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tired
| this had better work mind - I was annoyed last time |
Posted: 12:16, Friday, August 29, 2008 |
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Right as rain
Why is rain 'right'?
A quick check on google says that its with regards to a sense of "satisfactory", and "security" - so that to have rain is ergo, a secure and good thing.
Marvellous I suppose if your reservoir is a wee bit low. Mind, absolute bobbins if your guttering is minced and your window frame rains in at 4 in the morning.
Which is when I have to get up.
Thus and therefore my splendid holiday comes to an end.
I'll tell you about it later - it was mint. |
Posted: 12:07, Monday, August 4, 2008 |
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Drinking in the morning sun...
In the North East, we have a fantastic coast. You might not realise it, but its there to see every day if you wanted to - sauce for the soul if ever there was one.
Sunday I completed the Pier to Pier - a run from South Shields to Roker. Its 7ish miles - but the beauty of it is that it starts and finishes on a beach snaking its way along the cliffs - seagulls above and even below you.
I've ran in quite a few races - but to start on Shields' beach - with the sound of the waves almost drowning out the footfalls and the heavy smell of salt in the air - what a inspiring start to a Sunday trip out.
The run's course isn't fixed - all that the organisers ask is that you stay off the roads and footpaths. This means that your route is pretty much along the footpaths along the cliffs - from Shields, past the Grotto, out round Souter Lighthouse, along past the Whitburn firing range, along the sands at Seaburn and then round across the Cat and Dog steps to finish on Roker Beach.
If you've never visited the coast up here - you're treated to views such as these
..I'd have pictures of the race, but well... I was in it.
And its when you're running or walking or cyclying along that coast that you understand what a magnificent coast line we have. No wonder it was so oversubscribed that they were turning late entry runners away.
I did a very reasonable time.
Well done to all those who had a hand in organising and hosting the event and congratulations to everyone who took part - I look forward to running it next year. |
Posted: 10:33, Monday, May 19, 2008 |
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Smiling Makes The Day Go Quicker
Much has happened since the last blog entry.
An Important Fact is that I am now mostly promising not to judge a band on the presence of an accordian, and the fact that the bass player looks like two 9 year olds sneaking into a gig with one balancing on the other's shoulders and wearing their dad's raincoat. So, to makeup I recommend catching a listen to Tankus the Henge, and investing the princely sum of three english pounds on their CD.
Another Important Fact is that the WII Fits is brilliant. If you don't have one, close down the computer, go to a shop and buy a WII, and a WII Fit. How addictively brilliant are they? HG Jnr spent most of the weekend running on the spot to try and get the fastest time. Ms HG II endeavoured to get a record in tight rope walking which involved a lot of balancing and concentration. Even Ms HG I, normally a slave to type of teenage apathy and listlessness was an avid hula hoop player. Beautiful Girlfriend has achieved a faultless downhill slalom and a record ski jump ... which is by no means a anything to do with the the fact I shall be up early erm.. improving my posture and balance.
A final Important Fact is that it is two weeks to the London 10k, and I'm in 2 minds as to whether to rock up and do the Pier to Pier this year. |
Posted: 08:47, Monday, May 12, 2008 |
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You and your friend
I had the pleasue of representing the team of people who helped Mr & Mrs Hazey put Hazey's book together - here's what I paraphrased for the quite splendid evening that was organised on Saturday :-
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Last October/November time, I can’t quite remember when, a couple of people had the idea to nudge Hazey to get his blogs into print. By this time, Hazey’s blogs were widely read – I know he took great pride in writing them, great pride in receiving the comments, PMs and emails that people felt inspired to send to him – his writing touched a lot of people. I know he got quite intrigued by the idea – I’ve an email from December
“And once again, thank you all so,so much for all the work you are doing, I really appreciate it a massive amount, I cant wait to have my book in my hands, it'll be absolutely ace : )”
I’d like to think he was looking forward to someone lying in a hammock, enjoying reading his writing – obviously it’d be quite a substantial hammock, given the size of his book.
