Various - The Bible

So I finally completed it! Was it worth it? No. But did it all the same. Any great revelation? Of course not.

Last day of the year detox

Well it's Sunday 31st December 2017, last day of the year.

Just done some more to the living room, putting some timber around the hole in the wall, tidying it all up.

Also doing some tidying up of my life; clearing down social media with deleting twitter, deleting my linked in account, deleting about half of my 'friends' on facebook, and shutting down the settings on the rest of it. Also closed down old barclaycard account and generally tidying up my electronic presence.

Coincidently just finished my longest and most turgid read, both the old and new testament bibles. Jeez it was painful. Took around 2 1/2 years to get through it. The old testament was by far the most tedious and long. The new testament was far more interesting, but still a drag. So mark that one up to my perseverance and patience. Never need to look at that tedium again I hope.

So, on to the new year. This year ending had its ups (Antwerp, Nottingham, Boat, Concerts,) and its downs (Nan Gash, Caroline, and the boogle). The new year will be to really get on with the French and let the classics and general reading take a bit of a back seat (sort of). Also carry on the fitness regime and generally live for the days.

Christmas

Well it's now 29th December, Christmas has come and is on the way out for another year. Sue, Alan, and Chloe came down to stay, and set off home today. The kids worked Christmas day, so we had presents and main meal on Boxing day. A fairly low key Christmas I think. It was OK, but I was a little off colour, perhaps due to updates from Dad.

Dad isn't well enough for his bladder to be removed, similar with full Chemo. So he's going to have some trial treatment, a mixture of daily radiotherapy, and two week-long courses of chemo. It seems Dad has a '50-50 chance of making five years'. But considering that Dad is 79 (I think), which is the average life expectancy of a male, these odds seem quite arbitrary.

So today, Jo and Eleanor at work, Noah out with chums, and me doing DIY. A fairly average Friday.

Father is sick

Now back from visiting parents. Dad is suffering now from cancer, and needing a series of treatments and chemotherapy. We'll have to await the tests in the remainder of this year, with the chemo in the new.

Fingers crossed

Milan Kundera - The Unbearable Lightness of Being

A really beautifully written novel, spanning a number of years with the interwoven lives of four main characters

NEC Motorbike show (again) and Alison Moyet (again)

Wednesday 22nd November
Bicester shopping centre - Joanne a pair of Vivienne Westwood shoes and me a turtleneck jumper
Thursday 23rd November
NEC Bike show - Nice Z900, Scramber 1100, and CCM scrambler
Friday
Ikea for cupboards and desk, and then Alison Moyet with Joanne, Sue and Alan

Tadeusz Borowski - This way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen

A very quick read. Harrowing like the many other holocaust writing, but different a from a view of a non-Jewish prisoner who used the system to survive, at the cost of many others. A man who shortly after the end of the war came to take his own life.

Colin MacInnes - Absolute Beginners

A novel of an era, quite dated now, but interesting birth of racism in London in the late fifties

Edith Wharton - The Age of Innocence

A beautifully crafted novel. Stunning prose. And an excellent multi-layered story of connivance in upper classfin-de-siecle New York

Sooo much

back again. So much has gone on these past coupe of months. So a quick listing of places, concerts, and book reads..

We met Gary Numan at a small album launch event in London. We both got to talk to I'm briefly, so Joanne was over the moon about that.

We saw Depeche Mode in London at the Olympic stadium - fantastic day out

We saw Sparks at the Norwich Waterfront - very very hot inside. good gig but unpleasant surroundings

Last Thursday was Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - An excellent gig in Nottingham. Excellent company with Joanne, Simon, and Rachel.

Books
Therese Raquin - Emile Zola
The Immoralist - Andre Guide
Faces in the Water - Janet Frame

Luger

It's been two days since we said goodbye to Luger

Goodbye Luger. Our dog Luger

So very very sad

Luger

Lapham

I live in all the pasts present on the page, and I begin to understand what the physicists have in mind when they talk about the continuum of time and space

Plutarch and Xenophon - On Sparta

Plutarch's 'On Sparta' that chronicles the lives of Lycurgus, Agesilaus, Agis, and Cleomenes. Plus sayings of Spartans and sayings of Spartan women.

Plutarch - 46AD - 120AD
Really not sure on the dates below

• Lycurgus - around 900BC - 800BC
• Agesilaus II - around 444BC - 360BC
• Agis IV - 265BC - 241BC
• Cleomenes III - 265BC - 219BC

Also in the book are some associated writings on Spata by Xenophon

Motorbikes, Fallada, and Norwich Lanes

A nice weekend just gone...

