All going so well

Well, Christmas day was great. Santa came with his reindeer and left a lasting impression on our boys. Two chewed carrots and half a mince pie on a plate reinforced the seasonal belief considerably. I'll need to reinforce my teeth for next year ;-)




The rest of the day went as well as you could hope for on Christmas day. Presents, wrapping paper, music, snacks, naps, the Queen's speech, drinks, turkey, movies, mince pies, phonecalls, desserts, more drinks, more snacks, hugs and a multitude of mistletoe kisses. You couldn't have asked for a better day if you'd ordered it online.

Merry Christmas!

It was all going so well until, on Boxing day, my wife got a call about her grandad having to be taken into hospital. Needless to say, she rushed to her grandparent's side, along with nearby family members, getting an ambulance to deliver him to hospital where he is now having tests done to find out what's wrong.

Our thoughts are with him and we hope hope he makes a speedy recovery.

Christmas eve

It's the night before Christmas and I'm the only one awake. The boys went to bed without a fuss hours ago and the Mrs has fallen asleep in my arms. The calm before the storm. All hell is going to break loose tomorrow morning so one more drink then I'd better hit the sack. Merry Christmas. X

Music

Music is in my heart and my soul. I love so many different styles, from ancient Japanese drumming to modern alternative and almost everything in between.



I say almost, because I like to keep things like jazz and gabba at arms length. You'll have to ask my mate, Little Rob, about gabba. I heard it once and my brain has long since locked the memory safely away where it can do no harm. But all things considered, I really do like most styles of music. Which is not the way it used to be.

When I was young and full of life, nobody could tell me anything because I knew everything, already (sound familiar). And I knew that rock ruled. It rocked my world. I would listen in disgust to sugary pop tunes that floated around my ears in shops, restaurants and (when I was old enough) pubs. I would cringe when someone's parents tried to influence me with their favoured artists. But play me something with a tub thumping drum beat and some choppy guitar licks and I would soon be standing in a puddle of my own warmth, beaming like an idiot.

I'm still a rocker at heart, bands like Kings Of Leon and The Zutons keep me on the right track, but now I listen to bands that don't rock, yet still manage to get my blood pumping. If I'd mentioned to one of my friends, many years back, that I have all the Scissor Sisters albums, I would have been laughed at and ridiculed. To my face. My friends let you know, there and then, when you were making a bad call. Funny looks could follow you around for weeks and... Not really. But you did get told to "Get a life!". Which you promptly did.

"Maybe I won't get that INXS album, after all."

And then, when nobody was looking, I'd buy it, anyway. After all, everyone should own a copy of Kick. It's a classic. And over the years, I've acquired a fairly decent library of musical tastes. Many albums have been lost, lent or sold but what I have remaining paints an honest picture of my tastes. The band that kickstarted my musical adventure was Queen. I saw them performing on TV at Live Aid in 1985, so I would have been 12 years old, and they left one hell of an impression on that young boy. To this day, I still listen to their music.

Since then, I've treated my ears to so many artists. You don't have to read the list.

Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, John Lee Hooker, Willie Dixon, Massive Attack, Bjork, Leftfield, Groove Armada, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Amy Winehouse, Rage Against The Machine, Gorillaz, Black Eyed Peas, Lily Allen, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Madonna, The Velvet Underground, One Eskimo, Ray Charles, Alice Cooper, Lemon Jelly, Foo Fighters, Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix, etc.

The list goes on but the point I'm trying to make is that although I love rock and roll (sorry, I couldn't help it), I have opened my mind to many more styles of music and and as a result I'm far better off for it.

Try, try, try...

I'd written a blog a few days ago and I'm getting pretty fed up because it won't post!

WHY???

Christmas spirit?

I'm not really in the Christmas spirit yet. It was only today that I started shopping and that was only to ask the price of mistletoe. According to the florist, it'll only last about 7-10 days so I didn't actually need to get it this early.

