Houseshare - Stragglers

Finally met the other two housemates last night. They are alive, and not buried under the patio [entry]. Friendly and talkative, to the point that I wonder if I might have unknowingly wronged Mardy (the first girl, who still isn't speaking to me) in a past life.

The theme of the house seems to be Stay in Your Room. It's a double-edged blade; whilst the lack of anyone to talk to means that I won't be distracted from writing so easily, a mostly unattended satellite television in the lounge has the potential to be one hell of a time sink.

My will power's never been that good. With only the standard five channels it was easy; with freeview it was possible; with the full sky package it's going to be a nightmare. Ignore the fact that Paramount Comedy run episodes of Scrubs and Frasier pretty much non-stop; we've got Fight Club on Eurosport, UFC on Bravo, more rugby and football than you can shake a stick at, and fifteen or so movie channels.

I tell you, the lounge-pig potential is vast.

Weekend / housemove

Another weekend spent watching the rugby. Met up with a work colleague to watch Saturday's matches. Italy made their opposition struggle (again) and Scotland continued to impress, this time against a disappointing English team. Staggered home after 7 pints of Guinness. Thought about going out again, decided that I couldn't be bothered, and watched the boxing instead.

Didn't have any enthusiasm for the pub on Sunday, and RB cancelled, so watched the Ireland-Wales match at home.

#

The house is empty on the weekend, and I'm informed by one of the hermits that it is usually pretty quiet. Having lived in the Concrete Kingdom for three years now, I can understand the frequent need for people to escape. I can also appreciate the quiet as it means I have control of the television[2].

Still only met one of the girls. My brother thinks that the girls are actually under the patio. I think I'll wait awhile before broaching that with my housemates.

#

Just had to go and return the keys for the flat. Looks fucking excellent in there if you ask me, but they were bitching about the walls and carpets and so on. I think they probably have unrealistically high expectations for the standard of the place. Things will suffer a bit of wear and tear over 15 months; get over it. That is why you always have to redecorate even the nicest places eventually.

#

[2] We've got the full Sky package here; movies and sports. You know that's just going to kill my writing.

Running - Return

Having got back into taekwondo [entry] and rugby, I thought it was about time I tried running again. Ran 2.5 miles at lunch time yesterday. It killed me, it was bitterly cold[1], but there was no pain from my ankle.

It looks like I might be back.

My running partner (the Irish girl) has abandoned me. I'm not expecting her to come out again. She's pulled out of the half marathon that she signed up for, and without that event on the horizon there just isn't the impetus for her. I'm trying not to feel guilty about that -- it isn't really my fault she stopped running when I got injured -- but I keep thinking that if I had been running this last six weeks then she wouldn't have chickened out.

So, it looks like I need a new running buddy. I'm happy to go on my own, but having someone to run with would be good for motivational purposes.

#

[1] The last mile or so was running into a nor'easterly, cold enough to bring snow. It's been threatening snow for the last couple of days. It is coming down quite heavily now, and for a wonder it seems to be settling.

Review - Grant County 3

A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter

I don't feel I read enough crime fiction to give this an adequate review, so I'll keep it simple.

Interesting and I enjoyed it. The three central characters was a surprise, as what crime fiction I have read has been centred on one character. Well paced, and an interesting sub-plot with the Lena Adams character.

It hasn't put me off reading others, and I like the fact that I could come in at the third book and not feel confused.

#

50 book challenge 2006:

1 = The Soldier's Son Trilogy: 1. Shaman's Crossing by Robin Hobb [review]
2 = The Wheel of Time: 11. Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan [review]
3 = Conclave of the Shadows: 3. Exile's Return by Raymond E Fiest [review]
4 = The Sandman: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman [review]
5 = A Song of Ice and Fire: 4. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin [review]
6 = Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz [review]
7 = Troy: 1. Lord of the Silver Bow by David Gemmell [review
8 = The Sandman: Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman [review]
9 = A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter

Next = The Shipping News by Annie Proulx

Housemove - The new hotness

Old and busted: single bed
The new hotness: double bed goodness.

Damn. I couldn't get the housemove done in two car loads [entry]. It looked like it was going to work when I first got back to the flat, but then I found some more stuff. And then I found some more stuff. And then a little bit more. And then I looked in my wardrobe.

Fuck. Where did all this stuff come from?

My site jacket was the most dismaying find; it's the size of a regular coat, but for some reason won't fold down into a size anything less than a two-seater sofa. I wouldn't mind so much if I ever got to wear the thing.

So, I'm partially moved in. Attempts have been made to decorate my room, because my landlord didn't like the thought of me living in a blue room. Unfortunately he's only used one coat of white emulsion, so the blue is actually still visible. My room smells of paint.

