Filmharmonic and London by night 05/06/2006

Up with with a zip on Tuesday for the coming week. Ok, I lied, I woke up vowing to have the mother of all lie ins on Saturday due to naturally screwing up my body clock at the weekend, though you know by now that I rarely sleep anyway on a Sunday night. It's only the desire for wanting more sleep that makes me rue having to get up as thankfully I don't dread the notion of going to work as I did with some previous jobs. Had a client meeting so seemed to spend most of the day in the car either going or coming back. We had a laugh and a fine chicken sandwich from Tesco's. Got back to the office late-ish due to traffic and didn't have time to make my journal entry, which I normally try to do on a Tuesday night.

The fortnight had come round and it was Lost double bill night. This is so the right format to watch this series. You don't get stressed and feel like you've been able to chew on something of real substance. Talking of substance you can't have an event without a decent meal and the evening was commenced with the remainder of my fabulous Spag Bol with garlic ciabatta, sour cream dip (heaven is dipping a hot slice into the cold dip and then taking a bite), pepsi and a muller fruit corner. Good episodes, though I preferred the latter one which dealt with the other group's first 45 days. Considering how long the initial people's story has been dragged out for it was refreshing, rewarding and entertaining to see their whole story in one episode. I'm liking Michelle Rodriguez's character more along with Mr Eko. With our continuing format I feel Lost could be our tentpole TV programme through the summer months.

Went hard again at the gym on Wednesday. I never expect to when I start as it seems the first ten minutes on the running machine always kill me and I contemplate the foolishness and futility of coming to the gym. Still the first half hour was enjoyable for the eye candy though after this I got in the groove and pumped away to some Armin. Nailed out 950 calories this time and was unsurprisingly shagged. Still no noticeable benefit and I do realise that this is because my body has found a balanced stasis. It knows how much I'm burning and requestitions the appropriate energy only from what I shovel down my throat. It's just the final hurdle of dedication that I need to curb my eating and then it will start attacking my energy sorry fat reserves. If I met someone then the desire to keep or impress them would over ride the desire to snack or eat so heartedly and I'm sure the excess stone would be easier to lose. Until then I'll keep chugging along trying not that hard to curb my pleasure of eating unhealthy crap.
I've been toying with the idea of seeing Armin van Buuren as he's going to be playing @Slinky in Bournemouth in the next couple of weeks. It means driving down there on a Friday on my own, partying hard and then driving back. Maybe it will be fun for me to do a road trip by myself. Maybe I can take a wander down by the beach when it's over and watch the sun come up (not that Bournemouth has a beach that faces East). Half of me thinks it could be great seeing him play, enjoying it just for myself and experiencing it alone, yet the cynical side says I'll go all that way expecting some 'road to damascus' enlightenment and in fact it will be crap and I'll crash on the way back when I fall asleep at the wheel. You'd love to think that through the shared love of the music that I'd hook up with other like minded people as I did all those years ago at the Colosseum but the scene has moved on a lot since then and reflects society's distrust of strangers or loners. I'll go for the music, trust Armin to deliver and everything else can be surplus to this. Anyway I checked with some others what Slinky was like (Slinky by the way being a hard house and trance night at The Royal Opera house in Bournemouth) and how long his set will be. As it's going to be 2 1/2 hours I thought I'd give it a go and ordered a ticket, which means I take along the receipt and shouldn't have to queue up.

That night I'd ordered tickets for my brother and I to attend an event called Filmharmonic at The Royal Albert Hall. As you can probably gather form the title it was a night of film scores played by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Bro met me at work and we drove into Central London, entering the congestion zone three minutes after it was no longer in force. We managed to park with ease in my favourite place which is road that runs down the side of Charing Cross station. Ideal place really as its very central to all the stations but when you return is an easy drop onto the embankment which can whisk you out of town reasonably easily. We grabbed a tube marvelling at the sheer volume of city honeys milling the street with their after work drinks with friends. Timescales were tight but I would love to have dawdled a little bit and maybe donated a card or two here and there. Took the tube from Embankment to South Kensington and then ran all the way to the Albert Hall as the show started at 7.30 and our tube must have pulled in at about 7.21 Needless to say with the angle that we approached the hall our entrance door was on the complete opposite side. We bolted in, up the stairs, jumper flapping around my waist, into the toilets for a quick whizz, splash of water to perspiring face though the water was hot and to our seats. The row was full and our seats right in the middle so we made ourselves popular. Sat down, switched off our mobiles, the lights dimmed and off it started. They fired up with Mission Impossible, which felt apt considering the timing of our arrival and then some other tunes. Once I cooled I began to settle into the show and take a look around. The Albert Hall is mightily impressive though the central pit and stage are smaller than they look on the tv. The mushroom noise assister things hanging from the ceiling are fascinating to look at and you wonder how they got them up their and also how they worked out the perfect height to assist in sound reproduction.

The chairs there are uncomfortable seeming to be designed for the someone with very narrow hips and hardly any length in the legs. We were in the cheap seats so I could hardly complain. The show had been billed as a film score extravaganza with the likes of Star Wars, Superman, Rocky and Lord of the Rings. I guess the mold for the evening was set when the annoying compere said they were going to play some Star Wars and then announced it would be an obscure piece from Attack of the Clones. Umm, so it's going to be like this. Get us here under the pretense of playing purely popular stuff and then start hitting us with less well known pieces to either 'educate our simpleton needs' or just fill time. He then introduced a composer who after conducting a piece from Lavendar Girls played a medly from the TV series Maigret, Wycliffe and Hetty Wainthrop investigates! hardly film scores I think. I tried not to get disappointed and consoled myself that the second half is always better. Unfortunately it was not. Once the compere, who by now was beginning to grate had finished plugging the orchestra's latest album we received a medley of Ben Hur, Psycho and some Errol Flynn film which was rather tedious. Then we had another composer who played two scores from two low budget as of yet unreleased films. Naturally not knowing them they dragged and the chairs restrictions became even more noticeable.

What surprised me as well was the amount of coughs, murmurs and clearing of throats that was going on. I've become a little used to, though still intolerant of it, at the cinema but at an event which is purely based around the sense of hearing I would have expected people to make more of an effort to restrain their body chatter. It was incredible, at some points I'd almost start laughing as a cough would start way down below, which gave someone else the confidence to clear their throat and then someone else the confidence to sneeze. It was like a Mexican Cough circulating the auditorium. The middle aged chap next to me even started texting someone during the final two numbers!

Eventually this boring conductor finished to undeserved clapping in my book and I hoped things might pick up. We got the main tune from Schindlers List which is very good with the solo violin piece and then ended on a tune from the new War of the Worlds film. Believe me although it's by John Williams, it's hardly memorable and not the rousing finish you might expect of a once a year 'spectacular'. The main conductor, a Tolga Kashif, who must have had the shits or a bladder problem as he only seemed capable of lasting 15 minutes at a time on his plinth during the evening disappeared, returned, did the cheesy accept the audience praise and then disappeared. They didn't encore with anything and didn't play Rocky. My brother and I were pissed. Ok we hadn't gone there just for Rocky but they had mentioned on the site and I even heard someone in the more expensive seats shout it out but didn't have the courage to run with it and attempt to start a chant. Everyone started to pile out, though some had started leaving with five minutes to go and we waited for people to clear. I was really disappointed. Yes the stuff we knew was good but I couldn't understand that elitist kind of attitude of 'we'll entice the dumb masses in with promises of blockbuster tunes and then give some unknown tracks'. Their website blurb said "to hear the RPO play great music specially scored for blockbuster movies" - I hardly call music from two independant films that haven't even been released and a medley of tv themes a celebration of huge movies. Oh well, you win some, you lose some but after listening to streaming soundtracks for the last couple of days I had been looking forward to some real quality Zimmer, Horner and Williams.

Decided as it was a mild evening to walk from the Hall back to Charing Cross. This gave us a chance to animatedly sound off but also take in the sights. I never get tired of walking round parts of London, especially at night when there aren't so many people around. It wasn't cold or warm but a perfect ambient temperature and not being in a rush we took our time to enjoy the walk and drink in the atmosphere. We must have set off at around 10.00 pm. Walked down into Knightsbridge, paused to look back towards the lit up Harrods, past Harvey Nichols and up to Hyde Park Corner, which naturally was as busy as ever and required us to take the well lit and non intimidatory underpass. Came out on the corner of Green Park and started walking down Constitution Hill, which runs down the side of Buckingham Palace's gardens. Everything was so civilised and so well maintained with neat park benches and a horse track running alongside the pavement with buttons for the pedestrian lights placed at horse rider height. Came out to the front of Buck Palace and took a moment to marvel at it. It's amazing to think what a well known building it is around the world yet here we are in the capital city of our country and we are standing mere yards from it. No visible guards, no searchlights, no fluff and bluster and no feeling that you had to move along. Just good ole Buck Palace going about it's business. The lawns outside were all beautifully maintained and I don't know if they were getting ready for a pageant, trooping the colour or something like that but these huge Union Jacks were on display around Queen Victoria's Memorial and lining all the way up The Mall. It looked really impressive. All the flags were clean, neat and tidy. None were incorrectly hung or the odd one missing and it was heartwarming to see that some real effort had been made. It was quietly patriotic and understated yet it filled me with a real sense of national pride.

Ambled up The Mall, through Admiralty Arch which was similarly festooned with flags and past the covered up statue of Nelsons Column which must be undergoing that needed clean. Jumped back in the car and headed off to the drive through McDonalds near Canary Wharf. I still look at McDonalds as treat's and this was our evening one which though wasn't brilliant as the place was shutting up for the night and thus not freshly cooked was still enjoyable.

