Just the two of us ...

Apart from one or two minor glitches, today has been a really good day. Truth be told, any day I spend considerable time with my beloved is a good day; at heart I’m an incurable *sentimental romantic (* though those who know me well may suggest fully-mental!).

Apart from downloading Zone Alarm upgrades, for a PC and two laptops, I’ve had a totally lazy evening … in fact the download and installation is part of the lazy evening. In the early part of the evening, I completed a DVD recording, which already contained performances by Ella Fitzgerald, from both 1965 and 1974, with a 1982 performance by Betty Carter. It’s a useful exercise checking through old VHS recordings as, I’d forgotten ever having captured some of the programmes.

After the VHS to DVD transfers, it was time to settle down to watch some TV (the joys of couch-potato-dom!).Having just watched an episode of CSI: Miami, a repeat of a CSI: New York is currently showing so I’d better get back to Helen’s side, to jog her into a state of alertness!

It's just not cricket!

Radio 2's obsession with cricket has carried over into today. It gets a mention in the religious slot, the news (with reference to the victory parade of the England team), and on the Jeremy Vine show a discussion on the scandal of TV coverage of future Test matches going over to pay TV. The strange argument was presented that, somehow ball-by-ball coverage on terrestrial TV would lead to more interest in the game.

It's my suspicion that the one-eyed monster is to a large extent responsible for the lack of interest, as it seems more focussed on the 'video-bite' rather than any protracted active viewing that cricket would seem to require. When I was growing up, lots of children and adults would participate in the game at local level yet, very few of these participants had any access to TV! Nowadays that's a very rare sight.

Anyway that's enough moaning about cricket mania, no doubt it will be short-lived. The England players have become today's "celebrities" and, we all know how long celebrity lasts!

Suddenly, on my return from a hospital visit, switched on my laptop only to find I couldn't access Internet Explorer ... Runtime Error and all that jazz ... "This application has requested the Runtime to terminate in an unusual way .... blah! blah! blah!" Never had thiss problem on my old PC so, it's something new to try and troubleshoot. At least I've got Firefox in the meantime.

********************************************

P.S. 5.35pm Grateful thanks to HP pavilion notebook e-mail support. Runtime error issue has now been resolved, simply by removing the 'Google' toolbar although, they did give quite comprehensive instructions for re-installing IE and it's Service Pack should this action not have provided a solution! Thankyou HP.

The Joys of Achievement

It's quite amazing how a little (weather-assisted) acheivement, by a reasonably good England cricket team, can be made to sound like a matter of vital national importance. ITV News took the trouble to speak to Sir Michael Jagger in New York for his middle-England response. Being sickened by this excessive gloating, decide to switch on Mark Radcliffe (Radio 2) and guess what that git chose to keep talking about ... this amazing cricketing achievement! Strange, I'd enjoyed his programme until now! Anyway, I'm currently enjoying Radio 3 ... hope I'm not soon going to be in for a fall!

News bulletins talk of England rejoicing/celebrating; I'm not, it's a game for god's sake. [For once I wish I was Australian; at least they won't want to talk about it!] I can remember times when the game hardly got a mention; let's hope those days soon return.

Actually, there's an impressive "Folk"programme on Radio 3 at the moment. Didn't know such a programme existed so, I suppose I should be grateful to the cricket twaddle on the Mark Radcliffe programme.

My Lost Years

This morning, two health related pieces of mail fell on the doormat. Opened the first one, from my GP's practice, headed INFLUENZA IMMUNIZATIONS: AUTUMN 2005, which invited me to receive the immunisation this autumn. The letter continued by stating that "it is now recommended each year for everyone aged 65 years or older". A quick bit of mental arithmetic disclosed that I was only 61 years of age so, had I slept longer than I suspected last night?

An accompanying page soon clarified the issue, it could be that my immune system isn't as effective as it should be ... that seems to be the primary contender for this honour, alongside throat problems.

