Early Saturday Morning

This morning I did something unusual for me. As Fiona is still in hospital 200 miles away I am home alone, she is being well cared for, and her Kindle is a godsend although her dislike of headphones means she can't watch any video but has a whole library and more thanks to her Amazon Prime subscription. It's 16 years since I was last in hospital for a long stay (ITP) and technology has advanced significantly since then.

Anyway I was awake and put on "A Kiss In The Dreamhouse" by Siouxsie & the Banshees which had been on when I went to sleep last night, then realised I was sort of awake and thought maybe I should get some steps in for my Million Step Challenge, yesterday I passed 300K a day ahead of schedule, it is a gorgeous morning and people at work were talking about rain so I thought why not get some in before the day really starts, so I did.

Walking up Two Ball Lonnen I noticed the lights were on in Subway, it wasn't even 5AM then I started thinking of all the people who have to get up each day virtually in the middle of the night just so that you can have a coffee or bacon sandwich before you get to work. It turns out that there was no one there yet but maybe the lights are left on all night.

Walking past Morrisons at Cowgate I saw the biggest slug I've ever seen outside of a David Attenborough program, it was big, and like the coward I am when it comes to those creatures I tepped round it, and continued. Maybe they only venture out at night normally.

Anyway I walked over Nunsmoor Park and took some video on instagram here , and when you have days like this it's great to take advantage of it.

I'm still enjoying the random play on my player and David Bowie's "Janine" was followed by Tom Waits' "Jayne's Blue Wish" , two "J" girls names (and I have Facebook friends with those names too), but then another song came on with a gorgeous fluid piano which I recognised as Mike Garson and his incredible contributions to Bowie's "Aladdin Sane". The song was "Lady Grinning Soul" and Garson's contributions were similar to Roy Bittan's contributions to Bruce Springsteen's songs, in never afils to amaze me how fluid their playing is and can hardly imagine the songs without them.

So this morning you get Bowie's "Lady Grinning Soul" and listen to that piano.

Have a good one.

SAD and Bittan and Karma Kitchen

The title includes neither spelling mistakes or bad grammar ..... read on ...... dot dot dot


Yesterday I got hit by SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) which is defined as a type of depression. While I felt down I do not suffer from depression, and I knew what the cause of it was. Grey weather, low light, being unable to motivate myself at work, and even going out at lunchtime I couldn't raise my spirits. It's just like a total big nothing. I still managed to do my job and chat with people agreeing that the weather was awful. Rain or snow would have been preferable because they provide something away from the norm, but no it was almost warm and totally featureless. If it was magnified a million times and permanent I imagine that would be real depression and I am so lucky I don't have it because I always find something to look forward to.

Firstly a friend had recommended Karma Kitchen Vegan Indian who actually do deliveries. Follow the link to see their menu. I asked if they could knock together a Bombay Aloo and they said yes, and the delivery would be £2.50 for a delivery under £20. I ordered a chick pea curry and waited.....

..it came m, with a double portion of Bombay Aloo, and basically it was gorgeous. The lady was lovely , delivered quickly and my first meal from them was absolutely excellent. It was very filling, so I couldn't finish it, but I will definitely be ordering from them again and recommending them. They have a Facebook page here.

I'm just reading Bruce Springsteen's "Born To Run" and he mentions the importance of Roy Bittan's piano contributions to his songs. The number of notes that pour from his fingers and the incredible melodies they weave are on a par with Mozart's "Overture to The Marriage of Figaro" (the Emperor's reaction is absurd as you can see in this clip from the film Amadeus)


..so when I got home I stuck on the DVD of Bruce Springsteen at The Hammersmith Odeon in 1975 (it's on the Born to Run 30th Anniversary edition here), loud which opens with "Thunder Road" which is basically Roy Bittan and Bruce as a precursor to the band coming on for their first gig outside the USA. This is what was watching while I waited for my Karma Kitchen curry, and when it cam I enjoyed watching the rest of the gig. It features the song "Rosalita" which is the song that got be into Springsteen, but I suggest you listen to Springsteen's early albums to listen to Bittan's amazing work (check out this box).

Here's the thing , music does lift my spirits and my friends who suffer form depression are all music lovers. So here's a live version of Rosalita from the late 70's , there's about two chords, it goes on for ten minutes and it could go on all night for me.

It's Friday, It's the weekend, Enjoy