#FollowTheBear

Ok. So, my Twitter alter-ego thing is working out quite well. I'm enjoying being someone else. Does that sound a bit creepy? Well, it's not!
I'm only having a little fun and sharing a laugh with other tweeters. Many of them are also fake and I think if you're up front about it then there isn't any harm. In fact, I really like the fake tweeters. They put a smile on my face.

Anyway, time for clue 3:
#FollowTheBear
(And that's as close as you'll get without actually knowing my @name)

R.I.P. Irvin Kershner

Irvin Kershner has died at the grand old age of 87. He is best known for directing what is arguably the finest Star Wars movie in the series, Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back.


I'm sorry to say, I know very little about this man. But he left us with a movie that has become unique, in that, the 'good guys' never won. There is so much more to this film and this man but as I said, I know very little about Irvin Kershner and the movie can speak for itself. Do yourself a favour and get your hands on a copy.
R.I.P. Irvin Kershner. May the force be with you.

Tweet & twidy

Having an alter ego on Twitter is really time consuming. Being myself was a doddle, tweeting as and when I felt like it. But having to do it as someone else as well, tweeting new followers and following new tweeters, well, it's a bit like being on stand-by. Never actually off.

Clue two:
I'm a cute cuddly bear.

My alter ego

I've been making mischief on Twitter by creating a fake account. Don't worry, it's nothing dodgy, I just felt like having an alter ego, rather like Stephen Fry has done with @MrsStephenFry, or Edna, as she prefers, and was curious to see how I would get on.
So far, so good. I'm following about a dozen related/similar tweeters and have posted a couple of tweets, dipping my toes, so to speak. I even plucked up the courage to have a conversation with another tweeter. Golly. I just might try it again.
I'm not going to publish my alter ego's @name just yet because I'd like to see how I get on with a clean slate. I'll let you know my @name all in good time. Give me a couple of months to find my feet and establish my roots, in a manner of speaking, and all will be revealed!
I'll be using this blog to keep you updated on any developments and dropping hints and clues about my @name from time to time.

First clue:
I'm not pretending to be real_person or even a FakeRealPerson.

My Boys

So, I'm on my way to collect my boy in London, which means an hours journey there and an hours journey back again. And I'll have to do the same again, tomorrow, when I return him to his mother.
It's a pain but I'd rather that, than never seeing him at all. I've already missed so much of his life. It's true that I've seen him every weekend for the last seven(!?) years but I still miss out on the everyday moments. The tapestry of his life, I suppose.
I'm never going to let that happen with my youngest son. I wish I could have both of them all the time because they are so good together. You should see those two making each other laugh. My Boys. Xx

Misfits

Misfits is on E4, tonight. I've only seen one episode of the new series and I'm loving it already. But considering how good the first series was, it was to be expected.
They've gone one better this time as characters from the programme can be followed on Twitter. It's a great twist and really funny. They're also on facebook but I just haven't got around to having a look yet.
If you have a few moments to fill, you can find them all by following this link:
http://www.e4.com/misfits/characters/profiles.html
What super power would I most like to have, I wonder? There are so many to choose from. What would you choose?

Before bed

I like to have a read before bed. Tonight, I'm reading I Shall Wear Midnight, by Terry Pratchet.


I'm not far enough into it yet to tell you the plot but it stars (if you can use that word about a fictional character) a young witch called Tiffany Aching and will soon guest star (see above) a well respected and highly feared senior witch, Granny Weatherwax. And don't mention the Nac Mac Feegles.

"Jings! Is some big job talkin' aboot us?"

I told you not to mention them.

F1 title showdown

The 2010 Formula 1 drivers championship went down to the last race in Abu Dhabi. Going into the race, four drivers were in with a chance of walking away with motorsports greatest prize:
Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, was ahead on points, followed by Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, and Lewis Hamilton, McLaren.
It looked like it was Alonso's title to lose and that's exactly what he did. Both he with Webber pitted early, shortly after a safety car period that was brought out to deal with a first lap accident between Michael Schumacher and Tonio Liuzzi, and that strategy effectively ruined their race as they got stuck behind a few cars that had already pitted under the safety car. This led to some very exciting racing and many bold passing attempts, succesful and otherwise. Meanwhile, Vettel and Hamilton, who would need a miracle to be world champion a second time, kept their heads, in first and second position, and got on with the serious business of trying to win the race. Jenson Button crept into third to take the final place on the podium and as the four contenders crossed the finishing line, scoring their respective points, Formula 1 gained a new world champion, Sebastian Vettel.

