No, not *that* resignation, this blog is all about me me me...
Today I was offered a new job and I've accepted. This is all very sudden and I only found out about the job on Tuesday, spoke to the potential new boss yesterday and was offered it today. I'm quietly chuffed. I desperately need a new job but haven't seen anything I remotely fancied doing until this one. It's still in education but it's about trying to get to parents to engage them in good parenting and education and is a big challenge - as a department we never manage to get to parents so it's a bit of a holy grail. The new work I'll be setting up is a big challenge with big rewards if it works and a big chance of failure. It's not so much the work that's interesting, it's the challenge and that's exactly what I need. After 7 years in the current job (in different incarnations) this is going to be a big wrench but it's a wrench I need.
So, to celebrate, we went to VauxhallVille with it's theme of the Eurovision Song Contest. Now, Eurovision is, of course, awful, but it featured Bearlesque doing various Euro numbers so that was fun. Scales of the Unexpected (a barbershop quartet) actually won and it was obvious that they'd practiced whereas the Bears winged it. At least we got some Viking pole dancing!
The real celebration has just happened. I've booked tickets to see Buffy Sainte-Marie at the Highline Ballroom in New York on 18 June. Well, I don't get many opportunities to see Buffy and it's either see her in New York or at a folk festival in tents in Finland... tough decision and I don't speak Finnish, so Noo Yoik Here I come!
I'm going to start getting excited...
Friday, 11 May 2007
Wednesday, 9 May 2007
Ooooo er! Out 'n' About
Is it coincidence or planned that two blogger chums (who I'm sure both owe me a pint in the real world) have both blogged about friends not going out enough when invited. Her Right Nastiness and Wee Don Kerr seem to share the same bitch about stay-at-home chums while they go out to watch (how do I say this politely?), um, exhibitions at certain clubs in the wee small hours.
I was quite taken with Dawn's argument about going out to see and do things as enhancing life and day jobs making us all miserable and tired. It's hardly scientific but I'm conscious that I'm walking much better after my week off, less pain and less limping and all I can think is that it's the result of relaxation and less stress. I didn't believe my back doctor at first when he talked about stress causing back pain but I can understand it, with muscles tensing and causing nerves to react. And if going out in the evening helps to reduce stress then it must relieve miscellaneous ailments that result from or are aggrevated by stress.
The other side of the coin is, of course, going out to things that others will enjoy as well. I'm going out on Friday night (and Saturday night, it has to be said) to see the magnificent Maximo Park but how many of my chums are going as well? Hhhmmmmm let me think... None.
And how many of you are seeing Buffy Sainte-Marie in concert on 18 June? O yes, c'mon, tell me, how many? None I bet. Me neither - yet! Buffy is playing her first concert in New York for ten years and I'm so tempted to go over and see her. She's playing at the Highline Ballroom and will, obviously, be excellent. The website doesn't seem to have a seating plan or allocate seat numbers when you book online so I'm not sure - I don't want to go all that way to sit in Row Z behind a pillar - so I've asked an NY chum to scope it out. I was hoping to go to New York later in the year but I don't have a problem with bringing it forward.
Incidentally, Vanguard is issuing a new Buffy record on 12 June in it's 'Visionary' series. I'm assuming it's a compilation but, you never know, there might be some previously unreleased material as 'extras'.
Coincidentally, I've just started reading 'Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee' by Dee Brown about 'how the west was won' from a Native American perspective. It's a book Buffy recommends people read (along with others) and I've finally got round to it. It's a harrowing read, based on official governmental and other archived papers from the 19th century, thoroughly researched and indexed, and makes for very uncomfortable - but compelling - reading.
Still, getting back to the original point, one ought to get out more. When's the next T.Rex gig, guys?
I was quite taken with Dawn's argument about going out to see and do things as enhancing life and day jobs making us all miserable and tired. It's hardly scientific but I'm conscious that I'm walking much better after my week off, less pain and less limping and all I can think is that it's the result of relaxation and less stress. I didn't believe my back doctor at first when he talked about stress causing back pain but I can understand it, with muscles tensing and causing nerves to react. And if going out in the evening helps to reduce stress then it must relieve miscellaneous ailments that result from or are aggrevated by stress.
