A Year of 2015: Summary

For me this year hasn't been the best of years personally but, it certainly has had it's highlights. I can think of several instantly. I don't want to really mention the negative things this year as they are a tad on the sensitive side for me.

Lets start with the beginning of the year shall we? This time last year I was still working at Esso and little did I know that the site was going to be brought out by ASDA. As a team of workers we all found out officially in January and it seemed very good news to everyone on board, even Cyril was ecstatic. We just had to wait until the end of February for the official  takeover date and if I remember correctly the last trading day as Esso was March 1st but, only until about 9am. After that again it was a bit of a waiting game. Because we had to wait so long, my old manager suggested that we all work for him at his new site for week to help tie things over. That was an experience and a half. I'm sorry Daybrook folk, but you are not as nice as our Ilsoners, though to be fair I only worked the night shift for a week.

A couple of weeks later in the middle of March we all had our best welcome with Asda. That was a weird couple of days but, it was all very nice and relaxed. The first day we mostly went over all of the legalities and our personal details then the next day was more about the businesses four beliefs. From that point onwards, I was trained at the ASDA Long Eaton Superstore which we found out only just classes as a Superstore. We stayed at this store until the date drew closer for our little store to open up. The closer we got, the more occasionally we started to travel to Woodville to start the proper training. I say proper training because they are actually a petrol station too. It was a bit weird working in a superstore after all, I did enjoy both though. I managed to make a few friends in both of the stores that I we trained in which I still have on Facebook. We still have to help Woodville out occasionally, like for instance we recently had our Christmas meals at work so for everyone to be able to go, someone from the other store would have to cover.

In May I started going to the gym with my friend Chantelle and just a couple of weeks back my other friend Jo decided to start going too. I found out that my cousin Kerry is also a member so now it is a thing were we go together on Mondays. In June, I had a bit of bad luck as I had my first little accident in my car on a roundabout. I never did get that sorted out but, I think we both possibly learnt our lesson. On the plus side, I also got to see the Piano Guys live. That was definitely the best part of the year. I went with my mum, auntie and my friend Chantelle and it certainly is a night I will remember. for many years to come being such a big fan and all. I'm not sure if they are coming back to the UK in 2016 but, I certainly hope so!

In late July, our store finally opened. I remember posting so much about when we finally opened because it was really like the big wait was finally over. We had only been waiting about four months but, the excitement made it feel more like years. I made a separate blog to track the progress of the new petrol station which and the destruction of the old (which I'm quite proud of if I'm honest).

Since the new petrol station opened up, I didn't really do much else with the rest of the year (apart from meet Stuart Ashen, collect various figures and CD's and of course wrote a few more songs) although, I did decided that next year will be the year that I go back into education and do a University level course. I have selected a few courses that took my fancy and I have now sent off my UCAS application after months of preparing it and waiting on references. I am so relieved that it is finally sent off. Hopefully, this time next year I will be a University student. I'm planning on keeping my job still, but I'll have to reduce my hours to part time to be able to fit everything in without stressing out too much. I haven't really got much planned for this year apart from University later on through the months and I still need to sort out my finance. That should be fun.

Here's to a happy 2016!

The Day We Met Stuart Ashen!!

First of all, I say "we" because I went with my friend, Chantelle. I was a little too nervous to go alone.

On December 3rd, Ashens book was released through the help of a crowd funding organisation that specified in publishing books called, Unbound. I didn't hear about this movement until late into the backing scheme but, still managed to pledge a grand total of £25 towards the making of the book after it had already reached the target needed. In the end, his book had reached 434% of the target they originally aimed for! (I don't know what the figure was but, by the looks of it they smashed it!)


Shortly before the books official release, Ashens announced on his social media that he will be doing a book signing tour. I immediately got excited and book a whole day off because he said he was coming to Waterstones in Nottingham on December 9th. Which he did, he didn't lie.

So, the morning of the 9th soon came around and I was very excitable. I remember deciding to go to the gym first thing to wear myself out a little but, that didn't really happen. I did manage to have a really nice long shower though, to help freshen up for later. I blow dried my hair and everything!


The book signing didn't start until 5pm and I had agreed to meet my friend Chantelle in Derby at 2pm to then go straight into Nottingham on the Red Arrow. This was a busy day. We ended up getting into Nottingham a little early so we decided to "scope the place out", you know, see if there's anything happening yet at the book store. When we first went in it was about half past three. There were already a few early birds queuing at the front. I mean, literally there was five people. They gave us some advise though which was rather nice of them. On of them realised that we were loitering a little and told us that we will need to buy on of his book from being the counter. So, we did. The gentleman behind the counter was rather nice when we asked him about Ashens book.I think he though we were being a little awkward when we said that we would like to buy two separately but, never mind. He was a nice guy. He went on to tell us that he thought this signing was going to be a popular one even though it is hard to judge.

