Monday Monday (Again) !!

Hail & Greetings Worlds,

Well - it's a Monday & I'm home alone.... no that's a lie... 2 of the cats are in, so I have a little company.  The family are all out.  B & ME are out shopping & J is working at the college today.  B, bless her, has been poorly most of the night, but she promised ME she would go shopping with her today & so off she went !!

My plans are really to sit here, resting & playing music.......  I fell over last night & my chest hurts like there is no tomorrow, so a rest is on the cards !!  Seems like when I fell, I landed on my arms, which were in front of me - hence between my chest & the floor - so....... never mind, still breathing & that's always a bonus !!

Yesterday, at Church, Bishop asked me how I was.... I said the usual "still breathing & that beats the alternative" & then we had a laugh about it !!  The alternative is to die & be with our Lord in Heaven - so maybe 'life' is not the better of the 2 options on offer !!!  Oh well..... we could tie ourselves up in knots over that one I guess !!

Church was good yesterday..... but, with a little sadness as our friends D & J are going home to America.  They gave me another book - they are so generous it's unreal !!  Oh well, it was nice to meet them over the last couple of months & we will miss them. 

Ok - so the music of the moment..... it's the Allman Brothers !!  No surprises really.  On Thursday the parcel came from America with about 50 hours of new live stuff for me to listen to !!  B cannot quite understand why I like them soooo much.... I just do - especially the live albums they bring out from their shows !!  At the moment I'm playing a show from Boston last November & I'm loving every second of it !!  Well good.......

There is a problem tho'.... with all the new cds & stuff I had over the last few weeks, I'm out of space !!  There are about 100 cds here in front of me that need homes & that will be my 'job' today - trying to sort them out....... it's going to be fun !!

Bye Bye

Keep Flapping Those Arms !!

Hello again Worlds !!

Well, 'tis another Friday - a whole week since my last post..... where have I been ?  In bed for most of the week, but I'm still "flapping my arms" !!

Today is a special day... ME is 20 today !!  She was up early this morning, TOO early really - but, even at 20, she is happy as can be.... she has been the same all her life !!  Every birthday !!  Total madness in a 4' 11" body !!

Yesterday she finished her Uni placement, so she can have a few mornings to get over it now - no more 5am starts to get to Bristol by 7:30 !!  Her next placement is in Weston, so not so far to travel + it's a 9-5 thing, so no more really early starts..... that'll be good !!

At the moment, she & B are out buying somethings & getting hair cuts & what have you..... B has a meeting to go to as well - so it's cheaper to take ME's car.  I expect they'll be back in an hour or two !!  I think M (the boyfriend) is coming home with them as well - a whole house full........

As for the other member of the house (not including the cats) J is upstairs - we met his 'special friend' yesterday for the first time !!  She seems very nice - tho' what she thought of B & I is any body's guess !!  We are a couple of "loons" at the worst of times & yesterday was a good day !!  J is off this week as the college is on a break.....

Oh well - I'm playing some Emerson, Lake & Palmer at the moment.... so that's the music of the minute.  It's from the dvd of their Montreux show & sounds pretty good !!  With the 'girls' out of the house I can give it a good blasting - not that they have ever stopped me playing stuff loud...... but, ELP is not B's favourite group in the world !!

There is a new Billy Joel cd/dvd coming soon - as yet we've only found it as an import, but hopefully it'll show up over here at some point !!  I could buy the import, but the dvd is another system, so probably would not play over here..... we'll see how things go !!

Today, hopefully I'll have a parcel from the US of A.......  I had a note thing yesterday to say it would be here today IF (get this) I paid £19:35 in VAT + £8 handling charge !!  I think that's just a rip off - I paid the postage - $85 - to get the parcel from America & still they want extra this end before they will deliver it to me !!  What a con !!!!!!!

I'm going to have a 'moan' about it - surely once you pay the postage, it should be delivered ?  I can understand the VAT because it's an import thing, but not the extra postage, that stinks....... it'll stink even more if it ain't here by the end of the day !!  If that's the case I won't see it until Monday of next week !!

Never mind, life goes on - LIFE, ah yes, I remember !!  No, really - I'm not moaning about my life !!  I have so much to be grateful for, my wife, my family, my friends & the Lord to keep me strong when it seems like I want to give up..... keep flapping those arms  & we'll get there together !!  I'll just be a little slower, that's all !

Bye Bye

The Chimney Sweep !!

Hi again Worlds !!

