Review of 2016

The summary of my ever diminishing blog posts for 2016 (and some other things that I haven’t posted but which would be worth noting)… as ever please note this is only to help me remember things I really don’t know why anyone else would be interested.  Previously 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015…

The blog originally included a lot more about what I did or thought, now it is mainly ‘reviews’ of books read and only really so that I can look back and be prompted which one is which since in general I read fast paced thrillers which are more or less the same… go figure :-/

 

MOVIES (cinema)

• May: Florence Foster Jenkins
• Oct: Stormy Weather

Events (anything significant to remember)

• 24 Aug:  Lewis first day at Nursery
• 3 Nov: Rachel born

Cycling (new to 2016 now I have Garmin and record things)

• 2016 totals:
  247 rides
  126 hours
  1415.5 miles
  41,270 ft gainRides worth recording:
• 11 Sept:  Pedal for Scotland Glasgow to Edinburgh
  — 45miles — 3hr 25 (moving time) — 4hr 17 (total time)
  — 1600 ft gained — 13mph average speed — 30mph fastest speed

BOOKS read this year….

• Jan: Michael Connelly “The Closer”
• Jan: Michael Connelly “The Lincoln Lawyer”
• Jan: Michael Connelly “Echo Park”
• Jan: Michael Connelly “The Overlook”
• Feb: Michael Connelly “The Brass Verdict”
• Feb: Michael Connelly “The Scarecrow”
• Feb: Michael Connelly “9 Dragons”
• Feb: Michael Connelly “The Reversal”
• March: Michael Connelly “The Drop”
• March: Michael Connelly “The Black Box”
• April: Michael Connelly “The Fifth Witness”
• April: Michael Connelly “The Burning Room”
• May: Michael Connelly “The Crossing”
• June: Haig Gordon “Tales of the Kirkcudbright Artists”
• June: John Sandford “Rules of Prey”
• July: John Sandford “The Fool’s Run”
• July: John Sandford “Shadow Prey”
• July: Jo Nesbo “The Bat”
• August: Robert Crais “The Monkey’s Raincoat”
• August: Robert Crais “Stalking the Angel”
• August: Robert Crais “Lullaby Town”
• Sept: Robert Crais “Free Fall”
• Sept: Robert Crais “Voodoo River”
• Sept: Robert Crais “Sunset Express”
• Oct: Robert Crais “Indigo Slam”
• Oct: Robert Crais “L.A. Requiem”
• Nov: Robert Crais “Demolition Angel”
• Nov: Robert Crais “Hostage”
• Nov: Robert Crais “The Last Detective”
• Nov: Robert Crais “The Forgotten Man”
• Dec: Robert Crais “The Two Minute Rule”
• Dec: Robert Crais “The Watchman”
• Dec: Robert Crais “Chasing Darkness”
• Dec: Robert Crais “The First Rule”

Holidays…

• March: Center Parks (just us)
• April: Center Parks (Cheung clan)
• April: Crieff Hydro
• July: Isle of Lewis

Other Highlights:

• Jan: Car was stolen
• Feb: Got a new car
• March: Danar 40!
• April: lots of Holidays
• July: last ever CLAN Gathering
• July: Michael’s Wedding
• Sept: Pedal for Scotland
• Nov: Daughter born !
• Dec: Danar moved from iPhone to Android :-0

Youtube uploads:

• August: Balance Bike Adventure
• November: Little Sister’s first trip out
• December: Meudail air an iasg, Lucy Cousins (Gaelic book)
• December: Cò a chuir am bàta fodha?, Pamela Allen (Gaelic book)

Running Totals:

• 2009 – 23 books – 6 Movies – 4 gigs/events
• 2010 – 33 books – 13 Movies – 10 gigs/events – 6 meals – 4 holidays
• 2011 – 18 books – 2 Movies – 3 gigs/events – 1 meals – 3 holidays
• 2012 – 16 books – 7 Movies – 3 gigs/events – 3 meals – 4 holidays
• 2013 – 8 books – 2 Movies – 0 gigs/events – 1 meals – 2 holidays – 1 Son
• 2014 – 1 books – 3 Movies – 2 gigs/events – 4 holidays
• 2015 – 18 books – 2 Movies – 2 gigs/events – 3 holidays – 6 videos
• 2016 – 34 books – 2 Movies – 1 events – 4 holidays – 4 videos – 1 daughter

