24 Hour Gaming Marathon

So yesterday, I was part of a team of people gaming for 24 hours without stop for a charity called Extra Life.

I say part of because I wasn't even in the team - I thought I was going to be busy today so couldn't do the whole thing but it turned out I wasn't busy.

However, due to me not being in the team, I didn't have to be there for the whole thing. Beforehand, I went to Kev's house for the first time and we watched the Liverpool game. His whole family are fans as well so it was good to watch it in the company of fellow fans as opposed to usually watching it on my own. Think I'll be going round more often for games.

It was a 1-1 draw but still a good result, btw.


After this, I went to the gaming marathon, hosted at Nicholas' house because everything happens there.

The three people taking part were Josh, Rob and another guy called Stu.

As I said, I wasn't doing the whole thing but still took my Xbox, laptop, a portable TV and an Digital SLR camera that the school have lent me over the holidays (Wasn't fun carrying all of it, I tell you right now)

I joined them about 3pm and went right through with them until 9am although it was easier for me because I didn't have to stick the restriction of gaming non-stop and had a longer sleep the night before.

I've never done anything quite like it. I took a risk in taking the Digital SLR because if anything happens to it, i'm liable and Nicholas' house isn't a place you'd want to be taking it to.

But I did and it was worth it. I documented the marathon, taking a photo of the guys once an hour. I'd post something on here but they wouldn't like that (even thought they wouldn't find out) and I wouldn't do that to them anyway.

Loads of people stopped by about 7/8pm and it got really distracting and we couldn't concentrate on what we were doing but when they went things calmed down and we got some KFC which kept us going for a while.

I thought it was a bit strange though, that Nicholas didn't take part due to it being at his house. He dropped off at about 4am leaving just us 4.

Obviously, we all got annoyed at each other at points out of boredom and being tired. Staring at a screen for that long really isn't easy and I didn't even do it half as much as they did.

We achieved it however. Got through to 9am and went to sleep. Although when I woke up, I found out that the guys raised over £200 between them. Awesomesauce. Probably could have been about £250+ if i was in the team to help but I've pledged to them that I'll join them next year. They guys are going to donate it to a local children's hospital by the way ^^

The whole thing just totally throws your sleeping pattern though. Mine is screwed as the best of times but it's going to be really out of whack for the rest of the week as i'm going back to Nicholas' house tomorrow for a party. I couldn't be bothered staying for 3 nights in a row so i'm home now to take a shower and freshen up etc. before going back tomorrow.

It should be good. There's gonna be a lot of people there and Kev has said directly to me that when he's drunk he's probably going to come onto me so I'm not quite sure how i'll handle that one...

I was supposed to be going to my film club tomorrow as well but I don't think I will be now because of Nicholas' party - I'd arrive too late. I feel really guilty because we are filming a trailer for the annual film festival next Sunday so it would be best if i was in attendance but i'll make something up. Don't feel good about it but i will. I don't go to many parties (compared to other people) but this is one that I'm not missing.

There's another meeting for the film group on Wednesday though so I can go to that one to make up for me missing this.

As well as the gaming marathon, Friday was busy as well. 7 of us were round at Rob's house helping him move stuff for a new extension and got paid 20 quid. Looks like the next few days are going to be busy, too, so just thought I'd throw a little update out there for everyone while I can!

Mr. Sociable signing out ;D


Rowan <3

Goings On

I'm writing this post at 4am with school to attend in 5 hours because of my damn sleeping pattern.

Monday knocked it out of me and when i got home at about 8pm (after leaving the house 12 hours previously) all i wanted to do was get some food in me and go to bed, which i did, and unfortunately woke up now. I didn't plan to.

So i'm currently writing this listening to The Beatles Anthology 2, on loan from my dad's uncle (my great uncle). I've had all 3 of them for about a month but have only got round to it now that he's asked for them back. They're really good so far although Anthology 1 will probably be my least favourite because admittedly, i'm not a big fan of The Beatles early stuff. Some of it is good but in pales in comparison to the likes of Revolver and Sgt. Pepper's etc. Can't wait to get to that section in the next 2 hours or so!

