Year: 2016

Getting out. Being me.

Out

Hiya, You may want to get comfy. This may be a long post 😉 T – 24 hours With luck tomorrow, I’ll get a day out. Not just away from home or work, but also not in Richard mode. Not that I begrudge my identity. Far from it, I doubt I’d be where i am if I’d ploughed a ‘bi-gender’ furrow of my own. They do things differently in the past. 🙂 So, I’m somewhat nervous, as I don’t fully know if tomorrow’s trip will play out. I’ve had one failure before and although it’s only a week until Chams, I can feel the rumblings of distant storm clouds. That or the chilli beef wrap hasn’t agreed with me 😉 […]

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Being Dad

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Hello dear reader, This week has been somewhat unusual. Not just for me, but seemingly a large number of folk who’ve been following the American elections. What is the world coming to eh? I get that neither candidate was perfect and their faults, I guess, are very much in the eyes of the voter. That said, some of the outrageous things Trump said, you’d have been sacked from most jobs over here. I can only hope that the piss & fire was mostly for show, and his term will be far quieter. Failing that, anyone who’s had the sheer rudeness* of not being born white, straight and male, may be in for a rough ride… and frankly, that’s wrong. I […]

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Hopeful

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Hi, The clocks have gone back, the night’s have drawn in and the trees are the more gorgeous shades of red and yellow. Hello, proper autumn. A time for long walks to take in the warming rays of the sun and to enjoy the light, before Winter throws a cold, dark – and frequently wet – blanket over dear Old Blighty. At least, that’s the vibe around here, out in the sticks near Jones Towers. Not that I mind. I do love a walk in the woods. Much as I like a spot of city shopping or disco dolly moments, in bloke mode, forests, for me, is where it’s at. There’s something mentally refreshing about being out in nature. The […]

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Every kinda wrong. Every kinda right.

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Hi, A couple of weekends ago, I was sat reading the news when the Ever Lovely Mrs J asked: ‘have you read that article by Grayson Perry?’ Perhaps my TransRSS was on the blink, as I’d not, so she elaborated. “It’s about What’s Gone Wrong With Men?“ A word to the wise: you might want to read the above first and make your own mind up, before reading my thoughts. _________________________________ Back? Sitting comfortably? My initial thought to Mrs J’s question around What’s Gone Wrong With Men? was Why are you asking me? I’m not exactly in-tune with Joe Normal, but I’ve learned to keep remarks that might accidentally upset or embarrass, to myself. By the way, I mean upset or […]

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Charging the batteries

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Hi, These last few days have been a bit of a blur. That rushed loop of wake, eat, school run, work, sarnie, work, commute, tea, breath, Netflix and bed. In other times I’d have found that routine stifling, almost a treadmill. Yet, this month, it’s been a familiar comfort. Perhaps, I am drifting, but I tell myself that the want of excitement, distraction or fun is not regular. They’re the occasional peaks and without the mundane, or even the lows, there can be no peaks. With Autumn’s golden colours across the trees, I had a pleasant walk and a talk with Andrea. We don’t work too far apart, so meeting up for a tea and a stroll is one of […]

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The right type of funk

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Hi folks, After the last week posts of grumbling and negativity, it feels rather good to be able to post something altogether more joyous. Oh, to be lost in the freedom of dance, with good* music and friends. To feel the rhythm and sway, strutt or swing as whimsy takes you. ( * A highly subjective term given the variety of peoples’ music tastes…. and lack of. 😉 ) I had *such* a good night out at Chameleons. We’d thrown our Autumn party and despite a fairly quiet turnout, all went well. Sadly a few key folk were on holiday, but you can’t have it all! But, there was food aplenty, dancing (well, for three of us!) and a quality […]

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