Another Day of Infamy

18 December 2010
Liverpool

"Snow pandemonium...frightening conditions...hostile and freezing conditions..." et-fekin-ctra, everything we wanted to do today was cancelled. First they called off the match, mind you it was like 10 o'clock when they decided that the conditions around the ground were unsafe. Bloody Hell! The match wasn't even supposed to start until half past five, and sure enough as we ate breakfast the fekin sun came out, and not another flake fell. But in this victim's society that we live in, where no one wants to get sued...really though...take care and walk at yer own risk, you do that everyday anyway...right!?!

So we are screwed there right, but Hell we've still got Mac's performance at the Cathedral to look forward to...right?!? No that's been called off too, 'course we don't find out until we march up the hill, that cos our Internet is spotty at best. Evidently an email was sent out pro'ly about an hour before the show. But there aint no sign, there aint no one 'round to say, "Sorry" or any fekinthin. And Mac lives in Liverpool...maybe the trucks and stuff couldn't come in with the equipment, maybe the string quartet couldn't come in...who knows. Now I don't blame anyone, it just has to be chaulked up to being one of THOSE days.

Life will go on and things will balance out eventually, but for today...the 18th will live in infamy. Pictures to follow when we get home. I promise.

Cheers,
f

You Heard It Here First

Liverpool

I know I promised to keep up with this thing and not have it be such a travelogue...and yet here I am back in the Promised Land talking about my travels. Don't get me wrong being home is great (being back at work maybe not so much) and I wouldn't trade it for the world (unless of course I could live here) but there is just something about travel, yeah.

Anyway I have breaking news (hopefully you're still checking this thing Yohan) the Bunnymen will be bringing the "Crocodiles" and "Heaven Up Here" tour to the States. Straight from the horses mouth as it were. Yeah spent a couple minutes chatting with Will, who pointed me to Peasy (their manager) and they both said the plan was to take the show to the States sometime in May. So lucky days for young Yohan.

The show itself was amazing, so great to hear songs even I have never heard live before. I have a couple videos (actually about 10 or 1) and will post the best of on the You Tube Site. Right now I am not used to using this small keyboard, I keep jumping around on the damn post, doing almost as much erasing as typing. So more later for sure.

One cool thing was that after the screening of the Bunnymen "Atlas Adventure" films we saw tonight, during the question and answer part. Some one asked about Les and if Will saw him often. Will said, "You can ask him yourself, he's right back there." Of course this is for Bunnymen aficionados only but it really was good to see Les again. Maybe if they do a "Evergreen" complete record in like 2013 (I think that would be the 15 year anniversary) he'll even pick up the bass again.

More later...I promise.

Cheers,
g

"I Would Walk Through Hell On Sunday"

Yeah, no travelogue this time just want to talk a bit about Life and all that.

Why now?

Why not?

The quote (in the title, yeah) above is something I heard in less of the context I am going to use it in here. To me this is what friendship should be. Who will you stand with if the End of the World should come? Whose "side" will you be on? These are the questions that I ask myself all the time, not only that but who will be at my side. They say if a man(or woman) has handful of friends at the end of their run in Life, they can consider themselves lucky. I'd like to think that I am one of those lucky ones.

Maybe more than that, when I can honestly consider my Family to be friends as well. Much more if you figure that my Missus is my best friend as well. Not to mention that many of my closest friends and I are bound together by a relationship where we have been prepared to give our lives for (each) other(s). That bond alone makes me one of the special ones I suppose. And I am grateful to my brothers and sister in arms, proud to be counted among them.

I would like to think that regardless of the current situation of between my daughter and I, we would still be on the same "side" should the end come tomorrow. I always knew for years and years that we'd be there side-by-side, "You and me against the World" I'd say to her. It might not seem like that today, but to Hell with the pain and sadness that twists my soul every hour of everyday, it is some comfort to know that she's still my daughter and always will be.

After all, "Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter" and in the End we will all be judged not just separately, but by the others that we've touched, and a whole.

