Come on!

Wine I don't like red wine. I love it! If I wind the clock back a couple of decades, and a bit, I had my first taste of red wine. That was in the form of a Jacob's Creek something or other - I think it was a Christmas 90-something - Dad was having a glass and as I was inquisitive I was given a small glass. My early(ish) teens at that time. I liked it a lot! Cheers Fatha! So that was the start of something beautiful 😅 - red wine taste buds opened! Jumping forward to University; a student, in Glasgow . Yes, as a student obviously umpteen different drinks were going to be sampled and drunk. But! As someone who has a good palate (I say that now proudly; judge away; I'm right though (ahem))! I look back to even tasting food and drinks 'properly' then (Uni), unlike many others. Dickhead me? I care not if that's your belief! Get what you pay for - yes, and the resultant debt - only that age once though. Forwarding my time at BAE Systems . A professional job. An aer

Orbital 30-Something CD1 From the very 1st sound I am immediately taken back in time; with a twist. Its historical rave moments followed by fitting Orbital sounds then the modernization synth stabs drop in the background. Hooked by the melodic sound only Orbital can deliver. Then words drop and fit! Paul's history at the Kent rave! The stereo that just wasn't as accurate 30 years ago. That's Smiley , track 1! The time machine brings us up to date at the start of track 2 - Acid House - new but old. Just as you get used to the techno bass drum, incomes a vocal noise, another layer is added, then another, then relatively quiet and a male voice repeats, then more electronic sounds. Punchy electronic house techno (mildly poppy) jazz? (Chorus only!) Bye bye I'm off on a journey! Eyes shut! Then stop! Where is it going? Stephen Hawking (SH) reels you into a visualised story of, for me, a Galactic tunnel . Then we get tempo and sounds! Energised! Then SH again. This (album)

  Hypodrinkisy  1. Bad again out-weighing the good. Stop drinking? I've said for several years that, as an insomniac , I do not need anything to assist with not sleeping - Here's the thing: Alcohol pretty much guarantees that I will not get a good sleep. So why bother? Drunken sleep doesn't count anyway. I love Guinness . I love an IPA. I love wine . Love Port. Really enjoy gin. Get the picture/s? What I, as a man now in his mid-forties, get hangovers that really, really, really suck. For the 1st time this morning, while awake in bed at daft-o-clock, I gave heavier thought to stopping drinking. Something I have mentioned umpteen times to myself and others; obviously without a successful follow through. I am far from an alcoholic of any sort, and for example I had 4 pints of Guinness last night (at time of writing), 1st drink of the week, yet boy did I know it in bed. Then there's #MS. Being a canny member of the "MS Community" I know of others who have stopped

MRI Freeman. After a week of potential COVID , I was thinking that I may have had to cancel said MRI. That was scheduled for 19:10 on a Saturday night! The demand ruins weekends. For good reason to be fair. However, I received a phone call on that Saturday morning asking if I'd accept an earlier slot of 12:00. Hell yeah! Saturday night alive again. I'm not missing the possible cancellation reason: I woke up on that day (for the 2nd time since actually falling asleep) feeling SO much better than the Friday before! After explaining that I had been home testing with LFTs (lateral flow test) with Negative results to the caller, I was told that if I did one before going to the Freeman with a Negative result, I could safely get the scan! To the scan. In a mobile MRI unit at an unusual venue, I was a tad anxious ; that anxiety proved of no worth thankfully. I found where to go, checked in at the reception and was taken to the scanner. Up some stairs with handrails, thankfully. What

NUFC v Aston Villa 13/02/22 We went on the hunt for a 3 rd victory on a somewhat damp Sunday afternoon. Another realistically nervy game ahead having not achieved 3-in-a-row in 39 months (November 2019 with Rafa). Yet despite our Geordie realism, we now have shed-loads of renewed belief too. And it showed! To be there and be part of the St James’ restored audio volume was and is brilliant. The game itself was a fairly “messy” affair. 2 teams of course wanting the same. They, have a superstar in Philippe Coutinho that, for me, was the source of the nerves. He’s that good. However! The superb defending made said superstar a CoutinNO! I was, as a football fan, expecting to see some special tricks and moves from him. Gladly I did not! Like I said, it was from the off a messy game. They were dirty. Aggression as shown on Tuesday night was welcome. What they brought in their game was unwelcome. Had the ref been fairer (not for want of better word) we would have had more freekicks.

NUFC v Everton 08/02/22 Form! Yes! Newcastle United displaying some form. And its fan-fucking-tastic. Not to an Everton, nor a Leeds fan; snigger-snigger. We played Leeds last month, just before the FA Cup premiership break (especially for those who are not in said cup. Ahem. But the team had a ‘warm weather break’ that seems to’ve done wonders too) and we won. For the first time in an age granted, but an unexpected victory is next-level great. What followed was an exceptionally busy mid-season / January transfer window. Busy and also fantastic. 5 newbies. Improved squad. Quality improvements throughout! Well done Newcastle . Approximately £92m spent (not including add-ons). Anyway! A quick blog about our (#NUFC) much improved mindset across the board – owners down to the most disgruntled fan – due to rapidly improving team that all can see. Aye, despite still being in the quagmire in truth (at time of writing a measly unsafe 17 th ), the outlook is good and OPTIMISTIC. So, th

Gallowgate Challenges - NUFC January (2022) I went to visit St. James’ Park. Now this wasn’t an uncommon thing, but both the reason and sitting position were.                               The FA Cup ! Meh. That short word spells the result of the encounter. Obviously , Newcastle United being football flesh and blood. The FA Cup, 3 rd round home tie against a lower league club, a tasty day out. Here’s an/the NUFC thing. An expected odds-on game does not always go according to plan. And it didn’t. More about that soon. The Gallowgate End. If you do not know of the famous Gallowgate End of St. James’ Park (hereafter SJP); you should! It is where I started my physical following as a supporter of this brilliant football club. As a teenager, maybe 12 (maybe <12) and not formerly a teen, life began at the South East side of the Gallowgate End of SJP. I have a crap short term memory these days, yet long term is still with me. That era of SJP was tremendous for many, many, r