Anyhow.

Recent times have been quite busy.

There wasn't one day last week that i came home after school and went on Xbox or my laptop or whatever. Monday was my film group, as usual. Tuesday i went to see a new documentary about George Harrison (called "Living in the Material World") which was very enjoyable if not a little long but of course, such a busy and interesting life takes 208 minutes to get through :P
A lot of interesting things about the man were uncovered and i urge any fans to see it when it eventually comes to tv which i think it probably will in parts. It might have already in the US, not sure, but this was the first public screening of it ever in the UK to my knowledge.

Wednesday was another film group meeting (yes, there's two or three a week now!)

Thursday... i actually forgot what i was doing but i certainly didn't go home after school :S
Hmm, weird. I can't remember.
And Friday, i went to see Melancholia. Wasn't great. Visually it is, but that alone can't carry a film. It's just too boring and not enough happens to make it engaging. Depressing, too, and not a film that really appeals to me. Ho hum.

I went to see it with Kev and we'd been planning to see something for a while and he built it up as a little date (awwwww) even though we did nothing apart from actually watch the film. I couldn't anyway, and didn't want to haha
If you want to mess around with someone in the cinema go and see something you know you have no interest in! Certainly, the cinema we went to, (the one i go to for my film club) you would never have done anything - it's for people who are more than casual film fans in all honesty :P
Go to some tacky multi-plex.

Saturday was a bit odd coz i stayed at somebody's house that i barely know. I honestly just wanted to spend the day in the house but everyone was eager for me to go so i did. Josh and Nicholas and a few others i know were there but i was mostly outnumbered by people i had never met which is fine by me but just a little awkward.
The people i don't know are actually people that i'll be going to the Lake District with. Can't remember if i talked about it or not yet but if i didn't then about 25 of us have rented this place somewhere in the Lake District next summer. Should be good!
A number of people have expressed their dislike of there being alcohol there but quite frankly fuck them. It's an end of school holiday, with friends, no parents. I've paid as much as they have and i'll be 18 by the time so i'll do as i please thanks :D
A number of us share this view.

Back to this house "party" which wasn't really a party. It was the first time in about 5 days i'd had something decent to eat (I'd been living of Subway last week basically) and the host of the house made curry, of all things.

There wasn't any booze or anything involved on the night but we had the house to ourselves and had a massive game of Capture the Flag and then watched a film called Youth and Revolt and played some sexy Twister ;)

People say it's only fun with alcohol involved but i disagree. I also have to talk about something strange. There was a girl there i'd never met before but there was something about her... I don't know. I think she was quite cute, and i was really happy when playing a game of Twister with her.
Weird, huh?
Well, i don't think anyone can seriously be 100% exclusively gay :P

Getting back home on Sunday afternoon, i was greeted by a kitten. Yes, we got a kitten. Why, i don't know. As cute as it is, it's just annoying and unnecessary seeing as we already have a cat AND a dog. This thing steps in the door and everyone bows down to it.
No.
Plus, i think i'm allergic to the fucking thing. I'd be quite happy for it not to be here, harsh as that sounds.


So yeh, past few weeks or so have been busy times indeed.

They ain't a-stoppin' either.

At least today will be the first day in a while where i can just come home from school and relax. Wednesday and Thursday i'll probably be at the film club again. Friday, i dunno but it'll be the last day of school before the October break next week.

Already got plans for Saturday. All according to plan, the film group will be filming a trailer which should be great fun (the basis of it is my idea after all) but it means i'll have to miss the big Liverpool vs Man United game - although if we're not filming i will watch it. Also, i'll be going to Nicholas' place to provide some moral support for Josh, Rob and another friend who are doing a charity event called Extra Life, a 24 hour gaming marathon.

I'd do it as well if i didn't already have previous engagements but i'll go round in the evening with my Xbox and join them for their second half probably. They're starting at 8am and finishing at the same time on Sunday morning. Can only imagine the amount of Lucozade and food that will be there.

