Happy New Year!!

Well it's almost here.

What is?

The new year!

Or even the new decade whoo!

Time for reflection.

Or refraction.

No! That's reflection as in physics - I'm talking about consideration, thinking, thought, contemplation, deliberation, musing, rumination of the last year.

Okay, or being proactive, planning for the year ahead?

We're on a cusp and the blogosphere seems divided some looking back and some...

Looking forward, what will I do?

Last year was not too bad, more good than bad definitely.

Highlights?

Well that one mile swim.

Scary that was, with the waves, what about....

Blogging everyday since November.

Yep that's been an achievement.

Work went well.

Yes it did.

No family died so that's a good thing.

A chicken died though.

Life's great cycle.

What?

Sorry still have that philosophy blog in my mind.

What about the decade?

Peace of mind, health, happiness, marriage....

Travel - Russia, Morocco, Eire, Japan, Canada, USA, France, Netherlands, Belgium

That's a fair few - what else can we reflect upon this decade past?

Well the garden - veg, tree planting, chickens, sheds.


The dogs...

Yeah them too.

Lots to be thankful for then.

Absolutely

We can agree on that then.

Yes so lets go! two oh one oh!

Well done, that rhymed how long did it take you to work on that line?

About a decade!

Happy New Year !!!

Press the Red button

So I'm sitting here in a stove induced drowsyness thinking what to do next? Realising that I have had red button fever over Christmas and I should really watch some of it, delete it or the most economical use of limited viewing time the fast forward (FF) method. You know the one you either watch the whole programme in FF mode or you zoom to the bits you want to watch.




Okay so I've now surveyed the recording menu and have picked the Christmas edition of "Top Of The Pops" or TOTP. The weekly TOTP programme highlighting the "hits" of the day was pulled a few years back but the BBC bosses have decided to bring back the Christmas special. Like some well loved relative it was a fixture for many at Christmas but went AWOL around the same time as it's weekly sibling.

Well three tracks in and feeling out of touch, recognise the artistes but only one of the songs! Other observation is that they are all singing live. I'm not sure if this is as good an idea as it should sound. The other grating thing is that the presenters are unfortunately also live, bring back (insert BBC Radio DJ of choice) all is forgotten!

Half way through and the last ten minutes on normal speed because I recognise the singer and the song including Muse. Does that make me cool? Oh! guff music alert FF button quick!

Pop Idol / X Factor (UK /USA) etc act stats - now counting three that's about 30% of the "entertainment" thus far.............

Sorry a boy band just asked me to "put my hands up" and had to stop typing!

Who stepped on the dogs tail? I ask as I step back into the room, only to be informed that it was another hit performance FF........

Now we are getting a MJ dance tribute more PC than Legs & Co or Pans People I suppose? Good performance but spoilt by the continuity heads yabbling away. Now back into one point out of the two territority. Know the artiste but not the song, FF.......

Ah a two pointer and a bonus point as it's someone older than me! It's her Royal Madgeness!

Almost at the end now and a useless piece about the race to be the Christmas number one in the "charts", is there a Zzzzzzz button?

Well thank heavens I woke up there, the empty talking heads announced that the Queen was next. Initially I thought they had brought "Queen" out of their cryogenic stasis to perform Bohemian Rhapsody (Xmas no 1 from the past ) yet again.

But no it was Queen Betty coming on to give her rendition of that old Sex Pistols effort
"God Save The Queen". Unfortunately the recording ran out of FFs just as she was about to pogo so I'll never know if she was singing live?



-- Post From My iPhone

What do you listen to?

Do you have an MP3 player or is that an old fart thing to say? Have MP3 players gone the way of other domestic appliances like the vacuum cleaner more commonly known as a Hoover or nowadays maybe the Dyson? Likewise then do you have an Apple MP3 -an iPod in whatever variety? Me I'm lucky enough to have an iPhone, brill things they are too.

So what do you listen to? Music? Audiobooks? Podcasts? I tend to go through phases myself and of course it depends on mood and what I'm doing.

Walking to work it tends to be music something to provide the back ground to the thoughts about the coming day. Since I got the new car I can now also match the iPhone up to the car hifi, so singing along to your favourite driving music - sorted. An eclectic assortment like that box of Christmas present chocolates hopefully something for everyone.

Audiobooks they come into their own during the all to frequent trips on an airy plane. Nothing to high brow or life changing. Mostly thrillers you'll find if you looked at the library although I did listen to Barack Obamas own reading of his plans and opinions "The Audacity Of Hope" way before he became Mr Prez.

Podcasts are something I find very interesting little radio programmes in your pocket. The ability to catch up and gorge your lugs (ears) on that programme that you meant to listen to but didn't is great.

Although perhaps a bit old and farty - a theme developing here me thinks the BBC as in so many things are pretty good on this. My particular favourite being "From Our Own Correspondent". This programme allows BBC staff to provide an auditory essay on particular items of news. The items may expand on that headline or give more insight into that story buried way in small print section or provide the outsiders view on some quirk of foreign culture.

So that the kind of stuff exciting my auditory nerve what about yours?



-- Post From My iPhone

What's your favourite station?

The London Underground or more commonly known the "Tube" has perhaps one of the most iconic maps in the world. The map as it is today is largely based on one designed in his spare time by Harry Beck in 1931.

