Huzzah.

Short and sweet is the name of the game, but it’s a happy, happy one, for once something went right for me, I thought I was going into a world war with my surgeon!   

Long story short I had been tasked with losing weight or I wasn’t getting my operation, I struggled, I couldn’t exercise, like normal people, knees are shot my right shoulder lets not even go there about that generally overweight and when I get depressed I would eat, get more weight on and get depressed in ever more decreasing circles, I had had an argument with the surgeon regarding my weight amongst other things and then he wouldn’t speak to me.

Six weeks later and I saw his registrar, who was lovely answered all my questions, I listened I agreed and then I was off to the races, I was given 6 months to lose 10 kilo’s I don’t weigh myself that’s an easy route to depression, I did all the right things eating wise, I know I wasn’t perfect but it was 98% better than previous attempts, in the week before the appointment all I ate was Oats and chicken, not in the same meal.

Tuesday I go for my appointment, I saw a lovely Irish Lady doctor who again was fab, took some X-rays weighed me, I had lost 17 Kilo’s, and then some questions, the upshot was yes you can have a replacement knee, do that one give it six months and lets see if you are still  having issues with the other one, BAM we will do the other one, WTF my mind was blown, if I was capable of doing a little dance ( I wasn’t ) I was scared they might have said “oh you can dance no knee for you” so now I have to keep losing the weight (My Choice) and get prepared for the operation.

My mind has been so full of dread about not getting the operation I was contemplating all manner of stupid schemes to get my way, I don’t have to do that, because I did all of the right things, this has been written purely as a stream of consciousness no editing as I simply wanted to scream from the roof tops, watch out world, I’m going to be bionic! I know I have a long painful road ahead, but hells bells this has been the best news health wise in over 4 years!

So watch this space as I have every intention of documenting this every step of the way from here on in! I wonder if they will let me keep my knee? So until the next time when I’m not flying at 30000 feet…………………..Toodles!

Four on the Floor – New Releases (I know its Late).

Ok so this was due 6 weeks ago and I simply lost the will to live, it felt rushed and to be honest I thought it was factually incorrect, I was in a strop so I didn’t think it was fair to release it in its original format.

So here we are down the line and I have given the albums a bloody good listen, my findings are pretty much the same but I have listened to the albums over twenty times each so I think I can pass judgement instead of the original three times each, are we sitting comfortably, well let’s go!

Cheap Trick – All Washed Up.     9.0.

I have to admit to being a longtime Cheap Trick fan, I’ve even seen them a few times, their worst album is still a good album, lets see what gives with this one (I know the score gives it away). Another album by the American Beatles, and this time I liked it from the go some of the latter ones have taken a few spins to get there ,forty minutes and eleven songs of bouncy happiness, and I only have a couple of minor complaints, well one actually that’s split, The sound is as “bright” as the last few albums have been, bear in mind I’m listening to these albums on air pods, not the best but I make good with the tools that I have, I know production methods have moved on but these days, a lot of albums sound muddy these days, trust me I do clean my ears regularly, and because of the sound Robin Zander isn’t as clean in the mix, for my taste, anyway Song wise the best is saved right until the last, to be honest there is not a bad track on here, they all put a bloody big smile on my face, I know it’s not as good as Dream Police but there are tracks on here I would swap so they could be. The last track on the album is the closet that they will get to being a pure Beatles tribute, Wham Bam Boom, the title made me smile, but the song is four people having fun, I won’t spoil it, go get the album however you do and just listen, if you don’t smile you must be an oasis fan! Well boys let’s have more fun like this in the world we need it as I mentioned at the start these boys don’t do bad albums, they do Awesome, Excellent, and Good, this is Excellent if the sound had been a bit brighter it would have been Awesome. Long live the kings of Bubble Gum Rock………. Cheap Trick!

MSG – Don’t Sell Your Soul.     9.0.

Another year, another cracking album, something that is simply chock full of riff after melodic riff, his classic sound which is good as it was now as it was back in the seventies! The Teutonic riff master delivers again, to me he is the most prolific and consistent rock player out there, eleven songs from start to finish starting with the title track “Don’t sell your soul to the last stompy “Surrender” it doesn’t outstay its welcome, it gets in the ring and knocks you clean out and then buggers off to the pub! My only complaint is I wish he would stick with one vocalist, I hope he sticks with Erik Gronwall, I know why he doesn’t stick with the same vocalist he has been quite vocal over the years about it, I like to see stability in the MSG camp, it just gets a bit distracting as you never know who you are going to get, as he hits 70 years old he just keeps getting better, and if he keeps producing material of this kind of quality, I reckon myself and lot of others will be as happy as the proverbial pig!

