Mood:  irritated

So, the fibre optic tree has failed to work. Back to Fakenham again then to sort it out and get a new one. I'll have to get some stuff to improve my fish tank water quality as well. It's been a bit cloudy recently, and a couple of fish have snuffed it rather disappointingly.

I went to see The Prestige last night and really enjoyed it. For those of you who don't know what the film is about, have a look at the official website:

http://theprestige.movies.go.com/

Here's a pic as well, just to spice up the old blog

Anyway, I really enjoyed the film, and thought Christian Bale was particularly good. He's excellent in a lot of films actually, such as the Machinist, someone who seems to really get stuck into his roles. For me a good film is defined by how much you think about it afterwards. I spent my journey home from Cromer and about half an hour in bed thinking through things and reliving the story. I'd certainly recommend it to others. I think that the thing that makes it entertain is the whole magic thing; there is always a fascination with magic, particularly with the old style practioners and artists who created the first illusions and tricks, and the rivalry between Bale and Jackman smoulders throughout the film. It's a film I will probably get on DVD when it comes out. Christopher Nolan is an excellent director as well.

I've got an idea for a story: it involves a very sad woman and a man looking for something, and it seems that they will be an ideal couple, but then they end up being together in an entirely different way that they would have imagined. I'll see if I can get round to writing it.

Laterz

Posted by theblackcrowe at 3:44 AM EST

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After joyfully realising that I had woken up at 9.15 (a full 2 and a half hours later than normal) and having had a lazy breakfast of tea, croissants and Muller yoghurt whilst watching a couple of episodes of Series 3 Scrubs I decided to drive over to Fakenham Garden Centre. Normally I only ever head over there to replenish my fish collections or get them some more food, but today I felt like buying a Christmas tree. I have never had one before; this is partially due to never having enough space in my previous flat (sorry, box) and never really being bothered about it. I feel differently this year - maybe it is the warm, homely feel of my living room, with all my books, DVDS, CDs and guitars flanking my comfy sofa and armchair and the fact that there is a suitable corner for it by the window at the end of the sidetable. Maybe my 30th birthday has me feeling warmer about these traditional things. I am actually feeling quite Christmassy - can't wait for the snowman cartoon - the best bit of animation ever, so wonderfully achingly happy and sad.

I haven't put the tree up yet, for the record, one of those fibre optic branch ones, but a photo will be put on here when it is up.

Yesterday, Ben got voted out of X Factor. Now, I'm not normally one for watching the cancer of tv that is reality tv, but sadly I got involved in this from the start. There is something glorious about watching the talentless, deluded morons that think they have talent to become popstars making utter twats of themselves during the auditions, and having Simon Cowell putting them in their place. I actually saw the episode with Ben in and thought, fantastic, finally a new rock singer to get rid of all the same-old, same-old pop bollocks. The bloke is very talented, excellent voice and can actually play guitar and piano as well, so it was criminal for the public to vote him off and save the pathetically one-dimensional Ray who massacred 'You'll never walk alone' (only the Kop should ever sing that). Ray is just a bloke who should have been born in the 40s who does the same old stuff week after week. He won't be able to write his own songs, will just do dull covers of songs that only Grannies will like and will end up doing musicals after everyone sees how dull he is. But he's cute, bless him, and that is what drives music, not some bloke who can actually feel and play his own music. Oh well. Hopefully the powers that be on the programme will give him a contract anyway. And come on Ramps in Strictly...(though Emma looks very fit - as did the dancer, Ola?, during the Sugababes song yesterday...mmmmm)

Goran Ivanisevic is playing Paul Haarhuis on telly. I loved big Goran, booming aces and the look as if at any moment he might lose it. The year he finally won Wimbledon was brilliant. The drama and tension as you could see him tiring and desperate to win was spellbinding. You could see how much it all meant to him, with him asking for lucky balls back and desperate to serve aces. How superb it was  to see him win it, one of my favourite sporting moments ever. As a spectacle, it was miles better than the football game between Arsenal and Chelsea is likely to be this afternoon, that the papers have been hyping up as usual. I just can't get interested in Premiership footy anymore.

Posted by theblackcrowe at 7:13 AM EST

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Mood:  bright

The boys have left, the dorms are empty; nary a sock lies around the corridors of Tallis, half the school is probably now either in bed or the pub (including staff!) and the other half are either in an airport or have been turned away from the pub for being too young. My red wine and whisky stocks have been added to by generous parents and pupils (thank you Hamish and Harry amongst others) and I've finally had the chance to have a go at my new espresso maker (first brew a little weak, but acceptable, for the record). The morning was spent realising that the sadly initiative lacking Tallis prefects had failed to think about Christmas presents for Matron, the cleaners and Farmer-Wright, and then rushing down to town with Dave Roberts to rectify the situation. I decided to skive final assembly and began to drool over the next 4 weeks of freedom. Half an hour or so later the large cars had driven away and after a quick trip to Morrisons the holidays are underway.

