A Day in the Life, Part 21170.

 

It was all going so smoothly, that was until “Bob decided he was going to pay me a visit! Thankfully he was scared away by my bravado and a certain amount of bad attitude. I had been happy as a rule, for the last couple of weeks, not giddy as a school girl, but my mood and demeanor was “up” the blog on all fronts was motoring along, work was ……”Meh” could be worse could be better, life at home was, slightly difficult due to certain things going on in the background, but I was there to offer support to who ever wanted or needed it, medically life was as crap as ever, again I was simply going with the flow, there isn’t a lot I can do until I finally get my first appointment to the new clinic for my issue (ahem lets not go there) I was discharged from the broken hoop clinic in August 2022 and pushed to another clinic and I finally got my first appointment at the weekend for …….wait for it ……March 2023, WTF! Anyway there’s nothing I can do about it (admittedly I was giving them until January and then I was going to unleash the wife on their asses) to be honest by the time I get to see the new clinic and Dr’s it will be exactly eight years since the condition started, so no I’m not going to lose any sleep over it, I don’t think they will find an answer for it and I believe it’s something I will simply have to live with or its so serious and rare its going to kill me! Although to be brutally honest I think it would have finished me off by now, my arse is like a rag mans trumpet most days but at least the uncontrollable burping has been brought to heel with yet more medication, I seem to rattle when I walk/hobble!

I didn’t get upset, I didn’t wail, I simply shrugged my shoulders and went with it, I was still in an all-right frame of mind, the last blog was doing slow numbers but still climbing that rocky hill called statistics, the grandson had returned home, we were finally getting the passage and bathroom painted by a professional (my weak body simply couldn’t cope, why struggle for hours when I can get a professional to complete it in under 12 hours over two days). We set about sorting the rooms out (how much crap do we have) and getting it stored in the two bedrooms and the dining room (again how much crap) I should really just hire a skip, the wife would kill me, actually with the way that my body is behaving that might not be a bad thing! As it happens it was painted a lot quicker than we put the house back to shape (6 days and counting ….baby steps) the weekend came and went but on the Sunday night there was a gloom hanging over me and I had no idea why, sleep did not arrive as quickly as it normally does, when it did arrive I was restless and was woken a number of times and I did doze off back to the land of nod, so unlike me, while still being restless, once awake I rarely go back to sleep, this time I did and after around 3 and a half hours sleep (I’m sad I keep a record for which ever clinic I end up in, as apparently it all matters) I got up feeling decidedly grumpy, not unusual after a crap night’s sleep.

Bob stalked me through the house, not making direct contact but looking for a weakness some way that he could drag me back down in to the depths of my own stupidity, I put my coat on and headed off to be a bus wanker, I decided once on the bus that I was going to play some music and I started with the Queen discography starting with the debut and going through it chronologically (I know I’m sad) 3 songs in and “Bob” was left behind as if he had never been there, never underestimate the power of music, I worked all day and got through to The Miracle before calling it a day, as I got off the bus home I bumped into an old work mate (who retired a few years ago) and he said he hadn’t seen me so happy for ages, music really does indeed sooth the soul, the thing that worries me just a tad is how silently “Bob” crept up on me with great speed, the good thing though is how fast he was banished, by the time Great King Rat kicked in I was happy, I think the reason that I have been happier of late is simply the amount of music I am playing, I did enjoy the day, unfortunately I can’t play music all day every day, as much as I would like to.

And so to a new week work is still the same, today I decided to go through Ozzy’s discography although I skipped over The Ultimate Sin, there are some nice tracks on it I’m simply not a fan, one day I will work out why( because its cack) the day has passed uneventfully I was cooking before 8 (slow cooker delight for tea) at my desk in my little office space for just after 08.30 and kind of pottered on, an early night tonight as I have a very tight schedule tomorrow so the only time for music will probably be on the journey to and from work, as it stands it really is all good in the hood, and you all thought that this was going to be doom and gloom, it wasn’t it was just how I felt at the time.

