Generally the rule is not to post a blog entry on this date but I did two years ago and it looks like history repeats itself. Back then, it was a mid week post because my weekend was so rock and roll I would not time to blog on the Friday night. This year, Friday night was blacked out. I finished work at 4.30pm, got home and thirty minutes later was in the car to Oxford. I would return just before 2am. Friendship is a very strange entity, over time with people you have known a long time you can begin finishing each others sentences or even know what they were thinking. Other times there are moments in a friendship when you realised how true a friendship is. For me, this occurred twice in recent weeks with my friend Bhav. Firstly on Sunday 18th January, I had just returned back to my flat in Newbury and during our first ‘catchup’ MSN conversation she had revealed that she had not bothered signing in on MSN as I had been out of the country. Touching but more was to come later. On Monday evening, she sent across an mp3 file. An ‘exclusive’ if you will. Now regular readers will know I’m not a big fan of Bhangra slash desi flavours but willing to give anything ago. The song was called Slip n Fall by Lomaticc featuring Sunny Brown, you can listen to the lyric based music video over on YouTube (no actually music video that I know of). The moment I heard the opening five seconds of the song I knew I would instantly love it. Strange how someone else can know my music tastes down to a t. As I read on another friend’s favourite quotation section on their FaceBook profile, “What is a friend? I will tell you. It is a person with whom you dare to be yourself.” A fantastic quote from Frank Crane. Went to see The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button last night at Vue Oxford. Although a colleague on the phone earlier yesterday afternoon had told me it appeared to him too much of a chick flick. Well he is a diehard sci-fi fan, so perhaps that is a little biased opinion. The original plan had been to see Valkyrie. I am a big big fan of Tom Cruise but the World War II theatrical movie run ended on Thursday evening. The other World War II option had been Defiance but my friend only revealled earlier in the evening that they seen the film on Wednesday last week. There were few options remaining, so I opted to choose the Oscar nominated film starring Brad Pitt. Having seen the other picture up for best film a few weeks ago in Wycombe, I thought it would be good to see the competition. It was well worth the trip to the multiplex and my colleague on the phone was wrong, it was not a chick flick. In fact it was a deeper journey through the human condition. Yes it was a bit too long and perhaps at times a little too Hollywood in simplicity but overall it worked. I did not realise that it is based on a short story by F. Scott Fritzgerald but at the end it did make sense. Of course the director Finch has to make major changes from the text but it does work, even if it takes sometime to establish the character, set the scene and build everything together. My favourite part was the short quick fire edited sequence refering to the chance of coincidences which play a part in a major incident. Well worth going to see and although I am not a big fan of Pitt he does put in a stellar performance but not quite worthy of gongs. Cate Blanchett, who drives the story has a much bigger role than you would think and perhaps has to put in a bigger performance to out do the title character. Overall great fun and a good way to really get a sense of who we are, where we are going and what life has to offer. If anything the movie is full of Carpe Diem moments which perhaps only become significant when you think about them, days after the movie has finished. There were elements that reminded me of Forrest Gump, the strong Southern accent, the rather naiive main character retelling his story. If you recall the feather from the opening credits from Zemeckis movie, you will note there is a similar ‘connection’ seen throughout this movie. What else have I been up to this weekend? well this morning I got up at 7.30am, after only going to sleep around 3.30am. I was tired but wanted to get up, get some breakfast and start some jobs before my friend came to pick me up. I cleared up the rubbish and put some washing on, then I spent a little time online. My friend arrived at 10:42 and we headed back to Twyford to fix up his computer. I set up Vista Home Premium, installed some software, set everything up and then we headed over for a curry in the village before being dropped off back to Newbury. It was 3pm when I got back home. I had a few jobs to do but instead of getting on with them, I put on Sky Sports News and jump on the laptop. Although I decided to continue blogging rather than watch Sarah Connor Chronicles. I saved that for 6pm before Harry Hill’s TV Burp. Good to have my favourite TV show back (yes it has over taken Heroes now!) just needed a bit more action from Cameron but never mind the tension builds up slowly. My sisters and several other friends are at the O2 Arena this evening to see Canadian born desi comedian Russell Peters. These anglicised names will never catch on! With a few to really prove to myself how far my fitness has come and to raise money for charity, I have decided to run my local 10K run. Sponsored by my employer and a course which runs through the local town is an ideal opportunity to test myself and push myself. I would really like to get under the hour mark and hit one kilometer every six metres. The results are in from the jury of one. Yes Pav gave me the following scores for my ski holiday. I have been sitting on this document. Obviously I completely disput the figures but the reality is it was a holiday and my second one at that. If I was a more accomplished skier and had the same “daredevil” attitude as the boarders (plus Geoff) I would have done better but I am not at that comfortable place yet. However, that does not mean I will not get there, even if I have to skip next year’s trip for a little minor event in the southern hemisphere in some four hundred and eighty odd days.

What else have I got planned for the weekend? Well a heavy gym session tomorrow morning. I want to get into the gym by 8am as soon as it opens. Then when I get home, I will have another big breakfast and then get on with some shirt ironing and other domestic greats such as cleaning and vacuuming. I am looking forward to watching Mission Impossible III on Channel 4 at 9pm. I also need to finish my book by DH Lawrence. Mainly because I am keen to start reading my next book, Dreams From My Father. I think it may be the little inspiration I need.