Roger pointed it out to me on Thursday night, while we were out Bristowing at the Malt Shovel. He said, "It's beginning to get you down, isn't it?" He went on to say that it was obvious on Tuesday night, at the quiz, that I had other things on my mind. We won, but I could barely crack a smile. I wasn't even interested in the quiz, it just proved to be an interesting distraction.
The week wasn't helped by a rejection letter; two letters to inform me that I was not short listed for an interview and the failure of BS Social Care to actually contact me, despite numerous attempts at hooking up with them. I said to the wife, I'd like to know how these agencies survive, especially when willing workers are just arbitrarily ignored. Part of me wants to call them and chew them a new arsehole - but, really, what good would that do? I shall call them again on Monday and ask Sam why she hasn't got back to me, but be tactful and contrite and see if she can do something now, so I'm not contacting her again in a week and feeling even more angry.
On Wednesday, I felt my back go. I had done nothing to aggravate it, I just got out of bed (as I did when I had the prolapsed disc). By Friday, I couldn't get comfortable and my planned weekend of sweaty hot sex has been put on hold. Not that I'm feeling particularly attractive at the moment, what with my growing moobs, overhanging belly and buggered bones. If the wife wanted to trade me in for a working model then I'd probably not blame her.
In all fairness, apart from the lousy weather of the last few weeks, my inability to get a job and my bad back things haven't really been that bad; it's just I'm in a funk; one that seems to have descended darker and deeper since the end of May. I lack motivation, which is weird because you'd think I'd be motivated by virtue of my circumstances.
Still... I'm not dead, yet.
***
Last week was the SDCC or San Diego Comics Convention, something I have a history with. It appears that over the years this has grown from a big event to an absolutely massive thing, with the likes of Spielberg, Jackson and Hollywood's current top actors all attending the western world's biggest geekfest. It is the place to be seen.
While I was writing my book about my life in comics (serialised over on http://alifeincomics.blogspot.com/) I tell some interesting tales about my visit to this biggest of nerd gatherings; I also explore the world of fans and some of their obsessions with dressing up as their favourite heroes; which, to be brutally honest, can look more like a mufty day at the local loony bin rather than a serious gathering of dedicated fans.
Over in San Diego, the attendees have been dressing up as not just superheroes, but as movie characters and RPG wizards. I remember SDCC in 1994 when the focus of attention from most of the males at the convention centre was aimed at a nubile young thing wearing a Vampirella outfit. For those of you unaware of what Vampirella looks like, let's just say, there's never much left to the imagination. However, this being the USA, every square inch of her microscopic costume was held down by a humane version of superglue - she was still by far the most popular attraction at the entire event and more photos are taken with women portraying Vampi than any other character at these events. The incredible thing is the Vampirella comic has always been considerably less interesting than the character's costume.
But Vampirella is a digression; what interested me more about this year's SDCC more than anything else wasn't the announcements, the clips and trailers of forthcoming big projects. It wasn't the big name stars rubbing shoulders with the great unwashed or even the latest model dressed up as Vampirella. It was the young geek dressed up as a Na'vi character from the woefully dull Avatar.
I don't know if my inner geek has resurfaced, but she was by far the sexiest thing I've seen from all the coverage and yet she looks like a cross between an American Indian and a Smurf (and the ears are silly). But the shot, reproduced here, of her standing sending a text seems to have caught the imaginations of just about every newspaper picture editor in the world.
The other thing about the press coverage of SDCC that had me sighing and feeling all nostalgic had nothing to do with comics, film or the insanely clean San Diego. It was the skies. Just about every shot from the event taken outside had this expanse of blue cloudless sky - something we rarely see in this country in the summer now.
A friend of mine who has been bigging up my comics blog said to me the other day about getting my serialised book put into a print form, which I baulked at for being an overly optimistic and ultimately futile suggestion. He then said that it was the sort of thing that would get me invited back to SDCC - the memoirs of someone in comics has never really been done before, especially not as encompassing as mine tries to be. "Wouldn't you jump at the chance of promoting a print version of your book there?" He asked and I thought of the pictures I'd seen and said, "I'd jump at the chance of experiencing that weather again for a week!"
Today it is warm (ish) and overcast in Shoesville. It was like this yesterday and I expect it will be the same tomorrow...
***
Bill Vague, Britain's foreign secretary, has suggested that Gadaffi Gaduck can stay in Libya without fear of reprisals if he just gives up and surrenders. this is a slight change in tune for this wanted for war crimes tin pot dictator. Could it be that the UK have now run out of contingency money to support this NATO and UN action? Could it be that the experts were all right, when they suggested that Libya could quite easily turn into Europe's Vietnam?
***
Talking of news; Rupert Murdock must have arranged for Norway to experience its own 9/11 and made sure that Whiny Amehouse was offed just to take the interest away from the phone hacking scandal. He must have because the press has seemingly lost interest all of a sudden in a story that for a while was being touted as the biggest thing since Profumo.
***
I have decorating to do...
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