I went to work today. I shouldn'tve, it was a bank holiday. Stood outside work like a plonka for a good 30 minutes. I even dialled into the daily standup from my cell only to listen to classical music for 30 minutes. I should've noted something pretty strange when everything was closed. Anyway, figuring that it was 9:30am and I was in town, pretty much the earliest I've been up on a day off, I thought I might as well make the most of it and caught the 11:15 movie because I've been so out of everything else I could've done. I watched Hugo. It was a good movie.

Crazily and maybe it's because I'm slightly soft in the head, I was kinda looking forward to work today. Soft.

Still haven't bought an iPad. Pretty proud of that. Yesterday was notable for at least my attempt to explain to my dad why or what or which Xbox 360 to get for my moms grandson. I was a bit confuzold by whether I should advise on the 4GB version with what he called an add-on 'conduit' which of course hilariously it isnt, its actually called a 'kinect' or the 320GB version which doesn't come with a 'conduit.

Oh I had a go at cooking myself a Christmas lunch on Christmas day. Typical really, the outcome. I had it coming. In hindsight, i think I've become stronger because of it. Its was horrendous. The few bacon wrapped sausages went in OK, but as I tipped the pan over into the plate and as the black, chargrilled sausages came to settle, they looked at me, we had a moment, smoke whirling off into the air, oil dripping off my sleeve and the drowning the Audioslave playing in the other room. They said to me, "Stuart, you're an idiot". I thought that was a bit rude. I left the failure of the kitchen and entered the living room. There was no smoke, no failure as if nothing had happened. It was a safe place.

I'm feeling much better today.

Ok so I've Ben pretty busy being lazying about these last couple of days before Christmas. I was planning to do a cool little Christmas project involving a cool little flying gadget I have over this Christmas but that never transpired, found myself playing the Xbox and funny enough, still pestering around with my website, categorising my uploaded videos and stuff.

Yesterday I went into Tottenham road to see what last minute deals there might be, but surprisingly it wasn't that busy being Christmas eve and all that. I guess if I'd made it into Oxford street, it would be an entirely different thing. I even pulled out my guitar for a festive riff which, I might add sounded anything but festive.

Just heard my cousin is getting married, that's the second one this year. Pretty good I think - will need to start getting my wedding suite out, polishing those shoes and being formal...quite shocking!

Phoned my gran today which was fun, they thoroughly enjoyed getting called up. I love it when you can hear the happiness and joy and excitement in people's voices when you do such a simple gesture - you think why you don't do it more regularly.

I'm still super impressed with my kindle, I downloaded the developer guide for my christmas project(still not done) and read the PDF in the bath. I'm also getting my head around a book(on kindle) trying to figure out how life came I to being based on cellular biology and stuff. pretty interesting, pretty deep - great if you want to fall asleep... The more I work with it, the more I'm realising that it was the perfect thing to get contrast that to the iPad which is too big, too beautiful, too everything. I've did say things like this before about the iPhone 4 in my boyish enthusiasm and well, I got an iPhone 4... so I might still find a need to have an iPad.

Went to the gym on Friday after work, thought I was going to die, because I'd not fumed for a while, but I got there and did a fairly ok job. I did notice that my heart rate shot up while running to the gym and I'm not sure if that's because I'm a bit out of it or because it was cold and I was warming up too quickly while running - I ran in thermal bottoms...I noticed the same thing when running in the heat of the day. That said, I got to the treadmill and was killing it, baby - I only did 4km figuring I'd not over do it(I was pleasantly surprised at the 4km) and then settled for a shower and dinner afterwards. So this and the fact that I got another 10km run in Feb marks, I guess, the beginning of me back on top of things. Christmas is a bugger because everything is closed and so is gym but hey ho whatever, I'll have another go on the Xbox.

Watched a very interesting documentary on the socio-political and general effects that the 1995 rugby world cup and Mandela had on South Africa. Very moving. Thought twice about getting a tattoo of our flag proudly embedded into my arm. Also starting watching Neverland, you know with Peter Pan, but somehow lost the plot(how hard can it be!) it and switched. watching Sky through the Xbox is pretty cool.

The Christmas break has also given me the opportunity to pull my 44GB photo library off my laptop and stick it on that external drive I bought previously. So that was good to hear my mac gasp for relief as it received mountains of space back...to do with it what it wants!

It's still pretty cold, I can hear sirens and I have to stop and think about all the tiresome work they probably have to do over the festive period. Was watching Angela Griffin(she's great) in a Documentary go along with the ambulance service as the got calls - its all very real, and it doesn't stop.

I tried to cook myself a Christmas lunch and ended up smoking myself out listening to the beach boys, good vibrations - couldn't help but laugh. what fun!

All in all really, I'm liking Christmas. probably not as manic and drama filled like im used to but im pretty ok with that. It has been non-crazy me time and I think that's great!

Someone asked me what I was doing for Christmas and I said joyously, 'nothing!' and was then asked, 'you ok with that?' I said, yes I am - I'm pretty ok with that!

Hmm, I think I've over psyched myself for Christmas. I'm feeling really layed-back, almost lethargic. Watched some cool movies last night(I took a half day) which got me bumming out on the sofa, sleeping bag, watching the TV.

Todays pretty much a throw-over from this I suppose, only I'm not slid into my sleeping bag, hopping to and from the kitchen for my coffee fix every once in a while, nor is quite the same worry-free atmosphere that only a quirky film can allow you to have. But that's pretty standard. In the last few minutes I've been on the brink of buying an iPad but thought better of it since. Also I'm eyeing a kindle but I'm such a loser, I need to know for sure that I'll use it to it max or otherwise I don't more stuff.

Staring out the window and it's pretty overcast, but it's crispy clear and has an air of ok about it. Was at home a couple of nights back and man the wind was furious, I heard stuff down the road fall off stuff and everything...point is we're all going to die, the apocalypse is coming and it all starts with bad weather. Oh, and global warning going face-slap you. Seriously. Not really. but still.

It's so cold outside at night, I've probably spend the longest away from gym since records(for me) began.
Today I ordered a beet root, ginger, orange fruit juice. I'm frikken wired but still relaxed - attentive but calm.

I'm getting rather blasé with assignments recently, was 12pm last night, reminder say my assignment was due, just logged in completed the online bit an was done. 3-4mins max. Be a different story later through. meh.

I just boyishly became interested in samurai and spent about 10minutes lookin up Wikipedia and old google image for authentic pics. Even read a blog about them. They be badass. Just had a thought. I'm never getting married, because. I'll buy and own a samurai sword. I'll use it. No plant in the house will be safe. Just let one crazy-ass plant give me the eye on my walk past in the corridor.... i miss that Swoosh-you're-dead sound.

Christmas party tomorrow. I'm going to show up. Might be pretty cool, and it's a Friday and it's in a hotel and...well, what more has to be said. I'll either love it or not remember it. Either way worth checking it out - black tie. Tuxedo territory. 10 days 'till Christmas. I'm pretty stoked, not because of the usual reasons but because it's going to be a break, real-me time. That I can so do. Thinking of parking upon front of the Xbox, TV, watching movies not seen before, casually perusing the Internet, getting involved in a few gaming marathons, start a couple of projects...lie in, tea, warm... man. just saying that now, I'm not in the mood for working. Even my super-duper red-eyed über-new healthy juice is looking dull and less inspiring.

Right, what I need is noise, lots and lots of noise to get lost in...

Hey-ho silver, awaay! (that, but in a pirate voice...if I need say it, it's not working is it? )