A Merry Christmas…

Thu Dec 23

I have heard it said that the best presents are those you buy yourself. While I don’t think this is entirely true, in some cases there are occasions that we all set our hearts on something. Going and getting that thing is, therefore, a time for celebration. Things are even worse when you’re a geek and toys are being paraded in front of your eyes on a nearly daily basis.

Take the Line6 Variax guitar. It’s a gorgeous piece of equipment, not just a great instrument but a great application of technology to produce something useful and stylish. And I’ve got one, which fills my heart with joy. Not just because, finally, I have a decent guitar to play (after years of borrowed and dodgy instruments) but also because of the incredible array of sounds it gives me.

So, that is a fantastic present to myself, and makes this Christmas an even better one (it was going to be good anyway, as I’m spending time with the people I love). As ever, I thank la inamorata from the bottom of my heart for the permission to get the Variax. Me, under the thumb? Never.

Christmas cheer (and Christmas beer)…

Wed Dec 15

What a joyous time of year this is. The shops are bursting with gaudy tat and over-tired people with over-stretched credit card limits. The weather hasn’t let us down, at least here in the North of Englandshire. It’s been cold and rainy for weeks. And we’ve got another month (at least) of frankly stupid people decorating their houses so they resemble a minature version of the Chernobyl explosion. Bah humbug, as one bloke put it.

However there are good points. Firstly I’ve managed to wangle a goodly amount of time off this Christmastide, in fact I’ve only got another 4 days work to do before the 4th January. So that means a) I can stay in bed rather than wake up at 6:30am every morning, b) spend time with my nearest and dearest, c) drink rather a lot at pretty much any time I want and d) get all those jobs done that have been niggling at me for months.

So, while other people are making lists of presents they want to receive, and family members they don’t want to see, I’m making lists of web projects I want to finish. The fact is I probably won’t finish anything, but because they are on a list and I’ll have done something with them means I won’t feel I’ve totally wasted my time off. Saying that, though, I’ll just be glad to spend some time with la inamorata, and living a bit less of a double-life than I usually do.

So, in case I don’t make it back to these hallowed pages before That Day, have a good Christmas. I would insert some twee platitude here for your edification, but to be honest we all know what’s really important at this time of year, and it doesn’t come in packaging.

Day off…

Thu Dec 2

I have had a day off today. Not that you could tell, I’ve spent most of the day inside a friends computer, or wrapping myself around a hard drive upgrade for his SkyPlus box. I have another day off tomorrow, but I have planned to design a flyer and business card advertising my wares, and continue with several projects I have on the go.

At this rate I’ll be glad to get back to work for a rest.