Talking about different things

I think I've fallen into that trap a fair bit lately. I've been talking about stuff like the skin or when people talk to me about playing cricket, it's how I don't honestly know if I'll be intact enough to play this year.

There's only one thing guaranteed when talking about problems, it's probably going to get you down. Mind you, talking about them also helps you rationalise them as well. It lets you analyse them and put them in their place. It's always best though if there's a "ok, this is how I deal with it" to go with the "this is what the problem is". And that doesn't always happen.

Ok - about these joys ...

Running Fast ! I can do that again :-). Well, I can on and off depending on whether my legs and back are choosing to behave that day. Running was actually the thing I enjoyed most about the cricket. I didn't really enjoy batting as I never really did myself justice with it. The bowling was fine when I was getting wickets but was hard work otherwise.

Nah - the thing I enjoyed most about the cricket was being able to push the head back, hit the running trigger and run Very Very Fast. I quite liked the adrenaline rush and always busy feeling of fielding in close. I'd be scampering all over the place (cricket can be a very energetic game depending on how you approach it).

I very much enjoy winning and turning that running speed and close fielding into a run out was very definitely a Win for our side.

I must see about trimming the weight down a bit again so I get that running speed back again. There's a kind of freedom to running like a loon. I wouldn't find that from jogging, it has to be from feeling the wind rush past the ears coupled with the "oh crap, I'll be in the centre of Bristol before I can stop" which I'd been getting from hitting the downslope at the cricket ground.

Games ...

People who know me may think I love playing with computers. That's probably a misnomer as I find dealing with computers quite frustrating. I can usually eventually get them to do what I want but it can be very hair tearing along the way to get around their lack of flexibility. I'll build my own because that way I can lessen some of that frustration by building something that will work for years instead of break after 6 months (like your typical HP garbage)

It's actually all about the games. Computers are just a means to an end there. They present the games to you. In recent years, the variety has opened up with independent developers bringing us magic like FTL and SPAZ. Better hardware means graphical fidelity gives us stuff like :

There's some fine looking assets in that game and Lara looks the part too. (Yep - couldn't resist the bad assets joke). I must go back into that game and take it through to the finish. It's been compelling so far but I've already seen it through to the end via the Yogscast Hannah playthrough.

That's something else about the games. Lately, I've been enjoying watching/listening to other people play them more than I do actually playing them. Much of that is down to the presenter. Like Hannah's openness in her videos, to the banter in the Yogscast multiplayer videos, to Duncan's screaming when he turns round and sees a creeper exploding.

That's all dependent on the presenter though. Not many deliver stuff you'd actually re-watch or watch to conclusion. I guess the Youtube gaming makes me think about playing the pen and paper games with friends. There's an openness there that comes with being able to make up your own rules if the written ones don't fit. And the fun of playing with others too.

One thing about games though is the story. Most games have a story they go through, even if it's a strategy game. I like stories too. Haven't read much lately but movies and TV scifi are always a favourite.

What else ? Has to be music. I've been finding new stuff to listen to lately as well. Playing through iTunes at the moment is the Best Of Nouvelle Vague. They're the ones who do "Ever Fallen In Love" and "Dancing With Myself" which are doing the rounds on adverts at the moment.

There's also Lucy Spraggan, who I'll add to the vocalists I'll be following. However - I wouldn't recommend having her on the iPod/iPhone while in the car, as songs like Tea Or Toast almost got the tears when that came on at random. Not Conducive To Safe Driving !

The big joy though shouldn't surprise anyone.

I get bored very quickly. I need variation and unpredictability. There's only so much you can take of yourself before you need something new. I find people to be one of the most interesting things out there. Depends on the person of course ;-). I can predict a few people but it's the unusual, the special, the smart, the random ones I find most interesting. The ones who can keep up. The ones who keep you guessing. The ones who are just that little bit different. The ones with an energy that sweeps you along with them. But most of all :

The ones who smile back when you look up and grin at them.

That answering smile is truly what makes life worth living.

PS Pizza would count as a joy too, if it hadn't snuck into the "problem" corner. Thankfully popcorn, mini eggs and teacakes are still untainted by such problems !