September 28, 2008

Churches and Plans and Organised Bans.

What a predicament. November is the only chance now that I have to fit in the CLIC Sargent gig. I've had more egg on my face this year than chocolate. Three times I've had to cancel. Twice through teenagers' troubles and a third on personal choice. It has given me the time to come up with a few ideas on how to raise more dosh. And I've come up with this one.........

As my son (PrettyBoy) is the most handsome thing this side of the universe, he is to act as chief fund raiser in a 'pound a snog' scenario. He will be, in between drumming in every band that night apart from The Signals, through in the pool room filling up a charity tin while swapping saliva with the feeble and the willing. It will also partly make up for the amount of dig money he forgets to hand over. Well, it is for charity! Any body wearing Status Quo tee shirts will also be banned from the pool room - or any room for that matter and no covers will be tolerated either. I don't mean cushion covers as anything remotely Quo is on par with pensioners past times, washables and matter of utter priority. I mean from band members. This is being made decisively clear!

This December I will be heading south for my great niece's baptism. Little Kelsey, mentioned in my deleted archives, is to get the full works. I've never had any of mine Christened and I'm looking forward to it. Churches have only seen my presence at school activities, and the odd jumble sale and of course, weddings. I might even be tempted to renew my wedding vows. Actually, I've caught my husband on numerous occasions watching our wedding video, bless him. In reverse. He particularly likes the bit where I give him back the ring, he dashes down the aisle, gets into the car and fucks off. How else do you account for the tears in his eyes at the time?

Till later then, folks......

September 19, 2008

Best Laid Plans....!

It's a nightmare. In two weeks' time I should be hosting my charity gig for CLIC Sargent. Now the band that I was relying on to supply me with the PA system have gone their separate ways. The system has gone south, in the same direction as a band member. Thank you, Synergy, for leaving me in the lurch so close to the date. I do have a glimmer of hope in that James from Homegrown Studio's is doing his damndest to get me one in time for the gig - and is trying to supply the system and technician for free on the night. Had Ma Boayz went to Homegrown Studio's to start with to record their new demo, rather than the idiot one they were made to go to, they would have had their own system bought in with their prize money. Oh, the irony.! To top it all, today I left the printer on automatic as tickets were being printed and the black ink ran out! I now do not need that haircut for the show as I'm almost bald!!

I've never seriously prayed in my life but I'll be down on my knees tonight!! If anyone fancies a tin-rattling or busking session in the High Street, give us a shout! Mind you, my back garden is rather big.....hmmmmmm!

September 16, 2008

It's Official - I'm An Old Fogey

Today, I went bramble picking. While McScrooge still hasn't any fishing plans, he's getting very fed up with daytime TV. Actually, there is only so many Bravo TV, Chuck Norris codswallop one can take. Why he can't just grab a quick cuppa over 'Loose Women' I'll never know! Anyhow, in an attempt to make me a 'better' cook, and a 'fitter' wife (physically!) we tried to regress back to the methods of long ago.

This very long 'shortcut' close to my house and along the railway line, is absolutely filled with bramble bushes and we both remembered picking them as children with our parents which resulted in delicious crumbles and pies ect. So McScrooge reckoned we go and pick some on the way home from our long walk. And we did just that. How did I feel.....? Like a right tit actually - but it was fun. A bit mushy with the wet weather, we collected quite a bag full. However, protection is needed in 3 areas here.

1. Make sure you wear enough padding on your sleeve area - they'll lance you given half the chance!
2. Bring rubber gloves otherwise you'll have purple stained fingers and you don't wanna be explaining how you've dyed.
3. Make sure you leave the very healthy, fat and juicy ones at the bottom of the bush well alone, as every local dog has pissed on them! Chest height upwards is fine.

My biggest thrill was the looks from passing cars at my red and purple, gooey, mushy surgical gloves I was wearing, but I keep litter on me until I'm home. Oh, yes. I'm very green when I'm any colour! But the result....? One rather easy-peasy Bramble and Apple Crumble (notice how I use capitals with pride here!) that custard or fresh cream compliments wonderfully. Mind you, the kids left half their portions and the seagull got the remainder in the tin the following day.

So, I wonder what else mother nature provides that I could amuse McScrooge with tomorrow......out in public, of course!

September 10, 2008

Well, here's a test to my memory!

For the weekend I will be trying to compile my blogroll again. I'm back and for now I'll leave a little rundown of how things are/were. I have really missed being here.

