Good to see Cosvaldo Ardiles making a return to the Internet Policeman streets

Even better to see things are going so well for you

As you're involved with dogs, I'm guessing you probably know Niall that runs 'Happy Doggo' over in Koh Samui, I have guessed?

I spend hours every week following along with his daily life since Max went over the rainbow bridge in the summer.

Absolutely wonderful to watch all the good he does, though there is a fair bit of bawling when some of them unfortunately pass away.

Great to see Cos posting.

I can relate to your post Marky, after we lost our Marbs I started to follow a turkish guy on YT called Walter Santi, named after his dog and first cat.

He's a big cat person and has about 18 indoor and outdoor cats, the outdoor are mainly strays who he looks after and they all get treated when needed and looked after. I think I'd love a house in the sun with fruit trees and cats.

SHAZ! How the devil are you?  I hope yourself and himself are well.

Mrs Red makes sloe gin every year but muggins here has to pick the berries. I end up looking like a bad lion tamer.

When she's finished making the gin she uses the alcohol soaked berries in her home-made chocolate liqueurs.

Lethal they are.

Click to see full-size image.

Hello there Sir Red Dog!

We are both ok tyty.

Him indoors is really good, good enough to complain relentlessly about the Welsh weather and no sign of any gollf yet. He went out with some of the lads for breakfast this morning and I reckon the biggest topic of conversation was the lack of golf and too much weather!

I'm good, still on crutches but I'm allowed to start gentle excersises now and I'm looking forward to getting out when Spring arrives. I've not been allowed out on my own due to the risk of falling and not being able to get back up again, mad huh! I confess I don't miss people but I miss being able to jump in the car and head to the beach for a paddle and listen to the sound of the sea. Hopefully that will improve soon.

I've got hobbies ongoing and I've started doing the Swedish death clean (döstädning) it's a Scandinavian method of decluttering and organizing one’s home to reduce the burden on loved ones after death. Not planning to die yet but I'd like to get rid of everything I've collected that I don't need anymore. I might as well investigate EBay, vynil collectors  etc  and get some dosh for it before anything happens and his nibs just chucks it all in a skip! I still have books to send out, I've not long since learned that Royal Mail collect now so no excuses now! I have 3 areas in the house to put things, one for friends, one for EBay etc and one for the Cats Protection. Our somewhat shrinking black bin is always full. I miss Liverpool and the 3 bins - laughs.

I try and keep up with Blonde, it's a bit easier than it was which is sad. I try and keep out of politics as I could swing for one or two or three but I'm not the only one so........

When I do get out, I'll start to take pictures again. I'll have to ask how to post them as I haven't for years and the method escapes me.

I trust you and everyone at home are well.

Likewise everyone here.

xXx

P.S. The cakes look pretty cool!

Ordinary Wellington boots aren't really suitable or comfortable on long (ish) walks, but 4 or 5 years ago I discovered these.

Neoprene Wellies.

Basically a sturdy well made rubber boot with a tough, grippy sole and a waterproof Neoprene upper that hugs your leg instead of flapping around.

Bliss.


The thorn that gives the blackthorn its name is a phenomenal weapon. Up to 4 inches long and as hard as iron, it can really inflict some serious damage. The saving grace is, it's a defence weapon. Leave it alone and it will leave you alone.

Click to see full-size image.

A belated Happy New Year everyone.

Newportlad and I used to go out every autumn picking sloes from the blackthorn to make one of my fav tipples but we gave up as cheap gin stopped being cheap and you can buy it now so it's not worth it.

I do continue to make rhubarb and ginger gin and plum sherry.

My speciality grow your own is garlic, especially elephant garlic and this year I'm going to have a go at confit and black garlic,

Whatever. When is the book coming out?

So glad you seem to be enjoying your Great Retirement Adventure. When is the Honeymoon trip report coming  

Hopefully, I will catch up with you at DTD soon.

Hi Alan,

Hope you are keeping well. How's your lad?

