Blurred Vision

As always life goes on, as always it’s not always a straight run on the road of life (LOL), what a week, with a party as the endgame (see how topical I can be) with lots to do in between, as always I have gotten ahead of myself, strap yourself in it’s a slightly bumpy ride!

I was still feeling a tad off through the week, even with my long weekend off, although a welcome respite, it had not cured me of my ills, there was something lurking in the background that I simply couldn’t put my finger on!

I kept going forward, I had a great day, I had a poor day, then back to a great day, I was struggling to play nice at work, nobody’s fault except mine, hopefully by the end of the week I was a lot better than I had been at the beginning of the week, and hopefully I didn’t piss too many people off (as if I care LOL) Friday was hard, as I simply seemed  to have run out of steam, thankfully I got across the finish line, all I had to do was rest and relax, as we were going to a party and I wanted to be tip top for that, I wanted to be, however life had different plans for me the bastard!

Friday night was the usual and yes at some point I blinked for long periods of time, off to bed at one in the  morning, in bed tucked in before I was properly awake, because if I was fully woken to the full degree of consciousness, I would never get back to sleep (can you see were this is going) some nice person or robot rang my phone at three o clock in the bloody morning, I scrambled to answer it before it raised the dead (it woke me didn’t it) no glasses on and half asleep I soon put it into the switched off mode, I did not as every one of you expects, simply throw it at the wall, the issue then though I was now awake with no chance of going back to sleep.

I tried to go back to sleep and I tried absolutely not to wake up the wife (thankfully I was successful in that task) however I was now wide awake and stayed that way until I got out of bed a little after six in the morning, I was wiped out, hopefully the rest of the day was going to go better then the previous evening, the rest of the tribe got up did a few deeds and then the rest of the tribe arrived with the grand kids running riot, I cooked quite a nice dinner for everyone and things were going quite well until a familiar gurgling started in  my guts (oh oh) we had started on a task that we had been avoiding for the last couple of years and I was sweating buckets and the stomach gurgling continued unabated, now this I could do without, until I realised an explosion was going to occur and at a rate of knots I dived over people to get to a safe haven, crisis averted however I was still sweating buckets!

Crisis was not averted, the enemy continued with repeated attacks, I really did just want to die (yet again) job completed I decided to towel of the excess sweat and try a snooze, I did not want to miss the party after missing the previous weeks shenanigans!  I probably managed about an hour, however I awoke refreshed and I tried some toast to settle my guts (crisis what crisis) it seemed to sort me out, thankfully I would be going to the ball!

It was a combined birthday party for the master of the royal hounds and one of his friends (who had a simply inspired costume for the party but hold your horses I’m getting ahead of myself) The youngest was going as Freddie Mercury from Live aid the wife was going as Freddie from the Crazy little thing called love video, yes you guessed it,  I was going to a Queen themed party now which Freddie could go as…………..none, I was going left of centre, Gerry Stickells their tour manager (you  may have noticed I mentioned him in a previous blog “Shove It” ) I can grow a beard I can wear a Hawaiian shirt how hard can it be, actually quite easy, I made some passes of the backstage variety (Copies  of the genuine article, no I didn’t have any, but I know someone who does) so I went with a Crazy tour one a one from the Game tour and I believe mine was from 82, me a nerd ……hell yeah! Somebody asked me if I could do them a Kind of magic one and yes, I can!

Thankfully refreshed and booted and suited we set off on an uneventful journey, no wife shouting and swearing at passing drivers, well kind of, we arrived to find the house of people, the host had excelled and had a complete Kind of magic suit with proper yellow belted jacket and a full on crown and robe, even going to the lengths of dying his hair the same colour as Mr Mercury, now that’s dedication,  definitely the winner of the evening, then I had admit I was a little disappointed as I thought there were going to be a million more Freddie’s with a designated parking spot for all of the accumulative Hoovers, there were some great costumes just not as many as I thought that there would have been, the other birthday boy’s was inspired he came as Connor Mcloud flasher mac included  and how he walked the streets of shields to get there with that huge sword in his hands (oh matron) and not to get arrested!

There was a Roger Taylor (a female version) sorry but Roger was sexier (LOL I mean in a nice way) there was even a Mr Bad Guy version of Mr Mercury (more of that later) and a Tribute act who did a good job of dealing with the ignoramus’s who continued to talk when he was performing , want to talk, fuck off to the back of the house and let others enjoy the show! I know it’s a tribute act but he was still trying his hardest to entertain those who wanted to watch, I’m not going to go into huge detail it was a fun night, one that I intended to break my (temporary) sobriety as it happens what with my stomach the way it was I decided not to, and consequently it was my first ever party sober, not that I ever get commode hogging drunk, squiffy yes, but not obnoxious, consequently I believe the hosts thought I might have been heading down the rabbit hole, I wasn’t, I was simply sober and shy and I really didn’t know a lot of people, the person who I  usually would have sat and spoken to turned into Mr Bad Guy for the evening he was minging when we got there and simply got drunker as the night went on, I had no problem as such but he trampled on Blue a couple of times and was generally toxic to a few others, spilt drink bad language whilst the act was live on Facebook, I genuinely thought the wife was going to twat him at one point, however the host of the evening gave him the look and he (sort of) calmed down, a lovely chap just last night I think he had my share of drink as well (and a damn sight more), in the nicest way I hope he is suffering this morning bless him!

