Saturday afternoon sat at home want to be out blues

Bah, I'm sat in on a sunny Saturday watching the six nations, I'm all a jitter as I want to be out enjoying the sun as it's the first Saturday I've had off in three weeks.

"Well go out then Loz," I hear you cry and you'd be right to do so. There are a couple of impediments to this however:

Firstly I've just woken up after a three shift of nights so I'm still a little groggy.
B) England will be playing soon and I'd rather have a venue or social situation to arrive at to see it
and 3. My Lady is sleeping off her night shift (she's got another tonight) and it would be good to see her as I haven't in the past week or so.

As to the rest of the day I've had no response from the Mon-Fri working crew as to what can be done with this fine spring day/evening.

I need transporter technology, that way I could jump over to Dubai to visit Katy who would always have a cure for this restlessness (and be up for getting boozy in front of the rugby).

*sigh* Could always tidy the house..........

Ga-Ga for radio and the lonely censor.

Hello.





I've been marvelling at the depth of podcasts recently, I have learnt about Ancient Rome (from the softly spoken Mike Duncan, who has his blogspot here), been educated about the Greek Gods and kept abreast of politics with from the Guardian yet the podcast I've enjoyed the most is the BBC Friday night Radio4 comedy podcast.

It contains 'The Now Show' (featuring Hugh and Steve from my favourite 90's BBC2 comedy show 'The Mary Whitehouse Experience' my second TV appearance, I was in the audience (not strictly on TV, but you can see me) my first TV appearance I'll talk about in a bit), and the 'News Quiz' both of which you can listen to on iPlayer if you want.

This has lead me on to delving into some of the great radio comedy that the BBC has in it's archives, to name but a few there are 'I'm sorry I haven't a clue' (anybody actually know how to play 'Mornington Crescent')? 'Children's Hour with Armstrong and Miller', 'Radio Shuttleworth', 'The 99p Challenge' (which I regularly steal lines and gags from) and the sublime 'Old Harry's Game'.

My question is does listening to Radio 4 now officially stick me into old duffer territory? There is something about it that makes me want some slippers, a pipe, a nicely upholstered armchair and one of those walnut old-stylee radios. Ahhhh the 1940's bliss of it all.

Some belated praise to a man who was an inspiration to young artists, young people who liked to make messes or just young people who loved strange plasticine creatures.

Tony Hart died recently, a great presenter and teacher, I met him once, he came to my school to film an episode of 'Hart Beat'. I was one of the dancing robots on it. He was as happy and enthusiastic in the flesh as he seemed on TV.

My favourite news snippet of the week (from the aforementioned 'News Quiz') involves the BBFC. The BBFC, for those that don't know is the body in the UK that watches all films, programmes and straight to DVD classics and applies a suitable age rating to them.

They also have to view all pornographic titles to ensure the films do not contain anything that contravenes the R18 rating. This was usually done in two's, (one to watch the other to follow the plot no doubt) however due to cutbacks, crunching credits, money squeezes and frankly, robbing, stealing, thieving bastard RBS bosses it is being cut back to only one person.

There's a punchline here, but instead of me providing it I'd like suggestions.

Blog or not?

Boring, everything I start to write is coming up boring, every time I start in on a subject it ends up being a rant about the rotten mood I'm in at the moment.

So I decided I'd just write up a few things I'm liking at the moment.

Starting with Mr Stephen Fry, a man who continues to grow in my mind as an arbiter of things good and great (though I'm sure he'll disagree in a suitably modest way). If anyone asks my opinion of him I tend to get unashamedly gooey, gushing and worshipful.

I've been a fan of his for a while, ever since picking up 'The Liar' when I was 16 and devouring it. I've followed him on twitter , downloaded his podgrams from i-tunes (I particularly urge anyone who is in love with the written,spoken,sung or shouted word to read/listen to the blessay called language good to read, even better when listened to), and dived into his varying novels. The latest that I read being 'The Stars' Tennis Balls' a modern re-telling of The 'Count of Monte Cristo' story which lead me to jump into Alexandre Dumas's classic and tear through it. (More on that later).

He is a commentator, novelist, columnist, comedian, actor, and the only real claimant to the title of 'UK's favourite quiz master' after the sad death of the brilliant Humphrey Lyttelton

Maybe I've a little bit of a bro-mance going on here? Speaking of people I'm a little in love with.

Next up is Alesha Dixon, I have a fully grown up type crush on her (my girlfriend is fully aware and approves).

I watched her documentary 'Look But Don't Touch' about trying to get a non-airbrushed, non-made-up picture of herself on the front of a fashion mag because it was on and my girlfriend is a Strictly Come Dancing devotee. I found it was surprisingly good and ever since I have unintentionally followed her work.

