Cold, flu, stuck indoors, what do you do?

It's been a shite day.  I mean shite. I awoke with a stinking headache, if headaches could stink this would of been an elephant size dung headache, which didn't seem to go away. Eyes watering, nose running, coughing repeatedly. How the hell did I get this, what the hell is going on? I'm just no good for anything and it has felt so cold, maybe this was why I just lay in bed for so long before getting up. Then I got up had breakfast and went back to bed again. It seemed like every moment I was fully conscious was a pain, at least when sleeping it goes away, until you have to cough again. Staying in bed was the best option and so it seems another weekend day where I've not done anything, not gone out, not exercised, not done anything of any value other than stay in my PJs and do the best I could to disengage with the world. It worked in most part. Why is it when you're ill every single second of illness counts, it just drags on and on and doesn't give up. It becomes a matter of getting through the next ten minutes, next half hour, next hour and then marking it off and hoping by some slim chance when you've reached this future point things are better. The dreaded lurgies and gone away, or partly subsided. It's been dragging on from yesterday and it's dragging on now, but a corner has been turned and I will admit to feeling a whole lot better than I did yesterday or this morning.

The day has been filled with TV. I have eaten for breakfast, lunch and tea the latest BBC news. Keeping an eye on the situation in Ukraine, a situation which could result in civil war or war with Russia. The Ukrainian's don't want it, it all began with a corrupt president who looked after himself and cared less for his country than he did his neighbour. Yanokovych is going to be on a wanted list by the International Criminal's Court at some future date, possibly.

I played Candy Crush and lost repeatedly on level 199, it doesn't matter what I do I just can't get past it. I must of played in excess of 100 games at this level and still haven't got through it. When you've hit your head against the wall so many times it has left a dent and the bump is sticking out at some point you have to consider this wall hitting just isn't getting anywhere. Such is the life of trying to get through level 199, I'm even beginning to wonder how Sparkling did it as she has now jumped over a 100 levels in front of me or is it games.  One or the other. I should give up because there are better things I can do with my life than play hours of Candy Crush, it is really pissing me off.

Now I'm ending the day with some films. Then to hit the hay and hopefully tomorrow morning wake up as bright as the day is long. Happy and flu free. Except for the big pile of elephant crap in my room.

A good moan and some thoughts about a little Princess

The weather has taken a turn for the worse. It's cold and feels like winter is trying to come back again. For feck sake it's bloody March!! It should be well and truly Spring but this is not the case. I got up this morning and the chill just seemed to keep catching up with me. Good, now I have something to moan about. It's not just the cold, I been feeling like shite and think I'm coming down with something. There is nothing like a good moan to make you feel better. On top of all this I'm stuck on level 199 of Candy Crush, it's too difficult and just doesn't seem to be giving me the right mix of combinations to finish it.  I've been down to one square on two occasions but then ran out of moves. It's been longer than a week and I must admit to the addiction starting to wear off.  My shoulder and arm are killing me. I don't know what happened, my left upper arm hurts bad if moved in a certain way.  Sparkling doesn't give me any sympathy and just says I need to be fully well when I come up because I will be looking after Princess J.  Well thankfully I've managed to get some time off from the Fish Factory OK'd and I'll be up to relieve Sparkling and getting a bit of Granddad Pops exercise, but only if my arm holds out.

It seems the mischievous little dynamo is so full of energy she is completely wearing out Sparkling.  When on a full day shift I'm lucky to get a ten minute phone call with her, and this week I've probably only spoken to Sparkling twice.  Then she's preoccupied with having to do something. Like Hoovering up, dusting, cleaning making food to eat.  A Gaga's work is never done.  Well, Rock Chick and Dangerous must be glad to get home from the daily grind to find Nanny Gaga has been a full entertainment centre and wearer outer of Princess J.  All she needs is a feed before bed and then 10 hours of sleep. Rock Chick says Princess J is playing up to Gaga and doesn't act the same way when she and Dangerous put their foot down. Sparkling puts princess to bed but she only sleeps for twenty minutes after lunch, then she is up again and moving about.  Princess is getting her own personality, she interacts and demands fun. When she sees Gaga she screams throws up and open her arms and laughs with joy. Awwe, I feel like this every time I see Sparkling as well. But restrain myself because by this time I'm opening a car door and throwing myself inside so she can accelerate off.  If I did act this way I'd be sure to get the pointed finger and a telling off, then again there is an age gap between me and Princess of nearly 50 years.

