Sailing

Broads views.
Hickling at sunset.

Heigham Sound.
Crisps.

 Slow boat to Hickling.

 Sunset over Hickling.

 Finding 'The Pleasure Boat' inhospitable, we headed to 'The Greyhound' where we were greeted as liberators and fed like heroes.

A ramblin man.

I'm on the ropes

A long held ambition achieved.
Why the hell had it taken so long?
Saw the Eels live at  the UEA (goddammit, still one of my favourite venues)

I had a head full of other stuff, work things, stress things, work things, work things , work things.

I saw the Eels and it was wonderful glorious.

I would go out tonight...

... I get a phonecall, not a message, a real life phonecall with a human voice on the other end, very 1986.
It's my brother with a spare ticket for Johnny Marr!

A grainy photo which sums up a grainy yet wonderful evening with an absolute legend.

And yes, He played about six of his very own Smiths songs.

Uncle Danny Baseball Eve!

Can it be that time of year again? Dan Raphael's birthday eve? Known to millions of kids around the globe as 'Uncle Danny Baseball Eve'.

My kids are at the perfect age to really enjoy the festivities, there's absolutely no doubt that they believe in the magic of UDB and the magic he spreads. 

Please enjoy some pictures of our family festivities.

Our very own Daniel building a tower of strength. He wanted to be the first kid in town to get his finished!

 Yes, You guessed it, the traditional breakfast of salami, cheese, bread and kiwi fruit.

 Traditions for the evening meal vary, but we stick to the old fashioned approach. Baked potato, cheese, sausages and kiwi fruit.

 The two kiwi fruit slices representing the two passions of Uncle Danny Baseball. Baseball and indie music. Reformists sometimes add more to include TV, family and food but we like it traditonal.

 Hey, it's all about the kids. Michael and Henry rocking out during the evening meal.

 Daniel lapping up his apple pie and custard for desert!

 A traditional scene dating back 39 years.

 Daniel is chuffed! He's the first kid to finish his meal so he gets to hold the kiwi fruit and minifigure!

 Henry is a pretty proud second!

This is what it's all about. The magic, The Huey Lewis TV special, The minifigures and the kiwi fruit!

Happy Uncle Danny Baseball Eve everybody!

Tip top

Ways to lose that tip Mr delivery man.

Get ridiculously lost trying to find my (very central and easy to find) house and in the process make a number of mildly pointless phonecalls during which you persist in telling me "I int got a clue where I am or where you are either".

Use my loo ( Fine if you were working here for a little while but you were in my home for 45 seconds!)

Call me 'mate'. I am not your mate. You came to my home, dropped off some flatpack shelving and left. Call me anything, anything, but not mate.

Make odd comments about the pictures on my walls!

Be scarily reminiscent of Neil from The Inbetweeners.

About a beard

The beard.
It's been growing since December 1st.
I'm really not sure.
I am way outside my comfort zone.
I can really only think of two people I know who can do a decent beard.
Officially I only need to grow it until the 24th. The thing is, on the 21st, 22nd and 23rd I have three quite major social outings to attend. The beard is going to get quite a bit of publicity.

It's scruffy, itchy and I have yet to reap the benefit of the extra 3 and a half minutes each day that I could have spent shaving.

Then I get to thinking, LBJ never had a beard.
Nor did Richard Nixon.
Not one of the Watergate conspirators had facial hair.

What am I to do?

Florida

Just went for the dream job.
Didn't get it.
Compensating by listening to lots of Billy Bragg.
Also growing a beard for charity.

Looks like an Al Gore moment to me.