Week 53. Last week of the year, and first week of the new one! Shouldn't this count as Week 1? :)

Well, I figured out what to do for Project 2016: Anything I want! Anything creative. One piece of creativity per day, all year through. Sound flexible enough for ya? I'm hoping it'll keep me enjoying these creative endeavors all the way. Never getting bored. Never feeling a need to change commitment as to which content form I focus on... without being able to. First piece, and introduction, is up here. And since it's January 3 already, so are the following two. I seem to be getting into a pattern of image/words/image... let's see how long I keep that going voluntarily.

I posted six movies just now. A few I've watched just recently; a few I watched during the past week. The latter two were the Star Trek ones this weekend. Why am I watching Star Trek movies; ones I've previously seen to boot? Because I'm hyped for the new Star Wars, maybe? Inspired? With a newly attained interest in deep space exploration? I'm guessing there'll be a lot of space movies this year. Though it seems they've been a trend for a few years already. If there was at least a chance the trend might've died down, there's close to no chance now. Not unless all movie producers realize their ideas are specks of sand to the grandeur of the Lucas Art realm and abandon their prestigeful dreams to go cower in a corner, tormented by thoughts of inferiority and anguish. Well, let's hope that never happens.

I watched Kingsman - The Secret Service (2014) again as well, but I already wrote a review for that one. Let me just say: it's still awesome! I'm happy the trend for action just keeps growing, year by year, each new quick flick more awesome than the last.

In other news... there really isn't much to parley about on topic of the last few days. I posted my last weekly post of last year mid-week, since that's when the year ended, and thus this introductory edition of the Grand New 2016's weekly posts boasts very little content. And an odd title for a post supposed to be #1. Well, I've posted a review for last year, a New Year post, and if you want to jump back to last year you can do so here.

The weekend's been one with too little exercise, too much food, a little more gaming and frantic last-minute catching up on collabs, and other things, and tomorrow: work begins again. The New Year didn't start quite as efficiently as I hoped, but it didn't start badly either. I'm sticking true to my routines and resolutions so far; trying to calm down. The less you stress, the more you get done! The more breaks you take, the longer you can keep going. Until next week! And finally, one final time: Happy New Year.

The end of the year is drawing near! The New Year is soon here! I know it's true, because Tumblr just posted their yearly review. That page keeps freezing for me btw. Think about your users, Tumblr! If my basic computer can't handle this overload of huge animated GIFs on a single page, how will the people this design is actually aimed for be able to handle it? Cellphone users, of course. It seems to be them that all sites consider their main audience now. Personally, I'd have liked a more overviewable grid-design.

A lot of things are changing lately. Google changed their logo, and now they've slimmed down YouTube even further. I miss the sidebar. I can't skim through subscriptions and channels from the main page like this, not without scrolling through a dropdown, and videos don't show up centered by default - they're all aligned to the left! I like minimalism too, but only when it's synonymous with simplicity, not when features I use on a daily basis are being removed for something as superficial as less visual clutter. I want control! I have a big screen. I can afford to lose some side-space for added luxuries such as navigation. I understand super simple interfaces are useful for mobile, but for PC?! They're not thinking this through.

YouTube wasn't what I came here to talk about today though. I came to speak of the past week, the start of this one, and the New Year that's soon to follow.

It's been a good week. Christmas! I worked Monday and Tuesday, both short days, and come Wednesday it was all time free! Prepping the presents, gathering together to eat a bite of Jansson's Temptation, and spend the night packing up all those presents we previously prepped!

Mostly these were edible items; a few creative devices with diverse uses, like tea strainers and mixers. I got a pair of somewhat professional headphones (I don't technically have them yet, but they're on the way), an inflatable cushion with spikes that you place on your chair to prevent back issues (one of those things I didn't know I needed until I received it!), comics, snacks, and a few smaller gadgets. And hey, I went up two kilos these past couple of weeks. Those traditional New Year resolutions of improved exercise habits sure will come in handy now! The one job that required bike rides to get to and from has been a bit lacking lately, but even if I don't get paid for them, I'ma take those bike rides!!

We had a couple days of winter days last weekend, the ground glazed by snow, which was great, but vacation time overall has passed by all too fast. I've played games... I plowed through both original Serious Sam encounters, the campaign on Advance Wars DS, and quite a few medal games. One is idling in the background as I type this. Though I don't feel like I've strayed that much from the nominal efficiency path, it might've been a bit much. I guess games that are a steal take your time without you noticing. ;)

Otherwise I've been catching up on conversations, communities and pastimes, as well as trying to finish a few things before the New Year sets in, and though the year's almost over, a few days of vacation do remain yet! There's so much I wanted to do this year. Much I've done, but even more I have to leave for the future. 2016. It's going to be awesome. I feel I've come to peace with not being able to finish everything before it's over... as is always the case! Life's an ongoing project, day by day, task by task. The blog might not be as active next year as it was this one... but I think I thought the same thing in 2014, so who knows how that'll turn out.

