2016 - Year of the fascist

Well, it's nearly over. And, frankly, good riddance. From losing my local (and, potentially, at least, my boy with it) to Farage and Brexit to K going to uni (although, of course, that's a good thing, in absolute terms) to, most benightedly of all, Trump and his proposed cabinet of fascists and warmongers, it's been shit. It makes me wonder how 2017 could be worse, but with far right bigots, cheered on by their religious hangers-on, setting the political agenda, it probably will be. But in spite of all that, I'd like to wish you all a happy and healthy New Year, even if I don't expect either for myself.

Love & best wishes to all
Sammy B

Sums it all up

The first phone call I've received over the 'festive period' - I did speak to my brother on Christmas Day, but I had to ring him to facilitate the contact - happened about an hour and a half ago, and it was a wrong number, albeit from someone I know. It just serves to underline the fact that, apart from K, no-one in 'meatspace' could care less whether I live or die. And why should they, when the list of 'non-carers' includes me?

Love & best wishes to all
Sammy B

Season's greetings

I don't really 'do Christmas' anymore, but my curmudgeon status notwithstanding, I'd like to wish everyone the compliments of the season. I hope your festive day brings all you would wish for yourselves. Meanwhile K and I will set about slobbing around, eating and drinking too much - we've just begun with Buck's Fizz for brunch, so you can probably tell what sort of day it's going to be!

Love & best wishes to all
Sammy B

A most welcome face from the past

K arrived back from her stay with her mum this afternoon, and we decided to go out for our evening meal, to the nicer of the two Wetherspoons I now use most regularly. All very pleasant, but on the way back we needed to call into the supermarket more or less opposite where my old local was, to round off the Christmas grocery shopping (a mission we accomplished, fortunately - shopping on Christmas Eve is absolutely no fun at all!). As we meandered around the shop, I caught sight of someone I recognised -  one of the regulars from the former pub. A few seconds later, though, that moment of recognition was eclipsed by another - his son. The boy was always a cutie, and the passage of nearly a year, bringing him much closer to my AoA, hasn't diminished that impression at all. Only a fleeting moment, but nonetheless a welcome early Christmas present.

Love & best wishes to all
Sammy B

Incitement to violence

I've mentioned this arsehole before in my blog, as he appears all too often in another blog I read daily. But what he's said on this occasion simply makes me wish I could drag him from in front of his computer, take him to the nearest convenient open space, and kick him to death.
On the other hand, kudos beyond measure to Avery's parents, to not stand in the way of her being herself, when many (particularly religious) parents would have opted for some kind of hideously abusive 'reparative therapy'.

Love & best wishes to all
Sammy B

The girl is back in town!

K got back from uni for the Christmas break yesterday, after I'd left for work, unfortunately, but it didn't take long before we began catching up, talking for two hours late last night after I'd arrived home. Then this morning, we've had one of our very occasional weekend brunch fry-ups, and very nice (and heavily slanted towards carnivory!) it was, too. My girl will be off on her travels again tomorrow, going to spend a few pre-Christmas days with her mum, but she'll be back on Friday, and here for the following two weeks or so. I know I've got to get used to her not being around as she moves further into adulthood, but I can't help feeling that the flat seems 100 times more like home when K is in it.

Love & best wishes to all
Sammy B

Transformational

The BBC News Channel is on in the pub, and while I was at the bar just now, I saw some Trump mouthpiece describe his paymaster as a 'transformational president'. Yeah, transforming the world into a fossil fuel poisoned, if not nuclear weapon destroyed, wasteland. Thanks a lot, (most) white American voters.

Love & best wishes to all
Sammy B