Not-so-mad March

Well, the first bit or so of this month was a bit mad...I'm not gonna go into what it was, but me and my brother were quite worried about something, and not surprisingly, it was money related - we got it cleared up though.
Jobsearch-wise, same old, different month. Nothing on the horizon, and I don't hold much hope of that ever changing, to be honest.
Still thinking about going back over to America - it is always there, always on my mind, and I'm not gonna stop thinking about it until I get back there. Whether it's next year or 2014 is another matter.
Had an unexpected heatwave this past week, a rarity over here, so I took the opportunity to go exploring, taking walks up a walking trail near where I live called the Deerness Valley Way - I'd been up there many times before, but only so far along it - and I decided to explore further along it, which turned out to be very worthwhile indeed, as I came across a side trail that led down to a very secluded forest. In there I also came across some sort of hand-made bench, it was like I came across some secret hideout or something. I have to admit, I felt like a kid again doing that.
I also walked further along the main trail to the village of Waterhouses - really quiet place surrounded by a beautiful view, and a nice getaway from all the bustle of the town. I'll definitely be going back there again sometime, and there's still more of the trail to explore too.


Here's some pics I took out on my travels:

Now for the obligatory artwork bit - and it seems I've gotten a little spaced out:

Touch wood, April will be a month without any major hiccups - and it's also another month closer to May, which is going to be canny good.

Then and now

It's funny how things just have a way of reminding you of past memories.
Today, I came across a video of Muse playing "Plug In Baby" on Top of the Pops, exactly 11 years ago today. Not only was that the first song I ever bought, but that was also when I started taping episodes of TOTP to watch again, I built up quite a collection of them too - that's besides the point though.
It got me thinking back to what I was doing back then, back in March 2001 - at the time I was in my fourth year of secondary school, and on work experience at two banks in Bishop Auckland. Round about that time was also when I'd started to get into rock music, and was starting to slowly get away from all the pop/dance stuff I'd been listening to up until then.
It really is weird, looking back - I don't think I ever gave a thought to what I'd be doing 11 years from that point. I certainly never thought I'd get my own place, get to know the people that I've gotten to know, get pretty good at artwork or visit America 3 times before the age of 30, that's for sure. I also never thought that I'd start to realise that a lot of stuff in life isn't as clear-cut as it seems, though pretty much the whole of secondary school was the whole "coming of age" deal that everyone goes through.
That's life though. Stuff has a way of happening that's never the same for any one person.

February stars

Well, I'm glad to say that February on the whole was a lot better than January - those rent issues myself and Chris were having, they're more or less sorted now, it's just a matter of continuing to pay our way each week till those arrears are cleared (they're definitely not over £1000 now).
Also good is that the weather seems to be getting milder. It started off very bitter cold at the start of the month, and aye, we did get snow, but thankfully it didn't last as long as what the papers reckoned, in their usual sensationalised way.
Look at the previous blog entry for my thoughts of Valentine's/Slush Day - 'nuff said about that.
Only trip out anywhere I had this month was a look through to Darlington, Chris tagged along too, and he promptly went on a retro game spree, including picking up a copy of a classic Master System game "Action Fighter" for not very much. Meantime I discovered a nifty little art shop.
I've also started to transfer some of my vast collection of VHS tapes into DVD, using my grandma's DVD/VHS combo player. Those tapes are piled up in my bedroom cupboard, they have mostly episodes of Top of the Pops/TOTP 2 on them, as well as a few cartoons, and they really need to go. However, I also want to upload some of these to Youtube if I can, but Windows Movie Maker isn't playing ball, it refuses to save the files after I've edited them. TECHNOLOGY!!!


Last but not least, a little bit of artwork:

Came up with this little monster character last year, and I recently drew him again for a contest on deviantART. He's got no name, but I'd like to draw him more.


Anyway, peace out, and all the best for March.

Valentine's Day

I'm sure most people will be aware that today is Valentine's Day - that day where everybody gets loved up, a boy or girl may pluck up the feelings to declare their true feelings for their crush, where some couples may tie the knot,or where some couples may remind themselves how much they mean to each other, with a gift or a night out, etc.
To me, it's just an annoyance. I won't be the first or the last to say this, but this day has never been kind to me, and in recent years I've come to the realisation that the true meaning of Valentine's Day is not declaring your love for someone, it's just a day for all the card shops, supermarkets, wedding planners and the like to have a bonanza, to fill their pockets with cash that will come from all the useless tat that will inevitably be bought by anyone who's blinded by the "occasion".
It doesn't take one day to celebrate your love for someone special...that's something that should be done all year round. It's like that famous saying, "a dog is for life, not just for Christmas" - the same applies to romance.
However, I do have some heart...while I'm not a fan of people spending ridiculous amounts on throwaway romantic gestures just for the sake of one day, I do like to make a bit of artwork for the day every year - because it's free and it's fun. So here it is, and this is as slushy as I'm prepared to get.

To those of you who are loved up: have a good Valentine's.
For the rest: have a good, normal day.

January: birthdays and blues

Well, quite a way to start up this blog, it has to be said. Been following a few people on here, so I thought it was about time to have a go at this myself - plus it's a new year, so what better time to start, I guess.


Anyway...this has been a month of two halves: one good, one bad. I'll get the bad stuff out of the way first. 
About halfway through this month, me and my brother Chris got a letter from the local housing association saying that we owed over £1000 in rent arrears. I'm not gonna go into the details as to why that came to be, but we both knew that figure was wrong. So after a lot of phone calls and lots of confusion (not to mention much stress), we finally got sat down, today, with our housing officer and a woman from the Citizens Advice Bureau (who's been helping us for the last few months, and doing a great job at it), and finally were able to get the rent arrears down to the level that they should be. It'll still take time to pay it all off, but at least it will get paid off now.
It's honestly a weight off my mind and a weight off Chris' mind. We've been in our own place since last May, and the last thing we want to be is in dire financial straits because of errors and miscommunication.


And now for the good stuff.


Both me and Chris turned 26 on the 7th, and we celebrated by doing what we've done since our 20th birthday - take to the bowling alley against each other. We spent the day at the Metrocentre in Gateshead along with Chris' girlfriend Jodie, had a look around the shops, had a meal, and of course the aforementioned bowling match. This should tell you how it went:

I schooled them both, pretty much...but I'm just glad we got to play it. We don't get to go bowling very often, but it's always a blast when we do.
As for birthday presents, I got a card and some money from my mam, a new pair of trainers and a clothes airer (we needed one) from my grandma, a personalised mug from Jodie, the films Cars 2 and The Incredibles from Chris (I bought him the Foo Fighters album "Skin & Bones), and a couple of gifts from across the pond: oil pastels and watercolours from Nicole, and a plush of Fella, the deviantART mascot, from Shane. As well as those, I also had many giftarts from my friends on deviantART. I also bought myself a new jacket, and the album "Crisis" by Alexisonfire (good solid Canadian post-hardcore). 
Like Christmas, I don't ask for any presents, but I end up getting them anyway. I do appreciate them though, so thanks to everyone.


I hope February will be a lot less bi-polar than this past month was...too much worrying, not enough living.


A feature that I'll have on these blogs will be a bit of artwork I've made...so I'll leave you with this bit of fanart of a beautifully illustrated book I picked up a couple of years back.
And on the subject of my artwork, I hope to cover that in a future blog...so watch this space.

"The Winged Tiger & the Dragons of Hawaii" © Jon J. Murakami & Phil Yeh