the_cult_of_now

Mum goes from strength to strength and is leaving intensive care when the doctors come around according to the nurse. I don't think anyone needs to worry about her anymore. Hurrah! Very Very Very Cool News.

I suppose I should start doing some work. I think I'm going to get my fat ass out running instead.

She has some pig bits now and is recovering nicely in intensive care.

I'm really something, I'm not sure what, I've not had this mix of emotion before. I have the simultaneous desire to get meteorically fucked up and to go gentlely to sleep. I'm going to a meeting of my mums friends now to spread the news, to the hospital to check in, and then home into the valleys to get onto one fo the above.

Can I formally recommend 'Zero Degrees', a microbrewery/pub in cardiff. Perfect soundtrack and the beer is ace. The food sucks, but its ace for a personal pint.

Grateful.

I went to the cinema on the way home form the ward*, I was in the mood for distraction and took tickets to the first film the kiosk guy recommended. Zombieland; sitting in the perfect seat in a near empty and excellent screen. Ace film, I heartily recommend, even for those usually to faint of heart to watch the Zombie mayhem. An amusing adventure and antiherotastic, attend!

Stepping out of the film near midnight into the neon multiscreen multiplex cinema, I felt the me/world barrier keenly, looking from an observers eyes at the faceless attendants, zombie hooded teens, and the congenial mall atmosphere. That anyone can claim that film don't affect behaviour is shocking. I walked from there out into the parking lot, all the while examining the few people that crossed my path with a surgeon's eye. Getting into the car Zombieland was back, people could be zombies behind the wet glass screen. Thank god no one tried to cross in front of me on the zebra, I'm sure my zombie survival skills wouldn't have overridden the deep seated instinct to stop. Even on the street outside my house, key quietly turned in the lock, I spent a few quiet seconds listening for the pounding of hungry sprinting feet, just to feel all was right with the world.

Late night showings rule, the night can hold whatever possibilities you take out into it.
Stu.
XXX

*So there is good news and bad news... and they are both that Mum has been admitted to the cardiac ward and awaits a good sternum cracking on the morrow... but enough of that.

Took my Mum out and bought various things (some good trousers, some nice food and a paramotor for my part) and also got an alanon meeting in abergavenny which was amusing.

I hope you've all had a good Sunday afternoon too :-) Tomorrow looks ok from here.

So moved in with Girlfriend, just emerging from the cloud of stress and mayhem that brought. Still questions for me on this whole girlfriend business. Life was less stressful before. Cat sitting Bat for Eva, so Sid is a bit put out. And last but not least, Mum is undergoing valve replacment heart surgury on Tuesday.

On a selfish note, we were told the Op would happen anytime from June onwards. I cancelled two f**king holidays to make sure I'm here for Mum. But I booked two weekends away at the end of October. The Operations hangs through June (corsica hike cancelled), July, August, September (Egypt diving cancelled), October... until yes.... 4 days before weekend #1. Its proof there is a God, and it is an utter bastard. OK, OK, I'm well aware this is selfish, that they are small in the grand scheme, and I'll get on with things, I'm just saying...

The potential of living through such operations is 96.5% (2008). A moderately interesting statistic to encounter. Time to head home and help Mum have a really good weekend. She has gone for a haircut... I'm not sure what that says about her state of mind. I'd like you all to be really kind about what this post says of my state of mind.

Haven't posted in a (long) while. Probably since I left my job at diamond :-)

News:
My girlfriend moving in this weekend.
Have the last vestiges of fever (confirmed swine flu) in my system.
Mum is going in for heart surgery.
Played a pleasing amount of 40k recently.
Currently hanging on an ebay auction for a paramotor... something I have wanted for years, but not quite got around to buying. I know I should save for a house or something but I'd much rather be able to fly on a whim!

I'm having a leaving job party in Oxford, well pub crawl, but you're all in London so its not relevant to y'all.

Still but I thought I'd ask what was happening hisorically this time last millenium?
now-1k: Æthelred the unready was being ill-advised (Wiki)
now-2k: Jesus still thought girls were weird and wanted a scaeletric for christmas.

Hello,

I would like a camera than has a pretty good memory capacity and makes it easy to take good pictures. Looks of camera unimportant. So cheap and automatic... do you guys have any good suggestions? Cameraphones or cameras considered.

Stu

Yee haw! I love thunder and lightning! I love the storm air too.

...with the lurgy. Might have to cancel the race on Sunday due to medical issues. Which is a shitter as I'm all trained up for it. I would do it with the slight fever, and even with the infected cut on the bottom of my foot*, but the lung infection is a bit of a show stopper on the half marathon leg. I think not this time, I will decide tomorrow. Of course its worse if I cancel... it means I have to stay fit and do the the real tough guy in the winter. *Death awaits*

I'd post some pics of Finland but they all seem to be either of a drunken sexual positions game or benignly naked pictures in the sauna... neither of which are suitable for here I think. Just think a reunion of ten friends, with beer, food, idyllic log cabin by the lake, sauna, amusing finnishness, bbq'ing, etc. top banana.

