I'm Right Beside You

Still in pain from Monday (at least I think it was Monday). I just hope I don't have to work another 9.5 hoour shift.

'My World' News:

Tuesday (30/1): Lunch with Saturn didn't happen and we rescheduled to Wednesday when it again didn't happen. Went for a run in the afternoon after Saturn Cancelled on me.

Wednesday (): Soccer! This week I played on the Blue team with both Jupiter and Saturn playing for the Reds. I didn't do as well with the bal as I have in previous weeks and all of my shots tended to look more like passes (they were almost all off target and fell near-to the feet of my teammates). But for all my inability the Blue team still managed to take the lead in just over an hour of play with a little tap-in goal. The game throughout was very close and I thought it was surprising that the Red team didn't manage to even it up (or score at any stage), but it seemed they lacked the finishing touch - as they seemed to like blasting away from range with their best shot flying off and hitting a cricketer in the head (they play on an adjacent oval). When the second goal was scored, in surprisingly similar circumstances to the first, it was hard to see the Red team coming back, and they didn't. Blue 2 - Red 0. Wins 5: Draws 0: Losses 0: Goals 2. Oh yeah, during the course of the game I got crushed about three times - twice by my own teammates - maybe thats why I'm still in pain...

Thursday (7am): Arsenal vs Tottenham (Carling Cup) started 15 minutes ago. Later I may be having lunch with Saturn (I doubt it), but I should be going to see 'Stranger Than Fiction' with Blur.

Final Thought: Okay I think I was wrong blaming Monday for the pain I currently feel - 9.5 hours work and a 5km run does not cause as much pain as getting fallen on during a soccer match on three seperate occasions. I think I may just relax for today.

He'll Appear Out Of Nowhere

I must apologise for the long delay between posts but I do not think it was all my own fault. I usually update my blog when Arsenal are playing - this is because I can't actually watch the games on TV at the moment and have to sit in front of the computer to get live score updates and some kind of idea as to whats going on during the match. During the past two games there have been difficulties. During Tottenham vs Arsenal (at the start of the match) Blogspot itself was doing one of its repair things, and then during Arsenal vs Bolton my computer wouldn't connect to the internet. But I'm here now and hopefully its all better.

'My World' News:

Monday (22/1): There's not much I remember from this day. Arsenal 2 - Manchester United 1. I worked 6 hours and I enjoyed my 'Red Eye' more thas usual.And I hired out some movies - Apres Vous, Erik the Viking, some Julian Sands werewolf film and another film I can't remember (a comedy I think).

Tuesday (23/1): Not much happened today. I went and got myself a copy of Red Dwarf series 6 (to complement my purchase of Red Dwarf series 5 in the previous week). In the afternoon (for the second time this year and the second week in a row) I went running - yes my New Years Resolution of twice a week running was over after just one week but now I'm getting back on track (no pun intended).

Wednesday (): I went out in search of comics (delayed 'til Friday). After this I went to play soccer and what a game. Saturn didn't play this week (he had an 8 hr shift earlier in the day). Jupiter and 'Shooter' (new character) put us in the lead early with a goal each. But then I put a goal into the back of my own net, heading in a corner kick from the front post (past Jupiter funnily enough) and we were now only a goal ahead. But this mishap inspired me to make amends and score a goal at the other end of the pitch, and I did. I got an assist from Shooter and just dinked the ball in on the back post - it wasn't exactly the most glamorous goal but it put us back into a 2 goal lead. This match was made all the comical when another own goal sailed into the back of our net, when one of our players decided to chip the keeper (thinking to knock it out over the cross bar). After this unfortunate incident I was yet again found forward trying to give us back a 2 goal lead when I chipped the ball with my right foot (I'm left footed) around to defenders and straight towards the top corner of the goal - only for it to be saved and put out for a corner. Bastard. Red 3 - Blue 2. This was my fifth win in a row (At this venue I haven't even drawn) and my second goal in as many games. So from now on I'll tally those as well. 5 Wins: 0 Draws: 0 Losses: 2 Goals.

