Saturday, December 31, 2005

The Curse of The New Year...


what the fuck is it with me and New Years Eve...yet again I have been struck down by a bug like thing, swollen throat, rasping breath and a runny nose...every bloody year for the last 3 years...its beyond a joke now.

At least I have last night to remember, we went and we rocked out at The New Inn in Bedford to a band called Thunderbird 5 (I think we have mentioned them before in previous blogs)...they were excellent last night, the highlight being their version of The Who's 'Won't get fooled again'...it was a really fun night and KS (the equal partner!) got to meet the gang...Marie, Matt, Steve, Lisa and Lynn who were all on great form and in the party spirit (although Steve was slightly jaded and in shame from previous night shennanigans!).

I am so lucky to have friends as accepting and non judgemental as i do...well thats it then..another year flies by and it only seems like yesterday when i was writing from my sick bed last year lol!

A Very happy new year to you all...see you in 2006 !

Thursday, December 29, 2005

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!


Hi
Exciting day today...blogs 1st birthday and Steves 40th...now there's a contrast !...personally I don't think I would have survived the year without the blog to offload to at some point! It's been a real rollercoaster ride...when i started the blog in the early days I was commited to something appearing every day for people to read and digest, I didn't realise that this would be so hard...it was emotionally draining and the pressure to either be funny or creative was tantermount to my decision to nearly give it up a third of the way through this year. It was with insistance from friends that i carry it on but I did compromise by opening it up to other peoples experiences to help me beef up the content. So today the blog is as you see it, a small community that has a mind of its own and a million life experiences to share. I will admit it has caused a few disagreements and arguments at times but you take the rough with the smooth! Again when I was diagnosed with Cancer it was so important for me to write that down to maintain some normality in my life, don't get me wrong, the worst is yet to come and I really am scared but as long as I can share that feeling with the people I love and random strangers who may benefit from my experiences then that is all that matters to me.
I don't think it would do to review what happened on the blog during the year as what has passed does not matter anymore, but it is there for all to see and for us as a community to reflect upon, laugh at, cry with but overall really enjoy what has been OUR lives over a 365 day period.

here's a few words from the guys...

"The blog is like a good friend, you can off load all the good and bad stuff that is going on in your life and instantly it makes you feel better.

Here's to lots of laughter during 2006(fingers crossed).

Love you all Gx"




The freedom of speech or to write is one of the most important things that we have. Some say that we don’t have freedom any more and that the press is controlled from the men in Whitehall or maybe the White House. Some may say we never did and that the men in black are always out there listening. And there is probably an element of truth in that but in the last few years the world has been taken over by people like you and me who now have the ability to write anything on any subject and have it read by anyone who has a computer. Yep there is a lot of dross out there but the very fact that it can be seen is very important. As a famous man once said “I may disagree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it”. Blogs using the new medium of the internet keep free speech alive in a time when the TV channels are more interested in ratings. And the news papers seem to be sliding ever more towards the gutter (where all good Sun readers feel at home). So I am very happy to be writing each week. I hope you enjoy some things I say and that I offend and annoy in equal measure.
Happy first anniversary Blog and thank you Neil for keeping it going. Normal service will be resumed on the 5th of Jan when the hang over clears and the feeling of good will to all men is firmly back in its box for another 12 months.

Matt x


wow!!!, so the blog is one today, hasn't the year gone quick, It only seems
like last week that i gave all of you an insight into Rodeo sex!! and
trawlled through my early life, I am also quite chuffed that it is also my
birthday today, the big 40 but i don't feel a day over 39 ha! ha! anyway
lets keep on bloggin' in the new year and i will try not to miss to many
next year!!!.
i hope all our readers wherever you are have a fab new year, see you
soon steve........xxx


and Lisa?....Lisa was late for deadlines as usual lol...but she sends her love to all!

Well thats it for one year...a spiritual journey is beckoning and New Year celebrations begin...
Love to all...Neil x (Proudly Piddy of "Piddy's Place)

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

lisas xmas card

Christmas is over for another year – I hope that it was all you wanted it to be and more.

I had a lovely belated Christmas on Boxing Day with Neil, as most of you know I worked on Christmas Day and had a brilliant day.

I have to say that I arrived at Neil’s and was amazed how tidy his flat was – even the bathroom looked 10 times bigger. I thought he had made the effort for me but sadly I found out it was for someone even more special than me! (I know I can hear the gasps now, someone even more special than Lisa, I am afraid Neil has put me back on the shelf to gather dust).

Anyway Boxing Day was really lovely I could not think of anyone I would have rather spent it with than Neil, we spent the day watching fab movies all of which I can highly recommend seeing.

The first one `Just like Heaven` starring Reese Witherspoon is a feel good girly chick flick and has it all we were both crying at the end.

We then sat down for the most beautiful dinner we started with Salmon with feta cheese, dried tomatoes and olive salad, followed by turkey with all the trimmings. Neil was in charge of the Turkey and I had the veg to sort out and what a pair of cooks we were we could have given Johnny and Fannie a run for their money!
We were so full that we decided to wait for dessert and watch a film, `The Chronicles of Narnia` what a beautiful film it was like reading the C S Lewis Book and just how I had imagined Narnia to be.

The main feature was `King Kong` I have to say when Neil told me it was over 3 hours long I did wonder if it was my kind of film, but 3 hours flew by and the film is beautiful, we both cried at the end. And we did manage to eat dessert too a beautiful chocolate gateaux with cream.

I went home that night feeling very loved and very full and would like to say thank you for such a really special day, and I love you always. Lisa x

PS

Happy Birthday to the Blog, and Happy Birthday to Steve for Thursday xxxxx

Sunday, December 25, 2005

Happy Xmas!

hi all

Sorry about the blog not appearing yesterday but i guess the christmas fairy must have got in the way again!
anyway I just wanted to wish all my blog guests and all you readers the very merriest of xmases. Lets pray this year for peace on earth and pray that its a lot happier place to live. What I would like to see from our government this year is still more work on the third world debt, increased funding for aids research and a more positive push towards the Euro.

I hope you are all thinking of your families at this time of year and I would just like to thank my mum and dad for all the support they have given me whilst i am living with Cancer. I also want to thank all my friends for being around, my friend Glen from Poland who gave me the most personal and beautiful present I have ever received and my long lost friends Phil and Mimi who never gave up on trying to find me...
KS...heres to the future x
lots of love
Neil x

Saturday, December 24, 2005

whoops!

My mistake...I apologize...blogs birthday is December 29th...just checked back on 1st postings...so no birthday celebrations today i'm afraid...no blog from Steve yet but try back again later...

Neil x

Friday, December 23, 2005

One big Xmas pudding (thats me that is!)

Oooh its the blogs birthday tommorow and hopefully we will have a special birthday edition by Dr Sensual...

There we were today just going off to the pub at midday and I get a phone call from the hospital, they want to see me next wednesday to talk about losing weight for the operation...aaaggghhh! I screamed. Basically what I have to do is go on this drastic 4 week diet where i drink 4 pints of semi skimmed milk a day, one vitamin supplement and an oxo cube comes into it somewhere. Sounds a bit strange but i will do as i am told...anyway have to go and talk this over on Wednesday.

I am going to tell you a bit about my guy! I met K S a couple of weeks back and he is just amazing, his inner beauty matches his outer charm and we have so much in common that it is really strange. We have seen quite a bit of each other this week and all seems to be going well. He totally is in tune with what is happening to me and he is quite open to frank and honest talking, something i really need right now. At the moment my day isn't complete unless i have some form of contact with him....I really hope he is THE one...

Let me just slag off NEXT for a moment, the other day they sent me an email telling me that i could enter the VIP sale website 5 days before the sale starts...i had to register to get an allotted time for online shopping which i dutifully did and logged in yesterday at 5.30pm with my list of 10 items that i wanted out of the sale products. All but one item had a sold out notice on it...what the fuck?...did they only have one of each item?...utterly misleading and disgraceful i say....1/10 could do better...

We only lasted 3 hours in the pub at lunchtime due to people having prior commitments so we are making up for it by going back this evening to see the friends we couldn't see earlier...i could do with some more fun!

Presents are under the tree and so far I have resisted the temptation to open anything!...I won 1 huge tin of Quality Street, a box of Thorntons chocolates and a box of celebrations all in the works raffle...so if I don't die of a diabetic coma I will be with you again shortly! lol...
Neil x

Thursday, December 22, 2005

2005 Review

Well it’s the season to be jolly and hasn’t it crept up on us quick this year. As we all wait for Santa to spill his load all over the floor under your tree I thought it might be quite nice to look back at a few of the things that happened along the way. This is not a definitive list just a few of the things that I remember from my seat in front of the PC screen. Firstly let me just mention this blog, if my poor old memory serves me it was just after Christmas that I started to write this once weekly rant and I have to say that I enjoy it every week. It’s really nice to have a chance to let off steam on whatever subject I like and get it all out of my system. Thanks Neil and long may it continue.

The first thing that has struck me is just how fast the year has gone by. It seems only two mins ago that I was sitting in a Chinese restaurant with a few friends celebrating the arrival of my 40th year. They say time speeds up as the years pass but this is getting silly. I will be going from one Christmas day to the next with barely time to digest my dinner soon. Slap bang in the middle of the year we had Live 8 and the world seemed to talk about debt and Africa all the time. Can’t say I notice any lasting change. Apart from white bands appearing on the wrists of all the kids and Pink Floyd albums selling like hot cakes again. Did anything actually happen in the end, we were supposed to end the poverty back in eighty four and we missed the opportunity then dare say we have again this time. Why can’t the important people just sit down and do the right thing.