I got the lay in I'd thought of at the beginning of the week come Saturday though it was nearly taken away by an impromptu awakening at around 8.00am. Nothing like rolling over on a Sat morning for a couple of hours more kip is there. Watched a little of the build up to England's second friendly match and hit the gym. Was a gloriously warm sunny day and the gym was naturally devoid of women. Managed to push the calorie meter to a 1000 calories burnt this time and certainly felt it. Heading back into the changing room and having difficulty removing the t-shirt because its sodden and seemingly glued to your neck is always a reassuring sign that you have pushed as hard as you can. Sauna, showered and off to the shops feeling great. With the post exercise good vibe and the sun beating down spirits were high. I even bought a pink linen shirt that would nicely accompany a sandy coloured pair of trousers that I'd recently rediscovered in my wardrobe. In Sainsburys I even bought some bits for a ham baguette sandwich. Summer must definately be hear when I contemplate something other than a hot meal on a weekend night.

I was in the mood to go out and wear my new shirt and with the clothing, or lack of, that women were wearing at five in the afternoon was looking forward to seeing some more in their summer evening glad rags. Hooked up with my bro for a drink and then onto a nightclub. I didn't want a big spending night and thankfully a flyer ensured free entry to the nightclub. I drove and thus met my bro in the club which meant I queued alone. The bouncer told me I should cheer up after allowing me in and I did feel like turning round and saying " I'm sorry but even at the age of 34 I'm aware how your arrogant, power crazy, adolescent girl flirting minds work in that if I'm too happy I'll be either refused entry for looking pissed or drugged or for simply not showing humility to your importance" - wanker! The music was ok but there was a hostile mood in the air which maybe I could detect more as I wasn't drinking. After doing some people watching I decided to call it a night and headed home.

Sunday was another great MotoGP race with all the main protagonists duelling for the win. Naturally the commentators said it was the best as it was the one Rossi won but my favourite was still the one in Shanghai. Saying that though this still had it's share of drama and overtaking and I do bow to Rossi's skill in getting his victory. Great racing though a real shame Casey Stoner crashed out as he was doing well and I really like his brand of balls out trying to win in a team that still doesn't have any major sponsors. He's the real underdog and I love routing for them. This really is turning out to be the motor sport event of the year in my book. Did very little else really. Watched the original Poseidon Adventure which was good, did some washing and all the normal relaxing sunday things. Ummed and ahhed about seeing United 93 which I really want to see but decided to hold fire until next Saturday as that will be a quietish one due to paintball being the following day.

Way to go Armin 30/05/2006

Managed to maintain my swimming again, hooking up with an old friend for a good blasting. Could have done with a little longer session and less posing slow coaches that were pissing me off but in fairness providing the fuel for the fury that was pushing me further on. Went for a drink afterwards, you can't beat an orange J20 with ice after a good swim. We actually drank in the pub with the barmaid who received the card but she wasn't in there. I wouldn't have spoken to her or given any form of hassle if she had been but it would have been nice to have been reminded of her face.

Gym on Wednesday was made easier as my new Armin van Buuren CD turned up so I could listen to it on my nano to keep me occupied during the running and rowing. Managed to burn 900 calories, which seems to be my current benchmark. No change on the scale when I weighed myself though and guess if I'm serious I'll just have to cut down on my eating.

Thursday night was the 250th episode of State of Trance and I brought in my headphones in preparation. I had some emails to respond to as well. I find my weekly schedule seems to be journal entry on Tuesday and email response on Thursday. Had a small problem with the trance station on iTunes not wanting to play anything and had to scramble round the web to find a free airing on the digitally imported site. Armin wasn't on until 11.00 and had basically hired a nightclub in The Hague for him and other DJ's to play at from where they were broadcasting live. It started with a classic set and then another DJ. It was good hearing it live as you could hear people in the background of the club. Not load enough to ruin the music but enough to generate atmosphere.

I'd remembered the previous evening an actor that I used to work with and as I had a free two week trial of imdb.pro got his agents details and dropped him an email. It will be nice if he responds as he was a great guy and it would be nice to chew the cud. Fired off a few more emails, kept myself entertained and Armin came on at 11.00pm. I hadn't actually envisioned staying at the office this late but you could feel it was a special night and sometimes you've got to live for the now. OK being alone in the office was hardly the same as being in the club but the music was being played live and I felt there was a connection. The mix started slowly but that was fine. It was a two hour set and all good DJ's should take you on a clear journey. I kept myself supplied with tea and the occasional snack and didn't feel tired. One guy I was chatting with on the Tidy board asked why I just didn't download it and I explained about living for the moment. Life can be quite boring and I'm sure I'll remember for longer the act of staying late and enjoying the music rather than saving it for a more convenient time. As important as I am the world doesn't revolve around me so if you want to experience shared activities then there is a fair chance you will have to inconvenience yourself. Besides I wasn't needed anywhere or letting anyone down, so what the hell. It's very similar to watching a film on TV when you already have it on DVD there's just this feeling that you are sharing it with others.

The music began to get even better and I became more excited. He dropped one tune halfway through the set (his remix of Racoon - Love you more) which had the audience singing along and I was rocking in the chair and punching my finger in the air at the right moments. It was really great. His set finished to a cracking high with this wonderfully uplifting and empathetic track at 1.00am and I thought this might be a good time to head home, saying goodbye to this chap I'd shared the last 3/4 hour with from the Tidy board.

We were heading out on Friday night so had beans to the side of toast at lunch. I don't know but I'd been looking forward to them as I hadn't had them during the week and they were great, especially with the muller fruit corner that followed. My curiosity got the better of me in the afternoon and I sent a message to the guy on the Tidy board from the previous night about how it was possible to download the show as he'd suggested. He directed me to a site which had ripped it and then uploaded it. I simply downloaded onto my computer, from here moved to my Apple library and from this onto my nano. How sensationally cool. I couldn't believe it. Christ the power of the internet strikes again. There I was listening to the live show the night before and now I had it saved onto my nano to listen to at my leisure. I was stoked and couldn't stop saying to my work colleagues 'can you believe it' and 'god I love my nano'. I must confess that I hadn't been that impressed with it after having our PC's nicked and then having to reload my songs but now with this it's just fantastic.

Headed down to this 70's/80's disco, stopping for a quick drink in a local pub beforehand. What a hole that was with a large smattering of inbred pikeys, one who was a spitting image of Billy Ray Cyrus, replete with mullet hairstyle. Thankfully we headed to the venue which was like going to a works dinner and dance. Varied age group from 23-63, with tables and chairs round the dance floor and a cheap bar that even served the coke to you in the actual cans, classy. It was cheesy but delightfully so and we started having a laugh. I did put in a request for 'Maniac' from Flashdance to the DJ's assistant but he looked like a dumb muppet who despite nodding clearly had no idea what I was talking about. Some woman asked if I worked in a bar as she recognised me, great line I thought but to be honest she had seen me before as we both knew my hairdressers. There were other women there but the type that might look ok from behind until you saw the weathered and worn faces at the front.

Halfway through the night I got approached by a guy publicizing a firemans disco. He was in fact a fireman and along with his colleagues and brand new engine parked outside was working the crowd. I don't like firemen as you know and his first verbal salvo was "come along mate there will be 200 gagging birds". "I'm not a fireman" I responded "it doesn't matter, they'll all be crazy for men". Nice. This is why I dislike firemen as they trade on their heroic image when in reality they aren't heroes. I was tempted to ask whether he thought this was a mis-use of public property (ie the engine) being used to tout for trade like some cheesy promoter. With a firemens strike going on in Hertfordshire maybe he could have been offering his support to save the children or trapped kittens of that county. They were still there when we left, about five of them in their firemen t-shirts and fire engine. If they were off duty why did they have the fire engine, if they were on duty then I'm sure they shouldn't have been there and doesn't their actions bring discredit on their badge. Lazy bastards. Women love them, believing they can do nothing wrong but union regulations which they all subscribe to prevent them from doing anything remotely life threatening. Yes they might cut people out of mangled cars but a skilled mechanic could do that without the uniform and hero worship. Having seen the office burnt down to the ground last year and how when they turned up it wasn't on fire yet by the time they left and under their very noses was reduced to ash I don't have much time for them. They believe they are entitled to £30k a year yet only work part time and when at work only seem to drink tea, read The Mirror and play pool. Seeing them wolf whistling and leering at the drunken women who exited the venue at the end of the night made me look on them with even greater contempt.

Despite them we had a good time. No female interaction bar the friends we were with and a good old boogie for the last half an hour though the DJ turned into a rather annoying MC who seemed hell bent on interrupting every song to promote the next event. We left and while walking back to the car were accosted by some drunken cow by a phone box who wanted 40p for the phone. My friend being a little drunk offered to help and said he would fill up the phone for her. She did have a mobile but amazingly the battery didn't work and it was sat next to a large can of extra strength lager. With a handful of change he said "I don't do enough for charity and am happy to help". "I don't need your charity" she suddenly responded. Fine I said and dragged my friend off which naturally resorted in a torrent of language from the pissed up ho when she realised her gravy boat was leaving. I try to be a nice guy but sometimes you wish for a gun so you could double tap these mofo's in the head and do society a favour. Dropped mate off and raced home to listen to my downloaded show in bed. It was great again and really fired me back into dance and I vowed to really embrace the coming night.

The plan was to get up late on Saturday so as to program my body clock later so that I wouldn't tire in the early hours of that night. Lazed in bed until 12.00 ish and then with brother headed to Bluewater to get some laces for my trainers and a few other bits. It's amazing how it's virtually impossible to buy laces for trainers. I knew I could get them in footlocker but didn't like their range as they have this harder edge-ing which makes it feel like you are tieing barbed wire. Had to go for these though as no other shoe or sport shop seemed to stock any laces. Grabbed a Mac (well it was the Bank Holiday weekend) while my brother told me the story of X-Men 3 which he'd seen the previous night and how disappointed he thought it was. Headed home via Sainsburys and took our time to get ready. After the previous nights re-energizing of my dancing feet decided to slap some UV war paint on. I put on a 1 1/2 inch wide strip of green and pink either side of my nose and painted a pink inch wide strip of hair at the front. I know some people don't like cyber and it probably looked ridiculous but within this kind of environment no one minds and in a way makes you feel like you have made more an effort for the night. It is almost like war paint because you feel its a way of saying 'right I'm here to dance and have some fun'.

