We've relocated to Gareth's parents house in Gosport for a few days to look after the dogs while they are away on holiday.
After a rare lazy day we popped out to the huge Tesco in North Harbour for a bit of shopping. Now I didn't see any signs advertising it, but we seemed to arrive during a "expose your flesh, tattoo's and piercings" competition. I'm guessing that you got extra points for how many whining kids you had in tow and proof of inbreeding meant competition was fierce!

Later we got the ferry over to Portsmouth to go to the cinema, choosing to see "The Brave One".



It is an absolutely brilliant film and Jodie Foster is stunning. Her interaction with Terrence Howard is intense and builds to a great conclusion. Highly recommended!! We got the ferry home and as we crossed we enjoyed the sight of the Spinnaker Tower beautifully lit at night.


 

29.09.07

Correct me if I'm wrong, which of course I'm not, but isn't the point of the self service check-outs in supermarkets so you can quickly pay for your shopping and leave? So why is it that every time I decide to use these facilities I am preceded by people who I can only refer to as utter fuckwits?
 It is not exactly difficult to hold the item over the scanner and then place it in the bag, but I'm getting to the point where I think that there should be an IQ requirement to use these things. It's usually the same people who queue before me at cash points too! Arggghhhhhh!

14.09.07

I wondered how best to describe my evening, and the following words can act as a summary:

'Prince'
London 02 Arena
GENIUS

I have never been a big 'Prince' fan so when my mate Mark offered to try and get us tickets I said I'd happily go but if it was sold out I wouldn't lose any sleep. Thankfully Mark got those tickets and tonight we watched in awe as 'Prince' performed.



If you've read through the 'Gigs' section of this website you'll know that I regularly go to concerts so when I say that it was one of the best I have ever attended, it must have been good!
His main set included such classics as "1999", "Little Red Corvette", "Kiss" and "Purple Rain". Once the house lights had come up and half the audience had started to leave he came back on to do a special solo encore which included "Sign O' The Times", "When Doves Cry", "Alphabet Street", "Gett Off" and "Raspberry Beret". An absolute star!

12.09.07

Tonight was a bit of an adventure.
Last week after seeing 'Hard-Fi' in Southsea I decided that I had to see them again, so I bid on eBay for a ticket to the last gig of this 'small venue tour' in Worthing. The 'seller' said they would send the ticket next day delivery but it failed to arrive. He'd put his mobile phone number in the auction details so I sent him a text asking for an update. He rang quickly afterwards, very apologetic, saying he would meet me outside the venue to ensure I got the ticket. As it was now too late to post it I had little choice but to trust him.



So tonight I found myself waiting by the pier in Worthing, hoping he wouldn't let me down after such a long drive. And he didn't! A quick hello and the ticket was in my hand. I shall go to the ball!
The gig was absolutely amazing, the best I have seen them play so far. With the album going straight in to No.1 yesterday this was a band on top of the world, "top of the league!" to quote lead singer Richard Archer. They were visibly enjoying every second of the gig and clearly loving it when everyone sang along, even to the new songs like "Tonight". A great great gig!

10.09.07

Once again the garden has surprised me, this time with a burst of beautiful yellow flowers.


 

09.09.07

We went to see 'Disturbia' this evening.



Considering it only opened yesterday there were less than 20 people in the cinema, and despite there being at least 10 empty rows in front of us, a very strange man decided to sit one seat away from me. The film was excellent, with lots of hands in front of eyes moments, but what made it scarier was that I seriously think the guy sat next to me was there for mass murder tips!

08.09.07

We got free tickets tonight to see the film "Superbad". It's very much in the same vein as the "American Pie" movies  and I have to say that I would have happily paid to see this great film.



As we were at the cinema we decided to go see "Run Fatboy Run" which



also turned out to be a brilliant movie too.
All things considered, a great evening!

06.08.07

I got a new mobile phone today. It's exclusive to 02 and is called the "Cocoon"

It really is quite beautiful, but how long that lasts will remain to be seen!

We went to see the movie "Breach" tonight.



An excellent film, superbly acted, based on the true story of the FBI traitor Robert Hanssen and how he was eventually caught. Recommended.

