BenPaddon.co.uk

So it goes without saying that I’m in Los Angeles now. I experienced some killer jetlag last night, and I’m still a little braindead today although I found it very difficult to put coherent sentences together yesterday afternoon. I went to bed about 7pm and woke up at 4am. My aim tonight is to stay up until 9pm. I’m a rebel, I know.

There’s a lot of little things that I still have to get used to, though. I’m already pretty used to some of the big things but the little things are a bit trickier. This keyboard, for example, isn’t the same as the keybaord I had on my computer back in Luton. The keys are in a different place, for one. The Enter key is entirely the wrong shape. I like L-shaped Enter keys. They make sense. The enter key on this keyboard is only slightly smaller than the Right Shift key, and there’s a \ key where any sensible keyboard would have the upper-pokey bit of an Enter key. An L-shaped Enter key. The @ and ” are in the wrong places too, and theres no pound sign on the numeric keys.

Like I said. Little things.

I bought myself a new computer today, which we’re going to set up tomorrow. It’s a nice system - very nice, according to my Dad, who has a better head for PC specs than I do - and I got it for a very good price. Yes, Daniel, this means we’ll be able to play Civilization IV properly, assuming I can pull myself away from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City long enough!

I’ll write more when… well, when I have more to write.

The Day after tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life. That way you’ve always got a couple of days in hand.

Bill Bailey

Blimey, time’s flown. I’m now less than twelve hours away from getting in a taxi bound for Heathrow. I’m less than twent-four hours away from boarding a plane. In fact by this time tomorrow I imagine I’ll be either over the ocean somewhere or just passing the east coast.

I have remained entirely honest on this blog, and I see no reason to stop now - I’m terrified. I don’t know what’s going to happen when I get to the US. I have no idea what path my life will take. I don’t know if I will be a success with whatever I do, I don’t know if I’m even going to stick it out with whatever I start doing. My life, these past seven or eight months, has been building up to leaving the UK. Past that I haven’t the foggiest idea what I’m doing. I have never been more scared in my entire life.

I love it.

I love not knowing what’s going to happen. I love the fact that I’m doing this purely because I can. Life is far too short, and you only get the one. So live it. I don’t want to be one of those people who just talks about doing things and never does them. And I don’t want to be one of those people who fusses and whines and moans about how horrible their life is without actively doing something about it. That’s nonsense logic - that’s Amy Logic - and it doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. Because at the end of the day, you can have all the television and burgers and cats and DVDs and chips and games consoles and exams and Pepsi and candles you want, but if you haven’t done anything, haven’t tried expanding your horizons, doing new things, seeing new places, meeting new people, then what the Hell is the point of it all?

I like life, and contrary to the belief of many I actually have one. I know, that surprised me as well. And I intend to fill my life with as much wonder and excitement as possible. Not to say I’m going to dodge the little stuff. The big stuff can’t happen without the little stuff chugging along behind it. But life isn’t all about the little stuff. It’s so much bigger than that.

Prince of Persia Classic is fantastic - it’s a remake of the original Prince of Persia using graphics and audio from The Sands of Time - but ultimately it just makes me yearn for a Live Arcade version of Flashback.

Hmm, think I might go and play Flashback now, actually. Thank you, REminiscence.

I was woken up this morning by my Mum tidying up downstairs. Specifically it was the sound of the front door opening, and my Mum yelping “No! In!” repeatedly to the kitten, Milo who we are babysitting for Eddie and Kirsty. I had gone downstairs to see what the fuss was and then headed back up to bed. Then the door went again. It was a lady. A courier. She had a package for me. I signed for it, immediately knowing exactly what it was.

My passport and supporting documentation has been returned, complete with my temporary Immigrant Visa.

I’m going to America.

One of the last things you expect to see when you go to an interview at the American Embassy for immigration purposes is someone you know, doing exactly the same thing. Funnily enough, I didn’t bump into anyone I knew. What a strange world we live in.

I did meet a strange Nigerian fellow on the train. As I stepped off of the tube at Oxford Circus to change lines for Bond Street, I was stopped by this gentleman asking me if I knew how to get to the Embassy. As it happens I did, and we journeyed together, having a lovely conversation on the way. He’s getting an Education Visa, which will allow him to do part of his Ph.D in Texas. We were getting along famously until he began to ask me questions such as “Do you pray?”, “Have you accepted our lord Jesus Christ into your heart?” and “Would you like a copy of this leaflet?”. I took one, because I’m far too polite to, say, throw it back in his face, point and laugh at him before running away at record-breaking speeds.  But it went in the bin not long after I set foot inside of the Embassy.

The interview process was nothing like I expected. I had imagined a one-on-one interview in a room with red mahogany furniture, stylish expensive-looking panelled walls and fine green carpets. What I got instead was more akin to an NHS walk in centre. There was a two hour wait before I got to speak to anyone, after which I was called to a window - like a bank - and asked to give my documents. They also took my fingerprints. Oh, and I had to make a payment at another window. Finally I was called to yet another window, where my fingerprints were taken a second time (probably to verify them with the first set) and I was made to sign a form stating I wasn’t going to get married before I let England. I was handed my chest x-rays, which I have to take on the flight with me, directed to the Courier counter so I could pay for the courier service, and then I was free to go.

