Rockmother

I’ve been told off by catfunt for writing about sudoku so much. I promise I won’t do it again.

Last night I was surrounded. A man standing in the rain on the platform engrossed in ‘Mini Pocket Sudoku’. It’s not right. The train arrived. The only seat left was a middle slot between two people as it happened doing bloody Sudoku – one of which was doing ‘Devilish’ level – looked really complicated and above all – boring. To make matters worse – and this is where I suddenly had ‘The Birds’ moment – a huge fat lady huffed and puffed her way on to the train at the next stop and sat opposite me. She reached into her bag and pulled out a print out of The Times daily Sudoku challenge. She finished it in a thrice and then, her appetite for the fiendish numbers not sated she pulled out a whole book of the stuff. She looked really smug as she turned to page 64 and began ‘Killer Sudoku Advanced’. I tried to take a photo of her on my phone but the battery was low. Very frustrating.

I was surrounded. I turned up my ipod to full volume which uncannily was playing ‘Scary Monsters’ by Bowie – quite befitting in the circumstances. I tried to ignore the feverish scribblers scratching here and there over their little pages of numbers. Maybe they should ban Sudoku as well as smoking on London Transport. Goodness, what would they all do with themselves?

Love it or loathe it – Sudoku has taken the world by storm. Everyone that hates Sudoku and the loathsome people who feel the need to scribble their way through Champion Hardcore Sudoku for Experts Volume Three on the train in the mornings should read this.
It’s bloody funny and it really made me laugh. And anyway, does the word Su-doku actually mean anything? Yes – surprisingly it means ‘single number’ or ‘number place’.

Even more annoyingly, the literary powers that be at Oxford have recently announced the word ‘sudoku’ to be the ‘Word of the Year’. It has got it’s own special Very Annoying Award. I initially thought Sudoku looked quite interesting but after approx 18 secs of staring at it – I just couldn’t be bothered. On second thoughts – I have never been a fan of logical puzzles. I just don’t see the point. We used to have logic tests at school and I’d fail miserably as most of my answers were either ludicrous guesses or ‘who cares?’. Well exactly – who cares and why does it matter that if Sue is taller than Charlie who is Peter’s best friend – how many apples can they bob before lunchtime? On that note I shall retire for the evening ready to dodge more Sudoku Train Encounters of the Most Boring Kind tomorrow morning.

Sayonara folks.

Wednesday was a funny day. Had a really tight deadline to meet by 13:00. By 15:00 found out we had to do a conference call with Italy at 16:30. Did the call – had to hold the receiver at least three foot away from my ear as the person on the other end was bellowing down the line. My ear was actually numb by the end of the call.

By 17:30 we had got the job – flew out the next morning at 07:00. That was after I had hastily tied everything else up at work, suffered 40 mins of the North London link with an asthma attack (prob stress induced). Got home in time to see my son and watch him doing chocolate-induced and incessant Balloo the Bear impressions until he literally collapsed in bed at half past eight. Made dinner, ordered online shopping for delivery in two days time, ironed clothes, packed, paid bills online and opened the remainder of post which has been in a pile on the table unopened all week. Wrote out instructions for the childminder of how to get to Marble Hill Park. Left out a parking ticket appeal form for the other half with a note saying FILL OUT AND SEND TODAY. Went to bed and fell asleep. Woke up at 02:30 to the sound of really annoying milk van (sherman tank) idling outside bedroom window. Had a panic thinking it was my taxi and convinced the two alarm clocks were wrong. Finally got back into bed and couldn’t sleep. Got up at a quarter to five – just as I was going back to sleep! Looking a little crumpled. Piled into taxi with driver that really wanted a chat – I didn’t. Checked in, swiftly followed by person I am working with who has a fit because there was no time to pre-register his gold cardholder air miles number and he therefore hasn’t got the seat he is always allocated. Nightmare. At six thirty in the morning this is as bad as it gets. I tell him he is really rude as he questions out loud why he has anyone working for him at all ie: me! I offer to change his seat. He will do it himself. This throws me out and I wander into the wrong bit of the lounge and cannot talk to him or anyone else for that matter. He comes looking for me and I can see he thinks I am really stupid. Feel even more belittled than I felt ten minutes previously. We sit in silence. I go in search of a new toothbrush as I can’t bear the tension. Finally, get on plane and feel really emotional – consider freaking out and leaving plane before they shut the doors but stay put meanwhile dreading the next few days.

Finally arrive in Milan – handbag centre of the world. It’s great here despite the fact we are filming on Monday and still don’t have a location. This predicament is further worsened by the fact that it is a public holiday and no one is in town to even give us permission to see their house let alone shoot in it.

Oh well, it will all work out in end. Back on Thursday. Will post some more then.

It is a terrible thing to say but I really do hate my life at the moment. Too much pressure, too many worries and not doing what I really want to do and not in a position to change much at the moment. I’m all at sea as they say hence the picture above. Hopefully I’ll find a way out of it soon. I just wish life wasn’t so stressful!

Was guffawing along with the Westwood Show on Radio 1 last week. Yes, he’s the one on the left wearing a t shirt with his own face on the front. After all these years I cannot believe that he still talks with that RIDICULOUS accent. As a teenager I was a big fan of his show on Kiss in the pirate days. There is no doubt that he has been incredibly influential in terms of introducing hip hop and r’n’b into the mainstream in this country. But, why does he have to talk like that? On last week’s show he affected a stoned sounding laugh as if he was basking on a beach with a massive spliff in hand peppered with ‘you know dat, irie man, scene!’. Stop saying ‘you know dat’ I found myself bellowing at the radio in between choking on my supper which went down the wrong way because ‘I and I’ was laughing so much. The bishop’s son has done well. I think they should re-name his show Pimp My Accent.

We outta here. Sceeeene.

I bloody love Kate Bush and realised recently that I always have. I love her unique, singular approach to her music and use of melody and rhythm. I love the fact that she ‘tried’ performing live and ‘didn’t like it’ so just didn’t ever do it again. Brilliant. I wish life was as simple as that for normal, everyday folk. I’m not so much of a fan that I like absolutely everything she has done but what I do like is enough. It might be just my imagination but I think Alison Goldfrapp has taken quite a few leaves out of La Bush’s book over the years? I’m sure somewhere along the line there is an influence lurking there.

I was once approached by a drunken man at a petrol station on Kilburn High Road trying to sell me a really manky carpet and swearing blind I was Kate Bush. Oh how I wish! I chose to pass on the carpet.

It’s been a truly mixed week musically – I’ve been listening to alot of Hard Fi – I’m liking ‘Cash Machine’ alot. Check out Team 9 ‘Clash Machine’ download from here.

I’ve played it to death! As well as a sudden penchant for ridiculous narrative country music such as Pickup Man and Friday Night Fight At Al’s and Prop Me Up Against The Jukebox If I Die. Great on the skaggy North London Link at rush hour. God I hate that line – it never works.

Does anyone actually like Anthony and The Johnsons?

Answers please.

No I haven’t left the country but just been working silly hours again. Added to which my only son has started school and we are adjusting to packed lunch and uniform saga. Normal service will resume once I get my life back. Soon, I hope.