Sunday, January 28, 2007

You've got the, eye of the tiger it's the thrill of the fight....

Hello readers, another week, another blog. Well where to begin....

Last Monday I went with John to Adams house. The idea was to go to a local pub for a drink but we ended up watching Family Guy all evening. I didn't mind as I got to save a bit of cash and my cough (which I still have) wasn't exposed to the cold air.

Now because of my nasty cough (which I think is a chest infection) I decided to stay in on Tuesday and play chromehounds all evening. During the couse of the day, I decided to book tickets to see Stone Sour at the carling Academy on March 11th. I have always wanted to see them live. I saw Slipknot a few years ago but Stone Sour are just brilliant... I want February to piss off and die so that March comes quicker!!!

Wednesday was a good one... I was sent home from school because of my... Hang on... Does that sound weird? "I was sent home from school" I will rephrase that...

Wednesday was a good one... I was sent home from work because of my cough (yeah, that sounds better) No one really wanted me to share it with them and so they kindly let me go home half way through the day. In the evening
myself, Adam, and John went to see Rocky at touchwood cinema. It was as cheesy as the first 70-or-so Rocky films, but it was well done, and used archive footage in the fight scenes. Afterwards, when we walked out of the cinema, back to the car, I started coughing like mad. Cold air and chest infections don't mix! It obviously did something to me because Thursday morning I had to phone in sick. I just couldn't stop coughing up green stuff (sorry, I know thats disgusting, but hey-ho) I was back in on Friday though and the hacking cough had been subdued with pills and potions.

Yesterday was Kierons Birthday. In the afternoon Selena and Kieron came up to our house, later followed by Stuart and Beccy. We all went for a meal at Sweet Chillies on the Pershore Road. I had never been before but I will definitley go again. I had a spicy wings for starters and a Malibu Chicken thingy for my main meal. Afterwards. Stu' and Bex' went off for another mate's birthday and the rest of us went back to Kieron and Selenas. When we got there, Kierons mate Steve was waiting outside. It didn't take long for us to put the Wii on and start behaving like pilllocks. Wii sports came on first, followed by WarioWare. I ended up breaking a score record on one of the mini games purley by fluke, but now want to go and try it again. I swear, the damn thing is addictive! After we had played that, we had a game of Atmosfear: Khufu's challenge, which Kieron won, and then had a game of original Atmosfear... Again, which Kieron won (but only just!)

I awoke this morning to think... "I really must Blog" and then remembered that I actually have a bit of work to do for the year 11 exams. (I am researching artists and things so that they have somewhere to start) I am in the middle of it, readers but have taken a quick break to bring you this fascinating instalment of my life (you lucky people, you) but now I must get back to it.

TTFN readers.

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Notice anything new?