Then also in the middle of the year we were all surprised that London was awarded the 2012 games. I think that the investment and much needed kick up the arse for the East end of London is going to pay dividends for many decades to come. I think I am on a pretty safe wicket if I predict that by the time they actually start we will be fed up to the back teeth of them. I just hope that as the host nation we can have a half decent showing in the medals. Then just as quickly as the party started it stopped with the bombing of London. I find it quite hard to get my head around the mentality of anybody who A feels strongly enough to blow themselves up to make a point. And B thinks that a country like Britain is going to be changed be such actions. We have grown up with the IRA and are probably the best prepared country in the world to deal with this kind of terror. All that happens is it strengthens our resolve even more to not let it affect us.

On a slightly more cheery note it was a great year for TV. We were treated to Bree Van De Kamp (Marcia Cross) in a very sexy red bra and Knickers in the excellent desperate housewives. It’s back in the New Year and if you missed the first series go get it for Christmas and catch up before the second season starts. Then later in the year we all got hooked on the latest car crash TV or should that be plane crash. Lost blasted on to our screens in what has turned out to be the most surreal and compelling program I have seen in years. Season Two is airing in the States as we speak so expect it towards the middle of the year. Home grown this time the BBC did the decent thing and bought back the doc with a northern accent and a leather jacket. It just goes to show that sometimes you can’t improve on an original idea. Just because something has been around for some time does not mean it’s past it. Lastly on the subject of TV Big brother happened again, I am only mentioning this because as I write I can’t for the life of me remember anything about this years show and I am a fan. Has it passed its prime? Should we kill it off before it turns into that old person in the corner, ignored irrelevant and slightly smelly?

2005 was not a bad year for music there were some good albums released along with the usual smattering of dross and they came back for a one off gig (A BBC radio 4 Archers joke). For me notable and worth a listen if you’re not familiar were “Anna Nalick and Wreck of the Day”, “KT Tunstal with Eye to the Telescope”, “Texas with Red Book” and the “Rolling Stone with A Bigger Bang”. The much anticipated Kate Bush album flew in from Kate’s own little world and coursed controversy with whoever listened. Lets just say that it’s a less commercial effort than some wanted. But if you’re a diehard fan you will still love this bit of Bush. At the Cinema the highlight of the year was a film about passion, two best friends fighting for the common good, the struggle of good over evil. And the star never says a word. Yep Wallace and Grommit the curse of the Were-rabbit was in my humble opinion the most enjoyable film of the year, and not a computer in sight. It was made by hand in the old fashioned way with Plastercine and a camera shooting on frame at a time. Full of double entendre and the sort of detail that Disney only dream of. Most of the jokes when over the head of any child in the audience, but as it worked on many levels that did not matter. And finally we all had to go through an election in which we saw New Labour come of age and the Tory Party slip even further into the shit (Yippee) well as usual I just start getting into my stride and I seem to be nearly out of space. What will net year bring and will I still be writing about it I hope so. So I hope you all have a great Christmas and next year gives me more inspiration.
Matt x

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

eeeeeek!

hi all

just wanted to let you all know that everything is fine this end. Sorry about the lack of blogs but everybody must be really really busy...i know i have been. Went xmas grocery shopping with Lisa last night. We decided we would go to Morrissons in Cambourne (about 35 minutes away) so we left at just after 7pm. We started shopping at 7.50pm and then realised that the shop shut at 8pm (so much for late night shopping!...you have never seen us whizz so fast round a shop with a full size trolley...it was like supermarket sweep without dale winton...i was madly throwing turkey crowns around , lisa was concerned about her brussels and as for dessert, deciding what would go with a huge pot of double cream turned into a monstrous affair...we did take time and study the wines for a few minutes though!...oh the fun of it all....so much is happening at the moment but i just don't have time to write...have still not wrapped anything...had a letter from the hospital saying that I have my CT scan on the 4th Jan...I think love is blooming nicely (is 4 dates with the same person in the same week a good sign?)...anyway no time no time!...djing at xmas party tonight...will be glad of the rest at xmas break...a whole 10 days off ! whoopee!!...Matts blog tommorow...
love ya
Neil x

Sunday, December 18, 2005

Shayne wins the X Factor!....


Well that was a good thing yesterday...he was my second choice after Brenda and boy did he pull it off big time! What a great vocal quality and range he has...i wish him all the success in the world!...

Great things happened yesterday morning..there i was slouching around in dressing robe and the postman popped his wares through my letterbox...now before i carry on with the story I have to take you back 16 years to when I lived in Southampton and then Bournemouth. I had two great friends Phil and Mimi who used to come to see me djing and we used to hang out a lot together. They got married and gave birth to a lovely little boy called Sebastian and over time due to my carelessness and other circumstances we lost contact. Over the last 6 years or so i have left the occasional message on contact sites like friends reunited etc and hoped to somehow regain contact. Back to yesterday...I went and picked up the post and there it was, a xmas card from Phil, Mimi and Sebastian...being a bit emotionally fragile at the moment I did blub a bit but then got straight on the phone to phil who had left his mobile number inside...although he was driving he was jumping up and down with joy in the drivers seat and as he pulled up to the house he ran inside shouting to mimi that he had someone on the phone...more joy jumping ensued and the outcome of the call was that we will be somehow meeting up very shortly...little Sebastian is now 16! lol...to be continued

In the paper today there is more concern about the proposed wind farm development in Podington Bedfordshire...the local villages have all opposed the idea as have many residents in the surrounding area...this makes me sick, the villages are made up of older middle class people that don't give a fuck about anyone else because their 'outlook' may be changed. It makes me so angry that Britain can still breed narrow minded bigots who won't even bother to change with time to enable us to save the earths resources. I am now going to name and shame the villages that are objecting... Bozeat : Carlton : Chellington : Easton Maudit : Farndish : Felmersham : Harrold : Hinwick : Irchester : Little Odell : Little Wymington : Odell : Pavenham : Podington : Radwell : Rushden : Sharnbrook : Souldrop : Strixton Wollaston : Wymington. Wind farms can be beautiful things as well as economicaly and ergonomically viable...the proposed wind farm will generate 18 percent of bedford boroughs electricity needs...I hope these villagers rot in hell or..at least get frazzled by the sun as the earths ozone layer depleats even more.
Go Here!... http://www.wisa.envy.nu


We had the big works xmas party on Friday..it was okay...the food was good, company excellent as I was seated next to people i love (lisa was shoved over at another table so i missed her a bit)
but the music was dire..it seemed to be taped xmas party stuff which was all the usual guff...nothing past 1999...we got home about 11 which was unusually early for me!

Isn't it funny how opposite events attract each other, as you have read, something very negative happened to me on Thursday but also something extremely positive...its nice when something beautiful enters your life...more on that soon.

Well thats all for now...have a nice rest of the weekend..
Neil x

Saturday, December 17, 2005

meditational moments...


hi all

steve has kindly folowed on my blog from the other day whereby I mentioned looking into a buddhist retreat...funnily enough there is one just by where he was raised as a lad and here he has detailed it for us...over to Steve...

CONISHEAD PRIORY

Conishead Priory was originally founded in 1160 as a hospital for lepers and
the poor. Dominated by two 100 foot octagonal towers, the present house is
an imposing example of Georgian Gothic architecture. Special features
include decorative ceilings, a vaulted great hall with fine stained glass
and a 177 feet long cloister corridor. The Oak Room contains impressive
carved woodwork from 1624. The building has been carefully restored by the
resident Buddhist community.



Manjushri Buddhist Center was established at Conishead Priory in 1977, to
provide a peaceful and inspiring environment where people could learn about
the Buddhist way of life and practice meditation. There is currently a
community of about 95 including ordained monks and nuns. The Center caters
for all level of interest by offering introductory talks, weekend meditation
retreats and extensive study programmes.


Evening Talks are held on Thursdays at 7:30 - 9:30pm and also on most
Mondays and Tuesdays.
5:45 - 7:00pm. TEL: (01229) - 584029.

All sessions are self-contained and cover a different topic each week. They
include guided meditations, talks and discussions. There is no charge for
the first talk attended.

Weekend Meditation Retreats provide a chance to learn to meditate during a
peaceful break in the country. They are suitable for everyone regardless of
experience.



The Temple was constructed by the Buddhist community to provide an
environment for quiet reflection and spiritual inspiration. It also provides
a venue for the large Buddhist Festivals, held every year in May and August.
Based on a traditional design which symbolizes the pure world (Mandela) of a
Buddha, the Temple is 24 meters square, with four doorways and three tiers.
Both the outside and the inside of the building are decorated with Buddhist
auspicious symbols. The shrine cabinet holds large bronze statues of Buddha
and his two Bodhisattva disciples, which were made on site by an Italian
sculptor. The central figure stands eight foot high. We believe them to be
the largest Buddhist statues cast in Europe.


Hope you found that interesting, now, as it is the panto
season here's one that i found funny.

A local pantomime for paranoid schizophrenics was thrown into chaos when
someone shouted "He's behind you!!".

see you steve.

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Cancer - day 1


well...who'd have thought ?....well i'd have thought!...I knew in the back of my mind that today was not going to go well...I went off to the Manor hospital to see the consultant Mr Eldin who did my procedure last week, cutting a long story short I have bowel cancer. wow. hit me like a ton of bricks and his mouth moved in slo mo as he spoke. Thats it then...it starts.
To begin with i will have to have a Liver scan to see if the cancer has spread to any of the nearby lymph nodes, dependant on that he gave me choices as to have surgery whereby he will cut out the offending piece of bowel and join the two bits together again or to not have a surgical procedure and keep an eye on it every couple of months to see if it has gotten any worse. I do not have to make a decision just yet until January but he was sort of promping me to go for the surgical removal, he told me i was still young enough to make the most of this procedure... I am sure I will follow his lead...
The one thing I am not going to do is go into denial about the whole thing, on the other hand I am not going to ram my bowel down everybody's throat (perhaps i should reword that last phrase). ' how do i feel' people ask me nicely...i think i feel like i have cancer I should reply but am not quite sure how that should feel. I know one thing, I didn't waste 700 pounds of my hard earned money studying 'Death, Dying and Bereavement' with the Open University to ignore all the things I should be positively saying to myself. It is hard though....the consultant didn't say anything about chemo so it looks like i now might have to pay to get my hair cut...more soon.
PS...take a look at this we site if you like http://www.bowelcancer.org/
Neil x

what is a tude without the word multi in front of it?...

