Ch Ch Ch Changes!

So an eventful couple of weeks in my life. I've bought a house without even starting my new job yet! I saw Pearl Jam at Hyde Park and they were so so amazing! I love them so much. And also today I booked my first ever wakeboarding lesson for this Friday. So I have that and then seeing some good friends at the weekend and then, boom, back on the grid. I start work for an independent radio plugging company called Hungry and Woods. I am very excited to see everyone I used to work with and get that buzz around hearing new music upfront again. I have missed that. I'll be working on acts that range from Leona Lewis to Example and Lost Prophets so pretty varied.

Here is the most recent Pearl Jam video for 'Amongst The Waves'. I have recently been turned on to The Ataris, who I love so I will put some stuff up here about them. The album of the year to date is Far 'At Night We Live', insanely good.

Make sure you win!

D

Pearl Jam always make things better....

Things are looking up:

I have a job which starts after the World Cup.
I get to watch all of the World Cup - sometimes boring as there have been too many draws for my liking but mostly awesome.
I am in the process of buying a house.
The sun is shining.
I am going to see Pearl Jam on Friday at Hyde Park with loads of my friends.
I'm getting an iPhone 4.

So all in all I am feeling very positive. The job means I can now go snowboarding in the winter for about 3 weeks and then after that we get married.

Hmm then what? Babies and taking over the world beckons!!

Pearl Jam will be awesome, I am hoping they will be as good as when they played at the O2 last year which was apparently amazing. I am spending the rest of the week listening to them. Which begs the question, which is the best album?? I am not sure on that one, here is my order:

Ten
Vitalogy
Vs
Yield
Binaural
No Code
Pearl Jam
Backspacer
Riot Act

They are all great.

I have found the future of rock and roll and they are called Light Of Doom!

In a time of very little excitement in my life, there are two things exciting me. The fact that I am going to see Rage Against The Machine on Sunday and this band - Light of Doom. I wish I had been in a band this good when I was 12.

Forget the fact that it is on some shite reality TV talent show, they are awesome!!

If you are not convinced, their influences are Ninjas, Boobs and Explosions!!




Done

Don't Stop Hot Sex on Fire In The Middle Over The Blocked Brightside Car Care Hours

I spend a great deal of my time looking, well staring actually, at my iTunes. Editing it, tidying it and adding to it. It is one of my favourite things to do. My favourite playlist is my 25 Most Played. So here is my top 10 in that list:

1) Journey - Don't Stop Believin' 172 plays
2) Jimmy Eat World - The Middle 132 plays
3) Brand New - The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot 118 plays
4) Katy Perry - Hot n Cold 116 plays
5) Fall Out Boy - The Take Over, The Breaks Over 102 plays
6) Kings Of Leon - Sex On Fire 101 plays
7) Arcade Fire - Keep The Car Running 97 plays
8) The Killers - Mr Brightside 96 plays
9) Fall Out Boy - I Don't Care 92 plays
10) We Are Scientists - After Hours 86 plays


This is a combined list with Fran. I am very proud of it and I can't see a bad song in there ('Katy Perry!!!!???' I hear you scream but it is a great song to listen to when snowboarding). These plays have been accumulated over 2 and a half brilliant years. There are other songs that I would like to have in my top 10 at the moment like Brand New 'The Archers Bows Have Broken' which is currently at No.17 in the chart. What a song!

I just love it, I believe that your music collection is a soundtrack to your life and really important as well as being a great reflection of your personality. Looking at this list, I would say I am an positive but sometimes nervous, emotional, high energy, love machine! So have a look at your top 10 and see what it says about you?! Wouldn't it be great if you could compile a top 10 list of all the songs you have ever heard!

This post has been inspired by:

1) A long Facebook wall chat/admiration with my mate Mik about the joys of Jimmy Eat World and Kiss. Mik is the greatest drummer in the world.

2) Hughesie - King of the World.


\m/ \m/

Bikes, Sites & Bullets.....

