Freedom From The Mundane

Image: Sam Churchill

Did anyone notice the funny faux pas in yesterday’s post? “I’ve never actually been to Cornwall, Devon…” Gee, how I laughed when I noticed the English county confusion I caused.
I thought for today’s post I would do something a bit different. While reading yesterday’s Telegraph I found a series of questions asked to [...]

August 12th, 2010 | Tags: Blockheads, Daily Telegraph, Domino's pizza, DVD, Every Day Poets, Ian Dury, Interview, Madness, movie, Paul Auster, Poetry, publication, questions, Stephen Frears, The Pink Panther, The Specials | Category: Family, Film & TV, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, Interviews, Poetry, Publishing and Marketing, Writing | Comments (2)

Image: Green Office

I had a surprise day off work yesterday when I had to call in for some time so I could look after a sick family member. My doctor’s duties were called on until mid-afternoon, which meant I missed all of the warm sun that had been afforded Edinburgh. By the time I had [...]

June 15th, 2010 | Tags: Amazon, Day Job, day off, Doctor, drafts, DVD, e-book, Fiction, Film & TV, Football, Gail Galbraith Photography, GDR's, Italy, Kindle, manuscript, markets, movie, novel, novellas, Paraguay, Photography, portraits, proofing, rewriting, Short Stories, Sick, soccer, Submissions, World Cup, Writing | Category: Books, Day Job, Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, Family, Fiction, Film & TV, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, Photography, Publishing and Marketing, Writing, Writing Process | Comments (3)

Image: Yes China Tour

It was a scorching weekend—Scotland’s summer came early this year and now we (us Scots) are all heading back to work sporting skin all shades of pink and red the spectrum has to offer. Yes, we know how to handle the sun.
Saturday saw me up town in the morning to enjoy a [...]

May 24th, 2010 | Tags: August Rush, coffee shop, DVD, Edinburgh Marathon, Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, Freelance, gardening, housework, movie, Music, pizza, Reading, scorching sun, Scotland, sun bathing, Weather, Writing | Category: Day Job, Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, Family, Film & TV, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, Freelance, Music, Reading, Scotland, Writing | Comments (1)

Image: Woodley Wonderworks

I watched an excellent film from Lovefilm last night. Once is a “modern day musical” about an Irish busker and a Czech immigrant, who come together on the street and end up recording some music before going their separate ways. An excellent film; beautifully shot, a wonderful script and finely acted. I would [...]

March 6th, 2010 | Tags: coffee shop, computer, DVD, GDR's, Lovefilm, Microsoft, MS Office, Once, OpenOffice, PC, Ranfurly Review, Vista, Walking, Writing | Category: Writing | Comments (1)

Image: MS Vista

Thanks for all your birthday wishes posted on the blog yesterday—I passed them all on. Perhaps the most scary comment left was: “A teenage female in the house, good luck mate.” Cheers Stevie—just when I needed a laugh!
I got the feeling all day that yesterday was a public/local holiday of some [...]

March 2nd, 2010 | Tags: 30th Anniversary Tour, birthday, computers, Dominos, DVD, Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, I.T, Microsoft Vista, MS Windows, Music, Netbook, PC, pizza, public holiday, Ranfurly Review, ska, teenagers, The Specials | Category: Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, Family, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, I.T., Music, Publishing and Marketing, Video | Comments (1)

Image: art247

I spent yesterday working on BACCARA BURNING. I hit another sticky patch with it early on but I think I was just missing the obvious. I put it down to being rusty having had so long away from it, but over the course of the day I made good progress with some important plot [...]

February 22nd, 2010 | Tags: characterisation, charity, Comedy, DVD, Fiction, genius, novel, novella, plotting, Spike Milligan, spring clean, The Goon Show, writer, Writing | Category: Fiction, Film & TV, Writing, Writing Process | Comments (2)

Image: High Tee

Good day at work yesterday; busy, challenging, and one where some long-term results were finally realised. It’s the biggies that count most. I topped it off with a couple of pints of Guinness in Clark’s afterwards. Sorted.
Not much else done because the results I spoke of didn’t actually happen until between 7.30pm and [...]

