Tapes, music & a couple of other things...

Hi World's !!

It's a really beautiful day, here in the wilds of England !! The Sun is out, the sky is a kind of misty blue & it's hard to believe this Country has 4 seasons !! I think we should just accept the fact - we have a "wet season" - followed by a much shorted "dry season" !!

Oh well - the Sun has, sort of, convinced me to head out, into the garage, this coming week (assuming it stays dry) and attack the various bits of my stuff out there !! If I feel like it, that is - with my luck, I'll be stuck indoors !! Crap happen & that's for sure !!

First tho' - the family & their part in my life, this fine day !!

Well - I hope, my Son - J - is over in West Wales, at Aberystwith, doing his course at the University there. The last time we heard from him, he reported his grades had been pretty good, so - for that, I'm very proud of him !!

If you're reading these words, J, get in touch with your Mum.... she is missing you !! It would be great if you could take 5 minutes, out of your day, just to say "Hello" or something !!

As for my Daughter - ME - well, she is working a late shift, today. After her day shift, yesterday - she popped in, with boyfriend M in tow & picked up a few things, then she was back out the door !! She spent the night at M's house - and I guess she will come home here, later on today. Oh well - the joys of having a couple of grown up kids !!

As for My Wife & Dearest Friend, B.... she is upstairs, fighting her way thru' her crafting stuff. Someone has asked her to make a couple of cards & - now - B is trying to find the stuff she wants to use !!

I did suggest that she looked, a couple of days ago - rather than leave it to the "last minute"..... but, as the "last minute" is Thursday - I guess she still has a bit of time, to go thru' everything !!

Nevermind..... that just leaves me - here, sat in our living room, typing these words & - at the moment - listening to a tape, with some Genesis tracks on it !! "Why ?" Well, that's a good question really.....


.....it's all to do with my next "project". To explain !!

I have been spending some time, making a "playlist" of albums - the ones I've had more recently - on the Mini Egg. For those of you, who don't know what the Egg is - well, it's my iPod thingy. I know there are over 30,000 tracks on the thing..... but, I wanted the playlist, just to give me access to the newer Cd's, without farting around, looking for each one in turn !!

But - being an old Luddite - I got fed up with all of that new fangled stuff, so I dug out 7 cassettes, which (I hope) will go over to Cd's !! To explain.... tho' if you want to skip the next bit, that's fine by me !!

I mentioned my late Brother-in-Law & it got me thinking (a dangerous thing, as far as my head goes) about some tapes, that I put some of my ex's albums on..... not all of the tracks, just my favourites !!

For those of you, who have not had the "pleasure" of coming home, to find your Wife has not only left you, but has left the Country as well, well - it happened to me & the music, on these tapes, are just a snapshot of the albums she took with her !!

She didn't take the albums, when she left - oh no.... she sued my ass for those, as part of her cut of our property, as I wrote above..... "crap happens" !!

Anyhoo - as I wasn't likely to get a chance, to buy the albums again.... I recorded some of the tracks, onto these 7 cassettes. Now, of course, I would of used a Cd - or even an iPod..... but, way back when, tape was my only & cheapest option !!

So, yesterday.... or the day before, I trawled thru' all of the tapes I have here & quite by good fortune, I found the tapes really easily !! I really thought it would take hours (there are 4,000 tapes) but, once I found one, the others were really close by !!

Right, back to recording them, onto Cd..... well, by playing them thru' - I'm getting an idea on how & what tracks are on the tapes, so I don't waste too much time, putting on stuff, that I have replaced over the last 28 years, or whatever it's been !!

For example - the single of Rod Stewart's 'The Killing Of Georgie (Pt's 1 & 2). It's a great track & - probably the only one I actually do like, by Rod Stewart, so... it's no surprise it's on the tapes !! But - I now have a copy of the thing, on an 'Old Grey Whistle Test' set - so, I can skip that one. There is no point in wasting time, when I've already bought a copy !!

