WRITTEN FRIDAY NIGHT BUT MSN WAS PLAYING UP!

 

Hi folks!  So sorry that I've not been on here for so long.  I hope that in the meantime life has been treating you all with grace and good favour.

 

The new job was particularly busy up until a few weeks ago as my colleague was away for 12 working days.  Being new to the whole system and process still it was that bit more stressful as it took more time to get things done.  It was a useful part of the learning curve though and has seen benefits since.

 

Slap bang in the middle of that was the weekend away in Suffolk.  That was a gentle time although my tiredness saw a slight Isaac Newton moment which saw what the outcome would be if gravity pulled on a lens and the camera pushed.  The lens didn't quite survive so had to work with another all day and adapt technique.  It was a beautiful, hot and sunny day as we toured the Suffolk countryside looking at places relevant to Dad's family ancestry.  A fine time to catch up with Brother in Law and Sis too.

 

Sunday saw us down on the prom at Felixstowe for a family gathering.  The weather steadily improved and it was a great time to chill and relax.  As my age fit neatly inbetween everyone else's in the family I can flit between the young and old quite easily or just slink off for some quiet time.  The fish n chips for lunch really hit the spot, followed by a long walk to the market and back in time for tea!  Brother in Law Mike and I were serving teas and coffees and/or washing up a lot of the time providing service with a smile and some good humour to boot.

 

Was going to the air tattoo at Fairford but it turned into a rain fest and was postponed.  As the replacement lens had not arrived it was almost a good job but a day out with an old buddy of mine would have done the job brilliantly.  Needed some relief as a good friend of mine had passed away suddenly with no warning.  That has taken some getting my head round, especially as his widow asked me to be her rock and accompany her to church and the crematorium.  It was an honour to be asked and was doing the right thing by two friends.  It has only been this week with learning that she will have to sell his car, a GT Beetle owned since new in 1973, that it has hit home properly that one of them is gone in terms of physical presence.  The grieving proper can now begin.

 

The new lens duly arrived and got taken for a walk on a section of the Ridgeway that has not been enjoyed for such a long time.  Just a 4 miler or so, there and back rather than a circular.  Took some nice pics which must get sorted and put up on here. Would be nice to go out somewhere again this weekend and indulge some more!

 

There has been plenty of motorsport since the last time of writing with both the F1 and MotoGP world titles being blown wide open.  With a bit of luck we'll see the names Lewis Hamilton and Casey Stoner on the relevant trophies at the end of the year.  Stoner has worked well with Ducati to sort out a writhing beast that even he had difficulties riding and taming to a writhing beast that only he can ride.  If Hamilton can keep his focus and composure then with the progress McLaren have made it could well be his title for the taking.  To come back from his pit stop last week, catch and pass Massa's Ferrari must have been a real rubbing of salt in the wound even if it was a tactical faux pas by McLaren.  It gave LH something to do, proved a lot and rubbed those red noses well and truly in the dirt.

 

A walk along the canal earlier this week found plenty of young Coots including some quite young ones still in the nest.  There were some unruly young delinquent ducks that were doing their best to trash another (empty?) Coot nest but as tough as they were trying to act they weren't achieving much!  Mr & Mrs Mute Swan still have their seven prodigy but the Bickering-Dabchicks seemed to have dropped to 3 in number, albeit that they looked in great condition.

 

Well folks, I'm plum tuckered out and need some nosh before an early night.  Going to choose some curtain material tomorrow.  Long story for another time!

 

Have great weekends one and all!

 

Best Wishes

JS 

 

PS - have booked some time away soonish!  Am going to visit some friends who moved away to France.  Not seen their new place at all and not seen them for a while so about time we caught up!  Oh and still couldn't find a date in a calendar factory!

 

Well it turned out to be a lovely weekend in Suffolk!

 

Took Dad down Friday night, stayed with my Sister and Brother in Law in the Trimleys and di some family stuff all weekend.  Of course the pace of life in Suffolk is very taxing so will have to write about it another night! lol!

 

Did catch the sun a bit (burns your hands a bit tee hee!) and got bitten by something which is making my left ankle swell up quite a lot.

 

Hope you've all had fantabulous weekends and are all very happy and contented.

 

More soon!

 

Love and light and very best wishes to one and all!

What is it with people?  Why can't they keep their thieving hands off things that don't belong to them?

 

Today whilst I was out in town some scrote has come on to my property and stolen two old cars from me.  One had a great deal of personal history attached to it and I was hoping to sell it to a fellow enthusiast.  The other would have been a good source of spares to help keep it going.  'My' car had some interesting accessories fitted to it that were prized among enthusiasts.

 

I hope that the thieving scum that stole these failry rare vehicles dies a violent death before I can get my hands on them.  Because if I do their death will be slow and painful.  I am totally fed up with people taknig liberties with my life, of thinking only of themselves and not in the slightest about others.

 

No more Mr Nice Guy!  If anyone gets in my way or messes with me from now on I shall go THROUGH them.  There is too much emphasis put on the well being of criminals and not enough on the victims of crime.  Someone has taken something from me that has a special place in my heart and life.  It was one of the few constants that I could rely on during the 3 times when I was diagnosed with cancer.  No doubt they have sold the cars for scrap and pissed the proceeds up the wall.  Well thanks for taking my memories away without my consent.  How about I take your life away because you sure don't deserve it!

Bloomin' 'eck!  Is it Sunday already?  Well, there was curry in the restaurant, then the next day fish, was out yesterday so yes, it must be Sunday!

