The Early Bird Has A Turn

Malcolm up and out of bed bright and early; it must be Spring. Actually, it has as much to do with yet a further change of sleep pattern ... a temporary aberration no doubt. Anyway, as I'm here and semi-alert, I suppose you're expecting my thought for the day!

Sorry Folks; thought comes later. I've already made that effort once this morning (see : "Physician Heal Thyself" on 'Broad Thoughts From Heterocon')!

Instead of thought, I may just choose to ramble on ... and on ... and on. On the other hand, perhaps I'd better quit whilst I'm ahead!

Tidings Of Comfort And Joy

Actually managed to surface into the new day shortly after 9.30AM, having been totally wide awake between 3.00 and 5.30AM. It's strange how ones body clock likes to mess around with one's anticipated patterns, no matter how normal that expectation may be. Today has been the start of the second phase in my reduction of the Venlafaxine and, hopefully in a further few days I will begin taking the replacement medication. What difference it will make remains to be seen.

The hope is that the change of medication may help me overcome my extremely short-fused temper. As long as it doesn't affect the rest of my wonderful personality that's fine with me. It really would be terrible if it interfered with my natural modesty!

It really is strange being a real people person but, currently unable to cope with more than one or two of them at any one time; at the same time, I'm quite ready to verbally demolish any cold-callers who dare ignore the notices regarding their undesirability! I have never suffered fools gladly but, it's the really clever ones who are the biggest arse-ache.

Apart from that, my message is always ... peace, hope and love!

Have A Nice Day!

Tuesday already, and it seems like only yesterday that it was Monday. The tricks time plays on us ... but of course there is only one time, otherwise we'd have no communication on this front! Today has seen a slight improvement in the weather and I actually managed to get a wee bit of work done in the garden.

I've managed to spend a bit of time designing covers for some of my DVD compilations; even if I'm not doing much real-life painting these days I can at least find a little creative outlet on the computing machine.

The sunlight is periodically flooding the room wherein I type and have my being so, in return I go to the window and return its warm smile. Guess what, the response to my kind gesture is for the solar phenomena to hide itself behind a slate-grey cloud.

I don't think we Brits are obsessed by the weather, do you?

Congratulations .. You Have Just Earned A Boycott!

Just had a 'phone call, a grating (feel the grin) North American "happy holidays" type voice. One is aware that it's a recorded voice but, can't resist the urge to tell 'em to get stuffed before slamming the phone down. "Congratulations", they say, "you have just won...." and one can only feel a gnawing pain in the deepest recess of the guts at such a cloying, ingratating voice.

Unsurprisingly the caller's number is never available when one tries 1471 in order to know what firm to report. Our phone number is ex-directory, we are registered to be excluded from any direct marketing lists, but still the intrusion of North America into our lives cannot be avoided!

This kind of telephonic intrusion should be tackled even more strenuously than spam e-mail. If anyone really wants to give me a prize or present ... please deliver it direct, no strings attached; money is always welcome, as is anything we can sell for a reasonable monetary return. We will not under any circumstances reply to any unsolicited phone calls, mail or e-mail .... the likely response is to boycott any company responsible for this despicable practise.

Here endeth the lesson!

A Day Of Surprises

Helen's birthday, meteorologically at least, was a day of surprises! Spasmodic outbreaks of sunshine were interrupted by sudden heavy rainfall, bombardments of quite sizeable hailstones and remarkably rapid transitions from bright to relatively dark and back again. The day passed quite smoothly, the lunchtime pasta accompanied by a rather appealing young Chilean Merlot ..Fundo los Naranjos 2004 (Central Valley). The Merlot even managed to retain it's composure in the aftermath of an extremely rich dessert!

Text and e-mail greetings added to Helen's enjoyment, alongside the cards and presents. We were joined for lunch by Graham and Ken; having just realized at around 12.45PM that we had texted Ken ref the time for lunch on his old phone (lost in Vietnam), the situation was soon remedied by a swift call to his new number!

Beth, Mahmood and Sina joined us during the afternoon and added to the present mountain. We are temporarily awash with books, DVD's and bottles of wine, alongside a wonderful Thai silk kimono which Helen looks forward to trying out.

In the evening us two young lovers (ma belle Helene et moi) settled down to some real highbrow culture in the guise of "Carry On Cleo" ... it's saving grace being the lack of subtlety or nuance ... a splendid relaxation!

A Few Plebeian Pleasures

Last evening, a bottle of 'Taittinger' helped this couple of young lovers celebrate the local MP's re-election. We enjoyed watching and listening to "Kiss Me Kate" as we imbibed; somehow Cole Porter always seems a fitting accompaniment to a drop of bubbly. Oh how petit bourgeois I've become (at least that's how it must seem) but honestly, us plebeians can truly appreciate the finer things!