Today I went out a bike for the first time since I used to ride my BMX to work as a teenager and play bike-it in the woods! Not that long ago really. Apart from the rather unpleasant backside pain I endured it was great fun. God knows how my friends in France manage to sit on those bad boys coming down a mountain I will never know, the rather tame roads of East Sussex were a struggle for me. The next challenge I have set myself is to ride around the 26 miles of Bewl Water Reservoir. No mean feat!

I also spent the day began designing my first ever website (see above) and coming to the realisation that I really am living in England for good now so I need to embrace it. Still need to sort out where I am going to work and live, been looking at a few things but nothing solid yet. The idea of Liquid Mountaineering is driving me on though (see last entry) and once I am rich I can build that Slamball court I have always dreamed of. Well as long as you have the love of a good (and beautiful) woman and good friends and family then as the matress says....

I am not proud of what I am about to say. I have just listened to the new Bullet For My Valentine album and it is fantastic. I have never really liked them apart from a few songs but this new one is mega. They don't sound like they used to, I don't know what has happened but they seem a bit more like a hardcore band now rather than their previous incarnation as a pretend metal band. You can tell I am feeling more positive about everything now, my melancholy period of listening to The National on repeat has ended. Although The National are great, love them.

Make sure you win!

Now just get me 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish!

This is absolutely awesome, I have seen people ride a snowmobile across a lake but this is impressive.

1) He runs at the water.
2) He runs on water.
3) He feels like a god!

Everyone in the world would love to do this, I know I certainly do. Might be a bit less scary than jumping out of a plane as I planned. It is called Liquid Mountaineering which makes me like it even more. That is my summer sport taken care of, forget Slamball. I might even put it as one of my hobbies on my CV! speaking of which.....

The National and Band Of Horses are soundtracking my life at the moment as I slowly figure out what I am going to do in the immediate future. The new National album is aces, my current favourites are:

'Afraid Of Everyone'
'Conversation 16'
'Bloodbuzz Ohio'

Keep wriggling!

I ain't gettin' on no plane fool...

When I saw the picture preview of the new A-Team film (Yes that is Liam Neeson as Hannibal), I knew it was going to be amazing and from the look of the trailer, it is not going to disappoint. I can't wait to see this film. There even cameos from Face and Murdoch. Hannnibal unfortunately passed away and Mr T turned down an appearance. Fool. I know it is potentially just another cheesy action film but when I was little The A-Team on a Saturday afternoon was one of the best things ever, looking back on it I love how they used to shoot the hell out of each other and crash and roll cars but no one ever got hurt. I am not into nostalgia, I can't bear that awful conversation about what were the best cartoons and kids TV shows. Believe me they were all pretty shit, go on YouTube and watch He-Man. It is terrible. I only know as my nephews love it. I promise. However there was something about the chemistry on screen with The A-Team, especially when Murdoch and B.A. came together. My only disappointment with the new film is I hear that B.A. doesn't actually say 'I ain't gettin' on no plane, fool'. I can only hope they still drug him by getting him to drink milk with tranquilizers in it.

I am off to a cowboy barbecue this evening with some good mates, I can't wait. I am going to spend the rest of the afternoon researching good techniques for Bucking Bronco riding whilst listening to Bonnie Tyler and watching the Spanish Grand Prix.

Turn around bright eyes........

Funny....

Just found this on StumbleUpon, brilliant. Quite uncomfortable to read at first but it is great.

http://funnyjunk.com/funny_pictures/157881/FUCKING+EPIC/

Right now I some new music for the first time in 6 months! I have the following bands to listen to:

Motion City Soundtrack

The Get Up Kids - listening to it right know, very good.

The Blackout

Drive Like Jehu

Kids in Glass Houses

Matchbook Romance

The National (I wish I was going to see them tonight)

Say Anything

The Band

I am on a trawl of old a new emo and hardcore. I found this list of the 100 best Emo songs of all time and it has inspired me! Check it out....

http://boards.ign.com/emo/b6854/95930596/p1

I am not going to get all these songs as I listened to Saetia and it was just some dude screaming over really badly produced hardcore. It is supposed to be seminal but it ain't for me!! Jimmy Eat World are the kings of Emo.

