tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104570002024-03-14T10:08:30.293+00:00What doesn't kill you...A blog about life, love and everythingWDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.comBlogger366125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-19656517657989893572012-12-10T08:54:00.000+00:002013-04-05T18:48:51.378+01:00Another year...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQbO-OvmdD4oCNQhE-5uEALmjOuUX9uwJMSl74XlvMuaLkHqkBLcEFwtHAxVRwYiDCeXSAsv-C0cdkaS7L5vaRJLzo0hCaY33-jPR7G3vbgKk_cnzWDdD2Rupv2B_Je782plUsA/s1600/blaze_peak_radiance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQbO-OvmdD4oCNQhE-5uEALmjOuUX9uwJMSl74XlvMuaLkHqkBLcEFwtHAxVRwYiDCeXSAsv-C0cdkaS7L5vaRJLzo0hCaY33-jPR7G3vbgKk_cnzWDdD2Rupv2B_Je782plUsA/s200/blaze_peak_radiance.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The years... pass. I'm not going to pretend that I think about you all the time, but I think about you, especially on this particular day. It prompts me to read your letter, and reminds me that a person's love can still be felt long after they leave us.<br />
<br />
Except you never really left us, did you?WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-31737105483441010952011-12-10T08:09:00.004+00:002011-12-17T15:29:39.049+00:00AnuSo... five years today. I can hardly believe it as I write those words but there it is.<br />
<br />
I just read our mails again, and the letter you hastily wrote by hand as the parcel guys waited impatiently for you to finish (and yes, Ganesh still sits on my shelf, keeping an eye on the path ahead). And I must be honest - yet again, I shed some tears for you. Well, in a way they were for me because I know that wherever you are you'll be filling all around you with joy.<br />
<br />
Just like you filled me with joy, Anu, for which I thank you.<br />
<br />
<i>Edit: It occurred to me after I posted this that all those wonderful comments that were left after Anu's passing have gone forever. Luckily, they were included in the letter that I subsequently posted to her parents, and I've reproduced them as comments to/on this post as I believe them to be a more fitting memorial than my words alone:</i>WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-88142625052341440802008-07-07T06:47:00.009+01:002008-07-07T15:26:56.043+01:00Musical Monday<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ashes and Snow</span><br /></div><br />Just a temporary return, perhaps, but for what I think is a special reason - even if it isn't (strictly speaking) a Musical Monday post. However, this video stopped me in my tracks, and I can only urge you to play it when you're able to afford it your complete focus. And play it in full screen mode.<br /><center><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gSX444hQ5Vo&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gSX444hQ5Vo&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></center><br />"Gregory Colbert has used both still and movie cameras to explore extraordinary interactions between humans and animals. His exhibition, Ashes and Snow, consists of over 50 large-scale photographic artworks, a 60-minute film, and two 9-minute film haikus. This excerpt is entitled Feather to Fire, and is narrated in three languages by Laurence Fishburne (English), Ken Watanabe (Japanese), and Enrique Rocha (Spanish).""<br /><br />You can read more at http://www.ashesandsnow.org/, where you'll see that the exhibition in Mexico that closed last April attracted more than 8.7 million visitors in 100 days. As I said, something special.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyA0sof9Vvkqf2yRQyQ9-U7Q2iZ1GouDGX0oeH34YAczMG4KO7CIz9CJZD9u_En8EIs_fCIAsS6GR2ZYIveDxJL-B5n1L11ZdO9QDXUUjwRU5EYUevbwOyeZMCiYyLL7yI-hde8A/s1600-h/mmwithcolour.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyA0sof9Vvkqf2yRQyQ9-U7Q2iZ1GouDGX0oeH34YAczMG4KO7CIz9CJZD9u_En8EIs_fCIAsS6GR2ZYIveDxJL-B5n1L11ZdO9QDXUUjwRU5EYUevbwOyeZMCiYyLL7yI-hde8A/s200/mmwithcolour.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220146876831120482" border="0" /></a>WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-74262496852465841102008-04-05T12:38:00.005+01:002008-04-05T15:14:05.476+01:00Thank you for asking...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2w7l-O06UplxaJdYC5cQq5OOutANHMyxGZfKQuVvuh1af4tLTpMEZztN7W79neVH18JuGhUG3ok9UYK0DDh6jbHeRkk-fMp8pxnqSADvxPhsntIZNx6WlKxrJVVkxN4VdmcHrw/s1600-h/fine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2w7l-O06UplxaJdYC5cQq5OOutANHMyxGZfKQuVvuh1af4tLTpMEZztN7W79neVH18JuGhUG3ok9UYK0DDh6jbHeRkk-fMp8pxnqSADvxPhsntIZNx6WlKxrJVVkxN4VdmcHrw/s320/fine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185724536676355394" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I'm sure it hasn't escaped the attention of those that (kindly) check in here from time to time that my intention to return to the world of blogging has largely fallen by the wayside. And the truth is that I'm not entirely sure why it's happened.<br /><br />I do know that when I started my blog I was single, angst-ridden and under some strange belief that I had a story to tell. At times it’s been an exhilarating ride and at other times it’s been somewhat painful, but I feel that - at the very least - there's been a reality to my life that might just have been missing once upon a time. Perhaps it’s just that, in order to grow, we need to really understand ourselves; and for some of us it takes a life-changing circumstance to start that process of self-evaluation and self-discovery. A lot of things have happened over those two and a half years, and at the very least I can say that I've given it a go.<br /><br />And now I look back at this little world I shared with anyone who chose to stop by with a sense of comfort. I’ve given glimpses of the physical, the spiritual and the sexual… always honest, always genuine. I’ve also learnt that one can make very real connections without ever meeting in person, and without any likelihood of ever meeting in person. (Mind you, I have met a few, and have never been disappointed or found myself under any kind of misapprehension.) It’s all… well, kind of reassuring. You know what I mean, don’t you?<br /><br />I have no idea whether I’ll come back here again (maybe I will, soon or not so soon), start afresh at some point, or just put the whole blogging thing down to experience. I will, however, make a serious attempt to keep in touch with you, through the occasional visit to your world online or through more direct means. And please feel free to contact me too, if the mood takes you.<br /><br />In the meantime, I’ll leave this blog here so that I can carry on where I left off if I choose to. And, of course, as a little reminder of Musical Monday, HNT, nights of lust and madness… in other words, the world of WDKY. And I have to tell you… it’s not a bad world. Not a bad world at all.WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-89616092980033466642008-02-18T19:30:00.007+00:002008-02-19T07:04:36.826+00:00Errr...I guess I'm back. A little wrinkled around the edges because life has taken its toll, but then again it's never easy, is it? Anyway...<br /><br />I've been to Istanbul two or three times, and will be going again in a week or two. I had hoped to meet up with Keda over there but it's looking like that won't be happening as I don't have a great deal of time to go off gallivanting (as my dad would have said). But I have to tell you... it's a crazy city, the people are as friendly as you'll meet anywhere, and I rather like it!<br /><br />I've also had drama upon drama with Livvy, and at one point she even decided that she was no longer going to grace me with her presence. It did cause a fair amount of upset and i spent more than a few nights sleeping very little over it, but having changed my strategy (I've decided to that I'm just NOT going to get cross with her, or at least not so as she'd know it) she seems to be reverting to the girl that she's been pretending not to be.<br /><br />Oh yes, and my house project is finished! Remember the bedroom as it was originally?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfOifO3nF59ymFiPnuq142dtKehqT0H5tDPM2nkcGdFVCHnK1SZmcvfuc-I71WH420X_MzzR383eol9l5Z6r78h_WC3UtO4Ci6pGypB87pNYYYhoJ8cF37JUXXg74bcIoksD45pw/s1600-h/montage.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfOifO3nF59ymFiPnuq142dtKehqT0H5tDPM2nkcGdFVCHnK1SZmcvfuc-I71WH420X_MzzR383eol9l5Z6r78h_WC3UtO4Ci6pGypB87pNYYYhoJ8cF37JUXXg74bcIoksD45pw/s320/montage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168406131433804130" border="0" /></a><br />And after I decorated it in a rather strange style, with the ex-marital antique pine still very much in evidence?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_acazMJ6VMkqwUW5Fz2rqDbSCCG1ov7sJjXZJ633RLlvIoZBJBGiHznxdRhNnj2tIlwwFkBZ9OD1yQtoFylw8TSDO8Ij6f4aIg4GGYE-nYD7vdSpT-pJhG9acQ6Py8QG5cqYUEQ/s1600-h/IMG_0312.