52.4 From the desk of...

This morning as I am halfway through my fifth day of training at my new job, I am happy to say that I think I will be just fine. Over the last five days I have gone from knowing next to nothing about this company or its wares as it were to having a comfortable understanding of what part I will play in it's customer service area.

I have never thought of myself as an overtly shy person. That is to say I am very aware of just how awkward I can be but it never occured to me that this might be due to shyness more than just being awkward. On more than one occasion I have stressed about something I said that might have been misconstrued or even misunderstood as rude.

For example Wednesday morning our little town of Felixstowe had a water main issue and it affected the majority of the town and more importantly, yours truly. There was little to no water pressure and what water did come through the shower was that brillant brisk cold that brought back memories of gravity fed ice showers in Iraq. I am a strong believer that I should shower everyday come hell or low water pressure. So I soldiered through the frigid trickeling hardly more than dripping shower and attempted to wash my hair as well, this took nearly half an hour to accomplish and needless to say I didn't have time to style my hair as I had the previous two days.

One of the first things one of my fellow trainees asked was if I had done something different with my hair and my less than abrupt answer was "Yeah, I didn't do it." two days later and I am still concerned I said it in a rude way, which is ridiculous because really even if I had the only person that hasn't gotten over it is silly old me. It is very odd to percieve oneself as confident and even somewhat charming if not aloof, only to realize that mostly I am still the spazz I was nearly 15 years ago in high school.

Tomorrow is my 31st birthday, and to be honest I couldn't care less. It upsets me that I have lost that eagerness to reach my next birthday, considering it wasn't that long ago that I stopped saying " and a half " or practically the next age as my heart was beating months before I was born. I am gratefull that I can share the day with my wife and friends but I have finally accepted that the novelty has worn off much like the appeal of a once favored toy the night before Christmas.

Hopefully my rantings next week will be less melencholy and more amusing.

Random fact: Apparently according to the astute journalists at Cosmo magazine people who have sex about three times a week are percieved to look four to seven years younger.

52.3 Time Travel made possible! (via my game console)

It should go with out saying that I think the concept of time travel is pretty amazing. While I would be hard pressed to say my all time favorite film, My favorite trilogy of all time is Back to the Future. While I enjoy a lot of very different shows, my all time favorite (even though it first aired nearly 23 years ago.) is without a doubt Quantum Leap (Doctor Who has become a close second). All of these fictional universes explore my favorite question simply stated: What if time travel is possible.

Earlier today I was watching a popular youtuber (Hank Green) play Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood via videos he has posted of playing and commentating on the game, and I realized why I am 31 and I still enjoy video games as much if not more than I did when I was younger. A lot of games (the ones that interest me that is) make it possible to travel in time.

Games like the above mentioned Assassin's Creed series, Red Dead Redemption the Fable franchise and even the recent Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions allow me to experience the past and future I have seen portrayed in films and tv shows first hand. I am able to walk around and explore 15th Century Italy with Da Vinci, 12th Century England with kings, knights and wizards. I can be a cowboy in the Old West and see New York in the 1930's. As well as futures that I could only dream of, both post apocalyptic and technological utopias.

This simple idea really is the reason I enjoy games as much as I do. I have wanted to travel through time for as long as I can remember. I know it isn't likely, but I just get excited thinking about it. (there are three films I am excited to see this year purely because they deal with time travel in one shape or another.)

I know alot of gamers that play shooter/war games and while some of them share that tiny part of history or future that I enjoy I shy away from them because they focus more on the shooting then the exploring. That is not to say that they are better or worse in my opinion but the fact of the matter is, if I had traveled in time I wouldn't be very likely to jump hamfisted into a war situation if I could avoid it.

The games I enjoy and play over and over again, have stories but they are more or less open ended, allowing me to explore a world that thanks to ever progressing technology is as real and alive as the one I live in. I don't expect everyone to agree with or even understand this part of me. I just like to think that I'm not alone in my hope that time travel is possible.

Random Fact: Time is described as the fourth dimension. The other three dimensions are space, that is, upwards and downwards, front and back and left and right. We can travel through all the three other dimensions but traveling through the fourth dimension, time, is not yet possible.

