And did those feet in ancient times….....

So did those feet? No doubt and mine have just made their way from Woodseats to Totley, not an inconsiderable feet. So what’s it all about “Life the Universe and everything?” To be totally honest the more I look at it the more worried I become that there is no purpose to it at all only the one you make for your self. So what makes for such a topic on a late summer afternoon Moonshine in hand (Moonshine is a beer by the way brewed by my local Abbeydale Brewery here in Sheffield.) Well I have just been up to the remembrance garden and sat talking to my Granparents memorial plac’s and had a long conversation accounting for myself. More of a thank you really as I talk to them all the time in my head but it seems more official to be where their ashes are laid to rest. Not a miserable task for me,friends relations dear departed are,like just stepped out of the room they may or may not be coming back but that does not deter me from talking to them anyway. I live on faith that they will be there when I need them and have not been let down so far; am I cavalier and thoughtless in my friendships it may seem that way but it never crosses my mind that any of those that are close to me will take affront, friendships rise and occasionally meet their demise but not really.Everything can be forgiven on your journey through life ( Now obviously there are a few grand things that pose a difficulty and I am sure those don’t need mentioning here, but I would prefer it if you didn’t rodger the wife over the back of my Ikea futon, not unless you were looking for a good slapping.) So what did my esteemed Grandfathers tell me? Nothing new I received all the venerable advice long before they passed. What I was formulating on my treck over here was something a bit more fundamental. “If a tree falls in a forest, even a very impressive old revered tree, if there is no one to bear witness did it exist at all.” That is the dilemma are we all only legends in our life times’ who will bare whiteness to our passing? Few will...

Before this,there was that.

So before I can get away into the Rockies for our second camping expedition there was one last hurdle. A 2 day course and an exam courtesy of my new job and just to put the pressure on one I can’t afford to fail. So off I set  to a conference center out near the Airport to be tutored in the vagaries of ISO 9001:2008 Internal Audit. Anyone who knows me understands just how much I hate exams, it’s not that I do poorly its just I hate being tested. That extra pressure just totally messes me up. I have been known to get out of a driving test after only 1 Minute and 100 yards from the test center flatly  refusing to carry on. What the hell sort of  stupid question is which way do you turn your wheels on a hill when facing up or down when parking . I am in the prairies not a hill in sight, you would think there were other things to worry about. I can drive, I have for 30 years and back home I have an HGV license and have driven all over the world. On both sides of the road whether I am supposed to or not I can even go the wrong way around roundabouts, no worry….. anyway I got back in the car and completed my test and passed. ( And you know what? Between the 2 years it took me to get the courage to take lessons and the test the Province changed its mind. I could have just swapped my UK driving license for a full Alberta license no questions asked!!!!) So dramatic scene is set and I take the course the exam and pass and now have a shiny new certificate on my wall. Nothing to worry about at all. However it does make me worry a bit about what else is lurking within my new job, I am not the worlds best negotiator. I have been known to sell myself a used car and on one occasion insisted on offering more for a Gibson EB3 than the guy selling it wanted. If you want me to do something tell me what it is and I will get on with finding a way of getting it achieved no matter how bizarre or unheard of...

THE BETA BAND “THE THREE EP’S”...

The BETA BAND, formed in 1996 and split in 2004 were a UK band  carrying the tag of  “Folktronica”, a blend of folk, electronic, rock, trip hop, and experimental jamming. I came to this one in the usual unexpected way, loving the Nick Hornby novel “High Fidelity” (so much so I lent it to someone to read and that was the last I saw of it). I watched the Movie release in 2000  John Cusack, Jack Black  & Todd Louiso interaction as the nerd inhabitants of a vintage record store rang so many bells my initial unease at the shift from 1980s UK to America post 2000 fell away; although  it had me messed up for a time but this movie is  so true I let it go . I even had a go at organizing my records(CD’s) AUTOBIOGRAPHICALLY. which worked great up to around 2000 and then nothing. My life got disconnected from the soundtrack. Roll on Christmas 2012 and a present from my wife reconnected me. I was the proud owner of 1001 Albums you must hear before you Die. And if you have the time or inclination you can follow my journey through its pages of this here Bio-Blog. Now back to the BETA BAND The Three EP’s is not in the revised 2010 1001  but I believe one of their Albums was in the 2005 edition. So onward John Cusack aka Rob Gordon announces to the shop “I will now sell five copies of The Three E.P.’s by The Beta Band”and plays a minute give or take of the song “Dry the Rain”. As far as I am concerned at the time who are the “BETA BAND” and do they even exist because its hard to tell, try looking for something by “Kinky Wizard”. Now confessing here to a mild case of OCD in my operating system “High Fidelity” got stuck in my top 5 movie play list I have seen it a lot. Not as much as ” Flip side of Dominick  Hide” but a lot. So “Dry the Rain” and “The Three E.P’s” gets stuck in my head so prowling HMV last year has me speechless there  on the racks are 5 shiny copies of said album. Purchased and rushed home its an awesome sonic journey, yes it takes time and dedication but...