Christmas

I haven't felt very Christmassy this year. I had a text message on Wednesday from Rebecca that just said "I'm staying away and coming back xmas eve. Joshua is OK". Because Joshua wasn't in the house getting excited I didn't feel like decorating, I put up a small fibre optic Christmas tree in my living room and placed some tinsel around the pictures and it looks shit. I might take them down tomorrow.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve I was feeling at my miserable best, Rebecca hadn't brought Joshua home from wherever she had gone, I was slightly hungover and I spent most of the day alone when I really could have done with some company.

I called into my Mom and Dad's shop only to be given advice by my Aunt which was really just her insulting Rebecca. Not wanting to listen to much more of that I took myself off and wandered around charity shops, I bought myself a copy of Ziggy Stardust which I have still only half played.

When I got home I cooked myself a vegetarian stir-fry and tried to find songs that would cheer me up and was only half successful.

Nick rang to say that he was in Birmingham and I arranged to meet him in Selly Oak. I drank two Magners Ciders with ice cubes in the glass for some reason??? I then took Phil his secret santa present from the night before A copy of Loaded with a free Centerfolds DVD, a book called Hell Bent For Leather - Confessions of a Heavy Metal Addict and a bar of Chocolate.

I rang home to see if Rebecca had come back, she had, however by the time I got back Joshua was already asleep.

I went to bed too late.

Christmas Day

Joshua woke up fairly late considering it was Christmas Day and opened his presents. I went with Rebecca and Joshua to her Mom and Dad's house and he opened more presents. Rebecca's mom kept offering me food and drink.

Its kind of odd going to her Mom and Dad's when she is there, I get on with them very well but I have nothing to say to Rebecca.

In the afternoon I took Joshua to my Mom and Dad's were we had another round of present opening. I had an Elvis CD of Edward, a very warm cardigan off Emily and a spanish cookbook amongst other things off my Mom and Dad.

Christmas Day is always a nothing day, when I was younger we had great big family gatherings but that never happens now. My Dad gave me some awful wine from Valencia and I watched cheesy Christmas films on the Halmark Channel. I ate beef for dinner and drank some beer. I watched the top fifty TV comedy moments and then went home.

Rebecca didn't come home which upset Joshua. I haven't seen her since.

Boxing Day

Joshua spent the morning playing with his new toys. We went to my Mom and Dad's house in the afternoon and did nothing.

I met Joe and Phil in the Country Girl and we did the quiz, we reached the final but were too busy arguing to actually listen to the questions. Paul's two brothers were in the pub too and they won the quiz due to David's ability to tell which day a date is on.

My brother and I went to the Custard Factory, I spent the night chatting to a girl from Erdington, she was coming on pretty strongly but as usual she had a bloke.

Edward was very drunk and forgot how to turn a key in a lock and woke every in his house a five in the morning.

Crap Presents

I hope that nobody recieved one of these 'Ideal Stocking Fillers'.

Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas.

Good Times

I've been trying to compile a list of songs that I listened to when I have been at my happiest in recent years with which I can listen to when I am feeling low. It's quite hard because rather than being reminded of good times I am reminded of people. Also more often than not the songs aren't that happy.

Today I have been listening to the Boo Radleys Giant Steps album. This was from a time when I was around twenty-one, summer was approaching and I was looking forward to Glastonbury. For one reason or another I was not going out with Rebecca and I was meeting other girls (generally Dan's cast offs) and having quite a bit of fun. Life was easy and I think this was the last time that I was truly carefree (I was an expectant father just over twelve months later).

The music still makes me happy but nowdays I seem to take more notice of lyrics. On Barney and Me... there are the words "I recall when we were younger we shared the streets of home. Spoke of our dreams and soaring schemes and places we would go. If I stay around much longer I'll never leave again. I have to move, I cannot stay, believe the voice that tells me, leave it all behind me", this is how I feel now, I have to get away...but I can't just now.