52.2 A Temp's Perspective.

It amuses me how quickly ones perspective can change in so little time. I have spent the better part of the last two days temping in what can only loosely be called a mail room stuffing envelopes full of helpful little bits of information and plastic access "keys".

My perspective hasn't changed on mind numbing labour. It is still as mind numbing as ever, but from now on when ever I open any piece of mail that has either a bank card or other random clunky piece of plastic (like the kit-Kat shaped pay as-you-go "keys" that I have been stuffing.) I will think about the room full of people telling their stories from the night or weekend before telling inappropriate jokes, having 6 hour long rubberband wars (while stuffing envelopes and syncing keys) and building friendships with people who are only brought together because a shared employer rather than shared interests.

I have had a lot of different jobs in my nearly thirty one years of age. I think the one similarity that each job shared was how many different types of people I met simply because of where I worked. I have been introduced to so many differnt things because of people I have met doing one job or another. I have tried new foods, new games, new activities. I have celebrated new and different holidays, I've learned faster and more efficient ways to do my own job, but the single most important thing I have learned is how to see someone elses perspective.

If there is a point at all to this weeks post its that I love meeting new people, learning the things that amuse and annoy them. (Usually I am amused by annoying them.) The things that have brought them to this point and the things they are looking forward to. Life to me is discovering other peoples stories as I pursue and forge my own.

Random Fact: Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history: Spades - King David, Hearts - Charlemagne, Clubs - Alexander theGreat, Diamonds - Julius Caesar

Project 52 Week 1

Back in September I made a promise to my Grandparents that I would be updating this blog with more frequency, unfortunately like most things promised on the Internet I have yet to fulfil this promise. That is about to change,

My wife (more on that in a minute.) came up with an idea that she had titled Project 52. The basic premise of the project is for both of us to post a blog at least once a week (on a non specific day) this year on our individual blogs. (Obviously we will still be updating our joint venture film review blog as we see films.)

A lot has happened since my last update in November. As I mentioned above Helen and I are now Married. We had a small ceremony on the 12th of November with just Helen's Parent's her Sister and Brother-In Law and of course their new baby, and we are planning to have a Large wedding sometime in the fall of 2012 (Which co insides with my next VISA requirement.)

We had a fantastic Christmas and rang in the New Year with friends and family. I am finally able to look for work and have been on the look out for any and all employment opportunities. I have an interview lined up for this Thursday which looks to be a good possibility.

Helen and I have officially stopped our Radio Show on Felixstowe Radio for the time being but we have decided to bring He said, She said to YouTube and launched our first video on the official HeSaidSheSaidFM channel yesterday. Which you can watch below.



Hope you enjoyed the video and I hope you enjoy this weekly glimpse into a former soldier's continuing adventures.

Random Fact Today in History:
in 1959: Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and to orbit the Sun, is launched by the U.S.S.R.

This thing we do...

Hey long time no talk this is mostly an update for my grandparents as I told them I would start updating this blog again a little more regularly. I am doing great life over here is a bit hectic, but I am really enjoying it, A lot has happened in the month that I have been here. Helen's sister has had a bouncing baby boy, (William Thomas Aykroyd) which I am sure you have seen pictures of by now.

As you know Helen and I contribute to an ongoing video project once a week, this weeks video fell on Halloween so we decided to make a themed video, hope you enjoy it!

Random Fact of the day:

Helen and I are heading to Brighton in southern England for a long weekend with our friends, later today!

The Complete Marmot Guide (a fast fiction)

The following is a fast fiction story.

Fast fiction is derived from being given a random title (up to four words) and constructing a short (200 word story). This first fast fiction title was suggested via twitter by @duplicatehelix.


The complete Marmot guide

Cowering in the shadow of his burrow, crouched the young marmot. Discretely hidden amongst the loose rocks the uprights dislodged while laying the parallel flat rocks.

The Marmot knew there were rules to survive living so close to an upright burrow. There were risks and rewards, though the risks frequently overshadowed even the best rewards.

Rule #1. Daylight is dangerous.
The uprights are mostly day foragers and hunters, and are prone to hunting to fight boredom. While they are still present at night they seem more interested in their sour water and females than their surroundings.