February 6th, 2010 | Tags: Clark's Bar, curry, Day Job, DVD, Football, Guinness, KORG SV-1, Mike Barson, movies, Music, Poetry, rugby, Scottish Cup, Short Stories, Six Nations, ska, St Mirren, Submissions, The Specials, Writing | Category: Day Job, Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, Fiction, Film & TV, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, I.T., Poetry, Sport, Writing | Leave a comment

Image: Dennis Wong

Yesterday was the kind of Saturday I’ve needed for quite some time. If I could have wished for a better feeling come the twilight of the afternoon, then I got what I desired. It was a nice day but not all that exciting. It was low level boring stuff to most, but for [...]

January 17th, 2010 | Tags: alarms, Arab Strap, Boots, chapbook, Coffee, computers, DVD, Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, Editing, External Hard Drive, Freelance, iPod, Me Time, moleskin notepad, movie, PC World, pizza, poems, Poetry, Publishing and Marketing, Samuel L Jackson, Saturday, Scotland's Treasure, scrabble, security, Starbucks, Ten Years of Tears, Tesco, The Cleaner, writers, Writing | Category: Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, Family, Film & TV, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, I.T., Music, Poetry, Publishing and Marketing, Reading, Travel, Writing, Writing Process | Comments (2)

Image: Katja Gorup

The new Madness album arrived through my door yesterday. TOTAL MADNESS is a compilation of all Madness’ hits on CD and DVD, which for under a tenner is pretty good value. It comes in their 30th year and is, as always, spectacular. Can’t seem to get the CD out the case though, and [...]

September 29th, 2009 | Tags: 30th a, 30th anniversary, album, Black Monday, CD, compilation album, Day Job, DVD, GDR's, Madness, Music, office politics, pizza, Scruffy Dog Review, Tom & Jerry, Total Madness, web design, websites | Category: Day Job, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, Freelance, I.T., Internet, Music, Politics | Comments (2)

Image: foundphotoslj

Check out my interview with Blazing Trailers, which was posted on their website yesterday. There were some good questions
Also, if you missed it, check out my gig review in Sunday’s News of the World, this week Theoretical Girl.
Good day’s work yesterday all round. The management have recognised my writing skils and have asked me [...]

September 22nd, 2009 | Tags: album, Blazing Trailers, Blogging, CD, Day Job, DVD, e-commerce, Fiction, Freelance, gig reviews, Internet, Interview, Madness, Music, News of the World, photographer, PHP, Submissions, Total Madness, Website, Writing | Category: Day Job, Fiction, Freelance, Internet, Interviews, Music, Photography, Publishing and Marketing, Writing, Writing Process | Comments (2)

Image: Ena G

Although I was on standby for my day job all weekend, which meant I couldn’t really leave the house and go far, it didn’t put a spoiler on my weekend at all. In fact, it was a weekend to remember.
After the exhausting shift I put in on Friday, I slept well into the [...]

September 7th, 2009 | Tags: Binny Bag, design, DVD, Fiction, Glasgow, Great Scottish Run, Indian meal, movie, project work, relaxation, running, sleepy, Sport, websites, Writing | Category: Day Job, Family, Fiction, Film & TV, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, Freelance, Internet, Scotland, Sport, Writing | Comments (3)

Image: glasgowguide.co.uk

Well the Buddies got beat; another semi-final disappointment, this time at the hands of the Forces of Darkness. As far as footie matches go it wasn’t one of the best, but St Mirren, I felt, could have taken better advantage over one of the weakest Rangers sides I’ve ever seen. With a team full [...]

April 27th, 2009 | Tags: alcohol, Beltane, bevy, Chinese meal, DVD, e-books, Family, Festival of Fire, Football, friends, gigs, Glasgow, Hampden Park, hot and sunny, live music, Mount Florida, PC, Pub, Rangers FC, reggae, Scottish Cup, ska, St Mirren, The Specials, Weather, work, Writing | Category: Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, Family, Film & TV, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, Glasgow, I.T., Music, Scotland, Sport, Writing | Comments (1)