The Birthday Blog

Hi from New Admin

2004-08-29T00:11:00.000+01:00

Hi. I'm David's alter-ago admin for this blog. Welcome to The Birthday Blog.

My (Ultimate?) Final Post

2004-08-28T23:59:00.000+01:00

Well I had a great day: probably the best ever!!

Resolutions: 1. Have a total rehaul of my life - emotionally, spiritually, everything, cooking being the most important skill to learn - before I go to uni next year. 2. Read lots of books. 3. Drink very little alcohol (hehe - not really kidding either)

Anyway: you can catch up with me at http://dpen2000.blogspot.com where I will hopefully post all the things I forgot to say. I'll also probably be putting some thoughts up there about this site but we'll see. I might create a new account to admin this blog: might not. Anyway, I've not gone away yet. Again please send me an email @ davidpendrayATgmail.com (replacing the AT with the @ sign: this measure helps avoid automated spammers I hear.) I already have had one application from a girl from the US by email and that has been accepted of course... but please get some people with birthdays in the later part of September to email me and apply as I want this blog to take off.

To sum up, here is a quote from my Dad from comments:
Congratulations on your eighteen years of life since the umbilical chord was severed!

My Penultimate Post

2004-08-28T23:44:00.000+01:00

I'm going downstairs to make my milkshake with my new milkshake frother then I'll get ready to post my final post of the day(my final non-admin post on this blog until at least next year: although I'll probably keep posting about birthday related events on my normal blog - details coming up.)

The Bourn Supremacy

2004-08-28T23:41:00.000+01:00

I just went to see the Bourn Supremacy. Amazing film. Amazing soundtrack. One of the things I noted was how little Jason speaks in it... won't reveal the plot by telling you why. But it's strange because we as the viewer end up watching Bourn amazed but not really getting emotionally close to him: but that's okay. It adds to the film. I really liked the music: very beaty, I was moving my head and/or feet to the beat most of the way through.(I had my feet up on the chair in front). One particular girl at the end is very beautiful too (hint hint: the daughter... won't spoil the plot).
Saw the book trilogy that the films are based on in Waterstones so there's going to be a third film with the word ultimate in there: but the Bourn Ultimate doesn't sound right so I don't know.

It's strange...

2004-08-28T19:47:00.000+01:00

even having fingers sticky from pizza seems a defilement of my shiny new watch.

Cheat and My second Visit to Town

2004-08-28T19:19:00.000+01:00

With Chris we played a game of cheat(or bluff or bs). On the simplest level, you have to place down a card that is higher or lower or the same as the current card (or an ace). The winner is the one with no cards left.
The main twist is that the cards are placed face down and so the game relies upon the declaration by the player of the card or cards(two or more of the same card) placed down. This means there is the possibility of cheating: putting down unacceptable cards(or more cards than stated) and making an acceptable-sounding declaration of these cards. If a player suspects cheating, he can say cheat after a person has played. If such a suspecion is false, the acuser must pick up all the cards. If true, then the cheater must pick them all up.
My strategy generally speaking was to neither cheat nor accuse. Matthew refers to this as the chicken or boring way of playing this. But there does remain one element of my strategy(if I had played longer): trying to make people believe I was cheating when I was not. The big flaw in this is that if you have no acceptable cards, you have to cheat but this is still cheating and I'm a horrible liar.
There were other quirks in this game: One is that many times a person will place down a card, make a declaration and another person(my bro) will say something along the lines of "Yeah right!" This is not "cheat" so it is not an official declaration so no harm done but it does spice up the game loads. Other quirks: can't think of more, must be some: it's a quirky game!

I then went off to town. Again. I tried to get Chris to take me and he (the word basically was here but I was using it too much says sis) said no because it would cost him petrol money, Matthew says he was "basically lazy and tired". It came to the point where it was true to say he would do it for "neither love nor money"(i have enough money to nominally pay him for petrol etc). He then replied that he would do it for "love": love of his girlfriend Katie but not love for me. Fair enough. We are both boys. No, I didn't really accept it that easily but in the end(but it wasn't the end but again sis says don't say basically) I had to ask Dad. In the real true end Chris took me but refused to wait for me so I had to take the bus back.

