too much (or not enough)

I'm having one of those days where I suddenly realise that my workload cannot be fitted into the time that I have available and I have to start deciding what to offset until tomorrow. I'm not sure how this happens, but I imagine getting distracted by cardistry videos at several times during the course of last week probably had something to with it. The time of year is a contributing factor too, of course, as we sprint inexorably towards Easter, and we have to have the sites ready for the joys of maximum capacity, so the list of daily tasks is automatically and understandably longer than before, but still... I feel like I may have made a bit of a boo-boo vis-a-vis time management and am now reaping the consequences with increased stress.
I'm sure it'll all get done though; especially if I stop distracting myself with blog writing and get on with the bloody things I'm supposed to be getting on with.

Before I get to that though, I must just share my praise and appreciation for a band called 'Wunderhorse'. I don't know much about them, other than the fact that I am very much enjoying repeat listening of their debut album "Cub". They were recommended to me by a member of staff, who heard me playing the album "Heartbreaker" by Ryan Adams in my office and said that it reminded him a bit of Wunderhorse. So I gave them a listen, and he's right. A couple of the tracks are very reminiscent of Mr Adams in the early 21st century. There are also songs that have a hint of certain 80s numbers by The Cure and Depeche Mode, while also sounding very modern and fresh. Standout tracks for me would be 'Leader of the Pack', 'Teal' and 'Morphine' but each of the others are also with their own merits.
And now I am going to give their second album 'Midas' a listen.
(And get on with some work, obviously...)

RC 31-3-25

Clock Change Eve!!!

I'm so excited about the fact that we lose an hour's sleep tomorrow night!
SO excited.
I know it's more of a psychological effect than anything, but I don't care. It's one of my keystone, benchmark, most-highly-anticipated days of the year, as I'm sure I would have told you before. I don't like drifting through life with everything feeling the same, and having these little moments to look forward to annually breaks it all up for me and keeps life feeling fresh and exciting.
I think we're going to have a barbecue to celebrate. We're also going to have a family morning on a local beach on Sunday, paddling, playing on the sand, and running around in the dunes. And there'll be no rush to get home, either, because it will be late until NEARLY EIGHT O'CLOCK! Gosh, I am dizzy with excitement.
Pathetic, maybe, at my age, but I don't care. I am feeling like Rory again after an at-times-troubling Winter, and I am going to milk every second of loveliness that this weekend, and the coming months, are offering.

RC 28-3-25

thought for the day

What Stan Laurel could do with a boiled egg was funnier than what most comedians can do with their entire career.

RC 27-3-25

POSITIVES!!!

We are in meteorological, and astronomical, Spring.
Three more sleeps until we switch to BST!
I am starting to notice buds coming out on trees and hedges.
There are some beautiful Spring flowers out.
I am healthy.
I am sleeping well.
My relationship with Philippa is on a great, even standing.
It's not too long until we visit Ireland.
We live in a beautiful part of the country.
I have a job that, for the most part, I enjoy.
And I believe I am good at that job (again - for the most part.)
My work colleagues seem to like and respect me.
I have a nice car that is reliable and comfortable.
I enjoy food, and can afford to eat everyday.
Both my sons are in good shape.
I have two sisters, and close relationships with both of them.
I have this blog, in which I can vent, or share my lows, or work out how I'm feeling about things, or formulate my thoughts, or use as a therapy platform, or put silly poems on, or share my creativity in other ways, or use to simply give me something to get up for.
And I have kept that going since 2008! I really must give myself credit for that longevity more often...

