w.atching the w.orld unw.ind

Today's lyric:

"You've walked between the raindrops for far too long
You're gonna get what's yours
And if you go away then
Don't you come back round here no more."

The Bluetones: "Parting gesture"
From the album: "Expecting to fly"

Our bestest friends were lamenting that a series of domestic disasters was depleting the bank balance.

"Yes, we went through a period like that, just a couple of years ago." we grinned.

And since then, our fan-assisted oven isn't, the surround sound system doesn't (one week - one week!! after the warranty expired), the phoneless cord died (again) and wireless broadband has decided that while it doesn't like warm weather, it also doesn't enjoy the cold, either.

Grrr.

Today's lyric:

"No one knows what it's like to feel these feelings
Like I do - and I blame you
No one bites back as hard on their anger
None of my pain and woe can show through."

The Who: "Behind blue eyes"
From the album: "Who's next"

You got into my carriage* and sat across the aisle, but facing me. I haven't seen you before, so you're not a regular commuter. We certainly have never spoken before.

We both settle into our respective seats, and head home for the weekend...

As my mind idles, not really enjoying my current read, I imagine conducting a one-way interview, in which I guess your character and life, just from your face. Maybe it could be the subject of a post?

So you must neither agree or disagree with my deductions, as that would colour my next guess...

You are 37, approaching 38. Your unconventional beauty is perhaps what made me notice you? An aquiline nose draws out your face into a diamond shape. Full lips, but not an artificial 'trout pout'. The unusual attractiveness has given you a determined character - one which some of your colleagues find difficult to work with, but most would claim that it makes you a good 'no nonsense' boss to work for.

Ah yes, you are a City worker. Middle management - heading up a small but high-profile team. Simple, but smart, business suit. Possibly banking, or insurance. Banking, I think. Yet you can be impetuous, as the sudden, mid-trip opening of your laptop and the staccato rattling of the keyboard indicate?

As you brush back your hair - which is not your natural colour, but is not that far from the truth - you display a simple, silver wedding band. You always visit the same hairdresser. God help any other coiffeuse who messes with that carefully-tousled look.

The make-up is carefully but minimally applied. Enough to keep the inevitable ageing at bay. But no need yet to trowel it on. The brief memo dealt with, the laptop is shut down and you settle back again in your seat. I return to my book and thoughts.

I get off the train. You continue to, where, Brighton? No - Hove? I head off into my weekend and completely forget about you. The premise for the post probably lost for ever. I do have a life.

And then on Monday evening, you once again enter my compartment, and sit next to me. A brief telephone call to your partner - you've been given a small gift by the delegation from a country you've just done business with, and you're gratefully pleased.

Then you drift off into sleep, your mouth slightly open and very gently snoring. Just enough so that I can hear you above the Walkman's lulls, but not unduly obtrusive.

So I have to wake you to escape from my seat, and you politely apologise for having dozed off. Though, of course, it's nothing to do with me really. And so we 'part'

* I am not a stalker - honest!

Today's lyric:

"Here we are now going to the north side
I look at my friends as they start to ride
Ride at night, we ride all day
Looking out for a sunny day."

Moby: "South Side"
From the album: "Play"

Saturday evening and a meeting with good friends we haven't seen in nearly twenty years.

The time flew by as we swapped stories and experiences covering a period in which all four of our children have grown up to become adults.

It will not be another score before we meet again...

Today's lyric:

"Graphic designer, you could look no finer
In your eyeliner and your silas jeans
Living in the EastEnd, with your teenage girlfriend
Everyday's a weekend in a real cool scene."

Graham Coxon: "No good time"
From the album: "Happiness in magazines"

Just four of us in today, instead of the usual Dirty Dozen.

So we're celebrating with a bacon sarniefest.

I can hear mine calling me.... Gotta go....

Great weekends, y'all

Today's lyric:

"If your memory serves you well
You'll remember you're the one
That called on them to call on him
To get your favours done.
And after every plan had failed
And there was nothing more to tell
You knew that we would meet again -
If your memory serves you well?
This wheel's on fire
Rollin' down the road.
Best notify my next of kin
This wheel shall explode."

Julie Driscoll/Brian Auger "This wheel's on fire"
From the album: "Get Auger-nized"

Mrs.D. rang from her one-day conference on salt-mining in Sussex.

"Oh, Dear, I got here Ok, but as I arrived, the run-flat light came on."

(For reasons of space and weight, New Minis don't carry a spare wheel but come equipped with run-flat tyres and a dashboard warning light.)

"I've stopped and checked the manual and I'm Ok to get home and let the local garage look at it."

Good girl.

Later that same day...

