Can this really be it?
It is at this moment unbelievable that after almost two years, it has come to this point; the evening before the morning after, when I will accomplish precisely what I set out to do. How many plans of much less ambition than this fall by the wayside due to lack of resolve, lack of conviction, or just plain bad luck; and yet here I sit in my - rather plush may I say - hotel room, contemplating the race of my life and possibly my greatest achievement to date.
So the big question is, how do I feel? Pretty good to be honest. It's been a weird few days. When tomorrow was in the distant distance, it was a case of as good as out of sight, was out of mind; then came the realisation over the last couple of weeks that this was really happening (mini panic, with a double scoop of 'yikes!'). Now however, so close to 'the gun' I just feel calm, focused, and ready to do the job.
I have no expectations of time, or of whether I am going to be able to run all the way. Of course I have hopes, but with no reference point all I can do is simply go with what my mind and body are telling me. Let's face it; both of these have got to be trusted if they have seen me this far.
The oh so twee phrase is 'everyone who crosses that start line is already a winner'. Twee, but true. I will cross that start line, thanks to the generosity of so many I will raise well over £1000 for a fantastic charity, I like to think I have even inspired a few people along the way. I have already succeeded, and there is immense comfort in that. As a wise man once said....the rest is just gravy.
I confess that my original intention was to end this blog on the day of the marathon, getting a friend to update their account of the run as a spectator; but I've changed my mind. It's only fair that come what may, I sign off properly next week. I owe it to any of you around the world who have been kind enough to share the journey to see it draw to a close in the right way.
So wish me luck; and I leave you with the final entry under 'words', the final subject of the month. By Theodore Roosevelt, these for me are quite possibly the most inspirational words I have ever heard. They have seen me through some of the darkest days of this challenge, and spurred me on whenever I have been in need. It is only fair that they are reserved for one of the final blogposts; they have become part of my sould, and I have pleasure in sharing them with you in the hope that they give you the same hope that they gave me.......
It is not the critic who counts;
not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles,
or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;
who strives valiantly;
who errs,
who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;
but who does actually strive to do the deeds;
who knows great enthusiasms,
the great devotions;
who spends himself in a worthy cause;
who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement,
and who at the worst,
if he fails,
at least fails while daring greatly,
so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
Showing posts with label Subject Of The Month. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Subject Of The Month. Show all posts
Saturday, 20 April 2013
Monday, 15 April 2013
6 days to go......Words......I am made of sport
I’m made of belief......not barriers
I’m made of sweat......not swagger
I’m made of many......not one
I’m made of the next point......not the last
I’m made of blazing trails......not following paths
I’m made of every hurdle I’ve cleared......not just the ones on the track
I am made of all the days you don’t see......not just the one you do
I am made of everything to come......not just what has been
I am made of sport
I’m made of sweat......not swagger
I’m made of many......not one
I’m made of the next point......not the last
I’m made of blazing trails......not following paths
I’m made of every hurdle I’ve cleared......not just the ones on the track
I am made of all the days you don’t see......not just the one you do
I am made of everything to come......not just what has been
I am made of sport
Saturday, 13 April 2013
8 days to go......Words.....The Road
I think Nike must be absolutely gutted (not often you see a blog post beginning with a line like that eh?). One of the greatest sporting adverts I think I have ever seen, advertising Nike; and Nike never used it! Why? because it was in a film called 'What Women Want'.
The brief and basic plot sees Mel Gibson working for an advertising agency pitching a campaign to the women's division of Nike. His ability to hear women's thoughts (what? and it's NOT a horror movie??!! crap, there goes my chance of a date out of this blog) give him a competitive advantage, and result in the simple image of a woman running on the road while Mel's voice narrates......(note, I have fiddled with the script a ickle bit......only a ickle bit, I promise)
You don't stand in front of a mirror before a run, and wonder what the road will think
of your outfit.
You don't have to listen to its jokes and pretend they're funny, in order to run on it.
It would not be easier to run if you dressed smarter.
The road doesn't notice if you're not wearing aftershave.
It does not care how old you are.
You do not feel uncomfortable, because you make more money than the road.
And you can call on the road whenever you feel like it; whether it's been a day, or even a couple of hours since your last date.
The only thing the road cares about, is that you pay it a visit once in a while.
The road.
No games.
Just sports.
I think it's not only a fantastic advert, it also has a ring of truth surrounding it. The road for me started as an enemy that you dread meeting, even though I knew I had to; then I got to know it, until that imperceptible moment arrived when it became my friend; something I began depending on.
Now, firmly embedded in the tapering phase, I find myself missing the company of that friend; restless. So many things kick in when I run; calm, peace, determination, courage, meditation, thought, contemplation, achievement, and no human being has ever managed to do that (not yet anyway!). Whatever happens in eight days time, I know that I have made friends for life. It may be the end of the marathon, but it will not be the end of the running.
Nike knows it, Helen Hunt knows it, even Mel Gibson knows it; I am obviously in good company.
The brief and basic plot sees Mel Gibson working for an advertising agency pitching a campaign to the women's division of Nike. His ability to hear women's thoughts (what? and it's NOT a horror movie??!! crap, there goes my chance of a date out of this blog) give him a competitive advantage, and result in the simple image of a woman running on the road while Mel's voice narrates......(note, I have fiddled with the script a ickle bit......only a ickle bit, I promise)
You don't stand in front of a mirror before a run, and wonder what the road will think
of your outfit.
You don't have to listen to its jokes and pretend they're funny, in order to run on it.
It would not be easier to run if you dressed smarter.
The road doesn't notice if you're not wearing aftershave.
It does not care how old you are.
You do not feel uncomfortable, because you make more money than the road.
And you can call on the road whenever you feel like it; whether it's been a day, or even a couple of hours since your last date.
The only thing the road cares about, is that you pay it a visit once in a while.
The road.
No games.
Just sports.
I think it's not only a fantastic advert, it also has a ring of truth surrounding it. The road for me started as an enemy that you dread meeting, even though I knew I had to; then I got to know it, until that imperceptible moment arrived when it became my friend; something I began depending on.
Now, firmly embedded in the tapering phase, I find myself missing the company of that friend; restless. So many things kick in when I run; calm, peace, determination, courage, meditation, thought, contemplation, achievement, and no human being has ever managed to do that (not yet anyway!). Whatever happens in eight days time, I know that I have made friends for life. It may be the end of the marathon, but it will not be the end of the running.
Nike knows it, Helen Hunt knows it, even Mel Gibson knows it; I am obviously in good company.
Thursday, 11 April 2013
10 days to go.......Words.......In case of fire......
An old acquaintance of mine was a big poetry lover; not me, I thought it was all a load of namby-pamby claptrap. A bit of time in this friends company however and I was converted. I soon learned that poetry was like any other art; there is some you like, and some you just don't get. Whether you are someone who likes things to rhyme, or whether you like the rhythm of certain prose, there is usually something for everyone if you are prepared to look.
There is something about the voice of Roger Mcgough that I have always liked. He has that light, scouse lilt which fits perfectly with his work. It is almost impossible to reconcile Roger the poet - beautiful prose, cleverly writted - with Roger the member of pop group 'The Scaffold' - weeeeeeeeeeee'll drink a drink a drink to Lily the pink the pink the pink, the saviour oooooooof, the human ra-a-aaaaace.
Whilst the lyrics to Lily The Pink are unique in their uniqueness, these are not the words to which I am referring. I wouldn't exactly call them inspiring; they are clever - a kind of thinking mans 'hole in my bucket'! - but I also find them quite relaxing to hear. Even better when our Rog reads them himself........
In case of FIRE, break glass
In case of GLASS, fill with water
In case of WATER, wear heavy boots
In case of HEAVY BOOTS, assume foetal position
In case of FOETAL POSITION, loosen clothing
In case of CLOTHING avoid nudist beach
In case of NUDIST BEACH, keep sand out of eyes
In case of EYES, close curtains
In case of CURTAINS, switch on light
In case of LIGHT, embrace truth
In case of TRUTH, spread word
In case of WORD, keep mum
In case of MUM, open arms
In case of ARMS, lay down gun
In case of GUN, fire
In case of FIRE..........
There is something about the voice of Roger Mcgough that I have always liked. He has that light, scouse lilt which fits perfectly with his work. It is almost impossible to reconcile Roger the poet - beautiful prose, cleverly writted - with Roger the member of pop group 'The Scaffold' - weeeeeeeeeeee'll drink a drink a drink to Lily the pink the pink the pink, the saviour oooooooof, the human ra-a-aaaaace.
Whilst the lyrics to Lily The Pink are unique in their uniqueness, these are not the words to which I am referring. I wouldn't exactly call them inspiring; they are clever - a kind of thinking mans 'hole in my bucket'! - but I also find them quite relaxing to hear. Even better when our Rog reads them himself........
In case of FIRE, break glass
In case of GLASS, fill with water
In case of WATER, wear heavy boots
In case of HEAVY BOOTS, assume foetal position
In case of FOETAL POSITION, loosen clothing
In case of CLOTHING avoid nudist beach
In case of NUDIST BEACH, keep sand out of eyes
In case of EYES, close curtains
In case of CURTAINS, switch on light
In case of LIGHT, embrace truth
In case of TRUTH, spread word
In case of WORD, keep mum
In case of MUM, open arms
In case of ARMS, lay down gun
In case of GUN, fire
In case of FIRE..........
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
12 days to go.......Words.....Hawaiian Rules
How many junk e-mails do we get with various lessons for life, mottoes (mottos?), messages of hope; on the promise that if we send it on to fifty one people (no more, no less) then something earth-shatteringly incredible will happen every single day for the rest of your life? It does make me laugh when I receive on, and look at the distribution list to discover I am one of....let me see, now.....what a coincidence!!.....fifty one e-mail addresses. I suppose people think that it's all rubbish, but they don't want to take any chances! Anyway that's not the point (there's a point, now that WOULD be a first!....get to it then Blaydon....); not once in those numerous e-mails that come bounding into my inbox (and may I say for the record rarely bounce back out again, unless it is genuinely good) did I see the list of 'Hawaiian Rules'.
Now I have no idea whether these are indeed the law in the aloha state, or indeed whether the list was indeed put together by a Hawaiian and not a 55 year old accountant from Bangor (it could happen!); but when I received them from a friend of mine who shall remain Wee-Ali nameless they have adorned my fridge door ever since. I love them!
In the space of these ten, sun-drenched commandments; my thoughts are provoked, my soul is comforted, and I am smiling. Wherever they came from, there are certainly lessons to be learned here; and what good is a lesson if it isn't shared.......
Now I have no idea whether these are indeed the law in the aloha state, or indeed whether the list was indeed put together by a Hawaiian and not a 55 year old accountant from Bangor (it could happen!); but when I received them from a friend of mine who shall remain Wee-Ali nameless they have adorned my fridge door ever since. I love them!
In the space of these ten, sun-drenched commandments; my thoughts are provoked, my soul is comforted, and I am smiling. Wherever they came from, there are certainly lessons to be learned here; and what good is a lesson if it isn't shared.......
