Blank Canvass

Prologue

Sitting around the table in Frankie and Benny's after watching the latest rom-com (Friends with Benefits was what we saw for those interested and Timberlake and the lovely Mila Kunis were much better than the disappointing effort from Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher earlier this year) we seemed to be going round the table in a circle, each of us asking one of the others the exact same questions as we'd just been asked by the previous person in the group: What are you up to? and How's your new job going?

It became a bit of a joke and we all began to realise just how much we've all moved on since the days of Woolworths. We're all adults now who catch up over a dinner and pints of Budweiser (from the tap, thank you Frankie and Benny). Long gone are the simple days of screwing around in the store and studying for a qualification in this, or learning the art of whatever... except for Chris at least; our token student for another year. It is amazing how life is all coming together at once for a large portion of the people in my life. Even one of my younger brothers Ben has just left his school-days behind him for good, opting to learn how to give me free haircuts for life! My other brother has even been applying for jobs.Only my sister remains to remind me of a more innocent time and to give me an excuse to catch up with Spongebob and the gang... I just need to figure out a way that justifies my breakfast viewings of the happenings in Bikini Bottom.

Flying the Nest

Regular readings of my ramblings will maybe have noticed, but most likely not, that there's been a bigger gap than usual between blogs for me. Truth is I've been without regular internet access for a few weeks having been getting settled into my brand new home! For the first time in my memory (who can remember when they were 1 and a half) I moved house, or should I say 'into a flat'. It's been about a month now and it really does feel like home now. We have Sky tv all set up and we're now online. It's taken some adjusting as it turns out the washing, cooking, cleaning, and ironing didn't all do themselves... who knew! In all seriousness though, Stacey has taken the brunt of the chores as she gets home a whole two hours before me. So to her I say thankya. I don't envy her getting home earlier than I do so much as I do the fact that she's still snoozing in bed when I leave in the mornings.

While saying a thankya, let me now also thank all of those who gave/bought us cards and gifts for the new flat.

It did seem very strange leaving my home of over two decades. Even though I can go back and visit whenever and even still have a key, it still felt as if I was leaving behind over 20 years of memories. But the fun part is that I now have this brand new (the flat has literally had noone else live in it before us) canvass upon which we can paint new memories. We've already started too as we've had everybody that we can so far round to see the place. If you haven't been round yet give us a holla and we'll get back to you. Another good memory awaits this week as I'm hosting my first wrestling night in the flat. Beer and Burgers shall be served up a treat. Oh, and I just picked up the original Star Wars movies, so they must also be watched.

The Graduate

In other news I graduated this past Saturday. I got a text from Christoph last week telling me he was back for the weekend from Portsmouth; I text back saying that I would actually be going the opposite way, as I would be in Portsmouth for the event to celebrate my successful studies. I got to dress like Harry Potter for the day and even got a little more stage time than most, as I was turned into a bit of a case-in-point for the gentleman handing out the degrees on stage as I was considerably younger than the average Open University student. It was a terrific day, mainly in my mind because of the great time I had with my family: Stacey, Poppy, Mum and Dad. Dad treated us to lunch and a dinner in Portsmouth at Chiquitos. It was delicious and we all had a fun time (San Miguel on tap certainly aided). Stacey also surprised me with the awesome graduation present of two tickets to this year's NFL fixture at Wembley, so on October 23rd of this year, I'm going to see the Chicago Bears face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Go Bears!

The Path at the End of the Clearing

thinner.

Work is also going extremely well. I've become a placement machine and am always hitting my targets. I'm knocking wood right now in the hope that that continues. I'm enjoying it thoroughly and can't see myself enjoying anything more right now. I think it's safe to say that I'm just all round happy as this new book - chapter doesn't seem big enough - in my life begins.