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_acazMJ6VMkqwUW5Fz2rqDbSCCG1ov7sJjXZJ633RLlvIoZBJBGiHznxdRhNnj2tIlwwFkBZ9OD1yQtoFylw8TSDO8Ij6f4aIg4GGYE-nYD7vdSpT-pJhG9acQ6Py8QG5cqYUEQ/s320/IMG_0312.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168406719844323698" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0lKE3yxFZ3bphgTYBfCgnIMsDDhN0Y7JObExNwSliTY-Zyl1ta0vKR5kuu28jze9TxUkbbK4-q6jOcg0y1nyNDKzDL07eYeR8qm1qsubcDfVM4whTFonkzUw6n9Rdci4-RESYA/s1600-h/IMG_0316.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0lKE3yxFZ3bphgTYBfCgnIMsDDhN0Y7JObExNwSliTY-Zyl1ta0vKR5kuu28jze9TxUkbbK4-q6jOcg0y1nyNDKzDL07eYeR8qm1qsubcDfVM4whTFonkzUw6n9Rdci4-RESYA/s320/IMG_0316.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168406724139291010" border="0" /></a><br />Well, now it looks like this, after a good brightening up, some inset halogen lights and some deliciously walnutty fitted cupboards (sorry about the blurriness - they were snapped on my mobile and I was in a rush)! Unfortunately, that gorgeous leather bed of a few posts ago was a little too big, and I had to change it for the simpler one in the photo below. Shame, as I hate the new one :-(<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_vH_YhG2X2AWiIpJulIWtpN1DLkXrozsO-z1SavVg6WtdIDrnq6EX1yJ_kd2fBAfWdz5YZR0BhcSA_y85kIkl0YTfomY4XDSulZo9hjw4ZsZ7k2uDUtd4errqUgI5tecar6GjQ/s1600-h/05022008265.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_vH_YhG2X2AWiIpJulIWtpN1DLkXrozsO-z1SavVg6WtdIDrnq6EX1yJ_kd2fBAfWdz5YZR0BhcSA_y85kIkl0YTfomY4XDSulZo9hjw4ZsZ7k2uDUtd4errqUgI5tecar6GjQ/s320/05022008265.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168407316844777874" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjwn-ElhtToS85a16jGwX-XbMyLgidjFzj9tBVrbjvM1R3aH5HQTaDRXDJgAK3OObw5EdcdEvXY5zpsnGaO6vsmVMPeezqwPPZUMRkmIVRU8b_oUA09_k8hgvfJkh03syU4JpxA/s1600-h/05022008266.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjwn-ElhtToS85a16jGwX-XbMyLgidjFzj9tBVrbjvM1R3aH5HQTaDRXDJgAK3OObw5EdcdEvXY5zpsnGaO6vsmVMPeezqwPPZUMRkmIVRU8b_oUA09_k8hgvfJkh03syU4JpxA/s320/05022008266.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168407325434712482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCW-teBmgko93Kw5dmt1ENcPEwsrhaOdhP_VTYBi3xQbaP-7YA9KasobDekK8gxnIgrxjefHnRd1J9l2t5I9EdPXdPLR8gsupyPwII6Y2eXZzPm4lf8iJfhe4x8Qiyyo1gNsjntw/s1600-h/05022008267.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCW-teBmgko93Kw5dmt1ENcPEwsrhaOdhP_VTYBi3xQbaP-7YA9KasobDekK8gxnIgrxjefHnRd1J9l2t5I9EdPXdPLR8gsupyPwII6Y2eXZzPm4lf8iJfhe4x8Qiyyo1gNsjntw/s320/05022008267.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168407329729679794" border="0" /></a><br />Actually, the entire house was decorated and Livvy had some cupboards built in her bedroom too. It was a fucking nightmare, not helped by the fact that I work from home, but it was over in about three weeks. Thank god.<br /><br />To be honest, there's been quite a lot of "stuff" going on, but this post was really just to say that I'm back in the land of the living, and that I'll be trying to post as regularly as I can in future. I can see that a lot of people have been checking in to see what's going on, and there are also a couple of new readers who have left comments or dropped me a line. That's really nice, and all in all it makes me feel quite committed to coming back.<br /><br />Or maybe I should just be committed :-)WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-28705319456890335632008-01-20T17:46:00.000+00:002008-01-20T17:53:13.395+00:00Sometimes...<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Life just throws too much at you.</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEPguyUqTEgC9NsrBcW77v9LwtL9LF8EOdVMTRXT2amst67VldfqKTv6AKkcBUtI_f4Gogam5OWKdCUqBRWu2qjFplf8jxe0sUWkqNLsk-mzvHmji6zStry78CtIrgCX27RmFtA/s1600-h/back_soon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEPguyUqTEgC9NsrBcW77v9LwtL9LF8EOdVMTRXT2amst67VldfqKTv6AKkcBUtI_f4Gogam5OWKdCUqBRWu2qjFplf8jxe0sUWkqNLsk-mzvHmji6zStry78CtIrgCX27RmFtA/s320/back_soon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157617966048228242" border="0" /></a>WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-9887555872273419362008-01-07T08:50:00.001+00:002008-01-07T08:53:09.480+00:00Just time for a quickieI can’t believe it’s been a week since I last posted, but there’s no Musical Monday today I’m afraid… I’m about to jump on a plane and head back to Istanbul on business. The truth is that I just haven’t had time to think musically this week. What I would like to do, though, is to thank everyone for some very thoughtful and considered comments on the subject of teenage and parental angst. It looks like something of an ongoing project to me. Hmmmmm.<br /><br />I have a suspicion that this year – in fact, the next few months – are potentially going to be life-changing, and my head is so full of questions that I’m finding it difficult to sleep. I’m tense, and I don’t like it. Firstly, I’ve been handed a proposition with regard to work that was completely unexpected and that will need me to make some big decisions soon. Essentially, someone I know well has been handed a vast sum of money (I mean <span style="font-style: italic;">vast</span>) to start up a new venture, and he wants to bring me in as a partner. It would mean saying goodbye to the company I’ve built as it would be surplus to requirements, but with a clear exit strategy after 5-7 years it might just be the best opportunity I’ve ever had. I need to think carefully, but I’m beginning to warm to the idea. In fact, it’s getting hot in here…<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJiU7XvShIuqgGs0UPMGE72fLGh_n6ldkwFjV0S1yLELtIDR0Sp9qIPz3R6ESPlQGUQS02xaIu0PjmxAhotxf-kjbDpenlnELNHZjPrsArULt872WmXtUhiyFN1DaAPJFfG1wEw/s1600-h/valencia2006_1__6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJiU7XvShIuqgGs0UPMGE72fLGh_n6ldkwFjV0S1yLELtIDR0Sp9qIPz3R6ESPlQGUQS02xaIu0PjmxAhotxf-kjbDpenlnELNHZjPrsArULt872WmXtUhiyFN1DaAPJFfG1wEw/s200/valencia2006_1__6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152654495682540402" border="0" /></a>I’m also doing a load of work on the house, because I’d like to move in the summer and I’m a big House Doctor fan. It needs totally brightening up and there’s so little storage space that I’m having some fitted cupboards built in the bedrooms (in a dark walnut, with light walls - mmmmm!). If the house does go on the market it will be in absolutely perfect condition for selling, and if it doesn’t… well, we’ll be much happier here. Oh, and I’ve bought this gorgeous leather bed to frolick in.<br /><br />Bea starts a new job (same hotel, different department) today, so it’s goodbye to late shifts and hello to a sex life again. I’ll keep you advised of developments… oh, and I’ll visit soon. I promise. No, <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span>.WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-83877251510800448192007-12-31T08:16:00.000+00:002007-12-31T09:27:42.134+00:00Musical MondayI’ve been thinking over the last few days. It occurred to me that this business with Livvy has thrown me more than I realised, and because of that I’ve forgotten some fundamental principles that I try to bear in mind as I meander through this ridiculous life of mine. In any event, why would I be so stupid as to assume that nothing was ever going to change? That my relationship with my children would just go on as it was, without the need for continuous emotional and physical investment on my part and without ever being threatened? Whoever said that it was going to be easy?<br /><br />Somehow, I’ve believed my own hype… I’ve believed that I’m being the best father I can be when the truth is that I’ve been coasting. Somewhere along the way my relationship with my daughter has suffered, and now I need to put that right. It’ll need effort from Livvy too, but maybe the Big Talk that I saw coming needs to be more of a continuous… I don’t know. A “<span style="font-style: italic;">re-connection”</span>. I think that’s a far better idea than risking driving a wedge between us, and although I don’t <span style="font-style: italic;">do </span>New Year resolutions, this is going to be mine for 2008.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq7r26KYmoGx2dhB84i74J1pZAJydSbocmDXy7krq3QV4aGDxnTFVli8JPh7JimjWle5QFEuEp_Dz1q2htedGCTZMRPe6vUqVaUl4wujg7AbCU1X211zf8XcA_j6DkwjWxEvBpg/s1600-h/mmwithcolour.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118857921560720754" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq7r26KYmoGx2dhB84i74J1pZAJydSbocmDXy7krq3QV4aGDxnTFVli8JPh7JimjWle5QFEuEp_Dz1q2htedGCTZMRPe6vUqVaUl4wujg7AbCU1X211zf8XcA_j6DkwjWxEvBpg/s320/mmwithcolour.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Musical Monday</span><br /><br />What with Christmas, New Year, angst regarding Livvy and a bad back, I hadn’t really given much thought to a Musical Monday selection today. But I sat here thinking (well, smoking and thinking) this morning, and realised that some things just take time to resolve. And frustrating though it might be, there are times when we all need... well, a little Patience.