May 4th Be With You!

Yesterday - Wake Up, Have Breakfast, email Mark "May 4th Be With You!" Go into town to Apple Store, miss appointment, go to HMV to kill time, then I see this! Darth and friends walking along Oxford Street. Awesome. My nephews Samson & Ayrton were very impressed. Then a free Wagamamas very kindly bought by Neal and even a free bus ride home and drinks with good pals Jim & Allegra! Like Ice Cube said, 'Today was a good day".

Today - I feel inspired. Chris and Joe aka Missing Parsons who I used to have dealings with at Radio 1 have written a book about their USA road trip to visit many famous places from legendary songs, from The Joshua Tree to Heartbreak Hotel (which apparently doesn't exist and neither does Lonely Street or Hotel California). Well, if they can do something like that then so can I. And it is going to involve mountains.

I have realised that the best way to enjoy your life is to challenge yourself and not to sit around waiting for things to come to you. Adrenaline is better than anything, so I'm thinking about doing a sky dive, I would be so scared but everyone says it would be amazing, apart from Elliot who has kindly pointed out that if I can't handle going to Thorpe Park, jumping out of a plane is going to be a struggle for me! Good point but not what I want to hear. Still thinking about it.

Lewis, Fran's other brother, has very kindly donated a bike to me, I am going to ride around Bewl Water reservoir. 26 miles. Piece of cake.

You're so hot right now!

Emery - ...In Shallow Sees We Sail

The Spill Canvas - No Really I'm Fine

Deftones - Diamond Eyes

Also loving Yeah Yeah Yeahs 'Zero' and as ever Brand New 'The Archers Bows Have Broken'.

If only someone would give me money to talk to Jim about bands all day like I used to that would be perfect right now!!

Don't get lost or squashed...

Back to earth....

So the dream is over. I am back from Morzine and the wonderful French Alps. It is time to sort my life out and find a job/start a business. I need things to happen quickly but I know it will take time to get things back to where they were before we left in 2007. Not sure if I want to really as I love living in the mountains so much. I know I'll be back there soon, maybe not just yet but it feels like home more than anywhere else does.

So onwards and upwards, I have managed to get myself a bike and some potentially great new business ventures but it is still early days. I am thinking about buying a kite and then comes kite surfing and then maybe even, get a boat! Would love to go wakeboarding. There are plenty of things to fill my time with now that I can only go snowboarding for a few weeks a year now.

As promised here are some of the pictures from when I hiked and rode Pepsi Max in Morzine with Willie and Seb. Awesome!!!

myTunes

I set myself a goal this year: To listen to all the music in my iTunes at least once.

I had no idea how hard this task would become, I imagine it is like running a marathon, you start off really good, enjoying it, then as time goes on it get harder and harder to stick with it, feeling sick at the end of it and collapsing as you vomit your guts on the pavement. Listening to all my Bob Dylan, Pearl Jam and Janis Joplin was a delight and I discovered some real gems. However having to listen to music I put on my iTunes because I thought it would be good at a party or because I think I should have it is painful. Listening to rubbish Snoop Dogg and the dreadful Motley Crue albums has tried my patience. So out of 18218 songs I have listened to all but 1063 of them, I tell you this as I listen to the first Linkin Park album trying to convince myself that rap/metal is an accentable genre.

It kind of makes you question what you really do like, I sometimes scroll through my iTunes and it fills me with no excitement at all. Other times you get to listen to great stuff you have and would never usually go back to as they were on CDs in a massive rack that bears down on you while you play the album you have listened to for the last 2 weeks because it won't fit into the crazy alphabetic system you have so cleverly worked out but has turned you into a nerd music librarian.

So I challenge you to do it, see if you can listen to all your music. It ain't pretty.