The other side of the coin is, of course, going out to things that others will enjoy as well. I'm going out on Friday night (and Saturday night, it has to be said) to see the magnificent Maximo Park but how many of my chums are going as well? Hhhmmmmm let me think... None.
And how many of you are seeing Buffy Sainte-Marie in concert on 18 June? O yes, c'mon, tell me, how many? None I bet. Me neither - yet! Buffy is playing her first concert in New York for ten years and I'm so tempted to go over and see her. She's playing at the Highline Ballroom and will, obviously, be excellent. The website doesn't seem to have a seating plan or allocate seat numbers when you book online so I'm not sure - I don't want to go all that way to sit in Row Z behind a pillar - so I've asked an NY chum to scope it out. I was hoping to go to New York later in the year but I don't have a problem with bringing it forward.
Incidentally, Vanguard is issuing a new Buffy record on 12 June in it's 'Visionary' series. I'm assuming it's a compilation but, you never know, there might be some previously unreleased material as 'extras'.
Coincidentally, I've just started reading 'Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee' by Dee Brown about 'how the west was won' from a Native American perspective. It's a book Buffy recommends people read (along with others) and I've finally got round to it. It's a harrowing read, based on official governmental and other archived papers from the 19th century, thoroughly researched and indexed, and makes for very uncomfortable - but compelling - reading.
Still, getting back to the original point, one ought to get out more. When's the next T.Rex gig, guys?
Monday, 7 May 2007
Bank Holiday Blog
My week off work has finished with May Day bank holiday so I have a shortened week back at work. I feel much better for a week off, more relaxed, but two weeks would, of course, be better. What have I done in my week off? Virtually nothing! And that's part of the joy, no pressure to do anything, a total slob-out. And, continuing tradition in bank holiday weather, it persisted down today.
One of my resolutions that I fulfilled was not to wear shoes this week. I managed it despite the changing weather conditions. I like my feet to breathe rather than be encased in various smothering materials. It probably reaches back to my hippy summer of 1976 when I wandered round shoeless before discovering the woes of smashed beer bottles on the pavement. Sandals it is then.
Of course, I've learned a lot about Marc Bolan this week and heard a lot of T.Rex records and today I invested in more. I got the wonderful 'The T.Rex Wax Co. Singles - A's And B's 1972-1977', a double CD with all the T.Rex singles and 'b' sides, from 'Telegram Sam' to 'Celebrate Summer', Marc's last single (with the slightly ominous 'Ride My Wheels' 'b' side). The box set has all the singles but not always the versions that were released. It's nice having them all in one place and I don't have some of the 'b' sides so this is a good addition to the collection. There are some songs I've never heard before, such as the glorious boogie of 'Satisfaction Pony', 'Space Boss' and 'Chrome Sitar' with their wailing falsetto backing vocals.
I've also heard, courtesy of the Buffy wires, that there's to be a new Buffy Sainte-Marie album released in America on 12 June called 'Vanguard Visionaries'. It seems to be one of a series with the same title by different '60s Vanguard artists so I assume it'll be a new compilation. There's no track listing available yet so I'll wait patiently, but it's a little bit exciting anyway!
I've now got Beverley Knight's new album, 'Music City Soul'. It's very different to her last album, 'Affirmation', but it oozes soul and r&b and sounds like she had great fun making it. It's the work of a woman at the peak of her powers with confidence and talent to spare. If this doesn't make her global I don't know what will. Favourite tracks today are 'Every Time You See Me Smile', 'Black Butta' and 'Tell Me I'm Wrong'. It'll be different tomorrow, I think the whole album is outstanding
Chris, knowing my current fascination with Marc Bolan, let me borrow his Gloria Jones CD which includes the album Marc co-wrote and co-produced for her. I didn't even know it was available on CD.
One of my resolutions that I fulfilled was not to wear shoes this week. I managed it despite the changing weather conditions. I like my feet to breathe rather than be encased in various smothering materials. It probably reaches back to my hippy summer of 1976 when I wandered round shoeless before discovering the woes of smashed beer bottles on the pavement. Sandals it is then.
