Sunday Lunch

Last night was DC79 at the Thatched House in Stockport. Met a mate who had got secretly enagaged! Good for her I say. Less palava that way - although less presents as well :-)
Although terribly tired today, we delivered the singer to the train station and then went to Warrington to try and get some keys cut to give to junior sister in law, who is looking after the cats this weekend, as we are away for two nights. More of that later.
Anyway, key search proved fruitless but we had a mooch about Warrington for a while, visiting old haunts and so on. Just so you know, I lived there till I was 21, before I did one daaarrrnn sarrfff with him indoors. It hasn't half changed, and yet not changed.
Here is a picture of the Carlton Club (now defunct) where me and him indoors first met in February 1989.

This is what it looks like from the back these days, and it looked exactly the same in those days as well. It was a rock club, and in the heady late 80s/early 90s it was about the best (in fact only) rock venue to hang about in in Warrington on a Friday night.

I can even remember what I was wearing that night : long red skirt, flowery blouse and a hat with 777 written on it in gold letters.... dont ask.

Then we went out for lunch with the ma in law (I had to remind her son what she looks like...). We went to the Little Manor in Thelwall and I had the world's biggest Aberdeen Angus 28 day matured beefburger with stilton and mushrooms and chips and salad. Him indoors had the gammon and the ma in law had asparagus tagliatele. There was sooo much of it. And it was lovely. Shared a cheese board. Ma in law tried to eat the butter, thinking it was cheese. It did look incredibly like cheese and she soon realised her mistake :-)

On Friday morning we are off to Waterford for a wedding and back on the Sunday so junior sister in law and the niece are coming to cat sit. Assuming I manage to get some spare keys to them in time!

My Mum

...is very talented. I am stressed out, I dont have enough TIME, everything is difficult....and then this arrived. She doesn't know I am posting this but she won't mind. A pome about family by my mum. Posted by me because I love her.

FAMILY TREE.
Sometimes, in the small hours, when sleep’s eluding me
I lie awake and ponder upon my family tree,
It’s roots are lost in history – can’t tell where it began-
But it’s strange to think the whole darn mob started with just one man,
(Well – one man and one woman – it usually takes two
But men take all the credit for the hard work women do!).

I’m not sure of my origins – maybe in some dark cave
An ape man dressed in deerskin began to yearn and crave
For some gentle female company, so he went and searched around
‘Til his hard work repaid him when he eventually found
A grunting hairy woman with a bone stuck through her nose
And a necklace made of tiger’s teeth – her idea of clothes.

He knew she was the one for him, he went weak at the knees
As he watched her scratching furiously at her myriad lice and fleas,
But how could he express his love - he’d not invented words
And nobody had told him about the bees and birds?
So he took his club of seasoned oak and bopped her on the head
And she fell for him immediately – and they say romance is dead!

Whoever kicked the whole thing off we flourished and we grew,
Our tree put out new branches and a good few suckers too!
It stood through good and bad times, through thunderstorm and drought –
Today it’s old and creaky but still sturdy no doubt,
Just have a good close look at it – I’m sure you will agree
We’re the biggest bunch of oddballs you could ever hope to see.

No family is perfect, there’s a black sheep in each flock –
Like the uncle with long eyelashes who likes to wear a frock,
Or the crafty wheeler-dealer always out to make a quid,
And the teenager who runs amok and won’t do what he’s bid.
The daughter who’s gone to the bad and now sports a fur coat –
All the usual scandals that let the neighbours gloat.

Eccentric Great Aunt Ada who keeps moggies by the score –
Filling every nook and cranny ‘til the house can hold no more,
Or nephew Bert – a cheery soul – drinks everything in sight,
That skinflint Great Niece Freda – another kind of tight!
Our second cousin (twice removed) – quite the Lothario,
Bothering the ladies even when they tell him “NO!”

There’s dozens more – my relatives – and what a motley crew!
But I can’t help feeling fond of them no matter what they do,
I might find them barmy and think some of them stark mad –
But, seen from their perspective, I’m probably just as bad,
And wouldn’t life be boring – oh what a crying shame –
Without a single loony with whom to share a name?

I feared that I would miss them when I wed and changed my name,
But it soon became apparent that the new lot were the same!
They made me very welcome and I soon felt quite at home
Among this new found family as oddball as my own,
Thank goodness for eccentrics – it really seems to me
That everyone should have a few stuck up their family tree!