Mrs.D. to Garage Man: "It seems I may have a flat tyre. Could you repair it or replace it?"
GM: "Oh dear. If it's a puncture, we'll have to replace it. You mustn't repair run-flats."
Mrs.D. "But you repaired it last time?"
GM: (sheepishly) "Oh dear. We shouldn't have done that. No, it will have to be replaced."
Mrs.D. "Oh. Dear?"
GM: "Yes, dear. About 140 of your best English pounds. Give us ten minutes to look it over."

Two minutes later..

GM: "Mrs.D. when was the last time you put air in your tyres?"
Mrs.D. "Ooooh dear...."
GM: "We won't charge you for the inspection or the air-fills. We all reckon the embarassment of telling Mr.D. will be punishment enough!"

Bad girl.

Today's lyric:

"There she stood in the street
Smiling from her head to her feet
I said 'Hey what is this?
Now maybe, baby
Maybe you're in need of a kiss?
I said 'Slow don't talk so fast -
Don't you think that love can last?"

Free: "All right now"
From the album: "Fire and water"

A freezing, disabled button-grey fog clothed the buildings on the way in today, dissipating reluctantly only as we approached the relative warmth of the capital.

From one of the twin chimneys of the squat London City Mission building, a lethargic plume of smoke drifted vertically, smudging the barren sky.

For some reason, I was reminded of a line by Byron..

And mine has been the fate of those
To whom the goodly earth and air
Are bann'd, and barr'd - forbidden fare.

I like the alliteration in that.

Someone noticed a glitch in the chronology of yesterday's post. I've got an idea it was because I parked the framework for the Today's lyric as a draft and maybe Blogger takes its cue from the Date Created, not the Date Published? Soon see.

Today's lyric:

"The one who insists he was first in the line
is the last to remember her name
He's walking around in this dress that she wore
She is gone but the joke's the same."

The Psychedelic Furs: "Pretty in pink"
From the album: "Talk talk talk"

Traded the trademark short-sleeved white shirt today for Pickford's removals gear.

Had an internal office re-shuffle dumped on me and took the opportunity to get the rooms organised in the way they should have been when we originally re-located...

No doubt someone's nose will be disjointed by the impromptuness* of it all, but you know what they say: "If you want a job done properly, give it to a busy man"

Talking of which

* trying to think of a word with more than 12 different letters, none of which are repeated?

Today's lyric:

"Police and thieves in the streets
Oh yeah!
Scaring the nation with their guns and ammunition
Police and thieves in the street
Oh yeah!
Fighting the nation with their guns and ammunition."

The Clash: "Police and thieves"
From the album: "The Clash"

Having worked in Bradford's city centre for a couple of years, I well know the area where Friday's bungled robbery and shooting took place.

I say bungled, because I can't believe that the bandits thought they would actually have to use the gun(s) they took with them, especially on such a 'soft' target like a travel agents? And how much cash did they hope to get away with anyway, from such a shop? I wouldn't have thought there'd be too many deposits or holiday balances paid for with the folding stuff.

If I'm honest, I haven't had a lot of time for the police, ever since they were directly instrumental in the suicide of my brother-in-law - a harrowing tale in its own right, and one which I may one day blog about - but the death of an officer in service is lamentable.

Having said that, I was disappointed to hear that some high-up in the force was almost immediately calling for the restoration of the death sentence for the killing of a police officer. Surely if human life is worth anything, all deaths would merit 'an eye for an eye', not just those of our defenders of the law?

Today's lyric:

"Take it outside
Take it out there
Seems to me like
All the world gets high
When you take a dare
In the final moment
This is my time
All in all and I'm
Loving every rise and fall."

The Red Hot Chilli Peppers:
"Tear"
From the album: "By the way"

May fill in the blanks if I get time later...

update

Still f-all time, so, enjoy your weekends!

Today's lyric:

"Oleanders, growing outside her door
Soon they're gonna be in bloom up in Annandale
I can't stand her, doing what she did before
Living like a gypsy queen in a fairy tale
Well I hear the whistle but I can't go
I'm gonna take her down to Mexico
She said "Oh no, Guadalajara won't do."

Steely Dan: "My old school"
From the album: "Countdown to ecstacy"

The fat old moon rose rapidly above the horizon, like a starting gun heralding the beginning of our journey south, and Home. Alternately tracking us from our rear port quarter and abeam, as we jinked our way back from the North, I wondered idly whether more people would eventually visit other planets than the Moon? After all, there's stuff all there of use. Will the grass be greener on the other side of the galaxy?

And today, there she was again, staring balefully out of a crystalline blue sky, 180 degrees away to the West, heralding another day, another train ride...

