I bought a car last month mainly so I could go and pick up my kids and bring them through to see me more often. As its an oldish car it has a tape player. As I don't use it that often I keep forgetting to change it with the CD player that I have.
When I drive the car around Glasgow, I listen to Rock Radio (96.3) and all is good.
However...
When I go and pick the kids up (or head down to Ayr) I leave the broadcast area and I have to resort to the tape player.
I have 1 tape.
The 1 tape in question is Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms.
I have listened to this so often now, I am starting to think back to the time I bought it and all the things that happened that year....
1985
I was working in the Department of Health and Social Security (DHSS) which in real-terms meant I handed giro's out to people everyday. I was a CO at the time having started the previous month during the Miner's strike.
The job sucked. Being swore at everyday in your job is just not what you call 'job satisfaction'. The good part to the job was that I worked in Portobello (wait for it – that's not the good bit) and that the office was described as a Social Club with an office attached.
I learned how to curl (curling is a great sport) took part in a pantomime as Bobby Spewing (we ripped the micky out of Dallas and I was knocked down by a Sinclair C5) and generally had a great time – before 9am and after 4pm. The bit in the middle was work.
I was playing rugby and cricket for Musselburgh in those days although I didn't really play either very well. I was a very fast athlete in those days (don't laugh) but couldn't tackle a fish supper!
The summer that year I remember as being a scorcher! Great for cricket! After 7 hours playing at the Top Park, Lewisvale, it was down to the Hole in the Wa' for several ales and eventually a fish supper (which I was able to tackle) and a stagger home.
I was really looking forward to Live Aid in July and left explicit instructions that my sister should wake me before 12 so that I could watch Status Quo start the whole thing off. She did wake me by saying “That's Status Quo on”
The minx!
Watched a bit of it and then off to play cricket. I remember catching a bit of Queen when we got to the pub and then recording Led Zep when I got home...and watching it through a drunken haze.
We at the MCC (Musselburgh Cricket Club) were huge supporters of the West Indies and that summer you would hear us shouting in mock West Indian accents “You gotta learn to bowl the slower ball man” and other phrases.....(you had to be there)
It was a year when Paul Hardcastle had a huge hit with N-n-n-n-n-n-n-Nineteen and Back to the Future was a box office smash.......
What else happened in 1985?
January
The first British mobile phone call is made by Ernie Wise to Vodafone.
February
After 6-1/2 years, the television series The Dukes of Hazzard goes off the air.
March
The first episode of popular soap Neighbours airs on Australian TV.
April
New Coke, a marketing disaster is introduced.
May
56 spectators die when a flash fire strikes a football ground during a match in Bradford, England.
June
Route 66 ceases to be an official highway.
July
The Live Aid benefit concert takes place in London and Philadelphia, as well as other venues such as Sydney and Moscow.
August
Japan Airlines Flight 123, a Boeing 747 jumbo jet, crashes into Mount Ogura in Gunma Prefecture Japan killing 520 in the world's worst single-plane air disaster. Four people miraculously survive.
September
Steve Jobs resigns from Apple Computer.
October
The "Achille Lauro" is hijacked by Palestinian terrorists.
November
According to ancient aztec mythology, the future saviour of the world would be born on this date. (Anyone know anyone born on this date????)
December
Shakin Stevens has the Christmas No. 1
Now I remember where I got the title of this blog from......
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Monday, 22 November 2010
Life is a Minestrone
I disagree.
Life is a rollercoaster. Period.
It was Mr Williams who sang
'You gotta get high before you taste the lows'
and I believe there is a certain truth in that statement. I feel you do appreciate the highs even more if you still have the feelings associated with the lows. It makes them even higher (if you know what I mean) and that feeling can be the best feeling in the world.
Conversely, if they occur the other way round – its bad. Real Bad. Bottom of the world bad.
It was only recently that I got my ticket and waited in line for the rollercoaster.
I have been on it now and experienced the sensations that both extremes bring and it has made me realise that my life for the past few years was flat, boring and uneventful.
I dont want to get off.
Life is a rollercoaster. Period.
It was Mr Williams who sang
'You gotta get high before you taste the lows'
and I believe there is a certain truth in that statement. I feel you do appreciate the highs even more if you still have the feelings associated with the lows. It makes them even higher (if you know what I mean) and that feeling can be the best feeling in the world.
Conversely, if they occur the other way round – its bad. Real Bad. Bottom of the world bad.
It was only recently that I got my ticket and waited in line for the rollercoaster.
I have been on it now and experienced the sensations that both extremes bring and it has made me realise that my life for the past few years was flat, boring and uneventful.
I dont want to get off.
Friday, 12 November 2010
I was bored waiting for the train....