<br /><br />Have a wonderful New Year, and an even more wonderful 2008!<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.hipcast.com/playweb?audioid=P8d0cdfed41e0691a2ac1aa1e3f5ea318Z1B4QVREYmt3&buffer=5&shape=6&fc=336666&pc=3C3C3C&kc=000000&bc=000000&brand=1&player=ap21" frameborder="0" height="20" scrolling="no" width="216"></iframe><br /><br />If you want join in with Musical Monday, just stick this in your sidebar or on your post and get some music up there!<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://wdkylondon.blogspot.com/2006/03/musical-monday.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/LightestTouch/mmwithcolour.jpg" border="0" height="160" width="120" /></a><br /></span><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"></span>WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-74431494707829672042007-12-28T18:58:00.000+00:002007-12-29T19:40:07.353+00:00Goodbye to '07<p class="MsoNormal">So… that was Christmas, then. Due to plans that had to be changed at the last minute as a consequence of various coughs, colds and other maladies, I ended up cooking two Christmas dinners, one on the day and the other on Boxing Day, and fed a total of 16 members of family. I’ve had a bad cold myself for a week and a really painful back (I’m finally going for an x-ray after the new year), so I feel like it was something of an accomplishment. <span style=""> </span>Now I just want to sleep…</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Anyway, I know you guys over in the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> have a habit of summarising your year in the form of a Christmas greeting. Us Brits actually find it all a bit weird - well, we're a pretty conventional lot - but nevertheless I’m going to give it a shot. Call me a hypocrite (I’ve been called a lot worse, believe me)…<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BFlMBXdYo38KQUpY-pLVHZOxIZrWIYxHLGbxbbECC1yaalVBQwNQizUXLlLMTP4ShgYwjPh9iJDW7ftOMTMgaJNKwoX-SmwgKLWtDhAeWSPUefyhsshnM03-VR1U5yPqqDjiTw/s1600-h/relationships.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BFlMBXdYo38KQUpY-pLVHZOxIZrWIYxHLGbxbbECC1yaalVBQwNQizUXLlLMTP4ShgYwjPh9iJDW7ftOMTMgaJNKwoX-SmwgKLWtDhAeWSPUefyhsshnM03-VR1U5yPqqDjiTw/s200/relationships.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149075512319685442" border="0" /></a><b>Relationships</b><br /><br />What can I say about the events of this year? First of all, after three or four years of playing the eternal bachelor (and, to quote the gorgeous NML, seeing more arse than a toilet seat), I find myself living with a woman 18 years my junior and rather enjoying the experience. Many people have wondered how two people as different as me and Bea have made it work – age, culture, background, even language all seem to dictate otherwise – and the truth is we’re not entirely sure ourselves. All I can say is that she’s the most loving and affectionate woman I’ve ever met, and when you add to that her simmering Latino sexiness… well, give me a break. I’m a lot of things, but I’m not stupid. I'm not one for looking too far ahead because the one thing I know about plans is that they invariably get fucked up, but we're certainly enjoying the here and now. I don’t see any obvious reason for that to change.<br /><br />This year also saw something of a milestone (how ironic that I almost typed "<span style="font-style: italic;">millstone</span>") so far as my ex-wife is concerned, as now she really is my <span style="font-style: italic;">ex</span>-wife - our divorce became absolute in December after about 5 years of formal separation. The truth is that I was momentarily overjoyed, after which I didn’t think about it again. That said, I find it hard to believe that we were ever together because I really don't like her at all, and her behaviour is becoming more and more unpleasant. She’s now completely unable to communicate other than by being blatantly rude (best case scenario) or screaming down the telephone (normal behaviour). She’s due to give birth to twins some time in January (7 in one house???) and all I can say is… yikes!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpljN6-VjD-cX6qnqJZrvcQ6HTzKyHSWtqj_I4g8WomzVmcybrpcYrqfryrvpikgrolA7pso3XW3amy-JgnCBZHA_hqSvM-0JM0LHGfwB8jfy4g1lJAasuTzV6parltGbhk7lUQ/s1600-h/career.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpljN6-VjD-cX6qnqJZrvcQ6HTzKyHSWtqj_I4g8WomzVmcybrpcYrqfryrvpikgrolA7pso3XW3amy-JgnCBZHA_hqSvM-0JM0LHGfwB8jfy4g1lJAasuTzV6parltGbhk7lUQ/s200/career.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149075916046611282" border="0" /></a><b>Work</b><br /><br />In October 2005 I did something rather strange... something that was the consequence of an increasing sense of frustration and dissatisfaction that I knew only I could change. During the course of a routine monthly review meeting with my then-MD Tricky Dicky, I asked if he would be kind enough to make me redundant because "lets face it, we just don't <i>like</i> each other", and even though I had my heart in my mouth it was worth it just to see the look in his face. Priceless!<br /><br />Last year I was just getting myself up and running, so in reality this has been my first full year of trading. I set myself what looked like a pretty tough target and – having just checked my figures as the year-end approaches – I’ve beaten it by 100%. At times its been soul destroying, and at other times I’ve hated the sense of responsibility – for everything, because there's no-one else to delegate to. I’ve also learnt some tough lessons about business and friendship – sometimes they can go together but often they can’t, and in a sense that has been the toughest lesson of all.<br /><br />But most of the time I’ve loved it, and I can’t imagine what I'd be feeling now if I hadn't taken the chance to do this when I did . I have a couple of great clients that I've been working with for almost 18 months, I've seen (glimpses, at least, of) countries that I wouldn't otherwise have visited, and I've proven to myself that having the courage of your convictions can make all sorts of things possible. It just takes balls. Now, can I bill you?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVAFMMmzCXt69mpyiiYXKNtG0nyx0kAnrnlwo5Vmqn5YmdQBgolF52uo_K8utsaGga2ZNqBXT7iQtMmfjnLf2miWyUjtUQc7N5tKNIhyphenhyphenMC925hYNHf2BlFLinWzskMPbVcGJS0ZQ/s1600-h/kids.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVAFMMmzCXt69mpyiiYXKNtG0nyx0kAnrnlwo5Vmqn5YmdQBgolF52uo_K8utsaGga2ZNqBXT7iQtMmfjnLf2miWyUjtUQc7N5tKNIhyphenhyphenMC925hYNHf2BlFLinWzskMPbVcGJS0ZQ/s200/kids.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149076336953406306" border="0" /></a><b>The Sprogs</b><br /><br />Wow – what changes so far as the kids are concerned. Sam has become so grown-up, and now represents not only the school but one of the local under-11 sides at football (that’s soccer to you lot across the pond). Our relationship is closer than ever, and I’m proud of the kind and sensitive child he’s become (in fact, that he’s always been). Next year he starts secondary school, and I can hardly believe it, but he still curls up with me on the sofa just as he did when he was a toddler. Mind you, he doesn't go upstairs to change into speedos just to watch WWE these days! Bless...<br /><br />Livvy has begun her tortuous journey through adolescence, and the truth is that it’s not been easy on either of us. She’s often withdrawn, moody, rude or just uncommunicative… aside from when she wants something – usually money – in which case she talks to me as if I’m a human being and even smiles at me sometimes. I’ve come to realise with a reasonable degree of certainty that she’s manipulating her mother, her mother’s manipulating her, or they’re both manipulating each other – whichever it is the result’s the same, it's to <span style="font-style: italic;">my</span> detriment, and it’s reached the stage where its becoming damaging to our relationship. The whispered conversations on mobile phones are increasingly irritating and Bea agrees with me that something needs to be done, so I guess we have a Big Talk coming. I’m not exactly confident that things can be resolved that easily, but I miss the girl she was (and that I know she is), so I have to keep on trying.<br /><br />There you have it, then… in anyone’s language that was quite a year, but it was also a year that I could never have predicted. And if there's a moral in this story, the moral is this - sometimes we get stuck in what seems like an eternal rut, and it looks like nothing will ever change. But <i>we</i> can make it happen. Of course I know that other factors play a part, but ultimately we're all in charge of our own destiny, and just having the courage to face change in a positive way can transform change itself.