Matthew's Web of Lies: 2010

Thursday, 30 December 2010

December 2010

The month for hating people in.

18th December 2010.
So, my birthday got a little overshadowed by events (yes, I'm skipping over the whole two weeks before that as they've been bumped from my brain and I don't remember anything much to mention). My regular social circle sort of imploded on itself and I only found out it was happening a couple of hours before I was expecting everyone at my birthday dinner. So my dinner ended up having a smaller turn out that even my inner-realist expected (having let my inner optimist book a table for 14). The staff at Little India were totally judging me as a delusional no-friends. For all it was a little awkward and much reduced, I still enjoyed my night and even made out pretty well on the presents front. Julie having cunningly kept back books I had ordered through her work which I'd thought were just slow in arriving and they became gifts from those of my friends that she'd organised. It was a win win. After the dinner, I invited a few people back to my house to eat cake that my grandmother have given me the day before. I got drunk in a room full of sober people, but they still put up with me until 2am so I can't have been too repugnant.
In the almost week since I've barely slept. It turns out I'm a wee bit too good and taking on other people's crap. I've so much shit going on in my head that I'm having to take pills to get what little sleep I am managing. And I can't really talk about it as it is all other peoples stuff and everyone who I actually talk about stuff with these days knows someone involved. And gods do I hate people.
Turns out I'm too ranty and angry to write. I may try for a more rational version of this tomorrow.

19th December 2010.
Well, another night of sleeping pills and then not so much with the sleeping. Simple things like typing are getting quite difficult.
I'm going quite nutty.

21st December 2010.
Sunday night I finally sort of slept, and then last night I managed almost a proper night of it. I feel so very, very much better about the world now.
I think the lesson here is that I have to learn not to emotionally invole myself in things that really have nothing to do with me. Also, I have to learn how to not let things get between me and sleep. Sleep is more important than things.
On sunday night, my family got the big family christmas dinner with my grandparents out of the way early. Even though my grandmother was hosting it was mother still brought a bunch of unwelcome extras with her. The company may not have been best (and the worst parts I have to see again on Christmas proper, bugger it) but it did get the over eating and the faking some appreciation for my gifts out of the way. Yes, I'm terrible people.
I did get a fair amount of stuff but most of it isn't useful. The only stuff I'm really appreciating were the items of clothing. My main present is quite awesome but I have no use for it at this time - I may end up lending it to Oli for a while.

30th December 2010.
Since the last time I wrote I've pretty much been drunken (except on Tuesday), unpleasant and tactless. I've been on a rampage of making friends and influencing people. I should not be allowed speech. Or writing, in any medium or combination of media.
OKay, I should run over things. But mostly it was just too much of me feeling awkward and being a tosser and then drinking to try and make up for it. I possibly don't have a liver anymore.

Sunday, 28 November 2010

November 2010

Stuff happens.

21st November 2010.
On the 22nd of last month, I met up with a Scottish tourist who had been talking to me over the internet as someone to be a local tour guide sort. So that was what I was. I went to town to be a friendly face to Dunedin. We walked from town to Baldwin Street, and then up the thing (which was sweaty and gross owing to how overly warm a day it had suddenly turned in to, and with me having dressed expecting much cooler weather). After conquering the steepest street we had lunch of Crusty Corner pies and then wandered about the university for a while. Then pottered about for most of teh rest of the day. At some point I realised I was being flirted with. It was weird. Actually normal seeming and passably good looking people don't go for me very often, so it always throws me when it happens. Then I had to cut things off so as to pack and head away for the long weekend with Oli.
The weekend in Oturehua with Oli's extended family was surprisingly fun. Much eating and chatting to people I'd not talked to in ages, such as Oli's cousin Sam (who brought my nipples up in conversation far too many times - they may show through t-shirts a little but it's not that not worthy). There was so very much BBQ. I'm surprised we didn't all overdose on too much meat. The memorial for Oli's grandmother was very nice, and my being there was handy for the taking of group photos as I'd no worry about being the one to miss out on being in them. I did feel a little intrude-y though.
The week following I don't remember so it can't have been too interesting. At a party on the Sunday following (just over a week after having met) I was proposed to by the Scottish tourist in a late night drunken phone call. I was quite flattered. Seems I'd managed to make a very good first impression.

25th November 2010.
On Guy Fawkes night I took someone I've spent the better part of a year embarrassingly crushing on to do fireworks with Oli, Bridget and Greer. It was a pretty pleasant night and not so much with the awkward at all.
The following day I headed to Stewart Island. For a solid week of Oli, Bridget and Greer. The trip down was fine, as was the ferry ride (it was a bouncy crossing, but it turns out that is fine and fun - the only bad part was that there were school children on the boat). We arrived to a house with no power and little plumbing (which was expected) and full of dead flies (which was not). So we started with a bit of cleaning before going along to the wharf and doing a little bait fishing.
The following day the other three went off in a little boat (I chose not to, out of distrust for little boats) and I curled up to read but mostly just slept. That evening, we had fish (and adventures to get some level of running water). That evening it was also made clear that Bridget did not want me there. On the second day of the eight we would be together and she was already sniping at me - joy. It was then that I realised agreeing to a week in the company of three people, each of whom I was the least favourite of, was possibly not a smart plan.
The next day, we walked in to the township and then did a couple of the walks that went out from the other side of the town, getting to see such sights as Acker's Point and the Wohlers' Monument. On Tuesday (the 9th) we walked around to Maori Bay and watched an angry sea lion chase a pair of Japanese tourists. Comedy gold. On the Wednesday we went to town again and walked around the other side of the town before going to the pub for a drink and not socialise at all with the locals. On the way back we walked around the "Back Rd" which was partially not there and merely mud. Thursday featured more fishing and a dinner of Teriyaki trumpeter. Friday, we walked around Horseshoe Point among other things. So much walking. My legs were entirely of pain. The last day we cleaned and packed and headed home. After getting home, and having a much needed bath, I went to Doug's birthday party. Where my legs gave out under me (it turned out I'd pushed myself far far too far) and I had to have help getting home. On Sunday I was in bed until mid-afternoon and only got up to have dinner with my grandparents.
The week following was mostly pretty lazy, lazing about recovering.
This last weekend been was also pretty quiet and antisocial until I went to a quiz on Sunday afternoon. Winning is what quizzes are for, it was a good day for Team Formica. Even if all we won for our first place was budget umbrellas and tickets to a play.
This week has also been mostly unexciting. Firmin doing a course has given me a valid reason to leave roleplaying things early (well, this week has been all board games) and not have unpleasantly late nights - so I feel slightly less shit than usual. I also saw my doctor, not that there has been any changes on that front. And I visited a complete stranger and got back stuff I had lent to a friend of mine who'd since skipped town without managing to return it.

