Ash the Mighty

Thirty days has September, April, June, and November. I always try to fit in one more posting before the end of a month and the beginning of a brand new page of posts. I don’t really know why. Must be the glutton in me. Gotta fit as much as I can into the space that is given me . . . what can I say? I’m more than a bit strange.

Classes have started. I should say class has started. Right now the only drain on my time is Latin. Alas, this drain occurs five days a week at 9am. It’s by no means the earliest class I’ve ever taken, but it’s certainly the earliest I’ve ever taken when at least twice a week I don’t get home from work until 1am. Then factor in that I’m never able to go straight to bed right after work, and we’re talking about 5 hours of sleep a night twice a week. That gets a bit tough for someone who likes to snooze as much as I do!

But I persevere. Because I’m such a noble creature (aye, right). Other than the Latin, I will eventually be sitting through a couple of meetings of core classes each week for the Med/Ren Studies programme. They’ll likely be from 5 to 7 every Monday and Tuesday evening. Additionally, it’s starting to look like I’ll be taking a class on Early Modern Paleography. Translation: I’ll be studying books as objects dating from roughly the very early Renaissance through to the mid-17th century. That means the books will be early printed books, rather than illuminated manuscripts. Those I’ll be studying next semester (a class which will probably be a lot tougher, as you really can’t even read these things without learning a whole new way of writing . . . and a whole new language. After all, they were mostly written in Latin, hence the early mornings!).

Work continues apace. Sunday was actually the single worst night of my professional life, hands down. Johnny was ill so I was on my own. Normally not a big deal but it was the Sunday before a Bank Holiday Monday (meaning NO ONE worked on Monday). The result was that the crowd was large and older (rather than college kids, they were thirties to fifties) and they were all on something. I was harassed by a large Canadian man and his family who were put out because they were drunk and he was quite obviously snorting coke. I had to break up two different fights in other people’s bar. I had a pair of pickpockets in Jinty’s, as well as two guys that I had to toss out three different times but kept sneaking in. The last time one of them actually spit on me at which point I was forced to just shut down otherwise I would have reached out and decked him. And the perfect end to a perfect night: the upstairs men’s toilet overflowed and I just happened to be standing right under it when it started dripping through the floor. I got a lovely head full of sewage. Yay for employment.

That, as they say, is that. This time next month will be Halloween, a time which I look forward to excitedly. I have no idea if I’ll be able to get out of work, but I desperately want to so that I can go have a good time! See you all in October!

Slainte.

“Thank Goodness you didn’t go through the wrong window.”
“I did. Your dad’s a very quick shag.”
~Kirsten Dunst (as Lizzie Bradbury) and Paul Bettany (as Peter Colt) – “Wimbledon”

Everyone should have at least one surreal moment each day. It keeps the brain flexible and serves to remind you that you haven’t seen all there is to be seen in the world, as much as you might normally think so. Today, I saw on television two huge boxer dogs being chased by a single bunny. Cue instant flashbacks to “Monty Python’s Holy Grail”. This rabbit quite literally was leaping and latching on to the dogs where ever it could get a grip. Ears, mouths, hind legs . . . even their naughty bits. This was one crazy fur ball.

Other than that, I have nothing much going on. I’ve gotta run and shower really quick before work, but I just had to share that sight with you folks! Let me ask you to please notice the new Tidbits section where you can basically find out more about your favourite person in the whole wide world . . . me!

Slainte.

“I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date!”
~The White Rabbit – “Alice in Wonderland”

Ever wonder what I really look like?Well now you can find out. Here is a before picture, and here is an after one. All I want to know is how do people keep their faces from getting cold?

Slainte.

