Category: Random musings

Dinner for 14 please..

If you could host a dinner and anyone you invite was sure to come, who would you invite?

Strange one this, it would have to be a mix of those who are living and those who have passed.

It would be something like this:

  • My Wife – we always have plenty to talk about, relevant and irrelevant.
  • My brother John – passed away a few years back, but such a funny soul.
  • My Mum – again passed away but such a beautiful kind soul.
  • Karl Sagan – this guy cemented my interest in the universe with his Cosmos tv series and the book I still have to this day.
  • Professor Brian Cox – the modern version of Karl, and someone he could talk to, I’d love to eavesdrop this conversation.
  • Michael Stipe of REM – my favourite group, I have so many questions and what a lovely guy.
  • Michael Collins – Apollo 11, what was it like to be floating about out there when your colleagues were getting all the acclaim on the lunar surface?
  • My Brother in law Tel – always good company.
  • My sister in law Liz – absolutely lovely, and always ready to stir it up.
  • My sister Anne – a duplicate of my dear mum.
  • Bob Marley – my introduction to Reggae.
  • Bing Crosby – my dad’s favourite singer, and I was brought up listening to him, as I don’t want my dad there this would be close enough to him.
  • My Nan – Dads mum. A lovely tortured suffering soul that would do anything for anyone.

That’s about it. What a mixture of people. I’m sure I’d sit there for ages just holding the hands of my loved ones and just listening and savouring every little moment.

Perfect

Happy days everyone

A little shift here and there

What time do you go to bed and wake up currently?

Anyone who works shifts as well as I have for the last 30+ years will testify that setting times for sleeping and waking up is about as much use as a chocolate fire poker. It just can’t be done.

I sometimes drop like a log in the early afternoon and have a nap. I’m sometimes walking around the house at 2 in the morning wide awake and ready to go. Shift work does that to you it kills any remainder of circadian rhythm.

I do what my body says. And I’m a slave to that. Forget what all the “Specialists” say in that you must have your 8hrs sleep – pure tosh.

They need to get with it and realise this world is on shift work and the nine to fivers are a rarity in these times we live in.

I sleep when my body says, I wake when it tells me. And that could be at anytime within a 24hr period.

Have a good day people. Just take a nap. You’ll feel better for it.

Retirement & Hedgehogs

What are you most excited about for the future?

Yeah I’ve mentioned it before, I’m fed up with work and want to retire and all things going well in just over two years that will become reality.

In other news it’s been a busy period recently with the Hedgehogs returning to our garden. So for the first time this season I put the Hedgehog cam out again and it didn’t disappoint. Have a look at this video here:

Latest Hog Cam

Even our feral cat who guards the garden sussed the camera out, she knows every inch of her domain. The hogs don’t bother her and they just all go about their business. It really is a lovely sight.

The fact they continue to visit our garden after we’ve developed it as a sanctuary for them always excites me. They are a rare and endangered species that needs our help and support.

Here’s to the hogs.

Have a peaceful day.

Don’t let go

What could you let go of, for the sake of harmony?

Nothing. I have nothing personally, materially or mentally that I want to offload and certainly not to be harmonious to someone else. The disharmony is normally due to someone’s inability to accept someone has something they don’t.

Don’t envy, admire.

Rock and Crooner and a bit of classic

What is your favorite genre of music?

I really have quite an eclectic choice in music. I was brought up on the crooners of the 50s and 60s such as Como, Crosby and Sinatra whom I still love to this day. I also love rock, Heavy metal and Classical and one particular couple of months a few years ago this was my agenda:

  • Week one – Iron Maiden at the O2 in London
  • Week Two – Russel Watson at Watford Colloseum
  • Week Three – The Prodigy at the O2 in London
  • And three weeks later – Metallica at the O2 London

Man my ears ached for weeks but I absolutely loved it. The purity of a five piece string ensemble right through to the thrash sound of one of the worlds Rock mega groups, how’s that for musical range?

Kasabian & Kaiser chiefs

Nothings changed, in fact this very day I will be heading off to Leicesters Victoria park to see Summer solstice #2 (Kasabian and the Kaiser chiefs amongst others) and guess what? In typical UK style is raining cats and dogs.

But it will be a good day.

Peace all.

Space shuttle Atlantis

Describe your most memorable vacation.

For me the most memorable holiday I’ve ever had was in Florida the date was 16th September 1996.

STS-79 Atlantis. Photo NASA

That was the date I was at KSC to see the launch of STS-79 the space shuttle Atlantis as it lifted off to dock with the Russian space station MIR.

Space shuttle display KSC
Pad 39A KSC
Mission badge

A beautiful day and one of the most unbelievable sights you will ever observe when a mighty, rocket propelled machine fights to break free of the confines of earths gravity on the way to space.

I’ll never forget it, it was one of those moments that is etched in the memory for life.

A truly stunning sight, an unforgettable day.

Stay safe.

Who…little old me?

On what subject(s) are you an authority?

In my job I’m a jack of all trades and master of none. I’m just someone who is there to organise a response when the dirt hits the fan.

However, ask me about aircraft and rocket technology and I’m your man.

It’s good that most of the youngsters in the family will turn to uncle Dave when there is a technical question, and I like that. It’s good to see the concentration on their faces as I’m explaining things to them.

In fact I’m quite an authority on irrelevant and pointless facts as well.

Have a grand day.

An everlasting love and appreciation

What’s your definition of romantic?

To me, being part of a relationship as well as being married for 32yrs+, that’s when romance takes on a different role than it did in the early days.

Back then it was chocolates, teddy bears with love hearts on them and roses.

It changes with time.

The wife still likes gifts, but chocolates weigh on the hips, the teddy bears have become handbags (she has a mahoosive collection) she hates roses, but loves other flowers.

Romance now takes a more caring attitude, we look after each other’s needs rather than wants. Time makes those changes.

The one outstanding sign of romance for me is that after all these years, you even get excited at seeing your partner even after only being away 12 hrs at work. You constantly look forward to seeing them and to me that shouts love, commitment and romance.

I’m so looking forward to seeing her when I get home later. I’m excited.

That’s romance.

Peace all.

I don’t care…

What are you most worried about for the future?

Nothing. Bring it on. I really couldn’t care less what tomorrow brings. I’m kind of living for today. Yesterday has gone, lock it away and forget it. It’s happened. Tomorrow is in the future.

I read this somewhere. Sums it all up.

From t’internet

Maybe tomorrow i’ll worry about something, i’m not going to waste my time worrying about that today.

Everyone tells me to live for the moment, and that’s what I’m doing.

Peace

The Gall of it

Have you ever had surgery? What for?

Fortunately I have only had two operations in my life. The first was for a knee damaged whilst running. Not in one particular run, but over a period of time as I did most of my running on hard surfaces. This aggravated my right knee and I had to have debridement of the knee cap as it had developed spurs that were aggravating the tendons and such. The op went ok but it has never been the same since. That op was around 2005, I’ve never run since. Hey ho.

London Marathon 2002

The other operation was my Gall bladder. I’d developed what they call a porcelain Gall bladder, this means the actual organ had started to calcify, and the pain I experienced in the months prior to this operation I would not wish on my worst enemy, it was awful.

That operation was a total success and everything has been fine since. I even to this day have a fairly substantial collection of stones in a medical sample pot that were handed over to me after the operation as evidence of what I’d been carrying.

Gall stones

Now if I have guests who have overstayed their welcome, a quick shake of the sample pot and starting to talk about my operation is normally sufficient enough to get them putting their coats on and saying their goodbyes.

Have a safe and happy day.