The crush is not simply because she is absolutely stunning, has a good voice, produces music that is a notch above the normal ex-girlband/boyband type thing, or that she can dance it up a storm. It's that she actually comes across as a genuinely pleasant person. A total package almost.

Talking about packages, check out eclectic eccentricity lovely jewellery, good prices. One of my Lady's favourite places, they turn over their designs and items regularly. I've got these bookmarked for special occasions, surprises, bad weeks at work!

These items come packaged up in little pink boxes, perfect for a little gift for your someone special (I have ordered some for Alesha and Stephen).

Books, books books, knowledge, learning, escapism, fantasy. I've been doing a lot of reading since Christmas.

As mentioned above I've just finished The 'Count of Monte Cristo' which I always thought was a children's book. However once I'd started I found it contains murder, infanticide, matricide, patricide, suicide, live burial, rape, lesbianism and liberal use of hashish! Which thinking about it sounds like my bed-time stories as a child!

It's an amazing read, it tells the tale of Edmond Dantes a young sailor in love with the beautiful Mercedes who is wrongfully accused of being a Bonapartist sympathiser at a time when this is considered high treason, he is imprisoned for life and escaping after a decade swearing revenge on the four people who destroyed his life. At over 1000 pages of close type it's a a long read, but well worth it.

Well I think that's enough of the things I like for now, as a return it's not a bad smattering of thought, but what I really brought you here for was to talk about cheese...................

Seasons Groanings/Greetings - A Blog of two minds

Christmas has left me (unsurprisingly) in two minds, I started to write a post about how bad I was feeling, but half way through suddenly realised I also had a lot to be thankful for.

So, being the democrat I am, I thought I'd give you the chance to see both frames of mind I have about the season.


The Humbug Mind

I'm not one who complains about Christmas, because as the man Andy Williams said, 'It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year'. But today I'm feeling restless, reticent and thoroughly rude about the whole jolly season.

My reasons?

I am in some serious need of sleep. Now you could argue that this is self inflicted as I partied a little too hard on Saturday night, and waaaaay too hard on Friday but I had good reason with the return of Distracted from Dubai and the annual Twickenham Christmas meal and bun-fight.

However my party-hearty attitude left me unforgivably tired, hungover and incubating germs on Sunday. A day I wanted to be fresh, engaging and healthy for. Which left me in a downcast and dejected mood today.

Also it doesn't look like I'm going to get much more sleep over the next couple of days due to working Christmas day for twelve hours, followed by another twelve Boxing day.

Bah!

Add to that the germs I incubated exploding into a cold that has rampaged across my sinuses and it all adds up to a very unhappy Christmas chappy.


The Magical Time of Year Mind

I can see how it's easy to get down around this time of year, and not about the usual things like dark mornings and nights or not having that someone special in your life, but it's also the whole run up to Christmas that can be pretty hectic with big (usually drunken) nights out, rushing to finish jobs at work and mad dashes to fight through crowds of people to find presents.

Is it any wonder that some of us end up with stinking colds and asleep in the gravy come Christmas day?

But you see it is Christmas and that alone should put a smile on your face.

My reasons?

I spent all of this weekend in some way or another with people who make me feel very happy, and although I used up a huge amount of energy (and quite a few hours of sleep) on them, the warmth and the happiness that I feel when I am with these people put a glow in my heart and a spring in my step.

I may be tired, I may have a cold but I also have good memories of smiles and giggles and presents and Christmas food, and because it's Christmas the tired only comes right at the end of the day, just when I'm ready for bed anyway!!

Sure I have to work Christmas and Boxing Day, but I've now had two Christmas days, one with my parents and one with my friends and feel well and truly stuffed with the cheer of Christmas. I've had presents both big and small, each one of them touched and delighted me and will help pass the time during those shifts.

Hoorah!

Plus, what better time to have a cold than when you're at work? At least I'll be rid of it come New Years Eve!

Shifting

Things I've picked up on while working a night shift.

No matter how much sleep you get during the day your mind always shuts down around 4am, nothing you can do to prevent it.

It's better to eat normally rather than trying to have 'regular' mealtimes throughout the night.

You get much more done than you would during the day.

It's nice to have someone read you 'The Tiger Who Came to Tea' as a bedtime story, even if you're not going to sleep.

It's convienient to be up if you have a friend in Dubai that you want to chat to. (When's the next update coming Distracted?)

Nothing more to see here, move along.

Busses

You wait all year............

Nice to be back, I'm a little more clean shaven these days, though who knows? The Beard has a way of controlling me and will no doubt start demanding a return.

So anyone who doesn't wish to see me look like this picture again (and let's face it why would you)? Please send razor blades!!

That's about it for today, carry on with what you were doing.