Hello readers and welcome to another exciting episode of "what I've been doing." Before we start you may notice that the sidebar looks a little plain at the moment. that is because I am in the middle of using the new blogger and have fiddled with it a bit. I am in the process of getting a snazzier shoutbox and hopefully will get my map-counter back up and running. I will also try to add other elements to it at some point as well... So watch this space! Right... On with the show...
This past week at school has been fairly uneventful, with the exception of me having been given this years exam paper for Art & Design GCSE so that I can produce some resource sheets for the year 11's to work from. It is currently a 15 page document so they had better be thankful for the help... it's taken me ages!
On Thursday evening we all ended up in the Swan as usual. I'm afraid there's no photo's this week readers. You will just have to believe me when I say it was a laugh (as it always is!) On Friday it was Jason's Birthday. Before the impending bout of Drinking in Solihull I had a duty to perform...
I had to go down to my nans to see father, who was all set to go skiing, but I will come on to that in a moment, to give him his ipod back. He bought it a week ago and wanted me to put all of his music on to it. I had filled it with the CD's he gave me which consisted of dtuff like Diana Ross and Matt Monro... sheesh!
Afterwards I shot home, threw my shirt on and jetted over to Adams house to get a lift with him in to Solihull. We arrived at Weatherspoons for about 9:00pm and met up with the Swan crowd. I barely had enough time to get a couple of drinks in before headed on over to Reflex. We started in the bar, and moved in to the club when it opened. Downstairs I decided to hold off on the beer and stuck to water for a bit since I didn't want to get mashed! After an hour or so of bopping along to christ-knows how many nameless bloody dance tracks, all mixed and re-mixed by DJ Spangly-do-dah, or DJ Thingy-McWhatsit we decided to move upstairs to the 80's room. randomly, Jo's little sister Kerry turned up and we all had a good dance... Actually I would like to insert the video of Adam trying to pole dance but I wont for the sake of good-taste, his dignity, and your stomachs! at about 2:30am people started to leave and so did we. Kate offered to drive me and Adam home butt his was changed when we realised that Kerry wouldnt be a ble to get back. So Adam dived in to a taxi with Kerry and me and Kate jumped in to her car. I was home for about 3:00am and dived in to bed.
Saturday... Saturday was interesting. In a good way! I dragged myself out of bed ready to go down to Selenas at 1:00pm knowing that her Wii had been delivered! We got there and she took great delight in turning it on and demonstrating it to me. I was suprised to find out that she had also created me a Mii... An avatar that appears in certain games. She had done a good job of getting it to look like me too! I had a go on Wii Sports and on WarioWare... My arms still ache!!! It's fantastic fun and dammned hard work as well! After a couple of hours boxing and, well flinging my arms about, it was time to go... Because I was off to Wolverhampton with Jason and Gemma to see Soil! I got to Jasons for 5:00pm and we were at Shirley train station for 5:15pm after having to turn around because I thankfully said "So, got the tickets?" and Jason going"... Oh Shit!" so a minor detour back home to grab them and a quick turn of speed saw us at the station just as the train was on the platform.
We got on, got off at Moore street, got on again at Snow hill, and got off again at Wolverhampton.
After a pit stop at Subway, and a queue to get in to the Wulfrun Hall, we were in! a couple of warm up bands came on and then Godhead kicked up a storm, before Soil came to top the bill! It was a fantastic evening and was topped off by them performing Halo (their first single)
During the evening I took some photo's and the best two are here for your viewing pleasure...
I like the lighting!
Anyway, we left at about... Um... Actually, I don't know what time it was but we grabbed a burger and a taxi... Which is where it gets interesting...
Jason hailed one down and described where we needed to get to. He did this by saying "head towards Solihull, basically junction 3 off the M42" the driver quoted us at "£35, £40" (yeah, like which one, dickhead!?) me and Jason dived in with Gemma and told the guy we needed a cash point. we stopped and both drew out £20 to cover the journey. So half an hour later we passed Junction 4, then 3a and did the taxi driver say anything? nope.. just kept going like a trooper.... Then when we got to junction 3 he started going on about how this wasn't Solihull and we would need to pay him another £10...
... another £10!?
I explained that we didn't say solihull, we said "IN THE DIRECTION OF Solihull" and we specifically said "JUNCTION 3 OF THE M42" ... retard! well how? I had no money left other than £20 and I thought Jason did as well... Rather UNfortunately he had a bit of cash left and threw (literally) a note at him. I wanted Jason to say, "well I ain't got it", and for us to jump out of the taxi after it had stopped...
Bastard... It really riled me and I could have sworn that Jason started to turn green! The driver... sorry... The absolute fucking bastard that decided to screw us over, left, probably with a smug look on his face.
Well I dived in to bed, still angry and went to sleep... When I awoke (this morning) I decided to bum around the house for the day... So I have... And now I'm going to my nan's!
TTFN readers

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Papas' got a brand new blog!

Hello readers and welcome to the kick-off session of 2007. I know it's not the first post of the new year but it is the first "proper" one. I deliberately waited until now so I actually have something to type about since the first week of the year was a mess.

So, on to proceedings, and I will start by telling you that when I logged in to Blogger just a few moments ago, the nice people behind the scenes, who push all the big buttons had decided to ramp up my blogging power by shifting my account to the new blogger. I will explore the new changes at a later date, ut if it is easier to mess with the templates, I might decide to give the old page a face-lift at some point.

Anyway, lests blog... After I had finished messing about on Photoshop the other week I spent the next few days heliping Kieron and Selena move in to their new place in Kings Norton. Me and Kieron went to pick up the van he had hired on the Wednesday (I think) and spent the next few days shifting wardrobes, boxes, and furniture. Honestly, I don't know how Mr Robinson delivers couches with his cousin. I couldn't do it day-in-day-out for a living, it's too much hastle. that said, we got it done and they were pretty much settled in nicely by Thursday. The ground floor maisonette is a lovely little place, with two bedrooms and a little garden. Kieron wants to paint the kitchen, though as the current colour scheme is... well... "unorthodox."





