Anna my Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9LBbgYR4zE

I thought you did say 'less is more' ?

Lighten up, man...

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That's what he said to me - Hector - when I challenged him about the sleeping arrangements at Chez nous. 'I have needs - she has needs, so get real.'

I have also been exhorted to chill out. And, on one occasion urged to let it all hang out.

Where do all these expressions come from? America, I suppose. Still, you have to admit they are expressive, graphic; they do the job effectively, succinctly. And what more could one ask of language?

Perhaps I am just jealous of Hector - not just his command of the vernacular, but his command of Mrs Bulstrode. 

Anyway, it's raining - and I have to get my own breakfast.

George

Rent A Cause

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Let's join a Cause, Anna.

I'm feeling a bit pissed-off and I'm sure someone's to blame, somewhere.

I'm not fussy about which Cause: It could be one where you want to stop something from happening; or one where you want to 'save' something (or somebody); or a really grand one where you want to start your own religion or your own state - or both.

The advantage of a Cause is that you can get away with anything as long as it's 'for the Cause'; (As one political 'radical' put it to me: the end dictates the means.  Behaviour that normally would  be termed anti-social, immoral or even  downright criminal is now judged only by it's expediency in furthering the aims of 'the Cause'. You can get away with murder - literally.

Do you have to be a fanatic before you join a Cause? Or does joining automatically confer fanatic status upon you?

I haven't got time to go into the niceties of this question, Anna. When in furtherance of a Cause you have to act decisively; none of this shilly-shallying over philosophical questions.

'After the revolution, the first to go are the old intellectuals'. Not only do you no longer need them - they are downright dangerous.

But wait - I've just had a better idea: Why not start our own cause? I am sure we would attract the disaffected masses, looking for somewhere to focus their angst - and their energy.

We could have some car stickers printed: Save The Ferret; Independence for Swindon; Back to Basics (we needn't be specific about what 'basics' we want to get back to - that's the beauty of this one: people could fill in their own 'basics'.

So what do you think, Anna? There may even be some money in it; not that I am interested in money - but every Cause needs funds!

Let's man the barricades.

George

Less is more? Here's the shortest verse I have written.

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Responsibility


It was down to me
And Jimmy McPhee -
But Jimmy McPhee
Had gone for a pee -
So in the end, it was down to me.

YES

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I think you may be right, Anna.

Perhaps less is more.

George

I think we are maybe doing it too often - the dancing. Maybe we should be learning to crawl before we can walk, as English idiom goes.

Also maybe blog is too often.

I do not wish to sound a desponding note but sometimes a change is as good as a nod to a horse of a different colour.

What do you say?

Anna

If you must split hairs...

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Ok. So I was assitant deep-sea diver. I worked for a small company responsible for anchoring some of the first wind- turbines off the North-Wales coast.  My job was to lower the diver and bring him up - slowly, so as to prevent the 'bends'. I was also responsible for operating and maintaining the pump supplying him with air. I did my job so well that he never got the bends and was always properly supplied with air. This meant he was never off work, and because they only had the one suit I never got a chance to go down below. In the end I got bored, and left.

A scooter would be great - I like the idea. There is just the question of money!

Yes, tonight for the dancing. I will meet you at the usual place. By the way, you haven't got a spare tenner have you? Hector has just bummed £10 off me to take Mrs B out for a drink. You see, that's my trouble - too generous by half.

Anyway, let us shelve fiscal matters and take to the floor!

George

When were you the deep-sea diver, Georgie? This I have not heard before.

And also I wish to say I am proud of one's career in the adult film industry. Always my work (directed by brother Sven) is tasteful - and beautifully lit.

You must not listen to your awful half-of-a- brother. He is not to be trusted - he has tried it out with me in the past as you know - and has some dirty habits.

Yes, Thursday will be good idea. I have arranged for my friend Monica to stand up for me in the bar. Also Dave has offered to give me a ride on his scooter (even though new it is called a 'retro' scooter, which means it is designed on past nostalgic lines.) It is a handsome machine and I think it would be good idea for us to purchase such a scooter to explore English countryside. What do you say about this idea?

