 in the morning!! More pics..











...as per usual, there are more pics available to view on my Flickr account HERE!

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Anta

Just a quick note to say that on Monday night Lisa and I went to The Portman pub to see Anta - an acoustic duo with Kate White on the bass and Sarah White on guitar and vocals. It was part of one of Conrad's regular organised events called Forbidden Planet and once a month they have a special female-artists-only night called Fembots. Anyway, Anta were amazing!! Totally kicked ass and got huge cheers from around the room. We had to leave after they finished cos it was a school night and I was already feeling a little drunk! I didn't take any photos cos my camera battery is completely shafted - I spend 8 hours charging it and when I put it back in the camera I switch it on it lasts 20 seconds before it's completely discharged again!! Pointless! I can take about 2 or 3 pictures and that's it!! I mean, yeah I could borrow Scott's but I don't wanna have to keep asking to borrow it. Must google me up a new one.... might have to go for an official Canon one... that's gonna be about 40 quid! :(

Monday, July 17, 2006

Space Invaders for REAL!!

This fuckin' rocks!!! It's an animation of a typical Space Invaders game but using real people as pixels. This must've taken ages to organise and animate! Pure GENIUS!!

Chilled Weekend

The weekends just gone was a pretty chilled out one. I think this was the only weekend where we weren't all booked up to do something. I mean yeah sure I still had to go to my mum's on Saturday mornings but other that that I had a free reign. I went to Castle point with Lisa and did a bit of shopping. I originally wanted to buy a game (either XBox, PS2 or PSP) but couldn't decide. After about half an hour and lots of time helping Lisa choose what she wanted I went into Topman for a quick look and saw lots of cool stuff in the sale. I've not been in Topman for about 3 months and stuff that I really wanted to get then but couldn't afford was now on the Sale rail!! Wicked!! So I bought a t-shirt, a shirt, a cap and some MALE jewelery that was reduced to a quid! Spent the rest of Saturday eating, drink booze, vegging out in front of the tele and watching Fargo. Lisa was too tired to stay awake during Fargo so went to bed. Fair play to her though cos it is a pretty slow moving film but it's one of my faves.

Sunday was another chilled day. Well, when I say chilled I mean relaxing cos the temperature was far removed from chilled - it were bloody hot!!! We woke up at about 9ish and had brekky. The got ready to go out into the sun. Me, Lisa and Scott went to King's Park to sunbathe, listen to music and chuck a frisby around. It was a genius idea cos everybody in the south of England went to Bournemouth Beach... King's Park was dead so we had it all to ourselves!! My suspicions of the holiday makers going to the beach were confirmed when from 6pm til 9pm the traffic was solid throughout Boscombe, Pokesdown, Castle Lane and the Wessex Way!!! We left King's Park at about 2pm cos Scott had band practice with Lounge. Which was fine cos it was getting too hot to hang around... and I was getting bitten by every kind of midgy known to man!

Got back to the flat and switched on the tele. The Grand Prix was on so we watched that for a bit and then (as per usual for me) fell asleep on the sofa. Woke up at 4:30 to see that Lisa had passed out too. When she woke up we went to The Bell for a pint in the beer garden then went to the Malt & Hops for another pint and some grub. We invited Sarah (White) down but she was knackered after a hedonistic night with a girl she's fancied for, like, EVER!! Wicked... she FINALLY managed to get her in bed! Result! Then we head off home at about 8ish and watched Big Bro and went to bed!

Like I said, a pretty chilled out weekend.

Friday, July 14, 2006

New Beginnings

OK, right, so I've decided that I'm gonna breathe new life into this dusty old blog of mine. I was chatting to Lisa last night about it and it's a shame that I've let it fall by the wayside. The thing is (and I know this is no real excuse but...) I've been SOOOOOOOOOO busy since my last entry which was way back in .... *has a quick look* March! .... MARCH??? Christ I have let it slip haven't I!!?!?!?? So what's been happening since then? Well let's have a very brief rundown in no particular order....


The first thing you'll notice is the new look of my blog. I'm calling it Skip To The End v2.0. Hope you like!

I went to Wales and met Lisa's folks. A bit nerve wracking at first but they proved to be lovely and just as bonkers as Lisa So that was all good. Went for a few walks in 'The Valleys' and did a bit of general sight-seeing in Camarthen (spelling?)



Got all worked up and then sourly dissappointed at England's feeble attempt at professional football in the 2006 World Cup. They played like twats, the matches were boring and only got as far as they did through sheer luck! Contriversial point of view I know but when you watch some of the other countries play you suddenly remember what real football is about (with the exception of the overplayed fouls!.... "Oooh I fell over! Oww the pain!!! Pleeeeease ref, can I have a free kick?!" Glad that Italy won.

Took Lisa to meet my mum and my dad (for those that don't know they've been divorced for, like, 23 years and live seperate lives) Both of which love Lisa to bits and think she's a keeper! Ace!

I'm still working at Glenigan. Wooopy! We've got some new started in IT. One's a dork, the other's cool (interesting music tastes - extreme dark grind-core metal! Used to be in a band!)

Blind Voyeurs as still going strong and now have a massive arsenal of unfinished songs. I want to have a meeting and discuss which songs we're gonna work on to get completed and finally gig (or even tour?!?! Southampton, Brighton... who knows!) Recent discussions with Gary suggest that he's joining the collective. Cool. I've also been busy making a music video for Ukul...



Went to Monkey World with Lisa. That was cool. Monkeys rock!





...oh yeah... shaved my head!! Couldn't afford to usual £30-£50 that the salon usually charges to trim and style my hair so though 'fuck it!' and got the clippers out!

Went to the ghost village of Tyneham with Scott and Lisa. Took lots of photos and then went to Lulworth. Will have a video up of that shortly.

I've had money problems but am on the road to recovery!

Heard that Sarah's gonna get her book published!! Which means I know and author. Wicked!

Gary and Simone got married!!! And about time too!




Which reminds me, Kim and Paul came down to Bournemouth for Simone's Hen night. Me and Lisa hit the town with them the night before and got ourselves rip-roaringly drunk. There were a few contriversial moments but that's water under the bridge now.


Went to Groves on the Green in Parkstone. That was the day after Lisa got back from a short holiday to Italy with her mate, Jen. The weather was shitty when she was away so it was good that it turned out nice when she got back for that.

Went to see Lounge play at The Joiners in Southampton. My photography skills were put to good use for some top band photo's. Which reminds me, I must find time tonight to tidy them up on photoshop and put them on their MySpace page.

Had a joint birthday party for Lisa and Scott. Lisa = 28, Scott = 30. Got completely rat-arsed and decided at 4am that it would be a good idea to get some band equipment out and write and record a 10 track album!! Was up til 6.30am! I've even made a MySpace page for the music we produced. Warning... it lacks in professionalism but is a bit of fun nonetheless!

Went to London with Scott to have a walkabout and take lots of pics. There's a photoset HERE on my Flickr acount... here's a couple of pics....




Lisa's friend, Dani, got married too, so we all had to bundle into a massive posh hotel and have another lovely day. Felt like I was stuck in a rom-com! haha!


There's been loads of other little bits and pieces here and there I can't remember but you get the jist of it. Basically, I'm gonna get back into blogging mainly because I can't remember what I've been up to!!!! So keep checking back for updates.