“I’m sexy, I’m cute! I’m popular to boot!”
~The Cheerleaders – “I’m Sexy, I’m Cute” from the “Bring It On” Soundtrack

Yes indeedy . . . as you simply must have noticed, there has been a significant design change to SIK Enterprises. Inspired largely by the design of Holly Hammond’s new website, this design will hopefully allow you folks to have a more pleasureable browsing experience. It also lets me play with HTML in ways I never have before, which is always fun. I’ll tell you now that I fully recognize that there are gonna be bugs for a while (links opening in the wrong windows, etc), but I’ll be dealing with them as quickly as they are brought to my attention! Oh, and if you really miss the old page, you can still visit it here . . . but it’s not going to be updated anymore!

Other than that major change, there have indeed been some things happening. I finally got an agreement from the financial aid people to let me have the full amount of loans that I had asked for. So now I won’t have to move out of this flat, which is always a good thing. I haven’t fully ruled out the whole roommate thing, but since I haven’t even gotten permission from my landlady yet, I’m not exactly eager to rush into things. Life continues apace otherwise. I’m working tonight as Johnny has some other requirement on his time. I’m not too bothered. While it is cold and it means I had to turn down an invitation to dinner, it was still a dinner with physicists and I think I can handle the chill since Jinty’s has started blasting the heaters at full power.

That, as they say, is that. I’m a bit tired (another very VERY late night . . . or even you could say semi-late morning), and remarkably hungry. I’m getting paid today when I go in to work, so I’ll finally be able to buy food now . . . which is good since I’m down to my last little bit of frozen food. Time to go defrost that sucker so that poor lil ol’ me doesn’t waste away! Aye, right.

Slainte.

“Hey Myers, you’re a talker. What’s a good word, a solid word for ‘need’?”
“Well, ‘need’ is a good, solid word.”
“Nah. Too needy.”
~Ron Pearlman (as Hellboy) and Rupert Evans (as John Myers) – “Hellboy”

It really is disgustingly late. I’ve written blog entries much later than this before, but never has it been because I’ve reached the point where I’ve run out of people to call (who are home and living in America where it isn’t 4am) and still haven’t managed to exorcise all (or any) of my personal demons. I got some bad/upsetting news tonight. A few of you out there know what it is and would tell me to snap out of it. Fair enough. Those of you who don’t know, I’m sorry to sound mysterious but I don’t really want to vomit forth the grisly details right now. But I can at least assure you all that I’m still a student at the University of Glasgow (assuming they’ll get off their butts and recognize my funding!), I still have all my digits, no one has died, and as far as I know everyone is still in perfect health. The bad stuff is just personal and really isn’t even so important as to warrant this entry. But you know how I can get so wordy!

So instead of continuing talking about that, I’ll tell you all about an e-mail I got yesterday (or is it the day before now?) from Holly Hammond. She actually belongs on my people page and will appear there soon with her hubby, Simon. Anyway, she was a prof of mine at the UofA and we’re still mates. She wrote to tell me that she had designed a new website for herself. I checked it out and I was inspired. So, I spent all day today coding. Designing a new version of SIK Enterprises. You lucky readers can preview the new site here. Once I get colours, fonts, and bugs worked out it will take the place of the current design. It’s cooler anyway (and please ignore the upper banner and that first picture. Due to re-installation of Windows, I’ve lost all my fonts and so just whipped something up in a few minutes. It’ll look cooler soon, I promise!).

That’s pretty much all I know for the moment. I’m exhausted from coding all day and then working all night. I need my bed! I hope you’re all supergroovy, and I’ll speak to you soon!

Slainte.

“All that shimmers in this world is sure to fade . . .
. . . Away . . .
. . . Again.”
~Fuel – “Shimmer”

. . . but I’m assured by all sorts of folks that so does everyone else. Doesn’t stop me from being cranky. I was just well enough to go to work on Sunday and run several un-interesting errands yesterday, but now that I have a day in which I can pick up my paycheck and go see a movie or something, I am absolutely incapable of leaving the house. This does not amuse in the slightest. At least I have medicine from the last time I was sick, so I’m not having to trek all the way down to Safeway in order to medicate myself.

