See The Sun

On Sunday was the finale of the Euro Cup. So far, I’ve never posted anything about it and all I can say I’m glad it’s over - although some things that came with the Euro weren’t that bad. The ‘Oranjes’ for example. But I have always had a dislike for things that are being turned into something major, into something all-consuming, something that I’m getting told I must like. And for the past 2 months or so I’ve not been able to go anywhere, read anything or listen to the radio without encountering ‘Euro Cup Propaganda’ for the masses. I’m joking of course - but still there’s some truth to it. Anyway, the organizers can be proud of themselves: Switzerland - and I guess Austria too - knew only one topic during the past 3 weeks.

What about the Swiss team? They had such high hopes and instilled the belief in (some) people that they had a real chance. I’ve seen cars with banners saying ‘Vienna - we’re coming!’ What a humiliation when it was the first team to be out - only 109 hours after kick-off. But I sure you’ve guessed it already - I wasn’t in the least bit surprised .

Back to the ‘Oranjes’. Their team mostly played in Bern and their HUGE fanbase invaded our city. Everyone kept saying how nice, cheerful and friendly they were - and I guess for soccer fans they really were. I suppose even I got infected with the soccer fever for a short while when they were here. Although I never went to the Public Viewings or to the inner city during the ‘play days’. At one evening there were reportedly 150,000 (!) people in the inner city, thereof 60,000 Oranjes. And this in a city that only has roughly 130,000 inhabitants.

I decided to transfer a complete archive of 310 entries in Cutenews to WordPress. While I knew it’d be tiresome it is absolutely time-consuming, nerve-racking, frustrating, depressing…

I watched the time. Whether I felt I was moving along quickly or the work seemed to drag it always took me about 1 hour to post one page of Cutnews entries (21 items) inWordPress. I believe it’s the checking of links to gallery items and press archive etc that is the most timeconsuming. So far, I’ve managed to finish 157 posts - which means I’ve been at this mind-numbing task for about 7,5 hours. Unless I somehow miraculously become faster at this it will take me another good 7 hours…. *screaming*

If only I were done after that…. I see that my deadline for tomorrow evening is once again impossible to keep. I somehow keep setting myself unreachable goals - no wonder I have a serious lack of sleep and am rather depressed. But I’m sure it’s just a temporary thing…

I need to call someone important tonight - I mustn’t forget. Why o why does there have to be such huge differences in time zones? It makes for very small time windows if you want to call someone…

Ok, winter has officially arrived. It’s been snowing here for days (though it doesn’t exactly cover everything here in the lower regions) and temperatures are constantly around the freezing point - with an icy & strong northern wind making it feel a lot colder.

I’m behind on updating my sites. I think I really should add some long overdue stuff to the Marion site. Maybe on Sunday. Or tonight. We’ll see.

Why can’t the relevant stuff I want to find for the sites just come to me? Lately, I’ve had the feeling that researching news etc. for actors has become a lot more nerve-racking. Well, that’s maybe not the exact word. But somehow I get the feeling the same news/fact is getting recycled a million times and other stuff is almost lost among that. And by the time I’m done catching up on the latest information available in all the various places I’m usually too tired to do a proper update anymore.

Also, it annoys me (though I really shouldn’t mind) how fans/other people take some recycled facts as proper ’straight-from-the-horse’s-mouth’ facts… And assume that something being reported happened just the day before - when in fact it happened weeks/months ago. And in most cases proper reading of the recycled article would be enough to figure that out… I think I need a break - I start to be upset by a number of ‘unreal’ stuff happening online. How lame!

Boy am I glad did I choose to not go to the city center on Saturday! It was just like war! Innocent bypassers got stones and bottles thrown at them! And the riots made yesterday’s cover of the New York Times! What is happening next?!

Or is it “Don’t postpone to tomorrow, what you can do today”? I really hope I’ll manage to go & see Hallam Foe on the big screen soon! The previous Sunday (Sep 16) I couldn’t be bothered to get up & dressed to make it to the special lunch screening. This Saturday (Sep 22) I would have had to hurry to make it to the 2.30pm screening - I (again) couldn’t be bothered, esp. with lots and lots and lots of free time coming up on Sunday. Or so I thought…. until I got the call. My parents - currently on vacation - had forgotten some very important stuff they just couldn’t do without… And so, little me drove some 230 kilometres to help them out. Actually, I really enjoyed it. I’ve never driven [a car myself] that long a distance before (not to mention doing it [completely] on my own and to another country) and the weather was really nice. After spending a lovely late-afternoon and evening with them I was too tired to drive back. So, I decided to spend the night. I went to bed at 8.30pm - and got up at 4.45 am. Wow! That means I’ll be up for 7 hours soon - and it’s not even lunch break yet. After changing cars (to help out my dad’s employee I’m sharing the car with - though I don’t know what he’s done to make him deserving of my extra efforts lol) & stopping at home to get my brother’s contact lenses (he’s on vacation in another part of the country and needs me to send them to him via Priority Mail later today - of course I could have driven the total of 6hours to him & back home but enough is enough…) - this took an additional 45 minutes - I got to the office on time. Well, almost. It was 8.03am - 3 minutes late. (I really would have preferred going straight to the office…. I could have left earlier in the evening today and on all the next days - or of course I could have slept a bit longer this morning)

So much excitement - and I still haven’t seen Hallam Foe. I suppose I’ll have to go to the 8.30pm screening tomorrow - I don’t see any other free time coming up all week (of course this is also the week I’m working full-time because my boss is on vacation) - and the film might not have as good screening times when the new programme launches - and I’ll go on a short trip anyway next weekend.

p.s. I’m anxious to see how Wordpress 2.3 behaves - in relation with my favourite plugins…..