Call me a sceptic but I had to sit down over the last weekend and watch the semi final of the X factor. When you’re staying with friends it seems rude to insist on watching the same as you would do at home, so there I was stuck with Simon Cowell grinning at all the money he is making from the show. Now way back when the program started I remember thinking that in the end we would be left with one contestant from each group. It makes it all kind of fair and more of a cliff hanger for the viewing public. Lets face it they tell you that the vote is down to the people who waste there money phoning in but nobody tell us exactly what the vote was. Who is to say that it’s not being massaged in some way to give a better result? After all the TV Company is all about making money and that is done in the commercial sector by better viewing figures.

And how do we get better viewing figures we have some controversy it makes people watch. Do I care who wins no they all look rather desperate to me. I am not a fan of these people who are so focused on fame at all costs that they are prepared to stand up and sink other people’s songs to get votes. Ok all bands or artists do the odd cover every now and then but to never judge them on there own talent is a shame. How about as part of next years competition and lets face it there will be one, have to play as part of there act at least two of there own penned songs so we can see who really has some talent.

As I listen to the radio at points during the working day I get to pick up interesting stuff from the news. And today has been no exception to the rule. There has been a change in the rules regarding product placements on commercial TV. This is designed to bring in more revenue as companies will have to pay to have there products “placed” in a program. As an example the radio used the example of the X factor. In America Coke pays to have its drinks on the judges desk in cups marked with the maker logo. In the UK we did not allow this and covered up the name or just had the drink in plain glass. Not any more we will soon be getting placements all over the shop. And a few examples sprung to mind. The bar of the Rovers could have real pump head selling fosters or Guinness. Delia would be able to recommend a particular pan or product instead of hinting at where to buy the perfect omelette pan. Any way this got me thinking about a new game to play to while away the long winter nights.

Silly products and the programs they could feature in. So I think it’s only fair that I start with a few then perhaps we could have some more added on the comments page. Perhaps an Ear defender company could pay to have some pairs on the desk during the X factor so Simon, Louie, and Shazzer could pop them on when the Conway sisters start to warble. And going back a few years the very talented Dave Allen instead of just a glass of whisky could have had the whole bottle label and all so we could see what fired the genius to perform. Perhaps the Pope (as previously and accurately described in these pages as a cunt) could from now on have the Daz logo in the middle of his back. Or the next papal tour could be sponsored by a condom manufacturer; they could have a new one especially made called the second coming. It could be designed to give more pleasure to priests when they abuse small boys. And as a last thought Tenner lady could pay to advertise there products in the House of Lords. So until next week as Dave Allen would say May your god go with you.
Matt x

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Dear Diary...an extra titbitty morsal of goodness...

Dear Diary...
Today I have once again been ransacking and raping my life collection of material objects. Its only 'stuff', yet i have become attached to it and it began to take over my life, I ended up caring more about my material possesions than myself. Loads of memories have gone down the refuse chutes, enrobed in black plastic funereal bags. A suitable colour for the death of ones personality but i aim to renew what is actually important in my life - the whole holistic approach - mind, body and spirit. For the mind I aim to have a more positive outlook on life, rather a 'que sera sera' attitude where' shit happens' sometimes and you deal with it rather than dwell on it. For the body I have decided to try and find love, a love that can be reciprocated, a love that means i wouldn't have waves of loneliness lapping at my feet every so often, a love that would fulfill the needs of the body, menatlly and physically.

Spiritually i aim to explore cultures and beliefs in more thorough detail, perhaps taking in a weeks retreat for free at a buddhist monastery etc, a search for inner peace...i no longer require a life of turmoil. I just feel that there is an empty gap where my soul used to be and if i can find something to plug that gap then i shall become a whole person once again.

As children we have a 'wheel of belief' in our minds which is as big as you can imagine, full of dreams and aspirations. As we get older the belief wheel gets smaller and at the age I am now the belief wheel is hugely eclipsed by the size of the reality wheel...it needs fixing badly.

And so as we approach the first birthday of the blog I announce to the world that I, piddy77, no longer need to hide behind nick names and falsities...my name is Neil Piddock...deal with it!

Neil x

Sleaze in ButlinsWorld...


Well I have just come back from a great weekend away at Butlins Skegness and I have to say that it was a great Christmas Party. We set off on Friday afternoon my car was laden with cases and a few crates of drink! The weather I have to say at Sleaford was not the best but we were all in good spirits and looking forward to a weekend of Partying. I have only been to Butlins once before and was a bit worried about the accommodation, the beds tend to be on the small side. We arrived at the site and collected the keys and then spent the next half hour looking for our rooms! They all look the same when its dark, anyway mission accomplished Karen, Annie and I bagged one apartment and the other four were in the apartment opposite. Karen and Annie decided to share one room and offered me the room with the double bed. The apartment was very basic but comfortable and we immediately set about making it more lived in. We emptied the bags of booze and then grabbed a bottle and headed next door to see what we were doing later.

We decided to go for dinner and then come back have a shower and go down to Reds for the show and then take it from there.

I have to admit that I cant really remember who was on Friday Night as I was very much the worse for wear, as all will know me will vouch I don’t normally drink so it did not take much to have me legless suffice to say I woke the next morning with a hangover, I never made it to breakfast but was assured by Karen that I did not miss much.

Saturday arrived and Margaret, Veronica, Eleanor and Linda decided to check the Swimming Pool out. Annie, Karen and I thought we would check out the pubs! Margaret and the others came back telling us all about the fantastic time they had had at the Pool, and we stayed in the Pub watching Arsenal lose to Newcastle, Veronica was heartbroken for me and could not resist mentioning how many points Chelsea had compared to Arsenal bless her!

In the evening we could not make up our mind whether to see Alvin Stardust or Jason Donovan, suffice to say alcohol won and we ended up watching Alvin Stardust purely because we were too merry to move. Some of us staggered back to the chalets for cheese and biscuits (I bet you Lisa was the cheese and biscuits...blogmaster), others stayed out dancing until the early hours of the morning.

Having got to bed at 5am it was very nice of Margaret not to wake us up early! Our chalet by then had come to resemble student digs, the other lot had the more posh pad complete with candles and looked more homely.

Sunday Afternoon was Abba Forever they were excellent lots of Dancing Queens, then off to get some food so that we could get to the club early tonight, as it was our last night. Katrina (without the waves) was good but the best performance was a band called to Mercury a Queen Tribute Band they were excellent and got the whole place rocking.

As we had to head off early in the morning I headed back to the Chalet to pack – some stayed on to dance the early hours away and some never came home till the next day. We all thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and plan to go back next year.

All I will say is that if you want a really good weekend and this was strictly over 18`s so no kids around then I would recommend it – its cheap, there is always something going on, everyone is friendly and you make lots of new friends!

Lisa xx

Saturday, December 10, 2005

conflicts and resolutions...

Managing Conflict Resolution and Dealing with Disputes
Dealing with Conflict Resolution and Difficult People

'Yes, but not today' is how people usually feel about this issue. Not
surprisingly we all feel that we need to prepare to handle conflict or
people who we find difficult.

Most people see conflict as indicative of a problem. Disagreement feels
uncomfortable and threatening. When there's no open conflict we can carry on
as though things are all right even if we know they aren't.

The main reason to engage in conflict is to reach a resolution. Without
resolution, conflict merely becomes an opportunity to recycle old arguments
and disagreements. With resolution conflict can be rewarding and exciting
and can move things forward!!!!

Had a bad day today (tuesday), i totally lost it
with someone and i can't get it out of my head, as it made me so angry!!!!,
but cant say anymore on here.

well its nearly tinsel and turkey season again
and the partying will be in full swing very soon and i cant wait for my one
and only dinner this year with all the gang as we dont seem to see eachother
as much these days, so thursday should be good. if you are reading this on
saturday i apologise for any drunken or lewd behavior if it was not welcome
and if it was, well, your welcome!!!!!

I have just sat through the best episode of most
haunted that i've ever seen , the location was Mains Hall which is six miles
east of Blackpool they did the usual things like seance's, table tipping and
the walk arounds with the mediums, which followed the usual trend of sencing
spirits of monks, children and military people, this time being from the
jacobite uprisings of 1715 and 1745, all very interesting but the best was
yet to come, Mains Hall used to be a hotel until part of the building was
destroyed by fire in 2002, it is now just a private home for the former
hoteliers and the fire damaged rooms that had been gutted have been
partially restored, in one of these rooms two of the most haunted crew were
doing what they call a "vigil" one of the crew (Stuart) was calling out to
the spirits, the other (Karl) was on the night vision camera, as they were
talking to eachother this ghostly image floated past the screen ( at first i
thought it was a cobweb) they replayed it a couple of times in slowmotion
and i swear it was a face of a woman, i was totally shocked as i normally
sit ther taking the piss out of everything that they say and do but since
the departure of Derek, the show seems to have got more interesting and less
mellodramatic and i watch with a new found interest.

see you all at the party.....................steve x

Friday, December 09, 2005

Party, Party...


hi hi hi....