28th November 2010.
On Friday evening I went to Oli's work drinks. He'd had a pretty good head start and I ended up buying and drinking four beers. Turns out I'm too out of practice at drinking for four beers to be anything but a stupid idea. We ended up having a somewhat more personal chat than me usually do. he told me a couple of things of the sort I'm sure he normally only shares with Greer. He had a wee bit of a go at me about being overly secretive about my life. We also got on to the topic of how I'm no longer friends with my ex and I told him how the friendship ended in some unpleasantness. Oli then asked if I'd forgive and pick up where left off if my ex turned up at my house the next day and apologised. I said no, it was all done. The next day I was pretty much proved a liar. Later in the night we went back to his as Bridget was having celebratory drinks. So I got to catch up with some people before grabbing a ride home just before midnight for some much appreciated drunken sleep.
Saturday morning I woke and decided that actually getting up was a non-happening thing. So I pottered about in boxers listening to an audio book until there was a knock on my door. What followed, after I'd jumped into actual clothes on the way to answer the door, was an awkward conversation with my ex after a long run of not talking. Later that evening I had takeaways (as I do far, far too often) and headed to Carla and Ian's for the evening (as I also do a little too often).
Today, laziness and bad thinking. Stupid brain of unhelpfulness. Also, gave myself yet another terrible haircut. I do do terrible so very well.

Tuesday, 19 October 2010

October 2010

Spring is sprung and things are being passable.

16th October 2010.
Last night I was invited out by Oli and turned it down to go to the pool with the dirty roleplayer sorts - with the assumption I'd be sociable for the night with them afterwards. Instead I came home and was in bed before 11 and slept until about 10 this morning. So much tiredness. I had had a day of my eyes playing tricks on me, so it was probably a sign I've been pushing my crappy body a little too hard. Well, either my eyes (and by my eyes I mean my visual cortex) were playing tricks on me or I've developed an aura of metamorphosis that makes small objects that come near me turn into other small objects. Which would be nifty.
The weekend before last I went to the Laserforce place and played laser tag for the first time. I came third in almost every round and had the highest hit percentage of anyone. Everyone else has been there before, some a lot, so I felt like a little less of a spaz than usual.
Otherwise I've mostly just been pottering about achieving little.

19th October 2010.
I've made my blood pressure sky rocket tonight simply by writing an email I've been putting off for a couple of months. I hate how easy it is to set my body against itself. I also hate how much I entirely suck at being a human and working even the most basic human interactions.
Saturday, after writing the above entry, I went to the beach with Oli and Bridget for a little while before heading back to their place and helped (watched) Oli built a wall. Later in the evening I briefly visited a party at Firmin's flat but mostly just played The Witcher (which I'd picked up at JB HiFi earlier in the day (my first visit to Dunedin's new JB HiFi id very bad things to my bank account)).
Sunday went to The Witcher and dinner at my grandparents'.
Monday, my eyes packed it in after two days of significant periods of computer use. So the day was mostly spent in bed. In the evening I went to Carla and Ian's and had kebab while faking being social like.
Today, lunch with Greer and Dan and the rest of the day spent reading in bed.

Monday, 20 September 2010

September 2010

Still chugging along...

18th September 2010.
Immediately after my bitching about my crappy health in the last thing I found out a friend of mine has been diagnosed with something far more serious and life-messing-up. Puts perspective on my shit somewhat.
Over the last while I've mostly just been being antisocial. I had a week of horrible insomnia. I changed my one uni paper to interest only as I couldn't be f'd (the insomnia may have contributed). I've been a homebody who avoids people a bunch of the time. Lots of fun.
I wasted a bit of time this week (i.e all of Thursday and most of Friday) sulking about my house in PJs after having found out that a bunch of the roleplayer sorts think that I'm some sort of sex-offender-about-to-happen, and if they were willing to talk about that with me in the room I couldn't but wonder what they say about me when I'm not there. As someone mostly against the existence of people, I'm more against it that usual at the moment.

20th September 2010.
On Saturday I head to Taieri Mouth with Greer for Fiona's birthday. It was a really good night, much sitting in their very warm little crib while it snowed, and then much sitting in the wood-fire heated paddling pool in the snow. Snow can be pretty awesome. I was also not drinking, so I took a little pleasure in being sober at the birthday girl (who gets more and more anxious about sober people judging her the drunker she gets, which makes for comedy gold). Being very warm while in snow makes for a great night. The only overly uncomfortable part was when Oli decided that the topic of other people I've been hanging out with needed discussed. I've turned down plans with Oli too many times to hang with the same person, so Oli had decided I was having a semi-secret relationship. He seemed more than a little disappointed that I wasn't. Then he and Greer took to giving me dating advice - which was a bit odd as both have had bugger all experience having found lasting ball-and-chains very early on.