Christmas Meal

I met Colin and Richard in the Sack of Potatoes for a lunchtime beer. We shared and created various different rumours before I returned to work only to be told that I could go home.

I did some shopping and made sure I had enough mince pies. I considered buying beer but didn't bother. I got home and had I had a bit of a cat nap whilst listening to the Kings of Convenience.

The CLUB was having its Christmas meal and people had arranged to meet in the Bear in Bearwood. I was on time, everyone else was late. I put Maps by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on the video jukebox, Karen O is gorgeous in the video. After playing Belle and Sebastian's I'm a Cuckoo and Whatever Happened to my Rock and Roll by the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, I was concerned as to where people were.

Eventually everyone turned up and we made our way to the restaurant. On the way Colin complained that he never appears in this blog and wants to be famous but doesn't want to feature in an unhappy post. Also on the way, there was much amusement in violating Colin's privacy zone at the cashpoint.

The meal was very nice. I had a vegetarian spinach dish and a bottle of sparkling wine. I cocked up the Secret Santa by leaving my present at home. Grant got a pair of leopard skin underpants, Phil got nothing and I recieved a gun that shot discs with which I subsequently tried to blind everyone. Much wine was drank.

After we had been kicked out of the restaurant we retired to Stephen's house and we made a lot of noise. At one point people were singing like wailing cats. Rachael was sick. Richard and Colin got very excited by an X-Box boxing game.

I got home quite late and now feel pretty shit.

Trouble

Dan has been giving me beer.

I'm not drunk.

I am tired.

I am not happy.

Or Unhappy.

I am in a strange mood.

Quite mischievious.

Maybe bored.

I want to write things that will get me into trouble.

Just to find out what will happen.

But I don't think I should.

So I wont.

This time

I should go to bed.

Shopping

I went to the quiz last night, I drank too much again and feel very tired now. I have just been trudging around the Bull Ring looking for a present for my Mom without success.

I always seem to leave my mobile phone at home when people want to phone me. I had about five text messages and three missed calls from various people today and now they probably think that I am ignoring them and are ignoring me back... :(

I bought myself 'Quiet is the New Loud' by The Kings of Convenience. More sad songs!

Christmas Spirits

After a pretty lacklustre works Christmas lunchtime dinner with no free booze the people on my team went out for a few beers after work. I drank a little too much and decided to call on Dan on the way home.

I kept him awake talking about the usual subject till very late. He has been subtlety taking the piss out of me since. He says I am paranoid but I am not and I probably deserve it.

Fucking Headache

I've got a pounding headache, I'm not sure whether its standing next to a speaker stack on Saturday, too many late nights and too much booze, too much time in front of a computer screen or working too hard. Whatever, it fucking hurts.

Work has gone into wind down mode, most of the managers went for a 'meeting' this afternoon in the pub. Alison wrote her Christmas cards and I sent emails and stared into space feeling sorry for myself because I have an nut-ache.

I spoke to Gemma earlier she is going swimming in the North Sea on Christmas day again, she must be nuts but its for charity. I told her that I was going to swim in the Firth of Forth on New Years Day, now I have no choice, I am nuts, its not even for charity simply a mug of soup and a whiskey.

I'm off to take some painkillers...

Rootie Frooties Again!

I had a relaxing day bumming around the house with Joshua doing nothing in particular. About five he went to stay at my parents and I had the rest of the evening free.

The feeling of not wanting to go out was quickly wearing off after an hour of solitude. I rang Joe but he indicated that he was going to be boring and go somewhere local. Dan had no ideas where to go but suggested that I grab some beers, go to his house and entertain him.

I was pretty spent from the previous two nights exertions and was still thinking that a quiet night might be the best option. I was too lazy to cook and bought a tasteless portion of chips from across the road. After listening to the whole of Manu Chao's whilst slothing in the bath I dragged myself out and bought some cider for myself and Bass for Dan.

