Just finished watching murder she wrote. I’m going to bed. I was gonna do a blog, but I changed my mind.
Just finished watching murder she wrote. I’m going to bed. I was gonna do a blog, but I changed my mind.
So it’s Friday night, Aphre is in the bath. I’m on the sofa watching tv adverts from 1986 eating a Trio the long way around – biting the chocolate off the sides, then eating the toffee bit off the top, leaving the biscuit. I’ve always eaten it like that. I have a way of eating things. I’ve been told off for describing about how I eat a Creme Egg as I gently bite the top off, then lick the insides out until there’s none left. I might even put my finger in.
I’m feeling a little deflated tonight, but there’s not any actual reason for feeling deflated, I think with all the moving and the being ill and looking for work, it’s the first time I get to actually sit down with time to my self and just lots of things getting to me. I need a hug I think. I’m sure this will be delivered when Aphre is done in the bath.
I’m not blogging for any actual reason by the way. I just felt like saying hey.
Earlier this evening I was producing something, and I was trying to find a sound to be experimental with, and I found Finn laughing. I slowed it down and showed Aphre, and it was so funny. I’m still not totally repaired from my sickness so when I laugh it means I do a cough occasionally. This time though something fucked up.
I coughed to hard I couldn’t actually breath. I think what happened was my swallow bit in by throat was stopping some gack going into the air bit. It slowly fixed when I drank some of my Tango and breathed through my nose. It was really weird. I’m still having throat problems so I think on Monday it might be time to talk to the doctors who will probably say I have another throat infection or something.
Enough of my self pitty. Hopefully in a few weeks I’ll be talking about my extensive train travel to work in a place I won’t be talking about right now on this blog, but what I will say how much I actually like traveling. Yeah, going up to Yorkshire can be a ball ache if I have to change or I don’t have a reserved seat, but it means I can listen to music or write something. I’m looking forward to when I can afford my driving lessons because when I get a car, yeah I might not be able to write, but the thing will be a portable music haven (Which may even have internet broadcasting abilities). And I’d like to just go on random adventures.
I’m watching some of these 80s ads and it’s reminding me of smells and times and just the general feel of the day. I feel I remember do-it-all and Texas a lot for some reason. And one night coming home from the British Legion having a cheese sandwich on a crusty roll watching music videos on Superchannel. Also dodging the darts on the skittle isle (as us kids used to play in the skittle isle and Black Box’s Ride On Time. That’s a little later in the 80s though.
Enough thinking of that stuff too. I’d love to just spend a day back in the 80s. I’d take loads of photos. For some reason right now there is a cat drinking baileys.
It’s probably time I went to sleep now.
So these are weird times right now. I know the world is going through a crazy time with people dieing this year. Today Prince (which is a little ironic as the Queen is 90 today) yesterday Victoria Wood, I can’t remember what my prediction said but I’m pretty sure I mentioned something. Makes me wonder who will die tomorrow. It is a sad and very strange thing. Maybe death has some catching up to do.
What makes times weirder for me is my personal shizzle. I decide to start doing an independent radio show and then a few potential things end up in my inbox – which is cool, I’m not complaining. I hope that I can continue to do something online once I’m employed anyway to build my profile again as not doing the podcast has slowed momentum.
I know my main career is something I want to work on, but one day I’d like to help people with disadvantaged backgrounds to find their way into doing what they do – most specifically the media. If you asked me in 1999 what I wanted to be and replied with “radio presenter” I’d get a straight forward “no chance” which is what happened in 2001 when i decided that was what I wanted to do. Even though I said that, i got no help or assistance in the way to go, like getting some decks and learning some skills, buying some books, talking to other radio people, what to do if the hospital radio wont take you because you’re too rough around the edges and who will help you improve, what other routes can you go down, maybe even looking into further education, that type of thing. This might seem obvious but to a teenager with no clue other than a passion for music, making silly sketches and making people laugh, I really could have done with some guidance.
It is bed time. Just a reminder though that you should keep an eye on http://www.johnnyrobinson.co.uk/playground to see if I am on air testing or listen back to my last bunch of testing.
This is me in my studio. Night.
So I thought about a few things today that I shall share with you this Tuesday evening before i shower and then mess about in my designated radio area of the house. I will go into more detail about this later but first this.
