Trying...

It has been said in the past that I'm trying!

It's harder than I first imagined to get back into this "blogging" lark.

I've been absent from blogging for a few years, and although I had websites that would now be referred to as blogs before the term blogging was even invented they were sites I had to do manually and there weren't all these intuitive and useful tools that we all rely on now.

Even some of the items things I used here on blogger are now showing their age.... blogpatrol, my crappy webcam, a thing to play music and sitemeter to name but four.  These were little widgets with bits of html code pasted into them that worked from a site that was separate to blogger and you had to have an account there and do this and do that.... and when it finally worked it provided some sort of bell or whistle to marvel at.

Now I'm slowly trying to strip back the superfluous and broken items and stripping everything back to the bare bones.  It's a chore and one that isn't much fun..... but in doing so, I've remembered and resurrected two of my favourite pages from my former bloglife and you can see them here:

This season....  (a page that I update randomly to provide a summary of where I am up to in my everyday life)

Film List.... (A list of films with IMDB links) that I used to update every time I watched another film.

Well, those two pages are staying... as for my crappy webcam and blogpatrol?  I think they'll be going the way of the dodo very shortly!  As for the other two blogs that I do..... we'll get there eventually.

It's a bit different to using Facebook, that's for sure!

Howling....

I've spent the best part of the last two days preparing my disks for the imminent arrival (I laughingly refer to the arrival, when I can plainly see that the item has not yet reached a stage of despatched!!) of my new camera.

I am (finally) putting all the photographs together, and all the mp3s together, and storing them conveniently on an external disk I purchased a while back. Tidy and neat, neat and tidy.... but a little slower than your conventional disk of course!! It's USB and my computers are all so old that I still don't have a USB2 port anywhere.

Well, before I go on to discuss whatever it was I came here to discuss, I'd like to mention that, in doing this "housekeeping" exercise, I've discovered quite a lot of really great music. Bargain. I updated the music on this site yesterday, which finally got rid of the yodelling Oktoberfest themed song, and replaced it with LFO..... but then I found this album by LazyB called Listen. It's made me laugh extremely hard. I couldn't deprive you of a piece of it now could I? (It's a whole album of positive message endorphin driven stuff.... very feel good indeed).

And now.... on to other matters.....

I've had such a rash of comments lately that I can't keep up.... let me try to address a few and tackle some of the things that I wanted to tackle, which crossed over with the comments/ queries/ suggestions.

First, I'm chuffed to little mint balls that people liked my photo of Emley Moor Mast in the glorious sunshine yesterday morning. It was a real buzz to take the pictures off my camera and discover that one amongst them..... none of the others were quite so vibrant. Thanks for your kind words about it.

Second.... How do I wake up so early?? Well at around seven in the morning I always seem to wake up.... If I have nothing to do, then I sometimes turn over and go back to sleep. More often than not, I get up, check my email, go to the toilet, look out the window, make sure "bowling cam" is running, check if I caught any more mice..... then maybe back to bed. Looking out the window, I spied (again) a great sunrise and within ten minutes I was out of the house and half way up the hill..... seize the moment!!

Third..... Despite Yorkshire Pudding's red herrings, I am convinced that I have opted for the best camera on the market that falls within my meagre price bracket. There was a time when money was no concern..... things are different now. I am sure it will be a lot of fun finding out what we can do together (the camera and I).

Fourth..... Tripods......

That was the whole point of me posting today, was to discuss tripods.

I already have a tripod, but it is a cheap thing. It doesn't have any bubbles or heads or anything fancy, and it is quite limiting in what I can do with it. So, I started to look for a new tripod to go with my new kit. I remembered a review of tripods in a camera magazine, that featured an award winning budget tripod, and dug it out.

Having found the magazine and the page with my recommended tripod.... set about trying to locate said item on the interweb, but to no avail. The review was from March of this year, and already the item has been discontinued and vanished from the face of the earth. Typical.

If anyone has a Calumet CK6143 stashed away anywhere that they don't want, then drop me a line......

So, I'm stuck what to do.

Pixie.... the Gorilla is ok for what it is, but it's just a table top tripod that has bendy legs and can wrap round things. It doesn't do the things I need, and certainly would be no use in a wildlife situation. I have a table top pod, but not one that will grip something, but I've never needed to grip anything. I can imagine a rock climber might have use for it, but not sure who else would. (I'm not even going to mention that I think they are outrageously overpriced, although kudos indeed to Joby for offering packaging free versions!!)