This diagrammatic map has had many imitators and is now used in probably all similar transport systems throughout the world as you can see on this website. I've been fortunate enough to travel on quite of few of these systems in my time and looking at some of them brought back happy memories. It's amazing to think when looking at some of these maps - Tokyo, Moscow in particular that we actually managed to navigate around them.

Is there a map here that you have memories of?

The use of the diagrammatic map extends way beyond transport such an iconic tool it has now become here is a map of the world wide web

The "Great Bear" is a map produced by by Simon Patterson. He uses the lines to represent a different group of people. The lines represent entertainers, sports people, scientists, politicians and many more.

Yesterday I found another map during my web wandering. This time the stations were movies.
The lines are named after movie genre musicals, comedies, adventure, animation with sixteen lines in all.

I can see some of my favourites in there but not my top three of

Geordie
A Matter Of Life And Death
Somewhere In Time

Are your favourites on the map?

Or do we need to build a new line for our favourites there are three stations there already, what else could we add?

Fegrig Airport

We like many of you have a bird table, but perhaps not like this. Our bird table has been in various places around the garden over the last few years with varying degrees of activity and success at attracting and supporting bird life. This winter we decided to park it on the the patio area just outside the kitchen window. This has proved to be good business as activity has increased markedly. I'm sure that the encroaching colder weather has made a substantial difference to the visitor numbers, but by being closer to the house we have been more diligent over the bird tables upkeep. Through a combination of factors then the bird table has become the place to be indeed party central where the chicks can hang out (from the feeders) in our part of birdland.

Regardless of the rationale the increased activity has provided a welcome distraction and additional topic of conversation as we sup a cup of tea. Leaning on the kitchen work top watching all the traffic go by is rather therapeutic, a more animated fish tank? It's not just the "oldies" who have been interested the young ones have found that nature is still fascinating.

I must admit I am not a "twitcher" and my limited awareness of bird identification is dependent on n for some clarification as she has a far better idea on these things than me.

Blackbirds, Tits of the Blue/Coal/Great type, a variety of Finches and Thrushes, House Sparrows, Starlings, Siskins, Yellow Hammers, Crows/Rooks (but we try and discourage them as they bully the others), Dunnock, Magpies, Wrens, Collared Doves and Robins. The bird table must be on the edge of two Robins turfs as these two are engaged in a lot of posturing and claiming of the territory. Thankfully no need to recite "Who killed cock robin" yet.











Beaks packed with their next meal this frenetic activity evokes images of a very busy airport with continuous landing and take offs. All with the added bonus of no security checks, strip searches or fractious queues. Unfortunately a distant and fading memory for the non feathered flyer.

Images of Winter

The snow is still falling. We thought we had seen the start of it's end yesterday due to a rise in the temperature. However overnight and continuing into today a drop of several degrees and a prolonged fall of snow has brought a fresh white covering.

We are now in the snowiest period to have been experienced in these these parts for about six or seven years.

The snow brings a fresh perspective to the common and usual views. Generally I walk out with just the iPhone and it's basic in built camera to capture any images I see on my travels. Here is a little of what I have been seeing in the last day or so.














This is the lunch queue for some sheep




Lunch being provided by the lunch tractor



Oh and me
Hello!

Yesterday

Sorry if you thought this was some story about the Beatles or how I bumped into Paul McCartney in Tesco's one day. The closest I've come to that is picking up a packet of Linda McCartney's vegetarian sausages from the chill cabinet.

No yesterday was Christmas Day and no doubt like others our Christmas traditions imposed themselves upon the day but not in a overbearing resented way more like Santa, welcomed with open arms.

Tradition is now a 10 am (ish) start to the day. In times past it was 6.7..8...9 but for the last few years 10 it has been. Of course the adults are up before this dealing with chickens, dogs and the kettle it's only the "children" who stay in bed drawing the last dregs from their duvet as if some form of life support.

No longer the patient wait as the presents are given out and opened whilst one's stomach slowly rumbled waiting for it's daily gift of breakfast. It's much more civilised now breakfast and then presents. The "children" though are children no more as highlighted with gifts this year including a cafetiere! and a shaving brush!

Then tradition rolls on to walking the dogs in the woods this year with the added frisson of lots (Scottish lots - as opposed to Scandinavian lots) of snow.


and more snow


and more snow, we like it so much we roll around in it!


and prepare to throw it


However there were casualties


But laughter is the best medicine


A hearty appetite built up we readied ourselves for dinner but first we had to get there and as we were providing the dessert this involved some planning. The trifle needed to be restrained for its own and fellow travelers safety during the course of the journey traversing the precarious roads system compromised by the snow and ice!

Time to call the T T T the Trifle Transportation Team to carry the precious cargo to it's dinner table. T T T in place the final vital component was all that was required.

There was only one who could fulfill the job requirements - "n". We will gloss over the fact that I was driving and if the bowl had been given to the boys there would have been a very, very localised "accident" that would have resulted in a loss of trifle. The loss going only as far as said boys lips!

So n it was. She donned the specialist bespoke pudding transportation clothing and was strapped in.


Years of working a Singer treadle sewing machine and motor bike riding were called upon as the legs acted as independent shock absorbers. Left left up, right leg down, leaning with the car as it took each slippery bends and bump. Such skill!

However it was worth it as the trifle provided the tail end of a superb Christmas dinner and was enjoyed by all despite that fact that some of the cream had been liberated by the christmas pudding eaters!