Well, 'tis a Friday.... or at least I think it is !!  It's been a good morning so far - we've had the chimney sweep in.... I kid you not !!  J is too big to fit up the flu' nowadays, so we have to have it swept !!  Oh well....

The music of the moment is Gov't Mule - part of the live set from 'The Deepest End' dvd I had last year some time.....  I've got all these 'new' cds here from last weekend & I'm playing 'old' stuff - go figure !! 

I'm thinking about doing some ELP stuff later - a transfer from dvd to cd......  I'll listen to the cd more times than I'll play the dvd & that's for certain.

As for the family.... J is here (behind me in the kitchen) - ME is at Uni placement (only 4 more days to go) & my darling B is out visiting a friend from Church.... she'll be home a wee bit later.

Yesterday D & J from Church came around for our home visit...... I could listen to D all day long - he is such a great guy.  Unfortunately they are going home to Oregon soon, so.......... hopefully we'll be able to keep in touch !!  Just when you get to 'know' someone, they have to leave, never mind.

I'm still waiting to hear from the hospital.  Our GP is looking into what has happened to the 'bigger' of the two surgeries I'm supposed to have..... we know the 'easier' one is on the cards - if my health gets a little better - but the other one seems to have just gone off the table all together !!  Ah 'funding' lovely 'funding' !!

I saw a thing yesterday about how the government are going to change things around & how a single parent could be up to £30 a week worse off - do they not realise that £30 feeds that person for the week ?!!  It's crazy.... please politician person, get yourself into the real world !!

Anyhooo - time to go !!

Bye Bye

It's raining again !!

Hi Worlds........

...... and if you live on the really big World that they've just found - well greetings to you as well !!

So, it's a Tuesday & it's still raining hard outside.  I had to go down to the doctors last night & this morning - I'm not 100% sure what is going on, but this morning it was pouring down !!  I was only there - today - for a load of blood tests, but getting to & fro' the car was REALLY wet !!  Never mind - life goes on.....

I'm here in the warm.... B has gone out to lunch with the ladies of the Church, well... at least one of them... J & ME are at 'work' & that just leaves me and the cats & I think all 3 of them are asleep !!  For some reason I'm still tuckered out from the weekend away - I thought by today I would be a little bit fresher, but I could quite happily fall over & sleep all afternoon !!

That isn't going to happen tho'...... we're going shopping after lunch - or at least, after B gets home - so I better stay awake for a few more hours at least.  We're going looking for a 'cheap' cooker - yep, really exciting stuff !!  Our old cooker only works when it feels like it & B is really fed up of its tantrums !!  Hopefully we can get one at a reasonable price...... well, it'll have to be reasonable or else we won't be buying it !!

The music of the moment is the new Greg Allman solo album 'Low Country Blues'...... we picked it up on the weekend & I'm really enjoying it - true, I wish it was a new Allman Brothers album, but I'l let them off !!  The guy has such a great voice - even if you didn't know much about the Allman's, his voice is so good, it would hit you right in head !!  Great stuff.........

Must away - things to do !!

Bye Bye

Exeter, O Exeter.... & Celine Dos Santos

Hail & Greetings to you.......

..... may your Worlds be surrounded in sunlight & happiness.  Well, what a great weekend it's been -  B & I at least have done something we have never done before, we left the kids & spent the night away from home.

I know today is St Valentine's Day, but that wasn't the reason...... once again it was me & my music collecting.  I'll explain - as best I can.

There was a record fair in Exeter on Saturday & usually we travel down, go to the fair, look at a few shops & come home..... this time however we stayed overnight in a hotel & gave ourselves the luxury of of just kicking back and letting ourselves be spoilt !!

It was great !!  We checked in about noon, went off to the fair - got loaded down with goodies from my friends there - went back to the hotel & then spent the afternoon just touring the city & shops !!  We had a meal at the hotel & then in the evening had another walk around, looking at the lights, just enjoying life !!

It might not sound like 'fun' - but, for us - it was brilliant.  Not having to worry about anything here at home & just enjoying things for what they are, rather than having deal with the "nasty's" of day to day living !!  Don't get me wrong, life is good - we have the Lord to guide us - but just to get "away" was sooooooooo good, even tho' it was just for the Saturday night !!

Some things made us smile.  At the evening meal, we asked - as we do not drink - if they had any alcohol free drinks to go with the meals....... alas, all they had was water !!  It is a multi star hotel & all they had to offer were wines & spirits.... me thinks a letter to the manager is on the cards !!  What also made us crack up, as it was Valentine weekend, the waiter came over with complimentary glasses of Champagne.......... which we turned down.  The thought was there tho' - they just seem to think everybody drinks !!