We drank our booze whilst doing the Telegraph crossword with Ian and Catherine. Dan said that he wanted to go and meet Emma in The Rainbow, it was the Bam Bam Club night which I always enjoy, so I happily agreed. Dan tried to persuade Joe to join us but he failed spectacularly.

I was starting to perk up a little when we walked to train station. Dan's favourite ticket man was not at the station to discuss the joys of the tower ball with him, I don't think he was too disappointed.

We arrived at The Rainbow to be told that it was at capacity and we would have to wait. It seemed a little pointless to me as we waited for about five minutes at the most before they let us in and then it didn't seem too busy anyway.

Dan made a beeline for Emma, it was clear that I was going to have to find somebody else to talk to which I did pretty successfully and was given another ego boost.

I saw a man who was drenched get picked up about three foot in the air and physically ejected by the DJ. I'm not sure why he was drenched.

I bumped into Scott and Louise. Scott was on crutches.

The music excellent, the DJ was Rune Lindbaek from Norway and has worked with Royksopp, he looked like a total nerd but didn't stop smiling. I danced with some blonde ladies, one of whom seemed to take quite a shine to me and another that I took quite a shine to but she has a boyfriend.

As The Rainbow was about to close the DJ announced that they were moving to Rootie Frooties till six. Strangely I had woken up quite a lot more now it had gone 2 A.M. and it didn't take too much persuading for me to go there.

As I waked in one of the DJ's walked straight up to me and shook my hand without saying a word. ?

I danced with the blonde women some more in Rootie Frooties, I smoked too many of Emma's cigarettes and could have quite happily stayed till the end. Dan and Emma said that they were leaving about four and I joined them in the taxi. We dropped Emma off at her house and went back to Dan's.

Dan and I chatted, Dan said he was confused about what to do about Emma. Dan suggested drinking wine but instead we ate toast, I finally went home about half five.

I had a great night and at no point did I feel like I had done the previous one.

Rootie Frooties

Work had gone pretty slow again so was glad to get home. I called around to find out what Dan's plans were but he had none. I returned home to eat and afterwards had a couple of beers in the British Oak. Dan said he was going to a party but changed his mind and came to Rootie Frooties with me.

I wanted to see Caroline's samba band.

I chatted to a blonde girl (whose name has left my head) for a while, I'm pretty sure I had spoken to her previously in the Rainbow on the Trojan Records night. She seemed very nice and I noticed her video my ugly mug a bit later on in the evening.

I didn't drink very much and was pretty sober when Joe and Phil arrived shitfaced around half past midnight. We watched a band called The Destroyers who played russian music and another band who played punk records.

There was a strange queing system for the unisex toilet, I'm not sure that anyone was actually there to use loo, everyone was chatting everyone else up.

Again I had that feeling that maybe I don't want to be going out and partying as much as I do and maybe I should find something else to do.

I people watched for a time, most peole were loaded and there seemed to be no sign of peole heading away or ending the night (It was already three in the morning). There were a fair few people older than me totally fucked (I saw a Peter Stringfellow look-a-like was harassing one of the barmaids). I'm just not sure that I want to be in Rootie Frooties (or anywhere else) till five, six, seven in the morning for much longer.

Maybe I was just feeling tired.

Maybe its because Dan took me to his student union and I felt old. ;)

Sugarfoot Stomp

Work was slower than a slow thing and I was requiring some kind of evening entertainment so as not to go mad.

I met Dan straight from work in the Sunflower Lounge. He was pretty loaded already as it was his end of term and had spent most of the day drinking. He kept disappearing to the toilet for long periods of time which either means was being sick or had the brad pitts. He must have been very drunk because he kept topping my pint up with his.

I think Dan wanted me to feel as ancient as he is and thats why he took me to his student union. After one pint we went back to the Sunflower Lounge.

Downstairs was a 1930's and 40's theme night. We danced to Glenn Miller and Edith Piaf records and watched Jimmy Stewart movies. We ate sweets. Dan met a young lady called Neville who kept punching me.