This dessert the Fegrig trifle is now a tradition with us regardless of what has been eaten beforehand. A bit like it's creator not pretty to look at, simple and solid in construction, but full of yummy, sweet goodness?

Merry Christmas

Hello from all of us here to all of you there have a Merry Christmas!

The movies

So I'm sitting there in the dark wearing a pair of glasses that make me look like an Eric Morecombe wannabee or perhaps even an Elvis Costello look a like or for those chums across the water what about the use of a Drew Carey analogy?

Looking to my left and right I see I am not alone. A convention of the followers of the aforementioned perhaps? Some form of filming for an advertising campaign perhaps with the "star" of the advert sitting in the middle with a different pair of glasses on. The message being that company X sees the world in a different way.

No, none of these I was at the movies to see "Avatar" the 3D version. So the audience all sitting with their glasses on sat whilst objects seemingly whizzed past our ears or floated in front of our eyes. All thanks to 3D technology.

I did find it a bit disconcerting as it took me back to the school science lab. Test tubes a bubbling, bunsen burners on and scalpels in hand for that bull's eye dissection. All of which had to be done with the required safety glasses on regardless of the fact you wore your own glasses anyway. So double glasses then and tonight.

The film itself was not bad a fairly simple story of man put into challenging situation, rejected, accepted, love, betrayal, sacrifice, death and life. Worth going to see probably if you are a boy, less sure if you are a girl and definatly not if you have a weak bladder, at 2hours 40 mins plus the adverts and trailers it's a long time to hold on. So by all means go along, enjoy just don't buy one of those huge cups of cola. You have been warned.

The film 7/10 maybe 8. Cheerio.

Vox pops?

Stories continue to reach the news desk at "Fegrig" on how everyday "folks" lives are being imposed upon by the continuing snowy weather. We decided to send correspondents out and about to engage with the populous.

First of all we came upon this resident as he leaned against his garden fence watching his neighbours defrost their cars and slide out to work. He described himself as a student of life and leisure with no need for employment but with a keen interest in cuisine, walking and sleeping.



This is what he had to say on the weather
" Well it's a bit ruff and people must be barking to attempt going to work in this they should take my lead and have a sleep in front of the fire"

He was thanked for his comments his parting observations being,
"All this activity watching is making me thirsty"
before he ate a small pile of snow sitting atop his fence.



The next resident we spoke with was on her way to work, she was finding the snow a struggle.



During the conversation she did confide that she was unhappy with the snow but had fought through to get to work. With so many of her peers having been "layed off" she considered herself "clucky" that she still had a job in these tense egonomic times.



She did feel that this may be her last winter with her employer as she was busily collecting enough for some "seed investment" to pursue an "egcellent" business opportunity.

Enough please!

I know that I have mentioned this recently but it's still snowing that's been on and off for five days now but you would think that it had been five weeks, months, years or the new ice age like this?



The media in the UK carry stories of understandable woe as they recount the tales of those stranded or unable to fulfill their travel plans. It's dead easy for me I know as I'm on holiday and don't need to travel to work or to be with family and friends. However it is winter and the potential for snow and cold although not as predictable as elsewhere in the world still exists.

Why then does it always seem to take us by surprise? A view expressed by some foreign tourists interviewed today comparing the reaction to the white stuff back home (North America) to the response here. Incredulous I think sums up their piece to camera. Maybe we should say "Enough please!" with the bad news?

Maybe it's where I am in life but what's the point in fighting it? Go with the snowy flow is what I say. An approach espoused by one of my neighbours this morning as I dug the car out as part of the trip to the vets for one of the dogs annual check and tune up. Face the snowy adversity together is something else that could be done we're all compromised by snow so help each other out at least a smile would be good.

Seven years ago our small community came together being compromised as it was by the heavy snow that had blocked the road into our part of the village. A few cars tried to escape but the snow was too deep and unpassable. Spontaneously it seemed a large group armed with shovels dug the snow out and cleared the road for the benefit of all. It's something I have never experienced before or since to that level with approximately 30-35 people in the group. Like some unheard call to shovels one or two started off down the road, trudging through the snow, shovels over their shoulder. Then as if called by some silent pied piper gates opened and more joined the procession all that was missing was Gracie Fields at the front. If you take the trouble to look at this jump to 3:30 mins in and you"ll get the idea.



All together now
"Sing as we go....."
I doubt however I could get that high perhaps as a result of a slipping on the ice incident?

I'm on holiday!

It seems however that I am not alone as my server has just gone off on some rest and recuperation as well, taking with it a posting that took a while to prepare, so I am now starting from scratch. Good job that I am indeed on leave.

It started last Friday at the close of business and will end on the 5th January. With this being the first official day I decided to be as slothful as a old sloth who is a Grand Master of slothery. I took the dogs out of course. Have you seen the pattern a dog makes when it attempts a "snow angel" or should that be a " snow dog"?

I ensured that the chooks and the crowd of wee birds that now hang about the garden had enough food to see them through the cold climes for the next twenty four hours. Before sitting down for my porridge I even had a rudimetary attempt at step and path clearing. Subsequently voided by the snow falling just as the first spoonful of porridge touched my lips.

The snow fell on and off during the day none of which bothered me as i decided to catch up on the neglected e-business that is now the norm. E-mail, dairy and other editing was one part of my mutli-tasking approach the other task being the attempt to tackle the recorded TV mountain. I am pleased to say that many mega-bytes were lost today as I caught up with "Defying Gravity", "Paradox", a few one offs and a series once one episode had been viewed that perhaps should have been, lost?