Right... I've almost achieved everything today... just need to email my boss and tell him why I didn't show this morning.

I have a few weeks to rest up, finish my job, generally party pretty hard, then its off on expedition to Botswana! More on this later, Rah!
Stu.

P.S. Must start saving money. More on this later too I imagine.

*when running from the sauna to the lake, one should at least put something on ones feet.

In burst of loyalty I've just bought tickets to go be with some old friends in finland next weekend (18-22). It should be relaxing and I haven't... well I just need to sort my car insurance out now... (eek!)

I have a Chainsaw.

I spent both days of the weekend in work which:
- provided peace and quiet to do quality programming WIN!
- pays as overtime WIN!!
- earns me Thursday and Friday off WIN!!!

Last night I had meatballs cooked for me yesterday by a German who looks rather like Terry Hatcher in superman. UBERGEWINN

Tonight I ran home from work. While running home from work isn't that unusual, I'm unsually quite wimpy with walking breaks on the steep sections. I hadn't run for a few weeks and feared the shambles I'd be as I set off at a conservative pace. I convinced myself to run the first steep section... then bootstrapped myself all the way to the start of the next hill section... then, still feeling fine, just ran the >2km hill home. Almost six unbroken miles more than half of which is uphill, with two steep sections, *without stopping*. This is a first for me in almost a decade! I officially rock! I had loads spare when I got home too... CROSS-TRAINING-NON-FATBOY-WIN!

Oh and I finished the antibiotics! And am supping a pretty decent summer cocktail with a fairly debauched alcholo content.

-> Weekend of WIN!

James, one of my best friends from highschool is on the front page of the Sun with a UFO story. You never think its going to happen to you do you...

Its not that I don't believe in them, I think they are a statistical certainty. Its just, well, he is a normal well-travelled bloke and professional helicopter pilot... and I can't really doubt he saw what he saw. Agreed, what it actually was is another question enitrely.
Stu.

Taking strong antibiotics which have worse effects than the actual infection. Yuck... its taken about 3 days to build up to constant headaches and yucky flueyness. Well, that and the two pints I really wish I hadn't drunk last night. :-(
S.

I'm currently shopping for chainsaws. Oh yes. Basically, I want to be Swedish so I'm trying for a HUSQVARNA but those Swedes do make you pay for em... sigh...

A link of interest:
http://www.eyje.com/pictures/animals/The_Most_Adorable_Cat_in_Russia

This is cat is to other cats what chainsaws are to other saws.

Other than the job, Life is smilingly content. My sunshiney weekend full of much reading, sunbathing, imaginatively rude things, good food & bbqs, and general lazing around my own particular idyll (googlemap:ox11 8ns).

Its great, but I guess I can think of a few improvements. Ideally, a vast amount of fitness so I wouldn't have to go running much for my upcoming race... what does HGH do exacly? Other than that, being introduced to a girl I really shouldn't be able to have*, might cure me of my machinegun monogamy malaise.

Its all good though :-)!
Stu.
X

*I have no particular girl in mind here. Obviously I'm not asking you to list your beautiful, intelligent and interesting girl-friends with pictures, a brief synopsis, and contact details here... heh, only a complete loser would ask that. Of course if you did, I wouldn't remonstrate it with you. And if you all chipped with a suggestion or two, and perhaps commented on others suggestions with stuff like 'Yes, that girl is chocolate!', and 'Rarrr**!' or maybe 'No, don't date her, she tortured and killed her last two boyfriends'. That kind of thing.

**No, I'm not sure what it would mean either. Tiger!? Dog? Zombie? I guess if anyone says 'Rarrr!' I'll make sure I have protection*** and an escape plan.

*** A bite proof outfit, a condom, and a baseball bat, in no particular order. Wow that date is looking pretty good already.

So I talked with my new boss to be. Happy will I be as a Physicist again. Rarr! Its more about building instrumentation than building theory. This will be less romantic, but I'll be more competent :-) Not a bad trade off.

Its all good :-)

Life, love, and l... l'profession I can't think of a nice alliterative third for this opening, but its all good :-)

Things are just peachy. I have enough sex, money, travel, and general satisfaction to leave a goofy smile on my face. I'm tending inexorably toward fit too (I've signed up for a stupid race called the toughguy(ish) in July).I start as a Fusion plasma diagnostic physicist on the 1st September [yes, I got the JOB!]. My boss offered a raise and a sub-group if I'd stay, nice to be wanted! Its going to be amusing to hand in my resignation today, as although I like my boss and most of my colleagues, one of my superiors can fuck right off. Its hard to explain this situation, but my leaving will damn him, and for the good of mankind I will attempt to subtle*ly add to this damnation.

Right, better go have coffee, work work work :-)
Stu.





*Anyone who knows me will be amused by me using this word... but seriously, I'll be invisible.

Happy blooming to car accident in a few relaxed days. A lesson learned.