I’ve been looking at the various people who I’ve been associated with lately, like friends from uni or collage who have decided to go down the self promotion route and kind of seeing what can improve what I currently do. From what I gather it’s basically to be constant. Not to stop – but don’t be annoying. Do what your audience expects like make something, or point something out that is relevant. For instance for me, make some audio more often. I know of a campaign right now where the poster is just a picture of a radio that mentions the broadcast area. It basically says “Hey area, we’re here so listen” but does’t say why or have any appeal to their target what so ever.
Anyway, earlier in the year I said I’d like to try a few things such as doing constant social media month or something. I’m having a few thoughts about how to do that, or produce some audio daily to see if that works. Obviously it would have to be interesting but easy to produce, something that i can just reel off. I’ll be starting the show soon (date still to be announced) but I was thinking whether it would be physically possible to write a daily sketch. I know some people would say writing 3 or 4 a week is a stretch. I think it might be doable. I’ve got some ides for an old character coming back and doing something, and a few other ones I’d like to try out so maybe that’s worth a go.
I’ve had my shower now, so as I sit here with my Caramac and Cherry Tango listening to Iain Lee I can explain my designated radio area. So before we started looking for somewhere to live, one of the things I wanted was somewhere to do my radio stuff from, and the plan was to share an area with Aphre like a study. We spoke about whether that would actually work especially if I wanted to do radio things and she was working. So when I went to look at places I tried to see if there was somewhere I could nab as a studio area.
The place we’re at now, there is one, and it is small. It’s actually under the stairs. I have created a radio studio under my stairs. All I need to do now is plug my computer in and just make it so my computer works with the kit but that’s about it. I’m hoping to be getting some stuff done this week which will be great to get producing again.
Right, I’m waiting for Aphre to get back so I can go to bed, so I’m going to mess around in my radio area.
I’m alright I think. Things seems to be quiet after the busy times last week with moving and the sick time. I’m still feeling really dry and hurty in my throat area so that sucks. Can’t really do any recording like I’d planned as my voice isn’t back to it’s regular self and still croaky. Its a little like I need to warm it up sometimes and is a bit tickly but not really much I can take that works right now, but I’m totally much better than I have been.
Life at home is nice. I have Aphre and the boy keeping me company most of the time and we all do silly things together. I wish Ruby was with us too but can’t have everything. Today my achievement was putting 2 baby gates up, and doing loads of tidying, including applying for a bunch of jobs.
On the job side, things seem quiet so just tryung to see what is happening there and sending some emails I’ve had some responses, nothing that screams “job over here” but it would be good to get to havr a chat with them. I’ll soon be starting the independent show online like I mentioned, but also I’ll be producing some more audio on Sound Gorillas. I’ve posted a couple of things up since my job ended but basically when I started the job I reduced my SG work to do that, so I tied all the lose ends. I’ve been setting the foundations in my mind though to write some new content (had to get in the right mind set).
Kind of having withdrawl symptoms of not doing the podcast. It’s weird because I miss it, but at the same time know that it would take a lot of my time up doing it again… but then again it has potential to pay now (We’re not only content partners but we now have (or will have soon) adverts at the start of our podcasts, so if enough people listen, then we get money) so there are differences since the last one. Plus I have my little under the stairs studio for doing recordings and voice overs. The thing is the new format was really good and I think it could go places, plus the figures for the other podcasts are still going up and I think there are more users than there were when we started out which has helped. Plus I could use the other time to promote it better. Maybe doing it every 2 weeks or monthly would have worked… i dunno. It’s too late to think it now. But yeah doing my own content is where I’m going for a bit until stuff kicks off again.
Anyway time to go for some sleep if I can actually get any. My head is a playground for so many ideas right now.
So I shocked Aphre this morning. I actually woke up laughing thanks to the silliest dream ever. I remember when I woke up that I thought Aphre was with me in my dream.
It all started when I was in charge of a TV channel which I was presenting on, but we were banned from playing Tom and Jerry due to licencing. We were allowed to show stills. So then cloud bubbles outlined the the things that would would have happened in the episode, and the bubbles would appear above my head with pictures, and I would burp as they appeared. Aphre then nudged me on screen and was like “stop it, you’re so gross”.
Then I said OK, fine. Then randomly the sound man played the Looney Toons theme but tried to reduce the whistle bit at the beginning, and Aphre and I looked at eachother as in to say “why?” and then the song burped out the rest of the theme tune.
That’s when I woke up laughing. It was a really weird situation and it had never happened before. I think I was still in the dream until Aphre said “why are you laughing”.