But it's just the start if things at Nicholas' house. His parents are away all next week so his house will be getting trashed by a drunken load of us at least once, if not twice. The thing is that Kev (who i seen Melancholia with) has already told me that he is going to try and pull (kiss/snog) me when drunk.

I can tell - obviously with that statement - that he's got a bit of a thing for me but i'm sorry to say i don't harbour the same feelings about him. I like him but i'm not attracted to him. People would probably just say let it happen, get yourself a bit and maybe i will, maybe i won't. I can't predict what will or won't happen when i'm drunk :P

I'm looking forward to this random party anyhow, it's been far too long without one!

And i'm looking forward to having next week off as well. I can relax finally, and i think deservedly, as i've been more than a little rushed off my feet lately.

Ciao for now.


Rowan <3


PS Anthology 2 is really getting good now. Rare take of Tomorrow Never Knows was quite sublime and these Sgt.Pepper's tracks are tripping me to hell.

Summer Ends

Back to the same old tomorrow.

My final year of high school and in all honesty, probably the most pointless year i will have ever had.

Ok, that's a lie but it is still going to be quite a redundant year, what with my sparkling exams results and all ;)

I'm hoping for a more relaxed and social year. Effectively only doing two subjects: Italian and Modern Studies/Photography. Advanced Music and Video Editing don't count as real subjects :P
So yeah, hopefully it'll be a bit more chilled but despite that and getting money for going to school, i'd rather not return at all.

It's just that i can't be bothered with all the studying, exams, assessments learning ANOTHER language, and all the general fucking bullshit that high school brings.

I'm surprised that a lot of my year's twats haven't went anywhere. You know the people im talking about. The people who at 17 years old still find it a laugh to call people "benders", "mongos" "fags" "retards". There's still fair number of them left and it is genuinely odd that they haven't
a) been kicked out
b) left of their own accord and claimed benefits.

But i'm not concerning myself with them. Or at least, i will try like i always have done to avoid them.

Yeah. Fuck 'em.

I've pretty much always been of that opinion but today just reinforced why, i think.

Last day of the holidays, thought i'd spend a day out with my friends. Not everyone was there but most were, including Kev who i haven't seen for ages!

He was acting unbelievably camp. It was brilliant. I joined in :D

One point Josh was walking with us and this random hot guy walked past. Kev went, "Woah" and i asked, "What?"
He just replied,"Nothing... ok that hot blonde guy"
"Yeah, he really was, wasn't he!?" i said and we both laughed.

I've never confided in Kev about my sexuality but now he pretty much knows and that was it!
No big deal about it or anything :)
Josh was just sitting there completely out of place with "us two gay gentlemen" as Kev put it haha

We went to see Super 8 and we sat next to each other rating the hot guys in the trailers. The winner had to be one of the young hot guys in the trailer for The Three Musketeers :P

The critic in me must discuss Super 8 for a few sentences now. It was good overall. Pretty much a compilation of every Steven Spielberg film ever made. The child actors were well cast i'd say and some of the scenes (such as the train crash) were visually dazzling and like being hit in the face repeatedly for 2 whole minutes... in a good way.

I won't spoil the ending but it was such a disappointment to me. The majority of the film had it's cliché moments and the ending just to took it one step further in that respect and in terms of absurdity. The last 10 minutes didn't ruin the film but it almost did. I think i expected too much. It did deliver but not as well as i would have hoped.

Anyway, Kev's womanlyness shone through. He cried at the ending! *facepalm* haha

Maybe i'm just too cynical :P

Still, it was a good day and a nice, quiet end to a much more eventful summer than i'd have ever planned.
I sat on the train on the way home, listening to Dark Side of the Moon, taking in the last bit of holiday sun and reflecting:
I've been so many places. Some new, some old.
Enjoyed my time with friends. Got drunk with them on a few occasions, too.
I've had people interested in me. Ok, not in the way i'd have liked but still.
Came out to a few people.
Got to watch my favourite team from one of the world's most famous stands.
Had a fair amount of sun. Not enough but hey, it's Britain after all.

