Sleeping with the windows closed

I can’t tell you how great it is to have the temperature drop like it has. Well, I can: it’s really great! Sitting still and not sweating is a pleasure you don’t fully appreciate until it you can do it. As mentioned in my last post, the colder weather means that the local gobshites stay indoors, which also means my blood pressure has gone down considerably. It also-also means that I can start recording music again, which I may do this afternoon. I’ve got plenty of musical ideas to work with, so I just need to pick one.

That pain in the right side of my torso has completely gone now. Perhaps it was just something to do with how I’ve been sleeping. I keep forgetting to ring the council to ask them to provide me with a new bed. One that doesn’t fall apart. Maybe I’ll do that after I finish writing this. If the pain was to do with my liver, then I guess I’ll know when I have my next drinking session (binge). I was going to order some booze with the shopping that came yesterday, but I’ve just not been in the mood. My regular pub reopens in a couple of days, so maybe I’ll wait till then. We shall see.

There were a lot of emergency services vehicles around my area last night. I counted four separate sirens in total (I’m never sure which siren corresponds to which service). We also had a police helicopter knocking about above us, so something big must have happened. I’m hoping they’re finally cracking down on the gang activity that seems to have increased since the end of the lockdown, but that’s probably just wishful thinking. Plus, I think if they’re making planned “busts”, then they won’t march in with sirens blazing. Hmmm. I’ll keep an eye on the local news.

I spent the bulk of yesterday cooking, although I prefer to use the term “battling” when it comes to concocting one of my curries. I didn’t use a pack of preprepared stir fry vegetables this time. I actually chopped everything! Well, all except the tomatoes, as the supermarket didn’t have the size I wanted, so I had to cheat with a tin. I used two tins of coconut milk in this recipe, just to see what difference it made. It’ll probably mean my heart attack comes sooner. I also used lamb mince and paneer, as the “centrepiece”, or whatever you call it. I didn’t have a portion yesterday, as I find curries taste better after a night in the fridge; although, from what I tasted whilst battling, it’s a bloody fine one! I divided it up into three servings, so one’s gone in the freezer. Woo!

A guitar amplifier I really want is on sale secondhand at my local guitar shop. It’s quite a tempting price, although still quite a lot. It’s a coveted model, so it may have gone by now, which just means I won’t have to decide anyway.

I literally dusted off a cheap guitar [see picture below] the other day that I bought years ago, just to see if it was any good. I wasn’t impressed when I first bought it, impulsively, I must say, but it’s actually a really nice instrument. I had to put new strings on it, which was a pain in the arse, as they had completely rusted. It’s a Vintage (the brand, not the age) SG and, while certain parts of it certainly feel it’s £70 price-tag, I’ve been able to coax some lovely tones out of it. Using that tube amp I started reusing again helps. Everything seems to sound great through it. I did have an Epiphone SG a while back, but I wasn’t all that impressed with it. Maybe, after my first one finally arrives, I’ll put in an order with that custom guitar luthier for an SG-shape, which they do, erm, do. I’ve already started planning which colour and pickup configuration I want. This is also what’s putting me off buying that secondhand amp. I need the cash for more guitars!

Listening-wise, I’ve gone back to good ol’ Hard-Fi this week. Their third and, to date, final album has its iffy moments, but the first two are quite wonderful. The second one is definitely underappreciated. Hopefully they’ll release their long-gestating fourth album soon. I think they’ve been waiting for their guitarist to re-join the band. I actually appear in their Wikipedia entry, as I lamented in a Twitter post (when I was still on there) that they were no longer listed as on a hiatus, and had officially disbanded. While I didn’t mention this to them directly, they did respond, clarifying that they were still hiatussing [real word]. This brief back-and-forth is what appears in their Wikipedia entry, although my original tweet no longer exists. But I know it was me! That’s about as close to fame as I’ll ever get, methinks.

I tried out Glasvegas’ new album earlier today, which I couldn’t get through. Maybe I’ll try again. Their second album, Euphoric Heartbreak, isn’t quite as bad as I remembered. It’s certainly better than their last couple of releases. Their “sixth form poetry” is amusingly bad, but in an endearing sorta way. It’s like: “Aww, they’re really trying!”. Condescending, I know. But true.

I’m sure the music I produce is no better.

I’ve discovered the Rod Stewart/Ronnie Wood band Faces, which was active in the early 1970s. I don’t think I’ve heard much Wood-era Rolling Stones, but his work with Faces is something very special indeed. I’d love to know what guitar amp he’s using, as the tones he produces sound as if they’ve been sent down from heaven. I’ll have to do some research, although I’m sure it’ll turn out to be a model way out of my specification requirements (too loud, basically) and price range. Life, huh?!

Well, I don’t have much else to report. I’m just kind of existing at the moment, as one does. There’s still been little to no communication with anybody, which I guess is no bad thing. I have lots of DVDs and video games to keep me company, so at least that’s something. I’ve started replaying Dragon Age: Inquisition, which I gave up on not long after starting about four years ago. Turns out, it’s a lot of fun! I’m just roaming around doing quests, as and when I can be arsed. I’m finding it’s a good one to play just before I go to bed as a way of winding down. I’ve downloaded some other single player titles as, of course, my gaming buddies are non-existent at this point. It’s my own fault.

I’ve finally started watching that Rome series from 2005. It’s exactly what I feared – a show about horrible people doing horrible things to each other, with distractingly gratuitous sex and nudity thrown in for, I dunno, some reason. I think it’s the show that inspired things like Game of Thrones. I’m not a prude, as I watch quite a few peoples’ fair share of pornography, but I just don’t like it in drama. It’s like when the narrative of a musical stops to have a musical number. I’m all like “Why are they singing and dancing all of a sudden?! Just get on with the bloody story!”. I don’t dislike musicals quite as much as I used to, but that thought still runs through my head. So, yes, Rome is ok, I guess. I just don’t care about anything that’s going on, as all the characters are such douchebags. Plus, the show’s requirement for actors with visually-pleasing bodies means that the quality of performances is low. Down in the mud low. Tits though, right?! Sigh. People suck. Anyway, I’ll carry on for as long as possible. Maybe it’ll eventually give me something to give a crap about.

Right, I best go pick out a drum beat to record a song to.

Do stay in touch, darlings.

Toodles!

P.S. The title of this post is a reference to it now being too cold to have the windows open at night, which is pretty mandatory during the spring and summer months. I didn't have anything more creative to use, I'm afraid. Please send your suggestions for a better title on a postcard to...