As for transferring them over to Cd - well, that's going to be easy enough..... a little time consuming, but quite easy !! I'll get around to it, over the coming days & nights, it will certainly give me something to do & take my mind off  the stuff that is going on, each & every
day !!

Staying with music, but getting away from the above....

I've been playing the fantastic album, by Magnum, called 'On The Thirteenth Day' !! It really is brilliant (I know, I use that word a lot) but it's well worth your money, to go & buy yourself a copy !! The tracks are:

  1) All The Dreamers
  2) Blood Red Laughter
  3) Didn't Like You Anyway
  4) On The 13th Day
  5) So Let It Rain
  6) Dance Of The Black Tattoo
  7) Shadow Town
  8) Putting Things In Place
  9) Broken Promises
10) See How They Fall
11) From Within

This album cam out in 2012 & I missed it.... so, to get a copy this week.... well, I'm over the Moon with it, I really am !! There is something about, Magnum, that puts a hook into me & hangs on tight..... I really do love their stuff, whenever I find a new album - well, new to me - I'm never let down by it !!

It's crazy really - I like music, from A to Z, but I'm still blown away with the new stuff that I find, even after all these years of collecting. I'm glad about that, don't get me wrong.... music has been in my life, ever since I can remember, so - to find something "new" almost every week, well !!

Out of the Cd's & stuff, that I did pick up over the last few days... well, I think Rainbow's 'On Stage' 2 Cd set has been played more than the rest. Blackmore's guitar work is, as usual, over the top - but, given that recordings were made in 1976, Ronnie James Dio's voice is way up there on his prime !!

The DVD of Joe Bonamassa is really good - it's definitely going to get be a disc that's going to be played again & again !! The best bit - the one, I bought, is only part 1 or 4..... so, that's going to give me something to pick up, over the coming months !! I would like to think, that the music would be available, on Cd - but.... if not, I'll do a transfer, for myself - to put on the Mini Egg.

Oh well - enough of music - back to more serious things &
Mr Puck-tin's refusal to pull the Russian Federation troops back to their quarters. Once that is done, then there is a place for negotiations, not with guns pointing down at people !!

I have noticed, on the TV & radio...... people do not talk about Russia's invading the Ukraine - it's always Puck-tin's who has invaded. Come on..... if you want to expand your little Federation, give the people a fair chance to vote on the subject, don't force it down their throats !!

Today, there was film footage of a group of protesters, in the Crimea region.... who wanted to stay with the rest of the Ukraine, they were really being beaten up !! I ask & urge all of you, who read my words, to contact your Russian Federation embassy's & voice some form of complaint, over these unlawful actions by Mr Puck-tin & his army !!

I don't know what else we can do, as free speaking people, but.... maybe it will have some, if limited effect on the situation there. It really does stink & I know full well, how things will go, if the Ukrainian people took up their weapons, to defend themselves, it would be just the "excuse" (if Puck-tin needed one !) to invade the rest of the Eastern part of their Country & keep that, for his Federation !!

B & ME have said, that I will get myself shot for writing these words & condemning the Russian invasion & for my personal contempt for Mr Puck-tin !! Well - bring it on, point your bloody guns at me, if you want..... at least I'm free enough to voice my views !!

Ok - my plans for today....

Well, I would of loved to say, that I was going to play all of the Cd's that I bought, yesterday at the record fair..... but, I never got there. "Bummer !!" I had great plans - but, I landed back in the hospital, to have a dressings change again !! I only had them done, on Friday - so.... it really wasn't something I wanted to do, but !!

It seems that's the reason I felt so poorly over the last couple of days.... no - it's no big deal, I might have another infection, in the wound and if I have, I will have to get over it !! It really has put a few problems, pain wise in my direction..... but, I'm sure it will be Ok, in a week or so !!

In the meantime, for today at least, I will be on my ways. As always, I thank you all for logging in & reading my words - from America, Canada thru' Europe, over to Asia & Australia - it's great to know you are all there.... until next time...

Bye Bye