Of course, I've learned a lot about Marc Bolan this week and heard a lot of T.Rex records and today I invested in more. I got the wonderful 'The T.Rex Wax Co. Singles - A's And B's 1972-1977', a double CD with all the T.Rex singles and 'b' sides, from 'Telegram Sam' to 'Celebrate Summer', Marc's last single (with the slightly ominous 'Ride My Wheels' 'b' side). The box set has all the singles but not always the versions that were released. It's nice having them all in one place and I don't have some of the 'b' sides so this is a good addition to the collection. There are some songs I've never heard before, such as the glorious boogie of 'Satisfaction Pony', 'Space Boss' and 'Chrome Sitar' with their wailing falsetto backing vocals.I've also heard, courtesy of the Buffy wires, that there's to be a new Buffy Sainte-Marie album released in America on 12 June called 'Vanguard Visionaries'. It seems to be one of a series with the same title by different '60s Vanguard artists so I assume it'll be a new compilation. There's no track listing available yet so I'll wait patiently, but it's a little bit exciting anyway!
I've now got Beverley Knight's new album, 'Music City Soul'. It's very different to her last album, 'Affirmation', but it oozes soul and r&b and sounds like she had great fun making it. It's the work of a woman at the peak of her powers with confidence and talent to spare. If this doesn't make her global I don't know what will. Favourite tracks today are 'Every Time You See Me Smile', 'Black Butta' and 'Tell Me I'm Wrong'. It'll be different tomorrow, I think the whole album is outstandingChris, knowing my current fascination with Marc Bolan, let me borrow his Gloria Jones CD which includes the album Marc co-wrote and co-produced for her. I didn't even know it was available on CD.
Sunday, 6 May 2007
Finger on the Pulse
My finger, as ever, is on the political pulse of the nation. No sooner do I finish a blog about Marc Bolan (high politics in the extreme) than I launch into a blog about our esteemed Home Secretary, John Reid. Today, Dr Reid announced he will stand down at the same time as Blair. Aw, isn't that nice of him to give Brown the chance to get some new blood into the Cabinet?
My claim to fame with Dr Reid is that he likes me. Well, he kept looking at me and smiling when I attended a meeting at the Home Office which he chaired in December last year. I couldn't work out why he kept looking at me. We were sitting round tables without modesty boards and my legs were outstretched. Now, much as I think I might have nice legs (in a certain light and with the curtains drawn) I doubt he was admiring them. What could it have been?
I went on from that meeting to have dinner with colleagues from work and, when I recounted my puzzlement at the meeting, a colleague referred to my socks. It hadn't quite occurred to me that I was wearing 'power socks' (I tend to wear 'power socks' when I'm meeting ministers or do public speaking or interviews or wotnot). These particular socks were decorated with hoops of every known colour (and some unknown colours) around them and would've been plainly seen under the table as my suit trousers rode up slightly in the seated position.
Is there a word for sock connoisseur? If so, Dr Reid must be one.
My claim to fame with Dr Reid is that he likes me. Well, he kept looking at me and smiling when I attended a meeting at the Home Office which he chaired in December last year. I couldn't work out why he kept looking at me. We were sitting round tables without modesty boards and my legs were outstretched. Now, much as I think I might have nice legs (in a certain light and with the curtains drawn) I doubt he was admiring them. What could it have been?
I went on from that meeting to have dinner with colleagues from work and, when I recounted my puzzlement at the meeting, a colleague referred to my socks. It hadn't quite occurred to me that I was wearing 'power socks' (I tend to wear 'power socks' when I'm meeting ministers or do public speaking or interviews or wotnot). These particular socks were decorated with hoops of every known colour (and some unknown colours) around them and would've been plainly seen under the table as my suit trousers rode up slightly in the seated position.
Is there a word for sock connoisseur? If so, Dr Reid must be one.
Marc Bolan
"A one and a two and a bobbley bobbley boo-boo YEAH!"
... opens 'Baby Strange' from 1972, one of my favourite song intros by the glorious Marc Bolan, a song that's playing in the background at the moment. I've finished reading the biography by Mark Peytress and very good it is too. I didn't necessarily want to know some of the contents - I prefer the idol to the reality - but it's a good read and hasn't spoiled by opinion of Marc. Now I need to hear some of his music and type out a few thoughts.
