Minor turning point

It's been a stressful few weeks for me. Things feel like they are getting out of control for me. I can't find a job. I'm losing my temper over little things and it's been effecting my ability to write, which is my escape valve.

I write to escape into a World of my own and when I can't, it makes things worse. I don't post my work because most of what I write are scripts I want to animate. The downside to not being able to write is that it stresses me out more, which means I can't write. As a very wise friend of mine said, it is a vicious cycle. Dad, as usual, wasn't helping matters.

And I went to be, but I couldn't sleep. The only things I seemed to have control of is when I wake up and when I go to sleep. I needed something else. 

So I deleted my Myspace account.

Trivial, I know. I haven't used it since I jumped over to Facebook in 2007. In fact, I could barely remember the password. The email was an account I closed two years ago. It was a minor miracle that I could still access it. 

But it was something I had control over, and closing it eased a tiny bit of my stress. Not much, mind, but a bit of a weight was lifted. It was enough for me to call it a victory.

Scottish Birthday

So this last weekend was the Scottish celebration of my 25th birthday (which is actually this sunday - long story) and my friends and I decided to have a night out. It turned into one of the most random and truly amazing experiences of my life.

But a bit of background. I decided that since the night out was on the 23rd, the same day as the Day of the Doctor, that I should have a Doctor Who themed party. For me, that meant digging out my Tenth Doctor costume and wearing it all day long. 

So I’m walking around Glasgow, and absolutely everywhere we went, we heard whispers of “That’s the Doctor” or “That guy’s dressed as the Doctor”. But the truly randomness of the evening didn’t happen until we headed to Steampunk Cafe.

We had a bit of time to kill, so we went into Lush. Immediately one of the shop assistants announced loudly “Oh brilliant! You have just made my day!” I smiled, laughed and thanked her. We looked around and left without buying anything. Then we went to the Police Box on Buchanan street, and decided to take a few photos.

There was another guy there as well, and he asked me to pose with his Dalek. I did, and various people stopped and asked for photos. I started chatting to him, when I noticed a guy walking past dressed as 11. Naturally, he was pulled into a few photos as well. As this was going on, a group of Whovians waving banners saying “Hugs for Doctor Who 50th Anniversary!” arrived. Naturally, there were hugs and a few more photos. 

All while a busker dressed as Slash played Sweet Child O’ Mine. 


It was surreal to the extreme, but also amazing. 

So after (finally) getting to the club, things settled down a bit. I had a couple of drinks, and was generally enjoying myself. 

And when I went up to the bar for another round, I saw another guy cosplaying as 11. Naturally, I went up to him and we mutually complimented each other on our outfits. I thought that was going to be the end of it.

Nope, not that easy. He was at the booth across from our table.

As the evening went on, we interacted a few more times. He complimented Kerri on her sonic (although he did complain about the red setting), we had a mini-dance off, which I won by virtue of having psychic paper, and I stole his fez and he chased me around the club, much to our friends amusement.

I also danced with a couple of friends, and had a quasi-German woman try to teach me how to lead by quoting Spider-Man (which is both hilarious and a tiny bit alarming) 

Then when he went, the sound system broke down. As a joke I went up to the DJ’s booth and offered him my sonic screwdriver. He laughed, took it and “zapped” the machine hooked up to the laptop.

It worked. 

(okay yes, he MAY have already fixed it by then, but I choose to believe my toy worked. It was that kind of day :P)

Then that same quasi-German woman spread some glitter across my forehead and declared me Simba, which somehow just seemed normal by that point. 

After getting back, we FINALLY watched the Day of the Doctor and every single one of us found something to be excited about it. Well done, Moffat!

All in all, a pretty damn fantastic birthday

Project: Robot

Those of you who read my blog on a regular basis know that a while back (approximately six months ago), I was assembling the K1 Robot Build-it Figure from the first wave of classic Doctor Who figures. Then I suddenly went quiet on the subject. My last post was about FINALLY acquiring the final piece: an arm.

Well, things happened, and the arm never materialised. It was mainly my fault, as my limited cash input meant that I constantly had to focus on other things. Back then, £20 was practically a small fortune for me. Then my friend moved house and I've not heard from him for a while.

But then I got a job. 

A reasonably well paid job, at that.

So today, I went on eBay to try and find the last arm. The final piece I needed was released with the Fifth Doctor figure. I checked eBay and was put off by the price. It's rather expensive, but that didn't stop me. I found the cheapest one (around £12 plus shipping). Before I confirmed my purchase, I decided to check out Amazon.

