Before

I decided it was time to get my locks shorn.

In other words dear reader, get a haircut.

After

So, I shifted my butt to the barbers, and after waiting for about an hour (he was busy),  I got it done.

I had to grab a pint afterwards, as it was a traumatic experience of course.

Other guys reading this will understand – it’s a major operation. Well, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.

Anyway, I was happy with the result, but ‘er indoors thinks it’s a bit too short at the sides, and too long on top.

Charming, I must say, especially after she got hers cut too, and I paid for it, and I didn’t make disparaging remarks.

Oh, well, never mind. I was upset though, so I had to have another pint.

Before & After is a post from: The Eye An Eyebeemania Blog

I’ve got to admit, I’ve been somewhat neglecting this site for a while. Soon, I shall instigate a bit of a content makeover,  and brings things up to date.

Meanwhile…

Can’t do anything without a brew, can we?

So it’s time to get my laughing gear around another cup of freshly ground, freshly brewed coffee!

Yes. One can get so much more accomplished with a couple of mugs of coffee inside!

Neglect is a post from: The Eye An Eyebeemania Blog

Bath Road, Cranford, looking west, from Bus Stop CD.

Waiting For A Bus is a post from: The Eye An Eyebeemania Blog

I almost always sit upstairs on a double deck bus.

Why?

Usually not for the view, not on routes I travel on regularly.

I do it as a minor form of extra exercise. It must add up over time.

Oh, yes, in case you wondered. I am sitting on the top deck of a bus right now, as I write this!

Onwards and Upwards is a post from: The Eye An Eyebeemania Blog

Nipped into Asda today to get a few basics, like bread, butter and lunch meat. Picked up some hummous, and some pita bread too, which is a great snack in my opinion.

I quite often buy juice, although I tend to look for the ‘not from concentrate’ stuff. It might be more expensive but it tastes a whole lot better.

Anyway, I grabbed a litre bottle of Asda’s own brand ‘Pineapple, Orange and Coconut Juice’. When I got home, I didn’t want to wait until I’d drunk the OJ I have in the refrigerator already. Nope. My mum used to make me do that when I was a kid (quite rightly really, I know), and now I’m a big boy, I’ll do as a damn well please thank you.

Anyway, it’s really yummy. Very morish. How morish? I drunk it all.

A whole litre of it in one go. It’s only five hundred calories. Anyway, it’s gotta be a better five hundred than junk food.

A Taste of paradise indeed. Fiji comes to Hounslow. Well, perhaps not, but you get the idea. I’ll have to get me some more real soon. Perhaps I should go to Fiji too.

Taste of Paradise is a post from: The Eye An Eyebeemania Blog

This afternoon I was waiting at the bus stop on the main road, when two fire trucks came racing by, blue lights flashing, and sirens sounding.

They turned into my cul-de-sac.

Although I hadn’t cooked anything since breakfast time, I couldn’t help but wonder and worry.

Of course my house wasn’t on fire, I had only left it 3-4 minutes ago. Still you always tend to think the worst don’t you?

Anyway,  my worries were groundless as a minute later the fire trucks came rushing out again and went rushing along the road to the next turning.

Just then, a bus pulled up.

What Would You Think? is a post from: The Eye An Eyebeemania Blog

Well, it will be nice to catch up with family and friends here . It’s nice to have a regular job after struggling with the business for many months.

Downsides.

The US has a strong service culture. The UK has gotten better at it since I was here last, but there’s still some way to go.

Further to the above, there is no real local democracy in the UK. There should be not only elected mayors for each town council, but elected officers too (not just Councillors).

Back In The UK: Two Months On is a post from: The Eye An Eyebeemania Blog

No surprise there you may say. London, and the UK has a reputation as a ‘rainy place’.

When I was in Charleston in South Carolina, on the east coast of the United States,  I would often have people say to me that England is where it rains all the time.

Well, I used to put Charlestonians right and point out that the annual rainfall in Charleston is, at around 52 inches a year, a little over double that of London at about 25 inches.

The good people of Charleston were often surprised to hear about hose pipe and car washing bans in the south-east of England too.

Well, today in this part of London at least, it’s raining. Even so, it’s not raining heavily. No Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s not Charleston rain, when you get soaked through to your underwear dashing across the parking lot from store to car. No, it’s London rain, which is often not more than heavy drizzle.

It’s milder today anyway, so that was a bonus. Anyway, I had a doctor’s appointment this morning, so out in it I had to go.

