Senses working overtime #579

1 FIFA World Cup 2026

And we're off in sparkling fashion, thanks to Shakira's amazing performance.

2 Watched - Long Promised Road 

I know I mentioned this one a few weeks ago, but I was interrupted and finished watching it while Jacky was in New Plymouth.

It's quite an emotional experience watching a frail and often anxious Brian Wilson being driven around some of his old haunts. There's always a price to pay.

3 Reading: Ringo - A Fab Life by Tom Doyle

Really getting into this version of Ringo's story set out in 70 bite size themed chapters - gear!!

4 Watching: Lays' FIFA World Cup 2026 bandwagon advert 

YEEHAR!!!

5 Watching: Rip the script!

Awesome football celebration from Nike. I love football!

Overtime: World cup players motto from Basil King

Be bold - and mighty forces will come to your aid.

Senses working overtime #578

1 Reading: The Little Book of Arsenal

Some great quotes in the book, like Martin Keown's, 'Second in the league might be good enough somewhere else, but not at Arsenal'.

2 Listening: Stan Getz - Captain Marvel

This 1972 album by Stan Getz was an excellent acquisition from The Little Red Bookshop this week.

3 Missing Grace

Sadly, this week we said goodbye to Grace. 

Compared to humans, our pets (cats, dogs and horses), have a much shorter lifespan. Grace has been a much-loved part of our family since Red Phoenix Farm around 13 years ago, so it was an especially hard week. Be assured, as a kindhearted and lovely looking girl, she'll be catnip to all those boy horses in horse heaven.

4 Reading: Ringo: A Fab Life - Tom Doyle  

5 Viewing: Sleeping Dogs

I'm showing this to my Year 10 class as part of a unit on the dystopian genre. The film is very prescient, and it holds up remarkably well for a film made in 1977 (trailer is here). 

Overtime: Don Howe (Arsenal manager in 1971 - the league and FA Cup double year)

Above all we were blessed with a backbone of men with character who demanded excellence from others.

Senses working overtime #577

1 This week: out standing in their field...

...while on cross country duty at school. Go Fraser!!

2 Listening: The Boys of Dungeon Lane - Paul McCartney

Macca's latest, released this weekend, is excellent in all ways. I recommend the vinyl over other formats: the packaging, the songs, the sound - it's gear fab!

Here's a taster: Down South is a simple love song to the past.

3 Reading: Bread of Angels - Patti Smith

After being distracted for a few weeks by reading Mojo/ Guardian Weeklies, I've returned to Patti's memoir. I'll need to return to her first chapters eventually. Currently reading about the making of Horses and it's superb!

4 Watching: The Long Promised Road - Directed by Brent Wilson (no relation)

Thanks to their 20% off sale, I picked this up from JB Hi Fi for less than $10!!

5 Celebrating: King's Birthday weekend in New Zealand

Still enjoying his recent speech to Congress.

Overtime: Mahatma Gandhi

We must become the change we want to see.

Senses working overtime #576

1 This week: Celebrating with my Arsenal family: We love the Arsenal, we do!

What a week! CHAMPIONS!!

2 Also this week - autumn's frosty days

Photo by Caleb Stokes on Unsplash

3 Viewing - Person of Interest season 3

4 Feeling thankful: to Nick Marfell

Thanks to an interweb connection to NZ collector Nick Marfell, I have been able to collect two items that were lost years ago in a house move - Let it Be box set from 1970 and John Lennon's Roots album. Now sleeping sounder thanks to Nick.

5 Listening: Everything But The Girl at Maida Vale

Overtime: Dalai Lama

Happiness is not something ready-made; it comes from your own actions.

Senses working overtime #575

1 Groundhog week

A lot of rinse and repeat this week - with not much free time to progress through books (Moonraker/ Bread of Angels) or TV (Person of Interest).

2 Listening: The Who Sell Out

Ahead of its time and yet encapsulates 1967. Appreciating this one all over again this week.

3 Reading: Uncut Take 346

I am not a fan of Uncut (Mojo is far superior) but I'm a sucker for a Beatle cover!

4 Listening: Weirdo - Emma-Jean Thackray

A recommendation from Uncut paid off in this jazz inflected album from 2025. The messages may be as dark (and funny) as the cover image, but the music is joyful.