Oh what a blog we have for you today...first off just a short review of the Aha! gig at Wembley Pavillion...

On Wednesday lisa and myself went off to London to see 80's favourites Aha...now this isn't as tacky as it sounds because they have been releasing albums ever since and tour regularly around europe..so it wasn't touted as some sad comeback tour. First of all may i just say that i was a bit miffed to have paid to sit in a heated plastic tent because thats really what the pavillion is...admittedly it does hold 10000 people and it is only there while they rebuild wembley arena, but nevertheless it is a big plastic tent...anyway we got there okay and as we got off the tube we were treated to an amazing view of the new majestic Wembley Stadium...the design is just tremendous and it was the first time i had seen it unveiled as it has been covered in scaffolding for the last couple of years. When it finally opens it will be a magnificent example of British Architecture and Building craftsmanship.
The gig started with support from Anna Blume? i think, a sweet norwegain female who sang with a lot of angst and an acoustic guitar, possibly not the best choice for the mighty men of pop but she passed a nice half hour. A short wait and Aha then hit the stage...technically the gig was superb with a very extravagant and expensive audio visual show but and its a BIG BUT was that the sound was not great, the plastic tent was not at all acoustically friendly. In my opinion the first five or six songs were far too quiet, we were seated second block back from the stage and where the sound was all at the front I felt it lost something on its travels, i hate to think what the people at the back heard about a third of a mile away! Mortens vocals were superb and the guys did themselves proud playing hit after hit interspersed with tracks off the new album. It was a great 2 hours spent in prescence of Norwegian pop gods...you know the annoying thing though, Moretn is still so damn attractive and doesn't look like he has aged at all!...damn him!

Blog part two is a shameful expose of how people behave when let loose for the evening...yes its the first office xmas party blog...Shakespeare hotel, Bedford...we walked in to the bar and started the session sanely, its a lovely place with an excellent reputation and we were not to be dissapointed but whether our reputation was still intact at the end i'm not quite sure!...Gina Nicola and myself decided that we would be sneaky and take some drink in with us, rather than suffer the fairly high bar prices..I took a bottle of Polish Strawberry Vodka, 2/3rds vodka, 1/3rd lemonade and i think Gina and nicola had bacardi. Dinner was served and the food was beautifully presented and wonderfully hot (which makes a change in a catered environment)..before dessert Secret Santa came and we all dished out presents (silly presents which we had to buy for about a fiver for a given name)..of course there were leopard skin pants, there were mint willies, chocolate reindeer poo, condoms and the most wonderful present that Martin got was a computer wrist rest in the shape of a pair of boobs. Now these boobs appeared in nearly every photograph and if you follow the link on the right hand of the page to 'more of piddys photos' you will see all the horrible shameful evidence...suffice to say Gina , Nicola and me were completely shit faced with some of the others watching over in bewilderment!...Steve (Dr Sensual) was very upset as he felt that somebody had watered his lager and went home nearly as sober as he arrived. Throughout the evening i tried to put a condom over my head so i could blow it up with my nose, but to no avail...bloody things kept snapping ...no wonder there are so many unwanted pregnancies!...dancing took place and I decided to join lisa for a final dance where i flung her round the room like a bad celebrity in 'Strictly come dancing' ...we certainly had 'the time of my life'...LOOK AT THE PHOTOGRAPHS!

ciao for now
Neil x

Thursday, December 08, 2005

la la la la...oh i wish they all could be gayayateshead girls...


First I would like to start with a big thank you to all those who read my little bit of the blog on a Thursday. I have had a great many comments from people who have tried some of the tips that I occasionally write about. It’s much appreciated and I promise to pass on any more tried and tested fixes I find. The world of the computer beyond the keyboard and mouse can be quite daunting and anything I can do to help demystify I will. If any body has any particular problems or questions that I could write about then drop me a line at m.hunt77@hotmail.com .

Ok now that is over I can get on with this weeks little ditty. By the time you read this I will be up north on a little pre Christmas visit / piss up / shopping expedition. / Photography mission. And I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to going. Not because I need to get away or I hate being down south I don’t. It’s just that I have the most brilliant time and always meet some of the nicest people I know. The particular part of the North I am referring to is Newcastle or to be more precise Gateshead. Now I probably have an unfair advantage in that I married a Geordie girl and so we stay with the in-laws. But even when I go around the town on my own (having slipped the leash and feel brave enough to go without a translator……. joke) people talk to you. And when I say talk I don’t just mean the disjointed grunts you get in the southeast but a proper conversation. It makes a whole world of difference to the shopping experience when people are nice. Take note major corporations if you want people to part with there money treat them nice and they spend more. It’s as simple as that.

Now I am not trying to say that all the Sales assistants, Bank clerks, Bar staff etc in the south are grumpy and miserable and treat you with the same contempt as shit on your shoe they don’t. But I bet if you get good service down here you remember it and tell people at parties as if it is some major event. It’s defiantly the rule not the exception. What I have not worked out yet is why? We share the same DNA and all live on the same pokey little island. Let’s face it if this was California the distance from Newcastle to Bedford is just about the length of LA north to south. We would all be part of the same town let alone the same State. Is it the diet or may be the colder air. And yes before you ask they do wear very short skirts and tops without a coat in the depth of winter. As yet I am at a loss to work it out. Never mind I shall be doing more research from Wednesday morning. Oh and the beer is cheaper perhaps that has something to do with it.
Matt x

Short, Shit, But at least I made an effort!

After having a break for a couple of weeks I really thought I should make an effort and write this week. Don't get too excited becuase today I don't wish to share the details for my life with you all. I still think about Neil and Sharon's disagreement and her general disaproval about sharing too much info on this site, so I am going to remain sensible and stick with safe and boring topics.

Went to see the new Harry Potter film on Friday, really enjoyed it, and so did 7yr old. Thought it ended too soon, left me thinking had I dropped off and missed something! I don't think I did and I'm sure when it comes out on DVD and I've watched it 1000 times I will fully understand the ending. Would like to talk about it, but I can't find anyone else that has watched it.

Well December is here, and I'm feeling a little under pressure at the lack of presents under my tree(at least the tree it up), true to form I've come down with a cold, can't stop sneezing and generally feeling like sh*t! It happens to me every year so why am I surprised it's happened again this year. At least it's come early so maybe I will enjoy all the Xmas party's I have lined up. Maybe this year I can squeeze two in, an early and late one.

Still ciggie free and feeling really good that I have given up(again), this time I hope to remain focused. I've had lots of positive comments about how good my tits are looking, so maybe the slight weight gain is hitting all the right spots. It's great to have good remarks about my boobs, it has only ever happened to me once before and that was thanks to Marie and that dress!

Just before I go, I would like to admit I have been eagerly awaiting the Take That CD, it came today, it's fab, I'm not sure the neighbours are that impressed but 7 year old is one happy young man.......ok so we both have crap taste in music, it's official!
Gx

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Baa Baa ethnic sheep...


Lisa in her own words completely unabridged !!!

Hello All

TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE

Well its that time again when we all start making fools of ourselves (well ok maybe a small minority) at the annual Christmas Party.

I seem to have excelled myself this year and seem to be going to a few!

Well my week starts on Thursday with the first Party of the Season, it sounds like I am sitting on an excellent table, so hopefully lots of laughs will be had. Then on
Friday its off to Butlins Skegness for their over 18`s One Big Christmas Party Weekend should be fun, there are 8 of us going so I will tell you all about it if I survive!

We shall be joined by the likes of Jason Donovan, 2 Unlimited, Jimmy James and the Vagabonds, Katrina and the one and only Alvin Stardust! There will also be tribute bands Bryan Adams Experience, Bootleg Slade, Tribute to Queen and Abba Forever. So I have been to the back of the wardrobe and found my platform shoes and silver jumpsuit. I will need to book time off to recover from it no doubt but it will be nice to get away for a few days.

The last one is the following week and seeing as it’s the big one I thought I would compile a list of the do`s and don’ts of Office Party Etiquette.

Do remember that the Office Party is a Social Event to reward employees and raise moral but they do remain strictly business events, DO act as though your behaviour is being monitored every second because it probably is. So its not the right time no matter how drunk you are to go and tell your boss exactly what you think of them. It might seem fine after a skinful but you have to face them on the Monday and you can be sure they have long memories!

Conduct yourself at all times in a professional manner. Don’t use the Party to blow off steam. There is a time and a place for that.

Do enjoy yourself at the Party – Employers spend the money to reward their employees, so be sure to enjoy the only gift you may be getting from the company.

Don’t wear your nightclub attire, this Party is still a company do, so don’t wear anything too revealing or too flashy, keep your reputation and your good taste intact!

Don’t flirt and avoid inappropriate behaviour, and keep your hands to yourself at all cost you don’t want to end your career doing something inappropriate or illegal – no matter how fun it may be

Don’t spend the evening complaining, bitching, whining or ridiculing and avoid controversial subjects that may cause offence.

If taking a partner or friend don’t bring someone inappropriate with you – you don’t need him or her telling everyone exactly what you have been saying behind their backs (although would bring much amusement to the Party!)

Don’t forget to thank the person, who organised the event, it doesn’t hurt to send a thank you to the top management too (you may need them at a later date!)

On a more poignant note ……….


If you are struggling to think of a present for someone this year check out the http://www.oxfam.org.uk/ - they are doing something a bit different called Oxfam unwrapped – basically you buy a gift and you are actually helping the lives of people living in poverty.

Everything you can buy can be used to help the communities, so if you were to buy a Goat, Calf or Camel (could i settle for a llama...i need the wool...blogmaster) you would be helping the community.