I know, yeah... all this talk about Judgment and the End of the World, right. Bit much for a Tuesday afternoon blog... But on the plus side it is Liverpool 1 - Northampton Town 0. Still early days and their Premiere League form has been shite, but I reckon if we can show up in the League Cup, the FA Cup, and the Europa League then that's something... And as long as Fekin United don't win the League... we'll be alright.

Okay this is a little more of the randomness that the People should be used to... No Interludes, No Pictures, or videos, or nonsense (or maybe all nonsense...I try not to judge) just words.

Now I don't want anyone to think that the End of the World or anything else has been on my mind more than usual. That I have not become obsessed with Death and any other bloody "Warning Signs." This is just the way my brain works (if you can really call it that) and all is fine with me.

Next up The Party!

Oh and I have seen the Future... and it is hairy! I may have to go back to haircuts and daily shaving this week but soon as I get "out of the bag" the beard and hair will be there too.

Cheers,
g

The Garden Island, The City, and The Magic of Television

Kuai'i, Hawai'i


I know I don't usually start with a picture but I kinda promised my brother he'd see one o' these. Yours Truly, At Play in the Waves.


I'll say this the Garden Island sure beats the Hell outta the Garden State, just sayin' yeah. and how could you go really wrong with an island that has one main Road? And when you add the view from our room into the mix...yeah its good.

In my humble opinion, it is the island to go back to, it seems less commercial really, like you really are getting away from it all. And let's face it that is what we all sometimes need. So we set off in the rental car and headed one way one day and the other the next, what more can you do? I think it is safe to say that our appetite has been properly wetted for a return trip.

Coolest thing hands down of the islands has gotta be the wild chickens (seen above), I mean how cool is that? I can't wait to get some for the backyard (or course we'll have to figure out a way to keep the dogs from thinking they are little tennis balls while they are chicks). I think it's cool anyway, guess maybe I am just a dork.

Interlude: Home

Almost thought I wouldn't have anything to really say this time around, you know the Process continues... And then I turned on the weekend morning news and saw that a Drag Queen was the anchor, not that there is anything wrong with that... but I mean c'mon, yeah.

I don't know maybe I need to think the whole thing through, I won't say it's all roses and Care Bears 'round here, but... I have been trying to stay on track with myself, whatever the Hell that means. The missus and I went to The City (that is and always will be San Francisco. End of story. Not fekin Frisco or San Fekin Fran...The City.) for a night and had a good time. Did some shopping and drinking, what more could you ask for really. It's weird it's only like 90 minutes away and we seem to forget about it here. It really was like going somewhere and still being close to home. There will always be a certain magik that The City holds, for me anyway. We are going to try and go and stay a night each month or so, just to stay in touch.
If I find some pictures I will put them up later.



End Interlude

Like I said we drove around and did as many of the sights as we could. We also enjoyed actually cooking for ourselves in the condo, so graciously provided by the missus mom. T'was nice cos we had a grocery store and a health/natural food store nearby. We even took a picnic up to the Canyon (the name escapes me and trying to remain true to form even though I could look it up, I'm not going to. Suffice it to say it's the Grand Canyon of Hawai'i. Knowhatamean?)

I just deleted the picture and staying true to form I am not going to bother with bringing it back up. Remind me later, cos I have a video that I haven't downloaded to the computer yet, I know right.

We also went to the "Fantasy Island" waterfall. One thing that

Hawai'i does for you is make your marvel at the magic of television. The waterfall for example looks a whole lot bigger on the TV. Same way with Oahu and the "Magnum p.i." sights. (Oh and with The City too, here is where I can tie the interlude in. Wait for it...) you know a hunk of Road could be anywhere really and getting from one place to another can be glossed over real quick. (Here it comes...) Just like in San Francisco where a car chase can take you from the 3rd Street Bridge to the Richmond District and back downtown all in the space of a heartbeat, with nary a turn. (Gosh I hope that was worth it.)
Anyway here all the falls, there was some folks swimming down at the bottom, so that was pretty cool (for them anyway.) Chrissake I just deleted that fekin picture too, maybe I shouldn't be doing this right now...

