Gaming

I'm pretty sure that now I've reached the age of 37 I should slowly be growing out of playing games on XBox and instead listening to Classic FM and worrying about really dull things - but it's quite the opposite. I've always played a lot of 'computer games', starting back with Zorgons Revenge on the Oric 1 through Manic Miner, Spy Hunter, Midwinter, Elite, Championship Manager, Football Manager, Grand Theft Auto and numerous others right up to the more current Call of Duty series. There's something I love about playing them which I suppose could be counted as a hobby - a not a very productive one thought!

With the rapid developments in technology over recent years it's become more that just the game itself, there's now all of the add ons which create a wider experience.With my current game of choice Modern Warfare 3 I played the campaign version, finished it and moved straight to the online multiplayer. Moving to the online version then introduces contact with complete strangers who although I very very rarely chat with I enjoy listening to. Then there's the social media element and primarily YouTube, it opens it up so that everybody can then share what they think are awesome game plays and why they are so great - a lot of it is just a big willy waving contest. I would love to know how many MOAB videos there are on there! Amongst the videos of 14 years old squeaking at each other there are a few people who produce not just game play videos but also vlogs, commentaries etc. People like TMartn, Hutch, WoodysGamerTag, Syndicate all compile and publish videos about not just the gaming industry but also their lives and the way they see things - all of which I have come across on the back of a computer game, there's then the professional players who although they use game play add voice overs of opinions etc, people like Nadeshot, Scumpii.

Overall the gaming industry is something which is growing massively with the advent of technology and the fact that people can make a good living at it really interests me - good luck to them though!

Caravan

Currently lying in bed in what we call our Sky Room (loft conversion) and all I can hear is the rain on the roof! It's reminding me of staying in a caravan when I was younger! I'm finding it very relaxing!!

Changes

Since I last blogged on here umpteen months ago a lot has happened! Me and Katie now are officially home owners! After months of graft and toil and general hard work we're almost in a position to say we're done! We've had to replace all the carpets, repaint every wall in every room, sand - stain - and varnish all the floors downstairs and finally transform the garden. The garden has been the bit I was looking forward to doing the most and so far the transformation has been very encouraging. I'm hoping to update this blog with the progress on how the garden is getting on - well we'll see if that happens in real life!

Not really news

While sitting on the Metro en route to work this morning I just read on Twitter that the breaking news is that William and Kate have now gone on their honeymoon! Sorry for the lack of excitement but whoop de doo, I really don't think it constitutes news - especially after they've asked for complete privacy! Although it was from Sky News so what do I expect!!

iPad

I've just read back through this blog and on 28th May last year I blogged about the newly released iPad - I was definitely a fan however wasn't sure i'd want one. I was pleased to read that I said I wouldn't bother with iPad 1 and instead would wait to see what iPad 2 would bring. Sure enough I'm sat here just under a year later and I'm typing this on a new iPad 2! I was lucky to get some money back from a bank after claiming back PPI which I was sold with a loan I took out a few years ago, and I decided that instead of being sensible with it all I would spend some of it on myself and Katie. The timing coincided nicely with the release of iPad 2 and after reading a lot of info about it I decided to take the plunge. Back in May I was unsure as to where the iPad would fit into my life in-between my iPhone, iMac and Sony laptop which are all knocking around the house. I can now say that I love it and I'm now not sure I could do without it. I'm finding that i'm not using the laptop and iMac as much and instead of sitting away from Katie while she tortures herself watching Glee, Greys Anatomy, X-Factor I can sit next to her on the sofa and do pretty much the same on the iPad! As ever the lack of Flash is a bit of a pain however there definitely seems to be a shift happening away from Flash towards other mediums! I'm definitely an iPad convert and would recommend it to anyone.

I'm becoming a grown up......

....ish! After getting married, becoming a father and more recently buying a new family car it's looking like I'm likely to complete the set and become a homeowner! It's easily stages yet but so far all the signs look good, the house will require lots of work in and out but strangely enough that excites me! I've been dying to find a hobby to get my teeth into - and this house could just be it! Fingers crossed!

Forgetful

Well, it looks like my last blogging session was once again a few months ago! Ah well! I'm definitely one of those people who will have a great idea pop into my head, whether it's a line for a new song, or something to write on here and then within five mins it's gone - I really should carry a notebook or my iPad round with me but I don't unfortunately!

Aghhhh!!

Once again I've neglected this blog! Humph! Finding the time when I also have something worth blogging about are minimal! Anyhoo - I'm sat here on the new blue three piece suite we got from my brother and sister in law (thank you)! While Katie watches Grey's Anatomy, not my thing really!

Inspiration

For the last few years I've been part of what we describe as 'a band' - it all started with me and a friend meeting up each week to play bad covers with a rather gruff voiced bloke! Time went on and an evening playing covers involving Mr Gruff always wanting to be as close to the original as possible became less fun and so it stopped. Since then we've moved to a more stable set-up of 5 of us (I've moved from bass to drums) and we're now playing all our own stuff - some of which is marvellous. The problem for me always seems to come when it's time to craft lyrics - I'm wondering if I'm devoid of an imagination or something as I can sit for ages and nothing comes at all! Even if I came up with something about a ghost eating toast up a lamppost I'd be pleased! But nowt! I wonder if I can just get away with writing instrumentals!?

Next week

Well, this time next week we'll all be finally able to have at least a basic understanding of what the new iPhone looks like - whether they call it 4, 4G, HD or even Jeff I'm not really bothered but what it does differently is really what I want to see! I'm not especially fussed that it won't have flash - I think that just means less rubbish to load from a site so it should make it quicker! I am interested in the camera, the speed of operation, any new bits of software brilliance nobody had guessed about! I regularly trawl through Google to read the latest blogs about rumours, sightings and made up things and they all seem to have their own ideas about what we will and won't see - I'd guess some of them will be wrong an others spot on! One thing I have determined is that there are people out there with far too much time on there hands who need something better to do with their time rather than play a guessing game with Apple!