Ah, tennis!! Specifically, Wimbledon. More precisely, Women’s Wimbledon :). I don’t know about you but some real funny names are creeping into the game. I remember sleaze-connoisseur Rory McGrath joking on the telly show ‘They think it’s all over’ about how his “Hand took over” when he saw Daniela Hantuchova. I’m not saying I mirror the sentiment, I’m merely reporting.
I played my first gig (as a drummer; my first gig as an adult entertainer was waay back when) last Wednesday when Sha and I found ourselves in the Iguana bar in Chorlton. I got talking to a guy called Steve who sat at our table. He was playing bass for the reggae band that was tuning up on stage after the stupid poetress had finally buggered off, and I commented on the fact that although the drum kit was set up, there appeared to be no drummer in sight. I think I also slipped in the fact that I was of the same trade myself. So when they got playing, Steve started winking at me and motioning me on stage, and I played reluctant till it became obvious that I was begged to play so if I was shite it wasn’t my fault. I then stepped up and got a few songs in. Now reggae is not what I usually play; ask any drummer and they’ll tell you it’s quite the opposite of rock and difficult to play if not practiced. So I had to keep my mind on the job my bass foot was doing, which didn’t leave much room for fancy work. But I think I managed okay. The drum kit itself was weird; the snare was the size of an elephant’s ear (and I’m talking BIG elephants), the two toms were huge as well, and there was no ride cymbal. I had only the hi-hats and a small crash to work with, which were of a damn poor quality. So, if I sucked big time, there’s the reason.

Been surfng too long at Jay Pinkerton’s, now running out of credit. But I’m alive and well; worry not.

I have decided to do some volunteering work while I’m searching for jobs/waiting to get called up by Bill Gates. So I went to Do-it.org, which is a very easy-to-use, fast and efficient way of searching for voluntary work. It looks good on your C.V., you get a chance to give instead of take,take,take like it usually is with you guys, and it also gets you into the rhythm of getting up and moving your ass to work. A win-win situation if I ever saw one!
Haven’t heard from the big presentation/interview yet, but the other company (B) sent an e-mail saying they didn’t want me. They called me at 9 in the morning when I was preparing for the presentation I had to give to the other company (A), and expected me to answer their “Competency-based interview” questions. Anyhow, they (B) were useful to me as preparation for the other interview (A) later that day! (While I was setting up the laptop for my presentation (A), I made sure they saw I also had saved a folder with the name of the other company (B) so they realised they (A) were competing against another, bigger company (B) for my sweet tooshie. Manipulate: [verb] influence or control shrewdly or deviously; “He manipulated public opinion in his favor”)

I have really been enjoying the football these past two-weeeks-and-whatever days. I especially enjoyed the fights that some of the less-appreciated nations put on; there were great displays of courage and national pride from some teams that weren’t expected to do well. I feel sorry for Ghana (thanks for knocking out USA!) that they now have to face Brazil so early on; England will be expected to have a much easier ride. But then again, Ecuador is showing itself to be a typical South American team; difficult to play and with flair in bucketloads, and beating Poland and Cost Rica soundly. I really do wish Japan and South Korea could have done better; for all the effort they put in and nifty footwork, they just don’t seem able to finish the move with threats in the box.
But no country is playing “typically” any more; as coaches drift from continent to continent, the styles of playing have really mingled until it seems that only the match on the day and the opponents decide what manner of game wll be played by any country, and even Germany is now playing attacking football!
The game I couldn’t tear my eyes away from, so far, has been last night’s amazing Argentina v Mexico. I was rooting for Mexico as soon as I saw the way they came flying out of the block. Even mighty Argentina seemed nonplussed and staggered in the early minutes. If only Borgetti didn’t head that own goal in (yes Crespo, we saw it wasn’t you, thanks to a few of the billion cameras around that stadium), things might’ve really been different now. As it was, Maxi scored an absolute blinder in a nail-biting extra time finish to edge Mexico out.
Let’s see what today’s matches bring: England v Ecuador and Portugal v Holland.

Great interview, looking verrry hopeful. Might well be employed soon! Going to walk around town with Sha and Ioanni, then play table tennis; more later.

Tomorrow is a big day. First, I expect a telephone interview at 9 a.m. from one of the companies courting me. I shall already be shaved and dressed to the nines to jump onto the bus after the phone call, then catch the train to Preston, where I shall have to give a presentation at 12 to the other company courting me about Testing and where it should fit within the Project Lifecycle.
The slides are prepared (almost), the speech is written (almost), the tickets have been bought (not) and my driving license is with me (err…).
I don’t foresee any problems whatsoever. 🙂

I was musing over today’s sudoku in the Metro newspaper (completed in just over 4 mins) when I happened to glance at the horoscope section. I’m Libra, and the one before me as well as the two after me had the same advice in more-or-less the same words – “If something is nagging you, it’s because of what happened in December”. That’s really shoddy work, no effort at all. I looked at the rest, and he/she must have simply looked at the weather report and gone – “They’ll all be bloody miserable today”.

Better news, my kid sister has been accepted at London’s Drum-Tech School so you’ll soon be hearing about her manic exploits and what-not.

Oh, and my phone is back from surgery; I have to go pick it up and nurse it back to full ruddy health. Although I’m paying insurance every flipping week, it’s gonna cost me £25 ‘excess’. Considering that I’ve been paying £7 into their kitty for 7 months now, and that the phone unit must cost them less than £25 to buy, they’ve made a minkey out of me AND made £50 in the bargain. Hats off to Vodaphone Anal Intruders Limited.

I am a fan! Instantly hooked!! I love this one where he describes how he would make Lost In Translation a better movie with some additions to the plot.

Ina’s email brought up the subject of sleeping on an island in my mind. Hence, Death by Coconut as you sleep under the trees. Here’s a great pic from Flickr on that topic.

This is a flippin’ great song by Pearl Jam, brought to mind because the two companies that I’ve set my sights on, and that are responding to my advances, both have their Preston offices next-door to each other. Hence, they are rivals for my booty!

Oh, but the song actually seems to be about the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Because of the references to Red Sun, explode, both barrels (2 bombs), unspeakable, chemicals, etc. Basically the whole song.

All my rivals will see what I have in store, my gun…
I’ve been harbouring fleets in this reservoir, Red Sun…
And this nation’s about to explode

Your disciples are riddled with metaphors, well hung…
Better pony up and bring both your barrel-fulls, not one…
As we release this unspeakable toll…

How’s our mother to damn these contributors…with mud?
How will the man who made chemicals difficult…shed blood?
How’s our father supposed to be told?