Picked up mate on route and along with bro headed to the Brixton Academy. Got settled, got some drinks in and moved to our normal place. Left hand side to the rear and waited for the tunes to pick up. They did and we had a little shake but it didn't seem to catch fire. The Tidy boys came on who we've seen at previous weekenders and I assumed could be relied on to deliver but they didn't. I've spoken to them since and they say it's because they only had a hour set but there wasn't any flow to the tunes and the vibe seemed to be missing from the crowd. They dropped a few Tony de Vit classics but it seemed desperate measures and a little bit too late. I was also finding it hard to find a dry part of the dance floor as there is nothing more annoying, and potentially damaging, than a wet slippery dance floor when you are pulling off the kind of moves I do. Lab 4 came on after and they normally deliver a mad, fast, energy burning performance but they dropped the ball even harder. They interrupted their set twice to play the drums and guitar and the crowd seemed to stutter and fall apart. They seemed more concerned with the multitude of photographers on stage than noticing that the main dance floor was emptying out as if it were about to shut. After two hours of this disappointment it got to a point where my body was feeling the aches of standing up for so long etc, whereas normally I wouldn't even notice it. We headed upstairs to take a seat and look down onto the main stage. Even up here was busier than normal indicating that more people were wanting to sit the next set out. We called it a night at about 4.00 ish and headed back to the Blackheath tea hut. No matter how bad the night the tea hut delivers and you can't beat (as I've said before) relaxing in the car with a double cheeseburger with fried egg and onions and a cup of tea. It's like a rites of passage and can encourage even the most imagination free mind to contemplate the deepest thoughts while enjoying the dawn light and the first swig of tea.

The Monaco F1 race was entertaining on Sunday. Unfortunately Alonso won again but it wasn't a certainity until Raikonnen's engine blew and Mark Webber's driving was better than both of them. Nice to see a good F1 race though boredom does set in when Alonso seems to win every race. Headed to Blackheath that evening with friends for some quiet drinks and ended up doing a mini pub crawl. No one was going mad and I was driving but it was good to see some other pubs than the O'Neills. Before we moved on we were certainly getting some looks in O'Neills but the next pub was in a practical time warp and couldn't be any deader than where we had come from. I felt good though and struck up conversation with a blonde who was wearing a J'Adore Marmite t-shirt. I was only interested to ascertain her thoughts on the squeezy marmite as I personally think its wrong. Marmite isn't syrup and what's wrong with the line of marmite running from the jar to the toast when you try and spread. It turns out she was American and married as her husband promptly appeared. No worries I hadn't been making a play. We stayed for one and then onto another which seemed quite cool. It was a Sunday so it wasn't hugely busy but showed promise. Finally we ended up going to Cave Austin. Wow our prayers have been answered. Nice atmosphere, a dance area downstairs and some fine, quality filly's on display. This night was turning out way better than expected and I felt good. I even briefly chatted to another girl that I passed on the stairs at one point. Sadly the girls that we were with wanted to head home and thus we had to leave as we couldn't really say 'Yeah we are going to stay here so see ya later'. Frustrating that we didn't stay as I felt like I was in the zone. Not that I would have chatted more girls up but just that I felt a lot more comfortable and confident. Well at least we now know of it's existence though I fear it will never live up to the promise of what that first night might have been.

It was another Bank Holiday Monday and another relaxing lay in was had. Plenty of washing was done and had an excellent over an hour long swimming session which really blew the cobwebs out. The pool was about half full and for the last twenty minutes I had the lane to myself without having to worry about catching slow movers or being over taken myself. Had a truly excellent Spag Bol. It had been a few weeks since my last and I hadn't lost the magic. Watched Crocodile Dundee again. What a great film this still is with some great moments and classic lines. Like Ride with the Devil the previous weekend it's near the end when Susan is in the subway station trying to communicate with Mick through the commuter crowd. She is speaking through a tall black guy and in turn an italian construction worker. I just love the bit when the black guy shouts down to the italian "tell him don't leave, she not gonna marry Richard". His pause and delivery of Richard is great and regularly quoted in the office. Then watched the beginning episode of Firefly again which like a fine wine (not that I drink wine) continues to improve with repeated viewings.

Yeah a good weekend in total. Ok I didn't meet the woman of my dreams but certainly felt like I did a lot and had some fun. Going out on the Friday night and having the Monday off made it seem even longer which is great. Talk soon

Running out of shower gel 25/05/2006

And here we are again with the explanation of my week. Managed to snap one of the tighteners on my goggles in the pool on Monday but I persevered and it didn't let in as much water as I'd expected. Good session though and swam for over an hour.

Tuesday was a Lost double bill night. My brother and I have decided to watch it every fortnight so that we get to watch one episode on Ch4 and then the next on E4. We find it better as I'm not then clock watching and becoming frustrated at some of the padding that might go on. You feel a lot more satisfied afterwards. It was entertaining as ever and further revealed some characters that may be interesting later in the series.

A friend lent me March of the Penguins which I enjoyed. It did show how good the work is of the BBC wildlife team in that it was comparable to this movie. The photography and narration by Morgan Freeman were excellent and there were many touching scenes in the film. The courting was particularly tender with the penguins revealing themselves to be quite tactile creatures. Even the actual mating which with some animals can seem almost 'animal like' had a rather gentle way about it. The sacrifices that they make to have children is truly remarkable and its almost like that their entire life after the age of five or so is just purely about producing kids. Makes you ponder the similarities with the human race and whether this the reason for our existence. I'm not saying I agree with it but seeing it so convincingly realised by the penguins then maybe this is the over riding purpose and reason for life - the continuation of your species. Some of the shots were very memorable such as the lone penguin wandering across the frozen land and the two parents touching foreheads while the baby chick sat between them. Good film.

I still seem to have trouble sleeping, despite my exercise endeavours, and coupled with attempting to eat less I am prone to become dozy around late afternoon unless I have some form of sugar intake. Dug out Britney Spears greatest hits album during the week. What an excellent album this is. I know the music fascists will be up in arms with protests of it being crap and me being obviously gay for enjoying it but I for one like her. The tunes are catchy and varied and it's a great album to sing along to. Favourite tune would be stronger but there are many others on there that I like.

Had a further indication of the power of the internet when I bought my car tax disc online. Thankfully the money I got for doing the election nicely covered the cost, so impact on my normal finances was minimal. Amazing really that you can buy something like that off the net and how quickly they can automatically check your insurance details. Oh well at least it saved me the hassle of having to go and queue in a smelly post office.

Work was a little quiet this week so I also ordered the new Armin van Buuren album. They only seem to have released it in the US so I had to import it. It arrived today so am listening to it whilst I write. So far it's delivering good, quality trance and I'm happy. I also saw something on a web site that reminded me of the classic (and much favoured by myself) novel 'I am Legend' and I decided to scoot around for some more apocalyptic books. Ordered a couple including Nevil Shute's ' On the Beach' which I think is quite famous. Knowing me I'll never get round to reading them unless I have a beach holiday to go on and I don't have plans for them at the moment. I see the value of holidays but view them as a guilty treat and almost feel I want to break the back of the year (july ish time) before I would even consider the luxury or waste of money (depending on how you look at it) of going on holiday. I find it such a difficult thing to reconcile. Well the cost that is. Were I in a relationship then the idea of going away is more logical but on one's own or with friends and I get guilty and feel the money could be put to better use or saved away for a deposit or rainy day.

Going back to the books though. I'm always drawn to these apocalyptic type of books. Maybe its the issues of loneliness and having to fend for yourself, maybe the lack of rules and regulations to adhere to or even that being only one of a handful of people left might mean that at last you could actually make a difference. My imagination was over stimulated at a younger age with the likes of Domain and The Stand and I've got to say that sometimes the idea of everyone being wiped out with a few stragglers roaming the earth is quite entertaining. Naturally these musings involve me being alive along with a handful of large breasted females scattered around while I perform heroic deeds to woo them. Maybe I consider that this would be my chance to actually get with some real honeys as their choice would be limited to me with a gun or a horde of rotting zombies. I gotta win that one surely.

State of Trance was good this Thursday and I managed to get some good reply emails done. Next week is the 250th episode and I think they might have some big things planned, so it should be a good show. Needless to say there was no contact from the barmaid. I wasn't surprised. I'm sure it might freak some people out or they might be scared of looking in case it's a website teeming with viruses or something. But you never know, maybe she looked, decided I was a loser but still smiled. For an attractive barmaid who must be regularly bombarded with phone numbers and cards one can only hope that no one has ever given her a card simply with their website address on it. If you can't be special, at least be unique eh!

How can I lose weight when I enjoy eating so much? This idea was tested again on Friday when the concept of 'hot lunch' was touted round the office. Someone brought in fresh steak pies and the cast was set. If you are having a pie then you might as well succumb to all other temptations, so some quality chips from a local cafe were purchased along with the preparation of some baked beans and buttered bread. If you make the decision to let go then do it in style I say and boy did I. Christ you can't beat a good pie with chips and beans at lunchtime. Naturally I enjoy all the other fast foods that we get but there is just something more civilised and more collective as a team with all of us sat round a table with knives and forks. I'm a man of simple tastes and what a meal. Later that afternoon I also received a mid year bonus from my two directors. They never cease to surprise and humble me with their generosity. As well as being delighted, I also felt guilty as sometimes I do not feel I work for them as hard as I should to be so well rewarded. That's not saying that I'm lazy, just that what I do I think many others could do quite easily. I am unswervingly loyal though and never stop reminding them how much I enjoy working there. Having been an employer myself I understand the value of that at least.

Got in late and decided to watch Wolf Creek which I been lent. It's an Australian horror film and was rather good. Being late and a scary film I thought I'd maximise the viewing experience and watch it in bed, in the dark with the headphones on. I did temper this though with a sandwich and yoghurt (muller fruit corner which I've since developed a craving for). Some Oz films seem quite cheaply made and though this wasn't made on a hollywood style budget it did spend the money in the right places. It was gory yes but genuinely unnerving and unsettling. I wouldn't say it scared me but it left me with plenty to think about and some memorable scenes and moments. It captured very well that whole feeling of being hunted and how alone one could feel in the outback.

