Thursday 28 December 2017

Getting Colder


This morning I got out of a warm bed , and theough the heating was on I could feel the cold. According to various temperature gauger it's 15ยบ which may be warm to some. It's the shower I managed to get warmed up and once dressed it seems fine now, I know the central heating will do it's job. Fiona is suffering from 'flu' symptoms while still recovering from her op and I think I may now be coming down with a cold, but I will and keep going.

December was when I was expecting to miss my walking target, but with four days to go until the new year I need to do 15K steps to hit my 340K, it theory I could do that today, although it looks very cold outside. I think this will be a day using my headphones as ear warmers. I never liked the in ear headphones, I find them too intrusive and they drop out, which makes me wonder about the Apple wireless ones which have the added benefit of making you look decidely uncooll , like cigarettes, I can really only think of Humphrey Bogart who could look cool while smoking.

Anyway today I am going to try walking into work again, although I may decide to go for the bus if the footpaths are too frosty.

I found an excellent live take of "Slipping & Sliding" by John Lennon which he covered on his "Rock'n'Roll" album, and that may be appropriate for today. Be careful out there everybody.

Tuesday 26 December 2017

Ice,Ice Baby


I was out for a walk about 6pm tonight and noticed my neighbours and others cars seemeingly iced up. I checked the windscreen of one to make sure it wasn't just condensation, and it was definitiely ice. It has been cold today and is obviously getting much colder. I'm not sure what walking into work is going to be like tomorrow, but I am not looking forward to have to walk on iced footpaths while dealing with cold wind.

At least it's not raining or snowing yet, but who knows what might happen. It has been grey and this sort of weather does bring out the SAD in me, sapping positivity and good feeling. I don't know why but it just does, although I won't let it get me down, and writing about it is one of the ways I actually deal with it.

Anyway the main aim of the break has been to relax, and that is what I have done. Actually I wish I was off for another week, but I know I need to do something that gets me out of the house, and work is a good way of achieving this. I am sure that the werther will improve, and I know the days are getting longer, so there is that to look forward to and that will help kindle the positivity in me.

I've included a short fascinating National Geographic documentary about ice instruments, including some familiar songs , but not "Ice,Ice Baby". Enjoy it , it's very interesting.

Almost A Ghost Town


Went out for a walk today and was surprised that I never had to wait to cross a road, the traffic was so sparse. Yesterday there was far more traffic, but today it's very sparse. Shops are open as was the chemist I had to visit (just, I got there as they were opening the shutters).

Yesterday was spent watching a few recording of MR James Ghost Stories , one a dramatisation the other two read by Christopher Lee, plus a dramatisation of Charles Dickens' "The Signalman".

I also watched the new Doctor Who and cannot get over the small minded irritati who's minds are so small that they can't grasp the concept of a two hearted metamorphosing alien transforming into a woman, although it's not really a woman it's an alien assuming the form of a women. It's really like these complainants are throwbacks to the seventies, sad people.

I am going to enjoy the last day of the break (where did those four days go?) before going back to work for three days, I mean I could live with a three day week permanently.

I leave you with my slideshow of Christopher Lee's definitive metal take on "My Way".  . Enjoy your day my friends.


Monday 25 December 2017

How To Start Christmas Day


As a kid Christmas Day started for us at 1 minute past midnight on Christmas Eve, by that time Santa had left some small presents at the bottom of our bed, though we couldn't go down until much later, like when it was light but there were things to eat and play with and by that time mum and dad had gone to bed and didn't complain about us having lights on at night.

I remember when I was living in Southport (and working at Littlewoods in Liverpool) the train line ran back and forth from Southport to Liverpool Central Station. My friend Jim had been out for a few drinks and left for home at 2 pm as they had visitors coming at 5 (it was a half hour journey). He fell asleep. ..... When he woke he was disorientated and then realised he was back in Central Station, so thought he would just just wait for the train to head back to Southport. He waited, and waited, and waited and then a uniformed train   person came down the carriage and Jim asked what time the train was leaving. The guy looked surprised and said "It isn't mate, the trains stopped running half an hour ago" . Jim looked at his watch, it was 11:30pm , he was twenty miles from home on Christmas Eve, five and half hours late for his guest, and this was way way before mobil phones. I never found out what the aftermath was..

Roll forward a bit further and Juliet and Kirsty have graduated from Duplo to Lego and I have been out for Christmas drinks so am not exactly the mot coherent and focussed and then remember I have two Lego Constructions to put together one was definitely a castle and the other maybe a Space Station. This was a very daunting task, but I did manage to complete it, but the lesson was don't drink and do Lego.

Today as I am so old I tend to wake up at odd times and today was no exception, but I thought well I can do a blog post and then go back to bed, there's no pressure , and the obly thing I need to do is check on my neighbour's fish. It's dtill dark and windy out (as it should be at 5:30 am on Christmas Morning) and there are no signs of a White Christmas (although it did rain a bit yesterday evening).

