The Old Year and the New

So, the year in review… No.

OK, there were nice bits: it was a Redemption year, Becky’s wedding, HMS Trincomalee, Sherlock Holmes, some wandering down south in good weather (including the Rollrights, Avebury, Stonehenge and Farnborough’s RAE museum, Nine Worlds, Halloween in Birmingham… Work-wise, it was the best year for some time. Lots of writing done and lovely new books, and made some home improvements.

On the downside, well, if you follow this blog then you already know the downsides. Deaths, loss, illness, etc.

So, no stupid end of year roundup memes for this blog. Not this year. Instead, as I did in place of a Redemption con report, you can have a track list. Find them and see if you can assemble the soundtrack to my year.
It sounds like a pretty good movie, actually, that I’d pay good money to see.

1. Energy Weapon Fails (Ron Jones, STTNG: The Best Of Both Worlds)
2. Enter Lord Vader (John Williams, Revenge Of The Sith)
3. Angel Main Theme (Darling Violetta, Angel)
4. Across The Stars (John Williams, Attack Of The Clones)
5. The Mad Man With A Box (Murray Gold, Dr Who)
6. Mhysa (Ramin Djawadi, Game Of Thrones Season 3)
7. Standing (Tony Head, Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Once More With
Feeling)
8. The Rains Of Castomere Extended (The Hold Steady, Game Of Thrones, fan edit on Youtube comprising the song from season 2, and A Lannister Pays His Debts from season 3)
9. Blackbeard (Hans Zimmer, Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides)
10. The Mouse Police Never Sleeps (Jethro Tull)
11. The End of All Things (Howard Shore: Lord Of The Rings: Return of the King)
12. Discombobulate (Hans Zimmer, Sherlock Holmes)
13. London Calling (The Clash)
14. I Love It When A Plan Comes Together (Alan Silvestri, The A Team)
15. Wander My Friends (Bear McReary, BSG season 2)
16. For The Realm (Ramin Djawadi, Game Of Thrones season 3)
17. Mission Impossible Live In Israel (Lalo Schifrin, The Best Of Mission Impossible)
18. Where Do We Go From Here (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Once More With Feeling)
19. Anakin’s Dark Deeds (John Williams, Revenge Of The Sith)
20. Breadcrumbs (Thomas Newman, Skyfall)
21. The Brotherhood Strikes (Harry Robertson, Twins Of Evil)
22. Sad Man With A Box (Murray Gold, Dr Who series 5)
23. Fall Of A House In Venice (David Arnold, Casino Royale)
24, Goodbye Colonel (Ennio Morricone, For A Few Dollars More)
25. End Credits (John Williams, Indiana Jones And The last Crusade)

There are definitely some people deserving of thanks – Anne without whom we just couldn’t have survived, all the Redemption folks, Misha and Zoe for hosting us at Sherlock time, Grouse for getting us to wise-up food wise and encouraging us to follow Conrad Veidt more closely, Adrian and Theresa for having us for Halloween, Lesley’s employers for being so understanding and helpful, and most of all the staff at Harrogate General for looking after Lesley’s mum.

What of 2014? Do I have New Year’s Resolutions?

Not really; don’t see the point, for the most part. I mean, I shall continue writing, so that doesn’t need a resolution, and the same goes for DIY and stuff.
The things that most people claim as resolutions are usually more like goals or ambitions or wishes- Sure I’d love to… fail people less, not lose any more friends, write another Star Trek or Dr Who, write for Star Wars or James Bond… But those are things you don’t just *do*.
I do intend to make sure to get more models built, though. Got derailed this year with the 1:1 scale stuff, i.e. the house.
Oh, yeah, cosplay Ezio at Nine Worlds, definitely mark me down for that, since he’s 55 in Revelations, so I’m still a decade younger than him!

Anyway, that’s my New Year post, covering the old year and the new. Now I’ve got about 7 or 8 books to get on with, and a birthday to have.

Fuck the bus company

Let's see how well the left-handed typing goes. Uh, yeah, the right hand's got a few cracks and bashes again. Which gets in the way of typing, gaming, swordplay... fiddling with model parts is out, and I wouldn't be surprised if antthing involving wrist action is out.

So, didn't go to bed last night until 6am this morning, then when I did get up I was rushing about to go and visit my mother-in-law in hospital (taking her some washed nighties), so, being knackered to start with, was not best pleased at bus company incompetence.

Specifically, instead of returning me with my return ticket, to the point of origin, fucking off in the direction of York, in spite of all the information on their timetable (maybe the shift was over) and leaving me stuck at a bust stop on the edge of a small village in the pitch dark. "There's a bus back to Wetherby in five minutes" the cunt said. Add forty to that. Unless you count the one after twenty that was "Out Of Service". So, yeah, my long-standing grudge against bus companies as being a bunch of sadistic cunts on principle, continues unabated.

Which reminds me of the wrist and knuckle injuries, which may be not entirely unconnected to having to find something to do for three quarters of an hour in a dark lane with only some bus company furnishings for company. And bus company with which I now have somewhat of a grudge. And a need to remodel their stuff. And nothing else to do.

At least their cunt of a driver (All British public transport bus driver are cunts, I may have said this before, cos it has been my long experience) didn't think to try to suggest I pay extra for the extra bit of journey. Cos' I'd have fucking decked him.