There really isn’t much else going on to be honest. I re-applied for the TERI loan, and maybe this time the Financial Aid people will actually sign off on it, meaning I’ll be allowed to keep my flat and everything. If they don’t then it’s back to the drawing board because it’s now too late to apply for the Senior Resident (British version of RAs) position at Queen Margaret Halls. This is actually probably a good thing. Living in dorms again only this time actually being responsible for the little SOBs would probably cast quite a pall over my last year here.

Oh yeah. And this might be my last year here. After examining mounting costs and taking into account the existence of the ACMRS at ASU, I’m having troubles justifying my staying here . . . plus I just keep missing all the drama back home!

And as a final little tidbit, let me share a joke that Chris told me yesterday. It was said during an orientation meeting a few years ago for the Senior Residents. It was said by one of the wardens (top guys) to a member of the clergy who had come to speak and was in response to an observation that there were a lot of young men and women about. It’s dirty, so if you’re easily offended, close this window now! The warden apparently said: “It’s Fall. And the reason I know it’s Fall is because all over the West End you can hear the sound of hymens breaking.” If you’ve got your mouth open in disgust, I did warn you. If you’re laughing your ass off, then you have probably had to deal with the little bastards at some point yourself. Take care everyone!

Slainte.

“It makes me sad to think
This all could be for nothing”
~Stabbing Westward – “What Do I Have To Do?”

While I fully recognize that I have little to complain about compared to . . . say . . . Floridians, I am still more than a little put out with Hurricane Francis. While as far as I’m aware the storm to which I’m referring is no longer actually a hurricane, it is still not playing nice with the already-miserable Scottish weather. Specifically it is tossing a huge amount of rain and gale-force winds our way. The winds haven’t really started yet. They’re scheduled for tomorrow and Sunday, but the rain has certainly arrived. It rained the entire time I was at work, and let me tell you that the little Guiness jacket that I have is not equal to the task of keeping out that much wet.

So that’s a bit annoying. Not nearly annoying as the financial aid office shorting me by over $10,000 in my loans though. You see they have a certain amount of money that they say you need to live in Glasgow. The only problem is that their breakdown includes you spending only about £230 a month on rent and a measly £5 a day on food. In other words it’s totally ridiculous, made even more so if your loan needs to stretch 12 months rather than the usual 9. So now I’ll be totally strapped for cash for the entire year unless I can come with (a) more loan money, (b) a roommate (ick), or (c) both of the above. I’m of course gonna try for option (a), but am considering (c). Everyone keep their fingers crossed that the loan people are forgiving (aye, right).

And as a final note, I have some good news. Apparently I’ve got a meeting scheduled with Jinty, the owner of Jinty McGuinty’s. It seems that I have impressed people enough that assuming this interview goes well I will become the official Jinty’s steward (fancy word for bouncer). I’m not edging Johnny out of a job or anything. He’ll still be there on weekends and what not. I’ll just be on the books as an employee and so will be getting an offical job history and all that jazz. Good stuff, especially if I’m going to stay here any longer than this year. So that’s happy! If I don’t sound extatic (sp?) it’s because I’m just shattered from a very long night of being very cold.

Slainte.

“Now I’m big and important
one angry dwarf
and 200 solemn faces are you”
~Ben Folds Five – “One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces”

Not much to write really. Just got home from work (stayed late chatting with the bar staff and then ran into Alex on the way home) and thought I would say hey to all you freaky freaks out there in the world. For those keeping track, I was not actually supposed to work today, but Johnny asked me to come in so he could have a night off, and I sure could use the cash (got a £150 mobile bill from my time at home) so work I did. Got to chat with the boss Fiona about the distinct possibility of making me the regular weekend guy at Jinty’s, guaranteeing (is that a word?) me a minimum of 15.5 hours a week, which equals a very nice £108.50/week or £434/month. All of which really really helps. Also solidified some plans for the after-party Saturday night. My neighbors are gonna hate me for throwing a party that starts at 1am, but what can you do? Due to money issues I may be needing a cheaper flat soon anyway, so it’s not like they’ll have to deal with me for all that long!

