16 June 2014 (Monday) - This N That

I spent a few minutes yesterday evening and this morning looking at the calendar for the next few weeks and months. I had several plans in mind which I hadn't actually written down; I've now updated my calendar for the summer months.

Bearing in mind how few camping events we have this year I'm also looking to next summer to get some camping events pencilled in. There's a Kent Mega geo-event at the first bank holiday in May next year, and a simular event in Essex at the end of July. In the past I've been to kite events, but they can be rather dispproving of people who aren't actually flying kites for every hour of every day.

And then brekkie. "Furry Face ^TM" was apparntly worn out from yesterdays walk and snored through tis morning's episode of "The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin"; a classic episode in which Reggie went to a safari park.

Off to work. As I drove I had a wry smile at the rain. I had been rather conscious that had things gone to plan we would have been camping this weekend. Monday morning would have been "take-down" when we put the tents away. Had we actually been camping this weekend, this morning I would have been faced with the job of taking home a load of wet tents and then struggling to get them dried out. I was glad I didn't have that worry today.

Once at work I phoned the CT scan people - they'd made an appointment for my nose scan at a time I could not do. I've managed to reschedule it for rather early on a morning when I am on a late shift. That will leave me at a loose end in Canterbury for a couple of hours. I suppose I could either have a sax practice or go off on a geo-mission. Both would pass the time.

Talking of sax practice, today's went rather well. With minimal squawkiness I've made a good start at "You Are My Sunshine" and "Once in Royal David's City". Maybe not appropriate for this time of year, but I'm pleased with how it's turned out.

Whilst I was tootling away today I slowly realised that I was being watched. Some posh-looking chap in a suit was walking toward me. He was all smiles and announced that I was "an inspiration". He was very impressed with my tunefulness; he looks forward to hearing me play every lunchtime (he must he hard of hearing!) and asked how I found the time to practice. He was amazed when I told him that I practiced at lunchtimes; it was my practicing that he hears every day. He seemed shocked that I wasn't "doing proper playing" with my sax but just practicing.

It turned out that this chap was under the impression that I found time to practice at home and then spent my lunchtimes serenading a mostly empty car park as some sort of a voluntary public service.

I smiled politely whist wondering what goes through some people's heads. What kind of a twit did this fellow take me for?

An early start made for an early finish. It would have been good to have taken "Furry Face ^TM" for an extended walk this evning, but the fine persistent rain got us both soaked after only five minutes. Instead we came home and put laundry into the washing machie. And with "er indoors ^TM" of bowling the rest of the evening was spent ironing that laundry. As I ironed I watched "The Forsyte Saga"; I do like period dramas...

15 June 2014 (Sunday) - Hollingbourne

Over brekkie social media was all abuzz. Apparently we lost last night. I wasn't aware of anything being missing. After a little research I sorted out the misunderstanding. "We" was (is) the English football team and *they* were beaten by the Italian fotball team last night.

Once again I fiind myself being amazed by the popularity of football. For such a simple game it is amazingly popular. I just wish it wasn't rammed down our throats at every turn. No matter with whom I speak, every time I make the slightest comment which isn't overly enthusiastically effusive about how wonderful football is, I am faced with rather offensive personal bitter abuse about how lame my personal interests are. I agree the world might not like oil painting, sci-fi or playing poker. But the world isn't currently faced with mindless hysteria about these activities at every turn.

And talking of pesonal interests, today was spent on one of these. Seven of us (and two small dogs) met up in Hollingbourne and we off for a little stroll. Usually our routes are laid out along geo-trails; today's routes was cobbled together from two small trails so some judicious map reading was in order. Only taking one wrong turn iin twelve miles, I don't think we did too badly.

We found all twenty of our target geocaches; including one which was in an underground bunker. We even found a pub half way round the walk for a crafty pint. You can't beat a pint of Spitfire after several miles. The beer garden featured a family happily using the play equipment. The young boy of the family had tiddled himself; mum and dad hadn't noticed and I wasn't going to tell them.

Today's walk was also a trial run for "The World's Sexiest Hat" which (it has to be said) exceeded the expectations of even it's most ardently enthuusiastic supporters. The hat will feature in more of our Sunday walks; which will be something to which we can all look forward.

As always I took some photos whilst we were out. Including some of the hat.

With "er indoors ^TM" off bowling I settled in front of the telly, put on "Doctor Who - Death to the Daleks" and promptly fell asleep. It was a disappointment...

14 June 2014 (Saturday) - To Church

It sounds like some new people have moved in next door; I heard voices at 7am; then I went back to sleep for a bit. I finally got up shortlly after 9am and took "Furry Face ^TM" round the park where we played with his ball. He's still struggling to understand the concept of "fetch"; he either tries to eat the ball, or runs off chasing it until it stops bouncing at which point he looses interest and goes off sniffing after whatever else he can find.

On our walk today we attacked Bernie, played with Ralph, chased a squirrel up a tree, fought with another Patagonian Tripe-Hound, and scared a "duckie" who looked like he was "good with colours" and/or "baked a moist sponge".