We decided to leave Waterstones for a while and then come back later, in an hour or so. Sorry, Stuart we don't love you that much to wait an hour an a half inside.

We ended up going for a milkshake in a place that I love called, "Sobar". Its a brilliant name. They don't sell anything alcoholic. So we just chilled out in there and sapped up the free wifi. We went back towards Waterstones at about half four and by the time we had gotten back there was already a que from outside and going up the side of the store so we decided to quickly join while it seemed still possible to see him. We waited about half an hour in the cold just for him to show and then an extra hour or so to actually meet him. Figures we should have just waited earlier but then it would have been over a lot sooner and I don't like that thought.

I bought a present to give to Stuart (as you can see in the video) wrapped in Star Wars: The Force Awakens Paper., addressed to: TATMASTER. which was written on a Cheff Excellence sticky note. Spoilers: It was fake lego. I will never know if he ever had the pleasure of opening it and throwing it immediately in the bin but, generally it was so lovely to actually meet him and I think its great that he still has a really good sense of humour in person too. I hope one day he gets on the telly all good and proper. He does need his own show. I know he's done the short Ashens Tech Dump series but, we need more! Plus, I find it amusing that generally the guy is famous for reviewing absolute crap. You can literally do anything these days.

Waiting for Friday

As Christmas fast approaches and all of the Black Friday sales come to an end, I am now very excited for the fourth. I have finally ordered what I have been wanting for ages and I get to fetch it this Friday. I've been eyeing up different iPads since not too long after I got my Mac Mini. I have an android tablet but, I just feel like it just isn't powerful enough for what I want to use it for, which is mostly games if I'm honest, but more to the point. My tablet my have a quad core processor inside it, but nothing really runs smoothly whereas on an iso device I haven't had any problems. The iPad that I have ordered is the Mini 3 128Gb in space grey, I really am so excited. I am that excited that I have already brought two cases for it.

In other news, I brought a cool controller today for the ps1/2 and it barely cost me anything. It is the transparent white edition controller and they seem to be very hard to come by these days. The ones I mostly see are solid grey ps1 controllers or solid black ps2, so I was very surprised to find it. Also, I found it in a charity shop. I can't test it out until the house gets back to normal. At the moment, the house is a bit of a mess because we are having a new kitchen and bathroom fitted which will hopefully all be finished by tomorrow evening. I don't think I can bare another week of having to keep all of my laundry in my room. Lets just say I like my floor space.

It's my mum's Birthday today but, she had all of her cards and gifts yesterday because we all work stupid times of the day. I brought her a couple of new cds, specifically Take That's new album and the latest Now! compilation and I also got her a box of smelly things and a milk tray. My dad surprised her by buying her many boxes of treats, chocolates and perfumes too because before he had said that she was having anything because of all of the work we are having done to the house. Its funny really I guess and kinda cute, but I think she has enjoyed today. I went to KFC with her earlier before work and then my dad took her out for food later on. We're hoping to all go out together closer to the weekend to celebrate together.

Something To Look Forward To

A couple of days ago on Facebook, YouTuber Stuart Ashen (Ashens) announced that he will be doing a book signing tour and I personally can't be more happier with the locations. I was so happy to read that he has decided to come to Waterstones in Nottingham! As terrible as I am, all of this excitement made me buy on of his t-shirts so I could wear it when I get to meet him on the 9th of December.

I should be receiving a limited edition of his book via the post soon because from what I remember he said once they have been signed he will be shipping them today. I'm not entirely sure what else I would want signing by him. Maybe one of the Chef Excellence Post-it notes so then I can stick it to my bed or something and prove to him that I was one of the idiots that brought some of his merchandise. I do still love my leather mini brown sofa phone holder though, I had to make a quick fix on the figure that I have of him though. I had to buy glue and everything because I broke his legs. I don't even know how.

I actually can't wait to meet him!!

2016

Without sounding maybe a little to confident I have already decided that 2016 should be 'my year'. I decided this about a month ago really after thinking about how rubbish this year has been. As I've mentioned before, I plan to go back into education and study music in addition, keeping my job as part time hopefully. I can at least try at first, keeping my job with reduced hours, meaning less income but, at least it would still be something.

So, what do I really mean by all of this? I suppose, I want 2016 to be the year my life starts to get where I want it to be. Back in the music industry. If non of this makes sense, its probably because it's still too early in the morning. I better crack on with my personal statement!