Epilogue

And here we all are; Stacey, Pete, Nat, Chris and Me - sitting around a table in the corner of Frankie and Benny's. Looking across the table towards the friends that have become my equivalent of school friends - my Woolies Friends - the glow of a red neon sign shines and blurs in the background as we all discuss the things we've done in the past year and what we're doing currently. All of us have moved on from the year that many of us often claim will never be beaten by another; 2008. The year of 19 for yours truly (read the adventures of Roland and you'll get the sneaky reference). Fact is this year could well be adding some major points to the scoreboard. Sure, 2008 was essentially 12 months of solid fun, but this year feels like the year that I've (we've) grown; the year that I've (we've) made it; the year where for me (us) it's all starting again. Probably the most important thing to take from the conversations that were had over pizzas, steaks, and a black n' blue burger though is that it didn't end with us all having found out exactly what each of us has done in our lives to date, but that we still discussed our future plans. We've all moved on, but we'll all move on again, and again.

...and the Tower is closer.

It's the end of the world as we know it (No Mercy)

All we could hear from the office today was the sound of sirens. Ambulance sirens, fire-engine sirens, and most of all: police car sirens. It got to the stage where one of my colleagues turned around and asked if anybody had been keeping a tally as to just how many we'd heard whizz by outside. Everyone had lost count hours prior.

It'll be news to nobody not living in a bubble that the nation's Capitol is in turmoil right now and that many parts have been in fact torn apart. Thankfully the part of London in which I work has been unaffected so far and (knocking wood now) will hopefully remain that way. The sirens that we heard non-stop today weren't for anything in the nearby area, but were rather off to aid and help to fight against some of the rioters dotted around the city and its boroughs.

On a happier note, it is the end of the world as I know it, as this is my last week of living at home. Mine and Stacey's trial run has come to an end now, as her Mum is home from holiday, and it's been a great couple of weeks. I am really very excited to be living together. Saturday is moving day. Not long to go. As Stacey has had the free house over the last couple of weeks, I've resided there, and have come back to my bedroom (soon to be former-bedroom) to find that it's already been pretty much demolished by my eager to gut-and-decorate mother. I do appreciate her helping hand, even if it is a little forceful. I think she's just as excited as I am though, and I love her for it. So here I am, my world has been torn apart, as my room really does look quite atrocious... I'm literally staring at a mouldy, bare wall right now. Gross! At the same time, it's going to be quite sad leaving my bedroom of a decade and a half, and to my home of over two decades. Only 5 nights left in the old bed. I've already stayed over at Stacey's for the final time which is also weird to think. Even if we crash at Kim and Peter's in the future, it won't be in the same bedroom as they're snatching Stacey's as soon as she's gone.

We went out in style though with a little get together on Saturday night at Stacey's, which again would've been for the last time. Tam, Pete, Alex and Becky came over and we had a curry, film, and Buzz night. We watched Mean Girls which I hate to admit that I enjoyed thoroughly as a movie to sit and watch and have a laugh with. As for Buzz, Pete claims that he won in his recent blog, however I did win the main game. He may have just won one of the mini-games! Overall it was a good weekend. I got to cruise in Tam's new convertible... with the roof up (it was a rainy day) and I purchased a vacuum cleaner. Oh, and I got my degree! I fluffed it on the final big assignment, which unfortunately brought my entire grade down a peg, but I'm still happy and content with the fact that I worked hard and can be proud of my accomplishment. I'm booked in to have a graduation in September and can't wait to wear the gown and hat thingy attire.

I'll leave it there for now as I want to go to bed. I've got work again in the morning and need to keep my wits about me in the city and all right now. I'll end on a cheery note, by telling the world that Stacey and I watched the Adam Sandler comedy Big Daddy last night, and Stacey cried during it. That's right, she shed tears over an Adam Sandler movie. Goodnight folks!

Hometown Invasion/Cult of Personality

It's been roughly a month since I started the new job, and we're now less than 2 weeks away from moving out. This past week had a slightly different feel to it than the previous three. I've become more settled in where I'm at, more comfortable. And this was definitely helped in that my morning commutes were spent in company. On Monday morning, when standing alone while at the same time completely surrounded by people, a familiar face presented itself. Newly-wed friend Mike appeared and as it turns out, was on the 9 til 9 shift for Monday through Thursday. So for the first four days of the week, I was kept company on the trains in the morning. It was weird having a conversation with another human being during the commute, and you couldn't help but notice several bemused and possibly even annoyed commuters staring at us for interacting as opposed to keeping our heads down. It certainly made the mornings a little nicer. Then on Friday, when it looked as though I was going to be alone again (Mike having already worked 48 hours for the week in just 4 days), I managed to catch the train with my Uncle. So for the whole week I got to be a real person amidst a sea of soulless drones. Tomorrow unfortunately, I'll be back to drone-mode myself.