His early solo work, his creation of Tyrannosaurus Rex with Steve Peregrine Took and then the classic version with Mickey Finn that became T.Rex and changed things forever. All of it was Marc, of course, it was always about him.
He could have so easily slipped away with the other hippy, flower children bands and never been heard from again but something happened. He could sell albums of his songs about wizards and mystical lands and sell enough concert tickets to keep going, but nothing big. That much is history and before my time (although I like some of the older Tyrannosaurus Rex songs) but then he wrote 'Ride A White Swan', caught a star and placed it on his forehead...
I'm old enough to remember Marc from that time. I saved up my pocket money and bought 'Hot Love', 'Jeepster', 'Telegram Sam' and 'Children of the Revolution' and taped his other slices of perfect pop off the radio. I watched him on 'Top of the Pops' in his glory. I didn't see him play live but the concert footage on the extras to the 'Born to Boogie' DVD looks great.
SLADE were my gods but Marc has a special place in the pantheon. He re-invigorate pop music in the early '70s just as some of his fans did later in the decade when punk exploded. He opened the door to so many others to have their own moments of greatness. Who else could get away with a line like, "I drive a rolls royce cos it's good for my voice" and, of course, I believed him. Except he couldn't drive, but why spoil the image with mere detail?
He was an icon of incredible potency, the image and the sound all wrapped up in one small bundle. If you grew up in the '70s all you need is to see a photo of his head with that wondrous corkscrew hair and that sums up the era. He was beautiful and he played up to his own image, generating his own cult of worshipful fans. As with others from that time, the legacy hasn't been managed very well with rights to his songs being owned all over the place resulting in dozens of different compilations of dubious quality being released and that dilutes his work.
It's difficult to remember just how big Marc was in his heyday. Is there actually anybody that big these days? Probably not, in part because the world is now different. Ringo Starr and Elton John played with him on 'Born to Boogie' and having a Beatle on your side meant something back then. He had a sparring relationship with David Bowie from the mid-'60s onwards when they were both mods and he played the original guitar solo on 'The Prettiest Star'. David played guitar on Marc's last televison show shortly before he died.
He was just getting his life and career back together when he died, just a couple of weeks before his 30th birthday. Booze and drugs were his downfall in the preceeding years it seems. He toured in 1977 with The Damned in support, presenting himself as the 'godfather of punk' with his newly slimmed down, healthy figure. It's so sad that he died so young but it means his life with all his ups and downs is frozen forever. What would he be doing today? Who knows.
Another great Marc intro has just played, the wonderful war-cry of "T R E X" at the start of 'The Groover'. He throws down the gauntlet at his rivals in those four letters. Pick it up if you dare.
... opens 'Baby Strange' from 1972, one of my favourite song intros by the glorious Marc Bolan, a song that's playing in the background at the moment. I've finished reading the biography by Mark Peytress and very good it is too. I didn't necessarily want to know some of the contents - I prefer the idol to the reality - but it's a good read and hasn't spoiled by opinion of Marc. Now I need to hear some of his music and type out a few thoughts.His early solo work, his creation of Tyrannosaurus Rex with Steve Peregrine Took and then the classic version with Mickey Finn that became T.Rex and changed things forever. All of it was Marc, of course, it was always about him.
He could have so easily slipped away with the other hippy, flower children bands and never been heard from again but something happened. He could sell albums of his songs about wizards and mystical lands and sell enough concert tickets to keep going, but nothing big. That much is history and before my time (although I like some of the older Tyrannosaurus Rex songs) but then he wrote 'Ride A White Swan', caught a star and placed it on his forehead...
I'm old enough to remember Marc from that time. I saved up my pocket money and bought 'Hot Love', 'Jeepster', 'Telegram Sam' and 'Children of the Revolution' and taped his other slices of perfect pop off the radio. I watched him on 'Top of the Pops' in his glory. I didn't see him play live but the concert footage on the extras to the 'Born to Boogie' DVD looks great.SLADE were my gods but Marc has a special place in the pantheon. He re-invigorate pop music in the early '70s just as some of his fans did later in the decade when punk exploded. He opened the door to so many others to have their own moments of greatness. Who else could get away with a line like, "I drive a rolls royce cos it's good for my voice" and, of course, I believed him. Except he couldn't drive, but why spoil the image with mere detail?