The Piano Guys Live Album

So today is already officially a good day because in the post this morning I received my copy of The Piano Guys new album, signed and with my name on it! I am so surprised that my order had arrived this early as it has travelled all the way from their home in Utah to the Uk in a matter of days! I'm currently importing the CD into iTunes so I can listen to it properly whenever I feel like it, usually when I'm travelling. This is certainly going straight on my iPod.

I also ordered a hoodie from the guys which came in the same delivery, in fact my CD was in an envelope that was also wrapped by the hoodie. Very well packaged indeed!

I'm just so happy, I always get excited when I order something directly from them, its just one of those things!

Social Media

Damn.

Most days I spend way too much time scrolling through Facebook occasionally 'liking' the odd post that amuses me, which admittedly I have done that today to some extent. The difference in tonight is that for once I actually felt happy from doing so. Anyone that knows me well knows that I follow a group of musicians called 'The Piano Guys'. Well, I commented on a couple of their posts and managed to get a reaction from them. It isn't exactly a one-in-a-million chance but, to be able to feel both acknowledged and special in receiving a reply, whether it be from their Facebook manager or 'The Guys' themselves, it really does make me feel honoured. That honoured in fact, I have just pre-ordered another copy of their new live album which will be signed and personalised! I really am terrible sometimes though, I really do believe that these guys are my favourite people in the world.

In other news that isn't really other news.... I'm really excited for the new album release!! Oh, and I impulse brought a TPG hoodie from their website too to come with the signed copy. I should probably note to myself for future references that getting over excited about pre-orders costs. Al lot.

Halloween Fun

An edit of myself and a friend from work dueling.

For once in my life, I actually did something to celebrate Halloween this year. My costume my have been a little boring but, I was quite happy with it. I brought myself a Gryffindor robe off Amazon and later found myself queuing in a fancy dress shop in Nottingham called Luvyababes. It was unbelievably busy when I went to buy the other little accessories to go with my costume. They even had their own security man working the door; controlling how many people could go in at one time but, even when you got in you could barely move a step in front without someone either barging their way past or stepping on you. My grey swollen jumper came from Primark in Derby. It was a very stressful day though, on the plus side I had the opportunity to ride Trent Bartons's new buses.

On one of the new Red Arrows

I have always been a bit of a bus enthusiast at heart but, I try to show it so much anymore even though I couldn't help coming some excitement whilst riding these new 65 plate buses. The new Red Arrow coaches are absolutely gorgeous and are a luxury to ride, the new fleet of Two's aren't too bad either.

In other news, I had fun at work last night. Had a guy giving myself and the rest of my team verbal abuse and then asking for a number to complain to, all because we would not let him use our toilet which is not for customers anyway. He made a problem out of nothing so I ended up refusing to serve him after scanning his items through and then asking him to leave. This resulted in writing an incident report over the next hour detailing exactly what had happened just to cover us that we were not in the wrong and were simply doing our job. I wish I could end this post on a happier notw but, I think I covered all of the nicer things first. I'm planing on going to the gym tonight and its a nice thought that after work tomorrow I will be off for four days! I have most of the days planned including going to the fireworks display on Nottingham Recreation Ground on Thursday. I really can't wait for that as it is something I now go to every year because it is simply so good!

Pierre Bouvier Mentioned Me In A Live Facebook Video!!

This is just a short post to remember this moment. I commented asking when the new album will be released and he answered my question, not only that but, HE SAID MY NAME!! LIVE!!! As a huge Simple Plan fan this means a lot to me. Now, just to wait for January!


Here is a link to the video!

Simple_Plan_Live_FB_Vlog

Applying For Uni

By the end of this academic year, it is hard for me to believe that I would have had 3 years out of education. It is almost scary how time passes and then creeps up on you. The other day I registered to UCAS, that was a big step for me. I have partly filled in most of the more important details and I have already chosen two options, one of which is based at my old college, the other based at Derby University. Im still not entirely sure what I want to do with my life, I never really have been but, I do know that I don't want to work in retail for the rest of my life. In fact I don't really want to work in retail at all. I have had so many horrible experiences with customers it's just off-putting but, for now I need the money as support so I can utilise my time at Uni and still take advantage afterwards.

I have two plans. I have decided that I don't really want to go into teaching even though before, it was something I would have considered. One of plans is to again form a working band, rehearse and tour. My other plan is a little more relaxed yet still comes with a demanding work load, to BE a record label. I already have most of the hard ware I need for most artist  that are at the very start of their musical careers, this is why I feel like it is something I can do. Either way, I would be a lot happier doing either of those for a living rather than wearing my customer service face.