When I arrived, at 5:35(times are important!), I got to Waterstones and found it was going to shut at 6. I rushed off to HMV and WHSmiths and both security guards informed me their closing times were also 6. I did go into HMV initially but then in a panic rushed back to Waterstones and shopped there. Went to the novel section initially and picked up Atwood's Oynx and Crake(earlier in the day on 3 for 2 but this was not the case later) and the novel of Girl with a pearl earring. I then went up to the science section with 15 minutes to space(I was amazed when I saw this) and picked up Dawkins's Blind Watchmaker(a modern classic in evolution theory defence - I am convinced scientifically of the truth of creationism but I do need to have read this book to be able to say why it is wrong. Which could be hard as he is undoubtedly an amazing writer.) and then I spotted a book on narrative theory which I barely read the cover before deciding on it as I wanted to read about narratology and the mere mention of it was convincing enough. I thought these four books would cost 40 pounds. So with only 30 pounds(10 in tokens), I left the books at the counter and rushed across the road to get out money(20 pounds as i thought 10 pounds was not allowed; the two tenners i recieved disproved this). I stupidly then paid for these books in cash and finding myself exceeding thirsty had to get another tenner out of another machine to buy my mcdonalds strawberry milkshake and cheeseburger(I normally buy two and I was going to buy a McFlurry but did not). Then I went home.

Sorry for writing in so much detail: hope it's been fun

Four O Clock Update

2004-08-28T16:12:00.000+01:00

After Brunch, we obviously didn't have lunch as that isn't the point. Matthew and James are staying on here and Matthew's coming to see The Bourn Supremacy later.
I went out to town and we eventually bought a metal watch. It should glow in the dark.. the hands I mean. The face is blue and in certain lights it shines a little. Not this light but then we only have a wall lamp on in here. I also bought an Iain Banks book and James Watson's DNA book. Before all that though, we went to FACT to book the film tonight and we went into the two galleries there by Jodi. One was 4 projections of MacOS with the guy filmed clicking on things randomly and just general chaos(it was a satire of GUI apparently). The other gallery was a white maze with little holes in the wall. Through these holes one could see different screens showing a game of Max Paine with cheats on and generally looking wrong.
My cousin Chris is here now so I'll go now. Later...

Post-Breakfast Update

2004-08-28T12:08:00.000+01:00

I came downstairs and found a massive present on the table and the seiboths too... i thought woa... did the seiboths bring that?.... made me terribly nervous about opening it. Turned out to be from mum and dad... was a big helium balloon inside... apparently, nana and grampa bought me one on my first birthday so it was in homage to that.
The Seiboths got me two cards(one from Matthew, and one from the others) and a box of chocolate nesquik - I think they must have spied on Anna and John on their shopping trip hehe. And a book token (which I almost forget - but Matthew reminded me (!) but I mean how could I forget a book token - me loves books).
Sounds like I'm not seeing the Bourn Supremacy tonight but on Monday when all the seiboths can come too. Will see something else at the FACT maybe (FACT is the only cinema worth going to in liverpool and they only put on good films like Elephant etc)

Chris finished off writing Aunty Carol's card... hence I was called an old fart (a little unfair as I was not allowed to repeat this insult in ref to Chris as fart is bad language apparently; or maybe it is the combination "old fart" that is insulting to mum... oh well)

And the breakfast... we had pancakes(american ones), muffins(with the chocolate at the very bottom: instinctive solution: flip them over!) and bagels(which I ate with nothing but they were nice enough anyway). There was also I have been told to say cheese(with bits of salmon in it... weird... almost as bad as maple syrup with bacon !!!), fruit salad and bacon, all of which I didn't try. There was also orange juice (in a jug!! and it was refilled!!!).

a random post

2004-08-28T09:26:00.000+01:00

just a post to get me on blogger dashboard

Nine Seventeen

2004-08-28T09:17:00.000+01:00

Bro asks mum, do you know where the vanilla essence is... what can this mean??
Hear this from my room, where my presents now are but my room is apparently too untidy for me to imagine taking people there
Mum and dad don't know whether to get me a CD clock (no alarm apparently) or a metal watch(the strap of which I cannot nibble to pieces(I more suck really).) So help me decide... that's what we'll be getting later from town

Presents

2004-08-28T09:05:00.000+01:00

Well I only had one eye open when I openned them. (This must be the first birthday my new found sixth former tiredness has affected.)

I first opened presents from my brother and sister. There was a thin box which had a picture of a wine glass on (strangely; or maybe that was just me): they don't make flatpack wine glasses yet so it turned out to be a milkshake maker. They also build me some milkshake(crusher; none of this silly pre-milked disgusting stuff you buy at corner shops maybe) and a CSI boxset(an 18 no less although how many of the discs are 18 is dubious(hehe) )

From my parents, I got a rather large check(mum says this is wrong but dad uses this one too so it's okay: revise: it's american "Don't say it's okay":dad), a cookery book for students(I neeed to learn to cook this year: it came with a written inset promising to help me make whatever I chose) and Melvin Bragg's history of english (still very cool even though I'm giving up english maybe now).
I got a card with a check of 18 pounds in it(yes, I missed the significance of that for a second: just as when I saw the classification I was shocked by bro and sis's dvd.)