Rule #2 Food on the fly.

The uprights seem to leave food everywhere they go, but if they discover some other creature consuming, they will chase with thundersticks and place their prey's skin on their walls.

Rule #3 The further the better:

The uprights control sweet plants, they guard the outskirts of the sweet plants tend to be homes for 8 leggeds and water holes out of the line of sight.

Knowing these rules the marmot waited until the light grew dim, ventured across the flat rocks, and crept near the sweet plants, only to be snatched into the air by the talons of the great grey owl.

Five things you didn't know

So some friends of mine and my very beautiful girlfriend Helen have decided to blog everyday until the start of Vidcon, I know that it is highly unlikely that I am going to be able to make that type of commitment.

In fact I am convinced I wouldn't last a week let alone 29 days, so I have decided that when ever one of them brings up a topic that I have an opinion on or that tickles my fancy, I am going to write my own blog, Hooray for solidarity, or lazy idea thieving writers.

The topic that caught my idea today was written by the very beautiful Helen Abbott, I'm not biased, really. The girl is a fox. Her blog today was based on a youtube video by one of our friends Kayla.

I am now going to answer the same questions to the best of my ability!!!

Question 1. If you could go back in time and speak to your 15 year old self, what one thing would you say to yourself?
Wow, 15 years ago, I was a bit of a bastard child. I think I would tell the young twerp to avoid girls named after Greek mountains that resemble them in stature no matter what they are willing to do to get your attention.

I think I would also tell him to be a bit less of a jack ass to his mother, although I doubt I would listen. And to let her know that she should stick with the Wild ginger haired guy that her children adore, as she will eventually figure out she is his brand of heroine. (I should be shot for referencing my mother and her husband and Twilight in the same sentence.)

Question 2: If you had a boat what would you name it?

I think if I had a boat I would name it The Scarlett Delorean, referencing two things that have a solid influence on me to this day. Spider-Man (aka the Scarlett Spider)and Back to the Future.

Question 3: What was your best birthday ever
I think with out a doubt my best birthday ever was my thirtieth birthday. I was in England with the love of my life, and could not have asked for a better day.

Question 4: In a film of your life what actor or actress would play you?
Helen suggested the British comedian James Corden, which I would obviously be happy with, though as Helen mentioned she talked about this very same subject on her show last week, I think I would be happy with Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen or Jack Black if James Corden was unavailable.

Question 5: Is there something you do that not many others know about, that would help them if they knew to do it?
Much like Helen this question confused me. I think they are asking if I do anything that helps me get by in life that others are unaware of that might help them. I think the thing I do most is watch, Adults, children, Men, women, animals, life happens with out waiting. If you aren't looking it might happen with out you.

Random Links:

As I mentioned a few of my friends are doing this blog everyday till VidCon thing, I don't have all of their links but here are a few that I am aware of. I think Karissa and Mary Kate might be vlogging on youtube everyday as well, check out their links leave them a comment, everyone loves comments.
Helen

Mary Kate

Karissa

Heather

If I didn't put your name in this list leave a comment and I will rectify it.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (details of a seemingly unending jorney)

The following post is a summary of three emails I sent to Helen detailing my trip home, some parts have been edited and others have been added to help the flow. If while reading this it strikes you as though I am speaking directly to an individual as opposed to the masses that is why.
I have so much to tell you, I will try and put it into a recognizable frame.
After I left you at the security checkpoint, I walked ages through the terminal, realized I should have used the toilet after I passed a sign that said there were no further toilets after a certain point. LAME!!!!

I was in the fourth group to board the plane and my seat was very near the rear of the plane which is always fun,it was supposed to be an aisle seat but the woman I sat next to, a large very loud, very opinionated and very flexible (i found out mid flight) black woman. She was obnoxious but not the worst person I have run across. She asked me to switch with her window seat as she likes to frequently get up and down during the flight. At one point half way through the flight on one of her many up and downs I got up and went to use the toilet, and as I was waiting for the loo I watched her do all this Yoga stretching nonsense. Some of which was very impressive.. for a woman of her size, approx 15 stone (230 lbs)... i think.

