Detoxifying & adjusting

Great weekend - shame about the aftermath! Had another busy weekend just there; on Friday I went to the Arches for Pressure's 6th birthday - the atmosphere was fantastic, and after there was a party at Joe's and Lyall's with some folk who were up from Newcastle. Fun! On Saturday I was on the verge of staying in for a quiet night when Suzi asked me to come out clubbing again. This time we went to The Vault, and although it's a small basement venue, the atmosphere there was also great! Afterwards, we went to the Boy David's (a young multicultural bloke who's only 18 and parties like a Duracell rabbit on speed) flat for a wee while while he played some records, and then back to J & L's to continue the afterparty - David brought his mixer (audio, not drink) and I even had a shot on the decks (probably shouldn't've bothered).

However I'm now paying the price, as I haven't been feeling too good for the past couple of days. This could be down to a number of things. Possibly too much drink, too many cigarettes, too little sleep or a combination. On Sunday night I went to bed at 12am and managed somehow to sleep all the way through to 2pm!! And Monday night (sorry, Tuesday morning) got to sleep at 4am and woke around 10.30am. At the moment it's either too little sleep or too much! Yesterday I went to the gym for an intensive workout on the treadmill and got stuck into the muscle-building machines also. This was mainly an attempt to sweat out the excesses of the weekend but afterwards I just felt knackered!

I'm really trying to adjust to a normal sleep pattern and as the induction for my job is on Friday and I start proper on Monday. I've always struggled to synchronise my body clock with the rest of the world but now I'll have to on a more permanent basis. I really want a regular sleep pattern anyway, as I'll feel so much better in general. This randomness I'm so accustomed to is no good for my wellbeing!

A breakthrough, an addiction & Georgie Rent Boy

Job search update: it finally looks like I've got a job! Yesterday I went in and registered with HR Consultancy (recruitment), they gave me a brief data-entry test and then a short interview and voila! I now have a job with Scottish Power customer service, starting on the 6th December. I was asked why, with a degree in engineering, would I want to work in a call centre, but I just gave as positive an answer as I could, and that was fine by them - the main thing was to come across as committed.

I'm glad but nervous at the same time as it'll be my first ever proper job. I had previously considered staying on at uni but don't think I could bear it any more, and I'm glad I didn't - I think 18 years solidly in education is well enough for anyone! The thing I'll be most delighted about is that I no longer need to job hunt - believe me, job hunting when you're unemployed and have no experience is not pleasant - oh and there's the income; not much but'll do for now. There'll be 20 people starting altogether so possibly a good chance to make some new friends.

My sleep problem is really worrying me now. I went to bed at around midnight last night, and set my alarm for 9am. Come 9am, my alarm (hi-fi) went off, sort of half waking me, but before I had time to register that I should be getting up and out of bed, I had already reached for the remote control (strategically placed some distance from my bed) and switched it off. I then must've closed my eyes for a split second and wham! It was 11.45!! I'm starting to think that my body is addicted to sleep - not my mind, as I'd quite happily sleep 8 hours a night, but my body seems not to want to wake up in the morning, even after a good 9 hours in deep slumber. This morning, for example, I was far too drowsy to even realise what was going on when my alarm went off. This problem is really doing my fuking head in, quite literally!!

Anyhow, in honour of CRAM (Craig Renton Appreciation Month), I'd like to take this opportunity to present my own anecdote of Craig from an ESE night out. Hmm let me think... oh yes... ESE night out, The Hive, The queue to get in...

After a few drinks at the flat (mine and Iain's) we (ESE) proceeded to head to the Hive (GUU student "nightclub"). I think everyone had had a bit to drink except for Craig, who is teetotal. A couple of us got let in, and then it was Craig's turn. Stone cold sober, he was refused entry for looking "too drunk"!! Oh the irony. To me that was one of the funniest things that ever happened during ESE. Craig is probably the only person ever to be knocked back after drinking a couple of glasses of Schloer - hee hee!

P.s. Craig, if you're reading this, the comical take on your name in the title is in no way meant to be derogatory! Please don't hate me!

P.p.s. Yes I know, Andy beat me to it by mentioning the above story in his blog, but I was determined to describe it here in my own words.

