Thursday, May 31, 2012

Could I find Jesus??

Some times things are meant to try us, and try us they do.  I've documented how the week began for me.  My legs are getting better I can actually touch them without it feeling like I've grated them and then set them on fire.  I've been able to look at them and think the brambles are bloody incredible, one has drawn an iron with go faster stripes and another rocket shooting up my legs.  Way better artwork than anything I could have done.  My only upset is that at no point did any of them draw me a picture of Jesus.  His image has been found in lots of things, but I'd have been very impressed and might have converted had I found him amongst the scratches on my legs.

I digress and wander off into the bizare.  To compound the issues of earlier in the week things went slightly against the planned yesterday and whilst I put that to one side and moved on, it was to be my undoing this morning.  On getting up, the pc went on and a whole array of problems came with it.  No security software, things weren't loading properly and I just couldn't get anything working.  After calling the tech desk for help over the security issue, I plodded on, and through instruction found how much my bill was for last month.  I sort of expected it to be big, but not that big.  I do accept though that an hour and fifteen minute call to Canada didn't help much.  Still I paid some of that off, raher than getting into any trouble, but still my pc was playing up.  

They suggested I uninstall the software and reboot, which I did, but that caused even more issues and so a second call to the help desk and even on a remote access help they couldn't solve the issue.  So with the promise of a call back, and further investigations at there end I was left trying to wonder why so many things weren't working.  This was begining to stress me out, after everything that had gone on this past week, I was not happy.  So I thought sit down make breakfast and move on. Breakfast made, cup of tea made and I sat down to consume.  I would have done, but the tea was rancid, my milk had started to go off.  I don't know why, it's been in the fridge it's in date and I still had over a litre left.  So that spoilt my breakfast.  

It took till lunch time and a freak accident to notice that my date on the pc was something like 3 months in advance of today's date.  I recall using the calendar to look up a particular date, but I never apply that, I always shut it down.  So I corrected it, and things started to work as if by magic.  Then the pc crashed, so a re-start, and an attempt to re-install my security software, and 95% of the way through it the pc froze again.  I wasn't happy something was the matter, so after going out in the afternoon to a meeting, I came home and it wasn't till 6pm that I got everything back up and running properly.  However, it's left me a little drained, a little sad and in need of some positive attention.  A hug, a message etc or something else, just to cheer me up.  None has been forthcoming, but I will try to find something to cheer me up.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

The past, the present and the future.

An update from yesterday's post.  I got to the doctors late yesterday afternoon to see the nurse.  She took one look at the legs and gulped.  However she's given me some cream, essentially to help alleviate the itchiness and to help reduce the redness of the scratches.  If I walk, or go outside for any period during this hot weather my legs (since Sunday) have glowed red.  However this morning they seem to be showing the first signs of healing and the weather is way cooler and actually is a bit over cast.  Hello the English summer...

The itching though not as extensive is more actute in specific area's so I'm having to really concentrate on not attacking either my legs or the bites on my arms.  It's taking a lot of mental restraint not to go hell for leather and scratch all day.  I've got creams and lotions galore, and it will certainly remind me to think twice when out walking again.  However that may not be till the end of this week, as my thighs are a bit sore, as if I've strained them slightly, which wouldn't shock me the amount of work they put in, in the woodland.  I'm not wanting sympathy, I took the decision to proceed and I'm paying a heavy price for it.

On to other matters, and the use of social media.  It's been a matter of debate with myself and a few other people of late in terms of football transfers.  However it translates to near enough everything these days.  I know this is the earliest form of social media, but what it has created is a news hungry society, with the expectancy that those in the media spotlight will inform us of anything and every thing sooner, rather than later.  Be it a football transfer, a new album by a pop star, a new film etc, people are watching and waiting eager to learn as if they are the first to see the news and transmit the thing to all there friends or followers.  

