No place like nome

Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead.
Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow.
Do not walk beside me either, just bugger off and leave me alone!!!!!
(old zen quote)

You may remember I wrote to the occupier of the house that I was born in. I was cheekily asking if I may revisit the garden where me and my mate next door had our Bat cave (the outside bog) and take a few photo's for my old dad.I enclosed a photo of myself as a baby and included numerous contact details so the present occupiers could check me out.

I had a reply this morning in the post.
It said 'No'!!!!

An old picture of me above conducting the 9th/12th Lancers band in Vienna. The one piece I loved to conduct was 'Masquerade' by Khachaturian. The hairs on my chest (where else) still stand up when I hear it.

Into town today with my partner ,who was after her 1000 pair of shoes. I could not believe how many folk were buying things after Xmas??? Surely Santa could not have been that bad?

Having to make my usual dash to the towns facilities I was horrified that every trap was taken. Some guy walked past me just as someone came out and nabbed the bog??? Another guy came in and I said in a loud voice, that if anyone else pushed in I would lynch them.....they didn't. In fact they walked out and I felt quite embarrassed that I had said it. Still it was an emergency!!!

Billy no Mates

A wise old man once said to me 'People don't listen, they just wait for their turn to speak'
At least, I think that is what he said?

I may be indecisive, I am not sure. I know I am pigged off that I have ordered a new different size mouthpiece for my new bone (which I have not got yet) and that arrived yesterday. So I spent the whole of last nights practice trying each one and convincing myself, that one was better than the other??? Time will tell.

Fascinating programme about UFO's (I believe in them) and a possible cover up with secretly developed super aircraft. Germany was way ahead during the war and was on the brink of developing a super fighter. It was saucer shaped and it's take off pad was known as the fly trap. If it had been developed we could have been in serious doo doo.

In the USA and Area 51 it is widely rumoured (and evidence exists) that an aircraft has been built that can fly 8000 miles and hour!!!! That's over 2 miles a second. That might have helped me in my trip to work today ,as the 10 miles took over an hour!!!

Having had no chance for lunch today I decided to have a quick look on the works PC at my Face Book page. I forgot to log out and when a so called mate went to look into his account, he went straight to mine.
He thought it would be funny to accept some friend requests. There was one person from the past that I had never any intention of being friends with (as I never was) and out of the 50+ requests he clicked on that one. I have now had to close my account down, effectively cutting myself off from some old friends. I will never forgive him for this.

Mandella

We went to the mortuary of one local hospital today and to say that it was full, would be an understatement.

Over the 2 Day Xmas period they received 52 deaths. On new years day 53?

I asked how much in percentage, would be due to flu related illness and they said quite high.

Again my anger levels shot up, as it is no doubt due to people 'struggling' on and not giving a damn if they infect anyone older or weaker than themselves.
It has to stop with the employer. They have to be more lenient if a member of staff is ill and especially on the wards of Hospitals.
If you are diseased with the Flu then stay at home!!!!!! and keep it to yourself.

I should get my new bone next week hooray.

Earnest Henley may not be a name that is familiar with you. But he wrote a marvellous and poignant poem called 'Invictus'
It made so much of an impact on me that I now have the word emblazoned on a new beanie hat??

Why????

Because I can!!

On the news today.
Because of the Water shortage in Ireland. The Belfast Government have decided to drain lanes 7 and 8 at the local swimming baths?

Walking backwards for Xmas

My new bone is still residing in France and I am unlikely to get it before next week, as it is still at the shop boo! It is ironic then, that the bone I am playing now, never has sounded as good last night!!! I think it knows it's days are numbered.

I greatly admire our top trombone player. His jazz is phenomenal. We now share a similar talent. He was diagnosed with IBS!!!! However he puts it down to a bug, so his guts are back to normal, unlike mine after the 20 lbs of Stilton I have consumed over Chrimbo.

We have a couple of guys who we bring in, when we are short handed at work. Short is probably the operative word, as we affectionately call them the 'Umpahlumpahs'!!! Not the best drivers in the world, but one of them volunteered to drive the second Limo. When it was mentioned that there would be a long reverse down a street, I offered to drive it for him.
In his broad accent he replied 'Arr cud reverse it donwnt M1'

Well lets hope there are not many Lampposts down the Motorway, as only 20 feet into the reverse he backed the Limo into a Lamppost!!!!!!!!! I was in the lead Limo following him down and noticed he had been up the pavement a few times (this was a wide road) but did not realise until we got to the crem, that he had pranged it. The boss ain't going to be to happy when he gets back!!!

When I started to lose my hair in the Army, I used the Charlton Comb Over method, as seen above!!!! What was I thinking??

Wunderbra

Had a text from Germany this morning, to say my new mouthpiece is on the way? Service or what.
Trouble is. I have no idea where my new Trombone is, as it is somewhere between France and here.
I have to keep reminding myself , that today is Tuesday and I am playing tonight. It feels like a Monday.
There is a great female singer called Jo Lawry who is backing Sting. I have just had an e mail from her after I wrote to say how good I thought she was. She took the time to reply even though she is on a World tour!!!

Straight back into the traffic jams and stress this morning. Did we really have Xmas?

I have no idea where the photo above was taken but they keep appearing on Face Book and are bringing back memories.

Just thinking. The closest I have ever come to 3 in a bed was when I dated a Schizophrenic?

Navel Manoeuvres

I have decided to have a root inside my drawers!!! and try and chuck away some of the things that may one day come in useful, but as yet ,never have. I am sure this is a bloke thing.
I mean ,I have been hanging on to a ton of belly button fluff for years? thinking that one day I could stuff a pillow?
Having said that, I have been to an antique fayre today and purchased more tat? which I am sure will come in useful as well.
The annoying thing I did find when cleaning out the cupboards, and was hidden behind the Ronco Jumper fluff remover. Was a small shank mouthpiece arghhhhh. I have just ordered one from France and could have saved myself a fortune. Still it will give me chance to experiment as it is a different size.

Talking of 'blowing' it was a good night at Band last night and a packed house. I even managed to get through a new solo which, with a lip like leather, was a miracle in itself. With reference to above, I now have a ton of mystery raffle prizes to give away (including the BB Fluff)

Back to the grind tomorrow and what with no wage rise in 3 years I reckon it is going to be a lean year for any more spending. Petrol is on the rise big time and I am travelling over a 100 miles a week to work so it's a bit of a tank drainer to say the least. I am sure that the rich are getting richer though, so that's nice isn't it?????????????

Going Up

I am quite hardened to the job I do. I have seen things that some can only imagine in a nightmare. However I did have a lump in my throat on New Years Eve when we were called out to recover the body of someone who had fallen in the river and perished. He was out walking his dog when the tragedy happened. His dog stayed beside the river bank with his master all night, until the police found him! So Sad.

We let off a couple of Chinese Lanterns on New Years Eve. Extremely therapeutic and if combined with a wish, hopeful as well.

A cautionary tale of under spending.

A notorious old miser was laying on his death bed. he called for his housekeeper and told her to collect all his cash put it all in pillowcases and place them in the loft. Puzzled the housekeeper asks why. Well, said the Miser, when I die and float up to heaven I can collect the pillowcases on the way and take them with me.
That night the Miser passed away.
The next morning the Housekeeper goes up to the attic and lo and behold the pillowcases are still there.
He should have put them in the Cellar, she thought!!!!!!

So the moral is....spend it.
Happy New Year