I've Never Felt So Torn

This last week has been an absolute nightmare. Firstly I have to stay over at work because no one turns up for the nightshift. Yes, at least I wasn't on my own but my god it was irritating to the very nerves of my teeth that I was still in work. On a day that I had originally been called in for to cover 4 hours for one other colleauge who was off sick. That part I didn't mind but, having to do 6pm -6am with little to no notice was absolute bollocks. I don't unually swear in my blogs but, I had been awake since about 10am and stayed up until 6am the next. To top it off I got woke up no more than three hours later by a police officer who needed to give me the contact details of the guy who crashed into me a couple of months ago. I found out the other day that who should of took me off thought that she was on holiday. Still not happy. Our manager is off at the moment so nothing can be done about it properly, it really doesn't help that this was technically his fault. At least I have had an apology from her.

As I mentioned in my last post, work is just as stressful as it used to be. We had two drive offs yesterday and narrowly avoided the third. The first had false plates and the second we are told could have been an accident (which I don't believe). The third which we avoided just was a middle aged couple that again thought that they had paid. My friend Jo called them over the tannoy to let them know they haven't just before the drove off. They came in the store. It just annoys me that they didn't have the decency to come in and check when they were clearly unsure. When they came in the store the lady wasn't too happy. We knew we couldn't have taken any money from them otherwise it wouldn't be on our screens! Then all we could say was, "Well, if we have charged you twice or you have any problems just come back in the store and we will sort it out for you." I don't think they will come back. Hopefully they will still come back and shop but, I don't think they will be back for the above reason.. which is good :)

My 'New' Job

So, I've finally settled back into my new job. Its just as stressful as I remember when it was Esso, in terms of drive offs and the occasional persons coming inside after filling up their car with fuel before realising that they have no means to pay. Some are genuine but, some are gits - it has to be said. There's a lot of similarities I've noticed. Like having our managers phone number right next to our telephone by the window, just incase. Im probably sounding a little negative right now but, I am enjoying working for ASDA.

I am thinking about finally sorting out UCAS stuff for next year and yes, I still have my eye on one of those iPads. I have decided that I will treat myself to one with a larger hard drive later in the year because of how expensive they are. If I remember right, an iPad mini 3 with 128GB is about £475 at the moment... So very expensive!  As it's my day off today, I'm in the middle of sorting out my room. I'm hoping to get some recording done on Garageband today, even if it's only a little.

Work and Shopping.

Its nice to finally be back working in my normal location, Ilkeston. With the ASDA Petrol Station now officially open (and has been since the 29th July) I can finally get on with most other things in my life. I feel a lot more comfortable now I'm back working where I am though, still not fully as I have still got to get used to all of my new tasks, mostly being the work I have to do on the guns. I can remember most of the functions within the programs, just not quite all of them just yet. Plus, it doesn't even let me do everything I need to be able to which of course is very useful.

I've been spending a bit of money lately, mostly to treat myself after last weeks mad rush to fill the shop up with stock. I've ended up buying a new SuperDry gillet, a considerable amount of blu rays and my very first amiibo (I brought Ganon!). Ive been debating with myself whether or not to treat myself to an iPad. I've got along with my new phone so well that, I think I would probably get on with it a lot more than my tablet. I really am starting to gather quite the apple collection though!

ps. I want a track pad too!

A Very Grown Up Day

As you may have guessed by the title, today I have felt like an actual grown up. My mum and dad have been out most of the day and I set aside to achieve this. Job aside, more for the more tedious decisions we have to make in life. I took out my first phone contract last year for two years but, the last few months I've been thinking more and more about getting an iPhone. I had, I think it was 10 months left on my contract and today was the day that I decided that I would just pay it off so that I could up grade my phone. It wasn't exactly the cheapest option, I could have just waited another year but, I felt like this was something I had to do today.

My new contract is a little more expensive but, I'm not to bothered. I'm quite proud that I am now on a better contract that I actually feel more that it is one that I want to pay for. I have less minutes but, I don't use them anyway. I have double the data I had before and again unlimited texts.

Woodville

So, we're well into the month of July now and my actually training for the petrol station has officially started. Everything kicked off on the 1st July, now that all the colleagues that requested to transfer have done so and our 'newbies' have joined us. Its an awkward layout and I must admit things might actually work out a little better with a bit more forward planning in terms of rotas at the moment but, because everyone is picking and choosing their hours its a bit odd. I'm not actually contracted any hours whist Im on train, which I'm not really too bothered about, as long as I get paid for what I work. This week, I have worked 21 hours which has been quite relaxing.

