Meh.
So last night I got on the scales and weighed myself, and I'm up to 14 stone 10 lbs. That was fully dressed, but even this morning when I was wandering around my domain, lording it up naked, I still weighed in at 14 st 3 lbs.
No wonder I've been so lethargic recently. Life, it seems, has all been a bit "meh", and really it shouldn't be like that. I have a lovely lively wife and three beautiful girls, and I wasn't taking pleasure in any of them.
This week I've not been drinking, I thought that might help, and perhaps it has, but I think that when we get back from holiday I am going to have to take some serious action. I'm talking about running again, and keeping it up this time. I may even start going to the gym, I'm not sure if TW can still get me half-price membership, I'll have to check. I was looking in the mirror yesterday morning and I know I have a belly, right, there is no way I can be three stone overweight and not have a belly. But I noticed that I now have saddlebags too, above my hips and to the back? That's a new development I've not noticed before. So that's kind of like a call to action.
The trouble is that we go on holiday tomorrow, for a week, and so I'm not sure what state I'll come back in. Should I take an ascetic approach on holiday and live like a monk, watching my calories and limiting my booze intake? Or should I forget it all and pick it up when I come back? At which stage it'll be harder to achieve my aims, or it will take longer, at least.
Well, looking at that, it seems that I have answered my own question, and I have been thinking that I would limit my booze intake anyway, since the children will be with us. It seems like I shall probably do a lot of reading. Hopefully the children will be occupied with activity clubs, and TW & I can get some time to relax.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Sunday 15-04-19 Easter at Petworth
As part of our strategy to keep the children occupied and happy, on Saturday 4th April (the day before Easter Sunday) we went to Petworth with some friends and their kids. Petworth House is managed by the National Trust and they tend to do seasonal activities for the kids, which is nice.
Our girls immediately tried to climb up to the folly using quite a steep approach, and as it was still slightly wet underfoot, they ended up slipping and getting muddy within five minutes of getting there, the muppets.
This time the NT had arranged an egg hunt in the gardens of the house, which ended with them receiving a chocolate egg - quite sizeable it was too, but then it was £3 per child to take part, so fair's fair. It took quite a chunk of time, 40 minutes or so, during which the children were rushing here and there, and we didn't see them, which was nice. They were playing nicely with each other and rushing around trying to find the eggs, which were quite well-hidden. Once the hunt had finished, we walked down to the lake, and had our picnic at a building (possibly an old boathouse?) on the lake.
After lunch we went up to the house and wandered through the rooms and the kitchens. Again, the children loved it and played nicely with each other. A lovely day was had by all, really.
We finished the day off with fish and chips from Old Nick's, and that was another day down. I can't believe that we're already midway through April and almost a third of the year is gone. It's Mum and Dad's wedding anniversary today, 46 long and happy years. I hope TW & I manage as long, and longer even.
TTFN.
Our girls immediately tried to climb up to the folly using quite a steep approach, and as it was still slightly wet underfoot, they ended up slipping and getting muddy within five minutes of getting there, the muppets.
This time the NT had arranged an egg hunt in the gardens of the house, which ended with them receiving a chocolate egg - quite sizeable it was too, but then it was £3 per child to take part, so fair's fair. It took quite a chunk of time, 40 minutes or so, during which the children were rushing here and there, and we didn't see them, which was nice. They were playing nicely with each other and rushing around trying to find the eggs, which were quite well-hidden. Once the hunt had finished, we walked down to the lake, and had our picnic at a building (possibly an old boathouse?) on the lake.
After lunch we went up to the house and wandered through the rooms and the kitchens. Again, the children loved it and played nicely with each other. A lovely day was had by all, really.
We finished the day off with fish and chips from Old Nick's, and that was another day down. I can't believe that we're already midway through April and almost a third of the year is gone. It's Mum and Dad's wedding anniversary today, 46 long and happy years. I hope TW & I manage as long, and longer even.
TTFN.
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Saturday 15-04-17 A Trip to Knockhatch
So it was the Middle 'Un's birthday nearly three weeks ago. As a treat she asked to go to Knockhatch, which is an adventure playpark / petting farm over in East Sussex, near Polegate. She wouldn't have asked, except she was prompted by her older sister who went there last summer for a friend's birthday day out.
It was the 30th March and it was a little nippy, but we're a hardy bunch (or TW is, at least), and so off we went. It took about an hour to get there from Worthing, which isn't too bad, and they had a lot of parking. Tickets were £10 for the children and £8 for the adults, which seems only fair since it is an attraction for the kids and not the grown-ups. Someone very kindly gave us a twofer in the carpark, and so for me and TW, and four kids, it cost £36. The vouchers are apparently freely available on t'interwebs. There are a few attractions for which you have to pay £1 or £2 extra at entry, like Laser Quest and the "rock climbing", but we didn't bother with any of that. We did buy some animal feed, a beaker-full was 50p, which was well worth it when it came to feeding the animals.
When you get in, there is a barn close by with goats, sheep, llamas, donkeys, alpacas, all of whom you can feed, using the feed you just bought from the entry kiosk. I think it was The Eldest who got a bit squeamish and didn't manage to feed any animal, but even I had a go, so it was really not that scary at all. And the attendants were very engaged in caring for the animals, and talked enthusiastically about them all, which was good to see.
Next up was a barrel ride, where a tractor pulls a load of hollowed-out barrels on wheels, the girls quite enjoyed that. Then we went into the main part of the adventure playground.
They have a "demon drop" slide, which starts vertically, and then curves out to horizontal, the girls enjoyed that too; the Middle 'Un didn't quite get the courage to do that, and The Youngest took her time, but by the end we had to prise her off it! There was also a little "air chair" sedate fairground ride for the younger ones, and the more nervous ones, that had a height restriction.
They even have a Runaway Train Simulator, which the children loved but left me and TW feeling nauseous. I have no spatial awareness on those things, and so I was gripping the handrails and holding on grimly, although I'll bet that the simulator never tipped much at all; it was more the jerkiness of it which was unsettling.
After that, the main thing which occupied our kids was the Wave Runner waterslide. Basically, they went down a watery chute on a sled, and then skipped along a water-filled halfpipe, until they came out at the end onto dry land. There was a possibility that you could remain dry throughout, but it was a remote possibility at that. Although I took a change of clothes, I didn't go on it, but the girls were mad for it.