 

Backtracking to Thursday evening, the Steve Earle gig was marvellous!  Not what was expected though.  Having seen him play twice before with the backing of a full band it was a pleasant surprise to have much more intimate, stripped down experience with just Steve, his various acoustic strings and the occasional backing of some lops and drum machine.  The tone was set by Allison Moorer (Steve's wife) playing acoustic and with no backing, highlighting her new album 'Mocking Bird' which is a collection of songs written and sung by women.  Quite a lot of thought and emotion in the content I guess, with her re-working of Joni Mithcells's 'Both sides now' (never known what it was called before or who it was by - DOH!) just bringing some moisture to the eyes.  It was the tiredness and the heat of course! LOL!  I'm sensitive and emotional, have always been, won't ever change - things get to me and it can't be a bad thing to have a heart and to feel emotion.

 

Steve played a whole string of his classics before launching into the material on his new album 'Washington Square serenade'.  That meant some duets with Allison as per the recording and their voices were a good compliment to each other.  It was a musical delight and with the almost total concentration on one performer it made for a very different atmosphere to Monday night's gig.  Steve's politics are very different to mine but somewhere between his beliefs and mine there is the social justice we both desire along with the freedoms and responsibilities that go with it.  It was not such a warm night as Monday so the roof remained closed coming home.  Perhaps this was relevant in another way as it was a such a different set of emotions that had been tweaked and jangled about.  The moon was still sat there over my right shoulder as the M4 was reached, a little more full than a few nights previously.

 

Friday was a tough one at work.  A little bit of tiredness, some sinus pressure and the general end of week atmosphere about the place contrived to make it easy to go off the boil a little and more difficult to keep a sensible pace throughout the day.  Was glad to get home, relax and go to bed.

 

Saturday saw a morning dash to get ready and get down to the local TA centre to catch a coach.  Dad had arranged to join in on a veteran's trip to the National Memorial Arboretum and it was somewhere that I had wanted to go ever since hearing about it and seeing the coverage on TV.  Wasn't quite the last one on the bus but nearly!  Settled in and had a bit of chat with Dad about our respective weeks and had a doze too on the 2 and bit hour trip.

 

The site is a big one and the the memorial to those service people who have been killed on duty since the end of WW2 takes a very prominent position on top of a man made mound.  Once there the list of names really brings home the human cost of conflict, of pride, ego, stupidity and the fraility of the human condition.  In a week where someone was beaten to death in supermarket having been mistaken for someone else who was being accused of queue jumping it makes you wonder if there is any hope.  The outer wall on one side remains unsullied by the stone masons mark, remains untouched by the names that must be remembered long after the foolishness that lead to their passing is forgotten.   Long may it remain untouched, blank, a monument instead to a sea change in humankind's thinking and an ability to resolve differences without resort to armed conflict.

 

The weather held for us and although it was a little chilly after lunch it was on the whole pretty close to ideal weather with the temperature about right.  When the trees start to mature the site will no doubt become even more tranquil, a quiet haven where remembrance and respect can be undertaken with little to disturb the mind.  It is a beautiful site that has been created, a real celebration of life and the better sides of humankind's endeavours in many ways - and yet the need for its creation is tinged with such great sorrow, sadness and loss.  We saw a fair bit of the site if not quite all.  Dad had the benefit of an electric mobility buggy to get around on otherwise he would have been highly restricted in what he saw.  Right at the end of the day one of the site stewards showed us the 8th Army memorial, this having been Dad's unit during WW2.  He served throughout, right the way through from the Western Desert, landing in Normandy on D-Day, seeing Belsen on the day it was liberated; just what memories those memorials may have triggered is difficult to say.  All that he witnessed in those days when he sacrificed his youth and innocence in the quest to keep this nation, the whole world, free from tyranny was surely too much for any one human being to have to experience?  And there were many who saw worse than he did.  As long as we do not forget the lessons that history teaches us, as long as we try at least to live in greater understanding then maybe there is hope although the fact that some very basic differences can lead one human to want to kill not just one other but hundreds, thousands, millions, even makes it likely that it will only be with the extinction of the human race that we will stop putting other human beings through such experiences.

 

And so we ended our day dozing on the coach tip home.  With Dad's legs no longer at their best I stood by the gate of the TA centre and watched as he struggled to get to his car.  There's no way he would have let me go fetch it for him and there are some things that I just have to leave him to it and hope that he will get by OK.  We are a stubborn lot, independant to a fault perhaps - it is in our genes as my sister has it and it is prominent in one of my nephews at least.  Perhaps it's best that I didn't have children!  But it has been that stubborness that has helped get him through this far so perhaps it serves a purpose after all - pain in the arse that it is when any of us attempt to do the decent thing by one another!

 

Must go get on with my day.  Will get photos up later, maybe tomorrow evening, just have to see how it goes.

 

Hmmm!  Where DO I start?  At the beginning?  At the very beginning??  Maybe not that early, eh?  Ok, here goes.

 

Well, there was I thumbing through the Colston Hall booklet a few weeks back and there were a few gigs that looked very interesting.  First there was Tinariwen, which turned out to be an extremely good judgement call and then there was Steve Earle, a firm favourite of mine.  Now, just to put my music taste into perspective I have been to see live the likes of Judie Tzuke, Iron Maiden, Peter Gabriel, 10CC (when they are actually 5CC), Scorpions, Heart, Mary Chapin Carpenter, English Acoustic Collective, so that covers a multitude of genres and shows that taste to be pretty ecelctic.  So, between the two definites was a more chancy offering in the shape of someone who I thought I'd heard  bit of but wasn't quite sure.  Dialled them up on Amazon, heard a few snippets and thought 'Yeah, sounds alright' and booked single tickets to 3 gigs.