Tomorrow is my beloveds birthday; for lunch, when we'll be joined by Cathy's boyfriend and our friend Graham, we'll be having one of my simple pasta dishes followed by Helen's special Sticky Toffee Pudding. I will try to force myself to be on my best behaviour, despite being at a difficult age! Maybe when I get through my lengthy mid-life crisis it will no longer be a problem!

We Sometimes Have Good News

And the good news is ..... I have a reason to bring out the Champagne once more. In our constituency the LibDem increased his majority once again; considering that prior to 1997 this seat had been Tory for 80 years, I believe this result says as much about the calibre of our MP, Phil Willis, as it does about his party!

Had an appointment with the psychiatrist this morning, she was certainly a good listener and, is changing my anti-depressants as part of the effort to help me tackle the temper/ short-fuse problem. It's always difficult to remember dates and events in these situations but, for all my stresses her manner helped me to feel reasonably relaxed.

Having stayed up later last night, listening to election results, I felt remarkably alert when getting up relatively early this morning. But what if the results had veered more towards the Thought Vampire (aka Michael Howard) ... that could well have been a different sensation! The fact that the Conservative Party Tories fought such a negative campaign perhaps, in the end, assisted the other two major parties.

I especially want to express my congrats to George Galloway ... it's great that an independent of such integrity can gain a seat. Welcome back to the House George!

I feel quite bubbly all these hours before I pop the cork for our celebration drink.

The End Of A Month Of Bluster And Fluster!

After all the bluster of the politicians, over the past month, it seems highly fitting that the weather in my home territory has also turned blustery! Gusts of wind and squally showers ... how fitting for election day.

I have performed my civic duty and went out to vote for the best candidate (LibDem) in with a chance for the Parliamentary Election, and the LibDem in the County Council one . It will, as usual be quite relaxing to listen to some of the satirists and impressionists, (especially looking forward to Bremner, Bird and Fortune on Channel 4), once the polls have closed.

Helen has just gone round to the Polling Station to do her little stint as a teller, I just hope that her party wins again for the parliamentary seat (pinched from the Tories eight years ago) and also, it would make things even better if they could gain the County Council seat. As I am so assured that I vote the right way, why do some others have to be so contrary?

I don't ask for much Lord. You know what I'm thinking!

Having enjoyed a superb bottle of the sparkling stuff last night, it would be really great if I had a reason to enjoy a few more bubbles tomorrow!

Shadowlands

So Tony Blair is unable to escape the shadow of Iraq this election campaign. I think of the thousands of innocent Iraqis who have been blasted into the land of permanent shadows at the behest of Blair and his murderous buddy Dubya.

Blair is haunted ... so what you may say? The problem is, much as Blair has adopted the mantle of Madam Thatcher, his party has so much more to offer in terms of social justice and public service than Howard the Thought Vampire. The Tory party totally supported the Iraq venture, only the LibDems and a few left-wing members of New Labour stood out against the idiocy in parliament!

That Blair should get his come-uppance is an appealing thought. That we should be doomed to another reign of Conservative Party Tories as a result .... that would be totally unjust!

How Strange The Change From Clubbin' To Sofa ..

I've just become aware of the largest swing in my life! The change from social, and excessively socialising animal, in the dim dark years of teens and twenties, to the home-loving, travel abhorring creature that I have become.

There was a time when I was afraid of my own company, although I don't think I realised it in those days. The drift from and through religious meetings, political recruiting, clubbing and pubbing; those were the times when the middle of the candle was aflame as well as either end. The constant quest to fill a void, with God, the Buddha, Trotsky, Marxian Romanticism, listening and hoping to groove to sundry Jazz and Rock outfits; at least it left little space to be alone with me! A slightly abusive relationship with alcohol and sundry herbal and chemical substances all paved the path to ..... I still don't know where.

A massive mental breakdown in the mid-60's slowed me down for a while but, it wasn't too difficult to learn to burn the midnight oil once again.

Now, don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the excitement, the experimentation; at times I even enjoyed the downs as well. At least that proved I (or something) was really alive. But, then in my mid-fifties I suddenly fall in love; I'd frequently been in love and lust (both requited and unrequited) and afraid of my possessiveness, but this time it was different. Now at last I settle down into married life, having long since learned to live with and by myself, a whole new learning curve.

Since meeting Helen I have enjoyed the happiest times of my life. We both have our fair share of emotional and health problems, suffering with and for each other; I could never have wished for more. What lesson have I learnt from rattling this down .... how fortunate I am!

I am just recovering from a transient emotional blip earlier this afternoon [see my alter-ego Heterocon's "All Fall Down"for details] but the world is once again well with me.