The commute wasn't the only time that some of my hometown chums made appearances during my working day. Nat and Chris met me for lunch on Monday too, Nat having had herself an interview in the city. It was a great way to spend a lunch hour, although it did go mighty quick and soon enough I was back behind my desk.

After hours too, this week has been different. Stacey and me met up with Becky and Alex after work on Tuesday, and on Friday we arranged to go and see the latest Marvel spectacle Captain America. Friday night wound up being a double-header for me though, as I basically enjoyed two nights out for the price of one. By Friday afternoon, I had reached my targets at work for the week, and thus was allowed to leave at 5 instead of 6. A member of the office was leaving, and another was celebrating a birthday, so my new colleagues and I headed to a bar that seemed to be more like a nightclub in the middle of the day. We went in and downstairs, and it really was like walking into nighttime. I enjoyed a few cocktails (half-price for the win!) and over the course of a couple of hours started to finally get to know some of my new workmates. Due to the Captain America plans for later in the night, I may have had to be one of the first to head home, but in fairness I do have one of the longest journeys of anyone in my office and I still managed to spread myself thin enough to enjoy time with London-lot and Hometown-heroes.

The Cult of Personality

It was another double-header on Saturday night, although thankfully in the same place. Two of my old Blockbuster colleagues, Sam and Sarah were out to celebrate their birthdays; my broski Sam celebrating the big three-oh! It was a terrific night and great to see and catch up with the old crew who I have missed rather a lot in the last month. More cocktails were drunk and I tried my first ever tequila shot. It was rather rancid. I purchased a little present for Sam too in the form of a toy wrestling belt. The gift that was held high and posed with for much of the night was wrapped in Chuggington wrapping paper, the only wrapping paper we could find in Stacey's house. It scored some pretty odd looks from the bouncers and reception staff at the club.

Trial Run

With moving day drawing ever closer, Stacey and I have Stacey's house to ourselves at the moment. With the time to ourselves, we've been practising for the life we're about to embark on, with Stacey having prepared some very tasty meals for me for when I get back from work. Yesterday we entertained for Mike and Sarah before going out, and today we went grocery shopping. No doubt this will all be boring in a few months time, but for now it's all very exciting.

We're One Day Closer,

          The Wait Is Over.

                                       -TRUST COMPANY





King of My Ordinary World

But I won't cry for yesterday
There's an ordinary world
Somehow I have to find
And as I try to make my way
To the ordinary world
I will learn to survive

-DURAN DURAN                          

I've been listening to a lot of Duran Duran recently. It all started just over a week ago when we were heading out in Stacey's car and I stopped by my Mum and Dad's CD collection to look for something to rock out to during the drive. Stacey asked what I was doing, and then told me to bring something from the 80s. I went straight for the compromise, and soon enough were jamming and singing - or rather attempted to sing - our little lungs out to the likes of A View to a Kill and Rio. Although I have a bit of a soft spot for the Bond theme, my favourite Duran Duran hit has to be their most epic: Ordinary World. 

Listening to it as I have many times over the last eight days, I've really started to take in, and digest the lyrics. In many ways it sums up the vast amount of change going down right now... and I'm not referring to coins.... Ok that wasn't funny at all... I'll stop.

It reminds me of a conversation that I had with Stacey's Mum Kim just t'other day, in which we were discussing how you reach a certain point just after your teenage years (teenagedom? teenagehood?) when you begin to realise that maybe you're not going to make the bigtime and fulfill your wildest dreams, and that perhaps that's all right. In a sense, Duran Duran are onto something, you make your way into the Ordinary World, and while those adolescent, teenage days (and nights) have left you with a whole host of awesome memories, there's no need to cry for yesterday. Thinking about all that's gone on in our lives right now, I am really beginning to feel the sense of excitement building. It's time to build our world; it's our time.