Its just been really unexpected in all honesty. Not a summer where i can say i've enjoyed every minute, coz i haven't, but it's been more than i thought it would be.
I imagined a summer of countless rainy days, sitting inside and watching movies. There have been a few of those days but definitely an equal amount of doing better things and for that i am glad.

The only regret i have this summer is that i didn't watch *enough* movies. Seriously, i have at least 40 just sitting there, screaming at me to be watched.

They can wait for a bit :P

Hope all your Brits have enjoyed your holidays, like myelf, and to those the other side of the pond, i hope you continue to do so :)


Rowan <3


But the summer doesn't end there, oh no. There is still Reading and Leeds in 8 days time and i think we can still count that as summer. I will be anyway :)

Change...and Stuff

I wanted to maybe keep this for my 200th post (this is 187) but i thought why should i wait?

You see, i don't really consider my blog to be "daily" anymore. It probably hasn't ever been, i would say. And this current name has also been floating around since the first day i created my blog.
I even made a second blog using this name but decided against it, so ive changed this blog from "Daily Doings" to "Rowan's Room"

It's still the same blog, still the same everything, essentially. Im not changing the background, nor the URL (simply coz everyone on their blogs would also have to change it, so why the hassle?) or anything.
The only thing i have changed is that my email address is back in the sidebar :)

So there's some change for ya. Hope it doesn't come as too much of a shock ;)


Anyhoo, as for current events. Mum returned on Sunday evening but really wasn't up for long enough before going to bed. Btw, don't picture that as she just came right in and went straight to bed, it just wasn't the right time to talk to her.
I did this morning, briefly.
I asked how London was and she replied "good"
I probably sounded over suspicious asking, "Get up too much?" but she just replied "no."
But then i pushed it further, "Why did you really go down?" and she goes, "to see someone"
"I seen your dad wasn't working so i decided to have a few days off, like a little holiday, if even that"

Yeh, as you do. "Someone". Well, "someone"... doesn't sound great to me. Surely, the trip was more important than just going down to see "someone" Call me paranoid but that just doesn't sound good to me, can't even name the person she went down to see.
"It's nothing sinister" she tried to assure but whatever. I don't want to know any more.


Today, in general, was an average day. I was kinda nervous going into english to see Bryan with his new haircut coz i'd been thinking that i maybe i was only interested in him coz he had awesome hair (how shallow would that have been?) but that was disproved, he still looks hot as ever to me :)
And his hair isn't even awfully short. Plus, he's got a little ear stud xD
I noticed it coz i sit behind him in english and i was thinking to myself, "Is that... holy crap it's an ear stud!"
I asked him about it and he said he had it since he was like 4 (which rings a bell actually, i think he'd told me that once before) but he hasn't been wearing it recently.
Its so cute tho, i love it haha, i told him it looked cool, and so does his hair... :$

I also got a very good school report and im on track to achieve 5 A's in my exams this year. Yeah... pressure much?
I think i can A french and spanish for definite, probably music. Media... depends on the day i think but english im not so sure about. It's certainly the subject i have to work hardest at. Perhaps its coz i just stare at Bryan all lesson and dont concentrate on my work, like last year in English with Alan lol (what am i like?)
So, yeh, the heat's been turned up at school.

Also, and i know you'll tell me to shut up after you read this, but i had another chance to at least say i was bi today. I always walk to the train station with Kev and a girl called Susan. It's great fun, Kev, as you know, is bi, and Susan really doesnt care who's gay and who isn't.
Anyway, Kev wasnt there today but Rob was, funnily enough, and we got to the train station, just started talking about randoms and Rob always does this thing where he pretends to kiss me and Susan went, "Maybe you should check if he's gay first?" and looks at me inquisitively.
I said nothing tho, again. But im annoyed coz i know it wouldnt be a big deal, to just say something like "You're half right" and there you go. (I still wouldnt chance being openly gay)
Half of me wanted to say it but the other half kept it in. Maybe another day? :P

I said this was an average day but i suppose, in reflection, it was quite eventful. Whaddya know!?