And there it was.

A Fifth Doctor figure for £4. It was loose but the seller assures me it has all the pieces. So naturally, I bought it. With a bit of luck, in a few days I will have at least completed my robot. Pictures are to follow when it arrives.

In other Who related news, I have gained a small army from each Dalek story of which there are figures. This, naturally, pleases me greatly.

Live Long and Prosper

So Matt Smith is leaving

Yesterday, the news broke that Matt Smith will be leaving Doctor Who during this year's christmas Special. As usual, there are rampant rumours regarding who will replace him. So I thought I'd chime in my opinion on the subject.

I'm torn.

On the one hand, I enjoy it when a new Doctor is introduced. They bring something fresh to the series. And with the first few viewings, there is always that moment when you think, "Oh look at that! It's just like Nine". Finding the traits the Doctor shares with his previous regeneration always makes me smile.

But on the downside, I've grown to like Matt Smith's Doctor. He's the first of the new Doctors to be truly alien in the way he interacts with people. His relationship with Clara has been very intriguing and somewhat refreshing to see (even if Moffat has repeatedlyreused story ideas).

Should Matt stay for a while longer? I think he still has something to give to the character, but at the same time, it's better that he's going out on a high, rather than sticking at the character for so long we become bored of him. David did it, as did Christopher, and it's nice to see Matt has realised this as well. 

So who should be the next Doctor?

One intriguing possibility that has been risen is that a woman could replace him. Lara Pulver (pictured below) has expressed an interest in playing the 12th Doctor, and recent episodes have confirmed the long held belief that a Time Lord could regenerate and become a Time Lady, and actresses Helen Miriam, Olivia Coulman and former companion Billie Piper have been citied as possibile replacements.

The Next Doctor?

Personally, I hope that this is not the case. Much as I'd love to see a woman take on the role, I think that the idea of the Doctor as a slightly weird British man is simply too ingrained. Had it already occurred during the Classic era, that would be a different matter entirely. But it didn't (sadly) and now I think it's too late to try it, especially with the Doctor approaching his final life (which I will play)

So who could do it?

Some actors listed on betting sites for the role are Idris Elba, Russell Tovey, Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch. While all the above would make wonderful Doctors, I'm hoping that it goes to a middle aged or older actor. As proven by Jon Pertwee, age does not have to limit the role at all. In fact, he was the first "action" Doctor, with his Venusian Aikido. So could do it?

Before The Snowmen, I would've said Richard E Grant without hesitating. Why? Let's look at the facts, shall we?

He's played non canon versions of the Doctor twice before. The first was in the Curse of Fatal Death, and while he didn't get very much screen time, he left an impression on many viwers. The second was in The Scream of the Shalka, an attempt by the BBC to bring Doctor Who back before Russell T Davis stepped in. Here he was haunted by some loss and he did not want a companion. But as the serial progressed, he became a lighter character, showing some traits one associates with the Doctor, as well as a love of show tunes. I would've loved to see this Doctor, travelling with Alison and an Android version of the Master in many more adventures, but sadly, it was not to be.

So who exactly would I like to see as the Doctor then? 

There has also been one actor that I thought would make an excellent Doctor, and he did in two audio adventures in the Doctor Who: Unbound series. He is no stranger to science fiction, having had roles in Star Trek and as the villian in the first TRON film as well as voicing a villain in the Doctor Who animated adventure Dreamland. In fact, he recently appeared on Doctor Who itself, in the episode Cold War.

I am, of course, talking about David Warner.

At 71, he would be the second oldest (John Hurt just beats him by two years) to protray the Doctor. If you don't think he could do it, just go listen to his audio adventures (available from the Big Finish website). You can trust me on this. David Warner would make an excellent Doctor. And by having him being a little older, his relationship with his Companion would be more akin to that of the Third Doctor and Liz Shaw or Sarah Jane, a departure from the current lovey dovey Companion relationships we've seen.

That's just my thoughts on the subject. Do you agree? Disagree? Let me know in comments!

Live Long and Prosper

Here I am again

Move over, Ross Gellar. There's a new Mayor of the Friends Zone.

How do you tell someone something important?

As my loyal readers know, I suffer from a very rare genetic disorder. It affects many aspects of my life and as time goes on, it will slowly but surely affect more of them. It is most likely going to be what will kill me. I have mostly accepted this fact (yesterday's panic doesn't count). 

