I saw a post on Facebook asking people to describe their day in three words. What shocked me was the amount of negative sets of words . While there is a lot of negativity happens , it's just something to deal with like missing a bus , losing your wallet , and there are really big bad things , but when it gets that bad you call on your friends for support , because that's what they are for.
So an example of a couple of things yesterday is someone asked me how things were going , as usual , I said "Absolutely brilliant" , and they said it was such a refreshing change for someone not to be moaning about something , which actually made me feel even better.
A colleague asked for a favour , she was feeling under pressure, as things had conspired to corner her, and she needed to get some information for a deadline . We sat and worked through and very quickly got what she wanted. I told her to set up a short "informal" training session for next week for her team. That was great and she did her presentation and apparently some senior people were so impressed that they will be joining next week. I just emphasized it would till be informal but we all felt very very good.
Then I checked an email and saw I had missed a mail from my friends at Geek Talent. A quick change of plan meant I had tea with them at Za Za Bazaar in the Gate and met lots of new people and many old friends had an absolutely wonderful day.
The song I've chosen is just so uplifting , and had to put it in because the way I'm feeling even though I used it in a post about Peru recently, Big Day by Phil Manzanera featuring Brian Eno.
This post was going to be about negative stuff, but I thought I am always telling people to concentrate on the positives , because it's the easiest thing in the world to find fault , so maybe I am a bit special because I will always look for the good in everything.
I miss a bus , I walk to the next stop and benefit from the walk
I miss a train, I have longer to read a book , listen to music, talk with friends.
Last night I became a Friend of the Tyneside Cinema, because it's the only Cinema I'm aware of north of somewhere South and it's a wonderful place , the people there are lovely and I love going in there.
You also meet lovely people there , last night I ran into Craig and Krista and they introduced me to a young poet and we chatted about diverse thinks such as South and Central America , film , Vamos and Isabel Sarli. Craig and Kirista went to watch a film and the poet left with a hug.
Then we went for a lovely meal at Prezzo before coming.
Had correspondence with various good friends during the day and there was so much good happening.
And this came on to of an amazing weekend with friends and family enjoying the Chase Park Festival under gorgeous sunny skies.
And when you concentrate on good things it sets you up to look for more things.
I know negative and bad things do happen , but if you are in a positive frame of mind it will help you. There are times even in my new job, when things seem that they are getting too much , with belief in myself , and so much support and positivity from my friends and colleagues there , as well as the company ethos , makes sure that I succeed.
Anyway I hope you all have a great day, I am going to have one , and what else could I have but Baxter Dury's "Pleasure" my feelgood record of the moment.
Yesterday I went to the amazing Chase Park Festival (see my review here) , and the power on my phone ran out , so after the gig had finished I managed to lose everybody but expected to see them at the bus stop. Although everyone is capable of looking after themselves I thought I'd use the public phone box, not a la Clark Kent , but to actually make a phone call.
Then it struck me , I don't know any phone numbers because I don't need to know any numbers , because the phone does that for me. Luckily I know my home number , but then thought how the hell does this work. I finally realised I could use a 50p and a 10p so picked up the phone ... no sound ... put the money in nothing , so I couldn't even make a phone call.
Having said that A very drunk guy tried after me and came out cursing , and he couldn't get it to work either so maybe it's not me.
I used to think that it would be wrong to close down phone boxes , but technology is making the
things redundant. But they are essential in an emergency ,,, but you need to know your number and how to use the things.
I am diabetic , you all know that. I treat it very casually , you all know that. I do what I'm supposed to do you all know that, and the fact I am still here is testament to my general life regime. The NHS has been brilliant in their support of me, with some superb support from across the spectrum , especially my brilliant surgery , Thornfield Medical Group, who I would recommend unreservedly to anybody and NUTH Hospitals who I have both worked for and been treated by over the last few years.
You get the odd well meaning pedant , like the nurse who told me I had to live off carrots and celery, and the nurses and doctors who keep banging about me getting out of a car and sitting in the passenger if I have a hypo while driving. As I diabetic I have to check my blood sugar levels at least every two hours when driving , and I always do this before getting behind the wheel. If the blood sugar was low I would not get in that car, and the day I have a hypo while driving is the day I give up driving. But as I bang on about the odd pedant I have to tell you about the nurse who brilliantly analogised the benefits of Omega 3 Oil as a brillo pad for your veins and arteries (everyone and I mean EVERYONE) should take Omega 3, the brilliant consultant who , although trialling me on a liver drug which resulted in identifying my cirrhosis (which means I can take extra care of myself in that area) , who also noticed muscle wastage in my left hand which I had lost the horizontal use of, eventually kicking of some tests that discovered a weird trap nerve carpal tunnel syndrome combination that has resulted in a 90% restoration of the functionality of my left hand, we original thought it may have been a TIA or a stroke (which I may have had around the turn of the century when I got hit by ITP).
