Stuart's Blog

First day down in Wales and so far, so good, all seems to be okay. Stayed in the Beaufort Park Hotel last night, had a meal and a quick pint in the bar, stayed in my room for the rest of the night and watched the golf, more for something to do than any great interest in golf. Didn’t sleep too well, kept waking up throughout the night for various reasons, nervous about today, and missing the family. I’m a home boy at heart. A guy I know from Edinburgh says that us soap-dodgin’- weedgie-b*****ds never move too far from Glasgow, my reply of,why should we with attitudes like his going around, didn’t go down too well, but, none the less, I think he may have a point. Focusing this afternoon, and this evening and moving into new digs. More to come…

Bloodycomputer just bloody wiped what I’d been bloody well typing for the last half-a-bloody-hour!!! To be bloody fair, it wasn’t really the bloody computer, but the bloody wireless modem/router box, that bloody lost it’s bloody connection when I tried to save the bloody thing! Bloody hell!! How often does the bloody technology, that we have all come to bloody rely on, and are sold the bloody stuff based on its bloody stability and relyabloodybility, dump you in the deep do-do every bloody time! Too bloody often thats how often. Its great when it deigns to work, it gets you screamin’ blue-bloody-murder when it bloody doesn’t. And we’re all beholden to this bloody thing, in thrall to the stranglehold it has on our every waking bloody hour. If you catch a bus, the timetable was worked out on a bloodycomputer; the drivers’ alarm clock that gets him up in the morning has a bloodycomputer in it, the bus’ engine has a bloodycomputer in its management system I could go bloody on but what’s the bloody point. I think I’m pushing against an open door here.

A new year, a new me. Well, newish.

Actually, on second thoughts it’s probably closer to the truth to say old me ‘cos I turned forty in early January. FORTY, I never thought I’d see the day.

Lots of other things happened too, like being offered a design in Wales at a very prestigious company, and nearly getting my car door ripped off in the recent high winds, (another garage bill in the offing). This on top of four (count ‘em four) designs for work on top of standing in temporarily for the boss. I think I’ll just move in to the work for the next few months and I’ll see the kids at their graduations, (oh yes, there will be graduations,there will!).

I was reading a book called ‘Save the world for a fiver’ and one of the things it says to do in this book, is to write to somebody that have been an influence on your life, and say thanks. The books even supply you with a postcard to send, its a beautiful idea, and I’m still weighing up who I should send the card to, but in leu of me getting my finger out here’s a little thank you.
I have to say thanks to a guy called Graham, for, amongst many other things, introducing me to the Buena Vista Social Club.

Thank you.

It’s been a small while since posting, but, if you read this at all, you’ll be used to the sporadic nature of it.
It’s the last weekend of the school holidays where I live, so we decided to take the kids up to Landmark Forest Theme Park near Inverness. I know it’s name doesn’t really endear itself but, honestly, the kids’ll love it and you might actually have fun too. In reality it was just nice to be out in the Scottish countryside, breathing relatively pure air, tramping through good honest Scottish mud, risking life and limb on the water rides, the climbing wall, the rope walk and, if you’re scared of heights, the fire tower and the tree line walk. The kids loved it and made the seven hour round trip and the relatively steep entrance fee almost worth it ( this last point, I admit, panders to racial stereotyping but, well if it walks like a duck…).

More later.

P.S You’re worth it too…

Another month another post. This time I’d thought I might cleanse my soul a little, as you might say.
There’s something that’s been preying on my mind for quite some time, almost from the moment this event occured, and I feel I need to lay bare my soul. I worked for an Italian dance company some time ago, and when it came time to get something to eat, I took them to an American style Pizza parlour. Coals to Newcastle, you might say. The next night they went out, (without me, y’understand) to a perfectly acceptable Indian Restaurant and had a lovely meal. My own stupidity knows no bounds. Why take them to a fake Italian restaurant when all they wanted to do was go to a place that wasn’t the norm. Listen, this might not seem a particularly haenous crime in the greater scheme of things, and I honestly believe that the company in question have long forgotten about this, admittedly trivial, incident but it preys on my mind more than it should. Possibly because of its rank stupidity, possibly because of my own mortification at how dumb I’d been, or possibly because of the sheer triviality and inconsiquence of the whole sorry affair. Why do I get bogged down in the petty, non-events and let them drag me down, rather than letting go, forgiving myself and moving on. I’m sure there are plenty of other things in the World, and my life, that I should be seriously worried about, ( no pension plan, overweight, the hospitals, the schools, the war, I could go on and on…) but no, I have to get hung up on stupid, nothing, social faux pas, and every, red faced, shoe gazer moment.
Some California-life-guru guy said ‘don’t sweat the small stuff’ ( I’m pretty sure he would have said “man” after that) and, though it makes me gag to admit it, he may have a bloody point.

Again, thought I should maybe keep my hand in with this blogging lark, so here it is. Boys are asleep ( ‘cos it’s late) ,Val’s away for the week (’cos she’s working) ,and Val’s mum here to look after the boys (’cos she’s a star) so all in the garden seems to be rosy for the time being. Going up to see Val tomorrow so that’ll be good.
It’s not witty or remotely exciting, but it is what’s happnin’
More later if you can stand the strain…

Hippy new ear to all who may read this. Not saying too much at the moment just looking up the Waverley timetable to see if we can get it together enough to go on it this year, we kinda said we’d do it last year and never did so, if I have any new years resolution, its to try and keep my promises more. And try to be nicer. And not get angry at other road users quite so easily, it benefits neither them nor me. And smile more. And listen to Lenny Kravitz less, if at all. And take more pictures. And not get angry at the kids ( ‘cos really I think I’m just angry with myself when I do). And book a holiday soon.

You know the feeling don’t you? The arty party, the high stakes meeting, those arguments…
and your nemesis lets a barbed comment fly in your direction, and the room hears it hit its mark, and you hear the laughter/gasps of recognition/shoe gazing silence, and.
And.
At the very moment of your death-by-acid-tongue, you search for the one tearse phrase to put your verbal jousting partner face down in the dirt…
And.
Nothing.
The agony, (for agony it is) lasts to your parting. Others, the onlookers, the mourners, the furtive glancers are gone and you descend the stairs a beaten soul.
When inspiration strikes.
For some reason the act of placing your hand on the door knob, walking out and down the stairs resurrects the wit in you.
Of course the French have a phrase for it

Another in a short line of irregular posts, just to keep my hand in y’understand. Been watching somebody elses blog in New Orleans for the past week, and been marveling at how they kept their heads while all around them were losing theirs, so bloody well done to all at: http://www.livejournal.com/users/interdictor/2005/09/01/ – great to get the news first hand and not filtered through a news corporation or such like, no spin, no bull just called it as they saw it and indeed showed it to us in the sheer number of pictures and streaming video feeds and so on, superb work.
Nowt else to report, although I bet there is and I just cant remember what it is…