- Never judge a day by the weather
- The best things in life aren't things
- Tell the truth; there's less to remember
- Speak softly, and wear a loud shirt
- Goals are deceptive - the unaimed arrow never misses
- He who dies with the most toys, still dies
- Age is relative; when you're over the hill, you pick up speed
- There are two ways to be rich; make more, or want less
- Beauty is internal - looks mean nothing
- No rain-no rainbows
Monday, 8 April 2013
13 days to go....Subject of the month......Words
Words are powerful things aren't they? They communicate, they inspire, they teach, they wound, they stir the emotions, they can make us fall in love, they can make us fall out of love. They can explore the deepest reaches of our imagination. I am typing these words now, and you are reading what I am saying. That is so cool. How great words really are!!
So for the last subject of the month, as we near the end of the entire journey and the sad end of our blog relationship, I think you deserve to know the words which mean the most to me. We have spent so much time together that it is time you got to know me that bit better; better than most people who I see on a regular basis and claim to know me in fact!
They may be contained in a sentence, they may be a whole passage; but I hope you see why they have become part of me, and I hope that you feel something of what I feel when you read them!!
So for the last subject of the month, as we near the end of the entire journey and the sad end of our blog relationship, I think you deserve to know the words which mean the most to me. We have spent so much time together that it is time you got to know me that bit better; better than most people who I see on a regular basis and claim to know me in fact!
They may be contained in a sentence, they may be a whole passage; but I hope you see why they have become part of me, and I hope that you feel something of what I feel when you read them!!
Saturday, 6 April 2013
15 days to go......Philosophies......Keeping it real
You will be relieved to know that this is the last of my philosophies. Delving into my mind is interesting, even cathartic for me, but you must be crying out for an escape from this madness to make a break for the real world.
So let's see, we've covered decisions, choice, love, life and even looked death square in the face. Whether you've learned something for you, who knows; but you should certainly have learned a few somethings about me. That said, there is still one thing; one important something that brings all my philosophies together; that runs through them all. Keeping it real. This is not an easy one to explain (I confess I almost gave up writing on more than one occasion, opting to just leave my philosophies as they are), but here goes.
How often do we have unrealistic expectations from life, setting ourselves up for a massive fall when we totally, utterly and prematurely commit our entire soul to something which when it doesn't happen, totally and utterly devastates us? How often do we avoid the truth, the obvious reality that is staring us in the face because we are too scared to stare back? How often do we have total ignorance of ourselves, our very own character; and it comes as such a shock to us when something we assume will be simply 'water of a ducks back' ends up hurting us to the core.
I am not saying that ambition, hope, or even fantasy is a bad thing; far from it (have I told you about my publishing-a-best-selling-book-from-this-blog-it-being-picked-up-by-Hollywood-and-Jim-Carrey-plays-me-in-his semi-serious-Truman-Show-role dream?...no?.....I probably won't bother then....); we need to set our sights high and reach for the stars. All I am saying is don't be ignorant, especially when our hopes and dreams are centred around an unlikely reality.....
Love - I commit to love wholly and completely; I accept that this is something I must do to experience true love, and yet I am aware of myself, and prepared to take the risk. I also know myself well enough to know how I will cope should something go wrong, so I can be reasonably accurate about just how big of a risk I am actually taking
Decisions - I am not so blinded by hope and desire that I dismiss the possibility of my decisions being wrong; and again, I know myself well enough to know I can cope if the worst happens
Life - To be lived with eyes wide open; I may on occasion hide things from other people, but I will never hide it from myself
Death - I don't obsess about it, but I don't purposefully avoid it. Like I said, hide myself from nothing.
If you think I am making this sound easy, talking about it is not a problem; living it, is. Maybe it is something to be continually striven for and occasionally but not always achieved. Getting carried away is exciting, tempting, even intoxicating! I guess all we can hope for is a reality check to bring us down to earth before leaving orbit where the fall could be really damaging.
Does that make any sense? (hope not; wouldn't want to change things at this stage of the blog - har-dee-harr). Well, at least I know what it is I am saying, even if no one else does!!
So let's see, we've covered decisions, choice, love, life and even looked death square in the face. Whether you've learned something for you, who knows; but you should certainly have learned a few somethings about me. That said, there is still one thing; one important something that brings all my philosophies together; that runs through them all. Keeping it real. This is not an easy one to explain (I confess I almost gave up writing on more than one occasion, opting to just leave my philosophies as they are), but here goes.
How often do we have unrealistic expectations from life, setting ourselves up for a massive fall when we totally, utterly and prematurely commit our entire soul to something which when it doesn't happen, totally and utterly devastates us? How often do we avoid the truth, the obvious reality that is staring us in the face because we are too scared to stare back? How often do we have total ignorance of ourselves, our very own character; and it comes as such a shock to us when something we assume will be simply 'water of a ducks back' ends up hurting us to the core.
I am not saying that ambition, hope, or even fantasy is a bad thing; far from it (have I told you about my publishing-a-best-selling-book-from-this-blog-it-being-picked-up-by-Hollywood-and-Jim-Carrey-plays-me-in-his semi-serious-Truman-Show-role dream?...no?.....I probably won't bother then....); we need to set our sights high and reach for the stars. All I am saying is don't be ignorant, especially when our hopes and dreams are centred around an unlikely reality.....
Love - I commit to love wholly and completely; I accept that this is something I must do to experience true love, and yet I am aware of myself, and prepared to take the risk. I also know myself well enough to know how I will cope should something go wrong, so I can be reasonably accurate about just how big of a risk I am actually taking
Decisions - I am not so blinded by hope and desire that I dismiss the possibility of my decisions being wrong; and again, I know myself well enough to know I can cope if the worst happens
Life - To be lived with eyes wide open; I may on occasion hide things from other people, but I will never hide it from myself
Death - I don't obsess about it, but I don't purposefully avoid it. Like I said, hide myself from nothing.
If you think I am making this sound easy, talking about it is not a problem; living it, is. Maybe it is something to be continually striven for and occasionally but not always achieved. Getting carried away is exciting, tempting, even intoxicating! I guess all we can hope for is a reality check to bring us down to earth before leaving orbit where the fall could be really damaging.
Does that make any sense? (hope not; wouldn't want to change things at this stage of the blog - har-dee-harr). Well, at least I know what it is I am saying, even if no one else does!!
Wednesday, 3 April 2013
18 days to go...........Roll Call
Extraordinary. Do you realise that when this little bit of waffle started - as well as being well in excess of nineteen stone - my expectations for the volume of readers were limited to the odd visit from Wee-Ali and perhaps a mis-direction for people with a thing for flatulence. It really was beyond my wildest imaginings that I would be pushing on towards four thousand hits. Yes, I know that Lady Radio Ga Ga probably gets those figures in about a nanosecond, but although I have been called Ga Ga on a regular basis, there the similarity ends.
In the space of two years, I have been visited by people from the UK (hello!), the US (howdy?!), Russia (zdravstvuj!), Germany (guten tag), Australia (g'day), Ukraine (pryvit), Canada (hello/bonjour), France (bonjour), India (namaskar) and Hong Kong (ni hao!) to name only the top ten. It's so cool!!!!!
It started me thinking (sorry, couldn't help myself, I know what happened last time; the poor old milkman is still looking at me funny) that asides from the few friends and family who have made themselves known to me, I have no clue as to the identity of...well.......you! So as we reach journeys end, this is your chance to make yourselves known to me. Let's see who is out there, who is following. I don't need any personal details or anything that you may feel uncomfortable with, but it would be lovely to know who you are and where you hail from. We aren't going to get many more chances for our intimate little chats, and isn't it about time you did a little typing? |
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
19 days to go.............Philosophies.........:Love
Greater minds than my own have attempted - and failed - to define what we mean by the word 'love'; and more specifically what it means to be 'in love' (I mean; I love Star Wars, but I have no desire to take Han Solo out for a candle-lit dinner and talk sweet nothings.....although Princes Leia on the other hand........). I fear that my own 'go' will be no more successful, but maybe it bears a read. I can't think of a better subject to close this subject of the month with the great, Howard Jones mystery of 'What Is Love?'
In all honesty, there is never going to be one exclusive meaning of what it is to be in love. It is different for everyone. Similarities there may be, but uniqueness will exist for every one of us. To some, love is passion, to others love may be security (be it emotional or material); but to many - including me - love is something much more complex; a complete package, a balance of things physical, practical, emotional and spiritual.
I remember a line from Sleepless In Seattle when Meg (I'll have what she's having) Ryan is having a chat with her girlie friends about men and love:
'We don't want to be in love; we want to be in love in a movie'
Now you know how much I enjoy films, so it will come as no surprise to you that I too have a rather romantic (overly-romantic??) view of love. It may even be a view which would not look out of place in one of Meg's own movies, nevertheless I object to the inference that the sort of love which occurs at the cinema, ONLY occurs in the movies. I beg to differ (oh pleeeeeeease mister; pleeeeeeeease let me differ; pwetty pwease with a cherry on top??!).
Okay; maybe I don't expect to meet the same woman at various stages of my life, finally realising that we are meant to be together forever at a new year's eve party over a decade after we first met; nor do I lurk at the top of the Empire State Building (much) hoping to find the lady of my dreams (or maybe even a teddy bear rucksack). Far-fetched they might be, but the love featured in the relationships of all these movies share in their uncertainty, fear, danger, challenge, trust; and where love is concerned I can identify with these feelings away from the cinema, in the real world. The best stories - fictional or no - are the ones where love overcomes all these doubts (conquers all).
So let's stop beating about the bush; the million-dollar question....what does love mean to me? Well, there are probably a million words which could apply, but if I was to sum it up in just one it would be......
"vulnerability"
I know it's strange to pick what is a not entirely optimistic word for something so wonderful, so let me explain.
My life is a series of 'heads' (oh yes, he is going somewhere with this; he really is). There is work-head, there is friends-head (differing according to the friend in question), there is family-head, there is even blog-head! In one aspect all of them are me - in each case certain aspects of my character are accentuated, and other aspects subdued - and yet from another point of view, none of them are me, there is always that part of me that no one sees; the part of me that I protect, the part that if exposed, can hurt, can be desperately disappointed, or can be just desperate!
It is this part which I strongly believe adds the word 'in' to love. When that special person comes along who you wholly reveal yourself to (don't be rude), and they to you. It is a scary (nice-scary), out-of-control (nice-out-of-control) feeling of vulnerability and yet you know, you feel, that you aren't in danger; quite the opposite in fact. I think it's that total juxtaposition (heaven help me; yesterday it was 'moreover' now it's 'juxtaposing'; I am such a juxtaposer.....) of risk and safety which feels so good; so exciting.
I'm single at the moment (ladies, form an orderly queue), and happy to be so. It doesn't mean I don't want to be in a relationship, I really do; but I refuse to settle. The person I genuinely fall in love with has to be someone I always think of with a sense of relief that there exists in the world someone with whom I can be entirely open, entirely free, entirely me; a me reserved only for them, and a them reserved only for me.
But who wants to listen to me on the subject, I wouldn't say no to love like this either.......
Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken
or indeed this........
"I don't know, how I feel about you; there is no one way. I feel so many things, and all at once. Happy.....kinda scared too.
Excited
Calm
Lost....but......found.
I feel safe in a way I have never known, but in danger too
This thing between us; whatever it is
It's stronger than me
Being with you, is stronger than me alone
That's new to me"
That would do nicely thanks.....!
In all honesty, there is never going to be one exclusive meaning of what it is to be in love. It is different for everyone. Similarities there may be, but uniqueness will exist for every one of us. To some, love is passion, to others love may be security (be it emotional or material); but to many - including me - love is something much more complex; a complete package, a balance of things physical, practical, emotional and spiritual.