 

It seemed like a good idea to get the latest album for a listen and when the Royal Mail and Amazon combined delivered the goods (along with 3 other CDs) yours truly was not disappointed.  So not disappointed in fact that I found some more albums from this artist in town at reduced cost and acquired them too.  So, off to the Colston Hall in anticipation of a fine gig.  Got there in good time, got a good seat and was quenching my thirst on an orange and cranberry J2O in a pint glass topped up with soda water.  The support act was not quite to my taste and was given a luke warm reception; just don't think the audience were ready for something close to avantgarde poetry sung over a dance beat.

 

The main act more than made up for the oddity of the support act and from the moment they began I was hooked, then became mesmerised and enthralled.  We are a talking Cat Power and the amazing vocals of Chan Marshall.  Quite how to describe the influences in their music I don't know.  Soul and blues are obviously present, some reviews use words like folk and jazz.  Whatever the influences and fusions the blending is superb and the baking is to perfection!  This was close to being a spiritual experience, in fact the more I think about it the more it seems like it was.  This was visceral, heart slashing, emotionally engaging, soul rebuilding, spirit enlivening stuff!  They opened with heart rending reworkings of 'Blue Moon' (I think) and 'Dark End of The Street'.  The set progresed and it both tore into me, shredding me emotionally and yet at the same time cleansing, purifying, rebuilding to better than ever condition.  When Chan Marshall got off stage to sing 'Metal Heart', standing but 10 feet away from me as she did, it was so intense and calm at the same time and quite different to looking up at someone on stage.  Bass and keyboards then did some psychadelic jamming into 'Blue', the Jonie Mitchell song.  Their amazing version of 'New York' was in there as was a mind blowing cover of 'Tracks of My Tears'.

 

This was pure music and for me even a few technicalities with the sound did not distract from the intensity, purity and spirituality of the performance.  This was like nothing experienced before - not even the Wilson sisters got me this shook up!  There was no merchandising, no playing about for encores.  It was about the music and the experience.  The band put up a cathedral, a temple of sound and Chan Marshall was a Goddess.  When people began to leave (this is when public transport shows just how inconvenient it is) Chan asked that the house lights were turned up to ease people's leaving.  All too soon and yet just at the right time it was all over.  Chan threw flowers from the stage, the set lists, anything that could be honestly given up for fans was dispensed.  She seemed genuinely reluctant to leave the stage and also genuinely appreciative of the enthusiasm of the fans.

 

Leaving the venue I was buzzing, on another planet!  This must have been how people reacted when they first heard the likes of Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell - this was like the dawning of a something new for me at least.  Hopefully everyone else had the same sensation - that the band were playing just for them, each individual experience then contributing something additional to the whole of the collective energy.  Once out of the car park the sunroof was open, the driver's window down and 'Jukebox' was playing on the stereo.  All my senses were heightened and the mild evening no doubt contributed to an immense feeling of well being.  The window stayed down most of the way to the derestricted part of the M32 and the roof was open all the way home!

 

Joining the M4 the moon was almost a crescent, to my right and behind me.  To the left the sky was still a backlit midnight blue just above the horizon and there was a faint tinge of burnt orange just licking the very edge of it.  11.30 and not fully dark and yet through the open roof a sky full of stars beamed down at me, twinking their approval and almost imperceptibly getting a little bit of a groove on, having a little shimmy in the heavens!

 

Got home and bed was the last thing on my mind!  I wanted to dance and hear more music!  I desperately wanted to share the whole experience with people, with maybe one special person - but it wasn't to be.  Eventually tiredness and common sense got me to bed not that long after getting home and sleep came sooner than expected.  The enthusiasm, the drive, the vibe was still there for my drive to Basingstoke and the day in the offices there.  The energy came with me to my Tuesday night appointment and all the way home along the railway path and the canal and back home again!

 

Not sure how or why but there were only 3 Bickering-Dabchicks spotted last night.  With it being a bit lighter than last week they were slightly easier to spot - the difficulty being about 9.6 rather than 10!  Mr & Mrs Mute-Swan still have 7 lovely cygnets and quite proud of them they are too.  There are about 5 Coot nests some clearly on their 2nd clutch of eggs with the equivalent of a small gathering of 'Kevin the Teenager' young milling around close by.  Whether B-Ds 4 and 5 are in fact still a couple and have set up a nest elsewhere was not clear so a visit in better light is called for.  Swifts wheeled about overhead, the warm evening providing an abundance of insect life to feast on.  Strangely they were silent and not indulging in their usual screeching.

 

All in all an amazing 24 hours or so and the gig may well have proved to be a life changing experience.  It has put some things into perspective and made me realise that the last strands of attachment to something and someone have gently, almost imperceptibly frayed like a strand of silk being gently and barely stroked by a very sharp blade. 

 

TTFN!

Well here I am getting familiar with the works of Cat Power as the gig is Monday night and prior to listening to this CD I may have heard but one of her tracks and maybe snippets of about 4 more.  Liking it very much.

 

Having witnessed the rain first hand driving to Basingstoke and back yesterday, it was wonderful that it was easing off allowing a long walk to and from my Tuesday appointment.  The walk to was across town so not much to report but decided to come home the long and interesting way.  With the warmth and rain the trees and undergrowth have come on a fair bit and with a cloudy sky and nearing dusk the railway path was looking a bit spooky to be honest.  Was convinced that there was a malevolent spirit lurking behind a bridge support at one point but convinced myself that there would be protection from the Angels and all was well.  It really had that kind of changing from positive to negative feel about it and the stillness only added to the sense of mystery.  As did the peculiar absence of bird song.  It wasn't total but was a whisper compared to the near choral rejoicings of previous visits.