How you might ask well if you were to buy a Goat (A goat costs £24). You can buy one but can end up with a herd of them. The goats can then be sold to help raise money for school fees, tools so you are helping people to help themselves. And then when they reproduce they can then help another family by giving the first female kid to them, that way the process is started all over again.

The range of gifts is diverse it can be anything from helping someone to start there own business, training someone to be a volunteer or carer for people living with HIV/Aids, to buying a school desk or even to building a Classroom.

In these times when Christmas has become over commercialised and people have lost what the true meaning of Christmas is about spare a thought for the thousands who live in Poverty every single day and not just at Christmas.

Lisa x

Monday, December 05, 2005

The procedure...


hi guys...sorry its another medical blog today but i have just got back from the hospital where i had my colonoscopy. I'm pretty exhausted so will probably keep it a little short...hasten to say...

I arrived at the hospital taken in a chariot on a fair wind by my mate martin and booked in at the reception desk. I was then greeted by the ward receptionist who took me to my room to see if it was suitable! En suite bathroom with a big walk in shower, flat screen plasma tv on the walls and hotel like room service (although i was neither allowed to eat or drink anyhting!)...great so far. In trootted staff nurse tim who was my personal nurse for the day and went through how my day would go, he took some tests and trotted off again...in trotted the anaethetist who explained that i would be given a strong pain killer, two anti sickness drugs and a mild sedative, he was very nice and trotted out again..in trotted Mr Eldin the consultant who explained the whole procedure to me and explained that i could watch on the tv screen if i care to. He also explained that he had a hernia to repair first so would be later for my procedure than i thought, he then trotted out. In trotted the general medical resident doctor, she was sweet and proceeded to put a canula in my vein on my hand to accompany the insulin drip that tim then trotted in to apply. Then came the bad part, I sat there with three hours of television just waiting and waiting to get it over with. I was still ravenous having not eaten anything after 6am on Sunday morning but heigh ho, it had to be done. Other people trotted in to make sure i was alright and then finally it was my time to go to the endoscopy room. I had to get in the bed buck naked and be trollied down the corridir with various private patients waving from their rooms wishing me luck, i forced a smile and was wheeled through the doors where all the nice people who had come to see me were waiting in 'scrubs', plus a couple of new ones who i think were there for the show...i assumed the position on the bed and out came the lube, Mr Eldin described everything he was doing and i felt quite restful after being drugged up to the eyeballs! The tv show then started, the camera moved in and suddenly there they were, my innards on tv, how cool was that. I watched as it snaked its way around the bowel and saw the two offending growths that they found, things got a little hazy at this point but i do remember watching as Mr Eldin cut away the offending growths and started pulling them out of the bowel...somewhere i remember in my subconcious being asked to 'push like you're having a poo' and then out popped said growths...thats all i remember really. I was turned on my back and asked if i wanted to see what they removed, they looked fairly big in their saline solution ands were then whisked away for biopsy. I will get the results thursday after next so have to return to the subject again in about 10 days.
I must say that you certainly get what you pay for at a private hospital and the service couldn't have been any better. They made me rest for four hours and told me not to do anything for the next 36 hours after the procedure and then i was able to be whisked home again on Martins winged chariot. All in all an interesting day, but not one i want to really revisit....to be continued...
Neil x

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Notes on Dr Sensuals medical condition...

Reviewed by Neal Uren, consultant cardiologist and Dr Dan Rutherford

Every adult over 40 should get their blood pressurechecked.

The heart is a pump designed to force blood through our body. Blood is
pumped from the heart through the arteries out to our muscles and organs.

Pumps work by generating pressure. Put simply, too much pressure puts
a strain on the arteries and on the heart itself. This can cause an artery
to rupture or the heart to fail under the strain - in the worst case
stopping altogether.

Blood pressure depends on a combination of two factors:

a.. how forcefully the heart pumps blood around the body

b.. how narrowed or relaxed your arteries are.

Hypertension occurs when blood is forced through the arteries at an
increased pressure.

Around 10 million people in the UK have high blood pressure - that's
one in five of us.

What is normal blood pressure?

Blood pressure is measured using two numbers. An example of this could
be 'the blood pressure is 120 over 80', which is written as '120/80mmHg'.


a.. The first figure is the systolic blood pressure - the maximum
pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts (beats) and pushes blood
out into the body.


b.. The second figure is the diastolic blood pressure. This is the
minimum pressure in the arteries between beats when the heart relaxes to
fill with blood.


Because the height of a mercury column is used in blood pressure
gauges, standard blood pressure readings are always written as so many
'millimetres of mercury', which is abbreviated to 'mmHg'.

The systolic pressure is always listed first, then the diastolic
pressure. A typical normal blood pressure reading would be 120/80 mmHg.

What's classed as high?

There is a natural tendency for blood pressure to rise with age due to
the reduced elasticity of the arterial system. Age is therefore one of the
factors that needs to be taken into account in deciding whether a person's
blood pressure is too high.

In general terms, people with a systolic blood pressure consistently
above 160mmHg and/or a diastolic pressure over 100mmHg need treatment to
lower their blood pressure.

People with slightly lower blood pressures (140-159mmHg systolic or
90-99mmHg diastolic) may also need treatment if they have a high risk of
developing cardiovascular disease, eg stroke or angina (chest pains).

What are the symptoms?

One of the big problems with high blood pressure is that it hardly
ever causes symptoms.

This means it may go unnoticed until it causes one of its later
complications such as a stroke or heart attack.

Despite the popularity of such ideas, nosebleeds and ruddy complexions
are hardly ever caused by high blood pressure.

Severe hypertension can cause symptoms such as:


a.. headache


b.. sleepiness


c.. confusion


d.. coma.


What complications are caused by high blood pressure?


a.. Atherosclerosis: narrowing of the arteries.


b.. Stroke: haemorrhage or blood clot in the brain.


c.. Aneurysm: dangerous expansion of the main artery either in the
chest or the abdomen, which becomes weakened and may rupture.


d.. Heart attack.


e.. Heart failure: reduced pumping ability.


f.. Kidney failure.


g.. Eye damage.


What causes hypertension?

For more than 90 per cent of people with high blood pressure, the
cause is unknown. This is called 'primary' or 'essential hypertension'.

In the remaining 10 per cent or so, there is an underlying cause. This
is called 'secondary hypertension'.

Some of the main causes for secondary hypertension are:


a.. chronic kidney diseases


b.. diseases in the arteries supplying the kidneys


c.. chronic alcohol abuse


d.. hormonal disturbances


e.. endocrine tumours.


What factors increase the risk of hypertension?

Anyone can suffer from high blood pressure, but certain factors can
seriously aggravate hypertension and increase the risk of complications:


a.. a tendency in the family to suffer hypertension


b.. obesity


c.. smoking


d.. diabetes Type 1 or Type 2


e.. kidney diseases


f.. high alcohol intake


g.. excessive salt intake


h.. lack of exercise


i.. certain medicines, such as steroids.


What can I do?

Every adult near or past middle age should 'know their numbers'- ie
your height, weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

You should also have regular blood pressure tests if there is a family
tendency for hypertension. This way, treatment can be started before any
complications arise.

Change your lifestyle:


a.. stop smoking


b.. lose weight


c.. exercise regularly


d.. cut down on alcohol


e.. eat a varied diet


f.. reduce stress by trying different relaxation techniques, or by
avoiding stressful situations.


These changes will lower blood pressure - to reduce your risk of
developing the condition in the first place or to treat hypertension.

If your blood pressure requires medical treatment, you will probably
have to take medicine on a regular basis.

If so, never stop taking it without consulting your GP, even if you
feel fine. Hypertension can lead to serious complications if left untreated.

What can your doctor do?


a.. Pinpoint risk factors and help you change your lifestyle to
reduce blood pressure.


b.. Offer medication for the reduction of blood pressure and arrange
regular monitoring. Sometimes blood pressure control is not straightforward.
Many people require more than one drug on a regular basis to get their blood
pressure under good control.


c.. Your GP may wish to seek the advice of an expert in hypertension
if your blood pressure seems particularly difficult to control.


What are the treatment targets?

Diabetes considerably increases the risk of cardiovascular disease if
hypertension is also present, so the targets for blood pressure control in
diabetes are tighter.

For people who don't have diabetes, the treatment goals for blood
pressure for are:


a.. systolic pressure of less than 140mmHg


b.. diastolic pressure of less than 85mmHg.


For people with diabetes, the goals are:


a.. systolic pressure of less than 130mmHg


b.. diastolic pressure of less than 80mmHg.


Which medicines are used to treat hypertension?


a.. ACE inhibitors stop the production of a hormone called
angiotensin II that makes the blood vessels narrow. As a result, the vessels
expand, improving blood flow. Tension in the circulation is also lowered by
the kidneys filtering more fluid from the blood vessels into urine. This
also helps reduce blood pressure. If your blood pressure is not easily
controlled on simple medication, your doctor will probably use a medicine of
this type.


b.. Angiotensin-II receptor antagonists work in a similar way to ACE
inhibitors. But instead of stopping the production of angiotensin II, they
block its action. This allows the blood vessels to expand, improving blood
flow and reducing blood pressure.


c.. Beta-blockers block the effect of the hormone adrenaline and the
sympathetic nervous system on the body. This relaxes the heart so that it
beats more slowly, lowering the blood pressure.


d.. Alpha-blockers cause the blood vessels to relax and widen.
Combining them with beta-blockers has a greater effect on the resistance in
the circulation.


e.. Calcium-channel blockers reduce muscle tension in the arteries,
expanding them and creating more room for the blood flow. In addition, they
slightly relax the heart muscle so it beats more slowly, reducing blood
pressure.


f.. Diuretics help the body get rid of excess salt and fluids via
the kidneys. In certain cases, they relax blood vessels, reducing the strain
on your circulation.


