A hectic week at work this week. I have less than 50% of my team in due to holidays and sickness and I have spent most of the week answering the telephone.So much for the strategic side of my job.
At work the single status row rumbles on and trenches are being dug.Which side are you on, boys? (and of course girls and transgender colleagues) A review of our service is under way and most of us are fearful of the outcomes.
A colleague has been suspended for trying to enforce performance policies and has been accused of harassment and bullying. Our hostile, vindictive and incompetent management (always a very bad combination but in my experience all too common) have seized on an opportunity to take action against a long running thorn in their side.
At home this,our 25th wedding annniversary week has been quiet and pleasant, a warm glow of love and happiness all around us.
A nice contrast to the increasingly bitter and unwelcoming environment I face each day at work.
Holidays cannot come soon enough.
Friday 30 April 2010
Monday 26 April 2010
Cuba
After months of prevaricating and worrying if it is a good idea we have finaly booked a holiday in Cuba. We are going to be staying at Hotel Nacional de Cuba .
I am excited about this trip as we have been wanting to go for years. We were supposed to go the year my wife got pregnant with my son so it's been a long time coming. I love Cuban music, especially Son, so I hope to be hearing lots of it whilst sipping on a Mojito in the sunshine.
We want to get about as well so I will be planning a trip to Trinidad on the island.
Years ago we saw a Cuban band called Sierra Maestra play upstairs at The Riverside (RIP)here in Newcastle.A bizarre experience to see a band of old Cuban musicians playing to a packed club in North East England in the winter. All of Newcastle's middle class folkies were there plus me and the wife. I don't think I have ever seen as many beards together in one room before or since. The band were good and so tight as a unit like they had been playing together forever. They made it look effortless and it seemed like they could play all night.
Here is one of their songs
Dundunbanza- Sierra Maestra
The repetition of the phraases is hypnotic and I defy you not to at least tap your feet to this. Dundunbanza is a witch in case you were wondering.
I hope there are plenty of bands like them to see in Cuba
I am excited about this trip as we have been wanting to go for years. We were supposed to go the year my wife got pregnant with my son so it's been a long time coming. I love Cuban music, especially Son, so I hope to be hearing lots of it whilst sipping on a Mojito in the sunshine.
We want to get about as well so I will be planning a trip to Trinidad on the island.
Years ago we saw a Cuban band called Sierra Maestra play upstairs at The Riverside (RIP)here in Newcastle.A bizarre experience to see a band of old Cuban musicians playing to a packed club in North East England in the winter. All of Newcastle's middle class folkies were there plus me and the wife. I don't think I have ever seen as many beards together in one room before or since. The band were good and so tight as a unit like they had been playing together forever. They made it look effortless and it seemed like they could play all night.
Here is one of their songs
Dundunbanza- Sierra Maestra
The repetition of the phraases is hypnotic and I defy you not to at least tap your feet to this. Dundunbanza is a witch in case you were wondering.
I hope there are plenty of bands like them to see in Cuba
Friday 23 April 2010
Friday I'm In Love
Friday today,the working week is almost over. It's been a funny week at work. My desk,which normally is buried under letters and complaints and post it notes to ring people back,is surprisingly clutter free. It's not that I have worked any harder to clear it. It seems that it is just unusually quiet. It's like the post Easter holiday rush has not started. Maybe the volcanic ash cloud has stopped them all coming back from Seahouses or from their caravan " up the coast".
I'm off to St James Park for the promotion party tomorrow.I'm not particularly bothered and probably the match itself will be crap what with neither Newcastle nor Ipswich with anything much left to play for but my wife wanted to go. The things you do for love, eh? Our son , who is back up for the weekend refused to go on principle. He looked at me and shook his head and said "How can you?" " You'll understand, one day, son" I replied.
Talking of which,it is our 25th wedding Anniversary on Monday. Hard to believe that its been that long.It's been hard at times but we have made it through to a pretty big milestone.Regrets? I have a few but I still love my wife as much as I did 25 years ago. I just forgot how much for a couple of years.