 

The sky looked wonderful, a sort of blood orange colour peppered amongst the bits of grey cloud - quite dramatic.  Now Dabchicks, Bickering or otherwise, are quite hard to spot against weed and grotty water as is the case along the section of old canal.  Throw in near darkness and it was only a bit of movement that gave away 2 of them.  Not sure if the nest produced any young but the rising water level from this closed section may well have swamped a poorly prepared nest, perhaps that of a young mating pair.  Of course this is all the more poignant with Kate Humble, I mean Springwatch being on the telly at the moment!  Mr & Mrs Mute Swan have 7 cygnets (spelling?) and there seem to be a fair few Coot chicks too.  That's Coot as in like a Moorhen rather than coot, the East Anglian pronounciation of sweet lol!

 

Getting close to the the Kingshill end and the terminus of the canal there was something rapid and dark flitting about.  Realised that there were a few Bats making the most of the warm evening and the insects close to the surface of the water.  And those Typhoon pilots reckon they're a bit clever with their flying antics.  These little dark shapes were performing some amazing turns and climbs although it was difficult to really appreciate in the light and amongst the overhanging trees.

 

Well folks must away to bed.  Before I go please can I ask you one favour?  Just take a few minutes out of your day to spare a thought for those who are not having as great a time as we are.  Some of those people may be neighbours, friends, work colleagues, not necessarily victims of natural disasters thousands of miles away.  Think positive thoughts and let's get some good energy and love circulating the planet in the hope that everyone can have at least one feel good day this week!  Let's all strive to make a positive difference somehow.

 

TTFN!

Hello everybody!  Strewth!  Is it really THAT long ago that the keys were last tapped in this general direction?  Lay off the Victoria Sponge is what I say - should carry warnings about the disasterous effects it cna have on your life!  Ate one slice, next thing you know it's Tuesday!  Had another, lo and behold it was the weekend again!  All them organic ingredients I reckon....!

 

Well there's loads to tell and little time so will have to come back another night.  Suffice to say Dad celebrated his 92nd birthday yesterday so today I gave him a digibox as a gift (what else can you get someone who has everything they need and most things they don't?  Hmmm.  The Lamborghini is too wide for his garage!) which should keep his mind active as he seaches all the channels!

 

We watched Suzi Perry, I mean the MotoGP and it was good to see Stoner getting back some sort of form although he was a somewhat distant 2nd to the dominant Rossi.  Surely he's got his name on this year's championship already?

 

After setting up the digibox and watching one of the rounds of the BTCC it was time to wash the car!  Even got the Autoglym bumper care stuff out and smartened up the black bits.  Not done that in a while.  Now my hands smell of petroleum distillates (as it says on the containers) no matter how much they get washed and scrubbed.  Should wear off by morning.  So The car is nice and sparkling and the tarted up bump strips, roof rails and mirrors set it off a treat.  No, wait, isn't that a peanut covered in chocolate?  Despite a few hours out doors in a micro climate of humidity whilst washing the car the sinus pressure is still present and getting extremely boring.  Perhaps the pressure washer should have been turned to other uses..........!!!!!!!!!

 

Will try to update you on the trials and tribulations of the past week - if the sponge cake hasn't addled my brain.

 

Take care, have fun and enjoy the week ahead!

 

TTFN

Hi folks!  Anyone else had a birthday and noticed that the age thingy on the profile here doesn't auto update?  What????  Another year older and I have to manually 'fess up??  HOW RUDE!!!!  LOL!!!

 

Well it is a groggy start to the day as my dear sinuses are playing up - and it is wet and windy outside.  Baked a birthday cake last night and would have finished it off but having bought jam yesterday guess which sieve for a brain forgot to buy any cream? DOH!

 

A few cards arrived late last week mostly carrying beer tokens too - although as I'm drinking even less than not much these days they will probably be spent on music. Technically they already have done as last Sunday some tickets were slapped on the plastic - Tinariwen who played Thursday night and were amazing (never heard any of their stuff before but had heard good things of them), Cat Power 9th June (heard a few snippets of her work and she sounds good) and Steve Earle 12th June (he's been a fave for a long time and seen twice before) all at the Colston Hall in Bristol.  As it was a short notice thing and those I know who might enjoy such musical delights are located in Australia, it is a question of going alone.  Don't have a problem with that and have been to a fair few gigs solo.

 

Well my good people my tum is saying breakfast and my sinuses are saying inhale steam.  And the cake needs finishing so that it can be served with a cuppa later on today!

 

Wherever you are, have a slice of cake and a cuppa and later on have a drink and share the birthday celebrations with me!  But don't go blaming me if you have one too many and go to work with a hang over tomorrow lol!  Have a great day folks!

 

TTFN!

Apologies for not having said much of late and yes, there have been 2 MotoGPs and 2 (maybe 3) sports car races without comment.  And what of the Bickering-Dabchicks I hear you ask?

 

Well, the new job has been bombarding my poor little brain cell with lots of new stuff and the poor thing is a bit knackered at the weekend.  Have generally been very positive and upbeat bit for some reason tonight has brough about a glumness.

 

Haven't been along the canal and old railway path for a while but did walk that way rather at a pace last night to get to my Tuesday appointment with a counsellor.  There are still 5 Bickering-Dabchicks and one has a nest though it doesn't look very succesful.  The Coots (the Kingshill end Coots that is !) seem to be on brood 2 with 5 rather dischuffed looking juvies hanging around Mum and the nest wondering where all the love has gone.  Mr Mute Swan was standing guard landward of Mrs Mute Swan who was asleep on the nest once again.  He was preening himself and looking very grand.

