Internet Usage

I came second in the work internet usage competition with a fifth of November's total coming from unacceptable "Social Networking" sites the rest mostly coming from exciting software and hardwear sites, I guess that means flickr and the gravychain. I only managed about a third of the total of the overall winner, who dabbled in a plethora of subjects.

Lonnie Donnegan Tribute

-- from Big Richard C - (?)

Paul wanted to go and see some oldsters playing Lonnie Donnegan songs in the Duke of Wellington on Monday. Which was ok but it meant that I missed CSS yesterday and Juana Molina tonight because I spent too much money. Bugger. I missed sexy brazillian punk funk girls and haunting argentine electronica for a load of octegenarians with washboards.

The Lonnie Donnegan tribute came complete with soap box bass and washboard and were actually quite good. Afterwards was a fat girl who thought she could sing, she couldn't, she was crap. All the old blokes fancied her.

Happy Feet

I took Joshua to see Happy Feet. It is fucking awful.

Hungover Saturday

Hungover. Got up felt tired. Took Joshua for long walk through lots of parks. Felt better. Met Joe for a beer. Quite a nice day.

3 Step Scuzz Ragga or Something

Friday was fun. Met Ben and Stuart for lots of very tasty after work kolschs at the german market. Could have stayed there all night but I had to collect Joshua and take him to my Mom and Dad's house. Later I headed back out to meet JoePhilStephenRachaelandDavid in Atticus in Bearwood. It was a salsa party. Joe was drinking girlie cocktails (later to complain that they gave him a hangover). I felt like I was only there ten minutes when Emma rang to tell me that I should collect her from work and we should go to a reggae night at rooty frooties. I met all of her workmates who seem cool. Drank too much. Even alcohomolpops. Caroline and Rich were there too. Music was alright, danced. Smoked tooooo many cigarettes. Was told that I was "really really really really really really lovely" by the girl from the train with huge eyes and pigtails and that it was "really really really really really really really cool" to see me. Got tired about four (eleven hours after meeting Ben). Got told off for wanting to go home at half five.

Feeling Rough

Nick came up with his new girlfriend at the weekend but I wasn't lively as I would have liked to have been because I had such a heavy cold. Instead of dragging him out to some dodgy nightclub till a silly time in the morning, we went to the Country Girl on Friday and stayed in Saturday, ate curry and drank wine. Which in fairness he probably enjoys more.

I'm still feeling rough now I had to sit down after doing the vacuuming earlier.

Ojos de Brujo

Ojos de Brujo were good, well at least what we saw of them was. We were late and what with the need to leave the auditorium to get beer or smoke every few minutes we probably only saw a third of the gig.

Not that it mattered the night was good anyway, we missed the last train back, the only thing that really seemed to be open late in Coventry was Dogma. Paul wasn't too keen but I dragged him in (he kept mentioning the weatherspoons). It was a club of two extremes, upstairs is a poncy overbright bar of the broad street variety downstairs a dingy electrohouse club of the digbeth style. Paul didn't like either and drank himself to sleep.

Caught the National Express bus home and got in again after three. This time no Jeff Mills.

Edward's Birthday

Going out on a Tuesday night to a club full of teenagers till threeish in the morning is wrong. But it was my brother's birthday and he would never have forgiven me if I had said that I needed to be tucked between the sheets away from the elements or that I was writing prose in homage to pussy like some of my more mature friends had (mature maybe is the wrong word, lazy, boring, useless, perhaps??). So whilst still not completely right does allow some level of mitigation.

Starting off in the Square Peg I met up with Edward and his girlfriend Laura, I was approximately two minutes late and he had already rung my mobile to find out where I was, when his two friends Phil and Igor where fifteen minutes late he became very concerned. The square peg is very cheap and has a huge range of beers and lagers, the ideal place to get tanked up before heading on, the original plan was to go to a chinese but I think they were seduced by the cheapo weatherspoons beer and burger deal (being silly teenagers they scraped the salad of their plates).

Several more different lagers later Ben rang and we arranged to meet in the Sunflower Lounge, then he rang again to change his mind and finally once again to confirm that he was in fact definately going to join us.

The Sunflower Lounge was very busy, strange considering it was a Tuesday night. We played on the quiz machine and wasted lots of money (or at least I wasted lots of money and they shouted out the wrong answers) and drank lots of beers. My brother had arranged to meet some more friends in the bar but they didn't turn up so he was quite pleased when Ben arrived.

My eyes were probably very glazed by this point because everything becomes a little blurry from now on. Ben went home at closing time, I should have done too, and the next thing I knew I was in the Barfly listening to crap music from the nineties. I introduced myself to the DJ as a relic from the previous decade and would he so good as to play Underworld's seminal hit Born Slippy, he just shrugged and grunted like Kevin the Teenager and played some shit by Take That instead, ha ha, cool DJ.

I was rather sozzled when my brother suggested it was time to go home.

When I did get home I listened to the entire Exhibitionist album by Jeff Mills at full volume before finally hitting the sack. My poor neighbours. ;)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/st00ka/309696036/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/st00ka/309696037/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/st00ka/309696041/

Sleepy Richard

Here is a picture of me before I was able to stay out partying all night. It only just over two years ago. I blame Dan!

Joe may mock but then I didn't sleep for twenty hours a day like he did.



-- from CmdrGravy - (?)

Sonar 2007

I want to go to Sonar again next year. Return plane tickets from Coventry to Barcelona are still about £50. Festival tickets last year came to about £60-70 for the three days.

They've got some music to listen to on their website which gives an idea of what it's all about. Everything from stoner/drone metal to dubstep to techno.

Sonar a lá Carte

Silly Saturday

What a stupid night!

I quite fancied going clubbing but knew that I would have been out on my own so instead went to the Country Girl with Joe and Phil and didn't really plan to do much. It was quite a pleasant evening but as usual after a beer or two I start thinking not about having a couple more chilled out beers followed by a reasonably early night rather where I can find some loud music and strobe lights, how late I can stay out and how much more of a punishment my body can take.

Closing time came and still I was undecided as whether or not to carry the night on. Having a slight bias to being sensible I decided to walk home with Joe however when I reached home just after midnight I decided that it was much too early to go to bed. Not wanting to sit up listening to music/watching TV/drinking on my own, I thought fuck it and caught a taxi into town.

I wanted to see Tim Sheridan from ververywrong at the cocoon club but the door was locked because the place was full, instead I thought that I'd walk across town and try Annie Nightingale at Air but the bouncer said that it was ten quid in and only about fifty people had turned up, I figured that wouldn't be much fun. Next I tried Rooty Frooties but it was bang bang bang hard house and did not fancy that.

I had wanted a change from the med bar but was glad that I ended up there because I bumped into Rich, Steve Lawler was the best DJ I've seen for a while and the place full of very beautiful women.

The music finished too quickly I wanted to stay out longer, luckily so did Rich and his two mates Rob and Ross. After clubbing is always a bit of a daft idea, we chose the Bash Bar which seemed to be full of russian women and polish men. It was fun, I chatted to loads of random people and drank too many beers.

I had left my phone in cab and had my faith restored in humanity when the cab driver turned up in the club about an hour later to return it.

I had the shock of my life when I finally decided to go home, not only was it light but people were arriving in town to go shopping. That's a stoopid time to be leaving.

It's kind of cool living in a city where I don't have to go out till one in the morning but also it's dangerous. Sitting on the bus on the way home I was wondering if I am now the biggest hedonist that I know but clearly I am not as Rich was intending to go straight to work when I left. I also pondered whether I should get something/someone to occupy my Saturday nights with and if the pretty girl sat behind me on the bus who'd obviously just finished clubbing too would mind if I start talking to her. I didn't I was too scared. ;)

Subtle

I got stuck at work to quite late last night, there were some contractors here who don't know the difference between 15 mins and an hour and a half. Instead of going home I decided to stay in town, get something to eat and go and see a band. I had the choice between Amy Winehouse, some up and coming "indie" act at the Barfly or a six piece that described themselves as Avant Hip Hop. I decided on the latter.

The support act were called Culprit One. The were straight out of 1992 West Country rave, the music made me feel quite nostalgic. The best way to describe them was a more melodic version of Senser with long Eat Static style instrumental parts. The MC kept shouting about the Birmingham Massive but there was only about ten people watching, his requests for cheers fell on deaf ears.

The main act Subtle sounded like Beck, Aphex Twin, The Scissor Sisters and Talking Heads had got together to make rap music. They dressed in red, white and black (sound familiar?) and had lots of skulls around the stage as well as some giant teeth. The singer did a strange rambling monologue between each song and told some very daft jokes (one of which was something about fisting).

Every band member was multi-instrumental, the drummer played the guitar, moog and xylophone, the keyboard player also played the flute and bass sax. They had someone playing an electric cello with more fx pedals than the most fx laden guitarist and also had an electronic drummer who looked and sounded like the Aphex twin. They are nomally a six piece band but last night were five.

They sang a song about being told that they had the rarest blood type in the world which they could sell to rich people so they decided to make a dance record?? They did another one about being allowed into the Aphex Twin's nuclear bunker to see his collection of skulls.

They were very good and I recommend people check them out.

http://www.subtle6.com

Rebecca

Rebecca is getting married next week. She has yet to tell me. I've heard it off the woman across the road, Richard and Phil but not off her yet. I think that's a bit rude, I mean we were only together for twelve years and had a child together.

Hit and Miss

I've been feeling a bit up and down lately, I find it very difficult to get up in the mornings in the week and most evenings feel a very down. At the weekend it's almost the opposite I get up early and get out the house and fine pleasure in the silliest of things - walking down the canal, finding a book in a junk shop even lazing around feeling hungover whilst listening to maudlin music is enjoyable. I suppose everyone feels likes this to some extent but I don't remember it being this bad before. To the point where I never want to be bothered going to work.