I had no keys and had to wake Rebecca up to get in at twoish in the morning. Ha Ha Ha.

Work Christmas Lunch

I went for a work Christmas lunch at the College of Food and Silly Hair Tourism today. I got quite tipsy on a malibu laced melon and then proceded to get even more so after several glasses of wine. The food was very nice and I had a yo-yo in my Christmas cracker and a crap joke.

Q: How do snails keep their shells shiny?
A: They use snail varnish!

We had to go back to work afterwards and stuff broke. Nobody knows how to fix it and it is still broke.

Sonar Festival,
originally uploaded by xaotica.

I think this is another cool picture of the Sonar Festival - Why can't it be the summer already?

HA!

I found out this afternoon why I had been feeling so rough yesterday after a such a dull Saturday night - TEQUILA!

I was feeling pretty rough today too. Last night Dan and I went to HA!, a strange live techno evening at The Rainbow. Matt and Neil's photos were on display. It was a bit quiet but then I guess that wasn't to be unexpected considering it was a freezing cold Sunday night.

Some of the music was a bit too experimental for my taste, I guess it could be described as wanky. There was also a naff acid jazz type band that I didn't much like. Still I rather go out, get pissed up and watch strange looking arty types make pretentious electronic music than sit at home alone watching Top Gear.

Matt, Dan and I were accused of being very English by some random women when I suggested going for a curry. I don't care I was hungry and the curry was nice.

According to Dan's Fotolog I got home about three, I must admit I thought it was earlier than that...not that it makes much difference when you have to get up for work still a bit pissed.

Barcelona Sonar 2005

Barcelona Sonar 2005,
originally uploaded by Mia Terranova.

Dan and I have decided that Benicassim is now sooooo passé and are heading to Barcelona for the Sonar Festival. Which is bound to be much cooler.

This photo I found on Flickr is fantastic

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Miserable Posts

Yesterday I was invited to London but I was with Joshua till late in the day and couldn't really afford to go anyway. There was nothing much interesting going on in Birmingham last night I didn't fancy dub reggae at the Rainbow again or a hard techno and goan trance all nighter the Custard Factory or funk soul and hip hop at The Boiler Room or Above and Beyond at Godskitchen.

I ended up in the dreaded New Inn - which explains the miserable posts last night. :)

I do love miserable songs though.

Make Love to Me Forever

I'm quite drunk as I write this post but at the moment sad/slow/love songs help me through the day. These in particluar are special to me.

Make Love To Me Forever - Snow Patrol - I'm pretty sure that this is an apology, if I could apologise like this, then I guess that I wouldn't be single

You Were Right - Badly Drawn Boy - Turning down the Queen and Madonna for somebody else, how fucking great is that!

High Hopes - Neil Halstead - A song about realising how beautiful and special your girlfriend/wife is.

New Birds - Arab Strap - Another song about realising how beautiful and lovely your girlfriend/wife is.

Jose Gonzales - Crosses - I dont know what this song is about but it really is fantastic

Love is a Game - The Magic Numbers - Love is just a game but I will get over you. This sums everything up to me.

$1000 Dollar Wedding - Evan Dando - A cover version of a Gram Parson record about your bride to be dying on her wedding day, miserable but totally lovely.

By The Time It Gets Dark - Yo La Tengo - Yo La Tengo write the best love songs ever but this is a cover version and they do it so much better. I listen to this as often as I can when I am feeling low - Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining.

Ingrid Bergman - Billy Bragg and Wilco -I like this song but probably for the stupidest of reasons

Spiritualized - I Think I'm In Love - This has appeared elsewhere.

Whir - Smashing Pumpklins - I've wasted all my years...

Fun Lovin Criminals

Last weekend was kind of amazing and for the most of this week I've been feeling pretty high and have had an optimistic outlook on everything. It gave me somebody else to spemd my idle moments daydreaming about.

It was starting to wear off today and miserable thoughts were starting to creep back in, possibly because work has been so dull lately, luckily I had a night out planned...