Thursday (): Didn't work this week. Tottenham 2 - Arsenal 2 in the Carling Cup semifinals. The winner of their match on Thursday 1 (Australian time) will go through to face Chelsea in the final. Went to see 'The Fountain' with Blur.

Friday (): Worked - 6 hours. Got comics (10), and paints (for my miniatures). After I arrived home I went for a run.

Saturday (): Worked - 6 hours, it was one of the produce guys last day (he hasn't featured before I don't think - though he did have lunch with me and Saturn around the start of the year - his name begins with S if that proves me wrong). Finished painting up my Rangers/Pathfinders - now I just need to base them and figure out how to post a picture of them on here when they are completed.

Sunday (): Worked - 6 hours. Slept for the soccer. And hired out movies - Phil The Alien, Willard, Head Of State, and Vampires: Out For Blood

Monday (): Arsenal 1 - Bolton 1. I didn't actually get to see the match but this result means that they will have to play again at Bolton's home ground to see who goes through to the next round of the FA cup. During the match I instead watched 'Phil The Alien'. I then went off to work for what I expected was a 6 hour day. It wasn't. I worked 6 hours in Meat (according to my contract) and then went on to work 3.5 hours in grocery (as an official 'Grocery Assistant'). And when I got home I went for a run.

Tuesday (today): Haven't done much so far - rolled out of bed at 11am and watched a little TV and such. I intend to have lunch with Saturn later but since he was off sick from work yesterday so I'm not exactly sure how thats going to go.

Reviews:
The Fountain: I really didn't like it. All the promotions went on about how it had a confusing storyline and was really hard to follow. This is not the case. It was easy to follow (the three different time periods) and instead of the storyline being confusing it was in fact incomplete, there were no connections between the time periods and the futile attempt to tie it together at the end was too little, too late. 2/5.

Final thought: The next post should be on Thursday morning during Arsenal vs Tottenham. At least I hope so.

Baltasar

I'm Highly Animated

I've started watching 'Firefly' again (I have the entire series on DVD). Which got me thinking about 'Serenity' (The movie 'sequel' to the series), and where the hell my copy has gotten to. K-Man lent it out to SOMEONE (he has been very vague as to who and can't remember himself) probably two or three months ago - and I'm starting to miss it.

Sunday (14/1): Blackburn 0 - Arsenal 2. Even with Gilberto Silva sent off in the 13th minute Arsenal are still good enough to defeat the now 10th place team away from home. After the match I went to work - 6 hours. As it happens I saw Corona again today - once again not at work, didn't have a long conversation as she was on her way to work and was running a little late.

