New Music Yvonne Lyon and Helen Boulding

I saw this video and decided to get the album - it had a good groove man! - I got it through the post on Saturday, it ususally takes me ages to grow into new music; I'm already loving this though, reminds me probably quite obscurely of the Housemartins sort of poppy appeal when it first came out.
I came across Helen Boudling on a cd of singer songwriters and the standout track on it (other than the Tom McRae song) was New Red Dress by her - I've managed to scrape together an album worth of songs from singles eps etc, but her first official album is out in February.

Cheers

For all you connoisseurs of a good beer, if you can get your paws on one of these you won't regret it - beautifully sweet and honey-smooth , never sickly. I'd say you are welcome to drop by for a wee taste but that would be making it too easy - something of this quality ought to be hidden at the ends of the earth to keep it special. Thanks Charles. http://www.innisandgunn.com/index.htm if you want to read more.

Breaking and Entering for a living

My current reading material which being black and white will match the mini-theme of black & white images.

Today I got a phone call from literally around the corner of my abode to be the joiner present to gain entry to a deserted flat, which was the most likely candidate for a water leak to two flats below. The police have to be there if you have to break-in (otherwise I suppose you are breaking-in) and they would be round as soon as a joiner and plumber were there. That was 1:50PM because I thought "bang goes any thoughts of going up to the footy" - Falkirk v Aberdeen (it ought to be worth going to as we can't be involved in 3 dull games in a row).

The normal procedure is to force the door open with a crow bar - but (there is always a but) it was an identical setup to my own door having been renovated at the same time so I strongly suspected that the new doors and frames would not budge. I phoned a friend (!) to see if I could borrow his ladders. Why?? Much easier to secure a smashed window than a destroyed door. I hadn't even had a look at the door but the police were taking their time.

Customers often seem to have a laid back approach let's say, like they are putting the breaks on, forgetting you are at your work and need to get things done - so I had to inject a bit of energy into proceedings. I wanted to do as much preparation etc so I wasn't fumbling for tools keeping everyone waiting. So I had a look at the door I had to destroy and then came the CSI moment - that amazing fortunate 'break' which in real life happens once in a career but 3 or 4 an episode if you are a colleague of Hirashio - there was a glass skylight above the door and no metal bars behind it. I looked about for a camera but couldn't see one.

Once inside the plan was to chisel away at the frame to remove the lock keeper and open sesame! Let the plumber in to do his part.

Well kick-off came, 3PM; half-time came; 3:45PM, full-time came, 4:45PM and still no cops. I had to cancel my plans for the evening with Al and Kirsten. Agggh, trouble follows a joiner around like a cat and a saucer of cream.

Eventually a police car pulls up just as the Manchester United v Aston Villa game starts.

With an audience of four - beating a hasty retreat - the pressure on though - the front sheet of glass breaks OK, then the wire glass does the same. phew. Then I had to get into the room but feet first from standing on the top edge of a ladder, as there was an eight foot drop on the other side - heed first wasn't a very good option. But I did stretch and contort enough to get in. Inside it felt a bit eerie, as if it had been abandoned in another century or even millennium. Paradoxically it was also a little too well lived in, but it wasn't like I was in invited guest was it!

I thought I'd be a little hero and see if I could spot the leak - sure enough under the sink, the valve to the washing machine was dripping, swift turn and leak over. Plumber can go - without lifting a wrench.

Policemen were happy with the couple of dozen screws I boarded up the hole with.

Despite all the easy sitting around for the plumber and I, it was both our first break-in but all the time the unknown was hanging over us. Still it worked out in the end

As for the footie, Aberdeen scraped a draw 0-0 with Falkirk, not exactly setting the heather on fire. But I'm sure it was better entertainment than watching the scores coming up on the tele-printer.

The plastering was a success yesterday - starting to get a real buzz out of it -trying to line up another wall for next week.

Computer Doesn't Know What It's Doing - Its a Computer

I went to see Handel's Messiah yesterday at the Concert Hall - the second of January. I'm glad I went. I must have enjoyed it, at half time (sorry the interval) I really was looking forward to the next part. Last time I was there was for REO Speedwagon and Deep Purple before that. Both of them pretty good. With the classical concert there was something more 'grand' about it - with the fantastic singers and huge choir at the rear and all the other musicians -with the conductor like a wee Van Der Graaf Generator in the centre of it all - there was a living-room performance feel about it - where the performers and audience were sharing a bit of camaraderie - there's always a bit of idol worship (in the colloquial sense) when the writer and performer of the original material is there for a 'rock' concert I think.

I managed to use my 2002 underground ticket for the last time. Despite being told I had 8 journeys left at Partick, my return from Buchanan Street was halted by the ticket barrier instructing me to 'Seek Assistance' in worrying red letters - which I did only to be told 'computer says no' by the attending lady. There is something about the sickly cogs that turn around in our neo-American rules and regulation obsessed society that is inanely impersonal and incredibly disrespectful to the individual. OK rant over, I feel a little better. Now that I'm thinking about it, what about all these street cameras - I noticed a new one less than a hundred yards from my house tonight - are they really necessary - of course they aren't - everyone that goes up takes away a tiny bit from our dignity and privacy. Like global warming though its so incremental the worries of the day just drown it all out.

I plastered a bit of a wall today - and it was by no means a disaster - having done a weekend introduction at the start of December the key was practice but it would have been easy to get cold feet. Anyhow my friend also on the course was more than happy for us to get started on the walls of a room he is in the process of putting a kitchen into, so I was able to do the less visible parts. The results I would say are 'passable with care' like the road north. Ha ha.

I watched Notes On a Scandal on DVD tonight. I love both Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett. It possibly lags a little but not enough to actually want to switch it off. It was quite a disturbing movie, not in something like a weird backwater town in America having a guilty secret - more everyday - with the study of the way people can use one another to try to get close in an attempt to alleviate loneliness or get some other benefit. Available if anyone wants to borrow it.

More plastering planned for tomorrow, smaller wall which I will do all myself - lots and lots still to do better.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all and sundry. May you all have a happy and prosperous year.
Personally I'm looking forward to whatever it brings. Nothing dramatic planned but open to possibilities.

There's Gold In Scotland

I found this on a website recently - there are some modern day prospectors scouring the streams of Scotland for gold. I doubt if its a good way to make a living, I think it would cost you more in food to give you enough energy and warmth than you could cash in for precious metal for.
However I confess to being a little that way inclined myself. We spent some of our family holidays in the far north of Scotland finding some where there had even once been a mini-goldrush. I couldn't make a man out of it like this but maybe if our family had pooled together we could have done something similar. Not the queen's nose though.
I have been slightly inspired by the Scottish goldpanners website i saw this on to go and try some real prospecting but I doubt it will happen. It would be great if I could use my degree in Geology and Applied Geology to some profitable benefit.
Talking of rocks I saw the funniest thing in someones house recently - some pink/rose quartz sitting in a tumbler of water in the kitchen - some kind of new age thing. I cracked up when I saw it. Some of these things are pretty far-out. It was funny though.

Speaks for itself

My friend Ian drew this for a friend with a pink room! Give it a click to see in full size to see at its best.