<br /><br />And now, all that’s left is to wish everyone reading this nonsense a happy and healthy 2008. To quote a rather clever guy with even bigger ears than me, may you live long and prosper.<br /><br />Beam me up, Scotty…</p>WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-85167162624498824242007-12-24T13:59:00.000+00:002007-12-24T18:23:28.943+00:00Musical Monday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq7r26KYmoGx2dhB84i74J1pZAJydSbocmDXy7krq3QV4aGDxnTFVli8JPh7JimjWle5QFEuEp_Dz1q2htedGCTZMRPe6vUqVaUl4wujg7AbCU1X211zf8XcA_j6DkwjWxEvBpg/s1600-h/mmwithcolour.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118857921560720754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq7r26KYmoGx2dhB84i74J1pZAJydSbocmDXy7krq3QV4aGDxnTFVli8JPh7JimjWle5QFEuEp_Dz1q2htedGCTZMRPe6vUqVaUl4wujg7AbCU1X211zf8XcA_j6DkwjWxEvBpg/s320/mmwithcolour.jpg" border="0" /></a>Well, here we are then... a Christmas Eve Musical Monday. And can you imagine how hard it's been to ignore Wizard, Cliff Richard et al and come up with something relatively normal today? In fact, "relatively normal" is something of an understatement because today I'm paying homage to Van the Man. And, that said, what track could I possibly choose other than Moondance?<br /><br />I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, whether or not it has any religious significance for you. Even for me, the Jewish atheist, I kind of like exchanging gifts, seeing family and friends and generally being decadent for a few days.<br /><br />Unfortunately, for the second year running I've neglected helping out with Crisis Open Christmas as I've just had too much to do at home, but I shall endeavour to do my bit over the coming year to make up for it... and my thoughts are with anyone for whom Christmas is anything but a time of joy. It can be a difficult few days (as I know from experience all too well), but if nothing else I can give you music!<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.hipcast.com/playweb?audioid=Pe84f689d44b88424b276dcceee209fafZ1B4QVREYmt0&buffer=5&shape=6&fc=336666&pc=3C3C3C&kc=000000&bc=000000&brand=1&player=ap21" frameborder="0" width="216" scrolling="no" height="20"></iframe><br /><br />If you want join in with Musical Monday, just stick this in your sidebar or on your post and get some music up there!<br /><br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,102)"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://wdkylondon.blogspot.com/2006/03/musical-monday.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/LightestTouch/mmwithcolour.jpg" border="0" height="160" width="120" /></a><br /></span><br /></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,102)"></span>WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-41901639071017048782007-12-17T14:18:00.000+00:002007-12-16T16:41:46.686+00:00Musical MondayIt's a while since I've posted for Musical Monday. Much has happened in the intervening period, and I'm sure my dwindling band of loyal readers are beside themselves with curiosity. So...<br /><ol><li>10 er reef (err... thanks, Susie) - we went for 5 days, staying in Bea's apartment with her parents. We drunk a lot, did bad things with substances that shall not be named, slept too little and came back thoroughly exhausted. In other words, we had a good time.</li><br /><li>Istanbul - I was there on business for a couple of days, and stayed in a shit-hot hotel. It's a mad but brilliant city, and I'm due back there in early January (and again in February). Unfortunately, I failed to hook up with Keda on her patch as one of the Lets had hurt herself and the timing was difficult. Maybe next time, though...</li><br /><li>My face - is now sporting a goatee. It's a while since I've had one and its quite short and (this time around) rather grey, but apparently its very sexy. And it tickles...</li><br /><li>Vista - I HATE IT. In fact, I hate it so much that I had it removed from my laptop, and I won't touch it again until well after SP1 has been released (and maybe not even then). A pox on all connected with its development. Or lack of development.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq7r26KYmoGx2dhB84i74J1pZAJydSbocmDXy7krq3QV4aGDxnTFVli8JPh7JimjWle5QFEuEp_Dz1q2htedGCTZMRPe6vUqVaUl4wujg7AbCU1X211zf8XcA_j6DkwjWxEvBpg/s1600-h/mmwithcolour.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118857921560720754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq7r26KYmoGx2dhB84i74J1pZAJydSbocmDXy7krq3QV4aGDxnTFVli8JPh7JimjWle5QFEuEp_Dz1q2htedGCTZMRPe6vUqVaUl4wujg7AbCU1X211zf8XcA_j6DkwjWxEvBpg/s320/mmwithcolour.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Musical Monday</span><br /><br />So, here we are then... and in my usual fashion I shall now proceed to fuse past with present, classic with avante guarde...<br /><br />Well, anyway, you should all know by now that one of my favourite tracks ever is Massive Attack's "Teardrop", and of course it's been featured before as my MM choice of the week. I also featured a cover recently by none other than Jose Gonzalez, and I thought that version was pretty good too. This week, it's another cover of this wonderful track - this one's even better and it's by Newton Faulkner. The album (Handbuilt By Robots) is excellent, so stick it on your Amazon Wishlist for Christmas if you haven't already got it.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.hipcast.com/playweb?audioid=Pf917545ef13fcf21d66e3d855998919cZ1B4QVREYmt1&buffer=5&shape=6&fc=336666&pc=3C3C3C&kc=000000&bc=000000&brand=1&player=ap21" frameborder="0" width="216" scrolling="no" height="20"></iframe><br /><br />If you want join in with Musical Monday, just stick this in your sidebar or on your post and get some music up there!<br /><br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,102)"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://wdkylondon.blogspot.com/2006/03/musical-monday.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/LightestTouch/mmwithcolour.jpg" border="0" height="160" width="120" /></a><br /></span><br /></li></ol></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,102)"></span>WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-43172843585520297382007-12-09T20:06:00.000+00:002007-12-10T21:11:55.276+00:00Just to say...I've barely been around for a week or three, although in that time I've been to Tenerife and Istanbul and worked my proverbial balls off before, during and after. It'll be no different for a while yet, and although my Reader is currently well over the 400 mark I simply have no time at all to visit everyone, let alone to leave comments.<br /><br />To be honest, in other circumstances I wouldn't have posted now but would have waited until things had quietened down a bit. In fact, my reason for doing so is something of a sad one... believe it or not, tomorrow mark's the first anniversary of <a href="http://appreciateyourself.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Anu's</a> death and I just felt that I couldn't let it pass without a word or two.<br /><br />So, Anu... I want to say that I miss you. I miss the way you made me feel, and I miss posting sometimes, realising that you'd be smiling your beautiful smile as you read it before leaving one of your wonderful comments. You made me believe that I was special, like you made everyone who knew you believe that they were special.<br /><br />I know you'd rather I didn't cry when I thought of you, but I can't help it... I've never been short on emotion, have I? And, anyway, you're aware of what you meant to me. What you mean to me.<br /><br />Did I say that I miss you?<br /><br />Love always,<br /><br />T x<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3Y_Dxkt8JN6wnEjwfYVl7jlE4LdDyjt8x3qSrOiKK8gAVJC6HjHC5kAQhkQjTi8Hs3VhvysoR_HFjUbSfTRWtD82zuxM4nQxhXIG33wpGRUzrL1YfujLAoHR5SYy1RW0mGTOyg/s1600-h/Anu.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3Y_Dxkt8JN6wnEjwfYVl7jlE4LdDyjt8x3qSrOiKK8gAVJC6HjHC5kAQhkQjTi8Hs3VhvysoR_HFjUbSfTRWtD82zuxM4nQxhXIG33wpGRUzrL1YfujLAoHR5SYy1RW0mGTOyg/s320/Anu.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5142071200116979266" border="0" /></a>WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-39848051190758114242007-11-22T20:17:00.000+00:002007-11-22T21:38:50.612+00:00Chao chaoIt's been an unbearably hectic couple of weeks, but we're off to Tenerife for a few days, leaving at sparrow fart tomorrow. To say that I need the break would be akin to describing the Mona Lisa as a good drawing.<br /><br />Apologies for not visiting everyone, but thank you for commenting, as always. It always makes me feel guilty when I don't respond, but the truth is that I was just too busy to do anything other than work.<br /><br />Right... I'm off, and a Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.<br /><br />Chao chao.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuyUm7bqhGqOvd1slmXso7FcbY3aN58B2quq6Lu0O4ZZZ-xOzg_ljGzjtKaw2XikRT0xW-TMGpMzyvSpdz6KcCGgzpDxR5u7TtjZk4I9EQZ7WbBey5Ke65spYEpgkMBFqDY1GeA/s1600-h/tenerifebeach.