So anyway here they are first up the canyon...

...and then the falls.



And that's it for me I gotta quit before I redo e'ery fekin thing. Not even going to spell check for Fear of deleting the whole thing...

Cheers,
g

"The Little Voice In My Head..."

Oahu, Hawai'i

Paradise? Comparatively speaking...yeah. But then again that can't be fair, by the time we got here I was like what 3 weeks out of Iraq...maybe. Still got to admit, it's pretty nice. Maybe the only thing missing (as I told the missus) was the shit weather we should have left behind, you know if you go somewhere that it is always 80 and sunny or whatever, you don't want to leave 80 degree weather back home.

The view from our window.

Did I mention they had fireworks? This is the view from our Lanai (balcony/terrace) I was okay until the grand finale, one right after another in a valley of concrete, glass, and steel.

Was nice though, got to see some of the place where TM, TC, Rick, Higgibaby and the rest hung out. I know that "magnum p.i." was a TV show and therefor not "real" yet you can learn a lot about life and the meaning of friendship there. T'was a crying shame to see the way that Robin's Nest has gone to pot though. I mean seriously someone is missing out on a goldmine there, you could charge admission to check out the guest house and all that (I know I'd pay, can't be alone can I?) but whoever owns the place has let it rot. The main house looks like a fire hit it and everywhere else you look everything is overgrown and out of control. We waded our way to the tidal pool and peeked over the fence, no sign of Zeus or Apollo.

The Missus and I at Mr. Master's tidal-pool.

Robin's Nest. "Oh my God!" if only Higgins see it now.

We stayed at the military owned facility the Hale Koa, and got to play our new game of "Guess the Service" ya see everyone there is in some shape or 'nother attached to the military. So we'd sit with our drinks at the bar and it'd go a little like this...

"Retired Navy," I'd say to the Missus as we watched a bearded beer bellied buy with a baseball cap stroll up.

"Specialist," she'd say back as we watched a young woman try and deal with her two kids as her husband played with his phone.

"No, no." I'd offer. "She's a E-5, he's an E-4. She's never been to school, but has somehow risen above him."

And we'd laugh, I am sure this will be lost on some of you, but the present and former military people are pro'ly having a bit of a chuckle too. We've all done it somewhere; at a restaurant, shopping, whatever. And chances are it has been done to us as well, no matter how much hair or beard we put on even in our civilian clothes something shines though.

Interlude: Home

I did the same thing I do everyday today; started the coffee, grabbed the paper, and put out the flag. I reckon some folks this is one of the only day's they put out the flag, and good for them I guess. It makes a difference even if it is only a couple times a year where we actually force ourselves to think about the times and how they've changed (and how they've changed us). That is the thing I guess not only how much the world has changed in 9 years, but how much we've each of us changed, I know I am not the same person I was, you know what they say though, "All that ever stays the same is Change." Am I a better person now? I'd like to think so, but I recognize that I am also a more damaged(Bear with me on this one, I know "damaged" isn't the right word. But it is like trying to explain the difference between alone and lonely, or good and bad... they are all different sides to the same coin. So don't focus on the damage focus on the change... the perspective if you will, where I can see new and strange chinks in my armour. Fekinell, I hope this makes sense to someone.) person too. I won't lie to you or myself, it wouldn't be fair or true to the changes that we have all gone through.

I don't want to sermonize or get anyone worried that I am not alright. I do the best I can day-by-day just like everyone else. Just last night I was watching "Dukes of Hazard" not exactly high-brow drama (or comedy for that matter) but there was a nice sense of comfort there. The best part (until I thought about it...) was that it seemed like Waylon Jennings was actually talking to ME (...of course that is when I thought that if he really was he would probably say, "Hoss, why don't you get off your ass and work on your music." Guilt felt, I played around for about an hour.)