 

Still plenty of birdsong along the old railway path although getting to spot anything as the leaves are getting large and proving great camoflage.  A few Robins looked to about to gang up on lone walkers, such was their proximity to the path so there may be some delinquent bird life in Swindon.  Having siad that, a few years back a Robin got a bit 'Come & Have a Go' with me walking through Hungerford one lunch time!  What's it going to do?  Peck my toes?  They do get aggresively territorial when they have young to raise don't they?

 

Apart from it being nice to send a 'Glory, Glory Man Utd' text to someone just to annoy the living daylights out of themif the red team should win,  I can't give a stuff about the footie tonight (or any other night for that matter).  Footballers get paid far to much for doing too little and are not suitable role models for anyone - not even other footballers.  And any team I've supported in the past immediately started being useless - and I grew up 6 mile from Swindon so what do you expect?

Anyway, tonight the tiredness has beaten me and am feeling just a bit too glum.  Am out tomorrow night at a gig so need plenty of sleep tonight anyway.

 

Good night everyone!

Pardon my French, especially if my little brain cells can't remember how to spellificate words last written as a schoolboy. OK, may have tried since but a lot of learning has been lost.

 

Amazing what 3 large lattes does to a tired bunny isn't it?  Have been absolutely shattered after a trip to Kingston upon Thames on Tuesday (long, hot day but did get the sunroof open on the way home, YAY!) for my company induction.  As my role is quite a large tad, or over sized smidgen to be more accurate, different to that of all the others at the induction course it made for added fun and confusion.  Had to be there for 8.30 for a conference call (listening in thankfully) and then went off for a coffee with one of my fellow inductees (?) before returning for the 10am start.

 

We had a really good day and everyone at HQ was great as were my fellow inducted ones.  Picked up the work laptop and mobile too.  Made my way home in a leisurely fashion and still got home quicker than the journey up.

 

Thursday saw a trip to Basingstoke to meet another senior person in 'the team' (in a very broad, global sense of 'team') and do some more learning by watching my colleague.  Only had one coffee all work day long and was struggling by the end of the day (does machie coffee count? had one before leaving to sharpen self up).  It hadn't helped that 1 hour of my day on the way there was spent doing not very much courtesy of a Morrisons driver whose work day was shortened by a broken nearside mirror.  It was broken because the rest of the truck was leaning against it in a hedge beside the A34.  Someone in their infinite wisdom decided it would be a good idea to recover said ailing beast in the midst of rush hour, instantly reducing it to absolutely no rush whatsoever hour, possibly more for some who joined the queue behind me!

 

So it has been a busy week with further gains in knowledge, experience and confidence on the job front.  Now all I need is some gains in the hours spent asleep and all will be a whole heap better still!

 

Am off to Oxford on Saturday to see the Ansel Adams exhibition which should be a real tonic.

 

Thanks to everyone who has dropped by, left little messages and been really warm and friendly this week.  It is much appreciated and sorry that I've not found time to address you all individually.  Will probably be in bed early again tonight - not that I'm on a promise or any such thing, more's the pity .  Someday my Princess will come.....!  To hit me over the head with a frying pan and drag me off to be her humble servant for the rest of time because I've been too blind to notice her advances lol! 

 

Well folks, my sorry butt needs some exercise and my fruit bowl needs replenishing!  Sounds like a job for 'The Supermarket'.  Tally Ho!  Chocks Away!  Time for a stroll!

 

TTFN!

It has been a busy week so far.  Was off to Basingstoke on Tuesday to get more training in the new job and see how things are at that site.  Also met a very important person in the business later in the day.  Very pleasant person and a most positive encounter despite it being a bit intimidating meeting someone so high up soo soon after joining!  The AA route to the office wasn't so good and got me lost and despite leaving in plenty of time it ate all that up and some more!

 

Had a busy day on home turf yesterday and now that systems have all been switched on was able to be first one in and stoke the boiler in the PC lol!  Today was on my own for the duration of the day!  My colleagues in Basingstoke were only an IM, e-mail or phone call away but didn't require too much prompting although did make one faux pas.  Blushing again!  Security have sorted my pass, which was the easiest bit in trying to request it.  That's good news in that having a permanent pass makes life a lot easier in so many ways but is bad news in that 1) the pic makes me look like a side kick to some fiendish villain and 2) it now gives access to the main car park rather than the visitor's which is closer to the building and less busy.  The price of progress.

 

Oh yeah!  Didn't tell you I made some humungous choc chip cookies Monday evening to take into work on Tuesday!  Have ended up eating most of them myself and although a bit crunchy rather than chewy they are still lush!  Go great with a cup of tea, a milky coffee or even a glass of milk.

 

Oh well, time for bed!  Good night!

Following the totally blissed out feeling that resulted from Saturday's visit to West Woods, I must confess to having been a little too chilled to have done much with the photos in the ensuing days.  So tonight saw a bit of a dash to do something with them.  A bit more work in Lightroom would have seen some more representative colour but thought it best to get something up rather than keep putting it off.

 

Thanks to everyone for their kind thoughts and lovely messages in my Guestbook and on e-mail.  You are not at all forgotten or taken for granted - it has just felt right to take a little 'Me' time and make the most of the soul healing that the visit to West Woods has brought about.

 

Hope you like the photos after all the hype and build up!

 

TTFN!