Just so you know

Just so you know, I won't be posting an F1 tweetblog, this weekend because it's the last race of the season and the championship decider. So, as you can imagine, I won't be able to do anything other than stare at the telly for two hours and make the occasional excited noise, let alone keep a record of the action.

What Friday feeling?

"Thank God/fuck (and I hope I never write those two words so closely together, ever again. That wasn't meant to shock you or cause controversy. I had intended to post a simple blog about "That Friday feeling" and how those phrases, over time, have changed their meaning for me.
When I was younger (!) it meant hooking up with as many friends as possible, drinking until I shouldn't and having the wildest time of my life. Now it means that I don't have to worry about what time I get out of bed on Saturday morning. And although the Mrs usually gives me a lie-in, our Wee Man doesn't.
But I'm not sure I should after that initial... Well, I don't know what you call a God/fuck combo but I want no part of it.) it's Friday".

Thunderstorm Thursday

I'm not looking forward to riding into work on Thursday. I saw the weather forecast on TV and it was like that scene in The Day After Tomorrow with the satellite predictions showing the end of the world. Except with rain and only south-east England. But all the same, my heart sank when I saw what I'd be riding through in the morning.
Don't forget an umberella, ella, ella.

From Tolkein to Pratchett

Another late night on the sofa. I started a new book, this evening, now that I've finished reading The Hobbit (Yes!). I didn't really enjoy it all that much, really. It was ok but I think I prefer Terry Pratchet and it's his latest Discworld novel, I Shall Wear Midnight, that has me up so late.
"A good man knows his limits" said Dirty Harry, or something similar, and mine are bounded by gags, pratfalls and pranks. I enjoy reading, especially if I get a good laugh out of it and Pratchett always puts a smile on my face.

F1 tweetblog, Brazilian Grand Prix

I'd like to point out that this blog was written under considerable stress as it was lost after 8 laps and then rewritten from memory. Then around halfway-ish it happened again, only this time I'd been saving it periodically and only lost a few laps. And throughout the entire race, my little boy was up to his usual antics, which included being taught how to drink from a cup (very messy).
I've decided to leave all mistakes in the blog as I think it'll add flavour. Possibly.

Much excitement, vettel passes hulk, then web gets past, hulk holds alon for several lap, bar hustles kub, vet web alo hulk ham, but 11th, lap 11, ham up julks bum, red bull and alonso running away, jenson pit for hard tyres, massa pits a lap later, but passes mas out of pits, everybody starts pitting for tyres, only lap 14, massa back in, loose wheel nut, hulk cones in, ham passes him, ham radio says go go go, ham says tyres going, but passes pet for 10th, lap 18, vet web alo ham msc ros bye job sut but etc mas 16th, no retirements, lew pit lap 21, ham but 6th&7th, plenty of action at interlagos, sut holds up sch, ham fastest lap 1:16.2, alonso pits lap 25 in 3rd ahead of rosberg, followed by Vettel for fresh tyres, Webber leads, lewis passes kob, web pits one lap after vet into 2nd place, all champ leaders have pit, vet web alo ham kob but ris sut sch etc, alonso radio says "we can't touch them (red bull)", halfway point, bar has puncture, pit crew ready with new nose, only tyres changed, sutil leads msc and 5 others in battle for 8th, 1:15.4 fastest lap for web, ros battling bob for6th, ros gets throgh, rub down to 18th, web may have understeer, lap 42, no change in position up to p10, Liutsi crashes at senna eases, safetty car depoloyed, ros pit crew didn't know if tyres need changing or what in the pits, ros back in again a lap later, lap 56 race restarts, vet web alo ham but ros sch hul kub alg kob bue etc, alo and ham fighting past lapped cars mix, buemi takes massa off for a moment, lap 61, huuuge battle behind sutil, fastest lap ham 1:14.082 lap 65, alonso gaining on web, top 5 champs in top 5 places, 5 laps remain, pet and mas come together at esses both continue, final lap, vet crosses the line followed by web, alo ham but ros sch hul kub kob,


red bull wins constructors world championship, the drivers title will go down to the wire next week in Abu Dhabi.

