goodbye twenty fourteen.

2014 has gone very fast, maybe a little too fast and just like any other year; it's had its ups and downs. However, I feel like this year has been one of the most extreme roller coasters so far.
I have failed continuity in most things this year and that irritates me. Both of my blogs have been neglected at some point this year, this one more than the other, but I did get two full A Levels in June (which is a plus for my future).

My highlights include passing my driving test, turning 18, mini road trips, my Gran beating cancer, seeing over 50 acts live and sharing moments with family and friends. Lowlights include having to say goodbye to a couple of people and just general crap going on.

There's not really much to say to 2014 and I wouldn't pay to go on that roller coaster again. However, I'm happy I've lived it once to gain some happy moments (and some of my favourite photos), so thank you to everyone that has been a part of it.

Hope you have all had a good Christmas break and go into 2015 well... Enjoy! And see you in the new year :)

2014 Pt. II (link)

autumn.

Autumn is my favourite part of the year, minus the rain. It's also my favourite time of the year to go on photo missions. Although, I've missed a few really stunning sunsets, I thought I'd share a few of my favourite moments/photos from the past month or so... (there's also a little surprise at the bottom).

That is easily my favourite autumn photo I've taken this year and it shows my favourite thing about autumn. The beautiful colours on the leaves. 

31st October: a photo mission with Petar.

You should go follow him on instagram and subscribe on YouTube. He puts a lot of time and effort into his photos and videos, and they always come out really well. 

Instagram: http://instagram.com/peca_chu (@peca_chu)

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/pcule97

5th November: bonfire night.

5th November: bonfire night. 

Even though I can't stand the sound of fireworks, I always try and see some each year, this year I went and enjoyed the whole experience, so that was a plus, oh and I couldn't decide between these two photos. 

12th November: a hot drink for a cold night.

Nothing beats a hot drink on a cold night. This one has a surreal link to it, as it was the one I drank in London, whilst waiting for the go ahead to interview a band... So that's a highlight of my autumn.

18th November: blue skies and golden leaves.

I really love the clear blue skies in Autumn, because it usually means there's a crisp and cold air to the outside world, wrapping up warm with thick socks and layers is then the way to go. 

20th November: christmas lights, light up the street.

After an evening bouncing on trampolines, my sister, friend and I ventured into town to see the lights after they'd been switched on, we also watched the fireworks display (because every event in autumn and winter seems to have fireworks). This little side street looked rather 'cute'. 

I've also made a video putting words/videos/photos together about autumn....

one: autumn (link)

thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed the slightly different style of blog today, what are your favourite things about autumn?

- evan. 

an absence of control.

I had a bit of an 'all over the place' summer. I had no real clue of what I'd be doing when September came back round, whether I'd be retaking a year, finishing a subject, or not even returning to sixth form and going straight out into the big wide world.
I took on more hours at work, enjoyed blogging over on Music In Time, went away with family and friends for a couple of weeks and filled my time with fun things to take my mind off of results day and September.

When September DID come around, I went on the first day for 5 hours of waiting and meetings and timetabling etc. - it wasn't fun - but I worked out what I'd be doing and I was happy. However, I had no real structure to what I was doing, my timetable was all over the place for sixth form, I had to rearrange blog work days, make time for family and friends and keep doing a weekend of work, as well as fitting in coursework, homework and the other random work that comes with A Levels. I ended up with no 'downtime' and went a few weeks without a day off and any spare time I had I was filling with work I needed to get done.

I didn't enjoy this time with an absence of control. I wasn't well, mentally or physically and I'm still not fully there - but I'm in a much better place now.
Anyway, I think what I set out to say in this blog is that I feel I can blog over on this little corner of the internet again.
I've got back on top of my A Level work, I've cut my hours of work at the weekend, I've taken on some online stuff for a band, I'm blogging on Music In Time again and I feel in control again. Expect tags, rants, creative stuffs (probably from my Creative Writing course - which is great fun!) and a little bit of lifestyle bits and bobs.

So yeah, hi again and I still need to work out what the upload day is going to be for One Day At A Time, but please expect weekly blogs again. I'm feeling a little more determined this time!

forever drafting blogs.

So, I keep typing up lots of blogs and not posting them, I will get past this phase hopefully. It feels weird blogging and I'm seriously lacking motivation at the minute, not writing about music feels kind of uncomfortable. I feel like that's what I've zoned myself into now, I feel that's my comfort zone when it comes to blogging now, and I kind of hate that! I loved this blog, this is where it all started. I've got some many blog ideas, but I spend a day writing one out and hate it.