Spice..... I thought about a monopod, but you can't leave it unattended for those lovely self timers can you?? If they made a monopod that doubled as a spring loaded walking stick, then I might consider it, for the dual purpose, but other than that I'm not convinced. I am sure that it will feature as part of my kit somewhere down the line though.

Looks like it's back to the drawing board for me..... Unless I double my budget!!

Well, I am looking for a link for monopods, and blow me down, if they don't make them as walking sticks, AND they come with ball and socket heads...... requires more investigation - I see the ones that do what I need are still WAY too expensive!!

Annoyed.

I am managing to annoy myself with a choice of blogging topics. I have started today's entry several times, and have been dissatisfied with each and every effort thus far. Too many small items to discuss makes for a very messy and protracted piece of disjointed garbage. What can I do?

Do you want to hear about the lovely beers I managed to drink at the Barge and Barrel beer festival, or about the dark mild at the Star in Lockwood, or even the Moorhouse's Black Cat at the Nook in Holmfirth?

How about a little piece about my walk around Holmfirth? A taste of Summer Wine country, guided as always by an Ordnance Survey map, and the ever flawed AA 50 Walks in West Yorkshire book. When they say turn right, they mean left. When they say one hundred yards, they may mean twenty, they may mean four hundred. It's a guessing game.

How about the muscle I've pulled in my stomach? My damaged achilles tendon? The problems I am having with my hand, wrist and forearm? The blotchy dry skin patches.... Vitamins, creams, potions, lotions.....

Conker fighting? Clackers?

After spending a year with no source of income, I am starting to worry about spending all of my money. So, with a small wince and a great deal of trepidation, I have finally managed to make it through the checkout procedure on a website, to purchase..... wait for it..... a new camera!! I blame Kenny for this irrational purchase... His talk and enjoyment of consumerism has driven me to the point of coveting my neighbour's white goods!!

So here it is... in all its glory.... my new camera.... coming to a blog near you soon. I am SO looking forward to getting my hands on it.

Inspired by my rash purchase, last evening, it was much easier to jump out of bed this morning when I spied a golden sunrise. Armed with my camera, and wearing a Tshirt, at seven thirty in the A of the M, standing atop Scapegoat Hill, shivering and freezing, I managed to pull of this masterstroke! I dedicate this to Spice The Cat, for his tireless, inspirational, motivational comments and efforts (they used to call it nagging!).

Enjoy!

Bloody hell.

Sometimes it's hard to write a blog.

I don't expect everyone to share my enthusiasm at spotting a bunch of fledgling goldfinches or robins or bluetits in my garden. The pride that accompanies their survival, assisted by my bird feeder treats, is a personal feeling that I cannot expect anyone else to share.

The excitement of having heavy machinery and a new road surface outside my house is purely selfish. Clouds of burning diesel and bitumen. Hissing steam and gravel pouring machines. The change in background noise as the first cars tentatively drive across it, with a care usually reserved for snow and ice.

The rekindling of my desire to perpetrate random acts of kindness.

My enthusiasm for playing video games, and its rejuvenation, brought about by a couple of seemingly random car-boot-sale purchases.

My disappointment at having allowed myself to sit through Eli Roth's "Hostel" after vowing never to allow myself to waste time on another of his films after watching "Cabin Fever". Unfunny, unscary, and very very missable.... both of them!!

Big Brother..... I mean, who would want to hear about that? Apart from which, if you did want to read about it, you certainly wouldn't come here, you'd go to digitalspy of course!!

Oh my, I am having a mid-blog crisis!!

Huddersfield.

There was a cow from Huddersfield,
Who said that her milk would not yield,
Unless she had her udders feeled.

Not exactly a great advert for Huddersfield, but there it is.

Speaking of adverts, it would take a special sort of person to pass up the opportunity of pointing out:

Skoda recently made an advert for one of their cars, the Skoda Fabia.

Reputedly, the advert cost a cool half a million pounds to make. That's nearly a million US dollars!!

You gotta see the advert to believe it I guess, but basically, they make a car out of cake. Yes, plain old cake.

The disturbing aspects of this cake car, are:

The cost of the advert was equivalent to about the purchase price of sixty of their cars!

As glorious as the car looks in the finished item, it was deemed unfit for human consumption and ended up on a compost heap.

