Xen-yakodo

Well hey there...

This is the first entry to my journal that I have done in the last six months. I am sorry - whoever reads my journal entries religiously.

I'd like to say that I've been way too busy to pay attention to dA - but that's not true. I have just been too lazy. The one redeeming factor is that  I have been writing my novel "On Wings of Gold", and that it is actually coming to a head. It's nice to see my own creation begin to take the shape of something that people might actually buy. Unfortunately, I've still got about a third of the story to write and then about three rounds of editing before I can even consider approaching a publishers, but I would read it.

The main reason that I have awoken to my need to dA is , or Digi - as most people know him.

Most people who know this man know that he is very good at getting people to do things for him and I, despite being very, very lazy, am not immune to his methods.

Due to a fair bit of leaning on Chalky's part and the fact that Digi is going to be a more permanent part of my life, very soon, I have decided to commit my time to a new project called "Weekly Prompts". This is a simple game that Digi and I shall play, where we send each other prompts of a few words - to work as inspiration for a short piece of writing. The intention is that, between us, we will pump out at least one piece of writing a week. I hope you all wish us good luck.

The following half of this journal is about my real life. Some of our younger viewers may wish to avert their eyes.

Since last October, which is the date of my previous entry, I have done the following set of things.

I have worked for the post office for a couple of months, which was one of the most interesting jobs I have done. I had to get up at half-four in the morning to be at work for six. I would then sort mail for eight hours and be home by two in the afternoon. The most interesting part of it was that I could freely have a conversation with the people around me, while I sorted the mail. The different types of people that work in that environment astounded me. From a man who had moved from Africa - due to war - ten years ago and was meeting his family again, for the first time, at Christmas, to a man who had worked as a teacher for several years and had decided that he wasn't enjoying it enough. I had no idea that people were so interesting!

I then went home for Christmas. This was a very fun time. I received an Amazon Kindle from my dad, that has spent more time in Chalky's handbag than a tourist in Mexico spends on the loo, and I had Christmas at someone else's house for the first time in over ten years. Christmas at my uncle David's house was lovely - especially watching Paul and not having to do any washing up.

I then came back home and spent another two months working for Betterware UK. As a piece of advice, for those of you looking for work, never work for Betterware UK as a territory sales agent. I spent two months averaging 3 pounds per hour, due to the fact that the work is entirely commission based. It's easy work, but it's time consuming and the pay is quite low. I have no more words to say on the matter.

Finally, for the first week in April, I went on a fantastic skiing holiday with Chalky's family. It wasn't as good as previous ones, because we went a bit later in the year, but the addition of a family friend to our roster was very nice and the holiday was a much needed break. Throw a bonus in that I didn't break any bones and you've got yourself a week well spent! I also read through "On Wings of Gold" and realised that I'm not such a bad writer, after all.

Alright, I think that's it. Hopefully I'll post another journal within a month, but, for now, I need the loo and I've got to go update my tumblr.

Until next time, noobs.

Well hey there...

That's right, it's that time again. NaNoWriMo is here and it has prompted me to write a rare, but fun journal. I am, like many people I'm sure, continuing a story for my 50000 words this year - in fact, I am continuing right where I left off last year. Unfortunately, the lack of work in between has cause the need for me to read through what I wrote last year - and I can't read through it without editing (WHY THE FIDDLESTICKS DOES EDITING ONLY HAVE ONE T??? IT MAKES NO SENSE!!) it. This has already taken a while, and will take longer still. I think it takes me about the same time to write 1000 words as to edit it. It's horrific. I'm currently on page 11 of 52 and I need to finish by midnight or I won't get my first WriMo deadline in.

(to be honest, I could finish by midnight on the 27th and probably still get my WriMo completed, but I want to give the appearance that I'm conforming to a steady pace)

Other than that, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! Whether you're going to a party dressed as a decaying vampire artillery-man from the later stages of world war 2 who still believes that the nazis were the perfect race or you're just wondering what the hell is happening to the deviations on the front page, I wish you all a good day (a day late). I spent yesterday frantically trying to get everything ready for the trick or treaters because I realised that they start at 6pm and not 7pm. We did manage to accept a few groups, but we were left with a depressingly large amount of left over sweets.

Oh well... I'm sure we'll find a use for them...

Other than that, I will say that I have still not made any videos. Not because my house is a mess, or because I don't know how to use the technology. It is actually because I am too embarrassed that I'll mess up. That old chestnut. I'm sure I'll get a round tuit at some point.