Which was handy, because TW & I were very interested in the bird display. We saw a Red Kite and several owls and the keepers at Knockhatch were very knowledgeable and engaging, explaining about their habitat and hunting practices.
And we even got to go on the boating lake (also included in the entry price), although I did keep steering into the bank. Practice makes perfect though; if we go back I shall definitely do that again.
All in all, it's a lovely place with few pretensions and there is enough there to keep the family entertained all day. I didn't even mention the indoor soft play area! In fact it was so good that TW took the kids there again the following week with a friend, while I was at work. I'd thoroughly recommend it for a day out, even if it does take a while to get there.
TTFN.
It was the 30th March and it was a little nippy, but we're a hardy bunch (or TW is, at least), and so off we went. It took about an hour to get there from Worthing, which isn't too bad, and they had a lot of parking. Tickets were £10 for the children and £8 for the adults, which seems only fair since it is an attraction for the kids and not the grown-ups. Someone very kindly gave us a twofer in the carpark, and so for me and TW, and four kids, it cost £36. The vouchers are apparently freely available on t'interwebs. There are a few attractions for which you have to pay £1 or £2 extra at entry, like Laser Quest and the "rock climbing", but we didn't bother with any of that. We did buy some animal feed, a beaker-full was 50p, which was well worth it when it came to feeding the animals.
When you get in, there is a barn close by with goats, sheep, llamas, donkeys, alpacas, all of whom you can feed, using the feed you just bought from the entry kiosk. I think it was The Eldest who got a bit squeamish and didn't manage to feed any animal, but even I had a go, so it was really not that scary at all. And the attendants were very engaged in caring for the animals, and talked enthusiastically about them all, which was good to see.
Next up was a barrel ride, where a tractor pulls a load of hollowed-out barrels on wheels, the girls quite enjoyed that. Then we went into the main part of the adventure playground.
They have a "demon drop" slide, which starts vertically, and then curves out to horizontal, the girls enjoyed that too; the Middle 'Un didn't quite get the courage to do that, and The Youngest took her time, but by the end we had to prise her off it! There was also a little "air chair" sedate fairground ride for the younger ones, and the more nervous ones, that had a height restriction.
They even have a Runaway Train Simulator, which the children loved but left me and TW feeling nauseous. I have no spatial awareness on those things, and so I was gripping the handrails and holding on grimly, although I'll bet that the simulator never tipped much at all; it was more the jerkiness of it which was unsettling.
After that, the main thing which occupied our kids was the Wave Runner waterslide. Basically, they went down a watery chute on a sled, and then skipped along a water-filled halfpipe, until they came out at the end onto dry land. There was a possibility that you could remain dry throughout, but it was a remote possibility at that. Although I took a change of clothes, I didn't go on it, but the girls were mad for it.
Which was handy, because TW & I were very interested in the bird display. We saw a Red Kite and several owls and the keepers at Knockhatch were very knowledgeable and engaging, explaining about their habitat and hunting practices.
And we even got to go on the boating lake (also included in the entry price), although I did keep steering into the bank. Practice makes perfect though; if we go back I shall definitely do that again.
All in all, it's a lovely place with few pretensions and there is enough there to keep the family entertained all day. I didn't even mention the indoor soft play area! In fact it was so good that TW took the kids there again the following week with a friend, while I was at work. I'd thoroughly recommend it for a day out, even if it does take a while to get there.
TTFN.
Friday, April 10, 2015
Friday 15-04-10 Range Appliances
So a couple if weeks ago I made a cake. It was a coffee and walnut cake, and it was delicious. TW had to rescue the icing on the top, because for some reason it curdled, but other than that, it was all my own creation, and I was very proud of it.
Unfortunately, while it was cooking, the oven exploded. Well, I say "exploded", it did make a popping sound, and although I was able to finish cooking the cake, the oven didn't work again. So it was time to call out the repair man.
We called out Range Appliances before, to replace our grill. We had been without a grill for about 18 months, and when we had our fuse box replaced, I asked those guys if they had anyone they could recommend. They mentioned Range Appliances, and I gave them a call. The main guy came, checked the part, gave me a price which was acceptable, and then he came back a couple of days later and replaced it. Brilliant service.
So, on this occasion, I had no hesitation in calling them again. The cooker blew up on the Sunday, I called them on the Monday, and they came out to look at it on the Tuesday. Then the guy gave me the price, £73, and said he could come back on the Thursday. So I got two days working from home, and we got our cooker fixed.
If anyone local needs some oven repair work done, I would recommend calling Range Appliances, they're brilliant.
My only regret is that my attempt at a joke, as the guy was leaving ("thanks ever so much, but I hope not to see you soon") fell a bit flat. But as TW says, I can't tell jokes, so it's not surprising really...
Unfortunately, while it was cooking, the oven exploded. Well, I say "exploded", it did make a popping sound, and although I was able to finish cooking the cake, the oven didn't work again. So it was time to call out the repair man.
We called out Range Appliances before, to replace our grill. We had been without a grill for about 18 months, and when we had our fuse box replaced, I asked those guys if they had anyone they could recommend. They mentioned Range Appliances, and I gave them a call. The main guy came, checked the part, gave me a price which was acceptable, and then he came back a couple of days later and replaced it. Brilliant service.
So, on this occasion, I had no hesitation in calling them again. The cooker blew up on the Sunday, I called them on the Monday, and they came out to look at it on the Tuesday. Then the guy gave me the price, £73, and said he could come back on the Thursday. So I got two days working from home, and we got our cooker fixed.
If anyone local needs some oven repair work done, I would recommend calling Range Appliances, they're brilliant.
My only regret is that my attempt at a joke, as the guy was leaving ("thanks ever so much, but I hope not to see you soon") fell a bit flat. But as TW says, I can't tell jokes, so it's not surprising really...
Friday 15-04-10 There's an Election Coming...
Unless you've had your head buried in the sand for the previous three months, you'll know that there is a general election in just under four weeks. And what a mouth-watering, interesting few weeks we've got coming.
We've already had the "Leaders' Debate", which of course I watched. I zoned out a bit during parts of the debate, but overall I thought it was quite interesting.
There are more debates to come, and I believe Cameron and Militant are going to be on a Question Time type show, although not debating head to head.