We trekked around Ikea today looking for stuff and spending some of my savings away. All for a good cause mind! Ikea wasn't quite the Hell-on-Earth I remembered from when I was a kid, and was actually a lot of fun. It was like exploring the homes of 100 people all at once. My inner-child loved jumping on all the different beds, and trying out all the comfy chairs to see which one would be best to doze off in. Or would that have been my inner-adult? I also found that the Ikea restaurant serves probably the best value meals in the world. Did someone say full English breakfast for under £2? I certainly fuelled up before the shopping marathon, and returned at the end for a can of Swedish pear cider.

At this point in this entry, it probably seems that my whole life is revolving around the impending move, and to be fair rather a lot of it is. However, let's not forget my new job. I'm now three weeks in and am really starting to grasp the whole recruitment game. I barely even notice the commute anymore thanks in large to Stephen King, and am beginning to get to know my lovely colleagues. One other perk of working in London is getting to see my old buddy James Drury, a.k.a. Mr. Westend Musical Man. I met up for him after work on Friday for a drink during his pre-showtime break. While waiting outside his current theatre of work, I was randomly told to eff-off by some psychotic looking man who then turned and stormed off. I hadn't even looked at the guy... gotta love London life, eh? James then came out and met me, and off we walked to find a not-so-crowded pub, walking past Rupert Everett on the way. It was great to catch up with an old friend, and I look forward to doing it more often. The rest of the weekend has then seemingly disappeared; I went to the cinema to see Horrible Bosses on Saturday with Nat, Pete and Stacey, and then Ikea today and BAM! Work again tomorrow!

At this point I'm looking very much forward to next weekend, as I'll be heading back to Ikea and then going out for a much needed night on the town/catch-up with the old Blockbuster crew for a joint Sam/Sarah birthday celebration. Woo Woo Woo - You Know It!

---------------------------------

What is happening to me?
Crazy, some'd say

Who knows, maybe I'll be a mega-star yet ;-)

The First Week

I've had my first week of full-time employment and am rapidly nearing the end of my first proper weekend. So much has happened and it feels like it's all passed me by in the blink of an eye.

My first day at the new job last Monday began as only a first day could in my world. The company that I am employed by take up the third floor of the building, with other companies inhabiting the other floors. I walked into reception on Monday and alerted the receptionist of my arrival. She phoned up to the company and I sat down to wait. About ten minutes later a man walked into the room, looked in my direction and asked 'James?'. Last time I checked, my name was James, so I answered that I was and off we went into the lift and up to the fourth floor... Those of you paying attention may have noticed a fatal error there already. Up we went and I was soon introduced to my colleagues, one of which was stripped down to his boxers after having run or cycled in. They were all dreadfully posh, but friendly enough as they all welcomed me and shook my hand; Mr Boxers included. I was then taken to a meeting room and made a cup of coffee just the way I like it, and I sat down at a table.
'Of course your father is very instrumental in what we do here' began the man.
'I'm sorry, can you repeat that?' I replied.
'I said that your father, he plays a pretty big role in what we do here.' said the man.
'How do you know my Dad?' I asked back, a look of sheer perplexion spread across my face.
'James (insert some other guy's surname here)?' the man then asked, looking somewhat confused himself.
'No, James Cooke.' I answered, the realisation dawning on me.
I was soon whisked out of there and taken back down to reception where the real James was found and turned out to be some sixteen year old school kid. Thankfully I hadn't been summoned yet, and when I was called up with my new colleague Yohanna who was also starting that day, the nerves had completely faded away as I'd already been introduced to one new office.

I'm happy to report that my actual new colleagues are a very friendly bunch, and I'm happy to work in the office with them for the majority of the week. The posh lot upstairs weren't bad either, and I have since bumped into one of them in the lift; we shared a laugh over what happened and he asked whether I was enjoying my proper job.