F1 tweetblog, Brazilian qualifying

Q1
We have standing water on the track, drivers nearly taking each other out, rivers forming, Hamilton's radio says rain on the way, Red Bulls leading time sheets until Alonso knocks them off, looks like Sutil's dropping out at half way point, Alonso radio just doesn't know what happening with rain, new intermediates, don't think any new team driver will make it to Q2, Red Bulls back on top, Kubica up to third, Bruno spins it at the Senna esses, still no rain, Sutil's last chance, doesn't make it, Alonso leads ahead of Webber, Vettel, Kubica, all new teams out.

Q2
Cars heading out on track, no rain, drivers trying to find space for a good run, Kubica leads, whoops, now it's Barrichello, usual suspects looking to drop out of Q2, Webber makes a 1:18.841, fastest lap so far, track must be drying, Hamilton radio asks for dry tyres, Lewis says maybe not, he gets fresh intermediates, Button tenth, too close for comfort, oops again, now he's eleventh, Massa only eighth, Button makes seventh with one hot lap left, Button squeezed out of Q2 along with Kobayashi, Rosberg, Alguessari, Buemi, Heudfeld and Luizzi.

Q3
Ten minutes count down, no rain falls, who will be the first to switch to dry tyres, Alonso on 1:17.794, Hamilton leads now ahead of Schumacher and Vettel, lots of cars coming in for slick tyres, Bartichello down in tenth, Kubica falls off at the bottom of the hill, followed by Webber, Hulkenberg on provisional pole, taken back by Hamilton, Vettel third, lap times falling, Alonso first, mugged by Hulkenburg, exciting stuff, Nico rocks Brazil ahead of Vettel, Webber, Hamilton, Alonso, Barrichello, Kubica, Shumacher, Massa and Petrov, wow, just imagine that a rookie will be on pole for the race tomorrow.

F1 here we come

I might do another tweetblog this Sunday as it's the Brazilian Grand Prix. I enjoyed doing it last time because it gave me another perspective on the race in Korea. Of course, I watched it live and enjoyed every moment but memories fade regarding small details and this is just another way for me to remember my personal highlights.
It's also my way of sharing the race with you lucky readers that didn't watch it. And just think, instead of spending two hours in front of the telly, you can spend two minutes reading the tweetblog and be as knowledgeable as any casual fan.
Neeeeeeeeoooooowwww

The lost heroes flashforward event

I'm losing interest in The Event, really fast. Not as fast as Flashforward, though. That only took one episode. It looked interesting at first but by the second episode I just couldn't be bothered to care. I caught a season or two of Lost on Channel 4 and was utterly hooked before it ran off with Sky TV. And then along came the series I'd been waiting for, Heroes. I managed to enjoy the first two seasons before Desperate Housewives clashed with it on the TV schedule. Bugger. The things you'll do to keep your wife happy. I never did manage to catch up after that.
And here we are again. Another series that keeps you guessing week after week after mind numbing/boggling week. Maybe I'll give it a little longer and see if it's any good. Or maybe not. Maybe I'll just keep you guessing.
;-)

Big bubbles, no troubles

I love being in the bath, surrounded by millions of tiny bubbles. I haven't counted them all but there's definately more than twelve because that's as far as I got before I closed my eyes and let myself drift away.
I didn't fall asleep. Not this time but i've done it before. Just closed my eyes and... Dot dot dot, indeed.
Well, anyway and other such things, I have another bath awaiting my attention. Yes, I will close my eyes and yes, I will drift but there absolutely will not be any...