Saying that I've been OK the last few days, I haven't even had the claustrophobic feelings I normally get around this time of the week. Maybe its the slightly smaller amount of beer and better diet I've had over the last week.

Chris's Stag Do and Andy Weatherall

Chris was worrying a little bit too much about his stag do and lack of recent drinking experience. He had practiced every night for the week leading up to the event by drinking a pint more than the total of the previous night to the point where he was feeling ill.

The stag do was separated into three different activities, first clay pidgeon shooting. I was feeling slightly worse for wear from the previous night's bout of ale and having never touched a gun, let alone a loaded one with catridge capable of taking a man's leg off, naturally I was feeling very nervous. Once I had experienced the recoil and shot a few targets, started to loosen up and actually started to enjoy it. A lot more than I was expecting too.

Next up was paintballing, I'm not the biggest fan but it was fine. It was probably the first time that the stewards knew what they were talking about. Our opposition were cheating little fuckers!

All stag dos involve beer, this one was no different. Grant had arranged for us to go to a comedy night at jongleurs which was very good. Unfortunately once the comedy has finished Jongleurs becomes Bar Risa which is shit. Everybody around me seemed to be completely plastered and I wasn't having much fun. I had to drag dopey Paul away from a group of fighting asian lads that he was trying to bound over to like a hyperactive labrador. A photographer asked me to take Stephen away because he was harassing her, shortly afterwards he started arguing with a couple of girls.

Bar Risa has the nastiest atmosphere I have experienced in any of the dumps that make up Broad Street. I decided to leave, I felt bad with it being a stag do but there was no way that I could have wasted another couple of hours in such a horrible place. (Subsequently I have found out that I was the catalyst for others to make there excuses too, so I don't feel too much like an arsehole now).

Justice and Andy Weatherall were playing at the Medicine Bar and instead of doing the sensible thing and going home I caught a taxi to Digbeth. Strange inside, lots of people in fancy dress. I saw Nick's ex-flatmate dressed as a car crash Princess Diana and loads of Malcom McDowells. It was another night where time stood completely still (not helped by the clock's going back). Justice weren't the best they played too many tunes that I've heard too many times before. I decided to leave I think it was half five (half four). On the way home I needed to stop at a cash machine, a very attractive woman came up to me and started chatting to me and kept me there for quite some time talking about random stuff, after two weeks I still haven't worked out whether or not I missed an open goal.

A good long day.

Tooosday

I've been reading computer manuals today....all day. Why are they so badly written and uninteresting??

I visited a small exhibition in the old Science Museum, rather depressing, photographs of lost industries and soon to be lost industries in a building that itself used to be an electroplating works and is soon to be knocked down to make way for a complex of retail opportunities and 'luxury' flats. Just what Birmingham City Centre needs more empty overpriced apartments, the town planners are stupid.

The Museum of Lost Heritage

But that's it another uneventful Tuesday. I wonder what tomorrow will bring?

Let's Move to the Country

I picked up a book called Reason to NOT Move to the Country. I read a quarter of it sitting on a bus in traffic this afternoon and it has already got me wanting to head off to a new life in rural Suffolk (that's where the author moved to, if anyone was wondering).

Bam Bam Bam

I met Emma and her mates in the Bull's Head in Moseley. The Bull's Head was stupidly busy, somebody was trying to push past me every ten seconds which meant it was impossible to relax and chat or even drink properly.

Once everybody arrived we moved onto the Rainbow. It was busier inside than it has been for long long time, it was really hot and sweaty. Emma was attempting to egg me on to chat up various ladies but all of them were attached. The music ranged from dodgy to OK to ace, the Bam Bam DJ's were a little bit dodgy and fluffed it quite a few times but it was fun and most of the pub was dancing.

I drank two pints, one Corona and half a glass of wine.

'Twas a good night.

Coventry

Continuing with the 'interesting' museum theme I decided to visit Coventry Cathedral. I had never seen it and had heard good things about it. Essentially it is two cathedrals, the first was destroyed by the Luftwaffe in 1940 which now stands as a garden of rememberance. The second cathedral was designed Sir Basil Spence and is a modernist, almost brutalist, structure which unlike some of his other designs actually has some beauty.

I recommend that people visit the Cathedral if for no other reason than to see the sun shine through angels that are etched onto the fifty foot high windows.

Next I visited the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum. Unfortunately it is undergoing some major renovation work and only had two very small galleries open, one containing works by local artists and the other some obscure sculptures. Neither were particularly interesting.

After the disappointment of the Herbert, there was more, the Coventry Toy Museum was shut! And I *REALLY* wanted to go there to see toys from the 1970's just so I say I always wanted one of those. Boo.

Cars, cars and lots more cars, that's what the Coventry Transport Museum contains. Hundreds and hundreds of different types, makes and eras of cars. Mostly I think the museum is aimed at kids and has quite a few 'interactive' sections. One of the exhibits promised loud booms and strobe light effects, I wouldn't get your hopes up.

The museum also houses the Thrust 2 which broke the land speed record and has a thrust 2 simulator so that you can feel what it feels like to drive at ridiculous speeds over desert. The queue was too long and I don't like fast things so I didn't bother.

It's a free museum and probably worth a visit if you are into the history of cars, I'm not but it does have some novely value and does have the open top bus that Coventry City FC used after their FA Cup victory and played the Specials 'Ghost Town' on loop.

Coventry has the ugliest shopping centre in the world but also has a suprising amount of old buildings dotted around the place and some nice modern structures and spaces. I had an interesting day out and I would recommend Coventry for the Cathedral alone.

Whiskey and Walsall

-- from Big Richard C - (?)

Went to the pub with Phil and Paul last night, it pissed down so hard on the way that my umbrella broke with the force of the rain. Stupidly agreed to go back to Phil's house and he plied me with whiskey until it was four in the morning.....

....this meant that I slept through my alarm clock, doh!

I could have called in sick but I decided to ask for a day off which my boss was OK about.

I decided to go to the New Art Gallery in Walsall which is my favourite museum in the Midlands, it is so out of place in Walsall and the building both inside and outside is fantastic and yet it is surrounded by a crappy shopping centre and pound shops It has a two floors that house a permanent collections which includes sculptures by Jacob Epstein and works by Picasso and Edward Burne-Jones, it also contains one of those splatter spin paintings that Damien Hirst did with a local school. There are also two floors for temporary exhibitions. The exhibition today seemed to be a bit of a mish mash of different things.

I have been reading a book called Bollocks to Alton Towers which is about strange museums and days out in Britain. This inspired me to visit the Jerome K Jerome museum (oddly, next to a strip club). Unfortunately this is only open between midday and 2pm on Saturdays. So I didn't get to go.

I visited Walsall's Tourist Information Centre inside the space age bus terminal only to find leaflets for places everywhere in the country except Walsall. I wandered around the crappy shopping centre, looked in a few junk shops and discovered that everybody who lives in Walsall likes dodgy R&B.

Post For History Matters

I wrote this post for the History Matters Mass Blog which will be stored as part of the collection at the British Library. History Matters

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Typical boring tuesday for me I'm afraid. I don't want to get out of bed, don't want to go to work, was enjoying my dreams too much and it's cold outside of the covers. Eventually dragging myself out to the sounds of Terry Wogan about half an hour too late I run the bath, forget to make sandwiches, eat some cereal and goto to the train station about half nine just missing the train.

Ten minutes later and one brisk walk across town. I arrive at work, ten minutes late. I'd like to say that the next eight hours were a blur but it'd be a lie. Sometimes I don't think I have the necessary mindset to be a computer programmer. I don't really like my job. I'm glad when it's lunchtime so that I can pop out and visit the library and flick through the books.

The afternoon drags. Eventually it is time to go home, as usual I am the last to leave, I lock up and catch the train home.

The only food in the house is last night's pizza, everything else in the fridge is starting to smell off. I get a bin bag and clear it out. I reheat the pizza and eat that, not nice.

I don't have a washing machine and I've ran out of clothes so I fill a huge washing bag and catch a taxi to my parent's house. I don't stay long. I walk home popping into the supermarket on the way home, buying only the bare minimum food.

I decide to shave off my silly handlebar moustache, trying along the way a more conventional style which looks completely ridiculous on my face. I consider going to work sporting a 'Hitler', five minutes entertainment at least but actually forget halfway through shaving. Maybe that's something for the next time I go to a festival.

I listen to a James Holden mix CD whilst shaving.

Channel hop for a few minutes, nothing is on so I decide to go to bed and read.

Stir-Crazyness

Last Thursday I went nuts. I had done a weeks worth of hours in four days and had spent the previous seven evenings on my own and was just completely pissed off with long hours followed by long hours of doing absolutely nothing. The thought of having the choice of spending my weekend in some terrible pub or spending another weekend alone just got to me.

Friday night was ok but essentially it was because I did a little of the two things that I wanted to avoid doing. I met people in the Bell, had a few beers, some conversation and then left them to go clubbing alone. I went to dance to Claude VonStroke at the Cocoon Club. It might have been good but I really dont remember much other than going into a very dark nightclub, being written on by a girl with a marker, lots of strobe lights and another girl giving me a lump of concrete.

It finished about four but obviously that was far too early to go home. I got chatting to some random lads one of whom used to work behind the bar at the Country Girl who had also decided that it wasn't bed time and we tried to get into Hidden. Wearing trainers to dance around to funky house is obviously a big no no and a few of us weren't let in. Instead we piled into g2, where they were playing some strange tech-funky house hybrid that just sounded dirty and wrong. Next thing it was light outside and probably time to go home - if I had had a partner in crime I wouldn't have come home till...well who knows.