The rest of that flight was mostly uneventful, I arrived in Denver made it through customs and border checks. As I was heading from the baggage recheck to the terminal I got on one of those trans terminal train things with a group of 14 year old cheerleaders that were 'surfing the tram' I was not sad to say good by to them when I got off. I was able to hijack a local wireless network and talk to this beautiful English girl that I know, I think you know her...

I was in the fourth group to board on the Denver flight as well, (whats up with that?) and I sat next to a Vietnam veteran that was very proud of his service, (of which he served less than two years) he was kind of funny as he was talking about how much harder they had it than soldiers of my generation. He got shot in the shoulder and took some shrapnel in the leg, and spent the majority of his life working for the Postal service. A nice enough guy...

I arrived in Seattle and that brings the end to the first day of actual travel.

Previously on your boyfriends voyage home we discussed the two plane journeys... a loud black woman a group of junior cheerios and a Vietnam vet...

We now join his journey already in progress.

When I arrived in Seattle I had to ride another damn tram with more annoying people, (this time it was two OAPs (Old Age Pensioners a British abbreviation) bragging about their Airline benefits.) I partook in that weird ritual of baggage claim, you know the one where you all stand around and stare at the baggage carousel waiting to jump up and cut anyone that gets between you and your luggage. Luckily for me and my VISA application no one was harmed during the retrieval of my luggage. ( I may or may not have growled at annoying OAPs in my way.)

After collecting my luggage I found the exit and walked outside and found Trey and his Black Jeep Wrangler waiting. He had just happened to have just pulled up. "Excellent timing!" He said as he got out of his Jeep and helped me load my luggage into the back. As I got in and settled he asked what I wanted to do and I said I had no plans other than to eventually get to moms down in Oregon. We had already previously decided that we would attempt to do that the next day and after stopping at a grocery store to pick up some much needed Ice tea and REAL AMERICAN Lemonade, we headed for his house.

We decided to rent a film, to pass the time as neither of us were tired enough to go to sleep but both felt crappy and didn't feel like going anywhere. We rented All about Steve with Sandra Bullock it was a good film. but due to the NyQuil I had taken I started passing out fairly early on into it.

Trey had said that he was a little worried that Inara wasn't going to remember me, thankfully she did remember me and reacted like I had returned from the grave. She didn't leave my side the entire time I was in their house, and she slept on me that night on the couch, she was absolutely adorable, I was going to Dailybooth but I was having issues with the Internet.

I headed to sleep, on his couch down stairs and at some point, Britta brought me a blanket and pillow and I crashed out, I only slept till about 6 am, and then I read for a while. (Pandaemonium as I had finished Carter beats the devil while on the plane. GO ME!!!!)

Intermission:
As I am writing this Ted has just turned Saturdays episode of Doctor Who, I am continuing to write you my trip rant, but I am very likely to be distracted.... BOOBS
we now return you to your regularly scheduled rant.

At about 8 Britta came downstairs and tried we talked for a while. Around 9:30 Trey finally woke up and came downstairs, And he and I tried to set up my phone via my original plan, but as I found out today that is not an option. More on that later.

After some hemming and hawing about what to do and Trey telling me he really didn't want to drive me down to Portland we decided I would take the train to Portland (a ridiculous four hour trip) and Mom and Ted would pick me up from there. As Ted had wanted to visit his parents in Vancouver for a while.

So at 2pm Trey took me to the saddest train stop you have ever seen in your entire life, (similar to Derby Road only looking less like a train stop and more like a walkway near the tracks.) For some unknown reason Trey reserved a Business class seat so I ended up paying more than necessary ($60.00 instead of less.) But all in all it was a nice trip. My nose was running like non stop which was really aggravating but not the worst thing.

I sat next to skinny little man on the train (who I am pretty sure I just annoyed the piss out of with all of my sniffling.) There was a plug near my seat so I was able to watch one of the films I had on my itunes. (I watched Forgetting Sarah Marshall which is really funny I think when you have some time you should check it out. ) OH I forgot to mention the train limited what I was allowed as far as carry-ons, and there was no checked baggage, so I had to eliminate my large carry on, I crammed as much as I could into the two other suitcases and Trey is going to ship the rest down sometime this week.