Now with all this activity done I am now sitting on one of the chair in the garden. Despite the zero temperatures the multi-layered approach is treating me well. The dogs have gone inside not so much as a result of the cold but more to do that if they start to root around they will set of the security lighting. Perhaps not the best thing for those not on annual leave to endure. Did I tell you that I was on annual leave?

However I am not short of company as I sit surrounded by the snowy blanket. It seems to have had a very welcoming influence on the world around here. The usual sounds of the 21st Century are in short supply apart from the occasional train and far away plane. My company comes in the form of some oatcakes and wensleydale cheese, one of the added fruit varieties, lovely. I am also joined by the snow family from sky, falling lightly as I prepare this. My final guest is Mr Glenkinchie a fine 12 year old whisky. I must admit though that this is another reason for placing the dogs under house arrest. With their two coats the weather would not be an issue but I can do without the frosty knees. Rapidly freezing dog drool as they sit in front of me looking for their share is not a relaxing look.

Now although it would be very welcome I would urge you not to send comments seeking my advice on a malt whisky for Christmas. I am an atypical Scot with whisky only meeting my palate about four years ago. However that is another blog posting for another day. I like what I like, a lowland taste predominates in my choices and this whisky is no different.

So time to go into the house it's getting cold and the bespoke seat cover is failing. Perhaps if the chair had been better defrosted negating the use of todays Gurdian placed in a plastic carrier bag, things could have been warmer. I could of course always make my own "snow angels" but I fear the whisky would just want me to lie down and go to sleep.

DT

David Tennent or DT as we will name him during this little posting is the 10th Doctor, Dr. Who that is.



I like him and this Christmas/New Year we shall see him leave the role and as tradition dictates change into the next incarnation that will be the 11th actor to play the role on TV. We'll forget the Cinema and cartoon versions as the regenerations always refer to the telly anyway.

The regeneration (for those who are not aware) goes something like this one from the 9th to the 10th Doctor



So we shall see how this plays out on the BBC here on Christmas Day and New Years Day and then DT will be off and away. However he is not going quietly, no he is not. Looking through the Radio Times today it was like reading his diary for the next two weeks.

Doctor Who - older episodes included in the run up to his finale over the various BBC channels.
Doctor Who Confidential - BBC 3
Desert Island Discs - on Radio 4
Hamlet - on BBC2 on Boxing Day
Bed Time Stories - on the children's channel CBBC
The Catherine Tate Christmas special - BBC 1
With the lady above on - Radio 2
with Russell T Davies on - Radio 2
The Alan Carr show - Channel 4
QI - BBC 1
On top of all that he as the Doctor is in the little space fillers that BBC run before the next programme during the evening.

Now he might be out of work for a while I suppose and he needs to get the work in whilst he is still "hot". Although to "millions" of ladies he is pretty hot anyway and no doubt their recording devices will be religiously set to ensure not one piece of DT's diary commitments are missed. Unsure on when he will next appear they will want to reduce their DT's (Delirium Tremens is a severe form of withdrawal - more usually alcohol, perhaps a tall Scotch? that involves sudden and severe mental or neurological changes) from a lack of DT.

Good luck to him and no doubt I'll be watching and listening too. Not bad for a skinny bloke from Bathgate just down the road from this woman.



West Lothian the entertainment epi-centre of the Universe?

What is the feeling?

Out in the big city this particular country mouse was on a shopping trip. List clutched in his wee hand off he trooped in that shop and then the next and by the time the snow arrived all was done and dusted. Just in the nick of time too as the fore casted snow decided to make its promised appearance. However although falling thickly it did not have the intestinal fortitude to "lie" and remained like some unloved ice lolly - wet and slushy.

Returning from my shopping adventure just in time before the light departed to walk the dogs. In the car as usual and at that time of the day we would normally bump into something or other. But out here in a more open, rural setting that heavily falling snow had stuck around and perhaps had dissuaded some to stay closer to home when out for their walk. No imprints in the snow, just a carpet of unmarked, white, dry powder.

Like a couple of young children the dogs departed, off they ran licking, tasting,

- Health & Safety Notice the author is obviously not suggesting that children should lick or eat snow unless under the supervision of an adult armed with one of those "kills all snowy germs dead" type of sprays -

rolling, frolicking in the snow. The only thing missing was the making of a snow man and despite what some blogs that you have read may suggest I think that is beyond a couple of canines.

Now as I have no piste experience I have no idea what the snow was like it on the grand scale of snowiness
but the feeling underfoot was uniquely strange today. At times it was like walking through millions of polystyrene particles. Then a patch would give one the impression that I was walking through chalk with me being the blackboard. The weirdness continued when the snow gave me the feeling that I was that damp cotton wool roll that the dentist places between your cheek and gum. The feeling when that rubs against your teeth!

Maybe it's just me but it's a shivery feeling like the others. Either that or I should have worn a scarf to prevent the chill blowing down my neck.



-- Post From My iPhone

Christmas is coming!

The big Crimbo Day, the 25th December, Santa Claus's working day is almost here one more week to go! Now you could look at the calendar of course or the morning paper or even use your diary or perhaps the advent calendar all of these could inform you of where we are in the years cycle.