He was an icon of incredible potency, the image and the sound all wrapped up in one small bundle. If you grew up in the '70s all you need is to see a photo of his head with that wondrous corkscrew hair and that sums up the era. He was beautiful and he played up to his own image, generating his own cult of worshipful fans. As with others from that time, the legacy hasn't been managed very well with rights to his songs being owned all over the place resulting in dozens of different compilations of dubious quality being released and that dilutes his work.
It's difficult to remember just how big Marc was in his heyday. Is there actually anybody that big these days? Probably not, in part because the world is now different. Ringo Starr and Elton John played with him on 'Born to Boogie' and having a Beatle on your side meant something back then. He had a sparring relationship with David Bowie from the mid-'60s onwards when they were both mods and he played the original guitar solo on 'The Prettiest Star'. David played guitar on Marc's last televison show shortly before he died.
He was just getting his life and career back together when he died, just a couple of weeks before his 30th birthday. Booze and drugs were his downfall in the preceeding years it seems. He toured in 1977 with The Damned in support, presenting himself as the 'godfather of punk' with his newly slimmed down, healthy figure. It's so sad that he died so young but it means his life with all his ups and downs is frozen forever. What would he be doing today? Who knows.Another great Marc intro has just played, the wonderful war-cry of "T R E X" at the start of 'The Groover'. He throws down the gauntlet at his rivals in those four letters. Pick it up if you dare.
Saturday, 5 May 2007
SLADE ALIVE in London 1975
When I downloaded my emails tonight I found a few from the SLADE wires. Most were about the next batch of re-mastered re-issues due in June, but imagine my joy when one message spoke of a lost live album from 1975 and included a link to the site to download it.I'm listening to it now, it's excellent quality and some of the songs haven't been released as live at all, let alone from this gig. And it's great hearing Noddy talk about 'the next single' and 'the recent film'. It was recorded at the New Victoria Theatre in London on 24 April 1975.
I wonder what else is in the archives that no-one really knows about?
Friday, 4 May 2007
On The Town
The latest theatrical trip was to see the English National Opera's revival of 'On The Town' at The Coliseum. You know the story - three young sailors on shore leave in New York for 24 hours in search of fun and laughter and instead they all find love, of differing varieties, or at least they all get their girls.
What I hadn't quite factored in was that since this was the ENO then there'd be a load of operatic voices and I'd forgotten about the ballet/modern dance bits, neither of which are particular favourites. There was a large cast, the stage full of people in meticulous but often dull costumes, and there wasn't much by way of scenery, mainly metal girders in different forms. On that large stage I was expecting colour to burst out at us as the sailors explore New York but it was mainly quite muted and gray. I'm not entirely sure what the production was trying to say about New York.It was a event of highs and lows for me, with the energy and dash of the stage full of people during 'New York New York, it's a helluva town' and the quite gentle 'Lucky To Be Me' and the lows were the ballet bits. Enough said.
It was great to see June Whitfield, marvelously playing her role in an understated and controlled way, tossing off her quips with perfect timing, a proper actress rather than a singer or dancer.
There are only 20 shows in this run (not sure why there are so few). I'm pleased I've seen it but I won't be hoping to go back again.
Marc Bolan
I'm thoroughly enjoying reading the biography of Marc by Mark Paytress and listening to the T.Rex boxset which includes some amazing songs I haven't heard before. From 'Hippy Gumbo' to the '20th Century Boy', Marc was a force of nature.I'll probably launch a blog about Marc on an unsuspecting world when I finish the book but I wanted to mention a text I received today when I mentioned I was listening to the boxset to Chris. His text reads:
"Can you hear him tossing his curls and going YE-AH?"
I laughed and replied YES!
I'm up to 'Hot Love' in 1971 in the book (my first T.Rex single) when Marc was still inventing T.Rex and all that was to follow so I've a long way to go!