I'm sitting in a railway station
Got a ticket for my destinationnnnn
Got to be at work by 10
Switch on my PC and think I'll then
Go for a coffee and a bacon roll
What to put on it, I think I know
Broooon Sauce
Its gotta be
Broooon Sauce
Broooon, like they do in Embra
Broooon, they don't do it in Glesga
Broooon, it was made to accompany
Sausage and bacon
Got a ticket for my destinationnnnn
Got to be at work by 10
Switch on my PC and think I'll then
Go for a coffee and a bacon roll
What to put on it, I think I know
Broooon Sauce
Its gotta be
Broooon Sauce
Broooon, like they do in Embra
Broooon, they don't do it in Glesga
Broooon, it was made to accompany
Sausage and bacon
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Biking
I love biking but heard something yesterday that highlighted the dangers of it. More of that later.
I think its the feeling of being in the open whilst travelling at fast speeds combined with the element of danger (for the same reason).
I also love the feeling of jumping on the bike and heading out with no destination in mind and seeing where I end up. I know I can do this in a car as well but its just not the same feeling of freedom.
Last year after I was made redundant, I took off on the bike for day-trips to different parts of Scotland. In practice this generally meant Perthshire – a place a really love.
The boring parts were having to be on the motorway to get near my destination, but once within 20 miles or so it was onto A and B roads and that where the fun starts. Gliding round corners, the odd burst of speed to overtake, thats where the fun is. That and the feeling of the air rushing by you and the feel of the sun beating down on you.
I did think there was something missing though, but couldn't put my finger on it.
I found out what this was when I was sitting outside the Loch Tummel Inn one fine afternoon enjoying the view and the local hospitality. A young biker appeared and sat next to me and we had a great chat about biking in Scotland and the area in general.
When he was leaving he put on his iPod and then his helmet and at that point I realised what was missing from my biking experience – music!
Now I do the same, and the feeling is complete!
Of course there are also bad points to biking – getting caught in a downpour and the road turning into a river. At that point you have to slow down or even stop as its not worth the risk. Pedestrians are another nuisance. They dont pay attention to the highway code and often run across the road without looking...Grrrr
The twice I have come off the bike were linked to those events.
The first was when the road was soaked and I was on a roundabout. I was going round to the '9 o'clock' exit (three-quarters of the way round) and as I got to my exit a tweaked the throttle to bring me back upright and the back wheel simply slid away.
I remember thinking 'hold onto the bike and spin round' as I there was a car right behind me. I lay there on the road looking up at the car which had thankfully stopped, with the lady who was driving cramming both hands into her mouth and a look of shock on her face.
Fortunately I was unhurt but the brand-new chrome exhaust I had just fitted was scrapped!!!
I was a wee bit shaky after that for a couple of weeks then settled down again.
This was on my Yamaha 250cc Virago – a lovely bike.
Recently I bought another Yamaha but this time a 535cc bike with a wee bit more power :-)
As was recounted on Facebook recently, I was filtering down the outside of a line of stationary traffic when some kids ran out in front of me. Ibraked, skidded and came off but thankfully missed all of the kids. Left me with a very sore left side though!
Yesterday.
Yesterday I heard about a friend of mine and colleague who was out on her bike at the weekend. It appears she was riding correctly when a boy - being chased by the police - ran across the road. She is in hospital and has head and leg injuries and we are all waiting to see how she is. Fingers crossed for a full and speedy recovery for both my friend and the boy.
I think its the feeling of being in the open whilst travelling at fast speeds combined with the element of danger (for the same reason).
I also love the feeling of jumping on the bike and heading out with no destination in mind and seeing where I end up. I know I can do this in a car as well but its just not the same feeling of freedom.
Last year after I was made redundant, I took off on the bike for day-trips to different parts of Scotland. In practice this generally meant Perthshire – a place a really love.
The boring parts were having to be on the motorway to get near my destination, but once within 20 miles or so it was onto A and B roads and that where the fun starts. Gliding round corners, the odd burst of speed to overtake, thats where the fun is. That and the feeling of the air rushing by you and the feel of the sun beating down on you.
I did think there was something missing though, but couldn't put my finger on it.
I found out what this was when I was sitting outside the Loch Tummel Inn one fine afternoon enjoying the view and the local hospitality. A young biker appeared and sat next to me and we had a great chat about biking in Scotland and the area in general.
When he was leaving he put on his iPod and then his helmet and at that point I realised what was missing from my biking experience – music!
Now I do the same, and the feeling is complete!
Of course there are also bad points to biking – getting caught in a downpour and the road turning into a river. At that point you have to slow down or even stop as its not worth the risk. Pedestrians are another nuisance. They dont pay attention to the highway code and often run across the road without looking...Grrrr
The twice I have come off the bike were linked to those events.
The first was when the road was soaked and I was on a roundabout. I was going round to the '9 o'clock' exit (three-quarters of the way round) and as I got to my exit a tweaked the throttle to bring me back upright and the back wheel simply slid away.
I remember thinking 'hold onto the bike and spin round' as I there was a car right behind me. I lay there on the road looking up at the car which had thankfully stopped, with the lady who was driving cramming both hands into her mouth and a look of shock on her face.
Fortunately I was unhurt but the brand-new chrome exhaust I had just fitted was scrapped!!!
I was a wee bit shaky after that for a couple of weeks then settled down again.
This was on my Yamaha 250cc Virago – a lovely bike.