... it's luminous pink, actually, but each to their own, I suppose!





Anyway, on Saturday (that would be the 6th) everyone went round to see what it was like without the boxes lying araound, and the furniture positioned to where it should be. It was good. I'm starting to want my own place to decorate, and to be a man in!

Ah well. nevermind.

Monday... "Noooooo" I had to go back to work. Fortunately there were no meetings and I got on with the usual tasks that I normally do. The day skipped by unusually quickly and we were out by 4.00pm which felt like it came about an hour after 9:30am

In the evening myself, Adam, Jenny and Marcus went to the Woodmans for a drink, since there was nothing much else to do. I was home for 12:00 and jumped in to beddie-byes since I had to train my body to wake up at a time befitting someone in full-time employment within the education industry.... Well, at least before about 10:30am which is when I had been getting up in the holidays!

I sprung out of bed on Tuesday morning.... At 8:00am... D'oh! which left me half an hour to get ready for, and get to, work. I ran in to the classroom at about 8:45am but was thankfully forgiven. Tuesday didn't go as quickly as Monday so I was thankfull when we left at about 4:00pm. I went home to play Chromehounds for a bit and eventually got ready to go to the cinema with Adam and Jenny (no Marcus this time, he was off celebrating something-or-other)
We went to see "Employee of the month" quite funny, but not a box office record breaker. It was the typical "Boy wants girl, obnoxious Mr Goody-goody also wants girl, Mr goody-goody is a bit of a git but very popular, Boy needs to prove himself to girl, series of comical showdowns follow to a climax where underdog Boy eventually wins girls heart" type of film...

... Whatever. Lets do Wednesday...

During the course of the first week back we have had a couple of staff go ill so I have been doing cover lessons and a fair bit of teaching. All the year groups are starting new schemes of work and so it's all new to them again. The year 8's are doing "distorted portraits" and we have introduced them to Francis Bacon, a personal favorite of mine. I decided, during the course of a leson to give an example of his work, and to draw one. Problem was that not everyone can see a demonstration if it's drawn on paper at the front of the class... So I decided to draw it on the huge white board in marker pen... (I'll let you judge it for yourself, I have included the original image of bacons work so you can compare the two)










Hmm... Now like I said it is done in marker pen on a white board. My drawing is about 3 feet high (thats bigger than the original!) I will point out that the white dot on the eye was added by a horrible child after I had drawn it. Afterwards, I decided to draw myself in the style of Bacon (since that was what they were trying to do, not just copy an image) so I grabbed the marker pen again and...


... Drew that. It isn't as big as the first one, nor as detailed, but it's not bad for a quick demonstration. One of the kiddies decided to point out that I look better in the drawing than I do in real life... You can decide for yourselves, dear readers but don't make a point of telling me your decision...

Ok. Thursday was a typical thursday so I will jump to the evening in the swan... The following image neatly describes the type of evening we had...

You just know Lank is feeling far too comfortable wearing that scarf like that. It was actually Nicola's and just about everyone wore it round their head at some point. We had a right old laugh and a merry night was had by all...

Friday at work was good because we left at 3:30 to go to the pub! and after leaving the pub (and helping father with his new freezer) I went with adam up to Solihull for his Birthday drink. We met up with some people who used to work with him at Transco in weatherspoons and Moved on to Apres. Interesting place. It wouldn't have been so bad if I didn't have a complete berk try to dance with me all evening! pissed out of his skull he was flailing his arms about in a club that was rammed with people and all he wanted to do was dace next to me! I eventually got away from him by waiting until he was behind me, trying to wiggle himself up to a group of women, whilst I was coming back from the bar and "accidentally" elbowed him in the kidneys as I went past. This lasted all of 5 minutes though before he was back juping about like a complete wanker... All be it slightly further away from me. Anyway, we got back to Adams for about 2:00am and mommy kindly came to give me a lift home. (she doesn't sleep these days, I swear!)
I have to do all of that again though, later as i'm going to Solihull with Jason, Gemma and Becky for her 21st birthday... 2 nights out in a row!? Anyone would think I'm still quite youthful!

TTFN readers

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Cars

Just a quick one, readers. Introducing the newest member of the cast of "Cars"

Monday, January 01, 2007

Happy Birthday to all Race Horses!