Monday (Wargames): Worked - 6 hours. When I got home K-Man told me to get my stuff as we were going to Oberon's for more gaming action. We managed to get through two games in the 8+ hours we were there, the first was a three way match with my Eldar facing the Black Templars (Oberon) and the Death Guard (K-Man), The second game was a four player Carnage scenario with the three teams mentioned and the World Eaters (Romeo) joining the fray. In the first game I was using a lot of my bare-metal miniatures (Fire Dragons, Howling Banshees, Pathfinders and an Autarch) in their first game out-of-the-box. And they did well. The first turn was in darkness so nothing much happened - My Swooping Hawks 'leapt' into the sky, the two squads of terminators on the table moved towards each other. Turn two saw the first round of firing as the armies got closer, My Swooping hawks came back and dropped their grenade pack on the large Death Guard squad in the ruins and killed three - even I was surprised at that - the Fire Dragons openned fire on the Death Guard Rhino and destroyed it, The Autarch fired his Reaper Launcher ineffectively and the Pathfinders all missed (they needed two's to hit - I got 5 one's). The Black Templars killed a couple guardians and they danced around the Death Guard..... and then got shot by the Death Guard and forced into a charge. Turn three sees the Swooping Hawks return to the skies before my combined firepower kills one Black Templar (Go Pathfinders), this is all made up for in the close combat though as the Howling Banshees charge into the de-rhino-ed Death Guard Squad and kill all of them before the Death Guard get to attack. The BlackTemplars kill more guardians, and watch in horror as the Emperors Champion gets squished by a power-fist. A consolidation move will see the terminators facing off against one another in turn four. But first the Banshees and the Avatar charge in against the other squad of Death Guard (all 2 of them) while the Pathfinders and Autarch fire upon the Black Templar squads (because the guardians are having trouble hitting anything) and two go down, one to the Pathfinders and the other to the Autarch (his first kill). The terminators manage to kill a lot of each other and only the Death Guard are left standing (three and a Lord). Who decide to shoot up the Banshees, leaving only two standing. Turn five sees the Swooping Hawks return again and blow some Black templars to smithereens, and the combined firepower of the Fire Dragons, Pathfinders and Autarch (the guardians have run off) sees that there are only three Black Templars left. It's at this point where the Death Guard and Black Templars align together to try and repel the Eldar host (with their 7 remaining warriors). The Banshees and Avatar want revenge for the death of the three Banshees shot down by the Death Guard Terminators. The Banshees die off and the Avatar loses two wounds but there are only two terminators left now with the Lord on one wound. The Black Templars charge into the Swooping Hawks and die horribly - leaving one single Black Templar on the field, who blew up the Fire Dragons killing three of them. Turn six saw the death of the lone Black Templar, killed by the Fire Dragons, the death of the Avatar, courtesy of the Death Guard, and the death of a terminator, also the fault of the Fire Dragons - when the terminators charged into them and killed them. I now had seven figures left and one of them was the Swooping Hawk who again leapt away, The Autarch charged the Chaos Lord after the Pathfinders failed to shoot it dead. The Autarch died horribly. The Chaos Lord then strolled over and did the same thing to the Pathfinders and that was when we called the game a draw - the Swooping Hawk needed a lot of sixes to kill the Lord, and the Lord would have trouble shooting down the Hawk. Game Two, this game was rather messy so I'll only give you some short highlights: Turn 1 - 4 Death Guard Terminators killed by the Pathfinders. Turn 2 - Death of 3 Pathfinders to the Terminators, Death of the Fire Dragons, Emergence of the Bloodthirster. Turn 3 - Death of 2 Pathfinders, and 2 Terminators in close combat (the Avatar killed the Terminators), the Chaos Dreadnaught charges the Black Templar Terminators (and is destroyed), the World Eaters Chaos Lord, the Khorne Berserkers, and the newly emerged Khorne Deamons (not the Bloodthirster, the other ones) charge the squad of Black Templars (Including the Emperor's Champion), and the Bloodthirster charging the Howling Banshees, killing three. Turn 4 - The Black Templar Terminators enter the messy World Eater fight, the Death Guard sneak up on the objective, the Autarch charges the terminators (and dies), The Avatar reduces the Death Guard Terminators to the Lord alone (and on 1 wound), the Guardians Charge the Bloodthirster, and the World Eater Chaos Lord dies. Turn 5 - The Khorne Deamons are killed, the Death Guard Chaos Lord is killed (the Avatar gets his revenge), and the Bloodthirster is reduced to one wound. Turn 6 - The Black Templars kill off the World Eaters and look towards the 21 Death Guard sitting on the objective, the death of the last Banshee, and the Bloodthirster (killed by guardians!). Turn 7 - Black Templar Terminator Lord killed by Death Guard, Guardians killing masses of Death Guard (shooting) and the Avatar vs Emperor's Champion fight (Avatar died). Turn 8 - Black Templars start moving towards the objective (except the Emperor's Champion), The guardians charge the Emperor's Champion and the Death Guard Rhino sitting on the objective - nothing happens and the game ends - I win!

Tuesday (): 2:30am - That second 40k game just finished and I started walking home. Later in the day I saw 'Pursuit of Happyness' with my Mum.

