Always say hullo when you happen across people you used to know...

Well, it’s been a while… It looks like I’m pretty useless at this blogging thing, I’m sure the point is that I write with more regularity than every two weeks. I’ll try to be a little more productive in the future.

Something I do seem to be good at is the giving up smoking thing, it all seemed to go quite nicely to plan. I had written that I figured I’d reduced my consumption to the point of no longer being addicted, however I wasn’t total convinced of the truth myself. Having announced that I didn’t think that I would struggle I had no choice but to find out, but it turned out to be true. I’ve not had a cigarette for two and a half weeks, and I now don’t really seem to miss it. I don’t know why I didn’t do this years ago.

There have been a few fantastic things happening over the last couple of weeks, the main thing being having an old friend getting in touch with me after us not seeing each other for 11 years. After 11 years of moving around the idea of getting touch via actual addresses was now way beyond the chance of ever really being achievable. This is where the wonders of the internet take over, sharing certain interests she was reading a band’s message board, spotted something written by me and got in touch.

This chance re-meeting mostly explains my failure to actually blog anything for the last couple of weeks. All the spare time I have had to write anything have been devoted to writing to her. She lives 5000 miles away, and eight hours behind, so other forms of communication are pretty much out of the window.

I can’t say how happy catching up with someone from years ago has made me, if you ever happen across someone you once knew, no matter how fleetingly, don’t hesitate to say hello. It’s always good to bring a little cheer to someone’s day…

Anyway… I don’t really seem to be saying much here, so I’m off… with the solid intention of actually writing on a more regular basis (and hopefully with a little more substance) in the future…

wil.

A good day...

Today has been great…

I have done today more or less exactly what I wanted to do with a randomly taken day off, what I have actually done amounts to roughly nothing.

Not in a lazy slothful type nothing, I have been busy all day, working to achieve the right level of nothingness. I suppose nothing is a bit of an overstatement as I have been slightly constructive, a flowing effortless type of constructive. My house is clean & tidy, my laundry basket is empty & there is no washing up to do. I could have got everything done in an hour but no, I spent all day pottering around & the day has just flown by. I feel content.

The contentment has been helped no end by the fact that spring seems to have finally arrived, the cold spell has lifted, it’s still overcast but reasonably bright. For the first time this year I have windows in my house open, enabling me to sit here enjoying fractions of birdsong, and the smell of fresh air (or as fresh as it ever gets in the English midlands). It’s been a good day.

I have spent quite a long time reading other peoples blogs today (as well as other general faffing around on the internet). So have picked up a few list type things to have a go at (which is where the list which preceded this post came from)

Tomorrow I’m off to Worthing for a couple of days spent in meetings, which unfortunately means a 5.30am start. I don’t drive so a colleague is picking me up at around 6 (it’s a three hour journey, boo hiss). I’m looking forward to the trip, even though it’ll be hard work. As I’ve not taken part in the requirements gathering process before everything will be new and exciting, if not a little daunting…

There’s probably not going to be the opportunity to get any personal internet time, (unless the hotel has developed a nice free wireless hotspot recently), but as I seem to have posted way too much already that shouldn’t be too much of a hardship.

Anyway... off to get a nice early night…

wil

Lines from 25 random iPod tracks...

A list inspired by this posting on Mark Reed’s blog… My favourite line/lines from the first 25 songs which appeared at random on my iPod, I’ve also bunged the song & artist down in a list directly following, which I know kills the game aspect of it somewhat, but it’ll give instant gratification to anyone who wants it, if you don’t want to look then you don’t have to….

1. So now you know your ABC of juvenile delinquency, violent crime & poverty.

2. Braiding a dark red love knot into her long black hair.

3. My blood is working but my, my heart is dead.

4. Always fade out in a montage.

5. Rushing to watch your spirit fully drop.

6. You’ll learn to live like an animal in the jungle where we play.

7. I said “Leave me the way I was before”, but, you're already in there…

8. Half a man walks with no shadow, of life he utters his distaste, no apology is expected, love carved sorry in his face.

9. Today is a feast ending too early.

10. I can’t work out what it does or how it came to be.

11. You can’t have a cupboard if there ain’t no wall.

12. The ultimate in vanity, exploiting their supremacy.

13. You gotta tell your story boy, before it’s time to go.

14. I don't wanna be a pinhead no more. I just met a nurse that I could go for. (not a lot of choice of lyrics in this track…)

15. Opium dreams through the seven dials and feel the pillow over your head (I had to look these lyrics up & none of the lines are that inspiring… Good title & a fun track to listen to though)

16. He probably left her for a socialite and he didn't love her 'cept at night and then he's drunk and never even told her that he cared.