Now, I like to see a good advert as well as the next guy, but you sometimes have to wonder if there wouldn't be a more efficient use of time, money, and resources.

Does a car made out of cake really sell more cars?

Is it money well spent??

If I buy a Skoda Fabia, am I just buying a small slice of this very expensive cake?

With all the technology available to us, would it have made a difference if the cake car was actually a real cake?

I wonder.............

Well, for what it's worth, you can see the ad here...... Just don't buy the car, OK? Deal??

The Pole.

Pole Moor, it's a helluva town.

Well, of course, it's not a town.... far from it.... Far from frikking everything if the truth be known.

Missionaries beware!!

The land of neighbourless dwellings, and marginally reduced light pollution, on the edge of the Pennines. Where five TV channels, and internet connections, are considered akin to alchemy.

It's a close call between watching a program about wheelchair dancing or another dissection of the Virginia Tech shootings on a regurgitative news show.

I'd read a book, but without the television on, the silence here is overwhelming.

Does anyone want some free-range eggs? I've got loads here, and anyone who knows will happily testify as to their outstanding quality..... I'm the egg-man!!

As an example of the Pole Moor based pace of life: I scanned in the Huddersfield Examiner weekly prize crossword, emailed it to my mum, and she and Fred returned me the answers, which we have completed in triplicate and will be entering into this week's prize draw!!

It's times like this that make me wish I'd burned all the Rab C Nesbitt episodes from my Sky+ onto a DVD to bring with me.

Perhaps I will just go back to playing some PC based golf. A more pointlessly enjoyable exercise I could not imagine at quarter past eleven of a Tuesday evening.

In other news - I am slightly on the mend. I've regained some element of control over my bowels. I'm skint, waiting for all kinds of money to land in my lap, but still not quite able to touch it. I am still confused as to what my next career move should be.

Anyone got a job for me?

So what?

So what is my blog worth?

Well according to "Pingoat", as of today, my blog is merely worth $28.06.

However, according to Technorati, it's worth a whopping $5080.86.

Now, I don't really believe these values, and wouldn't expect anyone else to either. They're simply a bit of fun. I presume there's some spanky algorithm back there, that ranks you based on outgoing and incoming links and your update frequency. Not really rocket science, and probably a little too black-and-white to be of any real accuracy.

So what's my blog really worth?

I'll tell you....

As a vehicle, a tool for expressing myself, for getting all the thought-mush out of my head and onto a digital notepad, it's bloody priceless.

As a commercial venture, for the purpose of raising advertising revenue, completely worthless.

For its potential to turn into a best-selling book (or "blook" if you're swept away with such nonsensical mumbo-jumbo), such as Girl With a One Track Mind, or Shaggy Blog Stories, my potential is less than nought.

As a domain name, that might tread on some multi-millionaire's toes, forcing them to buy it off me, the chances are slim. Someone already beat me to arctic-fox.blogspot.com, and they haven't updated it in two years!!

As a resource for people to come and go as they feel fit, and to plunder my head for anything useless...... maybe, a penny for my thoughts?

Letting my family know I am still alive, and although I am now a cave dwelling hermit with a beard down to my knees, that has taken the oath of silence, am still kicking, maybe another few pence. They could always text me if they wanted to know whether anyone was inheriting my DVD collection yet?

So, in summary, my blogs worth two thirds of sweet Fanny Adams.

The only person who gains anything from it at all, is me.

Let's face it, who the hell would want to buy a blog, and what the bloody hell would they do with it when they got it?

My blog is worth $5,080.86.
How much is your blog worth?

Space.

Space is ace, unless it's an MSN space of course!!

I am trying to make a concerted effort to catch up with my blogging buddies, but MSN spaces are so bloody effing slow, that I just can't do it.

Go on MSN users, take the plunge and get yourself a proper blog!!

I have a stack of paperwork and housework to do, but I am so much more content to be sitting in a pigsty, impersonating an elite sniper on my playstation. Woe is me.

Maybe I will get round to it tomorrow? Whaddya reckon the chances of that are?

I can already hear a raft of prerecorded sky+ programming that I have carefully selected. Those Pogo badges are not going to complete themselves. Those bloody Germans will still be running their ammunition dumps, and dammit, those trees, fish, and gold mines, just won't manage on their own.

I'm a slave to the game.

I am an imp in the very dungeon of my own creation, suffering a tirade of self flagellation. The prize? My very own dried up coffee cup ridden pigsty, complete with overflowing ashtrays.