I was part of a team of people helping Hazey get his blogs into print – AB22, Pebbles, PS, MBH and Bad Mother were all involved in editing and worked with Hazey on getting pictures and covers and titles sorted and as well as all those who helped in the promotion and testing of the website.
And then it was January ,and we had an end. We worked with Mrs Hazey to get the book to the where it is at today.
It has all Hazey’s blogs – from the tedium of choosing a Waitrose sandwich for lunch, to the joy of a really excellent poo – from the exasperation of standing behind pensioners in the supermarket to the exhilaration of standing on Beachy Head with his new wife. These were not just Dull Ramblings – there is a wit and intelligence in his writing, a joy in life that is indeed inspiring.
I hope you enjoy reading and re-reading Hazey’s book – in one of his last entries Hazey wrote
I just want to say that I feel privileged to have had this space to talk in and to have so many people listen to me and enjoy my writings. It really has given me a sense of purpose these last few months, but it has also been so rewarding that it finally feels like I am doing something worthwhile with my life, by hopefully inspiring you lot and giving you a giggle - I hope! Despite all my recent issues, I am still thinking „Well yeah, fuck you, I‟m going to have a fucking great Christmas no matter how hard you try to ruin it, my dark friend‟. These trials can only hurt you if you let them. I always bear in mind that time inevitably passes. This will all be a memory (a bad one) soon enough, as will everything. So when you see everyone today, all your loved ones, all your distant relations, bear in mind that time passes, things change, people live and people die. We just have to make the most of the now. So to avoid it being a bad memory, instead of thinking „what a chore‟, the day will be thinking about how much you love your family and each of their personalities, because one day they won‟t be there. And one day you won‟t be there. So truly cherish the moment. Laugh, smile, hug, and revel in their company. Because it is a cliché, but a trueone that life is so terribly fragile that you really need to appreciate it and the time we get. You never know when something could strike like it has struck me, out of the blue. At 30 years old. I look back even a year today to what was the happiest day of my life. I had proposed to Liz on wind-swept deserted Beachy Head in the freezing cold as we hugged each-other to keep warm. It truly was the most perfect moment I could ever have dreamed of. That night if someone had told me then what I am going through now I genuinely wouldn‟t have believed them. So hang on to each other, its all we have and just…… love.
It has been an honour to have worked on this book.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you – My Dark Friend by Greame Kerton. |
Posted: 01:01, Monday, March 31, 2008 |
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Every day I spend my time
drinking wine... well not *every day*, that would be pushing the love too far. And, erm... its not always wine. But, I'm listing to 'In a Broken Dream' by Python Lee Jackson featuring Mr R Stewart - which I purchased after hearing it on the wireless during RADCLIFFE & MACONIE. So thats the blog title and I don't care, there I go. The track only appears to be on a collection album, which is not that much of a pity as the rest of the collection is pretty fun too.
"Why aren't you at the match you lay about" I hear those who have thought about the posting time, and compared it Sunderland's fixture list.
Bad Back. My wounds won't leave a scar apparently - which'd be nice.
This has knacked my training for triathlons and for runs for a good 2-3 weeks.
Bottom.
I did go out to watch HG Jnr play in the county cup this morning - but towards the end, I was in a dire position of affirming my beautiful girlfriend's supposition that I'd get all agitated and knack it again. Can't have the ladies being so obviously right *all* the time. So, I came home and have opened a cheeky bottle of red wine for erm.. medicinal purposes. I've also got my eye on some pickled onion Monster Munch, oh the heady lifestyle I lead.
After checking results with HG Jnr, it appears Sunderland didn't win that cup either :(
I've been sorting out the final bits of the hazeybook website. Almost good to go; should be able to buy stuff next week.
