AndyBlog

The power of Vimto®

It arrived in the post this morning - a gift from a great friend of mine, who knew exactly what was likely to please me - and please me it did.

Not everyone has dreamed of owning a digital clock powered by Vimto, but I guess I am not quite everyone. What follows represents for me, the end of a long and, at times, disheartening quest. Now, my search is over, and I am - for the first time - truly happy.

Savour the moment, folks - magic like this does not happen every day.

Straight out of the box

This is the way we fill the clock, fill the clock...

Vimto at the ready

You may inject the Vimto NOW

All Vimto'd up, and ready to go

The proof is in the pudding

So, all I did was to inject exactly the right quantity of Vimto® (sugar free) into the four cells of the clock. I gave it a good shake, and away it went. I have no real idea how it works - and I like it that way.

The magic is complete.

Thanks for sharing the joy with me.

Dr. Who?

Rarely has one actor stayed on my “well-liked” list for so short a period of time. Onto our screens as the Doctor waltzes Christopher Ecclescake - someone I seriously doubted could pull the role off - and he does a fantastic job. The character is believable, I am - much to my surprise, enchanted by the programme.

So far so good.

Now, before even the second episode has aired, we hear that Mr. Ecclefechan has quit the series, in fear of becoming typecast. I also heard that he found the filming schedule “gruelling”. Straight away - hero to zero. What a massive publicity cock-up.

I'll still watch the rest of the series, but cannot help but think of the new Doctor as little more than a traitor. In my book, it's two series minimum, or don't take the part.

So watch out, you potential Dr. Who actors - or you, too, will incur my wrath. Oh yes.

NB Note to potential James Bond actors: My level is three films minimum.

...oh and Blue Peter presenters - Three summers -- absolute bottom whack.

Pie

Out at Jac's house on sunday for a veritable feast.

The star was this magnificent apple pie. I've never had anything quite like it before. New to me was the use of pine nuts in apple pie, which worked surprisingly well. Made by a sculptor, it was a work of art. Quite sad to see it broken by our eagerness to consume.

Capped off with a little cream - it was outstanding.

Foggy Graveyard

Our foggy graveyard, today

Today, it is foggy, and here is a picture of the foggy graveyard, to prove it. The fog seems to have happened because it is foggy.

Boring technical post

I'm really excited and pleased for what Terry has done for me. He took a completely unused document holder, and made it into my dream of an adjustable mic stand for use by me at my desk.

No longer to I need to lean up to the mic when I am Skyping people, or when I'm trying to talk to them in the booth, above the noise of the backing track.

Not only that, but when I finally sort out my radio station plans (current title: “Ad-Lib Radio”) it'll be great to use for DJ'ing.

So, thanks, Terry. It's great.

Thanks, Terry.

(Stop that, Jason)

They all go wrong

All those wonderful films that end with the guy getting the girl and going off into the sunset. It always looks so perfect - so incontrovertibly fantastic.

I have news for you - it always goes wrong. Horribly wrong.

I know this because when we see a sequel, how often is the relationship in tact? Almost never. So, it doesn't take much of a stretch of imagination to realise that none of them work out. They simply can't. It's good for a while, then it goes wrong.

So we're OK.

Stanley - Town of culture 2005?

After my blood-test at the doctor's this morning, for which I had fasted since yesterday afternoon, I decided to pop into Carter's, for a quick bacon sandwich.

Very nice it was too.

I couldn't help noticing the poster on the door of the café - advertising pole-dancing classes. I could make a comment here, but I fear it would be somehow unfair to the good ladies of Stanley.

Thank you for reading. I have nothing more to say on this.

Stretching ahead...

It's a magical moment: The start of the first day of a new week. There it is, literally stretching away in front of me, a whole shiny new day. Nothing booked in, no appointments, just a day full of opportunity to get on with lots of much-needed work.

My greatest fear is the phone - as with any day. It can ring at any time and deliver all kinds of interruptions and general gloom. For this reason, I enjoy working at night, free from any kind of distraction.

It strikes me that, even now, I am stopping myself working by writing this blog entry. When this is done, I will go into the kitchen and have some breakfast. Hopefully then I will be able to start work, but already the phone has rung once, and it's only 8.50am.

Actually, I think what I should fear the most is a time and motion study, showing me how much of it I waste. Thankfully, that ain't going to happen, and so I can safely return to fearing the phone.

And now, I will finish, having shared so very little - and even that feels good and appropriate. Time to work. I have a load of Northumbrian ditties to record today, and if all goes well, all 34 to mix down and write to CD. In and amongst I have some college work to write up - and there's always Neighbours. I'm sure by the time that comes around, I will have found a way to justify watching it. Maybe as some for of treat for working hard? 

Yes, I think so.

Spring

I was going to say that “Spring had Sprung”, but, on reflection, I think it may have merely wondered in, in search of a coffee.

There we were, just days ago, in the grip of a late icy blast from the north and then it just sorta fizzled out. Next, when the sun makes an appearance, it seems to pretend it has never been away. As it shines, and the temperatures rise, it feels like it has always been this way - it's impossible to imagine the winter. By the same token, when the snow and ice pile up, I find it impossible to think that it could ever be warm and balmy again.

Anyway, the season of sun is back with us. It glints at us from low on the horizon, often blinding us -  and challenging us not to be grateful.

So, when do the seasons really change?  Is there an official time for each season, or do we just kinda decide when the snow retreats?  This year, the snow barely showed up before it was gone - it almost missed entirely. More food and drink for the “Global-Warmingites”.

Enjoy Spring folks. I love it really.

The Lake

There was once a lake, over the other side of the woods. We used to play in it, sail on it, dive into it - pretty much all the time. Then, one November, a flock of ducks landed in the lake and suddenly it turned freezing cold, and the lake froze so quick that the ducks didn't have chance to get out. So they all flapped their wings together and took that lake high into the air and away over the horizon. The last we heard, it was somewhere over Georgia.