The other health related epistle came from the Senior Physio (Mental Health) who will be calling to see me to assess "the fatigue and physical symptoms you are experiencing". Strange thing is, some of the physical symptoms have not beens as much in evidence since I came off the anti-depressants although, I'm not sure that there's any correlation between these two factors.

I've got to admit though, it was a relief to realize that I hadn't suddenly aged by four years. That's one less ailment to deal with!

From pain to praise

Been trying, since this morning, to post a comment on an AOL blog but, each time, after inputting screen name & password, I receive the message that the service is "temporarily unavailable". Over a space of a couple of hours it’s understandable but, you’d expect them to get their finger out beyond that time. By now, it’s becoming a real pain.

I shouldn’t moan as, I at least have a life to be getting on with in the meantime. After rain this morning, the sun eventually found it’s way through the clouds and, I managed a brief brisk walk with Helen and Graham. Although exercise doesn’t come easily it’s good to get a little fresh air and a stretch of the lower limbs.

The Balti, which I prepared last evening, proved satisfying to all consumers; once more my cheffish brilliance has been exposed!

“Songs of Praise” from Caithness proved a quite worshipful experience, even the contribution of HRH Charlie Boy, whose advertised presence nearly prevented my viewing of the programme, was surprisingly good! A bit of ‘wee-frees’ Gaelic Psalm singing was a revelation and, “Will your anchor hold” carried me back to those dim-distant Boys Brigade services. The folksy presentation of “I heard the voice of Jesus say” and “When I survey”, conveyed a sincerity so often lacking in more contemporary worship songs.

From Balti's to Jerusalem

A lazy but enjoyable day and, this despite a predominance of rain. Afraid I didn't get out for a bbw at all, somehow the timetable went all awry; breakfast after 11.00am, a pizza for lunch sometime after 2.00pm and, tea at around 7.00pm. Late afternoon I got around to preparing a Balti for Sunday lunch.

Everything these days starts in the griddle pan; a generous sprinkling of turmeric, coriander, cumin, garlic granules, ginger and assorted herbs are first heated to release the aroma and then a dash of oil. Next I threw in the chopped onion and, by the time it has 'sweated', throw in assorted sliced peppers and a bit of broccoli. Finally, add the minced lean beef; sorry, that's not quite final, once the meat has started browning add a few sliced mushrooms, a tin of plum tomatoes with lashings of coarsely ground black pepper, and a bit of care and affection. At this point I tend to add a bit of crushed garlic and some very lazy chillies and, then the cheating bit.

Add a jar of Balti sauce and, transfer the concoction to a casserole dish (or two) to which I the add a small quantity of gravy. Everything is then ready for putting in the oven for a short while.

If the description/ recipe sounds a little vague, that's because I largely play it by 'nose' (an olfactory form of playing by ear).

This evening, we enjoyed Proms in the Park from Glasgow (BBC4) and the second part of the prom from the Albert Hall (BBC1) before enjoying Glasgow's grand finale (back to BBC4). After that, we recorded "Jerusalem: An Anthem for England" (BBC4) having been very impressed when we watched it a couple of night's back.

Problems and Decisions

Still can't get used to the erratic/intermittent connectivity of my main PC (and indeed Helen's laptop) to the internet, ever since we got the new router. It's all rather puzzling how the new wireless laptop shares none of these problems but, the ethernet-wired Pc and Helen's machine, whether wirelessly or ethernet linked, both have a problem.

Helen's laptop has to be wired-up at the moment as, the new wireless card has blown. I sometimes think it's a wonder that anyone bothers with these darned machines. It's great when they're working though.

*************************

Having done the recent Elvis VHS to DVD transfers, the beloved thought it would be good to get hold of a copy of "King Creole" on DVD.

It sure pays to shop around; I came across the following prices (for the same edition) - Tesco.com £11.99, Sendit.com £9.99 and Play.com £5.99 (the latter two both postage paid). You can't start to imagine how difficult it was to decide which supplier to use!