It's true, life's a bloody game.... just not sure what type it is yet, or where I can buy the strategy guide. One thing's for sure though, I am preordering the sodding expansion pack!!

Left....

to my own devices.....

It's been an emotional roller-coaster of a week. I'm not going to recap, because you can get the flavour by reading the earlier posts, stupid!!

My cousin, Sophia, breezed back into my life, on a cloud of clove scented air. We met 'neath the Harold Wilson statue after some 30 years of absence.

I was hoping everything would be good between us, and that we'd get along during the week long visit. I don't think either of us was disappointed.

We've had a blast.

Done a bit of shopping; Ate a bit of food; Some Jammie Dodgers; Talked; Walked; Ridden; Had late nights; Watched the birds; Watched League of Gentlemen; Listened to Radio 4; Drunk tea and coffee as though it might go out of fashion; Moonwatched; Smoked; Rapped; Played awesome guitar; Made video; Took pictures; Exchanged cards.

And now, as Soph has begun her journey home, and I am back in the lounge, surrounded by plastic guitars, and my customary overflowing ashtray, the house has most definitely sobered. The "ambiance" is noticeably darker, and colder.

Sure, it's always nice to catch up with a relative, to banish the "bad relative" demons once in a while. I don't remember ever having the privilege of such a great opportunity to catch up, in as relaxed and informal manner that we have managed.

The experience has left me with the feeling that I am the one that's been on a holiday somewhere, and returned home with renewed vigour, and am able to see things through a fresh set of eyes.

And so, cousin Soph, convey my love and regards to all the family out the in Canadia!! Keep on struttin'!!

Farewell (for now), bon voyage, au revoir..... I know I will see you sooner than you would probably like!! Haha

Everybody says shes lookin' good
And the lady knows its understood
Strutter

Fade to grey.

It's starting to feel more like November now, than the glimpses of spring that prematurely erupted a week or two ago.

The weather fits my mood, and I no longer open the curtains or blinds. The artificial, man made, controllable lights are my preference.

I have a strong hankering to start a marine aquarium just now.

Today I refilled the bird feeders.

The last week or so, I have had a blackbird that is flapping against my kitchen windows. It's spooky and strange to see her bouncing off the glass, and pecking, as if attracted by something inside. Hitchcockesque indeed. Each day she returns, and each evening disappears.

Am struggling to raise enthusiasm for Pogo badges this week, which comes as no great surprise. I did manage to get my cousin Tom on there this morning though, and I would love to think he might use it more in the future, and come and say "hello".

I am not enjoying seeing my thoughts of cousin Dan slowly shifting down my web page. It's indicative that time marches relentlessly on, even if I can not manage to do so at the same pace. Another interesting blog side effect. The blog waits for no man.

I am sending thoughts, and love, in the direction of my Aunty Janet, Uncle Dave, Jo, and Tom. I wish I could do more.

Anyhow, as all blogs should end, I am taking a young lad to buy socks......

?

Dark days.

I've had a few VERY dark days lately. Even the weather is running parallel to my somberness. Waves of rain, of wind, of greyness, broken only by happier moments of sunshine. Tears and laughter, seemingly unprovoked to the casual observer.

Focus.

Nothing on earth can focus your mind like the events of this week. Finally, I am starting to find my silver lining.

I am most thankful to have shared times with Dan. Some most excellent formative years. I have even remembered our strongest bond, the possible topic of conversation on the beach at St. Cyrus.

Black sheep.

Both myself and Dan were undoubtedly our family's black sheep. If anyone could drag the family name through any mud at a given moment's notice, then it was the pair of us. We both took great joy in connecting over this. Two's company!! Forged in fire!!

I always admired the sense of family that Dan possessed. In fact, all three of my northern cousins have something that I have never innately possessed in that respect. It's something I am trying to work on, and have been trying for some time.

This week has been surreal in that I have had conversations and almost daily contact with family. The events that have drawn us together are neither desirable nor pleasant, but this for me is absolutely a good thing. I am sure Dan would approve of bringing the family together.

Last night I went to the pub. I raised my glass to my cousin, and drank some foaming Guinness. The next one was for the rest of my family. It helped in a small way, and finally, in bed, my mind was silent.

I'm not sure who I am writing my blog for anymore. Two cousins, yesterday, stopped by and commented. I hope they approve of the words that I write. Most importantly it's an important process for me.

