Build up and journey...

..to Blighty and beyond.

I know I wrote in my previous post that I would probably not post for a few weeks but the last week has been quite eventful.

The previous weekend I started preparing my vegetable patch. I firstly treated the overgrowth with weed killer then on Monday I started turning over the soil. OK, by Friday I was still a way off finishing but It was bloody hard work for an old fart with dodgy hands/wrists. But hey, ‘I didn’t get where I am today by being a whimp,’

On Monday afternoon I attended a guitar workshop which I’d been going to for the last four weeks. It is now looking promising for a ‘collection’ of musicians, at various stages of competence, to form a band or bands. We now have a first outing to aim for, namely GlastonVicki, to be held on 16 June 2012 at the Black Olive in Alsancak; run by the extremely hard working Vicki and her husband Unal. Although I arrived after last year’s event, I’m told it was one hell of a day with loads of bands appearing throughout the day. Next year it is sure to surpass last year’s success. Also on Friday evening I djay’d at the Black Olive for the resident keep fit club for their Xmas dinner.

On Saturday night I was booked and djay’d for a ‘going away party’ and played an acoustic set as well while the invited guests, about seventy of them, sat down for their meal. I started off quietly and slowly pumped up the volume and the pace. The majority of the people looked as though they were enjoying themselves but one usually gets one that can’t be pleased and she walked around as though she had a bad smell under her nose! And this one, you’ll just have to take my word for it, was so far up her arse you would not believe. She asked if I had any Michael Buble: now don’t take me wrong, Michael Buble is one hell of a talent but his songs are not the kind I play and certainly not at this kind of function. Well, I put up with her for a while (It cost’s nothing to be polite) but when she started to lift out one of the CD’s I had to put my foot down. I asked her nicely not to remove my CD’s from their positions and she stormed off in a right huff! After a few more of whatever was her poison (Many more by the look of her) back she trotted. This time I lost my rag and told her if she didn’t remove her mitt’s she would end up with a very sore wrist! A little later on, it just so happens as I was passing, I heard her say to someone, ‘I hope he’s not coming to the carol service?’ I turned back lent over and whispered in her ear. ‘Do I look like the sort of person who’d be going to a carol service,’ and walked on. Later on in the evening she was bouncing (Somewhat unsteadily) up and down with the rest of them. At the end of the evening host came up and thanked me for a great night of music and gave me a nice bonus on top of the agreed price.

Here I am trying to look busy. Yes that's Manx tartan and everyone commented on what a fart smeller I looked. And an elderly lady came up and said she recognised my outfit as soon as she saw it as she was born in the Isle of man. It's a small world.

On Sunday I decided to shore up the last leaking window in the kitchen. I used my small step-up ladder to get on the work-surface. The work-surface goes round the corner to the double sink and as I stepped back I missed the work-surface. Oh shit must have gone through my mind not, that I recall saying it as it all happened so fast! I flung out my right arm to save myself and ended up knocking over the cup tower holder and three of the cups scattered in bits across the tiled kitchen floor. My right hip caught the work-surface on my way down and my left hip and elbow came to a sudden stop on the floor tiles! I can count myself lucky I didn’t end up on a stretcher and only the day before my flight home! Now two days later the aches and pains as a result remind me of how it felt every time I came off in my bike racing days. It fucking hurts; a lot!!

I’d arranged to meet my friend Sergio and his girlfriend for lunch in Nicosia before walking across the Ledra crossing point to the South and catching the coach to Larnaca Airport for my flight to Gatwick, which was scheduled to take off at eight-fifteen. Sergio dropped me at Ledra around three pm and I had to wait around until four pm for the next coach. I then found out it didn’t go straight to the airport but into Larnaca itself, from where I had to catch another coach to the airport. After waiting over half an hour with time marching on I decided to take a taxi, luckily another couple were in the same position so we shared the cost. The meter read twelve euro’s and the driver tried to charge us twenty. I put fifteen in his hand and told him to sue me, cheeky little shit! The flight got in about ten minutes before it’s scheduled arrival and my dear brother was there to meet me. We got back to his place around twelve-thirty and by the time we’d talked ourselves out it was gone two am. Below are a few pics of Sergio me and his girlfriend.

Me, Sergio (His real name is Salahi but its not as easy to pronounce as Sergio) Shame about the growth on Elif's head! Mind you, it's better than the first two pics the waiter took of her handbag on the chair next to her!

Elif is a hair dresser. Can you tell?

Yesterday morning I took my Brov's dog Chubby to the park. And that was before we reached the park! Poor little man (He was busting a gut for that!)

Good boy Chubby. Notice the guilty look on his face. Why do they always walk away before they half-hartidly try to cover up the evidence?

I nearly forgot to add this lovely old boy (Georgio) who befriended me at the cafe while waiting for my ride to Larnaca. He gave me his name and address so I'd send him a copy.