Hit the gym hard on Saturday, punching out the calories to burn off the previous days excess. I was sweating right through by the time I hit the changing rooms. Peeled off my sodden clothes to realise that brilliantly I'd forgotten my shower gel. I was having my hair cut straight after the gym and didn't have time to head home. Naturally I cursed and quickly ran through in my head how good water is on it's own as a cleaning agent. Whilst I contemplated slapping on some liquid soap in the toilet area and then running into the shower so that I looked like someone attempting a cross channel swim covered in goose fat, I did a quick recce in the showers to see if anyone had discarded an empty shower gel bottle as they sometimes do, normally to my annoyance. Lo and behold in the last cubicle, right in the corner was a bottle of Asda moisturising cream shower gel for 69p that was virtually empty. I squeezed out as much as I could and slapped it on my hair before popping the end off and fishing round inside the rim with my little finger to extract the final dregs of gel. Being the low grade shit that it was I didn't want to introduce the water until I was sure I'd rubbed it into my hair. I also added some water to the bottle and slooshed it round before tipping it over head and shoulders. Not ideal but what was I to do. Slapped on my deodorant and spray and did apologise to my hairdresser just in case but I wasn't kicking up. Descended into a completely irrational and all consuming rage when I thought the tax man had taken a huge chunk out of my bonus after I checked my account balance. I was in a blind fury, quickly doing arithmetic in my head to calculate how much had been taken and fuming over how I would ever be able to save any cash when being robbed blind by the chancellor. Got home and investigated further to realise that in fact said bonus wasn't being paid until the following month and all my anger was pointless. What a child.

Decided on a quiet Saturday night as I have a busy bank holiday weekend coming. Is this the first sign of old age? Got a few dvd's out and settled down to watch one before realised that Ride with the Devil was on. What a great film this is and one that I will always watch. My brother had seen it before and also felt the same so we enjoyed it again together. One of Ang Lee's finest films and an interesting tale of friendship and love in the civil war. It sounds mushy but it isn't and deals with the friendship between the white Jake Roedell and black Daniel Holt very well. It also stars this lovely country and western singer called Jewel and contains one of the best lines from a film delivered with real panache by Daniel "if you've done the milking, might as well have the cream". Quality. Followed this with Sahara which we knew would be throwaway but not wasn't as bad as we might have feared.

Saw another excellent Moto GP race on the Sunday. I had begun to get frustrated with it when Rossi blasted to the front and it became very processional. I know he's talented but it seems few have the courage to challenge him and with the commentators blowing seven shades of shit up his arse it can be tedious. Joy of joy though and he had engine failure which suddenly picked things up and Marco Melandri raced to a second chequered flag. What a great season this is turning out to be. Watched the other dvd which was the film Stealth and personally I enjoyed it. I'd wanted to check this out at the cinema when initially released. I knew it was a complete popcorn movie and wasn't expecting a taut thriller but some of the action shots and explosions looked really good and the design of the planes looked awesome. It gave me what I was looking for and I can't ask for more than that.

Looking forward to the coming weekend. Got a 70's & 80's disco on the Friday and who doesn't love getting down to those funky tunes and then out at Brixton Academy on the Saturday night for some hard house and trance. Fingers crossed for some good nights although I know from bitter experience that when you look forward to something it rarely delivers so maybe I should start expecting them to be crap and then I won't be disappointed. Until that day my friends.

The first card 15/05/2006

Going swimming has fired me up to pursue the healthy-ish thing again and also a point that my brother made about wasting the gym membership fee. On Wednesday I hit it with renewed vigour and felt better for it though my legs were certainly a little tight afterwards. Headed to Sainsburys afterwards where my basket recognized my attempt at eating less. I'm not a huge fan for healthy eating, don't like salads you see so I look at it that eating less will have to suffice. Came out to discover that in a virtually deserted car park at 11.00pm someone still had to park right next to me in their rusty piece of shit. Why do people do this? It's like someone sitting next to you in the cinema when it's virtually empty.

I've been chatting with this girl in the states via an almost weekly email and it's been nice. She's intelligent, sassy and writes well, which I like. So refreshing to communicate with similar thinkers and receive meaty emails rather than two line, content free ones. She sent me this url to a website showing something called the Evolution of Dance. It's basically this comic doing a six minute session dancing to songs from the 60's to present day. He's got some great moves and is very funny. I played it in the office and it was nice to have everyone round my desk laughing out loud and enjoying it. They all asked me to forward it on to them so hopefully I'll do my bit to continue it's dominance of the globe.

It's been an internet-y week this week. The Halo 3 announcement trailer was released this week at E3 and I downloaded it the day it came out. It doesn't give a great deal away with regards to gameplay, weapons, enemies etc but it was created using the X360 and the actual game engine. It rocks and it's nice to feel the first embryonic excitement in the first initial phases. The graphics look great, there are hints about Cortana and the fate of the Earth and the music is as inspirational as ever. I got the office to gather round, to be fair I 'd waited for my friend to see it and everyone gathered when he did. It probably meant little to them but at least they will have been at the beginning and may understand the hype and my excitement when it comes crashing in, in 2007.

Having missed it last Thursday I made sure to tune into a State of Trance this Thursday. It naturally delivered and I was on his board communicating with others whilst it played. Amazing, the power of the internet. Being able to post how much you like a particular tune as it's playing and it be read by people from around the world who are listening to it at the same, wicked!
The sun made a genuine appearance towards the end of the week and by Friday it was warm enough for me to wear shorts. I love the summer. I could never really enjoy it at other jobs due to having to wear a shirt and tie and then not being allowed to have the air con on after having been out and about because the girls in their summery dresses would get cold. Where I am now though I can fully enjoy it. Shorts, t-shirts, the lot. Driving into work seems better while the summer is a novelty but having the windows open, shades on and being enchanted by the women in their summery clothes reminds you that this is a great time of year.

Really hit the gym on Saturday with gusto. At one point I cranked up the running machine to 15.5. It's funny how you get used to running and not going anywhere but flat out sprinting on the machine and not moving is still a little weird. Makes you realise how pounding the action is when you sprint because the impacts of your feet hitting the machine are certainly loud. Good workout, plenty of sweat and felt knackered.

Popped out for a drink and the cinema on Saturday night. The first pub that we hit had a girl in it who simply had the largest boobs I've ever seen in the flesh. We are talking Lindsey Dawn McKenzie size. My eyes nearly fell out of my head when they initially appeared. The pub was cheesy with it's above average quota of chavs and a dance floor on the first floor with a see through glass floor and ringed by a waist high wall. This made it perfect for guys to rest their pints and simply stare in at the girls on the dance floor. The huge boobed girl was dancing within the ring and practically every guy was staring or trying not to and the girl knew that she had everyone's attention. In a way I was intrigued to wonder what her life must be like. I mean she wasn't hiding them in a baggy top and they were there for the world to see but it makes you wonder what calibre of guy has the balls to actually talk to her. Is it possible that she would ever chat to a nice guy or does the law of the jungle come into play and only the arrogant, lug heads dare try it on with her.

I mean I can't say that I wasn't physically attracted to these huge, young puppies. I wouldn't be a tit man if I didn't admit that the thought of doing the 'motorboat' between them didn't cross my mind but I was fascinated by what her personality must be like. She obviously hadn't got to the stage where she couldn't stand the unwanted attention they brought and was maximising them to their fullest, ripest potential. And why not, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that. At least 50% of the guys in there would have loved to have got hold of her and it makes you consider what implication that knowledge has on your psyche. When you look in the mirror before going out and know that without fail, and with very little character based input, that physically you could pretty much pull almost any guy that night wherever you went. That's an incredible power don't you think?

I mean you see cocky guys who say they are going to bed someone that night (and their confidence always staggers me) but they can't always guarantee that will not have to lower their standards to go for the ropiest, most drunken slapper they can find, so the confidence this girl must have must be mind bending. Makes you wonder at what point this confidence is rudely smashed by the knowledge that few guys are interested in the person she is and just the huge tits she was blessed with. It is also related in someway to my posting about good looking girls not bothering to develop humour or the ability to converse because they don't need to. Will this girl be the same?

I'm not saying the cheesy I would like to get to know her mind but I would almost have been fascinated to talk to her for ten minutes, hear her voice and see if my thoughts on her personality were true. In a way I envy her for the amazing sexual pulling power that she must have every night which allows her to virtually pick and choose who she wants to spend an evening with. But I also feel sorry for her of the quality of men that she is likely to come across and for that moment when the attention becomes unwanted and the realisation hits that she is more than just a girl with a huge pair and a very low cut top and wants to be recognized as such.

We moved on to another pub and I got served at the bar by this impossibly cute barmaid. Now this was someone in a completely different league. She had a cracking little figure, long brown hair, a lovely face and maybe due to being in the first days as a barmaid was surprisingly polite and cheerful. To boot she had a great smile and nice eyes. She must have been in her first weekend working as she was getting a little confused with the till. Her male co-workers seemed to enjoy working with her and blocking or obstructing her at times to force a form of playful bodily contact. It's understandable I guess as she had a body worth touching and she seemed to enjoy playing along. I've always wanted to work in a bar and maybe this kind of interactive tomfoolery is what I've been missing out on. Decided that I should give her one of my cards, which means she would be the first to receive them. I realised that the timing wouldn't be ideal in a crowded bar but I thought she was special and the kind of girl that I'd created the cards for. Besides there was no way I could chat her up so a card was the only way of thinking there could be any further contact. I paid for the drinks and handed her the card. I had wanted it to be right but in a busy bar who was I kidding. She took it not really understanding what it was and appeared to simply tuck it under the till. I headed over to the crew, frustrated a little maybe that she'd misinterpreted what I'd meant by it. Maybe I also began to realise how silly it was what I was doing. I mean giving someone a card of your website, how incredibly arrogant is that. Well I guess it is but no different from giving someone your number but at least this way they can make a bit more of an informed decision. I must explain at this point what the cards are like. They are quite subtle in my book and were designed by a good friend. Quality card with the website address printed in grey in the middle. No telephone numbers or supplementary information, just the web address. Hopefully they arouse some curiosity factor if nothing else. If anyone has seen American Psycho and the business card section in it then you'll have a better idea of what I was aiming for.

