As Black As Midnight On A Moonless Night

Hello, yes, I’m still alive and well but have been so busy/lazy that I have been unable to make any trips into the dreaded back room and the PC. First of all Merry Christmas to anyone who stumbles upon this, I hope you all had a peaceful and heart-warming few days.

Plenty has happened since my last post but to be honest I’m too busy/lazy to go back and write individual entries so I’ll just supply you with a potted history of a few of my Crimbo shenanigans.

I received a phone call from the hospital on the 20th asking me to attend a cardiac clinic the following afternoon. The upshot of the visit is that I have been referred to a surgeon and can expect my operation sometime in February or March but in the meantime they are happy for me to return to work…yippee! I’m due to see the renal people on the 9th of Jan so as long as they are in concordance I should be back to the grind on the 10th, about bloody time. The consultant seemed to think my recovery period after the op would be about 3 months so I don’t want to be off too long before then.

Christmas day was its usual hectic but enjoyable self. Getting up around 7 Gill and I had a couple of hours to ourselves to open presents and prepare for the coming day. First stop was my parents where we exchanged gifts and drank copious amounts of tea with them and my youngest sister before heading up to Gosforth and my eldest sisters’ house. From there it was off to Westerhope to pick up Jean, Gills mum, who was having Christmas lunch with us this year. Back in Wallsend we tucked into Rib-Eye steaks with herb roasted potatoes and parsnip, caramelised carrots, pate stuffed field mushrooms, onion marmalade and a port and redcurrant jus…mmmmmmm!!!

Our day still not over we then headed up to Cramlington and Gills cousin Doug’s place. All of Gills side of the family congregate here every year for food, wine and a damn fine natter. We always have a quiz of some kind and as always I won which is now becoming tedious to both me and everyone else. I did try to throw it and allow the team of young nieces to win but they were having a ‘mare so rather than let someone else win… I keep telling them if they did a quiz about soap operas I would finish last but they never listen.

Yesterday was spent playing a few of our presents and generally taking things easy. We watched David Lynch’s Fire Walk with Me on DVD before going bed, both being Twin Peaks lovers. Whilst we both enjoyed it in a ‘God I wish I was drunker’ kind of way anyone who watches it without any prior knowledge of Twin Peaks would have been screwed. Speaking of Twin Peaks, isn’t it about time you released Season 2 on DVD David? Get you finger out mate!

It's That Time Of Year Again

Well I’ve finally completed my best of 2005 CD for Rob. For the purposes of the disc the music just has to be stuff I’ve heard for the first time this year so it could have been released at any time. This is just as well because I don’t think it’s been a vintage year musically. What follows is a track by track guide to the disc just to give you some insight as to just how appalling my musical taste is…

Barron’s ‘Örrible Cräp – Crapösaurus Alotäcus

Within Temptation – Ice Queen. Taken from the album Mother Earth. A more Celtic sounding version of Nightwish? Nah, not really, the Tempts, as I’m sure they must be known somewhere, are much easier on the ears and in Sharon den Adel they have a much better vocalist.

Kamelot – The Haunting. Taken from the album The Black Halo. Dream Theatre comparisons abound musically but in Khan they have a vocalist it is possible to listen to for a whole album. A top 3 album of the year.

Children of Bodom – Deadnight Warrior. Taken from the album Something Wild. Imagine if you can Yngwie Malmsteen collaborating on the next Cradle of Filth album, this is what you would end up with, no honest. A little heavier and gruntier than I normally like but damn good.

Ry Cooder – 3 Cool Cats. Taken from the album Chavez Ravine. A concept album about a Latino housing project and UFO’s? Sounds about right for my taste this year. Great late night drinking music.

Sonata Arctica – Reckoning Night. Taken from the album Reckoning Night. Where do these bands come up with these names from? It pays not to listen to the lyrics too closely on this one, I’m sure it’s lost something in the translation from Finnish.

