Senses working overtime #504

1 2025 - Happy new year to the blogosphere

2 Watched: Yellowstone Season 3

3 Listening: Aimee Mann - Bachelor No.2

4 Reading: Testimony - Robbie Robertson

I'm nearly done and I'm not sure if I like him or not. He may be the only musician in the history of the world to go on the road and be faithful to his wife (and three children). Maybe - he certainly doesn't confess to any dalliances along the way in his book.

Most of it centres on a narrow period from when he started being a musician to when The Band were in their prime. I'm on page 420 (out of 494) and he's not even up to The Last Waltz yet!

He does write well, and I'm fully engaged - especially in the chronicling of his relationships with Dylan and Levon Helm.

5 Listening: WTWMC - Loved Ones

The playlist is complete - 135 to celebrate our loved ones. It's a pretty darn impressive playlist made with love.

Our attention shifts to our favourite Kiwi artists next week. Thirty songs for each amigo, spread over 6 weeks. 

Overtime:  

Writer Susan Sontag on finding the courage to change this year (courtesy James Clear):

"I must change my life so that I can live it, not wait for it."

Senses working overtime #502

1 'Twas the week before Christmas

2 Reading: Jimmy Barnes - Working Class Man

I bought this after finishing Working Class Boy (inspired by Anne Marie's week on WTWMC - Loved Ones - see below). WCM's not as visceral or as wildly funny as WCB but great on the background to Jimmy's solo career and reuniting with Cold Chisel. 

3 Listening: WTWMC - Loved Ones

Last week was Anne (no hyphen) Marie's turn, next up is my dad - Graham Purdy. Then, after him is the final week with Kev's mum - Barbara Simms. It's a fabulously eclectic playlist that the amigos have conjured up to celebrate their partners and parents. Listen to it best on shuffle mode.

4 Listening: WTWMC - Christmas Crackers

Our seasonal playlist of 21 songs is indeed a manageable Christmas cracker.

5 Reading - When We Was Fab - The Beatles

Jade gave me a copy of this for my birthday - it's full of great memorabilia, photos, and text relating to the Fabs 1964 world tour, but concentrating on their Australasia section.

The forensic nature of the book is amazing - i.e. the letters and captions detailing the people. The Jimmy Nicol incident (replacing Ringo for the first stages of the tour while he was in hospital) is especially detailed and great to read.

Overtime: 

It’s officially “Let’s circle back in 2025” season (according to Morning Brew)

Senses working overtime #501

 1 My favourite jeans

(See what I did there?)

2 Reading: Working Class Boy - Jimmy Barnes

It's been sitting in the pile for a while. I reached for it as we are heading into Aussie rawk territory next for WTWMC - Loved Ones. 

My abiding thought as I read through Jimmy's harrowing childhood was - poor wee mite. 

3 Listening: WTWMC - Loved Ones

Harry Knowles has now been added to the playlist - next up for this week is Anne Marie McCulloch (who loves Jimmy and Cold Chisel). 

4 Sounds and smell: this seascape 

Last night we stayed at Patrick and Randy's gorgeous place in Taranaki. Superb stay with crashing waves, salty breeze and fantastic friends.

5 Listening: Carole King - Tapestry

Gets better with age!

Overtime:  

Roman scholar and philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero on the value of making numerous attempts:

"For who is there who, shooting all day, will not sometimes hit the mark?"

Senses working overtime #499

1 Jade's birthday (28 November 1991)

Jade's out in front again this week with celebrations for her 33rd birthday. Jacky takes a mean photo!

Here's to you DLG!

2 Listening: WTWMC - Loved Ones

We've completed four of our loved one's selections now - 60 songs for Jacky, Joan, Joe, and Wendy. My mum is up next week.

3 Listening: The Voidz - Like All Before You

4 Reading: BBC Essentials - Nine TV shows they recommend for December viewing

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew

5 Reading: Brew - Indie bookstores are thriving!

Overtime: Unplugging from the matrix

I watched The Social Dilemma with my Year 10 classes this week. Key takeaway - delete your notifications! So I have been doing just that this week.

Senses working overtime #497

1 The feeling this week:

2 Reading: The Bookshop - Penelope Fitzgerald

Savouring this book - taking it slowly.

3 Listening: Billy Joel - Piano Man

I'm listening to this album on repeat for my collection countdown on Goo Goo G'Joob. I'd forgotten how good this album is. Travellin' Prayer is an excellent opener.

4 Listening: WTWMC - Loved Ones

Joan's week is in the books. Next up is Joe Simms.

5 Viewing: Gladiator II

Looking forward to this one. Promo is here.

Overtime: Emily Dickinson 

Forever is composed of nows.

Senses working overtime #496

1 The feeling this week:

Alyssa Smith on Unsplash

2 Texture of the week: Movember

One week down, Jacky is not a fan, but the beard is growing on me (hahahahahaha). That Movember link again.

3 Listening: WTWMC - Loved Ones

One week completed (the Jacky week). See what you think here.

4 Listening: Jefferson Starship presents Jefferson's Tree of Liberty

A (very) late career highlight - Paul Kantner and David Freiberg etc return to their folk roots for an acoustic outing. Amazingly good! Not on Spotify sadly, but it is on YouTube. 

Only time for one track? Try Royal Canal.

5 R.I.P Quincy Jones

Overtime: James Clear

"When you think you are too old to do something new remember you will never be younger than you are right now."