There will be a couple of blogs quite quickplay irrespective of numbers (I do have a tendency to still follow how this does) the numbers will probably run into each other but it is what it is, they will be quick fire type of blogs, those who have followed me will recognise the formats, I don’t intend to stray far of my beaten path! So, while this one has arrived later than expected there will be about three over the next fortnight or so, the weekend beckons and I have as always, many cunning plans to resolve before the next blog arrives, the games afoot, I’m in a good frame of mind and am actually looking forward to “The Holiday” maybe I might simply blog about that, some research before I pull the trigger on that particular scab! So, until the next one stay safe, stay alive, do whatever you need to do to enjoy this time of the year, watch the skies for more incoming and keep spreading the disease, the blogs are picking up speed at a pleasant pace, lets go have some fun, until the next one……………Toodles!

Oh yes and while I remember the name game is in play and is really simple nobody should have to google it I have used it before, it’s the number that’s the complicated bit, let’s see how clever any of you are, I doubt that you will be able to get an answer from Google this time!

 Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Old Money.

So yesterday I awoke early (as usual) to have a lazy day, I had some breakfast, played some music (actually played tons of music)I read some emails and then decided to see how the great unwashed were doing, imagine my surprise when I clicked on Farcebook to see a number of birthday greetings……for me …WTF, I’m not against people enjoying their birthdays, it’s just that I don’t celebrate the day, if I am at work I always take the day off so I don’t growl at people wishing the best wishes for the day, since the age of eight I have probably celebrated it maybe five times, its complicated but for good reason, not that it happens often, as its meant to be a closely guarded secret, if you know, you are supposed to sign the official secrets act, the penalty is instant death for the well-wishers, Farcebook strikes again, I will have to double check my settings (again) to be honest I wasn’t too bothered and after reading the messages from all of the lovely people,actually made me happy……ish. So, I will let you all off this time, any more of these shenanigans and there will be some severe punishment for all of the repeat offenders.

So its official I can be classed as “Old Money” and yes the name game is in play, what has come to mind is how tired and wiped out that my body feels like, my knees are shot, I have a hip that’s playing up, and generally my diabetes is still kicking my arse on a daily basis, not to mention the gut and arse issue that has been plaguing me for over seven years and then the aches and pains from my fall earlier in the year not to mention the other falls that I have had in the last eight weeks, damn I must be old as I keep falling over, it’s not all assassination attempts by the wife and family, as I was contemplating my naval yesterday I realised that I had been working in some way or another for nearly 50 years (damn I feel so old).

My father left the family home when I was seven nearly eight, my brother three years older than me got a paper round and gave all the money to our mother to help out the household, not that she wanted to take it, as he proved his worth he took over more of the rounds and made more and helped more, aware that I was a drain I went to the same shop and asked for a paper round, Alan Wilkinson took pity on me and said no, but if I was interested I could help the ladies in the shop humping and dumping, little tasks that I got 50 pence for the Saturday he soon realised that me and my brother were good workers, we went from there, I was soon organizing the cellar storeroom to be honest it was a tiny space and I loved it I sorted out all of the stock, doing it by Best before dates, even by the age of the ten I was organized, as I got to eleven I started doing afternoon papers, again doing more than one round, I know my mother hated taking money from her children, but we had to help, there was very little help for single mothers in that day and age,.

My brother and I soon cornered the market for all of the Sunday papers in our village and then helping a family friend with minor building works, small demolition works and the such like, we were  quite industrious, maybe it also caused me to have a small (cough splutter) chip on my shoulder that I didn’t notice at the time, but looking back, damn I was so annoying, I discovered music and girls and so the shop  work and paper rounds came to a crashing finish, me petulant, damn right I was, I figured I was been taking for a mug, in reality I wasn’t I was simply approaching burn out and something had to give and it wasn’t going to be either music or the girls! So, I then left school on the Thursday and went in the army on the Friday, I had my placement from the age of thirteen (I was keen) well that went belly up, they got me a job with a local firm which didn’t last more than a couple of months as they really were taking the piss, I got a great job with the National Coal Board in their Forestry department, which I loved but again shenanigans ended that job, nothing to do with me, simply budgets and skull doggery on the managers part, he simply wasn’t honest, I wish he had been as I prefer that, it’s a theme that runs through my life, funny that!