Bon chance!

2 weeks left!!

Not long to go now, the end of the season is marching towards us. The sun shines and my goggle tan is ridiculous now! I look like an idiot. The crowds are slowly moving away and leaving the mountain to the (sort of) locals. You can see it in people's eyes that everyone is glad it is coming to an end. Not me though. I am gonna miss being on the mountain so much, it wrenches at my soul. Still onwards and upwards, you can't stand still in this life otherwise it gets very boring. Still it has been the best three years of my life being in Morzine, shame it has to come to an end. We'll be back for holidays and to teach the kids how to ski.....

Some pictures of us in the sunshine. Yes that is me on skis!

Coca Cola? No thanks, I'll have a Pepsi Max!

I sucked it up and finally did it. There is an amazing off piste area called Pepsi Max (named after a Pepsi advert filmed there once) but it involves a 30 minute hike up steep terrain and a scary ridge. I am shit scared of heights so it was really hard but I made it! I feel like I have had a proper workout now, legs exhausted and emotionally drained. I will try and post some pictures up here as Seb had a camera to mark the occasion for now here is a picture of the view from the scary part. The run itself was amazing and the run out fantastic with great views of Avoriaz, Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva. Thanks Willie and Seb, you made it easy for me.

Out for dinner tonight to celebrate my fiance's birthday, looking forward to a big steak.

Thinking about getting her one of these for our new house next year! How cool is that? A door that turns into a table tennis table.

I've missed you...

So since the last time I wrote it was my birthday which was pretty unexciting as I had gastric flu but hey there is always next year. Also we have not had any snow since 6th March but that all changed this week. Loads fell over the weekend (never on a week day!!) which is great as the mountain was getting pretty fooked. I am looking forward to going out on the mountain tomorrow, fresh as a daisy and revitalised!

All my thoughts are about what I am going to do when I get back to the UK. I know something will pop up and one day I will be rich and be able to buy my own mountain and helicopter.

As there are no mountains in Surrey, I have been thinking about my next hobby and here is the shortlist:

Kiteboarding

Wakeboarding

BMX

So I either need to buy a boat or a bike I haven't decided yet but I know which one is cheaper.

Here is a picture of the new snow and that cloud is the reason I am writing this entry and not getting up the hill.

I promise I won't leave you again!

Done

Dark Run

Being drunk at Globe Trotter in Avoriaz when you have to get down to Morzine in the dark always sounds like a brilliant idea.... and it is! And it is pretty much the only way to enjoy a peaceful fun ride down the mountain at the moment.

I can't wait until next week as the mountain gets quieter and Young Jim is coming out to stay with us for a week. I have many plans for him, I can't wait.

Chapagne white stuff

Today Avoriaz was ridiculously busy, so after a quick burger Happy Dave and I went to do Vallee De La Manche which is a brilliant off piste area of The Portes Du Soleil. The snow was awesome even though loads of people had already done it and there were loads of great drops and jumps all over the place. I have become addicted to this area, it is always quiet and the views are stunning. Then down to the bar near the bus stop for a beer that reminded me of when my dad first ever let me have a sip of his beer. What a feeling, I thought today was going to be a write-off but it was so much fun. I can't wait for March to come round. Although it will be closer to the end of the season at least there are less people around.

Done

First past the post!

So, I guess all I have to do now is think of some clever and insightful things to say on my blog. I have decided to create blog as I am very bored of social network sites so I thought I would give this a go and it would be a good chance for people to find out what I am up to.

I am living in a town called Morzine in the Haute Savoie region of France. I work as a ski tech and spend the rest of my time snowboarding. I would love to live out here but it is too far from family and sometimes living in a holiday resort can drive you mental!

This week is the busiest weekend of the season, we are ridiculously busy at work and the whole town is full of people who have decided to leave their common sense at home. Still it is beautiful weather so I am not complaining! I have even posted a picture of us on the chairlift in a part of the Portes Du Soleil called Mont Chery.

Done.