My Mini Dizzy Spell

Before the concert I had a bit if a nasty fall. It started off as a dizzy spell after going to the gym, admittedly I'd not eaten much that day. It was just after I had finished eating my deli chicken that I stood up against the freezer at home to watch tv for about 10 mins. After a while my eyes started to feel weird and a green/blue colour was taking ver most of my vision. I managed to walk the short distance to the chair to sit down but, after taking a short break nothing had changed and it just felt like it was getting worse. I saw the bottled water on the cabinet and decided I should go over and grab some but, I didn't quite make it. I managed to grab the water bottle but in the process lost balance and fell, bashing my head on the cabinet and my side on the radiator. It all happened so fast, I think I gave my friend a heart attack. She called for my parents (even though they thought it was a joke at first) and then they helped me up back onto my chair. I started to feel sickness coming on from the dizziness and felt myself starting to wrench, luckily my dad got a bucket in time.

I was annoyed with myself that night for many reasons. One, being that I had let my friend down. Two, just generally. I wanted myself to be ok because I still had The Piano Guys concert to go to and there was no chance I was missing that. Funny enough, everything was fine until that day. It must have been nearly a week after my accident and all I did was stretch rather high in the morning and it felt rather oddly that something had moved that shouldn't have. Turns out I have either bruised or fractured my rib, either way it looks and feels weird.

The Piano Guys Came To Nottingham!!!

The Piano Guys performing What Makes You Beautiful
at The Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, UK.

I had been waiting for this for far too long and finally the day has passed. I brought three tickets back in October, I believe and then my dad brought another. Even though my dad decided not to go after an arguement I still managed to fully enjoy myself. I invited on of my friends along at the last minute to ensure the ticket my dad brought got used as they were all very good seats. I sat on seat E28, just five rows from the front so I had a very clear view of the stage. I got so excited just as the show was about to start. Before the lights dimmed I was watching the right hand side of the stage very closely, mainly watching the tech guy on stage. The exciting moment is what happened next. In the far corner I saw Steven Sharp Nelson lean over to him. It was that moment when I realised that I was so close to my heros.

Just after the intermission after Steven had finished his solo set, something special happened. During the intermission my mum must have gone up to the stage guy and requested this but, I was unaware of what she had said exactly. Anyway, next minute after Steven had finished doing an impression of a cow with his cello, Jon Schmidt had something to announce... That it was my birthday!! (Well, not quite but what are the chances of them actually playing on the 28th of June?) This made me so happy. The played me a short birthday song. Literally. It was so funny.

I have followed The Piano Guys since way back when I was studying in my second year at college for my first year of my BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Music Performance. If I remember rightly, that was way back at the end of 2011. I have been following these four guys over the internet for nearly FOUR YEARS!!!!!!

I really wanted to go and see them live last year, here in the UK but, the venues just seemed so far away. I'm so glad that they came to Nottingham and would gladly welcome them back again. I am already planning to get VIP tickets next year, I'm way too excited about it.

That Other Blog, You Know...

My main focus recently has been to keep track of whats happening at my old work place. Work has finally started and the demolition is taking place. The blog I started: 'Goodbye, Esso' to remember this all by is doing quite well, its not reaching mass amounts of page views but it is proving worthwhile. I have shared this other blog with my colleagues and it is by far the easiest way to keep everyone up to date. Im actually enjoying just simply going down to the site, having a look and then taking a few photos. I'm only using the camera on my phone so then the photos are easier to upload though google later on. Because the site has been so active recently I have already reached 10 posts, most of which are just lots of photos. There are even some that I haven't included in the blog either because I thought they weren't good enough or the just wasn't enough room. I need to have a look whats happening down there later, so thats one thing I will do today.

In regards to recording. Long story short, that has been put back until I can be bothered to set up my mixer again (Everything is in the way under my desk so it takes a lot of effort).

Holidays, Teeth and Petrol.

Well, with two of my holidays booked off I can finally relax about something. I only had to book two days off for next month and then I decided to book six days off in a row for June. I still need to wait for confirmation. It is not just a random six days off, I may add. It is from the date The Piano Guys perform in Nottingham, UK right up until the day I have to visit the dentist. Kind of a holiday.

It's exciting now that work has finally started in the old Esso site. I can't remember if I mentioned before but, I have started up another blog just to keep a record of the transformation because there are going to be a lot of changes. I've taken most of the photos for this new blog from my phone so then they upload straight to my google account and I can instantly access them when I get to my mac without having to mess around transferring files from sd cards. The thought of inserting an sd card is just too much effort.

