mike[space] dot net

I'm not quite sure how this happens, but apparently I am able to keep up my blog more regularly when I have a fulltime job, than when I have all the time in the world! So how about a quick catch up?

The biggest news is that Claire has got herself a teaching job for next year, which is bloody awesome. In fact Claire has very nearly finished the whole course as well, which is also awesome, if for no other reason than it will mean she can catch up on her sleep ;-)

The next biggest is that we have found ourselves a new flat. We initially plumped for a large 2 bed place with a big garden, but a second visit revealed just how big a problem the damp was likely to be, and we wound up with a large 1 bed place with a garden instead. It's smaller than we have now, which is going to mean we will need to be a bit neater than we are now, but it's a really nice place, the garden is in good condition and a nice size for BBQs, and it's literally a stone's throw from Brockwell Park, which I am very happy about.

After that, there's a lot of little things I've been up to - I went and saw the latest Indy which I think I would give 3-4 stars to. Has some great stuff (bike chase through campus, most of the chase in the jungle, Shia Le Beouf generally), but also some crap stuff (creature feature gags, vine swinging and the low flying fridge). I went to see Brendon Burns for a DVD recording on Sunday which was hilarious, haven't seen him perform in a good few years now, and it was awesome to see him at the top of his game. It was Gerard's 40th celebrations on Friday, which was a load of fun, and yesterday it was Dad's birthday (happy birthday Dad!). It was also Jon's birthday on Saturday, which involved a surprising number of small children - sadly we missed the pass the parcel. Oh, and it's Dave's birthday Thursday, which I really should get a card for!

Turns out that Rock Band is every bit as much fun as I expected it to be, the drumming is great, although the kick pedal can be a bit exhausting. I've had to cut down a little bit on playing it for now, as apparently it sounds like people running up and down the stairs for hours when you live underneath it. Fortunately the new flat is ground floor, so we won't have that issue in a week, and band practice can continue in earnest. I also managed to borrow a copy of Call of Duty 4 at the weekend, so I have finally been able to finish the one player mode of that, and have also discovered the delights of multiplayer (although I generally get my arse kicked online).

Writing wise, I am actually taking this week off. Purely because I know that I won't get much done because of packing. But if I happen to get some stuff done regardless, then I can consider it a free bonus! The last couple of weeks have continued the pattern of being a up and down, and sometimes a little sideways ...