I then did a number of jobs some declared, some not, and in-between I started my short but illustrious career as a songwriter, well ok lyricist, well ok wordsmith at a push, but I had some fun made some money, saw tons of bands and generally was in a better place than I realised, considering all of the shit that had gone on before, I then met my first wife and I got a job working with my future father in law who was gobsmacked when I told him I had taken a significant pay cut to work with him, that shut him up, and then the “plagiarism” raised its ugly head, I was twenty one and dumb I have told the story before so won’t rehash the story, go find it in the old blogs, I soon had no income and had bought a house, so I jumped at the first job I could, I was there for 35 years and went from being a grunt at the very bottom to nearly making it to the top of the tree(well top five and then I hit the glass ceiling). I also had some part time work if there was no overtime, and I roadied for a couple of local bands, mates and the such like, at my main place of employment I worked hard over seventy hours a week, again I have told the tale, read the old blogs, I simply wanted to do my best, I was then discarded as I was costly, they got rid of all the old timers as our T&C’s were too good for the administrators, cue panic, three interviews later I got a new job and I know simply go with the flow, I don’t love it like my last job but that’s the way life goes, as always the world keeps spinning.

So, now I have been in my new position for nearly two years, I realise that my body probably wont last into retirement , that is the main reason I simply do my hours and no more, well that and the fact that the wife isn’t too well, her mother is in a worse condition and the grandson has issues, there is only so much I can do to help, I wish I could do more but those days are done, I really am old money, at least my mental health is a damn sight better than it was, I miss my friends and yesterday made me realise I actually do have friends, I don’t ride the wings of solitude, I probably don’t help myself as I am terrible at keeping in touch, I feel as though I will just be a burden, people have enough issues without my (perceived) issues being added to them, as I alluded to earlier in this blog we have some issues ongoing so its best that we keep to ourselves, it wont last forever, but family must come first.

As a treat for my special day me and the wife were going to go to a record fair, however it got cancelled for the bloody world cup, I have no idea when it will be rescheduled, more than likely we will be in our own insular bubble, as it happens we did some food shopping, did a care visit to the mother in law, then came home and chilled, more music, some tv and a late night, we climbed the wooden hill, as usual I was asleep before the wife even got sorted out, and as usual I was up with the larks yet again, I think the longest night sleep I have had this year is about seven hours as I usually average between four and a half to five hours , even when I am not at work, I tend to keep the wife company as she is a night owl and suffers with sleeplessness, anyway this isn’t me bitching this is simply my observations from an unusual weekend, a friends band was playing and we really wanted to go and see them but as always family has to come first as we have the grandson staying with us.

So, the world keeps turning, we are alive and well and I have partaken in my fifty eighth journey around the sun, who knows I might even celebrate the next one, it was a lovely warm feeling for so many people to take time out of their busy days to wish me the original grumpster a hiccy burpday, thank you one and all, I don’t think I will get another 58, but here’s hoping though, and there you have it a slight detour from the blog I was thinking about, well only slightly, so watch the skies for incoming, keep spreading the disease numbers are consistent so we are doing something right, until the next time, stay safe and stay alive, until then Toodles!

Four on the Floor Volume 5.

Cats in Space – Kickstart the Sun – 9/10.

I can honestly say that this band is AWESOME, there i said it, stunning vocals exceptional song writing, playing that suits the songs and doesn’t disappear up its own arse in a sea of widdly widdly! I discovered the band with their Scarecrow album and members have changed slightly over the years, but the quality of the band simply grows and grows, the only downside to this brilliance is that the world has dumbed down to cookie monster vocals and de tuned riffs they simply don’t have an understanding of this level of excellence anymore, I know its not everybody’s cup of tea but godamn it’s so bloody good, but why only a nine, well a perfect score is reserved for perfect albums and although its really good its not quite perfect although it does try and try bloody hard! The only complaint I have is that its simply too many songs, and its not that the songs are poor but people’s attention spans kind of wanders, a lot of those classic albums are in the 35/40-minute mark. What songs would I pick I have no idea I have rocked this album everyday for the last 9 days and different days bring different moods, it’s a minor bitch, this deserves to be huge as do the band, long may they reign and yes, I can’t wait for the next one!