Luca Turilli – Prince of the Starlight. Taken from the album Prophet of the Last Eclipse. This is just plain barking stuff from the Rhapsody guitarist. So over the top and badly written it is a masterpiece.

System of a Down – BYOB. Taken from the album Mezmerize. Loud, powerful and thought provoking SOAD have produced a mesmerising (sorry) modern protest song. Any track from the album would have deserved a place on here.

Ayreon – Day Eleven: Love. Taken from the album The Human Equation. The album is almost as OTT as the Turilli one but this track is more of a straight forward progy AOR sort of thing. Heather Finlay of Mostly Autumn does her best Kate Bush impersonation on this.

Demons and Wizards – Beneath the Waves. Taken from the album Touched by the Crimson King. Take Blind Guardians vocalist and add Iced Earth’s guitarist and you get half a great album. The other half is fairly ropey to be fair. Love Hansi’ voice though.

Coheed and Cambria – Welcome Home. Taken from the album Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV: Volume 1. From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness. Yes it’s a concept album, how did you guess. This their third album is apparently the fourth part of the story, go figure. A dark, dirty album and definitely the best thing I’ve heard this year.

Kate Bush – Aerial. Taken from the album Aerial. This album was a pleasant surprise and not even the presence of Rolf Harris could put me off. Very laid back and calming.

Blind Guardian – War of Wrath/ Into the Storm. Taken from the album Live. The best Euro Metal band out there, full stop. The DVD is also cracking stuff, even the Spinal Tap’isms.

Nightwish – Wish I had an Angel. Taken from the album Once. Perhaps the most over rated rock band this year. The album is a generally fairly turgid affair but this is one of two decent tracks. Now looking for a new vocalist.

Chris Caffery – Music Man. Taken from the album Faces. This album from the sometime Savatage guitarist was one of this years most pleasant surprises. This is the mellowest track on the CD and has a nice bluesy feel which is missing from much of this year’s selection.

Paul Anka – It’s My Life. Taken from the album Rock Swings. Bon Jovi goes Vegas! I can’t help but have a smile listening to this, which can’t be bad.

Freedom Call – Dancing With Tears in My Eyes. Taken from the album Live Invasion. The Helloween sound’alikes take on the Ultravox hit and it’s as bad as you could possibly imagine.

So there you have it the obligatory Blue Oyster Cult rip off title and the dodgy cover versions to end things with. It’s not as varied as last years disc and there is a predominance of Euro Metal but that’s where I’ve been this year so…

Posted Robs copy today so he should get it before Christmas and I’ll give Billy his copy when I see him tomorrow after my trip to Whitley Bay. I stand ready to be shot down in flames.

Jingle Bells...

Bought and put up our Christmas tree today so we are now both filled with a nice, warm glow.

Grrrr!/Yawn (Take Your Pick)

Napoleons Columns

I really enjoyed my day on Thursday although the exertion did leave me somewhat bushed at the end of it all and I slept like a babe. Yesterday I was due to meet up with people from work again, this time for our Christmas night out. I was originally going to miss this because I was supposed to be in Budapest this weekend but doctors orders mean I could now go.

The venue was the Big Mussel, next to St James’ Park, which is as you may have guessed primarily a mussel restaurant but one which does a multitude of other dishes. I had been to the branch at the quayside before but not this one so it was nice to compare. The style of both the food and décor is very bistro, which is good, although the prices are a little higher, but not wildly so, and it was Christmas so what the heck. One of our Consultants very kindly offered to pay the drinks bill for which I, unlike some unfortunately, made a point of thanking him for despite his protestations that I didn’t drink enough to get a gnat pissed never mind a Christmas reveller.

The food was fine; I had an avocado and crab salad starter followed by steamed sea bass and finished off with a Belgian waffle and ice cream, all very pleasant. The bill, as always at these do’s, was split somewhat contentiously i.e. evenly which rightly annoyed those who had chosen from the cheaper set menu and who had also missed out on their coffee and mince pie from that menu. This sort of thing always happens so I kept well out of the way of any possible ‘discussions’, after all I had had very little to drink and hate arguing with pissed people whilst sober.