Saturday was a bit of disaster...

I felt shit all day, I had only four hours sleep. Joshua had me traipse around Kings Heath charity shops looking for Goosebumps books, he wanted to spend the night with my parents, which is where I left him and went home.

Started feeling better after half bottle of wine, Matt had invited me to his Big Trouble in Little China party but I was still without somebody to go with. I arranged to meet Paul and Kerrie and My Brother and his girlfriend at the horrible horrible horrible Wellington Pub, both couples were an hour an a half late. I had the misfortune bump into David and Martin - not the most stimulating pair.

Two taxi drivers couldn't find the warehouse I was looking for. Firstly I got dropped off in the middle of Ladywood, then flagged down another cab who dropped me back in the town centre, I gave up. My brother, Laura and I called in at the Actress and Bishop for a pint.

I really wasn't up for silly amounts of beer drinking so made my excuses and left for home

Hot Chip

I went to see Hot Chip on Tuesday. They were really good. Nobody else had the slightest interest in coming with me. Watching a band on your own isn't much fun.

Why is Everything So Crap!

Fucking fed up. Everyone in Birmingham is fucking useless. Fed up of having to go to places on my own or not go at all. Fed up with crap excuses. Fed up with boring conversations. Fed up with sitting looking at four walls with no fucking conversation. Fed up with shitty job. Fucked off with stupid office politics. Fed up with this shithole city. Fed up with wankers. Fed up sitting in the same fucking seat for eight hours a day. Fucked off with being bored. Fucked off feeling tired. Fed up with not being able to see Joshua as much as I like. Fucked off feeling about as attractive as a worm. Just completely fucked off with everything.

September

The Artsfest

It was really sunny for this year's Artsfest which meant that I didn't see as much as I would have liked, I can't complain I spent most of Saturday afternoon/evening sitting in the sun drinking ale. Nick came up but ran off before I made him go nightclubbing ha ha.

The Sunday was a little disappointing I took Joshua and we went to meet Emma and Caroline but he was unwell and I had to take home again after about ten minutes. The evening was alright but most people decided to stay in so wasn't as fun as it could have been.

Jeff Mills

Jeff Mills was absolutely fantastic, I couldn't persuade anybody else to go with me after the artsfest had finished and ended up in the Medicine Bar on my own till silly o'clock. His music just pulsed and pulsed and pulsed.

Feeling Shitty

As I wrote before, I had been out a ridiculous number of times in a row and a least five of them on my own when I went down to Reading. I was starting to get to me in a really big way, I was not being able to sit still and was really really edgy for about three days. I used to be very calm nowdays I seem to permanently feel the need to be on the go, awake, until I drop. Not good!

Quite sensibly I spent a few days doing absolutely nothing followed by a reasonably quiet weekend.

Lots of Work

I seem to have worked till at least six thirty every day this month. And have actually had some work to do. Today has been extremely long and I am knackered.

Hernan Catteneo

Had another night clubbing on my own, I met Joe, Phil, Stephen and Rachael in the New Inn for a few beers then they started talking about Lord of the Rings so I left them. My Brother, Laura and I headed to The Rainbow but they were being horrible and lovey dovey so I left them too.

I enjoyed the DJ a great deal his silly mullet was ace and I danced for hours. I was very tempted to go to an afterclub but I'm glad I didn't because I might still be there now.

Hernan Cattaneo

I went to see Hernan Cattaneo at the Medicine Bar last night, he has a very silly mullet.

-- from drierp - (?)

No Posts

No posts for a while, I can't say I've not had anything to write about but not having net access at home makes it a little awkward.

I suppose the most important thing that I have done is buy a house. Which is a bit strange considering I never really wanted one. I suppose now I will never have any money.

I've been out pubbing and clubbing as usual. At one point I had been out something like 13 times out of 15 nights and it was starting to get to me a little bit. I managed to get in a reasonably quiet couple of weeks which felt good but this week so far...

August Bank Holiday

Friday night was in the New Inn, as most people know not my first choice but Chris was out for the first time in ages so I headed down to see him. Joe, Phil and David joined us. It was quite nice sitting chatting in a quiet pub but it's not something that I plan to make a habit of. ;)

When I got home I had the strangest urge to weed my front garden, several people walked past and looked at me like I was mad. It was one in the morning after all.

The following morning I awoke fairly early again with a strange urge to do household chores although that didn't last very long. I collected Joshua and we had a walk around Kings Heath, I bought a book about the Sudan and Louis Theroux's Wild World and some CD singles for 30p each (I don't think that I've listened to them yet).

Dan had arranged to meet Emma and Roxy in the Sunflower Lounge at nine. Everybody was fashionably late it was more like ten before we had got there. I had a bit of a thirst on. Emma moaned that the only people that did stuff that she liked doing was me and Dan and now Dan was leaving, it left just me - I think she was talking bollocks, she has lots of mates and none of them go to Harborne every weekend.

After the pub shut we all went back to Dan's fo a bit of an impromptu party. I smoke too many of Emma's cigarettes yet again. I got home about five.

Joshua and my Dad woke me up at half nine wanting me to go to a Car Boot Sale. I was like a zombie. I picked up a Jane's Addiction CD (again I haven't listened to it).

I managed to get half an hours kip on my Mom and Dad's setee before being jumped on by Joshua. After this, we walked the dog to the Yachting Pool. We saw lots of men playing with there expensive radio controlled boats, why do women never build models? Joshua wants me to build him one, ha ha, I the most useless person when it comes to craft.

Then it was back out on the sauce. Rich Meakin and his mate Russ (Ross?) came from Kidderminster and joined Joe, Dan and I at the Custard Factory to see Tiga and 2ManyDjs or 2ManyD(od)j(song)s, he he he. It was a fun night. Rammed till closing time too.

Bed at six only to woken up at eleven again by my Dad. I took Joshua to the Ikon gallery, we saw some paintings of dates which was a bit naff.

Then to finish the weekend off good and proper, The Quiz at the Country Girl, we lost because we didn't know how many letters are worth 5 points in Scrabble. Oh well. Pizza afterwards then bed much too late.

Sleepy Rich

I am worn out. I've not had a decent sleep for ten nights. Life has been a little bit hectic as of late. I enjoyed my week in Reading but going to bed at two in the morning and getting up at seven and then going through a full day of intense training five days in a row sort of takes its toll.

I am dropping off to sleep as I write this and I'm sat in the office.

I have had a couple of very productive days this week full of enthusiasm to get some work done but today I have the motivation of a sleeping koala (or should that be a sleeping Joe?), computer programming is something you have to be in the mood to do otherwise you get stuff wrong which takes ages to fix. This sounds like an excuse but today I haven't been able to concentrate on any of it.

That's probably something to do with staying out till three last night, I met Phil in the White Horse for a couple of beers and then went to the Plough. I probably had too much to drink but I don't think that is the problem. It is the lack of sleep.

Dan's last weekend in Birmingham was never going to be quiet but I didn't expect to woken up at nine in the morning after not going to be till five and then the following at eleven after not sleeping till six thirty and then not very well.

Recharge.

Yes. I need to recharge, a fairly quiet weekend would be nice (well it would be healthy anyhow).

Still Reading

I have seen some live music nearly every day this week. Tonight it seems that there are quite a few Reading Festival warm-up parties on. The place is full of people wearing wellies and rucksacks and 'Metal!' T-Shirts. Dan suggested that I went to the Purple Turtle pub but it was full of kids like the Flapper and Firkin used to be.

Yesterday when I caught the train to London and saw Nick whose face has swollen up and is off work sick. He took me for a balti on Brick Lane and to the Ten Bells Pub next to Spitalfields Market which apparently is a Jack the Ripper pub.

I've heard that it never rains in London?? Yet it always does when I go...why does it always rain on me? ;)

I quite like Reading there seems to be absolutely no town planning whatsover, office blocks next to georgian houses next to ancient ruins next to a great big shopping centre. The Oracle shopping centre is horrible like every other shopping centre and this one doesn't even have shiny hubcaps all over it.

The J2EE course I am on is OK, quite intense, I'm not that use to getting up so early so it's rather difficult trying to keep my eyes open when somebody is taking about message driven enterprise java beans or transaction management at nine o'clock even after ten coffees.

Reading

I'm in Reading, it is very exciting, there are a ridiculous amount of bars and pubs here and there is some sort of Fringe Festival going on

Summer Sundae

Considering that Alec had one of the first sets at the festival he had a fair size crowd and most people who wandered in, stayed. They sounded a lot more danceable than the record he sent me. I reckon he should put a live set on his website. I also reckon that they were the best thing I heard on the Friday apart from "Do you want to try some free Jim Beam?".

The festival was sold out for the first time ever but I think that there was a few too many singer/songwriter types twanging their guitars and they definately need some sort of dance tent.

Friday, I had a great train ride up with other people going to the festival drinking beer and chatting, I met up Alec and Russyn and then Paul and Kerri. I don't remember what I watched but I remember that I lost everyone and wandered around watching everything and nothing in particular and then bumped into everybody at the end whilst Elbow (very very strange) were playing and they were all very drunk and got even more so after we went to the pub. Joe didn't arrive until 10 minutes after the last act had finished.

Saturday I woke up and went shopping, there are lots of cool independent shops in Leicester. The went and woke everybody up. I briefly met up with Alec again, he left quite early. I remember seeing Forward Russia, The Proclaimers, a Zimbabwean singer who wanted to know where all our mountain lions were and lots of waily people. I bumped into a Liam who I had met on the first night at Summercase, then bumped into again on the tube on the second night going to summercase, then every day at Benicassim, I reckon he might be stalking me. The sun was shining most of the day but it belted down as soon as Gomez came on (who sounded like Pearl Jam). I took some pictures of a very silly young man who was sulking because it was raining. It finished rather abruptly, Saturday, Paul went home and I was stuck with Joe who just wanted to go to sleep, I was up for staying out forever.

