2017 in review

It’s only a couple of weeks old, so it’s probably harsh to try reviewing 2017 already, but I know there are a couple of things coming up I wanted to muse on, so here goes.

[tl:dr Reflections on stuff that’s coming up, a couple of name drops and a quick delve through recent events. Normal service continues sometime soonish.]

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Ales Beers and Carols

We’re going carolling in pubs again. It’s another glorious romp around some excellent ale houses with a piano and a sheaf of carol sheets which seems to be an annual indulgence. I’ve just sent an order to the printers for flyers (download yours in advance here if you like) and we have more pubs than ever on the list.

Big Adventures. With a Dragon

I suspect it must be a weakness for the obscure which drove me to name my little company notejuste. A pun in a kind of schoolboy French and also completely available as a domain name. How convenient.

So it’s come as no surprise that my latest venture has wandered into similar territory. From this week, I’m working with two partners to launch and maintain a kind of co-branding exercise to support our efforts (solo and joint) by providing a unified publishing house.

Lights, Cambelt, Retest

Snatching satisfaction from the jaws of expense, I have tonight worked my way through the five items on the failure list from this morning’s MOT and fixed four of them myself. I have used WD40, a flat bladed screwdriver, more WD40, a 20p coin (retaining pegs on the fascia), a soldering iron, and lashings of WD40.

The offside fog lamp now works. The intermittent headlamp fault is no longer intermittent or faulty. The nearside brake light has a brand new soldered lead which looks horrible on the inside but at least lights the lamp effectively. And the windscreen washers finally live up to their name with enthusiasm.

60 – The new Kickstarter launches with remarkable kick-off

It’s been a while since I risked every ounce of my professional reputation (nothing) on the roll of No Dice, and I’d been working on a new game in the last few months. Finally I managed to get my stuff together and launch this weekend. What a beginning!

Chip off the old block

This evening the Doorknobs played another charitable gig in aid of the Aldridge Church Centre building fund, and St James’ Church Mere Green.

My role in these affairs is basically to sit at the back of the band on piano, fulfilling the time-honoured position of chord monkey (assistant chord monkey if a guitarist is present) and filling in with blistering improvisation if there are gaps to fill.

Blind Spots when Parking

Another sunny day in Aldridge, home of the Aldridge School of Creative Parking.

Popped into Tesco this morning during a quiet moment, and came out to this lovely bit of parking. Yes, it’s on double yellow lines. No, it isn’t actually blocking anyone in, but…

I suspect the driver failed to spot the empty spaces in the car park. That’s a heck of a blind spot. Not even to have checked before occupying the road seems a pointless act of hubris.

Wheelchairs, pushchairs and mobility scooters can’t get by you, drivers have their line of sight reduced and you affect the flow of traffic along the road. While there are empty spaces in the car park? You qualify for at least a slow hand clap.

Around and around, up and down.

Next weekend I’m embarking on the single most inadvisable sports-related thing I have ever attempted. In the space of three days a team of us will cycle from Whitehaven to Tynemouth in aid of Kids UK.

I am to cycling what Bradley Wiggins is to eating pizza and drinking ale. Yes, I like to do it, but it distracts me from my life’s primary calling.

Pushing my Luck

I tackled the Aldridge 10K again this weekend, and much to my disappointment I was actually slower than last year. This must be because I was pushing my luck all the way round.

Use your vote to Protest. Vote… Tory?

It’s been over a month since my last post, because things have been rather busy. I will get round, at some point, to getting back on here.

Today, however, I have a remarkable message for voters in Aldridge-Brownhills.

Vote Tory.