I remember a line from Sleepless In Seattle when Meg (I'll have what she's having) Ryan is having a chat with her girlie friends about men and love:
'We don't want to be in love; we want to be in love in a movie'
Now you know how much I enjoy films, so it will come as no surprise to you that I too have a rather romantic (overly-romantic??) view of love. It may even be a view which would not look out of place in one of Meg's own movies, nevertheless I object to the inference that the sort of love which occurs at the cinema, ONLY occurs in the movies. I beg to differ (oh pleeeeeeease mister; pleeeeeeeease let me differ; pwetty pwease with a cherry on top??!).
Okay; maybe I don't expect to meet the same woman at various stages of my life, finally realising that we are meant to be together forever at a new year's eve party over a decade after we first met; nor do I lurk at the top of the Empire State Building (much) hoping to find the lady of my dreams (or maybe even a teddy bear rucksack). Far-fetched they might be, but the love featured in the relationships of all these movies share in their uncertainty, fear, danger, challenge, trust; and where love is concerned I can identify with these feelings away from the cinema, in the real world. The best stories - fictional or no - are the ones where love overcomes all these doubts (conquers all).
So let's stop beating about the bush; the million-dollar question....what does love mean to me? Well, there are probably a million words which could apply, but if I was to sum it up in just one it would be......
"vulnerability"
I know it's strange to pick what is a not entirely optimistic word for something so wonderful, so let me explain.
My life is a series of 'heads' (oh yes, he is going somewhere with this; he really is). There is work-head, there is friends-head (differing according to the friend in question), there is family-head, there is even blog-head! In one aspect all of them are me - in each case certain aspects of my character are accentuated, and other aspects subdued - and yet from another point of view, none of them are me, there is always that part of me that no one sees; the part of me that I protect, the part that if exposed, can hurt, can be desperately disappointed, or can be just desperate!
It is this part which I strongly believe adds the word 'in' to love. When that special person comes along who you wholly reveal yourself to (don't be rude), and they to you. It is a scary (nice-scary), out-of-control (nice-out-of-control) feeling of vulnerability and yet you know, you feel, that you aren't in danger; quite the opposite in fact. I think it's that total juxtaposition (heaven help me; yesterday it was 'moreover' now it's 'juxtaposing'; I am such a juxtaposer.....) of risk and safety which feels so good; so exciting.
I'm single at the moment (ladies, form an orderly queue), and happy to be so. It doesn't mean I don't want to be in a relationship, I really do; but I refuse to settle. The person I genuinely fall in love with has to be someone I always think of with a sense of relief that there exists in the world someone with whom I can be entirely open, entirely free, entirely me; a me reserved only for them, and a them reserved only for me.
But who wants to listen to me on the subject, I wouldn't say no to love like this either.......
Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken
or indeed this........
"I don't know, how I feel about you; there is no one way. I feel so many things, and all at once. Happy.....kinda scared too.
Excited
Calm
Lost....but......found.
I feel safe in a way I have never known, but in danger too
This thing between us; whatever it is
It's stronger than me
Being with you, is stronger than me alone
That's new to me"
That would do nicely thanks.....!
Monday, 1 April 2013
20 days to go.........Have you forgotten something.........???
Well my friends, it is with a heavy heart - but hopefully not with too heavy anywhere else - that I must tell you the £1750 sponsorship target set for AGE UK looks to be quite a few quid too far. The final figures may not be in yet, and hopefully there will be a bit of a last minute donation surge (along the lines of Children in Need where the figures get a boost just after pub throwing-out time thanks to the inebriated donors who get a nasty shock when their bank statements arrive at the end of the month), but unless they are of tsunamical proportions I'm coming up short.
The whole experience of requesting donations has been a real eye-opener, not to mention an eye-tearer (as in boo-hoo, not rip-rip) but this final run has been particularly 'interesting'; occasionally positive, often negative.
There are the shops in and around Edenfield who without questioning donated their prizes for the local finishing-time sweepstakes, and yet despite delivering the best part of 1000 leaflets around the village it looks like all too few people are going to be buying a ticket. (Note to self; when posting paper leaflets through a front door, do not, I repeat DO NOT poke your finger too far through the letter box where it is exposed and vulnerable to a lurking dog......fatmantobitman dot ouch).
People of my acquaintance who to be honest I expected better from have looked me straight in the eye and declared that they 'don't give to charity' (is it a real reason ir purely a justification for being tight?.....I suspect...... Shame they couldn't even show their support for me), and yet known friends of friends, known relatives of friends, anonymous friends of friends, and even Kath and Richard from no. 59 have been unexpected, heart-warming contributors.
Expectations are risky things; particularly when one is overly optimistic about the outcome. I confess that I have been a bit seduced by false impressions of the majority if the human race. It is a shame, yes; disappointing, yes; but I am nevertheless buoyed by the good people who are out there (you know who you are; and if you're not sure give me a shout and I'll put you right.......either way!).
Whatever the final figure, it is what it is. I have done my best. Granted if I had my time again there are a few things I've learned by this effort. The good news is that it is going to be more than what is currently in the bank (some definite donations still to come), moreover (did I just use a word like 'moreover'??? things must be serious) I am extremely content that - considering my relative inexperience - I have done my best by AGE UK. (Put it this way; there are more than a few people who use a charity in order to secure a race place, but with no intention whatsoever of raising any money. Abhorrent).
Once more, it is a huge thank you to those people who have donated so far - it does mean so very much. For those of you who have not yet donated and your bit has never been so chomped to do just that, get your arse over to www.virginmoneygiving.com/adyblady; if you donate, then something wonderful will happen to you within twenty-four hours........if you don't, then something bad will happen within the same time.
Okay; that last part is a load of rubbish, there is no difference to your chances of good or bad things whether you donate or not; but if you do you will become one of the reasons I am doing this, and one of the reasons why this positive experience IS so positive.
The whole experience of requesting donations has been a real eye-opener, not to mention an eye-tearer (as in boo-hoo, not rip-rip) but this final run has been particularly 'interesting'; occasionally positive, often negative.
There are the shops in and around Edenfield who without questioning donated their prizes for the local finishing-time sweepstakes, and yet despite delivering the best part of 1000 leaflets around the village it looks like all too few people are going to be buying a ticket. (Note to self; when posting paper leaflets through a front door, do not, I repeat DO NOT poke your finger too far through the letter box where it is exposed and vulnerable to a lurking dog......fatmantobitman dot ouch).
People of my acquaintance who to be honest I expected better from have looked me straight in the eye and declared that they 'don't give to charity' (is it a real reason ir purely a justification for being tight?.....I suspect...... Shame they couldn't even show their support for me), and yet known friends of friends, known relatives of friends, anonymous friends of friends, and even Kath and Richard from no. 59 have been unexpected, heart-warming contributors.
Expectations are risky things; particularly when one is overly optimistic about the outcome. I confess that I have been a bit seduced by false impressions of the majority if the human race. It is a shame, yes; disappointing, yes; but I am nevertheless buoyed by the good people who are out there (you know who you are; and if you're not sure give me a shout and I'll put you right.......either way!).
Whatever the final figure, it is what it is. I have done my best. Granted if I had my time again there are a few things I've learned by this effort. The good news is that it is going to be more than what is currently in the bank (some definite donations still to come), moreover (did I just use a word like 'moreover'??? things must be serious) I am extremely content that - considering my relative inexperience - I have done my best by AGE UK. (Put it this way; there are more than a few people who use a charity in order to secure a race place, but with no intention whatsoever of raising any money. Abhorrent).
Once more, it is a huge thank you to those people who have donated so far - it does mean so very much. For those of you who have not yet donated and your bit has never been so chomped to do just that, get your arse over to www.virginmoneygiving.com/adyblady; if you donate, then something wonderful will happen to you within twenty-four hours........if you don't, then something bad will happen within the same time.
Okay; that last part is a load of rubbish, there is no difference to your chances of good or bad things whether you donate or not; but if you do you will become one of the reasons I am doing this, and one of the reasons why this positive experience IS so positive.
Saturday, 30 March 2013
22 days to go.........Philosopsies.......Death
I did warn you that we would be delving deeper!
This was a subject which I almost avoided, as isn't that what most of us do? Avoid talking about it? Avoid even thinking about it? For something which affects and eventually comes to us all it is the definitive elephant (elephant's graveyard?) in the room. I guess the thinking behind the head-in-the-sand technique is the knowledge that no matter how much we talk about it; death - when it will happen, how it will happen, what it will feel like, and the ultimate question of what life if any exists beyond - is an undiscoverable unknown; with even the experiences of people who have been clinically can be explained away as physical and not spiritual reactions. Facing up to the fear death with no end to uncertainty, is no fun; so why talk about it eh? Anyway; for what it's worth, here is my take on the ultimate journey.
For starters, let's have no illusion on the matter; dying scares the crap out of me. For some people it's the build-up, for others it's the actual act (?!) of dying, and being aware of it; for me it is simply the thought of not being alive any more. I love being alive, being conscious, thinking, exploring, moving, existing in and being part of this world. Life is a huge gift which I have never and will never take lightly, and not being part of the world, not even being aware of....well.....anything....is a thought which at best is a bit scary, and at worst is truly terrifying.
I sound like a true atheist don't I? (when you die, you die, and that's your chips mate!); but in actual fact I'm a Roman Catholic (hardly the way I should be talking, I know, life ever-lasting and all that!). So many religions, sects, spiritual beliefs are out there; each with their own versions of life after death (ascending souls, reincarnation, heaven), and I truly hope that such a life exists. I will even go as far as to say that there are so many interesting, believable - and not to mention spooky - stories out there which could be called 'evidence' that death is not the end; to make me hope that consciousness, awareness, life, goes on.
My mind and spirit is open with regards to this subject which if not tainted with apprehension would be incredibly fascinating to contemplate. I am realistic about all the things that might happen, as I am about the fact that there is only one way we will ever truly know. One thing I can say, is that talking about it (see the above) is a really cleansing experience. The unknown it may be, but death is one of the few things which unites every living being on the earth (I think that's pretty cool) - whether you a celebrity, the president of the United States, or even a Business Development Manager from Stevenage - and when it comes to our particular human living being I am totally convinced that we are similarly united in our fear of it, our attitude towards it. Shouldn't be anything stopping us talking about then should there?!
Death is inevitable; one of the few things which we can do nothing about, yet we still have a choice in front of us. We can choose now, to live well, and die well; the definitions of which I would imagine will be different for us all. I hope I live up to my own expectations, and more importantly when my time comes, I hope I am ready, and have as they say 'left it all on the field'.
"Hold nothing back, put it all on the line. Don’t end the game feeling like you could have given more. Don’t leave feeling like you played it safe when you had the opportunity for something greater."
Not a bad motto to live - or indeed die! - by.
This was a subject which I almost avoided, as isn't that what most of us do? Avoid talking about it? Avoid even thinking about it? For something which affects and eventually comes to us all it is the definitive elephant (elephant's graveyard?) in the room. I guess the thinking behind the head-in-the-sand technique is the knowledge that no matter how much we talk about it; death - when it will happen, how it will happen, what it will feel like, and the ultimate question of what life if any exists beyond - is an undiscoverable unknown; with even the experiences of people who have been clinically can be explained away as physical and not spiritual reactions. Facing up to the fear death with no end to uncertainty, is no fun; so why talk about it eh? Anyway; for what it's worth, here is my take on the ultimate journey.
