AndyBlog

Newton-by-the-sea

So, off we went up the North-East coast to Newton-by-the-sea. We had a truly excellent lunch in The Plough, where they specialise in Organic and free-range foodstuffs. Their meals were fantastic. Fiona;s fishcakes have already fallen into legend. After luch, we walked on the sands and took photographs. Unfortunately, Jac and myself were victims of such an activity, as this shot proves.

We had a wonderful day, full of laughter and fun, rounded off with an Italian meal at The New Napoli restaurant in Low Fell. This restaurant distinguishes itself from the myriad others, by serving English puddings afte rtheir excellent Italian fare. So, we rejoiced in treacle pudding and chocolate pudding after our pizzas and risotto. Simply superb.

It was strange, eating out twice in two days, because the day before we had an equally wonderful meal at ElTorero, made special by Jason and Antonia turning up completely nude with crackers and party poppers.. Anyway, that's another story.

You've seen the view, as taken by Fiona of Jac and me -  the view the other way is a lot nicer...

Amarylis - Day 5

I am impressed.

Already my Amarylis is showing signs of sprouting. I am, frankly, amazed that I have not killed it already. Watch this space for further updates.

Crazy Frog

I've been fascinated by the “Crazy Frog” stuff on the TV. It's often shown to advertise a company selling ring tones for your mobile phone. You've probably seen the strange looking frog, complete with phallus and goggles, make a ridiculous sound before leaving in a cloud of smoke.

It is the sound that fascinated me, so I thought I would slow it down and see how the guy really sounded as he performed it. The results are below.
 
First, the high version, as you are used to hearing it:

http://www.adlib.co.uk/mp3/crazyfrog-high.mp3  (240K)

Next, my slowed down low version, for those who want to hear how it was done:

http://www.adlib.co.uk/mp3/crazyfrog-low.mp3  (240K)

I hope this helps you, or amuses you. If not, try not to worry.

Silly Poems

Some of you will know of my poetry pages. I decided to update them this Christmas and turn the poetry bit into a blog. That way it is easier to add poems to, and easier for others to spot the new poems. I say poems, I actually mean mindless stupid rhymes. Here are the links. Thank you for your time.

http://adlib.blogs.com/silly_poems/

http://www.sillypoems.co.uk/

Tsunami

The waves have caused untold coastal devastation.

As I write this, it looks like 23,000 people are thought to have died as a result of the earthquake in Asia. The undersea quake caused tidal waves which have swept away thousands upon thousands of people. One moment happy coastal residents or tourists, the next, gone. It's a tragedy of massive proportions, and we must expect the numbers of casualties to rise as time proceeds.

I'm just really sad that so many people have lost loved ones, and that many complete families have been obliterated by this disaster. It's a happening on a scale that I can barely conceive of. I wake up each morning and expect the people I know to be around me, or on the end of a phone. I take the constancy of my existence very much for granted. Were any one of my close friends to die suddenly, I would be devastated.

But what if..... what if all of them were to be snatched away from me, and I was the only survivor? It really is totally outside my scope of imagination. I do not have enough empathy to grieve alongside these unfortunate people, or enough insight to comfort them. I am touched by their predicament, yet utterly unable to help.

We must rely, I think, on the strength of human resilience to win through. Life really does go on. People will rebuild the houses, reconstruct the towns and villages and set about the business of living again. In short, they will survive this. Before long, it will be as if this had never happened, but for the stinging pain in the hearts of those who have been bereaved.

Let's not forget them too quickly.

The Dead Zone

So, here we are, in the dead zone. That strange interregnum twixt Christmas and New Year in which few of us really know what to do.

I guess we should be bracing ourselves for the feast of lists. Actually, it's already started. I noticed the “100 greatest Christmas moments” and the “100 greatest Christmas TV treats” on Channel 4. Soon, they will all come rolling in. The retrospectives. I fully expect to see the following:

1) 100 Greatest Sporting Moments of 2004
2) In The Sun newspaper: 20 Sexiest Bums of 2004
3) The Year in Perspective, a Channel 4 news special.

All well and good - and there will, no doubt, be many more. So, to fit in with the theme, may I present to you my own “Best Of” list for 2004.

Best Holiday

Well, there was only really one, and it was to Cornwall. It was fantastic. How easy it is to forget the wonderful places in our own country in the drive to go abroad each time. The beaches were fantastic, and the sea as good as any I've seen abroad. Add to that some great local cheeses and that amazing clotted cream. Well done Cornwall, you are smashing.

