Nine Feet Underground

I can begin counting down the days now.  In four days' time, depending on how you count the days, I will be retired. On Friday the 1st of December I will no longer be a number, I will be a free man! It's starting to feel very real; today I had my first haircut as a senior citizen. In the past week, I have been to have a couple of gigs and also been out for a curry with an old school friend, not to mention organising for the impending life change. Gigs! The first gig was The Orb at Sub89. A great evening out with a good friend, which included a trip to Nando's, a rum and coconut-based cocktail.   The Orb were excellent, with some crowd-pleasers including a number I didn't recognise, based around Pink Floyd's 'One Of These Days', but much more danceable. Most recently son #1 and I went to see Queens Of The Stone Age at the World Resorts arena in Birmingham.  What a gig!  It certainly ranks amongst my top ten if not top 5 gigs.  Here's the setlist: Regular

*** BREAKING NEWS *** It's official! After weeks, months, maybe even years of planning the countdown has officially begun. In less than a month I will be retired. Yay! It's been a long time coming and now all my ducks are lining up, it's happening. My joy at ending work is mixed.  The last few years of working and being a carer have been tough, and it's taken a toll on me and my health. Nevertheless I have met, and continue to meet, new people who have brought sun into my life.  I shall miss the people and the non-work conversations.  I have, however, been in the IT industry for too long: bring back the abacus.  Much as I like new technology, I think in some areas we are in danger of taking things too far. Bloody Elon Musk! Despite this event being a mere few weeks away, there's a lot of things I need to organise and given the time of year, I won't have a lot of time to fully appreciate my new situation and plan my time until January next year. Probably. Of cour

Normal service is resumed, though I am thinking of some more in-depth album reviews soon, in an attempt to get better at writing about music without resorting to cliches. My week in Liverpool is coming to an end, but it's been another fun week with Q.  The week started with a visit to Liverpool River of Light followed by a meal at Otterspool. It's been a working week (the last of the few?) for both of us and so the opportunity to go out much has been limited.  Mind you, the weather has been appalling, so snuggling up and watching MAFS and starting 'Bodies' (on Netflix) has been good. 'Bodies' is suitably weird and thus right up my street. Steps are being taken to enter a new era and things finally seem to be coming together to make that a reality.  Even if not officially, yet. I've just returned from a local (non-chain) coffee shop, which turns out to have lactose-free milk.  Fantastic. Of course, I had to have one ('Golf Girl').  Not only that, but