This "duckie" was rather precious: every time Fudge (or any other dog) went near his dog (which looked somewhat like an effeminate feather duster) the "duckie" shrieked, picked his dog up and minced in circles until the offending pooches went away. I do hope this "delightful fellow" won't be a permanent fixture in the Viccie Park dog walking scene. There are enough "plums" there already; we don't need any more who feel that their pampered pooch should be the only dog allowed in the park.

I did have something of a sulk tooday; by rights we should have been camping this weekend. The second full weekend in June has traditionally been the first Teston kite festival of the year.

But for various reasons (which I have blogged to death in the past) June Teston doesn't happen any more; which is a shame.

Last night Jason gave me a cheque for the astro club; I thought I'd pay it into the bank so I drove to town. At the very last minute I remembered that I still had the roof box on the car. Woops. Haivng narrowly avoided smacking the box off of the car I went to a car park without height barriers which I could get into. I paid the money into the bank, I got a McBanana milk shake for lunch, and I got myself a sexy new hat too.

Whilst out and about I got petrol. For over two years I've been getting petrol in Canterbury as it's cheaper there than in Ashford. A new place has opened on Ashford's ring road doing the cheapest petrol for miles around. I coulnd't turn that down.

On to my sax lesson which went well. My intermittent squawkiness is due to my embrochure. Apparently. I'm not getting a consistent seal of my gob around my mouthpiece. Teacher's sax has a much flatter mouthpiece. She gave me a website of a place in Crowborough which does all sorts of saxohone bits and pieces. But nothing on their website is cheap. A new mouthpiece looks to cost more than my entire saxophone cost me in the first place. But Crowborough isn't *that* far away. I could go for a day out, if nothing else. Looking at the map it's not a million miles away from Telescope House; I might blag the asto club into a day trip.

"Daddies Little Angel ^TM" came to visit; she'd had a twenty-something week scan. Her and "Spudgun" (the baby's latest name) seem to be doing well. I played my sax at her until she said it sounded nice, then we drove her home.

And so to church. Enrique was being confirmed. The service was interesting; it was conducted by the Bishop's stunt double, the Bishop himself having recently croaked. His sermon was wonderful to hear. He started off with some serious sensible and reasonable propositions and slowly introduced aspects of religious uncertainty. So slowly and insiduously were they introduced that suddenly complete gibberish was being presented as plausible fact. Mind you I did have more than a passing snigger at the alter-boy who looked just like the TV detective Columbo.

However as easy as it wold be to ridicule the entire thing I found myself watching the priest and the lance-Bishop intently. No matter how nonsensical their propositions, from their expressions it was clear they fervently beleived in it.

Afterwards Maria had put on a buffet. Very tasty...

13 June 2013 (Friday) - Curry

After a reasonable night's sleep "Furry Face ^TM" allowed me most of my toast as I watched "Family Guy". And leaving the dishwasher doing its thing I set off to work. My piss boiled as I drove to work. I listened to the news. There is yet more conflict in the Middle East; Sunnies are fighting with Shites again. Part of me knows that thousands of innocents are caught up in someone else's battles. Part of me wonders if it wouldn't be best to just let them fight it out until they've all killed each other off.

Work was busy; sax practice went well. I came honme to find we'd had a copy of the Sun newspaper delivered. I'd heard about this on the telly at work; because of the football the publishers of the Sun paper had decided to give a copy to pretty much everyone in the UK. I wish they hadn't; it was rather jingoistic rubbish.

Apparently the citizens of Liverpool are up in arms at the audacity of the publishers of the Sun newspaper for daring to do this becuse of some indiscretion of the newspaper some twenty-odd years ago.

Why can't anyone make any effort to get on?

We then went into town for a birthday meal. A few beers, a curry, another beer, insults bandies, "woof"s shouted...

I woke un in front of the telly at 4.30am this morning and then went to bed...

12 June 2014 (Thursday) - Bridge

Being on a late start I took "Furry Face ^TM" round the park for a walk. As we made our way there we avoided a small child (several times) as she wobbled all over the path on her pedal bike. Whilst she did this her mother screamed abuse at her for daring to be wobbling about. I felt rather sorry for the littlun; after all as anyone who's ever cycled will know, cycling at walking pace is very difficult. You do need to go a bit faster to avoid wobbling and/or falling off. And every time this poor child tried to speed up, so her harpie mother started shrieking at her to slow down.

But harpies notwithstanding our walk went well; Fudge enjoyed playing fetch with his new rubber ball. I say "fetch" - when I throw the ball he runs after it and chews it until I catch up with him. What was once a nice ball now has some serious teeth marks in it.

And so off to work for the late shift. I've had this idea that when on a late shift I might lighten the morning by going on a minor geo-mission before work. It was a plan which certainly worked last week. Today I thought I might go on a little geocaching stroll round the village of Bridge. I had a wander of a couple of miles around some rather beautiful scenery. Not a bad way to spend a morning.

As I drove to Bridge there had been an article on the radio about the seventeenth century scientist Robert Boyle. What at first might sound rather dull was actually surprisingly interesting. It would have been better had they interviewed an expert without a speech impediment. Stammers do not make for good radio shows, especially when when when every third word word word is repeated three three three times during the interview interview interview.