My round came again and I returned to the bar just as she became free. She gave me a nice smile and I gave my order. I checked with her that she had the card which she sais yes and then asked what it was. I said a surprise and that it was purely innocent. She looked concerned and I tried to reassure her, christ would they all be this difficult? She asked again what it was and I realised how foolish and disappointed she might look if I said "yeah, its the address of my website". I can imagine most, if not all of the responses will be yeah and..........? I finished by saying that it was meant as a compliment and nothing more.

I'm sure she won't check it and if she does will either be horrified at my geekness or contact the police to issure a restraining order. At the end of the day there's no pont in having the cards if I'm not going to hand them out and if only 1 in 10 girls takes the time to look at the site and 1 in a 100 actually read it then I need to be handing them out more. She was a lovely girl though and her face did linger for the remainder of the weekend.

Hit the cinema to see Mission Impossible III and I got to say that I was impressed. I wasn't blown away by the first one and thought the second plain ridiculous. But I like Tom Cruise and wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Well this was action packed right from the get go. It still had some fantastical stuff but this time tempered it with logic and explanation of how and why it was achieved. Show the audience what you are doing and they will buy into it so much more and I certainly did. There were other realistic touches that you wouldn't expect like running out of ammo and easy ways of blocking comms channels. It was also good that Ethan appeared a lot more dangerous. He had the Matt Damon - Bourne Identity about him and you really felt that he was capable of taking apart most people in a fight, which he frequently did. The fights and set pieces were all enjoyable, crunching and wildly exciting. It also featured a deliciously beautiful Gallardo in orange. Man my dreams have been answered. As readers of my motoring section will know if I won the lottery I'd have to buy a Gallardo but don't know what colour to get. Now I do. It's still bright and eye catching, it's bold, it doesn't hide the lines and it isn't yellow. Good film and worth the entrance fee without a doubt. Maybe this summer film season can deliver, fingers crossed.

Nice to see Dani Pedrosa win his first MotoGP on Sunday and it continues to make the championship the most interesting since I started watching them. Had a top chicken roast for tea. Man I love bird flu if it means a medium chicken feeding 2-3 cost £3.39 yet a large feeding 4-5 cost only 50p more. Always worth upgrading as you can never have too much chicken! Watched Bad Boys II again on sunday night, what a great, entertaining film that is. The perfect film for Michael Bay's style of flashy, more sizzle, long lingering slo mo shots style of film making. Agreed that it's hardly high brow stuff but with it's collection of wisecracks, fast cars, explosions, guns, hot birds and copy buddy chemistry is there a better blokes film? Talk soon.

Local election and sleepbank deposit 09/05/2006

Back to the office with a spring in my step. It's great to have a long weekend but it does throw out my natural order. For a start I didn't go swimming on Monday which formed a rather pathetic excuse for not going to the gym the remainder of the week.

Tuesday was Lost night as the second series was starting on Channel 4. I was trying not to get excited but sometimes elevating something you mildly enjoy into event is not a bad thing, especially if it's a normal weekday evening. I watched the final episode with my brother and girlfriend last year and we gathered around the tv again, belly full of pizza and a glass of coke in hand. It delivered as far as I was concerned. It gave answers, it was satisfying and even though it created other questions I didn't feel robbed or cheated. Some of the mid season episodes last year (and the same may happen this year) seemed to offer little and although I tried to take on board what I was being shown I would find myself watching the clock and realising that I wasn't going to get anything substantial in that episode. Don't get me wrong I enjoy being captivated and looking forward to things but watching those episodes I got frustration rather than satisfaction.

One thing that was quite cool, and was probably repeated in the US, was during the advert breaks there were a couple of strange adverts that showed stuff about making the world a better place and had images of DNA, Jesus etc. Initially I wondered whether it was some kind of teaser campaign for the The Da Vinci Code which is due to open soon at the cinemas. Lo and behold in the third episode they introduced the Honso foundation and the next advert break the advertisement was repeated. It was for the honso foundation and even gave a telephone number which I called to hear a Honso Foundation recorded message. That to me is pretty cool and I was impressed with that clever stunt. Anyway I was pleased with the viewing experience and enjoyed what I watched. Ok it's no Angel but when there isn't a great deal on TV to get excited about having something is good.

Wednesday was busy at work, especially as I was off the following day. I hit Sainsburys at about 11.15pm that night to pick up some provisions for the next day. Along with my brother I was working with an old work colleague as a polling clerk in the local elections. The previous year she had gotten my brother and I jobs working as vote counters which was different and paid (which is always good). This year we stepped up to work in a polling office all day with her. Even though it was going to be an early start I still felt really good wandering around the shops. I might have been having to get up at 4.30am but it was still a holiday and I was going to enjoy the slow meander round the deserted shop and amble back to the car. I headed home, naturally feeling good after any form of food purchase. I think there's something about my purchase glow when buying food. It just gives you this feeling that 'hell the shops could burn down for a few days and I'd be alright jack'. Got in, made rolls and prepared provisions. I didn't hit the sack until 2.30am and was up two hours later. It was amazing to be up so early, it be so light and the roads be so empty. Naturally I was over cautious of the traffic and arrived at the church hall in Tunbridge Wells at 6.00am. We had thought of stopping to grab some nosebag, but naturally everywhere was shut. Our friend arrived soon after and we set up the church hall which was excellent. It was less than a year old, with plenty of windows, a large kitchen (which we were allowed to use) which had a big fridge and constant, boiling water for the manufacture of tea! We opened the doors at 7.00am and remained open until 10.00 pm. It was a long day but we amused ourselves, we chatted, we munched, bro and I played some scrunched up paper tennis and later used the circular plastic lid of a tub of mini viscounts to play frisbie (nice work bro). It was a lovely sunny day so at least we had a very British way of breaking the conversational ice with people coming in.

I had a brief moment of excitement when I saw a car pull up outside of someone who been involved in a non serious car accident. She wasn't hurt but the car was dented at the front. She was blonde and looked quite cute. She seemed in control and was on the phone to people. After pestering from my friend I went to investigate and offer help but managed to return to the office with her mother to get two cups of water as she was on the mobile to the AA. What a casanova! She did come in to sit down with her mum while they waited for the AA guy to arrive but in typical girl fashion managed to mention her boyfriend in like the first sentence she uttered to me. Yeah ok, I get it, you've got a man. It wasn't like I was leering or being over friendly but I guess some girls have to establish the boundaries asap. Our friends partner brought in fish'n'chips at around 6.00ish which was mucho yummy and powered us through to 10.00. Packed up and then off to the town hall for a couple of hours of counting. Although there was a good smattering of honeys in the counting hall and three particular foxes in our 8 man section naturally we were plonked next to the three largest, most un-inspiring females. Ok I was hardly going to seduce the three foxes but someone could have cut us a little slack and sat us next to them. Who knows at least we could have offered them some red bull and received a pleasant smile for our efforts. Easy come, easy go eh! Drove home and must have eventually hit the sack around 1.30ish.

It had been a long day and I had prudently booked the following day off work but we were busy and short staffed so I headed in. I didn't mind, I wasn't grumpy. I love my job and the people I work with and for and if having this job means having to go in, then it's a small price to pay. They did make up for it though with the offer of 'hot lunch' and you know how much I love that. We went for Pizza and I gorged myself on a thin crust meat feast with mushroon. Oh christ it was good. Juicy, succulent, a little messy and very filling. I wasn't tired come the evening and worked a little on my site before eventually heading home to miss the friday night commute. I had nothing planned for Saturday and decided (actually decided on Thursday morning) that I was going to have a shameless, self indulgent monster session sleeping/dozing/snoozing in bed that day. I did, and am a little guilty in admitting that it was until 5.00pm! Fuck it, I needed it and maybe I could have used the time more productively by learning a new language or doing something about world poverty but I wanted to take it easy.

Treated myself to some more excellent fish'n'chips, hell I'd already acted like a slob so why not continue the descent into hell, and a couple of DVD's. Watched the Lord of War with Nic Cage which was ok. A lot like Blow with Johnny Depp, but not quite as good. Also watched on TV American Werewolf in London, what a great film that still is. Funny, entertaining, sexy and scary. The bit where they realise they have walked off the path and the werewolf starts howling is still a tad unnerving.

Half watched a lack lustre F1 on Sunday and then a frankly woeful Brothers Grimm on DVD. I don't know why I gave Terry Gilliam another chance, his films are just out there and usually populated by either atrocious or annoying over acting. Considering it was about French people in occupied Germany (or whatever) the accents were just all over the place. Piss poor. Top Gear made a welcome return that evening and as usual was a lot more entertaining. This was followed by Tears of the Sun, which I think is under-rated. It's a good film with some great action scenes although some of the bits with the african people are a little ham fisted but I guess the subject forced the studios to act like this.

After such a sloth like weekend I hit the pool with renewed vigour on Monday. The amount of girls in their was impressive but in turn depressing. Summer is coming and they are all getting in shape. It acts as motivation I suppose though I do get angry at myself for admitting that their presence bothers me. Well not bother me, but it makes me doubt my appeal to them and remind me that I won't get close to any of them. The frustration does create energy which allows me to swim harder so I guess there is a positive in there! Went to the supermarket afterwards with a commitment to buying only small meals and a lot more vegetables. I'm going to ensure that I head to the gym on Wednesday and again on Saturday. Naturally I've got to ensure I'm tuned into Trance fm for A state of Trance on Thursday as I missed the last one doing the election. Saying that the CD that I ordered turned up and it is brilliant. 82 tracks mixed over two hours (two discs) ensuring that it moves forward apace without getting bogged down in songs. Really, really good and it will be getting much play in the car. I must look at ordering his new album as well.

