Just had the sad but inevitable news that my brother’s dog – Dileas – has had to be put to sleep after a slow decline over the last few months. He was a lovely dog and with a very special nature – he was a companion with me on a few runs – sometimes just him and me in the days before we got Elvis – and particularly gentle with children. Continue reading “Dileas – an old friend moves on.”
Had a lovely time this weekend with our old mates Andrew and Denise in Ripple, near Upton on Severn. The catalyst for going down there was an invitation from Andrew to come and run in the Forest of Deal half marathon, so it meant that it was a weekend of fun, leisure, and food, but also one of fitness payback. Continue reading “A weekend in Ripple and a trip to the Forest of Dean”
Well… after three gruelling trips to car showrooms and a load of time spent looking on the web at prices, deals, dealers, and cycling (well – some pleasure was needed), we settled on a sensible, comfy, safe option (read: “Unimaginative, square”). It’s fun to see a clean car in our driveway though, and one without internal baby sick smells is a unique experience bound to change our lives for a good few days!
I’m being over cynical – I must admit I like the tinted child windows (so roadside onlookers can’t see vomiting) and the alloy wheels make it look a good deal more blingy than any Vauxhall Safira can be. I also love driving an automatic after wanting one ever since I first drove one.
Let the fun begin… Just built this up over a few days after Matthew got the frame for an utter bargain on eBay. Raiding my parts box, shopping around prudently on eBay and nice discounts on finishing kit from Wheelbase meant that it cost me a grant total of £314. I’m going to have some fun, aspecially with Lily’s new Islabike also here this week…
It’s world book day today and they’re all dressing up as a charachter from a book at Lily’s school. My tough, toothless bike racing little girl is dressed as Tinkerbell. Continue reading “Lily as Tinkerbell”
A fine weekend of walking in Wales just gone. My cousin Adrian brings together ten or so of us each year at this time for a trip to the hills. Continue reading “Cadair Idris and the Rhinogydd – another lovely weekend of gentlemanly leisure”
Discovered a few lovely Smiths covers by accident whilst enjoying Morrissey’s wonderful and powerful latest album. Continue reading “Smiths Covers”
We spent ages weighing up the pros and cons of a big holiday with a little baby. It’s a big deal really trying to get things right because we wanted to get on with things and have some fun – for Lily, Katie and I – but to have a bit of sanity / settled, relaxed homeliness for Elsie (now nine months). Continue reading “Our half term hols… Peebles and Edinburgh”
On the eve of being nine months old, our little girl Elsie has crawled across the floor today. A full three months ahead of Lily, she seems very eager to get moving. Mild panic as we realised we needed to get hold of a stair gate, Now on order. Doors shut in the mean time.
Just had a few random tracks playing in the background when I was working yesterday and heard one of my old tracks pop up – GSOH. I really enjoyed listening to it again after a long layoff.
High point for me is still the lovely sample I nabbed from recording a play on radio 4 – Alan Bennet saying “Go you hear that? That’s the bass – giving the beat”.
It was one of the first tracks that I made when i moved away from using big loop samples and sequencing my own synths and drums..
From the album ‘Living With the Pond Life‘.
Merchandise‘s new single arrived with me yesterday and seeing the cover, that familiar toon style of illustration and the brown/orange thang is really starting to stamp the Merchandise brand on all that they do. Continue reading “Listen Up! by Merchandise”
Lily lost her first top tooth on Sunday and looks like a classic little cheeky girl now – if she didn’t do before. It’s been wobbly for ages. In a strange ironic tooth equity occurence, on the same day, Elsie popped out her first top tooth – on the same side that Lily’s departed.
