Round up

Sofa So not good
Today, our 3rd replacement Sofa arrives from Harveys. 3. Not great, although I don't mind getting a new Sofa every 2 months until they get it right... it's just a chore since I have to stay at home until it's sorted and I can imagine it won't be right again simply because whoever is making the sofa we chosen, just doesn't make them properly. Taking a call from someone who will come and "fix it" when (a) it's brand new, I want one that isn't broken and (b) can't really be fixed because it's not been made properly, is a bit poor really.

Kitchen
We're awaiting quotes now it's been fundamentally designed and Trina's on tenderhooks waiting for that. We still need to sort out all the appliances and I've got to get my head around that. I'm starting to think about getting some speakers in the ceiling and some kind of MP3 wireless solution since we tend to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, especially if we throw a party. As usual there's the opportunity for me to go OTT in this department.

Flog it!
Prior to going to Iceland, for some reason when tidying my games room I got to thinking how much stuff I've got in terms of games devices, games and so on and how little most of it gets used. As a result I've decided to have a bit of a clear out, which includes a couple of my lenses that I really don't use enough to warrant hanging onto and a bunch of PS3, Wii and Xbox 360 titles that have been sat there waiting for me to play them - I think I've had a queue of a dozen 36o titles since about March last year and I really won't get chance to have a look at them properly as my quality time is so pressed. I really enjoyed Mass Effect but I only get that kind of time to dedicate to games once or twice a year.

I've also had a word with myself about my spending habits and cutting back - I really really don't need any more gadgets, games, devices or new bits and bobs - not even the shiny new MacBook Air! I intend to have a really good clear out of a ton of stuff as I realise I've been collecting all sorts and been a bit daft really - it's like I've been struck by a lightning bolt of common sense and it might have been the shock of getting into that Blue Lagoon in Iceland in sub zero temperatures. Whatever it is, something's clicked - perhaps the urge to finally get a grip and sort my finances out for the better (I've always been a shambles due to a lack of respect for money) - but I'm pretty focused on all that right now, let's hope it continues. This includes my Nikon D80, which I'd convinced myself to keep as a second camera (now I've got a D300) but I've realised this is totally not sensible despite it having "sentimental" value according to Trina as she got me it for my 40th.

Travelling Tales
The next few months are likely to be pretty hectic on the travel front again, it always tends to be, especially with development functions all year round. The next few weeks see's a few one-nighters to Budapest, Amsterdam and possibly Barcelona prior to a week out in California for GDC. It's become a necessity for me to ensure I get as much time with the decision makers in the games industry as possible, so I tend to just get on with it, but it does make the year really fly by. Currently I'm pretty focused on our family holiday, which is a tour of the West Coast - call it payback for the last 3 years when I've been away at least 2-3 months in the year.