Raindrops keep fallin...

It's raining in California. Rain. That familiar old friend I haven't seen for more than a month. When the first drop hit me, outside Sam Ash music store on Beach Bvd (A place with floor to ceiling guitars a la Waynes World) I thought a bird had shat on my head. I looked up in the Orange County sky to no avail (No intelligent life lives in this area of the country) then just stared at the droplets streaming through the smog like a gormless idiot for a while before remembering that the stuff is actually wet and that I was about an hour from my house.

I'm a simple guy really as you all know. A good day to me is by definition a day where I laugh out loud and a bad day is one where nothing even raises a smile. Today was threatening to fall into the bad day category but for the my imagination, when my Uncle Can came along and threatened to set me up with one of his friends daughters because "she's about your age and has finished her studies already - maybe you can get married and move here" Well it made me laugh anyway.

Being this bored I've decided to start planning my future. It's been a little daunting looking around at what everyone else is doing. I mean Lee mate, you've got a bloody secretary! Suzie's mentioned the word pension, which to me says (to quote Belle and Sebastian) "My wandering days are over", and even Skiv has been getting himself into trouble. Bags is happily in a dead end job, Chuv is destined to a life of international recognition and fun, hell even my cousin Pete, the hormonally-rampant teenager is gonna have more fun than me next year unless I pull my finger out - he's going around the world!

But it's my life, what everyone else does is their business and good luck to all my friends who I always hope to do well. The happier they are the happier I am and long may this cycle continue. My life is mine alone to control so I've decided to forget what everyone else is doing and to plan my future based on topping no-one elses achievements but my own. And topping this year is gonna be a mission!

In retrospect I have achieved so much this year and in truth I had only half a year to make an impact and actually achieve anything I wanted to achieve. The first half I was in Uni and it was more an obligation to get a degree. I wouldn't have been there if I had my way but once I got the degree I could do what I really wanted to and had to make up for 3 years lost time.

But when I finally got the chance, I got out as fast as possible straight to Glastonbury, which was made extra special by the fact that the physics department DIDN'T make me go back for a retake, then I spent most of the next three months making costumes for the Notting Hill Carnival with the Yaa Asantewaa centre which was led to the best three days of the year, and possibly the best three days of my life so far. It was the culmination of a years work for most of the group, 3 months work for me and the fulfillment of a lifes ambition. I just didn't bother to sleep for 3 days pumped up on adrenaline. We won 2nd place in the pre-carnival gala, 4th on the road and I was in all the local papers in the build up.

Scattered in all that, I made it onto the Raleigh London Commitee and and worked with someone famous without even knowing it and got into the Raleigh Intro weekends as well as all the other stuff. There wasn't a day in the second half of the year when I didn't have fire in my belly.

Then I topped it off by going to America the rest of the year. Not bad. And to think Lee was saying that life after uni is not exactly a bed of roses!

So what the hell am I gonna do to top that next year?!?!

With a whole year at my disposal I guess there's twice as many adventures to be had, twice as much mischief and double the amount of people to offend. I've been looking at making New Years Resolutions as well, seeing as I'm not back until then, but doing that would involve having to make an effort to change myself and I quite like myself thank you very much. So I've instead made 10 predictions which are open to interpretation and fallible. And require no effort at all on my part which is all good with me.

Prediction 1 - I'm gonna be on TV by the end of the year. (Yes I made that prediction this year - I'm still working on it)

Prediction 2 - I'm gonna go into another year of being single. I know this prediction changes every day, but then as I said these predictions are pure bollocks anyway.

Prediction 3 - I'm gonna jump off a pier somewhere with a pair of ridiculous wings strapped to my back

Prediction 4 - I will smoke weed with some long haired people on top of a mountain in a third world country

Prediction 5 - I'll jump off a mountain with a not-so ridiculous pair of wings on my back

Prediction 6 - I will learn kung fu

Prediction 7 - The single most bizarre thing of my whole life will happen to me of which I will emerge just about in one piece although I might have to tax my travel insurance for it. It will be the story that will top even the communist training camp story and the gorilla story. It will be amazing and the story to end all pub stories.

Prediction 8 - I'll actually turn up on time to meet one of my mates with no reschedule or cancellation. That includes going round to yours Jay, something that I've been meaning to do but it keeps getting bumped back I swear! (Of course as you all know this one is the least likely of all the predictions to come true so I wouldn't hold my breath)

Prediction 9 - I'll find something to do a masters in that I can actually see myself doing for any length of time. My attention span is just too short to commit to anything right now.

Prediction 10 - Vietnam

I think they are all likely to happen. Watch this space.

blog comments powered by Disqus