Sunday was grey. I drank a bit too much red wine and smoked too many cigarettes early on and felt a bit queasy and needed to sit down quiet for a while, luckily it passed. Coldcut were really good, they did exactly the same set as they did at Benicassim only every song sounded completely different. At the end, Matt and I stamped our feets until everybody else joined in, the 6 Music DJ man came out and said the festival was over but we carried on doing it and everybody else joined in again until they came back out which was kind of cool. I wanted to go for a pint before coming back to Brum but Joe was having none of it and he drove us home.

We had a spare wristband for Dan but claims not to have eight quid for the train fare, I suspect he doesn't have enough for his flight to Finland. ;)

Wanderlust

wanderlust

A noun
 1  wanderlust, itchy feet
   very strong or irresistible impulse to travel
  Category Tree:
psychological feature
╚motivation; motive; need
╚urge; impulse
╚wanderlust, itchy feet

Why do I have such a strong urge to travel?

It's nothing to do with working out what I want to do with my life because I have never known that. I don't particularly enjoy my job but then who does??

I have never spent more than three weeks out of Birmingham, even when I lived in Nottingham I came back here every weekend, I've been here thirty-one years. I like Birmingham but nothing changes and I now feel like I have done everything that there is to do in this town. I want to spend some time away so that things feel new again.

Because of my relationship with Rebecca and then having Joshua, I've never had any time to myself. Now I have all the time in the world but there is nothing to do. And there's less and less people to do nothing with.

Oh well, I'm not going to be going anywhere soon, I'll just have to content myself with armchair travelling for the time being. And I'm doing quite well at that, I'm reading a book about Polynesia, Ewan MacGregor and Charlie Boorman's book about riding motorbikes around the world and a book about Ibn Battutah who spent 30 years travelling the Middle East and covered three times the distance of Marco Polo.

Warehouse Party

Dave has moved to sunny Rubery and Ben organised a nice leaving barbeque. Nick came up for the evening and we all got right royally pissed.

Dan had been invited to a party in a warehouse in Ladywood. I was quite disappointed to find no ball pool as promised but there was karaoke... I didn't really know anybody and we hadn't arrived early enough to be introduced and make conversation. Everyone was wearing clown costumes and very drunk it seemed which was kind of wierd.

I had sort of organised to go out with Emma and she complained when I said that I was going to go to the party instead and made me feel a bit guilty. I wasn't enjoying the party that much so my brother, Laura and I caught a taxi to The Rainbow, I did try to lose them but they insisted on coming.

We were too late to get into the pub but some people were arguing with the bouncers and I slipped inside while they weren't looking. I got kicked out shortly afterwards. Luckily the barmaid (who's name I should really find out) came running out grabbed me by the hand shouted at the bouncers and dragged me inside.

After the Rainbow shut I ended up in a pizza shop where Emma and her mates harrassed the poor blokes behind the counter.

I wanted to go to the Skate Park to carry on partying but nobody else was up for it. So I came home and played Soulwax very loudly and then went to bed.

Back to Work Blues

I have definately had back to work blues this week coupled with an increasing feeling of wanderlust.

I'll write about the wanderlust another time.

Friday tomorrow so that sort of thing should go for a few days...

A Busy Weekend

I had quite a filled weekend, I thought that I might have slept all day after getting back from Spain but instead I woke up about 9.30. I collected Joshua, took him to see my Mom and then we took a long walk through lots of different parks.

Saturday, Me and Joshua went to see Warwick castle - the jousting was very exciting. ;)

Later on Dan, Me, my Brother, Matt, Jon and Hugh went to a party in a big house. It was a little strange in that everybody in the house went inside their rooms and had there own mini parties. We didn't stay too late and ended up in a curry house where I managed to spill Chicken Korma all down my nice white shirt.

I did sleep all day sunday.

Sunday evening I took Joshua to see Cars, I thought some of the animation was eerily real, the story was so-so but Joshua enjoyed it. It was funny watching him try to not fall asleep on the bus on the way home.

Last Days

Returning to Barcelona was not nice, I had a monster hangover, every movement on the train would cause my stomach to turn some more. Somehow I wasn't sick. Dan and I had planned to spend a couple of days in Sitges but chose the lazy option of staying in Barca.

We spent the last couple of days wandering around museums. Miro is a big pile of poo. We saw some excellent Spanish Civil War photographs.

We just chilled.

The plane ride back was bumpy.

A Messy Beach Party

The day sort of went like this:

Hungover

Waterpark

Sangria

Pizza (Very nice if you are in Benicassim try their smoked salmon pizza)

Beer

Cava

Cava

Cava

Cava

Rum and Coke

Ramón, Marta and María

Whisky and Coke

Pint of Rum and Coke

Another Pint of Rum and Coke

Everything Spinning

Sick

Sick

Walking Home

More Sick

Lots More Sick

Awakening with nothing on but a very badly placed peice of tin foil to save my blushes

I think that was one of the messiest nights of my life.

A Proper Festival

Joe said that this day was the first he had felt he was at a festival. It was the best day. Again we didn't get to the site till pretty late. And the first act we saw were Coldcut who were very very good, they played loads of different styles of music and finished on "Paid in Full", Joe said that he liked dance music again.

We then caught the end of Depeche Mode, they played a terrible terrible ballad and sang happy birthday to one of the band members, that was truly awful. I thought it funny that they had funny camera work on the video screens so not to reveal their faces, they had probably seen New Order the previous weekend.

Placebo played after Depeche Mode, I thought they were quite good, they sang a fair few songs about doomed relationships, just my cup of tea. Dan said they were boring, depressing and all the songs sound the same and he took himself off to watch some ethnic xylophone player or something. Joe slept.

Deus came on and were very good, I had forgotten how many good songs they had. They even sounded good when they sang like Bruce Springstein. Dan liked them too. Joe slept some more.

Joe went back to the tent tired. I lost Dan. I bumped into Liam who we had met at Summercase (I bumped into him everynight) and we chatted about music till the sun had been up a long while.

I got in my tent about nine in the morning. Dan came back a bit later looking like the cat who had got the cream, I don't know what he had been up to, I didn't ask. He went off to find his spot on the beach.

Loved Up

A great day, waking up feeling refreshed after actually having some sleep, I headed to the beach where Dan had decided he would sleep for the rest of the holiday. I caught up with Sophie and her friends and we went for some lovely lovely tapas. I ate snails, a bit earthy and lots and lot and lots of seafood.

We drank lots and lots and lots and lots of cava instead of going to see Morrisey.

Got to the festival site really late in time to catch the end of Mojave 3 I was disappointed that Rachel Goswell wasn't there.

Then off to watch 2ManyDj's/Soulwax, Joe didn't want to watch them and went off to smile at people on the grassy area.

Alex Smoke was really cool, he played the sort of floaty pretty music that I like and built up and built up and built up and the next thing the sun had risen and it was time to go home.

No Sauce

This year FIB was much much busier than previous years. I think that they probably sold a few too many tickets. Joe and Dan had been really looking forward to seeing the Pixies but the area in front of the main stage was overcrowded which meant that the band had to go off for half an hour while the security asked people to move back. The rest of the set was a bit subdued, Joe was captivated and was bopping along but I really was non-plussed about any of it.

I wasn't in the mood for guitar bands after the lacklustre performance of the Pixies so left Dan and Joe to watch the Strokes and waited for Tiga to come on in the dance tent. I guess that boys like the Strokes and girls like Tiga because the dance tent was full of pretty ladies. After the Strokes had finished it filled up with sweaty blokes with their shirts off, all the girls left and so did I.

I couldn't find anyone and got a little bored wandering around and decided with three more days of partying to go I would have an early(ish) night and was in bed by three.

Erol Alkan

I woke up with the worst hangover, the only way I could stop myself from fainting was to talk to the bloke next to me in the shower queue. After showering and eating the hangover subsided. We spent the day on the beach...well...Dan did, Joe and I spent the day in various different cafes near the beach.

After freshening up and drinking more cava we headed towards the festival site for the first time. There wasn't a great deal going on when we first got there and Dan hadn't eaten so we grabbed a falafel from one of the food stands. Whilst in the queue a girl called Lisa came up to me and said that I don't much look like vegetarian, I was deeply offended. ;)

We met up with Sophie and her friends and after introductions and a few beers and a dance in one of the tents we trundled towards the main stage to see the Scissor Sisters.

Sophie wanted to sit on Joe's shoulders but he said she was being ridiculous. She ended up on mine. Sophie isn't heavy and I probably could have kept her up there for the entire set, she is however quite hyperactive and was jumping up and down rather too much for my balance and I nearly dropped her at least twice.

Compared to Sonar the Scissor Sisters were a bit naff.

Erol Alkan came on about five in the morning, I popped to the loo and when I returned everybody had moved (it's quite possible that they stayed in the same place I was was too inebriated to find them but I don't think that is the case). I wandered down towards the front and chatted away to about a thousand different people, strangely none of them Spanish. There was a lot of arm waving going on but when he played "Bullet in the Head" by Rage Against the Machine nobody really knew whether they should start moshing or not, eventually people did, he ended the set on his mix of "Boy From School" by Hot Chip to a massive round of applause. He asked if he could play one more tune but the powers that be said no, this got a massive boo.

We got home just in time for the sun to be rising and for it to be too hot to sleep.

Ballet

I really liked the ballet at Benicassim, I was captivated by it.