John Norum – Gone to Stay – 5/10.

I had seen a few reviews for this album and it got me thinking it could be good, and while there are a few good ideas I hate the vocals, I hate the David Bowie cover (I’m not a fan of Bowie to be honest I would have preferred the laughing gnome now that would have been good)I have most of his solo albums but in all honesty it simply didn’t float my boat I’m not going to witter on about it, if it was a school report it would say “could do better” lets see what he delivers next go back to what you were doing when you started playing classic bloody rock music!

Lonely Robot – A Model life – 8/10.

I enjoyed the first three albums that had a loose concept running through them, the forth one I though the quality dropped, maybe John Mitchell was simply spreading himself I little thin, I approached this one with a degree of trepidation, I needn’t have worried, the quality has returned and its not what most people would expect, I love it, its not rock, its not metal, its something just a little different, and its all the better for it, again it’s not instant, it takes a few plays but it bleeds into you, some nice atmospheric touch’s weird piano bits and simply sprinkled with magic.

Kings of Mercia - Kings of Mercia – 8/10.

This one came from leftfield simply because I thought Steve Overland was simply singing one song, but no he does the whole album, I liked it at first but thought, it should have been someone different as the main vocalist, but no the more I played it the more it made sense, and I enjoyed it more and more, with Jim Matheos as the main man backed by Joey Vera (Armoured Saint and Simon Phillips on drums (who has played with everybody, just do some research) it’s a good solid album that gets better with repeated plays, go on give it a go you might be surprised…..I was1

 

So a bloody surprise that its all new music, and I already have the next bloody blog prepped (WTF) so read play some of the music you never know you might just  like it, so until the next one stay safe stay alive and until then …..Toodles.

Step up to the Plate.

Well, that was like Mr Toads wild and wacky ride, I had to do a four on the floor blog, simply as I got a shit ton of flak from a few people, nobody important, however they did complain to the site and I got a sensitive warning posted to the blog, WTF why, I’m still awaiting a response, I’m not holding my breath but it just goes to show, if you complain enough, you can make a difference…………. NOT!

This is just a tad late as the last blog kept plugging away, I thought I would let it build away and make some hay while the sun was shining metaphorically, although the world was spinning, I seemed to be in a small rut and although I wasn’t down or even out, I was in a bit of a fug, things have been gathering a pace, I simply couldn’t get any traction, funny that!

Family matters are not the best(health wise) and no I am not going to go into it here, life is shit but I am there for the family, however because of what has been going on I decided to look at my own frailties, I decided I would get to grips with them and try my best to defeat them at least in one battle, I failed at the first hurdle I tried to make an appointment only to be told to do an E consult, when I tried to do that, well it appears not even diabetes is covered under the headings so yes I failed and failed big style, I rang the surgery to ask about it and the nice lady was as much use as an axe in the head!

I finally got my MRI for my head 11 months to the day after my accident/fall, and while I have one or two little niggles my head and jaw were/are the biggest issues, some days its all good in the hood and other days its shit, my appointment was for Sunday, as always, I got there in plenty of time, didn’t matter someone got pushed into the list so I was there for 40 minutes twiddling my thumbs before the lady came for me. Paperwork complete I was quite happy as I had done this before, this time was slightly different, the last time was for my knees, this time for my head, I was clamped into a frame and then pushed in backwards, damn I was in a real panic, I very nearly asked to be let out but I grew a set, and stayed the distance, all 17 minutes of it, my head was racing all the way through it, I hope there’s nothing seriously wrong as I really don’t want to do that again, I’m getting chills thinking about it now.

