This appears to be turning into one of those weeks which is slightly different from usual.
On Monday I think I scored more goals than I’ve done previously playing five-a-side! Not really sure what happened there!
Tuesday a few of the usual suspects came round to watch Clockwise on DVD. One of John Cleese’s more mainstream comedies, typifying British humour to a tee.
This evening was spent down the snooker hall, with Ed and Dave, eventually finishing 3-0-3. 🙂
It’s been a while since we last played another church at football. It was good to meet up with some of the lads from Hayes Town Chapel for a six-a-side game at Cranford. Given the score the last time we played them, our 7-1 defeat was a major improvement. It was a good game, and highlighted a few things we need to work on.
The evening was spent at Hayes Town Chapel itself, to listen to a talk on the life of John Newton. It was surprisingly comprehensive and illustrated how God slowly worked in his life, changing him from a slave trader who had no thought for God, to a man reliant on the grace of God, who would eventually seek to tell the world about his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and to become a clergyman eventually penning hymns such as Amazing Grace.
The remainder of the evening was spent chilling and recounting stories of previous summers, and wondering what this summer holds in store…
A very warm humid afternoon! Not so good for running around! However, this was our last chance to practice before our inter-church match next Saturday. After an hour of running around, the score finished at 6-6. How we’ll fare next week, I don’t know, we’ll see!
A quick bath and dinner, and then I was off to Feltham to listen to a talk on hell. A subject which is not spoken about much, both inside and outside the church but one which Jesus talks about frequently. It’s even mentioned in the sermon on the mount. We would be doing a disservice to the world if we glossed over the bible’s teaching on hell, or tried to water it down to make it more acceptable. At the end of the age, we will face eternal punishment because of our sin, unless we have placed our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin and eternal life.
The rest of the evening was spent celebrating Susanna’s birthday and relaxing after a long day!
It must be just me, but I’ve just been to see Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and I just don’t get it. At the end of the film, I walked out with the same feeling of underwhelming as I did when I saw the first one. Maybe the hype had led me to expect too much.
Sure, the special effects were impressive and the action scenes were imaginative and spectacular. However, the story line was remarkably one-dimensional, being rather predictable and clichéd.
Was I expecting too much from a film derived from an amusement park ride? Possibly. After all, the film was like a good fireworks display, continuously moving along. However, a good fireworks display doesn’t go on for almost three hours!
A fun film, but don’t believe the hype.
Today was one of those hectic Saturday’s where once it starts, it doesn’t stop!
Feltham Cineworld was the first port of call to see Spiderman III. It was only a few of us as most of the usual suspects had already seen it. I must admit, it feels weird going to the cinema in the morning, but it was a little cheaper. 🙂
After the film, we sauntered along to Hounslow to meet up with the usual football crowd for a kickaround. The teams were fairly even, resulting in a 5-4 defeat.
We then dashed over to Old Windsor for a meal at the Harvester restaurant, to celebrate the birthdays of Dave, Sam and Tim. The weather was warm and sunny, and so after the meal we went for a walk along the Thames, and through Runnymede visiting the Magna Carta monument and JFK memorial.
A final convening at my place for a few games of Empire, Consequences and general socialising, then things finally began to wind down!
A fun, but exhausting, day!
It’s not every day an action film seen on a busy day gets it’s own review page, but I think Spiderman III is different from the usual action film. I’d gone into the cinema expecting great things, as I’d enjoyed the previous two films in the series.
Unlike most action films, whilst trying not to give too much away, the story isn’t a simple case of the good guys versus the bad guys. Instead, there is some depth to the characters, as each battles within themselves, battling with their own humanity. The struggles of how to treat others, how to treat oneself. How to deal with the highs and lows of popularity and obscurity. How the characters interrelate, their friendships and their relationships, are complex and intriguing. The film even philosophically explores the reasons why we do what we do.
It’s refreshing to see a ‘hero’ dealing with not just the baddies, but with his own desires – both good and bad. Even the baddies have issues, dealing with various issues and in so doing, showing they’re not as bad as they could be in some cases. Both goodies and baddies battle with selfishness which, if left unchecked, has the power to destroy them.
