Friday Is Here

I know it's not the last working day of the week for everyone but it is for me and a lot of others. The Arctic Winter and Bulgarian Invasion forecast by the redtops and tabloid rags never appeared, so generally life is good, and thought it was time I posted something.

I do intent to do a blog post by talking into my phone and maybe I'll do that this weekend, and I also need to do some more recording. I have in my head an idea for an album, although I can't say a thing about it as the title will give it away, although it's probably already been done but not by me , yet. The old Apple iPad with Garageband will be my recording studio for that.

I've also keeping up writing my book , with an October finish target and that I will hit. Anyway I'm drinking Lemsip to stave off my cold and will soon be leaving for work. There are lots of Friday related songs but there's only one I'm going to leave on here for you , The Cure's Friday I'm In Love (again).

Have a great Friday everyone, I certainly will.

When You're Happy

In my last post I said I wasn't impressed with Pharrel's Happy. That's just my opinion and I know lot's of people who think it's wonderful, ad let's face it , it would be a boring world if we all liked the same thing.

If you#re happy it makes life much better, things may cause us problems , but these are times when you need to hook on to what makes you happy . It may be friends , family , music , films , books, a TV program , something inspiring , just go to what lifts your spirit. Happiness brings on amazing positivity, it helps you make life better.

We all have lot's of things that make us happy and they are usually not very far away.

This post is not a very Monday morning post as it's the start of another weak , but I have lots to keep me occupied on my journey to work, I know I will laugh a lot while I'm at work , and I know I will enjoy the journey home. I may see a gorgeous sunrise and good things may happen that I have got a clue about and life is really about looking for and appreciating these things . The more things you can find that make you happy then the happier you can be, and the happier you are then life is so much better.

So find the sunshine in everything and have a great start to a great week. And these means I can post my other favourite song called Happy by The Carpenters, my mums favourite band and she loved this song as well!.

Just An Excuse to Be Happy!

I've had a fairly quiet weekend, watched some TV and read the papers, quite impressed at the coverage that the sad passing of Sir Tom Finney got in the media. Anyway it's the end of the weekend now and another week awaits. I can't say I'm looking forward to going to work but I am looking forward to having a good crack with all the good friends I have made there. I also know that I actually have a lot of good things going for me.

A quote from watching Channel 4's Babylon (which I enjoyed) . "I love going to work, It's the eight hour wait to go home that I can't stand!".

Today we had blue skies and sunshine, though it has been very cold without actually freezing. It's still February so I suppose still technically winter, but the sunshine is on it's way back and spring is coming.

I've been listening to some British Sea Power today, their latest album "From The Sea To The Land Beyond" which is wonderfully atmospheric. But I really must get recording and writing again which I keep promising to do.

There was a phone call last night for a plastic surgery appointment which I've had to cancel, but may be rescheduled in  May although I think it's linked to the specialist appointment I have in August about the damaged nerves, but we shall see soon.

I finally heard Pharrel's Happy today, and was shocked how insipid it is. The Carpenters and Rolling Stones both have songs called Happy that are actually joyful.....now which one should I choose.

Anyway I am going to make the most of what is left of the weekend, I hope you do too. Have a good one.

Tom Finney A True Great

Sir Tom Finney

Yesterday was Valentines Day and we lost one of the greatest footballers of all time, a hero of mine, and a Preston and England legend. He was 91 , and a perfect gentleman and exemplified dignity and how to conduct yourself, as well has having a good sense of humour.

He never swore but was no pushover and when the mercenary football authorities uprooted the National Football Museum from it's home at Deepdale he told them they couldn't have his memorabilia. I'm sure it gave them more room for for their Coke and McDonalds advertising.

There will be far better obituaries than I could ever write , so check out the Preston North End Forum , the Preston North End site , and the BBC , there will be many more.

The thing is he left a huge legacy and I just love Bobby Robson's stories of him. An excerpt from his book is displayed on the right.An exemplary servant to Newcastle United.

Football today is all about money, with very few loyalties manifesting themselves. While I agree you have to make money in order to provide the entertainment, now clubs just see fans as cash cows, managers are expected to produce instant results and if they don't they are often sacked immediately.

My Tom Finney Shirt

Sometimes even if a manager has done well he sacked after a run of recent bad result. Recently Swansea dispensed with Michael Laudrup's services, Fulham dismissed Rene Meulensteen, Cardiff got rid of Malky Mackay and we're probably not finished by a long chalk. A list on the BBC is here.

These are all Premiership dismissals basically because club owners are scared of not being in the Premier League . The Championship is going the same way due to parachute payments, so League 1 and League 2 are the highest leagues where you can see real competition, where teams play on a relatively level
playing field.





Tom Finney's memory is a shining beacon that people today should emulate but  too many just look for what they can get without regard for others.

And Another Thing....

I was speaking to a few work colleagues and friend and was surpried how many people read this blog. Even if one person reads my post it's a success as far as I'm concerned. I write because I want to, and to remember things  and to let other people know about things and also to give ideas for my ongoing book , which I am still working on.

So if you are reading this, a big thank you for taking your time and reading my ramblings. And it's great the way writing can trigger something that you've forgotten about. I was meant to send a my dear friend Mick Errington details of walks in Northumberland. I feel a little as though I should be in the doghouse but I will phone him tonight.

Anyway thank you for reading and there's only one song for this, Iggy Pop's Success from his Lust For Life album.

Superstitiously Moving Through a Big Country Storm

I'm writing this somewhere between London and York using my USB Tethered Samsung Note. I'm not sure how long the connection will last, but it is actually fairly robust, but it's the first time I've done it like this. Having said that the train has just come to a halt, not always a good sign. I'm on my way back to Newcastle and given the storms and bad weather we have had recently, just a little apprehensive, is is the 13th after all and one of my friends was delayed by four hours on this line yesterday getting home at one am. Teres a lot of related stories on the BBC here.

The weather today has actually been very good and it makes you feel much better when you are going home. Some lovely skies but I can't photograph them as the windows are so dirty.

The seats I'm in are supposedly reserved to York so I may have to move when I get there, but I'm sure I can fine another seat. Two Japanese girls who gave me a bar of Kinder Surprise thought they had reserved seats but they were half an hour early on their train, the conductor let them off though which was nice. I've seen one of their seats is from London to Berwick so I'll nab that one.

So appropriately I'll include The Storm by Big Country from the first album, which should be in your collection and if it isn't , why isn't it?

Always Have The Sound Of Music Around You

I've thought, sometimes when the house or work is quiet, it is always made better by some form of sound, usually music. So when I'm reading on the train I have music playing , and when I used to work from home I always had the radio on or some other music playing. I do believe in an office you shouldn't be listening to music as people may want to speak to you and it's rude and unprofessional not to be available. I quite often have to ask people if they're on a call or not. I only listen to music when I'm on my own , and if someone phones me I can pause , switch off and give my full attention.

Music and sound is a wonderful , wide ranging experience  that definitely can benefit you in seemingly intangible ways. Also picking up a musical instrument is uplifting as well, actually producing music of your own.

I found this footage of the brilliant Blair Dunlop covering the wonderful Richard Thompson, two fantastic guitarists I've had the pleasure to see live a few times.

Anyway enjoy the rest of the weekend.