Dan and I decided to go to the Medicine Bar for the Fun Lovin Criminals DJ set - The Djing was as bad as mine, it was amixture of everything from Guns'n'Roses and Nine Inch Nals to Prince and Stevie Wonder - I liked it but Dan thought that Huey had completely lost it.

Walking Home

I danced for about seven hours pretty much none stop my legs were almost like jelly. At six thirty I caught a taxi to Selly Oak and walked home. I still felt quite awake. I tried taking some pictures on my phone to show the sunrise, they havent come out that well.




I also tried taking a picture of the railway workers clearing the track with a huge machine near the country girl but you can only see two blurry lights.



I watched spiderman when I got home had some breakfast and then went to bed.

Drop Bombs and Boosted Egos

‘You are looking very hot tonight Richard, very hot!’ is not something that I ever expected to hear from Caroline or anyone else and I certainly not by string of attractive women all through the night.

These blurry pictures sum up how every thing looked to me. My brother disappeared the minute he walked in the club, I had reports that he was swinging fire around his head and later that he was wearing a gas mask and taking photos of people.

Dan also disappeared, with the young lady with whom he had spent Thursday night snogging. He turned up a couple of times in the night only to disappear again.

There were many different styles of music - Hip Hop, Dub, Tribal Hippy Trance Bollocks, Drum'n'Bass, Breakbeat and Punk Rock.

Joe liked the breakbeat tent the best. I was touched up by a blonde girl but I wasn't complaining. I gave Joe my hat to try but it didn't work for him, he didn't get touched up by anybody.

Central America

I'd love to spend at least one winter away somewhere warm. Tim introduced me to this website. I kind of wished he hadn't because I'm now dreaming about spending the winter in Mexico, Belize, Guatamala, The Honduras and Nicaragua.

I guess I wouldn't be able to do anything like this for a couple of years yet.

Trojan Sound System

I was sitting bored in the office wondering whether or not anyone would fancy a beer later when Dan called to ask if I fancied going out to the Trojan Records Dub Soundsystem Night at The Rainbow. I jumped at the chance.

Dan, as usual, wasn't ready when I called around his house, I chatted to Ben while waiting for him to put his make-up on and we wondered whether there was any booze lying around the house but (un)fortunately there wasn't.

With it pissing down (and with me generally being a pessimist nowdays) I thought that we might be heading for an disappointingly empty pub. Not that that mattered. We bought some beers for the bus and Dan boasted about his superior drinking skills because he had bought a bottle with a screw top but I showed him that I am indeed the master by effortlessly taking the cap of mine.

It was still raining when we got off the bus and we trudged down Digbeth High Street and were quite sodden by the time we arrived. Caroline, Matt and Neil were already there and informed us that free beer was available which was definately a bonus.

Inside the pub they were playing 70's funk records and it was nice and warm, outside they were playing dub and it was pretty cold and rain came through the roof. It was a scene similar to the other night with people huddled around the one outdoor heater. Caroline for some reason was wearing summer clothes and was extremely cold to touch, everyone else was wearing woolly hats, scarves and mittens.

Also outside was a japanese artist painting huge Rolf Harris style paintings he seemed to be painting over stuff every time I watched him.

I bumped into the girl I met the other week and she complained that I wasn't wearing my cowboy hat. Later in the night she drew a moustach on my face, not that I need one.

The place filled gradually until about ten when it became very busy just in time for the Trojan Sound System to start with a Yorkshireman attempting to MC. He sounded very daft, luckily he was only introducing the main act. MC Juggla and his two mates, MCing and singing over old and new dub records. I liked it very much and by the end of the set the whole place was dancing (apart from Neil who hates reggae and all its derivatives with a passion apparently, he stayed in the warm listening to Stevie Wonder).

I had to wait for Dan to stop snogging a random portuguese lady before I could go home. I got in about twoish, was a little tipsy from the free beer and played the free CD I was given rather too loudly.