The 2010 Review

Only one day left of 2010, where did that go?? It seems like only yesterday I was seeing in the new year, drinking more than I should have and starting 2010 with a hangover. Since then it really has been onwards and upwards for me and 2010 has been one of the best. As always, I doubt I will be able to remember everything that has happened but I will have a good crack.

Best Year Ever??

So the year started on a bit of a dip with the hangover but it really did push on from there with some force. In February I moved into my first place with Lara, a lovely 2 bed apartment in Maulden, Bedfordshire which I still cant believe I own. I was saying to Lara a little while back that sometimes I walk in at night and think to myself how perfect that place is in my eyes. It was a big move for me to be so far from family and friends but I have some great friends up in Maulden now (even if we do get kicked out of pubs for taking a megaphone in) and I think it was the right move for me.

It was baby central this year with my best mate and his wife Shelley had their first baby, Joshua, they have proved that they are naturals at the parenting thing and Josh is a little star! My cousin Dan and his lady Helen had a little girl, Ella, who I haven’t seen nearly as much as I would like of but there is something I can aim to change in 2011. Then my Sister and her husband Tom had a little girl too, Mia, and I have my first niece!! Dylan has turned into an awesome big brother to her as well which is nice. Although watching him saying ‘I Love You Sister’ through a voice changing megaphone on Christmas was Lovely, Scary (due to the voice) and hilarious (due to the voice and Mia’s reaction) all at the same time. So yeah, lots of new additions in the family.

Congratulations go out to Dan and Helen, Matt and Emma, Stew and Katie who have all got engaged this year. This must have been extra special for my auntie Bern and uncle Les as these are all brothers from the Tilley family!

I have to do it, I just have to and I don’t care if you jump this section. WHAT A YEAR FOR TOTTENHAM! Qualifying for the Champions League and then getting through the group stage as winners at the first attempt, beating Inter Milan on the way through! Love it! There has also been beating Arsenal and Chelsea in the same week, coming back from 2-0 down at the Emirates to beat the Gooners 3-2. The complete revelation of Gareth Bale who is just a different class. Signing Van der Vaart who is just immense. We now have a team that really makes other clubs worry when we play them and we have done all we have done this season with a crazy amount of injuries (which nobody ever seems to mention!) Im hoping 2011 will be just as good for the mighty Spurs!

This year I have been back playing football which is nice, loving the banter with the lads which is a big part of what I missed about not playing. Scoring the winner on my birthday in front of Lara, my mum and Roy was a highlight (even if I did injure my ankle and was out for 5-6 weeks in the same game!)

I thought it might be cool to do ‘Top things of 2010’ so here we go –

Top Album: Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

Top Song: Time – Hans Zimmer (not exactly a song as such but a great piece of music from the Inception soundtrack)

Top Film: Inception

Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio

Best Actress: Olivia Wilde (I couldn’t actually think of any for acting reasons but she is HOT!)

Top Xbox Game: Alan Wake

Top Playstation Game: Little Big Planet (I only played it for the first time this year)

Top TV Series: LOST

Top TV Show: An Idiot Abroad

Moment of 2010: Picking up the keys to my first house!

That’s about all I can think off now, haha so we can leave that there for now. Oh, I saw Tron: Legacy the other day so may as well do a quick review on it. It was pretty good, not great but very good. The main reason for seeing this isn’t the story, that’s just ok, if anything they could have worked a little harder on that as it seems a bit of a waste to just progress through with pretty lights and 3D. What makes this film a must see is the visuals. This was something really amazing to see, you are immersed in a 3-D world of light, colour and shiny stuff that is just so engaging to watch. I wont go into things too much but the light cycle battles early on, with the ribbons of neon light streaming out of the bikes is spectacular! I would recommend going to see this just for the visual spectacle, if you go with the intention of seeing a story and character driven film then you will probably think ‘Meh?’, but go with the outlook of simply sitting and watching something extremely clever and incredible looking on a screen then you will probably be happy.

That’s about it for me now. I hope everyone has an amazing New Year and I wish you all a prosperous 2011!

G

New Job and Cruising The Med

Another four weeks flies by without a chance to breathe – madness – just where has 2010 gone?? Its been over a year since I started writing these blog things on here and although they have turned more into a diary rather than a review on stuff, I think the reviewing on www.culturedeluxe.com goes a bit of way to making up for it. Haha. Christmas is less than two weeks away and this time last year we had just had the offer accepted on our house. Now we have our first Christmas tree up and decorated (only as of yesterday though) and I have all my presents bought and ready to be wrapped – am I organised or what!!

New Year, New Start

I suppose the biggest news for me this time around is that I have got myself a new job… Came a bit out of the blue with the interview and the offer within the space of a few days but Im really pleased and excited to start the role next year. Its back doing something similar to what I used to do in surveying as an estimator for a flooring company. Its less than 15 mins drive from my place so there goes my horror 1 hour each way journey to work too. Just with that I will be able to have an extra seven hours to myself each week that I would have spent driving! Brilliant. It will be a shame to leave all my friends at my current job behind but I have kept in touch with people from previous jobs and I would expect it to be the same here. So all in all a great way to start 2011…. But not the best way…… that would have to be………

If It Is Called Titanic We’re Screwed!!

One good thing about leaving the company I am at now means that I am able to start a couple of weeks later which is handy as I wouldn’t have been able to go on a cruise. We are being taken away by Laras dad on a Mediterranean cruise to a few countries that I am so excited about its silly! It starts in Barcelona and heads off to Egypt, Italy and Greece I think and sounds right up my street with all the things this ship has on it. 14 restaurants, casino, gym, swimming pool and a load of other things too. I have never been on a cruise before so I am not sure of what to expect, but Im sure it will be amazing. Watch this space….

Fringe = Brilliant

As LOST has now finished there needed to be a gap filler when it came to TV shows. There are the odd ones that come along and you watch here and there but there has to be something special to grab you by the kahoonas and have you waiting for the next episode to air. Fringe is now on its third series and it is just getting better and better each year. We have been watching this since the start and each time a series ends (of half a season as they keep having month long breaks with this one) we wonder how they will keep this story evolving, but they always deliver and then some! Its hard to explain the premise of the show without giving too much away but for those of you who have watched it, you know what I mean. This show keeps you so interested in everything, the characters, the plot, just everything. Brilliant. Have a watch from the start if you get a chance.

Other than that I hope everyone watched An Idiot Abroad which was just fantastic. I have also listened to a few new albums lately. Take That – Progress. Fairly decent although some of the songs can get a bit boring but overall a decent listen, Underground Machine and The Flood are my favourite songs on there though. But…. My favourite album by far this year is the new album by Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. That is amazing. Yes I know that Kanye West is a complete and utter tool but he sure does know how to create music. The lyrics are sharp, the guest appearances are amazing, especially Jay –Z and the beats and music are just incredible from start to finish. I love almost every song on here with Monster and Runaway being stand outs. Awesome. Put the hatred for the man aside and sit back and listen to a genius at work.

That will just about do me for today, so if I don’t write before then I hope that everyone has a brilliant Christmas and New Year. Happy 2010 and here’s to 2011. Don’t forget to follow me on twitter if you don’t already @FuzzyCoyote and.

Take it easy… G