And then there is the question of who to vote for... It's a bit of a moot point here in West Worthing, or it has been up until now, as Sir Bottomley is our sitting MP. But I have heard that Bob Smytherman is standing for the Lib Dems, and he used to be Mayor, so he might stand a chance of challenging Sir Peter.
I don't think I can vote Tory this time around, so I am trying to see what my options are. Cameron, whom I quite like, suggested that if the Tories get into power with a clear majority, they would freeze JSA (Job Seeker's Allowance), which would save £2bn. But at the same time they've raised the threshold at which taxpayers pay the higher rate of tax, which is costing approximately £2bn. So they are causing hardship for those who have to count their pennies, and they are rewarding those, or reducing the tax burden on those who have a bit extra and can probably afford to have their wings clipped a bit. And I include myself in that; I am acutely aware of where the higher-rate tax threshold is, since my salary is slightly higher than that threshold. But then I spend a lot of my salary on comics, and wine, and electronics. I don't have to juggle necessities, and decide whether I am going to eat well or heat the house. I don't have to go to loan companies like Brighthouse and get finance on unacceptable terms. I don't have to borrow from loan sharks and put my belongings and limbs at risk. If I was a bit short one month, I could just stay sober for longer, or more likely dip into the kids' savings - they have more tucked away than I do.
Of course, with inflation at close to zero, any increase in JSA would be minimal anyway, and he probably could have got away with saying nothing, and still not increasing JSA, but it's a "dog whistle" tactic, or a policy aimed squarely at the natural Tory voter, and despite the fact that I'm 43 and getting older, it seems a bit distasteful to me.
One of the other policies or beliefs that the Tories espouse is the "trickle-down" theory, that the super-rich benefit the rest of the nation through spending their wealth. And so newsagents see more business, restaurateurs take in more in earnings, etc. It's not a belief I share, and so again I can't vote for that.
As I've said previously, West Worthing is a Tory stronghold, but they have a strong Lib Dem presence on the council, so Lib Dems might be the way to go. I'm certainly not going to vote UKIP, that's for sure :-D.
We'll see how it goes, I will have to make up my mind soon-ish. I am looking forward to the horse-trading which will happen after the election; I think that will be the most interesting and convoluted part.
Tally-ho!
We've already had the "Leaders' Debate", which of course I watched. I zoned out a bit during parts of the debate, but overall I thought it was quite interesting.
There are more debates to come, and I believe Cameron and Militant are going to be on a Question Time type show, although not debating head to head.
And then there is the question of who to vote for... It's a bit of a moot point here in West Worthing, or it has been up until now, as Sir Bottomley is our sitting MP. But I have heard that Bob Smytherman is standing for the Lib Dems, and he used to be Mayor, so he might stand a chance of challenging Sir Peter.
I don't think I can vote Tory this time around, so I am trying to see what my options are. Cameron, whom I quite like, suggested that if the Tories get into power with a clear majority, they would freeze JSA (Job Seeker's Allowance), which would save £2bn. But at the same time they've raised the threshold at which taxpayers pay the higher rate of tax, which is costing approximately £2bn. So they are causing hardship for those who have to count their pennies, and they are rewarding those, or reducing the tax burden on those who have a bit extra and can probably afford to have their wings clipped a bit. And I include myself in that; I am acutely aware of where the higher-rate tax threshold is, since my salary is slightly higher than that threshold. But then I spend a lot of my salary on comics, and wine, and electronics. I don't have to juggle necessities, and decide whether I am going to eat well or heat the house. I don't have to go to loan companies like Brighthouse and get finance on unacceptable terms. I don't have to borrow from loan sharks and put my belongings and limbs at risk. If I was a bit short one month, I could just stay sober for longer, or more likely dip into the kids' savings - they have more tucked away than I do.
Of course, with inflation at close to zero, any increase in JSA would be minimal anyway, and he probably could have got away with saying nothing, and still not increasing JSA, but it's a "dog whistle" tactic, or a policy aimed squarely at the natural Tory voter, and despite the fact that I'm 43 and getting older, it seems a bit distasteful to me.
One of the other policies or beliefs that the Tories espouse is the "trickle-down" theory, that the super-rich benefit the rest of the nation through spending their wealth. And so newsagents see more business, restaurateurs take in more in earnings, etc. It's not a belief I share, and so again I can't vote for that.
As I've said previously, West Worthing is a Tory stronghold, but they have a strong Lib Dem presence on the council, so Lib Dems might be the way to go. I'm certainly not going to vote UKIP, that's for sure :-D.
We'll see how it goes, I will have to make up my mind soon-ish. I am looking forward to the horse-trading which will happen after the election; I think that will be the most interesting and convoluted part.
Tally-ho!
Monday, April 06, 2015
Monday 15-04-06 Richard Herring @ The Ropetackle (Saturday 28th March)
So, the night after I went to see Courtney Barnett, and TW went to see Murdoch's Crazy Eyes, we treated ourselves to a second night of 'cultcha'. I've been a long-time fan of Richard Herring, I remember being blown away by TMWRNJ, and apparently it might be out on DVD this year. I've listened to his Leicester Square Theatre podcasts, AIOTM, and the Collings and Herrin chats. I've bought a couple of his DVDs and I even pay (more than) a pound a month to support his wacky and way-out internet-based ventures which are bound to end in disaster.
So when I heard he was coming to the Ropetackle Arts Centre, I was overjoyed. I bought tickets for myself and TW in a wild act of celebration, and then sat back and waited for the date to roll around.
I like the Ropetackle. It's staffed by ageing volunteers who do a damned fine job, while still leaving it a little rough around the edges. They let you pick up tickets on the door, and they serve Long Man beers, which are locally brewed, so it's all good. We turned up and the guy on the desk spent a minute or two searching for our tickets before admitting defeat and printing off two new tickets for us. The couple before us had experienced the same issue, so I think we got our tickets slightly more quickly; the guy behind the counter was muttering darkly about having a chat with someone as he handed our tickets over. We bumped into some friends so sat with them as we nursed our soft drinks; I still felt a bit fragile from the previous night, and TW was driving, so we were both on the wagon.
Then it was time to go in, so we filed in and sat near the back. Herring was a few minutes late on, apparently this was because he hadn't done his local research, the slacker. Overall I enjoyed the show. It was good, but in parts it seemed like he was reciting a speech. The bits where he freestyled, about Shoreham-BY-Sea, and chatted to a harp player in the front row were more sparky. But it was a heart-warming show, especially the finale. Now that he's married and a father, it seems that he is enjoying life, and that certainly came through. As I say, I enjoyed it, and I would recommend going to see him if you get the opportunity. I think he's added a date in Worthing, here. It would be an interesting experiment to go and see him again, to see whether the show was different at all. But I think I shan't.