(The author apologises for any similarity between the fictional characters in this poem and any living person – it was completely unintentional (well, except for in a few obvious cases!).

Enjoy!

26 hour day

Can someone invent one? I dont have enough time in the day to do all the stuff that the day demands I do. Its get up, drive to work, work, drive home, make vague attempt at housework, do evening type activities demanded by various bands etc, go to bed, get up, drive to work.... etc etc ad infinitum.
Then there is the weekend.
I have no idea where my time GOES but it goes somewhere. Maybe someone else is using it.

I want to eat here

Mmmmmm
I got it off this web site, which is fantastic!

Movie Night(s)

On Friday night I watched Final Destination 3. I didnt enjoy it as much as the other 2 because there were a lot less deaths by gory methods but it was still fun and had the odd "ooooo look what happened to him" moment.What WAS scary though was the fact that it began on a roller coaster. I cannot stand roller coasters. I went on one once and its that feeling you get when you go up and then almost stop and you know there is nothing you can do about the actual going down part- you can't get off, you just have to go. And I hate that "leaving your stomach behind" feeling as well. I am not anti fairground at all. I love a good fair, and I adore things that go round and round like Walzters and Cyclones and stuff like that. I just dont like steep drops from big heights. This seems like a reasonable attitude to me but other people can't believe I dont like roller coasters. They say things like "oh you are just scared of them, you baby". Yes I AM bloody scared of them - that's why I don't like them! :-)
Last night we watched Saw2. Again, not as good as the first one but good fun all the same. It was a bit too cleaned up and less psychological than the first one, but then when was a sequel ever better than the original film? I can't think of one that was. I can think of plenty that are much WORSE, but not better. And by the time you get to the third one, well, its alll gone south by that point.
Had KFC for dinner today, and a pint in the Bay Horse on the way back. Hopefully the people that have it at the moment manage to make a go of it because its a lovely pub (albeit at the bottom of a bloody great hill that you have to walk back up afterwards), the food is nice, its not dear, its not full of idiots (unless WE are in :-) ) and its convenient. Its been through a few changes of landlord over the years we have been going in it, so I am keeping my fingers crossed for the current lot.

Dead TV

No, not a horror film. Our telly died the other day (it was doing that thing where it flicked off and on and you "fix" it by hitting it with heavy objects in what you think are strategic, technical places) and so today we went to get a new one. After fruitless ventures in Comet and the like (look - I want a NORMAL telly. Not a ten feet wide plasma surround home cinema plex one.) we eventually roll up in Europe's biggest Asda (that's Wallmart to you American people. Its called Asda over here. God knows why). Anyway, we find a 29" NORMAL telly for £149! Wooooo. But they have none left in stock, according to slack jawed, six fingered assistant. Oh well, back on the telly buying road, thinks us. And on the way out we walk past a pile of the damn things just by the entrance! Back to the counter and we tell the assistant "You DO have them in stock. There is a mile high pile of them over there. Look!". Blank stares and twitching indecisevness abounds. Him Indoors gets cross and we go off to complain to the manager.
5 minutes later we are given a youth with a pallet truck (we can't keep him sadly) and we buy the damn thing.
Once its home, all joy is gone as we realise we have to actually find it room to live in as its WAY bigger than the old one, and more importantly - take everything out of the corner where the old one lived. AKA Cable central.
Surprisingly, it all just worked. Although the sound system is now homeless in a pile in the hall. At least we can have music through the pc until we find it a new home. I cannot be without music for very long.
And then I did some violent things in the garden, washed dishes, had a bath, read Darkside magazine and made a beef casserole. I haven't actually watched the damn thing yet. Will dig out goriest film I can find later and watch that!