During the trip I finished what must be this year's 28th book - it's still posted up over there on the right. An insider's account of some of the worst abductions and murders in the UK during the past 20 years. Horrific, true stories of human depravity, degradation and predation which do not make for 'enjoyable' reading.

Even Number One Daughter - herself a student clinical psychologist - refuses to read it because of the graphic details behind the police investigations into cases such as Fred and Rosemary West, the Wardell and Nickell killings, the Michael Sams' abductions etc.

It does make you despair for humanity, when such atrocities can be calculatedly perpetrated on other people?

An unscheduled stop for repairs to overhead lines put us half an hour behind our ETA and an indoors time of 9.30 pm meant a quick, but welcome, supper of beans on toast -welcome after the usual processed fare of hotels etc.

So, proof that we did visit whyaye country (the Tyne bridge) - the locals were very friendly and we didn't have to go down too many subways that reeked of urine..

Today's lyric:

"We get these pills to swallow
How they stick in your throat
Tastes like gold

Oh, what you do to me
No one knows."

Queens of the Stone age:
"No one knows"
From the album: "Songs for the deaf"

Or whatever they say up in Newcassell?

Out for a couple of days on a system audit. I've been warned by an ex-Geordie not to ask for cheese on my chips, because apparently that's a Sunderland speciality and therefore 'frowned on'.

Now, as someone who always likes to try the local delicacies 'when in Rome', I must admit that wouldn't have been my first choice of food when I got there?

We shall see.

Back on Thursday (unless they have this here interwebnethingy north of Watford?)

* waits to see if any hackles rise *

Today's lyric:

"Drive me to distraction
Drive me really mad
Drive me to the action
Take me one more tad
Drive me to the west wing
Drive me to the right
Drive me to the best thing
That has happened to me all night."

"Ian Dury and The Blockheads:
"Dance little rude boy, dance"
From the album:
"Ten more turnips from the tip"

A fair bit of Saturday was spent huddled around a monitor with Mrs.D., Buddy 1 and Mrs. Buddy 1, surfing the interwebnethingy for next year's holiday.

We've decided that after a gap of 28 years, returning to our first Greek island would constitute a decent lapse of time and enough - given our failing memories - to make it seem like a virgin visit. So we've got the destination, aviation and transportation sorted and it's still only November!

Monarch airlines will be flying us to Corfu and a Ford Focus (or similar) will provide the means of lugging our scuba gear around the beautiful bays and coves.

I'm there already...

Today's lyric:

"When all is said and all is over
When all is just a memory
Our ships will stay for just a moment
Leaving gods and hypocrisy."

The Stranglers: "Thrownaway"
From the album: "The Gospel according to he Meninblack"

So it's goodbye to my old Blogger template and hello to this new opus, courtesy of the inimitable Clair.

Thank you all for your comments - even Mr Whiskers. I was advised to drop the clock because of the time it takes to download on slower machines, but I may re-introduce it when Broadband is more prevalent. Meanwhile, sorry. But the time is now, ooh, * looks at monitor clock * 08:38

The background is a judicious blend of Harriet- and Blue Witch-blue and the balloon is one of my snaps, suitably doctored.

As I said earlier, a work (of art) in progress...

a p.s. (before wishing you all a great weekend)

Just stood outside the building to observe a two-minute silence. It was interesting to note the stark contrast between today and the massed silence for the 7/7 victims, with mobile-users, strollers, visitors to the buildings and traffic seemingly oblivious to the moment.

Whether or not you subscribe to war - and for whatever reason it's fought - other human beings deserve at least a fleeting recognition for their sacrifices and two minutes ain't much to ask, is it.

Now - smile and - Great weekends y'all.

So...tumtetumtetum...it only took me, what, four months? Oh well...it's here now.

I think this design should work in all browsers, but if you think there are any problems at all, give me a shout. The two screen shots in this post show what I think it's all supposed to look like (depending on whether you use firefox or internet explorer). I'd particularly like to hear from anyone who uses a screen reader, anything I can do to improve things for those? Drop me a line in the comments box, or over at my place.

Anyway, we're live now!

Enjoy.

Today's lyric:

"I've been to ancient worlds
I've scoured the whole universe
And caught the first train home
To be at her side."

The Jam: "English Rose"
From the album: "All Mod Cons"

It now looks like most, if not all, of the new template's bugs have been ironed out and I'm hoping there's a strong possibility that we could have a soft launch before the weekend?

Especially as we're visiting my buddy for Mrs. Buddy's birthday (and I'll get a chance to tinker with it, without having to feel guilty about not doing housework!)