We got out of the performance pretty quickly, being at the back, and Rich walked past us. He really is very short. I'm not tall, weighing in at 5' 8", but I reckon I towered over him. He was busy setting up his stall, and TW asked if I was going to get my programmed signed, but I chose not to. And then he was swamped and there was no chance. Maybe next tour? We'll see. So we got out sharpish, got back to the car, and drove home. We stopped for sandwiches at Tesco once we got back to Worthing, and relieved my baby-sitting parents, and normality resumed.
So when I heard he was coming to the Ropetackle Arts Centre, I was overjoyed. I bought tickets for myself and TW in a wild act of celebration, and then sat back and waited for the date to roll around.
I like the Ropetackle. It's staffed by ageing volunteers who do a damned fine job, while still leaving it a little rough around the edges. They let you pick up tickets on the door, and they serve Long Man beers, which are locally brewed, so it's all good. We turned up and the guy on the desk spent a minute or two searching for our tickets before admitting defeat and printing off two new tickets for us. The couple before us had experienced the same issue, so I think we got our tickets slightly more quickly; the guy behind the counter was muttering darkly about having a chat with someone as he handed our tickets over. We bumped into some friends so sat with them as we nursed our soft drinks; I still felt a bit fragile from the previous night, and TW was driving, so we were both on the wagon.
Then it was time to go in, so we filed in and sat near the back. Herring was a few minutes late on, apparently this was because he hadn't done his local research, the slacker. Overall I enjoyed the show. It was good, but in parts it seemed like he was reciting a speech. The bits where he freestyled, about Shoreham-BY-Sea, and chatted to a harp player in the front row were more sparky. But it was a heart-warming show, especially the finale. Now that he's married and a father, it seems that he is enjoying life, and that certainly came through. As I say, I enjoyed it, and I would recommend going to see him if you get the opportunity. I think he's added a date in Worthing, here. It would be an interesting experiment to go and see him again, to see whether the show was different at all. But I think I shan't.
We got out of the performance pretty quickly, being at the back, and Rich walked past us. He really is very short. I'm not tall, weighing in at 5' 8", but I reckon I towered over him. He was busy setting up his stall, and TW asked if I was going to get my programmed signed, but I chose not to. And then he was swamped and there was no chance. Maybe next tour? We'll see. So we got out sharpish, got back to the car, and drove home. We stopped for sandwiches at Tesco once we got back to Worthing, and relieved my baby-sitting parents, and normality resumed.
Saturday, April 04, 2015
Saturday 15-04-04 Leaders' Debate
So I watched the Leaders' Debate on Thursday night. It wasn't very illuminating. No particular leader punched through as a clear leader.
The Welsh leader spoke to her Welsh audience; I don't think she had a "national" message aimed at including England and Scotland.
The Scottish leader, Nicola Sturgeon, did okay, at least she tried to aim her message at the whole of the UK and not just Scotland.
Natalie Bennett did okay for the Greens, I think she was debating at a slower, more low-energy level of debate. Which suited her, and I think suited a lot of the viewers.
TW said that Nick Clegg did okay, but as damaged goods, the Lib Dems are a losing proposition.
In my view, Miliband looked out of sorts, and Cameron (as current PM, let's not forget) did not impress.
So I think this debate was a showcase for the "minor" parties; and as others have argued. the major parties are sitting in a winning position and can only lose from these types of debates.
And I've not mentioned UKIP; their discourse is on a completely different level which is a foreign language to me. But I would say that Farage's comments on "heath tourism" and AIDS are worth viewing if you want to see a black & white view on things.
All in all, as I said, there was no breakthrough winner in the debate on Thursday night. I guess we will need to wait for more to come over the coming weeks if there is to be a voting groundswell in any particular direction... It'll be interesting to watch the next few weeks, however things turn out...
The Welsh leader spoke to her Welsh audience; I don't think she had a "national" message aimed at including England and Scotland.
The Scottish leader, Nicola Sturgeon, did okay, at least she tried to aim her message at the whole of the UK and not just Scotland.
Natalie Bennett did okay for the Greens, I think she was debating at a slower, more low-energy level of debate. Which suited her, and I think suited a lot of the viewers.
TW said that Nick Clegg did okay, but as damaged goods, the Lib Dems are a losing proposition.
In my view, Miliband looked out of sorts, and Cameron (as current PM, let's not forget) did not impress.
So I think this debate was a showcase for the "minor" parties; and as others have argued. the major parties are sitting in a winning position and can only lose from these types of debates.
And I've not mentioned UKIP; their discourse is on a completely different level which is a foreign language to me. But I would say that Farage's comments on "heath tourism" and AIDS are worth viewing if you want to see a black & white view on things.
All in all, as I said, there was no breakthrough winner in the debate on Thursday night. I guess we will need to wait for more to come over the coming weeks if there is to be a voting groundswell in any particular direction... It'll be interesting to watch the next few weeks, however things turn out...
Friday, April 03, 2015
Friday 15--04-03 Courtney Barnett @ The Concorde II, Brighton
A week ago I saw Courtney Barnett at The Concorde II in Brighton. I was at work during the day and decided to stay in town as the doors opened at 7pm and I thought that as it was a Friday, there was likely to be a club night, and so Courtney would be on early.
I started at the Great Eastern, and as soon as I walked in I was assailed by that old pub smell of stale spilt beer. It was a comforting smell, bringing back good memories of the Peds and the Park Crescent. I enjoyed my pint, and moved on to William IVth. I had another there, and then caught the bus out towards the end of Kemptown and the Bristol Arms.
By then it had gone 7pm, so I wended my way to the Concorde and started watching the music. There were two support acts, the first of which was Fraser Gorman, who was a good fella. He had a good rapport with the crowd (as small as it was, at that stage), and he had some good tunes. He did say that he was planning to come back with a full band for The Great Escape, I think he's one to watch, especially if the record labels start looking for "the next Courtney Barnett" - although, of course, he's not a woman.