As I drove from Bridge there was a program on the radio featuring the unsung heroes who are the wives of those in the diplomatic service. I listened to this with some fascination; but wondered if there was much truth in what they were saying. I shall have to find out from a reliable source. I will be seeing one such in a few weeks time.

My phone rang. The first fruit of my loin was free to take my garden waste to the tip. He seemed somewhat crestfallen to hear I was on the way to work. But I told him where the lawn clippings were, and said he didn't need me to supervise him taking them to the tip. He's got his instructions...

And as I walked from the distant car park towards work there were two unshaven simpletons having a heated conversation at a bus stop. One was shouting "you don't know what the trouble is" to which the other was replying "I'll tell you what the trouble is"; both were repeating their phrase like stuck records.

Personally I didn't know what the trouble was, and I would like to have known what the trouble was; but I didn't have the heart to ask...

11 June 2014 (Wednesday) - Kearsney Abbey

My dog woke me at 5.30am with a minor woofing fit. Something was worrying him; he seemed keen to get outside so I let him into the garden where he ran round the pond a few times before coming back to the house with something of a satisfied air about himself.

He then settled on my lap and slept whilst I watched "Family Guy" until it was time to go to work.

Today's news on the radio was a tad dull in comparison to yesterdays, which was as well for the volatility of my piss. The medical community are up in arms about statins. Those who make and sell the things have announced that they are the best thing since sliced bread. Those who deal with the nasty side-effects of those drugs aren't so sure. Are they wonder-drugs? I don't know, but I'm certainly not going to put up with the unwanted side effects of headaches, muscle pains, cramps, vomiting, dire rear, rashes and difficulty sleeping (!) just on some vague and unsubstantiated suggestion that I might or might not have heart problems ten years down the line.

Neither was I overly impressed with the news that whilst my gas and leccie bills are going through the roof, the wholesale prices of gas and electricity have fallen.

Since last year the power company is getting gas for nearly forty per cent less than they had been paying. Leccie is twenty per cent cheaper too. Or, to be more precise, it is twenty per cent cheaper to them. It's actually dearer for me.

The lunchtime sax practice went well. As always I set up at the end of the car park and make a noise on my saxophone. There are resurfacing works going on in the car park at the moment, and part of the car park is fenced off. As I was wrestling with a rather difficult B-flat a passing normal person started haranguing me. He wanted to walk through the car park (as part of a short cut to somewhere) and he wasn't impressed that his short cut had been fenced off. How long did I intend keeping my fence up? My protestations that i was a saxophonist and nor a car park resurfacer fell on deaf ears. Obviously the fence was my responsibility; why else would I be in a car park?

In the end I told him that I was on my lunch break; and perhaps he might pretend he hadn't seen me. He smiled and climbed through the fence. As I carried on "In Dulce Jubilo" I watched him being stopped by the genuine car park resurfacers who were taking none of his lip.

Once home we put the lead onto "Furry Face ^TM" and took him for a drive and then a walk. First of all we had something of a geo-mission. At the weekend I'd solved a geo-puzzle using the old "hot or cold" game in which you get told whether you are hot or cold in relation to how close you are to whatever it is you are trying to find. It's rather tricky on a web page, but a concerted effort with an Excel spreadsheet and a couple of hours of effort gave me the location. This evening I thought this might make a suitable geocache to be my three thousand five hundredth find. It did.

From here we went on to Kearsney Abey for a little wander. Fudge fell in the fiver whilst chasing ducks. I didn't laugh much...

10 July 2014 (Tuesday) - Too Little; Too Late

After an early brekkie spent watching "Family Guy" I set off to work for an early shift. As I started my drive the radio was playing the National Anthem in honour of Prince Philip's ninety-third birthday which I thought was a nice touch. And perhaps a sign of the times, maybe.

Is this a welcome resurgence in national pride or just symptomatic of the current trend of extremist jingoism?

The very next item on the radio featured the need for school governors to have training in what is expected from them in being a school governor following the scandal in Birmingham. Mind you, I blame the Government entirely. If a Government washes its hands of all responsibility of what goes on in schools, one can hardly be surprised when religious crackpots use schools as training grounds for their own personal versions of crackpot-religion-inspired lunacy. And then be even more surprised when the right-wing racists start getting ahead in the opinion polls.

I was rather worried about the subsequent announcement from the Education Secretary that all schools are now to promote "British Values". Don't get me wrong - I'm all for it in theory. However this is something which should have been done years ago. With many of our schools facing pupils for whom English is a second language, promoting "British Values" is going to be something of an uphill struggle for those faced with doing the promoting. "British Values" is going to appear to be stark nonsense to those who've been living in Britain all their lives without knowing anything of its language or culture. And the whole thing can only fuel the preconceptions and prejudices of the ever growing racist minority in Britain today.

Ten years down the line we might have a better society for this initiative, but for now it will be hard work for all concerned.

It's just rather frustrating that all this nastiness was predicted fifty years ago.