Not quite right

For me, things are going ok at the moment, aside from the fact I'm still unemployed (that's about 4 months and 3 weeks now, since graduation). My life doesn't really have much structure or meaning and I'm kind of drifting along in some kind of twilight existence. I've had enough - I mean it this time!

My fundamental flaw is my sleep pattern - I can't seem to maintain consistency and regularity! It's not that I have trouble sleeping - quite the contrary. It's more that I often struggle to get out of bed in the morning and often don't feel tired until the early hours of the morning. I sometimes oversleep, and as a result can feel disorientated or confused for most or all of the day. Conversely, I might have to get up early for an interview or something (after a late night) and consequently feel like shit!

What usually throws me off is the "cycle of alcohol", by which I mean whenever I drink alcohol I tend to overdo it, causing a hangover the next day, which usually means I'll sleep a lot more that morning. Once I've sorted out my pattern again, the weekend has arrived, I get drunk and the cycle repeats. Think I'll seriously curb the drinking in future!

My body is saying: "I've had enough! I want a proper, regular pattern." I think I'll listen to it this time and really make the effort once and for all! This is of course where having an occupation would help.

Aside from that, things are going pretty damn well!

Detox required

I had a busy weekend, for a change. Here's what happened...

Fri - My initial plan was to have a quiet night in, but was asked on the spur of the moment to go to a party with the girls. Party? Girls? I'm not normally inclined to say no to those! The party was in a flat just off Sauchiehall St, and featured mainly French people (with the odd Argentinian and Moroccan thrown in). At first it was awkward for me as I didn't really know anyone there, but a couple of Whiskies and Vodkas soon put paid to that. There was this Moroccan guy who actually said to someone "by the way I'm not an Arab" - what's the world coming to if someone feels they have to say something like that? As long as you don't have an AK-47 and a flying licence then you're ok by me. Anyway, I couldn't understand a word this guy was saying, and just nodded and pretended I knew what he was talking about instead of saying "what?" all the time. The girls decided to leave early, and so I left with them. Daniel, the guy who rented my room before me, was there also.

Sat - Went to my sister's new flat in Scotstoun, for an evening with my sisters, cousins, bro-in-law and sisters pals. Large quantities of red wine were consumed and much catching up was done. Later, we got a bus into the city centre, to the Buff Club. I'd never been before and still haven't because after a good 15 mins queuing, we were told "sorry the club's full - you'll have to go". We then headed to the Sub Club (in the freezing cold), which was good - I've always found the Sub Club to be consistently a good night out. By the end of the night I was very drunk and felt like shit. Chips & cheese was purchased and consumed.

Sun - Spent most of the day in bed, sleeping off the hangover. Was finally out of bed and showered by 4pm. Went on a date! I got the train down to the Odeon (in Ayr) and met her outside. We went to see The Grudge, a hollywood remake of a Japanese horror film. It was ok; quite chilling but a bit silly. After we went for a drink in the West Kirk (Wetherspoons) and then to Elliots in Prestwick to meet her friends and endure a bit of sub-standard karaoke. Good night though!

Mon (today) - My dad woke me quite early, around 10:30am - feeling strangely fresh after a few drinks last night and only 6 hours sleep. Someone with the following name:

** DUNK 'N LEE"~**tHeRe Is A HoLe In My SouL..u CaN c It In My fAcE..iT's A rEaL bIg PlAcE.. .. .. ..

- tried to add me to their MSN Messenger contacts, then was asking questions like "where u 4om?" The picture they use is of Duncan from the boy-band Blue. My guess is that she is some mad Blue fan who has done some sort of search on Messenger to find people with names like "Dunc" or "Dunk" or "Dunky", in the hope of meeting her idol. My Messenger name (Dunky) probably came up as a match. How random. Anyway, I should be going back up to Glasgow shortly and continue my quest for employment.

I was thinking of buying a new guitar. Saw some cheap-but-good ones in the window of McCormacks. My old one has packed in a bit. I've got this guitar effects pedal (got as a birthday present a few years back, seriously underused), and with it you can create almost any sound by tweaking various parameters. However the jack connection on my old guitar must be fuked, and consequently all you can hear through the pedal is a muffled sound.