The second support was called Spring King, and their lead singer was the drummer, which was an unusual twist. They were a bit punky, which was offset by the rest of the band doing some really good harmonising, which was really nice. I had a couple of beers watching the supports, and then it was time for the main event.
Courtney Barnett came on with her band and she rocked it. I don't know that there is much more to say. She has just released her debut album, but she has previously released a double EP, which was almost as good as an album. Anyway, I only bought the album last Wednesday, and only listened to it once before going to see her promote it. Each track is brilliant, with perhaps "Pedestrian At Best" being the stand-out track, although I think that other tracks will grow on me more. She played all the good 'uns, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, although to be fair I was more drunk than I intended to be. Next time I shall ensure I stop off for a dirty burger or some other guilty pleasure rather than hit the booze straight away. She is certainly worth watching again, and I hope she comes back to Brighton at some point in the near future. Recommended.
I started at the Great Eastern, and as soon as I walked in I was assailed by that old pub smell of stale spilt beer. It was a comforting smell, bringing back good memories of the Peds and the Park Crescent. I enjoyed my pint, and moved on to William IVth. I had another there, and then caught the bus out towards the end of Kemptown and the Bristol Arms.
By then it had gone 7pm, so I wended my way to the Concorde and started watching the music. There were two support acts, the first of which was Fraser Gorman, who was a good fella. He had a good rapport with the crowd (as small as it was, at that stage), and he had some good tunes. He did say that he was planning to come back with a full band for The Great Escape, I think he's one to watch, especially if the record labels start looking for "the next Courtney Barnett" - although, of course, he's not a woman.
The second support was called Spring King, and their lead singer was the drummer, which was an unusual twist. They were a bit punky, which was offset by the rest of the band doing some really good harmonising, which was really nice. I had a couple of beers watching the supports, and then it was time for the main event.
Courtney Barnett came on with her band and she rocked it. I don't know that there is much more to say. She has just released her debut album, but she has previously released a double EP, which was almost as good as an album. Anyway, I only bought the album last Wednesday, and only listened to it once before going to see her promote it. Each track is brilliant, with perhaps "Pedestrian At Best" being the stand-out track, although I think that other tracks will grow on me more. She played all the good 'uns, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, although to be fair I was more drunk than I intended to be. Next time I shall ensure I stop off for a dirty burger or some other guilty pleasure rather than hit the booze straight away. She is certainly worth watching again, and I hope she comes back to Brighton at some point in the near future. Recommended.
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Sunday 15-03-29 KitKat for the Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
I took a leap of faith the other day. It was either brave, or foolhardy, and I haven’t yet decided which. Just before Christmas I bought a Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0 off of eBay, and I have been loving it.
I have caught up with series 2 of Arrow on there, and am planning to start watching The Wire series 2 (again) as well. I read articles I have saved to Pocket, as well as The Week and tablet editions of the Daily Telegraph.
One thing has been bugging me though; it wasn’t operating on the latest version of Android. Lollipop is only just out, so I am not expecting it to use that, however it would be nice if it was running on KitKat. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with the tablet, I am just a neophile.
So I did my usual; I started visiting the XDA forums. Folk were talking about rooting the MediaPad, which I didn't see the need for, as there are no custom ROMs available. But there was mention of KitKat, or a KitKat version, available on a Baidu server somewhere in China. The XDA link is here, and the Baidu page is here. I tried to download the package from the Mega mirror, but after taking an age to download, the website advised that the "file is empty", so that was gutting.
Then I found something on a Russian website, which said it was for the S8-303L, which I thought was a naming error, so I downloaded that and tried to install it. I should clarify at this stage my tablet's model is S8-301LV. You need to be very careful with the naming, as there are several similarly-named versions out there. You have to do some extra stuff with the ROM, like extract the "dload" folder and paste that into the tablet's SD card. Then the download process will recognise that a new version is available. With the Russian 303L version, it started performing its checks and then advised that it couldn't be installed. Maybe there is actually a S8-303L model, it may be a Russian variant? I also saw someone asking if there was an update for a S8-306L, so maybe there are a couple of different regional variants...?
So, emboldened by the fact that the tablet performed some checks itself before installing the software, I went back to the Baidu webpage and downloaded the zip file. It took an age, but once I had downloaded it, I started the install process. I extracted the dload folder, and then transferred it onto the tablet. Then I ran the local update process.
My heart was in my mouth as the familiar black screen appeared, displaying the green android figure. The various milestones ticked by pretty quickly: checking system, writing modem, flashing etc. Then it got to "writing system", which took an age, and I was worried that I had bricked it. But eventually that message cleared (probably after only 90 seconds), and the tablet rebooted.
I could see instantly that there was a difference; the splash page had a big "Powered by Android" message at the bottom, which I don't think was on the previous version. Then it took a while for the homepage to appear, but it did.
I was relieved; I was prepared to end up with a brick. The tablet only cost me £65 off eBay, so if I did destroy it, I wouldn't have lost much. But someone on XDA had written that it had worked for them, so I was hopeful that it would work. An additional benefit is that voice calling is enabled in the update, I swapped the SIM out of my phone and tested it.
A slight downer is that people are now reporting that an OTA (automatic Over The Air) package is available, and I am slightly worried that the version I have downloaded and installed might not be on the update path, so I may be stuck on KitKat for a while. But, we'll wait and see how things turn out. So the update is good, but if you are considering installing it, you might want to wait to see whether you get the OTA.
Good luck, people!
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Wednesday 15-03-25 Southern Cross
Last week I was mostly reading Southern Cross, a new story published by Image. No sauciness this week, it is the story of a woman headed towards a space station to find out how her sister died.
It reminds me of the opening plot of Roche Limit, to be fair. But the artwork is great, the big scenes are suggestive, rather than detailed, and the living conditions on the spaceship are quite grim, not at all futuristic. In fact it is reminiscent of working one's passage in steerage, not that I've ever done that, but the heroine lives below decks and there is a scene where she goes to eat in the mess, and it is clear that the others there are workers on the ship. I'm looking forward to reading more...
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Sunday 15-03-22 Coffee and Walnut Cake
So a couple of days ago I was round at a friend's house and she served up some coffee and walnut cake that her mum had made. It was delicious. I had enjoyed a slice of coffee cake a few days before that as well, I think it was probably last week, people at work made cakes for Comic Relief. Anyway, it got me to thinking, maybe I should have a go at making one.