RC 26-3-25

Old friends, new ends

Just for the sake of it, I've decided to return to an old challenge and make today's blog posting exactly 250 words...
What might be interesting to do one day, I think, is a posting that achieves several of my old challenges in one hit - so it could be a poem that has a two-word alliterative title, be exactly 250 words in length, contain a haiku, tell a complete story, moan about the weather, be self-deprecating and be based on Initialoetry. (And if none of those things make sense to you, I urge you to plough back through the history of this site and investigate for yourself).
Now I've opened that train of thought, it might be quite nice to revisit some old favourites. Have a week of haiku, a week of Initialoetry, a week where the first letter of each blog spells out a word, etc. Why do these things and only do them occasionally? Might be nice to have recurring themes that I return to and use as a base for my scribblings, rather than just putting fingers to keyboard and waffling on.
In other news, Mathew has stunned us by revealing that he has his first girlfriend. I'm partly amused, partly horrified, partly proud, and partly tempted to storm into the primary school and ask what kind of loose morals they are instilling in our children. It's very sweet, I guess, but also a foreshadowing of some of the worries we will face in about ten years' time when his hormones are raging and he's discovered alcohol and Tindr. Best not to think about that right now, I guess.
Shit, now I've gone over 250...

RC 21-3-25

One off the list

Yesterday, amongst everything else, I wrote "I want to discover a new, exciting band or musician."
That, dear reader, has well and truly been achieved. I now have Ludovico Einaudi playing constantly in the background in my office, and I have fallen in love with his latest release 'The Summer Portraits'.
Beautiful is the only word to describe it. A classic, classy, classical music album with modern hints and stunning melodies. (So, yeah, 'beautiful' wasn't the only word to describe it.) (But if you pushed me for a one-word review, it would still be 'beautiful'.)

RC 20-3-25

Things I Want To Soon Do

I want to write more poems.
I want to spend more time on the beach.
I want to do more reading with my son Mathew.
I want to get Rian into swimming more often.
I want to cook more.
I want to get back into cycling.
I want to practice my cardistry skills and improve.
I want to see more live music.
I want to go back to the Natural History Museum.
I want to rewatch my favourite films.
I want to camp in the woods.
I want to try my hand at drawing.
I want to learn a language.
I want to discover a new, exciting band or musician.
I want to be an even better partner for my wife.

And I've just realised that 'I want...' makes me sound like a rich kid demanding the world meet his needs, or a petulant child who hasn't yet realised the value of simple pleasures, so I'd like you to re-read this blog and substitute the words 'I want...' for the words 'I very much intend to...'

RC 19-3-25

Hungover (but not drinkswise)

I feel really crap today. I think it's a combination of hay fever, lack of sleep and depression. Hay fever, because it's mid-March and the tree pollen is roaring around like an invading Roman force; lack of sleep, because our dear little Rian seems to be stuck in a period of middle-of-the-night unsettlement; and depression, because it's too cold to be Spring, and because I reached the end of 'Arcane'.
And yet... to allow myself to contradict myself...
Tree pollen can be counteracted by cetirize hydrocholoride, and is also a sign that we are heading into better weather; Rian is improving, and it's amazing that I get to cuddle him every night and help him through his distress; and it turns out that there is an 'Arcane' season two, so I have another 9 episodes to indulge in whenever I see fit!
So I shall drink another hot drink to soothe my sore throat, I shall make my colleagues a drink too so I am being a decent workmate, I shall get on with my tasks without distracting myself with cardistry, I shall stop feeling sorry for myself and look forward to an evening at home, and I shall see what is good in the world around me instead of thinking about my physical discomforts.