I did have a great night and almost felt as if I was back to normal and that I didn’t have my medical condition hanging over me, it was nice to escape. Through the course of the night I was privy to detailed discussions over the tactics employed at the Battle of Waterloo, why Nicki is much happier pissed than sober, the merits of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and who would fall over first, David or Peter? The last couple of days have really lifted my mood and I definitely don’t feel as grumpy today, which has lifted Gills mood as well.

Bear Necessities

Well, battling the fog of gloom that had descended over me recently I made my way to work today. The purpose of my visit was purely pleasure as today was the date of the annual Charlie Bear Christmas Fair. Anyone of a certain age in Newcastle is sure to remember the charity appeal by our local rag, the Evening Chronicle, for a CT scanner to be installed at Newcastle General Hospital. The appeal had been set up a wonderfully eccentric woman called Daisy Clark who was selling teddy bears (Charlie) to raise money for the scanner. Daisy’s husband had recently taken ill and he was unable to get a scan in Newcastle so Daisy decided something needed to be done about it.

The appeal was one of the most successful ever run by the paper and everyone in the Newcastle area could tell you what Charlie Bear was all about. In fact the appeal was so successful that there were tens of thousands of pounds still in the kitty after the scanner had been bought and this was used to fund a radiographer post, a post that I held myself for a while. Several years later, with Daisy’s approval, Charlie Bear was ‘adopted’ as the charity figure-head for the Northern Centre for Cancer Treatment.

The Christmas fair always includes an auction and I always try and bid for at least one lot each year as my contribution to the fund. This year despite being ill I was determined that I was going to attend, so attend I did. My luck was out on the tombola stall run, as every year, by the staff of the local branch of Barclays Bank who kindly double any takings made on the stall. I was luckier with the raffle and won a cuddly toy but asked them to redraw. Truth be told I didn’t fancy making my way back to Wallsend clutching a 4ft tall purple and white puppy dog.

The auction got underway and there were several interesting lots including a days fishing on the Tyne for 2 rods and a Gillie, a telescope and various football paraphernalia. I ended up bidding for and getting a Sunday Lunch for 2 at the Robin Hood Inn on the Military Road. I thought it would be ideal for Gill and her mam to use when I’m in for my surgery.

On the subject of my surgery I enlisted the help of my Directorate Manager to try and speed things up, after all it’s in her best interest to get me back to work as soon as possible. It helps that she is really good friends with her opposite number at Cardiology. Lets hope I get some dates soon then.

Humbug

The last week has not been the adventurous one I had hoped for. In fact I find myself unable to sleep properly, grumpy, frustrated and, I imagine, a right pain to live with. I think the wait for things to happen is really getting to me at the moment and my coping mechanisms have been found severely wanting. I do have some things planned for later this week so I hope that pulls me around but in the meantime I sit around the house and do nothing but whimper against the injustice of it all.

Got The Goat

I spent this morning in the company of my parents as we ventured up to Newcastle to sample the wares of the farmers market. Both my mam and dad make this journey every time the market visits in order to stock up their meat for the freezer but I’m usually stuck at work and have only been able to make it once before. I was after some cuts of meat with which to make hearty winter stews but was really open to anything that caught my eye. In the end I was very pleased with my haul, a couple of packs of dry cured bacon, an ox tail, a couple of lamb shanks and, the joker in the pack, a neck of goat. I’ve never eaten goat before but the farmer said it would make an excellent tagine so what the hell.

It was nice spending time with my parents, it is something I am conscious of not doing enough of. I’ve no real excuse; they only live a 15 minute walk away. Knowing now just how fragile your grip on life can be it’s about time I made more of an effort to pop around more regularly. It’s something I think we would all enjoy and benefit from.

