Sunday, October 19, 2014
Something that confirms that perhaps its not all in the mind after all
Monday, May 11, 2009
Belated gig review - 10CC
The first set was an accoustic one featuring Grahan Gouldman solo for the first couple of tracks then increasingly adding the further members of the band (Rick Fenn, Mick Wilson, Paul Burgess and Keith Hayman) as the tracks progressed. This set was all about Graham's hits, written for bands other than 10CC, so we had numbers such as For Your Love & Heartful of Soul (Yardbirds), Look Through Any Window (The Hollies), Pamela Pamela (Wayne Fontana) and No Milk Today (Herman's Hermits).
The second set was quite mindblowing with a 10CC mixture sounding as good as the original studio recordings with a couple of numbers from Graham's 'Wax' days thrown in for good measure. All of the expected Gouldman, Stewart, Godley and Creme 10CC numbers were there such as Dreadlock Holiday, Rubber Bullets, I'm Not in Love, I'm Mandy Fly Me and the original hit that started it all off, Donna.
The most amazing thing about the whole show was the incredible versatility of all of the band members, playing percussion, lead, rhythm, bass and keyboards at one time or other throughout the gig.
If you get the chance to see this on its multiple UK venue tour I would highly recommend that you do it.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Time to catch up post!
Redundancy / Retirement
The saga of the official paperwork (or should I say lack of it) continues so I still do not have a final date yet. The departmental reorganisation has completed so I don't have any official work to do and am on 'Gardening Leave'. Suits me, getting paid to do what I want to do which is .........
Guitar Playing
It is improving my playing no end having some additional free time to get practice in
Current pieces under the cosh are Highway to Hell, AC/DC, Pride & Joy, Stevie Ray Vaughan and getting to grips with some music theory which I didn't ever think I would enjoy but is adding to my practical work. It's amazing how much better it is when you understand how it all works :-)
Golf
Managing to get out 2 or 3 times a week now instead of the lone Saturday morning round and boy does it show. I'm still nowhere near threatening Tiger but hey he better watch out, I'm coming
Not all idle play
I have also been working hard on the allotment and after turning it all over, digging in masses of compost and rotavating it, I now have 5 rows of potatoes in, a row of carrots and a couple of rows of beetroot. In addition to that I have some 60+ seed pots sown in the greenhouse of cabbage, brussels, artichoke, runner beans, dwarf beans, some of which have already germinated and are beginning to put on some good growth.
Some more idle play, visiting our local Young Farmer's Club Lambing Day with Mrs DeeJay (and yes we did order another one for the freezer)
was culminated last night with a trip to Folkestone to see Gary Moore and Buddy Whittington (see my good friend Furtheron's Blog for an excellent review).
I have commenced a rather eclectic mix of shows/gig for this year with a visit a couple of weeks ago, again with Mrs DeeJay, to The Royal Opera House to see Swan Lake performed by the Royal Ballet. FANTASTIC! Gary Moore last night and to come are Carmen, 10CC, an organ recital at The Royal Albert Hall with youngest son and his girlfriend and of course Status Quo in November. Watch this space for additions. I am considering the Download Festival to see ZZ Top
Oh did I tell you about my 'Dumper Truck' racing? An activity voucher bought for me by my sons as a birthday present. No, well perhaps that's as well as I didn't actually cover myself in glory, although finishing 8th out of 18 wasn't too bad I suppose. It wasn't as easy as I thought it was going to be as it consisted of lots of manouevering around tyres etc in a vehicle that is controlled by two joystick controls (skid steering they call it).
I was actually in the lead at this point!!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
This made me happy today
And why did it bring a small tear to my eye - its only people dancing after all?
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Mixed and Weird Emotions
Firstly knowing that these changes were coming, I looked forward to the opportunity that it would give me to apply for Voluntary Redundancy and to take early (2 years) retirement. It has been confirmed to me in the last week that my request has been accepted.
Secondly, having been made redundant 3 times before in my career, I thought that I was better placed to handle the emotional instability that such a change brings with it.
Finally, going through the clutter that I have accumulated over the past 10 years and throwing the majority of it away is making me quite depressed. My office used to be my 'home from home' with lots of photos and nick-knacks on my shelves but it is now clear and so bare.
Friday, February 27, 2009
1st post for a looooong time
Maybe it is to do with the impending job loss and early retirement that I am facing, but then I feel quite happy about that. I suppose it may be the fact that even so I have never liked enforced change and this really is a whole new chapter opening in my life.
Today however while reading Axe Victim's blog, I was prompted to want to do this.
Here's how this works:
1 - Go to "wikipedia." Hit “random... Read More”or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.
2 - Go to "Random quotations"or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.
3 - Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.
Well this is my result and I am pleased with the image, the band name, as it is a Rhone vineyard and I love red wine and particularly the album name, given the above described situation in my life.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Friday funny - on the English language
"At present, this article presents a present, presented in the form of a presentation that presents the present use of the English language, which represents the present."
There is no egg in eggplant or ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France.
We find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
Why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?
If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices?
Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend, that you comb through annals of history but not a single annal? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? If you wrote a letter, perhaps you bote your tongue?
Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell? Park on driveways and drive on parkways?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can overlook and oversee be opposites, while quite a lot and quite a few are alike? Have you noticed that we talk about certain things only when they are absent? Have you ever seen a horseful carriage or a strapful gown? Met a sung hero or experienced requited love? Have you ever run into someone who was combobulated, gruntled, ruly or peccable? And where are all those people who are spring chickens or who would actually hurt a fly?
You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which an alarm goes off by going on.
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which, of course, isn't a race at all). That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.
And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it, but when I wind up this essay, I end it?