Anyways, earlier this week I did receive some training over at the Asda petrol station in Long Eaton. Unfortunately, the guy training me couldn't really show me much though because the site is card payment only so there is never any cash to worry about or tills. He did however show me some of the everyday checks. These were very simple checks, most just checking that there is a dial tone when you use any of the emergency phones. Generally, changing the pumps till roll. I must say I was impressed with their security system.

April (I couldn't think of another title)

Im typing this just before I go to bed. I have not long got back from my bestest friend's double birthday bash (which was a lovely get together) and I have work in the morning so I will be quick. Earlier today, I treated myself to a new tablet. Admittedly, I don't really need one because I stopped using my last but, this one is more powerful so I will most probably actually use it. I think I ended up just getting really irritated with my previous one because it was a slow dual core and I generally lost trust in it after my dad had to take it back to the shop to replace it because it wouldn't charge. This new one has the same sort of power as my phone which, doesn't really sound too impressive but the fact is that my phone is still going strong.

In other news, I think I'm finally getting used to my pattern of regular work with Asda because for the first time in ages I have actually managed to get through a day without taking a nap. I'm actually quite  impressed with myself for not being tired by 23:00pm. In a way, I think being ill benefited me. It knocked me down for a bit but, I've soon got back on my feet again and I finally have most of my energy back. Next week, I'm planning on ridding my bike into Nottingham one day after work. I'm not sure which day yet but, I should probably choose Thursday just incase so then I will have the time to recover if I need to. At this time I still have eighteen easter eggs to eat (I think my dad went a little crazy this year) perfect for wanting to loose a little excess weight.

I'm Ill. YAY -__-

So since Saturday, I've picked up some kind of throat infection/cold and its literally killed me off. I fought going to work on Sunday and Monday morning but, both days when I got back I just wanted to crawl back to bed. Its been absolutely horrible. This is my fifth day suffering and Im slowly started to feel better as of yesterday but, then I wake up again in the morning its like starting from day one again. My voice goes and I just don't know how strong I'm going to be to make it through a working day.  I had to call in sick again this morning at about 06:50am, yesterday I was just sent home as soon as I got to work. My voice was much worse yesterday but, I still can't talk very well. I haven't eaten properly in the last 2-3 days because I just don't have  an appetite for food. Everything tastes weird, foul and takes way to much effort for my mouth to chew. There have been a couple of times over these past few days where I have actually struggled to breathe because of bringing up flew (lovely) and then it getting stuck in awkward place in throat. Yep, that made me panic and cry a few times. Im not even sure if I will be fit enough to work tomorrow, I hope so... I really wanted to go into work this morning but, I realised how weak I was and that my body was telling me 'No'. I'm so used to just soldering on through illnesses it feels slightly criminal to have a couple of days off work for it. I am so not used to this.....

Best Welcome

Today was the start of my best welcome with Asda. I only have one more day left of this and then it is onto training. This whole day has gone rather fast with a lot of things covered, some more general areas than others. As most of our training with be at the Long Eaton Superstore, I was also given a full tour around including all of the 'backstage' sort of areas. It's been a very interesting day and of course very eye opening to see all of the hard work that goes into running the store itself.

All being well, I should be starting my training there on Monday. Admittedly, I am a little nervous about it. The thought hit me today. I am used to working at a petrol station with a small shop, I'm not sure I'm going to know where to start working on the shop floor. I understand most things are still the same just the Asda way and that there will be more work to do. In short I am a little worried but, I'm hoping that I will just settle in nicely after the first couple of days. I will only be working at the Long Eaton store for a couple of months so it won't be worth getting to comfortable but, that doesn't mean that I can't try to make some new friends.

ASDA

Well, my last day with my previous employer was the 6th of March. I have had a couple of meetings with a lovely lady from the ASDA in Long Eaton about the transfer that is ongoing, one on the 5th and then one on the 6th. On the 6th, I received my official transfer letter welcoming me to the company. I had already received similar to this when one of the HR lady came for a meeting with us all at Larklands but, that was just for welcoming purposes. I can't believe the wait is finally over. I remember my boss telling me about what is going to happen back in mid January and now the site is empty and well... gone! I was there on the last day of trading despite working nights in Daybrook at the same time. One the last day we didn't sell any fuel just cigarettes and whatever else was left in the shop, even though most of the stock was packed in boxes ready to be sent to the other site. It was a bit weird actually. No costa coffee machine as that had been collected on the 27th of February. Some of our regular customers reaction were brilliantly entertaining when they had realised the machine had gone, baring in mind most of them brought one every single day.