That’s about all I know, really. Oh, for those of you who haven’t already heard, the deadline for dissertations was on Monday. So instead of turning in a very long essay sure to fail, I actually simply gave back the books I had borrowed for Driscoll right along with a letter of resignation from the M.Phil programme. I thought it best to make things official, rather than just fail to turn the thing in. Believe it or not, I’m totally cool with it. I’m just thrilled to be starting the Medieval History programme in a few weeks! I’m sure I’ll be just bloody exhausted all the time, but you know the saying . . . you can sleep when you’re dead!

Slainte.

“Up in Memphis the music’s like a heat wave
White lightning, bound to drive you wild.
Mama’s baby’s in the heart of every school girl
“Love me tender” leaves ‘em cryin’ in the aisle
The way he moved, it was a sin, so sweet and true.”
~Alannah Myles – “Black Velvet” – in tribute of Hannah Cheloha’s amazing rendition a few weeks ago.

Very early Tuesday morning (about 2:45 am) I get a text message on my mobile. I had stayed up late chatting with a friend of mine named Bob, so I just ignored it. But then I got another one and finally dragged my ass out of bed to see what the commotion was. There was a text each from my brother and my sister, both basically saying “You need to call me ASAP.” Oh shit. I was so certain that something had happened to my parents or something. So I immediately call Amy but no answer. So I call Spencer who in a total deadpan voice tells me that I need to call our cousin Travis. No explanation why. Just “you need to hear it from him.” O-kaaaaay.

So by now I’m certain that Travis’ wife Rosey (or is it Rosie? You know, I don’t think I’ve ever found out) has been in an accident or something. I call him and find out that it is indeed about Rosey, but nothin’ bad. Instead, apparently Travis and Rosey were having dinner at TGIFriday’s and were just finishing when who should be sat next to them but the person widely known as the EDB. Yep, Carly. She was with a guy (there is apparently some question as to whether or not it was Jason — her new beau and [ex] friend of mine — but I’m inclined to think so), and it seems that Rosey just wasn’t able to let an opportunity such as this one pass her by. Travis tells me that Rosey stood up, went to stand in front of Carly, and proceeded to basically spit in her face. I wish I could have been there as Rosey told my ex-wife exactly what she thought of her. Some topics apparently touched upon: The definition of love and marriage (Carly doesn’t know it), the way to treat a person (Carly didn’t do it well), and the way to behave towards a body of people who had done so much for her (namely my family, and you’re not to divorce their son/grandson/cousin/nephew with absolutely no explanation). Carly retorted with some brilliant statement like “well I thought you would split up first, so you win” (what a comeback!) and then told Rosey that she was being inapropriate and should leave. “We are leaving. And you’re not worth our time.” I knew there was a reason I approved of this girl!

This is what Travis related back to me. I have the sneaking suspicion that he had some choice things to say to her as well, but was too modest to speak of it. I’ve been thinking a lot about this for the past few days. And I gotta say that since it was totally inevitable that someone would run into her eventually, I’m really glad it was Rosey. I don’t know that anyone else would have had the guts to just rip into her and say what everyone would want to say but wouldn’t.

And now the final point to all this is a thank you to my cuz and cuz-in-law. Not for saying things to Carly or anything. But simply for being you. Trav, we’ve had our differences over the years, but I’ve always known that I could depend on you to stand by me. And here you did. That takes a lot and I appreciate it more than you’ll ever know. You guys really do just rock.

Slainte.

“Cheap shot hocked straight to the ear drum
Is it some sick sign of affection?
Violated and singed with deceit
Disgust from my head to my hands to my feet”
~Eve 6 – “Showerhead”