Sassafras 'Expecting Company' & other stuff.

Well "Greetings" World's !!

I really hope your bit of the Universe is treating you well, with just the right bit of respect & everything that goes along with it ?! It's another Friday, here in the (wet) wilds of South West England.... it's not very nice outside - tho' the heating is on & the music is playing, sooooo life ain't too bad !!

As I type - three quarters of the clan are here.... B is sat a few feet, over to my left & ME is upstairs. That just leaves J - who is over in Wales, doing his Uni course. Hopefully, in the post, this morning, he will get some mail we sent up to him. I put a small gift in with it - which hopefully he will find useful. It might come in handy for him....

We might have gone thru' a very rough patch.... but, he's still my Son & I love him. I probably don't show it enough - but.... I love both of my children !! Ok - I do have a third child, from my first marriage..... but, my thoughts on that are all a bit twisted really. It's too much to go into, today at least !!

So - that just leaves me...... I'm a happy bunny this week !! To try & explain....

As I wrote on Tuesday, I had to go down - to Exeter - for a hospital appointment. It's about a 100 mile round trip & I do find it a very hard journey or ride, depending how you look at it. No matter how well B drives - it's a long way, for me at least !!

But - it was well worth it !! We did have to wait 2 hours, to see a guy.... my Consultant was away, but in the end, we got the green light for my surgery !! I would put a "Yippeeee" in there, but that might sound a bit stupid !!

Anyhoo - the Dr I saw, had a look at my back & he's happy for me to have the skin graft - sooooo, that will go ahead on the 12th.... 10 days from now !! I can't tell you how this makes me feel...... I hope, if this all works, I will finally be get the whole bloody surgery behind
me !!

As long time readers will know.... I went into hospital, last May, for a single back surgery & it all went wrong & I landed up having 7 operations !! This one, next week..... will be number 8 !! I will be sooooo pleased to finish with all of this..... !! Keep your fingers crossed for me !!

The plan is, for me to go back to the hospital, on May 9th for a check over & then go back in a day or do later, to have the surgery. I'm not 100% sure how long I will be in the place, but hopefully it won't be for very long. The last time, that they tried to do a skin graft, I was in & out in just over 24 hours - hopefully this time will be the same !! I will have to see how I am & how things go..... I will no doubt keep you posted !!

The ladies of the household have just gone out shopping - so, the music has been turned down to deafening & Marillion are playing a bit of fun, from one of their early 12 inch singles. Remember those ?!

Going back to Wednesday - after the hospital, we went into the City centre of Exeter & had a look at some of the shops. I wasn't too happy, with HMV - mainly as their bloody lift was still out of order !! That's been 4 weeks now.... honestly - look at me guys, I'm in a wheelchair.... I can not go up the stairs !!

Luckily tho' - I saw a guy & asked if there was anyway he could get me, to the first floor, so I could look at the music section. I was gobsmacked, mainly as he took me behind the shop area & then up this service lift thing.

Not only was I over the Moon, to be able to go upstairs... but, it was amazing back there !! I would say, there was more room behind the shop, than in the shop it's self..... it just went on & on !!

Now then.... I'm a sucker, when it comes to music.... especially when I'm "let loose" in a Cd store !! Sooooo, after about 30 minutes, I was happily the owner of several albums - some of which replaced my old vinyl !! I'm always happy, when I find Cd's like that.... ones that I used to own on Lp.... and what have you.

Anyways... I came home with the following:

Molly Hatchet 'Greatest Hits'
The Moody Blues 'This Is The Moody Blues'
Rainbow 'Finyl Vinyl'
Grateful Dead 'New Year's Eve 1987'
Nickelback 'The Best Of Vol. 1'
Alfie Boe 'Alfie'

The last 2.... well, B picked them out.... so..... I was surprised she wanted the Nickelback album, mainly as we have nearly all of the tracks already, on various albums by them. As for the Alfie Boe album - well, she does like the guy but, for me, the selling point was a duet (of sorts) with Robert Plant on Tim Buckley's 'Song To The Siren'. I know - I have enough copies of the track already - but, B wanted it.... so !!

There was also a fantastic surprise, waiting for me, on the shelves..... the first album by the Welsh wonders Sassafras 'Expecting Company' !! I couldn't believe it, when I saw it, looking back at me..... fantastic !!

I only saw the guys once - playing support for a band, at Leeds town hall. I can't remember who the main band was - I only went along, as I was in Leeds for the weekend - but, whoever the headliners were - they didn't show up !! So, Sassafras did a double set... lasting a good couple of hours, to fill in..... they were really brilliant !! So - I bought their first two albums..... and, to find one of them, on Cd..... I'm over the Moon with it !! The tracks are:

  1) Electric Chair
  2) Busted Country Blues
  3) Beans & Things
  4) Across The Sea Of Stars
  5) School Days
  6) The Way Of Me
  7) The Goose That Laid The Golden Egg
  8) Expecting Company *
  9) Oh, Don't It Want To Make You Cry
10) Kansas City Wine

Track 8 has a side to it called 'Meanwhile, Back In Merthyr'  Ever since having it on Lp - it's always made me smile, that little bit on the end of the track !! Oh well......

So, with a bunch of albums, already in the pipeline, coming in the post.... I've had a great week for music !! I can't remember all of the stuff, that is coming..... I know it's a "new" one from Neil Young plus the last studio album, by Transatlantic..... so, that should be good !! I'll give you a track listing, as & when they get here !!

In the post, this morning, I managed to make B smile..... I bought her a 'NCIS' t-shirt. It has the logo - 'What Would Gibbs Do' written across it... so, as she wasn't expecting it, it really brought a smile to her
lips !!

Ok - I think I will have to give up soon.... one of my Bose is playing up !! I think it's just a loose wire, so I can fix that easily enough. Playing the music a bit louder has probably made the speaker vibrate & that, I hope, is causing the problem..... Whatever it is - it's really annoying, as the sound keeps dropping away !! I'll give it a look-see, in a while !!

So - that's my plans for the rest of the day.... fix the speaker wire & play some more music.... that's a great plan really !!

I was going to have another moan, about Mr Puck-tin.... but, you all know my views on that jerk !! Come on people - give the people of Ukraine some more support..... it's a bit dumb, that the guy is gradually taking over the East of the Country !! Give me the button - I'll press it....... I really would !!

For now tho'... I better be on my ways. I thank you all, for taking the time to log in & read my words...... let me know, what you are all listening to..... until next time...

Bye Bye