Up until last year I used to work between the two holidays. Nowadays as a customer focused organisation we are closed . There is some irony in those two things but unfortunately nobody else in my organisation seems to get it. As always I am on the outside looking in.
This enforced holiday is not unwelcome necessarily- but if I had a choice I would work- and this year at least it has got me out of answering the telephone to the customers with burst pipes and frozen roads and pavements (not that these last two are anything to do with us).
Not that this holiday has been uneventful. On Christmas Eve my son went to the local NHS Walk In centre because he has an ear infection. On Boxing Day my father-in-law slipped on the ice and badly cut his forearm. I spent two hours in the General Hospital Walk-In centre with him and he had four stitches in the cut. It left him a bit shook up but luckily there was no other damage. On Sunday my mother-in-law went to the Walk In due to a severe chest infection which hasd been developing since Christmas Eve . My son was back at his GP today as his ear infection has left him a bit deaf in one ear. He got some antibiotic eardrops.
If any of you reading this are from the States- this is Public Health care as it should be i.e. free at point of use. None of these visits cost me anything up front- we even got the antibiotics without prescription. It has its shortcomings but the NHS is a great British institution and something that all us Brits should be proud of.
Not to be outdone by all this, my brother-in-law who is a terrible hypochondriac, took to his bed on Monday claiming to be suffering from a severe sinus infection. The consensus of the family was that he was faking it for attention, which of course his wife- my sis-in-law gave him in spades. I like my brother- in- law but he is a terrible baby and behaves-and is treated by his wife- like a 5 year old. He finds the Christmas visit quite fraught because he doesn't have his wife's full attention.
We went with our son to watch Newcastle v Derby last night. Absolutely freezing cold and a terrible match as well. It's strange that after years of refusing to go and watch The Toon , my wife has been this season quite happy to go along. She says it's because the pressure is off and she can enjoy it.
Music wise it has mostly been the usual Christmas music. But today whilst walking the dog over the frozen tundra that Nuns Moor has become this last week I took my MP3 with me and this song came on. Standing amidst the white snow and ice covered Moor with only me and the dog in sight I sang this at the top of my voice. This is indeed one of Embrace's best ever songs. This version was available on download only.
Glorious Day- Embrace
Tuesday 29 December 2009
Friday 25 December 2009
Christmas Day
I am having a blindingly good Christmas Day. All the wife's family round. Lots of drink, good food - mostly cooked by me- and no arguments or bad temper.
Life doesn't get much better than days like these.
Life doesn't get much better than days like these.
Thursday 24 December 2009
Christmas Eve In The Workhouse
Well really the Workplace but sometimes it feels like a workhouse. Anyway enough of this Bah! Humbug. It's Christmas.
Merry Christmas to you all. I hope you have a good one. Things are more or less set in my house. It will be a White Christmas as well which is always a bonus.It's time to overindulge and get sentimental.I am already thinking about how I ended up being 48 with a wife and an 18 year old son and sixteen year old daughter.
My wife has decided to not think about jobs for a few days and just enjoy the time with her family. My Sister- in- law and her husband arrived safely from Surrey so we are altogether.
My Mum and Dad drove from Norfolk to Stratford to spend their Christmas as they have done for the last 10 years on a SAGA holiday and then go to my sister's in Didcot. My brother and his family are settled and well so it's all OK for the holidays.
Not everyone will have a good Christmas due to illness, death, relationship breakdown, domestic violence or homelessness.So I urge you to make sure if you are lucky enough to not be in any of those situations that you enjoy yourself and thank whoever, or whatever, you believe in that you can enjoy this time of year.
For me, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without Phil Spector's Christmas album. If you don't already own it, then go and buy it on Boxing Day.You can buy it from most decent record shops or from here. It is well worth the fiver or so you will pay for it.
This track is not one of the usual ones you hear from the album but I like it and talk about a voice!. Enjoy your holiday!!
Marshmallow World-Darlene Love
Merry Christmas to you all. I hope you have a good one. Things are more or less set in my house. It will be a White Christmas as well which is always a bonus.It's time to overindulge and get sentimental.I am already thinking about how I ended up being 48 with a wife and an 18 year old son and sixteen year old daughter.
My wife has decided to not think about jobs for a few days and just enjoy the time with her family. My Sister- in- law and her husband arrived safely from Surrey so we are altogether.
My Mum and Dad drove from Norfolk to Stratford to spend their Christmas as they have done for the last 10 years on a SAGA holiday and then go to my sister's in Didcot. My brother and his family are settled and well so it's all OK for the holidays.
Not everyone will have a good Christmas due to illness, death, relationship breakdown, domestic violence or homelessness.So I urge you to make sure if you are lucky enough to not be in any of those situations that you enjoy yourself and thank whoever, or whatever, you believe in that you can enjoy this time of year.