Wednesday (): Got comics (8). Saw Jupiter on the train (and talked to him for a couple minutes). Played soccer with Jupiter and Saturn (Saturn was Blue, Jupiter and myself were Red again), The first goal was a tap-in for the Blue team. But that was quickly nullified when the Reds got a goal (all thanks to my Assist) from a mile out. The game was very tight and noone got any clear advantage for the next ten or twenty minutes when a Blue goal crept across the line, just before another Red goal did as well. At two all the game started to turn for the Red team and we started to get the advantage (after I had my stint as goalkeeper and was out running again). We were getting the shots but it took until about the 70th minute for us to put one in and finally hit the lead. At this stage almost all of the Blue team were going very slowly and a sequence of high speed counter attacks saw another Red goal go in and put the result in no doubt whatsoever. And with 5 minutes left Saturn took his turn as goalkeeper and things got interesting. With around a minute to go I get the ball in the forward right corner, I drag it past a defender and start to move in front of goal so I can take a shot, but the ball gets taken off me (by my own player!) who then crosses it into the middle where another of my teammantes (Jupiter maybe?) lined up to hit Saturn and then the ball came out to me. It sat up nicely for a half volley (on the left too which was nice), and I put the boot in and saw the ball fly into the bottom left hand corner - by the time Saturn saw it coming it was too late. It took me only four games (ever) but I have my first goal.

Thursday (18/1): I worked (on my day off) - 5 hours. Even though Saturn didn't want to hear about what happened during game on Wednesday at work I still told Belerephon pretty much as soon as I got in. I was vague about the details, but I did say that I had a good game and Saturn had a bad one.

Friday (): Worked again - 6 hours.

Saturday (): More work - 6 hours.

Sunday (): Guess what? you got it, I worked again - for another 6 hours. But today I found out that they (Management?) haven't hired anyone for the position in meat and that I am stuck there for the time being.

Monday (2:00am): Arsenal vs Manchester United at 3:00am and I have barely slept. I tried that 'Mother' drink (a Coca Cola Company caffiene energy drink) and I just couldn't do it. I had a sip and I felt sick - I want a Red Eye Platinum now and I know I can't get one for another four hours. After the game I will work for another 6 hours today (and maybe tonight I'll play more 40k)

Reviews:
Pursuit of Happyness: Better than I expected though I still am unsure if I liked it, the choices in cinema this year so far are pretty slim. 3/5.

Final Thought: I have been putting together all of my Eldar stuff from the past three months in preparation for a campaign next month. It appears that we will also be doing something in Mordheim - I've already decided that I'm taking Middenheimers (Its all about the strength).

Come Loose Your Dogs Upon Me

Things may be picking up at work (as it says - later in my post about whats going on). Oh yeah - just for reference purposes - My brother thinks he's a punk, he wears leather jackets (or what looks like leather), he has an assortment safety pins holding together the damaged portions of his clothes, and he's got his hair dyed - first it was bright red and now it is a bleached blonde. Anyway...

'My World' News:

Wednesday (3/1): What I forgot to say about this day in the last two posts is that I got sunburnt.

Friday (5/1): The burns all up my back do not like my working environment (the cold is nice but the scratchy shirt isn't) - it was a very painful day.

Wednesday (10/1): Liverpool 3 - Arsenal 6. Liverpool has now been knocked out of the FA cup and the Carling cup in the space of four days by Arsenal at Anfield - and this is their worst home defeat in 77 years. That night I played soccer - Saturn didn't play but Jupiter did. I assisted in the first goal (If you don't know - an 'assist' is when you pass the ball to the person who scores the goal), and played a roll in probably four or five more, I didn't score myself. I had three shots and only one was on target (and it got blocked before it even reached the 'keeper). One of the highlights (for our team at least) was when the opposition put in an own goal. Jupiter scored 2 again in an overwhelming performance by the Red team (this week both Jupiter and myself played on the Red team). Red 7 - Blue 1.

Thursday (): Got comics (11) - Including Gen13 and Thunderbolts for K-Man. Got CDs (The Verve - Urban Hymns, and Evanescence - Fallen).

Friday (): Worked.

Saturday (): Worked - found out a few things: 1. They have hired someone else for meat as they told me they were going to do so I could go into perishables. 2. Corona's impression of my brother was that he and I are opposites (this I was told to me by Saturn as I haven't yet seen Corona at work this year). 3. I'm working for 5 hours on Thursday. After work I went out to see 'Pan's Labyrinth' with Blur.

Sunday (4am): Blackburn vs Arsenal starts in 15 minutes.