So these are a few tales of how Christmas has been for me previously, and I hope your Christmas turns out to be absolutely perfect.

My #SuddenlyItsChristmas moment is going to be the greatest Christmas song of all time "A Fairy Tale of New York" by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl, despite the latest outrage about the lyrics (see here), it's about two flawed people who are maybe not the Christmas paragons of virtue you might expect. I would never use those words as insults and sure all MY gay friends love the song , sing ALL the words and don't take offence because it's a self contained story, and to be quite honest it's probably nothing more than a convenient rhyme in the song (and often poetry does rhyme)

Anyway have a brilliant day

Sunday 24 December 2017

Merry Christmas Everybody


It's Christmas Eve and I am trying to have a relaxing break although part of me is saying "Ah but you only did 7K steps today", but it is good to think of yourself to make sure you are 100% there for others. I've donated to various charitable endeavours and tried to be there for friends, seen and spoke to family and wrapped presents and sent cards and I'm sure we've all done similar things.

Had a gang knock on my door tonight looking for someone who'd stolen a bike. They seemed good natured and Isaid I was 60 and to lazy to ride a bike but I'd keep an eye out and they were complimentary saying I didn't look my age (maybe they thought I looked 70!!).

Today has been Christmas films and overindulging on the Christmas food, so I think I will soon be in bed. I am feeling very physically tired, although my mind is wide awake. I hate that feeling, but I will get some rest tonight I'm sure.

Tomorrow will be more festive frivolities, including checking my neighbours' new pet fish and looking forward to the new Doctor Who.

Anyway for #SuddenlyItsChristmas I'm going to choose Greg Lake's "I Believe In Father Christmas" lifting it's instrumental motif from Prokofiev's "Lieutentant Kije" suite ("Troika") also featuring unuasually restrained lyrics from Pete Sinfield with only one "Veil of Tears". While it's not the greatest Christmas song (we all know what that is), it is a great Christmas song.

Now enjoy the song and get ready to wake early and open your presents, I'm looking forward to mine.


Saturday 23 December 2017

Christmas Eve Eve


Well tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and it's just an excuse to post another vaguely seasonal song, though as I write this I'm not sure exactly what it will be.  I watched the last leg and they pointed out that there are 14 million people in this country in poverty, that's over 20% which shows how completely incompetent our government are.

Did you know that the  two most important things that leavers want from Brexit are Blue Passports and The Death Penalty, and Th eDaily Mail are having a meltdown because the new passports may not be produced in the UK.


I've given some stuff to our local foodbank and it pains me that I have had to do that., but I hope my contribution can help to brighten a few people's Christmas, but it's what happens after that.

Anyway enough of my gloom at the state of things, and I am ridiculously tired, so bed is calling me. I've enjoyed a reasonably relaxing day meeting with my daughter and son in law and discussing sound and TV with them while drinking tea.

It's dark and windy out and for #SuddenlyItsChristmas I think I will choose something not by  Jethro Tull, we should have Bob Dylan's piece of seasonal silliness "Must Be Santa Claus", sleep well my friends.

Friday 22 December 2017

The Chrismas Spirit


It's funny how at Christmas it's always peace and goodwill to all men, but my attitude is that is how should be all the time. We should care for and look out for each other all the time. Unfortunately it seems that money is far more important that working together and helping each other, well that what the government and media pushes.

I despair at the existence of organisations such as "Help For Heroes" and foodbanks but current economic policy is aimed at lining the pockets of the already well off and expecting the rest of the country to clear up the mess. These organisation are laudable and should be supported, but the six richest country in the world should not need thenm to exist, but we are saddled with governments who are unable to manage the economy while claiming £40 for breakfasts.

Yesterday I took the contents of our Reverse Advent Calendar to the Newcastle Food Bank in The Grainger Market, they were grateful and when I pointed out that the Metro free paper was published by The Daily Mail they said "Burn It, we won't have fascist papers in here", they were unaware of it's publishers. They were shutting at four o'clock so I nipped to Poundland to grab some selection boxes. I picked up ten and then thought I'd hadn't got any tampons or related stuff so I added those and so small boxes of chocolates and dropped them back into the foodback , and they were grateful. I just bought some stuff the people at the Foodbank are distributing it where it's needed, there are the real heroes.

Anyway this is an excuse to play Jethro Tull's "Christmas Song" and another for #SuddenlyItsChristmas . Remember .....

"Once in Royal David's City stood a lowly cattle shed,
 where a mother laid her baby.
 You'd do well to remember the things He later said.
 When you're stuffing yourselves at the Christmas parties,
 you'll laugh when I tell you to take a running jump.
 You're missing the point I'm sure does not need making;
 that Christmas spirit is not what you drink. 

 So how can you laugh when your own mother's hungry
 and how can you smile when the reasons for smiling are wrong?
 And if I messed up your thoughtless pleasures, remember,
 if you wish, this is just a Christmas song. "

Have a great time, but if you can help someone who needs it.