The other thing we found funny.... in our warped sort of brain..... I couldn't reach the soap !  To explain.... we had a room suited to disabled people like myself, low fittings etc etc.  So I was going to get a bath (I can not stand long enough for a shower) when I realised the soap dispenser was fitted so high up on the wall, that from the bath tub it was out of reach !!

I went down to the reception & explained the situation.... which was kind of hard - for me at least - & the duty manager came up to the room.  Once he saw the problem he understood & gave us some soap & shampoo to  help us out !!  I think they need to be told about things, you could see from his expression that he understood the problem as soon as he saw it !!  Great fun........... but maybe not so much fun at our fellow guest were having !!

On the Saturday night we saw a group of guys going out..... one of them had stockings, suspenders & other lady like clothing on - I'm not sure what they were up to, but the following morning one of the same group was carrying a large 'Red Baron' model plane around with him !!  Maybe it's time I started drinking - but on the other hand............ if it makes you do things like that, I think I'll stick to water !!

The plan on Sunday was go to the river side & have lunch at one of the cafe's there.... those plans went out the window when we woke up to heavy rain !!  I had also thought about finding the local LDS Church for the Sunday service, but as we had no idea where to look & we had the rain to "wash our sins away" we sort of gave up on that plan as well !!  As it was we went for a last walk around & headed home......

It might not sound like 'fun', but for us it was brilliant !!  When we can, we both agreed we would do it again at some point....... but as this weekend away was our first, with out the kids, in some 20 + years - well, I'm not going to hold my breath !!

Talking about the 'kids' they are both out working at the moment.  B is visiting with her cousin & I'm here typing these words...... I'm kind of pooped from the weekend, so I stayed at home sleeping while everybody went out.  It's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it !!

The music of the moment is by Celine Dos Santos.  She was busking in Exeter on Saturday & she was GOOD !!  So good, I bought the Cd she had for sale - it's only 17 minutes long, but well worth the £5 she wanted for it.  I wish her well !!

As is my usual - I came away from the record fair with piles of goodies !!  Grateful Dead mainly, but over the next few weeks I'll get to play them, especially if I do go back into the hospital.  I know they have these TVs over the beds & what have you, but I much rather put some headphones on & listen to my Cd's !!

I must away...

Bye Bye

Another week......

Greetings !!

I didn't realise, but it's been a whole week since I wrote my last post - oops, better take me out back & shoot me !!  It's not like I've been overly active or anything, just been lazy I guess.  Onwards........

Ok - it's Tuesday, it's really sunny outside, been a bit cold overnight.... I was woken to my neighbours outside, scraping the ice off their various cars.... but it's a lovely day now.  I can't quite see the coast today, a little bit misty over that ways.

At the moment I'm here alone.  B has just gone out to her St John course - today is the last one of those - J is at work, at the college & ME is at work placement, at the hospital in Bristol.  She (ME) has a 12 day stint at the moment - starting yesterday, she has 12 days without a break..... she is enjoying her placement - just not the people she has to work with.  She likes the patients, not the staff !!  I guess that's the same in any job - some you like, some you don't !!

It was J's 22nd birthday on Sunday.... where has the time gone ?  One of the girls at Church, on Sunday, said she'll be 14 next birthday - we didn't realise....... over the last 3 years we've seen her grow up & didn't realise how the years have gone by !!  We put on a 'cold tea' & everybody tucked in....... ME's boyfriend came over, so it was a good time.

We went to Church on Sunday..... it was great fun !!  To start with, no one was there to play the organ/piano.  That meant one of the ladies had to lead the singing from the front..... very 'Vicar Of Dibley' !!  It wouldn't of been so bad - but nobody said anything.... we were all waiting for the organ & all at once, we were sort of singing !!  Chaos theory at it's best.....

To make things even worse - somebody forgot to do the Sacrament bread !!  People were running around trying to sort it out & Bishop was just left to hold his head in his hands - as I said to him as we left, "Great fun !"  It just goes to show, even the best laid plans can fall apart !!  Made for an interesting day tho'.......

I'm really going to sound nasty now......... One of the main things in The Church, is that we're a family - that we welcome everybody into the family & that children learn from their parents.  The way we raise our children is a responsibility we must take seriously.  On Sunday, I had to leave the Chapel - the children in front of me were being such 'pests' that I couldn't stand/sit thru' it any longer... so I went outside for a few minutes to calm down.

