Wednesday 12 December 2012

Christmas is defintely upon us!

So it is officially December and this is the first blog post of the month (and one of the last ones for the year :( ) So what has happened since the last one?

Well let's get into that later. Remember the three points I made in the last blog? Lets get back to them.

First off the bat - work. Ironically, after the really bad Thursday I left work to find a text message from my sister telling me that her place was hiring.

"Excellent!" I thought. "Jump on it!" said my brain.

So there I was a week later strolling down unknown roads in Clydebank (without a map I might add! Dumbarton is bad enough and I've lived here for years!) looking for a building I'd never seen (and as it transpired, doesn't believe in signposts or even signage - totally blank storefront!).

By sheer dumb luck I found the place (dumb luck being a well timed glance at Google maps) and proceeded to sit down for the most casual interview I have ever been through. It was done in front of the other office staff which was new - especially when they started laughing at my answers (yes they were jokes but it was still surreal lol - I had no idea how many people were interviewing me :S)

Despite the casual setting, the interview went pretty well. They advised me to expect a phonecall and I left, turning right, then left again before finally digging out my phone to find out where Singer train station was. My sister phoned later to say the 'big boss' had asked about me and that they were going to phone me at somepoint.

The following Tuesday I was told I would be offered the job, but I had changed my mind.

It just didn't feel right.

For all work can be stressful - and the pay could be better, they have been good to me this year with all of the surgeries. Apart from that, it's kind of like that pair of jeans you all have. You know the ones! The ones that are ragged around the heel and the colour has all but bled out of them, you would never dream of leaving the house with them - but they are sooooo comfy you just cant throw them out!

That's what my job is like.

Comfy :) . So that being said Im there until I publish 'the next big thing' or become a world class cardiothoracic surgeon, whichever comes first lol!

Secondly - NaNoWriMo. Was just a disaster.

I like the story I developed but It really messed up my other projects and 'umpteen' deadlines were missed because of it. I found myself writing scenes for the screenplay only to have characters from NaNo crop up. That being said the story I've started will be published on one of the sites I write for so that is good news :D, it's great news actually!!!!

Thirdly - That dating site thing.

This was kind of surreal. I tried to approach the whole thing with an open mind, I really did! But it was just soooooo hard when every person that contacted me seemed to be campaigning for the mentally insane:

Firstly, I dont know what "Awww man gein it yaldie at the wknd with sum mad dawg and ma chums wae the tunes bangin'! Yolo Biatch! MadWaeIt 2k12 FTW!" means.

Dont get me wrong. I can translate it. I just dont know what Im meant to do with the translated information.

Secondly, "I dont like movies or current music, prefer not to listen to older stuff either. I dont like dogs or cats and hate horses. I despise the cold and cant stand it when the sun is blinding my eyes. I hate travelling to new places and new food makes me feel sick..." you get the picture.

The best thing about the second message, the one with the list of dislikes was right at the end where the person actually wrote "You sound interesting, If you like what you see...get in touch"

 ...so if i like someone who doesnt like anything...?

Account deleted.

So that was what? 10 days?

Then I got a FB message that I didnt expect or plan for.

I had PM'd a girl a few months back that I had read about in the local paper. She had been nominated as a regional finalist for an inspirational person award and the article really did inspire me. She seemed like an incredible person. Now at the time the Glasgow Writer's Group was putting together a collection of short stories based on medical conditions and disabilities and I had submitted a piece.

In my PM I had suggested that this person had such an amazing story to tell that she should consider submitting for the anthology. I didn't get a reply and to be honest didnt think too much about it.

Then out of nowhere at the end of November I got a message from her asking about my condition (which I had described briefly in the original message.) Before I knew it we were chatting about holidays, hobbies, dreams and aspirations and everything in between.

Despite me sending several embarassing autocorrect messages (one where it changed PMA - Positive Mental Attitude, to PMT - well you all know what that is!) things were going well.  I really liked this girl and with my heart hammering in my chest I asked her if she'd like to go out sometime. She said yes.

And we met up for a casual drive around Dumbarton (did you know Dumbarton has a fire station in Dumbarton East? No? Me neither.).

She is every bit as funny, intelligent, inspiring and beautiful as I thought she would be. More so! My jaw was actually sore from laughing with the amount of funny stories she has to tell (one where she managed to put a patients bra on backwards!?!? :P)

And things are still going well on that front :) - better than well, I really like this girl!

And that is you all pretty much up to date with whats happening.

With Christmas round the corner I am taking it easy on the writing front - Im sure "Write more" will appear on my list of new years resolutions but I think I will focus the first few months on polishing finished pieces and actually making sure they are submitted by deadlines (as opposed to spending four months on the Aeon One submission only to realise id missed the due date by three days!!!)

I have a couple of MtG events scheduled in for January. One in Liverpool on the 5th and one in Milton Keynes on the 20th. Probably end up running Pyro or Tron for either of these but also have a Naya deck list im forming in my head.

We shall see.

Expect another update before Christmas (still got my Crimbo shopping to do!) but incase you miss it! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Dare to Dream,

SBP






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