I managed to get off in Portland at the right stop (shock and awe I know) and walked through the Terminal, which can I just say was the nicest Train terminal I have seen in ages, like seriously it was fantastic. Really a beautiful building with a fantastic interior, surrounded by ridiculous and amazing pieces of Art.

I walked outside and found my mother and Ted and Kai(their dog) waiting by the Truck, and with that I will end today's rant. I love you so very much I hope you had a wonderful evening. I hope you are sleeping better .

When we last left our Hero we had just arrived at the Portland and met up with Ted and Marry other wise known as his parents...

We now return to our adventure already in progress,

I went out to the truck where my mother was standing and gave her a big hug and said hello to Ted and Kai, (seriously that dog goes everywhere.) My mother decided that we needed to wrap the suitcases in plastic trash bags in case it continued to rain on the three hour trip back home. (Which it didn't) Apparently the torrential downpour on the way to Portland had seemed as if god (lowercase g deliberate) himself was throwing buckets of water on the highway over and over again, (my mothers words)

On the ride home I was really feeling the jet lag and the conversation was mostly about what I did while I was with you, as well as about you, and sex and blow jobs... lol. I so wish I was kidding. Before we got home we stopped for fuel, which cost nearly $3.00 a gallon, so Ted not wanting to pay this outrageous amount (sarcasm is fun) decided to only get 3 gallons worth of fuel. (we were really close to home, and I mentioned how petrol worked in England, (i.e charging nearly £1.30 per liter which is about a fourth of a gallon) and how respectively speaking we were lucky) After that we went to walmart to get things like toothpaste, deodorant (for me) and razors for my mom.

After wal mart we went to a grocery store similar to waitrose named thunderbird, (lots of Native Americans in this area) and picked up vitally important things like Iced tea and other things I can't think of right now. We also rented Avatar from a redbox vending machine (only a dollar a day!), and then finally went home.

We arrived home at about 10:30 and you and I were able to talk a little online. That was fantastic. My mom had prepared corn beef and Ted and I had awesome sandwiches (Corn beef on rye with actual Pickles Swiss cheese and mustard, mmmm mmmmm) We watched about an hour of Avatar before Ted and I both starting passing out from pure exhaustion and decided to go to bed.....

And that is where the journey concludes... tune in tomorrow for The First day on the Job... where you will learn all the things our hero had to learn as well as how he will be paid... I love you....

James

PS. Hearing you this morning (last night for you) was absolutely fantastic, I seriously did cry, like actual cry not just eyes watering, I miss you so much, I can not wait until we are together again, I want to spend the rest of my life starting and ending every day with you by my side.

I hope you bought some Aloe Lotion for your sunburn it really looks painful Take care of yourself today!!!

Mom really enjoyed your show today, (she also cried, she started during the initial All by myself song, which was brilliant but completely heart wrenching!!

Random Fact: I am dating the most fantastic woman on earth. I am a very lucky guy. The above picture was taken at The Craptacular Portland Zoo nearly a year ago the weekend Helen and I met in person the first time.

He said, She Said Round Up

Helen did an awesome summary of all the films we have reviewed together on our collective blog, I thought you all would like a gander~ James
WWW.THEYSAIDREELADVICE.BLOGSPOT.COM

This is a round-up of all the reviews we have written on He said, she said. If you have missed any of them then here is your chance to read our reviews and let us know what you think. If a review takes your fancy just click on the link and enjoy!

SPOILER FREE! We try our upmost to maintain a spoiler free blog so that we can give you reel advice of what to see and what to miss. There is a trailer for each film we review before our blog. We aim to only discuss plot points that occur in the trailer so we don’t ruin your enjoyment.