So on Friday night, I mentioned to TW that I was considering making a cake, which took her by surprise, since most of the time I would be hard-pressed to tell you where the kitchen is, let alone use anything in it to make a cake. At least, that would be your impression if you listened to her...
She popped to Lidl yesterday and picked up some walnuts, and told me that this afternoon I would be making a coffee and walnut cake. I protested, advising that I hadn't told her when I was going to make it, and I hadn't even decided that I was going to make one at all, it was just an ambition.
But as it turned out, she headed into town with the Eldest, and the younger two were out playing, so I got the recipe from the BBC website and read it through. I got on with it, mixing and blending. The recipe said it would take about 30 mins of prep, and 30 mins to cook, and that's what it took me, so I must be getting better...! I did have to phone TW and ask about greasing and lining the cake tins, but apart from that it was quite straightforward. When making the buttercream, unfortunately it curdled, and TW helped me out with the blender. But apart from that, it was all my own work.
We tucked into it immediately after taking the pictures above, and it was delicious. I thought that maybe the crust was a bit hard, but the cake was lovely, light and moist. I'm quite pleased with my efforts, and maybe next time I'll have a go at something savoury - if I can find the kitchen, that is...
Sunday 15-03-22 Six Nations 2015 - The Final Round
And so it came down to the final set of games to decide the overall winner of the Six Nations 2015. England, Wales and Ireland had all lost only one game, and so they were the three teams in contention. Although, to be fair, Wales's points difference was atrocious, and they would have to put on at least 40 points against Italy to even draw level with England and Ireland.
I was looking forward to the afternoon, but I was dreading it as well; I've watched three rugby matches in a row before, and I got rugbied out - I was hoping that wasn't going to happen again. And I would have to pause the matches to take TW into town to watch Hairspray at the end of the first match...
So the Italian-Welsh game kicked off at 12:30 in Rome, and it seemed to be a bit of a slow burner. Italy took the lead with a penalty, and then kept inching slowly ahead of Wales until at half-time Wales were one point up, and the score was 13-14. In the second half, Wales came out and scored two quick tries, to start taking the game away from Italy. And then they increased the pace, in a truly dazzling display, to add 47 points in total in the second half. Italy scored a consolation try at the end to take their tally to 20, and the final score was 20-61. The Welsh gave it their all and confirmed their brilliance in execution, and Italy fell apart, it has to be said.
In scoring their 61 points, Wales had gone past both Ireland and England, so both teams had to perform in order to win on points difference. Ireland beat Scotland, which frankly wasn't a surprise, but Scotland played some good rugby. The final score was 10-40, and so that left England having to beat France by 26 points.
England played well, and scored early, but then gave away a few penalties and the initiative. France came back and took the lead, before England reasserted themselves. They came close, and there were a lot of points scored, but unfortunately England were a converted try short. They beat France by 20 points and the final score was 55-35. That meant that Ireland were crowned Six Nations winners. England left the field dejected, but I think that the Six Nations result obscured the fact that we beat France by 20 points, and properly dominated the game for the most part.
It was an exhilarating afternoon of rugby and an excellent advert for the game. I shouted myself hoarse during the England match, and drank a number of beers as well. My nerves were shredded, and we ended up going to bed early.
A great day.
I was looking forward to the afternoon, but I was dreading it as well; I've watched three rugby matches in a row before, and I got rugbied out - I was hoping that wasn't going to happen again. And I would have to pause the matches to take TW into town to watch Hairspray at the end of the first match...
So the Italian-Welsh game kicked off at 12:30 in Rome, and it seemed to be a bit of a slow burner. Italy took the lead with a penalty, and then kept inching slowly ahead of Wales until at half-time Wales were one point up, and the score was 13-14. In the second half, Wales came out and scored two quick tries, to start taking the game away from Italy. And then they increased the pace, in a truly dazzling display, to add 47 points in total in the second half. Italy scored a consolation try at the end to take their tally to 20, and the final score was 20-61. The Welsh gave it their all and confirmed their brilliance in execution, and Italy fell apart, it has to be said.
In scoring their 61 points, Wales had gone past both Ireland and England, so both teams had to perform in order to win on points difference. Ireland beat Scotland, which frankly wasn't a surprise, but Scotland played some good rugby. The final score was 10-40, and so that left England having to beat France by 26 points.
England played well, and scored early, but then gave away a few penalties and the initiative. France came back and took the lead, before England reasserted themselves. They came close, and there were a lot of points scored, but unfortunately England were a converted try short. They beat France by 20 points and the final score was 55-35. That meant that Ireland were crowned Six Nations winners. England left the field dejected, but I think that the Six Nations result obscured the fact that we beat France by 20 points, and properly dominated the game for the most part.
It was an exhilarating afternoon of rugby and an excellent advert for the game. I shouted myself hoarse during the England match, and drank a number of beers as well. My nerves were shredded, and we ended up going to bed early.
A great day.
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Saturday 15-03-21 The Newsroom
So I have just finished watching The Newsroom, an absolutely brilliant TV series from the pen of Aaron Sorkin, who also wrote The West Wing. This third series took long enough coming, and it was only six episodes long, but it was perfectly crafted, and worth the wait.
Jeff Daniels (pictured above) was a strange choice for the main role, I thought initially, but he was fantastic in role, and all the players acquitted themselves well. Maybe it was the snappy dialogue, maybe it was the intricate plotting, maybe it was the Don Quixote references. The story was pretty similar to The West Wing, i.e., a bunch of liberal journos fighting against the injustices of the world, but it was done in an awe-inspiring, fast-moving, glitzy kind of way.
I've been watching Arrow recently, and I only bring Arrow in to contrast against the self-effacing nature of The Newsroom. Arrow is full of pomp and overblown histrionics; I was watching it recently and took myself out of the narrative, to look at it one step removed. The music was surging, the characters were reciting dialogue that no-one in the real world would ever say, and it kind of ruined it for me slightly. I enjoy it still, but I think The Newsroom is better written.
The Newsroom is different, in that the dialogue flows by so quickly that if you don't pay attention, you've missed a vital plot twist. The characters are all modest, and although of course it's unrealistic, it shows a world I'd quite like to live in, where everyone has a snappy comeback and is intent on making the world a better place.