17. Pull me in to your perfect circle.

18. I hate the way it seems that the negative rules, got these fools going out for green cloth and jewels.

19. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, life moves pretty fast, you don’t stop & look around once in a while then you could miss it.

20. Goddamn right its a beautiful day.

21. Me and you are subject to the blues now and then.

22. Augusta, Georgia, late September one Mr. Brown's hot tempered this man's possessed, he's restless he's armed and dangerous, drugged and reckless.

23. I still see tenderness in your face, an innocence straight from infant days, there must be tenderness deep inside, you’re so cold… But it shows.

24. She had the sightless eyes telling me no lies knockin' me out with those American thighs. Taking more than her share she had me fighting for air, She told me to come but I was already there.

25. I would be great to die together on first day of the year cus then we’d be quite legendary, could you volunteer?

1. Perfect Day to Drop the Bomb – Carter USM.

2. Highwayman – Phil Ochs

3. Dead – The Pixies

4. Montage – Team America OST

5. Psycho – System of A down

6. Welcome to the Jungle – Guns n’ Roses

7. Cloud on my Tongue – Tori Amos

8. The Woman in You – Ben Harper

9. Sacrifice – Front 242

10. What’s it all about – Ian Mcnabb

11. The Old Laughing Lady – Neil Young

12. And Justice for all – Metallica

13. Are you ready for the country – Neil Young

14. Pinhead – The Ramones

15. The Ballad of Resurrection Joe & Rosa Whore – Rob Zombie

16. Invitation to the Blues – Tom Waits

17. Orestes – A Perfect Circle

18. Bring it – The Herbaliser

19. Track 10 Yoshimi Battles the hiphop robots – The Kleptons vs The Flaming Lips

20. Mr E’s Beautiful Blues – The Eels

21. Song Sung Blue – Neil Diamond (hmmmmm)

22. Not now James, we’re busy - PWEI (this bought a smile to my face when it started, especially as it followed Neil Diamond… Bask in the beauty of the iPod’s randomness).

23. A Plea For Tenderness – Jonathan Richman

24. You shook me all night long – AC/DC

25. Don’t let me down Gently – The Wonder Stuff

I quite enjoyed that... For completeness I should tell you that four tracks were skipped due to being either spoken word (the two that popped up were one from Zen & the art of Motorcycle Maintenance & From one from Arizona Bay by Bill Hicks) or instrumental (Ventolin - Aphex Twin & 'The Girlfriend of the Whirling Dervish' from Ultra Lounge's Mondo Exotica)

Hullo world...

I’m listening to Dave Navvarro (on the http://6767.typepad.com/# radio player) talking about smoking & gauging the timeline of events which have occurred during his 22 years of smoking, and it’s made me think…

I’ve never considered myself a smoker (in that if there are no cigarettes around then I don’t worry, when I decided to not smoke at work, in the morning or during the day it wasn’t a problem.) I only smoke a few a day, and smoke mostly when out, especially at gigs/clubs as for some reason it seems to be the right thing to do. As soon as smoking is banned in bars/venues I won’t fret. In all honesty, regardless of whether or not I consider myself a smoker very few days have passed in the last 15 years where I haven’t had at least one.

I’m fairly fit, cycle everywhere, rarely use a lift where stairs are available, walk lots, occasionally visit the gym and therefore have always figured that the short term negative aspects have been more or less negated. I’m not stupid I know long term negatives exist, but I also firmly believe that life is such a convoluted road that simply avoiding obvious potholes doesn’t guarantee a successful journey.

But listening to someone asking a question along the lines of “think of all the things that have happened in the time you have been smoking” has made me think that I have been smoking too long (it also actually made me work out how long I had been smoking & it’s a lot longer than I would have thought, if that makes any sense at all)…

I must admit that I have recently been thinking that I’ve experienced as much from tobacco as I need to & as the circumstance today is that I went to a gig last night & therefore happen to be out of tobacco, today seems like a good day to actually become a non-smoker, in more than just my own mind.

I’ve also been intending to join in this blogging fun for a while, I’m sure I’m supposed to introduce myself, to present you initially with some sort of canned biography. I have abandoned the few botched attempts I have made of writing an introduction & as I figure this has been providing me with a hurdle which I have no real desire to overcome, I’ve decided to jump straight into the sharing of my thoughts…

wil