Loving having a double bed. In your face, single bed.

Met two of my five housemates; a guy and a girl. Anyone's guess where the other three are.

Housemove - Lifting

Few times I've been round your flat,
And you end up making me move your crap,
But I ain't not hauling that girl

Well, I'm halfway through the moving process. We got Andy's stuff moved on Saturday, filling up the van twice with a surprising amount of crap. In comparison, the amount of stuff of Jen's needing moving (and for that matter the amount of my stuff) looked quite pathetic. Most of the day was given to moving, but with six of us on the second run it went a lot quicker than it should have. Even so, when I was finished I was in no hurry to move house for a long time.

Which is unfortunate, because tonight I start moving all of my crap into my new place. I'll be doing it alone, but it shouldn't be too bad as I have a lot less to shift. About half of my stuff is currently packed into bags and boxes. I believe I can do it in two runs. It won't be too heartbreaking if I can't as I have to return to the flat during the week to clean it ready for the inspection.

With Andy's stuff removed, the flat looks very empty indeed. Currently, my single bed is the only piece of furniture. Andy took his television on Saturday, so I've been reading a lot (not to mention fooling with the echo in Andy's room). He took his fridge yesterday, so I've had milk, butter, and beer hanging from carrier bags on the French balcony. It's been cold enough that the beer was nicely chilled all evening.

#

Went out on Saturday night. After the moving I was pretty knackered, but I wanted to show Andy and Jen up (who declined the invitation because they were too tired). Went down to the local to meet up with one of the girls that left us at the end of the summer last year. Pretty chilled night, and it was good to see her again.

Turned out to be the last drinks in 'the local'. From now on it'll just be 'the nice pub we know on the way to town'. I have my new local scouted out, even though it's not particularly that local (I'm in a bit of a pub wilderness where I'm moving to). Call it a 10 min walk. There's one nearer, but it has always looked a little dodgy when I've walked past.

Review - Sandman 4

The Sandman: Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman

Oh it just gets better and better. We have here 8 stories in the Season of Mists arc. Morpheus is convinced by the rest of the Endless that condemning an old lover to Hell wasn't a very nice thing to do, and so he sets off to Hell to set her free. Thing is, events are unfolding in Hell that will make his task much more difficult.

This is a very intricately weaved story, drawing on elements from the previous three Sandman novels, and sowing the seeds for future stories. It's beautifully written and at times remarkably well drawn.

Put simply, this is easily the best of the series that I've so far read.

#

See also:
Sandman 3 (review of The Sandman: Dream Country, January 2006)
My other mother (review of Coraline, December 2004)

#

50 book challenge 2006:

1 = The Soldier's Son Trilogy: 1. Shaman's Crossing by Robin Hobb [review]
2 = The Wheel of Time: 11. Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan [review]
3 = Conclave of the Shadows: 3. Exile's Return by Raymond E Fiest [review]
4 = The Sandman: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman [review]
5 = A Song of Ice and Fire: 4. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin [review]
6 = Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz [review]
7 = Troy: 1. Lord of the Silver Bow by David Gemmell [review
8 = The Sandman: Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman

Next = A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter

Review - Troy 1

Troy: 1. Lord of the Silver Bow by David Gemmell

David Gemmell writes easy, enjoyable, but ultimately forgettable, fantasy. I read half a dozen or so of his Drenai books, but I couldn't tell you now what the plots of any of them were, any more than I could tell you what they were called. Whilst each was a passable read, I stopped, I guess, because at the end of The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend there wasn't any pressing desire to read any more.

That said, when I saw that Gemmell was returning to historical fantasy with his novelisation of the story of Troy, I was intrigued. When I saw that the local library had it, I decided to give it a try.

Be under no illusion. Gemmell's doing nothing groundbreaking or particularly new here. This is a heroic fantasy filled with the characters you'd come to expect from his work: The lonely career warrior driven by revenge; the enigmatic leader with a haunted past; the Independent Woman.

I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to. Gemmell sticks to what he does best, which is to write fast paced stories. The action sequences are pretty good, and the bits in between develop those familiar characters quite well. For a by-the-numbers heroic fantasy you could do much worse.

#

50 book challenge 2006:

1 = The Soldier's Son Trilogy: 1. Shaman's Crossing by Robin Hobb [review]
2 = The Wheel of Time: 11. Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan [review]
3 = Conclave of the Shadows: 3. Exile's Return by Raymond E Fiest [review]
4 = The Sandman: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman [review]
5 = A Song of Ice and Fire: 4. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin [review]
6 = Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz [review]
7 = Troy: 1. Lord of the Silver Bow by David Gemmell

Next = The Sandman: Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman

Anti-Valentine

Last night was spent in the pub with my fellow desperate singletons. Had a few beers (probably a few too many, as my head was a little fuzzy this morning), and played pool and table football.