Until then, you guys should watch Tim Minchin:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yStxUT…

See you then.

No but seriously... Guys...

My last journal was in february...

That's seven months ago...

I need to sort out my priorities.

Hey guys, as we are nearing the next landmark of festival loveliness that is Easter, I thought it was high time that I wipe the dust off of this old journal and write me a new entry. I know you guys probably hate me for never updating this thing, but I guess I just don't have the will to write right now... I suspect that when I'm living with Chalky, which, scarily, is an impending fate, she will probably constantly badger me into making and submitting art for this website, but for now, I am far too lazy.

Since we last spoke, I have started the second term of my first year at university. This term feels almost exactly like last term apart from I feel more energetic. Probably caused by a combination of visiting various friends and family on most weekends and spending more time with the people doing my course, this has made the weeks fly by, so far, and, even though it has been five weeks since the beginning of term, I feel like I've only just started the term. I have attended a few organised meets as well as several gaming nights and a LAN party that was extremely fun. Last weekend, I visited Chalky and we went to see my brother and my sister in their respective houses. My sister has a new dog and he's quite simply the cutest little thing in the world, even if he thinks everything is delicious.

I have had my brace retightened and turned from Red to Blue. Chalky says that she never liked the red, even though she never mentioned it. Women are so complicated. On my way down to her's last weekend, I experienced my first long train journey ever. It was scary as hell and I started it off by missing my bus and first train. Fortunately, the train I did get was quite quick and got me to birmingham new st (the trainport) in time for my second train and I managed to get on it. While I was on it, I not only sat in the wrong seat the whole way, but I also accidentally spilt coke on the guy sat next to me. Needless to say, I was glad to get off at the next station. From there, I went on a third train to a more local station, to where I live, and it was completely empty. At first, I thought it was out of service or something, the train was literally deserted. I could have probably echoed my voice in certain parts of that train. But then I asked the Lurch-like train driver if this train went to my destination and he obliged me a grunt and a nod, so I got on - promptly taking up about a quarter of the coach by spreading out as much as I could. The weekend was fun, although it seemed that I didn't have quite enough time to do all of the things that I wanted. I managed a romantic couple of hours at the end of Saturday and Sunday with Chalky for valentines day, although it could have been any other weekend, we don't really do anything special for it, and then, before I knew it, it was Monday and I had to go back to Uni. First, though, I had to miss the first train of the journey. Fortunately, after that hiccup, and a shredded duck wrap, I managed the rest of the journey OK. I am the train mastor.

I've also been watching various films recently. At university, I live about a forty-five minute walk away from a blockbuster video store and a macdonalds. So, obviously, most wednesdays, I walk down there and have myself a sweet chilli chicken deli meal and rent myself out some five DVDs. Some of the most recent ones include "James Cameron's Pocahontas 3: 2154", "The Incredible Holy-Shit-We've-Made-Him-Hungry", "I AM DOWNEY JUNIOR!" and a couple of films known as "Ninja Assassin" and "Batman Begins" which have exactly the same plot, but with different actors... I'm just kidding, they were all good films and I enjoyed them lots. It's also quite nice to see who turns up to watch a film with me, as I watch the films in the communal kitchen at the same time every night, while eating my tea. I also watched Star Trek, which I maintain is quite a good film and would probably watch again, were it not a danger to my mental state. Addictions are not your friends, kids.

As to what I would write, had I the mojo to do so, I would probably do more on "On Wings of Gold" which was my nanowrimo entry and is still my proudest piece of writing to date, or maybe "Lucky Me", for the benefit of you guys. I gather that my current, and pitiful, following is not fond of the more soulfull monologue-style pieces that I am adept at producing, so maybe I'll have to learn to draw too or something. Bah... Humbug.

Unfortunately, I can't think of anything else to write, past that, other than that I am about to go watch "I AM DOWNEY JUNIOR 2: Return of the sex", and that I will be back for Easter on the 19th of march. I will hopefully put another journal up nearer Easter, but don't hold your breath.

It's been nice talking to you guys.

Until next time,

Right, as you guys are probably aware, I haven't updated this in a fair few months and, for that reason, I have missed out on a fair few tellings of my happenings. A fair few, here, meaning too much. For this reason, I have decided to write a list of stuff I need to tell you:

University, Braces, Nanowrimo, Christmas, LoL and The New Year.