And Lo! It came to pass.

(I owe someone bigtime)

The train I hopped onto this morning had apparently been diverted from its planned termination at Victoria to London Bridge - a result for me.

As we pulled into the capital, the driver announced over the Tannoy - and without the slightest hint of irony:

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm pleased to say that we've arrived ahead of schedule, albeit at the wrong destination."

The universal look of disbelief on the commuters' faces spoke volumes.

Some eight months after taking a mugshot of everyone in the office wearing their Red Noses, I took down the Gallery pictures on the shared drive and photomerged a collage of selected facial bits.

50p per entry to guess whose nose is whose and winner takes all (donation back to original charity at winner's discretion - but they'd better!)

It's been mirth-making to see how many people can't recognise their own mouth or eyes?

Don't we all shave/make up every day? Vanity has nothing to do with it. But then, I took and mounted the pictures...

Briefly saw some footage of ocean-going yacht racing yesterday. It reminded me of the last time I went sailing...

A director of a company I used to work for, traded payment of his mooring fees for use of the yacht whenever he wasn't using it. And as she was berthed on the Hamble, one of the most desired (and therefore expensive) marinas in the world, you can imagine how good a deal that was!

Anyway, we found a suitable, free weekend and an experienced skipper and took her over to the Isle of Wight.

Me and another guy were bunked in the cable hold (where the anchor warp is kept) and were woken up in the dark by a deafening, clanking noise.

Staggering up on deck, and joined by the rest of the crew, we discovered that we'd slipped our moorings and were dragging our anchor across the sea bed. In the pitch black. In the middle of the main channel in the Solent. With no navigation lights on. With an engine that refused to start for a good twenty minutes. Vary Scary.

You know the expression "swinging the lead"? Well, that's what I had to do, to make sure we didn't run aground as we limped our way back to harbour.

So maybe ocean-going stuff is not for me..

Click to enlarge (the picture, that is - not the Rant) This must be one of the longest posts I've ever published?




Those who've heard it all before, look away now…

If you use the railway regularly, you can't fail to have seen the recent tv advert, exhorting the populace to travel by train as the new, alternative, socially- and environmentally-acceptable mode de transport?

It features some jaded, ex car-commuter who steps into a bright, near-empty carriage, where he sits in splendid isolation, occasionally benefiting from a benevolent smile from railway staff and other, equally happy fellow commuters. Legs stretched out, he basks in the new freedom.

The accompanying jingle is "He's on the 8:15 to Croydon."

Well, let me tell you, the reality sucks.

The 12-coach, air-conned, wifi-enabled Victoria-bound express which preceded my train, pulled smoothly away to allow an eight-coach, slam door and unapologetically late cattle truck to crawl in.

"Please remember to close the doors behind you" recommended the gantry signs.

No. Today, I feel like holding the handles and swinging on the hinges on the way in to the City!

Instead, along with a dozen other second-class travellers, I stood in the aisle outside the first class compartment for the whole trip, looking out through grime-sealed windows which clearly (sic) have only ever received any cleaning, courtesy of condensation from the breath of commuters and the cattle which evidently use the ‘service’ outside the peak hours. I’ve seen more sterile Petrie jars. And student digs. And abandoned Cardboard City boxes. Enough culture to host a whole pandemic of Avian 'Flu...

I reckon some failed Square Miler has got a top spot in the Rail industry and is now wreaking revenge on their former, fellow City-bound victims. Ba5tard!

When I started commuting, something like eighteen months ago, marketing types were touring the train, dispensing questionnaires and free biros and canvassing opinion about the service being provided. (I also seem to recall, they promised that slam-doors would be de-commissioned within the next six months?) Ba5tards!

Anyway, those guys must have been P-45'd in my second week, because no-one has since asked the simple question "How're we doing?" Suicide bombers would have a longer life expectancy..

And so the joy of commuting lasted less time than a post coital flush..

I sometimes wish that Deans & Lightalloys Limited had built some redundancy into their rolling stock when they built them prior to WWII. It's a testament to their skills that the damn things are still holding together.

They must have diversified into Black Box construction?

I've just realised - I missed my own second Blogday (I was writing about this major world event at the time, so I guess it was worth it?)

Read a colleague/friend's short story last night on the way home (Halloween theme, so very apt).

She's had some other articles published in magazines, but mainly writes just for the fun of.

It reminded me of the story I sent to "Dive" magazine, which was published in May this year, and how I've grumbled ever since that I didn't even get a free copy.

So I got home and opened a letter which was franked with an unrecognised publishing logo and inside, dated 17th June, was a cheque for £75!

Now, what do I buy with £75?