Marc was many things in his too-short life but, actually, seeing him on Top Of The Pops in 1972 in his satins and glitter and glory, tossing his corkscrew hair and being the rock god he always was (and always will be) is a glorious part of his mystique. And I love hearing Marc saying 'YE-AH'!
Thursday, 3 May 2007
Side By Side By Sondheim
This evening's entertainment was viewed at The Venue, off Leicester Square, former home to Boy George's 'Taboo', along with Chris and Angela (I last saw Angela when we went to see 'Follies' in Clapham, another Sondheim show). I didn't know anything about 'Side by Side by Sondheim' other than it's a collection of his songs from his various shows, a sort of 'greatest hits' cast as a theatrical revue. Two pianists, two women singers, one male singer and a narrator and that's the show. A few lights and a few props, but basically it's just them singing and acting the songs.Sondheim's work can stand on it's own merits but a show like this will stand or fall based on the singers and we were luckily to have three excellent performers in excellent voice. Alasdair Harvey, Abbie Osmon and Josie Walker were excellent. That's three 'excellents' in two sentences so I must've liked 'em.
Particular praise goes to Josie Walker (and not just cos she kept looking at me and half-smiling) who has an amazingly expressive and versatile voice, both in serious songs and in the more comic ditties. We were sitting in the front row so had a great view and during 'Send In The Clowns' it was an odd feeling watching Josie singing with tears running down her cheeks. Earlier on she'd spat out words at an incredibly fast rate during the comic 'Getting Married Today' and put on a great 'north western' accent for the homage to 'The Boy From...'. A very versatile voice, great with accents, whether it's from Noo Yoik or Manchester and, of course, a great singing voice. I'd like to hear more from her.
Abbie's highlight for me was 'Losing My Mind' which I can't hear without hearing Liza Minnelli. Because of that, the song wasn't working for me, I thought of when I saw it sung in the pocket sized version of 'Follies' and then suddenly Abbie seemed to turn up the power, faced the audience full on for the first time and I 'got' it. It transformed from a song about pain to pain itself and I was transfixed.
Alasdair also deserves praise for his voice and acting. Reading the programme he seems to have been in lots of telly programmes and sung with loads of orchestras and ensembles. The highlight for me was the anger and hurt of 'Could I Leave You' which was quite raw and wounding. The almost viciousness of the lyric wasn't quite spat out but it was close. It probably wasn't the best song to show off his voice but he'd already done that in numerous songs so it was time to pile on some acting.I enjoyed it. Sondheim's songs are very wordy and sometimes they seem very knowing, almost too knowing, but this is a good collection of his songs. I'd like a cast recording with this cast - they deserve it - but I doubt it'll happen. The show is only on for 12 weeks or something so I was surprised it wasn't full. It might be interesting to go again.
The Sugar Trolls and the Bopping Elf
The Sugar Trolls are alive and well and living in me. I don’t know if they excrete sugar or mine it somewhere and use me to store it, a walking safe if you will, but I’m full of the damn stuff. So, my big task in this, my first week off work this year, is to try to get it under control. The weather’s been lovely so far this week, lovely and warm with blue sky and sun beating down, shorts and sandals weather. This morning is a bit different though, cooler and white, cloudy sky.
I peaked on Tuesday when my sugar reading was at 15 (whatevers) when it should’ve been at about 6. So I went out for a walk round Tooting Common. It’s a very large area of greenery with lots of different areas, some areas with grass mown short for sport, a colourful lido, a small lake and smaller ponds, children's play area and tennis courts, other areas where everything grows reasonably wild and a couple of ‘nature reserve’ areas. It was nice to see in one of the natural areas that it’s being actively managed, with a small area being ‘dead fenced’ to protect some spring flowers – I couldn’t see any plants that looked out of the ordinary so perhaps they’ve already died back. I did find a nice clump of hawthorne trees, though, all knarled and ancient looking and covered in blossom, both the clean white blossom and the red/pink/purple variety like the old one in my garden. Hawthorne usually has white blossom and I’ve never understood why mine has red, so it was nice to see them blooming side by side on the Common.