Me, well I don't bother with any of that I know Christmas is here because tonight we bought the real Christimoos tree. The tree is not from the guys who set up in the redundant filling station, car park or the empty footprint of a demolished building. What do they do for the other 11 months of the year? If you know please share your knowledge.

No the tree is bought through a local homeless charity as supplied by a tree growing guy, the bulk of the money therefore sits in the bank account of the charity, a good result all around we think. So the first sign of Christimoos is the tree.

The second sign of course for people within the United Kingdom that Saint Nicholas will soon be turning up for his drink (insert beverage of choice) and snack (insert num num of choice) is the purchase of the Radio Times (RT) and their legendary Christmas issue. This is really nothing more than a listings guide and despite as the adverts say "other listings guides are available" it still sells and is on show everywhere were the printed word is sold. So we bought the RT but it's a weighty tome and I will probably give it my undivided tomorrow morning when I'm sitting enjoying my breakfast. Perhaps armed with the marker pen ready to circle the must see TV events on my list.

Let it snow, let it snow....

let it snow! as the song goes.

Snow has hit the UK in the last few days and you would think that the 'Four Horseman of the Snowy Apocalypse" are coming. By the way they are called sleety, frosty, snowy and slidey. Or the reaction is the one that young children from more tropical climes have when they encounter the white snowy stuff for the first time. One of wonder and awe, disbelief the audacity of the weather dropping snow on us you would think it was winter - Duh!

A big story on the news and call me cynical but is there more media reaction because the snow falls are due on London and the South East of England the "provinces" never seem to have the same reaction, or attention. Or is it that our friends in the north are just more accepting? Winter + cold = snow and ice doesn't need a weather Sherlock there does it?

I'm sure many of you reading will say
"You call that snow?......I've had a heavier bout of dandruff!"
Especially if for four months of the year your car tyres are permanently shod in snow chains. Or your children play out in their garden/yard/street/playground their own daily version of the "Snowman".



This is of course not the original Raymond Briggs snowman cartoon but an advert inspired by the same. My taste buds think the product is horrid but you do get to see some original images of Scotland and the selfish juice drinking child is suitably dealt with. Oh and there is snow, proper stuff, not the application of caster sugar that caused the reactions described above from some colleagues during Christmas lunch yesterday.

A few hours ago we had a more personal interaction with the snow, no not a snowball fight, or a igloo building jamboree. Having returned home to the wintery north that dastardly snow stuff had fallen onto Edinburgh airport. This resulted in the plane being forced into a holding pattern over south eastern Scotland whilst the scraper and de-icing team came out to thaw out the runway and although we looked hard no flying Snowman or child were seen "walking in the air".

Christmas Lunch

Today was the work teams Christmas Lunch. The company, wit and repartee alongside tastey Italian food made the afternoon fly by. Afterwards an expedition to the nearest watering hole for some lemonade before carriages at ten.

A good day one of the better Christmas works outings and a justifiable excuse for a wee post today. I hope if you are having a similar outing that it goes well. Enjoy!



-- Post From My iPhone

Vegetables

Another trip to London and to paraphrase Michael Jackson I am not alone. After a busy day at work I get to go out to play with n who we have arranged to come to the Big Smoke with me.

After the work and touristing was done our thoughts turned to dinner. We wandered up and down Islington High Street studying the menus in the restaurant windows going that one would grab our imagination and pull us inside by the taste buds.

Thai, Indian, French, Brazilian, seafood, Greek, Pizza, Burger, Chinese, Cypriot and various chains purporting to represent some of the above all passed before our eyes. Who would feed f & n? Who has the restaurant X factor? In the end the voting public, alright the two of us decided that Turkish had won.

In we trooped
"Set menu for two mine host".
Service was swift, the food light and delicious and the price not bad thank you. Assorted mezze to begin, an aubergine dish and veggie moussaka for main and as a petit surprise a small dessert selection. All vegitarian such was the set menu choice.

I did speculate during the veggie dinner on one of lifes conundrums. If ex omnivore who now is a vegitarian but keeps the information to the himself decides to share it with others that he is now veggie. Is he coming "0ut of the larder?



All washed down with mint tea and Gurkish coffee not all in the same cup of course but refreshing none the less.

The name of this culinary or should that be Turkish delight is the Gallipoli cafe if your peckish and passing pop in. Next time I fancy some mint tea and a slice of one of the rather tasty looking cakes in their window.

Bon Appetit!

-- Post From My iPhonef

Fate? or Future?

A few weeks ago I visited my sister who now lives in the USA a journey that is becoming an annual treat. It gives us a chance to catch up, laugh and enjoy each others company in a way that skype or instant messaging is unable to do. If the last one had been given to us as an option thirty years ago like many siblings we would have scoffed at such a suggestion.

I remember quite distinctly sitting in the car as she drove me to the next thing on the holiday to do list discussing the differences in social benefit and support, health insurance and sick pay. The phrase that stuck in my head was the one where she expressed her worry of what would happen if she broke her leg. Especially as the US is such a automobile based culture.

You can imagine my reaction when yesterday the direct tweet messages started coming through. "Fell down stairs", they are pretty steep, maybe the bannister eventually gave up? "in ER" not some re-launch surely? "with a broken ankle!"

Was the conversation in the car fate? is my sister becoming some sort of se-er?

1.	a person who sees; observer.

2.	a person who prophesies future events; prophet: Industry seers predicted higher profits.

3.	a person endowed with profound moral and spiritual insight or knowledge; a wise person or sage who possesses intuitive powers.