So, drinking on St. Valentine's Day. It's a return to the traditions of old, but at least this time I was actually with people.

I ruvv rou

In the card shop I noticed what has to be the most singly obscure niche market ever:

To my dog
Happy Valentine's Day

To. My. Dog.

I'm amazed that there is enough of a demand out there for a card company to even consider making a 'To my dog' card. I mean, we all get lonely, but how starved for affection do you need to be to send a Valentine's card to something that can't even read, least alone understand the whole concept of Valentine's day and greeting cards?

Is it regional phenomenon? Is the Concrete Kingdom of Swindon blessed with a large proportion of literate dogs? If so why haven't we exploited them for a quick buck? Maybe it's a nation-wide thing, and there's an army of the clever canines waiting to take over as soon as they feel unloved, and the card-sending is the only way of forestalling the inevitable uprising.

Or, maybe, it's just more exploitation of the desperate and lonely.

#

And no, I didn't get any cards this year.

Next year I'm getting a dog.

Weekend

Meanwhile, in the Concrete Kingdom:

Following Andy's birthday, it's been pretty quiet.

Opticians. Writing. Beer. Rubgy (Ireland almost upsetting France, England struggling, Scotland kicking people in the face). Internet. Rain. Work. Camera.

It's all fun and games. I really should start packing.

Old man

Jen was upset that I didn't post it to flickr, so here's 'the silly one of Andy' :)

Happy birthday, Andy!

Taekwondo - Return

My ankle injury [entry] has receded to an occassional dull ache, so I judged it was about time I returned to class. It was the first time I'd been up in almost a month (I did my ankle way back then), and I discovered two things.

Firstly, that another instructor has retired in my absence. Not the instructor who took most of my classes, but a surprise nonetheless, and it means that the timetable has been rearranged (again) to counter the resulting shortfall.

Secondly, that a month without any exercise has pretty much killed off the small shred of fitness I had left after the neglect of the Christmas break.

Still, there's no pain from the extra exercise, and next week I'm going to try rugby and running again. It's the running I'm most worried about; when I tried to run on it a week ago, it was . . . interesting.

Photos - Dance

After removing the fuzzy ones, and the disappointing ones, and the incriminating ones, five photos from the dinner dance, have been deemed suitable for internet audiences.

You can view the photos here.

Review - Life expectancy

Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz

Good things: It's better than Odd Thomas.

The five days that are foretold don't unfold like you'd expect them to, so most of what happens is a surprise.

Bad things: An over-abundance of pastry metaphors, annoying because people don't describe everything in terms of what they do for a living. I'm an engineer, but I don't relate everything in my life to reinforced concrete. Why should a pastry chef, regardless of how good a chef he is, relate everying to baking?

Too much emphasis is given to the first and second of the five days; the latter three fly by rather quickly in comparison.

The events of the last day seem a little too unreasonable (in particularly, the motivations of the character involved, are a bit of a surprise and it seems like an odd end).

Generally: I've now read two Koontz books, and I'm beginning to think that he can only write about cooks and chefs. That said, I do like this book and enjoyed, for the most part, reading it. It's curiously structured and a couple of the plot twists don't work as well as they should, but it's an engaging and easy read. I like the main character's voice, and the majority of the supporting characters are amiably eccentric.

Worth a look.

#

See also:
Do you like being odd? (review of Odd Thomas, August 2005)

#

50 book challenge 2006:

1 = The Soldier's Son Trilogy: 1. Shaman's Crossing by Robin Hobb [review]
2 = The Wheel of Time: 11. Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan [review]
3 = Conclave of the Shadows: 3. Exile's Return by Raymond E Fiest [review]
4 = The Sandman: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman [review]
5 = A Song of Ice and Fire: 4. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin [review]
6 = Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz

Next = Troy: 1. Lord of the Silver Bow by David Gemmell

Dinner dance

If anything, I look even hotter in a tuxedo this year than I did last year. I didn't think it was possible.

I have photos -- so you can judge for yourself whether that's true or not. I'll post them to flickr as soon as I get a chance.

Photos and my hotness aside, it was another really awesome night. Was sat on a table with my current housemates (Andy and Jen) and my old housemates, and a few other randoms. Food was good. Everyone looked really good.

After the meal, there was much drinkin' and dancin'. Yep, guess my ankle's up to doing that, at least.

#

Elsewhere, this weekend, the Six Nations got off to a start. Ireland scraped a win over Italy, England thumped Wales, and Scotland humiliated France. The first match wasn't so hot, but the second two were good.

Destroyed the hell out of my predictions for the six nations sweepstake, though, and it's only the first week :(