Monday, December 31, 2007

Agony and Triumph

This oddly enough has been the best year of my life; it took 39 years to happen. 2007 has been a remarkable year with many highs and the odd low, it has been a year of agony and triumph. It started with aphelion, my furthest distance from the sun and the year is ending at a warmth opposite.

The year began with myself in abject pain, readying myself for a move to a new town and a new start, away from the bleak place where I lived, and indeed once happily called home. Times change places though and it didn’t seem like home anymore, it was indeed time to change course. So after trying for what seemed an age the move came about and I found myself a nice little place in Newark. Moving home with two busted hips isn’t easy but the whole life change had me driven above the pain which racked me.

Friends and family pulled together and just after mid January I moved. It was an exhausting process. Then seemingly a disaster struck, after leaving behind bad neighbours I inherited new noisier ones! A word with my landlord and I was offered another flat close by that had a quiet neighbour. So, with things barely out boxes I had another move on my hands. More pain, more bother but ultimately worth it as the new place is much better, and the neighbour is quiet too.

Then came the settling in period, scouting out a new local pub, making new friends and getting used to my new town, which incidentally I really like!

March came and the first hip operation happened, and just in time really as I had almost completely ceased up, x-rays showed my cartilage was shot through and it was bone rubbing on bone. Amazingly I was back on my feet in no time after the operation, and with one good hip life became that bit more bearable. Life improved, more friends were made and a couple of more driving tests were failed! My friend Gary came over from Hong Kong to visit his family and we visited Lincoln, climbing to the top of Steep Hill a mere six weeks after my op made me feel anything was possible…. Plus I wanted to get to the pub at the top!

So the year went on and I got out and about more, visiting London a couple of times among other places. The early part of the summer was almost like monsoon season but the weather improved.

Things seemed to be going well but on the relationship side I was to become hurt. I made the error of letting the ex back into my life only to hurt me all over again, at least I finally woke up to the person she really is, a selfish one devoid of compassion and motivated by clinical self interest, but hey, lets not give her too much press here, she doesn’t deserve it, I’m happy to say I’ve moved on in such a positive way. Being human you always hope things might work out, especially when you love someone, sometimes you don’t see the writing on the wall, you may love them but alas they never loved you.

So back on with 2007 and happier things. I passed my driving test in August and was completely over the moon. This was part of my year plan for changing my life and now I could go where I pleased. I purchased a car soon after and things have been good so far, though I still feel like I’m learning. As the year moved on more friends were made and I got back into work, a job which is very rewarding and I hope to return to shortly when the hip is healed. Talking of hips I had my second hip operation in November, and although I didn’t recover quite so quick this time I’m ok now, just a tad sore in the muscles.

Christmas has been a quiet affair, Gary is again over from Hong Kong and I’ve been given clearance to drive again after the op. I hope to return to work early in the new year.

So many things have changed this year, nearly everyone of them have been good, 2007 is a year I will remember fondly, a cornerstone year, a year of determination and a year of result but mostly a year of happiness, laughter, new friends and smiles.

Thanks to all my friends and family, especially my dad who has been a tremendous help all year.

And to anyone reading this? Well a happy new year to you too !

Monday, December 24, 2007

Weak Minded

Tony Blair's recent conversion to Catholicism just shows what a weak minded fool he is. To quote the BBC news website 'Last year, Mr Blair, who is now a Middle East peace envoy, said he had prayed to God when deciding whether or not to send UK troops into Iraq.' - A lot of fucking good that did Tony eh? I'm sure all that praying eased his own conscience though.
I may have Irish roots but I do have a vehement disdain for the Catholic faith, not just Catholics though, any organised religion be it Muslim to Methodist. I could never get my head around the fact a Catholic could slap his wife about, have an affair and then go to confession and say a few hail Mary's and everything is hunky dory again. It's a greedy dated religion whose history is bathed in blood. You don't have to be a history buff to know it was past popes that called for the crusades, events which caused deep rooted hatred with the middle east to this day.
The thing is, I've nothing against somebody being religious or having faith - its just not for me. I find religion too controlling, very divisive in the world today and riddled with inconsistencies. Maybe I read to much Nietzsche;
'Is man merely a mistake of God's? Or God merely a mistake of man's?'
Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols, Maxims and Arrows
I'll always say a church is a lovely serene place to sit and think but then so is a library, or a deserted beach. Mankind has fabricated marvellous awe inspiring churches but he's also fabricated religion. I can understand aspects of Buddhism and Paganism but that's about it for me. In my opinion we should celebrate the great buildings mankind has himself made, the breakthroughs in science and medicine and all the other positives mankind has achieved. If mankind concentrated on getting the real job done without religion's, such as saving the environment, exploring space and taking sciences to greater heights then we could surely create our own utopia. I'm a pragmatist though, and cynical, so I know it's not going to happen.
Anyway, back to Blair.... I wonder what Ian Paisley makes of it all?

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Machete

After watching the amazing Planet Terror by Roberto Rodriguez the other day I was really chuffed that the ficticious grindhouse trailer before the film is actually going to made into a film starring the awesome Danny Trejo of Dusk Till Dawn and Desperado fame. I've long since thought Danny Trejo deserved greater fame.




Watch the video here.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

60

She would have been 60 today, and starting her retirement. Today should have been a party, a celebration and to look forward to a life free from the daily grind of work. She's not here, for alas she passed away over two years ago. I was there, at her bed side, holding her frail body, having just consented to her life support being switched off - I held her. I watched her pass away, the machine beeped slower and slower and she died coldly in my arms.

I kissed her.

I wept.

My soul was torn asunder.

She was my mother.

She would have been 60 today.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

An Old Friend

Ok, so I'm a geek, I love my computer games. Since having my surgery my Nintendo DS handheld has kept me amused loads. The Sony PSP has seen a fair bit of use too. It wasn't until last night whilst doing some web surfing for calenders I stumbled upon one of my favourite game series being released on the PSP - Disgaea !!!

I had no idea it was being released over here just yet and come Friday I'll be able to take my one of my all time favourite games anywhere on the PSP. Yay!





Life eh?

Well things have been pretty mundane of late, the good news is the legs on the mend, the bad news is I'm having problems with my eyes now, another test Friday on them and hopefully good news.
Bills have seemingly started to roll in at the wrong time and the car MOT is due soon too. To be honest I want to get Christmas over and done with and begin the New Year. Even though I'm off work at the moment after the op they rang Friday to invite me to the Christmas party and drinks after and check if I was ok to go health wise etc. I will be there, and I'm looking forward to it, the leg is up to moderate socialising now I think. There's also a band called the 'Jonnyguns' on at my local this Saturday who consist of some members who work at the same place as me.
So, despite feeling a bit subdued lately, things are generally ok, even better when I get to the bottom of this eye problem.