Cult of personality

Before I start, I watched the first series of Pop Idol. I am not slating people who watch these programmes. I am just becoming overwhelmed by the "celebs" that appear on them. Who are you and what are you for???
Ok, you have had some pretty famous people in that jungle one. John Lydon was quite entertaining I am led to believe. But on the whole, I just don't get it.
Ok, your career may be flagging somewhat and your agent persuades you to go on the show to boost your public profile/earn yourself (and therefore your agent) a few quid. Ok, if you are a legit celeb maybe, just maybe there is a reason for you doing this. Maybe you are reinventing yourself, Michael Barrymore style, so that the general public stop thinking you are a woman hating, suspicious death covering up has-been. Maybe you just like a laugh, Janet Street-Porter style. Maybe you have serious psychological problems, a la Les Dennis. At least you DID stuff before you went into the jungle/house/got judged for your singing ability (or lack of it).
But how come those who haven't done anything previously except hang around nightclubs looking orange/being outrageously over the top gay as a career choice/doing stupidly parent embarrasing adult-orientated acts in front of the nation actually get ridiculously famous after they have won/lost the stupid programme? Jade Goody. What on earth is the point of her?? She has her own column in a magazine and she can barely speak!!
And while I am on the subject, Paris Hilton. Nichole Ritchie. What are they FOR?
And the blame surely lies with those who go along with the media hype about these idiotic excuses for human beings. Let these excuses for people think they are important and they will start behaving like it.
Today I got stuck in mad traffic because the motorway was closed because of an accident.9 cars crashed. A lorry set on fire, and so did some of the other cars. 2 people died. Other drivers got out of their own cars and tried to put the flames out with their little tiny personal fire extinguishers. Lorries blocked the lanes to stop other cars ploughing into the accident. Other drivers tried to give first aid to those involved in the accident. And lead story on the local news? Jade Goody's relationship is in trouble. Kerry Katona is in drug rehab. What a world.
Make that bloke that won Big Brother prime minister and have done with it.

More from the phone

Last night we,Born Idle, played at the Alma in Bolton. There were four bands on, Churchill, another one I can't remember the name of, us and DMob. I was full of a cold but still managed to remember the songs.
For dinner today we went out and ate Mexican.
Here is my dinner...















Philly cheese steak wrap with fries. The coleslaw was stolen from him indoors as he had something massive....
















Thats fries and sweetcorn and onion rings and ribs and chicken. In our defence, we had no tea last night and no breakfast this morning so I think we deserved it. Anyway, feed a cold and all that. OK we are just greedy!
And finally, the view from the top of my building at work. I went up there to have a look and Leeds really does look a lot different from up there. It almost looks nice!

Car. House. Kitsch.

1. I have finally got the settlement authorised for my car so I can have the work done it. I got £1000.
2. My mortgage company inform me that my endowment may have a shortfall of £12,000. Last quarter they informed me I was up on the deal by £4000. I am ignoring them.
3. I have a new phone so to celebrate the passing of the old one, I have emptied it of photos and will be posting some of the more amusing ones.
Like this one, taken of a restaraunt on Shude Hill in Manchester.
Great 60s signage going on!

Work

Everything at work was ticking along nicely. And then yesterday I get a letter and then a phone call from some company who want a reference for someone who worked for us and who is now going to work for them. Hmmm, thats odd, I think, because no one has left for ages and ages. Turns out they havent left at all because they still work here!
The poor woman on the phone was mortified because we didn't know someone was leaving and not telling us, and I was mortified because I didnt know either and she felt so awful that I felt sorry for her.
Anyway, bottom line is we will be one short and I will be girl-with-two-jobs again, at least for a short time. I havent had Monday morning going back to work blues for 6 years and I have a horrible feeling I am going to get them again. I love my job, but now its all going to be a bit rough for a while and I am so cross. I know people have to do what's best for them, and better themselves and all that jazz, but I can't help feeling a bit irked about all this behind the back stuff thats obviously been going on. We aren't exactly IBM; we are a small company and everyone is important. A bit of notice would have been nice.
I dont think the new employers were particularly impressed with the way their new employee has behaved either, but that's not something I have to worry about anymore.
On a lighter note, I got three Guy N Smith horror novels in the post, I have sold a stack of stuff on Ebay and cleaned a third of my stair carpet with a scrubbing brush and some nuclear chemical type stuff that makes you dizzy :-)
Last night we watched "Carnival of Souls" on DVD. Then we started watching "The Mesa of Lost Women" (tip - DONT) and we both fell asleep and woke up at 5am covered in cats on the settee. That was fun!
Speak soon guys and gals

I'm in the band

Born Idle, the best old school punk rock and roll band on the planet, are back in action. Of course, being the bass player, I am biased :-)
Last night saw us supporting Slaughter and the Dogs at the Thatched House in Stockport. We were excellent, it was very hot and I sweated buckets. I drank shandy! Yes, SHANDY! Doesn't do to be drunk at ones own gigs.Otherwise one can't play for toffee. There are no pictures yet because I can't snap and play at the same time, but friends took some and I will see if I can get hold of a few.
I enjoyed Slaughter a lot more than I thought I would and it was nice to see a few faces I havent seen for a while.
On the way home we saw the aftermath of a crash, where there was a taxi on its side in the middle of the road and people running around all over the place. The driver of the car that hit the taxi drove off! I dont think anyone was hurt and I hope the absconded driver gets caught.

