I am sort of feeling like Christmas now. We have started to decorate the house and the majority of the snow has gone so I can put the lights up outside.
This year though it doesn't feel really like Christmas just yet. My office christmas party (ha-ha) is on Wednesday and that might get me in the mood .After that I'll be winding down for Xmas.
Monday, 13 December 2010
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
Too Old To Rock n Roll??
Every so often a song comes along that speaks to you in a fundamental no nonsense way and gets into your head and into your heart. This song is one such song. This is an anthem for all us who fall in love with any guitar and any bass drum.
And, yes, even at my advanced age, I still believe as well
Frank Turner - I Still Believe
And, yes, even at my advanced age, I still believe as well
Frank Turner - I Still Believe
Monday, 6 December 2010
Self Destruct Time Again
Newcastle United have sacked Chris Hughton. If you follow this Blog you'll know I don't care too much for The Toon. I thought maybe this season, after last year's relegation they might have, worryingly for me, decided to act sensibly and not do anything daft. Luckily for me, they just couldn't resist fucking up again.
I don't have any inside information and there are already thousands of web pages about this so I'll just say I feel for Chris Hughton. He seemed too good and reasonable for the club anyway.
I don't have any inside information and there are already thousands of web pages about this so I'll just say I feel for Chris Hughton. He seemed too good and reasonable for the club anyway.
Friday, 3 December 2010
Tales From The Frozen North
The temperature today at 8am was - 9c.
My wife decided to use the car to go to work today. After half an hour de- icing the vehicle and digging her out of the drive and the road when she got stuck in the snow and ice, I was knackered. I decided to get the bus rather than walk.
Apart from the fact that it actually took longer for the bus to get me to my place of work than it takes me to walk it ,due to the traffic, snow, ice and completely useless drivers, what struck me was the amount of people getting on the bus who didn’t have Geordie accents and clearly had no idea about public transport (tip for you all : do not try and pay for a £1.60 fare with a £20 note- the drivers do not like this).
Normally in any city the people who use buses (apart from the obvious students) are local working class people. They know the vagaries of the public transport system in their city e.g. two buses arriving at once, rude and irascible drivers, unpredictable last minute route changes, bus driver road rage. They understand that you just never know who you are going to get a seat next to (if you’re lucky enough to get a seat). Will it be the drunk, the weirdo, the smelly old man, the woman with nursery age kids who climb all over her and you? Or will you sit in the seat just vacated by the incontinent old age pensioner you helped off the bus and realise too late that that smell and that strange damp feeling in your trousers is exactly what you think it is. (This has happened to me)
My daughter and her mates call a bus the”Poverty Wagon” which is harsh but I understand where they are coming from.
My wife decided to use the car to go to work today. After half an hour de- icing the vehicle and digging her out of the drive and the road when she got stuck in the snow and ice, I was knackered. I decided to get the bus rather than walk.
Apart from the fact that it actually took longer for the bus to get me to my place of work than it takes me to walk it ,due to the traffic, snow, ice and completely useless drivers, what struck me was the amount of people getting on the bus who didn’t have Geordie accents and clearly had no idea about public transport (tip for you all : do not try and pay for a £1.60 fare with a £20 note- the drivers do not like this).
Normally in any city the people who use buses (apart from the obvious students) are local working class people. They know the vagaries of the public transport system in their city e.g. two buses arriving at once, rude and irascible drivers, unpredictable last minute route changes, bus driver road rage. They understand that you just never know who you are going to get a seat next to (if you’re lucky enough to get a seat). Will it be the drunk, the weirdo, the smelly old man, the woman with nursery age kids who climb all over her and you? Or will you sit in the seat just vacated by the incontinent old age pensioner you helped off the bus and realise too late that that smell and that strange damp feeling in your trousers is exactly what you think it is. (This has happened to me)
My daughter and her mates call a bus the”Poverty Wagon” which is harsh but I understand where they are coming from.
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
Snowed Under
One week later and it is still here. More than ever. It has snowed every day for a week now. My front garden is under three to four feet of snow and it is up to the height of the decking in my back garden.
My daily walk to and from work has turned into some army like assault course of clambering over piles of snow that are 2 foot high or bigger. My local council is obviously saving its grit as yes the main roads are passable, it's just that no one can get out of their drives into the street to get to them. Buses are fewer, Metros are packed. We are all pissed off. Constantly worried about food (rumours have started that the supermarkets are running low on supplies) every day we wonder are we going to get to/from work OK. There was spectacular lightning and thunder on Sunday night just before midnight which in that strange eerie night bright light of the snow made it seem like the end of the world. It spooked everyone who saw it. Me included.
To make matters worse it snowed within the M25 radius last night so consequently its the lead item on the national news.Like it has never snowed before.
The dog has gone doolally and literally runs like a wild thing through the snow every time we go out. As he is small black dog this looks quite funny when he emerges covered in the snow. The thing is though it sticks to his fur in little clumps and takes ages to get off when we get back from his walk.So I spend 5 or 10 minutes wrestling the dog- he is an excitable terrier who just wants his post walk treat- in the cold and wet to try and dry him off before letting him into the house
Me and the wife were supposed to be going to Edinburgh this weekend Christmas shopping. I think we will have to rearrange that trip.
I'm dreaming of a slightly damp, grey Christmas.
My daily walk to and from work has turned into some army like assault course of clambering over piles of snow that are 2 foot high or bigger. My local council is obviously saving its grit as yes the main roads are passable, it's just that no one can get out of their drives into the street to get to them. Buses are fewer, Metros are packed. We are all pissed off. Constantly worried about food (rumours have started that the supermarkets are running low on supplies) every day we wonder are we going to get to/from work OK. There was spectacular lightning and thunder on Sunday night just before midnight which in that strange eerie night bright light of the snow made it seem like the end of the world. It spooked everyone who saw it. Me included.
To make matters worse it snowed within the M25 radius last night so consequently its the lead item on the national news.Like it has never snowed before.
The dog has gone doolally and literally runs like a wild thing through the snow every time we go out. As he is small black dog this looks quite funny when he emerges covered in the snow. The thing is though it sticks to his fur in little clumps and takes ages to get off when we get back from his walk.So I spend 5 or 10 minutes wrestling the dog- he is an excitable terrier who just wants his post walk treat- in the cold and wet to try and dry him off before letting him into the house
Me and the wife were supposed to be going to Edinburgh this weekend Christmas shopping. I think we will have to rearrange that trip.
I'm dreaming of a slightly damp, grey Christmas.
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