Today is one of my favourite days of the year. It is Halloween. Hallowe’en. All Hallow’s Eve. Samhain.
I mean, what’s not to love? Everyone wears costumes to show off their creativity or lack-thereof (I never seem to manage to pull off costumes that most people get), we get loads of candy, and let’s not forget that it is the day wherein the Other is as close as it can get to the Here.
So I say to you all, enjoy your day of spooks and frights. Eat candy until you’re about to burst. But also, if I may be so bold as to ask, say a little prayer or spare an extra thought for those who have passed from this life. Today, of all days, they can hear you!
I originally intended to write this post yesterday, but I got interrupted by life and so the moment has more or less passed, but not the feelings so invoked.The 26th of October marked a day for me. It was the one year anniversary of me moving home from Glasgow. I was struck by this at work and so wrote to the few people from Glasgow that I had the email addresses of in my GD email for one reason or another (namely Chris, Alistair, and Shona). Basically just a little note saying “Hi. Wow. It’s been a year, etc.” The one response really got me though. Shona wrote back about how boring her life has been. About how “all she’s done” is go backbacking by herself (all 90 pounds of her) in Eastern Europe, run a few marathons, started teaching undergrads, and made strides in writing her PhD.
“So Ash, how have you been? What’s been happening?”
Errrrr. Ummmmmmm. Have you ever had to account for an entire year of your life and had absolutely no idea what to say? Yeah, that sucks.
The only point of this post is that I’ve REALLY got to get myself a life! Gotta start travelling, creating, influencing, or at the very least start a damned hobby or something!
That is all. Just feeling . . . maudlin.
~Ash.
P.S. And to anyone from Glasgow who happens to stop by every once in a while . . . I miss you guys! I miss it all. Even the gods awful food and the worse telly. Last weekend I even found myself glued to my couch because I couldn’t stop watching the “Spooks” marathon (aka “MI-5″) that was on. Why oh why couldn’t I have just managed to make a life there? Anyway, hope you’re all well!
When did it become cool again to make really REALLY REALLY bad 70s movies over thirty years later? More to the point, why? Yes, I admit I was not a fan of Kill Bill Vols. 1or2, but the trailer that’s been released for Tarantino’s new crap-fest, Grind House, makes even camp 70s zombie/action/horror look legit. The fact that the bit that the trailer comes from is likely a product of Robert Rodriguez makes for an even sadder Ash.If you are feeling the need to see what I’m talking about, click below for the YouTube version of the trailer. But it will make you sad too. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Told you.
In other news, my company sucks. Very first day as a full-time permanent employee and they announce suddenly that our bonus tiers have all been adjusted “to challenge us more.” That’s right, they make us produce more in order to get what they were giving us before. If we “only” produce the same amount as before, we get half. And all supposedly so that we get warm fuzzies because we work for a company which challenges and motivates us.
You know, words just do not describe how much I hate it when people think I’m stupid and try to treat me accordingly. To say that this move is for our benefit and NOT the company just wanting us to push their wares more is the biggest crock of shit ever. Yeah, the company exists to make money . . . but I WORK THERE to make money. To cut my bonus in half EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE ALREADY TURNING A HUGE PROFIT is purely unexceptable.
Oh, and anyone wanna fire me over blogging about this? Go for it. Ash = litigious and VERY vocal bastard.
That said, just to cover my ass:
*THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT THE OPINIONS OF ANY EMPLOYER I HAVE EVER WORKED FOR AND ARE NOT MEANT TO BE TAKEN AS SUCH. OBVIOUSLY.*
When did it become cool again to make really REALLY REALLY bad 70s movies over thirty years later? More to the point, why? Yes, I admit I was not a fan of Kill Bill Vols. 1or2, but the trailer that’s been released for Tarantino’s new crap-fest, Grind House, makes even camp 70s zombie/action/horror look legit. The fact that the bit that the trailer comes from is likely a product of Robert Rodriguez makes for an even sadder Ash.
If you are feeling the need to see what I’m talking about, click below for the YouTube version of the trailer. But it will make you sad too. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Told you.
In other news, my company sucks. Very first day as a full-time permanent employee and they announce suddenly that our bonus tiers have all been adjusted “to challenge us more.” That’s right, they make us produce more in order to get what they were giving us before. If we “only” produce the same amount as before, we get half. And all supposedly so that we get warm fuzzies because we work for a company which challenges and motivates us.
You know, words just do not describe how much I hate it when people think I’m stupid and try to treat me accordingly. To say that this move is for our benefit and NOT the company just wanting us to push their wares more is the biggest crock of shit ever. Yeah, the company exists to make money . . . but I WORK THERE to make money. To cut my bonus in half EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE ALREADY TURNING A HUGE PROFIT is purely unexceptable.
Oh, and anyone wanna fire me over blogging about this? Go for it. Ash = litigious and VERY vocal bastard.
That said, just to cover my ass:
*THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT THE OPINIONS OF ANY EMPLOYER I HAVE EVER WORKED FOR AND ARE NOT MEANT TO BE TAKEN AS SUCH. OBVIOUSLY.*
I guess I just need to keep trying. I’m using an email account that I
don’t often use as my primary blogging tool, since I’m actually able to
access this account from work. This makes things easier, though
blogging at work is definitely under the category of “Bad Idea,” but
see if I care. But the point is that I REALLY don’t like the narrow
word wrap thing that’s going on, but I can’t seem to find the settings
which will expand said word wrapping further . . . So blah.
I just wanted to make the totally unnecessary announcement (seeing as none of you people probably know him) that my cousin Travis and
his wife Rosey are pregnant again. They’re having a girl and no word
yet on names, though due date is mid-February (putting child two
exactly 13 months younger than child one. Damned rabbits).
In other news I’m still awake entirely too late. WTF is wrong with me?
Yes, yes. Surprise. Ash is trying a
new toy out. In this case I realized that I could probably figure out a
way to post to LiveJournal (and thus to my normal page) remotely, so
have decided to give it a try.
I took A_____ to the airport at Oh-Dark-Thirty this morning. She is currently winging her way to North Carolina where she will no doubt dazzle all the red-necks as the beautiful Princess T________.Needless to say, this makes me somewhat sad. She and I have been spending pretty much all available time together for the past few weeks in preparation for today, which really just results in me missing her all the more now that she’s gone. In hindsight, perhaps spending so much time together was a somewhat silly tactic. Oops.
And to add insult to injury, I am now late for work since I stopped to write this post.