Many people keep asking me whether the commute bothers me, but the truth is that it doesn't at all. I've read nearly the whole of Dan Brown's Digital Fortress on my travels this week, and haven't even noticed the journey whip by. The thing that has had an effect is the sheer length of the days, as after a full day at work, coupled with the commute, I'm looking at a twelve hour day. It feels like my whole week is work. Luckily, I don't seem to have been too badly effected. I seem to hit a bit of a wall at about twenty past three each day (I used to frequently have a half hour lie-down at around this time), and on Tuesday I was particularly dead-to-the-world; but since then I've rebounded and by Friday I was feeling completely used to it all! Probably the highlight of the week had to be on Day 1, when the team on my desk were all treated to a paid-for lunch to get to know the newbies at a nearby Italian restaurant. Oh, and it turns out that I don't need to take the tube, as the office is in walking distance of Charing Cross, which is good news as it'll save me £60 each month.

Friday came, and I finally got to feel what all other working guys and gals feel on the last day of the working week. We get to go home an hour early on Friday's so long as we've hit certain targets which was a pleasant surprise, and the weekend kicked of flavourably with an Indian meal, courtesy of Peter. Then yesterday, Stacey and I went to view some flats, as the time to move out is drawing closer, and we then spent the remainder of the day meeting some relatives that I had never met before. My second cousin was at one time Mr. UK, which I guess sums up where in the hell my good looks come from! To round out the week, I've just been out for a Sunday lunch with Stacey and some friends. This was followed up by a visit to the park, and Becky and me rode on the miniature railway, reliving our childhoods in the process. And that brings me to right here, right now. I'm back to work for another full week in the morning.... When did I turn into a proper adult?

Season Finale

This is it. Here I sit about to embark on a new career and my proper adult life. Tomorrow I shall be rising early (by my standards) and commuting into the city for the first day of my new full-time job in recruitment. I think and I hope that I'm all set, all that's left is to sleep before the big day.

Papa's Got a Brand New (Man) Bag

Since discovering that I'd got the job a week and a half ago, I've been spending money so that I can go on to make some money. First up was a shopping trip which Stacey jumped at the chance to go on to buy a brand spanking new suit One suit just wouldn't suffice, and I went for a grey suit to contrast my black, pin-striped number. I've also stocked up on shirts and ties, so that I'll have at least one outfit for each of the days of the week. And don't you worry fashion gurus, I do plan to purchase more once I get some dosh rolling in. Once my attire was sorted, I thought about getting a briefcase. My Dad used to have a briefcase when he commuted, so why shouldn't I? Well, apparently briefcases are rather hard to come by these days. Instead I had to adjust my mission objectives and seek out a man-bag. I think I found a pretty good one for a nice enough price, and it should hopefully match my suits.

The final purchase for now came in the form of travel expenses. I needed a train ticket to get into town each day, and I soon found that it ain't cheap as chips! No, I've forked out near enough £400 for a month's worth of journeys. Thankfully it should all be worth it. With my shopping done, I feel I'm now as ready as I'll ever be to start my big-boy job, even if all this retail preparation did remind me of shopping during the 'back to school' days.

So long, farewell...

With a brand new full-time position about to be taken by myself, the end of my illustrious retail career has come and gone. I made sure to work one last time with each of my Blockbuster brethren before walking off into the sunset, and I finished up with one last Friday night shift. Aside from making my manager get all emotion at the prospect of my departure (I have that affect, it's both a gift and a curse), it was a rather unevenetful shift that went by nice and smoothly with Nick and John. I made the two of them take me out for drinks afterwards, and we were joined by Stacey and Tom, and wound out the night by reminiscing about our retail pasts in Blockbuster and Woolworths. We told tales such as the time at Woolies in which me and Tom managed to somehow spend a whole afternoon sitting on the stairs conversing, and the time in the esteemed 'pillow room' when a certain member of management didn't spot us perched up high on a mountain of pillows and duvets skiving off. No wonder that place went down.... Although I still think it has more to do with the fact that I left there and defected to Blockbusters, which gives my now-former employer about two months until administration... I'm joking of course, or at least I hope so for the sakes of all of my good friends that work there, and for the fact that I don't want to be some bringer of bad curses to companies that I work for. Blockbuster Broskis, I'm gonna miss you all, and promise to visit and meet up with you all as often as possible.

What a Soppy Git!

