Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Nuts in November

Friday 20 November 2009

Last night I received a drunken call from a friend and colleague who had been chatting to Ian Rankin on the train home to Dunfermline. She wondered if I wanted to go into Dunfermline to find him! Apparently his son was performing at the Alhambra, which she couldn't pronounce for love nor money) and she wanted to “stalk” him there. I declined the kind invitation. I was rather bemused to discover that Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings were performing so I guess Ian Rankin’s offspring was part of some support act. I wasn’t going to head out on a wet and windy night and certainly not at £25 a head for a band I’m rather indifferent to. (My friend didn’t bother going either, citing a more urgent need for sleep – a wise move methinks).

I couldn’t sleep and woke up at 4am again. Decided to make the most of it and went to the gym before work. I know, that’s a bit 80s, but it killed some time and gave me a free lunch to read my Web User magazine.

After work I drove straight to our local Tesco with a prepared list. With the minimum of fuss and managing to stay mostly “on list” (I fancied some fish), I headed home. No sooner had I set foot in the door than my phone rang. I got a call to pick up Flick early from the Kids Club because she wasn’t feeling well. It seems she had a sore stomach. That’s twice in two days. I hope this isn’t becoming a habit. I’ve no doubt her ailments are genuine but I don’t want her to get into a habit of “being sick” as a means of getting away early from school or the Kids Club. She likes school and Kids Club so I don’t think it’s deliberate. She seems to have omelettes quite a lot for lunch and I worry that she may be “egg bound”, as my mother used to say. I've still no idea what that actually means.

Saturday 21 November 2009

Got up early (7am seems like such a lie-in) and headed into town to get a haircut. The salon I use opens at 8.30am and I was there for 10 past 8. I was first in the queue and, after the doors opened, was in and out in less than 10 minutes. As usual the “from £7” on the price list seemed rather optimistic considering the amount of foliage I have (or don’t have) on my head. “That’ll be £4”. I gave him fiver, told him to keep the change (my default tip is £1) and headed off home.

The girls were off to ballet and then the Gang Show in Edinburgh with the Guides. Normally when the girls are out for the day, I miss them for an hour or so and then get industrious. Today I just didn’t have the energy and, as a result, achieved very little. The BT Broadband dropped out yet again and after another rant on Twitter about it I switched off the PC and watched telly instead.

Having learned that you can now watch the BBC iPlayer through your Wii, I set about finding out how to go about it. It was so simple and I had it up and running in about 15 minutes. I watched “Never Mind The Buzzcocks” and phoned Dave for a chat and to tell him of my ‘discovery’. He was in a guitar shop salivating over the axes. I updated him on the football scores, to which he had no access, and discussed again the possibility of us doing a radio show together. Don’t get me wrong, I love doing my show myself, but sometimes it’s nice to “bounce” off somebody else and I can’t think of anyone better than my old mate the Davester.

I get so bored with myself that I go to bed at 10. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Sunday 22 November 2009

I had a lazy lie-in. Still a bit down from yesterday I could’ve got up early but I simply can’t be bothered, which isn’t like me. Maybe a year ago but not now. I finally get up as the girls head off to church. It’s fried eggs on toast as I try and watch another programme via the Wii. I had hoped it would be “Match of the Day”, having forgotten to tape it last night, but alas, due to some sort of licensing issue, they don’t have it on the iPlayer. Instead I had to “settle” for Saturday night’s “The Thick of It”, which was brilliant. I really don’t know why so many people would rather watch The Hex–Factor, Strictly Come Prancing and I’m a Z-List Celebrity, Get Me Some Exposure when there’s great television like “The Thick of It”, “Modern Family” and “House”.

Spent a couple of hours doing the Christmas cards. Some for hand delivery, some for posting abroad and some for Scout post.

Apparently after Tottenham’s 9-1 thumping of Wigan, the Lancashire club have complained to FIFA that Spurs keeper Gomes handled the ball in the run-up to at least one of Spurs goals.

I really enjoyed tonight’s radio show. This was down to me relaxing a bit more and also not having to worry about interruptions. I don’t like people walking into the studio while I’m doing a show, unless I’ve invited them. I find it distracting and off-putting. Okay, so I’m no Terry Wogan or Chris Moyles but it’s important for me to do the best I can and I don’t need distractions.

Graeme, who is on before me, finished up the wonderful “Your Imagination” by Brian Wilson and we had a singalong through the glass! Good job there wasn’t a webcam!

It was the last of my “normal” shows with next week being my St. Andrew’s Day Jocknroll special, playing a multitude of Jockanese beat groups and singers from between the late 50s and the early 70s. After that it’s three weeks of Christmas tunes, which I always enjoy. I’m torn as to what I should do on the show between Christmas and New Year. I thought, just for a change, I do a show of anything but the normal stuff I play. Stuff like Pete Yorn, Fountains of Wayne, The Popguns, The Smiths, Camera Obscura etc.

When I got back from the station I microwaved my mince, tatties and dumplings, washed and put away the dishes, made the sandwiches for lunch and put away the CDs used in tonight’s show and dug out next week’s (the show had been prepared weeks ago). Then I settled down to watch “Top Gear”. It clashes with “House”, which I’ll save for during the week.

Monday 23 November 2009

In-car entertainment: James Taylor Quarter – Blow Up: A JTQ Collection

A fairly straightforward drive into work this morning. I didn’t have a great sleep last night. I had hoped that being industrious and then having a an hour in front of the telly would’ve helped me sleep but alas no.

Just one dickhead on the way home who thought that tailgating me at 70mph on the A80 was a good idea. Thank you GV55 AVT, you baldy fuck.

It was a good night of telly with Saturday’s “The Thick of It” (K hadn’t seen it and I was only too glad to watch it again), “University Challenge”, “The Gadget Show” (the best competition on television) and then Sunday’s “House”.

Tuesday 24 November 2009

In-car entertainment: Pete Yorn - musicforthemorningafter

A pleasant enough journey into work, although my old “friend” R906MSN was at it again, with undertaking and speeding all along the A80. I notice he’s changed his route to work as he used go along the new M9 spur and now drives towards Barnton.

FIFA still haven’t replied to me. Quelle surprise!

From the can of Tesco Diet Cola I’m consuming:

“Allergy advice:

Recipe: No nuts
Ingredients – Cannot guarantee nut free
Factory: No nuts"

If there are no nuts in the recipe and no nuts in the factory, why can’t they guarantee that the ingredients are nut free?

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