Let us know your favourite reviews that we have done and if there are any reviews you think we should do. Comment here, on our blog reviews, on Twitter @hesaidshesaidfm or by emailing hesaidshesaidfm@gmail.com


• Nine - an Italian set sexy musical directed by Rob Marshall)
• Double review: British icons - Nowhere Boy, the story of John Lennon and Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downy Jr
• 10,000BC - the dodgy Emmerich flop
• Avatar 3D - the money making machine... with blue people
• Did you hear about the Morgans? - a comedy with Hugh Grant playing Hugh Grant
• Double feature: crime fighting - Hot Fuzz, the British action film parody and Watchmen, the adventurous graphic novel adaptation
• Up in the Air - Mmm George Clooney
• Daybreakers - an interesting twist on vampire films
• St Trinian's 1 and 2 - British deliquents in mini skirts
• Iron Man - from the Marvel universe
• The Princess and the Frog - the new Disney hand drawn animation
• It's Complicated - but the Nancy Meyer's story is pretty simple
• In the Loop - a hilarious satire of British-American politics
• Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief - Clash of the Titans for teens
• The Lovely Bones - Peter Jackson's latest endeavour from a modern classic novel
• Valentine's Day - a romcom set on... some day in February
• The Crazies - a horror of the Outbreak genre
• Gosford Park - the most enjoyable complicated film of all time
• Alice in Wonderland - the latest Burton/Depp/Bonham Carter collaboration
• Oceans 13 - the Las Vegas set heist film
• Shutter Island - thriller set in an institution for the criminally insane
• I love you Phillip Morris - if Brokeback mountain were set in Florida
• The Holiday - the Christmas set romcom
• Knowing - see it to take the piss out of it
• Nick and Norah's Inifinite Playlist -a great film where Micheal Cera and Kat Dennings basically play themselves
• The Wrestler - Mickey Rourke's comeback film
• The Blind Side - a true story about skin colour, American football and family
• How to Train your Dragon 3D - the latest Dreamworks animation
• Kick-Ass - a kick ass adaptation of a graphic novel
• Whip It - Drew Barrymore's directing debut about roller derby
• Kinky Boots - a true story about a traditonal show factory that creates shows for drag queens
• Clash of the Titans - Percy Jackson for adults
• Double feature: all about the lifestyle - American Psycho, the 80s set murder thriller and The Joneses, a comedy about people who seel their lives
• Cemetary Junction - Merchant/Gervais dip into 70s culture
• The Lost Boys - the dated vampire classic
• Better than Chocolate - a great film about lesbian rights
• Double feature: Sparks flying - Dear John and The Last Song, tearjerkers adapted from Nicholas Sparks novels
• Iron Man 2 - contender for the biggest sequel of the year

We have a movie review radio show which is on Wednesdays and Fridays at 6pm GMT. Click here for the live stream or visit the website.

All That I am.

There is something very humbling about not having an actual job or income for 5 months. I knew that my 6 month trip to England to spend some quality time with Helen would not be with out a cost. Financially it was a very foolish thing to do. I can't express how lucky I am to have someone love me the way she does. With out her support and that of her family this trip would not have been possible.

I am not complaining, I was very lucky as previously mentioned, I found a volunteer job as a News reader at a local station, (which eventually grew into two shows a week with Helen and I discussing Films and the music surrounding them.) Which allows me to do something with the ample amount of time one finds when he doesn't have a job.

It sounds ridiculous but really I just miss having money to purchase stupid things with. I haven't bought a DVD in over 5 months. (If this doesn't sound shocking you obviously have no idea who I am.) I want to buy little gifts and flowers for Helen, things that if I had a job I would do with out a thought. I want to be able to take the woman I love and the family that has stood behind us to a nice meal or a night out on the town.

I have never been what I would call financially stable but I have, for the majority of my life, kept my head above water. I have one month left in this beautiful and amazing country, and I am lucky to have a job lined up back home for when I do arrive. A job that I hope I do well enough to excel at.

This post isn't funny or insightful, it is just thoughts that are running around my head.

Helen says I have become very quiet over that last couple of weeks. I hadn't noticed a difference until she brought it to my attention. My whole life the only time I was quiet or reserved was when I didn't feel a need or necessity to perform. I am truly comfortable here. I can't describe how amazing it is to groggily reach out in a half sleeping slumber to find someone reaching out for you.

I can't tell you how lucky I am, or how lucky I feel, because if i attempted to put it into words I fear it would have less effect. I love her, with all that I am.

Random Fact: The picture above is of Warwick Castle, one of the recent amazing places I have seen in the time that I have been here. (It is older than my country, as I am constantly reminded.)