For starters, let's have no illusion on the matter; dying scares the crap out of me. For some people it's the build-up, for others it's the actual act (?!) of dying, and being aware of it; for me it is simply the thought of not being alive any more. I love being alive, being conscious, thinking, exploring, moving, existing in and being part of this world. Life is a huge gift which I have never and will never take lightly, and not being part of the world, not even being aware of....well.....anything....is a thought which at best is a bit scary, and at worst is truly terrifying.
I sound like a true atheist don't I? (when you die, you die, and that's your chips mate!); but in actual fact I'm a Roman Catholic (hardly the way I should be talking, I know, life ever-lasting and all that!). So many religions, sects, spiritual beliefs are out there; each with their own versions of life after death (ascending souls, reincarnation, heaven), and I truly hope that such a life exists. I will even go as far as to say that there are so many interesting, believable - and not to mention spooky - stories out there which could be called 'evidence' that death is not the end; to make me hope that consciousness, awareness, life, goes on.
My mind and spirit is open with regards to this subject which if not tainted with apprehension would be incredibly fascinating to contemplate. I am realistic about all the things that might happen, as I am about the fact that there is only one way we will ever truly know. One thing I can say, is that talking about it (see the above) is a really cleansing experience. The unknown it may be, but death is one of the few things which unites every living being on the earth (I think that's pretty cool) - whether you a celebrity, the president of the United States, or even a Business Development Manager from Stevenage - and when it comes to our particular human living being I am totally convinced that we are similarly united in our fear of it, our attitude towards it. Shouldn't be anything stopping us talking about then should there?!
Death is inevitable; one of the few things which we can do nothing about, yet we still have a choice in front of us. We can choose now, to live well, and die well; the definitions of which I would imagine will be different for us all. I hope I live up to my own expectations, and more importantly when my time comes, I hope I am ready, and have as they say 'left it all on the field'.
"Hold nothing back, put it all on the line. Don’t end the game feeling like you could have given more. Don’t leave feeling like you played it safe when you had the opportunity for something greater."
Not a bad motto to live - or indeed die! - by.
Saturday, 23 March 2013
Philosophies.......Life......(29 days)
Why should it be that it seems going from 30 days to 29 is so much bigger a 'thing' than going from 31 to 30??!
So.....life......what's it all about?....why are we here?......surely these questions are some of the great mysteries of......life!
Some of the greatest minds have attempted to define it:
Poppycock. If we all thought that then no one would strive for anything, no one would inspire us, we would never inspire others, hell; I wouldn't even be typing about weight that I couldn't be bothered losing, exercise that I couldn't be bothered doing, and a marathon that didn't exist because no one could be bothered running it.
......and yes; I am aware that I have used the word 'poppycock'. I won't do it again; I promise. Balderdash however, now that is a different matter.
So what is my secret of life? Two words; that's all, two words which came to me at one of those times when life was hard. No, let me rephrase that; life was hard, but I couldn't remember why; yes, really, not a clue. It kind of went like this......
Something bad (I feel bad) followed by several things which ordinarily wouldn't be that much of a problem but were magically magnified by my own negative mood (I feel worse) creating a downward spiral of miserable moodiness (worse still) which persisted even when the original bad thing was dealt with, EVEN; when the original bad thing was forgotten. All I was left with was a whirlpool of negativity which I never even thought about getting out of; I even found myself walking with a slight stoop.
It was the stooping which woke me up, as I suddenly saw myself - felt myself - doing it. After getting over the shock, I reverse-traced the above paragraph (still couldn't remember what the original problem was), and had no rational explanation for feeling the way I was feeling. I was angry; not at life - quite the opposite - the anger was directed at myself, for wasting life. I would never get those days back.
Surely, whatever someone's philosophy of life may be, it can't include becoming and staying miserable can it? There is just no sense in it. Whether life goes on past what we can prove, whether life is all there is, whether the echoes of our lived life eventually cease resonating, surely it is the right thing to endeavour to make our lives a positive experience for ourselves and the world around us?
It is something I realised right at that moment, and the two words I wrote on my little blackboard/noticeboard as a result - nearly twenty years ago - stand there still and will always serve as a reminder during those times my mind and spirit falters......
'Enjoy it'
Seventeen miler tomorrow......another chilly day, just how I like it!!
So.....life......what's it all about?....why are we here?......surely these questions are some of the great mysteries of......life!
Some of the greatest minds have attempted to define it:
- Life is beautiful (Vincenzo Cerami)
- '42' (Douglas Adams)
- Life's short (Warwick Davis)
- Life is hard (Pretty much everyone at sometime or another)
- Life ain't easy (Dr. Hook)
- Life is like a box of chocolates (Forrest Gump)
- Life is a tale, told by an idiot; full of sound and fury, signifying nothing (Shakespeare, chirpy old chap isn't he??)
Poppycock. If we all thought that then no one would strive for anything, no one would inspire us, we would never inspire others, hell; I wouldn't even be typing about weight that I couldn't be bothered losing, exercise that I couldn't be bothered doing, and a marathon that didn't exist because no one could be bothered running it.
......and yes; I am aware that I have used the word 'poppycock'. I won't do it again; I promise. Balderdash however, now that is a different matter.
So what is my secret of life? Two words; that's all, two words which came to me at one of those times when life was hard. No, let me rephrase that; life was hard, but I couldn't remember why; yes, really, not a clue. It kind of went like this......
Something bad (I feel bad) followed by several things which ordinarily wouldn't be that much of a problem but were magically magnified by my own negative mood (I feel worse) creating a downward spiral of miserable moodiness (worse still) which persisted even when the original bad thing was dealt with, EVEN; when the original bad thing was forgotten. All I was left with was a whirlpool of negativity which I never even thought about getting out of; I even found myself walking with a slight stoop.
It was the stooping which woke me up, as I suddenly saw myself - felt myself - doing it. After getting over the shock, I reverse-traced the above paragraph (still couldn't remember what the original problem was), and had no rational explanation for feeling the way I was feeling. I was angry; not at life - quite the opposite - the anger was directed at myself, for wasting life. I would never get those days back.
Surely, whatever someone's philosophy of life may be, it can't include becoming and staying miserable can it? There is just no sense in it. Whether life goes on past what we can prove, whether life is all there is, whether the echoes of our lived life eventually cease resonating, surely it is the right thing to endeavour to make our lives a positive experience for ourselves and the world around us?
It is something I realised right at that moment, and the two words I wrote on my little blackboard/noticeboard as a result - nearly twenty years ago - stand there still and will always serve as a reminder during those times my mind and spirit falters......
'Enjoy it'
Seventeen miler tomorrow......another chilly day, just how I like it!!
Thursday, 21 March 2013
Philosophies....Choice......(31 days)
Confused? Has Ade finally lost it? Has he finally run out of things to say to such an extent that he is duplicating posts ('Decisions Decisions' followed by 'Choice')?
To be honest I had to check myself; I am not sure whether there is dictionarily a difference between a decision and a choice (would you like me to research it and bore the bejesus out of you with an explanation? tell me if you do........no?.......okay, have it your way then....); the words are interchangeable, but to me a decision is proactive (you decide), whereas a choice is reactive, the response to a situation that is thrust upon you, or you are thrust into. I have covered decisions, but the unpredictability - and often cruelty - of life may well make our choices that much more important. I believe Albus Dumbledore said it best when Mr. Potter was worried that he might have ended up in naughty-wizarding house Slytherin....
'it is not our abilities to make us who we are; it is our choices'
How true. We all have skills, but it is our choice what use we make of them; for good or for evil, for the people or for yourself, for money, for power, for happiness, for peace, for love. You see how important choice now becomes; it really can move mountains, but you know what I love about choice (now this will really mess with your head).....?
You always have one, you always have a choice; very occasionally you don't......but even then, you do!
No, it's okay; I haven't been sitting in the sun for too long (there isn't enough sun to stroke anyway!), I really am talking sense.....or at least I think I am talking sense even if no one else is.
Good things happen, bad things happen; we deal with them, we navigate through them with decision and choice. We rarely notice our choices for the good stuff, they may be instinctive rather than conscious, but we still make them (do we choose to control it? do we choose to let go and enjoy it with freedom? do we take action to prolong it? do we choose to worry about it ending? do we choose to curb our feelings for the same reason?).
Choice becomes slightly more prominent during the bad times; how many times do we exclaim in frustration that 'I don't know what to do'?! It's not usually true; we know what the options are, but are just too nervous about making a choice. We even often know precisely what we are going to choose but for some daft reason procrastinate over committing ourselves to it..
Choice is good, it is exciting, full of possibility! It is a path; it is a 'way'. I am rarely put in a position where choice is taken away from me, and I am a firm believer that there is 'always a way'; the destination will be the same even if the original route is not.
If you are sensing a 'but' coming along you are mighty perceptive (you clever thing!), as there are those occasions when things happen to us over which we have no control. At those times we say we have 'no choice in the matter'; and yet, we still do. Okay we do not have any control over the events that befall us, but we do have the choice of how we react to it. One can choose how to take the lack of success on a prime time Saturday night tv programme (with grace, or with bitterness). Even someone who is dying, has the chance to choose how they will die; do they do it with dignity, providing an example to those still living, or do they choose die badly?
Think about it; no matter what happens to you, you will always have a choice in front of you. It is just so (technical term coming up here......) brilliant!
Whatever choices come your way; I hope you make the right ones!
To be honest I had to check myself; I am not sure whether there is dictionarily a difference between a decision and a choice (would you like me to research it and bore the bejesus out of you with an explanation? tell me if you do........no?.......okay, have it your way then....); the words are interchangeable, but to me a decision is proactive (you decide), whereas a choice is reactive, the response to a situation that is thrust upon you, or you are thrust into. I have covered decisions, but the unpredictability - and often cruelty - of life may well make our choices that much more important. I believe Albus Dumbledore said it best when Mr. Potter was worried that he might have ended up in naughty-wizarding house Slytherin....
'it is not our abilities to make us who we are; it is our choices'
How true. We all have skills, but it is our choice what use we make of them; for good or for evil, for the people or for yourself, for money, for power, for happiness, for peace, for love. You see how important choice now becomes; it really can move mountains, but you know what I love about choice (now this will really mess with your head).....?
You always have one, you always have a choice; very occasionally you don't......but even then, you do!
No, it's okay; I haven't been sitting in the sun for too long (there isn't enough sun to stroke anyway!), I really am talking sense.....or at least I think I am talking sense even if no one else is.
Good things happen, bad things happen; we deal with them, we navigate through them with decision and choice. We rarely notice our choices for the good stuff, they may be instinctive rather than conscious, but we still make them (do we choose to control it? do we choose to let go and enjoy it with freedom? do we take action to prolong it? do we choose to worry about it ending? do we choose to curb our feelings for the same reason?).
Choice becomes slightly more prominent during the bad times; how many times do we exclaim in frustration that 'I don't know what to do'?! It's not usually true; we know what the options are, but are just too nervous about making a choice. We even often know precisely what we are going to choose but for some daft reason procrastinate over committing ourselves to it..