So here’s a sneek peek of the new livingroom view. I’m still crazily ill. I have a cough that goes off randomly when i least expect it. It was the case last night where I took all the medicines I could and still no effect. I was up for for 5 hours. Aphre has been amazing. Although I’ve been trying to help prepare the house with other things, i have been very slow and probably not that helpful, and she’s seen that I really need to rest now, and has kept me dosed up with cuddles and attention today. I’ve been on and off with sleep in the day and feel a tiny bit better, but still horrendous.
Aphre has been making the house look nice (even though there are still hours of unpacking and putting things together) we have the living room and Finn’s room sorted at the moment, and the kitchen is nearly there. I think there’s not much you can do with a bathroom so i count that nearly done. Our bed is dead so another one of them is coming soon, and the sofa really needs to be replaced as it didn’t last as long as we thought.
Anyway in other news, I’ve still had nothing about work recently, however I meant to have been starting my own independent radio show. I’ve been thinking about the imaging and the sound of the show, whether I want to go down the conventional route, unconventional route, or a happy medium. I think whatever one shows off my skills the most. I’ll be doing some practice shows to make sure that any kinks that need sorted out get sorted before it happens. I’m hoping to start it on the beginning of May so more information on that will come soonish.
So the move finally went ahead, which was made worse with the lack of help. So appreciative ofthe help we did have. Then it was time to move the stuff around.
Now I have this stinking cold which has since changed into the sickest cold that has ever used my body as a host. It’s meant lack of apitite, then wanting to eat it again after half an hour, my voice coming and going and not only keeping Aphre up with my snoring, but sounds of my mucus getting stuck in my throat. The plus side of this right now is that tonight it seems to be starting to clearing up, ut means I am up right now at 3.30am being all gacky, and I wont go into too much about that. They really do need to improve night time television. Theres some 90s documentary on channel 5 with some guy rescuing animals, and ITV are trying to sell me a golden iron.
My body is also mega tired, which seems to be a mixture of my cold, and being tired from the move, and my temperature is doing something crazy every so often, so I know I should probably rest, the house isn’t organised which is important to make it feel like home, plus the other place has some things I still need to do. I wish I could just sleep!
I don’t have any internets until the 15th which is also annoying. I was on the phone again yesterday, the same situation as the last time… had to spell everything out, saying “no” and him not understanding me, or still trying to up sell when i say 3 times that I want the same tarrif and still have to sit through 2 more suggestions to up sell. it can be so frustrating calling other countries to sort something out at home when they are not fluent or understand our lingo. To be clear though I’m not opposed to call centres in other countries, but maybe they need more training.
Right. Im going to go and have a cheese sandwich. (I didnt have any dinner for being too ill).
I’m writing this on the way to Manchester from Halifax, and it has curtainly been a “everything happens all at once” situation.
Ruby has been down for the last week, which is always fun, but we picked up the keys for the new place on Thursday and I’ve been packing all the stuff, which has been a work in progress for the last 2 weeks. This week though not only do we move, but Ruby was on the back end of having a cold. This was not good. Since then, Finn, Aphre and I have had a cold too.
This morning I had a 5.45 start to get Ruby up in time for the train back to Yorkshire. with all tje packing I’d gone to sleep at 1, and between 2 and 3, Finn had woken up.
I had the shivers, so felt cold until I woke up right before my alarm. I do this a lot. Had to get Ruby up, pack my stuff quick and go. I must have had about 2 hours and I feel horrendous. Not to mention my throat which ive been having issues with all day. It hurts to talk and I can barely be heard… but that’s not all.
I had to phone the railway company I booked my train tickets from because they didn’t send me any ticket confirmations. I first phoned up and the guy was unable to follow really simple instructions and I had to hang up. I’d spent at least 10 mins on the phone and he’d not gone past my email address. I called again and got someone who was better, still had to spell everything but actually got there in the end and refunded me. By this time I sounded like Rob Brydon’s man in a box, or just very constipated.
Without going into too much detail but my larynx feels like it’s all gacked up and I can’t cough it out because the rest hurts. So much for too much detail eh?
I’ve been napping on the train too, trying to ensure that I don’t snore accidentally or that its obvious that I’m dribbling. I have a journey from Manchester to Birmingham in a bit, so I am going to put my coat on my head to ensure this doesn not happen, or dampen the snore.
And when I get home, the work is not done. I’m going to be getting the last of the packing done before the morning, because tomorrow is Moving day!!!!!! Aphre has tried to get what she can done today but was busy and tired from work and stuff but has been mega progressive and proud of her.
If I have anything partially interesting to say I will post it later. I’m going to try and go back to forgetting I have a larynx now. Maybe a warm drink will free something up.