Day-by-day, yeah. Don't worry about me, there are way too many things in this ever changing world to worry about besides me.




End Interlude

The Missus and I did get to see some of the typical tourist sites, and some that probably aren't on anyone's map. We checked out some beaches that are either off the beaten path or inaccessible without the ol' Military ID. Which is cool, say what you want about the military they have done pretty good by their people by having all these damn places around the islands...just wish more people knew about them...

Here's another tip, if you can go to the Flea Market at the stadium. Best bargains on the whole damn island. We saw the same stuff at the stalls back where the tourist were for like 50% higher or more. Everyone wants to bring something back (or have something brought back for them, etc etc) and if you leave it to the capitalist they'll take your arm, your leg, and whatever else they can get a hold of in-between. So stick it to the man.

Oil still leaks out of the Arizona, just in case anyone ever forgets.

I was a little worried doing the Pearl Harbor, Arizona Memorial thing that I might loose it. Part of my brain kept telling me, "it's too close." I wouldn't miss it for the world though, like I give a rat's ass if some other tourist sees me breakdown. I didn't though, but I was considerable moved, and I did come close. You see out at the memorial where all the names are engraved, there's this little bench in front. On this bench are the names of the survivors whose last wish was to be interred with their shipmates. Wow, right? Just like the oil that keeps bubbling up from the wreckage, people's hearts and minds stay with these men who gave so much and never even knew. I guess if there is justice somewhere in the world, they do know... as long as we never forget I guess the world will always know.

I guess I've covered enough ground in this ramble, I'd better go now. I can hear the balladeer saying, "Better late than never, son. But don't loose 'em, keep 'em coming back for more."


Cheers,
g

The Process

Home

That is what it is though, really... a process. The re-integration process they call it, and there must be several steps, cos I'm not really sure where I am in it. Or where I ever will be, but such is life, yeah... no easy answers.

So far I've done the usual; trouble sleeping, grumpiness, a nice quiet evening with family, a trip to Hawaii, and a blow out party in the backyard. Pictures of the last two events to come (gorra find the camera first) as for the other ones... well we'll just leave them as they are.

I really don't have much to say (without the pictures anyway) but just wanted to sit down and write something. Maybe just that I am alright, not great (but when was I ever) and it has been good to be Home, to be seen, and to get back to Life. I've had great moments (and a few ugly ones, but he less said about that the better, yeah) with the missus, friends and family, and even alone. So thanks to all for yer support and understanding.

Alone... I guess this deserves a little something to be said. It is different (understatement) here alone actually feels alone, there you always knew you were surrounded by folks and chances are all you had to do was stick yer 'ead outside and there'd be someone there. The noises from next door usually cemented that without really trying or meaning to I guess. But so did the TV, that is the weirdest thing when I think about it now. I know I must have complained about AFN and the idiotic PSA/commercials that they had on there, but they really let you know where you are. I didn't really miss the TV commercials that we are used too, upon being back I can confirm that they are as lame as the AFN ones. But alone, yeah... it's weird but it's good but it's bad. Know what I mean? Cos I don't really know, not yet maybe not ever.

I guess it's all part of the process.

Pictures and words of the adventures to come.... promise.

Cheers,
g

Special Guest Star...Me

Home

I know it seems weird to say, but i's like I'm a "stranger in my own home town" everything seems the same and yet... I don't know I imagine everyone goes through this at sometime or other. I reckon I did last time too, just differently. I's a little like on the Soap Operas where the announcer guy comes on and says, "Tonight the part of Greg will be played by..."

I's all part of the the reintegration process and all that though, that will undoubtedly take as long as it takes. Don't get me wrong here, everyone is great, being back is great. There just seems to be something hanging 'round me, some fog or shadow that I can't explain or shake off. Don't worry about me though all will be right in time.

Here's a little video from the Helicopter flight towards home.

Cheers,
g