The romance between Jim and Maggie was a main thread in the first series, and I'm glad that it was revisited in the third series. I have to say though that Olivia Munn pulled off an absolute stunner as Sloan Sabbith. All the characters were great; Sam Waterston as Charlie was a tour de force, and Jane Fonda as well put in a strong performance when she appeared.
Basically what I'm saying is that I recommend it. It's reminiscent of The West Wing, and full of snappy dialogue and a strong ensemble performance.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Friday 15-03-20 Tyrant
So this week I have mostly been watching Tyrant. It's a TV show about an American doctor whose family happens to be a bunch of Middle Eastern dictators. The American doctor heads back to his home country for his nephew's wedding, and then he gets caught up in the domestic politics of the country.
Apparently it's by the same team who did Homeland, which I still haven't seen, but it is becoming more interesting by the episode.
Tonight we had a guest and so I missed the double episode phenomenon that we've enjoyed over the last couple of nights, but I'm hoping we'll get back to normal tomorrow night. But having thought about it, tomorrow night will be after the conclusion of the Six Nations, I'm not sure I will be fit for much. We'll have to see how it goes.
Apparently it's by the same team who did Homeland, which I still haven't seen, but it is becoming more interesting by the episode.
Tonight we had a guest and so I missed the double episode phenomenon that we've enjoyed over the last couple of nights, but I'm hoping we'll get back to normal tomorrow night. But having thought about it, tomorrow night will be after the conclusion of the Six Nations, I'm not sure I will be fit for much. We'll have to see how it goes.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Warning! Warning! Tunisian Attack!
So, regretfully, the Bardo Museum was attacked by those mindless Islamic fundamentalists:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/18/eight-people-killed-in-attack-on-tunisia-bardo-museum
It won't stop us going on holiday to Tunisia though, we're going on May 1st for a few days with the kids. Still looking forward to it.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/18/eight-people-killed-in-attack-on-tunisia-bardo-museum
It won't stop us going on holiday to Tunisia though, we're going on May 1st for a few days with the kids. Still looking forward to it.
Sunday, March 08, 2015
15-03-08 Fiction Squad
I can't let today go by without mentioning Fiction Squad. Fiction Squad is a six-part series from BOOM Studios, and it was pretty good stuff.
The central conceit is that a down-at-heel P.I. (think someone from a Raymond Chandler novel) is investigating crimes in NurseryLand - but every rhyme is a crime scene. Humpty Dumpty gets knocked off a wall and the P.I. needs to solve the crime. The trouble is, his partner is Simple Simon, who lives up to his name. So he is pretty much on his own. There are some really nice bits of story, where particular nursery rhymes are referred to and invoked.
The story was very clever, the artwork suits the Nursery Rhyme theme of the story, and we also see the down-at-heel P.I., so there are really good variances in light and shade throughout the story.
Having said that, I'm unlikely to read the story again, so I've listed it on eBay. If anyone wants it, let me know.
TTFN.
The Week Magazine
So yesterday, I bought a newspaper, and amongst all the junk adverts inside, advertising rubbish, was a small slip of paper advertising The Week. The offer was for one free issue, as well as a USB memory stick, and I think we all know my weakness for memory sticks. Anyway, it's been a while since I read The Week, so I thought I would give it a go. Their advertising schtick is that it only takes an hour to read their magazine cover to cover, and then you are caught up on the week's essential news.
So I gave the chap my details; name, address, email, etc. All well and good. Then he tried to sell me an extra five editions, for the princely sum of £1. I politely declined, and expected that to be the end of the matter. "Oh, come on, Rob, you can't buy anything for a pound these days. Isn't that very reasonable?" Well, thank you for your offer, but no thank you. "Just to let you know Rob, when we've carried out surveys from our previous promotions, the common complaint was that one issue wasn't enough of a taster for our readers. So that's why we're now offering this additional five copies for just £1. It's a bit of a no-brainer, really, Rob. Think about what you can normally buy for one pound, Rob, it seems very reasonable." Well, no. I wasn't interested, thank you. I rang up because there was an offer of a free copy of The Week, not a free copy of The Week and the Hard Sell. I was very close to letting the kind gentleman with the Hard Sell that he could take his free issue and shove it, that I wasn't interested. But finally he took the hint, that wasn't actually a hint at all, but rather a bald statement of fact: "I'm not interested in making any further commitment today. I'll read the FREE issue which you are going to send and see how I feel after that."
So I am now waiting for my free issue to arrive. Obviously the hope is that readers sign up to the "Five for £1" offer and forget to cancel. The issues normally cost £3.10, but the subscription on a quarterly basis is ~£27. There is quite a big jump between 20p an issue and £3.10 an issue.
The funny thing is, when I looked up their website for this blog entry, I noticed that they are offering SIX free issues. So I have signed up. I have handed over my bank details, and I will be careful to ensure that I cancel my subscription before it starts costing me any money. It turns out that the joke is on them; if they had been slightly more relaxed on the phone, they might have got an extra pound out of me. But as it is, I will get an extra five issues out of them for absolutely nothing.
So I gave the chap my details; name, address, email, etc. All well and good. Then he tried to sell me an extra five editions, for the princely sum of £1. I politely declined, and expected that to be the end of the matter. "Oh, come on, Rob, you can't buy anything for a pound these days. Isn't that very reasonable?" Well, thank you for your offer, but no thank you. "Just to let you know Rob, when we've carried out surveys from our previous promotions, the common complaint was that one issue wasn't enough of a taster for our readers. So that's why we're now offering this additional five copies for just £1. It's a bit of a no-brainer, really, Rob. Think about what you can normally buy for one pound, Rob, it seems very reasonable." Well, no. I wasn't interested, thank you. I rang up because there was an offer of a free copy of The Week, not a free copy of The Week and the Hard Sell. I was very close to letting the kind gentleman with the Hard Sell that he could take his free issue and shove it, that I wasn't interested. But finally he took the hint, that wasn't actually a hint at all, but rather a bald statement of fact: "I'm not interested in making any further commitment today. I'll read the FREE issue which you are going to send and see how I feel after that."
So I am now waiting for my free issue to arrive. Obviously the hope is that readers sign up to the "Five for £1" offer and forget to cancel. The issues normally cost £3.10, but the subscription on a quarterly basis is ~£27. There is quite a big jump between 20p an issue and £3.10 an issue.