Saturday was into Norwich for coffee and a portuguese tart. Then off to look at some motorbikes with Noah and Joanne. Then back to Norwich initially to have a beer and burger in Brewdog, then cinema to see 'Alone in Berlin'

Sunday was off to the Norwich lanes festival, so more beer and a hotdog.

All very nice

Richard Dawkins - The God Delusion

A thought provoking book. Hardly a surprise. Simply managed to confirm what I already new, but with additional evidence.

Hot! Hot! Hot!

it's Sunday evening and it is so hot. we're just sweltering in the heat.

Noah went to Skegness to some water park this weekend, with his friends
Eleanor is hopefully on her way back from some festival in Essex way with her friends

Jo and I went to the boat on Friday evening. had an Indian and a couple of beers each. we both had massive headaches in the morning, so came home. In the afternoon we went out and bought an iPad a a 'Studio Job' light.

Today we just looked at guitars in PMT, and drank some shandies on the way home.

the new mobile home with 'al fresco' toilet

Saturday evening, 10th June

It's been a full few days, with many hours to be awake.

Thursday was election day, so I stayed up until half four to watch the results. Eleanor and Noah both kept me company. some wine and popcorn to help pass the time.

The Tories had a very rough time of it. Best things was the two lead SNP politicians lost their seats, which was hilarious.

After a few hours sleep, off to the gym for a chest workout. A long day cleaning the motorbike, reading, general housework. Popped into town to see if guitar shop was open. Couldn't do much else as Joanne came home with a streaming cold.

Saturday Joanne is thick with cold. I went back to town to see if new iPad was out (wasn't), went into the guitar shop which was open this time, then to the sports shop to buy a belt. Then more reading and studying the classics.

Feeling good in myself.

Nan's funeral today

It was Nan's funeral today. Joanne and I went down for the service.

Most of the family were there and it was a good service, with a poem that Nan had written many years ago was read. The wake was at the nearby pub and it was good to catch up with the extended family.

I suppose its what is called 'bittersweet'

Alan Silletoe - Saturday Night Sunday Morning

Another very good read about working class Nottingham in the early sixties. An excellent story, prose, and historic record of the attitudes and activities of the time.

Depeche Mode

Joanne and I went to the Olympic Stadium last Saturday to watch Depeche Mode

All round excellent evening. A great crowd, which the band really appreciated and couldn't seem to stop smiling. This was reciprocated and led to a superb time.

Late train home and heard about the latest scumbag terrorist attack in London. The turds seem to be on a roll at the moment with the only positive being their deaths.

Keith Waterhouse - Billy Liar

A little bit dated, and you forget that the protagonist is only in his teens. Gets caught up in the little lies that he conjures up.

“I turn over a new leaf every day. But the blots show through,”

"frowning women, their black scratched handbags crammed with half-digested grievances, pushed through the vegetable stalls to the steps of the rates office"

Fiat 595 Arbarth Competizione

We picked up our new car yesterday. First ever brand new car and all very shiny.

Hiromi Kawakami - The Nakano Thrift Shop

Another esoteric journey of life just bumbling along in a little shop.

Beautifully written once more

Lazy day on the river

A beautiful clear blue sunny day. Joanne, Luger and me on the boat all day.

Both with clear heads after an evening of drinks/food with Simon and Rachel at 'Spoons.

Back this evening though as tired out and as we're getting the new car tomorrow morning!

Rebecca West - The Return of the Soldier

A sad tale of shell-shock, memory loss, and return to 15 years before. A soldier having to forego his old love and return to his current. with all the pain that comes with it.

A good if quick read.

Fashion, Printing, Migraine, and Krafwerk (again)

Yesterday was our last full day in Antwerp.

We had a little lay in, and then wandered down to the fashion museum. It was a Hermes exhibition with lots of ladies fashion from the past twenty years, with some older pieces.

Then we had some lunch in a vegetarian cafe; some quiche and vegetables.

Then off to the printing museum, which was fascinating. Plantin-Moretus was the chaps name, and rather good too.

Then a couple of 'de Konicks' and a beer/lemonade for Jo. Then back to the hotel for a bad migraine: too much lunchtime drinking and sunshine!

Managed to force myself well enough, after a little vomiting, to the second Kraftwerk gig. This time it was the 'Tour de France' concert.

Today was to come home, after finding Joanne's iPad had been nicked from the hotel room! First a train to Brussels, Eurostar (with lunch) to London, and then first class home.

Ghent on the Monday

We found most places were shut on Monday, so we took a day trip to Ghent.

An easy train journey, and then bought day-only tram tickets, to get to the city centre.

A place full of historic buildings. We went in a big cathedral, where they had the van Eyck mystic lamb painting, but couldn't be bothered to pay the 4 euros each to see it.