The second set was Neil Diamond songs and a bit of karaoke, the wife and the daughter got up to sing as did the host, all in all a pretty good night (next time I will not be sober………sober is boring) we headed home later than normal, we had our own pooch to think about and others were going to work the next day (hahahahahaha not me I had a blog to do) thankfully an uneventful journey home  and we were soon headed up the wooden hill to the land of dreams and boy were they some strange dreams, all Queen (the musical entity not the drag kind) related, I awoke refreshed this morning, as I had turned my mobile (of the phone variety not something swinging above my bed to put me to sleep) off, I waved everybody off to work and now I sit typing this monster up.

Now the name game is in play and I was flabbergasted that nobody guessed or googled it, today's title is a B-side but the artist should be so damn easy come on you all know that you want to!

A great party and a jolly good time was had by just about everybody, even if only two people got my Gerry Stickells reference, so watch the skies and keep spreading the disease! there will more coming down the line, until the next time …………Toodles!

Up from the Deep.

I know I only seem to surface occasionally, like a U Boat from days of old, my health of late has been a bit off in all kinds of ways, I will do a brief up date and then hopefully normal service will be resumed well let’s see shall we(I know that you have all heard that one before).

Since the last blog (the Gerry Stickells related one) I have wished for death quite a few times, a swift one I had a bit of a poorly tummy with my insides trying to abandon ship via any escape hatch possible, it wasn’t nice it wasn’t clever, lets simply move on as quickly as it arrived, it left me wiped out in more ways than I care to mention , well actually it took over 5 days to leave, it definitely overstayed its welcome.

I then went back to work and I wasn’t a happy bunny, nothing to do with work (that makes a change I now) I simply wasn’t in a good space, and I was drowning not waving, I had many offers of help and I spurned just about every one offered, me pig  headed, erm that would be a yes then! To make matters worse I then suffered my worst bout of tinnitus ever 6 days and counting like a continuous drone of white noise, it hasn’t helped.

My diabetes seems to have levelled off at the moment its not perfect but it is better than it has been, a more concentrated effort is required, but a best foot forward situation gives me hope in that direction. I only checked the blog occasionally and the numbers were in fact quite good, some one was interested and old stuff has been read, but that’s not what I wanted, I had intended to keep pace with the coming weeks so I will have to double down and crack on to catch up I’m only 7 behind for the year so far, I know I know, but watch this space.

Music hasn’t helped (due to the tinnitus) today has been the first time in weeks that I have played more than one album, again fingers crossed I’m hoping that this can’t carry on forever (I know I have just jinxed myself, haven’t I?) I have actually done as little as possible; I know again me with my reputation, I’m hoping that the long weekend (with no Easter eggs) will allow me to pull myself together, a lie in would be nice, something, anything, anytime after 06.30 honest I will take 06.35 at a push, if that’s all you have, if I wake up as I have conditioned myself because of work, I’m a screwed pooch when I come to retire! Don’t worry I have a few years to resolve the issue, I’m not hopeful.

So there you go , I’m alive only because my prayers went unanswered at the time of my sickness and……you get the picture, yes the name the game is in play, don’t google it see if you can name the band out of the recess’s of your brain, people seem to just want everything now and are not prepared to exercise the grey matter! I’m not going to make any promises as I seem to keep shooting myself in the foot, lets see what happens when I get better as I feel as though I’m still not quite firing on all cylinders just yet!

So I hope you are all enjoying your long weekend and chocolate, watch the skies as there will be more incoming, I need to make sure I’m 100% better as there is the mother of all parties with a couple of Freddie mercury’s in attendance and me going as Gerry Stickells, you can guarantee that there will be just a short blog after that one, until then ……………Toodles!

Shove It

I returned the arms of drink back in November of 1987, my wife (of the time) had cheated and then lied  (in that order) so I walked away, I’m not a fan of either act, I acted with as much dignity as I could considering what had happened, the truth be told I didn’t hate  her for  it, I simply wish she had been honest with me, what’s all this got to do with drink I hear you ask well read on!