5 Living vicariously: GK's trip to Blighty 

GK at Doc Martin's digs in Port Isaac.

Overtime: Michael Nolan

There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart. Pursue those.

Senses working overtime #574

1 The working week

Gnarly working week as we navigated our way through choppy waters (junior school reports, a load of marking and a round of school socials for funsies).

2 Watching: Person of Interest

We've finished Season 1 and straight into Season 2. It's got really good!

3 Listening: Blush by There's a Tuesday

Excellent album by NZ alt rock band with Margo the standout track.

4 Reading: Dr. No; Bread of Angels; Mojo #387; Guardian Weekly

Time is tight at the moment. Still going on the Patti Smith and Ian Fleming books and the regulars (Mojo and Guardian Weekly)

5 Listening: WTWMC - First steps

The amigos are up to 60 entries now.

Overtime: Vincent Van Gogh

Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brough together.

To be fair to Vinny - he said this well before John Coltrane and others had recorded on the Impulse label.

Senses working overtime #573

This week: items from my phone camera

Something a bit different for my Jewels post this week - a selection of snaps from my phone that were taken over the last seven days. 

1 Sunrise, shine down a little love on the world today:

Sunrise at Maple Grove

2 Reading: The Guardian Weekly

Some of the best journalism and expression of opinion you can find.

3 Family zoom

Top L to R: Jade, Jacky and me in NZ; Drew and Sam Kalicki in America,
Bottom L to R: Adam in 'Stralia and Keegan in China.

Happens each Sunday. It's the only way to gather the fandamly together these days.

4 Saturday walk from Maple Grove to Kintail and back

5 Listening: A Stones-a-thon 

Sticky Fingers turned up real loud.

Overtime: Arty shot

Autumn shadows on the Magpie Walk

 

Senses working overtime #572

1 Back to the brick factory this week

2 Listening: The Shangri-Las - Past Present and Future: Golden Hits of The Shangri-Las

Leader of the Pack is a timeless classic of teenage turmoil and tragedy by the peerless Shangri-Las. The rest of the album is brilliant as well but nothing the melodrama of Leader of the Pack.

3 Reading: Patti Smith - Bread of Angels: A Memoir

4 Reading: Mojo Magazine #386

5 Watching: Person of Interest on Netflix

Interesting take on the vigilante/ do-gooder intervention type of story. According to one critic it is 'transformed from a "crime-fighting show" with an entertaining plot device into "one of the best science-fiction series ever broadcast" '. We're currently halfway through season 1.

Overtime: Mother Teresa

What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.

Senses working overtime #571

1 Lumberjack week at Maple Grove

We had a Maple tree keel over during the cyclone and that's meant a lot of clean up. It was a big tree that was overhanging the driveway so it was a case of needs must. Shame though as it was a beautiful Maple that would have been planted around when the house was built 120 years ago.  

2 Reading: Ian Fleming - Moonraker 

The third James Bond novel from 1955. So good!

3 Listening - The Flirtations - Sounds Like the Flirtations

Recently got this for $10 at JB Hi Fi. It's a superb album from 1969.

4 Listening: WTWMC - First steps

The brothers in arms are back with a playlist focusing on selections from debut albums.

5 Watched: Civil War on Netflix.

One very scary film starring Kirsten Dunst (she is superb in it). This dystopian thriller clearly has Donald Trump in mind.

Overtime: Carl Bard

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.

Senses working overtime #570

1 This week's weather - Cyclone Vaianu watch

It's due to be over Maple Grove this afternoon. The news this week has been dominated by watching its progress towards us. Cyclone Gabrielle is still fresh in the memory, so the North Island is bracing itself with an abundance of caution.

2 Listening: WTWMC - Weather with you

Seems the appropriate soundtrack to ride the storm out.

3 Watching: Earthstorm on Netflix

An excellent documentary series of four episodes: Tornados, earthquakes, volcanos, hurricanes.

4 Listening: The Rolling Stones - El Mocambo 1977

For when it all blows over.

5 Reading: Ian Fleming - Dr. No

I bought a compendium of his novels for $5. It's a great collection - 6 James Bond adventures over its 862 pages. Dr. No is the first one. Fleming is an underrated writer.

Overtime: James Allen

You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.