So here we are, a good way through Bank Holiday Monday and chilling like it is going out of fashion.  Quite how all that ought to be done  will get done is anyone's guess but today is another day to be sensible and not rush around like my backside is on fire.

 

Was listening to Reef earlier but have decided that walking around singing 'Bright Yellow Gun' is a perfect excuse to play 'University' by Throwing Muses.  Bit of a theme here as yesterday started with Belly's album 'Star' and ended with lead singer Tanya Donelly's 'This Hungry Life'.  Kristin Hersh (Throwing Muses) and Tanya Donelly are something like half sisters, Tanya playing in Throwing Muses before The Breeders, Belly and then recording under her own name.  This is the music that kind of connects and gets the creative juices going, especially when needing to knuckle down to a visual project - and I MUST sort those Bluebell pics out ASAP!

 

Banging on a bit, West Woods really was a magical place to be on Saturday.  Whilst tranquil and serene it was full of a gentle, positive energy that was rejuvenating and relaxing at the same time.  It felt like the sort of place that Angels and Fairies would go to wind down, chill out and top up on their revitalising energy.  Just being there was all that was required and taking photos and having any good images at the end of the day was purely optional.  It was an event to be there, to hear the sounds of nature and to be regaled with such wonderful sights.

 

The weekend had kicked off with a bit of art.  A friend from the A level photography course of a few years back was holding an exhibition of some of his work.  He is a dairyman by trade and has documented the herd he has worked with over the years by taking photos of various members of the herd.  Even during the eve class years it was suggested that he ought to have an exhibition.  Well, John and Wendy got the use of a disused barn, cleaned it out, spruced it up and turned it into a highly appropriate gallery.  Turning up early gave me the chance to catch up with John & Wendy before the crowds arrived and there was an excellent turn out. As the Sun dipped in the sky and the world outside became more golden yellow in its hue and as more bodies filled the barn, so the atmopshere grew and the images of the cattle took on a new life.  It was a fabulous setting and it was such a pleasure to see John & Wendy's efforts so richly awarded.  There was talk of some prints being sold too!  In addition to the images of the cattle, John had used the far end of the barn, largely behind a wooden divider, to display some composite images of trees which then looked as though they formed the Spirits of The Forest as mirror images of branches became shapes with limbs and faces.  There were some of John's images of the stones at Avebury too which added to the atmosphere in that secluded end of the barn.

 

Perhaps that had set me up for being in the right frame of mind to appreciate West Woods on Saturday morning?  Having said that, because there were other things that needed to be done and time was getting on I must confess to considering not going!  That would have been a huge mistake and hindsight verifies that the right choice was made!  Because of the leaf litter and rain of late the tracks thorugh the woods were at best soggy and glutinous mud in many other parts.  Walking boots were a necessity and even then some slipping and sliding was inevitable.  Nobody came a cropper though which was good.  There were plenty of others out taking photographs, many just out briefly to enjoy the colour and aroma of the blue haze that strecthed through the woods, some just out for some quality family time, a picnic and fresh air.  No doubt they all returned home all the better for their experience in the enchanted woods.

 

All too soon it was over and yours truly had to dash.  Had to be back in Swindon and quickly tidied up to go to The Arts Centre as had bought a ticket to see The Storys.  Again, had never heard of them or any of their music but they checked out OK on Amazon so decided to go.  They are an excellent band live, playing very tight and the mixture of influences and choices of songs made for a very enjoyable evening.  As we tend to use labels for everything then perhaps they could be filed under AOR - music for grown ups - but they wouldn't go amiss in any teenagers collection if they were looking to experience something outside of the usual Top 40 fillers.  Although they play quieter songs and ballads very well, when they let their hair down and play the bluesy/rock side of their repertiore they go at least 2 gears and find a totally different level to play on.  Worth going to see if you get the chance, especially if it is in a smaller, more initmate venue where the quality of the sound matters more than the volume; The Arts Centre is a bit like having someone play in your own home - well, maybe if you'd won a multi rollover on the lottery or some such.

 

Well I feel the need to stretch my legs again and go for a stroll.  Guess those pics will have to wait a little longer!    

Well folks it's not really that late but it feels much later than that to me!

 

Had intended to do a fair bit more today than has been acheived but perhaps my body had the better idea - take it a bit easier and reflect on the past few days and relish the memories!  Yesterday in West Woods was so magical!  The scent of the Bluebells, the tranquility, the blue flowers hovering like mist over the bright green stems, young tree leaves, bright as the sunlight falling upon them,  superimposed as if floating above this blanket of blue.  It is proving to be a difficult task to sort the images and apply a little digital darkroom technique to bring out the best of this truly enchanted world that we enjoyed.

 

So, an early night it is so that more might be done before an early night tomorrow!

 

Sleep tight tonight, dream joyfully of pleasant things and awaken tomorrow with hearts, minds, spirits and souls rejunvenated and invigorated!

 

With luck there will be more of the story tomorrow.

 

Good night!

Ooh La La!  And relatively early on a Bank Holiday Sunday too!  Ooh Matron!

 

Well folks, got lots to tell but need to crack on just now so will just say that hopefully your weekends have kicked off brilliantly and are progressing to even better and brighter things.  So far it has been both relaxing and yet tiring here, resulting in that kind of semi-comatose bliss that you get when life is not half bad.

 

'Stuff', really not that important but unfortunately still necessary, beckons so hopefully back later on today and there should be some new pics to share too!  Had a great day out yesterday.....!

 

TTFN!

Howdy folks!  Hope all is well with all of you and that life is treating you all with grace and good favour.

