Hi again....

Hi Worlds,

I've been wondering why I've been hurting so much, since the hospital visit on Monday - turns out, I've got this wire in my spine, which is attached to a battery pack..... I thought it was a bit painful - but I really do have something stabbing me in the back !!! Never mind - I'm still here...

The music of the moment is Roger Waters' 'Radio KAOS' - one of my favourite post Floyd albums by him, tho' I really like his 'In The Flesh' live album....

'tis a quiet day for me - too much hassle to do very much today - so I'll do the dishes, listen to some music & send a few e-mails.... I have one guy who wants some stuff from me, so I need to contact him as soon as I can, to explain the delays....

Life will go on & so must I........

Bye Bye

Home again !!

Hi Worlds (where ever your planet might be) & to anybody reading these words "Hello"....

So, yesterday I was in the hospital for 8am & by mid afternoon I had had my surgery.... by 7pm, I was home again !! I do NOT like hospitals & I get out asap - sometimes against the Dr's wishes, but more often than not, they are just glad to free up a bed. If 'you're' well enough to be home, why not come home ? Give the bed to someone who needs it......

So, last night was a little painful & this morning I feel like someone has kicked me HARD - but I'm here & the music is playing just below deafening, so I'm happy with my life... any hospital visit I can walk away from is a bonus, a blessing - call it what you want !!

It was just like 'old times' in the place - 2 of the staff I've known for nearly 10 years - so it's really a home from home.... it's always nice to see a friendly face... if you know what I mean.

At the moment, the music of choice is the Mos Def album I mentioned a few days or so ago... it called 'The Ecstatic' & it's just what I need this morning to push away the 'pain' or whatever !! It's great listening - not my usual style - but "it's got a beat & you can dance to it" if you know what I mean !! I can't say the parish is best pleased with the 'noise' - but what the hell, they can't expect me to play everything they like !!

Oh - the Dr Who broadcast on BBC 3 the other night was good fun !! Hopefully, when it's broadcast on TV (next week ?) it's look as good as it sounded !! Whatever, I'll be playing the DVD loud for some time to come.......

... as well as the 3 cds I had reach me yesterday in the post !!. 2 by Little Steven 'Men Without Woman' & 'Voice Of America' - the latter has 'Los Desaparecidos' on it...... a track which helped me thru' 1986/1987 no end..... + I had the Lynyrd Skynyrd 'Official Bootleg' of their Winterland 1976 show. I've not put them on yet - but, believe me, they will get a LOT of playtime over the coming years !!

The cd list I was trying to complete the other week/month is just getting bigger & now stands well over the 2500 mark.... it never be completed while I live, I keep buying too many things !! Never mind - B says she is going build a huge funeral pyre out off them, with me on the top when I eventually pass. I think she means it as well !! I'm not sure what the Church would think about it, but...........

It was nice here - for a while this morning, we were all home together. That does not happen very often these days. But now there is only J & I here alone. B has taken a fiend into town for a hospital visit & ME has just gone out to meet her boyfriend..... time to turn the music up & kick back !!

It's nice to be home again..... my prayers to the families & friends of the 'victims' of the German music show.

Bye Bye.....

Hi again...

Hi World...

Tomorrow I go into hospital... wish me luck - I'll be back !!!

Bye Bye

Mos Def ?

Hi World,

Today's music of choice is Mos Def's 'The Ecstatic' - it's brilliant & - if nothing else - it shows how, even at my age you can still find something 'new' to listen to & enjoy !! I know this album came out in 2009, but I only heard it for the first time this past week...... give it a listen !!

So, here I am again - writing these words to anyone who wants to read them - & I'm still a little 'down' after Sister Meg's funeral. IF nothing else, I've decided to make my own 'farewell' a happier parting !!

I think I might have said something last time I posted, but so many people were crying - there is nothing wrong with that, but..... I want to leave people laughing !! Instead of a sad song as I'm carried in - maybe I'll have the Monty Python crew singing 'Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life' !! We'll see......

It might seem very weird writing about one's own funeral, but B & I have thought about this a

lot over the past years, since I've been sick.... as we have told people, we have gone past the 'upset' bit - knowing I'm going to croak out sooner, rather than later - we have got used to it !!

Oh well......

Talking of my Dearest Friend.... B is out this afternoon - so, once again, J is looking after me. ME is out with her boyfriend, so......... I'm here playing Mos Def - which I'm about to change for some Grateful Dead. It's the Cornell University gig from 1977 - one of the best live shows around as far as I'm concerned !! If you get chance to hear it, give it a try.... it's well worth it !!

I had an e-mail from my friend yesterday - he went 'walk-a-bout' earlier in the year. He's now working as a teacher in South America some place - good for him !! He's a great bloke & it was good to hear from him again...... which reminds me, I owe an e-mail to one of our American Sisters !! I must get on with that & soon !!

Oh well, that's about it for today.... I need to have a rest or something. It's hot & I'm knackered !

Bye Bye

Sadness....

Hi World...

Today we buried a member of the Church. Sister Meg was always full of fun & even in her last days, she made me smile.......