I did have an idea to do the '100 Things That Make Me Happy' blog tag, and I still want to, but I feel like writing about them just isn't interesting to people. I have got some more ideas over this summer, and I guess I need to just post them out and not care what people think about them, I've already learnt that if people aren't interested the just won't click on the link - and that's fine!

It's become easy to focus too much on views with blogs, Music In Time is growing (really well) and this blog is still at the start of the race. I never wanted this blog to become massive and I always wanted to keep it as a personal writing space which others read as well, it's just hard to keep it that way!

Still, in between a full schedule of sixth form, work, MIT and life, I'll be drafting (and eventually posting) some blogs from over the summer.

Mind ramble/rant thing over and back to reading the news for media, congratulations to Wills and Kate - some good news for once!

Doctor Who Tag.

Seeing as Doctor Who returned to our TVs on Saturday I decided to do the tag, I wasn't tagged by anyone and I probably could have done it before now, but I'm pretty hopeless with uploading at a reasonable time...

1. When and why did you start watching Doctor Who, and what made you become a fan of it?
I started watching it when it returned with Christopher Eccleston, I absolutely loved it and have been obsessed since. I’m not sure what made me become a fan but I watched it every weekend and if I missed it, I made sure I caught up, it just grew as something I loved and couldn’t miss I think?

2. Favourite quotes?

Soooooo many! I guess ‘We’re all stories, in the end. Just make it a good one!’ stands out. These could have a blog post of their own! Haha

3. Favourite theme songs?

This is the worst question for me to answer, I absolutely adore the whole of the Doctor Who soundtrack and am in awe of Murray Gold as a composer, so my top five in no particular order are; ‘Amy’s Theme’, ‘The Pandorica Suite’, ‘The Enigma of River Song’, ‘The Majestic Tale (of a Mad Man in a Box)’ and ‘The Impossible Girl/Clara’s Theme’.

4. Favourite episodes and scenes/moments?

‘End of the World’ stands out as one of my favourite episodes, one of my favourite small characters was in that episode as well (Jabe from the Forest).

‘Blink’ was another episode that I absolutely loved! ‘School Reunion’ – the who’s better battle between Rose and Sarah Jane was brilliant, and the goodbye the Doctor gives her is so much more meaningful now. ‘The Sound of Drums’, ‘The Shakespeare Code’ and ‘The Girl in the Fireplace’ are up there in my favourites too.

5. Least favourite episodes?

I haven’t been a big fan of Moffat’s writing?! I didn’t enjoy many episodes of Matt Smith’s era as the doctor unfortunately, but I loved Matt and Karen Gillan as the Doctor and Amy (and I liked Rory and River) – so that just about made up for it. Yeah it probably be one of those. I didn’t really like Fires of Pompeii either..

6. Favourite doctors (or do you disagree with idea of having favourite doctor and like all of them equally?)

I didn’t even know people would like the doctor’s equally? They all have different characteristics? Erm, William Hartnell because he started it all off and I thought he set a good standard, Tom Baker – not sure why I just loved him as the doctor and David Tennant – but he stands out as my all time favourite.

7. Favourite companions?

Sarah Jane, in old and new episodes. Rose Tyler, because the connection between her and Ten just made the story lines even better. Donna Noble because she added humour to the episodes.

8. Least favourite companions?

I wasn’t a massive fan of a lot of the early companions (in Classic Who) they irritated me too much, from the recent series’ I’d have to say Martha? Her character was a bit whiny?  

9. Characters you relate to most?

That’s a tough one and I’m not sure I could actually answer that one! Hah

10. Favourite villains and villains that frightened you most?

Another tough one to choose, favourite villains? They tend to be the ones that frighten me the most – because they live up to the Doctor Who scare factor… Weeping Angels, Clockwork Robots, Silurians ( I think the actors did an amazing job at being lizardlike etc.)

11. Least favourite villains?

Not a big fan of the Dream Lord, and I thought the Snow Men were the worst villains in the new who, the visuals were fake and awful and the story line was poor.

12. Funniest moments?

Donna and Ten’s moment between the windows seeing each other again makes me laugh everytime. Strax as a character makes me laugh so much as well, so most of his ‘funny moments’. In the episode ‘End of Time’ the Doctor locks the Tardis like a car and at the time, it was hilarious!

13. Moments that made you cry?

Ten before he regenerated… ‘I don’t want to go’.

14. Saddest episode?

‘The End of Time’ because of the quote mentioned above.

‘Doomsday’, I don’t think there is a better Doctor-Companion combo then Rose and Ten.