I've seen the preview copy - and if I can say so - its mint. Its not a 'stuff in your pocket and read on the train' book mind, it is a weighty tome. We thought about doing an abridged version - but that is not how we sold the idea to him. Contrary to the reporters at the Sunderland Echo, we were sorting out the book along with Graeme's input, he did have a lot of ideas that we've tried to stick to. Its A4, it 550+ pages: this is "A Book", as is befitting I think. Originally, I vaguely recall there being 'Volume I' in the title; but that was before Christmas.
Still, I'd reckon he'd be very proud of what is coming, and if you do buy a copy - either in the book form, or the PDF version - I hope you enjoy it.
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Posted: 05:06, Sunday, March 9, 2008 |
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Enjoy yourself
this weekend if you're in the North East - go to the Baltic and see Mark Titchner's exhition - which is the first exhibition I've seen in a long time that left me feeling impressed and wanting to instill a sense of 'go see this' to other people
If you're in London, you'll have to settle to looking out for 'art on the underground' pictures as one of the current set is one of his.
Go See This Exhibition.
It is very good. |
Posted: 11:12, Thursday, March 6, 2008 |
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If you tolerate this
I'm dead set against ID cards - I've mentioned this before but I'm quite happy to say again. I've signed up to www.no2id.net.
I'm also firmly with my shoulder against the door that lets in a national DNA database - and thats regardless of the killers it may find. Buts thats another blog.
There are many reasons I abhor the introduction of these systems. I'm happy to gloss over my competency in IT and my workings for central government; my knowledge of their incompetence in the same field. I'm happy to walk Las Ramblas and ignore other people's real intent, but identification schemes under the guise of 'security' are a down and out block of mine, your liberty.
Fundamentally, I feel its a base attack on your right, my right, our right to be a citizen in the UK; that the instigation of these things, is an attack on the very concept that fundamentally you, I, we walk these streets innocent. That we allow the government to govern, rather than the government allow us to be citizens.
And don't give me that 'I'm innocent what do I have to hide' line - I see that as a base acceptance of your denial of right to innocence - and thats wrong as wrong can be . The onus should not be on you to forgo your status of innocence to the state, but for the state to prove that your innocence is not valid.
I do not accept that attack on the right of a citizen.
If you were to review newspaper cuttings of the inglorious days of the IRA' Troubles' there was no concept of having to have an ID card, cameras on your doorstep - yet now, now its acceptable for some reason.
But even if we disregard that - your government sees fit to spend millions of your money introducing yet *another* form of identification when we already have passports, we already have national insurance numbers, health numbers, driving license numbers, birth certificates - why introduce another system?!
The recent changes have tempered original proposals, now its "later" before ID cards are introduced. Only some people *have* to have them. But why? Whats wrong with security measures in place now. Will it still be *illegal* for these people to have them? like it was before?
If their introduction is intended to 'stop terrorism' - why only give them to students and foreign nationals? Why waste the money that could be spent on the NHS, or schools, or public transport or ... well just about anything else really?!
I woke up this morning to the sounds of Radio5 live hailing the new refocused id card scheme and I started shouting and possibly foaming at the mouth. I know my beautiful girlfriend turned off the radio until I'd calmed down.
Its late now and I've an early appointment - but if you've been affected by this blog, complain.
Because if you tolerate this ... its your children that will be next.
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Posted: 10:56, Thursday, March 6, 2008 |
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Schoolgirls they, eighteen and under
Quite scholastic, truant free. And I wonder, how I wonder at the glory of such a treasurable performance.
My valentine date was my Gran, who I took to see her great grand daughter perform as "Chorus Man with Minor Speaking Part" in St Anthony's Opera presentation of Bill and Art's The Mikado.
Pebbles had helpfully furnished me with the plot - which seemed to contain a lot of poo and tits. Odd, for a Catholic girls' school, but there you go. Mind, it was not necessary. As I'm always prone to forget, in such higher culture performances as this, you're provided with a short plot summary in the program. Its not like watching the telly, where you have to do something as common as guess what is coming next. No, no, when its opera darhling, you can skip through the plot to find out what happens in the end, then rest easy and enjoy the ride. Nothing could be more satisfactory; if only for the fact no one interrupts the dialogue with a loudly whispered, 'what's going on?'.