Thursday, 26 August 2010

August 2010

Mildly less winterish.

24th August 2010.
So, Midget's wedding was nice if over the top and a little ridiculous. I drank far too much from the open bar at the reception - me and weddings do not mix. An ex of mine who I always forget about (and who also gave a reading) drove me home after the reception both to stop me going to the afterparty and making a drunken scene and to use me as a human sheild against some creepy guy.
Of the week following I rememebr nothing of note - but that doesn't mean much. My brain is of fail - which is why I really should write in this thing more than I do, so I can reference it on the many occasionas my brain comes up useless. I've probably said tyhis on here several times before but I'm too lazy to check. Laziness is generally the flaw in all my plans.
Things I've done over the last ages....
Start of June my old computer died. It has started smoking just a little, and then Windows developed problems that would require reinstalling and I decided that in the scheme of things it was easier to just replace it entirely. Turns out this wasn't entirely true, as I then has several weeks of minor complication while the computer store worked out which piece of hardware in the build was faulty and breaking things. But in the end, I have shiny new working computer and it is mostly all set up and going. PB Tech did me a good deal, and did a lot of work on it afterward all in a timely fashion, if with a few hiccups of the sort that catch people out from time to time. During my semi-computer-less-ness, I had a house guest in the form of Dot. Over the five years of not seeing her, I had forgotten how loud she is. And in my old age my people tolerance has seriously gone down hill. The less than a week of her I had also ended in bloody murder. So much noise, and I couldn't escape it. Was good to catch up, I just think the her staying at my house thing was non-ideal.
July, I started up at uni again. Doing a Zoology paper as I couldn't continue with Latin. It is very interesting but also annoying as the assessment system is insanely anal about stupid shit. Otherwise, I've not been up to too much yet surprisingly busy. Mostly as I spent two or three nights a week hanging with Carla, Ian, Firmin and miscellaneous others being geeky. I dislike most of the circle, pretty much only putting up with them all for those previously named.
This month, more of the same. Though my dad has been back in town for the last week so I've been seeing far too much of my family. Also I've seen a bunch of movies. Splice gave me nightmares, and is pretty funny if super creepy. Inception was good, but not remotely as good as it'd been made out to be. Scott Pilgrim is the best movie I've seen in quite a while. Knight and Day is painfully bad and should be burned at the stake.
I've also been in a bit of a funk. Partially brought on by my specialist who picked at the fact I was single and how that might make me depressed so much that I ended up a bit depressed about it when I hadn't been before. Stupid medical professionals.
I should think of more to say, but I'm just not that interesting.

26th August 2010.
I had a doctors appointment today. I got the huge quantity of bloodtest results back (though I wasn't actually allowed to look at them myself which makes me a little suspicious) and they showed nothing that explains anything. I even had one of my symptoms being more obvious than usual and confusing the doctor by looking exactly like something my blood tests ruled out. Such fun. I've also gained 2kg over the winter, coz I are a blimp.
Not helping that, I had buffet dinner with my dad and brother and ate far too much.

Friday, 30 July 2010

30th July 2010.

My back hurts a lot after helping move tables this morning. I'm an idiot. Turns out when the hirequip guys says "carry no more than one at a time" thinking that four between two is the sensible response is a stupid plan. SO very sore. The wheat-bag on my back is helping a bit. I'm also sore and grumpy for other reasons. Extra sore as I also walked up Harbour Cone this afternoon with Oli, Bridget and Greer. And grumpy because I was talked into paying far more than I could afford for a shirt that was really what I wanted, I just wanted a cheap plain Farmer's shirt not the fancy expensive Hallenstein's one Alana conned me in to buying. Can't trust Asians.

Monday, 31 May 2010

May 2010

Autumnal like.

17th May 2010.
I haven't been writing because I've been busily wallowing in self pity. I'd forgotten just how skilled I was at it, having had a surprisingly good run away from it. Recently, however, life has been getting to me more than I like.
I had meant to write proper, as I have every day for the last couple of weeks. But my brain hurts so I think I'll go have an earlyish night instead. Latin homework shall also be waiting until the morning. I'm hating Latin so much. It should be fucking glad that it is already dead.

28th May 2010 - Germanus, Bp. and Conf.
Okay. I keep forgetting to write in this thing. I kee forgetting alot of things recently. It is very unhelpful. I have no idea what has happened to all of my time.
It would be very helpful if I'd written in this thing so I could check it and find out what I've done in the last month. But as I haven't, I'll have to muddle through having bugger all idea.
So i've been getting sicker the last couple of months. Not majorly, just achier and sleepier and more forgetful. It seems to be eating away my life.
I wanted to participate in the "one book, one twitter" bookclub. I was even willing to sign up to twitter for it, but I couldn't get back my copy of the book they were reading. Simon has it (or at least had it when he stopped talking to me) and has either blocked or is ignoring messages from me over the mediums I've tried so far. I guess I'll try a couple more before I go for the using the legal system to get my stuff back approach. Though the legal way holds appeal, even if (possibly, because) it'd be the permanent death of any possibility of being on friendly terms again.
Otherwise my life has been spend failing Latin. I'm currently attempting to withdraw under exceptional circumstances so I don't end up with an actual fail out of it.
Damn it, I know I've done a bunch of other stuff. I just currently can't think what any of it is.

29th May 2010.
I've been going swimming with Carla and her friends every other Friday night, usually followed by watching bad movies or playing board or card games of some description. While it is good and social, I also see a bunch of the same crowd on Wednesday night and I've found the group in question is bringing out the bad in me. The more time I spend around them the more grumpy and intolerant I'm getting. Partially as some of the group are bothersome. Quite bothersome.
Friday last week I spent much more productively winning a quiz with Oli and Greer. Victory is a wonderful thing. I got a box of Cadbury milk tray. So I spent the weekend making myself feel sick. I also failed to buy anything at the 24 hour book sale.
On Tuesday I went to my doctor. Turns out I've stayed the same weight over the last three months. My losing weight without having to do anything has come to an end.