Oh and finally this week is E3 in Los Angeles. As some may know this is the yearly computer gaming exhibition and this year there are rumours of a trailer of Halo 3. No need to say that I am pissing my pants about this so fingers crossed that it delivers. Adios compadres.

4.00am cooked breakfast 03/05/2006

Not a huge amount of excitement to discuss I'm afraid. Normal stuff during the week. Thursday night was good though. I've got this new computer that came with these desk top tweeters and a box sub woofer that really do chuck it out. I get excited about the smallest things and those boys really do pump it out, due as well maybe to the acoustics of the office and few things make dance music sound better than having it loud.

Anyway stayed late on Thursday night and was listening to Trance FM on the iTunes radio and started to listen to 'A state of trance' which is a weekly two hour long mix of trance mixed and hosted by a dutch DJ called Armin van Buuren. Man, the tunes he was dropping were awesome. Melodic, tuneful tracks with a thumping trance beat which sounded fantastic through the sound rig. I love music as I'm sure you know by now and every tune that he dropped made my smile grow ever wider. I started to hunt around the web for info on him before finding his website. I registered and then found myself discussing the show with other listeners as it was playing. Madness, the internet age is a wonderful time. I was so impressed that that even while it was playing I tracked down some CD's that he'd done and bought one online.

I should know about these DJ's but I found that the superstar DJ's of the late 90's (fatboy slim, pete tong etc) never impressed me. They always seemed to play non commital, banal house that never fired me up and because of this I began to assume that if new DJ's were popular and big time they would be the same. How wrong was I. Tiesto impressed me last year and Armin has really fired me up. He's a guy that seems to know his shit both in choice of other tunes to play and also the creation of his own.

What better advertisement for the internet than the wonder of hearing some great mixing and tunes, doing some investigating, chatting to others in the know and making a purchase while you are still listening to the mix. It's times like this where I wish I was younger so I could embrace the opportunities that the internet age really opens up. I only say this because I'm a little bit older than most that listen to this kind of music and thus I think probably unnerve others when I can't control my excitement. I think 34 year olds are meant to be more restrained and reserved.

Friday was a work colleagues birthday and thus we normally always get some kind of junk food for lunch. I'm a simple man and again due to my elevation of the most mundane things bounded out of bed with the concept of a 'hot lunch' to look forward to. The birthday boy made his choice, McDonalds (nice) and then threw down the gauntlet of wanting two double quarterpounders. I wasn't going to let him attempt that challenge alone. Unfortunately we got caught in traffic coming back so by the time we sat down the burgers had been in the box for probably longer than they should have. Never mind, I tucked into them with joy. I found my cheeks begin to turn rosy coloured and my belly quickly fill. Halfway through the second one and I could feel the 'wall' approaching but a quick change of tack with a handily placed chicken nugget helped steer me through to a satisfying close. I felt stuffed and sated and had to resort to a mid afternoon red bull to prevent a slide into 'full belly fatigue'.

Headed out on saturday night to Infernos again. Went with an old friend and it was nice to have three of us heading out. I did my best to get drunk and went for it a bit in the early part but a lack of female interaction curbed my enthusiasm. We chatted to a couple of girls but it was just in passing and none really caught my eye (as I'm sure I didn't for them) and hence there were no card receivers. Strange isn't it. I only produced sixteen of these and thought they would be flying out but proving the theory of when you look you don't find I can't seem to see anyone worthy of receiving them.

Granted this might sound arrogant and shallow but it isn't meant to be. Normally on nights out I will see at least one girl that I think is quite cute. I ain't that good at chatting up so rather than walking by and thinking she was nice or paying a one off compliment this way I can give them something that might be a little different. If they choose to read my site before tearing up the card and something makes them smile then great. If they don't then no harm done but at least it leaves the chance that they might contact. As I said to someone recently, sometimes the possibility of 'maybe' is better than the reality of 'never'. It's yet to work though.

By the end of the night I was drunk but not uncontrollably so. Got in at about 4.00am ish and was mucho hungry. Why wait for breakfast I thought, if I have it now it might soak up the alcohol and lessen the chance of a hangover. Being drunk can lead to overconfidence and a blurring of what is sensible but as I was alone and no concern of waking anyone created myself a plate of sausages, fried eggs, mushrooms, baked beans, toast and a glass of milk. Needless to say I ate well, slept better and felt great the next day or later in the day. What a date I'd make eh. Take a girl out, act chivalrously, be the type to dance and have fun rather than remain moodily motionless, take her home, cook her a slap up breakfast and then love her in the bedroom like she's never been loved!! I should just draw a line.

A little sunday morning lay in and then watched a cracking MotoGP. As I've said before Valentino Rossi is no doubt very talented but this talent can make the races very pedestrian but in this he was back in 8th or 9th while the leaders where literally duking it out like I've not seen in a long time. New boys Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa where riding superbly and both look like bringing such a breath of fresh air to the season. Normally the excitement on these races peters out near the end as everyone settles for their positions but in this race they were battling to the very end. Sensational stuff and I can't wait for the next one which is in China.

Headed to a local bar in the evening where I wore the Geek t-shirt. Only two comments really. One from a girl who was surrounded by a sea of men and one from another guy who thought it amusing. It was an okay night but as I was driving it wasn't a mad, drunken, dancing night (not that I need to drink to dance). Due to the red bulls I'd drunk and not having eaten since the full english the morning before I developed some hunger shakes half way through the night. Dropped some people off and some tortilla crisps with a sour cream dip helped push the pangs away. Monday was an even lazier day. I know I sound dreadful but it saves cash, recharges the batteries and does allow me to do some housework. The coming week at work could be busy with a long day planned for Thursday with the election etc. Hang tough.

Boneless box deluxe 25/04/2006

As I feared this last week was a little quiet. After the high jinks of the previous week it was hardly surprising really. Work was quietish, evenings were late doing bits and bobs on the net and I didn't make any time for the gym. It was a short week though what with the Easter holiday Monday.

Friday had a spike though as due to a work colleague's birthday we attempted the new KFC boneless box deluxe. Eight pieces of chicken, two boxes of popcorn chicken, four portions of chips, two large sides and a bottle of Pepsi. I'm probably creating the idea that I'm some junk food eating, bloated monster. I'm not but I'm a simple man who isn't a food facist and believes there is always a time and place for chicken. The time was lunch, the place was work. We got two between four of us, we gorged on fried chicken, chips and soft drink and it was a guilty pleasure. I still prefer McDonalds though so the Big M will still be in business, apart from of course if I'm in the USA and close to an In'n'Out burger.

Seemed to achieve very little on Saturday and with my sleeping patterns seeming to be at best shot to shit and at worst non existent I grabbed some Z's in the afternoon with a litte nap (is the first sign of getting old?) before heading out to see Scary Movie 4. I hadn't expected much but thought if I got just one good laugh like I have in the others, the gammy armed Hanson character in the second film is just hilarious "watch my fanny", then I would be happy. I got some sniggers but where as some of the others poked fun at other films this seemed to just blatantly copy the films. At some points I wondered if I was watching a complete remake or a comedy. Disappointing.

Sunday I watched Crash (the 2004 film). It was good and the interweaving stories all worked well with some good acting and script work but I felt it peaked in the middle and then kind of petered out. The bits where Matt Dillon rescued Thandie Newton, the black prevented his car being jacked and then lost it with the police officers and the crescendo with the hispanic locksmith and his daughter, which almost brought me to tears. Maybe this was too much of a high though because the ending with the telegraphed reformed gangsta felt a little forced. A very good film nonetheless and I'm glad I saw it.

Followed this with my legendary Spaghetti Bolognaise which still delivers and then a visit to the DVD archive for a showing of Aliens. I do like this film and there is a lot of really classy stuff. The space marines, the numerous quotes (most of them from Hudson), the sentry guns, the outstanding death scene of Vasquez and Gorman and the whole powerloader/queen alien scrap. The trouble is I never really liked Ripley's character. I know she had to be tough and couldn't be all frilly but I always felt her a little too arrogant and the character of Newt grated one's nerves a couple of times. Kids in action films don't always go and even directors like James Cameron can drop the ball and let them descend into annoying brats (see True Lies, sweet jesus, couldn't she have just fallen off the crane). Stayed up late on Sunday night to watch some World Superbikes and even despite hitting the sack at 3.00am with a work day to follow couldn't get to sleep. The most restful patch I got was the five minute snooze when the alarm went off!

Another bank holiday weekend approaching so fingers crossed that there will be a slightly more interesting posting for you guys to read next week

The pursuit of Easter weekend fun 18/04/2006

Please excuse my delay in posting. For those observant ones the entry below was a little late but a burglary at the office meant all of our computers were removed and my access to the web limited. Needless to say dealing with this meant a good few days of sorting stuff out and general busy-ness. Still went swimming though, which was thankfully a little quieter due to the school holidays. No girl in the black swimsuit again but I did bump into an old friend and headed back to his for a glass of coke and a chat.

He is a teacher now and a very good school friend, he was the mate who told me how to masturbate way back when I was a teenager and if for nothing else holds a special place for that! His wife is great as well (she's been pestering me for a mention on my site so here it is Jen) and they've just had their second child. We chewed the fat which we are always good at doing and he expresssed concerns over the revealing nature of my website. I put my point across which I think he kind of acknowledged but I understand and respect his opinion.

It was a short week and what with the changes at the office and gym on Wednesday it didn't seem long before it was Thursday night and the start of a four day holiday. Ideas were discussed and nights planned out to ensure full enjoyment of the time off.

Surprisingly I couldn't sleep on Thursday night. It seems to be a regular occurence and one I'm finding hard to fathom. I don't feel overly stressed and when I eventually hit the sack at around 1.00 ish I'm tired yet come 3.00 am and I'm still awake. I console myself that at least if I ever get someone in the sack I'll be able to keep them entertained all night long but I'm sure on that night I'll want to sleep like a baby. A change of bed linen made no difference, as did sleeping at the other end and I ended up having a toasted cheese sandwich and a glass of milk at 4.00 am while I watched an episode of Quantum Leap.