Dan.

On Monday morning, I was shocked into the day with news that my cousin couldn't be woken.

Dan's been suffering with MS for a couple of years, and there is not a soul on earth who hasn't been shocked by the aggressive nature of it.

By the end of the day, Dan was gone.

It's only right that I recall great times with the little pothead, that I have been proud to call my cousin for thirty three years.

I see Dan grinning his toothy smile as a young teenager, with a white Dunlop t-shirt, smeared in strawberry juice from the farm where we had been picking.

I hear Dan's fantastically loud infectious laugh.

Hours of inane MSN messenger chatter.

I see him grinning, with a joystick in his hand, playing SSX on the playstation. Concentrating on busting moves. I'd driven down to Leicester to drop off some dope.

I remember the family shock when Dan burned a huge pile of hay in a farmer's field in Johnshaven, Scotland.

When I learned to ride a bike - it was Dan's bike. A purple Raleigh Budgie, with fat tyres, and easy rider handlebars.

On the subject of bikes - Dan rode his into the corner of a house!!

Arbroath in Scotland, the amusements (the "switchies" as they were known). We all loved to go there. The "king kong" machine in Montrose. The sand dunes.

I walked the sandy beach at low tide with Dan at St. Cyrus in Scotland. We smoked a spliff, and walked and talked. I can still see the ripples on the sand, and the wooden boards that led there. I don't remember what we talked about, but I know it rained.

The memories are choking in my throat and in my eyes.

I had a great affinity with Dan, we had many things in common. He was the most mild mannered, placid chap you would ever meet, and in a lot of ways I find that inspirational. I always had time for him, and don't ever recall us having a bad word.

I know we have some old Super 8 films, from those heady childhood days where we played in the sun. When the time is right, I promise myself to dig them out.

For now, my cousin, my friend..... simply....

GRATITUDE!

Nothing...

Nothing to blog about, nothing to say. I am totally immersed in a wave of complete and utter unimportance.

It's sort of relaxing in a strange way.

Even Celebrity Big Brother has, thus far, not even raised a slight amount of interest from me.

I guess this is the lull AFTER the storm of christmas and new year.

One interesting fact that was drawn to my attention recently, was that the supermarket where I shop, took half a million quid on the Friday before christmas. If proof were ever needed that the true spirit of christmas was lost in consumerist gluttony, then surely this is the dipstick you needed.

Humbug, humbug, and thrice humbug.

Today I have been mostly looking after poorly Kirsty. I say "looking after" which amounts to me doing my paperwork in my bedroom while Kirsty sniffled and snooked her way through some college work. All I did was make some lunch. There's been a lot of poorly people this last few weeks.

I really must drag myself out of this apathy.

First footing.....

An age old ritual of being a dark haired man, armed with a lump of coal, being the first person to pass over the threshold, was partially observed in this wet and windy corner of Yorkshire at least.

It's supposed to bring good luck.

I am feeling quite retrospective writing this blog entry. I guess it's something similar to the "glass is half full, or is it half empty" scenario - Should I look back retrospectively at the new year, or should I simply look forward? Surely, in order to learn, and to grow as a human being, an element of postmortem is essential... at least at some point in life, and often afterwards too.

So, what did 2006 give to me? What have I learnt?

Where to start?

Looking back 12 months, I could simply not have envisaged the year ahead, not even in my wildest dreams, and at points worst nightmares.

Summary: I have ended a 17 year relationship. Started a new relationship. Moved out of my house into Playboy Mansions, moved back into my house again. I've worked hard, bloody hard at times. I've played, bloody ridiculously hard at times. Nintendo DS has entered my life. I've been to a few all-nighters, and been to a few more dance events than I have in previous years - with renewed vigour and zest. I've done some paperwork.

Conclusion: Have I grown? Have I learned? Have I actually advanced along the zen-like path of life and fulfillment? Well, yes, I actually believe I am a better person at the start of this year than I was at the start of last. I've lost an element of complacency that I once had. Things are more serious now, and the lighter aspects of life are much lighter now.

2006 won't actually go down as one of the best years of my life. I've had lots to worry about, and lots of work to do. It will, however, go down as a productive year for me. I have instigated change in my life. I've bought a new broom, and it's started to sweep clean.

Happy New Year to all readers and bloggers. I hope you have everything your heart desires in 2007.