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuyUm7bqhGqOvd1slmXso7FcbY3aN58B2quq6Lu0O4ZZZ-xOzg_ljGzjtKaw2XikRT0xW-TMGpMzyvSpdz6KcCGgzpDxR5u7TtjZk4I9EQZ7WbBey5Ke65spYEpgkMBFqDY1GeA/s400/tenerifebeach.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135763607200733570" border="0" /></a>WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-5395401054584664762007-11-19T11:59:00.000+00:002007-11-19T12:28:52.750+00:00A Special Musical Monday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq7r26KYmoGx2dhB84i74J1pZAJydSbocmDXy7krq3QV4aGDxnTFVli8JPh7JimjWle5QFEuEp_Dz1q2htedGCTZMRPe6vUqVaUl4wujg7AbCU1X211zf8XcA_j6DkwjWxEvBpg/s1600-h/mmwithcolour.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118857921560720754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq7r26KYmoGx2dhB84i74J1pZAJydSbocmDXy7krq3QV4aGDxnTFVli8JPh7JimjWle5QFEuEp_Dz1q2htedGCTZMRPe6vUqVaUl4wujg7AbCU1X211zf8XcA_j6DkwjWxEvBpg/s320/mmwithcolour.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Musical Monday</span><br /><br />I'm frantically topping and tailing some bid documents at the moment, and what with a shitload of other work to do I've barely been around for the last week or two. Consequently, my post today is just going to be about music, but that's quite fitting. because this is a very special Musical Monday indeed.<br /><br />Some of you may remember my friend "Zoozan" who used to have a blog entitled A life More Interesting but subsequently decided to concentrate on culinary delights (including one of mine!) in <a href="http://zoozsfood.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">For The Love of Food</a>. I've had the pleasure of getting to know her amazing family - including boyfriends, lodgers and pets - rather well over the past few years, and she's rightfully proud of her two gorgeous daughters, Laura and Ali. Whilst Laura's been busily setting about putting the world to rights, Ali has shown that she has a real musical talent, and a genuinely beautiful voice.<br /><br />You can see something of Ali and the band - Koro - over at their <a href="http://www.myspace.com/korouk" target="_blank">MySpace</a> page, but here's a track fresh from the studio. Ali, you sing like an angel, darling...<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Koro, and This Way</span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.hipcast.com/playweb?audioid=P6fe6d8e61e8e312d3b3e0d702628b86dZ1B4QVREYmR8&buffer=5&shape=6&fc=336666&pc=3C3C3C&kc=000000&bc=000000&brand=1&player=ap21" frameborder="0" width="215" scrolling="no" height="20"></iframe><br /><br />If you want join in with Musical Monday, just stick this in your sidebar or on your post and get some music up there!<br /><br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,102)"><a href="http://wdkylondon.blogspot.com/2006/03/musical-monday.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/LightestTouch/mmwithcolour.jpg" border="0" height="160" width="120" /></a><br /><br /></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,102)"></span>WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-17229292422713041532007-11-17T08:32:00.000+00:002007-11-19T17:47:45.523+00:00A night at the opera<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtiAzPbv4u4shcD4yW8UMCXxqsADxTC_mSMh1fPXhEQvCcDizQux3wg1xGX78Cg9dv2beVDlNwy97Myqkmi5cc4eHbHbNNj5VfcFsBP85gmYGjOiwZdnlvkS8lbovLEdw48hgPw/s1600-h/Coliseum+interior+3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtiAzPbv4u4shcD4yW8UMCXxqsADxTC_mSMh1fPXhEQvCcDizQux3wg1xGX78Cg9dv2beVDlNwy97Myqkmi5cc4eHbHbNNj5VfcFsBP85gmYGjOiwZdnlvkS8lbovLEdw48hgPw/s320/Coliseum+interior+3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134609394869475698" /></a>I'm not sure how many of you guys have been to the opera, or would even go should you ever get the chance. I must admit that, when Bea suggested seeing Carmen at the London Coliseum a while ago, it wasn't something that was at the top of my list of things to do; but the truth is that I really, really enjoyed it. Not just the production itself (it was a contemporary version, by the English National Opera) but the fact that I was there, in a place I hadn't been to before. And I was doing something new.<br /><br />Its a funny thing, living by yourself for a few years after spending a large chunk of your life playing your part in the traditional nuclear family. Its so easy to get into a routine, and to just keep doing the same thing week in week out, year in year out. Because there's a rather insidious allure in doing what you want, when you want... in not having to please anyone but yourself. I know that's what I was in danger of doing, even though I wasn't exactly living a conventional life (ahem), and sometimes I look at others around me and see the rut that they've got themselves in. And its frightening.<br /><br />Life can just pass you by without you even realising that its happened. The time we have is short, and its precious, and even when things seem to be going badly - and trust me, I can relate to that - its an amazing world out there. And maybe this journey of ours <span style="font-style: italic;">can</span> sometimes see like one long test of endurance, and <span style="font-style: italic;">can </span>be painful... but you never know what's around the corner. The thing is, you have to have your eyes open to see it.WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-19635748065503410972007-11-12T09:23:00.000+00:002007-11-12T14:05:45.012+00:00Musical MondayIt’s been a week since I posted - doesn't time fly?! Partly, it's the consequence of being madly busy – I have three projects on the go right now, and what with that and Sam’s footballing exploits I barely have time to breathe. But it's also the consequence of just needing something of a break from the computer, and from Blogging in particular... I’m sure you’ve all been there.<br /><br />One of the projects I mentioned is going to take me to Istanbul (if you're really old, you may be calling it Constantinople) three times over the next two or three months, and all being well I’m hoping to meet up once again with the lovely patchouli girl, <a href="http://mamahog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Keda</a>… we did manage to hook up in London for a drink a while back, since which time both of our lives have changed somewhat. Maybe I’ll meet the lovelylets as well this time, but it'll be nice to see her again and maybe it'll keep me out of trouble while I'm there!<br /><br />Anyway, tonight we're going to the opera (no, not me and Keda... me and Bea!), so maybe a bit of culture will re-energise me or something. That aside, I’ll try to work through my Reader over the next day or so, and in the meantime thanks for the (one or two) emails I received to check if all was okay. Oh, and for the comments, a couple of which, in particular, made me smile.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq7r26KYmoGx2dhB84i74J1pZAJydSbocmDXy7krq3QV4aGDxnTFVli8JPh7JimjWle5QFEuEp_Dz1q2htedGCTZMRPe6vUqVaUl4wujg7AbCU1X211zf8XcA_j6DkwjWxEvBpg/s1600-h/mmwithcolour.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118857921560720754" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq7r26KYmoGx2dhB84i74J1pZAJydSbocmDXy7krq3QV4aGDxnTFVli8JPh7JimjWle5QFEuEp_Dz1q2htedGCTZMRPe6vUqVaUl4wujg7AbCU1X211zf8XcA_j6DkwjWxEvBpg/s320/mmwithcolour.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Musical Monday</span><br /><br />A while back, I featured Bjork for Musical Monday, and – not for the first time – I was pointed in the direction of Sigur Ros, also from Iceland, as a band I should get familiar with.<br /><br />Formed in 1994, they were named after the sister of one of the founder-members (Sigurrós, born on the day the band officially came into being), and achieved critical acclaim in the late nineties with the album featured today.<br /><br />So, this week Sigur Ros it is, and a video that I really do suggest you take some time to watch in peace and quiet. The track is beautiful, and the video is haunting. All in all, a breathtaking combination.<br /><br />Vidrar Vel Til Loftarasa, from the album Ágætis Byrjun.<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y4cVCrvLjYg&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y4cVCrvLjYg&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />If you want join in with Musical Monday, just stick this in your sidebar or on your post and get some music up there!<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><a href="http://wdkylondon.blogspot.com/2006/03/musical-monday.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/LightestTouch/mmwithcolour.jpg" border="0" height="160" width="120" /></a><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"></span>WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-49058534444046942352007-11-05T07:33:00.000+00:002007-11-05T07:58:15.093+00:00Musical MondayI’m off to the gym in a minute. Over the last few months, I seem to have put on about 7 or 8 pounds in weight (no, I have no idea what that is in kilos – I’m British!) and its proving a little difficult to get off again. With Christmas coming, I’ve decided that it needs a concerted effort, because otherwise I’m risking looking like a right porker come January.