Hope you like the changes, everyone!


Rowan <3



This is quite a poppy song and not something i would have thought id listen to, but as someone in the comments section of this vid says, "if franz ferdinand and the whitestripes/raconeteurs had a child this would be it"
So true, great song. Give it a go!

Solstice/Sayonara Steven

I dont often post about single days on their own really but today was worth a mention for a few reasons. Mainly, it was Steven's final day in school.
Tbh it didn't actually affect me an awful lot. I've not seen much of him in the past few months (thankfully) and today was no different.
I was going to write something on his leavers shirt but i missed the opportunity. I couldn't really think of anything worthwhile to say so i just left it.

I was talking to some other people and i think they feel the same way. You see, he's going to some music college to play guitar and its really not going to work out - he can barely play at a grade 3 level - so i honestly can imagine him returning next summer after having recognised his failure, if the school let him back in of course :P

But yeh, its good to know i wont be seeing one bit of him day to day anymore although i suppose i should be thankful for a few things. It was some act of friendship to offer and take me to Wembley to see Muse - no other person i know would have. It's a day i'll never forget and i do owe it all to Steven and thats why i feel like a bit of a dick for just abandoning him literally days after.

But i just couldn't tolerate his bullshit anymore, and leaving that social circle hasn't really had any adverse effects: I usually walk the 10 minutes to the train these days, after school with Kev, the bi guy (lol) and another girl who ive become really friendly with recently and I swear, the amount of times she implies im gay, i would say she actually knows :P

She knows Kev is bi and, take today for example, when she says "Oh my favourite time of the day, walking home with my two best gay friends" I think i have reason to say she knows a bit more than she lets on haha

But it's all good, it isn't like she is bothered at all by it. I think she would like confirmation (again, lol) but im fine with how things are sitting right now. It's actually quite funny, some of the things she says.


So thats what happened this Solstice day, a day in which i have seen virtually no sunlight :P (coz im a vampire, liek)
There was supposed to be a lunar eclipse too, but i didnt see it :/
Although im glad the shortest day of the year is past us, surely that means things get better and brighter from here on out, right? RIGHT!?


Rowan <3

Stupid Stupid Me

I wonder if i'm destined to be in the closet my whole life to people face to face :/

A situation arose today, and although i wouldnt have actually said im gay i would have at least been able to say im bi, which btw i think would be a better option for me at this time if anything.

Anyhoo, the chance was presented to me so clearly. It was on a golden plate, it shouted to me "HELLO, SAY IT!" but i still didn't...

We had an assembly and the whole year was filling up the seats in the main hall and i was, by matter of chance, positioned between Rob and Kev who in recent weeks i have learned are both bisexual although it seems they swing more to the girl side.
But thats neither here nor there.

Can't remember what we were discussing but Rob and Kev were joking about a guy sitting a few rows in front, saying they'd do him :P
And i was all silent, not saying much, just joining in with the laughter and Rob said, "Ahh, its great being bi" Kev agreed with him, "Yeh, it is"
And i still fucking said nothing!!!!

Gah!
What would it have taken for me to say something like, "Haha, same" !?!?!?!?

As soon as the moment passed i realised it, i literally facepalmed.

Why couldn't i say it? Nothing untoward would have been said, nothing bad would have happened.

It's not like i wasn't quick enough or anything, i could have easily said it but i didn't. I put it down to cowardice. No, really, that was so cowardly. There was nothing to be afraid of but i still said nothing.

*sigh* I'll never get anywhere if i don't seize opportunities like that.


In other news, i got marks for my bass prelim scores back and they are like last years - disappointing - but they always mark the prelims harshly. They did last year and i got full marks on both instruments in the final exam so im not worried. Think i'll be getting my guitar marks back tomorrow.

Also, we've started social dance which im just not having any of. I "forgot" my PE kit today. I've put up with social dance the past four years but no longer! (unless i can dance with a guy of course xD)

Anyhoo, thats about it for now. dunno when i'll post next coz, of course, im off to London on Thursday...

Cheerio from Abigco Ward...


Rowan <3