We are not Here to Debate the Existence of Monsters

By the time anyone gets to see this I should be well into my second week of my new job. The initial panic and the crisis of ability have, for the most part, disappeared and I am beginning to settle in. I'm enjoying it so far, but then nobody's shouted at me, I've not had to do anything too taxing and I haven't inadvertently killed anybody yet.

I have joined the company in the middle of a desk shortage, and as yet they haven't actually found somewhere permanent for me to sit. I'm playing musical chairs, only it's not quite as fun as it could be as they neglected to bring any music. I discussed the seating plan with one of the secretaries yesterday and it looks like during my first eleven days I will sit at no less than four different desks.

My coworkers seem to be a good enough bunch, but then I should re-stress the fact that 'nobody's shouted at me'. When this happens I'll probably think them all bastards, but for now I like them. Bumped into the girlfriend of one my old coursemates last week, which was a bit of a shock as I'd forgotten she worked for the company. I think she had the worst of it however, as she hadn't been told I had started working there and she was forced to spend the rest of the lunch hour with me.

What else has happened in the week or two since I last blogged? Well, I moved house. I'm now living in a tiny little bedsit just shy of the town centre. To say that this place is basic, is to suggest levels of complexity that just do not exist: it is a bedroom with a sink, an oven and a fridge in one corner and a basin in the other. That's it. The furniture that came with the room is old and brown, and I've not been here long enough to make it look like anything over than a small room in which someone stores old furniture.

The new town is a mystery. As far as I can tell there isn't really any reason for its existence. It's a large town, yet there is an ever-present feeling that nothing ever happens here. The student population is small, which I guess I could be feeling, but I'm not actually part of that population anymore. I'm part of the bus-catching, laundrette-using, tie-wearing population that, on the whole, seems friendly and relaxed. That said, I want to avoid becoming part of that work-eat-sleep-work-eat-sleep-work mentality if I can. Shit, I'm rambling again.

What else? The town seems to have its share of attractive women, yet it also seems to have a large mutant population as well. Walking through the shopping centre on the weekend is like walking the streets of Old New York (or so I'd imagine). The few pubs I've been in have been nice, but I was happy to find there are a couple of Wetherspoons should I ever feel the need for a cheap pint and a meal.

That seems to be about it . . . although I'll add more random stuff when I get the chance.

Later . . .

Curiosity

Oh, yeah. Almost forgot. Curiosity was runner-up for Editor's Choice (September Submissions) at the Zoo. Even though I didn't get the EC, I'm still pretty stoked: there was a nice, encouraging review from the editor and even a couple of suggestions on where to send it out when I get around to rewriting.

Doing minimalist happy dancing as I type this :)

In other writing related news: whilst I was without my computer last week I wrote the first draft of a short story currently called He Missed the Sea and worked a little more on Pound Store.

Later . . .

Luggage Rack Girl

I've spent the last week packing and preparing for my move to Swindon. I am not a stress-free bunny at the moment. It's essentially down to the three day wait I'm having to endure on mail that originates from the city of Nottingham. This has made securing funds for the rental of my new digs nigh on impossible. The rental of the bedsit I found last week is proving to be a fun-packed experience all of its very own as my estate agent has decided allowing me to move in before I start work would just be silly.

Okay, that's my whinge over with. Aside from all of that, I'm very excited about starting work and actually having some money. I don't really know what to expect from the work, but I'm sure once I get into the swing, things will be pretty cool. After four months of living in Limbo-by-the-Sea with my parents, I'm also looking forward to living on my own again.

That is, of course, if I ever get up there :)

Later . . .

Buxom Boys Big Day Out

Because of the Move and the Job I'm going to be off the internet for a few days. I've got to suss out what the internet situation is going to be at work, so it'll be the middle of next week before I reply to any email. Just a warning to any who think I might be ignoring them. Likewise, I'm unlikely to be updating the blog in a while.

Later . . .

Ta ocras orm! Tu faighim moran bia!