There appears to be license to change the lyrics to suit in Bill and Art's work - swapping lines to fit the mood and times of the audience. Nothing wrong with that I suppose, I suppose it means that it keeps you on your toes while at the same time allowing for the fact that you are right, and we are right so happily all is right, is right as right can be. Especially when its suggested, by the Emperor of Japan, non the less, that bringing up your daughter to support Newcastle is morally wrong.
There was a bit of a how-de-do at the end - a local resident had had a bit of a Falling Down moment and was threatening a Dreadful Fate - namely slashing tyres and blockading cars that were blocking a drive. I toyed with going out and telling Shoutybearhead to calm down, perhaps his suit fitting had tipped him over the edge. However, it turns out it was a woman with a dog - so I'd have not been able to help the situation at all, if anything - I'd have made a bad situation worse
Still - an excellent performance, very enjoyable, one happy gran, one proud dad - both keen to watch the forthcoming DVD that's eclipsed the new Indy film *and* Star Trek on my 'to see list'. I look forward to the next one.
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Posted: 12:29, Friday, February 15, 2008 |
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He ain't heavy, he's my brother
As you get older, you don't spend a lot of time with your family. You move away maybe. You get your own families, and they have their own demands on your time. Your lives move in different directions. You end up meeting at churches and at Christmas. You rarely get just to 'hang out' . While we're on the way to 'there', it can be often that families don't get to share like maybe they should.
And recently that has indeed started to get me down. So its more the pity, and something that should change.
While working down in London I got to 'hang out' with my younger brother a bit more. It was very enjoyable. I think we learned a lot from and about each other. We have amusing stories to tell: we have our Planes Trains and Automobiles moments. I enjoy spending time with my brothers - its always enlightening and fulfilling when we take time out to sit down and 'shoot the breeze'. Its amazing what you learn. A new years resolution was to make more effort to do that, I'm not doing that badly I think. It can be an effort, but a worthy effort.
So, on we go. What with appointments and planning and diaries an' that I managed to be able to get to take my little brother to the pictures this evening. Luckily, he is not 6 - like I always think he is when people ask how old he is. He is in fact 26. He found out that I was not in fact 40. I like to think we kind of averaged out both being right. Which was nice.
He even paid.
I'm still in shock, for thats not the sort of burden he bears.
Cloverfield was our movie of choice. We'd seen trailers when he tagged along to watch Transformers with the kids. 'Monster runs amok in New York' can be the summary - and HOW it runs amok. A terrific film - and I'm using 'terrific' here in the full 'terrified, terrible, fear, calamity, horror' sense. Stunning. Essentially the premise is "this is a film found in central park 'after' the 'event'" - so the film's viewpoint is from a hand camera, oddly shot 'home' movie perspective of a creature attacking downtown NY. How they've combined the CGI creature footage with the 'home movie' is pretty seamless and beautifully done.
Its not often I come home and want to tell people about a film I've seen - I've seen some good films recently Charlie Wilson's War for instance, I liked the craic in Bee Movie - but 'come home and must talk about' well there is little except for Transformers and Hairspray, but then nothing sticks out until Million Dollar Baby.
Cloverfield is 'on the edge of your seat' stuff. You *know* what is coming. And what is coming is Not Good. Its classic movie horror - terrible events are rarely shown in full blooded gore. The awful events are implied: a scream; a splatter; a shaking figure in a hunched aftermath of frozen terror with half uttered phrases of incomprehension.
Gripping.
Sometimes, its difficult to watch.
It is one of the few films I've seen with no music score. It misses nothing for it.
