Pages

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Today...

Today was a good day.

Let me explain in words... I don't have any pics... so I am going to use bullets:
  • Porridge for breakfast
  • Went to the Motherwell Library and borrowed a book of speeches from Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr and some CDs - Hail to the Thief / Airbag / Blue Album & Tutto Mozart from Radiohead / Orbital and Bryn Terfel respectively.
  • Olly made a fab cooked breakfast for lunch.
  • Olly dropped me off near the station and I fought through an Orange Walk parade to get to my train.
  • While on the train, a neighbouring passenger who heard my complaining to Olly on the phone said "empty vessels make the loudest noise" and we had a chat about marching. I believe in the right to march - as a celebration and as a protest - but I don't believe in the Orange Walks and would ban them as a celebration of hatred.
  • While on the train, I read Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr's first speech... regarding the Montgomery bus boycott and was inspired.
  • I got to Glasgow and walked from Argyle Street station to the Apple Store... where I spoke to a Concierge and booked my appointment with a Genius.
  • I then walked (listening to WOLFMOTHER on my iPod) to the Centre for Contemporary Arts to see the Catherine Yass installation "High Wire" which was interesting but left me wanting more.
  • I popped into TKMaxx on the way back but nothing inspired me - I am too fat for a "Members Only" jacket.
  • I walked down Sauchiehall Street (listening to LCD SOUND SYSTEM) and then onto Buchanan Street marveling at the diversity of people ::
    • guys with skinny jeans and ironic tee-shirts
    • girls with fab tattoos
    • girls with spikey hair and piercings
    • guys with Guy Fawlkes masks
    • Communists with a stall beside Muslims with a stall... both giving away their truth
    • Big Issues salespeople alongside Socialist Worker salespeople
    • Preachers alongside Falun Gong anti-Chinese protesters
    • Buskers with guitars beside "chuggers" looking for donations
  • I then grabbed a Chai Latte in the Starbucks next to American Apparel (where the cool wee bar Room used to be). I read "No Logo" (listening to a AEROTONE compilation)
  • At 4pm I met with the Genius who tested my power cable and found it to be working. Felt embarrassed.
  • I headed home (listening to SIMON AND GARFUNKEL)... reading more from "No Logo" on the train... enduring folks awful ringtones and claustrophobic seating preferences.
  • Got picked up by Olly, Janey and Dayna. Headed over to Janey's where Olly was doing some gardening.
  • Sat out of the way and read from my RSS feeds.
  • Got fish and chips for everyone with Janey.
  • Watched Doctor Who and loved every minute of it. Classic!
  • Headed home with Olly, Dayna and Miriam.
  • Panicked as my laptop powercable wouldn't work in the house. Eventually "rebooted" our mains electricity to get it working - weird.
  • Had a bath. Read more from "No Logo".
  • Pottered about. Uploading music to iTunes and emailing/twittering/reading etc.
I'm off to bed now. The house is quiet. Everyone is sleeping and I am tired. Just thought I'd share my day.

I love the following:
  • My wife, Olly.
  • My family (esp. Dayna and Miriam) and friends
  • Glasgow - its amazingly vibrant!
  • Apple - Service was great, although I had to wait.
  • Reading.
  • Listening to music.
  • Chai Lattes.
  • Sunny days.
  • Fish and chips / cooked breakfasts / cups of tea!
I don't love the following:
  • Celebrations of hate.
  • Cramped seating arrangements.
  • Standard ringtones.
That's enough bullets for one day.

6 comments:

  1. Sounds like a lovely day, friend. A bit more interesting than mine - all I've done is clean house in anticipation of Matt's move and bike to the record store.

    Which Simon and Garfunkel were you listening to?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sorry, but whats an "orange parade"?

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a nice audit of your day...reminds me to do it during good and bad times

    I have never really come across the sectarianism you describe....it's sad that ancient and old battles are still being fought

    I have a standard ringtone...and I'm proud (",)...anyway on a train phones should be on silent vibrate...I wish I had a signal blocker to use on my commute

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for the comments...

    @Kerry - A greatest hits compilation that kicks off with my fave "the sound of silence".

    @Jason - read this :: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orangemen's_Day

    Its basically a triumphalist march by Protestant pretenders who celebrate an old victory and their hatred of Catholics. If they were true Christians then they would understand the words of 1st John 4: 20&21.

    "If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."

    @Darrin - signal blockers sound like a good idea! I am horrified that planes will accept phonecalls soon.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I always thought it was a parade of oranges! ;-))

    ReplyDelete
  6. @Johnny... hahaha... if only, my friend, if only!

    ReplyDelete