I'm getting worse as I'm getting older. I'm back in Oz at the moment, spending quality time with my two lads here. Unfortunately it's apparent that they're very much doing their own thing, which is natural, though they did spare time to be with their old dad *snif* on Christmas Eve for dinner at the pub.
My oldest is in Bristol, and he made his way back to Kilmarnock to spend time with his mum for Christmas, but I wanted to make sure I was with these two here for this Christmas at least because the way things are going it might be the last we'll spend together for a while - the older one is now a 3rd year electrical apprentice and very heavily involved with his girlfriend and I can see an engagement on the horizon before too long. The youngest bemoans the fact that his brother and playmate isn't around so much these days, but he wouldn't mind a serious relationship either. Not that he's short of female company, judging by the occasional lovebites.
I'm planning to be back in the UK before too long, but at the moment I'm heavily into recording my album. I'm going to be a rock star, I've decided, probably target the indie market, as there's not much call for fat over 50s just breaking in to the biz.
But seriously, I'm recording tracks at the moment, and writing new ones as I go. I've had to force myself to do it by finding and booking a studio, and jumping in the deep end. I thought I'd get a bit of stick and be treated like a silly arse, but the guy I'm working with seems to dig what I'm doing and treats me with respect, so that's a bonus. It's a bit weird recording in the sub tropics, the heat is stifling, and I find it hard to concentrate on anything - music or drawing, but I'm putting it all down to life's rich tapestry. I'm changing my shirt twice a day on average, but last night there was a fantastic monsoon and the temperature dropped to a pleasant 15 degrees or so.
I know you lot are suffering freezing temperatures and snow, and I hate to over-egg this pudding, but I would rather be there. I don't mind rugging up to keep the cold out, but the house I'm staying in has no air conditioning, so I work with a ceiling fan and a pedestal fan blowing full blast to keep cool.
Australia is worse than the UK for Xmas. The bloody country stops at the beginning of December until the beginning of February, it seems as everybody shuts up shop - the TV goes into what they call the "non ratings period", in other words they put any old sh*te on until the competition starts again (for which they have to actually buy new shows).
These odd new faces start showing up to read the news whilst the regulars disappear for a month or more, and they're often better than the useless pr*cks who do the job most of the year. Australia has very much adopted the US attitude to TV, and it's riddled with personality-less coiffured grinning baboons.
Yesterday I drove past a shopping mall and there was a queue out the door waiting for the main supermarket to open. When the auto shutters went up, they flooded in like they'd been marooned on Mars for a year, the shops had only been shut for one day, and people were nearly weeping as they surveyed this cathedral of well stocked shelves and fresh fruit and veg.
I went to my usual coffee shop this morning after a two day hiatus, and it was like being let out of jail. Everything slowly getting back to a semblance of normality.
I have a very good friend who loves Christmas. She buys presents throughout the year when they're at bargain prices so she can fill stockings for her nearest and dearest which she stores for months, and by December 5th her house is like Santa's Grotto. Lights strung everywhere, tree decorated, bless her. Then after Christmas, when the decorations are all back in the loft, she goes into a state of depression for weeks. So who's REALLY got the healthy attitude, her or me?