For those that don't understand the implications of such generic topics, this is going to be a long journal.

The time between my last journal and the third of October, when I went to university, was relatively uneventful, other than a few shopping trips where people, like Chalky's mum (I love her), spent far too much money on me, so that I would be prepared for university (we spent, like, five hours in ikea). Then came my first day. We went down to my accomodation in two cars and thoroughly jam packed my stuff into my surprisingly large room. Then we all went and had lunch and said our goodbyes. For the first couple of weeks of Uni, I found it extremely easy and had an optimistic outlook on it all. But unfortunately, despite joining the Assassin's Guild and the Computing Society, I hadn't managed to make any friends and I dearly missed Chalky. The weeks rolled on and I went to various compsoc gaming nights, frantic attempts at making friends, but soon it became apparent that I would have to live for another six or so weeks without them. Chalky came as often as she could, but I became very lonely. It turned out that I was very good at the course that I was doing, but my loneliness sapped my will and I started missing lectures in favour of sleep and missing assignments because I didn't want to do them. By the end of the ten weeks, all I wanted to do was leave the place. I had found at least four groups of people who would not push me away should I try and join their conversation, but they were nothing compared to my real friends back home. I honestly don't know what I am going to do when I go back.

Anyways, end of depressing friendlessness rant. When I arrived home, I was greeted by my dad and the forum dentist surgery. On the first monday back home, I had my brace fitting. It was a relatively pleasant experience, bar a process that the dentist called "Recontouring", which involved him getting a thick metal wire and using it to saw gaps in my teeth. This was not painful, just very unsettling. So now I am a brace face. I could draw you a goofy picture of me in some huge red braces looking very dorky, but I can't be arsed to do much lately.

Next, Nanowrimo. What fun, eh? For those who read my journals, yet do not know what Nanowrimo is - of which there are none - it is a competition style charity event where the goal of each contestant is to write a fifty thousand word novel in a month. The prize? You know have a fifty thousand word novel and you also get a cheesey video of some canadians telling you how well you've done. Lovely. I did manage the novel, despite my depression during that month, and I am quite happy with it. It is, of course, not finished yet, but it's going well so far. I did the contest along side Chalk-heart and Digi-Shaman-of-Fire who both finished also. I think this is what kept me going, it was good fun.

Next, christmas. Christmas so far has been amazing. It may seem greedy and demanding, but a couple of weeks before christmas day, I wrote my dad an email with a list of presents he could get me in it. Surprisingly, he managed to get me most of it. In Rainbows and OK Computer by Radiohead, Left for dead 2, Bioshock 2, Alan Wake, A watch... It was amazing. Top that off with my best friend getting me Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, my brother getting me a self-sturring mug, my brother's girlfriend getting me a robotic arm that can pick shet up for me and give it to me, my girlfriend getting me Iron Man and The Last Airbender on DVD and her family getting me a tonne of clothes and The Last Samurai on DVD, I had a good christmas. It was made better because my birthday is the 23rd of December, so I got aload more presents then, too. Am currently enjoying listening to In Rainbows. It's good. On christmas day, we had loads of relatives around and we lit the fire for like twenty hours. It was the first christmas without my mum, but I like to think that we did her proud.

Next, LoL. League of Legends is a game that has been filling up all of the gaps in my time between my university course and sleeping and eating. I recommend it to anyone who has lots of spare time as it's very addictive and quite easy to play. Just yesterday I played the game until about five o'clock with my best friend, my brother and another friend of ours - resulting in me awakening at half five this evening and me writing this journal now. The game is completely free and only requires a download from it's website, so you can try it out at no cost, if you're curious. Before you get suspicious, you can spend money on it to unlock certain things in-game, so this is why they can afford to make the game itself free. In fact, I bought my best friend twenty pounds worth of LoL stuff for christmas. Have a go! What have you got to lose?

Finally, the new year. I have never been one for new year's resolutions, but this year calls for one. Obviously, it's not good that I have, so far, ruined my university course in my own depression. Because of this, I vow to get all of my assignments in on time and well done in the new year, as well as making a greater attempt to find a friend group in which I fit. I have two exams at the beginning of next term in the only two modules to which I have attended religiously, fortunately, so I will revise for them. Hopefully, by the next time I write a journal, which could be any time from january to march, I will have a significantly better outlook on life.

Good luck in all of your endevours people and I will talk to you again when the blue moon comes around.

Until then...