31st May 2010.
I hate having to admit to people that I'm perma-sick. Explaining how sick sucks even more. So getting the forms done for my withdrawal under exception circumstances application today sucked a lot. And knowing my luck it won't even go through.
Saturday night I made a scene, hitting on someone who has already turned me down after having bitched about the 21 year old who keeps trying it on with me regardless of how many times I say no. Go the hypocrisy. I'm a crappy attempt at being human. Still, it doesn't appear to be being held against me.
I should sleep. I feel terrible.

Thursday, 29 April 2010

April 2010

I'm failing to keep my journal like a champion.

15th April 2010 - Keys of the Rogation Days.
Reading the blog of a friend in Japan reminded me how behind this thing has gotten.
So, 13 march. After a morning of Radio New Zealand, I headed in to Wellington and had lunch with Tavendale before meeting up with Catriona and Meg. Then it was time to queue so as to get good seats for Neil Gaiman, and hold one for Michiel. We weren't as close to the front as we had been the day before but we did okay. The event was pretty good. Neil read the "I believe" speech from American Gods. Kate Di Goldi was very, very annoying and oughtn't be allowed. After a couple of hours in a queue to get my Absolute Death signed, I headed to an overly expensive dinner with Michiel, Catriona and Meg. The downside of knowing Meg is that she always picks eateries that are far too expensive for what they are, as if charging more magically makes their food better. Then I headed back to Jo and Elizabeth's and caught up with oli, who has arrived in Wellington while I was out for the day.
the following morning I climbed on a train and went to the Hutt for some hanging out with Tina in Brown Owl. And there went Sunday and most of Monday. Monday afternoon I headed back to Wellington, aiming to be there about dinner time, I got caught in a train stuck in dodgy points. Trapped in a train for the better part of an hour. Not fun. That evening I had dinner with Tavendale before retiring to Catriona's for the evening.
I woke on Tuesday with holes in me. Catriona's bed is vicious, and I suddenly understood why she was so keen that she have the couch and I take the bed. I then spent the day pottering about and shopping. In the evening I went to Tim's amd met his girlfriend (who turned out, somewhat surprisingly, to not be imaginary). We had fish and chips from a fantastic fish place on Cuba and then spent the evening chatting and watching Q.I.
The next morning, I had morning tea with Paul Addison (a lecturer I had in first year who I somehow ended up friends with during my chem degree - proving I'm not entirely incapable of getting along with people, just mostly.). Then I went to the airport and came home. Dan, awesomely, picked me up from the airport. Then i came home and played on the internet when i probably shouldn't have. A week of reduced sleep and no alone time led to me talking to some net randoms - a thing from which no good comes.

18th April 2010.
So Thursday 18 March, I went to Latin and was horribly confused by the week of grammar I had missed. I'm not smart enough anymore to do that sort of thing. I miss having the brainy smarts.
Friday and the weekend I wasted chatting to random net sorts and arsing about and sleeping. I did almost no study for the Latin test that started Monday morning.
The week following I remember little of. I went to Avatar in 3D with my father and brother, I think on the 22nd. I spent a bit of that week trying to get something going with some relatively attractive but not remotely interesting net random who'd been sort of keen but then got a better offer. It led to me having a date with someone I wasn't remotely interested in on the Friday (and a second, eight days later) but nothing came of it. I also realised, I think back in that week that I was only looking to meet someone as my crush on the date Carla attempted to set me up with for her wedding is getting a bit ridiculous and the most logical way to stop liking someone is to distract yourself with someone else..... or something.
On Saturday the 27th, I got Dragon Age: Origins off Firmin. It has been a giant eater of my time ever since. Quite Baldur's Gate (maybe not quite as good, but trying a similar approach), but with the modern graphics. It is pretty darn good.
So this month has mostly been going to Latin, playing Dragon Age until my eyes start to hurt too much (which doesn't take very long) and hiding under a blanket until my eyes stop feeling like they are burning so I can play some more. I've been making the pool every week, often even twice. Though the second is often on Friday evening when I don't do quite so much evercise for all that I am there much longer as it is usually being social with some of my friends who go just to play about in the leisure pool and soak in the spa.
I've also been hanging with roleplayers on my Wednesday nights. Last Wednesday I even broke out my dice and joined in a game - this can't be good. It was making the day better though. It had been a bad day, I lost well over half an hour on the walk to uni and a good 20 minutes of it I can't account for at all (i.e. at least 20 minutes of the time I lost wasn't just walking from where my memory peters out to where it kicks back in again). it is quite unpleasant. And it made me miss Latin.
I'm trying to think what else has happened this month.....
I spent most of the Easter weekend hanging out with Oli and Bridget. Which was good. And I ended lent by making myself feel unwell by eating more than half of a family sized pie. On Easter Sunday we went, with Greer and Erin, to Sinclair Wetlands. It was a lot more boring than I was expecting, possibly as it is a bit droughty and the wetlands weren't so much.
Last weekend I caught up with Wormgirl while she was in town, and uncharacteristically made time for me. It was pretty darn awesome to catch up. Afterward I had an antisocial weekend of not talking to anyone at all. I mostly didn't even leave the house and the one time I did I came ridiculously close to locking myself out. Oli, bearer of my spare key, was out of town so I would have had to ring Simon with a "I know we no longer talk at all, but do you still have my spare key....". It would have sucked so bad. Actually, it is probably a sign that it is time I ask to get said key back. I'm just not sure the etiquette for telling someone that since you haven't talked in many months that it probably isn't appropriate for them to still have your stuff, especially when among said stuff is a key to my house. Also, it seems a bit final. I'm not keen on final.
Anyway.
I should be doing Latin homework, being that I have an assignment due tomorrow and have wasted this weekend reading D&D rule books so I know a little of what is going on when I join Ian's game and partying till 7am this morning (which was a stupid plan, I'm too old for such things).