The story is ever so slightly more complex as a result of the internal tussles, and you’re never quite sure how things are going to turn out. Themes such as reconciliation, sacrifice, redemption, forgiveness and salvation loom large throughout.
Of course, being an action film, the special effects and action scenes are superb, with a great sense of pace. Above it all though stands a story which is compelling and, even though in a fantasy world of superheroes, full of very real, very human characters.
A great film which is well worth seeing!
The weather seemed to change during the night, causing me to awaken in the middle of the night with cold feet sticking out of the end of my duvet. After various bouts of intermittent sleep I awoke on Bank Holiday Monday morning after a rather poor night’s sleep!
Good job I wasn’t driving up to Hemel Hempstead for Andy’s flat warming event! It was good to see Andy again, and to see his new abode. He’d done a good job fixing the place up and it looked really nice, even if some of the electrics were a little dodgy! Alas, after not sleeping well, I wasn’t in the mood for much food, so I had to pass on the impressive spread he’d laid out!
I spent most of the journey home sleeping! After an hour’s nap at home, we were all off out again for Mim’s birthday at Nandos in Staines and then a few rounds of Mafia at Dave’s afterwards. I think the nap did me some good as my appetite was regaining strength, as was my ability to hold an half-intelligent conversation! Regardless, the birthday girl seemed to enjoy herself and I went to bed very early! (Well, early for me anyway!)
We had our first quasi-match as HWEC football team, versus this afternoon! There were enough people from the church, and enough of an opposition to pretty much play as a team. We didn’t do too badly either – 4-3 in our favour was the eventual result.
In the evening the usual suspects went to Nige and Karen’s to watch The Pursuit of Happyness on DVD, which is based on the life of Chris Gardner. As a film, it was very well-made, with some great acting portraying the drama of the daily grind of existence and trying to make a living, and the effort involved in improving ones circumstances. As with most film adaptations, there are a few artistic liberties taken, but a mildly interesting story none the less. The thing is, whilst it is mildly interesting, it only really shows a brief slightly rosy tinted glimpse of a more complex story. I’m also not sure it’s a story worth telling. I wasn’t even sure by the end of the film that the intended goal was achieved. Whilst the plan succeeded, was the plan correct?
I always wonder about people who approach you in the street trying to get your attention for something. I always wonder if they’re after money. As I stood in Slough high street waiting for Ally this afternoon, this chap came up to me and asked if I could spare a moment. Not knowing how long I had before she’d appear, I attempted to decline, but he didn’t give up. I eventually caved-in, and after a little explanation, it would appear he was after my details for Oxfam in order to remind the G8 of their promise to cancel the debt of a number of developing countries. For my troubles, I received a badge and a leaflet, and he was on to his next passer-by. Oddly, when Ally turned up, a woman came up to us, who was also from Oxfam, and tried to persuade us both to divulge some details. When I said I’d already been got, she wouldn’t believe me until I revealed my badge! I did wonder what the whole purpose of the exercise was, but then I suppose any effort to raise the profile of the plight of those in the developing world is probably a good thing.
After trudging around the shops and grabbing some food, a few of us congregated for a game of Cluedo. I must admit, I hadn’t played in ages and needed a few reminders! After a short while I thought I was getting the hang of it, and decided to make an accusation. It would seem my logic was impeccable, but my character judgement failed me – someone had cheated and withheld information leading to garbage in, garbage out. Ah well, was fun none the less. 🙂
The evening was finished with a game of Perudo, where Dave and Deanna succeeded in adding chaos to the mix!
It’s been almost three weeks since I put the ultrasonic, electromagnetic, electronic rodent deterrent in my loft. (I feel a quote from Aliens coming on…anyway) I’d been periodically inspecting my loft to see if I could work out where the squirrels were entering. Alas, nothing.