As those who know me pretty well, know that in the life of Lena, there is always one little crisis to follow the other. This time it was McScrooge's turn. Unable to drive due to wrist problems, he then decided to have stomach problems. On the request of him I won't go into the details, but he was losing a lot of weight. Thankfully, the problem is under control now, only it stopped him from receiving treatment for his wrist problem! So it's kinda back to square one for him in that respect - and believe me, his moaning sounds like a Godsend now!

Ma Boays - or The Valentines - have lost their keyboard player. Only, he's joining us again for the upcoming charity gig in October. There was doubts to the band's future as it seemed, work, arguing, and women (Brian is now engaged and sharing a flat with his finacee!) scuppered their gig list and plans. Personally, I think a lot of it has had to do with the follow on neglect from the 'care' of the Barrowlands win. The guys have been sold short. Compared to last year's winners, there has been lack of commitment to the boys. Firstly, there was no newspaper article in the sun despite their photogragher and interviewer being there. The Herald only put a tiny pictureless article whereas last years winners got a full spread. There is STILL no notification of which 'top' band they will be supporting this year. The Jersey festival was a joke, and most of the money they won to go towards paying for the rest of new PA system, went to the recording studio, as the guy from there didn't even know they were from Rock the Talk, took 3 DAYS to record 4 songs that should have taken one session! The outcome was horrendous. Dickie is singing out of key in the chorus of Charlies Revolver ( the sound recorder said he was fine) and they were made to sing in more of a 'Scottish' accent. The new demo is so bad that they decided not to send it off anywhere. The guys are supposed to be Indie rockers using what noise that naturally comes from their musical gobs, not a mixture of The Proclaimers and Glasvegas! So it's a backwards step for the guys for now. I know the lack of support in finding the money to re-record hurt Craig (keyboards) as he'd worked hard on the administration side of things for the band. The good news is that they were all accepted (apart from Brian as he has full time work) for the same class (actually they all linked arms when it came to class populations and said they weren't moving!) sitting their HND's in music at Falkirk college. So there will be more time to record, write and make amends there!

Adam, my youngest, passed all but one of his GCSE's this year. Physics was just too boring and extreme for him, but he is excelling in music and history. Just like his older brother. I often wonder if Ross really appreciates his younger sibling's hero-worship of him! As they are getting older they are getting closer. Both have said that their future plan is to run a little recording studio together. I found that quite sweet, given just two years ago Ross could have seen him impaled on a stake by the bollocks for being a pest.

Oh, and Ross now has a new girlfriend. I'll not miss the old one as she was an utter bitch! Anyway, the new girl he's dating is a model for Diesel and some other label.......and she's had had her baps out in page 3 of the Sun or the Record, I can't remember which he said. We're all going out for a meal next week and I'm already stumped at what I'll say to her. She's visited us twice but she's been very shy. I'm already wondering what the topic of conversation will be! Here's hoping she likes football!

And me - I'm now going to try and focus on my Sargent gig in October. It's been murder trying to sort bands out this year. A lot of cancelling due to unexpected work and disappearing teenagers and health worries ect. If I'd have blogged all the negative happenings and developments these past two months, I'd have lost all my blogroll links anyway!! Seriously though, there were days where it was almost razorblades at the ready. But that's sodding life. My mate Loraine, said to me that in life we should 'live for the moment'. In less than a few years, her daughter suffered a brain tumour, she lost her dad to bowel cancer, and her husband had been whisked in and out of hospital with circulation problems. She was even warned that his leg may need amputating but thankfully that didn't happen. And like me, and me direct neighbours, she has had little crises along the way too.

So I'm looking forward to the gig. Will be announcing actual dates ect, soon. One guest of honour will be the young lass that I first raised money for back in 2003. Loraine's daugher Eran. There is also the chance of a few girls from high school. I bumped into Senga in the high street one day a few weeks back and have spoken to her on Bebo a bit and she's trying to get me to do another gig in the Camelon Bowling Club after this one. So we'll see. One exhausted young man on the night will be Ross. He's actually going to be playing in every band that a part from special guests The Signals. One, I must warn you, is 'heavy as fuck' so while keeping a certain section of the audience happy, I might just have to nip out side for some air.

Well, I better get on with things. Hopefully by the weekend my blogroll will be back together. I give thanks, however, to Neil, Gwen and Morag, for still popping in over my absense. I get round to emailing in a few days. I just want a bit of routine back!