Rocking up as two blokes in a cinema of couple was an odd experience mind. It did seem to be all eyes on the gay couple. I will have to advise my brother on not wearing the tight fitting t-shirts when we go out. What was slightly comedy was listening to the comments on the way out: as each couple left there was either a female '*i'm picking the next film' or a bloke 'well, that was canny wasn't it pet'. I expect there'd be a lot of unsaid conversations on the way home from SR1 this evening.
My brother and I had a very nice curry ably supplied by the good people at Midnight Moon. I would comment on those who decide that 'chips' are an appropriate side dish for a decent curry but quite simply, words fail me.
So in conclusion - go see Colverfield, if you are in Sunderland, have a curry at Midnight Moon - I can recommend the padina gosht and saag aloo - but don't go dressed as a construction worker and a native american, people get the wrong idea.
Luckily, we're strong enough to carry on. |
Posted: 11:29, Sunday, February 10, 2008 |
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In the cold cold night
I wonder if its time to leave the heating on when I go away down to London. Although thinking on, that'll probably incur a sizeable carbon footprint - which will mean there'll be a polar bear going belly up or something. Alternatively, I could leave the heating on and subscribe to Trees for Cities to offset it in some way; or, I could talk to my electronics mate and rig up some whizzy remotely controlled heating system that I can activate when I get to around Seaham so that the worst of the edge is taken off of it.
Or, I could sit in the house wearing a coat and a scarf with the old, paint covered ,rust filled radiators gently spitting out warmth ... like what I'm doing.
Today I drove up from that there London. Its been an evening of mess on the roads. The local tube station had had a nasty accident just outside - I'm hoping that the pool of liquid by the side of the road was a result of attempting to clean the blood with water rather than a massive pool of blood. On the way up, the A1M was shut around J42 due to some multi-vehicle pile up; possibly due to the terrible gales which did help to make the drive up slightly more character building than it normally is.
My apologies to PS - I did tune in to Radio3 this evening after Stuart and Mark had finished their stint on Radio 2 (which was again most excellent, not only for the excellent 'chain' tracks and 'life enhancing quotes', but for also Elbow's new single which I will be purchasing) specifically to listen to 'Late Junction' - but instead I caught Night Waves and Artist Focus. At the time 'twas interesting, but not what I was expecting. Pity I missed Marcus du Sautoy mind on Night Waves, he's an interesting chap.
Anyhoo - instead I find *now* that Late Junction is on much erm... later - d'oh!. At that time I'd subjected myself to Pickups - which was a whole half hour of my life I could have done something more useful with. Honestly, if you feel the need to listen to that show, go stare at a wall for 30mins, it'll be more life enhancing.
Anyhoo - the erm.. highlight of my entire trip up was driving a small stretch of new road in Sunderland. And with that, I have finally become my dad - if life really was Star wars, we'd now be in The Empire Strikes Back, I'd be Luke, and I'd have accepted the offer :(
When I was small, I went to school in Grangetown for all but a couple of early doors months at Redby. During my time there, the council knocked down a load of houses round by the Hendon Grange pub, and a small row that used to be set between the railway lines. Twas for the 'new' east ring road. Its here if you're interested.
Now. the google map is out of date - but it looks (as of 01:52 1/2/08) similar to when I were a lad. But *now* - now its got a 50mph road running through it - effectively running the length of Ivor St as it is on the map.
I got excited by driving along it! How sad is that ?! it was going to be 'built' when I was at junior school - its taken nearly 20 years to sort out. And now its here. I'm going to write an unashamed... mint! Just simply because now its been built.