Choice is good, it is exciting, full of possibility! It is a path; it is a 'way'. I am rarely put in a position where choice is taken away from me, and I am a firm believer that there is 'always a way'; the destination will be the same even if the original route is not.
If you are sensing a 'but' coming along you are mighty perceptive (you clever thing!), as there are those occasions when things happen to us over which we have no control. At those times we say we have 'no choice in the matter'; and yet, we still do. Okay we do not have any control over the events that befall us, but we do have the choice of how we react to it. One can choose how to take the lack of success on a prime time Saturday night tv programme (with grace, or with bitterness). Even someone who is dying, has the chance to choose how they will die; do they do it with dignity, providing an example to those still living, or do they choose die badly?
Think about it; no matter what happens to you, you will always have a choice in front of you. It is just so (technical term coming up here......) brilliant!
Whatever choices come your way; I hope you make the right ones!
Saturday, 16 March 2013
Philosophies.......Decisions. decisions (36 days)
About two and a half years ago, I had the good fortune –
which sadly turned into MISfortune – of appearing on primetime Saturday night
television; and no, I am not kidding……
Not only did I get outcome number three; I had to watch while each of the other four contestants took home over sixteen grand apiece. One could not help but feel a little, shall we say….singled-out!
So why am I telling you this? I suppose you might think – knowing how it turned out – that I regret the decision to apply in the first place; but you couldn’t be farther from the truth. Okay, the result was unfortunate and a bit upsetting for a time; but I am pleased to say that the whole experience was utterly brilliant. I got to meet Dale, I got to meet my fellow contestants who were all worthy winners, I got to be on telly; and more than anything else I got the respect of so many people for behaving with dignity and integrity (is that the same thing?). People who I had lost touch with even sought me out on social networking sites just to commiserate with me. Now all that is reward in itself, and although the prize money has surely run out for my fellow contestant, my prized memories are just as vivid.
So I don’t regret going, as I knew what could happen; both the good and the bad. It is this process which I use whenever I am faced with a big choice. If the best happens; top banana, but I am not seduced by success to such an extent that it blinds me to the fact that the dream might not come true. I accepted that what happened, might happen; and I also knew myself well enough to know that I could take it and still enjoy the experience. I know me well enough to be honest to myself about myself; so failure turned out not to be a shock to the system, failure turned out to still be enjoyable; failure, in the end, turned out not to be a failure at all.
One thing is for sure; I made the right decision.
Before you get carried away and start googling ‘The Adyblady
Experience’ or something like that, be assured that it was not my very own show
(that was canned before it got on the air). Instead it was as a contestant on
an extremely popular quiz show called ‘In It To Win It’. Although recorded in
advance, it straddles the national lottery draws, and Dale ‘wild in the aisles’
Winton is host. While sat at home, watching it I never suspected that I would
be one of the people in the tv looking out; even when I applied I thought the
possibility as remote as the gadgets that change station on the TV; when I got
the phone call to tell me ‘you’re on!!!’ I began to get an inkling of a vague
notion that sometime in the future I would be sat in my front room, watching
myself!
The very basic plot of the show is that you hopefully get to
ask a few questions, you hopefully get to ask a final question to win some
money, and you hopefully go home holding a cheque for a nice tidy sum. The
three contestant outcomes are…..
1. You win a share of the pot (anything from a few grand, to a cool £100,000
2. You get a multiple choice question to win a share of the pot wrong, and go home with squat
3. You sit on stage for the entire show, get asked no questions....and then go home with squat
Not only did I get outcome number three; I had to watch while each of the other four contestants took home over sixteen grand apiece. One could not help but feel a little, shall we say….singled-out!
So why am I telling you this? I suppose you might think – knowing how it turned out – that I regret the decision to apply in the first place; but you couldn’t be farther from the truth. Okay, the result was unfortunate and a bit upsetting for a time; but I am pleased to say that the whole experience was utterly brilliant. I got to meet Dale, I got to meet my fellow contestants who were all worthy winners, I got to be on telly; and more than anything else I got the respect of so many people for behaving with dignity and integrity (is that the same thing?). People who I had lost touch with even sought me out on social networking sites just to commiserate with me. Now all that is reward in itself, and although the prize money has surely run out for my fellow contestant, my prized memories are just as vivid.
So I don’t regret going, as I knew what could happen; both the good and the bad. It is this process which I use whenever I am faced with a big choice. If the best happens; top banana, but I am not seduced by success to such an extent that it blinds me to the fact that the dream might not come true. I accepted that what happened, might happen; and I also knew myself well enough to know that I could take it and still enjoy the experience. I know me well enough to be honest to myself about myself; so failure turned out not to be a shock to the system, failure turned out to still be enjoyable; failure, in the end, turned out not to be a failure at all.
Incidentally, I’m not saying that if you realised failure
was something which would devastate you it is not worth the attempt; but
admitting what your reaction would be allows you to make a fully-informed
decision as to whether it is worth the risk.
There are so many things I have taken with me from that day;
the ovation I got from the studio audience, the director who put her arm round
me and said ‘don’t take this the wrong way, but I knew that of all the people
this might have happened to; you would be the one to handle it best’; and
finally the father of one of my fellow contestants who shook my hand with a
smile, looked me straight in the eye and said ‘you are destined for something
special’.One thing is for sure; I made the right decision.
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Subject Of The Month - Philosophies
39 days to go.....if I start now you think I might finish by April 21st??
It's a strange thing to admit, but if you have stuck with me through the thick and thin of this blog (a lot of thin, but possibly with the thinnest yet to come!), whether you know me personally or even if you are a total stranger, you are still a member of the group of people which know me the best; better even than many people years of my acquaintance (who don't tune in to this blog). What you've read on here is pretty much me in words; my character, my moods, my personality, and at times even my soul. If you've made it this far, I salute you; you are certainly made of stern stuff!
The story so far has been a scary ride; but you ain't seen nothing yet, as we are about to delve deeper into the psyche that is.....well.....me! Don't get me wrong, I don't spend every waking hour in deep thought (or every sleeping hour in deep dream for that matter), but it's impossible to reach your fortieth year without having one or fifteen deep-set opinions on life, the universe and everything (forty-twoooooo!!) and what's a blog for if not to share them with you lovely people? It's a calculated risk, as I think I can trust you........
......can't I???
So why am I doing this? Well, to be honest I am running out of things to write.....
....kidding......kidding.
Naaah, anyone who knows me - and if you are reading this, that does mean you! - also knows that words are not things I am short of. I'm not sure about talking the hind legs of a donkey, but I could talk for so long that they may fall off by natural decay (especially if it's a reeeeally old donkey........see I'm doing it now..... Anyway, back to the why. I guess, as this blog reaches its climax, I want to take this opportunity to say my piece in as complete a way as possible. A lot of me has found it's way onto this site already; but it's time to give you the rest!
So amongst other things, we are going to talk about (or I'm going to write about) life, love, death, and the pursuit of happiness. Stick around, you might learn something....even if it is that I am stark-staring bonkers (but surely you know that by now??)
It's a strange thing to admit, but if you have stuck with me through the thick and thin of this blog (a lot of thin, but possibly with the thinnest yet to come!), whether you know me personally or even if you are a total stranger, you are still a member of the group of people which know me the best; better even than many people years of my acquaintance (who don't tune in to this blog). What you've read on here is pretty much me in words; my character, my moods, my personality, and at times even my soul. If you've made it this far, I salute you; you are certainly made of stern stuff!
The story so far has been a scary ride; but you ain't seen nothing yet, as we are about to delve deeper into the psyche that is.....well.....me! Don't get me wrong, I don't spend every waking hour in deep thought (or every sleeping hour in deep dream for that matter), but it's impossible to reach your fortieth year without having one or fifteen deep-set opinions on life, the universe and everything (forty-twoooooo!!) and what's a blog for if not to share them with you lovely people? It's a calculated risk, as I think I can trust you........
......can't I???
So why am I doing this? Well, to be honest I am running out of things to write.....
....kidding......kidding.
Naaah, anyone who knows me - and if you are reading this, that does mean you! - also knows that words are not things I am short of. I'm not sure about talking the hind legs of a donkey, but I could talk for so long that they may fall off by natural decay (especially if it's a reeeeally old donkey........see I'm doing it now..... Anyway, back to the why. I guess, as this blog reaches its climax, I want to take this opportunity to say my piece in as complete a way as possible. A lot of me has found it's way onto this site already; but it's time to give you the rest!
So amongst other things, we are going to talk about (or I'm going to write about) life, love, death, and the pursuit of happiness. Stick around, you might learn something....even if it is that I am stark-staring bonkers (but surely you know that by now??)
Sunday, 10 March 2013
Thank You For The Music........The Best (Part 4)
Can't believe it!! I even had to check both my stopwatch AND the map to make sure I did actually fifteen miles. Not only did I; I ran it in a shorter time than I finished the thirteen miles of the Great North Run last September. So two miles more, and two minutes less. I honestly don't feel like I'm getting faster - the pace is a comfortable one - but maybe that's what being fitter is like; same exertion, better results. Not overthinking it though; for the rest of the day I am going to be basquing (there's an image....!) in the glory of a jog well done.
As part of my reward, it's time to finish off the top 100 list with the final twenty five...
Something About You (Level 42)
(My first live concert; Manchester Apollo with my best fwend at the time Matthew Findell.....felt like SUCH a grown up!)
Something Inside So Strong (Labi Siffre)
"The higher you build your barriers, the taller I become. The further you take my rights away, the faster I will run"
Somewhere Out There (Linda Lonstadt and James Ingram)
"Even though I know how very far apart we are, it helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star"
Stay (Alison Krauss)
"Come and sit for a while; I've missed your smile"
Suo Gan (James Rainbird)
(Taken from 'Empire Of The Sun'; another one that could well be a shopping list, but it sounds good!)
Take On Me (A-ha)
(Loved as much for the video as for the song; plus it was the first release from the band, and what an impact!)
Telstar (The Tornados)
(Just a top song!)
That's The Way It Is (Celine Dion)
"When life is empty with no tomorrow, and loneliness starts to call. Baby, don't worry, forget your sorrow, cause love's gonna conquer it all"
The Beep Beep Song (Simone White)
"Beat, beat, beat, beat, beat, beat, beat; goes my heart on the side of my sleeve"
The Windmills Of Your Mind (Noel Harrison)
"Like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel. Never ending or beginning, on an ever spinning reel"
Time In A Bottle (Jim Croce)
"If I had a box just for wishes, and dreams that have never come true. The box would be empty, except for the memory of how they were answered by you"
To Be Surprised (Sondre Lerche)
(Another one from 'Dan In Real Life'; SUCH a top movie!)
Tom's Diner (Suzanne Vega)...the original, not the remix!!
"I am thinking of your voice; and of the midnight picnic once upon a time before the rain began"
True Companion (Mark Cohn)
"Baby I've been searching like anybody else, can't say nothing different about myself. Sometimes I'm an angel and sometimes I'm cruel, but when it comes to you I'm just another fool"
Two Little Boys (Rolf Harris)......and it was all going to well......wasn't it??!
"Did you think I would leave you crying, when there's room on my horse for two. Climb up here, Jack and don't be crying; I can go just as fast with two."
