Picture

A picture from when my parents stayed in the summer.

Podular

The i-pod. A wonderful piece of technology that allows you take your music where ever you go or a wonderful piece of technology that allows others to know how cool you are? I am sure that somewhere in the world (probably here in California) there is a university that is studying i-pods and their use. Exactly how much music on someone’s i-pod is for their benefit and how much is to impress others?

All of us have our guilty little secrets when it comes to music. I for one have a terrible weakness for certain pop songs by manufactured bands. The music you listen to can define just how cool you are but it can also do the reverse. And there can sometimes be a fine line between the two.

An example of the fine line is what just happened to me. I was listening to the Covers play list that I have created (the CD is ready and will be sent out in the next few weeks – it’s not too late to get your order in). One of the songs on there is a cover of Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’ by crooner Pat Boone. I had never heard of Pat Boone but he is well known here as a kind of Neil Sedaka light. I don’t have any of his other albums but I do have his No More Mr Nice Guy – Pat Boone sings Metal, CD. On with the story I was sat at my desk listening to my i-pod when someone approached with some work. They asked what I was listening to. Now they didn’t want to the whole story of how I am obsessed with covers, and how I don’t have anything else by Pat Boone, so I told them Pat Boone – and they looked at me with great disappointment. I have managed to go down in their estimation due to the music I was listening to. I really wish it had been something cool like Just Jack, Rairbirds, Mindless Drug Hoover or S Club…..

Congratulations - Caroline & Douglas

Congratulations to Caroline & Douglas who gave birth to their 1st child recently. Ellis Newall Maxwell was born at 7lbs 8 0z. Here they are in Kew Gardens a few months before the birth - if they look shell shocked they probably were as they were there with us and the Jacksons - 5 kids all under 5 years old - it was messy.

A small note about punctuation

Not by any stretch of the imagination could I be described as a punctuation or spelling Nazi. I for example, never fully understood all I was tuaght about grammar at school. I am happy enough spelling the correct there/their/they're so don't worry too much about other people grammar and spelling.

Well that was until Facebook came along with Attack (I may have mentioned this game before). There is a place for players to chat while the game is going on, normally this is banal, although it can be useful in trying to convince players to attack someone else rather than me. However, the other night a guy is on the chat part spouting crap and whilst it normally washes over me, he decided to say the following" Nick your a sad man". Now the sentiment is agreeable - I am indeed a very sad man - that is evidenced by me playing Attack on Facebook, but I decided to point out that in fact it should be you're a sad man, not your. Now I guess this proved his point again, but he responded with "were playing a game I'm not going to be grammatically right". Now I had to point out that it was "we're" and using the word right was not, um, er, right. Correct would be much nicer. He flipped his lid and said some choice words, only to storm out of the game. Well I say storm - obviously I couldn't see him leave but he left the game and I like to imagine him in a huff.

By the way if you find any grammatical errors in this piece, I placed it there on purpose.

Give Thanks

Thanksgiving has been and gone which means that all the shops have moved into Christmas overdrive. Everywhere I go now there are Christmas decorations, and Christmas music playing. It doesn't feel like Christmas though as I can still go around in a t-shirt (although not shorts).

We had a mellow Thanksgiving as Emma was away with her Dad. Ellie doesn't eat much so we didn't by the small turkey in Safeway (it was 10lbs and that was the smallest one) so we got a chicken and did a nice roast. We did some shopping, Jen watched around 12 episodes of What Not to Wear, and this is why I am not wearing shorts - just joking.

Might as well Face book it, you're addicted

Ok so I am slowly slipping into an addictive state with facebook and their Attack game (Risk by another name). Damn them and their stupid games. Of course I am starting to think about the possibilities of setting up an intercontinental tournament with some guys from the UK...but more on that later (how excited you must be).

Facebook is also making me feel a little homesick. There are all these people that you are friends with and you get to see what they are up to. It is strange realising that life is going on without you, and all the fun things I used to do with my friends (amazingly Risk was never high on the list of things we did) still happen - but I am not there. Facebook also raises interesting etiquite issues - how many times can you ignore a request (judging by some of you it is many times) before it is rude or you have to accept? Then there is the foolish move of accepting a friend request from someone you shouldn't.

Anyway I have posted some photos on Facebook, so do check them out, easier to put a load up there then on here.

The other thing I have been working on recently (apart from the house!) is my album of the year. I have always maintained if an idea is worth anything it is worth steeling, so thanks to Stu & Jon (I can't remember who came up with the idea 1st, perhaps a bar decathalon will decide it?) I am making my own album of the year. Now whilst their albums of the year are edgy, and have the most cutting edge of the modern music scene, mine doesn't. Marriage and kids have mellowed me out. But having said that if you want a copy send me an email with your address and I will send you a copy. There is also a bonus disc of the cover versions that I have discovered this year, and anyone that received last years version will tell you that it promises to be an interesating listen - David Essex singing Light My Fire anyone?

Finally the picture is of Ellie with her shirt that Jon & Helen bought her - thanks guys.

Mellow Yellow

Our house and all of the other houses in our neighbourhood do not have letter slots in our doors; instead we have central mail boxes situated along the side of the road where you go to collect your post. The mail boxes themselves are not huge but enough to get most letters or packages in. But for those really big parcels there are 2 big lockers that have keys. If you get a parcel the post man (or woman) will place the parcel in the big locker, lock it, and place the key in your normal mail box.

So when I arrived at our mail box last night and opened it to discover that I had a key to one of the lockers, I was very excited. My birthday had just been so what great present had someone sent me. I could hardly wait. My hands were trembling as I opened the door, to discover that it was our copy of the Yellow Pages. I can not repeat here what I said out loud.