Recent Slackness

OK I haven't really been a total writing slacker - just a Blogger slacker!

I've been keeping a Wedding journal - detailing our processes, but not just for me, but also as a written record for others in the future to read - that's how it's been written & therefore keeping my brain on paper. I've chaptered it & will (somehow) integrate the big to-do list when I can next get my hands on it!

Also coming up this weekend is my good friends' (Mark & Han V) daughter's first birthday - awwwww! Reflecting on this briefly - it's bizarre to spend some much time with such a tiny person - seeing her grow up. It's the first time I've spend so much time with a newborn (I seem to be seeing the whole family really regularly - thanks guys!) & this has definitely woke up my internal desire for parenthood - scary stuff!

We contine...

Try harder!

Splinter Cell: Conviction

I'm definitely a fan of the Splinter Cell series - which has been in direct competition with other stealth-approach games/series e.g. Metal Gear Solid, Hitman, etc. & loved the last game (Splinter Cell: Double Agent) so my expectations are reasonably high for this next game.

The press & previews that I saw for this game were good enough to make me buy the game on the release date (literally as soon as they put it on the shelves!) & I'm having my first run-through this weekend.

Review to follow

Wedding Prep Pt 2

Another day & another Wedding update...

So we've made some progress - we've got someone to help us plan our wedding, who has then helped create an epic 'to-do' list (seriously there's like 100 things to do!). however, thankfully I/we have been able to knock 1 or 2 things off the list!

We're getting close to setting the date (definitely 2012, & most likely early June, just after the half-term) and have pretty much decided on the venue (St John's Church in Woking). Madds is also having 'fun' tring to work out bridesmaids and a reception location (to be fair - she knows the area much, much better than I do!).

I've picked my Best Man easily enough and then narrowed down 3-4 ushers and setup a wedding fund account (scratch 3 things off the list). I've also started looking at honeymoons and begun the process of looking at what I'm going to wear. I think some serious planning will be necessary for the outfit(s) to match up with bridal/family expectations, as well as budget, design, colours etc.The honeymoon is slightly easier - I know what I want & roughly where in the world, now comes the saving-up part!

It's definitely a start, but we have  along way to go yet.

We continue...

Get on with it!

As an inspiration to blog more:

again from http://monoclepopsoff.com/  & http://palahniukandchocolate.tumblr.com/

Wedding Prep Pt 1 of..proably many!

OK, so the first few hurdles have been dealt with - I've bought a ring, I've asker her Father and now I have asked the woman I love to marry me - yay for me!

So now what?

Well now we have to set a date, start the planning process then make a lot of choices - where to have the wedding & reception, who do we invite, who are to the bridesmaids/groomsmen, what about the honeymoon, what are we going to wear, etc.

It's defnintely going to be a challenge to solve the big old puzzle that will hopefully also turn out to be one of the great joys of my life.

I'm already starting to make some single friends yawn when broaching the subject - I think this will continue, but what can I say - I'm interested in planning and making this day a very special one for me and my soon-to-be-wife!

So expect lots of updates on this, as we're initially looking for a June 2012 date - so plenty of time (although apparently not!)

We continue...

Llama's - always funy

via http://monoclepopsoff.com/

Procrastinating about procrastination

So below is a list of 12 things that I tend to end up doing rather than doing anything productive/work-related

1. Writing silly articles for this blog! 
2. Reading other blogs from my blogroll: Youthblog mostly
3. Reading BBC Entertainment pages & sometimes BBC Sport
4. Browsing The Cheezeburger Network: so much lol, so little time! Particular favourites: Failblog, Very Demotivational, There I Fixed It, Bob's Gaming Warehouse, Failbook, M thru F & Epic Win FTW.
5. Online social networking: Twitter & Facebook
6. Checking for updates & releases on X-Box Live & seeing about CoD6 MW2
7. Never-ending Movie Quiz (I own)& Bejewelled Blitz on Facebook
8. Fast & difficult quizes on Sporcle
9. 'Researching on Wiki & IMDB
10. Using Google Talk
11. Procrastinate by using google searches (I think I want to find geeky toys/release date for this game)
12. Create a map of friends & places using Google Earth

6 actually quite productive things I should probably be doing online....when I’m trying to avoid real work (lol):

1. Writing useful articles & getting my brain on paper...on this blog
2.  Researching about VLE's (see Project Work tab)
3. Researching & learning about Dreamweaver
4. Planning for my wedding (this will get more & more over the coming weeks & months I feel)
5. Learning about new technology/developments on BBC Tech
6. Learn new skills or applications

From an original idea from this Blog article

Random Monday rofl

Hilarious...



Original (yawn hence link only!)

A pressing engagement

Now this is not a post I thought I would have to write, however very exciting news blogfans - I'm engaged to be married to Miss Madeleine King!

So (in a very romanticalist way) we went for a picnic in Florence Park (Oxford - very close to where I grew up - near Iffley) complete with picnic basket fully loaded with picnic supplies (very similar to our first picnic), rug & a sneaky bottle of Laurent Perrier Brut Millesime 1999 champagne. I brought my rucksack which had the ring inside, as well as my sound dock for some outdoor choons.

It was a very happy occasion & I'm happy to formally announce (well to my blogfans) my engagement. We're both very happy & then comes the plan for the wedding, but not just yet - we will look to the future with glad hearts!

We continue...

Today

Ahhh April Fool's day - the celebration of silly things & also strangly the first day for paying rent - strange but true. To celebrate this strange day, take a look at some of the best april fools gags around. My personal favouties are the 'left-handed Whopper', 'Drink-driving whilst on the internet', 'Internet spring cleaning' & 'Flying Penguins'.

However the classic 'Rickroll' seesm to be missing. This was an internet meme where almost every seemingly useful link on the internet (including all the main videos on the front page of Youtube) was redirected to a video of Rick Astley's epic (i.e. fail) 'Never Gonna Give You Up'. This happened in 2008 where it was everywhere!

We'll see what today brings, but comedy always happens...rofl!

We continue....