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Review of 2015

Previously: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014.   Now for the summary of my ever diminishing blog posts for 2015 (this is becoming just a place to note down books and movies)… as ever please note this is only to help me remember things I really don’t know why anyone else would be interested:

MOVIES (cinema)

• Nov: The Program
• Dec: Specter

Gigs, Events & Theater

• Jan: Scripture Union weekend (my first)
• July: CLAN (in Largs)

BOOKS read this year….

• Jan: Peter May “The Lewis Man”
• Feb: Richard Grady “One Day Ahead: A Tour de France Misadventure”
• March: “Mystery Writers of America Presents: Vengeance”
• May: Michael Connelly “The Black Echo”
• June: Michael Connelly “The Black Ice”
• June: Lee Child “Personal” (Jack Reacher 19)
• July: Michael Connelly “The Concrete Blonde”
• Aug: Michael Connelly “The Last Coyote”
• Aug: Michael Connelly “Trunk Music”
• Sep: Michael Connelly “Angels Flight”
• Sep: Michael Connelly “A Darkness More Than Night”
• Oct: Michael Connelly “The Poet”
• Nov: Michael Connelly “Blood Work”
• Nov: Michael Connelly “Void Moon”
• Nov: Michael Connelly “City Of Bones”
• Nov: Michael Connelly “Chasing the Dime”
• Dec: Michael Connelly “Lost Light”
• Dec: Michael Connelly “The Narrows”

Holidays…

• March: Ribby Hall
• Aug: Isle of Lewis
• Sept: Crieff Hydro

Other Highlights:

• Jan: Weekend in Dunoon celebrating Ross’s 40th
• April: Son turned 2, talks, sings, likes to sleep beside me, is great fun!
• May: Got the garden fixed up
• July: 2 Year of Cycling to Work
• August: Started Gaelic Saturday club – trying to learn a new language
• Sept: 2 Years of condensed 4 day week to have Monday’s with Lewis

Youtube uploads:

• March:  Lewis finds a feather
• April: Lewis meets his shadow
• May: Garden upgrade
• Jul: Scooting in the park
• Aug: Kite Flying
• Nov: Dressing a toddler

Running Totals:

• 2009 – 23 books – 6 Movies – 4 gigs/events
• 2010 – 33 books – 13 Movies – 10 gigs/events – 6 meals – 4 holidays
• 2011 – 18 books – 2 Movies – 3 gigs/events – 1 meals – 3 holidays
• 2012 – 16 books – 7 Movies – 3 gigs/events – 3 meals – 4 holidays
• 2013 – 8 books – 2 Movies – 0 gigs/events – 1 meals – 2 holidays – 1 Son
• 2014 – 1 books – 3 Movies – 2 gigs/events – 4 holidays
• 2015 – 18 books – 2 Movies – 2 gigs/events – 3 holidays – 6 videos

Theater: Wicked

I love live shows!  From a school production to a KISS stadium show, I just love the act of humans coming together to create something at a specific time and place.  No matter how rehearsed and managed a live show is each time it is performed it is unique.  Last Wednesday I was reminded just how much I love live shows by going to see Wicked in the Kings Theater, Glasgow.

We bought these tickets over a year ago, and to be honest I wasn’t that bothered about seeing this particular show.  I knew it was the back story of the Witches of Oz, but other than that I hadn’t paid much attention to Wicked in all the years it has existed on Broadway and around the world.  But I do like live shows!

The Kings is an excellent theater and when you take your seats the stage curtain is a map of Oz with a glowing Emerald City at its center, above the stage is a massive mechanical dragon since the whole story could be said to take place in flashback inside the “Clock of the Time Dragon”.

From the opening number it was obvious that a big part of the evening would be the sound.  I know a little bit about sound engineering (really not being modest – just a little bit) enough to be aware of how technically difficult theater sound can be.  The sound at Wicked was unbelievable!  The balance between orchestra and actors was perfect, not a single line or note was missed, the music was powerful when needed or simple, quiet and unobtrusive, the performances from everyone on stage, and behind the scenes was incredible.