Veronica (Elvis Costello)
"But she used to have a carefree mind of her own, with a devilish look in her eye. Saying "You can call me anything you like, but my name is Veronica""
Waiting For A Star To Fall (Boy Meets Girl)
"Trying to catch your heart, is like trying to catch a star. So many people love you baby, that must be what you are"
What Could Be Better (The Lighthouse Family)
"Somebody smiled at me like the sun"
What If I Loved You (Joey Gian)
"What if I held you tonight, and I made you feel oh so right? What if I loved you, would you always be mine?"
When You Say Nothing At All (Ronan Keating)
"All day long I can hear people talking out loud, but when you hold me near you drown out the crowd"
Where Do You Go To My Lovely (Peter Sarstedt)
"When the snow falls you're found in St Moritz, with the others from the jet set. Where you sip your Napoleon brandy, but you never get your lips wet; no you don't!"
Whoops Now (Janet Jackson)
(Just a very chirpy old song!)
Years From Now (Dr. Hook)
"I know this world that we live in can be hard now and then, and it will be again, many times we've been down. Still, love has kept us together; the flame never dies, when I look in your eyes, the future I see"
You'll Be In My Heart (Phil Collins)
"Why can't they understand the way we feel, they just don't trust what they can't explain"
You're Beautiful (James Blunt)
"My life is brilliant"
So that's it! Everything you wanted to know about my slightly questionable (slightly??!!) music collection, but were so afraid to ask, that you didn't ask....but I told you anyway. Looking back on it there is more than a slice or two of cheese (but may I say, high quality cheese) and several chucks of schmaltz.
Face?......bothered.....???!
42 days to go, and the penultimate subject of the month (half month in this case) to come. Can't wait canya?!!
As part of my reward, it's time to finish off the top 100 list with the final twenty five...
Something About You (Level 42)
(My first live concert; Manchester Apollo with my best fwend at the time Matthew Findell.....felt like SUCH a grown up!)
Something Inside So Strong (Labi Siffre)
"The higher you build your barriers, the taller I become. The further you take my rights away, the faster I will run"
Somewhere Out There (Linda Lonstadt and James Ingram)
"Even though I know how very far apart we are, it helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star"
Stay (Alison Krauss)
"Come and sit for a while; I've missed your smile"
Suo Gan (James Rainbird)
(Taken from 'Empire Of The Sun'; another one that could well be a shopping list, but it sounds good!)
Take On Me (A-ha)
(Loved as much for the video as for the song; plus it was the first release from the band, and what an impact!)
Telstar (The Tornados)
(Just a top song!)
That's The Way It Is (Celine Dion)
"When life is empty with no tomorrow, and loneliness starts to call. Baby, don't worry, forget your sorrow, cause love's gonna conquer it all"
The Beep Beep Song (Simone White)
"Beat, beat, beat, beat, beat, beat, beat; goes my heart on the side of my sleeve"
The Windmills Of Your Mind (Noel Harrison)
"Like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel. Never ending or beginning, on an ever spinning reel"
Time In A Bottle (Jim Croce)
"If I had a box just for wishes, and dreams that have never come true. The box would be empty, except for the memory of how they were answered by you"
To Be Surprised (Sondre Lerche)
(Another one from 'Dan In Real Life'; SUCH a top movie!)
Tom's Diner (Suzanne Vega)...the original, not the remix!!
"I am thinking of your voice; and of the midnight picnic once upon a time before the rain began"
True Companion (Mark Cohn)
"Baby I've been searching like anybody else, can't say nothing different about myself. Sometimes I'm an angel and sometimes I'm cruel, but when it comes to you I'm just another fool"
Two Little Boys (Rolf Harris)......and it was all going to well......wasn't it??!
"Did you think I would leave you crying, when there's room on my horse for two. Climb up here, Jack and don't be crying; I can go just as fast with two."
Veronica (Elvis Costello)
"But she used to have a carefree mind of her own, with a devilish look in her eye. Saying "You can call me anything you like, but my name is Veronica""
Waiting For A Star To Fall (Boy Meets Girl)
"Trying to catch your heart, is like trying to catch a star. So many people love you baby, that must be what you are"
What Could Be Better (The Lighthouse Family)
"Somebody smiled at me like the sun"
What If I Loved You (Joey Gian)
"What if I held you tonight, and I made you feel oh so right? What if I loved you, would you always be mine?"
When You Say Nothing At All (Ronan Keating)
"All day long I can hear people talking out loud, but when you hold me near you drown out the crowd"
Where Do You Go To My Lovely (Peter Sarstedt)
"When the snow falls you're found in St Moritz, with the others from the jet set. Where you sip your Napoleon brandy, but you never get your lips wet; no you don't!"
Whoops Now (Janet Jackson)
(Just a very chirpy old song!)
Years From Now (Dr. Hook)
"I know this world that we live in can be hard now and then, and it will be again, many times we've been down. Still, love has kept us together; the flame never dies, when I look in your eyes, the future I see"
You'll Be In My Heart (Phil Collins)
"Why can't they understand the way we feel, they just don't trust what they can't explain"
You're Beautiful (James Blunt)
"My life is brilliant"
So that's it! Everything you wanted to know about my slightly questionable (slightly??!!) music collection, but were so afraid to ask, that you didn't ask....but I told you anyway. Looking back on it there is more than a slice or two of cheese (but may I say, high quality cheese) and several chucks of schmaltz.
Face?......bothered.....???!
42 days to go, and the penultimate subject of the month (half month in this case) to come. Can't wait canya?!!
Thursday, 7 March 2013
Thank You For The Music.......The Best (Part 3)
VERY pleased to tell you that I am still pretty fit and healthy; yay! Granted the bounce has gone out of my bungee a little after the drive home, but other than that my boo has never been to tickety. Here's hoping that I can stay healthy for the next 45 days and that the whole thing is a total breeze, a walk in the park, easy as falling off a log............
.....nope.....nor do I.....
SO, while we are waiting for the next blister, or pulled muscle, or sniffle; why don't we get on with the next instalment of the Blaydon top 100 songs.....
Life (Des'ree)
"I don't want to see a ghost, it's a sight I fear most; rather have a piece of toast, and watch the evening news"
Love Is The Seventh Wave (Sting)
"There is a deeper wave than this. Rising in the land, There is a deeper wave than this.
Nothing will withstand"
Lullabye (Billy Joel)
"Goodnight my angel time to close your eyes, and save these questions for another day. I think I know what you've been asking me, I think you know what I've been trying to say"
Make My Heart Fly (The Proclaimers)
"Please don't go, rushing by; stay, and make my heart fly"
Make You Feel My Love (Adele)
"When the rain is blowing in your face, and the whole world is on your case. I could offer you a warm embrace, to make you feel my love"
Memories (Beverley Craven)
"Evrything we're going through, will be our memories. I'm gonna make them worth remembering....for years"
Miss You Nights (Cliff Richard)
"I've had many times, I can tell you; times when innocence I'd trade for company"
More (Bobby Darin)
"More than the greatest love the world has known, this is the love that I give to you alone"
Nah! (Shania Twain)
"It was never gonna work, you were too much of a jerk; I'm finally fed up with this"
Nancy Spain (Christy Moore)
"Daylight peeping through the curtains of the passing night time, is your smile; and the sun in the sky is like your laugh"
New Song (Howard Jones)
"Don't crack up, bend your brain. See both sides, throw off your mental chains"
No Worries (Simon Webbe)
(It's just so positive!!)
On My Own (Katie Holmes)....yes, THE Katie Holmes
"Without him, the world around me changes. The trees are bare and everywhere the streets are full of strangers"
One Hand, One Heart (Tony & Maria - West Side Story)
"Make of our lives, one life. Day after day, one life. Now it begins, now we start. One hand, one heart"
Only Yesterday (The Carpenters)
"Tomorrow maybe even brighter than today, since I threw my sadness away"
Pounding (The Roches)
"If your heart, stops, poundingpoundingpounding gimme a call"
Prettiest Eyes (The Beautiful South)
"Well my eyes look like a map of the town, and my teeth are either yellow or they're brown. But you'll never hear the crack of a frown when you are near, you'll never hear the crack of a frown"
Right By Your Side (The Eurythmics)
"Give me to strong arms to protect myself. Give me so much love that I forget myself"
Romeo And Juliet (Dire Straits)
"You promised me everything; you promised me thick and thin yeah. Now you just say 'oh Romeo, yeah; you know I used to have a scene with him"
Ruby Tuesday (The Rolling Stones)
"She would never say where she came from. Yesterday don't matter, now it's gone"
Rule The World (Take That)
"You light the skies up above me, a star so bright you blind me"
Shades Of Grey (The Monkees)
"When the world and I were young, just yesterday. Life was such a simple game a child could play"
Silly Love Songs (Paul Mcartney And Wings)
"You'd think that people would have had enough of silly love songs. But I look around me and I see it isn't so. Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs. And what's wrong with that? I'd like to know, cause here I go again"
Softly Whispering I Love You (Paul Young)
"I can feel your warm face, ever close to my lips. And the scent of you invades the cool evenin' air. I can close my eyes and you're there"
Solace (Marvin Hamlisch/Scott Joplin)
(Extraordinary)
......the fourth and final part, the climax, the piece de resistance, the coup de grace, the........last twenty five songs in the list alphabetically....coming soon!!
.....nope.....nor do I.....
SO, while we are waiting for the next blister, or pulled muscle, or sniffle; why don't we get on with the next instalment of the Blaydon top 100 songs.....
Life (Des'ree)
"I don't want to see a ghost, it's a sight I fear most; rather have a piece of toast, and watch the evening news"
Love Is The Seventh Wave (Sting)
"There is a deeper wave than this. Rising in the land, There is a deeper wave than this.
Nothing will withstand"
Lullabye (Billy Joel)
"Goodnight my angel time to close your eyes, and save these questions for another day. I think I know what you've been asking me, I think you know what I've been trying to say"
Make My Heart Fly (The Proclaimers)
"Please don't go, rushing by; stay, and make my heart fly"
Make You Feel My Love (Adele)
"When the rain is blowing in your face, and the whole world is on your case. I could offer you a warm embrace, to make you feel my love"
Memories (Beverley Craven)
"Evrything we're going through, will be our memories. I'm gonna make them worth remembering....for years"
Miss You Nights (Cliff Richard)
"I've had many times, I can tell you; times when innocence I'd trade for company"
More (Bobby Darin)
"More than the greatest love the world has known, this is the love that I give to you alone"
Nah! (Shania Twain)
"It was never gonna work, you were too much of a jerk; I'm finally fed up with this"
Nancy Spain (Christy Moore)
"Daylight peeping through the curtains of the passing night time, is your smile; and the sun in the sky is like your laugh"
New Song (Howard Jones)
"Don't crack up, bend your brain. See both sides, throw off your mental chains"
No Worries (Simon Webbe)
(It's just so positive!!)
