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......

• 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

So here - in alphabeticalelltl order - are the first twenty-five, along with of course the reasons why they have made it into the charts (cue the 'pick of the pops' music....oroit, not 'arf....)

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.....!!

Weigh in (86)

I could kind of see this coming. One pound on, weighing in at 15 stone 9 pounds; damn it.

Slipped again I'm afraid. Fallen off the wagon - again!! - succumbing to cheese on and cookies with my Subways. Add to this missing an exercise session and that was enough to do the trick. The trick being making a pound of flesh magically reappear! TA-DAAAAAAAAAA!!

As usual, no excuses, but the sniffles have knocked my willpower, not to mention my control. As if the usual challenges associated with running a long way aren't enough, I am now having to deal with a rebellious body. It's letting me down big time at the moment, and it's getting to me. Can't deny it, I am feeling decidedly sorry for myself tonight. Got that 'WHAT ELSE DO I HAVE TO DO GOD?????!!' sort of feeling.

Other than that; life is peachy with a side of keen.......

Sorry if this turns non-fans of the sport off, but these weigh-ins feel a lot like supporting a football team. You get on the scales/go to the match on a Friday evening/Saturday afternoon so full of hope for a good result; if you get it, great! if not....misery. The trauma however is short lived, as after the initial shock you are already looking forward, towards the next game/weigh-in; and hope grows again. I just hope that my weigh-ins prove a better bet than Stockport County!   

I suppose I should be grateful for the small mercy that it is only one pound on and nothing worse. All in all, not a good day........

Re-grouping tomorrow......I hope.......!

......51 days until the you know where, you know what......

OUCH!!

I think I might be in a bit of trouble.

You remember that king-sized blister I mentioned last night? Well it is really, REALLY painful. Walking on it is a bit tricky, so you can forget running. What's more is that I'm sure the calf injury is as a result of the blister....blister on foot = running instinctively trying to avoid putting weight on said blister = straining the leg = guess what??? injuring muscles in said leg.

If only I had worked this out before it happened then it might not have happened (who am I trying to kid??....I'd still have gone blundering out running when I shouldn't!) as now it is looking suspiciously like a no-running weekend. I am not prepared to risk the war for the sake of a battle. A few days rest and then carrying on is surely going to be a better option than going out for a run and REALLY knackering my leg, and along with it my chances of running London.

I can't help but be worried. Things were going so well, and now I am going backwards merely by standing still. Not fun.

Like so many things however, I can moan by arse off about it, but it's still going to have to be the same decision. So; I can make the decision, and waste the weekend in worry, or I can make the decision and enjoy the rest, catch up on all that 'stuff' that keeps piling up, and get my leg and foot back to full fitness. Does that sound like a no-brainer to you?? Yep, me too.

Also going to use the weekend to find a solution to the blister thing (sorry to keep going on about it, but it HURTS!!) - asides from not being an idiot and running 14 miles in a new pair of running shoes that is - I feel some googling coming on.

Long journey home tonight as usual, and it's time for a very early night. Had my beans on toast for tea, and the electric blanket should by now be the approximate temperature of a nuclear reactor (it's chilly out theeeerre! nothing better than hopping into a toasty - or in this case third-degree burn scalding - bed!!).

Nightie night.

P.S. 52 days......