There's my yearly project for next year as well, which I still haven't decided what to do with! I'm contemplating one of a select few creative endeavors. Might be a hybrid project too, where I take turns on different content forms for added variation. Staying consistently active for each day the entire year doesn't seem that intriguing at the moment though, so the only thing that is certain is it won't be as tasking as it was last year. A weekly thing could work too. We shall see. Hopefully I'll settle for something before the project's presented and the first piece due!

Oh, and also, I have a little gift for whomever reads this post and wants a free copy of Divine Divinity on GOG. I already own the game myself, so here's a redeemable coupon code for a copy, which you can claim here: 3QJ4B697EFC24F40BK

First come first serve! If you don't have an account yet you might need one to get the game, though you won't need an account to play the game, just to download the files. I had two more codes, but they're already gone apparently. Expired! Damn. Attained them as bonuses on other purchases, so no direct loss, but I wish I'd posted them earlier. :/ Well, here's last week. I've just posted a few things since then... and that's it for this year! Onto, the grand new, 2016!

It's my back again! Lumbago. That same old bag of lame. I feel like an old man with all these old man problems. Technology: it lets us live twice as fast, but it makes us age twice as fast as well. And yet Rocky got cancer, that guy who doesn't know a cloud from a cloud. :) I just watched the latest Creed, and it was great! They're are always so emotional in these boxing movies, and I never expect it. Thought I might skip Southpaw since it's not really my genre, but after this I´m not so sure I'm sure I will!

Otherwise I've caught up on Walking Dead - the entire 6th season, and it really reminded me of why I don't watch TV shows. It's not bad, but it's not getting anywhere either. As long as it sells they'll keep going. They're not building upon a story, and they're not moving towards a goal, they're just milking the cash cow till they got no milk. Or cash. It was another exciting season for sure, I'm enjoying the plot twists and chaos and always wanting to know what'll happen next, and yet the world of TV shows is a sad world, because much like the world of the Walking Dead in the eyes of some characters within: it's devoid of all purpose.

But it's the exception that makes the rule, right? And it's strange how animated content tends to be more finite; the real-life shows go on forever. I watched the last episode of One Punch Man yesterday too, and it was awesome! Here's a show with just twelve episodes, each one equally enchanted, and it all ends with a bang and a promise! They could make a sequel, but even if they don't (more likely?) my imagination can keep the story going. So many secrets! So many red threads that didn't get cut off! The twelfth episode packed a great ending, and overall it was a great show. Best of the year. No doubt.

Comparing to real-life counterparts like The Walking Dead, this is why I generally stick with anime. Because it's great, and because it ends. I don't feel like I'm wasting my time with each episode I watch at all, but rather immersing myself into their wacky world and jumping out of it with a ropeload of inspiration.

Life, otherwise? I might be working one more day tomorrow, but after that it's time for some long due vacation! Christmas! I started the week recovering from a stomach bug (had to postpone all work till Wednesday), and ended the week with this Lumbago, but between these two badly-timed downs we had an appreciated little party at work on Friday - with delicious cake, Glögg and presents, and this Saturday, true to tradition, we celebrated 'Little Christmas Eve' with a bunch of other friends and relatives. I hung out mostly with a bunch of old people, as the cousin I usually spend this occasion talking to had an allergic reaction and went to bed, but it was a good time anyway. Then I came home and I could barely walk up the stairs. Strange how suddenly these things set in. But moving on...

Time's closing in quick to pack presents; wrap-up the year. Just one week left to tie together all those loose ends before it's all over! I'm both hyped for the Next Year, and distraught about all that remains that I've yet to accomplish. It's been a good week though, I'm finally off the white-bread and banana diet, and my back's back to being tolerable already. Speedy recovery. Hopefully this just started session of seven days will be equally groovy.

On the blog I've posted some philosophical stuff, and some other stuff, and here's last week. Until later.

I got the bug. Ugh. Might need some drugs. Spent Friday night fighting the fight till all seemed hopeless, yet I did cope yes... though you're barely sane or sober, till the first flow blows over.

Fell asleep at five from total exhaustion, a built-in precaution to keep me coping hoping all will be awesome. I woke up Saturday at sunrise with the worst headache of my life, but after a while... happy to be mistaken! Seems at least some was from dehydration.

I've been drinking so much water! I've been simmering in bed, in shivers, wishing I was delivering instead. Wishing I'd get this timber out my head, and my stomach fresh enough to throw some dough in, my back feels like it's broken, but on the whole I'm happy to be woke enough to throw some prose in! Again!