When is the book coming out? Ha. A sort of "private" version, 100 copies or whatever, just for friends & acquaintances might just happen. A good pal is going to help me with editing it etc, so you never know. It seems a bit pretentious, writing an autobio, but some truly extraordinary things have happened to me, they really have. "WAL" in every sense. I might have to have it published posthumously though, there's a difficult blend between honesty & upsetting some folks, but it won't matter (to me) if I've moved on.  

Maybe see you at DTD soon. I see Direwolf ""Guy" there frequently.

And I bumped into this young lady at Resorts World Birmingham last night....

Sorry just catching up after starting cataract removal, my upgrade continues! I couldn't read anything until I made all the txt bigger and then couldn't read the instructions. Isn't middle age wonderful.

Great to see Alan is still here and that Brommers is still looking as fab as ever.

R.I.P Stephen Luscombe of Blancmange who had been ill for some time. He was 70. Most of you will have heard of Living on the Ceiling.

I've postd a link to my fav, Blind Vision.

R.I.P Stephen, now at rest and pain free.


https://youtu.be/3lbHZQ1Rhvk?si=o_L3VGge3XU8mtRQ

I still listen to Gary Glitter.

I still shudder about writing to Jimmy Saville asking to fix it for me with GG.

Luckily my mum put a stop to it there and then.

RIP Ozzy, glad you got to say farewell.

Also Peter Yarrow 86 - ex Peter Paul and Mary from bladder cancer

George Kooymans 77 - lead guitarist of Golden Earring of ALS/MND, how many of us have Moontan!

Glastonbury.

I loved Neil Young and enjoyed a few of the other acts from the smaller stages. For some reason CMAT made me smile and the earworm I've been left with after Glasto has been I wanna be a cowboy baby. I can't stop head humming it.

Maybe we all need a year off as well as the farm and we will all comeback full of enthusiasm. I hope so but I'm not that hopeful.

[3) Min cash. 4) Min cash. 5) Min cash.]

Rebuys & re-entries? Nil.





So....


1) Enjoy myself. 

2) No arguments, & never never allow so-called "bad beats" to bother me. Just enjoy.

3) Min cash.

4) Min cash.

5) Min cash.

6) Spend as long in the Comp as I possibly can.

I'm obsessed & fixated with min cashing. And yes, I can hear the mockery & howls of derision, but that's how it is. I want max table time for my money.

Greatest joy in Tourney Poker? 20 or 30 off the money, with a quarter average stack. It's not possible to have nor fun, more excitement, & a bigger thrill when the Floor Bloke says "you are all in the money".

Well I definitely ticked every one of those boxes.

Worry not, the poker bit has nearly finished.


TBC

You always told me to min cash first and the rest can wait and I've always done that however, sometimes I have Newportlad stood behind me when I get excited and he's saying shove shove don't you want to win the bloody thing so I shove and then I bubble and all of a sudden I'm in a room on my own.....

FFS.

I also have another book for you, I'll sort it out in the next week, it is letterbox friendly.

Shocking news, RIP both. Thoughts for their families and friends.

Good luck Robert!

I like Turk, nice guy & very amusing.

Great stuff Mr Raab.

I particularly enjoyed this...


"Four of the UK’s poker jockeys steered their stacks into the second day of the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E"


...and this



"Four other legendary faces of the UK poker scene cashed in this one, codger-ing their way to the cash desk to collect their not insignificant pension supplements."

I did chuckle!

Brian Wilson

When The Beatles wrote Rubber Soul the Beach Boys said hey we have to up our game here and that prompted Pet Sounds which egged on The Beatles to write Sgt Pepper.

You can read all about his life, history and his many ups and downs online.

The only thing I will add is Sir Paul McCartney once said that God Only Knows was the greatest song ever written and in tribute after Brians death said how will we go on without Brian Wilson, God only knows.

One of the leading songwriter of a generation.

R.I.P The musical genius that was Brian Wilson aged 82.

Good luck tomorrow Stu, love your updates.