Hello 2023

Time to dig out this SID song again.  I really need to write a new one!  Happy new year to my friends and family.  

Well, 2022 was a bit crap to be honest, and I am already wondering what shit is going to be thrown my way for 2023.

One thing is for sure...  there will be plenty of gaming (both retro and new) starting with the Dead Space remake in January, and lots of walks with Millie. 

Onwards and upwards, eh?

Happy New Year 2021

And so ends another year, and what a year it has been.

2020 has been dominated by the Coronavirus pandemic, culminating in my wife tragically losing her Mum and Granddad in November, I wonder what 2021 will bring.  My time on Worcestershire County Council's payroll has come to an end after nearly 17 years as the school joins a MAT and becomes an academy.  To say I am anxious about the whole thing is an understatement, but I'll just have to see how it pans out.  I've been assured that my role will not change, but since I am such a pessimist I can only think the worst.  Watch this space.

Gaming wise though, 2020 hasn't been too bad at all.  During the first lockdown between March and July, I was able to introduce my daughter Kayleigh to the wonders of retro gaming with our "Kayleigh's Retro Isolation" series - an opportunity to allow Kayleigh to play a different game every day until the lockdown ended when she had to go back to school.  It lasted 70 days, and the results can be viewed here on this blog.

Notable game purchases this year include (in no particular order)

The Last of Us Part II (PS4)
Daymare 1998 (PS4)
Resident Evil 3 Remake (PS4)
Doom Eternal (PS4)
Mafia Trilogy (PS4)
The Dark Pictures Anthology - Little Hope (PS4)
Call of Duty Cold War (PS5)
Train Sim World 2 (PS4) - A special Christmas present from my son Kieran!
Watchdogs Legion (PS5)

Of course, the big gaming event was the release of the PS5, and despite there being a lack of them available worldwide, I was lucky enough to get a pre-order in on time and receive one on release day.  I would like to say it's been nice having one, but my son has had it in his room most of the time due to I having a lack of any PS5 specific games for it.  I'm sure 2021 will see some stunners come out and I can bring it back downstairs again!  Resident Evil 8 Village in particular.

Not much else has happened in our little world.  A car hit my car in September which resulted in my beloved Zoe Zafira being written off.  All I got from the insurers was a measly £800 which doesn't even come close to the cost I had to pay out for a new car.  With that said, I'm now the proud owner of a lovely 2017 Zafira Tourer (Zara) and although I am now in debt and having to pay that off for a few years, it is actually really nice to have a new car.  

The Star Trek Starships model collection has of course expanded even more over the past 12 months.  The main collection has now ended, although they're still released the odd special model every now and then.  Just as well really because I am beginning to run out of space!

So here comes 2021. My 44th year on Earth, and my son Kieran's last year at secondary school.  Can't believe he is doing his GCSEs and will be finished in a few months' time.  We've still got the Coronavirus pandemic going on, but I'm confident we'll have things back to normal again in a few months.

Here's hoping for a better 2021

Happy New Year and welcome to 2020!

And so we approach the end of another year...  Another decade in fact.  I still find it hard to believe that very shortly we will all be living in the 20s!

As I look back over the past year while still recovering from a dreadful sickness big which has plagued the Wilson family over Christmas, I can't help but think that 2019 has had a fair few highlights and memorable moments, namely our first family cruise (thanks muchly to Michelle's Dad), and my first trip out to the Maunsell Sea Forts which is something I've always wanted to do.  Sophie and Kayleigh have now moved up to Middle School, Kieran is progressing nicely in his GCSE subjects at school, Michelle's nail business is booming (I think this has been her most successful year yet), and things are the same for me at work, but with the added benefit of having all of my children at the same school!

It's been a good year for gaming too.  Besides the countless hours of playing old games on my many retro machines, I've also been able to enjoy many of 2019s fantastic releases.  Highlights have been
Shenmue 1 and 2 (re-released on PS4)
Shenmue 3
Call of Duty Modern Warfare
Dark Pictures Man of Medan
Days Gone
Resident Evil 2 Remake
The Walking Dead The Telltale Definitive Edition
Blood and Truth

With that said, the best gaming highlight in 2019 for me though is playing through and finishing Resident Evil 7 in VR - Now THAT was an experience!

2020 Looks like it's going to be an equally good year for new games, with the recently announced Resident Evil 3 remake expected in April, and of course the long-awaited The Last of Us Part 2.  I can't wait!

I never make new year resolutions, but I will make some aims which I intend to keep to...

1)  Find time to relax and play some games.  I've got a massive backlog of games I've purchased over the past year which I haven't even played yet.  I've had Red Dead Redemption 2 since October 2018 and I still haven't played it!!
2)  Find time to write more music.  This is something I've wanted to do for so long, but I just never seem to find the time to do it.
3)  Find time to go out more with the camera.
4)  Find time to catch up with old friends, some whom I have neglected for too long.