Even after walking for nearly one and a half hours, my sugar level was still too high. I don’t understand my body sometimes. So off I went to the gym for the first time in ages. The first thing I did was weigh myself and was relieved to see that I hadn’t put on as much weight as I thought I had – I’ve become bigger rather than heavier, so that’s something. My gym has converted from a Holmes Place to a Virgin Active and this was my first visit since the big change. What big change? It still hasn’t happened. The ground floor has been painted an odd sort of orange and there are some carpet tiles on the ground and first floors, but that seems to be it. A few new exercise machines in one gym and the layout changed in another. Apparently the big change will happen over May. Oh, the other change is a sign in the changing room saying ‘no paparazzi – don’t take photos with camera-phones’ which is rather odd!
Yesterday I had an MRI scan at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital to see what the discs and soft-tissues in my lower spine are up to. You've got to remove everything that might accidentally interfere with the machine or fall off and break it so I very gingerly removed by last 'blessing' from around my right wrist, the first time it's been off in almost exactly 7 years (since 22 May 2000 to be precise). I don't think it has long to last with the silk threads worn very thin and getting to 'snap' consistency in one place. I'm not sure I could get it back on without snapping it so I'm still naked-wristed. It feels slightly strange.
The appointment wasn’t until 5.40pm (and there were more after me) and it was rather odd arriving at the hospital as most others were leaving. Strip and into a backless gown (I hate them), lie on the slab and be moved into the polo-mint machine, very claustrophobic and no space to move to be bombarded my magnetic stuff. I don’t remember it being so tight the last time I was done (8 years ago) but then again I was smaller then! I’d also forgotten how loud the machine is, even wearing headphones. 10 minutes later I was pulled out and sent on my merry way home. I’ll get the results when I go back in two weeks time.
Today? Well, I’m sitting here waiting for the nice man to deliver my Maximo Park tickets for next weekend. He’s tried before and failed so I’m sitting here in my bay window watching the drive for strangers carrying paperwork to wander up to the front door (my bell doesn’t work). The gig is next Friday so I’m getting slightly concerned about the tickets. They tried to deliver them to work but I was in another building at the time so missed them. I don’t know why the tickets have to be signed for by special delivery – the face value is only £20 or something so they should just post them but won’t.
Still, sitting here doing nothing much gives me the chance to listen to my new records, the four CD boxset of ‘Marc Bolan & T.Rex: 20th Century Superstar’. It’s got a nice representative selection of his entire recording history from his first demos as Toby Tyler through John’s Children and Tyrannosaurus Rex to the glory that was T.Rex. I haven’t reached the final disc yet which ends with ‘Celebrate Summer’ (with the chorus of ‘Summer is heaven in 77’), his last single before he died.
I’ve never heard the John’s Children tracks before and they’re surprisingly good (one of their singles even made the US Billboard Top 100 back in 1966). Some of the Tyrannosaurus Rex songs are familiar from one of my early vinyl collections from about 1971 and it’s lovely to hear them again whereas others are completely new. One of the joys and annoyances of this boxset is that it includes alternative takes on some of the songs, such as a 5 minute 18 second version of ‘Hot Love’ that’s never been released before – I love it, it’s excellent, but it’s not the version I’ve known for 36 years and if any version is re-mastered and re-issued it should be that one. Still, I can live with that. There’s also a 64 page booklet full of photos of the 20th Century Boy.
Anyway, back to the trolls. I've just taken a reading and my blood sugar is now 11.1. I can only conclude that it's the museli I've been eating for breakfast, even though there's no added sugar or salt and not much fruit. I was 6.0 before breakfast, after which I took my tablets and now I'm 11.1. Something in the museli is making the trolls act up so, bye-bye museli and hello to crunchy-nut cornflakes.
I peaked on Tuesday when my sugar reading was at 15 (whatevers) when it should’ve been at about 6. So I went out for a walk round Tooting Common. It’s a very large area of greenery with lots of different areas, some areas with grass mown short for sport, a colourful lido, a small lake and smaller ponds, children's play area and tennis courts, other areas where everything grows reasonably wild and a couple of ‘nature reserve’ areas. It was nice to see in one of the natural areas that it’s being actively managed, with a small area being ‘dead fenced’ to protect some spring flowers – I couldn’t see any plants that looked out of the ordinary so perhaps they’ve already died back. I did find a nice clump of hawthorne trees, though, all knarled and ancient looking and covered in blossom, both the clean white blossom and the red/pink/purple variety like the old one in my garden. Hawthorne usually has white blossom and I’ve never understood why mine has red, so it was nice to see them blooming side by side on the Common.