<br /><br />A few years ago, I just had to think about losing weight and it would fall off. Age takes its toll, and it was only recently that I was playing in the park with the kids, jumped up to grab a low-hanging bough so that I could climb a tree… and fell crashing to the ground. All in all, it’s seriously depressing.<br /><br />Anyway, as well as refereeing Sam’s school matches I’ve now been asked to referee the S* A****** Rangers home games, so I need to get myself in good shape for that too. And I’ve decided that when I’ve done it I’m going to reward my (ever-dwindling) loyal readers with a beautifully-slimline HNT. Yes, even the guys, so prepare yourselves!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq7r26KYmoGx2dhB84i74J1pZAJydSbocmDXy7krq3QV4aGDxnTFVli8JPh7JimjWle5QFEuEp_Dz1q2htedGCTZMRPe6vUqVaUl4wujg7AbCU1X211zf8XcA_j6DkwjWxEvBpg/s1600-h/mmwithcolour.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118857921560720754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq7r26KYmoGx2dhB84i74J1pZAJydSbocmDXy7krq3QV4aGDxnTFVli8JPh7JimjWle5QFEuEp_Dz1q2htedGCTZMRPe6vUqVaUl4wujg7AbCU1X211zf8XcA_j6DkwjWxEvBpg/s320/mmwithcolour.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Musical Monday</span><br /><br />Booster asked last week if I could post some Joni Mitchell for Musical Monday, and I’m delighted to oblige whilst also feeling a little embarrassed that I haven’t done so already – it’s very remiss of me. Joni is not only hugely successful as a singer/songwriter, but she’s also been hugely influential - her work has had an enormous influence on artists as disparate as Annie Lennox, Elvis Costello, Tori Amos, Clannad, Madonna, Prince, Björk, George Michael, Conor Oberst, Morrissey, and KT Tunstall amongst others. <br /><br />She has received five Grammy Awards during her career, with the first coming in 1969 and the most recent in 2000. She also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002, with the citation describing her as "one of the most important female recording artists of the rock era" and "a powerful influence on all artists who embrace diversity, imagination and integrity."<br /><br />This song, from the album “Blue”, is possibly my favourite, although as is so often the case it was a close call. It also has a very personal, very intense meaning for me... from another life, a long, long time ago. But sometimes it seems like yesterday...<br /><br />“A Case of You”.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.hipcast.com/playweb?audioid=P3c1bbf61c0b21398e41d3465c77b3d0bZ1B4QVREYmR9&buffer=5&shape=6&fc=336666&pc=3C3C3C&kc=000000&bc=000000&brand=1&player=ap21" frameborder="0" height="20" scrolling="no" width="215"></iframe><br /><br />If you want join in with Musical Monday, just stick this in your sidebar or on your post and get some music up there!<br /><br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,102)"><a href="http://wdkylondon.blogspot.com/2006/03/musical-monday.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/LightestTouch/mmwithcolour.jpg" border="0" height="160" width="120" /></a><br /><br /></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,102)"></span>WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-12146596926810627292007-11-02T22:15:00.000+00:002007-11-03T13:55:58.575+00:00Flash 55 Friday...Or something... anyway, I thought I'd play today.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPCpax26eyNl0_FmSpFfaTQkud4-4BeMKUsyueJaraTPCMlexy2JnLsItzFPFgRIEOAtpLLEP2T32GMaaLCj_1sr5Mqri4yiBRaviMSKl3gya1PsSZYcIl5_-OkDiR8ohHQgyZw/s1600-h/barnight.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPCpax26eyNl0_FmSpFfaTQkud4-4BeMKUsyueJaraTPCMlexy2JnLsItzFPFgRIEOAtpLLEP2T32GMaaLCj_1sr5Mqri4yiBRaviMSKl3gya1PsSZYcIl5_-OkDiR8ohHQgyZw/s200/barnight.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5128612221484067250" border="0" /></a><span style="color:#336666;">Darkness. Nothing moved, but the shadows seemed to watch me, mocking. Laughing.<br /><br />The rain fell in torrents, but at least nobody had noticed the cold sweat clinging to my body, chilling me beneath my clothes.<br /><br />My whole life had lead me to this moment, to my destiny behind this faded, peeling door. Trembling, I knocked.</span><br /><br /><br /><br />I enjoyed that... Kudos to <a href="http://susiestheboss.blogspot.com/" target="blank">Susie</a>!WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-34197044741748953272007-10-29T09:38:00.000+00:002007-10-30T12:05:29.344+00:00Musical MondayIt was something of a mad weekend, and one that was indicative of how little time I have these days... to wander around with my camera, get myself to the gym... or just do nothing at all. Anyway, Saturday morning I was at football training with Sam, followed by some food shopping in the afternoon in preparation for a couple of friends coming round for dinner in the evening. Has anyone ever cooked on a raclette? If not, try it – its messy, and its fun, especially when copious amounts of wine are flowing… we had a kind of charcuterie thing going on, with melted swiss cheese, some chicken and vegetable kebabs, baby new potatoes, fresh baguettes... mmmmm! All followed by fresh fruit salad and lots of ICE CREAM!<br /><br />Then on Sunday morning it was time for Sam’s second competitive match for S* A****** Rangers and this time they reversed last weeks defeat in winning 10-2!!! Sam played in midfield this time, but some of his touches, and his passing & dribbling generally, were sublime and he was delighted afterwards (well, who wouldn’t be?). So was I, naturally.<br /><br />Later it was off to Tottenham for the latest saga in a very sad season to date… but with a bit of luck the dream ticket of Juande Ramos and Gus Poyet as head coach and first team coach respectively will give us a bit of hope for the season and put us back where we belong next year. I'm not going to get melodramatic over our horrendous start to the season and say that it feels like my life has come to an end... but I must admit, it feels like my life has come to an end. (It was the great Bill Shankley who said "Football's not a matter of life and death. Its more important than that"!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq7r26KYmoGx2dhB84i74J1pZAJydSbocmDXy7krq3QV4aGDxnTFVli8JPh7JimjWle5QFEuEp_Dz1q2htedGCTZMRPe6vUqVaUl4wujg7AbCU1X211zf8XcA_j6DkwjWxEvBpg/s1600-h/mmwithcolour.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118857921560720754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq7r26KYmoGx2dhB84i74J1pZAJydSbocmDXy7krq3QV4aGDxnTFVli8JPh7JimjWle5QFEuEp_Dz1q2htedGCTZMRPe6vUqVaUl4wujg7AbCU1X211zf8XcA_j6DkwjWxEvBpg/s320/mmwithcolour.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Musical Monday</span><br /><br />I was challenged indirectly last week by the rather cheeky Jay, who suggested that I wouldn’t know an up to date track if it hit me between the eyes!<br /><br />I almost rose to that challenge too, until I played an album that dates back to 1972. Then, with a sigh, I bowed to the inevitable, knowing that this week was destined to be like so many others… what can I say? I’m just a musical dinosaur!<br /><br />Anyway, a few years ago I went to see a Lou Reed gig at the Royal Albert Hall. He was excellent, but I left thinking that Transformer was still his best album. I think, after listening to these two gems, that you might just have to agree with me.<br /><br />Perfect Day<br /><iframe src="http://www.hipcast.com/playweb?audioid=P6a3d3b1ec3b7cef15798af8a55f47978Z1B4QVREYmRz&buffer=5&shape=6&fc=336666&pc=3C3C3C&kc=000000&bc=000000&brand=1&player=ap21" frameborder="0" width="215" scrolling="no" height="20"></iframe><br /><br />Walk on The Wild Side<br /><iframe src="http://www.hipcast.com/playweb?audioid=Peda822c855a39858b9ed1ebb940af47fZ1B4QVREYmRy&buffer=5&shape=6&fc=336666&pc=3C3C3C&kc=000000&bc=000000&brand=1&player=ap21" frameborder="0" width="215" scrolling="no" height="20"></iframe><br /><br />If you want join in with Musical Monday, just stick this in your sidebar or on your post (by the way, this is the code if you want the new image link, i.e. the colour version. Go on, you know you want to change it…):<br /><br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,102)"><a href="http://wdkylondon.blogspot.com/2006/03/musical-monday.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/LightestTouch/mmwithcolour.jpg" border="0" height="160" width="120" /></a><br /><br /></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,102)"></span>WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-36795677410912313842007-10-26T09:15:00.000+01:002007-10-26T16:37:08.879+01:00FamilyI went to see Mum on the way to football last night. She’s recovered well from the recent operation on her ankle and – although she’s presently walking with the aid of a frame – the plaster comes off her leg in three weeks and she’ll be better able to get around than she has been for years.