Sunday 31 December 2017

Two Thousand and Seventeen Years So Far ... and I Want More


Five years ago I published a pretty good post about getting older here  with one or two useful profundities (if that's a word, well it is now) , and as we come to the end of 2017 we start thinking about what we will do in the new calendar year. Personally it's going to be another year of doing more, rising to challenges , rediscovering my social mojo, actually playing on the virtual orchestra I have stashed in our back room, actually watching TV series , seeing films and reading books.

I have four recent books of fiction to get through two by Philip Pullman and two by John Niven which I'm looking forward to, and well as numerous new challenges at work which will be great fun to take on.

Some days I would like a longer lie in, but today was typical, I woke up at seven and thought I may as well get up wash and shave and shower , then maybe go back to bed, but then I think I may as well get up.

This year I have started walking maintaining a rolling Million Steps every three months and that has reduced my insulin intake by over sixty per cent. I might do even better if I lived off cucumber lettuce and kale but that would be very boring indeed, although cucumber subs are a great alternative to bread subs and therefore better for you , even though they may not seem that appetising. They are best eaten in summer and I used to make them a lot when I worked from home.

I've got to give thanks to everyone who has been there for  me , helped me, made me laugh , encouraged me , played  games with me , eaten with me, and made this a great year for me. I know 2018 will be even better.

So what is a great playout record for 2017. In September we lost Holger Czukay, but in the seventies I remember him and Can lighting up Top of The Pops with the brilliant "I Want More" which is a perfect sentiment to see out the old year and see in the new.

Happy New Year everybody .... Make it Brilliant.

Saturday 30 December 2017

Tiny Steps


Today was the day I expected to record my lowest step count (the lowest is 2,800 last year at Helmsley), the footpaths are icy with melted frozen snow, and that is melting, leaving a treacherous skid pad and I had something fairly heavy to bring back from Aldi about a mile away. That's nomally about 2,500 steps but when I got there I'd covered over 4,000 steps and at first that my step recorder is screwed, but then I thought..... becaus the paths are so bad I am staking smaller steps to make sure I don't end up slipping, so although the distance is the same the steps are double what I expected.

I'm back home now but thought I would post this as an example of something becoming clarified when you look and the whole picture. These days so many people are reactionay and focus on a very small area without looking at the bigger picture, I nearly did today.

Anyway I know this is a short post but it's an excuse to include the amazing "Tiny Steps" by Elvis Costello, have a brilliant last Saturday of 2017 everyone.

Friday 29 December 2017

La Belle Sauvage


As you know a lot of my writing and posting is influenced by the books I am reading. Recently all the books have been factual or biography, but I an glad to be reading a hefty slab of fiction that Fiona got me for my birthday (two months back). It's La Belle Sauvage (Book of Dust Vol 1) by Philip Pullman, it seems to be a prequel to the "His Dark Materials" trilogy, and half way through is absolutely brilliant , though I am sure it will never be made into an American financed film, give it's portrayal of religious authority and the Church. I'm currently watching SSGB and can see certain parallels between the two, with group manipulation and spy rings.

The intro from the book flap reads:

"Philip Pullman returns to the world of His Dark Materials with this magnificent first volume of The Book of Dust."

"Eleven-year-old Malcolm Polstead and his dæmon, Asta, live with his parents at the Trout Inn near Oxford. Across the River Thames (which Malcolm navigates often using his beloved canoe, a boat by the name of La Belle Sauvage) is the Godstow Priory where the nuns live. Malcolm learns they have a guest with them; a baby by the name of Lyra Belacqua . . "

So that should give you a taste for it

It's the day after the coldest night of the year so I am not sure if I will walk all the way into work, though I only need to do 2K steps to hit my month's targer which is good.#.

As we have a little snow and it's the fifth day of Christmas I am going to play my favourite Christmas song ever "The Christmas Song" by The Raveonettes. It's Friday the last one of the year , enjoy your weekend , I hope it;s a long one and a great one for you all.