 With the end of one era, and the beginning of another, things really feel like they're wrapping up! So many of my friends seem to be moving on in their lives in one way or another at the moment. Whether it's getting a fantastic score in their degree like my Good friend Nat, or qualifying as a teacher like the Frustrated Creative himself Mr. Pete Town. But arguably no one has taken as big a leap as have Sarah and Mike who yesterday joined together in Holy Matrimony.

That's right, Wills and Kate can step aside, there's a new hot married couple on town. Michael and Sarah, now both known as Mr and Mrs Michael Fenner tied the knot in a nice ceremony in the church that Sarah's parents had gotten hitched inside. The event brought many to tears including the groom, who had never looked happier than when he saw his bride walk down that aisle! We later enjoyed a very pleasant meal under the watchful eye of a rather confident, and at times intimidating (in a good way) toast master. The speeches were all very well spoken, including Mr Fenner's rather soppy one. He admitted to us before the evening's festivities that he was maybe being a little soppy, at which point I warned him of the subtitle above. The bride looked absolutely beautiful in a long flowy dress that I unfortunately cannot describe any further due to my lack of fashion knowledge. I can however add that it was white... which I guess you'd expect.

The evening do was tremendous fun, and the alcohol seemed to flow. Stacey was particularly trolleyed, and everyone had an absolute ball. Everything about the night (and day for that matter) clicked well, and nobody had a bad, or even an OK time. Everyone loved it, and Mike and Sarah should be completely happy with their perfect day! Congratulations guys!

The End...

That's all I have time for now, as I really need to start getting ready for bed ahead of the big first day tomorrow! I'm excited and a tad nervous. If you're looking for a little more reading material, then I'll point you in the direction of Jon Budworth, who for my birthday last year began writing my fictional life story here. Why am I bringing this up? Because he wrote Part 2 for my birthday this year here! Enjoy!

B.W.E. (Best Week Ever)

The pieces of the puzzle that is adult life really are starting to come together. Let's see, in the last week since I last wrote I've turned 22; celebrated said turning of age; spent a day at Thorpe Park; and been offered a full time, proper job! With all that said and done, I thank you for reading another epic instalment of this blog, goodnight folks....

...OK, I find myself wanting a little more detail as I know that some day I'll want to read back on this time.

Fist Pump, Fist Pump, Fist Pump

On the past weekend, Jason and myself joined forces to celebrate our upcoming birthdays with friends, as my 22nd was on the following Monday, while his 23rd was on the Tuesday. We spent a Saturday night out on the town, enjoying a pleasant meal with friends, before hitting a couple of bars. We ended up in a place called The Retreat, which was a small, yet lively little place that served drinks at high price and played music at a high volume. So, yes what I'm trying to say is that the drinks were a little expensive, but that the atmosphere made up for that. Now recently, the fist pump has made a bit of a comeback, largely due to the Youtube sensation that is Long Island Iced Z and the Ryder Revolution that is being felt the world over as a result. The hit internet show features a lot of of the simple to learn, difficult to master dance move, and we more than broke it out on Saturday night, baby! If I remember correctly, which is a little difficult for me to do (although not nearly as bad as it is for me to remember last year's messy birthday bash), it was Sam and myself that got the fist-pumping going, and before we knew it, everyone was joining the revolution, much the chagrin of Stacey who seems to detest the move for not good reason. We even noticed that other patrons of the bar were fist-pumping later in the evening.