Joe and Dan thought I was just pissed, they didn't like it at all. Joe's favourite bit was when some drunk started shouting at the stage only to be rugby tackled.

I did get really pissed later on, something of a tradition for me on the pre-Benicassim Wednesday, I thought that I was going to be sick. I seemed to sober up quite quickly after a quick dip in a rather rough sea.

The three of us headed back to the campsite and wandered around talking to randoms.

I got accused by some nutty woman of stealing her lamp?? I still haven't got a clue what she was going on about??

Grumpy Tuesdays

I hate tuesdays even when I am on holiday. Dan and Joe went to the beach but I couldn't be bothered, I had pains in my chest and thought I was going to have a heart attack so took myself of to bed before midnight.

Summercase Saturday

I think this was a first truly lazy day we got up about two, Joe and I decided to sit in a cafe next the Santa Maria del Mar and watch people go by. Dan stayed in the hotel room for some extra sleep.

Later we ate and drank more cava, Dan was on a mission to see the Dandy Warhols but as everybody knows eight in the evening is far too early to watch a band so he failed. Joe said he needed more sleep and wouldn't be joining us till New Order were on.

On the tube to the festival we bumped into two lads that I had been speaking to on the previous night, Liam and Sam. They told us that they had been living on McDonalds great offer of three cheeseburgers for three euros, nice.

Having missed the Dandy's Dan and I wandered around watching random stuff some of it OK most of it not so. Joe turned up just in time to see the Happy Monday's start, I must admit I was pleasantly suprised at how good they were. Half way through their set New Order started and almost everybody left to go to the other stage. New Order were terrible, the looked so old it was embarrasing, like watching your dad at karaoke, they absolutely murdered "Love Will Tear Us Apart", Dan and I went back to see the end of the Mondays. Joe thinks that New Order were the best thing since sliced bread, he is wrong.

Primal Scream always disappoint me, I have never enjoyed watching them.

The Chemical Brothers did a DJ set which had most of the audience swinging there horrible sweaty t-shirts around there heads including Dan and I. Joe decided that he doesn't like dance music.

Dan and Joe left and I carried on dancing for at least another two hours before the music stopped. I lay on the floor watching people leave, I was hoping that the sun would rise over the festival site like it had at Sonar but it didn't quite make it. A crusty girl came up to ask if I was OK, I told her that I was just tired and she replied "Me tambien" and walked off with a smile.

I have never seen so many loved up people in a confined space as I did on the tube ride home, a million people all with pupils the size of ten pence peices.

Got back to the flat and slept and slept and slept.

Summercase Friday (Updated)

Daft Punk Summercase Barcelona,
originally uploaded by CytecK.

A fairly lazy day, we moved from the pension to a very nice air-conditioned flat in the Born. We spent three or four hours sat in the same cafe in the Placa de George Orwell. The staff obviously didn't want to serve Joe as he was starting to waste away with hunger by the time his pasta arrived.

After settling in the flat, Dan and I went to the forum site to collect our tickets and left Joe to have a sleep. Dan decided to walk back along the beach, I intended to go shopping but opted for a little snooze instead and I am fully glad that I did because I felt so much better. Later on in the evening I think Dan was regretting not doing the same.

Using our new kitchen we cooked and sat around the table and drank cava until we had missed at least three or four bands that we wanted to see getting to the festival site just in time to miss the end of the Cardigans.

The have a strange system at spanish festivals for getting beer, first you queue up to buy tickets and then you have to queue up again to get your alcohol. Which is fine at Benicassim because the big beers you get last for ages but at summercase you only get small beers (pints) and you have to buy more of them more regularly. The other silly thing about this system is that you could only buy tickets valid for the one day...I cant remember exactly how many we bought but the girl at the till gave us the strangest look as if to say "you are really going to drink nine hundred pints??"

The first band we saw proper were the Super Furry Animals, the were a bit Pink Floyd at times, Dan and Joe said that they were better at the Summer Sundae a few years back. I managed to convince a real welshman that I was welsh by shouting some daft comments in my best valley's accent.

Next up were Sigur Ros, I thought they were a bit too shoegazery for my liking but pleasant enough. After another trip to the bar Dan and Joe went back to watch more of The Ros but I decided to wait and see Daft Punk

Daft Punk were amazing they had a fifty foot high pyramid and sat in a little booth in the top dressed in their robot gear, lazers shot out of the pyramid and there was an enormous light wall behind them.

During the show a tall blonde Catalan girl nudged me in the side and handed me a cigarette, (amazingly) for once my spanish actually worked and we chatted for about half an hour, she asked me where I was from to which I replied "Inglaterra" and she looked at me and said "Eres ingles, ¡Huh!" and walked off. Oh well. I did get an ego boost from the fact that such an attractive lady decided to come and talk to me even if she was a racist.

Meeting back up with Handsome Dan and Romeyjoe we decided to catch James Murphy of the LCD Soundsystem but he was a bit dull so Fatboy Slim was our next choice and he was quite fun although he did play the "check it out now" sample a bazillion times.

We ended the night dancing in an indie disco which was great fun, a short spanish girl liked my Primal Scream T-Shirt so much that she was wanted to swap clothes with me, I think I might have looked a little silly in a skimpy yellow vest so I declined the offer

We walked home along the beach as the sun was rising which was very nice we sat next to a couple who looked very very content, I was jealous and happy for them at the same time. I started to overheat and had to make regular stops, in hindsight I should have gone in the sea to cool down. The walk home was very very lovely it's a shame that there's no beach between my house and whatever nightclub I am in, I want to move by the sea.

Port Olympic

Thursday night was Port Olympic night...I don't know what to say really, we spent the evening sitting on the beach drinking beer and watching people go by and this was very enjoyable.

I think we must have run out of beer.

Because we ended up in hell.

Don't believe what the guidebooks say about the Port Olympic, it is much much much worse.

We saw a whole team of David Brent's dancing to Walking on Sunshine in one bar and then another in the next bar. I think the DJ's must have only had two records which they were swapping between different bars. I must have heard Gasolina at least twenty times.

The most unfathonable thing is why we stayed there for as long as we did???

Pre-Summercase

Man this was a long long long time ago...Our first night in Barcelona was a fairly subdued affair, we found our hostel (on checking in I was a bit like a bull in a china shop, literally, bashing everything about with my huge rucksack), we grabbed a bite to eat, had a beer in the Placa Reial and returned to our hostel where Dan talked at length about how he wanted to have a sandwich or something.

We woke up bright and early and went to our accomodation that I had found on gomio.com, unfortunately it wasn't booked apparently either because the flat people dont use that website any longer or maybe simply because they had double booked. It was no real drama as they phoned around different hostels and guest houses to find something for us. We got a huge room in a traditional Pension in the centre of the Barri Gotic with three single beds, a pull out bed and a double bed which was more than adequate for three people. And saved a hundred euros too.

After settling into the room Dan got his culture fix by visiting the Picasso museum and looking at pictures of people with three breasts and nine legs.

We had arranged to meet Joe in the Cafe Zurich on the Placa de Catalunya, naturally he was late however we drank lots of beer and the night was livened up firstly by somebody trying to steal my bag (who got attacked by waiters with batons) and then by a killer cockroach running up my trouser leg.

Joe arrived and somebody tried to steal his rucksack only to be chased off by Nigerian drug dealers.

Wednesday night was breakbeat night at the Sidecar bar which was quite enjoyable and we all got a little bit inebriated.

Next day, I got up bright and early to find some breakfast, Dan and Joe are alergic to light. We found ourselves a nice air-conditioned flat to stay in for the remainder of the time in Barcelona and then headed towards the Familia Sagrada for another of Dan's culture fixes. The only thing being that I ended up sitting in a cafe outside drinking beer and eating octopus instead.

Emma

I bumped into Emma in the newly refurbished Bulls Head. She then made me stay out till about half four in the morning, plied me with alcohol and forced me to smoke cigarettes.

I'm glad I saw her. ;)

Beach Parties

Beach parties are fun. After two days of staying out till about nine in the morning, I think that we can be forgiven for not getting up till three. Dan and I went from our beds to the beach and stayed there till it was the next day.

Sónar takes over the beaches in Barcelona, every beach bar has it's own DJ playing, most had been playing at the festival or at parties around barcelona, some of the music was more relaxed than others. People wander up and down the sea front going from party to party but we decided to stay in one place and dance till the end (about one in the morning).

As we walked back towards our bed we came across the MTV party which was still going strong and danced there until Dan got hungry, I could have carried on and on and on again but decided to get some food.

We ended the night in a kebab (falafel) shop in the olympic port, I wished we had finished such a great day anywhere else (think Broad Street).

Sonar by Night - Saturday

One of the best things about Spanish festivals is that you can miss bands that start at midnight because they are on too early...like Hot Chip.

We got back from the MACBA, chatted to the two very sleepy girls from Tunbridge Wells, went for a chinese and then for several beers in Bar Pastis which Dan liked a lot because they were playing some accordian music that he thinks is the best!

It was about half one when we decided to catch the bus to the Sónar club site. Instead of going straight into Sónar we wandered down the road to a new age traveller site for Anti-Sónar, they had a very nice great big fire and a million bazillion speakers all playing psi trance, oddly no-one was really dancing instead they were stood around chatting to their mates and drinking cider.

After this interesting interlude we went back to Sónar in time for Miss Kittin. I forget the reason but we didn't hang around for too long I think that we may have decided that as we would be seeing her on the beach at Benicassim we should take the opportunity to see something else.

Something else turned out to be the toilet, I waited ages for Dan and was feeling quite restless and the next thing I was on the bumper cars again being chased by lots of people with gold ropes and very glamourous girlfriends.