15. Favourite friendship?

The obvious Rose & Ten (unless you want to call them a couple) but I love the friendship between Strax, Jenny, Madame Vastra, known as the Paternoster Gang with the Doctor. (One of the good things about Moffat’s writing.)

16. Favourite couple?

Ten and Madame de Pompadour. It was only one episode but they were one couple that should have lasted and imagine them travelling through time and space together.

17. Favourite actor?

I would clearly have to say David Tennant, but other than the Doctor, I thought Bernard Cribbins was brilliant in the episodes he was in. John Simm has been great as The Master as well.

18. Favourite Actress

I think there have been better actresses in Doctor Who than actors through the years, Elisabeth Sladen, Billie Piper, Alex Kingston, Jenna Coleman, Karen Gillan and Catherine Tate.

19. Favourite writer?

Russel T. Davies without a doubt. Richard Curtis did a great job with ‘Vincent & The Doctor’ though, Helen Raynor wrote a few solid episodes as well, following Daleks and Sontarans.

20. Actor you’d have liked to play 12?

Erm, either Rupert Grint or Amy Adams – purely for the ginger aspect and I think Amy Adams would have done a good job as a female doctor I think.

Thanks for Reading! 

If you have a go - link it to me on my FB page (below) I also go the idea from here! 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/onedayatatimeblogs

photo source: here

holiday time...

Tonight I'm heading off on holiday for just under two weeks with family... It's to a special place we go every year, the place where the sunsets and stars seem so much more magical, probably because there's a lot less light pollution etc. out to sea. But the salt air clears everything, I get a (fairly) good night's sleep and actually manage to get things done with a little more motivation.

I thought I'd share with you my extra essentials to take away with me (i.e. the essentials aside from clothes, food and toiletries!) So without further ado...

Electronics:

iPod: because I spent three days sorting it out and a day without music, is a day wasted.

Cameras: I have two cameras, a compact one and a bridge camera. 

Nintendo DS: What else am I going to play Sims, Super Mario and Lego Harry Potter on? 

Macbook Pro: Work doesn't stop just because I'm away from home! 

Batteries: Re-chargable AAs and my smaller camera batteries. 

Chargers: Cameras, Games, Laptop, iPhone, iPod... 

Headphones: I live by my Sony headphones at the minute, comfy and good sound quality. 

Memory Storage: SD Cards and memory sticks... 

Notebooks:

One Day At A Time Plans

One Day At A Time Blog Drafts

Music In Time Drafts

Music to listen to and review for MIT

Small Ideas

DVDs:

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: Because my step dad needs to watch it and who doesn't love THG?

Hot Fuzz: again because my step dad needs to watch it, and we've watch Shaun of the Dead a million times. 

The Rise of the Planet of the Apes: because I got it for £2.99 and love the film. 

Books: (not exactly the lightest books?!)

The Reason I Jump: In the hope I may understand autism a little more after reading. 

After Aushwitz: I have a weird obsession with WWII and the Holocaust so is an interesting read. 

Time Fillers (Other Stuff):

Sudoku: gotta keep the brain in tip top condition. 

Mini Doodle: to help with creativity blocks.

Pencil Case: filled with colourful things to aid with creative stuffs.

So there we go! Might not be very interesting and if you want to know more about the cameras, music on my iPod, books/films etc. let me know - it might give me a reason to do another blog on something! 

Also, if you've read my tattoo blog, you'll know half of it was inspired by Sleeping At Last's song 'Saturn', well I did a feature (interview and review) with him for Music In Time (that other blog I do) and if you're interested in reading more about him and his music click here.

dreaded results day.

Results day is one (of many) days in the academic calendar that I absolutely detest. The night before is hell, everyone starts worrying about what they're going to get, if they're going to get into uni and many more pressures of the day.

Today was the A Level results day, which was my day for exam results. I wasn't expecting much, I was thinking I was going to be extremely lucky to get a D in two of my subjects and I was hoping for a B/C in the other. I got C in English Language, C in English Lit and B in Media - I couldn't be happier!

I got to see friends I hadn't seen it what seemed like months, which is always a plus. But, obviously it wasn't a great day for everyone. Whether aiming for grades to get you into uni, a job, staying on another year or just going out to do life, I hope people did as well as they needed/expected or better. Still this as many adults will have said today 'isn't the end of the world', which is probably not what you want to hear when you're grades aren't as good as you'd hoped, but as long as you tried your best - that's all you can do!

