Same shit, different year

So then. 2008. Anyone got one of those hoverboards for Christmas that we thought we would be all zipping about on in the 21st Century after watching Back To The Future? No, me neither. What I was shocked at was that this is the first year ever that I have received neither; boxers, socks, slippers or a deoderant set for Christmas. It just didn’t feel right, I was genuinely disappointed. Naomi did get tea towells though so that kind of made up for it.

We ended up at a house party on New Years Eve. Going out is so over rated. Even one of our locals - a grubby old boozer - was relieving people of £5 for the “privilege” of celebrating seeing another year disappear down the swanney in their mighty fine establishment. The nightclubs are even worse. Inflated door tax and further inflation of the already stupidly inflated drinks prices plus the oportunity to experience what life would be like inside a sardine tin - except without the smell - actually, judging by what some of the less respectable ladies wear whilst out on the town round here, you may get that as well. Anyway, I digress.

2008 has started pretty damn crap if I’m being perfectly honest. We’re skint, and to top it all off, Naomi lost her job yesterday. I think we have a very stong case for unfair dismissal though so hopefully I will get that nice new Nintendo Wii I was going to buy at her former employers expense. Fortunately she has managed to arrange 2 interviews already plus another application in the pipeline - for a job she has wanted for ages may I add - so hopefully she won’t be out of work for too long, and ideally she gets the job she really wants.

My car has also broken. Although to be fair to it, it did start first time after 3 weeks of being sat on the drive over Christmas and New Year. I think it’s something to do with the exhaust or catalytic converter. Which is grim and is more than likely going to be expensive to repair - especially as it’s going to cost me £30 just to find out what’s the matter with it. Going to just have to bite the bullet and cough up to get it fixed, then get it sold ASAP while there is maximum MOT left on it. Going to replace it with a nice BMW 3 Series coupe i think. German quality and now i’m over 25 insurance won’t sting me too bad.

Plan for this weekend is pretty low key I think. Quiet few beers and possibly a venture to the pub. I am also going to attempt to cook a meal more advanced than stir fry or curry tomorrow - after the FA Cup games, mind - so it will probably go hopelessly wrong due to beer goggles. It’s all about trying though.

On the home stretch

After a lovely 5 days away from the grindstone I am now happy to report that I am on the home stretch. One and a half full days left to work before the shackles come off for a whole 12 days of hassle free goodness. 12 days to kick back and relax, eat, drink and be very merry and generally not have to worry about anything whatsoever work related. I fear 12 days will be nowhere near long enough though and am already braced for the barrage of hell that is likely to descend upon us in early January to make up for 12 lost days.

Anyway, what have I managed to achieve in the time since my last wafflings? Well, our Christmas tree is now up - and it’s not bare like it was when we first decorated it. A second trip to Home Base for more decorations saw to that. However, I am sorry to report we have succumbed to the chav ways and strayed from the traditional multi coloured flashing Christmas tree lights, and opted for the more “cool” blue L.E.D affairs. Still, at least the outside of our flat isn’t lit up like a beacon off the coast of the Orkneys so we are still relatively normal - unlike certain households elecrtricity bills in our street.

My new monitor for my PC has arrived. I can now look at “art” in all its twenty inch widescreen glory. Hurrah for Dell who also saved me best part of thirty sniffs  by including a DVI to DVI cable in the box with it. There was distinctly something of the microwave oven about the last abomination that sat on top of my computer desk and has now been relegated to the spare room.

Naomi has also very kindly let me have my birthday present early - an Alesis Photon X25 (right). Been after a decent MIDI controller to complete my production set up for a while now and after much deliberation, decided the Alesis was the best one for the job. Nice and small so is easily portable, and packs enough features for even the most advanced of users. It makes MIDI mapping all the easier as it comes pre programmed with generic maps for a whole range of software - ideal for me as Ableton and Reason are included - which are my weapons of choice. MIDI mapping is of course - fully customisable if your program is not included in the presets. It also has 10 assignable knobs and 3 layers over which they can be assigned, so in effect that is 30 assignable knobs. Add to this 10 assignable buttons, modulation wheel, pitch bend wheel and a “3 dimensional control dome” (pass on how that works, havn’t got that far yet) and what you have here is one very versatile MIDI controller.

Finally, I am happy that for once, I have managed to get my Christmas shopping all done and dusted before Christmas Eve. This means I will be able to stay about 300 miles away from any town centre over the weekend. I hate shopping at the best of times, but I think I would rather watch Hollyoaks for a week solid than go shopping on the last weekend before Christmas. Yes, I would hate it that much. While countless fools are out there rushing around for the last minute presents, I will be sat in the pub enjoying a nice cold pint of their finest, being bored to tears by The Mighty Wolves trying to grind out a result against East Midlands Crisps. Bah humbug!