Even after walking for nearly one and a half hours, my sugar level was still too high. I don’t understand my body sometimes. So off I went to the gym for the first time in ages. The first thing I did was weigh myself and was relieved to see that I hadn’t put on as much weight as I thought I had – I’ve become bigger rather than heavier, so that’s something. My gym has converted from a Holmes Place to a Virgin Active and this was my first visit since the big change. What big change? It still hasn’t happened. The ground floor has been painted an odd sort of orange and there are some carpet tiles on the ground and first floors, but that seems to be it. A few new exercise machines in one gym and the layout changed in another. Apparently the big change will happen over May. Oh, the other change is a sign in the changing room saying ‘no paparazzi – don’t take photos with camera-phones’ which is rather odd!
Yesterday I had an MRI scan at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital to see what the discs and soft-tissues in my lower spine are up to. You've got to remove everything that might accidentally interfere with the machine or fall off and break it so I very gingerly removed by last 'blessing' from around my right wrist, the first time it's been off in almost exactly 7 years (since 22 May 2000 to be precise). I don't think it has long to last with the silk threads worn very thin and getting to 'snap' consistency in one place. I'm not sure I could get it back on without snapping it so I'm still naked-wristed. It feels slightly strange.
The appointment wasn’t until 5.40pm (and there were more after me) and it was rather odd arriving at the hospital as most others were leaving. Strip and into a backless gown (I hate them), lie on the slab and be moved into the polo-mint machine, very claustrophobic and no space to move to be bombarded my magnetic stuff. I don’t remember it being so tight the last time I was done (8 years ago) but then again I was smaller then! I’d also forgotten how loud the machine is, even wearing headphones. 10 minutes later I was pulled out and sent on my merry way home. I’ll get the results when I go back in two weeks time.
Today? Well, I’m sitting here waiting for the nice man to deliver my Maximo Park tickets for next weekend. He’s tried before and failed so I’m sitting here in my bay window watching the drive for strangers carrying paperwork to wander up to the front door (my bell doesn’t work). The gig is next Friday so I’m getting slightly concerned about the tickets. They tried to deliver them to work but I was in another building at the time so missed them. I don’t know why the tickets have to be signed for by special delivery – the face value is only £20 or something so they should just post them but won’t.
Still, sitting here doing nothing much gives me the chance to listen to my new records, the four CD boxset of ‘Marc Bolan & T.Rex: 20th Century Superstar’. It’s got a nice representative selection of his entire recording history from his first demos as Toby Tyler through John’s Children and Tyrannosaurus Rex to the glory that was T.Rex. I haven’t reached the final disc yet which ends with ‘Celebrate Summer’ (with the chorus of ‘Summer is heaven in 77’), his last single before he died.I’ve never heard the John’s Children tracks before and they’re surprisingly good (one of their singles even made the US Billboard Top 100 back in 1966). Some of the Tyrannosaurus Rex songs are familiar from one of my early vinyl collections from about 1971 and it’s lovely to hear them again whereas others are completely new. One of the joys and annoyances of this boxset is that it includes alternative takes on some of the songs, such as a 5 minute 18 second version of ‘Hot Love’ that’s never been released before – I love it, it’s excellent, but it’s not the version I’ve known for 36 years and if any version is re-mastered and re-issued it should be that one. Still, I can live with that. There’s also a 64 page booklet full of photos of the 20th Century Boy.
Anyway, back to the trolls. I've just taken a reading and my blood sugar is now 11.1. I can only conclude that it's the museli I've been eating for breakfast, even though there's no added sugar or salt and not much fruit. I was 6.0 before breakfast, after which I took my tablets and now I'm 11.1. Something in the museli is making the trolls act up so, bye-bye museli and hello to crunchy-nut cornflakes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)