Dream Theater - Within Temptation & Nightwish..

Greeting's World's !!

It's a very wet & misty Friday, here in the wilds of England's South-West corner..... as I look out, across to where the sea should be - well, I can't see it at all !! It really is horrid outside !!

I've just come back, from my Friday meeting with the pain enforcer... oop's "sorry" - that should read - the lovely nurse, who on a Friday, changes my dressings...... as I said to her "that really hurts" !! I have to be honest - it does still hurt.... but, nowhere as bad as it used to - thankfully !!

In 10 days or so, I have to make the trip down to Exeter, to see the plastic surgeon.... that is, if he shows up !! The last time, that B drove me down, as long time readers will know, the guy wasn't there. Not only that - the hospital 'phoned B's mobile - while we were actually at the hospital - to cancel my appointment !! How dumb was that.... ?!

We live 50+ miles from the hospital & they call us, on the morning of the appointment, to call the whole thing off.... bloody stupid !! I might call the hospital - on the day before - just to see if the guy is going to be there. I can't see any reason, in making a 100 mile round trip. just to have my wound dressings changed - I can have that done, here in the village !! Oh well.....

I have to go back, to the local surgery, this afternoon, to see my Dr.... that should be fun !! I've not caught up, with him, for 2 weeks.... so, we will have a few things to talk about !! Hopefully, he'll be there !! No - I'm only joking... he hardly ever calls off meetings - thankfully !!

Right - I mentioned B..... My Wife & Dearest Friend, is upstairs, trying to tidy up her craft cave. I went up, a few minutes back & things were flying out of the door !! Mostly old boxes, that we don't need anymore....... or, for now at least.

At some point, I have to go back into J's room..... I started to sort some things out, but.... if he's not coming back to the house, it's not like I need to break my butt in half, sorting things out !! I did manage to do all of the trains - which, at some point, will go up to the loft...... there to stay, for goodness how long....... maybe years, I have no real idea.....

Talking of our Son (J) - I e-mailed him, last night.... very politely, I should point out... to ask, as he is not coming back, what he wanted me to do, with all of his things, that are still in his bedroom. I don't mind - if he feels, that he never wants to return to this house.... but, I would like to know, if he is not returning, what he plans on doing with his things !!

We have this bed thing, which I bought a few years ago.... it opens right up & in the space, below the mattress, there are..... or I should say, there is sooooo much stuff !! I mean, loads of games & magazines & what have you... lots of stuff !!

Add to that, there are things, from when he was growing up..... stuff, which belongs to him..... so, he has to decide what he wants doing with it all !! Hopefully, he'll get back to me & let me know...... it's not going anywhere - I just need an answer, that's all !!

As for the other member of our little family, our Daughter (ME) - well, she is coming over, a bit later, to spend some time with us.... that's going to be nice, I love my kids, I really do - all of them, tho' it might not show - and, I really do love it, when they come & visit !!

I'm not sure, if her partner, M, is coming with her.... but, it will be great to see them, her... whoever shows !! I'm not really sure what time she is coming, but.... it will be great to see her again !!

So - that's the family... as for the music of the moment...

As I type, I'm listening to a collection of stuff, which I've called 'Bust A Gut 3 - The Wheel Chair Shuffle'. It's just a collection of tracks, which I put together a number of years back... a kind of old fashioned "mix tape" - only on Cd !! It's actually on 18 Cd's - but, what the heck.... I just got carried away, when I started recording it !!

At this very moment - it's Within Temptation's 'Our Solemn Hour' that's blasting away, thru' 'Black Betty' - my i-Pod docking thingy. I put all of the Cd's, onto the 'Mini Egg' & hence, that's what I'm listening to, as I type !!

I'm very tempted, to do another mix collection - I just have to get around to it, that's all !! I did try & do one, some time ago - just using the computer & i-Pod... but, that all kind of bombed out - now that I have the new Cd recorder, I might try & start over.

I know, the new thing doesn't work..... well, that's a lie - it does "work" - just not in the way I would like it too !! It's no biggy.....

I've messed around with all of the wiring now - so, I should be able to use it, in one way or another !! There are now a total of 12 Cd decks, wired into the amp & cross wired, with each other.... sooooo - something should work, at some point !! As always, time will tell....

In front of me - apart from the pile of untidy Cd's & cases... I have one of the most important albums, in my life - I kid you not... it changed music, for me, in so many ways....

It's Canned Heat's 'Living The Blues' album... which I think, originally came out in 1968 (?) I bought it, sooooo many years ago, on Lp - in glorious "Mono" - then again, in "Stereo" - followed by the fantastic 2 Cd set, that B got for me, in 2001.

Having said that - the copy, in front of me, is from the library..... it's listed as "Albums of 2013" - whatever that is meant to mean ? & I picked it up, just to check it out...... "why ?" - because it was there, no other real reason !! The tracks are:

CD 1

1) Pony Blues
2) My Mistake
3) Sandy's Blues
4) Going Up The Country
5) Walking By Myself
6) Boogie Music
7) One Kind Favour
8) Parthenogenesis

CD 2

1) Refried Boogie Pt. 1
2) Refried Boogie Pt. 2

I really can remember, sitting in the old music store, in the town where I grew up - with a guy called Brian (honestly !) - and listening, with him, to this album.... all the ways thru' !! The lady who ran the store - as I've said before - would let me put albums, to one side & pay for them a bit at a time. It was the only way that I could afford them - to buy them with a little bit of cash, as I got it !!

Anyhoo - Brian & I listened to the whole album & I bought the thing !! I must of played it to death, over the years - and when B bought the 2 Cd set - I was well happy !! Especially, as the copy I have.... the one B bought.... has 'Refried Boogie' as one long track - it's not split in 2, as it is on this Cd & like it was, on the original Lp release.

The track is one - 41 minute - long track.... so, it took up 2 sides of vinyl. Why, on this Cd, it's split in 2... well, I have no idea ?! The tape, as one long track, exist.... I have it here - so, why it's in 2 parts, on this release, I don't know.

To be honest - I hoped it might be an expanded version of the album.... with, maybe, a few bonus tracks, stuck on the end - but, it's just a re-release of the old album, so....... !! It's still a great bit of music - and, it certainly has brought back some old memories !!

Right - my plans for today...

Well, as mentioned before, there is a chance that some new houses are going to be built, behind us, on the hillside, below the old 11th century hill fort. This afternoon, the planers are going to visit the site & have a look around..... I only know this, because one of our neighbours told us - I think hoping that we might go along & see what they have to say.

I wouldn't mind going - but, it seems that no one else is going to bother & the neighbour - who told us - seemed to hope, that we would go, as a show.... well, I guess, to show the planers that the neighbours care about what is going to happen, if the houses get built !!

Now then, I've fallen for this before !! Neighbours claim to care & claim they will do this, that & the other.... only to leave me, stood alone & looking like a lost cause !! I feel that, if people can't make the time, to show up themselves - that's their problem..... I ain't going to get mixed up in it all......!!

The house - or houses - will be built, over to our left..... so, the people whose homes it will effect - well, they need to stand up & be counted !! It really ain't my problem, especially if they cannot be bothered to show their own faces !!

Anyways - apart from that, I have to visit my Dr's surgery again - as mentioned above..... but, in the meantime, I have to sort out some of these Cd's, in front of me....... they all have homes to go to, I just have to make time, to put them away !!

So - with that in mind - I will away... Nightwish is playing happily beside me & - as always, I thank you for your time, logging in & reading my words.... until next time...

Bye Bye