RC 18-3-25

ARCANE - an appreciation

I watched the last three episodes of season one of 'Arcane - League of Legends' last night, and I don't know how, but the bloody thing got even better after my report about it 4 episodes in. It really is hard to put into words just how brilliant I think that show is. It is art, in its grandest form. And I mean that, too. It's not just well-written, and well-animated, and well-paced, etc, it is a combination of incredible factors that add together to create something that isn't far away from perfection. I remember reading a quote from a physicist (I think it may have been Lev Landau) who described Einstein's General Theory of Relativity as 'the most beautiful of theories.' He made the point that it wasn't just a well-thought out and well-written theory, it was a masterpiece, akin to Mozart's Requiem or Shakespeare's best sonnet. And I confess, dear reader, that this is how I am feeling about 'Arcane'. It is a masterpiece. A work of genius. A piece of art that deserves to be held up alongside the greatest achievements in human creativity and a standard-bearer for the levels that all writers and directors should strive to achieve. Even though none of them can.
I could go on about it for hours, but probably wouldn't make sense, and I don't want this blog post to descend into a simpering, self-indulgent, overwrought display of fandom that risks placing me alongside those unfortunate souls who still debate which episode of Star Trek is best 50 years after the show ended.
So I shall leave it here.
But - if you have NOT watched the show, treat yourself to it. And if you had ANYTHING to do with its creation or production, I give you a warm, hearty virtual handshake and I thank and congratulate you with every atom in my body.

RC 17-3-25
1705 GMT

Happy...

Another St. Patrick's Day is upon us.
To my Irish friends - may you have a splendid day today, however you choose to spend it.
To my non-Irish friends who may be thinking of jumping on the emerald bandwagon and using another country's joy of life as an excuse to try and bring a bit of light into your own miserable existences - grow up.
And to everyone else - my apologies for starting the week with a moany line or two, and let us journey through another Monday together without argument or upset.

RC 17-3-25

Temporal is temporary

That bloody thing that happens every year is already happening - time is speeding up now we're into the more enjoyable months of the year. We're already halfway through March and screaming headlong toward Easter. On days like this I really do feel like I'm 9 months away from retirement.

RC 16-3-25

Big Bag of Crap

After sharing my joy about 'League of Legends' yesterday, I unfortunately exposed myself to the dark side of television's turdfest; the yang to Arcane's yin.
'Chess Masters' caught my eye because I am a fan of chess, and I foolishly thought that the BBC might be lifting their sights towards the highbrow again and producing an intelligent, thoughtful, educational series about the game and its multitude of players.
No.
What they've done is jump on a game that they know is hugely popular these days, taken that as a theme, and then come up with something that is simply an amalgamation of their most popular shows over the past ten years. I'm not kidding. If you were to program AI with the back catalogue of Strictly Come Dancing, Pointless, Dragon's Den, Who Do You Think You Are, The Repair Shop, The Apprentice and The Voice; and then tell it to take elements from each of them and mash them into a format, this is what it would come up with.
Bleurgh.

RC 13-3-25

Televisual Treat

I'm not a huge fan of television, as you know. I think the output on domestic channels has just become a turgid mix of rehashed crap from the 90s, the same old tired dregs they've churned out for the past two decades, and society-destroying reality bollocks. My only real TV time is spent with my children; mostly showing them quality old cartoons like The Flintstones, Dogtanian, and Road Runner.
So it's always a surprise to me when something is made for viewers that is actually worth watching, and I always want to celebrate it by acknowledging it here and recommending it.
So...
Two weeks ago - and this really won't sound like something I would do - I was having a bit of a rant at work about the way that nothing new or exciting has hit our screens in half my lifetime, and how people's expectations have dropped so low that anything even remotely original gets treated like it's the small screen equivalent of Citizen Kane. I also mentioned how sparse decent films on streaming services are now - particularly throwing a few verbal punches at Netflix, who seem to produce tonnes of content without having any quality control or any care about what the finished work might be like. They just get it done, and get it out there.
Some people reacted like I was a madman; some tried to convince me I was wrong by peddling the usual crap that other people have posted on social sites; but one guy - name of Rob (who I don't think has come up in my blog sharings before) - just said, "Have you tried 'Arcane - League of Legends'? Netflix made it a few years ago and I think you might find it interesting".
Now, the fact that he was so calm when he said it, and didn't try to tell me I was wrong, and didn't try to force his own viewing views on me, really intrigued me, so I looked it up. And it didn't grab my interest at all. An animated show based on a video game I wasn't even aware of? No thank you. But Rob's quiet enthusiasm had rubbed off on me a little, so I gave it a go on Sunday after putting the boys to bed, and oh my God, am I glad I did it.
From the very start - an opening minute of silent backstory that it utterly beautiful - it is an example of just what can happen when very talented people work together to make something the best that it can be. The look of the whole thing is absolutely stunning, the cinematography is breathtaking (sidenote - is it still called 'cinematography' when it's happening in a digital world?), every character is a well-crafted individual, the script is superb, the lighting is gorgeous, the voice acting is stellar. I mean, I could go on and on, but let me sum it up like this - there hasn't been one wasted second in the four episodes I've watched so far. Every single scene seems to have been perfectly put together. The choice of shots, the angles, the POVs, the pacing, the dialogue. All of it ceaselessly wonderful.
I know I can get carried away sometimes, but I genuinely think it might be the best thing anyone's made in the past ten years, and it is single-handedly restoring my faith in television.