Thursday 28 December 2017

Coldest Night Of The Year


They're saying it will be the coldest night of the year. When I was coming home it certainly felt like that. There are dustings of snow and lot's of ice, and I am not certain I will get to walk in tomorrow. I thought I would take the bus but I ended up walking while listening to David Bowie's "Christane F" soundtrack.

My page views have doubled over the past week or so. I'm not sure if it's because of the holiday or something that pushes it to the top of some queue so that more people see it and read it. It's probably the former but would be interesting if it was the latter. Sort of reward for effort, the more I write the more you read. I would have thought that a greater volume of output would dissipate my readership.

Anyway I intend to stay warm and well wrapped up tonight and enjoy being wrapped up in bed, and my favourite evocation of glacial cold is "Hoppipola" by Sigur Ros. Enjoy , sleep well and keep warm.



Getting Colder


This morning I got out of a warm bed , and theough the heating was on I could feel the cold. According to various temperature gauger it's 15º which may be warm to some. It's the shower I managed to get warmed up and once dressed it seems fine now, I know the central heating will do it's job. Fiona is suffering from 'flu' symptoms while still recovering from her op and I think I may now be coming down with a cold, but I will and keep going.

December was when I was expecting to miss my walking target, but with four days to go until the new year I need to do 15K steps to hit my 340K, it theory I could do that today, although it looks very cold outside. I think this will be a day using my headphones as ear warmers. I never liked the in ear headphones, I find them too intrusive and they drop out, which makes me wonder about the Apple wireless ones which have the added benefit of making you look decidely uncooll , like cigarettes, I can really only think of Humphrey Bogart who could look cool while smoking.

Anyway today I am going to try walking into work again, although I may decide to go for the bus if the footpaths are too frosty.

I found an excellent live take of "Slipping & Sliding" by John Lennon which he covered on his "Rock'n'Roll" album, and that may be appropriate for today. Be careful out there everybody.

Tuesday 26 December 2017

Ice,Ice Baby


I was out for a walk about 6pm tonight and noticed my neighbours and others cars seemeingly iced up. I checked the windscreen of one to make sure it wasn't just condensation, and it was definitiely ice. It has been cold today and is obviously getting much colder. I'm not sure what walking into work is going to be like tomorrow, but I am not looking forward to have to walk on iced footpaths while dealing with cold wind.

At least it's not raining or snowing yet, but who knows what might happen. It has been grey and this sort of weather does bring out the SAD in me, sapping positivity and good feeling. I don't know why but it just does, although I won't let it get me down, and writing about it is one of the ways I actually deal with it.

Anyway the main aim of the break has been to relax, and that is what I have done. Actually I wish I was off for another week, but I know I need to do something that gets me out of the house, and work is a good way of achieving this. I am sure that the werther will improve, and I know the days are getting longer, so there is that to look forward to and that will help kindle the positivity in me.

I've included a short fascinating National Geographic documentary about ice instruments, including some familiar songs , but not "Ice,Ice Baby". Enjoy it , it's very interesting.

Almost A Ghost Town


Went out for a walk today and was surprised that I never had to wait to cross a road, the traffic was so sparse. Yesterday there was far more traffic, but today it's very sparse. Shops are open as was the chemist I had to visit (just, I got there as they were opening the shutters).

Yesterday was spent watching a few recording of MR James Ghost Stories , one a dramatisation the other two read by Christopher Lee, plus a dramatisation of Charles Dickens' "The Signalman".

I also watched the new Doctor Who and cannot get over the small minded irritati who's minds are so small that they can't grasp the concept of a two hearted metamorphosing alien transforming into a woman, although it's not really a woman it's an alien assuming the form of a women. It's really like these complainants are throwbacks to the seventies, sad people.

I am going to enjoy the last day of the break (where did those four days go?) before going back to work for three days, I mean I could live with a three day week permanently.

I leave you with my slideshow of Christopher Lee's definitive metal take on "My Way".  . Enjoy your day my friends.