Halloween reunion

I've had a terriffic Halloween this year, mostly because we spent it with some old friends and their children. I'd like to thank Emma and Gavin for having us over and making us feel so welcome in their home.




I must have seen Emma only once or twice in the last ten years but it felt like both days were just last weekend. It's such a shame that we lost contact in the first place and such a blessing that we've been reunited after all this time.
Good friends don't come along everyday.

Take That Tour

It was on the radio all day that tickets for the Take That tour were on sale and the phone lines were jammed and the Internet sites were crashing all due to the sheer demand for these shows. The mrs is a devoted Take That fan and has been doing everything in her power, including begging, threatening, calling in old favours and blackmail, to get her hands on a pair of tickets.
And why is this tour so special? Could it be because Robbie Williams has been reunited with his old (boy)bandmates again? I think it is. What Take That fan wouldn't sell her wardrobe to see the boys back in action one last time? It may never happen again.
Needless to say, she got her own way and is currently a very happy bunny.

Desperate for Discworld

I love reading, I do.
Mostly it's humour, mixed with fantasy or Sci-Fi and it's always escapism. Except when it isn't. By that, I mean it's always escapism except when it isn't...
It is when I'm sitting down, losing myself in an intriguing plot and laughing at the funnies.
It isn't when I'm reading other peoples blogs and catching the latest F1 news in my iPhones RSS app, which I can do anytime.
What I can't do is read any book of my choice, until I've finished the book I'm currently reading. I made a promise to myself. It won't be much longer but until then, Terry Pratchett's latest Discworld novel, I Shall Wear Midnight, will sit on my bookshelf, teasing me.
I love reading Pratchett, I do.

On his feet

Today, Freddie stood up on his own for the very first time. It was great to watch because we didn't encourage him in any way. He just decided that he wanted to stand up. And he did. Before promptly falling on his behind with a bump. But that didn't stop him from trying again and again and etcetera.
I'm dead proud of the little fella. Look out world.

Rain, rain, go away

Rain, rain, go away
Come again another day

Ok, so it's been wet recently but, you've got to admit, we've had a really good summer. It hasn't been a scorcher and it hasn't had endless days of glorious sunshine. What we got instead was a few good weeks, here and there, of sunny days that didn't burn the skin off your face.
For me, the temperature was the best part of summer 2010. I can't bear the cold, my body just shuts down, and most people I know find the heat uncomfortable. So, these past summer months have kept everybody happy. It's only now, in October, that the weather has a bite to it.
I can live with that.

Christmas. Yes, already.

It's that time of year again.
New albums and greatest hits compilations are being released, along with blueray and DVD movies, games and consoles and a whole multitude of wonders that catch your eye and steal your breath away. But I'm not getting any of it. At least, not yet. I'm compiling a Christmas list of (almost) everything I'd like this year because I've always been stuck in the past when friends or family ask what I want.
Well, not this year. I'm going to be prepared. I used to be a cub scout when I was a boy.

F1 BlogTwit

#f1 Waiting for the race to get going at the Korean Grand Prix.
Twitter for iPhone • 24/10/2010 07:24


Sums up the moment... http://twitpic.com/30dfn4
Twitpic • 24/10/2010 07:26
retweeted by @LeesMyth
24/10/2010 07:36


#f1 The Korean fans are having fun with the TV cameras *waves & smiles*
Twitter for iPhone • 24/10/2010 07:38


LMAO RT @charlie_whiting:Sigh. Rubens is now complaining that Michael blocked him on the way to the toilet. Stewards are looking into it #F1
Echofon • 24/10/2010 07:41
retweeted by @LeesMyth
24/10/2010 07:42


#f1 I could have been tucked up in bed instead of this!
Twitter for iPhone • 24/10/2010 07:46


“@charlie_whiting: Ok, raise your hand if you want me to bring in the Safety Car? #F1” Consider my hand raised.
Twitter for iPhone • 24/10/2010 08:25