The Future is Beige

Although you may imagine my life is currently running at a snails pace whilst I await dates for further tests and surgery nothing could have been further from the truth over the last few days. Monday saw my latest visit to see the renal people up at the Freeman Hospital and, all in all, they are very pleased with how things are progressing. My blood pressure continues to fall as does the creatinine level in my blood so this, tied to the fact they are no longer concerned that I may have a papiloedema, has allowed them to lift my alcohol ban.

It’s funny but after having gone nearly 2 months without a drink I wasn’t as desperate to have that first pint as I would have thought. Truth be told there have only been a couple of occasions when I have missed the ability to partake, my brother and sisters 40th birthday do, a couple of meals and once wandering around town. I have missed the caffeine kick from my coffee far more, decaf is no substitute. I never thought I would say that, strange the things you learn about yourself during times like these. That’s not to say I have remained tee total since then, oh no. I did have 3 pints on Tuesday after wandering around town all day buying Christmas presents. I was much more successful this week than last with my purchasing attempts, thankfully, and the beer just capped a good day.

I’d met up with Graeme White in the early afternoon and after picking up a couple of things it was decided a beer was in order. I’d just assumed we would go to the Duke because, well, that’s where we always go but, and it’s a big but, Graeme informed me the Duke had undergone the dreaded ‘refurbishment’. According to Graeme this refurbishment has consisted of ripping out all the endearing features of the pub such as the wood panelling, glass screens and Duke of Wellington themed artwork, replacing it all with a slap of beige paint. They also appear to have cut back on the number of ales they serve. I don’t know, you let these people out of you sight for a couple of weeks and…. bastards! So we headed to the Haymarket and the Crown Posada. Nice ale and good company but I could have killed for a double espresso.

Next week I hope to tie up all the shopping that is required and spend some time relaxing. I’ve had an invite from Sid Smith to pop around for a cup of tea and a chat so I’ll have do drop him a line and organise that. I also have an invite to the Charlie Bear Christmas Auction, an annual event held at work to raise funds for the unit. I always end up bidding for something so I’ll have to make sure I don’t get too excited and screw my blood pressure up. Finally, Friday is the Trials Unit Christmas night out and I’m going to go along to that. I was originally going to miss it because Gill and I were due to be in Budapest but as we had to cancel that…

Oh and also…

Newcastle United were in action last night… no lets start that gain…Newcastle United turned up, just, for their game against Wigan last night. I don’t know what to say so I’ll leave it to the guys from NUFC.com.

Disgraceful

Wigan Res 1 Newcastle 0

Diabolical, deplorable, dreadful, shocking, pitiful, pathetic, embarrassing, unbelievable, dismal, feeble, useless, awful, appalling, abysmal, shameful, astonishing, staggering, atrocious, inexcusable.

You take your pick, but words simply cannot describe the depths to which this team fell tonight at the JJB Stadium.

The 1-0 scoreline flattered us. If we'd been 4-0 down by half-time we couldn't have complained after a first half that beggared belief.

Wigan's second string (their team had nine changes from the one beaten by Spurs) outclassed the strongest team we could muster to an alarming degree. At one stage the corner count was 11-0 in favour of the home side.

The fact that it took a dubious late penalty for our fate to be sealed was totally incidental as only some poor finishing and some decent stops by Shay Given had kept us in the game.

To say that we were ragged would be something of an understatement.

This was as close as you get to a bye into the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup and we blew it big time.

Where does that leave the current manager and his band of merry men? Well the half-time boos turned into cat-calls and cries of "we want Souness out" by the final whistle.

The Chairman was left in no doubt about current feeling when around 40 fans surrounded his Range Rover as it got stuck in traffic leaving the ground, chanting "Souness out".

Saturday is likely to see two sets of irate fans turning on their managers, should they still be there by then, of course....

What I want to know is can I sue them for ruining all the good work done by my blood pressure medication?