Every act we saw was quite amazing, we missed all of the big names and danced along in smaller crowds to DJs that I've never heard of.

Time slowed down and the night seemed to go on and on and on and on.

I was mistaken for an italian. It must be becuase I am tall, dark and handsome, ha ha.

The last act was Ricardo Villalobos and Ritchie Hawtin and for me they were the highlight of the festival.

Dan had wandered off and left me to dance with some pretty italian girls who (not that I'm complaing) fiddled with me.

I danced with the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.

Then the night ended.

I don't think I have described Sónar very well but for me it was very special and I will never forget how happy I felt as the sun rose, which was such a contrast to some of the feelings that I have had over recent times.

Sonar by Day - June 17

Considering that I hadn't got into bed until at least eight thirty I think that it was rather an achievement to be up and out of the hostel by midday. In true rock star style Dan and I were drinking champagne less than an hour after getting out of bed.

The Saturday Sonar by Day part of the festival was probably more relaxed than the day before although definately not subdued after a couple of nights partying.

We watched Fat Freddy's Drop a (mostly) Maori band, I was a bit sceptical a first thinking that they were going to be dodgy R'n'B but they had the whole place jumping before the end of the set. Several of the band members were rather *ahem* large but pranced around like ballet dancers to me this suggests that they like their ale. They had a great synthesiser which made a very deep sound, I want one.

I had briefly considered going around the art gallery, that is, until I saw lots of pretty girls dancing to De La Soul being played by some hip hop collective and decided to join in. A girl in an orange dress had made her own VIP area out of beer cans and empty glasses, she got rather wound up when people knocked them over. I got the finger after making my own VIP area out of a single beer bottle.

Sónar de Noche - Junio 16

My first impression of Sonar by Night was "oooooooh this is big!" then "am I in the airport?" then "ooooooooh this is really really huge".

It turns out that Sonar by Night is held in some kind of exhibition centre in an out of town industrial estate. We arrived after messing around trying unsuccessfully to flag down a cab and waiting in an unruly queue for the bus drinking cans bought from two crusties. The Sonar site is next to a western themed bar which was full of Spanish hen and stag-dos which look no different to British ones when had seen earlier on in the evening. Dan was thinking of going there instead.

Once inside the festival site Dan and I just wandered around, there was so much going on, we grabbed a beer and discovered it was Christmas in Barcelona.

Jeff Mills came on about half two he went - boom...............boom.........booom....boom boom boom boom boom for about two hours, it was deafening, I could feel my ribs vibrating. I danced for a while, happy, smiley, Dan looked bored, I suggested seeing what else was on. We wandered around some more seeing a bit of Tiga and then outside we sat watching Herbert, who were terrible, I didn't like them at all, they seemed to be playing nine tunes at once but definitely not in a good way.

We had a go on the bumper cars which made me feel sick.

Then we caught the end of Jeff Mills who was just as loud from the back. At the end of his set he disappeared under his desk and Satoshi Tomiie appeared. I liked his music it was much more tuneful than the previous act, I boogied to him for at least an hour an half. Dan kept disappearing and reappearing, he had been looking for money on the floor and had found a twenty euro note. He then disappeared for good around half five.

I went outside for Sasha, I danced with a succession of different Spanish girls who are obviously attracted to cowboy hats.

Sober as the sun came up I felt happier than I have for a long time.

The night came to a close and everything looked different outside, I eventually found a bus full of people who headed for work which took me to the Plaza de España and on to a tube home to bed.

Sónar de Día - Viernes 16

After a very leisurely breakfast we got to the festival site a lot earlier than most, d.a.r.y.l. was DJing only he was playing a much more chilled out set than the previous night. We sat un the sunshine enjoying the music and watched the place fill up and drank a beer or too until Dan decided that he wanted to go and explore which we did for about ten minutes before we got separated and I decided to go back and enjoy the sunshine some more.

I was sat by the front of the stage looking at a drumkit with the The Scissor Sisters logo on it when unnanounced three blokes walked on stage looking very much like a coverband which I thought odd, especially when Ana Matronic and Jake Shears lookalikes appeared too. It took a while for me to realise that it was in fact the real thing. They were very good and all of their new songs pretty cool. During the performance I shared Dan's bottle of cava with a honeymooning couple from Japan who seemed very happy.

After they had finished I figured that I should go and look for Dan but didn't have to try too hard, its quite easy to find that haircut.

We then went to get some food and some more cava.

We came back and again sat in the sun people watching listening to cool music, waiting for Señor Coconut but his music was a bit muzak for me and instead we went to find something else to listen to.

We found Birdy Nam Nam who were just ace.

Sónar - Jueves 15

The only gripe I have about the festival is the queue for the tickets - over an hour.

But once inside it is really cool. It has a similar vibe to that of the Leicester Festival. I don't remember too much of the music from the first day we watched a group with a drummer who had incorporated a turntable into his drum kit, he did a silly drum/scratching solo that neither impressed Me nor Dan but the band were quite cool in a jump up and down silly kind of way.

It started to rain and all of the Southern European types ran off to find some shelter, us Northern Europeans carried on dancing and when it started thunder started everyone cheered. I enjoyed it very much.

When it rains in Barcelona all of the street hawkers come out to sell you an umbrella. I tried to explain to one that there was no point trying with us because we were English and didn't consider this drizzle rain, he didn't understand and tried to sell me some coke instead.

After the festival had finished Dan and I went to The Loft to see 2ManyDjs, Boys Noize, James Holden and d.a.r.y.l. The Loft/Razzamatazz is huge it has a great big room the size of Rock City and three smaller rooms on three different levels and then another big room in the roof (The Loft).

I liked d.a.r.y.l. a lot, I danced with this girl playing the I'm not looking at you and I'm not looking at you either game which Dan said afterwards was stupid but I thought it was great.

Boys Noize were very very sweaty and for 2ManyDjs there were about a million people on the dance floor. Apparently Felix da Housecat was on somewhere in the club too but about half three the lack of sleep from the previous two days was starting to catch up so we decided to head off and wandered home (Not as easy as it sounds as were were turned away at the exit and told we had to go back inside).

The Loft is ace, it's everything that Godskitchen should be and isn't. We payed ten euros entry and got a drink with that. You'd pay over twenty quid to just see Soulwax/2ManyDjs in Birmingham.

Pre Sónar

The first night, we kind of went a little mad, we were a bit too excited because we were on holiday. We did the tourist thing, comimos paella en la Placa Reial y bebimos muy carras.

After our meal we strayed about twenty yards to the Sidecar bar also in the Placa Reial, I have been to this bar several times and invariably it has been completely empty and tonight was no different. We watched people going up and down the stairs to an from the basement bar and decided to investigate. Downstairs we found a small but busy nightclub playing a strange mixture of salsa, samba and reggae music. We had to pay a nominal fee on the door but this included a free drink.

I think I must have been quite drunk by this point because the rest of the night is rather hazy. Dan kept disappearing which was no mean feat in a club that size, I don't know what he was doing?? After a couple of hours the music the music was getting a bit grating so we wandered around Barca only to discover that it was in fact about three the morning and not eight in the evening as we had imagined so we returned to club for one last but definately unecessary drink. I think we may have wandered around the city a little more before finally taking to bed.

Desperté con una resaca poco perro después uno bocodillo bacon con queso me repuse. We walked down to the coast and walked along the sea front to the last beach were we sat in a beach bar for quite a few hours admiring the very pretty barmaids. Dan's favourite was the blonde one mine was all of the others.

The evening was very chilled we slowly bar hopped finally stopping in one in the Placa de George Orwell. We chatted to the Swedish barman who was worried that Inglaterra would knock his country out of the world cup, he also wanted to know what famous people came from Birmingham but none of the engineers we told him about he had heard of and Neville Chamberlain...well...then we thought Ozzy Osbourne.

Whilst we were in the bar I heard a shout of 'Buuuuurrrrmingum!', I thought this was a little odd when I turned to hear it again. Some kid came running up to me to tell me that he recogised my moustache from the Medicine Bar.

On the way back to bed we stopped off for a beer in the Tequilla Bar which has lost all of its ear blasting charm now that noize enforcement laws have been brought to the city. I don't think I have ever been to a METAL! bar where you can hear yourself think and have to wear earphones to listen to ROCK! as it should be heard.

I was woken up by a stupid american girl at regular intervals that night, this normally wouldn't be a problem because I am rather noisy myself or so I am led to believe. However the sun had burnt my arms quite badly and this mixed with tiredness caused me to be in rather a great deal of pain. Everytime I managed to get comfortable and start to drop off to sleep she would get up and create enough noise to take me out of my slumber. Eventually I could stand the pain no longer and had to find a chemist to buy some painkillers but these did nothing.

This will teach me a lesson, the sun is powerful and american girls make lots of noise.

Bank Holiday Sunday

I've been out a lot lately, too much, some might say. The bank holiday was fun, I enjoyed the sunshine in my parent's garden, my dad was cutting the grass, Joshua was digging for treasure amongst the plants and I was...well...relaxing. I had a phone call from an intoxicated sounding Paul to say that he was in Birmingham watching the cricket and did I want to meet up with him and Kerri when it had finished as it wouldn't last for much longer.

I called on Dan and we met Matt and Sophie in Brindley Place for a beer, there was a DJ on the bandstand playing ska music which was kindof nice but the sunshine had gone in which wasn't.

We met up with Paul and Kerri at the Flapper and Firkin, the reason we chose that place was the beer garden but the Sun had definately taken his hat off but what with us being British (with the exception of Sophie) we braved the slightly cool weather. I can't remember the conversations we had (several beers and two weeks has fuzzed my memories) but I remember having a good time.