#f1 Safety car in this lap. Yaaaaay!!!
Twitter for iPhone • 24/10/2010 08:41


Webber & Rosberg both out of the Korean Grand Prix. #f1
Twitter for iPhone • 24/10/2010 08:47


#f1 More safety car action(!) at the Korean Grand Prix.
Twitter for iPhone • 24/10/2010 08:52


One of the title contenders was always going to do that...
web • 24/10/2010 08:48
retweeted by @LeesMyth
24/10/2010 08:53


“@eddstrawF1: What Vettel just said is German for "Now I've got full points stop this race asap"” ha ha ha.
Twitter for iPhone • 24/10/2010 10:22

F1 TweetBlog

Got up at 6:45, Rain for 1&1/2 hours, safety car parade laps, Korean Mark Webber crashed out taking Nico Rosberg with him, safety car out again, tyre choice crucial, cars flying off all over the track, more safety car action(!), Sebastian Vettel still leads, Adrian Sutil moves up the field then drops back down again, race moves over to BBC2, Vitaly Petrov crashes big time, getting dark, will we reach full race distance before the race is stopped, 10 laps to go, Vettel's engine blows up handing lead to Fernando Alonso, love the final corner before pit straight, Jenson Button spins but keeps it on the track, final lap, chequered flag.

Race results:
1st Alonso
2nd Hamilton
3rd Massa

Driver's Championship
1st Alonso
2nd Webber
3rd Hamilton

Constructor's Championship
1st Red Bull
2nd McLaren
3rd Ferrari

Black and white

I'm sitting at home, watching Sin City, all black and white with little splashes of colour and everything. This reminds me of childhood memories, watching old black and white movies and new colour movies and coming to the conclussion that the whole world used to be black and white "in the olden days". To me, at such a young age, this seemed reasonable because all the black and white movies were set in the past and all the colour movies were set in the present. Thank god my train of thought never included silent movies(!)

The red button

I was going to bed late last night, just after 02:00, when something made me check an F1 app on my iPhone. Imagine my surprise to discover that the first free practice of the new Korean track was currently in session. As quick as a flash, I was back in front of the TV, watching it live.
And it's all thanks to the BBC red button.

Kicking The Hobbit

I'm reading J. R. R. Tolkien's classic, The Hobbit. I have been for some time. Years, in fact. I started the book in primary school and still haven't finished it. I've got about a hundred pages to go and it's real slow going.
Just to set things straight, I'm not a slow reader, it's just that I barely read the first couple of chapters when I was a child before being tempted away by something shiny, I imagine.
Years later, I came across the book in Waterstones and resolved to finish what I started when I was small. And here's the problem, the book just doesn't grab me. I could put it down and say I was right first time but I'm determined to reach The End.

eBay

We're trying to set up an eBay account. There is much swearing and cursing. I fear for our sanity.

Grrr!

I had decided upon the subject of today's blog around lunchtime, but it went completely out of my head after I got a text from my ex. I won't go into the details of the text here except to say that it involved me having to travel to Orpington and back, twice, if we wanted to spend any time with Tom this weekend.
From Harrow, that's no small ask. It's more than a couple of hours, there and back and that's not even taking into account things like tube work being carried out and having to take a rail replacement bus or two.
I'm telling you, things are gonna change.

Monday... Again?

I really didn't feel like going into work this morning but then again, who does? I do it to myself every week. Friday night, Saturday, Sunday, all well and good until, Da Daa Daaaa...
Monday Morning.
Why does it surprise me every week? It's not like it's never happened before, is it? We all know what's coming. But for me, Monday morning always catches me out.
Well, it's over now. I'm going for a long, hot soak in the bath.


;-)

A grand day out

I've had a really nice day with the family. Lou and I took Freddie to see the swans, geese and ducks at the Ruislip lido.
We made a small detour on the way to a craft market that we spotted from the bus.
After taking a few pics at the water's edge, we climbed aboard this little train, which Freddie loved, that took us to a carvery and our Sunday roast.
We plan to do this again when Tom is with us.