It's been released that A Level grades have fallen slightly in A* and A grades, as well as the pass rate being down for the first time in 30 years, I wonder if that has something to do with a certain Mr. Gove? Still, there is a record number of uni places available - so make sure you do go through clearance and keep trying!

I find there's different stages of results day, all of which were highlighted today...

1. Messages of support (freaking about your own results...)
This starts about an hour to half an hour before you know your results, after the normal whinging about not sleeping etc. Texts are exchanged and status' are posted...

2. Picking that envelope up...
At my sixth form, we have to go in to pick up our results, you go to a table, say your name and get the envelope, whilst saying more hi's and good lucks to the people around you - oh and your teachers doing a classic River Song and giving 'spoilers'. (Looks of approval and disappointment/sorry you didn't too well...)

3. Opening the envelope... 
This is probably the longest process of picking up your results, depending on if you have to wait for parents/til you get home etc. and how worried you are about the contents... (REMINDER: the longer you wait, the worse you're going to make yourself feel!)

4. Congratulations/Commiserations...
Hugs all round, whether the results are good or bad...

5. What comes next? 
Then teachers asking what choice uni you got, clearance, what are you doing next, a clear bombardment of questions - most of which you'll have heard in the past few months from people trying to make conversation with you...

6. That night...
So it seems, people are going out tonight, to either celebrate or drink their long day away... I, on the other hand am going out to drink diet coke and have a good time with friends...

Whatever the results, this isn't the end, you have so many years ahead of you - exam results and grades definitely shouldn't determine where you go in life - just look at Alan Sugar, Deborah Meaden, Richard Branson...

(Also, good luck to GCSE's next week!)

i got my first tattoo.

Tuesday 12th August finally came and I got a tattoo. This was a present from my Mum for my 18th and it's something I've wanted for a while. I hadn't settled on a design/idea until around my birthday, so not too long ago! It didn't hurt, didn't take long and I' m so happy with how it turned out! Lots of people have been asking what it means etc. so I thought it was easier to write a blog post, either for people to read online, or as a hard copy...

They are two separate astrological symbols (put together to add meaning). The one on the left is the symbol for Jupiter and the one on the right is for Saturn. One of the reasons I had them in that order is because of the order of planets in our solar system - and me being geeky wanted them to go in the right order... Jupiter's symbol also looks like a 24 and the numerical value for Saturn is 7, which is my birthday. However, the more I looked into these symbols - the more meaning I found behind them and thought they were definitely the first ones to get. 

Deeper Meanings...

Jupiter:

First of all, symbolisms behind it include: optimism, travel and belief. The phrase 'mind over matter' and 'good luck' are also heavily linked to it. Travel links to my Kenya trip and the enjoyment I get out of trips away, whether it be abroad, around England or just in a car somewhere nearby. Optimism and 'mind over matter' are just a couple of phrases to be kept in mind every day I think - it's very easy to become a pessimist, and to have a constant reminder to be optimistic as much as you can is never a bad thing! The last link is that Jupiter was the Roman God of the Heavens - you can take from that what you wish! 

Saturn:

The main reason I got this is because of a song, funny enough by one of my favourite bands/artists Sleeping At Last (who sent me an email the other day saying he had fun with the interview I did with him for Music In Time). The first verse is the main link but the first two lines are 'You taught me the courage of stars before you left, how light carries on endlessly, even after death' etc. - I'll put a link down the bottom. Other symbolisms and things 'recycling old to new', physical and emotional endurance during hardships and control. Again, I'm not going to go into it too much, but it links to people passing away and being in a better pain free place and control to do with my anxiety over the past years.  

Saturn - Sleeping At Last (link)

So there ya go! I think that's all! 

Massive thanks to @danni_tyler for doing a great job! 

p.s. hoping to start posting again. soon. really this time...

guess who's back...

so, i've decided to return to this blog, and try and enjoy blogging again. this is going to be my space to write creatively. i've really missed being able to write what i want and when i want. this is just as much a blog for me, as it is for you to read. expect posts about life, music, photos and lots of other random stuff.

i'm going to inject some positivity in my first few blogs, i've set up 10 blogs of 10 things that make me happy, making 100 things altogether. i'm not sure when i'll post these, but i'm liking the look of them already. i've got loads of other fun blog ideas and stuff sorted in my big red notebook!

i'll see you back here, some point this week for one of them new posts? there'll be more capital letters then in the next post, and colours. oh and i'm hoping the content from now on is a lot better than 2013, i'm hoping i've picked up some skills etc. to make them a lot better than just what i did that week with some poor blackberry phone photos...

til next time!
evan.