Relations are up for the weekend, we will probably go out for a meal tonight no celebrations of our anniversary though. Our wedding was a small affair at Brixton Registry Office,just us and two witnesses.We got the bus back up the hill home and stopped off to buy toilet roll at the local shop on the way.Over the years we have forgotten about our anniverary but recently it has started to mean more to my wife. I'll have to go and get a small present for her- just to prove to her that I love her. The things you do for love, eh?
I'm off to St James Park for the promotion party tomorrow.I'm not particularly bothered and probably the match itself will be crap what with neither Newcastle nor Ipswich with anything much left to play for but my wife wanted to go. The things you do for love, eh? Our son , who is back up for the weekend refused to go on principle. He looked at me and shook his head and said "How can you?" " You'll understand, one day, son" I replied.
Talking of which,it is our 25th wedding Anniversary on Monday. Hard to believe that its been that long.It's been hard at times but we have made it through to a pretty big milestone.Regrets? I have a few but I still love my wife as much as I did 25 years ago. I just forgot how much for a couple of years.
Relations are up for the weekend, we will probably go out for a meal tonight no celebrations of our anniversary though. Our wedding was a small affair at Brixton Registry Office,just us and two witnesses.We got the bus back up the hill home and stopped off to buy toilet roll at the local shop on the way.Over the years we have forgotten about our anniverary but recently it has started to mean more to my wife. I'll have to go and get a small present for her- just to prove to her that I love her. The things you do for love, eh?
Monday 19 April 2010
Monday Monday
I was off work on Friday (continuing my deck cleaning duties in case you are wondering). Friday and Saturday were sunny and bright and a breeze, so typical of North East england was blowing. The sky was cloudless and blue. I had to wear sunglasses to treat my deck as the sun shone reflected back like a mirror from its beautifully cleaned surface!!! There was a smell of the seaside in the air and in the eerily quiet skies (no planes- volcanic ash from Iceland)you could hear above the muted traffic noise seagulls screeching.
It felt good to be off work for three days, there was more time to do those things you have to cram into the two day weekend, more time to do , well just nothing. I felt more relaxed this Monday morning when I woke up than I usually feel.
Weekends should be three days, not just a miserly two, every week.
It felt good to be off work for three days, there was more time to do those things you have to cram into the two day weekend, more time to do , well just nothing. I felt more relaxed this Monday morning when I woke up than I usually feel.
Weekends should be three days, not just a miserly two, every week.
Thursday 15 April 2010
Thick as Thieves
Back in the 80’s The Wedding Present sang “You Should Always Keep In Touch With Your Friends” and I remember thinking “Yeah, you should”. Although, of course I didn’t and haven’t.
My wife’s recent redundancy and the impact that this had on her friendship with two colleagues she thought she was close to has had me musing on the nature of friendship over the last few weeks. One of these friends has dropped my wife like a hot brick and quickly moved onto the new “gang”. A few other things have happened as well which has set me thinking and remembering.
The Jam song, the title of this post, is from their 4th album Setting Sons released in the autumn of 1979. I was 18 and I had left my small town on the outskirts of London to go to University in Manchester. I had been looking forward to leaving home and I was having a good time making new friends and, unconsciously, starting to let go of my school friendships.
It took a few years but by the early 1980’s I had next to no contact with my hometown friends. Some of them had gone off to Uni so were probably in the same position as me but some had left school to go to work and they were still at home and mostly close to my parent’s so really I didn’t have any excuse in letting their friendships die. But I did. And so did they.
And we really were as Thick as Thieves. We grew up together, got girlfriends together – well some of us did-, got into trouble together, went to gigs together, got drunk together, took drugs together (even ones that sent us to sleep.I remember one visit home in my first year when my friend Simon- who was working in the local hip record shop on his year out before going to Uni- found some pills in a batch of records. They were blue and we thought they were speed so we each took two in the local pub washing it down with a pint of bitter). They weren’t speed we discovered.