I donned coat and cap, and set out. The surgery is only about 5 minutes walk from here in any case, and I am enjoying being able to walk to most of the local amenities once again. It’s not a mile and a half to the nearest 7-11 anymore!

Anyway, I’ve been in London now for six weeks, and in that time, it’s snowed twice for about four hours each, and there’s been just two rainy days. So much for it raining all the time!

Raining In London is a post from: The Eye An Eyebeemania Blog

“If you’re going to spend money on clothes, you should buy one very good-quality thing rather than filling your trolley to the gag reflex point in Primark”‘.

OK. I’ll admit it. In fact I’ll do even more than that. I’m proud of it. What?

That I am the typical Primark Man. I feel it’s a job well done, if I come out with a trolley full of clothes and change out of 50 quid.

In the US, a similar exercise can be undertaken in Wal-Mart, Kmart, or Target.

“Look!” I have declared. “I’ve got all this for only this much!”

My idea of dressing up is putting on a shirt with a collar and a pair of ten quid trousers, and wearing my only pair of shoes instead of canvas ones or sandals. I dress for comfort you see, as well as being frugal about it. I know I don’t look as outrageous as some guys I see about, but OK, I’ll admit that I don’t look stylish either.

Isn’t that for those that have lots of money to spend on these things? I have noticed that some people I know will spend a tidy sum on new clothes, but then eat cheap junk food. Surely, I’m more sensible to spend much less on clothes, and fill my stomach with better quality food?

Perhaps, just perhaps I should tip the scales at least a little more. It’s a New Year. A new job is on the horizon in a new location. Perhaps I should celebrate, when the pennies start rolling in again, by getting myself a little pampering. A new hair style, and at least a few decent items for my wardrobe?

Now, I don’t want to festoon my body with designer labels. I’m still not convinced that they necessarily mean quality, and a poseur I am not. Designer labels only mean something to others that follow such things. I’ve never even heard of half of these names. No, if I am to invest in a new wardrobe, it has to be quality above anything else, as well as looking good.

Anyway, you may ask, why this article at all? It’s just so not like me is it?

I’ll fess up. I got a little inspiration from this article in the Guardian today.

http://bit.ly/ffTQjS

Check it out, and tell me what you think. Should I continue being a proud Primark person, or should I go a little upmarket this year?

Primark Man is a post from: The Eye An Eyebeemania Blog

This afternoon, as it was a dry fine one, I decided to take a little walk out, and explore a little more of the area.

Using walkit.com I planned about an hours walk to Harlington and back. I’m always reluctant to come back the same way as I set out so I made part of the route a circle.

Setting out in a westerly direction along the Bath Road, I came across this bargain hotel near to the airport. If you’d just flown into Heathrow, you’d find this hotel only a few minutes taxi ride away from the Terminals.  £29 for a night is a very good deal indeed. That’s about US$45.

Walking on past the hotel, I then came across the Airport Bowl. Yes, It’s a ten-pin bowling alley. If you stay at the £29 hotel you’ll be able to walk across the street to this place, and see if you can strike lucky!

There’s also a Holiday Inn on this stretch of road, and of course, there are plenty of other hotels around this area to suit all tastes and pockets.

Continuing along the Bath Road a little further, I came to Harlington Corner, where I made a turn right into Harlington High Street.

Considering its proximity to the airport, and aside from the planes landing every few minutes, it’s a peaceful place tucked away off the main road.

In Harlington itself, as in most High Streets still in England, there are a couple of watering holes, that is pubs.

Here I passed the Wheatsheaf, and a little further along on the corner of Cranford Lane, The Red Lion.

Here I turned into Cranford Lane, and headed back towards Cranford. Almost immediately after leaving Harlington, one finds oneself back in the countryside again. There are ploughed fields on either side of the road, and a number of stables with horses grazing.

As I was walking back in an easterly direction I couldn’t help but notice the continuous stream of aircraft coming in to land at Heathrow Airport. I could see the landing lights of the planes, and as each one came into land, a look into the eastern sky showed the lights of the next one beginning its descent.

I continued back along Cranford Lane, and cut through the pathway back to the Bath Road, where I dropped into the local Tesco Express and picked up my reward for my walk, a couple of  bottles of Theakston’s Old Peculier.

The whole walk took about an hour and was about 3.5 miles.

Sunday Stroll is a post from: The Eye An Eyebeemania Blog