29th April 2010 - Departure of Noah from the Ark.
Some horrible slave driver called Greer is nagging me to writing in this thing now and not at some later point. I can entirely see why her husband is so the "wife" in their marriage. (She also ordered me to say mean things about her.)
Well, since my night of partying until 7am (the day of the last entry) my life has pottered along much as usual.
I got the Latin assignment done and in. I had a week of nothing too exciting going on. On the Friday evening and most of the Saturday I hung out with roleplayers. There was much boardgame goodness going on. I kicked arse at a game of Tales of the Arabian Nights. It's a pretty awesome boardgame, if a bit complex and book heavy.
Sunday last, I got up stupid early and went to the Anzac service. My dad was involved in an official performative capacity, so I watched. Afterward I had breakfast at the Navy hall. Then I spent the whole day until dinner time studying for a Latin test as I was failing to keep track of the content for it. Dinner was at my grandparents as it was my grandmother's birthday.
Monday morning I failed my Latin test. All the studying had been for nought. I got there and my brain emptied out and left me staring blankly at the page. The rest of the day went to curling up in a ball of self hatred and sleeping.
Tuesday, I hadn't slept well and I felt like crap. So I wagged Latin and just stayed in and cleaned my flat before my flat inspection. The inspection, as always, was really only of the smoke alarms. My cleaning was mostly wasted effort - it was just for my pride's sake.
Wednesday, after another depressing Latin class, I went to PB Tech and bought another external HDD. This time I got a much more portable one, which will make it handier. But mostly I like the idea of multiple copies of things. Also, it is the size of my wallet, which is awesome for 500GB. Admittedly it is well over half full already - but that happens. In the evening I walked in to an evening of roleplaying with Firmin, getting satay on the way. Darn Carla dragging me in to roleplaying and using one of her friends to get my hooked. The crush I have on her friend is getting slowly worse. It's unhelpful, but a good distraction from how depressed I am. Focusing on someone else stops me just wallowing in self-hatred. So I guess there is a plus side there, until I get served a restaining order.
Today, Latin went less bad as it was a revision chapter on grammar I mostly understood. If only I understood more of it. Then I curled up in the library for a couple of hours reading Jasper Fforde's Shades of Grey before meeting Greer for lunch. Then I pottered home, caught up on Glee and did some rearranging of my stored files. Busy daying achieving nothing much that matters to anyone who isn't currently me.

Sunday, 28 March 2010

March 2010

Making a good start on wasting the second decade of this century.

28th March 2010.
Okay. Turns out I've accidentally gone four weeks without writing in this thing. I'd no idea it'd been so long until I got a whiny email complaining about it. (Do you feel special now? You know who you are.)
The start of the month was too long ago for me to actually remember in any way worth mentioning, so I'll cut to the 10th when I headed to Wellington. The flight was uneventful (just very slow - stupid tiny slow planes on crappy routes) until Wellington. Wellington airport always puts on a little show in the form of a well bumpy descent. Then I caught the bus in to the city and walked, via a quick visit to Catriona's, up to Jo and Elizabeth's were I was staying for the first few nights.
The Thursday I was in Wellington I had failed to sort anything until evening, so I spent the day wandering the streets. Window shopping mostly. In the late afternoon I bumped in to Bob and was politely sociable in the street for a little while before I ducke off to meet up with my cousin Anita as she got off work. It was good to catch up with her, I'm very bad at keeping up with any of the news from her chunk of the family.
Friday, I had lunch with Susan in the Beehive. I got multiple stickers of access to government buildings. Then it was off to the Embassy Theatre to watch Neil Gaiman talk about children's books with a very annoying interviewer and another children's writer who I'd not heard of before hand. Neil was awesome. And I had a seat right in the middle of the second to front row. Then after swapping the books I had had signed that afternoon for the Amanda Palmer book to get signed that night, I got dinner and headed to the Amanda Palmer concert. Having decided I'd leave Lent in the South Island (working on the whole it's-not-cheating-if-it's-on-a-different-land-mass rule), I drank more than I should have before th econcert actually got going. The warm up act, Hera, was awesome enough that I bought her album and she signed it to me. It is actually pretty good, so I'm glad I bought it. Then Amanda came on and was a bit better than last year (her voice sounded stronger, and she seemed a bit happier to be there (though her blog suggested otherwise afterward)). I got her book sign by both her and Neil.
Saturday, started slow as I'd been up late. Sat about Jo and Elizabeth's house in my PJs listening to National Radio - which had interviews with both Neil and Amanda. Fanboyish faux-stalking for the win.

Sunday, 28 February 2010

February 2010

Making a good start on wasting the second decade of this century.