I got home late that Saturday evening and spent all the next day asleep not getting up until the evening. My parents were a bit bemused that their son who had come down for the weekend to see them had spent all day in bed. I had to make some excuse up about not feeling well.
Years later by which time we were living in London, I was sorting out my LPs and I pulled out the Setting Sons album for the first time for ages and played it and Thick As Thieves almost reduced me to tears.
Of course in those pre mobile phone and internet days it was much easier to let go. Nowadays you have less of an excuse. But I still do.
I can see my son struggling with same dilemma now. He is back up this weekend to say goodbye to his home town mates who are off on their Gap year travels. They are gone for 4 months travelling before they disperse across the country in September. Will he keep in touch with them? I don’t know. I will urge him to but I know he probably won’t listen to his old man.
Someone we both knew very well at University got in contact with us recently via Facebook. The first contact we have had in 20 years. I think we are all getting to that age when we look back and wonder what happened? Where did the last 20 years go? Why did we make those choices? Looking to make contact again with people who fell along the pathway of our lives.
I got a text at the weekend from my friend Mick who emigrated (I think I can say that now) to Belgium with his family last year. It was his new mobile number. He is settling in and trying to get to grips with the Flemish It reminded me that I need to maintain that friendship.
Two songs for you. The first is that Jam song. Weller was still a teenager when he wrote this. Hard to believe really. The second is an updated take on the theme from Jamie T.It's cruder in tone but just as effective nonetheless.
Enjoy them and the perhaps take time to make that phone call, text or send that e mail to that friend who you haven’t heard from in a while.
Here’s to you, Mike, Steve, Tony, Simon, Colin, Mark, Gary, Sue, Cleone, Richard and everyone else I have let go. If by chance any of you read this, get in touch via the email address. How are things in your world?
My wife’s recent redundancy and the impact that this had on her friendship with two colleagues she thought she was close to has had me musing on the nature of friendship over the last few weeks. One of these friends has dropped my wife like a hot brick and quickly moved onto the new “gang”. A few other things have happened as well which has set me thinking and remembering.
The Jam song, the title of this post, is from their 4th album Setting Sons released in the autumn of 1979. I was 18 and I had left my small town on the outskirts of London to go to University in Manchester. I had been looking forward to leaving home and I was having a good time making new friends and, unconsciously, starting to let go of my school friendships.
It took a few years but by the early 1980’s I had next to no contact with my hometown friends. Some of them had gone off to Uni so were probably in the same position as me but some had left school to go to work and they were still at home and mostly close to my parent’s so really I didn’t have any excuse in letting their friendships die. But I did. And so did they.
And we really were as Thick as Thieves. We grew up together, got girlfriends together – well some of us did-, got into trouble together, went to gigs together, got drunk together, took drugs together (even ones that sent us to sleep.I remember one visit home in my first year when my friend Simon- who was working in the local hip record shop on his year out before going to Uni- found some pills in a batch of records. They were blue and we thought they were speed so we each took two in the local pub washing it down with a pint of bitter). They weren’t speed we discovered.
I got home late that Saturday evening and spent all the next day asleep not getting up until the evening. My parents were a bit bemused that their son who had come down for the weekend to see them had spent all day in bed. I had to make some excuse up about not feeling well.
Years later by which time we were living in London, I was sorting out my LPs and I pulled out the Setting Sons album for the first time for ages and played it and Thick As Thieves almost reduced me to tears.
Of course in those pre mobile phone and internet days it was much easier to let go. Nowadays you have less of an excuse. But I still do.
I can see my son struggling with same dilemma now. He is back up this weekend to say goodbye to his home town mates who are off on their Gap year travels. They are gone for 4 months travelling before they disperse across the country in September. Will he keep in touch with them? I don’t know. I will urge him to but I know he probably won’t listen to his old man.
Someone we both knew very well at University got in contact with us recently via Facebook. The first contact we have had in 20 years. I think we are all getting to that age when we look back and wonder what happened? Where did the last 20 years go? Why did we make those choices? Looking to make contact again with people who fell along the pathway of our lives.
