- It’s been a bloody long week, and not just because I skipped an instalment of my adventures.
- The fun news that I’m only going to get 18 hours per week for the forseeable, stripping my budget after rent down to what I got on the dole, has inevitably cast its shadow over my general demeanour.
- Finding other ways of earning money is as fruitful a search as it’s ever been, particularly when that search becomes allied to my desire to make creative things for coins. Obviously, the best thing to do in such a situation is to double down and use the extra time to improve my hunting.
- Of course, I have not done that. I have done some spectacularly ill-advised things, however.
- One such thing is the Steam Summer Sale, which is of Satan.
- Another such thing is the 23 hours I’ve put into Cities: Skylines over the past few days. The city of Newton is terrible, but I think once I bite the bullet and start over with a new one, I’ll have a better chance of doing well at being a mayor/city planner.
- I did end up doing a #songday last weekend, which can be found here: https://soundcloud.com/jamesdavidward/autumn-wind-demo
- I didn’t do one today, however, so it’s looking like it shall be an occasional rather than a weekly thing. Still, it’s good to actually finish and produce something, which is the main thing.
- It’s also good to perform for once, which I was allowed to do at the last Find the Right Words. I read one poem which I was sure was quite good, and another that wasn’t quite there because I was redrafting it on the day and couldn’t figure out a good ending. FtRW is a lovely night and I shall miss it now it is on it’s summer break.
- Another thing I shall miss is Leicester University Chorus. On happier weeks, this would have been the lead, because it’s something I’ve been involved in for years, but has reached the time where it’s more sensible to leave and preserve it as a lovely thing I did, rather than see it become a struggle to maintain. I’m two years out of uni now (gulp), I was in it for the people and the majority those that I like are leaving/gone, walking to Monday rehearsals after work makes me grumpy… at some point there becomes too many reasons to go to be convinced of any of the reasons to stay.
- However, it’s been a goodbye replete with victory lap. There was a concert, at which I did a solo of Sorry-Grateful from Sonheim’s Company. There was Cabaret, which was at Firebug, which is a place I like to attend. Finally there was an alumni evening, at which some of the people that were gone came back and we had a nice buffet followed by a traditional Chorus house party, which was a nice way to wrap it up.
- I’m still in Leicester, and I still have friends in it, so it’s obviously more of a step back than an abandonment, but it’s interesting to have that space open up in my life.
- My life is now pretty much space, actually. I’m struggling to comprehend that, beyond work for coins, I have no commitments, no clubs, not even a regular time I meet up with friends and such. At the moment, I have probably 80 hours a week right now to do with what I will. And I have no idea what I should do with it.
- I’ve resumed running though, which is something. I’m still shit, but I maintain that moving at all is better than not moving, which I’m all too good at. Although the app is now making me do half squats, and that does not make me a happy bunny. Knee lifts were stupid enough. I’m in public, guys! Geez.
- OH YEAH I saw Lion King. Good show, which I’d seen it fresh, but if you’re into adaptations and theatre it’s an interesting approach to keep in mind.
- Skipped the Red Leicester Reunion, though. I like seeing my friends, but apart from that people can just go away.
- Next week? Well, I’ll be trying to fill the chasm between the work I’m getting and the work I need with finding work while listening to podcasts. Apart from that, no bloody idea. (See above.) The Story City launch is tomorrow, and it’ll be nice to see some people, but otherwise I’unno. See ya next time!
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