It's that strange time between Christmas and New Year when days are short and you don't know whether to join the Sales crowds or sit in front of the television eating all those "litle treats" you bought for the festive season.
And so here I am sat in front of the TV eating chocolate biscuits feeling the excess weight go on around my gut.
The sister and brother -in-law have gone, back down South for the New Year, taking the In Laws with them as usual. The son departed from Central station at 9:30pm last night, back down to London, where his heart lies.
So we are left with the daughter and dog.The house a bit quieter and tidier wondering what to do with ourselves.
Chocolate biscuit anyone?
Saturday, 29 December 2012
Wednesday, 26 December 2012
Christmas Lists
Another year draws to a close. Some years go by slowly, meandering their way through the seasons. This year has flashed by in a blur of rain.
And now it’s Christmas and what has happened?
The children are growing into nice, well-adjusted adults. It’s a pleasure to be with them.
The wife has got stuck in at her new job, and it has been confirmed as a permanent contract, so we can plan longer term again after two years of short term plans.
The dog is a bit calmer than he was now he is 10 but is still mad.
Music wise it hasn’t been a vintage year but there have been some very good albums released this year. These have been my favourites of the year.
Alt-J Awesome Wave is an intriguing album. Not sure if it was worthy of the Mercury prize but it is good intelligent pop,the slightly contrived vocal styling puts me off a bit. Matilda is my favourite track on the album.
Allo Darlin- Europe. I was a bit disappointed by this one but there are some gems on it Tallulah being the best.
The Distractions – The End Of The Pier Again like Allo Darlin’s offering I was a bit disappointed but probably only because the weight of expectation that was on this one. It is a well-produced and well played album. The Summer I Met You has become, for me at least, the stand out track.
The Wedding Present- Valentina. A good solid album. Some future classics ( End Credits, The Girl From The DDR,524 Fidelio ) but other good songs too. Not as good as Take Fountain but better than El Rey.
Field Music- Plumb. This band are sort of Steely Dan/Talking Heads like and I have the same sort of love hate relationship with them as I do with those two bands.But there is no denying that this is good intelligent stuff.
Keane- Strangeland . My guilty secret? I like Keane, they aren’t great and entirely unoriginal but they are dependable and very nice to listen to.
Sharon Van Etten -Tramp . I discovered her thanks to Jools Holland’s show. This is a good album, reminiscent of Patti Smith yes but good stuff.
Roberto Fonseca- Yo . I was brought up on jazz and I love Cuban Son and Salsa but Fonseca goes beyond both and including African rhythms takes this album to a new level. I saw him at The Sage earlier this year. Mesmerising and hugely enjoyable.
Paul Weller- Sonik Kicks Not my favourite Weller album but It’s pretty decent.
The XX – Coexist Good follow up to their debut. Angels is haunting.
Tuesday, 25 December 2012
Sunday, 23 December 2012
Posh Do It Again
Posh win 5-4 against Bolton. Two wins in a row. That means ,based on our earlier season performance, we'll lose the next 10.
Now is not the time for that sort of thought though. It's the Sunday before Christmas and we are off the bottom of the League. It is the season of goodwill and it's a nice early Christmas present for my son and me. Talking of the boy, he seems to be recovering from his flu and getting back to something like normal.
My daughter is at work at a national clothing and furniture store on out of town retail park. Commerce goes on.She is at work at 6.30 am on Boxing Day for those sad or desperate souls who can't bear the thought of not being able to shop for one whole day of the year.
I'm listening to Embrace and their Abbey Road Sessions album as I type this. Not very seasonal but I haven't played any of their songs for a long time and it is nice to hear them in full flow again.
Maybe a new album this year, lads?
A short day day at work tomorrow and then its a week off.The dog is pacing round and anxious for his walk so I'd better get off into the gusty, windy and sunny ( for a change) day.
Merry Christmas to to you all, thanks for reading this.
Now is not the time for that sort of thought though. It's the Sunday before Christmas and we are off the bottom of the League. It is the season of goodwill and it's a nice early Christmas present for my son and me. Talking of the boy, he seems to be recovering from his flu and getting back to something like normal.
My daughter is at work at a national clothing and furniture store on out of town retail park. Commerce goes on.She is at work at 6.30 am on Boxing Day for those sad or desperate souls who can't bear the thought of not being able to shop for one whole day of the year.
I'm listening to Embrace and their Abbey Road Sessions album as I type this. Not very seasonal but I haven't played any of their songs for a long time and it is nice to hear them in full flow again.
Maybe a new album this year, lads?
A short day day at work tomorrow and then its a week off.The dog is pacing round and anxious for his walk so I'd better get off into the gusty, windy and sunny ( for a change) day.
Merry Christmas to to you all, thanks for reading this.
Thursday, 20 December 2012
Christmas Songs 3
Christmas is less than a week away.
We've done the late night dashes into town, the food for the Big Day is planned, the cheese is bought.The cheeseboard located and lovingly cleaned in preparation.
The children have returned home and suddenly the house is alive with noise and clothes and shoes are all over the place. My son is , as usual, not well and consequently grumpy. The daughter is , as usual, well just herself.
Meanwhile the visits about welfare reform go on in houses where it is colder inside than out because people can't afford to put the heating on. The tears when you tell them their , already low, income is going to get reduced further.
Then there's the families where you go into their houses and it's beer cans on the floor and in hand . Or those cans of energy drinks that are so popular. Shouting at each other and the place stinks of dog, sweat, fried food and cigarettes. Half naked kids running around desperate for attention.
Then there's the ones working in the low paid retail or care services who are trying their best and for whom these changes will make it just that bit harder to get by. They have just come in from a long day/night and are just too knackered to take it in.
