2013 - How Was It For You?

So, 2013 is almost an end. As life chugs remorselessly into its latter stages and retirement has to be considered more often what is it from the last twelve months that I can look back on and appreciate for the differences they made? Personal achievement or global occasion, what will I recall in my memoirs when I eventually sit down to write them? In no particular order....

Friends are important. I've met a few new people in the course of the last year through Geocaching and I hope that we stay friends for many years to come. Having a shared interest helps of course but it is more than that. I've enjoyed some good times and learnt a lot about life and amity. 

Good neighbours are invaluable. Living alongside people that you can trust is worth more than the bricks and mortar you live in. The shift working lifestyle of my household has led to some tricky situations and being able to fall back on others to help out with dog feeding and walking duties has been invaluable. They've made living where we do a pleasure, long may it continue.

A great man, the likes of which will probably never be seen again, departed this mortal coil. There is nothing I can say that hasn't been said or written already about Nelson Mandela. All I hope is that his message lives on into future generations. 

I will never forget Saturday 27th April. That crossbar, that penalty, Marcello Trotta et al. Sitting with my head in my hands on the Ealing Road terrace unable to comprehend what had just happened. The events of that day are written in football folklore now and I still cannot watch the Youtube videos without a lump in my throat. It hurt so badly, almost as if I'd been bereaved, maybe 2014 will be our promotion year but that day will never leave me.

Standing up against the establishment. I stuck my head above the parapet and took on the perceived bad guy. It was always going to be an uphill struggle and the outcome was as I expected but the pyrrhic victory achieved by the other candidate was reward in itself. If nothing else I hope that the door has been opened for others to challenge.

Poverty is a crime against humanity. How is it possible, in the 21st Century, for so many people to be reliant on Food Banks? This abhorrent government that we have is not even prepared to debate the subject in parliament. Do they think that ignoring the problem will make it go away? Has there ever been a regime so uncaring of the lower classes?

Taking a trip down Memory Lane can be a disappointment. Those rosy memories of younger years will be soured by those mates you look up. Has to be best to leave the past where it is I think.

England. In 2013 I've seen more of this country than ever before and what a beautiful place it is. So much glorious scenery to be enjoyed, so many places to visit. Taking the time to get out of the car and walk through this land of ours is the simplest yet greatest of pleasures. I don't do resolutions but I do hope to continue seeing as much of our land as possible.

Taking a punt

I enjoy a small flutter on the football, nothing extravagant or frivolous, just pick 4 or 5 matches and do a small fourfold or fivefold, never winning a fortune. Now I pride myself on my knowledge of the game and keep a keen eye on the ups and downs of the Premiership, Championship and the Football League.

Fleetwood at home to Dagenham?

So how come its so bloody difficult to successfully pick a handful of games and be correct on all of them?

Take last weekend for example. Yeovil, West Country bumpkins and bottom of the Championship taking on Watford who are challenging for the play offs. You'd think that Watford, being at home, would no have trouble sticking enough goals past the basement dwellers to secure the win and three points. No bloody chance. For some inexplicable reason Zolas Hertfordshire lightweights managed to ship three goals and lose convincingly.

Turn right only

And that seems to repeat itself every week. Only once this season have I had a return! But like any good gambler I'll be making my picks again this weekend ready to pass over another fiver to the coffers of a bookamaker.

Its in the bag

When the Music Plays

Who is Kurt Harris you might ask? I've spent many a happy hour flitting around YouTube watching and listening to some great music from many genres. I recently came across a track called "Emperor of my Baby's Heart" and its has rapidly become a real favourite, even making it to the heady heights of my mobile ring tone. This is one of the few pictures I've been able to find of the man, the cover of another record he recorded under the stage name of Kurtis Scott.

aka Kurt Harris

Emperor of my Baby's Heart is 2'46" of classic Northern Soul. Released in 1964 on the Diamond record label, an original copy could easily set you back £50. Follow the link below to judge for yourself how good this track is....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_Lrog3dSXU

Influenzotestostero

Sods Law reared its ugly head over the weekend just past. A tickle in the throat on the evening of my last day at work on Thursday turned into a full blown bout of Manflu by Saturday morning. Why couldn't the tickle and ensuing affliction have happened on my first day at work, forcing me to have consideration for my colleagues by removing myself from the workplace for a few days?

Its not looking good.

After doing the macho thing and refusing to be subdued by a few germs I took myself off to see the mighty Brentford FC play Crawley in their Meccano based stadium. I'd dosed myself up with the maximum recommended amount of Paracetamol and Ibuprofen; cough sweets, tissues and a small hip flask filled with medicinal rum. 

After lunch and an ale at a nearby hostelry we headed off to the ground and watched Newcastle mug Chelsea on the TV in the club bar. Crawley vs Brentford was a poor game with little to get excited about. The Bees scored a stonewall penalty in the 5th minute and thats how the score stayed. Huffing and puffing in midfield by both teams and the occasional sortie forward presented a poor advert for League One football. The win was good though, being Brentfords fourth in a row.