 

Start my new job tomorrow (01/05) and am very much looking forward to it.  Great challenge and opportunity lies ahead!  Made good use of the other 2nd interview to get some presentation practice but fluffed the interview in the Q&A session afterwards.  Never mind.  There are signs that the job I've said yes to is the right one to be going to anyway.

 

Lots of coincidences again today which have led to one rather wonderful conclusion.  I met up with a former work colleague who suddenly came to mind a while back but who has proved difficult to locate over the last 6-8 weeks of trying.  It is great to be in contact with him again.  Bumped into him of all places on my favourite urban walk, right on the point where the railway path goes over the canal.  Talking of the canal, we are still on 5 Bickering-Dabchicks, which is one pair and 3 solitary birds.  One (possibly the male of the pair) was having a bit of a spruce up but the way they splash water around to get it into certain places for their wash n brush up looks quite ineffective and involves a lot of water going almost everywhere but where it is required.  Said bird looked at me most indignantly as he heard my chuckles, made a bit of noise and then promptly dived underwater.

 

There appears to be only one pair of Coots with young so far, 5 little punk look alikes in all.  One of them had a square throat for a while this afternoon having greedily swallowed a piece of bread that was a tad too big for such a small creature!  Mrs Mute Swan was sat tightly on her nest with hubby nowhere to be seen.  The Heron was stalking the other side of the garden water front to Mrs Mute Swan but again it didn't like my grey coat and wandered of acorss the lower lawn keeping a wary eye on me.  One of the Coot nests on the other side of the railway bridge, the one where Mrs Coot was looking a bit perturbed at the construction methods being employed the other day, has been abandoned as a bad job.  A Moorhen rubbed salt into the old chap's wounds today by walking over it right in front of him in what looked like a deliberate attempt to belittle the poor bloke!  I know that Disney has a lot to answer for but if you watch birds and animals for a while you can understand where some of their ideas might have originated.

 

Thanks to all of you out there in MSN Space land who put so much effort into your blogs and Spaces.  Have probably seen but a fraction of the amazing talent, artistic thought, creativity, caring, sharing, thoughfulness, community spirit and raw human emotion that is out there.  You never know but one day your Space may just inspire someone in some way, make a positive difference to someone else's life and make the world a better place for it.  We may be 'virtual' neighbours but if we can do some good each day, bring a smile to one person's face and make their day a better one then let's get to it!

 

Today have been inspired to go buy some tickets for some local gigs.  Some of this is celebration regarding the job and some of it is the fact that live music, especially in a small, intimate venue, is such a wonderful experience.  Am off to Hedia Talbot and also The Storys.  Never heard of them before but the write ups were promising and the snippets of tracks on Amazon sounded OK so will se what they are like.  Discovered the delight of Juliet Turner this way too.  Our local Arts Centre is well regarded by musicians and have seen the like of Focus and Carl Palmer there as the first names that spring to mind and a wicked set by Delta Moon.  With money coming in there will be a few gigs at the Colston Hall that look promising too, some will be new experiences whilst others will be renewing old aural acquaintances. 

 

Must go get some sleep in readiness fo tomorrow.

 

Take care one and all, sleep well and wake well rested!

Right, OK, you've all been sleeping soundly, I mean waiting with baited breath, since the last electronic scribble so here goes with some more.  Sitting comfortabubbly?  Then I shall begin!

 

Oh!  Before I forget (again!) - head like a, like a, wotchermacallit these days ha ha! - does anyone remember the plasticine animation of TV called "Rex The Runt"?  One of his sidekicks (a cat?) was a bit dim and wandered round saying either "spaghetti" or "Tuesday" most of the time.  Think it was on BBC2?

 

OK, music first.  After the obtuse mood of Friday morning it was a different mood later in the day so popped Pearl Jam's "vs" into the CD and that was just about right.  Saturday morning was Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's "Baby 81" to get the day going but on Sunday it was time to be more relaxed with "The Reminder" by Feist.  If you've not heard her stuff or read about her in the Guardian on Saturday (other newspapers, glossy magazines and interviews with musicians are available, i.e., Portishead in the Telegraph a few weeks before lol!) you may know her song "1,2,3,4" from the iPod Nano ad on telly.  Well, as catchy as that little pop song is it doesn't even scratch the surface of this amazing musical talent.  See if you can sample the tracks on Amazon but defo worth a listen and a buy if you've an itching to buy some new music and have a few quid to spare.

 

Last week was a pretty darn good one!  Have been seeking a new job for some time and last Thursday saw a 1st interview in the morning followed by a 2nd interview with another company in the afternoon.  With past experiences in interviews of the bullish interviewer who seems more intent on scaring you off than recruiting you, it has been most pleasant and welcome to meet potential employers keen to be personable as well as professional and to encourage the interviewee to be interested in taking the job!  Both opportunities are ideal steps for me to take in my career, they are quite different roles but equally challenging and interesting.  Have got a job offer from the 2nd interview and a request to attend 2nd interview following the 1st interview.  Just like buses, nothing for ages then 2 come along at once!

 

After Thursday the release of tension is probably what has led to my back pain!  When in dance classes (tango or 'folk'), comments have been made by my dance partners to "Relax".  They really don't know what I'm like when tense!  What feels like relaxed to me still involves incredibly stiff shoulders and quite a rigid back.  That's probably why falling over results in me getting hurt 'cos I don't just go all limp and squidgy but try to resist the hard surface coming up at me lol!  The chiropractor sorted me out on an emergency appointment and said "Long walk, ice pack, long walk, ice pack, etc" which was great but there was no mention of food or sleep lol!  OK, it was the lack of food that was more concerning rather than the sleep!  So, went home, parked up the car and went for a long walk to visit some friends for a chat and cuppa.