I guess my biggest aim of 2020 is to FIND TIME for myself to do things.  I spend so much of my time working and worrying about stuff, that I seem to struggle to enjoy the finer things in life.  A problem I've had for as long as I can remember.

Anyway, to the odd person who will read this - Happy New Year!  I wish you all the best for 2020.  To end this year and decade, enjoy a small Commodore 64 demo I've put together

sd

PS - I still can't believe 1990 was 30 years ago.

"Out with the old and in with the new..." Happy New Year

Well, it's that time of year again when we kiss goodbye to one year, and move on to a new one.  2017 has been a pretty good year to be honest, so I hope we get a repeat with 2018.

So, here I am now in my 41st year on the planet Earth, wishing you all a very happy New Year

LOAD "2018"
PRESS PLAY ON TAPE
FOUND "2018"
LOADING
READY.
RUN

 

New Year, New Beginnings

Those who know me know that New Year is usually a depressing time for me.  Another year older, and the start of another year where anything can happen (usually bad).

 

Well, I can honestly say 2015 will be remembered as being the year things started to look up for me. It's been a great year, and it's so nice that it's ended on a high.  I'll always go in to each new year as a pessimist (that's just me, expecting the worst), but at least (at last) I've gone in to 2016 happy, with my wonderful family and some wonderful memories from 2015.

 

For me, the big event of the year was us moving to a much larger house.  It's surprising how much happier we all are with the extra room.  Of course, that's not the only good thing to happen in 2015.  I've been able to manage my work/life balance a little better, and all in all I'm feeling a lot better and happier in myself.  Still some way to go, but at least I'm on the right track.

 

Anyway, have a fantastic and happy new year everyone and I hope 2016 is 'your' year.

 

Stu

 

 

And so another one ends, and a new one begins....

Hmmmph.  Happy New Year 2015 

• A new year for more things to go wrong
• A new year to spend stressing and worrying about everything.
• A new year of working my arse off, but still not be able to buy a house or have anything to show for it apart from an empty bank balance, and lots of sleepness nights.
• Another year closer to death.
• Another year further away from the best decade ever (the 80's).
• Another year closer to being 40.
• Another year to wonder where I'll be this time next year.

Yes, I can think of a couple of good things - I have a wonderful family whom I love more than anything else in this world (and are the only thing keeping me going at the moment), but being the natural pessimist that I am, these things are always overshadowed by the negative things in life.... because that's me.

Also, after reading quite a few posts from my friends on Facebook, it seems as though quite a few people also had an awful 2014 and are glad to see the end of it.  SO, here's wishing you all a much better 2015.
 
Anyway, I doubt I'll be purchasing a hoverboard any time before Wednesday October 21st 2015, nor will I be getting a hover conversion done to Zoe Zafira.  Damn you Robert Zemeckis...  Your future predictions were crap.

Goodbye 2014 - You were quite shite actually.

Sigh....  New year is always such a depressing time of the year (Spoken in true Marvin the Paranoid Android style).  Added to that, we're leaving Laindon tomorrow to return to Evesham.  Boo hoo.

Oh well... Only another 365 days to go.

Well, I have just tucked Kieran, Sophie and Kayleigh in to bed for the FIRST time this year, (and it was the first year both girls stayed up to see in the new year) and although I am sat here with no energy, and a thumping headache (the festivities have begun but I do not drink, so it's not self inflicted), I can't help but think about what I have accomplished this past year.....

... which has been, absolutely nothing!

I can honestly say that 2013 has been one of the most un-eventful years of my life.  I've watched the children grow another year... I've been at EHS for yet another year (9 now, soon to be 10)...  I've worked my arse off, paid of bills and watched as the people who run this country ruin it even more, and I have done nothing. 

…Hang on a minute….  I'm sensing a bit of déjà vu here as this sounds VERY similar to my New Year post from last year!

New Year is such a depressing time of year.  For me, it’s just a reminder that we’re all one year older…  one year closer to being six feet under… one year closer to losing loved ones… another year where we wonder what bad things will happen over the course of the next 52 weeks...  and finally one year further away from the best decade ever…. The 1980’s!  And so begins another year of stress and worry (work, money, the usual) which no doubt will not do my heart or health any good.  Goodbye 2013…  You were as awful as 2012, 2011 and so on.  Here’s hoping 2014 will be better (but I won’t hold my breath).

And in the future, should anyone ask me the question “How did you see in 2014?”, I will reply with “Well, I was performing an update on our Microsoft Exchange server at work via remote access while seeing it in with cheesy party music playing in the background, and with the people I love and care about – my family”.

Oh, and if you don’t like my negativity because you have a wonderful, happy, perfect life, then please just p**s off.  I really don’t care.

Have a good 2014 if you can.  Goodnight.