Reviews:
Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto del Fauno - Its in Spanish):
Doug Jones was awesome. He played Pan (Faun in some translations) and another fantasy beastie. This film is not for kiddies. 5/5.

Final Thought:
If Chelsea lose to Wycombe in their next match then Wycombe will play Arsenal (or Tottenham) in the Carling cup Final. Wycombe are in division 2.

When The Hour Is Upon Us

At work I keep getting told I'm going to go ful time, and/or I'm going into Perishables - I was told that these things would happen pretty much at the start of the year and I was quite happy for that to happen - but it hasn't. And now I'm wondering what the hell is going on. And it is starting to piss me off.

Thursday (again): I forgot to mention that I gave my Mum another list (of DVDs - like I did at christmas) - this time the list reads like this: A Guy Thing, Akira, Brick, Fifth Element, Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence, Grosse Pointe Blank, Hard Candy, Match Point, Ready to Rumble and Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story - This list is for my birthday present (My birthday is in Feb.)

Sunday (): Liverpool 1 - Arsenal 3. The Champions are out of the FA cup. After the match I went to work (6 hours).

Monday (8/1): Worked in the morning (6 hours), slept all afternoon (when I wasn't sleeping I was putting together some of my 40k models that I've had for the past three months)

Tuesday (yesterday): Went to luch with Jupiter and Saturn. Went to Oberon's with K-Man and Romeo (stooping off at work along the way - noone interesting was there though). K-Man and Oberon played a game, K-Man won with about half his Death Guard left - then K-Man and I left. After the short train ride we ran into Corona (and K-Man drooped in at work).

Wednesday (7:15am): Liverpool vs Arsenal (Carling Cup tie) at 6:45am (deja vu anyone?) - The winner will play Tottenham in a 2-leg semifinal (the other semifinalists are Chelsea and Wycombe). I will play soccer later (even though the poker starts up again tonight).

Final Thought: Can Arsenal knock Liverpool out of two competitions? Well since Jeremie Aliadiere has just scored it looks like it is very possible - until they meet in the Champions League (then it will be three competitions).

Baltasar

I'll Just Do This And Then I'll Go

Well it looks like my poker career may be over before it has begun - I have found something that I prefer to do on a Wednesday evening - Soccer.

Wednesday (3/1): Arsenal 4 - Charlton 0. Went to the beach with Saturn, Jupiter and two of their friends (I didn't catch their names). Lazed around and got sunburnt. Afterwards we (Saturn, Jupiter and myself) went and played soccer (there was a group 'waiting' for us). The game was a full 90 minutes (no break) and Jupiter scored the only goals of the match (2) allowing our side to win it (Saturn was on the other team), Jupiter had two or three chances to complete his hatrick but failed, and I did even worse with about three chances wasted (I'd like to say they were slim chances but I should have at least got one goal off of an interception) - I also set up one of my teammates and put him one-on-one with the keeper, but that didn't work either. Blue 2 - Red 0.

Thursday (): Tried to get comics - found out they were coming in that afternoon (I was there at around 11am) so I got X-Factor for K-Man, continued on into the city where I got a 'White Dwarf' and a 'Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex' T-shirt (With the 'laughing man' on it).

Friday (): Worked - 6 hours - in every department (almost) - Meat (obviously), Grocery, and Perishables - They wanted me to do Front End as well but I don't know how. Got Comics (6).

Saturday (): Worked - 8 hours - Meat, Deli and Grocery. Got the comic I forgot (Civil War: Frontline #10). Slept. Did I mention that on Monday I worked in the Bakery? No? Well I did - this means that so far this week I've worked in all the departments I can but one (Produce) - I can't work Front End - I don't have the training - nor Liquor - I don't have an RSA.

Sunday (5.00am): Liverpool vs Arsenal in the FA cup. Current scoreline is 0-1 (at 42 minutes in)

Final Thought: Apparently my Borther will be moving out early next month. This means I'll be living at home with my mother - I hope to move out by the end of the year. Just don't quote me on it....

Just Armies Bored in Life

Sleep should have been on my list of things to do (this year) - more sleep - more regular sleep. You'll see why.