The following medicines are used less frequently.


a.. Indapamide is a mildly diuretic preparation that also relaxes
the peripheral arteries.


b.. Hydralazine relaxes the vascular walls in the peripheral
arteries thereby reducing the blood pressure.


c.. Methyldopa stimulates the alpha receptors in the brain that
relax the blood vessels, causing the blood pressure to drop.


d.. Moxonidine is another medicine that acts on receptors in the
involuntary part of the brain, causing blood pressure to decrease.


e.. Minoxidil relaxes the small arteries so that blood pressure
drops. It must be used in combination with other hypertension medicines.


In the long term

By treating hypertension well, complications can be avoided and
average life expectancy will remain almost normal.

Without treatment, life expectancy may well be reduced due to the risk
of developing complications such as heart failure or stroke.

Steve x

Friday, December 02, 2005

..and the thwickerty thwackerty man poked people in the eye as he rolled down the hill...


Good God...the wind is howling round the tower block and all the small animals are scared...is this the prophecy, has the end of the world come now?...no, its just a storm, but hey!, you have to be dramatic now and then. There is a distinct ominous chill in the air and i do believe that soon the snow will come...we shall wait and see. Glen (Poland) has informed me that snow is terrifically deep in Warsaw as he trudged to get some sugar the other day...would love a bit of snow trudgeing myself. I never saw snow until I was 12 when we returned from South Africa, I remember that well, it was as thrilling as seeing the first pictures on a colour television that my parents bought...if i remember right my dad put the tv on in black and white then slowly moved the colour button to produce a gloriously technicolour screen...if my memory serves me right there was some sort of sports on, either ice skating or horse jumping, can't quite remember which. I was in awe and my world became a brighter place...can anyone else remember the first tv pictures they saw in colour?
I also remember another important point in my life which was 1969 at school in Australia when man landed on the moon, I remember sittting crossed legged on the floor watching a grainy tv screen stood on a high tripod stand...of course it was daytime in Australia while it was night time for you people in europe. I hope i am remembering these things right and am not suffering some sort of psychotic episode!
It's funny how things come back to you, but what i want to know is why they are coming back to me now? I even told my mum the other day about a soap opera that she used to watch when i was five, i even remember the opening titles and music...strange how the human mind works!

The pope is still a cunt...i have not changed my mind...

Thursday, December 01, 2005

matts reasons for living part 1

According to those in the know we the great British public are all part of a new fad that is sweeping the towns of England. The powers that be have named the problem and as we all know if it has a name you can do something about it. The name given to the plague that is sweeping the land is the Binge culture. Apparently we all now binge on one thing or another. If you go to the pub on a Friday and have a few to welcome the weekend you are labelled a binge drinker. The fact that you’re at home sober and saving you pennies the rest of the week seems to have passed the authorities by. And nobody turns a head if you go in every day and drink. No if you only drink when you can afford it and you have a day off the next day to recover so as not to take the piss out of your employer then you are a binge drinker.

The same can be said for shopping, you hit the shops on your day off to bag a bargain and you’re labelled as bingeing with you credit card. Food is another area where the men in dark suits have labelled you. Once upon a time if you ate to much you were a pig or just plain fat. But now if you dare to have a well stocked fridge and open the door after dark. Or worst still when you are in on your own you are rocketed to the dizzy heights of bingeing. (does that mean i am a computer binger...blogmaster) Now perhaps I could be accused of taking the piss or just not being serious about a subject that our dear leaders and the media seem to have shot to the top of the charts. But in my household we have our own secret binge mentality. Not food, not drink, although judging by the looks I get when I go to the bottle bank perhaps that ought to be re evaluated. We just seem to get through a lot of glass container products honest. Not shopping, not anything so far jumped on by the thought police. No in our little corner of Britain we have invented an entirely new excess.

Welcome to the world of the Binge Washer. Binge Washing takes place at regular panic induced intervals during the week. Now Binge Washing is mainly a winter sport. In the summer you can wash away to your hearts content, safe in the knowledge that the warm day and long evenings will cope with all that your 1200 rpm spin cycle can throw at it. And as a result the machine has a load in it most days and a washing strategy is implemented. We also conform strictly to the principal of “Washing Apartite” (For those who do not know it’s the strict control needed to keep Whites and Coloureds apart to stop the diluting of the pure white strain.) In some very strict households you might even find separate dirty laundry baskets, but it has to be said that this practice is slowly dying out in the more forward thinking homes.

Now come the winter and suddenly the thought that washing has to be dried in the house comes to the front. Panic sets in and before you know it there is a problem and it starts like this. In the winter the body shuts down and when you get home in the dark all you want to do is curl up in front of an open fire and watch crap TV. Before you know it the pile has grown and there are no more thongs in the draw. I chose the thong because it’s possible to get four days wear out of ordinary pants, by careful rotation. But the thong can’t go passed one (well that’s what I‘m told.) So after days of silence the poor old washing machine does about four loads in an evening trying to catch up. As you can see classic binge behaviour. You end up with every rad in the place covered, and the humidity goes through the roof. The thermostat is cranked up to compensate for all the damp washing stopping the heat warm the room. And all because we were not being strategic (In Joke) Perhaps there right after all Binging is public enemy number one.
Matt x

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

LATE NEWSFLASH...The Pope is a Cunt

Well well well...Pope Benedict has made his first official decree to the Catholic church and guess what he has decreed...Gay men can no longer become Catholic priests, men who have 'deep rooted' homosexual feelings or support gay culture cannot be priests either...but the best bit...men who have overcome homosexuality WILL be able to become Catholic priests...

What an absolute wanker!

Neil x

Lisa...saving the world!

WORLD AIDS DAY – 1ST DECEMBER 2005
STOP AIDS – KEEP THE PROMISE


It is estimated that there are now 58,300 individuals currently living with HIV in the UK, over a third of whom (19,700) are unaware of their condition. HIV rates continue to climb. Newly diagnosed cases reported for 2004 stand at 7,275. There is a continuing epidemic among the homosexual community accounting for approximately 2,185, or 30%, of new diagnoses in 2004. The main increase, however, is among heterosexuals, the majority of whom probably acquired the virus in Africa, with 4,287 new diagnoses in 2004, accounting for 59% of all new diagnoses. Injecting drug use and mother-to-children transmission continue to remain low, accounting for about 100 cases each in 2004.

HIV diagnoses remain highest in London, with 46% of all diagnoses made in England occurring in the capital. The number of cases diagnosed in London has increased by 34% between 2000 and 2004. However it should be remembered that people often travel to London from other towns for testing and treatment because there are established specialised services in London, so these statistics do not give an accurate view of the number of people living with HIV in London. Other areas with a higher prevalence of HIV cases are Brighton and Manchester.

Despite the advancements in medical technology, HIV diagnoses have again begun to increase. These increases parallel increases in other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancies across the UK. Unless safer sex messages are heeded, the UK could again see an increasing level of HIV transmission.

In 2005, over 3 million people acquired HIV, which means there are now over 40 million people living with HIV and AIDS. Despite best efforts from governments, non-profit organisations and healthcare practitioners around the world, HIV and AIDS is still having a huge impact in the world.


Over 40 million people are living with HIV
In 2004 there were:4.9 million new infections – 640,000 of them children under 153.1 million AIDS-related deaths2.2 million children under 15 living with HIV/AIDS

Ok a serious blog again this week but it is World Aids Day on Thursday 1 December and I think it has relevance in the society we live in today. Sadly people are still dying of ignorance, thinking it will never happen to them. Especially among the young, it’s the last thing on their minds when they meet someone. Wearing a condom is not a hip thing anymore and the last thing on their mind with a one-night stand apparently.

Lisa xx

Monday, November 28, 2005

jesus wept, it's my turn to blog again!

hi
now what information to impart today... I read a survey today which stated that 67 % of women would cheat on their husbands, 47% of men would cheat on their wives, 85% of gay men would cheat on their partners and 32% of lesbians would cheat on theirs...so what is it with the lesbians, why do they find true happiness when finding a matching muff partner? I can believe the gay male bit as it is a very fickle life to lead, you're okay until something better walks round the corner. What I thought was terrific was the amount of women cheating on their husbands..you go girls!...what's happened have you all discovered sex in the desperate housewives city or what...that is an incredible total and should make all the straight man feel very happy although only 47% of them would be really ecstatic!...now i would like to hear from some of you married ladeeeez and tell me why you would look outside the cookie jar when the fresh ones are inside?...

I really don't believe what some people do for sex kicks!...the latest one i have heard of is called 'peckophilia' and yes...it's where someone gets off by birds pecking them whilst they toss one of the wrist or tip the velvet!...the idea is that they put bird seed or food on their genitalia and the birds peck it off...easy as that, instant gratification!...good grief whatever next!

I discovered a long lost friend today, my mate Glen from Poland...its a long story as he was going through a personal crisis in his life, trying to bring up 2 children at the same time..he reached out for help and i chose to turn away, not the greatest decision of my life and one that i regretted ever since. He's a really talented musician and i decided to do a search on his name to see if he was okay...this led to his email addy and i took the bull by the horns and wrote an email of apology on the understanding that he need not reply...10 minutes later..whizz through the system and an email arrives...so i have made tentative steps to recover our friendship and hopefully he forgives me for not being there for him at the time....lets hope that he's back from the darkside...it feels good to apologise...sometimes!

Saturday, November 26, 2005

The Movies...


Hi Guys...