Having ignored this musical never thinking I would see it I was intrigued by how exactly it would fit into the plot of the Wizard of Oz, I thought that it was very cleverly woven together with that story, so intertwined that now that we know the story of Wicked, the Wizard of Oz makes a lot more sense.  It is (sort of like) watching Fight Club once you know the big twist at the end – the same story but you can see it from a totally different point of view.

Wicked was fantastic.  Brilliantly performed, staged and produced.  A very good night out!

 

Review of 2012

Following reviews of 2011, 2010, and 2009… here is the summary of my blog posts this year… please note this is only to help me remember things I really don’t know why anyone else would be interested:

GIGS, EVENTS & THEATER…

• Feb: All New People
• May: Bill Bailey at Dunoon’s Queens Hall
• Nov: The Idiot Bastard Band

MOVIES (cinema)

• Jan: The Artist
• Feb: Casablanca
• June: The Angels’ Share
• June: A Royal Affair
• August: Brave
• November: Skyfall
• December: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Movies (home, but for some reason significant)

• Jan: The Adjustment Bureau
• May: Hugo
• July: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

RESTAURANTS, blogged about (I don’t blog about every restaurant anymore)…

• March: The Ivy Bar
• May: Browns
• Nov: The Ivy Bar (now known as Distill)

BOOKS read this year….

• Jan: Mark Kermode “The Good, The Bad and The Multiplex”
• Feb: Jack Higgins “The Valhalla Exchange”
• Feb: Simon Kernick “The Murder Exchange”
• March: Rachel Abbott “Only the Innocent”
• April: Suzanne Collins “The Hunger Games”
• June: Tom Rob Smith “Child 44″
• July: Suzanne Collins “Catching Fire”
• July: Dan Brown “The Lost Symbol”
• August: Richard Foss “Rum A Global History”
• September: David Baldacci “Zero Day”
• September: Terry Pratchett “Snuff”
• October: David Baldacci “The Innocent”
• October: Suzanne Collins “Mockingjay”
• November: Lee Child “A Wanted Man”
• December: Stuart Woods “Loitering with Intent”
• December: Stuart Woods “Strategic Movies”

Holidays…

• April: Blair Atholl
• July: CLANkidz
• September: Lagos, Portugal
• October: Rochester trip for Mark’s wedding, (it was a short trip but still a bit of a holiday)

Other Highlights:

• July: we discovered we were going to have a baby – announced after the first scan in September.

Running Totals:

• 2009 – 23 books – 6 Movies – 4 gigs
• 2010 – 33 books – 13 Movies – 10 gigs – 6 restaurants – 4 holidays
• 2011 – 18 books – 2 Movies – 3 gigs – 1 restaurants – 3 holidays
• 2012 – 16 books – 7 Movies – 3 gigs – 3 restaurants – 4 holidays

food: The Ivy Bar (now known as Distill)

update 14/12/2012: now known as Distill (probably a name change brought on by this lot)

 

This is my favourite restaurant in Glasgow!

Tonight D and I went along, and shared a beef burger and Felafel burger, they were both absolutely fantastic!  I’m not sure what spiced up the beef burger but every mouthful was a delight.  The burgers were served with chips and side salad but really just saying that doesn’t do it justice.  The chips were hand cut and perfectly fried, salty and not the slightest bit greasy or overdone.  The ‘side salad’ was an exciting mix of leaves, beet, peas, etc.  and just enough to add to the disk and not overpower it.  While the burgers were more than adequate we decided to try a pudding simply for the sake of completeness and went for sticky toffy pudding – this was the best sticky toffee pudding I have ever tasted perhaps with the exception of the Downe’s Sticky Toffy pudding that I must try again just to make sure :-)

I do think the Ivy doesn’t have the most welcoming entrance (from Argyle Street) , with big heavy dark doors, and once in at first it appears to be a bar.  But as you move through to the back (or come in the other door from Kelvingrove Street) the small restaurant areas is very comfortable with dark lighting and chill/funky music at a decent level but not distractingly loud.