Goodbye, Esso! 06/03/15

I don't have to go back into ASDA Long Eaton until Thursday now, it is a little strange having so much time to myself. I'm so used to just working all of the time I just don't know what to do. Anyone would think I am bored or something. I do hope to try and get something recorded while I have the time. I managed to tidy up a drum track I had started for one of my new songs yesterday but, I still have a lot of work to do with that and there could still be some changes made. As it stands, I have only recorded 3 out of 10 (at least) songs. I am still planning on going ahead with my ep, I just still can't put a finger on when it will be ready. I said December before but, I didn't state which year!

End Of An Era.

It's my last day working at Larklands tomorrow. I have been texting my boss infrequently like he's my best friend these last couple of hours. It feels a bit odd telling each other that we will be missed,almost like it shouldn't happen but it's all a part of the goodbye process, I guess. The amount of times I have felt either messed around or overworked have lead to this fairly emotional goodbye. It is in fact tonight that I am working. My last shift will be 1am until 10am in the morning. Surprisingly, I enjoy starting at 1am compared to midnight... I've still not completely worked out why, it's probably because of the extra hour sleep I get before I go. I still much prefer my day shifts, which I will get more of when everything finally changes hands.

Thoughts About The Last Two Years

Having finished college two years ago (yes, that's right... TWO YEARS AGO) Its hard not to think about how I could have improved the last couple of years. After I finished college didn't go nearly as well as I had planned, not immediately to say the least. I had to wait a couple of months until I could claim JSA (which I wasted) and then when I could claim I was stuck with them for a good number of months. In the time of struggling to find work they sent me on work experience. I went to two different places. I first went to the British Heart Foundation in Ilkeston where I still volunteer there when I can now and then later they sent me to The Original Factory Shop in Ripley. It was quite a pain to get there and back as at that point I didn't drive but, the government refunded my travel expenses thankfully. This was just the beginning of 2014.

Of course, my old band Zebra Crossing was still going strong then. I do kind of miss that band but it was always a pain to sort things out. Maybe I just miss being in a band in general, I don't know but I remember that Zebra Crossing was one hell of a roller coster ride. Admittedly the band started from me being envious that I had been replaced. That may not be the right word, furious maybe just in denial but, it did annoy me that the same songs myself and Lucy had played together whilst in Refraction were being repeated, especially the fact that I helped structure one of them and add music to it but them it got changed musically and I was no longer there. I probably didn't handle the situation well at the time but, the more I think about it the more I think maybe I should have just left them to it but, then they got a drummer and thats where I had to draw the line. I felt like I had to be involved. I felt pushed out and needed to get back in again. I know that I am nothing without music and needed something... So of course, I offered to be the bass player... since I couldn't be the lead guitarist anymore. Apart of me for the whole time though the very begining thought that this was a bad idea but, I stuck with it. There was something that I wanted to achieve, I was't sure what it was but, eventually I started putting every effort into the band. From producing a home recorded EP to a teaser video. I even got one of my old friends to help out with our band design even though I no longer speak to him now.

That was all late 2013 and if I remember correctly it was around December time we had a fall out on our hands. We had been together as a band for less that three months and one day had a little too much fun messing around during practise. If I remember Emmett threw a penny and it made Lucy drop her laptop. Next minuet the laptop screen completely dies and Emmett is out of the dab. To me, it was from that day that the band went downhill. We lost our drummer and found it very difficult to find a new one, even when we did it was finding the time to all practise together. I was getting stressed about the quality of my band going down hill and I think that demotivated me quite a lot. I would happily go to practice when I wasn't absolutely knackered from the Princes Trust Course I was on at the time but, it just wasn't the same. Forcibly writing new songs about nonsense and turning down ideas that would just never work. Some maybe but, no. Some of the last originals we made were really good though we never got them recorded properly if I remember, that or I have lost/forgotten where the copies are. It's just weird thing about all this now but its all come back to me over the last month and really hit me in the face. I don't speak to anyone now and I think it is fair to say I miss them all. I haven't spoken to David, our lead guitarist though I did see him busking in Nottingham not too long ago. He spotted me to and looked terrified. In regards to Lucy and Emmett, Lucy is at a Manchester Uni now from what I gather still studying music but, Emmett.. I have no idea. Maybe I will share this post with them and it might spark something between us, then again maybe not. Maybe they will discover it and be all like, "Kim, why are you blogging about me?" I really don't know.

That was probably the main thing I wanted to post to be honest. I don't get much time to talk to friends or announce that I want to talk to them about something because of work, that and because most of the time I don't want to feel like I am bothering them. It's quite sad really. This whole post is quite sad, so I appologise. I does make me wonder though, if things went a little better... would we still be going strong? Would I have still got my job? (I had two interviews and the first one my boss didn't hire me because I was in a band and it was too much commitment).

