Machines, Memes and McDonald's...
It has been 6 days since my last confession
I hope you have all been keeping well!
Biography of a nobody days 57-59. February 26th-28th 2021.
Another multi-day update and a brief explanation on why I haven't been able to write daily.
Why haven't I written my blog for a week?
In a sentence- I suppose it was the anxiety of my first day back on March 3rd.
For every part of me that was excited to be getting back to work there was an equal part that was subconsciously terrified. I didn't realise that is what it was at the time. But, that is what it was. Also... A little bit of Final Fantasy 8... For more ins and outs of why and details of my first day back at work check out my post- Returning to work after being signed off.
Day 57, February 26th 2021.
Refitting the machine base I repaired...
I had a few tasks today- Drop Bee off at work, Re-fit the machine base, social distance walk Rusty with a friend, pick Bee back up, chill...
I love and hate lists, but since I have been feeling good yet returning to work is looming like a shadow- I think that list is long enough. Let us not forget that the machine I am repairing is pretty damn complicated!
I got to the company where I needed to fit the base at around 8:30- my friend was due to unlock the building for me at 9 and I didn't want to sit overthinking so I brought my switch with me- last night I downloaded the Final Fantasy 8 Remaster- so I figured I could play the intro.
My friend arrived around 8:50 and I showed her the freshly sprayed base! Woop! It does look awesome, to be honest- brand new! We went into the building and using the reference photos I took when dismantling the machine and its various circuits- I steadily put the machine back together.
Around two hours later the machine was ready for a power-up... the nervous moment... It worked! All was well. I had been using a small coffee table and two stools for my tools whilst working on the machine and my friend noted that they were being thrown away... Not anymore. They are perfect for my daughter's room so she can paint and work on her alphabet! I carried them to the car then decided I deserved a McDonald's late breakfast.
Yeah, the table wasn't that pretty... but it was close!
McDonald's hack!!
By the time I had packed away my tools, dismantled the coffee table to fit it into my car then driven across town I had missed the McDonalds breakfast- it was around 11:10am. Since I had queued through the drive-through I figured I may as well get myself an early lunch. I ordered a couple of wraps of the day then continued to the first window. Cool.
The first part of my accidental hack. The guy read out my order and as usual, I heard wrap and just agreed then paid contactless without even looking at the price... numpty... or genius... ermmm.
The second part of my accidental hack. The woman at the next counter passed me 'my' bag of food which seemed pretty heavy for two wraps... then she passed me a coke... then I figured this wasn't my order. Slow on the uptake- I then told them that it wasn't my order.
The third part of my accidental hack. Due to covid and cross-contamination- they couldn't take the food or drink back off me, so they gave me my original order as well- refunded the extra I had paid for this alternate order... then sent me on my jolly way! Bonus!!
I ended up with 3 extra meals, a doughnut and a free drink. Awesome. I am sure that this could be replicated in some way with a partner in crime car following- but I wouldn't recommend trying it- and if McDonald's hadn't scalped my order and missed out two wraps the last time I had a takeaway (I didn't realise until I got home) then I likely wouldn't have written this accidental hack on here.
I was driving back home with my bonus food then remembered I am trying to lose weight... and if I ate all of this... which I certainly could- well, I will have no excuse for that will I. I figured I would give my friend a call and do a social distanced walk with Rusty- and he can have the extra food.
If that isn't the stuff of nightmares I don't know what is...
The rest of my day...
I met up with my mate after picking up Rusty and we went for a social distanced 'exercise' after he ate his bonus meal in his car.
By the time we were done Bee was ready for me to pick her up, so I headed back to town and we set off back home. We cooked together and watched the next Harry Potter film- The Deathly Hallows part 1... I think Bee actually cried at the end... again- if you know you know... the pain is real!
Day 58, February 27th 2021.
The weekend seemed to disappear from me... that is both a great sign I am getting back to 'normal' and crap... because I have work on Monday. With the inescapable dread of my return to work in the back of my mind- I figured it was time to embrace some good old escapism. This time for health reasons, and in a healthy way.
I didn't want the small worries of returning to work to turn into bad or intrusive thoughts or feelings of self-doubt- which end up spiralling me down to fear and self-loathing. So, mind distraction time...