Friday was pretty lazy. A lie in, a little housework, tea, toast and completed Black on the xbox with was long, enjoyable and an orgy of gunfire and mindless destruction. Picked up my friend later on and headed to a bar called the Lounge for a few drinks before the main event. It was pretensious as it had been before and full of 1,000 a day plumbers in their best ripped jeans, open necked white shirts, jackets, brown shoes and gelled hair. The girls were more pleasing to the eye and though in manageable huddles were far too self important to talk to anyone other than their own clan and flirt with the bouncers who seemed to consider themselves even more important than the superstar barmen. We left around 10.00 navigating our way through the hordes of Range Rovers, BMW's and Porsche Cayanne's to my trusty steed.

After a recommendation from a girl we'd met a few months previously we decided to hit a place called Delano's. Many had told me it was a shithole yet no one it seemed had actually been inside it. Whilst queing we began to have our doubts. When I'd phoned the previous night the woman had been specific about the dress code yet it seemed to be being infringed by almost everyone in the queue, which I might add was almost entirely made up of drunken males.

There was a notification of the dress code on the wall which curiously stated that "Anyone wearing Timberland boots must wear a shirt with collar" - how strange. We paid our dues, having to become members in the process which would allow free entry in future if we ever got there before 10.30. We headed downstairs to find a grade A shit hole. One big room with a dance floor at one end, raised worn and faded sofas to two walls, a rectangular bar towards the rear which although having one of those running water walls inset into the middle was the kind of bar with a three shelved fridge but which the staff only felt was worth filling the top shelf with drink. The drink in question being the chic diamond white and their low grade version of red bull being something called Shark. I saw some people drinking cheap champagne and a couple of guys wandering around necking wine straight from the screw top bottle. There was a special VIP room but access was restricted to the normal plebs not by a guarding bouncer or braided rope but simply a black plastic dustbin - class!

There was the occasional pretty girl and a lot of hood rats but all the guys were younger and had this nervous, twitchy air about them that felt like it could kick off into a fight at any moment. They either seemed to be the shaven headed type or ones that modelled themselves on Jamie Oliver. At point a Pamela Anderson wannabe was ordering some drinks from the bar when a guy lay on his back, right on the floor with his face between her feet so he could look up her skirt. As if not repellant enough that he would think that action ok or laughable was his willingness to lay down on one of the scummyest floors I've ever seen. I'm no snob (ok maybe) but I'm sometimes disgusted by just letting the soles of my shoes touch the floor of a nightclub let alone lying on it.

I think we were noticed and probably for the wrong reasons but if we'd been younger, rougher, drunk and knew more people we might have had some fun but as this wasn't the case we left after about an hour or so. I guess you have to try new places, which we did and at least we now know what it is like though I don't think we will ever frequent it again. A disappointing night and not, I hoped, a foretaste of how the rest of the weekend might pan out.

Mid morning start on Saturday with a particularly long, arduous and sweaty session in the gym. On leaving the changing room I couldn't help but stop when I heard the most ridiculous song being played in the gym. Lady in Red by Chris de Burgh, well thats certainly a change from the collections of 90's pop house that they usually play to motivate the masses. Hair cut and then back home for a spot of home prepared carbonara. Yes I bought a Lloyd Grossman sauce but I did still chop the onions, bacon and mushrooms before adding to the tagliatelle and sauce. It was excellent, if a little tough to serve and the sprinkling of grated cheddar cheese naturally lifted it to a higher plane.

Getting ready to go out that night was made more fun as due to not having to drive I could have a drink or two during the preparations. Brother and I downed a couple of natty little shots that we had prepared which included aftershock, baileys, vodka and absinthe (85roof no less). It was a great drink actually with the Baileys helping it to slip down and the Absinthe making it's presence known by causing the hairs on your arms to stand up and your eyes to mist up. We carried on getting ready with 100 greatest TV themes playing and enjoying everything from the A-team to Cagney & Lacey. I slipped on my Geek t-shirt which I hoped would generate interest and grabbed my business card holder as I hoped to see some potential receivers in Infernos. The cab ran us to Clapham, collecting a friend en route and after grabbing an expensive drink in some bar we hit the club.

Like the High Street it was worringly devoid of life. We played some table football (the one with the fixed players on a pole that can spin round) between the three of us which wasted some time and generated some laughter. A drunken girl staggered up to us at one point. I tried to engage her in some conversation but she was a little too far gone. She was quite cute but after chatting a little more she simply wandered off. She attempted to head down the five simple steps that had led her up to where we were and just as my bro quietly muttered 'go on love, stack it' she tripped down the last few steps. Poor thing, I did feel for her but she was truly hammered. A few people went over to help and I did wonder where her friends were that they would just leave her on her own to fend for herself in such a pissed up state. She started chatting to two random guys and we headed upstairs.

The second level which is classly called 'The Discotheque' reeked of chunder, spilt milk and playschool plasticine which seemed to come and go in nauseous waves. One of the bar men did a great sales pitch by saying it would be busier the following night and when we grilled the roaming Sambuca girl she said the same. She was mighty fine but typically the best piece of arse we saw all night was one that we had to pay for. I think it was just the knowledge that by me drinking we didn't have the ability to move on if the night continued to disappoint. I hadn't been to Inferno's before when I was drinking and had been hoping for a messy evening. The ridiculously expensive bar bills put paid to that notion as we must have had a 120 whip between the three of us yet hardly seemed to get drunk. The club did begin to fill up and soon we seemed to be surrounded by nothing but rugger twats and guys who seemed intent on storing their drinks on the table we were leaning on.

We decided to move downstairs for a little more room, taking station at a table closer to the dance floor. The music got better or the alcohol began to take effect, not sure which, and I felt my feet begin to move and my mood begin to lighten. I'd hoped that tonight might be a good night for girls or mad fun and I think once I'd resigned myself to the fact that neither were going to happen I began to attempt to obtain a different form of enjoyment - dancing. There were a couple of podiums on the stage that were infrequently occupied by people of differing dancing abilities. I told my crew that I felt a podium appearance would be made this evening if the right song came on. Call on me by Eric Prydz dropped and that was it.

I raced across the dancefloor, bounced up onto the stage and hopped into the podium. I went for it, as by now I'm sure you can imagine. It's a good song to dance to and I let rip with the requisite hip thrusting, head twirling, body rubbing, pretend pulling the towel through your legs, bar grabbing, arse shaking routine that was needed. The song finished and I left the podium. No slaps on the arse, no smiles from anyone though I had heard clapping whilst performing my little routine. Unfortunately I did most of it with my eyes closed which although making me look like a way too serious twat did prevent the risk of seeing a sea of angry or laughing faces which would have curbed my number quicker than my pants falling down.

The three of us moved onto the dancefloor for the remaining hour and went for some high energy dancing to the likes of Thriller and Take on me. There was a very nice blonde who was close to us but she was draped all over this other guy. My friend got chatting to her mate and I although I kinda fancied her didn't attempt any eye contact because she was clearly into this other guy. I carried on dancing and the guy suddenly disappeared. I tried to ascertain what had happened from my chum and apparently the guy was gay and wasn't interested. What a waste.
A few guys seemed to suddenly close in on the blonde and rather than demean myself I continued to dance and laugh at their attempts to subtley, but not so subtley, get her attention. I even made a comment to her about their leaden attempts which made her laugh but I didn't want to push it. Unfortunately the time of our cab was approaching and I gave some thought to giving her a card (by the way when I say this I don't expect giving them one is going to guarantee me anything. I don't expect it to open their hearts or for them to suddenly realise what a fantastic guy I am but I only have limited numbers and hence I want to ensure that at least as far as I am concerned they have gone to girls who I personally think had something very special). She had a nice face, nice hair, good body and a low cut top but the fact that I'd only seen her for about twenty five minutes and in that time she had been chasing someone else made me think it would have been impetuous. If we'd had more time to interact maybe but she disappeared to the toilet or the bar and we left to get our cab.

Bro and I must have got in at about a quarter to four with a serious attack of the munchies. Granted I'd had a few but I was still ok and thus thought fuck it and fired up the grill and the deep fat dryer. Fifteen minutes later and we sat down to a plate of chips, baked beans and some rashers of bacon (which had been under the buy one get one free from Sainsburys earlier). Washed down with a cold glass of milk left a pleasantly full belly and cheerfully banished any chance of a hangover the following morning or later in the day if you know what I mean. Needless to say I slept well.

Sunday was relaxed. The normal chores of washing etc but a few cups of tea and the last two episodes of the third series of Quantum Leap were very enjoyable. In the last episode Sam received electro shock treatment at a mental institute which derailed his own personality and meant he dipped in and out of some of the other people that he had leapt into previously. It was a great episode and ended with him receiving another dose of electro shock treatment which caused him to leap but also connect with Al which meant that in a clever twist Al became physical and Sam became a hologram. It might not make much sense if you are not a geek/nerd/fan (denote as you see fit) but it made me look forward to getting the fourth series when it comes out.

Being Easter Sunday we headed over to my aunts for a family get together. They are normally held in the afternoon and I felt a bit bad as I'd made plans to head out with a friend on Sunday night to see if all the rumours about everyone being out on Sunday night instead of Saturday night were true. Thus I got to my Aunt's at 7 ish to tell her that I had to leave at 9.30. Strangely though giving myself a time limit compelled me to make a greater effort in chatting to my relatives and by the time I left I felt I'd talked to them more than I normally would have done.
Headed back to a local bar which, as some had predicted. was rammed. We had a few soft drinks as we had both driven there and with the downstairs part accepting no more people decided to call Inferno's bluff and see if it was busier. It wasn't. Strangely enough the management had closed the 'discotheque' upstairs though I hope this was as much for a damn good clean and fumigation as it was to maintain the numbers in the downstairs area. Not much was happening really. We did some people watching but the place wasn't catching fire. At one point my friend went to the toilet and returned with a beaming smile on his face. I asked what was up and he said well I ain't showing off but whilst taking a piss this guy had come in to pee next to him in the trough (he isn't pee shy like me you see) and then turned to say "I hope you don't mind me saying but a man with a knob that big could be a very confident man". My mate complemented the guy on having the confidence to wear a hat in the club which he was and told me that it wasn't a gay come on in any way. Dispels my theory about guys looking at others guys cocks when they are in the toilet doesn't it?

