Within Temptation 'Hydra'... well good !!

Well - "Hello" again !!

It's a dry & cold day, here in the South-West of England..... B (My Wife & Dearest Friend) took me down to the Dr's this morning... and it was well chilly !!

Luckily, The surgery was very warm, plus I have a fantastic wool jumper thingy, which ME gave me for Christmas & that kept the worse of the cold out !! It's probably one of the best woolly's I've ever had - it's not itchy (like a lot for jumpers) and it's - as I've said, very warm !! Oh well...

As I've mentioned the two ladies of the household already - I will finish their little part of the family section, by say they have gone out shopping !! So - with J over in Wales, at Uni... that leaves me home alone !!

Actually, I'm not too alone - all 4 of the cats all in the house....... 3 of them in our bedroom !! I had to head back to bed, after the Dr's this morning & 2 of the boys slept a while, with me & the electric blanket !! When I actually got up - the kitten was on the floor cooling off.... after getting 2 shades too hot !!

So - as I say, I'm home alone.... and coming to terms with another day, with the "back from Hell" !! I kid you not - this old back of mine seems determined to give me grieve, each & every day !! Today has not been helped, by having the dressings changed - again !! Ok - I know it has to be done.... 3 times a week, but.... !!

Compared to the "good old days" of having it changed, in the hospital.... well, now a days, it's not too bad. It only takes about 10 to 15 minutes. When I was in the hospital and the wound was at it's worse - well, it took 90+ minutes one day, just to put the new stuff on & get it right !! That was 90 minutes of my life I will never get back again !!

There were 2 lovely TVN's who changed my dressings, on a regular basis, in the hospital..... and, honestly, I used to all but pass out, with the pain and everything !! One of the Ward Sisters did it one day - and the nurse helping her was concerned by my lack of "noise" - I wasn't talking or anything... to which the Sister told her "he goes into a bubble" !!

It was my only way to deal with it all.... just shut the pain & everything "out" and think of other things, while they got on with it !! It was better to be in a "bubble" - rather than thinking about what the nurses were doing behind me !!

One lovely day, when the TVN finished with me - she just lay be on my side & I went to sleep....."Ah - those were the days" !!

Thankfully.... they all seem to be getting further & further behind
me !! "Yippeee" Depending if the next Plastic Surgeon wants to do anything..... time will tell on that one. Bedside's, I've not even got a date to see him yet - if at all !!

Moving on to music..... today is a special day !!

This morning, by courier van, the latest Within Temptation album has reached me !! I feel another "Yippeee" coming on !!.... Why not - it's a very special day... mainly as the album has come in a box set, with a bonus disc + a second Bonus disc + a music book + a double Lp + (if you have the need of one) a guitar pick !! It really is a special box set indeed !!

As I type - I'm playing the second bonus disc... which is completely instrumental. There are two reasons for playing this Cd first - one, I wanted to just hear the music, to try to "get into that" and two... well, all the rest are well wrapped up & I'm a bit shy of spoiling the set !!

I know - what is the point of having it, if I'm not going to play it.... well, I will play it, just not at the moment !! It looks really good.... a shame to break into the plastic wrapper really !! Oh well.....

The tracks are:

  1) Let Us Burn
  2) Dangerous
  3) And We Run
  4) Paradise (What About Us ?)
  5) Edge Of The World
  6) Silver Moonlight
  7) Covered By Roses
  8) Dog Days
  9) Tell Me Why
10) Whole World Is Watching

The instrumental version sounds pretty good - it will be very interesting to listen to the vocals !! Oh - I see that Tarja (Ex Nightwish) is guesting on one of the tracks.... so that will be worth the time !!

Back onto albums, that have some effect om me, over the years. This one - well, it's not so much an album, more a bootleg tape !! To explain...

Way back when, the first Rush album came out - it had had a lot of good hings written & said about it, so I picked a copy. To be honest - a part from 'Finding My Way' and 'Working Man' - it didn't have a very lasting feel on my brain !! So - I skipped the next few albums..... I just didn't feel like buying them, based on the first one....

On the recommendation, of my ex-Brother In Law - I did pick up a cassette (remember when you could buy albums on them ?) of their live album 'All The World's A Stage' - but, if I played it at all, I don't remember.... it was just another album, to add the the collection !!

But, one Friday night, on the Tommy Vance show... well, he played a concert of them, at The Pink Pop Festival, in 1979... and, as I did a lot back then - I recorded it !! I could not believe it was the same band... they sounded sooooo much better !!

I think the tracks were:

1) Passage To Bangkok
2) Xanadu
3) The Trees
4) The Sphere
5) Closer To The Heart
6) La Villa Strangiato
7) 2112

Later - much later, they repeated the concert... with one extra track.... 'What You Doing'. To cut a very long story short - it completely changed my thoughts on Rush !! Since then, I've seen the band a few times & have picked up all (I think) of their albums !! They really have made a huge dent into my music collection.... even B likes them - so, to have your Wife like a band, that you like... well, that's always a bonus !!

Before leaving the music bit....

There is some bad news & some good news....

The "bad news" is, that Derek Trucks & Warren Haynes are leaving the Allman Brothers, at the end of this (their 45th year) together...... they both have their own side bands, so - I can see why !! But - the good news is... The Allman's are playing some concerts this year !!

Not only are they playing The Beacon in March... but, as I understand it, they are booked to do a festival (type thing) in September !! So - the live albums will be gracing our shelves, just as soon as they can be bought..... Check out 'Hittin' The Note' and you can see what is available !!

So - good news & bad news..... I'll miss their shows - and that's a fact.... but, I can see why !! On - ever on !!

There was a bit of a "dumb moment" this morning... well, as far as life goes, that is !! To explain..

We bought a new vacuum cleaner, either in late December, or early January... well, today, it broke down. For some reason, B 'phoned the wrong number & when I came down the stairs, she had payed out £15 on new parts !! That was a "dumb moment" - mainly as it has a one year warranty & all we had to do, was take it back & get a new one !! Nevermind - it was one of those things,  we have all had them !!

Right my plans for today... Well, I'm going to listen to this new album... a few more times at least... and do some washing up, left over from last night !! Oh - and I have the Superbowl to watch.... I put it on tape, so.... that's going to be interesting, as I don't know the score (as yet) !!

I must away... my thanks to all of you, for taking the time to read my words... until next time...

Bye Bye