Monthly Archives: April 2017

Screwdriver

This … 

… is my most favourite screwdriver. It’s not a ratchet driver, but does have four bits. 

The screwdriver’s old now, but it does pretty much everything. Because, rather than need a bag of tools, one of these makes a great back pocket implement. 

Pterodactyl

I swear that dinosaurs aren’t extinct. Well, I had an encounter with one a few minutes ago in Newcastle. 

It was a huge Pterodactyl. I mean HUGE. 

While I didn’t exactly see the beast, the amount of shit it dropped on me meant it couldn’t have been even the biggest of birds.

Fortunately, the Gents’ in the Forth has running water, where a shit-on gentleman may remove dinosaur deposit from his jacket. 

Ceiling (part V)

Well, it’s finally finished. 

The ceiling, that is. I’m aiming to plaster a wall tomorrow. 

The ceiling does have an unusual twist, but that’s the the result of old structural issues, rather than my plastering skills. 

The joins will need a light sand, but I’m happy with the outcome; it’s not too obvious that the ceiling was, for many, many years, two. 

Today was a good day

Today didn’t start very well. I’d planned an early finish, but messy deadlines at work meant that wasn’t possible. My second in command had a similar problem, finishing even later than me. 

We did, however, meet our goal of attending the annual Gateshead beer festival. 

I’ll return to the beer festival in a moment; while on my way home from work, the internet informed me that, after a prolonged wait, Guinness is now vegan. Ok, so I can’t buy a can or bottle yet; that’s still work in progress. But keg is now good (I’d never buy cans anyway). 

With a half hour to spare before meeting my second in command, I ventured to my local. Where I enjoyed my first pint of Guinness in a very long time. 

Here’s the press release, by the way. 

You might need to zoom in a bit. After enjoying my Guinness, we walked down the road to the Gateshead beer festival. Where I was surprised that I enjoyed a sour beer (Great Heck – fishless beer). And some other stuff. We also had veggie chilli. 

Afterwards, we called at our local again for a nightcap. I decided on Guinness. I also had a very nice vegan pie. Well, it’s also the annual Gateshead international pie festival (in my local, the Three Tuns).

Where I enjoyed a very nice vegan pie. With peas and gravy. There was mashed potato, but that was consumed by my second in command. 

I’d already eaten, but the pie was free. I’d have bought one anyway. Tomorrow, I may buy two. They have six vegan pies. 

I recall the first pie festival; there were a few vegetarian pies. Now there are many. 

We live in Gateshead. It’s not exactly the vegetarian/vegan capital of the north. But my local always has (generous) veggie alternatives at all of their events. 

Born carnivores

A common argument I encounter from omnivores is that we have incisors, so are naturally designed to be carnivorous. I’ve always argued that those teeth had evolved to crunch insects and the occasional bit of rotten carcase, left over from a true carnivore’s meal. 

While it’s been around for a few years, I came across an interesting article about our ancestors’ diet. 

In short, it does back up my assertion that humans aren’t natural carnivores, but were instead mostly vegetarion; the truth is, for most of the last twenty million years of the evolution of our bodies, through most of the big changes, we were eating fruit, nuts, leaves and the occasional bit of insect, frog, bird or mouse. 

Glastonbury

I didn’t go to Glastonbury last year. I did want to, but we simply couldn’t get tickets. We were somewhat shocked when we failed in the October ’15 sale, but hadn’t expected any success in the April ’16 resale (Google if you don’t know about the resale).

So we accepted we weren’t going and wsnt to Dorset instead. Karl and Michelle went to Brighton (because they didn’t get tickets either). I quite like Brighton. 

And this year was very similar. We had no luck in October (’16) and had a half hearted attempt at the resale (coach packages) on Thursday, without success as expected. And this morning too. 

Yes, it sold out in a few minutes. But, unexpectedly, we managed to get tickets somehow. 

I feel pretty bad that Karl didn’t get tickets. Really bad. I wish I could pass mine to him. He should be there. 

Anyway, there is no Glastonbury next year. The following year, I shall try to get tickets. For Karl and Michelle. This year will be my last Glastonbury. 

Beer crate coffee table #2

This afternoon, I stumbled across an extension to my beer crate coffee table. 

Which means, I may be able to retrieve the original table from the loft and have it at a more practical height. 

Ceiling (part IV)

I’d intended completing parts four and five of the ceiling today. 

But my second in command suggested a pub lunch. As a result, part four was completed and we had a pleasant stroll down the hill to Station East. 

And we’re now in the Central. 

Back to the subject of plastering, though. My favourite plastering bucket, which Has served me well for several years now, is approved by the Vegetarian Society. I’d not noticed before today. 



The Avenue

This evening, we walked down the road to our local, the Three Tuns, to see the Skatoons.  Well worth seeing if you like a bit of Ska. 

While there, I enjoyed conversation with a man from Glasgow. He lives around the corner to my old flat in Washington. He’s a Celtic fan, although most of his family are Rangers fans. 

Anyway, the band was pretty good. After which, Sooz had nachos and I asked whether music could be played. Well, it was late, so music had been turned off. 

And so, I asked for anything from Augustines. Randomly, we heard the Avenue. 

It’s probably my most favourite Augustines’ song. While I very much regret that the band split up last year, I enjoyed Mr McCarthy’s solo gigs in Berlin and Munich. 

Very much. 

Taking time off work for those gigs meant that we couldn’t go mad in the UK. So we shall only see him play once here. In Newcastle. So looking forward to it though.