I need to be bold, need to jump in the cold water...

I'm going to make this an Emma-free post. All I've done the last couple of weeks is think about her and talk about her, so it's time to think and talk about something else. Here's something that's been bothering me for a while.

So every year Sean and I host a massive Chrismukkah party at our house. It's effectively a made-up holiday popularised by The OC (the single greatest TV show ever made) combining Christmas and Hanukkah into one massive super holiday for mixed Jewish and Christian households. Now, we're not Jews, but I guess I'm pretty stingey with money. We're not Christians, but be a fly on the wall during an intense game of Modern Warfare 2 and you will hear plenty of "Oh Jesus Fucking Christ!" or "For God's Sake!". Yeah, that's enough justification for us.

Christmukkah is our biggest party of the year and it pretty much sets the standard for house parties. It's our marquee event and it is pretty epic. This year we plan on really pushing the boat out and sharing the Chrismukkah experience with as many people as possible, and we plan on throwing in some fantastic surprises throughout the night. Just looking at the names that will be on the guestlist this year gets me buzzing: Williams, Zoe, Peppa, Baker, 'She who must not be named', Sarah K, Sarah W, Meg... loads of massive personalities. It promises to really be something special this year.

However, there is one BIG personality left off that list. Arguably the biggest personality of them all.

Annie.

I keep thinking it over in my head, and I get no closer to deciding. Do I invite her to Chrismukkah or not?

Here's some pros and cons.

Reasons to invite Annie to Chrismukkah

• She's very popular. 
• She's beautiful.
• She's friends with Sean.
• She leaves for Oz a few weeks later, so this will be her last house party.
• I wouldn't want her to leave on a sour note.
• She was a big part of my life.
• She makes lovely cakes.
• I already told her at the BBQ that she could come.
• She will wear a low cut top and have her fake breasts hanging out all over the place.

Reasons NOT to invite Annie to Chrismukkah

• She still walks around like it's her house.
• I wouldn't feel comfortable spending time with 'She who must not be named' when Annie was in the room.
• She doesn't drink because of the calories.
• She usually expects to sleep here.
• She moans (in general, not in bed).
• She always manages to piss me off somehow.
• I don't enjoy her company.
• I wouldn't want Peppa to feel uncomfortable.
• My closest friends (Peppa, Shepps, Martin) don't like her.
• I don't like her.
• She will wear a low cut top and have her fake breasts hanging out all over the place.

Quite the predicament. Can I really not invite Annie to Chrismukkah? Do I have it in me not to invite her? She's been a fixture of our house parties since the start; trying to imagine one without her is difficult. She would be crushed. But then again, could the absence of Annie be a blessing? Could it unleash me from my metaphorical shackles? To be able to mingle, kiss and sleep with guests without fear of upsetting the ex-fiancee... that sounds ideal. It's my party and I'll have sex if I want to!

Dilemma...

...Dilemma...

...Emma...

...Emma beeped at me on the way to work this morning. She looked pretty...

Luke

With Glowing Hearts We See Thee Rise

My three-day weekend has now become a one-day weekend. There was supposed to be no system availability on Saturday. I was supposed to have Monday off as Annual Leave. This is a travesty. I have become totally unable to turn down double-rate overtime. My God, what has happened to me?!! 

"In Becks We Believe".

We have however organised our next big night out. Having completely exhausted Pub Golf, I was entasked with thinking up a genius new idea for a night out. Something ground-breaking. Something Medway hadn't experienced before. 

Pub Snooker.

This is very similar to Pub Golf in that it is a pub crawl with a scorecard. 

At each pub one must consume two beverages: a red and then a colour. For example, a pint of snake bite for the red and then any other colour.

List of available drinks:

RED (1 point) - any alcoholic drink of your choice
YELLOW (2 points) - White wine, larger, cider, vodka red bull, vodka orange
GREEN (3 points)- Apple Sours, Vodka & lime,
BROWN (4 points)- Baileys, Ale, B52
BLUE (5 points) - Blue WKD
PINK (6 points) - Pink Champagne, Pink Rose, Fruli
BLACK (7 points) - Guinness, Black Sambuca

So I now have our next big night out planned for Shepp's 21st. I may make it my Stag night again. I've already had two stag nights. Leigh and I tend to agree at the start of the night who is the Stag and who is the best man, and we get everyone in on the act. We tell the bar staff it's my Stag Do so I get free drinks throughout the night, and we tell women it's my Stag Do because for some reason women want what they can't have and they always try it on with the Stag or his best man. 