Saturday night wasn't the only time over the last week that I was able to break out a fist pump or two though. On Tuesday, the day after my actual birthday, a group of us went to Thorpe Park. Stacey, Jason (the birthday boy), Tom and Jane accompanied me to the top UK attraction, and while there we managed to get a go on nearly every ride. Jane it turns out, being the annual pass holder that she is, is pretty much a Thorpe Park pro, a Thorpe Park veteran if ever there was one. As soon as we got into the park - after having been stopped and searched on the way in for the second time running - Jane marched us straight to Saw: The Ride following the most direct route. We were then amongst the first to ride Saw that day, meaning no ridiculously long queues! Result! As far as the fist-pumping goes, I managed to first break some out on Samurai - a ride that I had never before even contemplated letting go of the handlebars on before; it seems as if I've gotten used to it. X: No Way Out, was a great one to fist pump along on, as the backward roller coaster in the dark now comes complete with disco-techno music to complete the experience, meaning there was no way you couldn't fist pump your way around. And finally, I managed to get a go on Stealth. I hadn't before ridden that one, as for starters it last all of about 20 seconds, and the queue has always been a couple of hours, and secondly, I've been a little scared to be fired along the track that damn fast. Basically, for those not up on their Thorpe Park rides, on Stealth you get accelorated from 0-80mph in just 2.3 seconds, and go straight up in the air at a crazy incline, before shooting straight back down. The start of the ride was pretty scared, and as the countdown to launch began, I braced heavily, but as soon as we got going, I opened my eyes and fully embraced the rush of adrenaline. I mentioned above about how I was braver than usual on Samurai, fact is that it was a common theme throughout the day, as rides that had once got the blood rushing unlike anything else no longer seemed to do the trick quite as well as they once had. Stealth on the other hand brought the full-throttle speed, height, and thrill to return me to roller coaster nirvana. Even still, I managed to break out a fist pump right at the top of the ride, and on the trip back down to Earth. I was even screaming 'FIST PUMP' at the top of my lungs, so loudly that Jane and Tom in front had to try and turn around to find out what was up, as they thought that with the commotion that I was making, that maybe me or Stacey were hurt in some way. 

After getting completely worn out and tired at Thorpe Park, Stacey, Jason and me were only just getting out Tuesday started. Although it was Jason's actual birthday, we'd both celebrated ours on the weekend prior so that Tuesday night could be free for our friend Becky's 21st. To celebrate Becky's milestone, we went for a night out in Maidstone, and ended up in Envy, which was a very nice looking club, if a little dead what with it being a Tuesday night at all. Highlights include: fist-pumping in the middle of the group, and receiving a late birthday gift from Nat and Chris in the form of a hilarious to look at, funnier to drink from Booby-mug! We had a wicked time in Kent's County Town and it looked as if the birthday girl was having a ball. Meanwhile the birthday boy, Jason looked a little sullen on the night of his 23rd. Methinks it may have something to do with being a little lovesick... 

22

The Monday prior to Thorpe Park and Maidstone was as I already mentioned, my birthday. I turned 22 at 10:41am. To mark the day, Stacey treated me to one hell of a day out. We started it with our first ever visit to Madame Tussauds, and I was completely blown away by the Marvel section that they've added in, including the wondrous Marvel 4D adventure that makes use of the dome left behind by the old London Planetarium. Stacey had also booked tickets to the Sealife center, so after lunch we headed there and got to see all manner of sealife, including stingrays, jellyfish, starfish, penguins, and sharks. Some of the sights there were pretty breathtaking. Once we were finished with the Sealife Center, we headed next door to the London Film Museum which had various props from major movies, as well as exhibits of certain films and stars, and even featured a set from Star Wars. From there we headed to the Forbidden Planet store, where Stacey allowed me to get my geek on, and bought me a Dark Tower graphic novel, following which we went to the cinema in Leicester Square. We watched Bad Teacher which was pretty much what it said on the tin, it was pretty funny, but nothing spectacular. We then ended our day with a huge feast in Planet Hollywood, overlooked by yet more movie memorabilia. I enjoyed some sizzling fajitas, washed down by a Dark Knight cocktail. All in all, it's fair to say that Stacey provided me with a jam-packed birthday to go with what had been a fully-loaded few days. 

Wednesday was day booked off to rest, recover, and recuperate from the mayhem. We got up, feeling rather hungover and deflated at 11ish, and got ourselves around to watching the highly anticipated fifth season premiere of Dexter, after which I discovered that finally, after months and months of pain-staking job hunting, that I have a new full time, proper adult, careery-type job. I'm officially leaving the world of retail next week, and in a week and half will be embarking on my recruitment career. I can not wait. The hours promise to be long, and the work hard, but I'm up for the challenge. Recruitment has piqued my interest for a while now, and I feel that I'll do a terrific job of it. 

With that news, I'll leave it for now... Exciting times are ahead for sure. For now, I'm gonna continue to fist pump.... Woo Woo Woo - You Know It!