So much to learn…

Last night was “Queen Night” on the “X” Factor and it got me thinking again about how much in life that seems just perfectly natural to me means absolutely nothing to Amanda because she “wasn’t there”.

So here is a list of some things, people, events etc that are just a normal part of life to me but will need explaining to Amanda…..

Queen Freddy Mercury (God rest you Freddie) ABBA The Beatles the lunar landings Falklands War World War II (the European part) the Normandy beaches The Battle of Britain Remembrance Sunday New Year (Western as opposed to Chinese) Top Gear Top Gun Top of the Pops “Ghost” (I’m looking forward to explaining some of that…) Heaven Can Wait (…. have I got a morbid streak ?) Blondie J J Cale Love Actually Last of the Summer Wine Porridge The Two Ronnies Monty Python (God help me !……) the Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy (… and again !) Slartibartfast (well, one has to start somewhere ) wedding receptions summer holidays I’m ****ing Matt Damon Trevor Senior, Jimmy Quinn, Martin Hicks, et al… Elm Park Reading 2 – Brighton 0 Ally McBeal (spot the link between the last two ! ) Maggie Thatcher (where am I going with this ? …..) Radio Luxembourg The Ashes the Barmy Army Lord’s (Mecca) bunking off work to go to Chesterfield to see Middlesex play, only to find you get caught in a close-up on tv with a tinny in your hand ….. ! I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue Humph Samantha Mornington Crescent (there’s an easy one, won’t take long…) The Commonwealth “Dr. Livingstone, I presume ?” India The whole of the Roman Empire, and everything it has meant to everyone in the Western world ever since……. Henry VIII Blackadder Manuel from Fawlty Towers the Eurovision Song Contest (I don’t even understand that myself !) Wogan Galway Bay the old Wembley Stadium American Football Snow (although actually, Amanda spent 8 months studying in Minnesota, so she already knows what snow is !) French Knickers Amaretto Elvis Morecambe & Wise Benny Hill Croatia Florida The summer of Love If you’re Going To San Francisco 99 Red Balloons Richard Branson VW Beetle (my Dad and I both had one at the same time) The Masters the 7th at Pebble Beach Minestrone Soup Double Cream Wizzard Rag, Tag and Bobtail (I used to get so scared that one of them would get lost :-S) Postman Pat the Old Man of Hoy the National Trust Badminton Horse Trials Hickstead Billy Connolly Parkinson James Bond Sean Connery the Isle of Skye Norse Mythology The Blue Danube snooker Torville & Dean Bolero package holidays Woolworth’s Motown IBM AS/400

 

How many is that ?

I hope she’s a good listener…. this may take some time…

Does anybody have any more suggestions ?

It’s not every day you have a Guillemot in your bath

Yesterday afternoon we went for a stroll along the beach (Dysart to West Wemyss).

As per usual we picked up lots of pieces of glass (I’m collecting them in the hope that one day I might start making pictures out of them) and we also got a few stones for Amanda’s Dad (he likes to be able to “feel” Scotland, even though he’s never been here).

The tide was starting to come in by the time we got to the outcrop near West Wemyss so we had to clamber over some of the rocks to get to the beach by West Wemyss, but we thought it would be worth it because the beach was clear and open, and there would be lots of pieces of glass there.

Amanda headed off up the beach while I edged along the top of the waterline, dodging the incoming water, when I suddenly realised that there was a bird flapping away in the surf.

I called Amanda over and managed to pick it up from the water.

It couldn’t stand up properly, and its neck was twisted so its head was on the ground all the time.

Neither of us had our phone with us so we couldn’t call anybody for assistance.  The only thing we could do was to rearrange everything we had collected and put it in one of the carrier bags we had with us and take it home.  This meant a really difficult rush up over the hill along the coastal path, and my back was giving me hell climbing the steep steps, but “Sammy the Seabird” was more important than worrying about that.

When we finally got home Sammy was put in the bath with a little water while I found the number for the Scottish SPCA and called them to send somebody out.