<br /><br />All things considered, things have been pretty good between us over the last few years. I say “all things considered” because my relationship with my parents was always difficult. In fact, difficult is something of an understatement… when my father was terminally ill in hospital a few years ago I went to see him, seeking a reconciliation after an estrangement that had lasted six or seven years. He sent me away with the words “You’ve never been a proper son, so don’t try to be one now”. He died shortly afterwards, and the ambivalent feelings towards him from which I seem unable to escape have been a constant in my life both before and since. Not necessarily an issue that anyone else would be aware of, but one that nags away in the shadows nonetheless.<br /><br />Yesterday, Mum wanted to talk to me… to explain that – even though it might not seem like it sometimes – she loves me as much as she does my brother and sister. I didn’t ask for that conversation to take place but it was the culmination of a few painful exchanges this week. And I was asking myself, as I lay in bed in the early hours this morning, why a guy of 47 is still seeking answers to questions that stretch as far back as his childhood. I know I’m not unique in this respect, but I find it unsettling. As if it's indicative of some kind of failure in my life.<br /><br />Sometimes, I try to analyse the way I am with my own children, and to determine whether the mistakes my parents made with me are mistakes that I’m now repeating myself. It’s a useful benchmark, I guess, albeit a negative one. And I know that being a parent is never easy, and that it doesn’t really get any easier. Maybe all that really matters is that your children know you love them.<br /><br />And maybe that’s what Mum was hoping I'd understand last night.WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-35516544323394612282007-10-24T13:56:00.000+01:002007-10-23T21:08:37.836+01:00TelepathyI was on my own in the lounge with Sam on Sunday afternoon, watching yet another debacle for English sport as Lewis Hamilton’s gearbox problems cost him about 12 places in the field during the course of the Brazilian Grand Prix and – ultimately – the F1 World Championship. Anyway, for some reason my eyes were drawn to the new and unused 3-wick candle (still wrapped in cellophane) that’s sitting on the hearth in front of the fireplace.<br /><br />“Sam, why has my new candle got a big dent in the side and a piece missing?” I enquired.<br /><br />“I don’t know” he replied. “That’s weird, though.”<br /><br />Then, on Monday, I was in the kitchen with Bea. “WDKY, what’s happened to that lovely ornament that was on the mantelpiece in the lounge? The one Sue bought…” she asked (sorry Zooz – it was that one!). In a flash, the mystery of the dented candle was solved and all became clear.<br /><br />“Hah!!!” I cried. “I told him about that bloody football…”<br /><br />I called Sam at his Mum’s house. “Now listen carefully, Sam” I began, “You have one opportunity to answer these questions truthfully, and only one. I'm pretty sure that I already know the answers, so be very, very careful. Okay?”<br /><br />“Errr… okay Dad…”<br /><br />“Okay... 1. When did you break the ornament in the lounge? 2. Were you playing football? And 3. Where have you hidden it?”<br /><br />“Don’t be cross with me, Dad…”<br /><br />“Sam…!”<br /><br />“I broke it yesterday – the ball came off the wall at a funny angle.”<br /><br />“And?”<br /><br />“I hid it under my wardrobe. Sorry, Dad.”<br /><br />“What have I told you about playing football in the lounge, Sam?”<br /><br />“You said I’d end up breaking something.”<br /><br />“And what am I going to say now?”<br /><br />“No more football in the house, Dad.”<br /><br />It’s good to have such a telepathic understanding with your children, don’t you think?!?<br /><br />As an aside, Sam played his first ever competitive match on Sunday morning (other than for the school team) when he turned out for S* A***** Rangers Under 11's. Like any good kid who realised that his father was almost overcome with pride would do, he scored in the first few minutes with a cheeky volley from a corner that he skillfully sent over his shoulder and into the goal.<br /><br />His team went on to lose.<br /><br />10-1.<br /><br />Photos courtesy of Olivia...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKltMJocnDUMIqFTwc1mcvI0qd1U8_-4O95AbZEglyX20QPOzLhCMD-4bWH6MVJxvpWRgklWAIvOTpmIH4Y__-y7g4Ufnf2Df3knjSR3rgj8ROIm5LoUQjaj5dvBBXT3jY2wSDBQ/s1600-h/sam+st+albans+debut+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKltMJocnDUMIqFTwc1mcvI0qd1U8_-4O95AbZEglyX20QPOzLhCMD-4bWH6MVJxvpWRgklWAIvOTpmIH4Y__-y7g4Ufnf2Df3knjSR3rgj8ROIm5LoUQjaj5dvBBXT3jY2wSDBQ/s320/sam+st+albans+debut+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124543762475922882" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEoNNEIlhQ7RNezmlJBVZ3xx4M8350AaRAzTRe95wDeQy5x7gA1FHiQAfIIus7ewYbKIHH2nDXwazuSoCNHSUjOR9mM-cI68tUHXku1X9JmMkc2pboBIdd38MFkSExIJnda3a_xw/s1600-h/sam+st+albans+debut+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEoNNEIlhQ7RNezmlJBVZ3xx4M8350AaRAzTRe95wDeQy5x7gA1FHiQAfIIus7ewYbKIHH2nDXwazuSoCNHSUjOR9mM-cI68tUHXku1X9JmMkc2pboBIdd38MFkSExIJnda3a_xw/s320/sam+st+albans+debut+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124543560612459954" border="0" /></a>WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-50778981166211492722007-10-22T16:49:00.000+01:002007-10-22T17:01:14.602+01:00Musical Monday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq7r26KYmoGx2dhB84i74J1pZAJydSbocmDXy7krq3QV4aGDxnTFVli8JPh7JimjWle5QFEuEp_Dz1q2htedGCTZMRPe6vUqVaUl4wujg7AbCU1X211zf8XcA_j6DkwjWxEvBpg/s1600-h/mmwithcolour.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118857921560720754" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq7r26KYmoGx2dhB84i74J1pZAJydSbocmDXy7krq3QV4aGDxnTFVli8JPh7JimjWle5QFEuEp_Dz1q2htedGCTZMRPe6vUqVaUl4wujg7AbCU1X211zf8XcA_j6DkwjWxEvBpg/s320/mmwithcolour.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Musical Monday - Part 3 of 3</span><br /><br />Well, as you can imagine things have been a bit hectic since Paris last week, and consequently it's been something of a struggle to get around my Blogroll since I got back (I'll try to do something about that, though). I also don't have time to post much more than my music selection today, which is the last in a series-style tribute to the great songwriting duo of Burt Bacharach and Hal David.<br /><br />As it <i>is</i> the last, I've opted for two great tracks from two great singers, and next week will see something of a return to the present. It should be obvious that my taste in music is pretty eclectic, but I must admit that I sometimes listen to older tracks and sigh wistfully... even if some of them were from era's that were even before <i>my</i> time. <span style="font-weight: bold;">(Shut up - I'm not that old!)</span> Right - here you go then... and as always, enjoy!<br /><br />Sandy Shaw - (There's) Always Something There To Remind Me<br /><iframe src="http://www.hipcast.com/playweb?audioid=Pc132ec0486bfe61a7dfe3f570bbb722dZ1B4QVREYmRx&buffer=5&shape=6&fc=336666&pc=3C3C3C&kc=000000&bc=000000&brand=1&player=ap21" frameborder="0" height="20" scrolling="no" width="206"></iframe><br /><br />Bobby Gentry - I'll Never Fall In Love Again<br /><iframe src="http://www.hipcast.com/playweb?audioid=P359239433739d2cf0c1bde2c39cef635Z1B4QVREYmRw&buffer=5&shape=6&fc=336666&pc=3C3C3C&kc=000000&bc=000000&brand=1&player=ap21" frameborder="0" height="20" scrolling="no" width="206"></iframe><br /><br />If you want join in with Musical Monday, just stick this in your sidebar or on your post (by the way, this is the code if you want the new image link, i.e. the colour version. Go on, you know you want to change it…):<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"><a href="http://wdkylondon.blogspot.com/2006/03/musical-monday.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/LightestTouch/mmwithcolour.jpg" border="0" height="160" width="120" /></a><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"></span>WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-30719534063612580232007-10-20T17:14:00.000+01:002007-10-22T15:51:29.613+01:00ParisWell, we're back, and what a wonderful few days we had. It didn't start as positively as it might have done, mind you... as soon as we arrived at the Eurostar terminal at Waterloo we were advised that the train and bus drivers in France were all on strike for pretty much the whole duration we were there. That meant no Metro (which was how we intended to get around the city) and a possible cancellation of the Eurostar we'd booked for the journey home.