Looking forward to experiencing exciting thrum of powerful motor between one's legs.

Anna

The trouble with husbands

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'The trouble with husbands is, they are so possessive.' 

That's my brother (half brother) Hector talking. He arrived here last night on his motorbike - panniers stuffed to bursting and a huge rucksack on his back. He's on the run again.

Mrs Bulstrode has given him the room over the garage - for a couple of nights only, so she says. You know how she fancies him.  She's let him park his motorbike in the potting shed - there's no room in the garage; she has all her home-brewing equipment in there now. My own bike has been relegated to the coal house - empty of coal, but hardly the place to house a 'classic' bike.

Hector was having a look at the blog and he suggested we should have a 'political column' and - get this! - because I am 'politically naive' he would write it himself. What a cheek!

Yes, is it not amazing that we are doing the dancing. I mean, both of us have had chequered careers. I won't go into yours because I know you are trying to forget it. But me... I have been all sorts of things: ice skater, mountaineer, wall of death rider, deep-sea diver... to name but a few. And here I am on the dance floor. It just goes to show, doesn't it. 

And yes, we should meet in the week for extra practice. I suggest Thursday?

Let me know

George

The TANGO Georgie! Can you imagine that! 
Well of course you can because we were doing it only yesterday. This I would never have thought to have been happening. Such a fiery, passionate dance, is it not?

I am enjoying all the dances we are learning, which are waltz, rumba, foxtrot, rock an roll - and of course - Tango.

Now, as I tell you, I am not discussing with Dave your state of mind. Do not you think I am learned in English enough to know the phrase 'crisis of conscience'? You are forgetting one does plenty reading for one's academic studies, and this phrase have I encountered - plus many more English idioms.

Anyways, enough of that. But regarding what you say about casualties of war - yes, I understand that war has impact upon everyone (does not your poet John Donne say: 'No man is an island... therefore send not to ask for whom the bell tolls...'? I suppose that were he to be writing poem today he might say '... therefore send not to ask for whom the missile seeks.' 

But them for whom missile lands on head, it has more impact than them for whom it is seen on tv news.

I resume tonight my job as bartender, because I apologise to twonk of vice-principal . (part of agreement is that I do not call him the other T word).

Thursday is my night off so perhaps we could get together for more dance practice, do you think?

Your partner

Anna

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We are all casualties of war - even those of us furthest from the bullets.

Now look here, Anna,

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I hope you haven't been discussing my state of mind with your landlord.

You used the phrase 'crisis of conscience', and I wonder where you got it from. It sounds more like something Dave would say. May I remind you that my mind - and my body - are something I share with you, and you alone. I do not want them to be discussed with a third party, so please bear that in mind.

Under the clock as usual, tomorrow?

I would like to get one of those genuine Cornish Pasties for lunch. You know, from that stall on the station concourse. I think this would make a change from our usual bowl of soup and a roll, from M & S - excellent though that may be. (The pasties are expensive but I don't mind going halves.)

Looking forward to our meeting. 

George

It is seeming to me, Georgie, that you are having one of your crisis of conscience things.

It is true that you are spending lot of time in head and this why dancing is good thing for you - and me. (although I never have spend much time in head until I do degree - always preferring physical activities). But now have learned is possible to be doing both the physical and the mental (in the head) stuff. 

So what I am saying to you - why cannot you write blog and dance at same time. (I do not mean to be dancing while writing blog.    
 Ha ha). But mean it is ok to have both physical and mental stuff going on together. 

Anyway it is weekend approaching and so we soon be on the floor again, to music.

So until our bodies entwine,

Anna

I was wondering...

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... if it wasn't a bit self-indulgent: writing a blog.

I mean, crouching down behind this electronic parapet, lobbing grenades of words into cyber-space. And to what end? Are we Informing? Entertaining? Or just airing out views, giving vent to our feelings?

Are we like Tony Hancock's character: '... going down with our gunboat, spitting furious blanks at targets beyond our reach and outside our imagination.'?

Should we pack it all in, Anna? Should we 'bring out the booze and have a ball'? Should we just keep on dancing?