Got a card from electoral services or "The Right Worshipful Lord Major of the City of Liverpool" (take your pick: the former was handwritten). Won't reveal the whole card - you might get one yourself and won't that be good :-)

wake up update

2004-08-28T08:45:00.000+01:00

Quick update... the official wakeup time was 8, not 7 (dad was tired apparently)
I didn't wake until 8:30 and even then threatened to fall alsleep for another 30 minutes
more soon

Bizarre as it seems... good night

2004-08-28T00:55:00.000+01:00

I won't say good night tonight (sat's night) as I probably won't be in bed by midnight but I'll say good bye.
Anyway... downloaded the guardian(me and paper editions don't work well... this edition is totally identical in layout images etc)... late to bed... nothing unusual there... not usual to blog this though.... anyway, good night... I'll try to get some sleep

FUN & GAMES

2004-08-28T00:48:00.000+01:00

... this was the massive title of page 14 of weekend in today's guardian.... specially for my birthday?

The Antisipation(lack of) and schedule for today

2004-08-28T00:35:00.000+01:00

This has been my most unantisipated birthday ever. Normally I declare August my birthmonth. this last week would have been my birthweek and today would be my birthday... oh sorry it is. I'd normally be all like I can't wait for my birthday like a thousand times during this last week but haven't said it once. It has sort of crept up on me.
Why is this? Well this is too exciting a day(getting there now) for deep analysis(and my some of my other guessed reasons would be somewhat more sad than the reason I'll give and they might be absolutely false.) The reason I will give is distraction - I've been working this week and the last few weeks quite intensively. This has also meant the holiday as a whole as gone much faster than normal. And argh... that means i have at least 4 novels to read before friday (note to self: think positive thoughts... it is your birthday!!!)

Well what's happening today... well first like normal I'm going to download the guardian(won't have time to do that later... nor will i have time to read it today but that's besides the point)... my dream present: a complete archive of the guardian from 1821... second a copy of the Guardian from 12/9/2001... yes september 11th(I only have the times, I also missed most of the iraq war coverage ... well in digital I did)
Anyway back to my birthday... pre-7am when I wake - have to stay quiet or go and wake sis and bro
at 7 I can reasonably expect mum and dad to be up ... ready for me to open presents... although they will take their time making tea and coffee(horrible adult drinks which I won't be taking up... oh yeah I can drink alcohol now... I have had a self-imposed prohibition on even sips of alcohol for the last few years(mainly as I wasn't sure what I would drink when i got to this point) ... broken once or twice on special occasions... not as often as bro and sis though(they aren't even close to drunkards though) ... I think I'll resolve to drink in moderation... only the best alcohol(wine... although even that can be cheap)... not to drink too much beer(which is common and relatively expensive but then coke is expensive in bars) )
at 10:30 I have brunch with the seiboths(brunch sounds too much like a business meal)... it will be american style with muffins and american pancakes(with maple syrup, not honey... yuck)
... will be visiting town at some point between brunch and the next item apparently... sounding coolio
in the afternoon my cousin and aunt might be over
in the evening mum is determined(and I'm more than okay with the idea :-) ) that we eat out. then we will see The Bourn Supremacy(not a bad title for a sequel)

I'll try to keep you posted.

Happy Birthday to me...

2004-08-28T00:04:00.000+01:00

... and a happy new year... oh wrong line
... and a happy adulthood.... that sounds better
yes officially 18 now - well in a legal sense... in the view of my family i won't be 18 til 7(well a little earlier for my bro and sis)

A little quote from my msn window:
No more a gym virgin :D says:
ta da

What is The Birthday Blog?

2004-08-27T14:55:00.000+01:00

Basically, the idea is each day a new person will post entries, ranging from a complete diary to a bunch of thoughts, on their birthday.
How will it work? Once I have a candidate for a specific day, I will add them as a member of this blog(though not at administrator), they can then post their entries.
Just one day? Yeah, basically. That seems sensible - each person's entries will fall under one date heading. And there will be no confusion.
Can I be the Birthday Blogger for [day/month]? Sure. As long as you are willing to post some entries on your birthday including probably saying what you recieve. Please email me with your name and birthday to davidpendrayATgmail.com (removing the AT and placing the @ sign instead).
What if my birthday is already taken? Not to spoil your special day but at least for the moment, it will be one person per day. So submit your birthday date now.
What timezone is this blog based in? GMT. I'll be basing everyone's day on GMT time - midnight to midnight. This blog will get horribly confused otherwise. If this inconvient for you - because of a timezone miles way from GMT - please email me anyway, enclosing your time relative to GMT(e.g. GMT+5) and I'll see how we can fit you in.