But as usual I've gone sort of off subject before I've started, but it's really that porridge is the best breakfast anyone can have and it's particularly good for diabetics. It is one of the few foods you can buy that does have sugar as one of it's ingredients (most other cereals have loads) , although the sachets and quick porridge brands have loads of added sugar., just go with a box of Quaker Oats and you can't go wrong (though I'm on Aldi's stuff at the moment). Anyway the way I make porridge is half a cup of dry porridge oats , a cup of skimmed milk , then put in a pan and stir together and but on the hob on the lowest heat and come back when you are ready to eat (at least 30 minutes) , add some fruit for taste , chopped apple , banana, raisins or sultanas , and you have a perfect start to the day. After that you DO NOT feel like snacking at all , it's very slow release, Perfect.
And now the dangers..... I was once working from home , put the porridge on about 7am and the started work. I was so engrossed in my work that I forgot about the porridge until a cooking smell wafted upstairs that I noticed about 11:30 am. Amazingly because of the low heat, adding another cup of skimmed milk and stirring it it resulted in a great breakfast ... at dinnertime.
Then yesterday ,I had porridge for breakfast , but came home to find I had forgotten to switch off the hob , so it had been on all day, but luckily only on the low heat which means you don't see a red glow when you take the pan off, so that didn't do my energy conservation much good.
Anyway today I'm going to see Ash with I used to soundtrack my YouTube video that I did when I took part in Lighting Hadrian's Wall which I've include with this even though the only connection is me. Have a great day, I'm going to the Chase Park Festival with my girls , and friends and their families (who are all girls!) so you enjoy yourself , I'm gonna enjoy mine
We all love a mystery and to see something that doesn't make sense , well maybe it does, but in a skewed fashion, and was discussing with a good friend about the concept of Steampunk , and minority religions and ancient nature.
Steampunk , like every movement seems homogenized and refined in places with no grasp of the real concepts behind it . Some welding goggles and cogs and it's steampunk isn't it. Well no. Steampunk is an analog alternative future , this is where the cogs come in because they drive this world...
.. and when you start cross breeding it with Wicca , Goth ancient nature you open up a whole new fantasy world that can become real for everyone involved. Sometimes I'm not sure what is what byt love the Disney films such 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and Mysterious Island and The Time Machine which brimmed with genuine steampunk imagery and it's surprising that I think the first book to genuinely buy into this genre was Michael Moorcock's Warlord of The Air. When I read this when it came out the term Steampunk hadn't been coined and when I looked at the imagery I realised how forward and backward looking this book was.
Anyway I love the genre , the associated literature , music , the clothing , and everything about , sort of almost a forward looking nostalgia for things that never were and never can be, although they could if time had turned a different corner.
Anyway this is an excuse to include Steam Powered Giraffe , and it's the weekend , so start to enjoy yourself.
I don't know what brought this to mind, but I do like to remember good things in my life and share them with others, though I wont name any names apart from my eldest daughter Juliet , and you could find that out by a bit or trawling or trolling or simply asking me.
Anyway this starts with a blatant bit of racism on my part, when we moved to Tarleton I had a chance of registering with an Irish or a Hawaiian doctor. I chose the Irish guy, but found he just prescribed Panadol for everything for everyone. I soon realised it was not good and a neighbour said the Hawaiian guy was great. We went on a list which over the many years I was with him saw him lending me his Mercedes when I ran out of petrol , and him phoning me to take him round to see patients when his car was written off. One of the best doctors I've ever had , totally love the guy.
Anyway during a check up he discovered that our two year daughter had an ovarian cyst , that required surgery. What I didn't realise is that she was on the children's terminal ward in the Royal Manchester Children's hospital. Anyway despite many traumas and with the fantastic doctors and nurses there plus her own fighting spirit Juliet came though and is now a lovely healthy young lady and one of a pair of brilliant daughters , but this isn't what the story is really about.
We lived in Tarleton and Juliet was in hospital 35 miles away in Manchester, and the money I was on I couldn't really afford the cost of petrol, so I spoke to the manager at the Midland Bank (now part of the Honk Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) as was. Basically his response was "Take whatever money you need , and we'll sort it out once your daughter is home and well", I was gobsmacked. I didn't have to ask friends or family for help, the bank helped in a time of need. Juliet's mum's parent took her to look after Juliet during the day so they supported us as well without asking.
The thing is , could you imagine a bank doing that today? Helping someone in need? Highly unlikely.
But I was just inspired to write this because I still have good friends who would help me if I was in need. The song Chestnut Mare by The Byrds is one of Juliet's favourites so I've included that.
This post is nothing more than an excuse to play on of my favourite Lyndsey Buckingham songs , "Countdown". While I wanted to hit my thousandth post on this blog this year, I thought the option had gone had gone , but a flurry of posts last weeks means maintaining a post every other day will actually hit the target.
The other thing is that I'm still enjoying Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History Of Time" . As you know I am not very intelligent , so reading this book is like a night out with your clever mates. My mate Colin , when he goes to see Newcastle United play always has a Judas bet , so that if Newcastke lose he has money in his pocket , and if they win he's also happy.
Stephen Hawking had a bet that if Black Hole's didn't exist his friend would by him four years of Private Eye (if they did exist Hawking's forfeit was a subscription to Penthouse) I think Hawking won though by the very nature of it's existence you can't actualy prove it's there.
And with that little mind twister it's time for bed .