As always, there are plans afoot. I'll be heading down spiritual-homewards to Southampton on Thursday, and then Scotland eventually after that. In terms of activities, I'll have to do some writing, work on my fledgling website, watch some DVDs that I've been meaning to get around to for ages, and make a dent on the reading waiting list as well. A bit of guitar playing would not go amiss, marking Spanish written exams will be a sad necessity, as will be sorting out the chaotic shanty town of my study. Tv will be watched, christmas cards written and sent, christmas presents bought and delivered and friends hopefully contacted and met up with. A New Year's eve trip to Oakham will also be a pleasure.

The good days are back again...

Posted by theblackcrowe at 9:36 AM EST

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Mood:  on fire

...the world is a marvellous place. At about 3.15pm GMT yesterday afternoon the Gresham's 2nd XV were in the process of clicking majestically, tearing their Leys counterparts apart with some exhilarating and scintillating rugby. I could sit back and enjoy the fact that everything I have been wanting all season to happen on the pitch was happening. There was daring counterattacking initiative, people wanting the ball all the time, great handling, commitment and toughness. It was beautiful to watch and the smiles on the boys' faces at the end just showed how much they enjoyed it too. It wasn't a vintage season by any means, we won 4 and lost 4, and it has been frustrating as hell with all the injuries and mistakes, but damn me, finishing on that performance tints it all rosily.

Lessons can be like that. The 3rd form set 3 lessons were great fun, and was worth the hour and a half it took to set it all up. I wish I had had more time to do a few more lessons like that. Again it was good fun seeing the 3rd form evil criminals working out their heinous crimes. Clickety click.

I decided to cast fortune to the wind and sent some messages last night. Fingers are crossed and hopefully clicking is in the future.

Posted by theblackcrowe at 4:16 AM EST

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Mood:  bright

It's great to see two boys I knew really well realising a dream today, one definitely and one hopefully. I won't claim to have had much to do with their success; I never taught either of them, and didn't really coach them much either (apart from cricket).

Tom Youngs and Ben Pienaar are in the Leicester Tigers Rugby squad today, Tom starting and Ben on the bench and I hope they do bloody well. As their house tutor I saw a great deal of them in  the house, enjoying a laugh with them on many occasions, occasionally giving them the odd bollocking (Ben remembers the kitchen incident particularly with a laugh - poor technique Ben) but most of all seeing them grow up and following their dream and realising their talent for rugby. It is a privilege to see people growing up and achieving things, whether in the spotlight like Tom and Ben, or in their own more private spheres (Seb Jefferies springs to mind), and even if you are not the one who nurtured their talent and helped bring it to flower, it is immensely rewarding to have known them and quietly enjoy their success. I genuinely love hearing from people who care enough to ring, email or pop back to the house to let me know how they are getting on, it's such a worthwhile moment, and it's one thing that keeps me going during long duty nights immersed in textbooks with only a small (ish) glass of whisky for company.

I hope to actually be responsible for someone making it, who will look back to me as a guiding influence or a reason for doing something. Maybe it will be a cricketer, maybe a writer, maybe a teacher, who knows? Maybe it will just be a couple of words of encouragement that will make it happen.

Good luck lads.

Tom Ben

Posted by theblackcrowe at 6:30 AM EST

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Mood:  hug me

I have been looking this week at the world around me. This is because I have had something called 'Time', which has been a rare commodity recently.

I have noticed that:

1. A cracked rib is bloody sore, and makes it difficult to sleep in comfort. It has also hard to run, cough, sit up when slouching and hole punch. Sneezing is excrutiatingly painful and Must Not Be Done.

2. There is a tree outside my classroom window which is blossoming happily under the mistaken impression that it is in fact Spring and not late Autumn/early Winter. This is probably symbolic of the fact that hope spring eternal. I hope so as it makes me feel Slightly Happy to see the pink blossom ampngst all the deepening drabness. My favourite season is coming to an end.

3. There is a least one active squirrel that has crossed my path about 5 times this week. Added to the snuffling hedgehog spotted last Friday night by the common room window, this makes me feel that the animals are having a jolly time at the moment, which is a Good Thing.

4. People do not often realise how much they mean to you. It is often hard to get this across as a look from my eyes (sometimes my truest feelings are spotted here) is often not picked up, and it is difficult to ask for something that you badly want when it is a million times better if you don't have to ask, and you hope it will be given. Sometimes you just can't say anything anyway. It has been 4 years now and counting.