 

Best TV Programme

No difficulty here. For me it was Channel 4's excellent “Green wing”. After I got the hang of it, I discovered that it's new approach to comedy had me literally crying with laughter - something rarely achieved these days by anyone. If you didn't see it, I would ask you to watch out for the repeats as and when they arrive. Failing that, there are sure to be DVDs soon, full of splendid commentaries and deleted scenes.

Best Bandage

I have to hand this one to Actico Cohesive Bandage. It's a great bandage which combines useful compression with comfort and a degree of warmth. As part of a three-stage bandaging system, it really works well. If you've never seen one - imagine an elastoplast, except 3.5metres long and much lower adhesive stickiness. It's actually kinda hard to explain. The bit that matters is that these bandages have really helped me a lot of the last few weeks.

Best Radio Programme

BBC Radio 4's “I'm sorry I haven't a clue” marches on and never fails to delight. Some formats seem to get old, but this one continually manages to be amusing. I think this may be because it is not about the games, it is about the quick wit of the panel. I've scoured the web site, but have failed to find a picture of Samantha. Most annoying.

Best Gig

I've played a few this year, but none to surpass playing for Kerry Forster's wedding in May. It was special for me, because I knew I was becoming ill, but I still managed to get out for it and play well. It was a wonderful occasion, and I was privileged to be part of it. There's something about playing in a band which is pretty special. Playing music we all understand well and enjoy - well, it holds a special kind of magic.

Best Film

Farenheit 9/11. Simply an amazing piece of work, and one of the few films that have made a lasting impression on me. It leads me to wonder just how much of what we are expected to accept is really spin or even lies. I have an unsettling feeling that if we knew how much was actually lies, we would feel extremely disillusioned or even betrayed. Mr. Bush seems to have gone quite quiet since his re-election. I think I join with a great many people across the world in hoping that he stays that way. I'm not sure the world has the stomach for more war mongering from the neo-conservatives.

Best Achievement

Surviving. That sounds pompous, but it embodies my feeling of achievement in getting through to Christmas in reasonably good spirits, and having won through when despondency threatened to envelop me. Here's to “thriving” in 2005.

That just about wraps it up for this posting, except to say thank you to Jason, Tim and Liz for joining me in the world of Blogging this year. Though my comments are never far from sheer rudeness, I want you all to know that I love reading what you write and I massively appreciate that you take the time to share your lives in this way. I'm sure all your other readers would echo that thought. Keep at it, it's worth it.

Amarylis

Subtitled: The Great Amarylis Project - Day 1

It's a scary time. Once more I am entrusted with a scary plant which I feel doesn't like me. I can't say I blame it, as I am almost certainly going to be it eventual murderer. Nevertheless, the project is begun. So here it is, pictured on the first day. I will endeavour to remember to post an occasional update so that you can witness the depths of my lack of care.

Just so you know, a real Amarylis, when cared for by someone who truly cares, will look something like the picture you see here. Please make a note of this picture, and use it as a comparison with the completed Curtis Amarylis. If all goes extremely well, they should look pretty much identical. I am imbued with confidence by the helpful ticket which came with the plant. It informs me of so many useful facts. Facts which you can learn by reading it. Above all, I am told that the level ofm the water must not rise high enough to reach the bulb. I can't see how this could be true. If the water never reaches the bulb, how can it be fed?

I know, I'm just showing  my ignorance again.

For the sake of completeness, here is the back of the card. I particularly love the way it tells us, at the bottom, the exact nature of the contents of the package. Just in case there could be any doubt. It reminded me of those redundant warnings on sweets: “May contain nut traces” on KP nuts and “Do not turn upside down” on the bottom of a trifle. etc.

Thank you for reading down this far. I have to be honest, I won't be bothering to read this one back.

I saw one ship go sailing by...

On Christmas Day (in the morning -ish)

And here it is.

It was Fiona's idea to pop down to the beach this Christmas Day. Either that, or mine. One way or the other, it was decided that we would drive down to the deligthful principality of Seaham and spend a little time on the beach there. The weather was cold, but with plenty of sunshine, and I fancied trying my hand at a little amateur photography.

When we arrived, we heard the sea before we saw it. It sounded good. Good, that is, if you, like me, and Fiona, like to experience big waves and wild seas. (not too sure about the commas there) For extra Yuletide fun, we decided to take our dog with us as a real treat. She thanked us, before we'd even arrived, by throwing up all over the back seat of my car. We tried to explain to her that we were not taking her to the vets or the kennels, but it simply wouldn't wash and she delivered her trademark protest with style and panache. A few McDonald's tissues later, we parked up and soon Holly was enjoying the beach - a pleasure she rarely gets to experience - mainly because of her travelling issue.