Years gone by, we were kept up to date by news bulletins, news flashes if the story was important enough, the news papers and either/or ceefax or teletext. We'd perhaps have no idea of anything happening till we watched the news, or the papers arrived in the morning.  We'd learn our news from the papers with there own political slant, perhaps chaniging them every so often or using the same paper for years.  We were a patient lot then, now however if we haven't got the breaking story before the news networks we seem to be unhappy and rather shocked by it.  We make up our own opinions on people based on how they use social media, not that we atually know them, but behaviourly we thin we know them.  Why is that?  How can we know them from how they tweet or blog?  How when the only contact with them is written text?  Yes, you may cross reference them with what others are saying about them, but often it's all positives or all negatives.  No middle and often the middle is where the true person is.  

No matter what though social media is now part of our culture, it's going to shape how we live our lives and it will help evolve it.  When by the time the first generation of tweeters are retired (as if that will ever happen in the UK at the rate they putting the retirement age up), things will have moved on so much from where are today, and I wonder how many of us (if I can include myself in that, though I've only been on twitter a few months), will hark back to the good old days, as our parents did?  How many though will keep up to date with allt he technology quite the opposite of our parents I guess?  That's the thing that will interest me the most, and certainly from my own perspective will be something to watch.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Pride Dented

I have to write, I've promised people that I would explain yesterday and here is the place to do it.

Yesterday morning I set off for a walk, now I had an idea of where I wanted to go, I had a new route and had marked it out on the maps, it was very circular which is to my liking and meant I would only have to retrace my steps towards home at the very end.  So off I went taking my time, not rushing as it was a hot day, I had plenty of time and was going to take photo's.  I followed the route till a certain point, when it appeared I could go no further, though I did see a route around what was blocking me.  However that went further out than I thought, and then I found myself in some woods.

Perhaps I should have turned around, but I presumed I'd find a path way in the woods which would lead me out and to the point where I should be.  That didn't happen and soon I found myself in the middle of a wood, with no path and the return route was as difficult as continuting.  However, I remained positive I was going in the general direction.  Yet, later rather than sooner, I realised I was in trouble.  I was struggling not only through the dense woodland, but I was running out of water, I had shorts on, in an area where it was thick with nettles and brambles.  My legs were cut to ribbons, stung to high heaven and were swelling up.  They were becoming sore and the amount of stings I'd taken was making them tingle.  My phone battery was getting low, which meant my ability to get me through the woods in the direction would be lost.  

I myself felt lost, I had little or no idea how I was going to get out, I was fearing I'd not get out and so I rang for some help, I then got the police calling me, asking where I was, and telling me to fiind some open space so the helicopter may be able to see me.  It wasn't how I intended the day to go.  I was thirsy, sore, frustrated, disorientated and tired.  What should have been a nice 8 mile, 2 hour to 2 hour 30 mins walk had turned into 6 miles over 7 hours the last mile of that was over 2 hours battling through the wood land.  Then to get out and away I had to jump over a brook that looked vile and smelled vile, which as only yesterday could go I failed by inches to clear.  

So far I've gone through a tube of savlon since about 8pm last night to sooth the legs, it is working but they feel like they've got an extra skin on them, when I walk it feels like the skin is jiggling, it isn't a fun feeling.  I've posted pictures of my legs from last night on facebook.  They are not in a good shape.  My pride has taken a dent, I was going in the right direction, but to get so lost and so fearful wasn't nice.  I'd already nearly lost my footwear through stepping into thick mud and sinking down.  It was foolish I guess to go into the woods, but I know where I intended to go and I was sure I'd find a path of some sort, how wrong I was.  Being a stubborn so and so I went forward, rather than backwards and I paid dearly and still am.  

When I look back on the events I'll remember the bad parts, the horrible parts of how I felt, and yet the start of the walk up the tow path of the Worsley caanal as was wonderful, it was a beautiful day, a beautiful walk.  I wish I'd decided to alter the walk, which was something that I had in my head, just before I turned down the road where I'd planned.  I was going to surprise a friend, as I have been known to do, but I didn't and look where it got me!!

Friday, May 25, 2012

Sensible is scary.

The weather is wonderful, I'm melting in the heat, this is not normal for the UK.  However, you won't find me moaning to much, I think I'd rather have this than bright but cold.   So since the burst at the start of the week, what has taken place?  Well nothing to be frankly honest.  I've done very little.  