Is this slightly pervy? Maybe. Does it work? You bet it does. Try it one night. Pretend it's your Stag Do or your Hen night and see how much more attention you get from the opposite sex. 

If only I had this man's charisma. It would be legen.... wait for it... dary!!

I want to see 'Limitless'. I'm behind in terms of films. Films I still need to watch:

Shawshank Redemption,

Fight Club,

Green Mile,

Donnie Darko,

Napoleon Dynamite,

Casablanca,

Toy Story 3.

But it's okay because I have watched Cinderella Story, Ella Enchanted, Just Like Heaven, Raise Your Voice and Lesbian Vampire Killers. 

Seriously, I should be shot. 

Is Casablanca worth watching now? I'm a sucker for a romantic film, but have I missed the boat on this one?

So there I am, again thinking about travelling, minding my own business. I'm thinking about Australia, and then America, and then I began looking at entry requirements for emigration to both of them. And then all of a sudden POW!... This happens. 

Skilled worker self-assessment

Total point score

Your final score is: 69

Here is the breakdown of your total score:

Factor		Maximum Points	Your Score
1	Education	25	15
2	Language Ability	24	18
3	Work Experience	21	21
4	Age	10	10
5	Arranged Employment	10	0
6	Adaptability	10	5
Total Score		100	69

Pass mark

The pass mark as of September 18, 2003 is 67.

Did you pass?

If your mark from this test is the same or higher than the current pass mark, you may qualify to immigrate as a skilled worker.

If your mark is lower than the pass mark, you might not qualify to immigrate as a skilled worker at this time.

However, if you believe there are other factors that would help you to become economically established in Canada, you may still apply.

Send a detailed letter with your application explaining what these factors are and why they may help you successfully establish yourself in Canada.

Include any documents that support your claim.

_______________

In the words of Monica Geller, "It just got interesting!"

Luke

Busy

At work I have a desk calendar, which gives me an interesting fact and a quote every day. I've got a small collection of quotes building up in my wallet which have either touched me emotionally or reminded me of something or someone. The other day was pretty topical, and I've taken it to heart.

Become so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid.

So I am. Travelling has literally been on my mind non-stop for the last week, and I now have two notebooks; one for home and one for work, where I scribble down interesting titbits, ideas or flashes of inspiration. I have numerous savings plans and I am working my bloody socks off. After Friday, I would have done 17 hours of overtime in 7 days. That is insane. I've never even done 17 hours in one month before!

I've been getting on really well with Annie the last few days which is nice. She came over yesterday and went straight upstairs to my bed for a nap. I miss her in my bed. There's a slim chance we may both be in Sydney for Christmas / New Years 2012, so that would be an unexpected bonus. 

I argued with Sean this morning. I was still angry he took the piss out of Shepps. Sheppard is one my my best mates and one of the few people I can trust. As far as I'm concerned, loyalty and respect are massively important and Sean seems to lack both of them. I guess the fact I only have a year left of living with him is perhaps a blessing in disguise as he drives me mad at times. And not in a cute psychotic way like Annie used to. 

Ella seems very friendly on Skype this evening. Note to self: try a Crawfish Boil when in Boston. Looks like something from 'Man Vs Food' but more importantly, looks utterly delicious!

Early start tomorrow (bloody overtime) so time to wrap this up. We finally have a working cooker. However the boiler is still knackered. I want a shower. I'm also having a week off from the gym to rest up and recover, which means I have this sense of guilt all week. 

Just a thought, I swim for brighter days. And since I started this blog, I am been swimming relentlessly, and I feel better for it. I have a goal, I have something to work towards, and I have a dream. I have no idea where I will end up, but I'm optimistic brighter days are on the horizon. Just gotta keep swimming!

Luke