Taking it easy for a couple of days so I am wasting my time playing this amazing game that I managed to download off emule.."The Movies" does what it says on the box!...think of the Sims in movie studio land and you should get the drift. The game is just bloody marvellous with a built in 360 degree graphics machine like no other. The game starts quite simply as you build your first couple of buildings and take on some staff and movie crew etc..you get to release a film circa 1920 and watch the result with your own studio name built into it...it doesn't sound as great writing about as it does playing it, but anyway you work your way through the years and increase your studio technology whilst trying to release films and keeping your stars happy at the same time. I sat down for 10 minutes earlier on and 2 and three quarter hours later had just released my newest film, been to the film awards (where i failed to win) and fired one of my best starlets for being drunk all the time! lol...please take my word for it, its an absolute must for the xmas season! You can see a full run through and sample some of the movies that other players have made by going here.

www.themoviesgame.com

enjoy...

Neil x

Friday, November 25, 2005

Blessings!

hi all...just wanted to say a quick thank you to all the people who have contacted me or spoken to me today...i realise i have a big support network out there and if i have to go through this then i know that I have you all there with me. Of course i will give you further info as and when i can. Once again I just wanted to say a big thank you...it means a lot
Neil x

Thursday, November 24, 2005

The Consultant

WARNING...this blog contains material that might upset the more sensitive person...


Hi all...was going to save blogging till tommorow but some people were concerned how I got on today...heres the lowdown
Went to see said consultant who had a chat with me about bowel habits and related things, medical history etc...he then asked if he could take a look...I was prepared for a fingering so it was not too much of a shock, the only thing i didn't like was undressing in front of the female nurse, that felt quite unatural to me! but nevertheless i was exposed to the world...then they made me lie on the bed and he pushed my stomach around a lot like a piece of play dough..wuth a 'hmm' as he did so. Then the big moment came, he asked me to lie on my side and face a wall...i was then positioned in the breach position as i heard the 'thwack' of the powdered latex glove and a finger slowly entered the nether regions...it was a tad uncomfortable but not too bad...he withdrew and asked me approx what time i had passed blood so that was not a good sign...he then asked me if it was alright to put a telescope in so he could see better, I said it was alright as long as it wasn't the size of Jodrell Bank...he laughed, i think he liked me, brave little soldier that i am. I was not prepared fro what happened next as the telescope was inserted...and inserted...and inserted...12 inches of rigid rubber tube was probably the most uncomfortable experience I have ever had, he pushed harder and harder to try and get a bit further and this made me cry in discomfort but it was a silent tear rather than the massive sob that wanted to appear. He took a couple of bits for biopsy and withdrew slowly. After cleaning up he asked me to dress and join him at the desk. I sat down and he said.."Well I found blood and I found something else, a growth"..I paled at this but kept a sane look on my face as he spoke. Mr Eldin is extremely nice and explained what would happen next...he decided to forgoe the small invasion and has decided to go for the full Colonoscopy...

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/colonoscopy/

This is now going to take place on December the 5th at the Manor Hospital (the very beautiful private hospital in Bedford)...he will probably remove the growth and use it for biopsy but will also travel round the whole bowel to investigate further. He hopes it will be benign...
to be continued...
Neil x

techno page !

Ok as a finisher to last weeks little bit about System Mechanic™ I thought I would start this week with a few words about the electricity that goes through the wires to your house that makes everything run. Then it will be off to topics new. Why I hear you shout do you want to talk about the electric supply? Well this is not going to be any form of high brow physics lesson but there is just one or two things that you need to know.

Firstly the Electric current that comes out of the sockets is very very dirty. Now by dirty I mean noisy and it’s getting nosier all the time. The reason is that every thing you and I plug in that runs off the mains puts distortion back into the national grid. Let me explain. Plug your hair dryer in switch on and the motor starts. The motor runs on the electric and as the electric passes through and is used by the motor some of the current picks up the noise and fluctuation from the motor. This is then passed back along the mains and is used by the next thing, and so on. So what I hear you shout. Well if all the other things are Fridges or Hoovers or an electric Hob then it is not that much of a problem. But what if there is a Hi Fi System working at that time or a Computer. I am sure we have all heard the pop through a radio speaker when the Fridge cuts in or seen distortion lines running diagonally across the TV screen. These are all visible and audible evidence that the mains is dirty and that the current moving around is full of spikes and distortion. Now when you put a CD in the HiFi and press play music fills the void. The music is being carried by the current to the speakers. Now in the same way that the music signal is carried along so is the rubbish in just the same way, except the rubbish stays and is added to by the motors and transformers etc. And this happens on everything, Crap in slightly more Crap out.

Now your computer is full of minute little bits of electronic stuff that require the exact voltage and clean voltage to work. The nature of modern operating systems is they need to read and process thousands of commands a second and it does not help if the is distortion an muck adding to the mix. Before you know it the code is corrupted and the poor old PC is doing the electronic equivalent of building flat pack furniture without the instructions. Soon its teddy out the cot time and everything stops. There was a report I read a few weeks ago that estimated that 75% of all computer lockups or random crashes or free zings are due to shity quality mains. So what all this is leading to is noise and surge protection. If you have not got your PC plugged into a decent surge protector from someone like Belkin or similar you’re gambling with the files, music, photo’s etc in fact anything you have stored on your PC. And I have not even mentioned what can happen to your pride and joy if the voltage fluctuates too much, as it can. Now if you can live without that stuff fair enough but most of us rely more and more on them for everyday lives. Go get one, prevention is always better that a cure in so many parts of life but particularly when computers are concerned. All good electrical stores have them in stock as well as Argos. Better still put it on your Christmas list it’s a perfect stocking filler.

Bollocks out of space you will all just have to wait until next time for the other stuff.
Matt x

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

2 People, 1 Gig, 2 Views, 1 Blog....Motorblog


Hi all...a good experiment today...both Lisa and Steve in a duel of words trying to describe the awesome spectacle of Motorhead live in concert....here is what took place

STEVES SIDE

Sunday 20th November 2005, the place, Cambridge Corn Exchange, the event, Motorhead 30th anniversary tour.
Of course we headed straight for the bar Lisa's brother paul and i had pints of grolsch while lisa was content with diet coke, then we viewed the merchandise area where we purchased T-shirts (two each) which were put on right away so we now had three shirts on, we were still in the bar when Girlschool took to the stage, when we heard a scream of LISA!!!! and lisa said "God! it's somone i know" so we talked to him for a while it turns out it was one of lisa's ex's(can't remember his name though), after this we went into the auditorium to listen to Girlschool who were on great form blasting out all the old hits from the early eighties:- race with the devil, hit 'n' run, lets go, demolition boys and emergncy were among the highlights of a well rehearsed performance.
we hit the bar again at this point and low and behold Lisa's ex popped up again who thought he knew everything about Motorhead especially when he announced that "they are a four piece now you know" i said" i don't think so, they weren't last time i saw them" to which he said" they are cos i saw it on the tele" so i just let it go with "oh! right". In Flames were next on stage but we stayed in the bar area for most of thier set as we were not familiar with thier work but the majority of the crowd seemed happy with thier performance, after finally getting served we found lisa who said that some bloke had asked her if she had been at the liecester gig a few days earlier and she had said no why? and the guy had said that he thought he had seen her their, she then said to me that she wished she had been their cos he was gorgeous!!!!, we went back in to see the last few songs of Inflames, not my cup of tea I'm afraid.
so the plan was to stay in the hall while everyone else went to the bar, good plan as we ended up near the front and waited eagerly for motorhead to arrive on stage, judging by the amount of amps and speakers that were on stage we knew we were in for some ear bashing, Then as the roadies were setting up four microphones a voice said "see i told you thy were a four piece" Lisa said "i thought we had got rid of him" anyway the house lights dimmed and the crowd started chanting "motorhead" over and over then through the dry ice came Mickey, Phil and Lemmy and the crowd roared their approval, then Lemmy announced "Evening Cambridge, We are Motorhead and we play Rock 'n' Roll" then launched into the blitzkrieg of "Dr. Rock" at this Lisa , Paul and me found ourselves in the middle of the mosh pit, a girl in front of us was on her boyfriends shoulders at this point hanging on for dear life(bless her ) they soon were barged out of the way by some bald guy in a bandanner (me), the band went staight into "stay clean" from the overkill album after which Phil asked the crowd if it was loud enough for us to which everone said no and the volume went through the roof, halfway through the gig Lemmy said in 1983 we did an album called "Another perfect day" and the crowd applauded then lemmy said "thanks, everyone thought it was crap back then and ripped into "i got mine" the obligatory drum solo turned up in the middle of "sacrifice" an awesome performance by Mickey Dee on the drums the last song before the encore was "ace of spades" we waited a few minutes and the "trio" not a fourpiece after all returned, but not as before as we were given a acouctic performance of "Whorehouse blues" from the "inferno"album and Lemmy proclaimed "this is motorhead unplugged" the guys finished us off with a blistering rendition of "Overkill" at the end of which Lemmy removed his Rickenbacher bass and pointed at us like a machine gun then punching the back of it and left it reverbbing for about five minutes, then the lights came up and we made our way out in awe.
SET LIST:-
1. Dr Rock
2.Stay Clean
3.Killed By Death
4.Going to Brazil
5.Metropolis
6.No Class
7.Killers
8.In The Name Of Tradgedy
9.Just 'cos you got the power
10.Fast and Loose
11.Iron Fist
12.I got mine
13 R.A.M.O.N.E.S.
14Sacrifice
15.Over the top
16.Love me like a reptile
17.Dancing on your grave
18.Ace of Spades
19.Whorehouse Blues
20.Overkill
I think thats all of them, it was a truly fantastic gig and from a lead singer who turns 60 this week!!
see you later ......steve..x
p.s. cheers for the lift Lisa


LISA'S SIDE

Motorhead Day!