As if to prove it, here she is, on the beach, shortly before being wettened by a surprisingly large wave. I think I'll put one of the other pictures below this posting, so you can see how great the waves were. We had a wonderful time there, being blown along by an icy wind and enjoying a touch or two of winter sun. I'll not claim it to be magical, but it was a really nice moment - and it set us up for the day to follow. We've already had a wonderful Christmas Day. Better than any spent at home together in my entire memory. Quite unprecedented. Fiona cooked a truly epic meal - with roast potatoes which will go down in history as the best ever ever.

Beyond that, we've done little other than watch TV, write a few thank you emails (how times have changed!) and chomp on various sweet meats. I suppose I should mention presents. I am wary, because so much emphasis is put on them and Christmas is much more about people than it is about things. Having said that, we received so many wonderful things from the people around us who took sufficient pity. Let me tell you, each crust of bread, sugar/salt solution and pack of equipment with which to drill a well was warmly and gratefully received. Fiona will be glad not to have to walk 12 miles for fresh water each day, to say the very least.

I'm sorry, I temporarily thought we were a starving Ethiopian family. I'm over it now.

Here's hoping you had a splendid time, wherever you were, and whatever you did.

One last time for 2004: Yo, Ho - Ho.

And so, this is Christmas...

Marked by relentless marketing since November, make or break sales targets for retailers, Christmas card lists, present lists, shopping lists, lists of all the things that have had lists made about them, buying enough food to service a large refugee camp for a month, worrying about  people not  bought cards for, worrying that the post has not delivered all the cards and presents sent, attending various carol services and/or nativity plays, attending several embarrassing Christmas parties and - of course - deciding where and with whom you will spend the special time this year.

This IS Christmas, and we are pretty much stuck with it. It's not even that bad really - it's just that we love complaining about things in this great country of ours. Nothing wrong in that either. So, all is well and as it should be. I am content.

Dropping in to the Foxhunters pub near Whitley Bay tonight, I chanced to notice a card, strewn on the table we managed to lay claim to, after an uneasy stand-off with a group of shop workers who perceived their need to be greater than ours. (Point to note: Can a single card be 'strewn'?) Naturally, I was victorious. When it comes to sitting completely still and pretending not to notice anyone or anything, I am always a clear winner.

I digress. The card fascinated me. It was a card, a discarded card. Given, received and then unwanted. Unbearably sad. I will carry to my grave, a concern for Derek, Helen, Hannah and Charlotte - who so obviously care not particularly for Shelley, Andy, Matty & Erin (one kiss only). For me it is a sad little vignette of the lack of care which is wrapped around this festival of goodwill. Then it crossed my mind that this might have been an attacking card. You know the sort of thing - a last minute card given by someone not really expected to send a card, and leaving absolutely no time for a retaliatory salvo. I hate that kind of thing, yet have been known to issue the first strike in such a fight. Ah, the British, how the world must laugh at us. We're so petty.

To finish off this little outing into the outer reaches of Christmas Eve in the North East, what could be more appropriate than a shot of the drama our church cleverly inflicted on the good people of North Shields tonight. Here, we see the shepherds being shocked by an angel (Colin) who likes shocking shepherds.

I can personally testify that they were all shocking shepherds.

Happy Christmas.  Happy Christmas everyone. No, really.

Aww.....go on.  :)

Legally Correct

All I wanted to say was, “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year”
But I thought I should run it by my legal department first, and this is
what came back:
 
-----------------

“From me (”the wishor“) to you (”the wishee“) please accept without obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, politically correct, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.

I wish you a financially successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2005, but with due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures or sects, and having regard to the race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform or sexual preference of the wishee.

By accepting this greeting you are bound by these terms that:-

1: This greeting is subject to further clarification or withdrawal.

2: This greeting is freely transferable provided that no alteration shall be made to the original greeting and that the proprietary rights of the wishor are acknowledged.

3: This greeting implies no promise by the wishor to actually implement any of the wishes.

4: This greeting may not be enforceable in certain jurisdictions and/or the restrictions herein may not be binding upon certain wishees in certain jurisdictions and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wishor.

5: This greeting is warranted to perform as reasonably may be expected within the usual application of good tidings, for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first.

6: The wishor warrants this greeting only for the limited replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wishor.

7: Any references in this greeting to ”The Lord“, ”Father Christmas“, ”Our Saviour“, ”Rudolph the red nosed reindeer“ or any other festive figures, whether actual or fictitious, dead or alive, shall not imply any endorsement by or from them in respect of this greeting, and all proprietary rights in any referenced third party names and images are hereby acknowledged.