And then there are the ones with 48 inch flat screen HD TVs Sky + box, 4x4 in the driveway and pictures of this year's two weeks in Benidorm on the digital photo album scrolling away. The ones who don't bother turning the TV down as you go through the changes. Who aren't bothered as they know they will continue to get the cash in hand work in the black economy and still claim.
The one thing they've all got in common is that they all smoke. We are supposed to ask them not to smoke when we are in their houses ( advice from our H&S guys) but to be honest I gave up doing that years ago. People get cross when you ask them not to light up.
I haven't really come down as being either for or against these changes, my heart says I'm against but my head tells me something needs to change. Whether it is this way or another way is the bit I don't know.
Out on the estate doing these visits in my company fleece and coat and uniform I got stopped by a bloke calling out from a White Van asking did I want to buy a memory foam mattress for Christmas. Top quality and cheap apparently. I declined the offer.
Another Christmas Song. The Wedding Present again. I like this song although most fans don't.
Holly Jolly Hollywood- The Wedding Present
We've done the late night dashes into town, the food for the Big Day is planned, the cheese is bought.The cheeseboard located and lovingly cleaned in preparation.
The children have returned home and suddenly the house is alive with noise and clothes and shoes are all over the place. My son is , as usual, not well and consequently grumpy. The daughter is , as usual, well just herself.
Meanwhile the visits about welfare reform go on in houses where it is colder inside than out because people can't afford to put the heating on. The tears when you tell them their , already low, income is going to get reduced further.
Then there's the families where you go into their houses and it's beer cans on the floor and in hand . Or those cans of energy drinks that are so popular. Shouting at each other and the place stinks of dog, sweat, fried food and cigarettes. Half naked kids running around desperate for attention.
Then there's the ones working in the low paid retail or care services who are trying their best and for whom these changes will make it just that bit harder to get by. They have just come in from a long day/night and are just too knackered to take it in.
And then there are the ones with 48 inch flat screen HD TVs Sky + box, 4x4 in the driveway and pictures of this year's two weeks in Benidorm on the digital photo album scrolling away. The ones who don't bother turning the TV down as you go through the changes. Who aren't bothered as they know they will continue to get the cash in hand work in the black economy and still claim.
The one thing they've all got in common is that they all smoke. We are supposed to ask them not to smoke when we are in their houses ( advice from our H&S guys) but to be honest I gave up doing that years ago. People get cross when you ask them not to light up.
I haven't really come down as being either for or against these changes, my heart says I'm against but my head tells me something needs to change. Whether it is this way or another way is the bit I don't know.
Out on the estate doing these visits in my company fleece and coat and uniform I got stopped by a bloke calling out from a White Van asking did I want to buy a memory foam mattress for Christmas. Top quality and cheap apparently. I declined the offer.
Another Christmas Song. The Wedding Present again. I like this song although most fans don't.
Holly Jolly Hollywood- The Wedding Present
Tuesday, 18 December 2012
Posh May Not Be Down
Last week I posted that Posh were down and out . And then on Saturday they only go and beat Cardiff , the League leaders, 2-1. Away from home as well. Football as Jimmy Greaves always said, is a funny old game.
So now I am, with the usual football fan’s groundless optimism, thinking we will survive in this league and push on for the play offs ( as they say).
That is until Saturday when no doubt we will get beaten.
Friday, 14 December 2012
Christmas Songs 2
I got soaked to the skin today as I trailed round the Council Estate ( Housing project for readers in the USA) knocking on doors to give people the good news that as they were under occupying their home by one or more bedrooms and were claiming rent rebate their benefit will be cut come next April.
Maybe because we are so close to Christmas most people took it well.
20 visits down just another 800+ to go.
To get me ( and I hope you) back in the festive mood. here is another Christmas Song.
This one is from the only Christmas Album you really ever need to have in the house. (Phil Spector's A Christmas Gift For You in case you were wondering)
Here Comes Santa Claus
Maybe because we are so close to Christmas most people took it well.
20 visits down just another 800+ to go.
To get me ( and I hope you) back in the festive mood. here is another Christmas Song.
This one is from the only Christmas Album you really ever need to have in the house. (Phil Spector's A Christmas Gift For You in case you were wondering)
Here Comes Santa Claus
Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Christmas Songs
Come on everybody it's time to get merry for the Festive season.
It's the work Xmas meal out tomorrow night on the Quayside so I'm getting in the mood.
Here is a song to get you all in the mood. From their mop up box set of a few years ago How The West Was Won here are The Wedding Present
White Christmas
It's the work Xmas meal out tomorrow night on the Quayside so I'm getting in the mood.
Here is a song to get you all in the mood. From their mop up box set of a few years ago How The West Was Won here are The Wedding Present
White Christmas
Tuesday, 11 December 2012
Sunday, 9 December 2012
Dave Brubeck RIP
Another hero gone.
Time Out is a classic album. Released in 1959 it was a record I grew up to as my Dad played it regularly. It still sounds fresh today and that is the mark of great music.
Here is a piece in The Guardian which you should read if you've never heard of Dave Brubeck before.
Time Out is a classic album. Released in 1959 it was a record I grew up to as my Dad played it regularly. It still sounds fresh today and that is the mark of great music.
Here is a piece in The Guardian which you should read if you've never heard of Dave Brubeck before.
Saturday, 1 December 2012
Wintertime
Yesterday morning was one of those glorious North East winter mornings,all cold and icy, clear blue skies and the smell of half frozen earth filling your nostrils. It felt good.
Today is the 1st December and the start of the Christmas fun in this house. Although we are a bit behind, two houses in the street already have their trees up, decorated and lit up.
Today is the 1st December and the start of the Christmas fun in this house. Although we are a bit behind, two houses in the street already have their trees up, decorated and lit up.
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