Words by way of an apology for their absence.

The day has raced away and, it seems like no words are forthcoming. Basically, the last couple of days have borne a theme of tiredness. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not falling asleep all the time, it’s simply that I’ve been lacking sufficient energy to permit myself to seriously tackle any project and, today that seems to have included blog entries.

I suppose the combination of mowing the lawn a couple of days ago and, having an early morning yesterday, requires a bit of overcoming.

So, this is a brief entry to apologise for not having posted one!

Physical Jerks (who grind you down)!

Following on from a necessary early emergence into the world of the day people, tiredness is creeping up on me but, I strive to regain a sense of alertness. Still, it was worth it to get the doctor’s appointment out of the way.

My beloved chauffeuse, on return home, had a quick turn around before heading off to see Beth. Meanwhile, Cathy is here sorting out a few more belongings to take to her nearby home.

No matter what programme’s on Radio 2 today, it’s inevitable that reference is made to the final test match of the current Ashes series. At least it makes a refreshing change from football talk. It seems such a long time since England had a team that didn’t become a source of embarrassment.

During my childhood there was always a real enthusiasm for cricket, especially in the few years I spent in Yorkshire and, I even found myself getting enthused although, in later years, my games/PE teachers did their best to ensure I would never have any interest in sport.

In my early teens, whilst living in Sunderland, I attended football matches more from a sense of tribal loyalty than any interest in the game. Our school game (at Bede Grammar School) was Rugby, which I never understood despite being thrust in to play hooker, or something like that, in our games period. Rugby wasn’t on the agenda at Thirsk Grammar, where my first year at secondary school was spent and, our bully-boy teachers never took the trouble to explain the rules or purpose of the game when I moved school.

Similarly, these same Loughborough trained thugs, held me under water at the swimming pool … “all our pupils swim”… even though there was no swimming pool near the previous school. That was the beginning of a phobia about walking near water be it stream, river or lake, which lasted until I was in my early thirties.

PE was always a bug bear, puny child that I was, and I used to get “punished” for not being able to do press-ups etc. It wasn’t my choice to be non-athletic, nor to have fascist PE instructors.

Incidentally, school days can be the most hellish of one’s life. Admittedly, a village school which I attended for a couple of years had PE/games lessons that I enjoyed; country dancing was our method of exercise there, much more suited to my temperament and disposition.

In a similar manner to the ignorant PE thugs, on the academic side at the same school my examination phobia went totally un-noticed and, as a result I left this high achieving school with two 'O' levels. By the time I reached the grand old age of 28, I went to University as a mature student and, there they recognized my difficulty at coping with crowded examination halls and, arranged for me to do my exams either alone or with a couple of other phobics. As a result I left there with a very good Upper Second honours degree.

One wonders just how many lives are blighted by the schooling system.

An Evening On My Ownsome

My beloved, on return from the hospital, cleared away the grassy residue from the lawn and, whilst in the garden gathered up a few wind-fall apples and, a generous amount of blackberries from the brambles which are colonizing swathes of the garden.

So that's one less task for me; the only other 'gardening' I did was to re-pot an Aloe Vera, taking care not to destroy the fresh outgrowths from its root system. It's really quite amazing, all the plants we've grown from the puny specimen my wife brought home a few months back. Must have inherited the 'green-fingers' from mum!

As Helen has gone out to her local preachers meeting, and Graham (who usually visits on Wednesday evenings) is out commiting acts of charity, I find myself all on my ownsome. There was a time, non-too-distant, when I revelled in my own company of an evening but, a blissful marriage has changed all that: it's sure got a lot to answer for!

Still, I'm enjoying a bit of surfing (web-wise not marine) and the accompaniment of old fashioned steam radio; it takes one back.

Since I began this blog posting, I've had a couple of 'phone calls, one from Beth making arrangements for seeing her Mum (Helen) tomorrow and, the other call from my brother for a more general chat. Oh, what a busy life we lead!