However, as I lay in bed last night, I didn’t hear anything at all. Well, nothing from the loft anyway. It would seem the ultrasonic, electromagnetic, electronic rodent deterrent has done its job and deterred the squirrels. Which is probably a good thing, as I’m not sure I’d have liked trying to flatten the head of a squirrel frantically running around inside a bag! Not because Sarah’s tactics of showing me lots of pictures of ‘cute fluffy squirrels’ changed my attitude towards them, but that I was more likely to damage myself than the squirrels!
The question is; Do I deactivate the ultrasonic, electromagnetic, electronic rodent deterrent? I think I might leave it one for another week or so just to make sure.
On of those Saturday’s where nothing appears to go to plan, but it all turns out ok in the end. I guess the start of the day was a sign of things to come. The cadence of my morning ritual was disturbed with the cistern handle falling off. Not a disaster, I could still flush by opening up the cistern and pulling the flush directly, but unexpected!
Routine was momentarily resumed as I hung out my washing to dry, and then ate my breakfast of bacon and egg sandwiches. Fortunately, the regular afternoon of football was planned to be cancelled due to a little event known as the F.A. Cup. Seeing as watching football is nowhere near as interesting as playing, I traipsed down to B&Q to purchase a new handle, picking up Ally along the way to share the experience.
On getting home, I attempted to fit the handle only to find it didn’t fit the cistern! Slightly disconcerting as they all seemed to be a standard size in the store. However, on return to the store with the ill-fitting handle, they happily refunded me my money and I purchased another after carefully checking it was more adaptable. The application of a hammer ensured that I was once again able to flush without taking the lid off the toilet cistern.
The day ended watching I am Sam on DVD with Sarah and Ally. Apparently, everyone else had better things to do. Seemed like a good way to end the day to me. A nice relaxing evening after spending, what seemed like, most of the day staring into a toilet.
I guess music shouldn’t always be a solitary experience, but a shared one. The advantage of learning the violin is that there is plenty of duet material out there. Whether it’s duets with other violinists, or material accompanied by a pianist, the experience of sharing music with other musicians is something I’d missed when I’d finished accompanying the Harlington Singers.
As instruments go, the violin is second only to the piano in repertoire, but is eminently more portable, making it much easier to play in groups. I must admit, I enjoy playing music with others a lot, although I also cherish my moments alone with my thoughts and mistakes. 🙂
It would appear that April and May have been swapped! Whilst April was remarkably warm and dry, May (so far) has turned out to be wet and ever so slightly chilly!
However, this didn’t stop us playing football this afternoon. As we made our way to the park, the rain was lashing down, but once we’d arrived and started, the rain had stopped, and by the time the whistle was blown, it was bright and sunny. The sunny spell only lasted a few minutes though and the clouds loomed once more. A good runaround though, with a few goals scored by almost everyone.
The evening was spent at Feltham Evangelical Church for a talk given by Brian Allenby, of Christians at Work, on Christians at work(!) Given that we spend most of our waking life at work, and that we are to glorify God in all that we do, then how we spend our time at work is important. An interesting and encouraging reminder to Christians of the benefits of their salvation, and with that in mind that they can glorify God in their line of work.
The remainder of the evening was spent at Sarah’s, chilling and chatting about issues ranging from the emerging church movement, through to experiences of youth camps!
Hat tip to Luke.
My results from O’Reilly’s code quiz, which although is merely shameless advertising, is slightly fun. 🙂
Total points: 215 Bonus points: 30 Number correct: 36 Number incorrect: 14 Number skipped: 0 Fastest answer: 3.27 seconds Slowest answer: 23.11 seconds Average answer: 11.37 seconds
There were some things I just didn’t recognise – What’s Actionscript?
It seems odd that, one of the first scales you ever learn on the piano, C major, is one of the last ones you learn on the violin. After attempting three octaves of it, I can see why though. I must admit to being constantly amazed how close the fingers can be to the bridge and yet still produce a discernable note! Definitely a case where not having frets has its advantages. Strangely, B major is easier on the violin than C! I think sharp keys are easier in general than flat keys.
