Last post 2006

Spent the day exploring a bit
of Derbyshire
actually a lot of Derbyshire
because their road signage is terrible
(as too is part of Nottinghamshire - but I
did manage to turn round quickly and get back into
Derbyshire)
Other than that, it's a lovely place
and I was rather taken by The Dolphin Inne
in Derby
very friendly and cosy
apart from the rain pouring in to the bar
loved the Cathedral too
apart from the beggars who were wanting me to
pay them for cleaning the church
Home in time to rip the leg off the turkey
and count down the last few hours of 2006
with a bowl of trifle and a glass of wine
listening to Chill
Happy New Year - it's going to be a belter

The end of the road for Saddam

I watched a bit of footage
of the executioners preparing
Saddam Hussein for his demise
he looked calm and collected
as they explained what was about to happen

I couldn't help but think that
he had the air of someone being shown the controls
of their new car

Back to work

It took twenty four
minutes to drive into work
it usually takes an hour

the office is quiet and I've done
five hours work in just over
two hours

A hint of sadness

The cat is insisting that
it's not OK to come
downstairs
but it is
Cooper has gone on trial
at a new home

we may never see him
again

or the mess he leaves
in the yard

Thank you

Had a card
in the post this morning
from Darren
thanking us for buying
our car from him
he need not have gone to the trouble
and one can't help but wonder
why he did

Dust to dust

The first words I hear this morning
are
'England's tail has stopped wagging and they've
lost the fourth Test Match'

I feel like rolling over
pulling the quilt over
my head
and pretending
I'm not English

Much excitement

My copy of the London Review arrived
with extracts from Alan Bennett's
2006 diary

what was his take on our meeting
on October 12?

not a mention of me or
his visit to Manchester
in fact as far as October 2006 is concerned
the highlight (and only entry from Mr B)
was watching Bremner, Bird and Fortune
on the TV

Boxing/Mother's/Groundhog Day

If she told us about the Jethro DVD
once
she told us a hundred times
when I have less time
I'll tell you

Christmas Day

What a totally
relaxing day

hope yours is too

Christmas Eve bedtime

As the car doors of
the worshipers
slam and the
merriment of late night
revelers echo round
the narrow streets
I bid you all goodnight
and a Happy Christmas for
tomorrow

One and one and one

I could only do one hymn board
today
as we ran out of 1s
185
181
188
161
10

Advent doors - Day 24

And so the final door
is the oven door
as is traditional in our
family we have our Christmas
dinner on Christmas Eve

the bird looks good
the wine looks good
the pudding looks good
the company looks
stunning

cheers!

Advent doors - Day 23

Christmas Eve
eve
and for the first time in
five days I've actually
been outside

cold and foggy
me no like

On the mend

Woke at 6.07
feeling brighter than I
have a for a few days
hopefully this is the first
signs of this blasted flu
being on the way out

now, someone mentioned
something about Christmas
when's that then?

Sick of being sick

If I have to
sit
and look at that bloody
Christmas tree
for one more day
I think I will go mad

Advent doors - Day 22

There must be a little door
in my head where the flu virus
nipped into my inner ear
and triggered my
labyrinthitis
it's not nice at the best
of times
let alone when you are feeling
like death anyway

Down

Today's been what
mother would call
a 'down day'
the assumption being that
all others are up

Advent doors - Day 21

Santa
will a little help from the
local Mountain Rescue Team
has just knocked on the door
we paid him off

Advent doors - Day 20

Had a card through the door
for a Susan Townend
at this address and postcode
no idea who she is
only that she'll think that
whoever has sent it
has left her off their
Christmas card list
this year

If...

At a guess it must have been
1979 when I was working in a
hotel in Chester
there I had the pleasure of meeting
Mrs Barbera and Mrs Hanna
wives of the famous
Joseph Barbera and William Hanna
they asked me if I had ever thought
of working in America
I said no
but can't help wondering what
would have happened if
I'd said yes

Advent doors - Day 19

Didn't even step outside
through a door today
damn flu

Handy hints

My car handbook suggests the following
to help motoring be more pleasant
1 Don't run out of petrol
2 Don't turn the engine off while driving

It fails to mention
1 Don't drive in to things
2 Don't get out while car is moving
3 Don't drive in the canal
which I think is a bit shortsighted
of them

Advent doors - Day 18

Nothing very exciting happened
today in relation to doors
but I did walk through 23
different ones
during my day

(Only counted each door once as actually counting the number of times I walked through the same door would seem a little excessive).

I'm a quiz

Discovered that a picture
of me
is being used as part of an
end of year quiz
here
I'm number 33
so that will give you a
head start for you
to win a t-shirt

Pull the other one

One of the bell ringers
pulled my number out of the
100 Club bag
so I've had a little bonus
to help raise my
cold-infested spirits

Advent doors - Day 17

Closed the door
of the Ford Focus
opened the door
of the Ford Ka

Feeling my age

Mother was so pleased to
have sat next to me in the
Kwei Ping
"I've just noticed that you've lost it,"
she said.
"Lost what?"
"The beard."
"I haven't. It's still here."
"Well I can't see it. You must have
gone really grey."

