See

Sincerely. What Leon and the rest of you guys did for me was the kindest thing and really helped me out of a sticky situation.

I've managed to find myself a place to live for the next few months here in Vienna and this last week has seen a few good things come my way. Definitely feeling a bit more positive at the moment.

Once I'm settled and back on my feet I'll hopefully be able to return all the favours in one way or another.

Thanks again,

Stuart



EDIT

Moved into my new place a couple of days ago and I love it. Things are getting better by the day. Finally saying goodbye to Amelie was much less painful than I thought it would be and I feel happier than I've felt in a long time. Hopefully karma's working my way for once.

Here's a really tall cake for you to enjoy

Go on.

Star Trek dubbed but keeping the lip sync...

I started this project ages ago (when I posted a blog asking for your photos) and currently have about 10 done (I procrastinate). Eventually this is going to be a huge print with hopefully around 100 faces. Here's a sneak peek:



And a detailed one:

vs

Embedding is disabled, but this is The Boss

Now I love Kings Of Leon, but this song is practically just Dancing In The Dark. Nothing wrong with Dancing In The Dark at all, but this just lacks the raw, hillbilly rock I'd expect from KOL. Although saying that it's really grown on me. The new album's a bit gash though - I liked them better when they were scruffy rednecks.

Also I still don't believe that fucking amazing voice comes from such a scrawny little fuck.

That may or may not be a slight exaggeration but here's the latest Bramish Is An Idiot story...

26th September 2008
On ill-advised bravado

After a month's long hiatus I returned to work at the pub last night. Winter's here and these days it's fucking busy. I was working in the bar downstairs in the dungeon nightclub - pulling pints from 6pm-3am amidst a drunken crowd of students, young travellers, and lonely guys desperate to score with whoever will take them. The night passed, and not without incident, though I'll spare you the entire evening's details.

I made a decision to stay in Vienna for a couple of months - my pub is like a more hedonistic Cheers - everybody knows my name and I figured I'd miss it if I left. So for a while I was in higher spirits than I've been used to of late. Then I discovered that in my absence, half of my shifts have been given to the new barmen - not sure if that's a permanent thing or not, but it kind of put a downer on what had thus far been a pleasant return.

3am arrived along with the most tedious part of the shift - getting the drunken idiots to move upstairs and out so I could clean up the carnage they've left behind. I left the barmaid to finish up behind the bar and set to working the floor. Trouble arrived with the first table. I hadn't even had chance to show the wood my cloth (fnar fnar!) when a fight broke out. Some gargantuous beast of a man had picked a fight with a table of six fellas whom he was accusing of something or other and putting forward those accusations in the most eloquent way possible - by sweeping their drinks off the table and throwing a stool in their direction.

In my current mood, I wasn't ready to tolerate any more cleaning than I already had to do, so I stepped forward and tried to diffuse the situation, giving the signal to the barmaid to call for backup from upstairs in the form of 4 other barmen. After an arm in the face from the giant he seemed ready to leave peacefully and began to walk away, escorted by a couple of his friends. But then he snapped and turned, ready to pile into the guys again. His friends restrained him and seeing that my reinforcements were arriving I put a hand on his mile wide chest and said in my firmest of voices, "No. You're leaving. Now," and pointed upstairs. With this his attention switched from his original quarry to me, and with a confident smirk and a look of pure evil and murderous intent, he calmly replied, "Oh is that right? I'm leaving now?" He began to swagger towards me, although his mates still held him firmly - a fact which I made thoroughly sure of before responding with, "Yep. Now." I held my ground, although by this point I was terrified he'd be let off the leash and I'd be added to the debris to be swept up afterwards, but I guess he must have clocked my waiting army, as he turned and walked away, still held by his friends. I breathed a sigh of relief, made a few jokes with the guys he'd originally had beef with and went to finish my job, only for my boss to stop me and say, "I'd stay right there for a while if I was you - he wants to fucking kill you, you dumb bastard."

I wonder though, if I had been pummelled, I'd at least have been able to stay rent-free in the hospital for a while.

Just kidding. I'm 100% win! But anyway, I'd like some advice from you people as I'm currently in a situation where I have no fucking clue what to do and where every option is as depressing or unattainable as each other.

As a lot of you know, I've spent the last 2 years in a relationship with a fellow Threadlesser, and we've been living together here in Vienna. As of last week this relationship is over and I now have to move out asap.

This is where the problem lies - breakups are never pleasant, but my current situation (broke and homeless in a foreign country) makes this one a lot more difficult than usual.

These are my options:

I could stay here in Vienna and get a room in a shared house, although finding cash for the deposit may be difficult. I have a job here, know a few people and have all my stuff here, but I don't have any close friends here who I can really talk to about this, and having viewed a place last night, I know that staying here is just going to remind me of why I moved here in the first place. There's really nothing keeping me here anymore.

I could move back to England, although I'm really not sure I'm ready for that yet. If I did, it would mean shipping my stuff to my hometown, Grimsby (which would all but wipe me out financially), and spending time there with my closest friends (which I probably need right now) for a couple of months until I got my head together to plan my next adventure. I fucking hate the place though - I spent 3 months back there earlier this year and it almost killed me. So uninspiring and with little chance of meeting new people or finding a decent job. Also I'd have nowhere to stay that wasn't a couch.

Another England option is Sheffield, which has all the pros and cons of Grimsby except that there's more going on there. Still, like I said, I'd rather not be in England. I could also return to London - much the same as the above except way more expensive unless I find a good job, and with much more to do. But I left London as I'd tired of it after 8 years there.

Finally, the outside option is Stockholm. This one's a bit pie in the sky but I loved it there and my best friend lives there and would love me to be there. Finding a job would be very difficult there, as would finding a place to stay. Plus the cost of shipping my stuff home for storage and/or to Stockholm would wipe me out.

It's not a decision I'm in a suitably sound enough state to make right now, but make it I have to at some point over the next few days. No option appeals to me at all. All are risky and less desirable than what I'm leaving behind, and just when I think one has more pros than cons, I realise it hasn't and am left all flummoxed once more. I've discussed all of these options in depth with my friends, family and even Amelie, but I'm still without a clue and could use some objective advice from people who don't necessarily know me or my situation well.

Cheers n' that.