Since then, I have immersed myself in music and work, work has been kind of meh, but the music has been a blast, and no I won’t tell you what as some of it will be in the next four on the floor blog, a little hint one could be a south African rock band from 1979! Yeah, I like some weird shit. Today I have chores (which are complete) and then there will be more supporting of the people within range, I can be a good person from time to time (allegedly).

So what will the coming weeks be bringing more support of the family, more work and tons more music and hopefully some good vibes to go with that, as for the blog I have a couple starting to simmer away, but if the previous one is still getting hits I may end up with a bottleneck of ideas, so I think it will be a kind of watch this space for a while, but as I have already said it’s all good in the hood, thank you to all the nice people who got in touch even the one or two who in a nice way told me off about interacting, I hear you all message received and you must have confused me with someone who gives a shit I will continue to post what I want even if it can be drivel/waffle at times I am if nothing but consistent!

And that’s another one done, stay safe, stay alive and watch the skies for incoming there will be another one along soon (honest) I simply haven’t decided which of the tree I am contemplating will come first, watch this space is all I can confirm, so until the next time thank you and from me its………..Toodles!

Four on the Floor – Volume 4.

Jack Green – Humanesque – 8/10

This was a strange one, my brother arrived home with it from our local record emporium (remember those days), I had never heard of him, although upon the dawn of the internet I looked him up, it turns out he played for T-Rex and then the Pretty Things, allegedly he was a member of Rainbow for all of 3 weeks before Roger Glover decided that he wanted to join the band, but not before Mr B played a tasteful solo on I call, no answer, is it the best track on the album, no but it is the best solo, as for the rest of the album I loved it, like a British Rick Springfield meets Elvis Costello a similar touch, it was one of the albums I lost when I was burgled in 1983, although I had it on tape so I could play it on my Walkman as I travelled around the UK watching bands, I still love the album all these years later I received a digital copy yesterday and so far have played it 7 times, yes I like it.

Deep Purple – Turning to Crime – 1/10.

I love this band in most incarnations, although since Mr B left the quality control has been dodgy to say the least, this is horrible, I don’t mind cover albums but this should have been locked up and the key thrown away, I look forward to an album with Simon McBride as I think he is better fit to the band than Steve Morse, a super guitarist ( and all round nice guy) but I never felt the connection, this is my personal opinion if you like it, good luck to you, I heard it when it was released and hated it from the second I played it, I have given myself some distance but it hasn’t improved any, I still hate it, and I think I would rather gnaw my foot off then have to endure it again. 49.45 minutes of my life I will never get back and to think Bob Ezrin produced it, maybe he needs to go back on the drugs, utter shite!

Man Raze – PunkFunkRootRock -7/10.

When this was released back in 2011 I loved it , it disappeared under the onslaught of new music, but every now and then it would surface, A member of Def Leppard/Girl, a member of Girl and a Sex Pistol what could go wrong, not a lot really, it hasn’t lost its charm, it also comes across as something more than a vanity project, it has had money spent on it, and its charm shines through on the songs with a bit of energy when its required, I do admit I prefer this to Def Leppard its more up my street, give it a chance you will love it! I saw them support Alice Cooper on my birthday for this album and I thought it went well, well until I thought I was going to get stabbed for shouting for Hollywood Tease, but that’s another story

The Cult – Under the Midnight Sun – 3/10.

I thought I should do at least one new release and to be honest I struggled, I never got them, I thought they were a tribute band, and always thought Astbury was a dick, but I have matured and thought I would give them another chance, I had seen a few interviews with the band saying it was a seminal release, and…..well I still don’t get it, they leave me cold, they can all play and sing, they can write songs but damn it, it leaves me colder than a corpse that has been in a morgue for a week,  don’t worry I don’t care for led Zeppelin for exactly the same reasons, if you like it good luck to you and all that sails with you, and it is still better than the afore mentioned Deep Purple (well more like a Gillan) album that’s already been reviewed earlier.

White Feather.

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Among the Living.