Ugh

Boy, am I tired! The last 2 day's itinerary as follows....
Saturday
8am. Get up. Get stuff together for forthcoming 2 gigs for DC79 in one day.
9.30am. Go to get hire van. On way back call into post office to collect parcels that have been living there for almost three weeks. 1 Laurel and Hardy book. One vintage Gibson guitar book. I ACDC vest for me. Woooo!
10.20am. Try and find long socks to wear with New Rocks. Find them under cat.
11am.We are off!
11.05am. Back to house to retrieve forgotten map book...
Collect other band members and hangers on. Drive to Wrexham.
2.20pm Band soundcheck. I go to bar.
3.30pm. Band are on. I come out of bar and take photos.
4.45pm. Band finish. I go to bar.
Hang about for a short time and then collect various band members and hangers on and drive to Burnley for gig number 2.
8.20pm. Arrive in Burnley. Cart gear inside. Band soundcheck. I go to bar.
8.40pm. Band play. I watch. And go to bar.
After they finish we hang about outside because a) its too hot, b) I am not enjoying the other band c) or the location.
11.45pm Watch fight outside adjacent nightclub.
12.30am Watch domestic, complete with crying woman and passer by going "he's not worth it".
After much faffing about....
3.45am Arrive home.
4.05am Down Disprins and crash out.

Sunday
10am Get up and take van back.
11am Go to Morrisons for breakfast. I have a cheeseburger. Didnt eat yesterday!
12.30pm Go to pub. Have two pints and dissect previous evening and read paper.
Spend afternoon sorting out last nights photos, tidying up all the far flung items that got hurled on the floor earlier this morning, have bath.
6.30pm. Make grilled cheese sandwich and watch the Simpsons.
7.00pm. Settle down with laptop and try and make new phone work with bluetooth. Fail. Drink cider.

Speak soon people! x

Ebay and people that dont pay

I got sooooo mad when people win an auction and then just disappear into the ether. It costs money to submit something and you dont always get it back if someone doesnt pay you. Its infuriating. Its worse with people who have hardly any feedback because they can always re-register as someone else and it wont affect them. I deliberatley dont cancel bids from people with no ratings because you have to start somewhere, and I have been caught out 4 times now by people just not paying.
On another note, we went into town and had dinner out yesterday. Barbecue chicken melt sandwich for me and chicken, leek and ham pie for him indoors. Mooched about the shops and bought some cheap horror novels and found a pub with the same name as our local so went in it, and then had to go in some more pubs so they didn't feel left out.
Watched "Seed of Chucky" last night. A bit of an odd film really. Looking forward to "Final Destination 3".
Had breakfast (well, it was 12.30 pm but thats breakfast time for me on a Sunday) in Morrisons of all places. Scranbled eggs on toast. Very nice, although we had to wait a bit. Wiled away the time looking at pictures of Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock getting married. If you havent seen them, dont bother. Its scary. He looks like some bloke in your local that won a few quid on the horses and bought a lot of gold jewellery, and she looks like an air-brushed picture.

Day trip

Yesterday we went to town on a mini pub crawl. Again I emptied Oxfam of cheap horror novels. Then we ate in the Old Orleans Bar and Grill, who give you crayons to scribble on the table cloth with while you wait for your food. I had a cocktail called and Alligator. There was no actual alligator in it. I dont think so anyway.
Its so HOT here at the moment. I don't do hot weather. I dont do warm weather. And I am not so keen on daylight either.
As I type there is a man in my attic mending my faulty header tank ball cock. If its hot down here, it must be volcanic up there.
AND we are off to rehearse with my band in a bit. In a box like room with no air con.

Up with the lark...