13th February 2010.
Okay, more than two weeks behind. And my memory is of not good.
My crazy freak flatmate moved out on the 2nd, after trashing a bunch more of my stuff to the point I put a picture of his stupidly obviously intentional mess up on facebook. The guy was such a freaking nob. And I'm a little worried I may have come out of it a little racist. Maybe not racist, definitely surnamist. If I ever find myself in a position of judging between people when one of them is a Kumar, I'm going to back the non-Kumar. So far no good has come of any Kumar I've ever met, and this last one took the bad to a whole new level.
And I'm ranting like a Swede (thats a Sheep in the Big City reference, which I'm pointing out as I'm not sure anyone who wasn't me watched it).
I've not done all that much in recent weeks. Got back in to playing Civ IV - which is probably a very bad thing. Read Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan, which had a lot of nice ideas but was not so well written as I'd expect from someone who has garnered the sort of reviews he has.
After much harrassing about never meeting new people, I made a token effort to meet new people and met someone I have absolutely nothing to talk about with - which is always fun. On the evening of the 5th I went out drinking with Oli and apparantly made a scene (in the harmless and inoffensive loud happy drunk kind of way) though I don't recall it which is disturbing in itself as I'm pretty confident from piecing together who brought me drinks that I only had three beers and even with all the meds I'm on three berrs shouldn't hit me to the point I don't remember the night afterward. Though, to be fair, my memory is shite and I often just lose chunks of time with much less excuse. Which is why I should keep some better version of this, so I have a record incase I forget anything important. But it'll not happen as I'm lazy first and failed excuse of a human second.
This week I've lunched with Emily and Greer, swum with Midget, had dinner and done some shopping with my Dad, visited the far too young thing that Carla tried to set me up with but who I may actually possibly end up friends with and... actually, that could be all the noteworthy stuff that wasn't the book I've already mentioned or Civ IV. I failed to leave the house until about 7pm yesterday, and that was just to get chop suey (I wanted veges and none that I had in the house appealled).
I should have gone to the farmers market and then theives alley, but it's a bit wet and I feel a bit crap so I think I'll just lazed about most of the day. I should do something this evening though as I'm sort of planning on going teetotal for lent, which starts on Wednesday.

22nd February 2010 - S. Peter's Chair.
So, what has been happening since I last wrote. Mostly just Civ4, Civ4, some reading about Civ5, and some playing some more Civ4. Addicted, the way addicts are.
On Sunday the 14th I went to my mother's birthday dinner. Her current boyfriend (the one she lives with, not the one who pays the mortgage on her actual house) is such a retard. And then that evening was the city council chinese new years thing. Ther fireworks were pretty. My fortune cookie tells me "Trust him but keep your eyes open".
Then last monday, I had lunch with a playwright who is new in town and short on friends, it was being social but that was about it.
Tuesday, I had a much more pleasant lunch with Emily. Being Fat Tuesday I was dressed up and looking pretty spectacularly insane. So after lunch I did my course approval, and got a very bad ID photo taken. That evening I went to a BBQ at Oli and Bridget's. I drank and partook in dessert as preparation for a bunch of doing neither.
Wednesday, I don't recall what I did at all. I'm suspicious I may not have left the house. Wait, thats a lie. I went out in the evening, to a thing organised by people Carla inflicted on me at her wedding. It looks like I've been conscripted in to a LARP.
Thursday, I had lunch with Greer and then went on a mission to retrieve my backpack, having stupidly left it with LARP people at the wrong end of town. There was much walking.
Friday, i didn't get up and dressed until almost 4, and then headed in to the library booksale. It was too full of people and made me feel very not good. I headed up to Oli's work to hang out until he went to the sale. We watched some winter olympics with a bunch of his workmate in the tea room and then a bit after 7 we headed back to the booksale, finding Greer in the process. It was much less crowded by that point, but still led to ickness and my going and sitting outside to wait. Thus I bought no books. I ended up going home pretty soon after, feeling to ick to bother trying to act like a people.
Saturday, I spent the whole day in my unit, never so much as putting on actual clothes. Go the PJs.
Yesterday, I had plans to watch The Guild with one of the roleplayers from down the road (my attempts to be less of a shut in continue). It ended up being postponed from midday until after dinner, but was still entertaining. And got some of my leftover anzac biscuits eaten. A couple more guests and they should be all gone and not wasted by being left until easter unet.
Today, I gave myself a stupid haircut and didn't leave the house.
Seems my hubris about being able to do stuff has come back to bite me. My body may be less continually angry at me for everything I do, but it seems that just means it is saving it up to be properly pissy at me.

28th February 2010.
Only three entires in the month. I'm such a fucking slacker.
Tuesday I went to the doctor to renew prescriptions. He weighed me and pulled up the graph he keeps. Down 12 kilos since I came of amitrip. Just another 23 kilo and I'll be at my ideal BMI....
I went to teh tent village at uni afterward and brushed against something I turned out to be very allergic to. Very painful hives. No fun was had.
That night I went for dinner with my dad and brother and then to see Percy Jackson and the Lightning Theif. The movie was painfully bad. So many good actors, doing such shockingly poor work. What was Uma Thurman thinking? It made her Batman movie seem like an Oscar bait film. So bad.
Wednesday, I had a great lunch with Emily at which I ate far too much. In the evening I had the smallest amount of food I could justify just to stop my meds taking me out and then headed off to the LARP thing I've been signed up for. It wasn't as scary as I'd expected. Only acouple of people there fell into the "I don't want them anywhere near me" camp. Afterward I went to Carla's and ended up not getting home until 4am.
Thursday, I spent all day running the Free Tibet table at clubs and socs. I was sleep deprived and barely awake. It wasn't good. Got a lot of names on the list though - which is a win of sorts.
Friday, I was late for my prelim then, after surprise hanging out with Carla, I headed home for a nap before heading swimming in the evening.
Now I have to sleep.

Wednesday, 27 January 2010

January 2010

I've wasted the whole first decade of this century.