Kayaking...
On Saturday I figured I would break out the kayak and head down the river whilst Bee walked Rusty along the river bank. The rivers are super full at the minute so I can have some fun on the bits that are normally too shallow whilst limiting my risk when boating alone.
I got into kayaking at the start of the first lockdown since a lot of my other fitness-related hobbies were quite social- such as rock climbing or gym classes- so they were impossible or extremely limited. There isn't anywhere good to climb outdoors in my local area so climbing was snookered. Martial arts/boxing clubs were all closed. Gyms were closed... so I headed to the river.
The distraction worked, I barely even though about work when prepping for the river, in the river, or on the journey home. The next 3 or 4 hours I felt I was recovering from the cold and the underutilisation of my muscles lately.
In the evening Bee and I finished the Harry Potter series with The Deathly Hallows part 2. They really are just fantastic films. I basically grew up with the actors as they are a very similar age to me- so the nostalgia is probably half of it- but I really do love them. We do need a new TV series now though. I really wanted to go through the Hobbit films then the Lord of the Rings films... but I think getting Bee to enjoy them may be a stretch- so I think it will be the Hunger Games? If you have any recommendations drop me a mail, message on Instagram or add a comment at the bottom of the page. We are open to kid-friendly series too as it would be nice to watch them with Alex, if not- then we watch them when she has gone to bed.
Memes with the guys...
Bee went to bed around 10pm and I wasn't tired at all but didn't fancy staying up too late as I was overly aware of the early rise that was due on Monday- so the guys and I just chatted via messenger for half an hour. This ended up being nostalgic too and it brought up a story about when Dan suplexed Sam on the stairs when we were kids. Dan is very northern with a Yorkshire accent, Sam speaks the queens English... They both tell the story differently- In sams version, he decided to describe himself as 'crumpled'... This lead both Dan and me to tears with laughter imagining a 'crumpled' Sam on the staircase of Dan's old house. I then figured I could make it even funnier:
I then took it a step further and did a Dan vs Sam explanation Meme:
Needless to say... by the end of the evening the guy had shunned all considerations of work out my mind and my jaw was hurting from laughter and smiling. I slept soundly... awesome!
I do not know whether the humour of the above will have translated at all... but I still felt it deserved a mention.
Day 59, February 28th 2021.
Well, this marks two whole months of blogging! super proud of myself- thanks to all of you who are reading/or have read. The feedback I have received so far has been literally incredible and I am glad the sharing of my story has helped you!
Final Fantasy 8... Why Squall... Whyyyyyyyyy
I really didn't do much today at all. I was starting to worry about work and rather than letting any of that hit me- as it would have been pointless unavoidable things that I can't do anything about- I decided to continue my FF8 adventure.
I have to be honest- Final Fantasy 8 has always been my least favourite of the Playstation 1 era FF games. Part of that is because I bought my version off an older kid at school with my dinner money (sorry Mum) and the discs used to crash all the time. Another part is that in all of the other FF's I had played up until that point over levelling your characters was a good thing- in this it is a terrible idea as the enemies scale with your level. The final part that I found bad was the characters.
Cloud is stoic and disinterested in anyone else or their motives in FF7. This makes sense to the player though- he is a mercenary and he is just helping for cash. As the story progresses it all makes sense and the character evolves as does the players understanding of him.
Squall just seemed like a mardy teenager who pretends to not care but has a constant inner dialogue- which you can read- that ranges from normal yet stoic to ridiculous and childish... at least that is how it all seemed when I was a kid playing it. I figured since so many people seem to love it and I absolutely adore its predecessor and successor... It makes sense I try it again with a more adult brain.
8 hours in and I am still not a massive fan of Squall... in fact, I actually think Seifer seems more relateable/normal. I am however really enjoying the game its self!
The game and the game mechanics are actually really really fun- and I can still get over levelled- just not in the classic sense- I have been playing triple triad (the in-game card game) and collectin high-level magic to junction to my characters stats, its actually pretty fun.
Work tomorrow...
I got in bed around 10pm with Bee... But I couldn't sleep at all. I think the last I glanced at the time was 1:49pm... ugh... why? All I could think was I hope tomorrow is going to be ok.