The funny thing is, when I looked up their website for this blog entry, I noticed that they are offering SIX free issues. So I have signed up. I have handed over my bank details, and I will be careful to ensure that I cancel my subscription before it starts costing me any money. It turns out that the joke is on them; if they had been slightly more relaxed on the phone, they might have got an extra pound out of me. But as it is, I will get an extra five issues out of them for absolutely nothing.
Saturday, March 07, 2015
Pussycats #0
This week I have mostly been reading Pussycats #0.
I didn't get the gist of the story, but I think the comic might be important as it's the first porn crossover comic I've seen. I've only been collecting comics for about six years, so I'm sure someone has tried this before; after all, there's nothing new under the sun, right? But this comic has some pretty big names backing it - Karen Summer, Priya Anjali Rai, and Tanya Tate to name but three. Those links are all NSFW (Not Safe For Work), by the way.
The comic itself is a black-and-white line drawing affair, with a few panels depicting women in lingerie or actually having sex. I was a bit confused after reading it, as I wasn't sure who was who, but I'm hoping that might shake itself out in later issues; this is #0 of 4.
Other honourable mentions must go to Descender and Suiciders, both of which I'm looking forward to reading more of:
Suiciders looks like a good read, the artwork is good and the juxtaposition of the different narrative threads works well
Descender is a different affair, set in a future where robots are classed as living, and humans have been (more or less) wiped out.
Both titles have started strongly and I'm sure will reward further reading.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Saturday 15-02-28 Chromebook Envy
Strange as it may seem, I am beginning to get chromebook envy. I am typing this on a Samsung Chromebook, but I am jealous of the 'books with more processing RAM and more capability. I believe I've said it before, but I am an unrepentant neophile - just call me "bleeding edge" Thorley.
Not that anyone is likely to sell me a chromebook / PC for £15 - that's all I'm prepared to bid - PCs are a commodity and the lower someone is prepared to go in selling one, the lower I am prepared to go in buying one. What can I say? I'm a miser.
Anyway, must be bedtime xxx...
Not that anyone is likely to sell me a chromebook / PC for £15 - that's all I'm prepared to bid - PCs are a commodity and the lower someone is prepared to go in selling one, the lower I am prepared to go in buying one. What can I say? I'm a miser.
Anyway, must be bedtime xxx...
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Saturday 15-02-21 - James Acaster in Worthing
Last night TW & I went to see James Acaster at the Connaught Studio in Worthing. It was part of Matt's Comedy Club, a regular night in Worthing which has been going for a few years now.
James was supported by Jay Foreman, who is a musical comedian. He is actually Beardyman's brother, which I didn't know until I looked him up on Wikipedia just before the show. And it showed, he did some really clever stuff (which was also funny) with his guitar and the songs during the show.
The night started with three local comics who each had a short slot. The funniest of these was a passive-aggressive housewife called Lindy Larkin, she came across like Alison Steadman in Abigail's Party, and she had some really sharp lines.
Then Jay came on, and sang some songs. They were light, witty and enjoyable. He had a couple of more eccentric jokes, and the John Lennon song was brilliant, I thought. The half-hour or so that he was on sped by.
Then it was time for the interval. TW went and bought a CD from Jay, and as she does, they got talking. She told him that we'd been to see Beardyman, and they had a nice chat. And then, it was time for the main event.
I was looking forward to seeing James, I'd seen him on a couple of TV shows, and Richard Herring interviewed him last year and bigs him up a lot, as part of the new generation of comics coming through. His show was likeable enough, and he is certainly a likeable fellow. He plays a lot on his geekiness / awkwardness and the way he interprets other people's behaviour (in the show) is cleverly wrong. The show really sparked when he accidentally swore. To explain, Matt's Comedy Club is a "family friendly" event, and so they must have asked the comedians not to swear. I'm sure they wouldn't have asked Frankie Boyle to perform, for instance. James coped well, I'm not sure that his act involves much swearing anyway, but he accidentally swore anyway, and there followed a moment or two of inspired lunacy, the act began to take off. The finale was odd, but funny, and all the way through it seemed to be building to something, but never quite getting there.
It was a good evening, and I'm glad I went, it was good to have time out with TW, even if we were both hanging and tired. That may have affected my enjoyment of the evening, but there were great bits there, little nuggets of brilliance.
This morning we played Jay Foreman's CD to the girls and they really enjoyed it. We have a permanent memento of the evening, as well as the memory of the laughter, and of course next time we see any of them on the TV, we'll be able to say we were there and we saw them...
James was supported by Jay Foreman, who is a musical comedian. He is actually Beardyman's brother, which I didn't know until I looked him up on Wikipedia just before the show. And it showed, he did some really clever stuff (which was also funny) with his guitar and the songs during the show.
The night started with three local comics who each had a short slot. The funniest of these was a passive-aggressive housewife called Lindy Larkin, she came across like Alison Steadman in Abigail's Party, and she had some really sharp lines.
Then Jay came on, and sang some songs. They were light, witty and enjoyable. He had a couple of more eccentric jokes, and the John Lennon song was brilliant, I thought. The half-hour or so that he was on sped by.
Then it was time for the interval. TW went and bought a CD from Jay, and as she does, they got talking. She told him that we'd been to see Beardyman, and they had a nice chat. And then, it was time for the main event.
I was looking forward to seeing James, I'd seen him on a couple of TV shows, and Richard Herring interviewed him last year and bigs him up a lot, as part of the new generation of comics coming through. His show was likeable enough, and he is certainly a likeable fellow. He plays a lot on his geekiness / awkwardness and the way he interprets other people's behaviour (in the show) is cleverly wrong. The show really sparked when he accidentally swore. To explain, Matt's Comedy Club is a "family friendly" event, and so they must have asked the comedians not to swear. I'm sure they wouldn't have asked Frankie Boyle to perform, for instance. James coped well, I'm not sure that his act involves much swearing anyway, but he accidentally swore anyway, and there followed a moment or two of inspired lunacy, the act began to take off. The finale was odd, but funny, and all the way through it seemed to be building to something, but never quite getting there.
It was a good evening, and I'm glad I went, it was good to have time out with TW, even if we were both hanging and tired. That may have affected my enjoyment of the evening, but there were great bits there, little nuggets of brilliance.
This morning we played Jay Foreman's CD to the girls and they really enjoyed it. We have a permanent memento of the evening, as well as the memory of the laughter, and of course next time we see any of them on the TV, we'll be able to say we were there and we saw them...
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