Hello readers, and welcome to 2007. If the title seems a little perplexing, don't worry, just do a little bit of research on Google and you'll probably come across the reason for it...

Anyway, on with the blog...

Christmas morning was... Well... about 10 minutes long. I woke up, came down stairs, watched telly while we waited for Nan and Grandad to arrive, shredded the paper off the pressies and then stuck my Xbox on. It was Christmas dinner I was waiting for! I must admit though, I did get some good stuff. My nan bought be Khet, a kind of cross between chess, egyptian myth, and starwars! Honestly, It wouldn't look out of place in the Mos Eisley Cantina! I also got the usual CD's, DVD's, Socks etc.

At dinner time, we had a big Chicken, and a joint of lamb. With challottes, and gravy, and roasties, and mint sauce, and all kinds of wonderful things....

... I love Christmas dinner!

Come Christmas evening we went down to fathers for more antics. My auntie had bought me a book called; Great Lies To Tell Small Kids. I have memorised some and will try them at school... There's stuff like "Milk feels pain" and "Clowns melt at 29 degrees celsius" My dad bought me Jimmy Carr's new book "The Naked Jape" which analyses the history, and science of joke telling. It is both very factual, informative, and down-right hillarious.

After the usual bout of christmas fun I went home to bed.

During the week of nothing happening, I have been bowling a few times with Jenny, Marcus, John, and Adam. Actually there is a story with that... I have never really put the "Video DJ" on my phone to good use before but decided to get creative. I discovered that there are pre-loaded "soundtracks" that you can overlay to videos on the phone and you can add titles, and slideshows as well. So I started filming marcus in black and white, just random shots of him bowling, sat down, by the ball return, etc and then created a series of slides in Black and White similar to old silent movies. I then arranged the clips of Marcus and added the slides in between them, and used the "silent movie" soundtrack across the whole thing. The end result is a "Charlie Chaplin-esque" short movie about Marcus and how he never seems to be able to get a strike. I don't know if I can load it on to blogger but if I can, I will.

I am going to skip to yesterday evening because i can't think of anything else thats happened during the course of the holiday...

Well... I drove to Jenny's for about 8:00pm with my mum in the car, picked Jenny and Marcus up and headed over to the Windemere in Moseley. Mum then drove my car back home so that I could have a drink. When we got there we went up stairs to the disco which was getting under-way. Throughout the course of the evening there was some awful dance music, but then some of the classics came along and everything was dandy. At the countdown to the new year everyone held hands and waited for the chimes and got ready for the DJ to play Auld-Lang-Syne...

... Which he didn't have... In fact not only did he not have it, I don't think he knew what it was!

So we all started to sing while the DJ looked puzzled. there was more dancing until about 12:30 when the final dances were slow-ones and then the big light came on to signal the end of the evening. Now I should point out that there was a plan for getting home... Me, marcus, and jenny would get a taxi. But, as ever fate intervened and James offered a lift to Marcus and Jenny. I said i would dive in a taxi with Jason and Gemma, but fate played a good hand once again... Jason and Gemma were going with other people and the taxi was full... D'OH!

In the end I got a lift and was home for about 1:30am wherre I went straight to bed! I was exhausted.

I was rudely awoken this morning by mother. Her car wouldn't start (the starter motor was stuck) and she had already phoned my Grandad for assistance. When he arrived and had a poke under the bonnet we decided to push start it... Now, I had just got up, was feeling horrible and to put some fluid in my system, took a rather large swig of Cherry tango... I say large swig, it was more like half a bottle... about a litre. So we went outside and rolled the car back... with the help of a neighbour. (Why is it that secretly, deep down, everyone likes pushing a car to get it started? it must be the sense of accomplishment, both in the physical pushing, and the enjoyment when the car actually starts!) anyway I started to outpace my grandad and my neighbour so I ended up pushing the car... At a fair ol' speed, down meadow Road... the first thing I then thought of was.... Oh shit, what about traffic. Fortunately the car jolted in to life and I walked back up the road while my mum turned the car round. Now, I don't know if you have ever pushed a car to the point your heart was going to give out, whilst having a stomach full of a popular fizzy beverage but let me give you a word of advise... DON'T

I ended up with a severe icky feeling and had to lie down... After half an hour of feeling awful it subsided, which is when I got up, and started blogging.

And it is there that I will leave you dear reader. Have a good new year. see you soon.

TTFN