I used to live on the St Aidan's estate. erm.. twice. When I moved there the second time, the solicitor warned the road might be built...I lived there for years and moved away and it was still no closer to starting. And now its there. No more play park, I expect. I remember when I was a kid some guy had a garage there with a load of old cars in and it burned down. I recall sitting in a burned out wreck out and hoping that it'd be there all the time as it was the coolest thing I'd ever been in. The garage would've fallen in to the embankment. I remember there being a detached house that was gutted and a mecca for kids on their way home as some sort of massive adventure playground. If my children are reading this - not for *me* obviously, that would be wrong. And ...if they're not - yeah me! - and it was a welcome return because there used to be an old house and allotments where there is now (or was) the football pitch.... I might be dreaming that mind - I used to be convinced there was a big wooden fort down in the cut just off of Benedict Road in Roker - but I went to look once and it wasn't there. Pity, as it was splendid - if you've ever been to Flamingo Land in the fort, or even Lightwater Valley when they had one - it was similar, but smaller... in "my mind" by all apparent evidence.
When I win the lottery I'm going to build one - that'll teach my memory.
The knacker.
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Posted: 01:21, Friday, February 1, 2008 |
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It takes balls to be a woman
Miles Run 12
Miles Cycled 2.5
Miles Swam 0
Triathlon Confidence Rating: Not that High Really, especially as thats the same numbers as last time
Woman's Hour - isn't it brilliant? If you've not listened to Woman's Hour then you should. Make time. No one is *that* busy. It is worth the effort. I've really no idea why they don't podcast it: possibly its because they think their target audience will be available to tune-in mid morning weekdays between coffee mornings and knitting lessons an' that. In any other situation, that'd be considered sexist - but not for the producers of Woman's Hour - Woman's Hour thinks "pah - we're above all this 'everyone is equal nonsense'" - thats how 'on the edge/against The Man' it is. Brilliant!
I did of course today catch the omnibus edition - my drive down to London from the north east and the inevitable rage against IT sales audi drivers tempered by the best bits from last week.
In a previous job I used to arrange meetings so I could be in the car when it was on.
Normally its only Mr Radcliffe, or very good friends, that makes me buy impromtu iTunes purchases - but now my beautiful, but sleepy, girlfriend is the proud owner of a Liz Cook country classic - (partly because I may have forgotten this is not my laptop).
What other radio programme can have a bloke, who has driven 270 miles, carried a load of luggage up 6 flights of stairs, then traveled across London on the tube, got slightly lost, and rocked up in a pub to say - 'do you know what, I fancy a pint...and by the way you should read a book by Simone de Beauvoir called 'The Second Sex' as it sounds incredibly inspiring and well worth a read*'.
And I really wanted this blog to be about getting my tooth out, which knacked a lot afterwards, but was very well done and I can recommend Park Lane dentists: although sadly, I did not get 50p despite the tooth being under the pillow all night.
Still, Woman's Hour - mint.
* actually I could neither remember the author, or the title - which in all fairness is very detaily - but I did remember the quote (skinch on the detail as a quote is not 'detail') - "One is not born a woman, one becomes one", which even though I'm not a woman, I could understand as a profound and inspiring statement - and as the father of two daughters one that I think would be useful to keep in the back pocket. |
Posted: 11:26, Saturday, January 26, 2008 |
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Send in the clowns
Miles Run 12
Miles Cycled 2.5
Miles Swam 0
Triathlon Confidence Rating: Not that High Really
Not even Jesus had a third coming. |
Posted: 11:55, Thursday, January 17, 2008 |
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Nothing lasts forever
Miles Run 8
Miles Cycled 0
Miles Swam 0
Triathlon Confidence Rating Not that High Really
Blokes are competitive, its a simple fact of life. Can you run faster? Can you lift more? Can you leap further? Can you pee higher up the wall? If you fart, does it smell ranker?
Everything and anything can be a race, a competition.
Early doors on here, it was a simple competition to blog more. Maybe I was the only one in the race. Maybe not. Either way, using Blokes Rules - Subpara 3, Clause IV, Amendment F, it doesn't matter if you are the only person who considers it a competition - that effectively makes it a competition.
To be honest, theres no fun in it anymore, now its just a blog.
Once its all settled, its the little things you miss that really get you isn't it? |
Posted: 08:05, Tuesday, January 15, 2008 |
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