Hi guys
Once again, sorry for my absence - I dont know how to explain it, but the past few months have been a very strange time for me, in lots of ways, and I've been avoiding the worldwideinterweb as much as I possibly can, but I've been thinking about y'all, and the site, quite a lot so I've decided to try post a little more often and generally join in again
Anyway, here's whats been happening on Planet Chavster over the past few weeks
1. Health - Physically, I'm feeling much better. Quite sprightly in fact, but I've been very down in the dumps (the main reason for avoiding the internet - I get on people's titties enough when I'm NOT down in the dumps, so I didnt want to get on your/their titties even more so). I guess, as some of you will know, staring death in the face isnt necessarily fun or easy, and I faced it twice in the past few weeks, so I'm still coming to terms with all that sh1t.
2. Shaving - In an effort to cheer myself up (unfortunately, it didnt work), I've been spending quite a lot of money on shaving stuff recently. Here's a quick run-down along with my own viewpoints:
a) I managed to buy some CO Bigelow Shaving Cream (usually sold at Bath and Body Works, but we dont have B&BW here so I bought it on eBay) and its really amazing stuff. It would be even more amazing if I could buy it for $10 like you Yankee boys can (it cost me twice that amount), but its really good stuff, especially when used with a brush.
b) CO Bigelow Shaving Cream is made by Proraso, and I've been using one of their shaving brushes on my head. Quite simply, its the best brush I've ever used. Its made from boar hair rather than badger, but I cant imagine anyone would notice the difference, and it has a big handle (which is perfect for my big hands), and very long bristles. And it was cheap.
c) I bought some Truefitt and Hill Lemon Pre-Shave Oil. It cost me 16 Ye Olde Englishe Pounds (which is around $22), and it smells great (lemon, clementine, grapefruit), but its effectiveness is just about zero, IMO. I wouldnt buy it again.
d) My very biggest retail-therapy disappointment, however, is the $120 I spent on a Merkur Futur DE razor. Its beautiful to look at, but no matter how much I've persevered with it, I've been ripping my head to shreds, and its not just painful, its PAINFUL. I dont even like the way it works on my face. I know it takes practice to use a DE razor, but I've spent so much time on this mofo that I'm totally over it. Its now sitting on a shelf in my bathroom looking sorry for itself. The last time I used it, I took a whole slice of skin off the top of my head, and it really hurts, even a week later. So thats $120 down the toilet. And its all thanks to this guy who made it look so easy:
3. I'm going on vacation next week
I decided to throw caution to the wind, and I just thought 'screw it', and I made a reservation for a cruise
So next Wednesday, I'm flying down to Barcelona, and from there I'll be sailing for (I think) 10 days around the Mediterranean and then down to the Canary Islands. I'm going with just my two iPads for company (I didnt have enough room for all the movies I wanted to take on one of them, so I'm taking both), and I'm looking forward to it. I love being on the water, I find it very therapeutic, so hopefully it'll be nice. I've sailed on this particular ship three times before so I know the ship will be nice, and I've been to all the ports of call before so I know they're nice too - Im just not sure how I'm going to feel being on my own in the middle of nowhere. Time will tell
4. Insults - my mother called me a 'cue ball' a few days ago, and just this morning, I was in a chemist (drug store) and I bumped into a guy by accident, and I apologis(z)ed and his response was 'fu*k off Kojak'. Not sure how I felt about that. He was only about 20. Something has happened to the English over the past decade or two. England has a very violent history dating back hundreds and hundreds of years, but it seems the violence gene - surpressed for quite a while - is making a comeback.
5. Food - I'm STILL desperate for some real American food instead of the utter crap I can buy over here, and I'm absolutely disgusted that not one of you have yet mailed me a filet mignon
I went with a friend to a restaurant (and I use the term loosely) a few days ago, called The Harvester. Its a steak restaurant with a salad bar.
http://www.harvester.co.uk/OMG, it was like eating the bottom of someones shoe, and the salad bar had a selection of about three items (ok maybe there were six), but ewww, whats up with the lack of cleanliness? My goal for this year is to head to America - and I dont care where in America it is, it could be Lawrence Kansas for all I care - and I'm going to eat some real food. I dont care if I have to mortgage my house, but this boy needs some nutrition.
6. Emails - um, I have quite a few emails in my inbox that I havent replied to, and as of now, I have (I think) 38 messages on this site that I havent read, never mind replied to. Again, its hard to explain, but I've been very touched by the way some of you have been checking in with me and making sure I'm ok, and because my mood has been so low, I've found it very difficult to read the emails. As such, I havent. Read them that is...I havent read any emails in around 2 weeks I guess. For those of you who have indeed emailed me, I want to say thanks. I know its been the height of rudeness that I havent replied, but it hasn't been an attempt on my part to be deliberately rude or ignorant, I just haven't wanted to feel any more low than I've been feeling. Your emails (I know for sure) have been designed to cheer me up, but reading them would have had the opposite effect (which is my issue rather than yours), so please accept my apologies for not reading/replying, and also my thanks for sending them in the first place. There are three of you in particular that I'd like to thank - two of you are on the east coast, one of whom is a 'freakoid magnet' (he'll know who he is!), and the other is a member of the site who, as far as I know, has never posted on the site - he's a lurker - but he lives maybe 20 minutes away from me in Ye Olde Englande (he'll also know who he is!), and although we keep missing each other online and in emails and by text message, I want to especially thank him and my two east coast buddies for being in constant touch, even if I've been a rude pig by not replying. Hopefully that all makes some sense
This has really been a tough period of my life, I havent been thinking straight and my mind has been wandering a lot to places it really doesnt need to wander to, but I'm hoping things are starting to get better now.
Anyway, thats all for now
I know I've bored y'all to tears, but I wanted to say hi, to give you an update on some of the things that have been happening, and thats it. And now, I have a Krispy Kreme donut waiting for me
So I'll say toodle pip and cheerio (because obviously, we all say toodle pip and cheerio in Ye Olde Englande
) and I'll do my best to speak to you all very soon