Tall, good looking, well off and now with an independantly recognised huge cock. Maybe my friend can throw some of his grade 10 scraps my way!

Monday was my last lie in before the return to work (not that this is something I dread) but I seemed to wake at half nine. I'd got in at about three ish yet felt that I'd had such a deep rewarding sleep that for a moment I was convinced I'd slept right through Monday and it was now in fact Tuesday and I was late for work. Watched Wedding Crashers in the afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed it. Friends had said it was good but I'd missed it at the cinema and then had been reluctant to hire it out. It was great and I really identified with the two main characters. Granted they lied to get into the weddings but they weren't lazy sloths when in and did basically make the weddings by getting everyone going. Yes they may have told some fibs to the girls but they had made themselves the life and soul of the party and had put in the hours with the kids and old folks so I felt they kind of deserved the spoils. It also wasn't like they drugged the girls or anything, just basically wowed them into bed. I've never had this kind of success at weddings and haven't been to that many but a couple that I've been to and one particularly when I was an usher I think I made a huge impact, along with another friend, in getting everyone up and dancing and having a great time. The opening montage was excellent and really set the scene with a bevy of beautiful honeys including one called Diora Baird, who I confess I paused the film for to get a better look at, wow!

I know it was a rom com that followed a lot of cliches but I really bought into them and actually seemed to care about them all for a change including both girls who I also liked. It's funny but it showed that sometimes it takes lying (not that I would do this as I 'm a crap liar and think honesty is the best policy) to put yourself in totally unique and exciting positions. Let's face it unless you do something completely out of the ordinary how will you break the monotony of your normal surroundings and in turn meet people that you might not normally meet. A really enjoyable film but fear not it isn't going to make me start crashing weddings though maybe I'll try to look at them differently if I get to go to anymore. I know this sounds cheesy but I was really impressed by the line about what the definition of true love is. It's your souls recognition of it's counterpoint in another. I know in the film they tried to dismiss it with a joke about it being on a bumper sticker but I've got to say that for me it's one of the best definitions that I've ever heard and the one that I'd like to achieve.

Watched Star Trek II in the evening. I know this will open me up to more cries of geek but it's my favourite Star Trek film and so much better than the trash they started farming out from number V onwards. This has the legendary Kobiyashu Maru test and a genuine worthy adversary in the form of Khan. It also reminds me of the time when films had a real wonder to them. The score for it is the best ever (by James Horner) and it has the maturity to deal with the notion that a big victory has to come with a sacrifice and none bigger than Spock sacrificing his life for the good of the ship. Great drama and I love how when Kirk comes down and sees that his friend has died simply slumps to the floor, defeated as if the stuffing has been knocked out of him. For me this is how grief should be portayed. When you see a vibrant character that has almost bounced through the film reduced to a deflated, shell shocked state it has more impact and in turn more resonance with the audience. Well I liked it anyway.

Right oh that's been a bit of a monster session hasn't it. I see next weekend being very quiet with a watching of ones finances so you might want to give it a fortnight before checking back. Take care and in the words of Dave Allen may your god go with you.

A little female interaction 10/04/2006

So what exciting things did I do during the last week I hear you cry. I didn't find love or enlightenment, just tried to muddle through as everyone else does I guess. Monday was swimming, goggles were tighter and the water less chlorinated so I know you'll be delighted to hear that my eyes weren't rendered sore and unsightly. Mid week went to Ikea, which as readers of my observations will note I always enjoy. Meatballs and meandering dreams of homely bliss are always a nice way of breaking up the week.

I did see Elizabethtown at the beginning of the week. It was ok but Orlando Bloom doesn't, I think, have star power to hold the audience (well certainly not me) and I didn't warm to Kirsten Dunst. Two highlights though were a. the scene where the two leads had this mammoth talking session on their mobile phones. I liked that because I've always liked the idea of when you make a real connection with someone not wanting it to stop. A lot of women (not all) that I've encountered since my late 20's are always seeming to want to put things off to another day. There is never any spontaneity, never running with the energy, living for today or preparing to break your routine for something a little special. They always have to be so pre-ordained, so "let's talk another day, I'm tired" or "I want to get an early night". I really love that live for the now, go getting attitude and get frustrated when I encounter it's safe, boring counterpart. Anyway this was one part that I liked and the other was a great rendition of Free Bird played at the wake of Orlando's dads funeral. Always good to hear that wicked song.

A friend in the office got me a couple of t-shirts printed, both in black. One of them had my website on the back and the other, borrowing the idea and tagline from Film Geek, had the word "Geek" printed on the front and "My Knowledge. Your Misery" printed on the back. Some might think it stupid but I think it's class and may make someone laugh.

Gym on Thursday and went out on Friday after work. I was driving but the venue was good and there were a lot of honey's in there. The tingle of an oncoming spot had my self confidence lower than normal though nothing seemed to materialise. They had a DJ in there and around 9.30-10.00 ish he began to drop some quality 70's -80's cheese and I felt my feet begin to tap. Footloose came on and that was it, the touch paper was lit and I was off. With one of my mates, who used to be a great dancing partner, we hit the small dance floor and gave it all we had, and I confess it was fairly spectacular. Other people were clapping along and we got down to the music. I really love a good dance and even if sober strive to get everyone else going whether friends or complete strangers. Though this is normally in the form of clapping and returning smiles to their points and stares. I would never force anyone to dance as some people do, I just prefer to encourage. You can't beat a good boogie can you and once I've gone through the first dance and it's accompanying self conscious paranoia I might aswell be drunk because I really don't care.

Grabbing my crotch, belting out the words, rubbing up against walls, anything to enjoy myself or make those around laugh or join in. I had one guy who seemed to be with another couple 'bigging me up' with cheers and claps. It was nice that he was having a good time but I'm aware that without a female attached to my shoulder I probably do look a little gay with my high camp antics! Back to a friends afterwards for a tea and a glass of champagne for the others before returning home in the early hours.

To be honest I couldn't be arsed to do a great deal on Saturday and when I realised that the MotoGP was on (as opposed to Sunday) a cup of tea and a relax on the sofa was in order. Some xbox followed and then headed out to catch a film and something to eat. Saw the Inside Man which was ok and although clever didn't seem to be as satisfying as I'd hoped it might be. A chinese followed and then down to a local bar. I wished I'd worn my Geek t-shirt but thought I might not have got in without a collar. I needn't have worried but there is always next time. I spied this one girl whilst we were having a drink and amazingly about fifteen minutes later she came over with a friend to have a chat, though I'm sure this was down to my accompanying friend who is tall and good looking.

She had a great slim figure, an attractive face and just a wonderful set of emotive eyes. It's been a long time since I chatted to a girl in a nightclub and it took me a bit of time to find my stride. I think she was quite drunk and when talking to me or my mate would have her arm round our necks and be pressed up close. I know it was probably just her way and that her personal body space boundaries were shot to shit due to being drunk but I can't deny that it didn't feel great. The music wasn't excessively loud but she felt the need to get her mouth right into my ear when she talked to me and I could feel her slim little body leaning into mine. It was nice to feel the presence of a girl so close and once or twice I'd put my arm round her waist to steady her and that also felt pretty good. As I said she was doing the same to my friend so I was trying not to delude myself that she was in anyway attracted to me.

She was an estate agent which I used to be and I did feel a connection because of this but I could tell she was certainly more of the 'salesy' type that I never was and far more concerned with her performance and exceeding targets etc. She was intriguing, fascinating and very pretty and because of all this highly unlikely to be single. I chatted to her friend when she was talking to my mate and we bought them a few drinks. They headed off downstairs to do some dancing and I thought that was the last we would see of them. She was very flirtatious and I gathered it wouldn't be long before the blokes descended on her like hungry wolves.

We decided to get one more drink and they surprisingly returned. I thought I would become a little more cheeky with her, which was fun and we engaged in a little banter. Closing time came, they were getting a cab and after the bouncer who asked us to move along had tried to hit on her, she waved and then went. We didn't hang around either and my mate dropped me home. It made a nice change for once to spend the evening chatting to a couple of girls and I confess that my mind strayed to her a number of times as I attempted unsuccessfully to get some sleep, due in no small part to the three or four cans of red bull that I'd consumed. I didn't give her a card although I did have them with me. I think she was a little out of my league, probably high maintenance and too tipsy to even remember me.

With no F1, no Motogp and no Planet Earth the Sunday was looking a little bleak so a quick scoot to the shops for the ingredients of a fine roast chicken dinner and a couple of DVD's were required. Brother and I watched Friday Night Lights which I think is a really good American football film. Although not quite as good as my favourite, Remember the Titans, it was good to see it again. The film makes more of an effort to show how the fortunes of a college football team can affect the small hick town (in this case Odessa, Texas) and the resulting pressures on the team and coach to perform well. I never performed particularly well in sports at school but watching these college football films makes you wonder how big a 'face' you could be if you were a player, or even a key player, in the college football team. They do all take it really seriously and as well as contemplating the obvious benefits of your college life in being a player, you wonder how hard it must be to get noticed if you don't play. Either way it's a very good film, with some standout performances and an excellent guitar based accompanying score.

We also watched Doom, which I saw at the pictures, and is a lot better than you would expect it to be. Granted it ain't no shakespeare but I do like the Rock and the way the story dealt with the creation of mutants and supermen through the missing genome was quite clever. The first person piece which lasted about five minutes and obviously was a nod to the film was very well done.