All that aside, the reason I discovered this place was a recommendation from the guys at The Good Spirit Company because this bar boasts around 100 different Rums and has staff who know what they are talking about when it comes to Rum!

Tonight, I started with a Cuban classic cocktail “El Presidente” (made with Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva, which is a fantastic rum on its own!).  At the end of the meal I asked for some advice on another rum to have, had a short conversation for the waiter to figure out what I have tried and enjoyed, then he brought three bottles over to discuss and choose from. I was very very pleased with the Foursquare 66 I ended up with – straight to the top of my wish list of Rums to buy!

movie: The Angels’ Share

I’m not a big fan of Ken Loach style ‘social drama’ but with this movie, as the Independent review said “There is violence and deprivation but, for once, Loach provides a way out.”  The plot (and no spoilers will happen in this review) revolves around Robbie, who narrowly escapes jail because he is about to become a father and instead is given community service.  However Robbie’s resolution to turn his life around for the sake of his son isn’t easy when his partner’s father is a hard man who doesn’t want him around and that isn’t the only person literally after his blood.

Robbie is helped out by a Whisky loving social worker (excellently played by John Henshaw) who gives him a chance and introduces him to the world of Whiskey tasting.  From there the question is whether Robbie and his palls can find an escape from their circumstances.

Loach is quoted as saying there is a serious subtext to the film “At a time when youth unemployment has reached record levels, youngsters such as Robbie are being written off.”  However the subtext that struck me much more was the social division within different areas of Glasgow that was shown when Robbie and his girlfriend are offered a flat in the West End which is ‘a million miles away’ from the crashing with mates that he has been doing up till then.

But cinema is about entertainment and this movie had more laughs than shocks.  The Angel’s Share is being compared with classic Ealing Comedies such as Whiskey Galore, the Ladykillers and the Lavender Hill Mob and I really think this is one that will stand the test of time and be a pleasure to watch again and again.  There are some scenes of violence near the begining and a lot of swearing (certificate 15 is a bit surprising IMHO), but the clever story, slapstick humour and heartwarming comradeship shines through and makes this a very special story.

I’m not sure I’ve said this before about any film, but I kind of hope there is a sequel because I want to know what happens to these characters.

Food: Ivy Bar Glasgow

playing catchup here since we went to the Ivy last Saturday, but better late than never:  the Ivy Bar (as it seems to be called, rather than ‘the Ivy’)  is on the corner of Argyle Street and Kelvingrove Street … in Finnieston – which seems to be the up and coming area of Glasgow for trendy bars and restaurants. It has been recommended to me various times now as the best selection of Rums in Glasgow. It turns out they claim to have the largest selection of Rum outside of London with around 90 different varieties on offer.  However, lets start with the meal.

We really didn’t know what to expect of the place as it looks like a very modern bar with a restaurant section towards the back and I’m not sure what their focus is on – food or drink.  The menu content was basically chicken, steak, burgers & fish and chips, but obviously described in a nice, fashionable way…”Beer battered coley fillet and chips with mushy peas, lemon and tartare” for example.  However when the food did arrived we were very pleased with the standard of everything on offer.  D had a steak while I had the fish(above), both dishes were superb and not too extortionate and we shared a gorgeous sticky-toffee-pudding to finish.

We both had cocktails with our meal a Mai Tai:
Angostura Bitters, Myers Jamaican rum, Appleton’s V/X Jamaican rum, Santa Teresa Orange Venezuelan rhum, raisins, fresh pineapple, salted caramel, house orgeat and fresh lime juice
and an El Presidente:
Diplimatico Exclusiva Venezuelan rum, Carpano Antica vermouth, Merlet triple sec, house grenadine

Towards the end of the meal I finally made my way to the bar to ask for a recommended Rum.  This process started by me telling them of a few that I liked and then I had a sniff of a few bottles.  The nicest smelling turned out to be £12/shot, so I had to miss that out this time around but instead had its 12 year old cousin “XM Millennium” Rum from Guyana.  Which I discovered when I got home was the same rum I selected as my favourite at the rum tasting last year!

Suffice to say I can highly recommend the Ivy’s food, selection of Rums, friendly service and knowledgeable bar staff who will help you find just the right Rum for you!