bits 'n' bobs at 36

People, I gather you together in bloggerland to celebrate another fabulous year in the life of the riverman~~~. Much has occured and much has recurred and sometimes not everything has concurred. Alas c'est la vie...

Let's review some of the very best of last year...

In the category of Dangerous Infusion:

Yes the infamous Binny-PIMMS: A motley-molotoval concoction served up in large jugs under sunny skies in July, capable of knocking out large Australian men by the dozen.

1 big jug (a Bodum is usually best!), Pimms No.1 Cocktail, Glasses: Highball, Garnish: Mixed fresh fruit (E.g. Cucumber, Lemon, Lime, Strawberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries & Mint) , 25ml Gin, 50ml Pimms No.1, Lemonade, Soda water, Ice

Method: Cut up strawberries (unless they are the tiny sweet ones). Cut up cucumber (shave off the skin first). Dump all fruits (cut and whole) into a large Bodum glass jug. Pour in Gin and leave for 5 minutes so the fruits get saturated. Add in some ice. Pour in a double amount of Soda and a single amount of Lemonade. Tear and stir in mint leaves. Top with ice and serve in highball glasses.

In the category of Most Beautiful Discovery:
Flawless light in a darkening air Alone...and shining there Love will not elude you Love is simpleI worship this tenacity And the beautiful struggle we're in Love will not elude us Love is simple Be sure to know that All in love is ours And love, as a philosophy Is simple I am calm in oblivion Calm, as I ever have been Love will not elude me Love is simple Be sure to know that All in love Is ours...Is ours...That all in love Is ours And love, as philosophy Is simple...And ours...

In the category of Evil Bitch

Yep, you guessed it - English Weather! We can safely say that global warming has turned English weather into a foul, deranged and ill-mannered harpy! And just to prove she can change her mind on a whim... guess what Reader!?

Just three weeks ago, it snowed... AGAIN! Yes - right smack in the middle of April...

... and then that little vixen splashed sun all over our skies this week!

In the category of Self-gratifying-Prima-Donna-Moment:
Thank you Melf, Gary and Adam for a wonderful time! Here's to many more wonderful moments in the next year! I promise not to begrudge you your Prima-Donna-Moments too!!

In the Category of Remarkable Jigsaw Puzzle
Go on then! Let's see YOU put the pieces together!

In the category of Helluvvah-Gawd-awful-time-of-the-Day:

You can probably guess this one Reader.

Yes... simply everytime I sit at this desk facing this monitor... It sort of makes me feel a little like Kitty below...

Next: The Errol Flynn Award goes to.... (drum-roll-trumpet-blare-etc) Terence for that remarkable swish-slash stroke that reduced my potato-chip to mush at that cafe in Valencia... Just look at his double cutlass precision here!
Finally here is the category of Long-Lost-and-Missing-Person :

No ladies and gents, it isn't the elusive Madeleine McCann! So breathe easy. We won't ask you for donations so you don't have to hide away your wallets.

Remember this little guy?
Yes Reader... I report with much distress that the riverman~~~ is missing! I have been trying to track him down over the last couple of days, and I can't seem to locate him anywhere. Remember how he set out on his little oddysey over the billowy desert sands of my bed so long ago?
Well, he hasn't come home yet... and I am getting a little worried. I chanced upon Elleyfaant a couple of days ago and asked him about the riverman~~~.

Elleyfaant simply stared at me and shook his head.

He told me that he was not an elleyfaant. He had discovered that he was a "Twor-tease", and was on a search for his missing shell.

Elleyfaant or Twor-tease... he's not very helpful!




So Reader, the hunt is on for the riverman~~~. Do drop me a line if you see him anywhere, and if you do get a chance to talk to him - tell him he is missed!