For me, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without Phil Spector's Christmas album. If you don't already own it, then go and buy it on Boxing Day.You can buy it from most decent record shops or from here. It is well worth the fiver or so you will pay for it.
This track is not one of the usual ones you hear from the album but I like it and talk about a voice!. Enjoy your holiday!!
Marshmallow World-Darlene Love
Wednesday 23 December 2009
Let It Snow
The second time I have used that title for a blog entry.
Well it's not so much snow falling more the existing snow refusing to melt. Today the temperature was 2degrees centigrade when my wife dropped me off at work.That's the warmest it has been all week.So Friday night's heavy snowfall is still present on the side roads and all the pavements outside the centre of Newcastle. This is making walking to and from work quite arduous , hence me getting lifts from the wife.
She is not too hopeful about her interview yesterday with a leading Registered Social Landlord for a one year contract Change Management job. Still she is in a for a further interview in the New Year.
My son arrived home last night. He seems much the same only more grown up, he seems a bit taller as well.He's got a nasty cough so his mum is already fretting about him.
My daughter was out for another meal last night. Monday night Scalinis at the Three Mile Inn and yesterday evening she was at Unos in town.The Quayside was eerily quiet and some bars didn't appear to be even open.
Christmas is around the corner. Yaaaaaaaay!!!!
Well it's not so much snow falling more the existing snow refusing to melt. Today the temperature was 2degrees centigrade when my wife dropped me off at work.That's the warmest it has been all week.So Friday night's heavy snowfall is still present on the side roads and all the pavements outside the centre of Newcastle. This is making walking to and from work quite arduous , hence me getting lifts from the wife.
She is not too hopeful about her interview yesterday with a leading Registered Social Landlord for a one year contract Change Management job. Still she is in a for a further interview in the New Year.
My son arrived home last night. He seems much the same only more grown up, he seems a bit taller as well.He's got a nasty cough so his mum is already fretting about him.
My daughter was out for another meal last night. Monday night Scalinis at the Three Mile Inn and yesterday evening she was at Unos in town.The Quayside was eerily quiet and some bars didn't appear to be even open.
Christmas is around the corner. Yaaaaaaaay!!!!
Monday 21 December 2009
Christmas No.1
So Rage Against The Machine beat little Geordie Joe to No.1 in the Nation's Chart. I am pleased with that. His Miley Cirus cover The Climb is an abysmal tune.A Disney pop song by numbers.Does it mean anything that RATM are number 1.Probably not. I did download the song Killing In The Name from Amazon (for only 29p!!)but i doubt it will feature much on my MP3. Never liked RATM much musically although they had their moments. Liked the politics though so I am happy they are No.1 especially if gets some more young people to start to question the world they live in more. If they do we will see some real change.
Still snowing here in Newcastle today but very lightly. My walk to work today was a winter wonderland as snow was falling, all around me. There weren't any children singing though. (Thank you Shakin' Stevens for that thought)
Still snowing here in Newcastle today but very lightly. My walk to work today was a winter wonderland as snow was falling, all around me. There weren't any children singing though. (Thank you Shakin' Stevens for that thought)
Friday 18 December 2009
It's (almost) Christmas Time
Last proper day of work today. I'm in next week but usually it is very very quiet
The first snowfall of the winter here has made it seem much more christmassy- it was pretty cold last night and on my walk to work this morning my ears were ringing with the cold despite my woolly hat.
We took our daughter to the Doctor's yesterday as her cold/flu/whatever was not clearing up. The GP suspects swine flu!! He has prescribed some anti biotics, but not the Tami flu stuff.
I m already sick of Christmas songs because they are always playing the same songs again and again on the radio and as much as I like Frosty The Snowman I am already sick Of Bruce Springsteen telling me I'd better watch out.
There is , however, a new Christmas song by one of my long time favourites - Billy Franks. Billy was the voice and inspiration behind the sadly underachieving 80's band Faith Brothers. Regular readers will have noticed a couple of their songs that have been posted on this blog. Billy is still recording and gigging- around London mostly-_and recently featured in a film "Tribute This"
Anyway here is a link to his song Christmas in Jersey
It will only cost you 79p and its worth it.
Here is a link to his My Space site and his own website where you can buy more of his stuff -including Faith Brothers releases very reasonably.
The first snowfall of the winter here has made it seem much more christmassy- it was pretty cold last night and on my walk to work this morning my ears were ringing with the cold despite my woolly hat.
We took our daughter to the Doctor's yesterday as her cold/flu/whatever was not clearing up. The GP suspects swine flu!! He has prescribed some anti biotics, but not the Tami flu stuff.
I m already sick of Christmas songs because they are always playing the same songs again and again on the radio and as much as I like Frosty The Snowman I am already sick Of Bruce Springsteen telling me I'd better watch out.