 

So, this one has gone off in a different direction, not in a bad way I don’t think, but not where it was intended, everything had been going in the right direction, some bumps in the road (some big ones but we are staying positive) I was trying my best not to spiral away, I tried but it didn’t work, thankfully I wasn’t depressed, I just a bit angry, I am not going to bore you with the details as its work related, I am still amazed that clots do indeed rise to the top, they may be educated but they are ignorant and as thick as pig shit!

I got over that blip, but it destroyed the serene mood that I had been aiming at, I don’t do angry these days, well not as much as I used to, Thankfully I try and remain zen like, that maybe because I’m getting old and decrepitate, I’m not sure, I’m more like a slow diesel engine as opposed to a rocket powered super jet, just as well as angry doesn’t get you very far I have discovered!

I had been having a discussion with someone from work about how some people can be  antisocial, not generally me, well I was meaning me, but I don’t think that they caught my drift, I don’t think that I am very social at times, I can wear a happy face but in reality, I am just a tad antisocial, I don’t make new friends easily, I can be user friendly, but not friendly, I’m sure that you understand what I mean.

Do I have friends well yes I do, but my really old friends, people I knew when I was a teenager (yes that old) I love bumping into them for that couple of minutes, but they moved on, that’s their choice not a complaint, I have been back in my hometown for nearly twenty years and only one has ever come a calling (and he is my oldest friend) admittedly he came calling because he was after something (and I was grateful that he came)  but it kind of underlined that they let me hang round with them because they could, now it’s a friendly hello but everybody has moved on they all look incredibly happy, me I just look sour faced all the time. Before you all shout at me for it being a two way street, I get that but I did do a lot of the facilitating travelling big distances to little avail, it is what it is do I miss them well yes of course I do, but the world keeps turning.

My friends from Durham (read The Dawn Patrol) it turns out that there is only 2 left, 12 of the group have died in the last two years a couple with covid and some with major ailments, my wife has tons of friends or at least people to talk to, all I have now is the south shields massive, unfortunately Co-vid has put paid to our trips down the hill to visit, I miss those weekends, however one of the bumps in the road (a rather major one) has basically curtailed even the smallest of road trips, I do miss the Tee Hee Club, I am confident that we will rise again like a phoenix, or rather a drunken mob at some point!

 

Warning! Here comes the morbid bit, I have decided that when I die, the wife can do what ever she wants with me, the cheapest way is simply to be cremated (the Co Op is the cheapest about a grand for the function of burning my ass, I don’t want a funeral with three people in attendance, they don’t miss me when I’m a live I don’t want them turning into hypocrites, wailing and gnashing of teeth saying I was a good egg, obviously I wasn’t otherwise you would have kept in touch, but I digress, she can donate me to medical science I don’t care I will be dead do with me as you see fit!

The reason for this blog well  I have had a number of new readers, who try to interact with me, and I simply won’t, read the early blogs and understand why I am just a little distant, I have no intention of going back to the Myspace days, was the readership bigger, hell yeah it was almost twenty times the readership that I have now, this is quite tidal with good times and slow times, I’m happy with it, I get to vent my spleen, and you lot seem to enjoy it, and although I do read the interactions, I tend not to reply directly, yes I know if I did my historical ones the readership might grow, but to be honest some of the memories although great at the time, would be very painful to dredge to the surface, but some of you new people are quite happy to get a mention in print, the questions that asked are being saved for a new “Now Hear This” blog that is about the only way I directly interact, so watch this space you never know a query from yourself might just get picked, yes the are some old hands that I will interact with (Broadsword calling Danny Boy, Sabine, Nils and a couple of others) but trust me I am not doing this to make friends, I am simply trying to get to the finish line in one piece!

So, that’s it, another one gone faster than the speed of light, I am a lot happier doing spur of the moment blogs than trying to write war and peace epics, that doesn’t mean that you won’t get one at some point, I have a couple of memories that I think have the potential to be good historical but not musical, I’m not sure if I am brave enough to venture that far back in the mists of time, so keep spreading the disease, yes the name game is in play, click like, share or whatever you do as the numbers are…..consistent, so until the next time, take care and stay alive, until the next time………….Toodles!