Or rather an assortment of sparrows, blackbirds and so on. And I wasn't up with them - I met them from the wrong end. Yes, DC79 had another gig.
Hindley. The place with the stairs. Where we have to take the PA UP the stairs. And back down again. It was a great night as ever.
Except the going home part. Good bits included a chicken burger, free Jack Daniels and congrats for me doing a good sound job. The bad bit was the run around after it was finished. Dropping people off, lifting things, getting a headache and leaving Bolton in daylight. It was 5.30am before we got to bed.
I woke up at 11am (well, a cat stood on me) and I let him indoors sleep in. We took the stupid van back to the hire place , I read an entire Shaun Hutson book,and at tea time we had a bbq in the garden. All home made marinated things and very, very nice. I fell asleep on a blanket on the lawn in the sun and the cats loved us being outside in the garden and rolled about on everything in site.
Absolutely knackered now!

Music

I forgot how much I like the Bad Seeds and Nick Cave. I have remembered today.
"Past the square, past the bridge,past the mills, past the stacks On a gathering storm comes a tall handsome man In a dusty black coat with...."
Any takers?
Its on my new mp3 player . The pink one, natch.

The Chinese Theme

Carrying on from last nights Chinese meal, here is a photo I took in 2004 when we went round Manchester Art Gallery. It was a modern take on traditional Chinese clothing. I liked the colours. Despite the fact I have looked at this photo on countless occaisions, I have only just noticed that there must have been a mirror on the other side of the glass.....

One drink always leads to another

Saturday afternoon. "Lets go into Manchester and mooch round the shops" (that was him indoors). "Ok, but let's get the bus so we can both have a drink" (that was me). That was also mistake number one. Waiting for the bus him indoors casually mentions "Oh, I texted Dee and him and Magda are coming out as well." That was mistake number two. We are now intending to go for one drink with friends who aren't driving either.
We got to town at 2 ish and had a Subway. The foot long chipotle cheese steak thing (which we shared - we didn't have one each). Then we went for a drink. Dee and Magda turn up around 3.30pm.
At 6.30 we decide to go for an all you can eat Chinese buffet. No, this is not "one drink".
I drank Jack Daniels and later on "Old Tom", which I had to have a half of because they refuse to serve it in pints because its so strong. Its like a treacly dark bitter. It was declared "Ok" (Magda), "Not great" (him indoors) and "I am not drinking that" (Dee).
Having popped out for one drink for an hour or so at 1.30pm, its now 9.45pm and I have learnt another Polish swear word (Magda is Polish), and been informed that it is possible to take Viagra and then fall asleep...
We got the bus part of the way home until we realised it was heading off to Oldham and we don't live there. Walked the rest of the way. It was throwing it down and we got soaking. Then we did that thing that you ALWAYS do when you are not 100% clear headed. We turned the telly on and "Trading Places" (the Eddie Murphy film) was on, and we watched it all the way through, even though we knew whole bits of it verbatim. There must be a Karmic law that says if you come in from the pub and there is a film just starting that you have seen billions of times before , you STILL have to watch it, making sure you go "oh that bit where he/she does/says that really funny thing is on in a second" etc etc.
We went BACK to Manchester today, and I cleaned Oxfam out of pulp horror novels and bought a Bill Bailey DVD.
This time we DROVE.

Car Saga

Where I work, the building is being turned into flats. Actually they are called "pods". THey are a little bit smaller than your average caravan. The ground floor is being kept as businesses. If you look here you will see pictures from last year of them knocking things down.
Anyway, we now park in the car park round the back. Everyone, tenants of the flats, owners of the buildings and the businesses. On Monday they were spraying some kind of polymer resin type stuff all over the place. Guess what? It went all over everyone's cars. Now, I have a Citroen Saxo. My boss however has a Jaguar XKR. There are Bentleys and BMWs and Mercs and all sorts in that car park.
The builders admitted liability and I await a paint job because the stuff wont come off. However, as it was all over my windscreen and I couldnt see to drive, they said they would get it off. Which they did. With a RAZOR BLADE. Guess who now needs new windows??
Its the sheer stupidity that gets me. Why on earth did they not say "shift your cars" OR put sheets over the cars?
NOW they are being sued from all sides, forking out for loads of work for everyone's cars and you know what? They are spraying AGAIN on Friday!
Does no one have common sense anymore????
I am SO CROSS.

Tan

As any of those of you who actually KNOW me in real life know, I am as pale as a bottle of milk. I have been using Johnsons Holiday skin lotion for 3 weeks now. And I am paler than when I started. WHY??? I know real sun can't touch me through the spf factor 9999999 for albino babies I use, but you would think a bit of self tan would manage it. Not so. Discuss.