It was around this time I had returned to being a civilian and had to start paying for tickets to see bands, I had no problem with this, it was simply a shock to the bank balance/system, when we split I managed to keep or acquire most of the tickets that’s we had bought for forthcoming gigs, unfortunately she was savvy enough to keep a hold of a pair of tickets for The Cross which really was just Roger Taylor of Queen with some young pups in tow, I had wangled some backstage pass’s for Queen , now she wanted to see Roger in a more intimate venue, although we had split up we were still trying to remain friendly/adult/sensible/bloody idiot (delete as you see fit) and although I had served her with divorce papers on Valentines day (me a hopeless romantic I  know) we both still wanted to go see the gig, she also knew if she had refused to go with me I would have caused an absolute stink outside the venue(me with my reputation) a truce was called and we behaved ourselves, I stayed sober , well ok ish! as I didn’t want the green eyed monster spoiling the gig, Newcastle Mayfair on Sunday the 28^th wasn’t a bad day for it,  the venue was half full, I was a charming perfect gentleman, ask anyone, the gig was great and on the way home I decided I was young free and single, dammit I’m going to do some more gigs!

I had a limited window of opportunity and an even more limited supply of cash, but I had a cunning plan I took the remaining holidays that I had from work, I had to be sensible I needed the cash and sorted my travel to Norwich, I was strapped for cash so it was going to be by bus………even a car journey to Norwich is horrific even now, a bus from the Gallowgate in the big city and then a slow meander to Birmingham a three hour lay over and then five hours to get to Norwich honest the bloody bus stopped and picked up anybody that was at the side of the bloody road, whilst in Birmingham I may have had one or two pints so when I woke up in Norwich I may have been a tad “Grumpy” I needed something to eat to sort me out and then because I was thirsty, I honestly had a single pint of shandy, I like to watch bands not be an arsehole to everybody around me at gigs!

I got to the venue the university of North Anglia and bought my ticket as I got to the inner sanctum they refused me entry as I wasn’t a student “but you just sold me the bloody ticket” sorry nothing I can do about it, well yes you guessed it I kicked off big style not aggressively, but I wanted to speak to someone in management not a chinless wonder having a laugh at my expense, I could see the way this was going so I simply got loud as It happens a member of the road crew came past as I was giving it large and as I left the venue he followed me, asked me a couple of questions and when he realised I was genuine he guided me around to the stage door, he promptly disappeared back into the venue and by the time I got to the area he was stood talking to a gentleman in a Hawaiian shirt, I knew this man to be Gerry Stickells  the tour manager and he was listening intently, he kept looking across to me and then he came across and asked me some simple questions, I replied as honestly as I could, I explained I had been there on Sunday at Newcastle, he asked if I intended to get pissed I said I wasn’t and then he said follow me, it turns out he had argued with the venue or they had took the piss earlier in the day and he was annoyed so he though it would be a great idea to poke them in the eye, he stood me stage left at the crash barrier I enjoyed the gig and as the last song played the roadie from before( I never got his name)  escorted me back out the way I came and made sure that I got in a taxi back to the bus station, “erm I can’t afford a taxi” “don’t worry the venue is supplying it” I was dropped off at  the bus station and was on my way to Leeds to stay at a mates house, what seemed like months later, as I did the bus journey in reverse and got to Leeds in the early morning with a smattering of snow I hoped that my mate turned up on time, Simon did and he treated me to a lovely breakfast at a little greasy spoon, I crashed at his parents and enjoyed an afternoon of sleep, we had a few beers on the Friday night, ok we had a lot of beers and I suffered on the day of the gig, I wasn’t a bad house guest , but I think that there were less milk bottles on the door step after we got back on the night time then what his dad had put out, Saturday was great a day in the pub another gig and hopefully a lie in before getting the bus home.

The next morning the four of us awoke with cunning plan number 203 lets go see them in London at the town & country club, My Flu kicked in (cough cough) and we headed down to London and arrived early Monday morning with some time to kill, thankfully we knew mates so we were soon put up for a couple of nights and although there was jolly japes none that drunken for me as I really was flying by the seat of my pants, thankfully we got on the guest list and again had a wonderful time I bumped into Mr Stickells one last time he was at the mixing desk before the gig, he remembered me and I asked if I could buy him a drink as a thank you (please say no please say no) he just chuckled and told me to enjoy myself, believe me I did.

The next day I gratefully accepted a lift back to Leeds with Simon, I would have been hitching otherwise, he dropped me off at the train station and I hid in the toilets all the way to Newcastle, I then had to walk home (all fourteen miles) as I had the grand total of 60p in my pocket, fully recovered I returned to work on the Friday (just in time for the weekends overtime) I bumped into the ex-wife as she had been trying desperately trying to get in touch she needed some papers signed and she enquired where I had been, well I simply explained that I had been enjoying myself on the “shove it” tour LOL that was the most jealous look I ever received from her, one nil to me.

We still bump into each other about once every 8 years and I’m always civil and I’m always polite, life’s too short, besides I saw Roger Taylor more times than she did, there you go I hope you enjoyed it, I did a lot at the time, but not so much in the writing of it as Gerry Stickells died earlier in the year a truly nice man he didn’t have to get me into the Norwich gig but he did that’s the sign of a true gent, enjoy and watch the skies for more incoming ……until then…………Toodles!