A very nice burger and beers in the sun.

A further wander about, tram, and home

Kraftwerk for an extra concert last night

Yesterday was Sunday.

We took an earlyish wander to the big market the lady told us about yesterday. It sold mostly clothes and food. We didn't get anything, but it was interesting to mooch about.

We then wandered further and came across another market, with a choice of food. We ended up fairly simple with hotdogs.

We then strolled further and got to the river.

We then went to find where the Kraftwerk concert was due to be held. Enquired if there were any spare tickets for the evening. There were, we bought them, and then went in to the early (7:00pm) 'Trans-Europe Express' gig. Fantastic it was too.

Afterward some beers and nachos!

Philip Roth - The Dying Animal

An excellent story of a serial older man and student lover's relationship over a number of years.

A little disturbing and direct, but an excellent read.

Haruki Murakami - The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

A curious world of the narrator, that surrounds his journey to get his wife back. A strange mixture of interwoven tales. Utterly compelling!

Antwerp via Eurostar

The holiday started at leaving the front door of home. A gentle, if early, wander down to the station on the Saturday morning (yesterday). First class to London, then a hop over to St Pancras, and then Eurostar with breakfast to Brussels. Then a train to Antwerp.

We got in mid-afternoon and took a stroll to get our bearings. We had an evening meal out with a few beers and back to bed pretty early, as we were rather tired

May bank holiday weekend

Well it's Monday evening, back to work in the morning. Saturday was going into town for coffee, drop trousers off for adjustment, and to the bank to move DDs from NandP to HSBC. Then to Wroxham for more boat fenders, and then to boat to put them on. Simon and Rachel were there too. That evening we went to Grandma's for a chinese. Sunday wa down the gym, then food shop and fitted the guitar on the wall. Lunch was at Brewdog for curry-dog and beer. Monday was out to buy new Dyson and get more gravel for the back garden. Then jojnd G&G and S&R down the Coach and Horses. Meanwhile Noah took his chums out on the boat. And Eleanor is still in France with Lea.  

Weekend again

A short week at work, with Monday being Easter.

Thursday evening was down Weatherspoons with Joanne and Eleanor, which was very nice and unexpected.

A quiet weekend, with Saturday being gym early in the Morning, with the afternoon teaching Eleanor and Noah how to sail the boat, especially getting in and out of the dyke. A few minor mishaps but overall went very well.

Today, Sunday, was a quick food shop with Joanne, then a late breakfast in Olives down Magdelen.

Easter comes to an end

It's Monday early evening. Joanne is in the living room, Eleanor is in her room, Noah is out somewhere, and Luger is laying on the kitchen floor near to me awaiting his dinner. Yesterday morning I was up at six to go to the gym. But Eleanor appeared and was in a real state. She'd been 'freaking out all night' and hadn't slept. A real return back to her old days. Really awful day for her, even to a degree where she'd cut her long hair off. Joanne and I spent the day doing DIY and cleaning. I hung up two of Joanne's pictures and put the aluminium board on the wall ready for the guitar. In the evening up to 'in laws' for dinner. All four (five with Luger) went up for ham and lamb. Eleanor in poor state and stayed the night there. Today, Monday, a quiet stroll into town for coffee, and then beer and burger at Brewdog. Then home for a sleep. Also did plenty of French today; trying to get back into writing it!  

Trip to Cambridge

Joanne and I went to Cambridge today on the Train.

It's Easter Bank holiday weekend, and we went down on the Saturday

What did we do, well shopping really. First coffee in one of the chain coffee shops, shame to really, but couldn't really find a quiet independent. A secondhand Bauhaus album, The Sky's Gone Out, from the market. Then nothing in Jaeger (just gone into liquidation), then some trousers in Reiss. A couple of books in Heffers, Andre Gide's The Immoralists and Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence.

Then burger, beer, and chips in Byron Burger. Then Joanne got the Trainspotting album in the alternative, but really HMV, record shop. 

Then both tired and so got the train home.

First time back for a long time

Don't know why, but just got out of the habit of blogging on. The last time was in November. So I've missed Christmas, new year, boating, gigs, reading and so forth.

I need to though to log the books that I've read, and then catch up on them properly.

The English Patient - Michael Ondaatje
Crash - J G Ballard
Graham Greene - The End of the Affair
Stella Gibbons - Cold Comfort Farm
Hannah Arendt - Banality of Evil
Nancy Mitford - Love in a Cold Climate
Goethe - The Sorrows of Young Werther
Arthur Koestler - Darkness at Noon
Muriel Spark - The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Virginia Woolf - Jacob's Room