Recently I've been doing a lot of exercise, mainly jogging, on a daily basis. I've either been doing 3.5 mile runs outdoors (I measured it!), or 20 mins intensive treadmill action in my new home, Healthland gym. After just over a week of this, I'm feeling so much healthier. I'm going to start doing a lot of ab work etc, in an attempt to vanquish what's left of my beer belly. A six-pack wouldn't hurt much :D

Job search update: I had an interview on Wednesday for a software company in Edinburgh. I was given a technical test of my C/C++ knowledge, in which I think I did pretty well. However, I was scuppered a bit by some of the general questions (it might've helped for the first question if I knew what the company actually was!) and found out the next day that my "application was unsuccessful". Oh well, chin up I suppose - it's all good experience. I'm kind of glad though, as I didn't really fancy the daily commute from Glasgow to Edinburgh. I'm hoping that I'll have something soon. On one side, I'm not strapped for cash just yet, but on the other side, the question "so what have you been doing since you graduated" is going to be increasingly harder to answer at interviews.

As an aside, that's the first time I've explored Edinburgh myself during the day, and junkies aside, it seems like a really nice city.

A brush with celebrity

Today I set my alarm for 9am - and as-per-usual, closed my eyes for what seemed like a split second, but turned out to be a couple of hours! So finally, I was out of bed by 11.10am. I'm currently in all-too-familiar territory, i.e. struggling to get out of bed early in the morning. It's kind of hard to explain, but I am a very deep sleeper, and despite going to bed at 12am and waking at 9am (9 hours sleep is more than enough for any regular human being), I just didn't have it in me to force myself from my pit. I blame this extreme lethargicness on A) not having anything to get up for and B) enjoying my dreams so much! Ideally I would like to sleep for no more than 8 hours a night and to get up early most mornings!

Anyway, enough of that. I was in the Oranmor earlier (pub; converted church at corner of Byres Rd and Great Western Rd), with my dad and my sister for "A Pie, a Pint and a Play", which for about £10 is exactly what is says on the tin. The play was by William McIlvanney, one of Scotland's best writers (who was trying his hand at writing a play for the first time). After the play, we met McIlvanney at the bar, and he bought us all a drink. He's a very clever, witty guy and we were chatting about various things. I thought that was pretty cool.

Anyway, my plans for the rest of the day? I'll be fuked if I know.

Nothing in life is free - except for second-hand furniture!

As I was about to leave the flat earlier, I was confronted by Ruth (the Austrian girl) who said "we found a couch!" Estelle (French girl) appeared and they led me to a street just round the corner from the flat, where, lo and behold, there was a some mattresses, cushions, and a couple of couches, which had been discarded on the pavement. We carried a 2-seater recliner and a single corner chair, along with the cushions, all the way back to the flat. It was kind of surreal, and of course as soon as we started carrying the furniture, various people appeared with the obligatory quizzical glances.

However, we now have a nice red couch in the hall and a comfy chair in Ruth's bedroom. Who said nothing in life is free?

Gym'll fix it for you

Yesterday I joined Healthland gym, for the "limited edition" sum of £160. Seems reasonable, given that a years graduate membership in the Stevie building is about £360. There's no smimming pool, but plenty other stuff and apparently a lot of hot female talent. The only perceived drawback is that it's supposed to get extremely busy at peak times. I joined because I believe it'll give me an incentive to get fit, but only time will tell.

I went to see "Halfcut" plus special guests at the Soundhaus on Thursday. I went with my 3 flatmates, and it was a great gig. The lead singer is Alistair's cousin so we got tickets at a discount price of £3.

In general, I've settled into the flat ok. My flatmates seem cool and it's a really a refreshing change to be living with girls as well as a male flatmate, even if they are slightly quirky Europeans :D So far it's been infinitely more social than my last residence in Glasgow. Suzi is giving me a lift up tonight with the rest of my stuff (I'm in Prestwick at the moment), and now I'm feeling properly settled in I can now concentrate on the job search. Currently I've got 2 interviews lined up for next week - both computing-related. I may also be able to get some interviews for call-centres as well, so we'll see how things unfold. Iain got a job with Sky customer service so he gave me the number to phone.

My papa has now moved into my parents house, and now they're going to get Sky tv! Just after I've left home again! Talk about bad timing! Anyway I'm not really that bothered. I can watch it whenever I come to visit.