Caroline, Richard, Matt and Sophie left us, Dan and I went to the highly expensive burger company for a bog standard burger and when we came back Steffi and her friend Marie had arrived.

After more beer and Richard returning, it was closing time and we had to go and find Steffi's other friend Leila. Then we went to the Sunflower Lounge to meet back with Matt and Sophie and see a covers band, I wasn't impressed but everyone else seemed to enjoy them.

After the band had finished, Steffi said she was hungry and we decided to go and get a curry. About half way through our meal, Joe and Dan and Marie and Leila arrived at the restaurant, pulled chairs around our table for two and began stealing my food. They said we had run off. We weren't the only ones, so had Paul and Kerri.

After everyone had finished my food we went to Rootie Frooties, I was a little disappointed by this as I wanted to see the Cuban Brothers. Dan and Marie had disappeared, someone suggested waiting for them but Leila said "There's no point, they've gone home to roll around and have sex, eeeeuuuurrrgggghhhh!!!", everyone agreed.

Drum'n'bass in rootie frooties.

I chatted to Leila, who I thought was very nice - she told me she had to go to mass the following day, she isn't catholic and told me the reason why she was going but it didn't make much sense to me at the time and went out of my head straight away.

It was a good day, I met up with loads of friends. None of us had any real plan but we found ourselves doing all sorts of stuff and stayed out far too late.

Beer.Bier.Birra (Updated)

Beer.Bier,
originally uploaded by Richard Clifford.

I have been out an awful lot these last few days and figured that few more detailed posts are required.

Thursday night I met up with Phil for a couple of beers in the Country Girl, we didn't go out till late and hung around in the back garden chatting, I didn't get home till about two which meant even though I hadn't drunk too much I was knackered on the Friday.

People from work had arranged a night out, I met them for a couple of beers but they were people that I don't normally have much dealings with and I don't think I have much in common with them so didn't hang around for too long. A bit later I met up in the Bell with Col, Richard, Phil, Joe and David Argggghhh who was really getting on my nerves. Normally I can ignore him but on this night he was ridiculously drunk as usual, dribbling and coughing and spluttering all over me. Phil finished him off by buying him a shandy and he went home.

Friday was a relatively early night for me and so was Saturday. Joe and I went to a breaks night at the Bash Bar but it was too quiet, the music was OK until they played an awful Manu Chao remix followed by an even worse version of Anarchy in the UK at which point it was time to leave.

Hot Chip

I bought the Hot Chip album, it is ace everyone should buy too, if only for 'And I was a Boy from School' which is the best song this year.

Handsome Dan

When Handsome Dan goes to Finland, I will have nobody to go out with. :(

.

My Birthday

I had some strange presents for my birthday..

I did about ten million hours at work.

I was too tired to play with Joshua.

It was a bit crap.

My brother was the only person who wanted to buy me a pint.

Arrrrrgghhhhh!!!!....its My Birthday Weekend!

I tried to organise something for my birthday but nobody wanted to come so I went out on my own......alright that's not strictly true but it was a very bad turn out.

I had a few beers at Dan's house and then met Phil and Nick (who had come up from London) in the Sunflower Lounge and then went to Bam Bam Club. When it shut there wasn't really anywhere to go afterwards... so we went home.

Bit of a damp squib really but enjoyable all the same. I'm glad I didn't end up in Godskitchen.

Duff Duff Dufff Duff Duff Duff....

I'd been ill with a stomach that was going around like a washing machine most of the week but I dragged myself into work just so that I could go out with Emma and Roxy later on. Towards the end of the working day I thought I was going to be sick on my monitor.

Pizza and beer and staying up till six in the morning dancing to duff duff duff duff duff duff duff music being used as a stomach settler??? Strangely today that is exactly what worked.

I drank some brahma beers, listened to the LCD Soundsystem and then caught the bus to meet Joe in the Prince of Wales. We sat outside in the garden and chatted to some random bloke who wanted to get out of the rain. After a few beers we decided it was time to head up to the Rainbow to meet Emma.

I was wearing my silly hat and a dreadlocked youth at the bus stop told me how much he admired it, I told him his headwear was interesting too. ;)

Roxy ran up to me and nearly knocked me over with a big hug as soon as she saw me which means that either she is quite strong for someone her size, was really pleased to see me or I was as inebriated as she and Emma were.

They had only been down the road from us in Drift when we were in the old mans pub but I'm not a fan of that place its too townie for my liking.

Roxy dropped her wine glass on the floor and would not let me buy her another, she said that I wasn't allowed to buy drinks on my birthday, instead she bought me a bottle of wine to share with Emma and then went home. Joe went home not long afterwards.

Emma and I went to Rootie Frooties. I chatted to a girl with gorgeous brown eyes. Then the next thing I knew I was dragged to the Medicine Bar and dumped for a Handsome Dan lookalike.

The music went duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duffduff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duffduff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff...............and everyone had dreadlocks and fluffy boots. I bumped into the dreadlocked youth from the bus stop who seemed very happy......duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff...apparently I danced with a barmaid from the Rainbow..... duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff duff.

I got home about six after walking home.

I was going to illustrate this post with a picture from Flickr.com of fluffy boots but if you search for boots you get some very dodgy/interesting pictures.

Complaints

People have been complaining about the lack of posts so here is a post.

The Bell, Kolo Rhythm and Electro Breaks

It was David Arggghhh's birthday and I met him and Paul, Kerri, Phil, Joe and a whole host of others in The Bell. I had arrived about ten, Paul thought that this was much too late to be going out, I pointed out that it wasn't so late and we now have continental style drinking laws and should behave as the continentals do.

I was going to the Kolo Rhythm night at the Rainbow, Joe was up for joining me but David didn't want to go. Not that I had actually invited him, mind. He wanted people to go back to his flat. He asked me if I would rather meet a new girlfriend than go to a nightclub, hee hee, I wonder if he has got a harem in Quinton.

I ordered a taxi and Paul decided that he was going to come too (and David and Kerri). As the taxi pulled up outside, Paul decided to buy another six pints and David took himself off for a shit. Its pretty embarrassing having to make a taxi driver wait fifteen minutes longer than he need. He charged us accordingly.

Kerri claims not to have heard of drum'n'bass, I don't believe this, she isn't that old. ;)

The Rainbow was fun, lots of different styles of music. Lots of jumping around. Kerri complained that music was too loud and got the hump because some pissed girls wanted to take pictures of themselves sitting next to David who was asleep. Paul and Kerri argued.

It shut at two but I didnt want to go home, I was still wide awake. Scott and Louise were apparently at a techno breaks party in the Skate Park in Moseley so I went off to find them. They weren't there. It didn't matter, the music was ace and I was chatted up by loved up australian girl.

I got home about half five, see Paul needn't have worried, there was plenty of time to be out. ;)

The Wellington

I hate the Wellington, it is shit, it's only redeeming feature is that it is close to a hundred other more interesting places meaning that I don't hate it as much as the New Inn.

Pretty Useless

"You're brave aren't you?"
a blank look
"Al's not very happy with you"
another blank look
"Aren't you the bloke who did his spray job?"
"no, I'm the bloke who lives in his road"
"Oh OK"

A quote from Handsome Dan:
"She was boring but I could see YOU liked her"
She wasn't boring, she was quite nice for an art teacher, ha ha.

I'm not into pretentious art rock bands/singers, I had to suffer those on Friday.

Caroline has been promoted from cowbells to the snare drum!

I missed a pretty big opportunity in The Rainbow last night, doh! No hat, you see. :)

Joe missed an even bigger one.

Went to a party and drank rocket fuel and sang along to Elton John records and left at half six.

Madness and Messiness

That was one big weekend. Started off drinking cava on the train on the way to Nottingham Friday afternoon and ended eating pizza and drinking San Miguels at Handsome Dan's Tuesday morning with sitting in the sun next to a canal, The Social, Stealth, drinking beer at nine in the morning, being really really talkative and keeping everyone awake, having to be responsible adult, the balti cottage and well over thirty six hours without sleep, the Country Girl, hat wearing in DC10 @ The Medicine Bar, partying for seventeen hours non-stop, being very hyperactive, having to fix stuff at work, walking home, a pub quiz and lots and lots and lots and lots more cava all sandwiched in between. Ace.

Single Bloke

Rebecca left on Friday but strangely hasn't taken any of her stuff other than the washing machine and the TV. I need a skip. Ha Ha.

Last night Emma, Dan and I went to the Bash Bar at the top of New Street for a very hot and sweaty Northern Soul night. Emma got told off for throwing her wine glass on the floor which would mean people couldn't do their windscreen washer dancing.

Apparently the Bash Bar closes at two and then opens again at three till eight as an after club club. I wish I hadn't found that out.

I think Dan and I decided that we are going to go to Benicassim again this year.

No Internet

I've got no internet at home so these posts will be a bit infrequent for a while...

It was Joe's birthday last night and we all went to The New Inn in town (or The Wellington) and drank stinking real ale.

Richard had lots of free tickets for the Medicine Bar but the gang could not be persuaded to come. I think Colin was tempted but he said his life would not be worth living.

Time seemed to slow down, I danced for ages and ages. The music was ace especially DJ Flore, she came on towards the end of the night and it was starting to empty out but she played the best music.

A young lady tried to send me go blind by wearing a very revealing low cut top and jiggling her rather ample bits around at my eye level. She obviously found this very amusing because she kissed me and ran off laughing.

Its now about four o'clock and I am still feeling the effects.

What to do tonight? Joe wants me to go to Leicester and see Paul for his birthday but I'm a little skint and fancy going somewhere nice and chilled out.

Too Old.