4.	a person who is reputed to have special powers of divination, as a crystal gazer or palmist.

If we win the lottery next week then we will have our answer.

Next Blog?

Hello from a much clearer part of the world than yesterday. The dense all covering fog has gone must have been blown away by the summer breeze?

So I'm sitting here knowing I should be doing something else but decided as one does to spend a while tweaking the blog and it's associated bits and pieces. Links, tags and my blogger profile. The last one especially as I would like to read some other interesting blogs and although today I have found some new pages to follow and read, I need more. They are over there on the right, down a bit, yeah just there, in the list.

Why did I do this, you might ask? Basically whenever I pressed the next blog button at the top of the page I was transferred to other blogs that all seemed to be about domestic pets especially dogs and cats. I was coming to the opinion that the blogosphere must be dominated by tales of family pets rather than the smuttier side of life (which is what the statisticians would have us believe). Thankfully I was seldom shunted onto pages that contained the latter.

I have seen pages on rescue dogs, tricks from Fido, Rover day by day, recipes for your dogs delectation by Caruso the canine Chef. I have been presented with pages in English, French, Tagalog, Thai, Swedish, German and many more, the plus side of this is that I can now say "sit" in 23 languages.

I never dwell long on these sites as I want to read something more than "this is Tiddles in her halloween outfit" or this is "Tom, presenting us with his latest kill next doors prize racing pigeon/chinchilla rabbit/lamb (this was a big cat)" all of this coming with a ladle of pride. However I reflect the dogs attitude towards cats - only good for chasing as I don't want our chickens to join "Toms" list of "kills". Therefore any cat pages presented are soon chased off.

So I have tweaked my blog profile. Out with dogs and in with Labradors. I now fully expect to be presented with blogs that wax lyrical on the "Provinces Of Canada" or "Fetch yourself a vacation in Labrador and Newfoundland". We will see.

Also added was "iphone" as an experiment and lo and behold images of men of a certain age who dwell in some alternative dimension of electronica and gadgets now appear. The iphone is probably the only gadget I have and perhaps I should have put iphone apps as this is really where my interest lies. How many apps, for what purpose and why? A sociological experiment thing.

There are other tweaks but nothing coming through yet because I'm not looking as I need to get on with the day. Once last look, what's this one about?

"The everyday adventures of Gnasher the iphone app designer dog who loves reading whilst listening to music, preparing and eating vegetarian (produce from his own garden) soup after he has exercised in the woods marking his territory in an eco-lifestyle kind of way"

"MY WORLD IS BARKING MAD"

Summer breeze?

Today it's foggy, visibility well it's not very far at all. Once you add on the chilly and damp undercurrent it's a dreich, uninviting type of day.



A day for staying in with a cup of tea and some toast whilst the wood stove radiates warmth in soporific waves.

During one's semi-slumbering, thoughts of warmth! sun! summer breeze? come to mind.



Sitting here in front of the fire I think of images captured a few months back sitting unused on the hard drive waiting on a purpose. Today is their day (without meaning to sound Churchillian about it) in order to add to warmth and good feeling on this the grayest day for quite some time.






However this one is my favourite and takes me back to sitting in the field with the warm earth under my legs. Abandoned by the dogs who are off on some wiff of a promise carried to their nostrils by the wind. The sun ebbing away after a hard days work. Resting there listening to the wind whispering in my ears as it rushes past, weaving through the stalks of the maturing crop. Looking at the changing sky, an omen that the idyll is about to change with the weather breaking through the cooling night? Mmmm.........


That's it dogs we're going out! Break out the shorts and sunglasses, photo suggestion is a wonderful thing.
The world is not gray after all it's all summery and warm!

Leaves again

Okay dokay so I'm trying again with the picture thing. One attempt failed already so we shall see here goes....
It worked no idea what happened yesterday.
The images were all captured during a recent trip to the Boston and Washington DC area at the tale end of the Autumn.

Leaves

Evening it's usually words, words, words with me so tonight I thought I would do photographs for a change and give my fingers a rest from typing.
Well I've been trying for a while now and continually being met with a failed upload message. Its getting late and I'm tired I'll try again tomorrow.....

You CAN teach an old dog

So here I am chugging along beneath the streets of Olde London Town another day shuttling up and down for work. Vainly attempting to reduce one's carbon footprint by catching the tube to Heathrow. Rather than say travelling by jet or riding a cart pulled by a herd of cattle both equally damaging to the atmosphere, I believe?

Despite my advancing years I can still learn things. The herd of cattle fact for instance and that December in London is still warm enough for shorts. Or should that be it is not really that warm but I just wish I was wearing shorts and a T-shirt. However I am stuck with a long sleeved T-shirt, suit and making it's first appearance (like some shy debutante coming out for the season) my woolen overcoat.

I can now appreciate how a sandwich freshly made at 0630 but remaining on the counter under hot lights all day must feel at 1915. Sweating as it does under it's protective covering traditionally cling film rather than the more distinctive mix of wool and man made fibres. The sandwich sits with a sheen of moisture and is starting to curl at the edges. To paraphrase the Tiger Woods ad (I hasten to add, nothing else Tigerish) which if course was lifted from the movie Spartacus "I'm the sandwich".