02.09.07

I was really looking forward to seeing the film '1408' tonight. Reviews have been good so I had high hopes and sat waiting to be terrified.



And waited.
And waited.
And it just didn't happen. In fact for most of the film I just sat there thinking it was quite pointless. Not a film I can recommend.

01.09.07

My friend Richard and I went to see 'Hard-Fi' play tonight at the Southsea South Parade Pier. At first we ended up at the wrong pier... well who would have thought anywhere would have more than one!



Once we found the right place we saw that the venue was built onto the pier itself and it looked like it hadn't been refurbished since the 1950's with chandeliers still lighting the hall! I was a little concerned that if the crowd jumped around too much we'd end up in the sea!
Whilst the support act played Richard noticed that Kai Stephens, the bass player from Hard-Fi, was stood near the sound desk. At first he was too shy to approach him, even though they had spoken at the Southampton gig a few weeks ago, so with a little persuasion from me.. well more like blackmail.. we went to have a little chat. Well one of was chatting anyway, whilst the other, whose name may or not begin with an 'R' panted instead!
What followed was one of the best gigs I have attended in a very long time. The old classics combined with the future classics made for an amazing night, especially when the lights failed and the band had to be lit by torches for a few songs!

31.08.07

Gareth and I travelled up to London today to meet up with my sister in law Sue and my niece Rhiannon, who I haven't seen for many years.



We all went for a meal and had a really great evening with lots to catch up on. I have to say that Rhiannon is an absolute star and a joy to spend time with!



Sue and my brother John can feel proud that they have raised two amazing daughters!

02.09.07

Even more beautiful flowers have bloomed in the garden in the last few days


 

29.08.07

I acquired a copy of the new 'Hard-Fi' album, "Once Upon A Time In The West" today and I have to say that it is one of the best albums I have heard in years.
 Seriously.



It has the rare achievement of being consistently brilliant from start to finish. Excluding Depeche Mode, I think the last time I fell in love with an album and adored each and every track would have been in 1990 when I heard "Happiness" by 'The Beloved', so it's not a compliment I give that often! Buy it!!!

28.08.07

We had an early start so Bethan could come with us to visit the family in Cardiff.
First stop was to see my Dad and his partner Pam who made us all feel very welcome!



Then it was off for a brief tour of the city and lunch in the city centre before visiting my sister Glenys, her husband Keith and my great nephew Daniel,



which is where we got to witness his amazing sporting skills!


 

27.08.07

My niece Bethan came to visit us tonight. We met her at the railway station after I'd recovered from the fact that she wasn't on the train I was expecting her on. Sheer panic was avoided when a railway employee assured me another train that she could be on was due in a few minutes later, and to my great relief, she was soon with us!
 We set off for a meal at Nando's and spent the evening catching up on years of family news. Bethan is clearly the most levelled headed and focused member of my family!

26.08.07

Once again the garden has provided some beautiful sights despite the lack of summer!






 

25.08.07

Back to the cinema tonight, this time to see "Knocked Up".


I was really unsure about this movie but found myself continually grinning like a loon! It has some really funny scenes, particularly those between lead actors Seth Rogan and Paul Rudd. Go see it!

24.08.07

Gareth and I went to see a special preview of the film "Atonement" tonight. I was really excited as I remember loving the book by Ian McEwan but I have such a bad memory I couldn't remember enough about the story to spoil the ending.



It has some breathtakingly beautifully scenes, stunning backdrops and the utterly gorgeous Keira Knightley. As the film came to a close I found myself with tears running down my cheeks. An amazing film and essential viewing.

23.08.07

So.
 It's August.
 Summer.
 That'll explain why we've had to put the heating on in the house tonight and when I set off to the gym I got soaked just going from the front door to the car.
Whilst on the subject of the gym, in the last few days they've worked out a new fitness programme for me, using different machines and heavier weights. I am now sore in places I didn't know I had, and can often be heard exclaiming "ooooh, me tits hurt". I'm hoping it'll pass or I'll need to invest in a sports bra!

22.08.07

Gareth and I had a great evening out with my good friend Gordon tonight.



