Caw blimey gov I’m dead excited about life! It’s just great, oh, except for when it involves inflamed tendons in one’s right arm, a result of spending 5 hours trying to fix a glitch in a wee website I know called TGW. That was two days ago. My own silly fault, I didn’t take any excerise breaks. Just hours of holding my arm in the same place, mouse in hand.

Other than that though, all is super. *Twinkle* has been dazzling me again with her imagination and desires – I feel like anything is possible with her 🙂 except perhaps for me to get pregnant, that might be pushing it a bit. I must work on my self-belief though (I CAN get pregnant, I CAN!) – recent events have highlighted the fact that cynicism is coming to be a force within me with a little more vitality than I would ideally like – thus the fight-back begins.

Still got that horse’s head from The Godfather in my mind though. Started to watch it last night. Nice. Must be really shocking to wake up with a severed horse’s head next to you. I mean, I find it shocking enough just waking up and finding that it’s morning.

Going to a HUGE beach festival this coming Friday, organised by my bro. The lineup is, as you can see, simply stunning. YOU are invited too, map here.

You are invited to

WEATHER PERMITTING

Friday 4th August 2006, 4pm onwards, Thurlestone Sands, South Devon

Headline Artists:

The Sand
A collaborative performance of movement, sound, and lying about in a beach style configuration, The Sand will be performing throughout the afternoon and evening – 7.39 pm will mark the most extensive climax of this eclectic fusion of different rock and shell based artistes.
– “Probably the largest group of individuals playing together over the festival season” NME

The Sea
The Sea – best known for the 1999 collaboration album “Waves on a Beach” will be the support act throughout the afternoon and evening festivities. For those late night revelers, The Sea will be rising up and taking over the stage at 1.57 AM, offering an epiphany of extensive dampness, in a performance which promises to be both salty and family friendly.
– “In terms of sheer wetness, this is one act you’d be foolish to miss” Q Magazine

YouLot – plus special guest stars: your favourite friends
A melange of beautiful people, simply a bunch of darlings providing much of the entertainment in the myriad forms of sitting about chatting, dancing, sleeping, singing, playing, cooking up food on barbeques, frisbee, and cricket playing, eating, drinking and making merry.
– “They know how to laugh and have a good time, in a carnival spirit which is magically both vibrantly mad and gently soothing“
Robert Dunkleson- The Party Crowd Review 2006

The Sun (T.B.C.)
Currently touring the Southwest, bringing joy and happiness, we are hoping The Sun will be performing for much of the afternoon and early evening.

Special Events

7.15 PM WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT
All are invited to bring Frisbees for an attempt on the following world record: “Largest simultaneous Frisbee throw and catch on Thurlestone Beach at about 7 o’clock on Friday 4th August 2006”

Last week I decided to make a video of myself running around a field as fast as possible and with as many sharp turns as possible. As one does. Freaked the dog out. More than that though, it left me almost paralysed with exhaustion, after about 30 seconds. Thing is, I have done almost no physical excercise (erm, well, almost none) since Spring 2002. Back then I was jogging down the back streets of downtown Tokyo, and suddenly felt like I was having a heart attack. At the local hospital I had a heart monitor strapped on, which I wore for 24 hours, before returning it to the hospital where I had to sell my kidneys to pay the bill. Anyhow, although the tests didn’t show any abnormalities, since then I have been wary of excercise like that. However, the fact is that my heart is ok, and I really must stay fit and healthy (stay? doesn’t that infer that one is already in such a position?) if I am to avoid my father’s fate (incidentally, for an update on his condition read on). I’ve recently put on a bit of a belly, and don’t really feel terribly healthy. The odd ‘dizzy spell’ (which falls under the epilepsy label) brought on by physical tirednesss reminds me that in order to keep healthy and not be effected by seizures I have to be fit and healthy in the first place.

Thus, one thing I am doing is going back onto the fantastic organic & totally natural protein supplement that I took last year and which helped boost my energy levels, as I simultaneously increased my Epilim dosage (which can lead to tiredness). Secondly, and perhaps more significantly for lazyass me, is I am starting to jog everyday (shoutout to miss ene!!). Today was my first outing. Good job we have such a big garden. Didn’t hurt, and no heart attack. Jolly good. I’m also going to start doing my daily excercises for my arms and shoulders too – you know my history of accidental dislocations at inopportune moments (such as when taking my coat off at the Bristol Japan Club meeting and suddenly screaming “FUCK FUCK FUCK!!” in front of a bunch of very quiet Japanese strangers as my arm popped out. I then explained to them that my arm has dislocated itself, but inadvertantly chose the same word in the dictionary that refers to feelings of not-belonging. They were bemused to say the least).

So there’s all this, then the Kanji, then the pile of books I want to read. Arrggh how on Earth can people have time for TV? Especially the UK average of about 25 hours per week.

Dad’s heart: About two months after the scare involving him being taken to hospital due to heart trouble (you will recall he’s had a quad-bypass and all three of his brothers have heart problems), the consultant has finally returned from holiday and given their verdict – he’s ok. Yes, a part of his heart muscle had been damaged, but apparently it’s ‘not a very important part’ (What?!). If the trouble continues and his angina worsens in the artery that is a bit clogged he’ll have a stent fitted (thing that widens the artery), but for now he’s ok. As long as he doesn’t overdo it. (A Tame overdo it? You must be kidding!).

Was dragged kicking and screaming to Monmouth Festival the other night. A week-long party in the streets, featuring lots of alcohol and young farmers (see webcam here for a piece of the action, although you’ll have to get your timing right). The music was a bit upbeat and jungle stylee for the locals that night, but I must admit, I pretty enjoyed it, and had I been a bit more drunk than I was when I took this shot I would have made my monkey moves.

Monmouth really is a party town. This is evident from the town’s car park where they have a special space for the full-time MC.

Sarah & Ryan were my hosts that night, being related to mum#2 of Welsh Garden Project fame. Ryan actually made me cry, although thankfully this was due to laughter, and not a broken heart, as he recounted a tale of a previous year at Monmouth Festival when he made a very drunken promise to run the famous, gruelling Kymin Dash (check out that incline!), a 7 mile run around Monmouth. Now, most people train hard for this event, for at least a couple of months. Not Ryan though. It was late, the night before that year’s race, and he was very drunk. He was talking to some girl who was telling him how hard she’d been training.

“Yeah, I thought I’d do it too”

he said, falling against a lampost.
This throwaway remark was seized upon, and when Ryan awoke the following morning, still drunk, he recalled the promise he had made before a number of witnesses.
Ryan did actually manage to complete the course the following day, but as Sarah reminded him,

“Yes, but the other girl was actually able to walk after the race”

Crossing the finishing line, Ryan fell face down onto the ground, paralysed by pain. For the following ten days he could only get around by impersonating someone who had both legs in plaster from the tips of their toes to the top of their thighs. It was his demonstration of this walk (worthy of the Ministry) that had me nearly wetting myself.

Anyhow, it was a great night. Just a shame that *Twinkle* couldn’t have been there too. Mind you, Saturday, oooh, I was very hung over, not really capable of doing anything. But it had been a wonderfully cathartic evening. All that pent-up emotion ousted, leaving me feeling wonderfully positive and just so excited about it all.

Crikey oh riley, 5 weeks tomorrow. Have to start packing soon.

tatta!