What made it worse, their parents were sat there with them & did nothing to stop them from playing up - spoiling it, the service, for not only those sat behind them - but from comments made - those sat in front as well !!  These are children, one of which is at secondary school - who are not young, just out of control & spoiling things for those around them !!  Oh I am evil..... no, just fed up with parents who preach one thing & then forget about what they preach when it comes to their own kids !!

Tho' - maybe I'm a little evil...........

Oh, the Internet made me go "Wow" again last night.  I e-mailed a lady I know at the Allman's office & within a few minutes I had a reply..... how cool is that !!  I'm here in my little room in the UK & she is in her office in the USA .....  I've said it before, but to get a message to someone - without using a phone - only 30 years ago, over that distance would of taken a least the best part of a week by letter, let alone a reply !!  Embrace the net good people..... unlike me, it's not all evil !!

The music of the moment has been by John Foggerty - I will be playing Gary Moore tapes shortly, another good musician who has been taken from us - but for now, I'm away !!

Bye Bye

Proud Of It !!!

Hi everybody - that includes YOU !!  I like to make EVERYBODY welcome.......

So.... there was a show on TV the other night & a girl said that "only losers write blogs" - yep, she is probably right !!  So for myself & the many many others who write blogs - guilty as charged & proud of it !!  It keeps me off the streets, so my only defence, your honour, is that I'm happy.  If that's a crime, go shoot me !! 

Ok - it's a Tuesday !!  I woke up yesterday morning, convinced IT was Tuesday..... B had to put me right again !!  She - B - is getting worried about my memory, which it seems is getting worse - along with my various body parts.  I sense another visit to the Dr' is on the cards...... oh well.

Today's going to be a quiet day.  The guys are out at their different places & B is on another carers day course... this one is run by the St John.  Great stuff - B said last week she, as an well qualifies first aid medic, had to show the instructor how to do an arm sling.... or something.   As I said, great stuff !!  

For me, I'm on good behavior.... just sat here listen to my cds & tapes, another happy day in the life of me !!

The music of the moment is 'The Very Best Of Broadway Musicals' & 'Homeland' by Laurie Anderson - the latter came out in 2010 & is well good.  I've put both cds in my player on 'shuffle' just to mix things up a bit... at the moment 'Send In The Clowns' is playing.... why ??????

Well, I've always liked the 'Man Of La Mancha' & 'The Impossible Dream' is on this album.  I'm trying to find the whole show on cd - I've not looked too hard yet, but one day I'll find it !!  So many albums & so little time left..... never mind.... I like the book as well, no surprises there I guess.  We all like to tilt at windmills in some way or another ?

There is a track on The 'Homeland' album - 'Another Day In America' - which has a story, I heard many times before.  There was an old married couple, who had always hated each other & when they were 90, they got a divorce.  When asked why they had waited so long, the reply was that they wanted to waited until the children were dead....... we love our children !!

I'm still working thru' my Allman Brothers cds that came last week.  They really are great shows & worth having, if not for the vocals or guitar work - just to have & play whenever I need a 'lift'...... that more than anything is why my music is soooooo good to me.  It keeps me sane, keeps the "better angels of my nature" in my head when it would be so easy to give up - give in - to what is happening...... if that makes any sense at all !!

B has told me to buy any of the Allman's live show that I want & not to worry about the cost - she'll sort that out later !!  What a brilliant offer..... I love my wife, but can you imagine the look on her face if the postman came with a parcel of 20 + shows in a box !!  I've no idea what the cost would be, BUT I'm not going to take her up on her offer....... IF nothing else - if the cost isn't a big enough excuse for her to 'kill' me - just playing some 50 or 60 hours of Allman Brothers concerts probably would !!!!!

Over the weekend, ME's boyfriend loaned me his Muse cds & come the end of the last one - well, I was looking out in case B was coming at me with a sharp object of any sort !!  Out of 5 albums, I probably liked less than 10 tracks....... I won't be rushing out to go & see them anytime soon !!  I'm not sure that B liked ANY of them.  Never mind.....

The weekend wasn't a lot of fun.  We were going to visit some friends on Saturday, but couldn't make it due to my being poorly + we missed Church again on Sunday.  My "sorry's" have gone out to the Bishop.  He understands my position, but I hate not going - it is such a big part of our lives, not going is.... well, maybe some of you will understand, if not - again, never mind !!

I must away......

BYE BYE