The last time I saw her at Church, she sort of stumbled & sort of said "Oops, I must take more water with it" - as Latter Day Saints, we do not drink, so for someone, in her final weeks of life on Earth, to still be able to make a joke of her illness - it shows - no wrong - it GIVES us all a new hope.

It's been a sad day for all who knew her & our hearts go out to her family - she has been an inspiration to us all..... she will be missed !!

Bye Bye

Hello World...

Hello World (again) & greetings to anyone who might read these words !!

I've just sat here watching a great film - it's old-ish & up until last week, I had never seen it... tho' I bought the paperback when it first came out. It's called 'Quest For Fire' & I've loved it !!

I was flicking thru' the TV stations a few days back & there it was... so I watched it & went straight onto the 'net' & bought a copy. It came earlier & it's brilliant !! Well I think so at least !! Give it a try & see what you think - it's worth it just to see the elephants dressed up as mammoths - no CGI here folks !! Great fun.......

It's one of the many gifts I had for my birthday... one of the MANY gifts !! Just off the top of my head, I have also got here... Neil Young's 'Rust Never Sleeps' DVD, the 'new' Star Trek' film + the complete 'Spider Man' trilogy set... add that to the various cds/dvds I've already (maybe ?) mentioned & I've been spoilt for choice this year !!

I know I mentioned transferring the Springsteen dvd to audio for B to have on her 'ipod' thingy & that came out really well - I might do the same with the Dio dvd.... it's a concert, so I'll enjoy playing that - "keep it live" or whatever the mantra used to be !!

Anyhow - onto other things.... it's was a sad day at Church on Sunday. Our Bishop has stood down, so we now have a new 'leader' - someone to look up to. He has a big pair of shoes to fill - but, with God's help & guidance he will do a great job. We wish him well !!

Talking of we, my dearest friend, B, is out this afternoon - leaving J here to look after me if needed.... ME is at Uni today, tho' I'm expecting her home soon as she only had a couple of hours to fill. I suspect she'll call in & see her boyfriend on her ways home. So - it's just me & my music here as I type..... at the moment it's some Emerson Lake & Palmer - why ? I don't know, it's just playing in the background.. oh well.........

Anyways, I will away - I think I'll change the tape - ELP are good, but not for me today....

Bye Bye

Greetings

Hi World - 'tis a lovely day !!

So I'm here on my own today - the rest of the family are off to B's Nan's funeral. It's quite a ways away & given my health it was thought best (mainly by me) that I should stay home. Being in a car for over an hour each way was more than I could take today.

So my plan is to listen to some music & 'chill-out' - or something like that...... I want to convert the Springsteen DVD, that I was given last week, to an audio file. B can then put it onto her iPod or whatever the thing is called !! That should a couple of hours - so from then on the time is mine !

It was my Birthday yesterday -"Happy Returns To Me" - and much to my surprise, my Father-In-Law remembered & sent me a card !! The first time in years !! My Son C - who lives out in Canada someplace - didn't get in contact, but I wasn't expecting him to... it's been over a year now since I heard from him, so......... Mind you, it did take something like 16 or 17 years for him to contact me the first time around, so.... I won't hold my breath !!

Oh, to celebrate my birthday, I finally got the 'green light' for the first of my 'bionic' hospital visits. It's in early August, so I have plenty of time to get ready - but, at last I have a date !!

Anyway, there was a bit of sad news, since my last post - a friend from Church (yeah, I have the odd one or two) past away a couple of days back. She was sick for quite a while & it eventually beat her..... she is with our Lord now, so she is safe.

Ok.... so I will away. The music of the day will be Bruce Springsteen & it will be loud !!

Bye Bye

Hi again !!

Hi again World !!

So only a while back I was thinking I would not be so 'tardy' with my posting & here I am again - 5 days since my last post, thinking where did the time go ?

I can tell you the weekend flew by - I didn't really come to terms with Sunday until about 4pm !! So, I didn't make it to Church, but..... never mind ! The way I'm feeling toward some of the congregation at the moment, it's probably best I stay home, in case I say something out of place - speak my mind, or whatever !!

It's quite funny really - I've been a bit poorly these last few weeks & only 2 people (from Church) have asked how I am... one guy who I hardly know & one of the greatest people in the World, who e-mailed us from the USA !! Never mind, 'tis a beautiful day, so life will go on & on....

It's been a good day really - plenty of music to keep me going in my old age. I've played the complete Bruce Springsteen DVD - 3hrs worth + I'm now listening to the Stephen Stills DVD I picked up last week sometime.... it's really good, split into 2 sets - acoustic & electric and it rocks along quite nicely !! The older C.S. & Nash stuff works well, 40 years after it first came out !! It's a good job B & I share the same taste in music.... she puts up with so much !!

...talking of older, it's my birthday on Wednesday - I'm waiting to see if my Father-in-Law remembers this year !! There is no reason why he should, he never does..... but just once in a while I would like the surprise of a card from the guy !!

Never mind - I/life will go on...... all being well, I'll hear from the hospital soon, about going bionic. I know it's 2 more surgeries, but I would like to get them out the ways as soon as I can - maybe before the summer goes completely !!!

Oh well - must away..... I'm still trying to finish my Ned Kelly book !!

Bye Bye