Stay away from 'All Your Music' !!

Greetings World's !!

Ok - I know... I've not written anything for over a week & you're wondering where & what I've been up to.... well, very, very little !! Honestly - my life has revolved around sleeping, watching TV & getting more sleep !! In a nut shell, I have felt like crap... certainly nothing like posting any messages !!

I don't know exactly why - but, last Thursday (for example)... I must of slept nearly all day !! Really strange.... but, not to worry - I made up my mind I was going to post today & that's about it !!

First...... "The Family"

As I type - I'm "home alone"...... ME has started her new job, full time, this morning. She was a little nervous about it, but I know it's something she wanted to do - change jobs - so, I'm really happy for her !! I hope & prey everything will go well for her - not just for today, but for ever !!

So, that's my Daughter... as for B... My Wife & Dearest Friend - well, she has gone on some kind of training thingy, in town (I think).... I'm not 100% sure what it's all about, but she agreed to do it & so, this morning, off she went !!

As for our Son, J... he is still over in Wales, doing his Uni course. B said she hadn't heard too much from him, lately - but, I'll assume he is doing Ok. So - that's the family....

As for the music.....

Well, at the moment, I'm playing the soundtrack Cd's - that I made - from the 'Apocalypse Now' movie DVD. It's not really music - but... it's just a bit of "fun" and I'm enjoying it !! I knew it would make a good transfer - and it certainly did !!

Not only is the "plot" great - but, the music is really brilliant !! At the moment, it's the Stones '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction'...... well, good !!

As for "proper" music..... well, I've had a few things reach me... I'm not sure if I've written about some of them, before... but....

One of my favourites has to be Peter Gabriel's 'And I'll Scratch
Yours' !! To explain....  as best as I can. In 2010 (I think) Peter Gabriel released a Cd of cover versions, called 'Scratch My Back' - on which, he did various tracks, by some really great people. Anyhoo - this is a follow up, with some of those same people, doing versions of PG's songs !! It is really good... the tracks are:

  1) I Don't Remember - David Byrne
  2) Come Talk To Me - Bon Iver
  3) Come Talk To Me - Regina Spektor
  4) Not One Of Us - Stephin Merritt
  5) Shock The Monkey - Joseph Arthur
  6) Big Time - Randy Newman
  7) Games Without Frontiers - Arcade Fire
  8) Mercy Street - Elbow
  9) Mother Of Violence - Brian Eno
10) Don't Give Up - Feist feat. Timber Timbre
11) Solsbury Hill - Lou Reed
12) Biko - Paul Simon

I guess, the album should be listed under 'Various Artist' but - it's a Peter Gabriel album... and that's a fact !! To hear Lou Reed do his version of 'Solsbury Hill' - so soon after his death.... well, it certainly put the needle into my back... it's well good !! Get yourself a copy - you won't be disappointed !!

Another Cd that came - after too long a wait - was the soundtrack to the TV show 'Vikings'. It's really brilliant !! Even if you didn't know, or hadn't seen the show - well, the music stands alone, in it's own right.... if you follow my meaning !!

I'm still waiting for the 3 Cd set of the soundtrack of 'Blade Runner'.... It was supposed to have been posted to me, over 2 weeks ago... and yet it has still failed to reach me !! That's really crap - and  I would recommend that all of you - if you can - avoid ordering anything by a company called 'All Your Music'..... they take your cash & then piss around, as far as sending your order out !! It's really bad !!

So - avoid ordering from 'All Your Music' - they are not worth it....

Who knows - the Cd's might get here today - that would be good !! But - it's still way too slow.... I will avoid them in the future, they are really crap !!

I just took a break - our little girl cat has just come in & needed some food. Of course, by "little" - I mean... blooming huge !! No really... she is a big girl.... but, I'm just sooooo happy she is coming in now. For quite a while, after our kitten (Archie) got here, she avoided us like the plague - she really did !! B was really worried about her - but, over the last few weeks - she has started coming in & acting a little more "normal" for her, at least !!

So - we now have all 4 of our cats, coming & going... treating us like a hotel, which is kind of normal - I guess !! As the old saying goes.... "cats allow you to live with them".... which is very true !! Ho-hum !!

I'm just on Cd 3 of the 'Apocalypse Now' set - just when 'Mr Clean' gets killed... it's all kind of sad.... but, it leads nicely on to the section about the French plantation owners. It's a shame that it was cut from the original film, on it's first release.

At some point, I want to get the 4 DVD release of the film.... probably after Christmas. Also - if I can, I want to get the official 2 Cd set, that is available. I'm not sure when all of that will happen - not for a long while yet.... because.... I've had some news....... !!

On Wednesday, this week - in 2 days - I'm going back into hospital, to have my (hopefully) last spinal surgery and the skin graft !! I'm over the Moon about it........ it means, I hope, I will be in & out of hospital, by Christmas... that would be good !! But - I've been here before....... just because they say I will be in & out by Christmas - I am not going to hold my breath over it !!

I have to be in the hospital, by 7.30am on Wednesday - so, that will mean leaving home, about 6am... so, that won't be a lot of fun !! Nevermind - I will let you know how things go.... I doubt if I'll post very much, during my stay there - but, I will let you know, what I can, as & when I can.... it's going to be fun !! My 7th surgery (or 8th) of the year - now, that's a bit of an achievement, even for me & my track record !! But - hopefully, I will be home for Christmas !! Time will tell & besides... life is good !!

I just a look, out of the front window.... the sky is really blue - with white airplane streaks, going across it...... in the distance, the sea is blue & the beach looks really good....... not that I will be going anywhere near it, not for a while... a long while !! Oh well.....

Also - I couldn't help noticing - one of our neighbours has moved out. She was a lovely girl, with a fantastic Son - but... as is the way of the World, her Husband up and left her... with the result, that she has had to move out of the house. It's a shame.... but...... !!

Ok - my plans for today... well, I'm going to get a bit of sleep. I think. My lovely back is starting to really hurt now, nothing new - just a really bit painful. Even if I don't get any sleep - I can at least rest my back a bit, by taking the weight off of it, for a short while !!

I had an e-mail, earlier, from a guy at Church - he wanted to come over & visit tomorrow night.... about 8pm. But - as I pointed out to him, I want to be having an early night (tomorrow) - ready for Wednesday morning. I know his 8pm - that could be anytime - he never has been a great one for time keeping !!

Anyways - after I e-mailed him back... I've just had a 'phone call, from another guy.... and I had to be firm & stand my ground. I don't mind, if they want to visit - but, tomorrow night will not be one of the best, I need my beauty sleep, after all - I'm getting too old & ugly to miss out on that !!

Oh - I've just remembered... it's a Monday, which means I have to go down to the local surgery & have my dressings changed again - that's going to be fun... not !! I'm not sure what is going to happen, once I get out of the hospital - who will do the dressings then....... I guess I'll sort that out afterwards. It's about 50 miles to the hospital, in Exeter - so, I don't want to have to travel back there, just to have a few bandages removed, or replaced !!

A 100 mile round trip, just to be put thru' the whole dressings thing... well, that's going to be just a little too far for comfort !! I'll see how things go......

But - for now, I will away. I thank you all for logging in & reading my words.... until next time..

Bye Bye