I feel much better now a moan and a chat about the most beautiful funny little girl I know who has the ability to twist me around her little finger.  I see pictures of her on Facebook and am enthralled because she is just so cute. Mind I have a suspicion Sparkling is also partly to blame for Princess J's cute demanding and funny character for she has a thing about making smiles and laughter, of which Princess has buckets full.

Back at the ranch

Am back in London again. I could tell the difference almost immediately, it's warmer and there is no snow. So I sit with my Bertha (Ukulele) which is pronounced oookulele by people from Hawaii asking myself the question, shall I give her a strum tonight, yes, I will do.  Just a quick fingering, a little plucking here and there. I've nearly got the Dueling Banjos (from the film Deliverance) off pat. Bertha is on the agenda. There are so many things to learn and get skilled at when playing Bertha it's just mind boggling. Producing music, or something close to music is a reward, but it's not quite right. You get a feel for the thing, or an ear for it. Like when a string doesn't vibrate and echo correctly. It should be a crisp sound and not resonate with too much twang or be a dull thud. This is mostly down to fingering the neck, or rather the frets. Frets are the spaces between each metal bit on Bertha's neck. I really am liking my sessions with Bertha, because learning to play her is so different from everything else I do. It takes my mind of things, or rather it demands something different. Maybe it's an appreciation for music, after all everyone loves to hear music, songs, pop, whatever, everyone has a universal liking for some form of music. And hell the Ukulele isn't a big daunting thing like a piano, or a harp. It's small, demure and comical in nature. It makes you want to smile. Even more so if you happen to be George Formby. Bertha is going to be my bridge into the musical world, but she's going to take time to get acquainted with. Sparkling has even jested I'm more interested in Bertha than I am her. She knows this is not true, there's no comparing the pair of them.


In the mean time I check out face book to see if my help requests have been granted by those I love, the little helping hand needed to step up another level of Candy Crush. I noticed Rock Chick didn't sent me help. She's this way inclined. Rock only likes to win a game if all the cards are marked and she can read the markings but nobody else can. She's scared just in case I catch up. My memory goes back to the short fat pink trunked image of me she created on her wrestling game consul, I was constantly whooped by her on every game I played. It took about two hours of game play to realise I had no skill level at all, but her's was the highest possible. As for the flirtatious camp walk my character had as he walked to the wrestling ring, I couldn't do anything about this either.  In Candy Crush Rock is at about 40 games ahead of me so it's unlikely I'll get anywhere near her in the next few weeks. I blame it on Sparkling, she first refused to help me out and has now leapt forward, claiming I was copying her, it was her game not mine.  Now after about a month she is probably 50 games in front.  Rock takes after Sparkling in many ways. I've now asked Rock if she would help me onto the next level, I threw in a bribe and said I'd send her help whenever I could. She in turn called me a creep and asked if my anger issues had yet led to my custodial sentence after murdering anyone at the Fish Factory. They hadn't, not till now, and she still hasn't given me help.  Someone please get me onto the next bloody level of Candy Crush.

When I was at Sparkling's I managed to get control of the cat. Control in the sense Olly (cat) didn't wake me up five or six times at night so as to be let out into the garden or to feed him biscuits. I think this is a major achievement in the sense of all things. I may have just moved up in the food chain a notch. Or only partly. He still requires some attention some of the time. Even if it is from the visiting L & B man. Who blows smoke into Olly's face, but Olly has got his measure, all it takes is one stray cat hair and L & B man is a jabbering wreck. Well partly on account of his cat allergy, or rather cat hair allergy.  And it's not so much of the jabbering but more of severe eye watering and sneezing. Funny how a tattooed man sneezes a bit girly like. Yes, Olly has him in his sights. I'm sure glad I have no allergy, just the occasional sleepless night instead.

Back at the Fish Factory today all was as expected. Mountains of fish to catch up with and some of them stinking pretty bad. I was chilled on account of returning from Scotland and being a little sad.  But I soon picked my self up this evening after a quick chat from Sparkling, before her TV schedule kicked in and I was punted. Love over hundreds of miles has no meaning when an episode of the Undateables is on TV.