The second thing I have learned is how good an insulator the pocket of the aforementioned overcoat is. Obviously it was made with the intention of preventing the cold getting in and reducing heat loss through convection from one's body.It's interesting what sticks in the head from Physics from thirty years ago. I also learned that these principles can equally apply in keeping things cold. That is keeping the heat out and the cold in my pocket refrigirator.

The third thing learned is what the worst food to take on a London tube train is. A choice that seemed sound at the time with a well thought out rationale. A little sweet thing, eat it walking along the road, cooling down as I go. Once purchased you recalculate the time and think that rather than walking that tubing would be desirable, in order for one to comfortably catch the plane. Figured into these calculations one did not appreciate how squashingly busy the Piccadilly line is at this time. That sandwich feeling again.

This time the sandwich is all hot and squashed having sat at the bottom of the school bag that was positioned next to the radiator, all day. Forgotten about by the crisp eating, running daft wild child until they come home and the bag is emptied. That's the crowd on the Piccadilly line.

So you are on the underground, hot, sticky, squashed and mindful that you have an ice cream caramel sundae slowly melting in your posh overcoat pocket. Well it had to go somewhere. This is where you wish that you had paid more attention to the Physics course. You rack your memory in order to remember the "how long does it take a certain mass of ice cream to melt in a semi insulated space" experiment?

By a combination of will power and standing under the scant cool air ventilation one's sundae survives to be eaten ( the slurp stage not yet achieved). Although by now the will power is focused on not mimicking a scene from some slap stick comedy sketch. The one where the man when jolted lands head first in the ice cream. Surviving these trials and tribulations the frozen powdered milk pudding is eaten slowly under the envious gaze of one's fellow sandwiches.







-- Post From My iPhone

Finished!

The first half is done, the attic is empty and ready for the additional insulation, heaps have been recycled, old favourites have been found and things unwanted have found new homes through freecycle.

The down side is that we are a couple of weary folk and at times we have had a ground floor that looked like it belonged to Thomas Hobbins. Mr Hobbins had a junk shop near where I grew up so I appreciate that the significance will be lost so what about this reference? Our ground floor is like the lounge in Steptoe & Son although not quite as bad now as it was earlier.
 


So it's off to bed and we'll not think of the second half when the slimmed down, post workout DVD and cosmetic surgery enhanced treasures have to make a re-appearance in the attic, but there will be less of them than before.




-- Post From My iPhone

Esmerelda!

I'm sitting here and all the excitement of discovering long lost treasures that was there last night has now gone, reality has kicked in. At the moment it feels like it's kicked me in the lumbar spine. All the top heavy posture, carrying heavy  treasure  junk in and out of the eaves like some "missing link" monkey or should that be Quasimodo? Back ache the price of cleansing the attic space but is it worth it. Yes it is I keep saying, catharsis is my mantra, like some bearded, balding greying Dorothy (with back ache) I'm following the recycling road.

In true game show fashion what's been on the conveyor belt tonight, strictly speaking it's a ladder but who's bothered?
-Books.
-Kitchen Utensils (for when the young chicks eventually set up their own home - a starter pack?)
-Kitchen cupboards? that dream of an attic kitchen perhaps?
-A Bicycle up there for safekeeping and eventual re-commissioning as it's a rather special bespoke type tourer that took n around  UK and France in her pre Fegrig era.
- A pair of blue toddler shoes worn by someone 18 years ago, his feet make have got bigger but is he any more mature?
- An n made original t-shirt last worn 20 years ago by someone who is in a skinny clothing look mode but the t-shirt is perhaps too skinny.
- A red riding hood style nurses cape not mine, male nurses were not provided with such things we had to do with a manly cardigan! A part on n's pre yarnyard past.
- Oh and more cuddly toys, there was always a cuddly toy on the Generation Game conveyor belt.

So now drinking some tea having started of with cider until I knocked over the glass spilling the contents to the floor the only thing to benefit was Bormish, Mishbosh declined I think he must be tee total?  So tea it was from my Esmerelda
"She gave me tea!" to paraphrase The Hunchback of Notre Dame

What's in your attic?

Could put if off no longer, it had to be done, no turning back. The attic - that repository of all sorts of memories, gubbins, unwanted clothes and other pieces put up there for safekeeping, in case of that rainy day that never seems wet or unsafe. Had to be cleared, emptied.

Some of you might have a basement that is used in a very similar fashion. Some of you may be furtively looking skyward thinking whats in our attic? I would much rather have a basement - I think they are more of a living space and the procrastination that prevents you sorting out those trinkets is more apparent. Having committed ourselves to an offer of cavity wall and additional attic insulation this means that the attic has to be cleared.

We are half way there on the emptying front. The reduce, recycle and reuse part of the job is going less well. There still seem to be a lot of boxes unopened housed as they now are in my office which is turning out to be attic by proxy. Some boxes have had the 3 R's approach already and we will have several trips to the recycling centre and charity shop in the next few days.

What did we find in our endeavours? Many things, and I did think about compiling a roll of the contents as an aide memoire but the document would be too long and at the end would look like some ill conceived wedding list. I mean who needs three turn-tables on which to play the singles and LP's, yes found them as well. An ironing board anyone, oh and the ubiquitous cuddly toys, at least five bags kept (collecting dust) as requested by young men who once felt too old to have their favourite penguin or turtles publicly on their beds. Now I feel however that some of these toys will be repatriated and regain their rightful place on a more assertive and assured man's pillow.

Most stupidly empty boxes that used to house long dead electrical equipment kept just in case we were moving or selling on or some other reason that now seems as dim as the attic.