'My World' News:
Sunday (31/12/2006): Sheffield United 1 - Arsenal 0. Worked - 6 hours. Ran when I got home - tried to sleep before getting a call from K-Man to get me to go to Oberon's (New character) place for a night of 40K, Zorro and Romeo (Also new characters) were there - all these people I met on Friday. We played a carnage - My Eldar vs K-Man's Death Guard vs Zorro's 'Nids vs Oberon's Black Templars. First turn saw the Nids and Templars close in on each other and I shot at the Templars (killed one) forcing them to move closer to the Nids - The Death Guard did nothing this turn. Second turn saw more butchery of the Nids by the Templars, I shot up the death guard to no effect (one kill?) - and they had deamons emerge and shot my guardians to pieces, and charged my other squad of guardians who managed to hold the daemons in combat. Turn three - Black templars and Nids destroyed each other - the Emperors champion died to the Carnifex and one squad of Templars remained on the board edge, too far to claim the objective, The Nids had only the Carnifex left with a squad of returning termagents (that fail to stay on the board longer than a turn). I set my sights on the Death Guard - I fire everything into a seven man squad and reduce it to 2 men - my guardians hold in combat again.... until the Death Guard turn where they run screaming from the board - the two Death Guard in left from my fire decide to get revenge - by charging against four guardians and butchering them - consolidating into the Avatar. The last squad of Death Guard claim the objective. Turn four - the Carnifex charges into the squad on the objective.... adn survives a turn of combat. The Black Templars are ineffective. I charge the Death Guard with my Dire Avengers - They all die and my huge massacre move is only two inches - within charge range of the Plaguebearers.... and guess what? - they charge me. They kill two, I kill two. Now to the carnifex vs death guard - teh carnifex does nothing and the Death Guard Lieutenant kills it with his powerfist. Roll for random game length comes up a six - the game is over and the death guard won. We played another game later - a four way battle where the Nids were replaced by Romeo's Space Marines. This game wasn't as entertaining - the dreadnaughts laid waste to almost everything - the Death Guard Dreadnaught frenzied and ran into a black templar squad, eventually killing everything in it - including the Emperors Champion - and K-Man tried to ally with Oberon during the game. Oberons 2 Dreadnaughts faced off against the entirety of Romeos army (After I destroyed the scouts). My swooping hawks were ineffective and when the Death Guard jumped across at me I was unready for the conflict - my force was slaughtered (the Hawks remained) and when Oberon was eliminated the game kinda fell apart (it was almost 3am and I had to go home to prepare for work). The Death Guard clearly won the game.

Monday (1/1/2007): After the game I went home and when running for a tram I caught my hand on my iPod cable - I've done this before and the cable comes out of the iPod and the iPod pauses the song and thats about it. This time however the force of my hand agianst the cord pulled the iPod out of my shorts and it fell to the ground - I was lucky to notice it before I reached the tram (my hand went straight into my pocket so I could reconnect the headphones. I turned and started to retrace my steps - I found the iPod in about 2 minutes but I missed the tram - now my iPod has a dent where the 'hold' button is. Eventually I got home - and then proceeded to work without sleep (I started at 6am instead of the usual 7). I worked for six hours and almost fell asleep at the guillotine. I went home and slept. Until I got a call from Blur to go and see a movie - we went and saw 'The Valet' (La Doublure - it's French). After this I went home and ran into Corona (a girl from work - who Saturn and I lunched with - she brought along her friend Lunar to the lunch) on the train as she had just finished work. We seperated when I had reached my station - where I got coffee at the coffee shop K-Man works at. That kept me up until 1am Tueasday - I'd been awake since around 3:30am Sunday (I had a 2 hour nap in there) - I slept for the next 10 hours and it was good.

Tuesday (): Plans with Saturn fell through - he had to work. Did very little in the end.

Wednesday (7am): Arsenal vs Charlton.

Reviews:
The Valet (La Doublure): In twelve months time will be announced as the funniest film of 2007. 5/5.

Final Thought: My iPod still works but I'm thinking about getting some kind of protective cover for it.