But how do I tell someone new in my life this fact?

I found out  for definite myself in December 2011, roughly. I'd started showing some symptoms already, so it was a forgone conclusion at that point that I had something wrong with me. Some friends knew and no doubt some of them had inform other friends. I didn't mind. Frankly I just wanted to know so that I could get on with my life. Dad, Simon and I received an appointment up at Newcastle. The consultant, a very nice man called Doug, confirmed that yes, I had inherited the condition from Mum and I went numb for about a week.

And then I came around and by then, everyone knew.

Dad or I had told everyone that "needed" to know, and they passed that information onto other people. It seemed that every one in my circle of my friends knew, and the ones who wanted to ask questions asked them. I answered as best I could and that was that. As new friends have come into my life, I've told them that I have problems and mostly left it at that. If they've asked, I've either feined tiredness or I've given them half truths. Only a few, really close friends know the full extent of my condition. 

And now, someone has come into my life who could very well become close to me, so how do I tell her?

Live Long and Prosper

  

Project: Robot

So today, I went to my GP to discuss some health issues which I won't go into here. The people in my life who need to know have been made aware of this. Instead, I want to update you on my quest to collect and assemble the K1 Robot.

See, this looks like an absolutely massive step. Suddenly, instead of an assembly line of figure parts, they're all together in one rather cool looking whole. This is the end result of acquiring just one part. The Upper Torso. As a result of gaining that part, I was able to FINALLY attach the head and left arm of the Robot, and eliminate the worry of losing either part. 

As you can see, he's nearly finished. Just need one more arm, which I'll be acquiring from a friend as long as I send him the money for a few figures I'm buying off him. 

Pictured, with Disintegrator Gun

Live Long and Prosper

Stuff

I've noticed just recently that I'm going through some stuff, and a lot of it is scaring me. Especially when you consider what some of the stuff is indicating. 

Depression.

Yeah. I know. It's one of those words that has so much meaning, but is cramped into 10 letters. It's a scary thought, and it's something that I really need to get looked at because if I have it, I need to get it sorted. It's not something I can just leave, because at the moment I'm shouting at my friends for no apparent reason. The smallest things can set me off, and I'm geniunely concerned that sooner or later, I will hit someone.

That isn't me. I don't want to be that person. So Monday, I've got an appointment with my GP, and I'm going to ask her opinion and see where we go from there. Yeah. I just thought I'd have a copy of it somewhere written down.

Of course, I'll keep you all updated, not that anyone actually reads this.

Live Long and Prosper

Love

Bear with me here, because this entry has a bit of an explanation to go with it. I've had feelings (I would even say love) for someone for a very long time and, without going into too much detail, that person is pretty much forever lost to me now. Barring accidents or other circumstances, the woman in question and I will never get together. 

Am I okay with this? Of course I'm not.

You see, this whole thing started a few years ago. I asked my friend Paul to set me up with one of his female friends. It took him a while to 'pick the right woman', and by then, my mother had taken a turn for the worst. Naturally, she became my main focus, and I put dating along with everything else to the back of my mind. Sadly, by the time my life became normal enough for me to consider dating again, the woman had started seeing someone else. 

Eventually, we got to know each other quite well and became friends. However, my feelings for her grew to beyond friendship, but she was still seeing this person. I thought I had accepted this, but when they finally broke up, my spirits soared. I had intended to ask her out, but she declared to anyone and everyone that she wasn't looking for a relationship, so I held my ground. I was happy to wait for her because I knew that sooner or later she'd come around.

I intended to ask her on a date on a night out but she came out drunk. Since I was sober, I didn't want it to look like I was taking advantage, so I postponed. Unfortunately (for me), she went home with another friend, and they started a friends with benefits style relationship. This lasted for about 6 months, until they finally split up. By this point, she had started talking to the man who would become her husband. 

And the worst part, I helped them get together.

Against my better judgement, I told her to message him, and she did. He replied, but the next day, he was in a relationship with another woman. I thought that would be the end of that. She was put off dating for a while but again, I was willing to wait. Then he split up with the woman, and the pair started dating. 

On my 23rd birthday, he proposed to her (the bastard) and on the 8th of February, they were married. I never told her how I felt about her, and I never will.

It's going to take me a while to get over her (if I ever do), but I know I have to. 