Earlier today I finished a course that I'd been attending and that felt good to come out of that with some knowledge and though it wasn't anything to enhance my chances of getting a job, it has given me a few things to think about.  I guess one of the things I've got to consider is first impressions of people.  Earlier this year and I don't know if I noted this in this blog, I attended a training day with through the same company (City West Housing Trust).  During that session I felt quite uncomfortable with the actions or comments of another participant.  I didn't feel I could say anything to them, as apart from himself, his wife, daughter and her partner was in the group I was working with.  So I kept quiet till the end of the session and passed on my feelings to the persons running that training.  Now the same husband and wife have been on this training course with me for the 4 sessions it's ran over the past 5 weeks, and I have a different picture totally of them.  So if I did say something, and it's possible that I did, then that first impression has been blown away.

On a pleasing note, I seem to be able to play my music on my PC again, it isn't perfect in that it isn't playing everything and on occasion I've got to give it some encouragement, however I can listen to the music and not get frustrated by it. This is good as it gives me something other than just reading off the internet and sitting in silence.  I can now stay up late and not worry about draining myself because of boredom.  Music does in some way releases some of the crap that builds up in my mind when I am not doing anything, other than reading stuff online.  I can't sit and type in here every day, I know that, it would be worse than it already is due to the inane drivel that I would end up writing.  Half of this is odd, and that's due to my boredom etc.  Perhaps tonight is different, it's been a wonderfully hot day and I've a bottle of wine I'm going through.  I'm relaxed and am letting myself do what ever, and not bother about it.  I could almost go grab some money and goi into Manchester and wait for the clubs to open.  I know it wouldn't be the most sensible idea, but it would be fun.  

I see something is happening to me, I'm becoming senisle, when did that happen?  If anyone has the answers please let me know, as it scares the bejesus out of me.  

Monday, May 21, 2012

Quiet Summer

Yesterday I posted 3 posts, one included a post about my winter tv viewing, now I'll post the shows that I've watched this Spring and will follow into the Summer..  Of course new shows will be broadcast and new shows watched, with the hope I like them...

Burn Notice
Cougar Town
Falling Skies
Lip Service
Necessary Roughness

Oh wow!  That's it.  Add to that I think Cougar Town has finished it's season and Lip Service finishes this week, I'm going to be left with only 3 shows to watch apart from the daily dose of Craig Ferguson.  This isn't good. 

Sunday, May 20, 2012

3 Posts in one day, Now that's what I call catch up!

Wow, 3 posts in less than an hour or two.  This on the back that I'd failed to write for almost a month now.  To look back at the last entry before today's rapid fire entries I see that I talked about my mobile.  Well I did title the said entry as mobile, however even I can get confused as I started to write this thread about my mobile phone (cell phone), yet I just checked back over it as I wanted to see what I'd said and realised that the new mobile was the "Expecant Mother", that I've got hanging now in my room.  Silly me.

So as I've mentioned my mobile phone, I should say that I've had an upgrade since the last entry and I'm very happy about it to.  I was at one point thinking of posting an entry from it in here, and may yet do so, but we'll see about that once I've got things 100% with the app and the phone itself.  Not that 3 weeks down the line I'm not used to it (the phone that is), just I'm trying to get what I want on it and what I don't and get it working to maximum for myself.  My choice of phone is another Sony, I do like the phones they make which is a surprise as they are not really known for making the best phones, however I have had 3 or 4 Sony mobile phones now and I can't say I've had any bad experiences with them at all.  This one is just super with a wonderful screen and camera to boot.  

The tale of how the above came about may come out at another date, or later in this post, needless to say it wasn't straight forward and while it sort of stressed me out, it wasn't a stress that I can say was an unhealthy stress more a pain in the neck strain.  The one thing that I will relay now, is being asked to head into Manchester city centre on a Monday evening at 5pm, to see if I could collect the phone from there from the Trafford Centre.  Now in years gone by I'd have possibly said OK.  However, having to use the bus, and knowing it was rush hour didn't make me happy at that thought.  Add to that it was also the night that Manchester City were playing Manchester United, in what was being billed the match of the season.  Manchester would be 4 times as busy as normal, and then I'd have to get home in time for the match etc.  