8th January 2010 - Mem. of Lucian, Presb. and his Compp.
On the evening of the 21st of December I signed a new flatmate. He seemed fine after all the questions I could think to ask. [EDIT: Actually, I lie. That happened a week earlier, so may have been mentioned in the entry above, I'm too lazy to check.]
On the 22nd I had lunch with Emily and then started my Christmas shopping on the way home. I still managed to get myself sorted for everyone I had to give presents too.
The 24th rocked around and after a morning with Midget, Rachel and my godspawn, I headed to Oli's when he finished work at lunch time. Christmas eve BBQ styles. It was a good night, even if I did have to go up the street and do presents with my family (after I'd refused to walk to there house for a first thing Christmas morning). I got lots of sock and undies, The Sims 3 (which I'd been expecting for my birthday) and even more unwearably ugly t-shirts than usual. My mother does just have bad taste, she has negative taste. T-shirts so bogany than even bogans would be too embarrassed to wear them.
Christmas day at my grandparents was mostly tolerable. Their new house is smaller and stuffier and it was a 32 degree day. So I was glad I'd gone barefoot and generally very warm weeather appropriate. I may have looked scruffy as, but I was the least sweaty and uncomfortable person there. My mother brought her latest boyfriend alone, it was the first time I'd spoken to him and quickly realised that my mother was seriously slumming it. The guy is stupid even by the standards of what she dates.
Boxing day my brother visited to nose at my new computer game, so I went and spent some gift voucherage while he was playing.
27th... Someone visited but I can't for the life of me remember who. Playing the numbers I shall have to assume it was Oliver, being he is the only person that visits all that often.
28th and my guest was Tavedale, who came around to drink tea and generally have an unexciting catch up chat. On the 30th I had plans I was 95% certain weren't a date, but had a tiny niggling worry I'd let my obliviousness win. Pizza while watching Troll 2 followed by heading to ZombieLand at the cinema. I ran with the not-date appraoch and it didn't explode in to awkward, so I'm assuming it was infact not a date. Good evening though.
New Years Eve, like Christmas Eve, was spent at Oli's. BBQ, drinking and watching someone set fire to his lawn (only in a minor way, it should recover fast enough). We headed in to the Octagon for fireworks, but were running a little late and ended up in a shite spot from which we could barely see anything. Afterward I got New Year's Eve kissed on the forehead (Greer's husband deciding to fake homo-coupleness for a few seconds - he has an odd sense of humour) and decided in the scheme of things that it was past midnight and I should be at home. So i left everyone to their night on the town and headed home to sleep.
New Years Day was a very warm. I walked myself up to a formal-ish dinner in Roslyn and the warm made the hill seem a lot larger than usual. Very good food. Meg had made Venison Wellington, and Catriona a summer fruits baked cheesecake.
On the evening of the 3rd my new flatmate moved in. By the following afternoon I was already sick of him. Not that he has done anything exactly wrong, he's just annoying in many tiny little ways. Though last night he did pop out a Residential Tenancy Agreement which he had filled out (including the parts that are specifically not allowed to be filled out by the tenant) with some significantly inaccurate information and demanded I sign it. I didn't, and am now relatively certain he shall be moving on sooner rather than later. After the last flatmate, it seems I've got little slack left for new ones pulling any sort of shit. otherwise the new year has been relatively quiet. I went for aroad trip with Oli, Bridget and Greer down the harbour on Monday night (it being the last holiday before the wage slaves headed back the next morning). I had Shiny crash on my couch on Monday, and a french couchsurfer called Emma on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. And last night Team Formica spent the last of its casino dining vouchers, thus I'll probably never eat at the casino again.
Just went to the pool and did my first exercise of the year. I timed it badly and got hailed on both ways. I'd forgotten how much hail can hurt.
Also, I realised I'd forgotten the most important thing that's happened of recent weeks. On Christmas Eve I received a Christmas present from the state, WINZ officially invalidated me. So I get about $30 more a week. And I got 12 weeks back dating on it. Had that happened before I'd signed a flatmate, I wouldn't have. I am pretty sure I can now afford to live alone without slowly slipping into the red, so long as I don't try to have a life - but I'm mostly too sick for having of a life anyway. So it all works out. I just have to wait until this irksome gimp moves on. Or I snap and serve him an eviction notice.

19th January 2010 - Wulfstan, Bp. Conf.
On the evening of the last entry, I piled in to Oli's car and headed to Taieri Mouth for the weekend. It was a gathering to celebrate Johann's birthday. Mostly the weekend was very good. Much time spent in a paddling pool heated by a fire. Much BBQ food eaten. Generally good times had. Though Johann got a bit too drunken and took a chunk of skin off my ankle for no noticable reason.
I got back on Sunday afternoon and was supposed to head to Rachel's birthday party but it didn't happen, I was too tired.
The week that followed heavily featured my getting angrier and angrier as my flatmate seemed dedicated to going out of his way to be difficult to live with. I hate people.
On Tuesday (after I'd had lunch with the Midget), Tim and Bonny picked me up for a BBQ and games evening at Oli's. It was an awesome night, though I came home to a flat that stunk of fish so bad I had to keep the sliding wall open and sit outside as much as possible until 2am so as to not throw up. I yelled about it, my flatmate failed to understand that he was anything but awesome.
Wednesday featured lunch with Emily and swimming in the evening - discovering you get a lot of cranky old aquajoggers on a Wenesday night and also creepy flasher sorts in the changing room. While it mostly is better to be a guy, it does come at the cost of being clumped together with the vast majority of creepy people in all situations gender segregated.
Thursday featured lunch with Greer. in the evening I caught up with my dad who was down for just the one day. So much driving, like the crazy he is. I was in bed before seven, as embarrassing as that is (though up again around midnight for a while - bodyclock brokeness in action).
Friday, I met up with Meg for lunch and swimming. I can't remember what I did after swimming at all, which is a bad look.
Saturday morning I went to the farmers' market. Then pottered about my house a few hours getting crankier at my flatmate - who had added non-stop nosiness to his annoying features - until it was time to head weddingward. I got to Woodhaugh and got a bot lost but eventually found the ceremony. I got there in time, and it was awesome. I was seriously underdressed (due to being too fat for my nice stuff), but apart from that it was all good. A beautiful ceremony in a little clearing by the river, with bubbles and only a couple of groups of cyclists going by. Then off to the beach for the reception at the Dunedin Rugby Club. I didn't know all that many people very well and there was an open bar. It was a bad combination. Carla tells me I was adorable, whereas the date she was trying to set me up with made it very clear that nothing would ever happen ever (preemptively, in the way that if I had had any self esteem would have killed it). Still, I had a good night. And came home with a purple d20.
Sunday, I made it on time to the BBQ lunch and then spent the rest of the day hanging out with the bride and groom and a few of their friends, carrying presents and the like. While it was awesome at the time, I've been paranoid ever since that I was overstepping my bounds and stayed longer than I was welcome.
Yesterday, I didn't do anything too noteworthy.
today I went swimming. Overdid the aquajogging due to feeling extra fat (based on the preemptive rejection thing - on actual numbers I'm about 10kg lighter than this time last year, only another 15-20 to go until I'll be back at pre-being-sick weight). So now I am quite sore, especially in the muscles about the shoulders. Am also suffering a slight attack of psychology - being suddenly interested in someone I hadn't been before mostly because of the definiteness of the rejection. I'm a retard.