On My Own (Katie Holmes)....yes, THE Katie Holmes
"Without him, the world around me changes. The trees are bare and everywhere the streets are full of strangers"
One Hand, One Heart (Tony & Maria - West Side Story)
"Make of our lives, one life. Day after day, one life. Now it begins, now we start. One hand, one heart"
Only Yesterday (The Carpenters)
"Tomorrow maybe even brighter than today, since I threw my sadness away"
Pounding (The Roches)
"If your heart, stops, poundingpoundingpounding gimme a call"
Prettiest Eyes (The Beautiful South)
"Well my eyes look like a map of the town, and my teeth are either yellow or they're brown. But you'll never hear the crack of a frown when you are near, you'll never hear the crack of a frown"
Right By Your Side (The Eurythmics)
"Give me to strong arms to protect myself. Give me so much love that I forget myself"
Romeo And Juliet (Dire Straits)
"You promised me everything; you promised me thick and thin yeah. Now you just say 'oh Romeo, yeah; you know I used to have a scene with him"
Ruby Tuesday (The Rolling Stones)
"She would never say where she came from. Yesterday don't matter, now it's gone"
Rule The World (Take That)
"You light the skies up above me, a star so bright you blind me"
Shades Of Grey (The Monkees)
"When the world and I were young, just yesterday. Life was such a simple game a child could play"
Silly Love Songs (Paul Mcartney And Wings)
"You'd think that people would have had enough of silly love songs. But I look around me and I see it isn't so. Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs. And what's wrong with that? I'd like to know, cause here I go again"
Softly Whispering I Love You (Paul Young)
"I can feel your warm face, ever close to my lips. And the scent of you invades the cool evenin' air. I can close my eyes and you're there"
Solace (Marvin Hamlisch/Scott Joplin)
(Extraordinary)
......the fourth and final part, the climax, the piece de resistance, the coup de grace, the........last twenty five songs in the list alphabetically....coming soon!!
Monday, 4 March 2013
Thank You For The Music.......The Best (part 2)
Aaaaaaah, wonderful wonderful Compeed! All the forums said it's brilliant at soothing sore blisters, that it's a 'second skin' and they are so right! I think the chances of running this Sunday are starting to look better baby; not counting the Easter chicks yet, but you know what they say.....where there's Compeed, there's hope!
The usual today; long morning commute to work, long day at work, and now lying in bed feeling a little frazzled (still not brave enough to try a run yet) so a perfect time to take you from 26 to 50 in the top 100 best of the rest.....
Free Nelson Mandela (Special AKA)
(First track I played on my first stereo system; 18 year birthday present. 21 years on and I still have the same amp and speakers!)
Ghostbusters (Ray Parker Jnr)
(First vinyl single I ever bought (29 years on and I still have.....terrible taste in music); the number of times I wiped that thing with a static cloth....I swear all it did was sweep all the dust into a perfect line on the record rather than removing it!!)
Golden Brown (The Stranglers)
(Can't beat a bit of harpsichord intro!!)
Hallelujah (Rufus Wainwright)
"It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth. The minor fall, the major lift. The baffled king composing, Hallelujah"
Hands (Jewel)
"If I could tell the world just one thing, it would be that we're all ok"
I Just Haven't Met You Yet (Michael Buble)
"I might have to wait, I'll never give up. I guess it's half timing, and the other half's luck"
Human (Human League)
"The tears I cry, aren't tears of pain. They're only to hide my guilt and shame. I forgive you, now I ask the same of you. While we were apart, I was human too"
Hungry Eyes (Eric Carmen)
(No decent, self-respecting Dirty Dancing fan can argue with this one!)
I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow (Dan Tyminski)
(George Clooney singing this in 'Oh Brother, Where Art Thou'; what's not to like??!)
I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You (Juliet Turner & Brian Kennedy)
"I turn around and look at you, and you light a cigarette. I wish I had the guts to bum one; but, we've never met" (price for guessing what happens at the end of the song....!)
I Wanna Grow Old With You (Adam Sandler)....I know....I know.....
"I'll miss you, kiss you; give you my coat when you are cold. Need you, feed you; even let you hold the remote control"
If I Was (Midge Ure)
"If I was a poet; all my love in burning words I would show it" (love that rhyme!)
If Only I Could..... (Sidney Youngblood)
".....I'd make this world a better place"
If You're Not The One (Daniel Beddingplants)
"If you're not the one then why does my soul feel glad today. If you're not the one then why does my hand fit yours this way"
I'm Already There (Lonestar)
"A little voice came on the phone. And said "Daddy when you coming home." He said the first thing that came to his mind. I'm already there"
I'm Not In Love (10cc)
"I keep your picture up on the wall, it hides a nasty stain just lying there. But don't you ask me to give it back, I know you know it doesn't mean that much to me"
It's Five O'clock Somewhere (Alan Jackson & Jimmy Buffett)
"I'm getting paid by the hour, and older by the minute. My boss just pushed me over the limit. I'd like to call him something; I guess I'll just call it a day"
Jai Ho! (A R Rahman/The Pussycat Dolls)
(it just spews energy)
James Bond Theme Tune (Monty Norman)
(the name's Blaydon.......Adrian Blaydon......now give me a cup of tea - white, no sugar - stirred; not shaken)
Jumping Mouse (Ashley Maher)
"Learn by looking behind you, but burn the bridges that bind you"
Kiss Kiss (Holly Valance)
(You know the phrase 'dance like there's no one watching'? Well this is what I dance to in my front room......and God do I hope no one gets an eyeful of that!)
King For A Day (The Thompson Twins)
"If I was king for just one day. I would give it all away. I would give it all away for loving you"
Lean On Me (Club Nouveau)
"Sometimes in our lives, we all have pain; we all have sorrow. But, if we are wise, we know that there's; always tomorrow"
Leave Right Now (Will Young)
"My racing heart, is just the same. Why make it strong to break it once again"
Let My Love Open The Door (Peter Townshend)
"When everything feels all over. Everybody seems unkind. I'll give you a four leaf clover. Take all worry out of your mind" (It's also in a great film - not one of the top five, but still good - called Dan In Real Life)
Fifty down, fifty to go.......more to come.......by the way, is it only me that has noticed these songs have more than a teaspoonful of cheese mixed in with them (you should see the ones I haven't included; I say 'see' as you REALLY don't want to hear them). In my defence, many of the more 'grrrrrrrrrr' ones have already been mentioned.......like.. ......errrr.......ummmmmm........Gina G????
Soooooooo beyond hope.....I passed hope a long time ago and have gone so far past it is no longer so much as a dot on the horizon......oh well....!
And as for the marathon - or in my case, marathin (why did it take me so long to jump on that one? I must be slipping!) - it's 48 to go! Think I'd better start now?.......
The usual today; long morning commute to work, long day at work, and now lying in bed feeling a little frazzled (still not brave enough to try a run yet) so a perfect time to take you from 26 to 50 in the top 100 best of the rest.....
Free Nelson Mandela (Special AKA)
(First track I played on my first stereo system; 18 year birthday present. 21 years on and I still have the same amp and speakers!)
Ghostbusters (Ray Parker Jnr)
(First vinyl single I ever bought (29 years on and I still have.....terrible taste in music); the number of times I wiped that thing with a static cloth....I swear all it did was sweep all the dust into a perfect line on the record rather than removing it!!)
Golden Brown (The Stranglers)
(Can't beat a bit of harpsichord intro!!)
Hallelujah (Rufus Wainwright)
"It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth. The minor fall, the major lift. The baffled king composing, Hallelujah"
Hands (Jewel)
"If I could tell the world just one thing, it would be that we're all ok"
I Just Haven't Met You Yet (Michael Buble)
"I might have to wait, I'll never give up. I guess it's half timing, and the other half's luck"
Human (Human League)
"The tears I cry, aren't tears of pain. They're only to hide my guilt and shame. I forgive you, now I ask the same of you. While we were apart, I was human too"
Hungry Eyes (Eric Carmen)
(No decent, self-respecting Dirty Dancing fan can argue with this one!)
I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow (Dan Tyminski)
(George Clooney singing this in 'Oh Brother, Where Art Thou'; what's not to like??!)
I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You (Juliet Turner & Brian Kennedy)
"I turn around and look at you, and you light a cigarette. I wish I had the guts to bum one; but, we've never met" (price for guessing what happens at the end of the song....!)
I Wanna Grow Old With You (Adam Sandler)....I know....I know.....
"I'll miss you, kiss you; give you my coat when you are cold. Need you, feed you; even let you hold the remote control"
If I Was (Midge Ure)
"If I was a poet; all my love in burning words I would show it" (love that rhyme!)
If Only I Could..... (Sidney Youngblood)
".....I'd make this world a better place"
If You're Not The One (Daniel Beddingplants)
"If you're not the one then why does my soul feel glad today. If you're not the one then why does my hand fit yours this way"
I'm Already There (Lonestar)
"A little voice came on the phone. And said "Daddy when you coming home." He said the first thing that came to his mind. I'm already there"
I'm Not In Love (10cc)
"I keep your picture up on the wall, it hides a nasty stain just lying there. But don't you ask me to give it back, I know you know it doesn't mean that much to me"
It's Five O'clock Somewhere (Alan Jackson & Jimmy Buffett)
"I'm getting paid by the hour, and older by the minute. My boss just pushed me over the limit. I'd like to call him something; I guess I'll just call it a day"
Jai Ho! (A R Rahman/The Pussycat Dolls)
(it just spews energy)
James Bond Theme Tune (Monty Norman)
(the name's Blaydon.......Adrian Blaydon......now give me a cup of tea - white, no sugar - stirred; not shaken)
Jumping Mouse (Ashley Maher)
"Learn by looking behind you, but burn the bridges that bind you"
Kiss Kiss (Holly Valance)
(You know the phrase 'dance like there's no one watching'? Well this is what I dance to in my front room......and God do I hope no one gets an eyeful of that!)
King For A Day (The Thompson Twins)
"If I was king for just one day. I would give it all away. I would give it all away for loving you"
Lean On Me (Club Nouveau)
"Sometimes in our lives, we all have pain; we all have sorrow. But, if we are wise, we know that there's; always tomorrow"
Leave Right Now (Will Young)
"My racing heart, is just the same. Why make it strong to break it once again"
Let My Love Open The Door (Peter Townshend)
"When everything feels all over. Everybody seems unkind. I'll give you a four leaf clover. Take all worry out of your mind" (It's also in a great film - not one of the top five, but still good - called Dan In Real Life)
Fifty down, fifty to go.......more to come.......by the way, is it only me that has noticed these songs have more than a teaspoonful of cheese mixed in with them (you should see the ones I haven't included; I say 'see' as you REALLY don't want to hear them). In my defence, many of the more 'grrrrrrrrrr' ones have already been mentioned.......like.. ......errrr.......ummmmmm........Gina G????
Soooooooo beyond hope.....I passed hope a long time ago and have gone so far past it is no longer so much as a dot on the horizon......oh well....!
And as for the marathon - or in my case, marathin (why did it take me so long to jump on that one? I must be slipping!) - it's 48 to go! Think I'd better start now?.......
Saturday, 2 March 2013
Thank You For The Music........The Best (Part 1)
It's been a quiet one today, so the fifty day to go mark is almost going to slip by unnoticed.....see?!!....there it goes......tip-toeing out the back door. Still feeling pretty crappy and footsore, but I have a plan for tomorrow which has involved a bit of googling, and will involve a bit of Manchester Metrolinking.
But more of that tomorrow, as it is now time to reveal the 'best of the rest'. We have done the running elite music, we've done James Taylor and Kate Rusby; we've even covered one of - in my humble onion - the greatest musical lyrics in music. But what else? There are still so many tracks we haven't covered; tracks that are so close to my heart an soul, and whilst I can't take you through every one of the four thousand plus songs which grace the ITunes folder, I have decided to give you my top 100 best of the rest. Four rules......
25 Or 624 (Chicago)
(Fantastic intro; play it loud!!)