It seems strange to be living so near to the Boyd Orr building and not be able to go and use the broadband in the lab any more (sob). As I still don't have a computer of my own, I've been accessing the net from Tinderbox, the coffee shop. It costs about £1 for 23 minutes surfing, which is handy for checking emails and blogs etc. Well actually, I lied about the Boyd Orr - I have been able to access the broadband as I can still use my login from last year!! However I feel a bit edgy when doing so as I feel as if I don't belong there any more. It feels... dirty. To minimise the risk of getting caught or the security guard asking for my fob, I try to make any visit as short as possible. In and out in under 2 minutes, just like the SAS - albeit a sad, geeky SAS!

Anyway, I'll conclude on a positive note - my uncle finally underwent the "cardioversion" procedure and it was a success! Nice to get some good news for a change.

A brief interlude

I promised earlier that I wouldn't post again until I've something positive to say. So...umm...well there's not a lot I can post about right now!

Anyway, I'm enjoying living back in the West End, and I've recently taken up jogging on a daily basis. The flat is good as well - I'm pretty much settled in. Tomorrow I plan to have a look at the membership prices of various gyms, with intent of joining one. I've got a free day pass for Healthland on Bath St so I'll check it out.

As for jobs.. well I'll get round to that soon!

Into the unknown

Dramatic title huh? I always strive to make my life sound dramatic at every opportunity!

I decided to move into the flat in Lawrence St - just off Byres Rd. I think I made the right choice. The Maryhill place had its charms (cosy, probably quiet, nice flatmate, pet) but I don't think peace and quiet is what I need right now. As for a nice room etc, that doesn't matter either, because as Iain said, if I'm working and going out all the time I'll hardly be indoors anyway.

That's not to say my new flat isn't nice. My bedroom isn't bad; a decent size, with laminate flooring. The girls have huge rooms as they were first in but our (me and Alistair's) rooms are still a decent size. The bathroom is spacious - pretty standard for the west end. The kitchen is small but we have all mod cons. There is no lounge but anyone is welcome to go and sit in anyone elses room for a chat.

I'll be living with Alistair (other Scottish guy, doing mechanical engineering, wants to be in RAF), Ruth (Austrian girl, teaching assistant in primary school) and Estelle (French girl, also teaching assistant, whom I've barely seen). The new place is looking to be somewhere at the opposite end of the social spectrum from last year's flat (me, Iain and 2 recluses who seldom ventured out of their rooms), and I'm glad I got to move in there. Although my flatmates seem far more sociable, there is a certain air of maturity as well which I like, and there is peace and quiet to be had if you want it.

The lease seems pretty decent as well, unlike Ronnie McColl's (last year). It is a 12-month short assured tenancy, but you can leave any time, so long as you give 28 days notice. There is also a deposit. Forunately for me I don't have to pay council tax as I have taken place of a student who has just moved out - sshhhh! The landlord also seems like a decent guy, who seems quite relaxed about things.

I've yet to move my stuff in from Prestwick but may be able to get a lift up on Monday with my sister. Since I got the keys on Thursday night, it's all been a bit of a drunken haze, as I've been out drinking with Alistair. In fact, I can probably say I've met more people through Alistair in 2 days than I met in my 4 years at uni! Ok, slight exaggeration there. Yesterday I discovered the wonders of "China Buffet King" on Sauchiehall St; you pay around £6.00 and have as much as you like from the huge buffet - fantastic! Gluttony central!

Last night I met up with most of my old comrades from ESE in Bouzy Rouge. It was a great turnout by the usual standards - present were Ross, Iain, Emma, Craig and (to my surprise) Bob and Waseem. Mariken (Derek's girlfriend) and some French lawyer guy were there also. Afterwards we went to Revolution for a few beverages.

One thing I've noticed almost instantaneously after "flying the nest" yet again is that my relationship with my parents seems to have improved. There seems to be plenty more to talk about. In addition, I enjoy coming to visit in Prestwick - it's not such a bad old place, so long as you don't live there! I really appreciate being here if it's roughly on a once-a-week basis - it also provides a nice contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city.

I mentioned earlier that I was trying to arrange a date with Gillian, a girl I've only met once. Well, it has been hyped up for weeks, and we've been keeping in touch via texts, but still no date yet. It's been awkward as she seems to work a lot and have other commitments and I'm going through a transitional period. Hopefully we'll meet up next Saturday or something - whilst there is still some momentum. I don't particularly want to blow this opportunity, and can't put it off for much longer!