There is , however, a new Christmas song by one of my long time favourites - Billy Franks. Billy was the voice and inspiration behind the sadly underachieving 80's band Faith Brothers. Regular readers will have noticed a couple of their songs that have been posted on this blog. Billy is still recording and gigging- around London mostly-_and recently featured in a film "Tribute This"
Anyway here is a link to his song Christmas in Jersey
It will only cost you 79p and its worth it.
Here is a link to his My Space site and his own website where you can buy more of his stuff -including Faith Brothers releases very reasonably.
Wednesday 16 December 2009
Wednesday Week
Another long gap in my updates of this Blog.Not much to report really, Christmas is coming, I'm getting fat- too many mice pies already!!
My wife didn't get the job she was interviewed for last week. She had an interview for another job yesterday and I hope she gets that one. Failing that she has an interview for another job next week.
My daughter is back at school but still not 100%.
Music wise it has been a quiet week, although I did pick up a boxed set of Velvet Underground Singles-different versions to the albums. Not exactly cutting edge but I was inspired to do so by watching a 6 Music Hub session of Little Boots and Gary Numan doing a version of Venus In Furs. A beautiful woman singing a song about sado masochism to an electronic beat, I mean what's not to like about that? Shame about the old bloke in a very bad wig who was also on the video.
You can buy the boxed set here
You can see the session here
Edit 17/12/2009 I see the session has been taken down.Shame but you can still see Little boots singing another of her songs.
My wife didn't get the job she was interviewed for last week. She had an interview for another job yesterday and I hope she gets that one. Failing that she has an interview for another job next week.
My daughter is back at school but still not 100%.
Music wise it has been a quiet week, although I did pick up a boxed set of Velvet Underground Singles-different versions to the albums. Not exactly cutting edge but I was inspired to do so by watching a 6 Music Hub session of Little Boots and Gary Numan doing a version of Venus In Furs. A beautiful woman singing a song about sado masochism to an electronic beat, I mean what's not to like about that? Shame about the old bloke in a very bad wig who was also on the video.
You can buy the boxed set here
You can see the session here
Edit 17/12/2009 I see the session has been taken down.Shame but you can still see Little boots singing another of her songs.
Tuesday 8 December 2009
101 er
I didn't realise I had reached 100 posts. That's not bad for a project I thought I would get bored of very quickly. Not yet time for a year end review so I'll move on.
My wife has been finished for a week now. In that week she has applied for three jobs and has an interview tomorrow for one of these. Less money but it is within the NHS- a world she knows. Anyway, fingers crossed.
She is doing voluntary work for the West End Refugee Service which she is finding frustrating and emotionally draining.I am trying to keep her positive and trying very hard to make her do things. Preparing for Christmas helps. She is at least sleeping better.
My daughter is not well still but not taking anything.
The dog is very confused by the change in routine and my wife being off work.
This song popped up on my MP3 player on my walk to work this morning. I love this song.
What- Soft Cell
This version is better than the original- as was their cover of Tainted Love.
My wife has been finished for a week now. In that week she has applied for three jobs and has an interview tomorrow for one of these. Less money but it is within the NHS- a world she knows. Anyway, fingers crossed.
She is doing voluntary work for the West End Refugee Service which she is finding frustrating and emotionally draining.I am trying to keep her positive and trying very hard to make her do things. Preparing for Christmas helps. She is at least sleeping better.
My daughter is not well still but not taking anything.
The dog is very confused by the change in routine and my wife being off work.
This song popped up on my MP3 player on my walk to work this morning. I love this song.
What- Soft Cell
This version is better than the original- as was their cover of Tainted Love.
Tuesday 1 December 2009
Frosty Tuesday
First frost of the Winter. It's not a particularly bad frost. But it is cold. Cold, bright,still, no wind- thank God. The great lakes of water on the moor created by the torrential downpours of Friday night and Saturday have a thin layer of frost on them. Some of our waterlogged pots had frost covering their tops.
It was a cold but refreshing walk to work today.
It's my wife's first day of not working. She was up earlier than normal but seemed OK. Apart from six months after we graduated this is the first period of her not working in 28 years.I'm not sure how she'll cope. But its got to be better than having her crying every night, hasn't it?
This is a song from a different era. I can't say I was a huge Chelsea fan but they had their moments.
Right To work- Chelsea
It was a cold but refreshing walk to work today.
It's my wife's first day of not working. She was up earlier than normal but seemed OK. Apart from six months after we graduated this is the first period of her not working in 28 years.I'm not sure how she'll cope. But its got to be better than having her crying every night, hasn't it?
This is a song from a different era. I can't say I was a huge Chelsea fan but they had their moments.
Right To work- Chelsea
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