Apart from that I've been happily walking through the month and even went on a ramble around a country park. I'm sure that I passed comment certainly last month that I forgot about a previous ramble the month before, so this one I made sure I attended.  That was such a wonderful day, the weather was stunning and the walk it's equal.  I'd never heard of Tegg's Nose prior to it being suggested prior to the walk, but would certainly recommend everyone to take a peak at it if you like the idea of walking.  It wasn't a long walk at just over 7 miles, but they did have one or two nasty little hills to climb up, but that's all the fun of the game isn't it.  I took some wonderful pictures on my new phone, which really did come out well.  So well I may post them onto my photo blog.  That's been ignored more than this one over the years, but I go in phases with photo taking.  

I really should try and post more in here this coming week, if I want to maintain some sort of regular post counts for the months.  I feel sort of odd for not posting, but it has been a bit of an odd month in many ways.  I've sat down and felt the need to write or want to write, but have put it off to the following day, and then something has come up and I've forgot.  At no point though have I not felt like posting or wanted to.  I'm not sure how that translates.  Where that places me in the current mood stakes.

Oh why does that remind me to talk about this?  Just as I was finishing that last paragraph thinking this month has gone by, not a lot to report really in terms of my own health as such, and where my some what apathetical approach to posting in here of late, I remembered to say something about this past Friday night.  For what felt like the first time in many years, I attended a night club.  Now I can recall the last time I did this, and with whom and which club.  Though where that would go on the time line of my life I'm not sure.  However, that was certainly a few years ago.  OK, so the music wasn't to my liking, but I followed the crowd and so it was into the unknown into a club that would ultimately end up playing dance music all night or a variety of it.  Now that's not my kind of music, but I can at least understand why so like it and why they can dance to it.  That my knee and ankles paid for it is perhaps the signs of old age.  However I loved it, and though it spent money that I didn't really want to spend, I enjoyed it no end.  Would I do it again? Perhaps, though I'd try and find another club which played music that I'd enjoy more, well perhaps know as well.  Still a fun night and that's important in life isn't it, to enjoy yourself every now and again.

A Shocker so far!!

Now then let's get this past week out of the way, before I do so let me just orientate you all, when I refer to last year or last season I'm refering to anything that ended in 2011.  This year is of course 2012, but in terms of football and hockey the seasons started in 2011, but we are now orientated.  So when I mention this year, I'm meaning the season 2011/2012.  

So far nearly 6 months into 2012, my sporting loves have ended in disappointment.  I shouldn't be unhappy, it's only something I follow, but of course sport grabs you and your emotions are pulled, shoved, shredded by it.  

Football,
Where do I begin with this topic?  Normally over the past 20 years it's been success as a United fan, but  had to accept that we haven't won something, we have to be gracious in defeat and know that the next time we win somethng it will feel good to do so.  However, I really don't know where to start with how the end of the club season has left me.  To start with Europe was awful, it was like a time machine back to 1994, when a very inexperienced United team got taught a lesson by Barca in Camp Nou.  That this United team contained quite a few previous Champions League winners and players whom had played in the previous years final was rather perplexing.  What went wrong or where?  

On one level I think we tactically got it wrong, with due reverance to the manager, whom has won us everything, I think the evolution of tactics of other teams had pased him by.  In his defence it could be said and should be said that the tactics that he employed was done so because of the players available.  Others had started the season well, in newer formation, and yet once that partnership was disrupted and others brought in, we had to alter our tactics back to more tried and trusted ideas, and whilst they can be effective, it wasn't to be so this season, and not once in one competition, but in two we were simply out played.  

