Easter

Ain't it grand Easter ? I love this time of year. You've got through the down of post Xmas, the nights have drawn out, and, if you stand out of the wind, the Sun has a gentle warming.

I've noticed that, during the day the wind still has an echo and bite of Winter. But, in the early evening, past about 4, it dies away completely and the Sun is still high enough for it's warmth to penetrate the clearing skies. It makes for a lovely end to the day, a cup of tea, maybe a glass of Wine, and a cigarette to wish the Sun adieu until He vanishes beyond the horizon.

Then, because of the prevailing conditions, the night is clear and crisp; maybe a frost(*) to come, but the air is so pure and clean that you just can't help but feel alive and vital as it cuts through your sinews.

Truly, a magnificent time.

Also, I love seeing the Rabbits. Driving through the countryside this time of year, the hordes gather on the grass verges, the Cricket Pitches and any other available strip of grass. Some unfortunate casualties lay by the roadside, But you get the impression that here's one species revelling in the renewal of the World, their little white tales bouncing and bounding in all directions.

Tadpoles too; look in any Pond, there will be masses of them. Some will provide food for the hungry birds, now making their nests to lay their next generation. But there are so many that their sheer weight of numbers will guarantee the survival of their line.

Finally, the Cricket season starts too. And we know then that it will only be a few short weeks until the sun is beating down, the atmosphere is stifling, and England are playing Australia for The Ashes.

Oh, and don't forget The Masters golf !!!

What a wonderful time of year :-)

Bloody marvellous

Hello Blog

Hello Blog, it's me again. I've been neglecting you, so allow me to make amends.

So, the world of Bert has been a bit of strange one of late. Generally, I've been acting like a complete arse, saying things I should never have said and doing things I should never have done to people that I should never have said and done it to and who didn't deserve it.

It's got me in a compete fix and tizzy, no word of a lie. Also, some weird sort of self perpetuating downward spiral seems to be operating, as if in some kind of temporal vortex where I never learn from my mistakes and am doomed to repeat them. A kind of slasher Groundhog Day if you will.

There's a saying; if you always keep doing the same things, you'll get what you've always got.

Or something. You get my drift.

So, I'm trying to put break free of my vortex, trying to fix what I can fix, if that is indeed possible, or at least let people see I'm trying. It remains to be seen whether that will even go a little way to repairing the damage I've done.

In my defence, I think the whole redundancy thing has stopped me thinking straight, gnawing away at me like an unseen cancer.

That said, some hopeful signs are emerging. This week, I went to see my outplacement consultant in Ye Olde Londone Towne. Very much looking forward to making the most of this service and the opportunities it might present. Plus, it gets me out of my surroundings, all of which have become uniformly depressing. I dread the day in the office, but also don't feel "at home" either. I can't wait for bedtime to come, just so I can get some rest from all the noises in my head. And then, when I wake up, just feel like curling into a ball and not emerging, longing for the safety of sleep.

I always do though. Get up I mean.

So, applied for a job in the Sunday Times and heard from the Agency today. They're interested, so off to London again to have a chat and then prepare for an assessment centre. So, I know I need to get my head into the right place to stand any chance of performing to my potential and capability.

There's also the Easter break coming up, which will give me an opportunity to clear some space. Always my favourite break, Easter.

Something else to look forward to is the Tinyfish/Reasoning gig at the Peel on 23 April, which I'm off to. There's a few special things lined up for that, and I'm looking forward to meeting up with some of my Frost*ie friends, for laughter, frolics and beer. Note to self - keep away from the "fighting" lager !

So, that's about it really. Looking forward to the re-emergence of the old Bert and return to a more positive state of affairs.

And to any of the people I've pissed off, I really am totally and utterly 100% sorry and I thank you for your patience and love.

That's all for now.