A Whole New World (Disney - Aladdin)
"A whole new world, a new fantastic point of view. Noone to tell us no, or where to go; or say we're only dreaming'
Affirmation (Savage Garden)
"I believe the struggle for financial freedom isn't fair. I believe the only one to disagree's a millionaire"
All I Have (Beth Nielsen Chapman)
"How far away, this world becomes. In the harbour of each other's arms"
Angel (Sarah McLachlan)
"You are pulled from the wreckage. Of your silent reverie"
Bapa (Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu)
(It is such a soothing song. No idea what he is singing - it could be a shopping list for all I know - but it just sounds lovely.....I've ruined it for you now haven't I? You are forever going to be thinking 'two pints of semi-skimmed' when he starts to sing; sorry!)
Bell (Mike Oldfield, Tubular Bells)
"Two slightly sampled electric guitars"
(Yes, this is a lyric; and although there is no credit on the album, it can only be Alan Rickman's voice)
Broken Things (Julie Miller)
"You can have my heart, though it isn't new. It's been used and broken, and only comes in blue"
Burning Bridges (Status Quo)
(My best friend (Martin Stoddart) and I used to have a fantastic air guitar intro to this one; happy days!)
By Your Side (Sade)
"You think I'd leave your side baby? You know me better than that"
Can You Feel The Love Tonight (Elton John)
"It's enough, to make kings and vagabonds, believe the very best"
I Can't Fight This Feeling Any More (REO Speedwagon)
"You Take Me To The Places That Alone I'd Never Find"
(this song also has strong connections to Susanne; remember her?)
Can't Help Falling In Love With You (Lick The Tins)
(everyone knows the words, but this version brings a huge smile to my face)
Chocolate Girl (Deacon Blue)
"He calls her the chocolate girl; cos he thinks she melts when he touches her"
Classical Gas (Mason Williams)
(classic guitar)
Concerto De Aranjuez (Rodrigo)
(sooths even the roughest of moods)
Concerto In D Minor For 2 Violins (J S Bach)
(just in case the Rodrigo doesn't work completely!)
Dear Jessie (Madonna)
"Ride the rainbow to the other side. Catch a falling star and then take a ride"
Don't Worry, Be Happy (Bobby McFerrin)
"Give you my phone number; when you worry, call me, I make you happy"
(and he really sounds like Mr. Azzopardi; my a-level physics teacher. A lovely fella!)
Don't Write Me Off Just Yet (Hugh Grant)....I know.....I know
"It's never been easy for me. To find words to go along, with a melody. But this time there's actually something on my mind. So please forgive these few brief awkward lines"
Dreamer (Supertramp)
(the song of my very earliest years, oh and the album which I tried to 'play' by scraping the needle up and down the vinyl.....to my brother's horror)
Elysium/Honour Him/Now We Are Free (Hans Zimmer)
(from Gladiator; slightly cheating as there are three names but they are played consecutively.....so powerful; and joyful)
Every Little Thing He Does Is Magic (Shaun Colvin)
(sacrilege that I prefer this to the original, and yet......I do!)
Eye Level (Simon Park Orchestra)
(number one song when I was born; got to be enough for the top 100)
Falling Slowly (Glen Hansard/Marketa Irglova)
"Take this sinking boat, and point it home, we've still got time"
Part 2 coming soon, and we will be both freeing Nelson Mandela and letting our love open the door; if that's not going to make you come back.......you might well be a smarter person than me.....!!
But more of that tomorrow, as it is now time to reveal the 'best of the rest'. We have done the running elite music, we've done James Taylor and Kate Rusby; we've even covered one of - in my humble onion - the greatest musical lyrics in music. But what else? There are still so many tracks we haven't covered; tracks that are so close to my heart an soul, and whilst I can't take you through every one of the four thousand plus songs which grace the ITunes folder, I have decided to give you my top 100 best of the rest. Four rules......
- No tracks already mentioned
- Only one track per singer/group (not easy that one!)
- Christmas tracks not included (same as the top five movies; consistent eh?)
- Classical music allowed
25 Or 624 (Chicago)
(Fantastic intro; play it loud!!)
A Whole New World (Disney - Aladdin)
"A whole new world, a new fantastic point of view. Noone to tell us no, or where to go; or say we're only dreaming'
Affirmation (Savage Garden)
"I believe the struggle for financial freedom isn't fair. I believe the only one to disagree's a millionaire"
All I Have (Beth Nielsen Chapman)
"How far away, this world becomes. In the harbour of each other's arms"
Angel (Sarah McLachlan)
"You are pulled from the wreckage. Of your silent reverie"
Bapa (Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu)
(It is such a soothing song. No idea what he is singing - it could be a shopping list for all I know - but it just sounds lovely.....I've ruined it for you now haven't I? You are forever going to be thinking 'two pints of semi-skimmed' when he starts to sing; sorry!)
Bell (Mike Oldfield, Tubular Bells)
"Two slightly sampled electric guitars"
(Yes, this is a lyric; and although there is no credit on the album, it can only be Alan Rickman's voice)
Broken Things (Julie Miller)
"You can have my heart, though it isn't new. It's been used and broken, and only comes in blue"
Burning Bridges (Status Quo)
(My best friend (Martin Stoddart) and I used to have a fantastic air guitar intro to this one; happy days!)
By Your Side (Sade)
"You think I'd leave your side baby? You know me better than that"
Can You Feel The Love Tonight (Elton John)
"It's enough, to make kings and vagabonds, believe the very best"
I Can't Fight This Feeling Any More (REO Speedwagon)
"You Take Me To The Places That Alone I'd Never Find"
(this song also has strong connections to Susanne; remember her?)
Can't Help Falling In Love With You (Lick The Tins)
(everyone knows the words, but this version brings a huge smile to my face)
Chocolate Girl (Deacon Blue)
"He calls her the chocolate girl; cos he thinks she melts when he touches her"
Classical Gas (Mason Williams)
(classic guitar)
Concerto De Aranjuez (Rodrigo)
(sooths even the roughest of moods)
Concerto In D Minor For 2 Violins (J S Bach)
(just in case the Rodrigo doesn't work completely!)
Dear Jessie (Madonna)
"Ride the rainbow to the other side. Catch a falling star and then take a ride"
Don't Worry, Be Happy (Bobby McFerrin)
"Give you my phone number; when you worry, call me, I make you happy"
(and he really sounds like Mr. Azzopardi; my a-level physics teacher. A lovely fella!)
Don't Write Me Off Just Yet (Hugh Grant)....I know.....I know
"It's never been easy for me. To find words to go along, with a melody. But this time there's actually something on my mind. So please forgive these few brief awkward lines"
Dreamer (Supertramp)
(the song of my very earliest years, oh and the album which I tried to 'play' by scraping the needle up and down the vinyl.....to my brother's horror)
Elysium/Honour Him/Now We Are Free (Hans Zimmer)
(from Gladiator; slightly cheating as there are three names but they are played consecutively.....so powerful; and joyful)
Every Little Thing He Does Is Magic (Shaun Colvin)
(sacrilege that I prefer this to the original, and yet......I do!)
Eye Level (Simon Park Orchestra)
(number one song when I was born; got to be enough for the top 100)
Falling Slowly (Glen Hansard/Marketa Irglova)
"Take this sinking boat, and point it home, we've still got time"
Part 2 coming soon, and we will be both freeing Nelson Mandela and letting our love open the door; if that's not going to make you come back.......you might well be a smarter person than me.....!!
Sunday, 24 February 2013
Thank You For The Music.......Champions
14 miles......done!
I almost added 'no problem' to the above, but that would be what is called in the English vernacular as....LYING!! It's a reeeally long way. There was the usual mucking about before setting off, but in the end I took it in my stride (albeit a shortening one towards the end). The route works well with predominantly downhilly bits at the start; okay, this means uphilly bits towards the end; but that's the encouraging part of that phrase; 'towards the end'. Once I hit the hardest part of the journey I am almost almost home.
Twenty-six miles does feel like a long way away; but I'm just going to have to trust the training schedules and advice of all those runners that have done before me. If you can run 18-20 miles in training, this will get you to marathon distance on the day.
The weight loss is certainly having an effect; but not quite in the way I expected. Rather than making the run easier, it feels just as hard; the difference being that I am running faster. I need to check my stopwatch, as if it is to be believed; I have just run 14 miles, a quarter hour faster than I ran the 13 miles of Newcastle (less that ten minute miles!). I don't feel like I'm going all that fast, but maybe the increased fitness is doing the trick, and 'not all that fast' is a level that is getting faster!
One mistake I did make was playing the theme tune to 'Champions' on the Ipod with a mile to go; it always gets to me. Champions is a semi-famous movie based on the true story of Bob Champion and Aldaniti; winners of the Grand National after the former underwent treatment for cancer and the latter recovered from a career-threatening injury. I remember watching the incredible race, and as you can no doubt guess, it is a very emotional a film. The theme tune is instrumental, and let me tell you I have never heard a piece of music with more feeling; it is both desperately sad, and hugely inspiring.
If there was ever a tune which was to summarise all that has gone on in the last two years - and hopefully what will be happening in the next eight weeks - this is it. The overweight man with no hope of being anything else, the personal declaration that this is unacceptable, the first faltering steps on a longer journey, and ultimately the joy of success (which, finish the marathon or not; this has still been......but I still think I will!).
So how can one instrumental track say all this? Well, you'll just have to download it to see........or......hear.......
8 weeks - 56 days - to go!
I almost added 'no problem' to the above, but that would be what is called in the English vernacular as....LYING!! It's a reeeally long way. There was the usual mucking about before setting off, but in the end I took it in my stride (albeit a shortening one towards the end). The route works well with predominantly downhilly bits at the start; okay, this means uphilly bits towards the end; but that's the encouraging part of that phrase; 'towards the end'. Once I hit the hardest part of the journey I am almost almost home.
Twenty-six miles does feel like a long way away; but I'm just going to have to trust the training schedules and advice of all those runners that have done before me. If you can run 18-20 miles in training, this will get you to marathon distance on the day.
The weight loss is certainly having an effect; but not quite in the way I expected. Rather than making the run easier, it feels just as hard; the difference being that I am running faster. I need to check my stopwatch, as if it is to be believed; I have just run 14 miles, a quarter hour faster than I ran the 13 miles of Newcastle (less that ten minute miles!). I don't feel like I'm going all that fast, but maybe the increased fitness is doing the trick, and 'not all that fast' is a level that is getting faster!
One mistake I did make was playing the theme tune to 'Champions' on the Ipod with a mile to go; it always gets to me. Champions is a semi-famous movie based on the true story of Bob Champion and Aldaniti; winners of the Grand National after the former underwent treatment for cancer and the latter recovered from a career-threatening injury. I remember watching the incredible race, and as you can no doubt guess, it is a very emotional a film. The theme tune is instrumental, and let me tell you I have never heard a piece of music with more feeling; it is both desperately sad, and hugely inspiring.
If there was ever a tune which was to summarise all that has gone on in the last two years - and hopefully what will be happening in the next eight weeks - this is it. The overweight man with no hope of being anything else, the personal declaration that this is unacceptable, the first faltering steps on a longer journey, and ultimately the joy of success (which, finish the marathon or not; this has still been......but I still think I will!).
So how can one instrumental track say all this? Well, you'll just have to download it to see........or......hear.......
8 weeks - 56 days - to go!