And even when the sun goes down my bowels barely clown around. I'm weak but out of bound of frowns. Cheery from a recent plate of savorable and brown shredded apple mound. That I gulped down. I almost feel like a Fulp now. Not super-energetic but hopeful about new grounds and settings, getting poetic, replenished as by a medic. (Wrote this part yesterday btw.)

Today I feel even better, no shivers or sweaty sweaters that make me immerse in robes. I ate a batch of shredded apple for breakfast, I was on the verge of toast. No headaches hurt my brows (read that like: Bros), I'm going from overly covert to known like a hurtful nose. Sitting by the PC again, catching up with a spurt of prose! Yessir, I'm stoked! To be back, not fully back on track but I don't slack, in fact: I slept 10 hours last night after a days lapse of rest. So overall, at the end of this trilogy of days, I feel I'll act the best. Get back to dressed. Relapse to stress.

Was supposed to be visiting old buddy Bear this weekend, instead I snuggled here in sleeping, fearing troubles deepen, happy they cleared and I dare to breath in the fresh air of evening with a flare of meaning. C'est la vie, friend. </poetree end>

The earlier portion of the week? Much better! I went to an incredible Italian dinner at four-star restaurant Nostrano with my work buddies, Christmas courtesy of my work, on Thursday... which might also have been the cause of this recent inner turmoil. I hear seashells can have such effect! Think I shall avoid those in the future. But it was a great time, so thus the verdict: even if it served such purpose it was worth it! I'll put that on the grapevine.

I renewed a contract for my other job as well; took a Christmas shopping spree while I was it. I've played some more GTA V, and though I wonder if I'll ever really memorize the city streets in this as much as I somehow managed with GTA SA, it keeps surprising me. I went out with my dog. I played tennis. I went on rampages, shot down satellite dishes and rescued a tortured soul via helicopter for the FIB. So far, so great! Even the tasks that'd be chores in real life offer plenty entertainment in Los Santos.

I speed-ran through Return to Castle Wolfenstein one more/last time as well, but otherwise I really haven't spent much time on games. Life moves at a rapid pace this time of year; on the blog I've just posted these two things, and here's last week.

Oh, and Happy St. Lucy's Day! I'ma celebrate with some mashed potatoes.

It's one more week man! When you say it that way, it kind of sounds like 'weekend'. And yes, it is, though already at its end. I've spent at least half of it playing GTA V, though none of that yet today. Too many projects running in parallel. Leftover tasks I wish to finish before the week or year is over, even when I'd rather spend it entertaining myself on this rare period of rest.

Did I mention I recently bought this grand aforementioned game: the one I've been anticipating ever since I heard it first announced, almost five years ago? Finally! First impressions don't disappoint either! Though more on those in a separate post.

The weekly weather's been rainy, again, hopefully next will be an other week. On Friday the wind was so fierce it tore down cables, and the trains stood still for hours. I had to traverse alternate routes to snail my way home, Otherwise all has been good! I just noticed I've been User Of The Day on NG Logs too! 06/13/15. Just before that yearly logging hiatus.

In other notable news: MadChild put out his most recent two albums, for free, in full, on YT. Here's Switched On and Silver Tongue Devil. Appreciate it, MadChild!

What else? I noticed via a subject title in my SPAM folder, that it's possible to use emojis in email titles! Not sure if it's good or bad but... it does grab your attention. I hope it won't catch on. Emojis everywhere would be pretty distracting. Seems different email providers use different icons depending on what ALT codes you use; if you're looking for cheatsheets for any specific one Google has plenty. Aaand that's pretty much all I have to say for the day. It's been a good week.

On the blog I've posted 6 movie reviews, 6 batches of old gaming screenshots, 6 old audio tracks, a new someday (#5), and this kind of stuff and you know, and here's last week. Till later.

One more week haseth passed! Christmas draws near; we've barely prepped the house for the first Sunday of Advent. Saffron buns have been baked however, candles have been burned; we all huddled by a turned off TV for a rare collective tea this afternoon. Curtains hang over chairs, decorations litter the tables and boxes line the floor, yet at the edge of this inner turmoil stars hang in the windows, and electric candles line the window sills. Bright lights in orange, silver and gold chase away the darkness outside. In the neighborhood: electricity bills soar.

Otherwise? I've recorded a few new tracks - but have yet to post any of them. I started playing Return to Castle Wolfestein a couple days ago - but have yet to complete it. I started translating a few old PHP scripts again - but have yet to finish those either. I've been to work, and I've been home, and what have I really been doing lately?! It feels like little when I ponder events I could post about for this weekly summary, but judging by the pace at which time flies it must have been more eventful than I recall.

I remember a quick Indiana Jones marathon at the start of the week btw... and I have watched Hit Man now! And Ant-Man. On the blog I've posted 6 movie reviews and this and that. And thus, a very concise post for an all but eventless week concludes. Here's last week (which turned out to have the same title as the same week last year!). Until next blogpost: toast and hog loafs! Ciao.