What Does It All Mean?

It starts snowing quite heavily on the park this morning but later it turns to rain. All of which puts paid to any aspirations of repeating the long cycle ride that I did last week.

Instead, shock horror, I venture down to the sales. Not that anything I ever want is in the sale and this year is no exception. I do yet a cover for my new phone though but couldn't get the walking boots I wanted.

The best day of the football season, the FA Cup 3rd Round is pretty much shock free, unless you regard Derby not losing at Millwall as a shock. It shocked me. So I have a replay to go to a week on Tuesday.

Then due to the weather curtailing any serious outdoor exercise I visit the gym with L. 6k bike, 1k row, a few weights but then only enough time for a 1 mile run as we rush out, coffees in hand, to catch the bus to Derby to replenish lost fluids.

The best thing about the gym session was my new gadget, my new Heart Rate Monitor toy. Which to my utter amazement, the councils gym equipment manages to pick up seamlessly and display my heart rate on their screens. Wow. This moment is worth savouring because it is the one and only time I’ve been impressed in a council gym.

My gadget tells me 'my zone' is 120-141 bpm or something like that but the bike takes it up to 161. The run surprisingly tops this and it goes up to 170. Which seems high but I have a bit in hand, as my limit is 178. I assume this the point at which your body gives out. It’s calculated as 220 minus your age (226 for women).

What does it all mean? I have no idea, I need to Google it.

I continue to mull it all over, with a few beers in my hand, in Derby’s now rather wonderful, Silk Mill.

Fantasy Shuffle Selection: 20 Tracks From 2009

As the final part of my review of the year, I thought I would have a 'fantasy shuffle' selection. A varied selection of 20 tracks that my ipod would pick out on it's own, if it was clever.

Its 20 Tracks From 2009 would probably have looked something like this (in no particular order) :-

Talking Hotel Arbat Blues - Handsome Furs
Some Dresses - Dananananaykroyd
Who Can Say - The Horrors
Only If You Run - Julian Plenti
The Outsiders - Doves
Scheme Eugene - Red Light Company
Reflection Of The Television - Twilight Sad
Place To Hide - White Lies
Multiplayer - The Voluntary Butler Scheme
Devour - Marilyn Manson
Cradle - Joy Formidable
The Fastest Way Back Home - Frank Turner
Shock Horror - The View
Oh! Forever - Brakes
Think Again - The Hours
Crystalised - The XX
Bricks And Mortar - Editors
This Blackest Purse - Why?
Cornerstone - Arctic Monkeys
Little Lion Man - Mumford And Sons

The Smell Of Bacon

The smell of bacon, the sound of Daughter’s vocal chords (still going strong after twelve hours) and the beginnings of a hangover get me up fairly early this morning. After serving notice to the hangers-on from last night’s party, I head off on to the park with the dogs and also fetch the car back from where we left it last night.

When I get back home we still have guests but the last few stragglers finally leave around midday. Son summarises the evening on his Facebook, his post apparently done using the on-screen keyboard because his got damaged mid-party, along with his bed and several other things. A pretty good night he reckons, hmmm.

We stay in for the rest of the day, to dry out and clear up. The amount of empties is staggering; I have a serious amount of glass recycling to do. Meanwhile my hangover appears to be working in reverse and getting steadily worse.

I am thrilled for one Derby County stalwart who has been named in the New Year Honours list and awarded an MBE. Gordon Guthrie has been at Derby for as long as anyone can remember. He certainly appears in every team photo taken since I’ve been supporting the club. Guthrie was formerly on the playing staff but then in the late sixties returned to serve as first second team trainer before becoming the clubs physiotherapist. Consequently he has served under over twenty different managers and was given a testimonial in 1988 for 20 years’ service. He is at the club now as kit manager. Gordon will probably never retire and he probably knows too much for anyone to dare to ask him to leave. If he did ever write his memoirs it would be a very revealing read but it won't happen, he’s not the sort of chap to dish the dirt.

Favourite Albums Of 2009

Third part of my review of the year, my favourite ten albums of the past year.

These are just my personal favourites of course and everyone will have their own opinions but then if we all liked the same thing then the world would be just like one big branch of Tesco, where everyone is told what to like.

There are probably some omissions form this list, just like last year when I missed out on some of the best albums of 2008 simply because no one told me about them.

10. A Balloon Called Moaning - Joy Formidable



A wonderful debut album from the Welsh threesome, with apologies to Matt, the Devonian drummer.

9. Julian Plenti Is Skyscraper - Julian Plenti



Him of Interpol, sounding very Interpol. Not doing much solo that is different from with his band but still doing it rather very well.

8. Sigh No More - Mumford And Sons



Brought to my attention by a sixteen year old with a guitar at a GCSE presentation evening but I'm not too proud to take advice from a teenager.

7. To Lose My Life - White Lies



A bit tired and old hat now, as this stuff harks back to early 2008 and the album would probably have made top three had it been released then. Still good though, now we await new material.

6. In This Light And On This Evening - Editors



Moodier than ever but just as good.

5. Fine Fascination - Red Light Company



Excellent new band on the scene and I guess the award for debut album of the year.

4. Kingdown Of Rust - Doves



In the days of vinyl, you would have kept moving the needle back to the start of side one because side one is awesome, side two less, so but still a welcome return from Doves.

3. Forget The Night Ahead - Twilight Sad



Possibly my discovery of the year, because obviously I fell in love with the pure misery of their lyrics. Sitting somewhere in Scotland between Glasvegas and Frightened Rabbit, they do epic sorrow. A must see live for 2010.

2. Face Control - Handsome Furs



Only a side project for Dan Boeckner and his wife but what a side project. More please.

1. Primary Colours - The Horrors



They dropped the goth parody, they laid bare their influences and they conquered. Excellent.