So I'm asking my friends to bear with me, because this is going to be a long and difficult road for me. I will get there, and I've taken the first steps towards this goal, but it won't be a case of "Moping for a weekend and be ready to try again." 

Wish me luck. 

Live Long and Prosper

Project: Robot (continued)

Hello again! 

The Wedding is over and done with, and since I had a bit more money spare then I realised I would, I bought a few more pieces of the K1 Robot, including the torso and another leg. The leg arrived today, and the torso should arrive within the next three or so days. 

Once again, it seems I have failed in my mission to acquire a hobby which would take me a few months to complete. Last time, it was Battlestar Galactica minimates, which I now own most of (instead of going for the complete set, I decided to go for representatives of each figures - I shall one day post a collection of these minimates). Due to the prices of some of the figures, I thought it would take me at least 2 or 3 months to collect all the K1 Robot pieces, instead of a couple of weeks.

After this, I only have one part to get, which my friend is going to send me when I finally pay him for some figures he's holding for me. 

the Robot and pieces, so far.

Live Long and Prosper

Project: Robot update

I just ordered the Head. That is all.

UPDATE: the head arrived today.

Live long and propser

Announcing Project: Robot

So it's 2008, and Character Options, the company that makes Doctor Who figures, have just released pictures of their upcoming wave of figures based on the classic series. There are three Doctors, two "army builders" and three one off characters. Every Collector out there is really excited, myself included, and then we see the words "Build-it-Figure". Everyone becomes even more excited, especially when the Build-it figure was announced as the "K1 robot".

Which looks like this:

Now, back then, I wasn't anywhere near as knowledgeable about Classic Who as I am today. I had absolutely no clue as to the significance of the Robot, save that it was from Tom Baker's first story. So when I bought the figures (only the ones I wanted, mind - so the Doctors, some Sea Devils and Zygons), I thought nothing of the pieces, and they were mostly given away. About a year later, I bought the Magnus Greel and Mr Sin for £10 (quite the deal). At some point, I also bought the SV7 robot (the silver one in that group). Again, I still had no intention of building this figure, so I threw the pieces into a box somewhere and promptly forgot about them.

Cut to about three weeks ago, and I watched ROBOT, Tom Baker's first story, in it's entireity for the first time. I've watched the odd episode in the past. Of course, having seen it, I wanted the Build-it-figure. So I searched through various boxes for the pieces, but gave up.

Today, I tried again, and I found the following pieces: 

My K1 Robot, so far

Now I am especially pleased with finding that arm! That's the piece that came with Magnus Greel (who is now worth around £80) and I really did not want to pay that much JUST for the arm (well, the gun - I could've bought another Fifth Doctor and just had two arms). So this has made my day.

My friend has offered me another arm, so all I need now is the upper torso (Sixth Doctor), second leg (D84 - black robot) and the head (Zygon). I shall keep you updated as I collect. 

Soon...

Live Long and Prosper

Let There Be Light!

So today, I woke up at around 2pm (which is normalish for me) and walked out of my bedroom into the hallway. A brightly lit hallway... which, for us, is not normal.

You see, a few months back, we had all of our windows and exterior doors replaced. The new ones are brilliant, by virtue of there are no black lines running down them, offering an unobstructed view of our surroundings. In the case of our back windows, this means looking out onto a small patch of woodland and our garden. However, during the installation, the builder people accidentally cut a wire which shouldn't have been there and we lost our kitchen and upstairs lights.

Fortunately, we have unit lights in our kitchen, which means that there was still some light in there. We can still cook after dark. However, that still meant that our upstair lights were gone. Since the only ones upstairs are me and Simon, we relied on our bedside lights. However, the bathroom was without, so we put a torch in there. 

So today, when I woke up and looked around in my brightly lit hallway, I looked up and saw... the light was on. Naturally, I made the same reference as my title when I saw it, before checking the other upstair lights. Yes, my bedroom, Simon's bedroom and mostly importantly the Bathroom were all restored to brilliant brightly lit rooms within seconds! 

As it turned out, the wire only cut off the kitchen lights, and what Dad, Simon, myself and, ironically, THREE electricans failed to notice was that we had a blown fuse. 

So now we have lights on upstairs again. This, naturally, makes me happy, since it means I no longer have to rely on a torch when I brush my teeth, wash my face or use the toliet. It also means night time baths (my favourite kind - especially in this weather) are back on the menu! 

So how are all of you?

Live Long and Prosper

UPDATE: It's snowing again.