James Ayrton

Right - I'm off.

I like Google a lot and especially Picasa, which integrates with Blogger. I started messing around a bit with it, trying it out and stuff and have decided to toddle off over to them.

So that means that you readers want to be pointing your browser towards

http://parthobbit.blogspot.com/

I'm hungry now.

Why is the whole world suddenly wearing flip-flops? All over campus is that irritating slapping sounds. Grrr.

I've been waiting for deliveries all day. I hate that - can't settle to do anything for fear of missing the doorbell (which by the way I often do) so I decided to deliberately take the day off. I'll make it up by working tomorrow. All I have to do is not go to bed too late, and given Jonathan Ross' poor TV performance recently I don't envisage that being too difficult.

So on my day off soo far I've eaten some mushrooms, tidied and cleaned the lounge, kitchen, hall, my bedroom... This got boring quite quickly so I dug a new flower bed between the apple and cherry trees. I'm gonna plant it with a special mix of butterfly-attracting flowers. That should be nice.

On another note - this website's been amusing me recently

http://www.4q.cc/vin/

Hehe

I got some project results which is quite pleasing. Now I just need to get more...

Gotta love statistics.

I feel strongly that a good breakfast should include eggs.

I was listening to the latest U2 album again today as I walked along my merry way and I really like the song "Yahweh"

Haven't entirely figured out what it's about but I certainly like the general feel.

Take these shoes
Click clacking down some dead end street
Take these shoes
And make them fit
Take this shirt
Polyester white trash made in nowhere
Take this shirt
And make it clean, clean
Take this soul
Stranded in some skin and bones
Take this soul
And make it sing

Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, Yahweh
Still I'm waiting for the dawn

Take these hands
Teach them what to carry
Take these hands
Don't make a fist
Take this mouth
So quick to criticise
Take this mouth
Give it a kiss

Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, Yahweh
Still I'm waiting for the dawn

Still waiting for the dawn, the sun is coming up
The sun is coming up on the ocean
This love is like a drop in the ocean
This love is like a drop in the ocean

Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, tell me now
Why the dark before the dawn?

Take this city
A city should be shining on a hill
Take this city
If it be your will
What no man can own, no man can take
Take this heart
Take this heart
Take this heart
And make it break

Concerning Hobbits:

"...In fact it has been remarked by some that Hobbits' only real passion is for food - a rather unfair observation as we have also developed a keen interest in the brewing of ales and the smoking of pipe-weed. But where our hearts truly lie is in peace and quiet and good tilled earth; for all hobbits share a love for things that grow."

I rest my case.

Was that Pete as in from the US? If so I'm afraid I don't have your email address :o(

The Ugly Ducking album I have is called Journey to Anywhere and I got it off the internet, either play or 101cd I forget which.

The internet is a truly wonderful thing for music lovers everywhere.

Wow - that gig was just breathtaking. Awesome.

I'm in London now ready for Van this evening, and I'm attempting to post this from my mobile. Geeky huh?

Today I finally finished extracting all the patient data from the hospital network for my project - wahoo! Now I just have to organise it all... (Booo!)

One more thing: I really dislike the web design of the Van Morrison site. So irritating!

Hospital tomorrow for some more patient data gathering. Hopefully I can get all I need soon, maybe tomorrow even...                                      

I just secured tickets to see Van again on the 15th for an exclusive one off gig in london show-casing his new album. And they were only £10 each! This excites me greatly.

The last gig I went to, although he was excellent, he was just excellent. I think he was going through the motions a little bit, rolling out the greatest hits for the fans, and leaving the stage at precisely 9:30 having given his 90 minutes thankyou very much. Don't get me wrong - even when he's just going through the motions (I say "just") he's stunning and we all enjoyed the gig a lot, but I hope this time with fresh material he'll pull out all the stops, and that really will make for a magic time.

And I'm going with Dad - isn't that nice :o)

Gotta get into the RSH early tomorrow as I only get the morning to work at the PC because then the consultants come a do clinic and like to use it. Plus they're a little bit scarey anyway.

Mowed the lawn yesterday and we all spent most of today sitting on it. Very nice indeed.

By the way I really recommend downloading Picassa 2 from Google -  it's a really fantastic way of organising and tweaking your photos. I also just got the Google desktop search which is scarily good as well!

Gmail supports POP. That's really handy...

More detail to follow - I just found the scrap of paper and I'm scared I might lose it so I'll just copy it out...

Here comes the knight (Instrumental)
Have I told you lately
Back on top
Foreign window
It once was my life
How long has this been going on?
Bright side of the road
Whinin' boy moan
Moondance
Philosopher's stone
Little Village
All work no play
Stop Drinking
Sack o' woe
Precious Time
Brown Eyed Girl
Gloria

I saw Van then went back to Warwick the next day leaving behind the scap of paper I wrote on during the actual gig, to remind myself what he played etc. So I shall write about it soon. Going back to Southampton tomorrow - then I shall have to spend a lot of time tidying and stuff as my room really is a bit of a mess. My piano is currently occupying my bed space so I need to work out something there. (Been sleeping on the floor for a while.) Hmmm. Then I have to sort out my hifi - recently acquired some more kit which I need to accomodate. Oh well...fun fun fun.

Ok - this morning I had a very vivid dream which I will describe.

I was in Above Bar Church and it was an average sunday morning service (not that I've been to one for ages) and I was up in the balcony as usual. Now Dad was playing the piano there, which was a little odd in retrospect, but in the dream this was accepted as perfectly normal. However, guest starring along side him was none other than Jools Holland, to lend a little boogie to the proceedings. Unfortunately the rhythm was a little rigid for even Jools to do much with, but that was probably for the best (it is above bar after all.)

So then we had to queue up for ages to get his autograph. He was sitting at a desk and seeing people 3 at a time. I think Phil and Steph were there too, so I expected us 3 to go up together, but for some reason we didn't and they went first, which meant I got to go up on my own. So we had a little chat and he signed a thing for me and it was all very boring cos he'd been doing it for ages and so on so seizing the opportunity I shook him by the hand and then asked "Excuse me Jools, how big are your hands?" He looked suprised at the question, but I went on to add "my other favourite pianist Dr John has very large hands and I was wondering if it was pre-requisite." now at this Jools got quite excited and we had a lengthy conversation about the genius of Dr John, in which Jools was saying how he often spans 10ths in his left hand when he's playing, rather than just a rubbishy octave like I tend to do. It was all very exciting and my turn lasted far longer than it should have, and much to the annoyance of the people behind me in the queue he had to leave then and fly off in a helicopter to attend a meeting about Spring Harvest. However he gave me his email address so that was nice. Later I asked Dad if he'd learnt anything when they were both playing but he said he didn't have a very good view of the piano Jools was using, which was shame.

So that was kinnda weird huh?

I spent the rest of the day staring at spread sheets so I thought it would be more interesting to write about my dream than anything that has any bearing on reality as it is rather, in the words of Rev Lovejoy, "Boring."

On the bright side I'm seeing Van tomorrow evening, which is pretty darn exciting. He's got a new album out in May so I'm expecting a few previews...we'll see.

Germans on Hornets... what a load of willy!

http://www.muenster.org/hornissenschutz/hornets.htm