I’m currently dog sitting my little Labrador/retriever buddy Coco. This beautiful lady, who’s as I write quietly gazes back at me with her head propped on an easy chair arm, has thankfully just granted my lugholes some respite. My ears close to bleeding after the raucously excitable bark she emitted whilst going out for a…
Month: February 2021
Shoot That Metaphorical Arrow
Upon entering the living room in Chez Strachan on the morning of 14th February, I was greeted by an unexpected audible ping. With it being Valentines Day, the poet within me romanticised this aural distraction may’ve emanating from Cupid’s bow string. Its source the forceful triggering an arrow in my direction; a gesture of amour…
Blackbird Envy
Looking aimlessly through the lounge bay window my gaze is drawn to a brood of blackbirds perching on a garden fence. Not having to observe coronavirus social distancing protocols, or adorn the face coverings which’ve been a year long scourge of human existence, these feathered friends appear in chirpy spirits. Currently, they appear to gaze…
True or False?
Via the conduit of Zoom, yesterday I partook in an esprit filled quiz evening with six buddies from the north east of England. This ‘Magnificent Seven’ (including yours truly) contributing rounds of inquisitions covering subjects such as geography, music, alcohol, movies, Fred Dinage’s barnet and football. In between two of the rounds, this entertainment feast…
One Man’s Trash
Is it me or have Amazon started using a one size fits all cardboard box to package purchases pre-shipping. I maybe imagining this, however it seems to me that whether you order a TV, watch or book of stamps, the same large packaging appears to be delivered to your door. For smaller items brown sheets…
Up For The Cup
A few days back, in the narrative Adieu To Grandad Jack’s Ladders, I relayed the tale of chucking a 53 year old set of step ladders into a skip. This garbage receptacle hired for use in a purge a multitude of items garage in situ. These steps, which’d been my paternal grandfathers elevation aids, hadn’t…
Pigeon English
Overnight, during a particularly disturbing slumber, my night visions incorporated scenes of being imprisoned in a Turkish jail, similar to that experienced by Billy Hayes in 1978 movie Midnight Express. Unlike the character played by Brad Davis who attempted to smuggle hashish out of Turkey, though, my misdemeanour causing deprivation of liberty was smuggling Pontefract…
Customer is King?
Six days after my central heating boiler started leaking, today an engineer is at last attending casa Strachan to (hopefully) repair the dripping box. Consequential of warranty red tape, ie the installer not sending it to the appliance manufacturer, the progress of securing a gas fitters service has been sloth like. Sadly, the swiftness companies…