From Nought to Sixty

Busy few weeks

Firstly my last proper post got my first comment, although not as a comment on the blog, but Mr H did me the honour of an email reply:

Most of my fans are too lazy and fat to be effective stalkers. There are a few pricks out there but most people understand the boundaries and are a pleasure to know.
Try and stay in the latter group!

I'm trying, I'm trying :)

Secondly, as part of a general "improve life" attitude, we replaced our 10 year old mattress. Joy I can now wake up less knackered than when I went to bed and my wife doesn't end under me (not in a good way) due to roll together. I am amazed how much better I feel about all sorts of things since getting it

Then last week my wife and I had a couple of days in Norwich, the kids stayed with Grandma & Granddad and we got a super room deal in a bog standard hotel. The reason for this was we were going to see Chris Addison at the Norwich Playhouse. He was absolutely hilarious, one of my favourite comedians, although I didn't really expect to end up telling the whole theatre about my painful trampolining accident. Highly recommended, also if you've never seen it, see Lab Rats the 1st "grown up" comedy I ever showed my kids, they loved it, I love it, it is a wonderful blend of silly, clever and funny.

Spending a couple of days just wandering around Norwich was nice too, normally we go there with a list of stuff to do/buy but it was genuinely pleasant to just meander, visiting old haunts and hang outs (mainly cake shops and restaurants). TYSIC additional: must spend more time doing things like this, both with my wonderful wife and even, sometimes, with the kids :)

I failed to get "Joy Division Oven Gloves" to no6 despite getting my employees to make it available on the site, but No56 is (I think) HMHB's highest ever chart position

I then got a bit fed up at the prospect of the general election and the results, but am enough of a political nerd to override that and once again get interested. I genuinely fret that the Tories seem likely to win, but am also pissed off with Labour's lack of ambition and it is hard to remember than amid the shit they've thrown at us (War, DEbill, Civil liberty erosions, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. ) they have done some cool stuff it is just very hard to remember what.

Finally, Mark's latest blog entry reminded me that I've never seen the northern lights, more specifically I've never taken my wife to see the Northern Lights, something I have promised and will add now to my TYSIC goals

Oh and I found this and laughed like a drain for far too long:

So there I was last week, recovering from the Vasectomy. I worked from home on Thursday and even went into the Office on Friday. All was well and as part of my new “enjoying it” attitude I had put the week off to good use

Well, I watched some DVDs J:

• Time Gentlemen Please: Fab in places, good in the rest, you can smell the Herring
• Milton Jones: Live Universe Tour - Part 1: Earth: Superb, I love comedy I can watch with my kids and this was great, just a series of jokes.  But funny, very very funny.
• Robin Ince is as Dumb as you: very very good, I really warmed to Mr Ince seeing this

And read some books:

• "Day By Day Armageddon" by J L Bourne: An enjoyable Zombie end of the world journal, will seek out the sequel when it arrives
• "Fear The Worst" by Linwood Barclay: a so so thriller read as part of my work's book club (full review to come as part of the deal)

What I wasn't able to was concentrate on my daily blog, or walk anywhere, or have any personal dignity.

It was OK,

Uncomfortable

but OK

Saturday I awoke in pain which got worse and worse and it soon became apparent I had an infection of one of the bits you really don’t want to get infected after a vasectomy.

Still at least it was only one of them and the swelling was impressive.  The emergency out of hours Doc put me on horsepill antibiotics & painkillers and am now again in a position to go back to work tomorrow.

Luckily the pain didn’t driven me to guy-who-did-my-vasectomy-cide and all seems well now

Hey ho

Don't know why I think this is worth a post, but at least I'm back writing

Stewart Lee "if you prefer a milder comedian please ask for one"
The Junction Cambridge: 8th March 2010

Stewart Lee is one of my favourite comedians, would this show be as good as his previous ones, (either seen live, or purchased from his back catalogue at GoFasterStripe?

Well hardly a surprise to find that of course it would

Support today was provided by Wilson Dixon a country music parody character similar to Rich Hall's Otis Lee Crenshaw See This Post for some more details.  Then the main event

Like Mr Lee himself, I'd never seen the Junction2 in its "extended format" but hopefully this is a sign that the TV series has re-raised his profile in a good way. Certainly from ear-wigging in the lobby I ascertained that there were a good number of people there who had not seen him live before. This contrasts favourably with the last two times I have seen him perform when it has basically been an audience of fervent comedy nerds, such as yours truly, in nowhere near full venues, and he deserves to be seen and everyone deserves to see him.

Unusually he takes the stage to loud music, flashing lights and a misplaced swirl of smoke but this is just a "failed" attempt to be like "one of those Russell comedians they have now days" which leads nicely into a statement of intent, he is not Michael MacIntyre "unlike him I don't actually care about your life" and as the show is being performed twice tonight orders us to be quick so he can fit in the second show.

He runs through a number of targets, Frankie Boyle, advancing middle age, Top gear and a certain cider campaign and left me giggling uncontrollably for most of the show before ending on a (surprisingly well done) song as captured by someone at another venue:

Before rushing off, presumably for a 10 minute lie down before doing it all again, which denied us in the first audience his usual post gig chit chat, which was a shame

J

Do try and catch the show while its still touring

OK, I saw Wilson Dixon supporting Stewart Lee the other night