RC 12-3-25

A NEW CHALLENGE (?)

I've found a website article that lists 10 different rhyme schemes used in poetry. I have decided I shall write a version of each one. So that's 10 poems, all written in a different way. And I shall post them on 10 consecutive days. And I shall name each scheme and explain it, before I give you my example.
And if that isn't typical Rory behaviour, I don't know what is... I barely have the cards out of the box on my most recent obsession - cardistry - and I'm already planning what I'll be giving all my time to next....

RC 11.3.25

Anniversaries

Yesterday was designated as 'a day of reflection' as we reached the 5th anniversary of the pandemic. You will get the hint of how involved I was in all that when I tell you that I didn't even realise it was happening until 4pm TODAY when someone mentioned it in the office.
Why did they pick 9th March anyway? First reported UK case? First death? First announcement about restrictions? Just an arbitrary date they decided upon cos it was a Sunday and people had less to do anyway?
I really have no idea and I'm not ashamed or embarrassed to have missed it.
I wouldn't want to look back on it, anyway. I think we're still stuck in the aftermath of it, no matter how much we try to pretend it's all in the past, so we should be coping with what we're coping with, not casting a rueful glance 'back' as if it was a distant memory.
I will say one thing about that good old pesky virus thing, though - I do think some of my best blog posts happened in those Spring days of 2020.

On a more personally important note, today it is exactly 17 years since I first posted something in the blogsphere. Monday 10th March 2008. It was entitled 'Opening Gambit' and it is still there in all its glory, if you'd wish to go back and see where it all started.

17 years ago today.
That really is quite overwhelming.

RC 10-3-25

Life is a Circus (a poem)

The annoying thing about writing a poem in your notebook while sitting on the beach in your lunch break is that you then have to type it up when you get back to the office....

Life is a circus.
It has clowns that you can laugh at.
Things that will scare you.
Things that you cannot bear to watch.
Some people walk the high-wire.
Others dangle precariously.
Others still kneel at the bottom, supporting the weight of countless others above them.
Some animals get mistreated.
Some animals have the time of their lives.
People watch, and laugh.
And expect to be made to feel better.
It's colourful, and expensive, and exciting, and awful.
Life is a circus.
Enjoy it.

RC 8-3-25

Exciting times

I am really enjoying early mornings this week. It feels like we're having the proper conditions for the time of year - frosty starts leading to bright days with still, cool air - rather than some dreary, dull, wet crap as a result of changing climate. March (as has been mentioned in this blog ad nauseam) has always been my favourite month, and that was mainly based on it being such a month of change. I may be misremembering, but I remember years in my youth when it was consistent year on year - starting as late Winter, ending as early Spring, with lots of sunshine, some occasional rain to freshen things up, and a real sense of optimism and progress. As the days passed, you could feel the gradual onset of Spring. Maybe that was just romantic nostalgia, but this week has felt like that. I can sense the days lengthening, I can feel the temperature slowly creeping upwards and I swear I am noticing the almost imperceptible alterations to the hedgerows.