Recently I bought another Yamaha but this time a 535cc bike with a wee bit more power :-)
As was recounted on Facebook recently, I was filtering down the outside of a line of stationary traffic when some kids ran out in front of me. Ibraked, skidded and came off but thankfully missed all of the kids. Left me with a very sore left side though!
Yesterday.
Yesterday I heard about a friend of mine and colleague who was out on her bike at the weekend. It appears she was riding correctly when a boy - being chased by the police - ran across the road. She is in hospital and has head and leg injuries and we are all waiting to see how she is. Fingers crossed for a full and speedy recovery for both my friend and the boy.
Monday, 8 November 2010
Strange feeling today
This is something different for me. I normally like to write upbeat fun blogs, but no matter how hard I try today its not going to happen. The fact that I have the urge to write means that I want to write something - but its just not what I normally write.
Why is this I wonder.
I had a good weekend -
Friday night started slowly but pleasantly. Some beer, music and surfing. I was quite enjoying myself. The about 9:30 or so I thought I would watch a movie. The one I chose was called Suck (A Vampire/comedy/rock movie). Its the kind of movie that you can just sit back and have a giggle without putting too much thought into it.
Then my phone rang about 10 and for the next 4 hours I had a fun and sometimes deep conversation with someone I had started chatting to online. It was a rollercoaster conversation and the low points meant that the high points were even more enjoyable. Finally to bed at 2am and an all too brief sleep.
Saturday was a yuk-type day. Rain and well.......more rain.
Off to the Rock Radio office to pick up my prize (beer and a CD) and then back in time to get changed and then head out to meet my dad. Strangely, when I got back I felt compelled to check my messages to see there had been any contact from my caller from the previous night. Not like me, as I had very little time in which to do anything, but I just had to check.
There was, and quick messages were sent (one from the train on the way in to meet my dad).
After that it was a great afternoon chatting with my dad and we had a good laugh together whilst watching football and then the rugby.
Following that he caught the train back home and I adjourned to the Solid Rock bar before heading up to the gig (Monsters of Mock) later that evening. My mate Alan caught up with me in there and we had a blast and a great chat after (although I was a bit deaf from the music).
Late home then and that meant late up on Sunday.
Nothing planned for Sunday except a bit of cleaning and ironing - I hadn't even planned to get dressed. Listening to music and on the laptop I was surprised to find out that the girl I had been chatting to on Friday night was mutual friend with a guy I grew up with. Very strange.
I had just decided to go out for a spin on the bike for 30 mins when on the spur of the moment I decided to meet the girl in question. So no bike (too dark for riding on the way home) just the car.
We had a great time, nice meal and lots of laughs. I stayed longer than I thought I would but it was worth it to get back late (and I stuck to the speed limit all the way home lol).
Today then is a mystery. Why do I feel flat?
I love my job and normally 'spring' into work on a Monday (well maybe after a strong coffee) but something is missing today and I cant quite put my finger on it.
Maybe an early night will do the trick......we'll see.
Why is this I wonder.
I had a good weekend -
Friday night started slowly but pleasantly. Some beer, music and surfing. I was quite enjoying myself. The about 9:30 or so I thought I would watch a movie. The one I chose was called Suck (A Vampire/comedy/rock movie). Its the kind of movie that you can just sit back and have a giggle without putting too much thought into it.
Then my phone rang about 10 and for the next 4 hours I had a fun and sometimes deep conversation with someone I had started chatting to online. It was a rollercoaster conversation and the low points meant that the high points were even more enjoyable. Finally to bed at 2am and an all too brief sleep.
Saturday was a yuk-type day. Rain and well.......more rain.
Off to the Rock Radio office to pick up my prize (beer and a CD) and then back in time to get changed and then head out to meet my dad. Strangely, when I got back I felt compelled to check my messages to see there had been any contact from my caller from the previous night. Not like me, as I had very little time in which to do anything, but I just had to check.
There was, and quick messages were sent (one from the train on the way in to meet my dad).
After that it was a great afternoon chatting with my dad and we had a good laugh together whilst watching football and then the rugby.
Following that he caught the train back home and I adjourned to the Solid Rock bar before heading up to the gig (Monsters of Mock) later that evening. My mate Alan caught up with me in there and we had a blast and a great chat after (although I was a bit deaf from the music).
Late home then and that meant late up on Sunday.
Nothing planned for Sunday except a bit of cleaning and ironing - I hadn't even planned to get dressed. Listening to music and on the laptop I was surprised to find out that the girl I had been chatting to on Friday night was mutual friend with a guy I grew up with. Very strange.
I had just decided to go out for a spin on the bike for 30 mins when on the spur of the moment I decided to meet the girl in question. So no bike (too dark for riding on the way home) just the car.
We had a great time, nice meal and lots of laughs. I stayed longer than I thought I would but it was worth it to get back late (and I stuck to the speed limit all the way home lol).
Today then is a mystery. Why do I feel flat?
I love my job and normally 'spring' into work on a Monday (well maybe after a strong coffee) but something is missing today and I cant quite put my finger on it.
Maybe an early night will do the trick......we'll see.
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