And most poignant was the bag of knitting produced from my Mum's long silent needles. She always had a drawer of baby and toddler clothes produced in case of some newborn within the wider family who would need woollen clothes. The drawer was emptied after she died and my sister and I kept some and gave others away.

Most interesting thus far was n's long lost Parker 51 fountain pen and a suitcase of scraps from my round the world trip, some blog material in the making there I think. That's about the extent of it because there are no finds or heirlooms that would ensure a one to one with an expert on the "Antiques Roadshow",  that cosey BBC1 Sunday night stalwart.
Culminating in
"I think you should insure your (insert attic treasure) for thousands and thousands of pounds"
"Oh my"
I would say as my hand went to my mouth and the other reached for the spot above my heart.
"I thought it was just an old ironing board"





-- Post From My iPhone

The Deep Dark Woods

This is a blog post from the field, well actually the woods and being winter and 1645 it's pretty dark.




When we set off it was still light but today the light has faded pretty quickly. I suppose my mind is still behind as far as the twilight is concerned ten days ago was the last time I walked the dogs at this time, it was lighter then. It has not helped that I have decided to stop, look and listen.

Although the last one is made difficult at times by two sniffling and snuffling dogs. The ocassional chomping of gums leads one to question what kinds of guff are they sniffing, licking and tasting? Have you ever heard a recording of a caterpillar munching something?Better to move on than dwell on this one.

Well what do we find, sight is pretty useless although once your eyes become attuned you can make out the woodland shapes. I have the head torch on in case the carrots have not worked and need to see clearer. I was also just about to write that the yellow hazard like collars on the dog reflect well when you need to spot them. I turned on the torch to capture the image only to find one dog.

The other was obediently at my feet as if to say "I've lost the collar, a big dog stole it and ran away" or perhaps " the dog ate it!"

The smell is of damp leaves, moss and ferns. You also appreciate the rain filled channels initiating an early stage in the peat making process but only once they've been disturbed by a front crawling canine. When he's dried out we'll keep him away from the stove in case he spontaneously combusts.

The sounds are the most interesting once you filter out the dogs. The breeze whistling through the trees the less secure limbs creaking like some old man's joints. Hold on that's me creaking old age pah!

A few owls calling out as if to say "what are you doing here". The odd goose who should be settled fir the night. Sheep calling out and wondering why they're not inside. The squelchy, slippery mud sucking at one's boots. Finally there are the noises of the modern world planes, trains and the ocassional motor car. The sound is travelling well it's going to be a frosty night and my hands are getting cold, you can't use the phone key pad with gloves on perhaps there's an App for that?




-- Post From My iPhone

Portered home

I'm home and mighty relieved to be so, ten days away is too long. Thankfully the break in Brussels was a welcome relief a tasty sandwich filling between the work bread on either side. The main drawback to all this travel and living out of the suitcase lifestyle was the luggage. As a result of buying some travel trinkets and supplementing ones wardrobe with some new clothes from London's menswear emporiums,  the luggage was just not up to the task.

I tried all sort of permutations in a vain attempt to make three bags worth and a poster tube into two bags and a poster tube. Perhaps I had been influenced by too many hours watching Dr Who and had taken the scientific? explanation of how the Tardis looks small on the outside but is so big once you go through the door inside as truth. But it did not work for me and things did not change from three bags despite attempting more permutations than a Rubiks Cube in order to make the task easier.

I must have looked like these porters once sees ferrying baggage in some non mechanised port from somewhere else in the world. Although I did not attempt the carry on the head manouvere my excuse being that having shaved the head this morning there was no hair to assist in the gripping of baggage. If you are unsure of why this would cause a problem because you have a full head of hair, its the same principle as the hair on the soles of a polar bear or a flys feet its all in the grip.

Strangely having some hair there also acts as a cushioning force if one is carrying something on your head. A lesson I learned the hard way as a side effect of carrying wood balanced on my head, a sory for another day perhaps, (it seemed a good idea at the time). The day after I looked like some febrile infant with a bulging fontanelle due to the bruising and attendant swelling. I now ensure I wear a hat if I am considering repeating this action.

However the shore porters have a distinct advantage, they are not humphing their goods whilst dressed in a suit and probably have no need to side step numerous bewildered and disorientated London tourists who give no recognition that you are struggling and need a bit of room to walk along the pavement.

Culture Vulture (second helpings)

So a couple of days ago I was talking about Anish Kapoor the messy wax (amongst other things) art guy driven by the fact that he received a telling off for drawing on the walls with a wax crayon when he was wee.




This was the residue from one of the installations, the one being the large wax block that moves through five empty exhibition rooms on a slow moving trolley.





However my favourite wax piece in the exhibit is the cannon that is fired every twenty minutes by a rather earnest young man. All foppish hair and blue overalls, sweeping gestures and barely contained tension. A piece of performance art, he appears from behind the racks of wax shells.


You can see his seat on the top left of the picture, he loads and waits then " BOOM!"








The other one that impresses is this large yellow piece the name escapes me standing in front if it you kind of lose your orientation, well I did. Felt like I was looking into the biggest soft boiled egg.



All this culture vulturing is thirsty and calorie expending work and what better way to replenish ones reserves than to experience another cultural icon.



The Marmite shop mug of tea, toast and marmite all for two pounds num num num.

Are you a hater or a lover of the Marmite?

- written on my iPhone