RC 6-3-25

A Treat or A Threat?

We are rapidly approaching the anniversary date of The Chesworth Chronicles. 10th March was the day when I first posted something from this weird and wearisome life of mine. I've never really marked the occasion, or even noticed it, in the past, but I feel like I might do something to acknowledge it this year. Maybe the first BBQ of the year, if the weather plays along? Or a day out with the little ones?
It's also brought up the old 'should I even bother going on with it' dilemma that I sometimes face. My thinking at the moment is that maybe the 20th anniversary - on 10th March 2028 - will be the ideal date to bring this whole blogsite thing to a close. Mind you, the temptation to take it up to the point where I will have been sharing my life with you for HALF MY LIFE is also strong. By my reckoning, that point will be reached around the middle of 2032, which feels like a Hell of a long way away at the moment. I'm not sure I want to commit to another 7 years of this drivel, but then, there hasn't ever really been a time when I'm felt committed to it, and I'm still doing it nearly two decades after it started, so who knows? Obviously there's something in me that enjoys, or even needs, this, so maybe you'll be stuck with it indefinitely...

RC 5-3-25

little musings

I thought I would give you an update on the 'Going Away For Gavin' proposal. I'm not doing it; going away I mean. The temptation was only financial, and after the joys of half-term week I just don't want to be away from the family, and that's all there is to it.

My tooth seems to have settled down after switching back to sensitive toothpaste.

I thought my blog challenge for March could be to post only on odd dates, but then that felt a little lazy after I posted EVERY DAY in March last year. It also felt a little restrictive, and I don't like to limit myself when things might pop up that I really feel the need to share with you.

Philippa is going to start playing badminton again, which I am equally pleased and disappointed about. Pleased because her fitness has always been important to her, and I think it's good for her to have something fun to do away from work and family, and because I have always thought she looks amazing in her little outfit (sorry, feminists - I still find my wife stunningly attractive and sexually alluring). Plus, she always benefits mentally from a good game. But disappointed too because it means not seeing her for a couple of hours once or twice a week, and because there'll probably be a social aspect to it too, with meals out occasionally and all that 'forced friendliness' rubbish that I am just not very good at.

Cardistry is going well, but is not an easy thing to pick up. I think I need to have a long run of days where it's all I'm doing, because just trying it for half-an-hour here and there isn't really enough of a commitment to get better at the rate that will keep me enthusiastic. Maybe I'll book a week off work, lock myself away in a Premier Inn, and just go for it. I'm sure Philippa will understand...

RC 4-3-25

Gratitude attitude

Everywhere I look today, I am seeing things to be thankful for. My insomnia is being kind to me at the moment, and both boys slept really well, so I woke up this morning after a decent night. Then I looked beside me and saw the radiant beauty of my wife, who continues to get better looking with each passing day. Then I sorted breakfast for everyone, without making a mess, which is not the way these things always work out on a Monday morning, believe me. The sun was beating through the windows signalling another beautiful bright start to the day and my weather forecasting app tells me this is the way it will be all week. My hot shower felt particularly invigorating and I reminded myself that this is a luxury that is not afforded to many people around the world and I get to enjoy it every day, if I so choose. The drive into work was quiet and pleasant, and there was a real feel of Spring getting ready to explode on the trees and hedges. I walked from the car park to the office with the sound of birdsong, and that gorgeous sensation of seeing sunshine glistening on frosty grass. The people I have spoken to so far have all been possessing of a breezy disposition, as happens when we have all had the sun on us for a few days in a row. I have tasty coffee at my disposal, a job to do that I enjoy and that is not too over-taxing at this time of year, I am paid well for what I do, and I have my amazing family to return to when I finish at 6pm.
Life. Is. Good.

RC 3-3-25

thought for the day (for the start of the month)

The problem with chasing rainbows is that, in order to see them in the first place, you have to be standing in the rain.

RC 1-3-25