21st January 2010 - Agnes, V. and Mart.
Well, yesterday was mostly uneventful. I had a very nice lunch with Emily and came home to a stinky flat so spent the rest of the day sitting in the sliding door, breathing as much outside air as was possibly without technically being outside.
This morning I got out of bed and as soon as I left my room the stink got to me and I realised I had to give him fair warning. So I explained that realistically the arrangement wasn't going to work and he should look for somewhere else to live. He took it in such a way that I got the feeling other people have given him the exact same speech before, and that he had known it was coming. It all seemed fine. Then this evening he pulled out a piece of paper saying he would be gone in two weeks and asked me to sign it - I stupidly did. Within minutes he started ranting abuse at me and then going out of his way to being an obnoxious as possible. Come ten o'clock when the building rules require quiet I asked he turned down his very loud, very shit music. At this point he got aggressive with the "you can't make me". Being intimidated in my own home is not fun, so I decided it was time I had a chat to the police. Anson kindly drove me down. The nice police officer lady did an amazingly good job of sounding like she was completely on my side and that she didn't think I was a crazy at all. Go her. I was pretty much thinking I was a crazy (or at least a little hysterical), but she was very professional. Basically this guy is being a psycho on a level that makes the career crim seem not so bad. I got home to find the kitchen had had various food messes heavily spashed about in ways that made it perfectly clear it was being done on purpose, and quite pointed messed up. Basically the guy is being a complete fucking cock.
I hate people so much.
I have to ring the tenancy people and/or CAB in the morning and find out how small of a window to move out I'm allowed to give before I serve a trespass notice. I'm also feeling there should be some public service warning system about people like that for me to tip off.
Just discovered he has also stuck toilet paper to the bathroom mirrors. What kind of person does that, really? It makes no sense.

27th January 2010 - Julian, Bp. and Conf.
Well, I'm still stuck with my flatmate for another week. I can't have the police remove him before next Thursday as the law stupidly requires people to have reasonable time to move. That said, no a single word has been exchanged between us in any medium since I went to the police on the night of the last entry. He is mostly sleeping all day and pottering around the house all night - not a recipe for finding alternate accommodation so things are likely going to end the difficult way rather than the easy one of him just being gone. My flat smells so bad I've been avoiding being home a lot and when I am here I either hide in my room or try to sit as much on my tiny joke of a veranda as is possible. The kitchen is such a mess that I've pretty much been living on takeaways, mostly Turkish as it seems pretty healthy as takeaways go.
Otherwise..., well, I went to Oli's work drinks on Friday and then up to the engagement party of a mutual friend. It was a very good night, though people kept buying me drinks and I ended up very warm. I called someone I've know for many, many years a paedophile because he is my age and dating someone sub-club rules aged. Surprisingly I didn't get hit for it. After the party, Greer, Oli, Bridget and I all headed to Greer's house and watched old music videos. I got home quite late to a flat reeking of shallow fried salmon.
Saturday night I was convinced in to going out and socialising with Reece, who I don't think I'd had actual real social plans with for about four years. It was an okay night, I guess. His crowd is not really my crowd and thus I found I had nothing to say to any of them much. But it got me away from my stinky flat, which is victory enough.
I just sent my flatmate an email, reminding him that he's paid rent only until this Saturday and if he is still here after that it means he'll owe me more rent. Hopefully he'll get it today before hew comes home.
Mostly this week has been pretty quiet. Sunday I spent in PJs and didn't do anything much except read. Monday I returned a bunch of library books (criticism and stuff no-one reading this would be out to read) I had out from the uni library and then went and saw the Community Law Centre - who were very good.
Yesterday, I finished reading a book Oli had lent me (Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman) and returned it to the library on my way home from the pool. Very entertaining book and fun to read, if not necessarily all that good.
Bugger, flatmate got home much earlier than usual. Thus too early to have read the email. Moving probable unpleasantness caused to tomorrow. While I like my stuff and would rather nothing happened to it, if he does do something stupid it would make things much, much easier.
Today I had lunch with Emily at the Staff Club. Then while pottering around the library bumped in to a couple of people I know, one of whom I had quite the crush on for a while last year and still managed to come over flustered and retarded. I need to start aiming lower. Fawning over the unobtainable is always a little embarrassing.
Then to town where I bumped in to Greer and Dan and hang out for a little while before pottering home and spending the afternoon stuffing about and very slowly writing this.
I'm off to read some more of The Hobbit, having realised I've not read it since I was a kid.