Others more articulate and more akin to writing blogs on football can go into details here, this is me writing my thoughts in summary, rather than highlighting everything.  So the league form floated around, and whilst trailing for long parts of the season they went top and stretched the lead with just weeks remaining and a quiet glee arose.  To see them then throw that away was hard to take, to see it be a local rival was harder to take.  Going into last weekend, knowing it wasn't in our hands was easier to take, I was not expecting anything.  Yet nearly got it all, it was with the last kick that City won the league, just as we had beaten Bayern to clinch the treble in 99, they had claimed the victory and the title.  Add to that two of our bitterest other rivals have won the two other major trophies open to United this season, it's left us without anything.  Not uncommon, and something in the 70's and 80's I was used to.  This time though the way it all panned against us no matter what, it hurts.  Not that I think we could claim to be the "best" in the land or Europe for that matter, but to be so close is perhaps the issue.

Add to that within football, all the other local teams didn't have much better seasons with very few promotions from the North West region of the country and a fair few relegations.  This time next year, we'll have to redress that issue.

Hockey, 
Well another poor season by the Oilers, though I said I'd be happy with 29th spot, it's clear that this team they have assembled is capable of much more than that.  After a bright start the defeats became more regular, and injuries started to hit once again.  I'm sure it's easy to become dispirited when this happens and no matter how much to try to do things different, defeats keep coming and injuries occur.  Even at the highest level, let alone the lowest levels, where often the way around the hurt of defeat is a few drinks after what ever game you play.  

The bright spark for the Oilers this season was the excellent performance by Jordan Eberle and wonderful rookie season by Ryan Nugent Hopkins.  These kids along with Taylor Hall, are the future of the franchise, they've got a very talented core of other young players, and now another first overall draft pick to add to the roster.  However, sooner or later, for all the talent they'll have to convert that to team success, and move forward.  With the talent within the forwards this group of players should at least make one or if not more runs for the Stanley Cup before they either leave the club or retire.  

A new coach is coming in for the upcoming season.  Perhaps new ideas, new training routines may start to have a positive effect on the players, who knows?  Yet a progression of one place in 3 years is difficult to take, from last to second to last.  This is an organisation steeped in history, one of the most decorated in hockey and only 3 years ago finished bottom for the first time.  I'm sure we'll turn it around, but how quickly who knows?

Over here in the UK, after clinching last years title, Manchester's hockey team reached the final once more, however they failed to capture the title again.  Maybe next year, they should be a force once more.  Hopefully the national team can get that winning feeling as well as this years world championships were disapointing when compared to the previous season.  

Cricket and Rugby are still in motion, though it would be hoped both will improve on what we've seen to date, it's not looking to good just yet.  Which in terms of the cricket is upsetting as last year they brought so much joy in winning the title for the first time in decades.  Things are just not going the way they and like myself the fans would have hoped for.  With the rugby a move to a new stadium, a new coach and whilst we aren't doing any worse than last year, the promise or hope of improvement is slowly vanishing.  I just hope they can pick up a little and even if it's only 1 place higher than last season it would be nice to be higher in the league.  

Thus, this year has been a miserable sporting year so far.  I look forward to the Olympics with hope that our teams and individuals can perform to a level that would win them a medal, or for those expected to medal, one of the gold variety. 

Morning Views

Now my tv viewing is limited to a point, however I think I may have to periodically have to publish what I'm watching or not.  I say this as every now and again people ask me what I'm watching and every now and again they go and watch the same shows I'm watching and really enjoy them as much as I have.  That shouldn't be a surprise, but every now and again when the question pops up or someone mentions a show and I've seen it they ask why I didn't suggest it.  That I won't explain here, that's just perhaps a thought that they wouldn't like it for what ever reasons.

So with out further ado, and without any synopsis of the shows I'm watching or why I'm going to list the shows that I've just watched thorugh the 2011/2012 Winter schedules.

2 Broke Girls
American Chopper
Being Human
Being Human (US version)
Craig Ferguson's Late Late Show
Dexter
Grimm
Hawaii Five O
Homeland
Lost Girl
NCIS 
NCIS LA
New Girl
Revenge
Ringer
Tera Nova
The Secret Circle
The Vampire Diaries
Whitney

Wow I didn't know I had so many shows that I watch, of those though 3 of these shows won't be returning to the screens any time soon.  I did enjoy Ringer and The Secret Circle.  Tera Nova never got going and it wasn't a shock to see it get cancelled.