I will end on a lighter not, mind. In my eyes currently, 2015 is the year I will really push myself musically. Once I have my new contract sorted with work, I will be working less hours and have more time to record and work on my new (and old) songs. I'm going to be optimistic and say that I will aim to record and finalise at least 5 songs by the end of this year. I need to get this EP out as I have been planning it since last summer and just really not had the time at all. I can't wait to start recording again and really get back into the swing of things, roll on six hour shifts 2-3 days of per week still with holidays. I ACTUALLY CAN'T WAIT.

In other news, my video has finally reached over 1,000 views! Watch it here...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwA8t3eaW1Y

My SoundCloud

So today, I decided to check in with my stats on SoundCloud. I've used this website for sharing my music now for 2/3 years and I believe I have come quite far with it despite there still being room to improve my reach. I'm not going to go to in-depth into this because in honesty I mostly wanted to show off just what I have managed to achieve with this site since I started my membership with them back in 2012.

 Firstly then, my play count. In 2012 when I first started using the service I reached 402 plays, its not a massive amount but its still quite pleasing. My best year this far was 2013 when I reached 1432, more than triple the previous year. Last year, I hardly used my Soundcloud account mostly because  I was so busy all the time doing other things like The Princes Trust Team Programme and then getting a job. This effected my play count quite badly and brought me back down to only reaching 979, still more than double my first year alone but no where near the same amount as the year before.

You can see my most popular songs in this listing.
Here is a chart to show:

The only other thing I would like to mention is my download count of over the years. Overall, it is not a big number but considering they are free downloads its not like I want it to be but good news is that people like my music enough to take the time to download it so they can listen to it again whenever they feel like it. I feel that it is important to know that your listeners enjoy listening to my music. I currently have 346 followers so, assuming all of the people that downloaded one of my tracks followed 73/346 have actually downloaded what I have for free too. Its not a impressive figure but, its good to know that I do have a percentage of listeners that are interested.

Here is another chart for my downloads:

A few Dates To Remember

I have a lot happening within the next month, mostly work related but I also have an awesome delivery to look forward to. With the release of the New 3DS and The Legend of Zelda: Majors Mask I have preordered both this amazing new console but with the special edition of the game which also comes with a figure of the Skull Kid. I was surprised because the whole package seemed quite cheap for what you get and with free delivery on top. This has set me back £194.99 but, I know its gonna be worth every penny of the whole new gaming experience. I've been a fan of the DS console since they were originally released so this is very exciting for me. I'm expecting the delivery from Nintendo around mid February which isn't too long from now and I really can't wait.

In regards to work, by the end of this month there will be big changes. Still not are exactly on the dates but from what I know the 25th February and the 9th of March are important dates for me to remember for now. Somewhere between these dates I will be working in Nottingham momentarily while everything gets sorted out to help out my boss. I seriously can't wait for all of these changes to take place to the extent that I honestly wish this month to be over already. It's all so exciting at the moment and with February being the shortest month anyway its going to make everything pass by much quicker.

New Year, New Things

Left- My Vintage JHS SG (5/6 years old),
 Right- My new Epiphone SG (11 years old).

Whilst I'm still adapting to my recent change to using apple computers and owning a mac, I'm still keeping my eye out for a few things I want to purchase this year. Despite being only 14 days into the year, I have already made two purchases that were purely impulse buys but, I do not regret them. Firstly, I brought some ones old guitar for a very low price. It's an Epiphone SG that after researching with a friend is believed to be 11 years old. It has defiantly seen better days but, was an absolute steal at £70. Its currently at The Music Inn for repairs as it needs work doing to the bridge pick up. Not too sure if it is a dead pick up if it just needs rewiring but, time will tell when other bill comes my way!

The second buy was of an iPod nano 6th Generation. I've been on the look out for one of these for the last month and they are becoming harder to come by. Again, this was something I brought second hand but, this time fully functional. I brought it from Cash Generator in Nottingham for £69.99 which I thought was a great deal considering it is the 16gb version and it came with a multi-charger and a free watch strap accessory (which I have now brought another that is a different colour so I could work out how to attach it, turns out it needed two allan keys.)

There are a few things I hope to treat myself to in the coming months, upgrading my guitar amp is on the top of that list and next to it is getting a midi interface and desktop sized midi keyboard which believe it or not, I may actually have to the free time to use it. In a couple of months time there will be big change to my life with all sorts of new rewards. I can't reveal anything as of yet but, I super excited to reveal all soon... If I'm ever allowed haha!