Well Sunday morning came bright and early, a text message from Neil just wishing me a Happy Motorhead Day. And the fact he was up and working early so I should be up too – who needs enemies when you can rely on your best friend Neil to spoil your duvet day lol.

Anyway I text back a polite reply and then went back to sleep. (ha ha) Eventually I did surface and spent the day relaxing, I did not want to over do it as it was a big night.

I set off to pick up Steve, and yes I was early (don’t all gasp – I can do early sometimes!). I knocked on the door and Steve opened it and looked the part in his leather and head attire. Just then I received another text from Neil saying have a nice time and don’t run off with any hells angels – I was tempted to text back and say that I was going with one lol.

We set off for Cambridge on the way we picked up my brother Paul. He was gushing about new Green Day – Bullet in a Bible CD with a Bonus DVD including the full set from their gig at Milton Keynes Bowl earlier in the year which he went too. (just thought I would plug that for him and say Happy Birthday and hoped you liked your present the Motorhead Ticket.

Anyway we arrived and parked at Lion Yard and then came out to see the queue it was long, and it a very cold night. Paul and Steve went to get the tickets and I waited in the queue. They soon came back with the `golden tickets` and we waited in line, the people queuing were a mixture of young and old. The young not even old enough to have been around when Motorhead started 30 years ago who can believe that this was there 30th Anniversary Gig and that Lemmy was nearing 60! Lemmy and the boys got the best reviews of their career for last year's fantastic "Inferno" album. This year they were awarded a Grammy for Best Metal Performance.

While in the queue we watched the weird and the wonderful walk past and get in line, a guy was handing out leaflets we must have looked like we needed these leaflets as he duly handed them out, and we duly dropped them on the floor. As we were nearing the front of the queue a man comes from round the corner and asks if we are standing or sitting! dumb question I think as I am obviously standing frozen to the spot. After establishing that he means inside the hall we say standing, and he tells us to step forward. He then moves along the queue and a crowd of people behind start to get in line behind us. He then comes back to us and says `follow me` and its like the scene from the Pied Piper, as we all dutifully follow him round the front of the corn exchange and down an alley. At this point we wonder if we have been duped until we see the doors open ahead and realise we are getting into the gig quicker than the long queue left behind!

We are in and head straight to the bar where we need something to warm the cockles that have been frozen queuing outside. 3 drinks and short change of a tenner later and we realise we are at a gig.

We are not in there long when the first band strikes up `Girlschool` they were very good got the crowd going and told us all to log on there website http://www.girlschool.co.uk/

The next band on were In Flames a band hailing from Sweden they were loud and thrashy but very good they have an album coming out next year as they informed us at the end.

Then we waited for the main act giant Marshall stacks appeared and then a massive drum kit – Steve had warned me that these were the loudest group I would ever hear and Lemmy has been quoted as saying "Is it loud enough for ya? I don't wanna hurt your ears, I wanna destroy them completely."




We decided to get near the front, but not too near as we did not want to end up in the Mosh Pit. Having found a good spot we, (I have to just mention the couple in front of us who did nothing but grope and snog each other while we were waiting get a room and other things sprung to mind). The lights dim, and the music started. And then all hell broke loose, we were caught right in the middle of the mosh, and being bounced around. We managed to take a few steps back for fear of being trampled on, and I can`t describe how loud it was it was mind blowingly loud it just reverberated around your body, you heart was pounding, your legs were vibrating it was truly awesome. The smooching couple then became one, when he promptly put her on his shoulders. For a moment panic came as I thought I might get flattened if she fell off his shoulders but a few good shoves from people behind and they disappeared into the mosh and she was last seen flailing around all hair and sparkly jewellery. (Bless)

Lemmy just looked exactly the same as he had done over the past 30 years, although his hair is slightly darker. The set was brilliant old songs and new from their latest album Inferno. There was even an amazing acoustic version of Whorehouse Blues. Overkill went on forever and an amazing drum solo from Mikkey Dee which just went on and on. Lemmy and Phil Campbell went off stage only to reappear some time later with fags on the go!
Lemmy came out with some classic lines ` if you dance to this you will have trouble having kids later in life` and `this is for every bastard world leader and politician` and then launches into Just because you have the power doesn’t mean you got the right. By now my ears were buzzing – half empty plastic cups of some golden colour liquid were being launched around and the sweat was pouring off Steve and Paul who had bought t-shirts and then put them on so they did not lose them. Wearing 3 t-shirts and leather not a good combination.

Sadly like all good things it came to an end. One encore and a brilliant rendition on Ace of Spades and then we were heading back to the Car Park and home.

Thanks Steve and Paul for a fantastic night – and next time lets take Claire xx

If I have missed anything out Steve please leave a good comment xx

Lisa xx

Monday, November 21, 2005

thanksgiving...


as its nearly thanksgiving i thought i would just share this little story..its taken from 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' which is a terrific book and thought it was relevant to this weeks festivities, i hope you think so too...

Todd Zimmerman was not altogether happy to be working on Thanksgiving Day. As one of a skeleton staff of five manning the State of Maryland's EBT Help Desk (the state's alternative to food stamps), the morning seemed to stretch on. As lunchtime approached, it was hard not to fantasize about the feast his family was preparing, and the laughter and stories that would be told. Before his lunch break, a call came in from an elderly woman who was obviously distressed. "I was at the grocery store buying food, but my purchase didn't go through!" she said. "The clerk said the transaction was denied." Todd knew the questions to ask, and it wasn't long before he diagnosed the problem: the woman's temporary card had expired. Apparently she hadn't understood that she needed to obtain a permanent card. "Oh, but...but I hadn't collected my $10 from October either! I purposefully left it on account to put together with this $10 for a Thanksgiving dinner." "I'm sorry," Todd said sympathetically. "Do you have any food in the house?" "No...not really, I was saving up for today, you see. My family thought they were going to be able to come, and I wanted to have a nice meal for them. But something came up, and they can't make it." There was a catch in her voice. "I guess it's just as well." After she hung up, Todd couldn't get her off his mind. He realized that because of the error this woman, whom he knew only as "Mrs. B," would not only be alone, she'd also go hungry on Thanksgiving Day, all for want of $20. Determinedly, Todd called the grocery store where the woman's transaction had been denied, his own credit card at the ready. Sorry, they said, no phone orders. And they didn't deliver, and couldn't make an exception today of all days. They also had a skeleton crew and more customers than they could handle. Lunchtime came. Todd suddenly didn't care that he was eating cafeteria food. Two of his coworkers, Kim Twito and I, took lunch with him, and together we vowed to do whatever we could to solve Mrs. B's problem. Back at the help desk, we let our compatriots, Julie Simon and Mark Liessmann, in on the dilemma. Working together, we felt we could surely staff the phones while finding a Thanksgiving dinner for Mrs. B. Unfortunately, by then, virtually every grocery store in Mrs. B's county was closed or closing. None would deliver. Exhausting the Yellow Pages, one of our coworkers thought of Chesapeake Beef, a grocery store with which EBT had a high volume of business and a good relationship. Chesapeake Beef was closed for Thanksgiving. "The owners, Stas and Mary Witezak, are very nice people," I said. "They might know of a local store that's open. I bet they wouldn't mind if I called them at home, even if it is a holiday." "I'm sorry," said Mary, "I can't think of any open stores. But you know what? I have a better idea. It sounds like Mrs. B lives about 15 miles from here. We've finished our dinner, but we still have plenty left! Let us bring Thanksgiving to her. I'll put the kids to work making a special card while Stas and I get together a meal. Oh - but please let her know someone is coming. We're unexpected strangers, and we don't want to frighten her." This was easier asked than accomplished. EBT didn't have Mrs. B's phone number, which was unlisted. However, the telephone operator was willing to call Mrs. B and ask her to return a call to Todd at the Helpline. When a confused Mrs. B called back, Todd simply told her that friends were coming with a surprise. Several hours later, Stas Witezak called in. "Thanks so much for giving our family the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life," he said. "Mrs. B very much appreciated the food, but what really touched her were the cards the children made. She nearly cried when she read them. Her response was to ask if she could hug them - and they happily let her." Mrs. B called back, too. She thanked everyone involved in her Thanksgiving surprise. When our shift ended, the five of us who had reluctantly come to work that Thanksgiving bade each other farewell with a smile. Though we didn't say it, we were all recalling Mrs. B's words: "I've always been a Christian - but now I know for sure there is a God!" "Happy Thanksgiving!" said Todd as we parted ways. And in fact, it had been the happiest Thanksgiving of all.

Yes..i know its a bit slushy but the sentiment is right..and i know that in england we don't celebrate thanksgiving but we should do, we should all be thankful for something in our lives.

The next bit is really cool...a friend called Mary sent me this and its one of the most useful emails I have received...it tells the story itself...

"During a BBQ a friend stumbled and took a little fall. She assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, Mary went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.

Mary's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital. At 6:00pm, Mary passed away.
She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Mary would be with us today.It only takes a minute to read this-A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...TOTALLY!!. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed and getting to the patient within 3 hours which is tough.RECOGNIZING A STROKE:Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps. Read and Learn!Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify.Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:1. *Ask the individual to SMILE.2. *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.3. *Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (i.e...It is sunny out today)If he or she has trouble with any of these tasks, call paramedics immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.After discovering that a group of non-medical volunteers could identify facial weakness, arm weakness and speech problems, researchers urged the general public to learn the three questions. They presented their conclusions at the American Stroke Association's annual meeting last February. Widespread use of this test could result in prompt diagnosis and treatment of the stroke and prevent brain damage. "

there...thats my good deed for today...have a lovely week...we may have a review of Motorhead tommorow so its sex drugs and rock and roll all the way!
Neil x