Grabbing At Straws

Seeing as I can't decide on anything worthwhile to write about, then I guess I'll just have to write in general. Just for the sake of it. Or my poor blog will feel unloved.

We'll start things off with something nice. I attended a wedding reception recently for a girl who I grew up with. She's older than me and closer to my sisters age. So much so that growing up I was the tortured younger brother, forever trying to keep up with their antics and being teased purely because I was younger. Good times.
It was a lovely experience. I've attended weddings and their post-ceremony parties many times before, but this one felt different. Maybe it was because I'm old enough to appreciate them now, but mostly I think it's because I knew the bride. I hadn't seen her or her family in some time, the most current being a funeral unfortunately, and I hadn't even spoken to any of them in years. But seeing this bride; this girl whose home I used to play at; whose family went on annual trips to watch pantomimes with mine; seeing her now was an altogether wonderful occasion. So crucially more important was the scenario of someone I knew getting married that it actually felt different. I can't help but wonder how it will feel when a close friend ties the knot.

Second on the agenda and something brief: apparently my little jaunts to the gymnasium are proving more fruitful than even I'm aware. Three separate people have now suggested to me that I have lost weight. Needless to say I played "You think so? I dunno, but thanks anyway" card while secretly shouting FUCK YEAH! in my head. The curious thing is that I have actually put on weight. Only a couple of pounds mind, but even so with all the hard work one puts in at that torture palace (so named now not because of the physical exercise but due to the god awful music they play) it doesn't help the mindset of someone trying to lower their weight. A close friend pointed out that it probably has something to do with toning while another suggested muscle weighing more than fat. It's possible both are true, regardless this means the goal of 'looking sexy' is under way. Watch out smaller jeans, I'm coming for ya!

Thirdly, I finally managed to watch the movie Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief. I'd been yearning to watch this for a handful of reasons:

1. Sean Bean (one of Britain's greatest exports) plays Zeus! Sean Bean. God of Thunder. Yes!
2. Growing up I was a Greek mythology nut. I loved the stuff. Heroes, monsters, gods. I ate that shit up. Even bought a nice copy of Homer's Odyssey while in Greece. A copy now worn and weathered through use.
3. This film has some big names playing roles that don't have more than maybe 5-15 minutes scene time total. Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thuman, Steve Coogan, Rosario Dawson and apparently Ray Winstone who I must have missed in my trance.

I'm glad to say I enjoyed it. It does suffer from the problem that all book-to-movie transitions suffer from i.e. the story feels rushed as they try to condense everything into less than 2 hours. But that's just an necessary evil. The special effects are top notch with some great designs on the monsters, which includes one of my all time favourite Greek beasties. My only wish is that it were longer to flesh out the characters a bit more. Seeing as this won't happen it gives me all the more reason to take a stab at the book itself. Here's hoping to a string of sequels!

Lastly a subject that I can't contain. 3 weeks from now I will have a beer in one hand and a burger in the other. I'll be tired from sleeping in a tent and my arse will be firmly planted on the grass near stage 3 as I and a handful of others are treated to a band a mere 24 hours before some of the biggest names in rock swagger on stage and blow my mind with awesome vocals, face melting solos and hair prickling riffs. Yes in 3 weeks I go to the first festival of the year. Download Festival. 5 days of drinking too much, eating junk food, sleeping poorly, being deafened by live music and braving the portaloos. It'll cost me hundreds of pounds when it's over and done with and you know what boys and girls?

I can't wait.