Advent doors - Day 16

The men fixing the roof
next door
have put a ladder across
the front door of our house
so they can access their
scaffolding
so anyone entering or
leaving the house today
will have to chance their luck
at walking under a ladder

The Visit

Mother
is
coming
out
to
see
us
tomorrow

Mother
is
coming
out
to
see
us
tomorrow

Mother
is
coming
out
to
see
us
tomorrow

tomorrow

Mother

Advent doors - Day 15

It's those few moments as you
approach the railway station doors
in the morning
in the dark
in the rain
the anticipation of knowing
if the 7.48 has been cancelled
again

it has

Advent doors (and gates) - Day 14

You do your bit to save the planet
by recycling tins and bottles
and what do you get in return?
A pile of dog poo by the back gate
that you totally don't see
in the pre-dawn gloom
as you put the box out

Quote of the day

"It's hard to play the flute
with a face full of black smoke."

Flautist at service with the burning candles

Advent doors (and candles) - Day 13

We were all asked
to light an Advent candle
but there were too many of them
and they all melted into
one big lake of molten wax
and so with less ceremony than
the lighting
they were extinguished

Valerie says

I have an imaginary friend
and his name is
'You'

Advent doors - Day 12

People were squeezed up
against the train door
the 7.47 was cancelled
so twice as many had to
travel on the 8.10

but at least they've got
a Christmas tree up in the
station

Quote of the day

"Tenor Jon Christos has an amazing voice.
It makes Pavarotti sound like Tiny Tim."

Organiser of Christmas Sing-Along
at Manchester Cathedral for
MedEquip4Kids

Yuk

Got home to the news that the dog had
been sick.
No tea for him.
I had a frozen paella.
I think the dog may have got
the best deal.

UPDATE
We fed the dog.
He was almost begging for it.
I think he still got
the best deal

A favour

I lent Craig Charles a
phone charger today
it didn't work
so I lent him another

Advent doors (including windows) - Day 11

The vent window
on the greenhouse
has blown off
and is lying in the yard
next to all the substrate
from the fish tank

This morning's train plan

1 Me
2 Mrs Me
3 Girlfriend of 4
4 Boyfriend of 3
5 Girl sending secret texts to 4
6 Guy with the Minute Waltz ringtone on his phone
7 Some guy asleep
8 Reader (Metro) and partner of 9. When 9 got off train 8 then played her music very loud down her earphones.
9 Partner of 8
10 Bottle black hair

Advent doors - Day 10

Two doors today
the first one saw the
small fish tank out
the second saw the
big fish tank out
and yet we seem
to have gained very little
extra space

Advent doors - Day 9

The Virgin Holiday
Florida brochure
has just been pushed through the door

must...resist...temp...tation
to...book

Anything you can do...

Tora
over at Thoughts of A Viking
blogged about switching over to
the Google Beta Blogger thingy
I've no idea what that is
but I have somehow managed
to switch
and now I'm worried that
the whole thing could go tits up
and I'll lose all my posts

I really should read stuff before
I go changing things

Somebody pass me an empty
paper bag

Top 5

A posting I did on the
BBC Manchester Blog
has been flagged up as one
of the five best on the
web this week
by Guardian Unlimited

which is nice

Advent doors - Day 8

A parcel came through
the door today
the dog must have assumed that
it was for him
as he tried to open it
with his teeth

Requests

I had two requests
yesterday
firstly
Urbis want a photo of me and Mrs Mind
for an exhibition
so we're going to have to dust off
the photo albums
second offer was from a PR company
wanting me to 'facilitate' a discussion
at Bolton University
sadly it clashes with my
radio programme
so I've had to decline

Blue Christmas Tree and fairy lights...

They're not right are they
it's like looking at
an illuminated
void

Advent doors - Day 7 - Part 2

Our first Christmas card
arrived in the post
this morning
from Aunty Beryl and Uncle Tom

Do I have an
Aunty Beryl and
Uncle Tom?

Advent doors - Day 7

The letter box is rattling
it's really windy today
but not as windy as
in London
I heard a guy on the
train refer to it as
'a twister'

One of my dreams is to go
to America storm-chasing
perhaps I can save
some money and wait here
for them to chase me

Can I add a storm chasing holiday to my Amazon Wish List I wonder?

Advent doors - Day 5 and 6

Yesterday's door was the
door
to the medicine cabinet
today's
was the front door
and the man reading the
gas and electric meters

Advent doors - Day 4

The doors on the bathroom
cabinet
have never shut properly
and for some reason
this annoyed me this morning
while I was getting my shaving gel out
doors should shut flush

Advent doors - Day 3

Someone has put a new padlock
on the west door at church
sadly they've left the wrong key
so apparently
yesterday
the Bride had to make her
grand entrance
by the side door

December 2nd

Still no advent calendar
so today I've opened
a box of Crunchy Nut
Cornflakes

December

I know
and I don't have
an Advent calendar to open
so I'll just have to open
the back door and dodge my way
round dog poo
down to the gate
and bring in the
recycle box

how festive

perhaps
I'll buy
a calendar today
or dig out one of last year's
only all the chocolates
will have gone