Bad Company – Can’t Get Enough (a Tribute) 4/10.

I was so looking forward to this album, however no matter how much I play it the more I dislike it, I like most of the artists, there’s a lot of money been put into producing it but it’s a lifeless parody and I don’t know what makes it so, maybe it’s just me Even Shooting Star with Lizzy Hale and Mr Rodgers can’t save it. And the biggest thing that pisses me off is the last track that I refuse to name as it’s simply it’s not Bad Company it’s Free, and if I’m honest even if I got this album for free it wouldn’t stay in my collection.

Ronnie Romero – Back Bone.    6/10.

In 14 years this gentleman has appeared on over forty (yes that’s what I said) albums some are stinkers, and some are quite pleasant, he has played with some awesome people, this album is quite pleasant, hence the score, however there is nothing truly memorable on this its well-played well produced but nothing sticks, when I put it on, I go oh yes I remember this one or that one , but five minutes after turning it off I don’t remember a single bit of it, maybe take a breath and breathe, I’m hoping Elegant Weapons with Ritchie Faulkner of Judas Priest does a couple of albums and that it grows with each album!, I do like the man he is talented, sometimes you need a bit of pixie dust make it big on your own, I wish him well but this album as well produced as it is isn’t it!

Better late than never, and I’m glad I did what I did, I like to be honest I’m not being mean when I don’t care for something, I am simply trying to be as honest as the artists themselves, give them all a spin you might like something, you might also might hate something, the fact that we are all different makes the world a better place.

Moving Targets.

On your marks get set and let’s go!

The first blog of 2026 and hopefully the intention is to be more productive than I was last year, did I enjoy it, yes, I did, but looking back its more of a case of I could/should do better, it’s all about continuous personal development (blog wise) and all I can do is try my best!

How can I improve the blogs, well it’s important that I get me and the wife back to having some kind of social life, some small kind of human interactions with other people (no not the police) but people who we have known for a long time, what’s the term for that again? ah yes friends, this has been the worst Christmas that we have ever had, for reasons I won’t go into details in this a public forum, however we both agree it will be better going forward she agrees we have become far too isolated with too many issues that shouldn’t cause any problems, unfortunately that was not the case.

Our health is being impacted by us being prisoners in our own house, its time to spread our wings, initial contact has been made and the first of a number of cunning plans is moving forward (for once) even the wife agrees, that’s a step in the right direction at last! A friendly voice calling to wish the wife a happy birthday, broke the dam and thankfully in the coming months will be just the thing that we need to push us over the waterfall, baby steps first as we will soon be going on holiday and then the intention is to be upwardly mobile.

A couple of tasks in the house to get the house finally ship shape and then time to be amongst friends (finally) and to enjoy their company. As for our health  the wife has been suffering and putting up with it, I have the usual maladies and I’m getting on with it, what’s bugging me is my lack of sleep the last eight months the longest I sleep is around five and a half hours, I go to sleep alright, and I’m rested when I wake up, but the length of time actually sleeping is shrinking, I wander the house from around three in the morning like an unemployed burglar, it really does seem as though I have turned into my mother as she rarely slept more than five hours a night, I simply wish I could be more like my wife and turn over once I have woken up and return to the land of slumber, I have as always done some research but none of the cures seem to have helped!

Work is as busy usual but thankfully there is a light at the end of the tunnel (and no its not an oncoming train…..I hope) but I will keep my powder dry on that one as I don’t want to jinx it! so going forward there are still plenty of moving targets (cunning plans) and hopefully I might just bag a couple of them this year, so here’s hoping that this year will be successful as the last  decade or so with the blog increasing numbers by about ten per cent year on year, however 2025 saw the biggest leap though by nearly sixteen percent, I don’t know why, and I simply don’t care, long may it continue!

So watch the skies and keep your fingers crossed that I can do all the things that I want to do with the blog, keep spreading the word, click like or whatever you do on whatever platform you find this on, hopefully good times are just around the corner, yes the name game is in play, lets try not to google it and see if you can guess, so stay safe and stay alive until the next glorious episode of the blog……………………Toodles!