5. Scrubs is bloody funny, and very perceptive. Dr Cox is an amazingly well written character.

6. It is often difficult to find things to write in a blog when you want to leave some kind of imprint on the reader, and not just go through a kind of 'this is what I did today' routine. I hope this is better, and since the holidays are coming I feel I can only improve as my time to think increases.

Posted by theblackcrowe at 6:31 AM EST

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Mood:  cool

I didn't get round to writing a blog entry yesterday, even though I actually had time. I went for the lie on the sofa with red wine and Scrubs Series 1 option. Which was good. Things are just easing off a touch; reports are done, I'm doing revision stuff with the 5th form, and all is well with the other sets. My guitar's strings are being plucked again which is also good, and the DVD remote is warm in my hand.

Plans are afoot for Christmas. I'm planning to hit Southampton again for a long weekend, beginning on the Thursday, and lasting until Monday. Might do London as well, so could go down even earlier. Time to email a few friends and put some plans in action.

Posted by theblackcrowe at 2:33 AM EST

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It's Sunday morning and I'm sitting in bed listening to the radio as England are trying and failing to save the Gabba Test Match. Flintoff has just smacked one straight to a fielder and Jones has come in to bat with Pietersen who has been whacking it around quite nicely. It has been rather depressing to wake up at various times in the night and to turn on the radio (firstly because my rib is shrieking with pain) and hearing the depressed tones of Aggers, Blowers, Boycs or Victor Marks recounting a flurry of wickets of a flurry of runs in the Aussies favour. Still, no-one hopes like a cricketer, and we can at least hope realistically (maybe, possibly)that we can survive until the end of the day. Have a look at www.cricinfo.com if you want to follow it.

I have just about got over losing to Stamford yesterday. I will have to write the report of it for www.schoolsrugby.co.uk at some point this morning which will bring a few bad memories of the first half back again. Still, it was a fun evening in the Bop with the Quiz Night, despite being shown up by the music intro round!

Today I feel like wandering off to Norwich even though I'm on duty. I want to go and buy an espresso maker from John Lewis and make the most of my range of coffee beans.

I've run out of Guatemala Huehuetenango. Boo. Still got the Cafe Francais, Santo Domingo Fairtrade and the flavoured Chocolate and raspberry ones!

Hoping to see Pan's Labyrinth too, the new Guillermo del Toro film. Apparently it's really good. Have a look at the website: www.panslabyrinth.com. Here's a pic as well:

The day's cricket has finished. It is probaby time to get up and about, have a shower and so on, brave the school breakfast and then sadly do the marking that I have been avoiding for the last 2 days. Also got to put various posters up in the department of monsters, environmental advice and 'si tuviese' things. Off towards the morning then.

Posted by theblackcrowe at 2:09 AM EST

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Mood:  don't ask

I hate caring. I wouldn't be sitting here on my sofa for the umpteenth time wondering how we lost a game, frustrated, disappointed and blaming myself as usual for whatever mistakes we made today on the rugby pitch. If I didn't care I would bugger off to the pub as soon as possible, would say 'no' a lot more. No to extra lessons, no to kebab runs, no to extra duties, no to hockey games, no to UCAS references, help checking Uni work.

I hate dropped passes, missed tackles, wrong decisions, bad kicks; I'm sorry I shout and get angry. I'm sorry I care.

But I hate it if you don't.

Posted by theblackcrowe at 1:56 PM EST

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Mood:  energetic

I am 30 years old apparently. This is my first time and first day at being this, so I will try hard and do what is expected. Please forgive any outbursts of childishness and immaturity. It is not my fault as I was in my 20s two days ago.

I thought it would be cool to keep a record of this year to help me remember what I thought, did, said, chose, got right, and got wrong. It will be a diary of sorts, or a journal, possibly even a forum for creative writing whenever I am in the mood. It might be me spouting off rubbish about the world or current afairs, being a bit whimsical, being angry, being in the mood to have a whinge.

Today I would like to say thankyou to those who remembered. Thanks to Els who has left me in considerable rib pain (my revenge will be swift and terrible) and to French who pinged a table tennis ball into my eye. Thanks to Keiran and Ed for the whiskey, it will go down very, very well. Thankyou to my wonderful 6th form for the surprise party (great cake!) and a special well done to Libby for being on the ball to shut up Emily! Thankyou to the 3rd from girls for wanting to know and Nick, Rowan, Jack, Doug and Emma for volunteering to have a beer. Thankyou to Kershaws, Osiatynskis, Kroupas, Lessmans, Stevensons, Nicholsons and others.

I have a feeling this 31st year may be quite momentous. I have made some wishes when blowing out candles and lying in bed, and I will aim to achieve them. I don't think I will change though much in how I am (sorry to my classes there).

Let it be a good year.

Posted by theblackcrowe at 3:43 AM EST

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