In the time it took them to arrive poor little Sammy seemed to get a little bit stronger, occasionally trying to stand up.  At one point, after he had done a nice squirty poo, he even managed to stand up almost properly, although lifting his head was still difficult.

When the guy from the SSPCA arrived he told us that Sammy was a Guillemot, but also gave us the bad news that his neck was broken because he had flown into something (apparently they do it a lot) so there was no hope for him.

Sammy was put into one of their brown carrying boxes and taken away by the nice SSPCA man who would put Sammy out of his misery.

Sleep tight Sammy.

SocialVibe: Is it any good ?

Well the simple answer is “I don’t know… yet”.

The principle seems like a good idea, raising money for charitable causes just by adding a widget badge to the right sidebar of my blog, but at the moment I’m not even sure I have the thing set up properly !

I would have liked to be able to support Headway through this, but they aren’t yet on the list of organisations that are supported in this way, so I’ve selected the World Wildlife Fund because the animals “out there” can’t help themselves against the damage that we humans are doing to the planet.  The WWF is raising funds through this to raise awareness that we need to reduce our carbon emissions to help protect the animals.

If you would like to help WWF just by following a link and viewing a trailer for “Three Rivers” on CBS, then please do “click away”.  I don’t think you have to part with any cash yourself along the way, at least I hope you don’t, (confirmed) although I’m sure they will be very grateful for any donation you may be inspired to make !

Will maybe add my own follow-up comments on this as I find out more.

(Edited 09.09.20)

Dad would have been 100 today

Friday 21st August 2009 would have been Pop’s 100th birthday.

I don’t know what he would have done by way of celebration.  No doubt it would have been something that no centenarian should have been doing.

For his 89th birthday my then partner and I gave him a flying lesson (the first time he had ever been off the ground).  He was trying to decide whether to go again for his 90th, or maybe try wing-walking instead !  Unfortunately he never got the opportunity.

So who was he ?…

I must get my hearing tested

Ok, so I wasn’t really concentrating just now having put the Open Golf on the TV, but while referring to Paul Broadhurst I’m sure the commentator said, …

“That’s a very heavy, worring moustache.”

Paul Broadhurst doesn’t appear to have a moustache !

Hmmmm….

“Auld Lang Syne” is not Chinese !

Nor, for that matter, is “Herge’s Adventures of Tin-Tin”.

These little nuggets of information may not appear earth-shattering to you, but they did come as quite a surprise to Amanda.

“How ?”, you might ask…

Ok, so I’ve been working on other things

Haven’t posted for a while on here because I’ve been working on my other blog, the one that explains about my head injury.

Click on the link above if you’re into the “real” me and the reasons why an intelligent guy in his early 50’s suddenly becomes confused, disorientated, has no sense of time, and can be too “off this planet” to be able to cope with day-to-day living.

On the other hand, if you couldn’t give two monkeys about that and just want to gaze at more pictures of my beautiful wife… watch this space

“Look at your wife” (2) … The official wedding pictures

Well Amanda had a good day on Thursday… not only did the Official Wedding Photos arrive, but she got her new visa too. Yes, A full 2 year, multiple entry visa which gives her the freedom to come and go as she pleases.

Anyway, now you can see why I was so starry-eyed that day ….

My beautiful Amanda with her new husband

My beautiful little wife

Hello you ! .... Kiss ?

This is Amanda's favourite picture

Words fail me

Beautiful and happy

All pictures copyright A&TH

Winter sky

Off-blue, off-grey, off-white… the colourist has laid out an unmistakeable winter sky.

Clouds: Blending yet separated, defined yet merging, static yet fluid, focussed yet blurred, the palette used in ways of wonder and mystery.

Behind me the sky is more monotone, more threatening.

This evening it will rain.

(c) TNH 2009

More wedding pics

Okay, so here are some more pictures of us on, or around, our wedding day.

The two of us at an office dinner	Getting ready to go in	Getting the paperwork done
Saluting the flag	Yes, Mr & Mrs !	Double Happy - Job done

The official photographers have said that they will need around 50 days to get the proper pictures ready.

I dread to think how much “air-brushing” they need to do of me …