 

The walking was uncomfortable at first but soon eased off.  The return journey involved a detour to Asda to get something to eat for tea which is when the Strawberry Scones came to my attention.  Now 18p for 4 on account of them being on their Sell By date is a bargain to me so happily added them to the basket and enjoyed 2 of them greatly on the walk home!  Didn't feel much like cooking so just had 4 wheat biscuits (they were supermarket generic not the brand name ones!) and some toast and then called it a night.

 

Saturday saw CAR magazine drop on the doormat.  Confession time!  The cellophane came off and it was perused before going in to town!  Well!  It was a Porsche celebratory issue and there were photos of some of the racing Porsches that used to encourage me and some mates to go to Brands Hatch and Silverstone to watch them race and take photos.  Been a lot of these reminders (spooky coincidences or what?) of what used to please me in the past, including the sad passing of Richard LLoyd in that plane crash a few weeks back.  Saw him race and also cheered on his privateer Group C Porsches over the years.  OK, so there's the thing with the pesky RS Spyders in LM2 in the ALMS but other than them there have been a lot of good reasons to be grateful for their presence in racng over the years.  Seeing the likes of Ickx, Bell and Bellof in the Group C cars was a magnificent era to behold.

 

Sunday's better than expected weather was a wonderful bonus!  It started very sunny and bright here and it was warm enough to drive over to Dad's for lunch with the sunroof open!  Yeah!  Had a reasonable catch up and watched the F1 Grand Prix but found it rather dull and processional; there is not enough overtaking on the track and the pit stops break up the flow too much.  Give 'em slicks and enough fuel to get to the finish and see who conserves tyres to the end and who pushes to build up a lead at th start.  Pit stops are for endurance races not sprints!

 

Talking of endurance races there was another Le Mans Series race in Europe yesterday.  It is worth going to the website www.lemans-series.com/en to watch the 3 minute video summary of the race.  There are 2 big accidents - one from onboard Dindo Capello's Audi as it hits the barriers with every conceivable part of the car before returning to the pits for repair; the other is Stephane Ortellis's ORECA from which he emerged with only a broken ankle.  Peugeot unfortunately won again but as it was the sister ca to the victorious one of a few weeks back it means that Premat and Rockenfeller in the No2 Audi lead the driver's championship.

 

Having had such a lovely start to the day yesterday it wasn't long after getting back from Dad's that the weather changed, the big grey cloud blowing in from the West.  Did one of those very English things of sitting watching the weather and then deciding that as it hadn't rained yet, it wouldn't do so and therefore it was OK to go for a walk!  So off to the canal and railway route and the chance to enjoy some fresh air.  Along the canal one pair of Coots at least have young that are out of the nest and happily swimming about.  One pair of the Bickering-Dabchicks have a nest and there are now 5 B-Ds in total!  The other 'pair' don't seem to be an item any more and there is another one which has appeared since Tuesday.  The Mute Swan was tucked up on her nest looking sound asleep as usual and perhaps there are some moorhen nests tucked away out of sight.

 

Was very nearly right about the weather and although at one stage the water was falling quite heavily from the sky the tree cover meant not really getting wet!  Did the longish walk back from Old Town by skirting the town centre and then coming back along part of the outward bound route.  Although not really hungry as such it seemed like a good idea to have a small bar of chocolate for my efforts.  Somehow had gone out without my watch on so was pleasantly surprised to have been out for only 1 3/4 hours.  Mind you did work up a bit of thirst!  So it was a cold pack on the back again and some more of the Medieval Britain stuff on digital BBC before calling it a night and having looked at the pictures in CAR it seemed like a good idea to give the journos a chance and begin reading their words too!

 

That should keep you going for a while.  Am off for a walk again and then to get some shopping!

 

TTFN! 

"Oh yeah",  I hear you all say!  "Quickly" and "John" in the same sentence?  Well there are some circumstances when it is very true   Of course!  Hardly any of you have ever been grocery shopping with me have you!  So how would you know  

 

Well this AM has dawned a little brighter (such a lovely girl Dawn!) as the back isn't being quite so uncooperative.  Yesterday was in a very obtuse frame of mind what with the, etc, and was sat listening to 'Held on the tips of fingers' by Polar Bear.  Worth checking out if you like a bit of jazzy sound every now and then.  If you like your music to be off at a bit more of a tangent have a listen to 'Last chance disco' by Acoustic Ladyland.  Try to imagine a jazz group whose influences include Hendrix and punk and unless you've heard them or have a very vivid imagination you still probably won't quite get what a wicked set of tunes these guys bang out!  In fact one of their tracks is being used as backing to advertise a programme on the BBC at the moment but the old grey cell can't remember which proggie it is.

 

Anywho, this AM have been listening to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 'Baby 81' and getting a little bit of a move on.  OK, apart from the bit where I've been sat here on the PC.  I could be watching adverts on the digibox with bits of re-run Time Team in between them you know!  Got a fair bit to say (cue everyone staying off MSN for the next fortnight lol!) but have need to acquire things from town so a walk is in order.  That will help free the back some more then it will be back home and on with the ice pack.  That's such a good sensation!  Have also got latest addition of CAR magazine dropped on the doormat so might just draw the curtains and have half an hour of self indulgence with that, a mug of tea and a chocolate biscuit!  Ooh er missus!  And before the 9pm watershed!  How disgusting! lol!

 

Ciao for now and hope everyone out there is having or about to have an awesome weekend in some way shape or form!

 

TTFN!