Ok, so got up and dressed this morning, ready to go into work and clean the beer lines like i've been recruited to do, only to find out they don't want me until next week. Communication mix-up. Wasn't impressed. But then i went for a bike ride (yea i know, get me! Trying to be active this Summer!) and now i don't care. One of the managers is leaving soon (or left yesterday, not sure!) so have got plenty more shifts now - gonna earn a fair few bob over the next fortnight!

Visited Lucy and Jonno's new house last night, it's a real nice place just outside Cheltenham. They were the first of our friends to get married, back in June, and they seem to have settled in well. There was some disagreement over who the shed belonged to...haha, think that's Jonno's naughty place when he's been bad! They've got comfy sofas, a furry rug and a widescreen TV with DVD player - what more could they need?!

Have been spending the last few days listening to a Zucchero album of duets - great Italian singer (his name means "Sugar") who i actually saw live promoting the album a few years ago with Dan, Lara and Geth at the Royal Albert Hall. In fact, he is one of the artists that i listened to as a kid. Whenever we went on a long trip or on a family holiday to France, we'd usually listen to the same few tapes (remember those?), namely Simply Red, Curtis Mayfield and Paul Young. Now, on a tape of Paul Young's greatest hits was a 1991 song called "Senza Una Donna (Without A Woman)", on which he sang with...Zucchero! (It's a great song, some sparring between the two). Anyway, song of the week has got to go to "Dune Mosse", a soft song with Miles Davis on guest trumpet. Very chilled out. "Don't cry at all".

Lazy Summer days

Hi all!

Woops has been about a week since i last posted something on here...interesting seeing as i have too much free time these days. I asked my local (the Ormonds) to give me some more shifts (i work the bar/restaurant) but think they want to phase out the part-timers. I'm only around until early September though so at least i'll get some money out of them before heading back to Brumsville.

Having said that - Saturday was fun-filled. A friend of ours from school got married - service was really nice, in a small village (Woodchester) Church. Got some food with Dan, Lara, Al and Hels before heading to Dan's to watch Madagascar (my choice! fun film), and then onto the evening-do at a posh hotel, complete with disco and cheesy songs! Perfect...plus got to see a whole load of friends, some of whom i ain't seen in months, perhaps more. Bit of a shock having to change friends' surnames in phonebooks!

Had to get up at bird shit o'clock on Sunday (ok i lie, more like 7.30!), as i'm now responsible for cleaning the beer lines at work once a week. Very easy stuff, just boring and time-consuming. Have almost finished reading 1984. Things aren't looking good for Winston..he's been caught by the Thought Police. Confused? Read it!! Great book.

I get less and less motivated to watch the news each day. The Israeli-Lebanese conflict is far too depressing to watch, i just get fed up. Not out of not caring, more out of despair that even in this day and age, governments believe military force and incursions will create security. It won't. Not in this case for sure. God knows how many jihadists and mujahideen are being made of the kids who's parents have just been killed. Not doing a whole load of good for Israel's international image. The US needs to stop emboldening Jerusalem and work out a fair peace process. Maybe halting the sale of arms to every ally would be a start...

Almost got Edinburgh sorted. Oh, and have been teaching myself Brian May's Last Horizon. It's essentially a (really moving) guitar solo from his Back To The Light album...love it! Maybe life ain't so bad after all!

Take care y'all. x

This is a nice pic of the night life on a Saturday evening by the River Cam, Cambridge. I was there at the weekend visiting a uni mate, Noel, for his 21st party. Had lunch, a BBQ, punting and beer - couldn't really ask for more for a nice Summer evening! Cambridge is a really beautiful place from what i saw of it, and i visited the town last summer. Punting was fun, have done it several times in Oxford now. Serene.

Since i've been back i've bought a paddling pool on e-bay (thank God for e-bay, such a life-saver when doing musicals/operas in Brum!) Will be great to have if the weather holds out. Have spent the last two afternoons by Stroud outdoor pool getting pink...Went and saw my old teacher's summer play last night at school - Timberlake Wertenbaker's Our Country's Good, which Ads and i studied for our A Level Theatre Studies. A great performance with some strong casting. I recommend people read it. Without Chris Green, i wouldn't have the same interest in theatre that i do, and so i owe the man a lot.

Have any of you guys heard of Desert Island Discs? I first heard of it some years ago now, and seriously, i think of what my choices would be pretty much every day. Music is such a powerful medium, has had a great impact on my own life. Only problem is i can never decide upon a final list - it changes from week to week, even day to day. I think some unchanging candidates would be Brian May/Queen's Too Much Love Will Kill You (got me through some god-awful shit), Lifehouse's Hanging By A Moment (full of drive and passion), and Free's All Right Now (classic rock!!). Have a think about which songs you'd have...and why!

I'll leave you for now with a pic of Sooty enjoying the sun...It's tough being a rabbit. Oh, and hopefully you guys will have heard or had e-mails about my bday celebrations - party at mine in Tetbury on Saturday 12th August...keep it free!

j x

Who's this handsome beast then...?

Ok, i gotta say...I've been feeling pretty blue recently. Why? Well, life's changing, and no-one wants to change something when it's already pretty good, right? People from home getting jobs and moving on with lives, whether that's getting married or sorting out careers. And of course uni friends that have graduated are moving away, back home, to a new job. I really didn't appreciate this when i first came to Birmingham, but jees 3 years has flown by. I've achieved much (we all have), but i really wish i'd made more of it, particularly the initial months.

I felt the same coming to uni - "I don't want to leave home and friends and go somewhere new, life's great as it is". It took time, but i realised the new life was amazing too. And so it happens again. I hope i don't make the same mistakes again - there'll be new opportunities, new people, and those that i want to stay in touch with and see, i will!

Doesn't stop us from being down, nervous and unsure now though does it? "So little comfort in my loneliness" - ok, so gotta take comfort in something else...find it!

"Everything exists in limited quantity...especially happiness". Well balls to Picasso. He was an artist, not a philosopher. Find something - a song, a book, a cookie, a person, anything you can take comfort in or from, and hold onto it.

j x

Good morning Internet

Hellooo internet!

Ok, so being inspired by some other friends' blogging, i felt i'd give it a go myself. This is post number 1, and who knows how long this will last. Like the diary when i was a kid, this could last about a week before i stop giving a damn, but maybe, just maybe i'll have more to say than i think.

Umm so what's gonna be on here...i don't know. I guess, interesting stuff i've been upto, news, pics (non-incriminating ones!), and a place for me to rant on about all the injustices in the world, and of course how if i were in charge i'd make it all better...haha. A chance to get in touch with some people i should have written to long ago.

Ok, well let's get started. Today has been spent thinking about the future - something that comes around much quicker than we would like sometimes. Thinking about jobs in Brumsville for when i get back there, 21st birthday plans, Edinburgh. Looks likely that a few of us may head up there around the 6th Aug for a few days, have never been there before so should be ace!

Noticing the news. Middle East looks ripe for a prolonged conflict...The irony is they all want the same thing - a safe place to live. What's worst is that they could have that. On the plus side it appears that a more efficient HIV treatment pill has been developed, whether or not it'll be available for all that need it is another thing.

Come back soon!
j