Penalty king Adam Forshaw

The journey home was quick and uneventful until I arrived back in Andover. The manflu had clearly had enough of being subdued with drugs and alcohol and took its revenge. A shivering fit and a bout of hacking cough followed by a pounding headache took hold. I dragged myself to the settee with a duvet and crashed out to be woken thirty minutes later by Shaz coming home from work.

Think I was hallucinating

I was packed off to bed pretty quickly and had one of those restless nights with virus dreams and much tossing and turning, hot one minute and cold the next. Sunday turned into a dressing gown and sofa day. Shaz kept the drinks coming and I looked after the TV remote control, watching three movies back to back, V for Vendetta, Once Upon a Time in America and The Dark Knight. 

Got any tripe flavoured popcorn?

Monday dawned and unsurprisingly the symptoms had waned making a couple of days off work a guilt ridden prospect instead of a self excusing skive. Sods law?

 

 

That Friday feeling.

There is little that is more irksome to a shift worker than an effervescent radio or television personality bleating on about it being Friday and how the weekend is here. Those of us whose working life is spread over all seven days of the week can well do without their exhortations to get out and enjoy the traditional two days off. 

I'd be most grateful if the likes of Chris 'Ginger Twat' Evans on The One Show and Vanessa 'Porker' Feltz on Radio Two would take their stereotyped inanities and shove them them back from whence they came.

Annoying bastards

Likewise the desk jockeys and nine to fivers of this nation. I don't give a shit if its a Friday and you're off out to swill overpriced alcopops down your neck and stuff yourself full of curry or kebab. Keep your Facebook and Twitter updates to yourselves thankyou. 

Shut the fuck up.

I have no desire to hear of your walks in the park, trips to the beach or shopping expeditions whilst I'm working. So please have some consideration for the weekend people, many of whom are making your days of rest that bit better.

Oh so true!

Although you may rest assured that I'll be regaling all and sundry with tales of lazy weekdays and relaxing mid-week trips free from the madding crowds. Whilst you're in the office counting paper clips and shuffling pieces of paper I'll be enjoying queue and crowd free open spaces. Parking spaces will be abundant and eating establishments will not be heaving with obnoxious kids and their parents.   

Can someone shoot Evans and Feltz?

 

Searching For The Good Life

A few weeks ago, in a fit of generosity, I treated Shazzie to a greenhouse. Nothing too elaborate or expensive, just a a basic 6'x4' made from aluminium and polycarbonate. Since it got delivered its been sitting under our rear porch waiting to be erected. So okay I thought, just how difficult can it be? 

How its meant to look

Our garden already had a suitable site, lots of sunshine, level and firm that required no preparation. So I sat down with a cup of PG and read through the instructions. 16 pages and 23 steps later I was still scratching my head trying to get to grips with the odd wording and dodgy diagrams.

I'm going to need plenty of these.

Preparation is the key my old headmaster used to tell me, So I cleared a space in the garage and made sure that I had all the tools needed to hand. Screws, bolts and fixings all decanted into a small tub and the parts laid out ready to be identified as required. Lacking any further reason to delay the start I turned to page 1, the door. If you've read this far without losing the will to live I suspect you may be expecting a tale of twisted metal and cracked panels. Not so dear reader, the door went together fairly well and was soon complete and placed to one side ready for installation when required. What I did realize was that this was not going to be a quick job, more like 2 or 3 days of concerted effort.

Surely it can't be that hard?

Even after enlisting the assistance of my neighbour and chum Keith from over the road, by mid afternoon we only had the base and 2 sides constructed. But so far so good, nothing has been broken or damaged and there are no parts missing.

Dog tired

Day 2 of the big build will commence later. Back to work tomorrow so hopefully it'll be just about finished.

Update: 17.00 and its complete and in situ, all that remains is for it to be fixed to the ground. Better get that done a bit sharpish given the storms forecast for next week! My hands are sore and my back aches but its a good feeling to have done something reasonably well. Shazzie is very happy, already planning what she is going to grow and where the radio is going to be!

The finished item.

Time to get back to this blogging malarkey, hard to believe its been such a long time since I even visited Blogger.

Shazzie and I recently returned to Devizes for a weekend in the motorhome. Amongst other things we did the Wadworths brewery tour. A very pleasant couple of hours that only cost a tenner and was an interesting experience.

We enjoyed the weekend away, especially after Shazzie's recent health scare. Devizes is a nice town with a distinct atmosphere all of its own.

I'm in the middle of a run of late shifts, lots of getting home between 0100 and 0200. Better than having to get out of bed before dawn for an early shift!

Earlier this week we drove out to a place called Echilhampton to do a geocaching trail. We walked 8.4km, found 28 caches and logged a new Trigpoint at the top of Echilhampton Hill. Terrific views across the North Wiltshire countryside.