I've mentioned the relationship front, but there is also the job front. Recently I've been so preoccupied with finding a flat and so the job search has taken a back seat. I'm not getting any financial support at all from my parents but I've got enough savings in the bank to sustain me for a few months (wishful thinking?). I don't have any income aside from my giro, and now I'll really need to watch my finances. It's strange as this sort of situation is all new to me, but at the same time it's exciting. In some respects I feel like a blank slate. If I try hard, I should have some sort of job within the next couple of weeks - I'll settle for almost anything really. There is a good chance I could soon be working on a website for my sister's research dept. at Yorkhill hospital.

So, I'm now in a situation where my future is uncertain, but I do have a sort of plan; I at least want to do a lot more exercise to try and get fit (4 months spent watching DVDs doesn't exactly do wonders for your fitness) - perhaps by joining a gym. Also, I'm going to try and work on song ideas and record some stuff, something I've been meaning to do for donkeys. Apart from that I'll look for employment and see how the girl situation goes.

All in all, so much has happened over the past few days - I think I need a holiday :D

Decision time

Here's the situation...

I was flathunting yesterday and saw several places, nearly all of which I liked. Last night I was asked by a girl if I wanted to move in with her. The flat is in Maryhill, and although quite small, is very cosy and well looked-after, and there is also a cat. There is also a copious amount of public transport providing easy access to the city centre and the west end. The room is very nice and being high up, there are great views of the surrounding area (e.g. the Campsie hills and some Maryhill highrises). There are also plenty shops and supermarkets nearby. I think it's her place and she wasn't too bothered about getting me to sign a lease. When I went to view the place, we seemed to get on ok. Sounds good eh?

I have actually told her that I would move in and arranged to pick up the keys etc tomorrow. Nice and straightforward huh? Wrong.

Another place I'd seen is a flat just beside Byres Rd, in the heart of the west end. There lives a Scottish guy, an Austrian girl and a French girl - all students. When I went to see the place, I stayed for a while, had a coffee and a chat and it seemed ok. Whilst I was in, yet more girls appeared and came into the room. It all seemed rather good, being surrounded by all these girls! What is even better is that if I moved in I wouldn't have to pay council tax, for some (possibly illegitimate) reason. Also, the lease is also ridiculously relaxed (leave whenever, but give 28 days notice). The flat itself was ok; quite spacious, with large rooms, with the only drawback being a very small kitchen. I was told that it is a very open place, where the flatmates just sit and chat or go out. Basically, the main appeal here is an incredibly social atmosphere, the kind I'd always wanted but never quite got when I was at uni.

Anyway, I was phoned today by the guy who advertised the room and showed me the place. He said that they wanted me to move in - but I'd already chose the other place! I told him I was interested and would decide for definite shortly. I asked if I could sleep on it and let him know tomorrow and he said ok. He phoned back later to say that they really wanted me to move in - I kid you not! I couldn't believe my luck (can't help feeling there's a catch somewhere).

It's obviously a wonderful thing to be wanted as a flatmate by multiple parties, but now I essentially have to make a crucial decision - that of which place to choose. Both have very alluring but different qualities and I just can't seem to make up my mind. To add to the dilemma, both rents work out at about the same and also there is no strict lease for either place. Do I go with the student place in the heart of the west end, be surrounded by girls and go out all the time, or do I opt for the cosy quiet place, with the lovely rooms?

Effectively it comes down to home comforts vs social life, and my problem lies in wanting the best of both worlds.

One last moan

My mood recently has been going up and down like a yo-yo. I think this has largely been triggered by the stresses caused by simultaneously looking for a flat and a job, and if I don't get some routine in my life soon I'll probably go mad!

It's strange because when I left home the first time, I genuinely felt that I was making progress in life, and it was easy to leave behind negative aspects of the past. However now I've been living at home again, it's almost as if that progress has been reversed and I'm almost back to where I was before. It's not a good feeling at all. I guess the reason I'm so desparate to get away and find my own place is that I want to once again leave the past behind and feel like I'm making progress. In short, I want a proper life (flat, job, girlfriend inclusive), like most people have.

Anyway, my posts recently have probably been depressing the readership of this blog so I vow not to post again until I've something positive to say!