Phil said that I am too old to be going clubbing. Oh well, I guess that I will just have to grow old disgracefully.

Nice

My hand hurts and so does my arm, my head and my ears...maybe I'm turning into a hypo con dri ac...

My boss asked me if I could get to work early next thursday...I said...no problem...what time???? He said about nine o'clock ;)

Colin, I had another nice game of Badminton last night.

OW!

Joshua's birthday but I didn't see him. He spent the day with Rebecca.

My brother and I went shopping. I bought Castle Grayskull. Then we went to the pub and took an hour to drink one pint, listened to the Clash and watched the world go by.

I tried to cut the tips of my fingers off (accidently). I spent an hour being stitched up by a very attractive doctor (everyone I have told this to has responded with - male or female?). I thought after seven anaesthetic injections, a fair blood loss and a tetanus jab it probably wasn't the best idea to drink lots of beer so I stayed in and watched Match of the Day with my Dad.

Damned Lies.

I lied slightly in the last post I did two things today:

I found this website which allows you to make a list of all the places you want to visit and write about places you have already visited.

I bought a Sven Hassel book from the Co-op when I went to buy my rice pudding.

Crap Constitution

Wednesday night I went to see a fantastic band called The Shortwave Set with Edward. We drank a fair bit and inevitably had a bit of a hangover yesterday. Last night I went for a pint with Dave and Ben at the Country Girl. About an hour after being in the pub I started to get dull pains in my face and ear. I tried to ignore it but its quite difficult to talk when it feels like you have been whacked on the head. A couple more beers and it went away.

About three in the morning I was awoken with pains ten times worse. These kept me awake for over an hour.

I didn't go to work today, I didn't have any energy at all and still had a dull pain. My alarm clock didn't go off but I still woke up early enough to phone my boss. I went back to bed and woke up at about three because Rebecca was banging on the front door because she was locked out and had come to collect her letters.

I have done nothing since then...I couldn't even be bothered to cook...I had a tin of rice pudding for dinner.

I seem to get ill frequently, maybe the party lifestyle is taking its toll.

The Last Few Days

Friday night, I was expecting to have Joshua but he wanted to stay with my Mom and Dad. Dan said that he was feeling too lazy to go out but took very little persuasion, we decided to go somewhere different to the norm and went to Heducation at the Boiler Room but after a couple of hours is started to getlittle dull, the breakdancers were lying all over the dance floor limbering up, the music got a bit samey and we were too old anyway. :)

We caught a taxi to The Rainbow and bumped into Emma and her mate Katie, Matt, Sophie and Jon, we drank far too much. Again I found myself in Rooty Frooties but didn't hang around till six this time.

Saturday it was lovely and sunny and I took Joshua to the park. Later, lots of people went to Dan's house, Matt cooked some Fajitas and we drank lots of tasty sparkly wines. For some reason I was made to go and watch people spin fire around, it was too cold for that sort of thing. We had a snowball fight at about five in the morning, I turned blue.

Sunday I had the worst hangover I can remember in a long time but I still managed to drag myself to the travel show at the NEC. I have lots of brochures now and quite fancy a trip to Colchester.

Yesterday, I played a nice game of badminton.

Today I worked late then decided to go and have a beer and burger in a weatherspoons cuz I was too lazy to cook. The barmaid told me I looked knackered. I am rather tired.

Tim wrote this in response to my Grow Up, Settle Down post. I wasn't saying that I haven't grown up but that I think its funny that I want a career break after only two years or so. As for working for somebody elses benefit Tim and Myself work in the public sector so surely we are benefiting the whole community. ;)

Decisions Decisions Decisions

Over the weekend I have been trying to work out what to do about my housing situation, I came to the conclusion that I should move back in with my parents (and brother and sister and sister's boyfriend and crazy dog) I figured that I would be able to save money for a trip a lot easier if I did.

This evening I went from work to ask if that was OK.

But...I couldn't do it. I've been away from home far too long and as much as I love my family, they would drive me completely nuts.

Reminiscing

Its kind of weird wandering around Nottingham visiting places you haven't been to in years. My brother and I went to the museum at the castle, there is really not much in there but there are some nice views. We had a couple of cokes in the Trip to Jerusalem, sacrilidge really but it was only eleven o'clock.

Neil had suggested that we try the Orange Tree for some food, my brother wouldn't have any of it though because it wasn't your bog standard weatherspoon's style beer and burger food. My club sandwich was tasty, as were the two barmaids in there.

I bought a book about trains - sounds very interesting you are thinking - the first chapter concerns the author escaping from a POW camp and travelling across Nazi occupied Poland and the second him trying to break into Czechoslovakia to meet his Czech girlfriend who had hidden him during the war, he broke in by hiding in the toilets of the Orient Express and jumping off the moving train onto a station it didn't stop at. He did this three times over a number of years each time only getting to spend a few minutes with his beloved before being put on a returning train.

After more wandering around seeing how things had only slightly changed since I was there I returned home.

The Loom Festival

I don't know what time I got home, I remember there being quite a bit of farting around including taking photographs of worms before going to bed, I fear it might have been quite late. The result was Dan not getting up and me missing Alec's set at the Loom Festival.

I had a fun time in Nottingham, I met up with Alec and his mates for a few beers before going off to see Neil and Aymi for a pint and very nice chinese (Edward had potato, potato and potato). There was a bit of a mix up going for some food, apparently I was supposed to go back to Alec and Russyn so that they could join us but nobody thought to mention it to either me or Alec.

The bands at the festival were far less beard strokey than I was expecting and people were even dancing. One of them even sang. Max Tundra came on last and did a rather fun DJ Set. After it finished my brother wanted to go elsewhere and dragged me looking for somewhere open. I wouldn't go to Reflex which seemed to be the only still serving. We had a quick pint in Sausage then retired.

Chopper was on the TV when we got back - I can see why Joe thinks it the funniest thing ever...

Party Party.

I went to Northfield and had the usual sick feeling that I get when the bus past the YMCA (nothing to do with the lack of food and copious amounts drank the previous night). But I did buy lots of cool CDs from the charity shops.

Dan, Emma and I drank lots of Cava then went to The Rainbow for the Bam Bam Club night. Emma accused me of having a different blonde girl try to chat up me every time she sees me - I'm sure this isn't true. ;)

The night was a bit hazy, lots of dancing, lots of horrible wine.

I upset some bloke for talking to his girlfriend...he came up to me and said 'Yes she is gorgeous but SHEEEES mine!', ha ha ha, what a moron.

The DJ was told me that at there next event on Easter Sunday lots of Norwegians will be coming. Cool! The last time the Norwegians were there it was ace.

A Quick Pint

I went for a quick pint in the Actress and Bishop after work with James and his workmates, this turned into far too many pints and I got home far too late. This was all because there had been a break in at James' office and I was left to guard their coats in the pub.

It was a fun night though, lots of dancing.

I chatted to two ladies from Manchester and for some reason I told them my name was Dave. One of them kept asking me what my scene was, I'm not sure how you respond to that.

A spanish girl with a thick spanish accent asked me where I thought she was from. I told her that she sounded like she was from up north, somewhere like Darlington. She thought my spanish was very bad but was amazed when I told her that I thought she was from Oviedo as she born half an hour away from there. After chatting to her for a while her boyfried came over with her coat and said " I yav 'ad enough of this, yaouw cum on, were guin!" And dragged her off.

Grow Up, Settle Down

A conversation at work got me thinking that maybe I shouldn't be thinking of taking six months to a year off to travel and stay at home and grow up. People were discussing how much of there adult life they had spent working. It seems at my place most people started straigh from school either at eighteen or twenty one and have carried on without a break. I started working just before my 29th Birthday and am now at the age of 30 seriously considering a career break starting at the end of 2007. Ha ha.

Talking about growing up, I am now also over my credit card limit. I need to stop going out and partying through till the next day. It does serious damage to your finances. Well...I need to stop for at least the next month (or two).

Tonight, Dan and I watched Requiem for a Dream, a rather grim film which has the message - if you take drugs you will either sell your body, lose an arm, end up in a deep south prison or require electro convulsion therapy. Take note drug takers!!!

Last night I watched, Tres Coleureeeurs Blanc which was alright but Julie Delphy wasn't in it enough. I prefered Three Colours Blue which is far more miserable has more uplifting ending.

God Bothering in Birmingham

God Bothering in Birmingham,
originally uploaded by Richard Clifford.

At lunchtime I was confronted by four types of nutter:

Scientologists who wanted me to have a stress test - I must look very stressed as they are all after me. There is one particularly strange young lady who tries to stop me every time I walk past her by shouting in my face.

Hare Krishnas - Who want to give you free incense for a donation of course.

The Jesus Army - I don't know what to say.

Iraqis - There were a big group of Iraqi men next to the Floozy in the Jacuzzi waving flags. They had posted 'Down with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi' over the fountain and were handing out printouts from the bbc news relating to the bombing of the al-Askari shrine.

Why can't I go out for a stroll at lunchtime and be left alone?

Computer Programming and Various Other Rants

I don't like computer programming, it is frustrating. I read recently that a good programmer can write about a thousand lines of code a day. I'm lucky if I manage ten a week. Maybe I should become a manager instead. ;)

I had to go to a pointless training session today, it took one and a half hours to explain a package that I could have worked out how to use myself in about five minutes.

I'm not looking forward to spending the evening alone again - I could do with some company - I can amuse myself I have 'Three Colours White' to watch and I re-joined the library today and have lots of books to read but they are all about travel and will only increase my desire to not be here. I think I need to move into a shared house.

Somehow I have managed to get to £350 over my overdraft limit since New Year. Running around the country doesn't help with my finances I will have to curb my spending if I am to travel anywhere.