I've just finished Cecilia Dart-Thornton's The Ill-Made Mute. What a brilliant book. Definitely goes on my list as one of the best books I've read this year. Get it (at amazon.co.uk) or visit Cecilia Dart-Thornton's web presence

They Taste Like Burning

Preparations for the move and the new job continue on at a snails pace, despite my telling myself to knuckle down and work every morning when I get up. I blame it on a recent purchase of Warcraft III, which has been eating into my time slowly but voraciously. That's just an excuse of course; the more accurate version of things is that I'm just weak-willed. If it wasn't Warcraft then it would be Worms World Party (Which I rediscovered when my brother recently visited -- the game only ever exists when you have someone to play it with) or Baldur's Gate II.

I have also discovered the Warcraft World Editor, which, for a nerd like me, is just too much fun to play with.

Suffice it to say that I got very little packing or writing done in the days since my last update, both jobs are more important than building a new expansion town or killing a few more orcs. I did have a few ideas for the November Challenge at the SFF 'shop. I'm throwing them around for now, seeing which bits I can take from which ideas and so on, so I may try and start writing that in the next couple of days. Of course, as any one who has read this before knows, my challenge ideas rarely ever make it to the challenge so don't hold me to anything I say here. Expect to hear that I have started writing it on the 29th of this month (for the start date of the 1st of November) and that I have finished it by about Christmas.

Later . . .

Thanks

Just wanted to say thanks to all those who wished me a happy birthday, and to those poor souls who helped me celebrate it. The next drink's on me

Later . . .

'Cos it's my Birthday, My B-B-B-Birthday

It was my birthday yesterday!

Whilst I had a good time on both the birthday celebrations on Saturday (a return to Fusion Squared followed by a special birthday-themed hangover), and the few drinks I had at a leaving do last night (for one of the Crabs, even though I don't really know the guy), I can't help but feel that 23 is a non-event. I feel myself turning into the kind of person who doesn't celebrate birthdays, who despairs at being reminded of getting older, and it worries me. I would like to think it continues to mean something when you're twenty-four or forty-seven or seventy-two. I would like to think I will still see it as a reason to go out and do something special (and it need not always be drink until I black out...just for the near future).

It's all good though. Needless to say, I haven't got a lot of writing done this weekend. The next couple of days look to be equally unproductive as I'm getting ready for the move to my new job (13 days and counting); tomorrow is going to be spent shopping and on Thursday I'm walking around the new town looking for somewhere to live. Should be fun. I guess I could get some writing done on the journeys but I'll probably end up staring at a blank page from start to finish.

Older . . .

The Mathematics of Wanton Burrito Meals

Today: returned Lisa's review . . . and that's it. Got a few ideas down, but nothing major. Maybe tomorrow I'll have a little more to report :)

Running Geordie

Today: returned Derek's review (a little late, I have to admit). Added 35o words to Dearest . . ., although I have to say that Chapter 7 still isn't finished. I can probably get it done tomorrow, if there are no more distractions, but it may be as long as Saturday.

Later . . .

Yarn

Sorry there's not been an entry for the past week, but then I've not really done anything since last Wednesday. I've been too busy, or rather too lazy, to get any writing done. Also, now I'm trying to find somewhere to live, I find the House Hunt is taking up all of my time.

My brother, Dan, is visiting, and that isn't helping either. I know in doesn't sound like much of an excuse, but he keeps appearing everytime I open up one of my writing files or something that needs to be reviewed.

Last Saturday night I went to a golden wedding anniversary party, held for my grandparents and my great aunt and uncle who had a joint wedding fifty years ago. I imagine two couples getting married on the same day and still being together fifty years later is fairly rare, and I was glad to be part of the celebrations. Both of the couples certainly seemed to enjoy themselves. It was nice to see some of my more distant relatives again, even if the majority of them called me Daniel until somebody put them straight. It was a good night, but my reason for mentioning it is the fact I wasted the next day recovering from the event. I rather foolishly ate too little, drank too much and my chances of getting anything done on Sunday were small.

Later . . .