Star Trek & The Winterland Ballroom.... Ho-hum

Greetings World's....

It's another Thursday, here in old England & I'm here on my ownsome - typing these words to you & listening to yet another Allman Brothers concert !! I'm surrounded by thousands of Cd's - yet, I'm constantly playing the Allman's, over & over !!

Mind you - they are a really fine group & no matter how many times I play the concerts, I can always find something new !! The one I'm playing at the moment is part of the 'Brothers & Sisters' 4 Cd package, that came out, while I was in hospital....... I played it to death, over my last few days in the place, but... I think this is only the 2nd or 3 rd time I've played it, since being home !!

More of the above, a bit later - first, the family.....

As I say, I'm here on my own.... sort of. ME is in bed, after working yet another night shift.... J is upstairs in his hobbit hole.... so, in theory, I'm not completely alone !! B, however, has gone out for the day.... visiting her Dad.

Long time readers will know, that he moved into a new place.... and, I think, B has gone up to help him do a few odds & ends.... I'm not 100% sure - but, she won't be home until later on this afternoon. So, with the guys all doing their own thing - I'm sat here, on my own... playing music.... I couldn't be much happier really !! If I'm going to be on my own, at least I have my music to keep me going..... and life is grand !!

Going back a day or two........ to Tuesday, I had a bummer of an e-mail, from my bank !! To explain.....

Being stuck in the hospital, for 3 months, we decided we would like to have a small holiday.... once I'm a little healthier & up to travelling etc etc. So - to help us book hotels & stuff, we paid £1500 into my Bank's Visa account.... which served two purposes.... One, it reduced our monthly payments & two - it would give us holiday money, using our "flexible friend" !! It seemed like a great plan.....

.... however, the bank had other idea's !! I had an e-mail, at 11.34 on Tuesday morning, telling me that as of midnight, last night, my credit card was having it's limit reduced !! Guess how much by ? Yep - exactly £1500 !!

So - I actually called the bank, with-in 10 minutes of getting the e-mail & complained about it.... then yesterday, I had to make another 'phone call, to another of the bank's departments - but, it hasn't done any good !!

Sooooo - despite own best efforts & plans - the bank has kept our £1500 and by reducing my card limit, they have effectively stolen our holiday from us !! It stinks - it really does...... But, there seems nothing I can do about it, other than complain in writing, to which ever department deals with such things...... I'm just pissed about the whole thing...they tell you to use your credit cards, to book things & stuff... yet, they have taken our money from us & buggered up all of our plans, in the process !! Screw them........

Onto happier things....

Yesterday, I had to go back to the hospital, to see one of my all time favorite nurses, so she could check up on my back. As I've said before, I have a big hole, in my back - and she needed to give it a quick look, to see how it is going !! The nurses are still coming here, to the house, to change the dressings.... but, in a way, she "out ranks" them & needed to look at it herself..........

The good news is, hopefully, in about 2 weeks, I might be able to give Rover back to the hospital & go onto a regular type of dressing !! I know Rover has been a big help to me - but, it would be great, not to be tied to the thing all day & everyday !!

For example - a guy just came to the door, to give me a parcel.... I stood up, to answer the door, walked off - only to remember Rover.... which meant a quick double back, to stop myself ripping the tubes out of my spine !! All very messy !! Anyhoo - here's hoping all goes well, over the next 2 weeks !!

The postman has just got here, with 2 more editions of 'The Official Star Trek Star Ship Collection' !! That was a nice surprise, I didn't expect anything, in the post, today.... so... I am now the "proud owner" of 3 Star Ship models. For those who know about such things, or are slightly interested:

1) NCC-1701-D
2) NCC-1701(2271)
3) B'REL Class Klingon Bird Of Prey

I have no idea what all these numbers mean.... I like Star trek... but, I the technical side of things I'll leave to the real "die hard" fans. The models look good & hopefully, one day, one of my Grandchildren will enjoy having them !! What am I talking about "Grandchildren" !!

No, as far as I know - I don't have any Grandchildren..... but, the whole point of me collecting models, which I do from time to time, is put them away in a box & let them stay there, just incase, one day, I do have Grandchildren and the models can be past onto them !!

I must admit - nearly all of the models I've collected have been male orientated - trains, boats, planes etc etc - but, I wouldn't know what to get, model wise, for a girl !! Maybe later on, if God gives me the grace to live long enough to see Grandchildren, I will have a better idea on what to get !!

I just took a 20 minute break, to 'phone a friend, in Bristol - my first chance, to speak to him, since being out of the hospital !! He is a great guy..... we enjoy the same type of music & tho' we don't get to meet up too often, it's great to speak to him from time to time !!

Back to this Allman Brother's Concert.... I've probably done the track listing before, but here goes:

CD 1

  1) Introduction - Bill Graham
  2) Wasted Words
  3) Done Somebody Wrong
  4) One Way Out
  5) Stormy Monday
  6) Midnight Rider
  7) Ramblin' Man
  8) In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed
  9) Statesboro' Blues
10) Come & Go Blues

CD 2

1) Southbound
2) Jessica
3) You Don't Love Me (Including Amazing Grace)
4) Les Brers In A Minor
5) Blue Sky
6) Trouble No More
7) Whipping Post

This concert has been circulating the bootleg scene, for many Moons... in one form or another, mainly as it was first broadcast on a radio station (I think)... hence, there were lots of tapes of the show !! Anyhoo - it's from the 'Winterland Ballroom' and was recorded on September 26th 1973.... for me, one of the best concerts I have ever heard by this incarnation of the band....... well good !!

I've never really had this show, in this complete form, before - usually a track or 2 have been missing - so, this is a great addition to the collection !! I've mention bootlegs, as always - don't buy the things - get the official stuff instead !!

Talking of which - I have about 18 official live albums by the Allman's in the pipeline.... so, that will be great fun, when they get here !! Some of them were only recorded a day or two ago, so I'll have to wait a while for those to get to me !! Nevermind.... it will give me something to listen to !!

Ok - my plans for the rest of the day... well, I'm going to give the rec room a bit of a tidy up.... lots of my stuff is just floating around, so I need to find homes for them !! Sounds like a plan to me..... so, for now, I will be on my ways & get to work !!

I thank you all for logging in & taking the time to read my words !! It's great to know my Russian reader had logged in this morning...until next time...

Bye Bye