I got a text at the weekend from my friend Mick who emigrated (I think I can say that now) to Belgium with his family last year. It was his new mobile number. He is settling in and trying to get to grips with the Flemish It reminded me that I need to maintain that friendship.
Two songs for you. The first is that Jam song. Weller was still a teenager when he wrote this. Hard to believe really. The second is an updated take on the theme from Jamie T.It's cruder in tone but just as effective nonetheless.
Enjoy them and the perhaps take time to make that phone call, text or send that e mail to that friend who you haven’t heard from in a while.
Here’s to you, Mike, Steve, Tony, Simon, Colin, Mark, Gary, Sue, Cleone, Richard and everyone else I have let go. If by chance any of you read this, get in touch via the email address. How are things in your world?
DMCA
These lot are getting rather irritating. They are obviously crawling Blogger to find music related posts. Despite me already amending one post they have sent a notification again.Cunts!
Monday 5 April 2010
Posh Are Down
So it came to pass. No surprise really as it has been on the cards since the first month of the season.We are down but are we out? We are going to finish the season with a new manager- our fourth as Gannon has decided not to stay. Gary Johnson ex Bristol City is the guy.
How many of our "star" players will stay? Actualy apart from Boyd and Makail- Smith I think the rest of them will still be there in August.
My wife is happy as The Toon are back up "where they belong " (trademark Geordiesaredeluded .co.uk). I'm not bitter (much) I hope they go straight back down.
How many of our "star" players will stay? Actualy apart from Boyd and Makail- Smith I think the rest of them will still be there in August.
My wife is happy as The Toon are back up "where they belong " (trademark Geordiesaredeluded .co.uk). I'm not bitter (much) I hope they go straight back down.
Friday 2 April 2010
Home Maintenance
A couple of years ago we decided to redo our back garden and had decking put down. It looks nice but two years on it needs cleaning and protecting. This is hard work. I have been finishing off the bottom deck today.If it's dry tomorrow I will treat it with our deck protector stuff. I've still got the top deck to do. I have been waiting until it was safe to go out the back door without risking the builders who are doing next door's extension dropping the odd roof tile on my head. They have finished that now so this Easter weekend I know what I will be doing.
The torrential downpours of earlier in the week meant a roof leak and water penetration in our bedroom. Tuesday night was a bit like sleeping in a tent in a downpour and the water dripping into the strategically placed buckets kept us awake for a couple of hours. Anyway T P Dillon roofing contractor is coming over the weekend to renew the hip and ridge tiles and cement and sand fillet and replace some of the more perished rosemary tiles on our 75 year old roof. I am hoping that is all that is needed to stop the rain coming in.
Today is Good Friday of course. Mr Dillon himself said he never used to work on Bank Holidays but "it's all different now". Indeed it is.
We had to go shoppping to buy a new Dyson today.Shoppping on Good Friday still doesn't feel right and I'm not even a bit religious.
What with Leeds Festival tickets x 2, roofing contractors to pay and a new hoover this week is turning out to be a very expensive one.
The torrential downpours of earlier in the week meant a roof leak and water penetration in our bedroom. Tuesday night was a bit like sleeping in a tent in a downpour and the water dripping into the strategically placed buckets kept us awake for a couple of hours. Anyway T P Dillon roofing contractor is coming over the weekend to renew the hip and ridge tiles and cement and sand fillet and replace some of the more perished rosemary tiles on our 75 year old roof. I am hoping that is all that is needed to stop the rain coming in.
Today is Good Friday of course. Mr Dillon himself said he never used to work on Bank Holidays but "it's all different now". Indeed it is.
We had to go shoppping to buy a new Dyson today.Shoppping on Good Friday still doesn't feel right and I'm not even a bit religious.
What with Leeds Festival tickets x 2, roofing contractors to pay and a new hoover this week is turning out to be a very expensive one.
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