As always we swayed from deep and meaningful conversation to grumpy old men rants! Gordon always asks great questions and one of tonight's gems was "what obsessive compulsive disorders do we all have"? Let's just say after his confession I'll never see him in the same light again! Apart from my obsession with checking the iron is turned off before I leave the house every morning, even if I haven't used it, I couldn't think of any of mine. Yet!

21.08.07

After a lazy day we decided to spend the evening catching up on some films. First was "Dream Girls"



which I really disliked. I can happily sit through a musical if I'm at the theatre but on film it really irritates me when a character suddenly bursts into song when just saying the line would suffice!
Next was "Jarhead"



 which we bought on dvd a long while back as part of some cheap deal. I really enjoyed the film but it highlights what some may see as a flaw in my personality. I can watch, completely unaffected, as images of the atrocities of warfare are shown, but the minute a distressed horse appears I am genuinely upset. Last time I watched "Lassie Come Home" it almost required an ambulance!

19.08.07

I had my quarterly assessment at the gym today. Since I started going there and also kept a closer eye on what I eat I've lost 10 kilos (1½ stone) and can now wear tighter t-shirts with confidence!

When I left the gym this afternoon the weather had taken a turn for the worse. Grey skies, rain and it felt a lot colder, particularly in the house. As Gareth was at work I got a blanket and curled up on the sofa to watch "Apocalypto".



As I rarely read reviews before I see a film I had no idea what to expect. It was a visually stunning movie that I really enjoyed. A really great way to spend an afternoon when it's cold and grey outside. It also prompted me to e-mail my mate Ian who is currently exploring South America, to alert him that if anyone paints him blue it aint because he looks like a smurf, and he should consider cancelling any future haircuts. See the film and that observation will make sense!

18.08.07

Gareth and I went to see a preview of 'The Bourne Ultimatum' tonight, the third 'Bourne' film.



 It has been filmed in some great locations, in particular Tangiers in Morocco, which looks absolutely stunning and is now on my list of places that I have to visit. A great film.

15.08.07

As I mentioned earlier this week, I have made a real effort to brighten the garden of the house we rent, to the extent that I bought any bulbs that I saw during the winter, duly planted them and am now constantly surprised by what appears!





And oh the irony that I bought poppy plants as I have always loved poppies, only to find wild ones now growing alongside them!






We finally got around to watching the film 'Music & Lyrics' tonight,



and I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed it!

11.08.07

A massive THANK YOU to my good friend Morgan who managed to get us tickets to the second 'Kent' concert in Göteborg later this year. Now I'm really really excited!!

06.08.07

After weeks of it seeming like there was always something to be done, today was our first chance to really relax at home. I leisurely cut the grass to the front and back gardens, weeded and tidied the borders and then just sat in the sunshine to finish reading a book recommended by my mate Gordon, "Black Swan Green" by 'David Mitchell'.



A bloody good read, I have to say, especially whilst enjoying a nice glass of red wine on the freshly cut lawn! We finished the evening by having a barbeque in the garden. Perfect, especially the beauty of the clouds in the sky.


 

05.08.07

Gareth and I went to the cinema tonight to see "Evan Almighty".



I thought I wouldn't enjoy it as we've seen the trailer so many times recently but it turned out to be a really enjoyable film, great fun!

03.08.07

My office is regularly visited by book companies who leave a selection of books for us to look at and order if we wish. In this weeks selection is a book that my colleague Jane thought suited me perfectly, and she insisted I be photographed with it...



it's called "All About ME!", which links nicely to the t-shirt they all bought me for my birthday! (See Blog entry 17.04.07)

02.08.07

As you will be aware from the photo's I took on 25.05.07, we regularly fill an old plant pot with bird seed, using a large pebble in the bottom of the pot to help keep it upright. Most days we find that the pot has been overturned but never knew how... until tonight!
Just as it got dark we watched the hedgehog that frequents our garden climb onto the top of the pot to eat some of the freeze dried grubs in the food. It then proceeded to rock back and forth until the pot fell on it side, allowing access to more freeze dried grubs as the seed dispersed! Word must have gotten around about this treat as eventually there were three hedgehogs munching away. If it wasn't so dark I would have taken a picture!

01.08.07