So that’s that out of the way. The courier clerk said I would probably get my passport and documentation on Friday or Monday, and it’s unlikely it’ll arrive any time after that, so it looks very much like I shall be flying out on Tuesday as planned. They have my mobile number too, and they generally try to send a text message the day before delivery. Whee!

The original plan, after my interview at the Embassy had finished, was to meet up with Pooka again. About halfway out of the Embassy I realised I didn’t have my mobile and so I had no way of contacting him or checking our plans. Bugger. Oh well. I decided to go home, stopping briefly in Luton town centre to grab a couple of tee-shirts and another book to read on the plane.

So that’s it. My work here is done. I’ve just got to wait on my documentation and my passport and then I’m off!

If you’re looking forward to Jump Leads and want to spread the word, feel free to slap this banner somewhere on your website:

Link it to www.jump-leads.com as well, if you like. Do this, and I will worship you as some kind of God.

Am I the only person who thinks that Jack Straw looks a bit like the Demon Headmaster?

With the first pages of Jump Leads beginning to flop ever so deliciously into my emailbox, I think now is the time to share JjAR’s concept art with you lot. So here it is. Click to see the large version.

Isn’t that seventeen shades of awesome? And if you think that’s good, wait until you see the cover for issue one. And issue one itself, come to that. This is going to be phenomenal.

We had a great time out yesterday. Originally it was going to be me, my sister Teri and three of her friends, but all of her friends couldn’t make it. Instead my long-time friend Eddie came along with us,and even drove us there. We met up with another friend, Matty, when we got there. Those of you who visit the Team 17 Forum might know Matty better as WorMatty.

I don’t think yesterday could have been any better. We got to go on every ride we wanted to, and we even got to go on a few rides twice.  We didn’t waste time on rides that we thought would be rubbish (namely the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ride, which as I learnt last year is all kinds of shit), and we went on rides I hadn’t been on before. Like Air, for example. And Oblivion. Both are fantastic, and both are rides we went on again.

We didn’t take many photos but we did buy a few Ride photos as well as a few souvenirs (although mostly for my Mum, who collects pin-badges). I’m sure anyone else would’ve been sitting in the car on the way home trying to work out how much the day had cost him. Me? I didn’t care. I was with great company - people who are important to me, who I won’t see again for a while - having a great time in what I think is Britain’s best theme park. It doesn’t get much better than that, and it’s worth every penny, however much it cost.

Tomorrow I have my interview at the US Embassy, so I’ll be going into town to buy some new shoes. “Ooh, that’s a bit girly,” I hear you cry*. Well, my current shoes have steal toecaps and will probably set off all kinds of metal detectors at the Embassy and at both airports next week. That’s hassle I can do without, so it’s time for some better shoes. Ugh. I hate shoe shopping.

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* Actually I don’t. It’s a figure of speech. And it’s also unlikely you’d have said anything of that sort anyway.

Not long got back from Alton Towers. Had a fantastic time but I’m really tired and my brain isn’t fully-functional right now. I’ll write about it tomorrow.

First page and cover for issue 1 of Jump Leads has arrived in my inbox, and I couldn’t be happier with the results.  More on that later.

Just watched this week’s Doctor Who.

HOLY SHIT.

If you haven’t seen it already, you have to watch it. It’s been split into three parts on DailyMotion - Part One, Part Two and Part Three. I will keep these links in this post until next Saturday, when I will remove them from the post (although I imagine DailyMotion will take them down long before then).

Last night I took Mum and Teri out for a meal. Just the three of us, at my Mum’s restaurant of choice, on me. She chose the Star in Charlton, and she couldn’t have made a better choice. It’s a wonderful restaurant - very cosy, very friendly. Not at all up its own arse like the Brache. We had a wonderful meal and all in all a wonderful time, taking the time to talk about a lot of things. Mum asked me to name three things I want to do while in America and I got to two before the conversation thread veered off in another direction. We talked about what I’m looking for in a girl - the answer is that I’m not, at the moment - and we talked, briefly, about 9/11. So, yknow, the usual sort of dinner talk.

The Star do wonderful food. I couldn’t find anything that particularly grabbed me and ultimately I went for their rump burger with bacon and Brie topping. That’s a bit typical of me really; I generally try to avoid going for a burger when we’re out. It was a delicious burger, mind - properly cooked, properly presented. Fantastic.

We had a marvellous time, and I think the biggest regret of the night was that we hadn’t done this more often.

We watched Hot Fuzz when we got home (my umpteenth viewing - I’m noticing new things about that film every time I watch it), and Mum absolutely loved it. I think we may have to pick up a copy for her at some point, which should be relatively easy considering that Tesco currently sell it for £10, and Sainsburys sell it for less than that (although Tesco apaprently give away a Bloody Big Kingsize Yorkie with the DVD). We were going to watch Doctor Who, as we’d missed it while we were out, but for some bizarre reason Virgin Media’s Catch Up TV On Demand didn’t have it. We’re going to miss it tonight as well because we’re having some friends over for a Movie Night, and I have little faith in Virgin to record it this evening. I may have to resort to looking for it online.  Apparently this week’s episode is “pivotal”.

I’ve got an email to write. It’s not being sent today, but it’s an important one and I want to get cracking. So away I go!