In the meantime, play me my birthday song (in the YouTube window above), won't you Reader?!
~~~

A new river ~ ~ ~

Well faithful and supportive Reader... here you have it:

The NEW LOOK for the future... or until the riverman~~~ decides to start a new meander...

Firstly, thank you Se7en http://www.blogsgonewild.net/ for being the patient soul you are and carefully trawling your inbox for the daily snipetty directions and ideas flung your way for the last three weeks; for answering my inane questions over this week; for doing all the things to this page that I most definitely could not do on my own being the tech-klutz I am... and finally for a job well done!

And in commemoration of this new beginning of sorts, I will leave this post short and sweet (all the more so, because I have to rush out now for my evening jog and get back before the Apprentice starts on the box -Yeah... yeah.. I am sad!)... and soI will leave you in the company of snap-shots ... and to the music of a beautiful lady on the side of this Blog whose black-magic-voice sums up a sleepy summer weekend! Which is what this weekend was... especially when I woke up...

...on a Saturday morning, and discovered a National Geographic moment in my garden... Yes! Fox cubs frolicking in the (yet again) overgrown grass in my garden. Mommy Fox had probably gone scouting the dustbins, and left "Foxy, Moxy and Bushytail" to run riot in my garden and create a Beatrix Potter moment... Sweet ey?...

... but I had to give up my Attenborough moment...

... because Gary and I had to go shopping for music and a bass guitar, and over the course of three hours, we explored a ghetto of tattoo parlours and music studios and came back with a little stack of songs to practise... but not before...

...Asako and Kalam had their birthdays... and like everyone they invited to their parties, they remained 26 years old...

...and thanks to all the poison I drank that night, I had an excuse to have my fry-up on Sunday morning...

... and then go on to meet Mel and Gary in the Docklands, where Gary played his guitar and scared a few tourists... and made a few fans...

... and so the weekend ended with the sun in my eyes, guitar in the air, and plans to do much more next weekend... Very very much more!

And so for now, I leave you Feeling Good...

Birds flying high you know how I feel

Sun in the sky you know how I feel

Reeds driftin on by you know how I feel

Its a new dawn

Its a new day

Its a new life

For me

And I'm feeling good

Fish in the sea you know how I feel

River running free you know how I feel

Blossom in the tree you know how I feel

Its a new dawn

Its a new day

Its a new life

For me

And Im feeling good

Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, dont you know

Butterflies all havin fun you know what I mean

Sleep in peace when day is done

Thats what I mean

And this old world is a new world

And a bold world

For me

And I'm feeling good.

Stars when you shine you know how I feel

Scent of the pine you know how I feel

Oh freedom is mine

And I know how I feel

Its a new dawn

Its a new day

Its a new life

For me

And I'm feeling good.

~~~

That crazy spring BBQ...

It's a Given and Gotta-Have! As obligatory as oranges in Chinese New Year and as compulsory as carols around a Christmas tree.

Spring is the sound of lawnmowers and laughter; the smell of freshly cut grass and the taste of charcoal. Spring is Pimms and baskets of strawberries. Spring is a kite on a string... a dog straining against his leash. Spring is the strum of guitar and the dance of flowers.

Spring is a garden Barbecue... with all the boisterous fun that comes with it!

The sunshine is sufficient reason to go Ga-Ga with the grill, but when you have a friend running his first marathon on the day; a hankering to house-warm your new bachelor pad and a 35th birthday slapping you in the face... pray tell me, what more of an occasion do you need to go positively wild!?

So what happens when you put together a mowed lawn; lots of fresh air; three disposable barbecue trays and a confusion of chow-n-scads-of-swig? Here Reader, is the happy result:

How to throw a slam-bang-BBQ
(in 5 easy steps)

STEP 1: send out the invitations...

People...

I have decided that in honour of 3 special events (in no particular order)...

I will mow the overgrown grass on my lawn this Saturday and open my doors for a spring barbecue this Sunday!
Weather permitting, we will spend most of the day outdoors in the garden, and eat up a small supermarket's worth of steak, fish, prawns, squid, chicken wings and sausages and corn on the cob. For those more inclined to a liquid diet, the menu will consist of Pimms, wine of every colour from every continent and whatever poison you wish to supply... (And oh yes, I will supply coke and water for religious fanatics and spoil-sports!)....

STEP 2: get the groundwork done...

STEP 3: command people to bring everything you need... i.e "Thou shalt bring..."

The things I need are:
(a) Food Food Food! - fish, fowl or "foul", crustacean etc! Bring some - bring all!
(b) plastic plates, cups, cutlery - because nobody wants to wash up after having fun!
(c) Ice - a bag or two from the Tesco just down the street.
(d) Beer - for the "men" who refuse to hold those sissy wine glasses! ...

STEP 4: send out the address and directions...

... no matter how rudimentary..

STEP 5: Sit back and let it all happen...

... and then let it continue all the way into the night...

... to a lullaby of jazz and folk...

...until nobody can keep their eyes open...

... and everyone can't wait to crawl into bed...

...and dream of the next Barbecue... just around the corner...

And before the riverman~~~ signs off this week:

Here's to good friends and old memories! Thank you Steffie for coming a-calling this week in London! Too bad you missed the before-mentioned event, but the year is still young... and let's really get that September trip to France planned and settled! Take care of you and safe trip home.

And as for a certain "Doctor" who can't seem to leave a comment on this blog because of a "dodgy Chinese website" that I can't for the life of me locate... I can only say:

"Why like that ah?! Try one more time...and if you still don't get through, I will bring you a bottle of your choice as compensation when I get back in June!"


Ta ta!

~~~