Necking

GG collected me this morning, and we went up to her place to do some present-wrapping (she still has steel rods in her wrist and can't wrap parcels)..We listened to some Christmas tunes and felt festive, even as friends dropped by to discuss speeding fines, and the news brought us up to date with the third UK case of Omicron variant. We had lunch, then GG's brother turned up. The beautiful sunshine of the morning had given way to grey skies and light drizzle, but we decided to tough it out and go for a circular walk around the lanes and the cycle track. At one point I found myself opposite a house called the Squirrels, and remembered a week when my sister TMLHereandThere and her family rented a property there, while settling in her elder daughter for her first (and last) term at boarding school. Mallory Towers it wasn't! Last time I saw the owner, she told me she had a terminal disease, and GG confirmed that she has since died. Let's hope she didn't live to see CoVid.

We spotted these cattle along the lane. GG tells me they are pedigree. I only care that they are Herefords (I think). Not being film makers, we did not linger to see how the courtship progressed.

Various non-bovine encounters were had on the way. GG appears to know everyone! Back at the house, we had tea, then GGs brother M drove me home.

Unfortunately, my MacBook Air seems to have died. Last night it offered me the chance to reboot via the external HD, but today it will only show me the White Screen of Death. It's my fault, I hadn't replaced the battery even though I have one, and hadn't done a backup since goodness knows when. I guess I'll get a second hand model, and possibly someone to look at the old one. I've tried all the usual tricks but nothing works. I should have booted from the HD when I was offered the chance.

In a rare piece of Good News, I've been offered a ticket to see Squeeze tomorrow night, in Stroud. I calculate it will be almost forty years to the day since I first saw Squeeze perform at the Edinburgh Odeon in December 1981. They were supported by A Flock of Seagulls. Tickets cost £2.

In 1982, the Odeon was converted into a multi screen cinema, which saw the end of live music there. The first band I ever saw at the Odeon was the Skids, in October 1980. Into the Valley....Most controversial performer I saw there? Gary Glitter, October 1981.

With the exception of Gary Glitter, and Nina Simone, I can probably watch all of the bands I saw in my youth still performing somewhere in the UK. Alternative music isn't dead, it's just gone into rehab and come out the the other side wearing a sober suit.

Goodnight everyone. I've decided I prefer 1981 to 2021. If I can get the Time Machine to work, you may not be seeing me for some while.