<br /><br />Consequently, we did a lot of walking for a couple of days (and when I say <span style="font-style: italic;">a lot</span>...) and then decided to stay an extra night to be sure we could get home when we wanted to. It all worked out pretty well in the end, actually - the extra night was perfect, and the Metro was operating again by lunchtime on our second day there. Which was just as well, as the city was slowly being invaded by English and South African rugby fans going for the World Cup Final this evening.<br /><br />I've posted a few photos below, although many of them were just snapped as we wandered around. That said, there's some at the Louvre, Notre Dame, Sacré Coeur and The Arc de Triumphe as well as a number of general shots. And for anyone who hasn't had the joy of visiting Paris, I can only suggest that you do your damnedest to get there some time... it's the most beautiful city, and somewhere I'd live at the drop of a hat if I could. Everything centres around the bars and restaurants - it really is the epitome of café culture, no more than where we were staying... directly opposite the Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots - the two most famous in Paris and right in the heart of St Germaine in the Left Bank's Latin quarter.<br /><br />And I proved one thing to myself... my French is a lot better than my Spanish. I can't say the same for Bea's, though ;-)<br /><br /><br /><object width="500" height="580" align="middle"><param name="FlashVars" VALUE="ids=paris&names=paris&userName=wdky&userId=20455632@N00&titles=on&source=keyword"></param><param name="PictoBrowser" value="http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser.swf"></param><param name="scale" value="noscale"></param><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"></param><embed src="http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser.swf" FlashVars="ids=paris&names=paris&userName=wdky&userId=20455632@N00&titles=on&source=keyword" loop="false" quality="best" scale="noscale" bgcolor="#ffffff" width="500" height="580" name="PictoBrowser" align="middle"></embed></object>WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-64092113463719209952007-10-15T09:44:00.000+01:002007-10-15T10:46:15.116+01:00Musical MondayYes, I know… it’s actually Sunday over here, but I thought I’d get this post done and dusted (you’ll get that one later) because I’ve been a little excited about it since last week. And anyway, this will probably be my last post of any substance before we go to Paris for a few days in celebration of Bea hitting the big three zero!<br /><br />The last month or two have been kind of difficult for us in some ways. Bea’s hours have been rather anti-social and I’ve had a lot of pressure through work (and pig-headed clients). We’ve battled through, though, and this trip has been one of the things that we’ve been really looking forward to. The Eiffel Tower, Sacré Coeur, the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Arc de Triumphe, Champs Elysées (and yes, the Buddha Bar itself)… so little time and so much to see. I’ll be taking lots of photos, hopefully, and may well post some of them on here.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq7r26KYmoGx2dhB84i74J1pZAJydSbocmDXy7krq3QV4aGDxnTFVli8JPh7JimjWle5QFEuEp_Dz1q2htedGCTZMRPe6vUqVaUl4wujg7AbCU1X211zf8XcA_j6DkwjWxEvBpg/s1600-h/mmwithcolour.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118857921560720754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq7r26KYmoGx2dhB84i74J1pZAJydSbocmDXy7krq3QV4aGDxnTFVli8JPh7JimjWle5QFEuEp_Dz1q2htedGCTZMRPe6vUqVaUl4wujg7AbCU1X211zf8XcA_j6DkwjWxEvBpg/s320/mmwithcolour.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Musical Monday - Part 2 of 3</span><br /><br />Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien's first professional musical experience came in 1958, when she joined the British vocal group the Lana Sisters and recorded a number of singles with them over the following two years.<br /><br />In 1960 she left the Lana Sisters and formed the pop-folk trio the Springfields with brother Dion O'Brien and Tim Feild (the two of whom had been working together as the Kensington Squares). According to Tim Feild, the new trio chose "the Springfields" as their name while practising in a field in Somerset in the spring of that year. So Mary (who had been nicknamed "Dusty" as a child) became Dusty Springfield, and the rest is history.<br /><br />Springfield had become a fan of Burt Bacharach in the early 60’s (largely influenced by Dionne Warwick’s collaboration with him, and later with Hal David), and recorded a number of Bacharach/David compositions including "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself", which reached number 3 in Britain. She was chosen to record the original version of "The Look of Love" for the 1967 Bond movie Casino Royale and it was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song of 1967. In 1968 a cover version by Sergio Mendes and Brazil 66 became a bigger hit than the original; however, the song has remained more closely associated with Springfield, whose interpretation is widely regarded as definitive.<br /><br />Before releasing her final album, A Very Fine Love, in 1995, Springfield was diagnosed with breast cancer. She received treatment and, for a time, the cancer was in remission. Unfortunately, howver, it was detected again in the summer of 1996 and Springfield, after a spirited fight, was eventually defeated. She died, aged 59, just ten days before her induction into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The day she died was also the day she had been due to go to Buckingham Palace to receive her OBE medal.<br /><br />Right… here it is then – part 2 of my tribute to Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and The Look of Love. A beautiful song, delivered to perfection by the late Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien. That’s Dusty Springfield to you.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.hipcast.com/playweb?audioid=P033d85c4964c4974e34ccaef04c620a6Z1B4QVREYmR2&buffer=5&shape=6&fc=336666&pc=3C3C3C&kc=000000&bc=000000&brand=1&player=ap21" frameborder="0" width="206" scrolling="no" height="20"></iframe><br /><br />If you want join in with Musical Monday, just stick this in your sidebar or on your post (by the way, this is the code if you want the new image link, i.e. the colour version. Go on, you know you want to change it…):<br /><br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,102)"><a href="http://wdkylondon.blogspot.com/2006/03/musical-monday.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/LightestTouch/mmwithcolour.jpg" border="0" height="160" width="120" /></a><br /><br /></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,102)"></span>WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10457000.post-36667580356319580662007-10-11T12:37:00.001+01:002007-10-11T14:22:14.139+01:00More black ties and carriagesWell, I should probably apologies for not being around much this week. The project that I'm working on - and have been for the last few weeks - reaches a critical milestone tomorrow, when the pack of documents I've been putting together have to be issued to various parties who are still involved at this stage of the process. it's meant some very late nights and not much time for anything other than working. that said, everything seems to have come together over the last 24 hours and I'm reasonably sure that we'll avoid any last minute crises. Now I've said that, of course, there'll no doubt be some last minute crises.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiERLpVuFUWmtXf_IGlnsZW9A4c40BrgIi4CdtIQsNjec5dXtg8eLqCVhBTNRnTrMNu-nldcM-kPwBmZh78r_GiuGAA-R4_smCB3VPWc8XL4ZY5asOmSYsmsQZm0fOsTEDCiBa5A/s1600-h/castle2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiERLpVuFUWmtXf_IGlnsZW9A4c40BrgIi4CdtIQsNjec5dXtg8eLqCVhBTNRnTrMNu-nldcM-kPwBmZh78r_GiuGAA-R4_smCB3VPWc8XL4ZY5asOmSYsmsQZm0fOsTEDCiBa5A/s320/castle2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120042297447298466" border="0" /></a>The function I went to on Monday was unfortunately not open to partners to attend as well (<span style="font-style: italic;">boo</span>), but all is not lost as there's another one tonight that is (<span style="font-style: italic;">yay</span>).<br /><br />This time it's in a castle that dates back to the 12th century, would you believe, and Bea - who's getting her hair done as I type - is coming too. She's a little nervous and will no doubt be on the look-out for these illusive carriages she keeps hearing about. If we see any, I'll be sure to take photos :-)<br /><br />I think I'd better get back to these documents, as I only have until late afternoon before we have to set off. Hopefully I'll have an opportunity to be a little more sociable as the week draws to an end!WDKYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353336844486270059noreply@blogger.com0