Sam's myspace

Hi, in future, my blog will be carried on through my myspace site,

www.myspace.com/samerics

Just add it and rename!

Cheers m'dears!

UPDATE ON MEGS FUND

Just to keep you informed of how your kind donations are being used for Meg and her family.

They finally moved house to a purpose modified home on the Cottingley estate last week. The modifications have been funded by the Health Authority and the council, but they gave only the basics, ie, medical modifications to suit Meg. Her mum, Sarah, is a single parent, and obviously now a full time carer, so part of the money has been spent on making the house livable in, as it was a shell, with no floor covering, curtains or anything, with the decorations being in a particularly awful state. The money has provided these basics, but the main bulk has gone towards buying Meg a laptop which is modified to suit her needs regarding head switches to operate it, and educational software to help her too. It has also bought a computer desk, an LCD TV for her DVD's that stop her day becoming too boring, and a new DVD player. She watches a lot of DVD's...

Plans for the summer are to fund trips to the seaside, which will have to be done by large taxi's there and back, which will cost a fortune. There are no other options due to the complexity of her equipment, and obviously she will need a carer too, though Sarah is better than anyone with Meg's medical care, the hospital staff included, I have no idea how she does it.

I will keep you informed, but suffice to say, thank you all again, we would have been knackered without it, and Meg, Carys and Sarah's life together is all the better for your generosity!

MOJO RISING

Well the band is now officially bricking it! First gig is announced at the New Inn Churwell, Friday 28th April. This is a few weeks before we had planned to be ready, but, hey, nothing like a bit of pressure to discover the colour of adrenalin!

The bands set list consists of mucho blues, rock and southern boogie, whatever that means. It is a diversion from the stuff I've played since, well, as long as I can remember really, but I've wanted to play in a more guitar oriented band for years now, and blues in particular. Music is from such greats as Cream, Rory Gallagher, Clapton, Albert King, Gary Moore, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Dr Feelgood, Floyd, John Mayall, Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, Hendrix, Black Crowes, ZZ Top, just good old stuff that rocks!

Musicians are me on guitar and vox, Col Challinor on bass and backing vox, Chris Allen on drums and Mark Barron, aka Baz on rhythm guitar and vox. Col and Baz are good mates of mine, and are a good tight unit in the Bare Essentials, Col being particularly ace technically, but Chris is a real find. He hits them as hard as Paul, (ffs!), and he's tight as a gnats chuff too, so it should be great when we get going. Baz has come on leaps and bounds in a short space of time and has a great understanding of fitting within a song, plus he's got some nice gear too! The band is starting to get pretty tight, for a band that has been rehearsing since mid November with a holiday and illness break at any rate. We're all very critical in rehearsals, but that's the best way to be, ie, get it right before you gig it, but confident that it will be really good when it's up to speed, and we're having a whale of a time, (me being a whale you understand...)

I'll post more about gigs, but suffice to say it will have to fit around Erics and BE gigs.

Watch this space, and check out the link on the Erics website.

TTFN

New acquisition, success!

It's a beauty! Played it at rehearsal with the new blues band last night, sounded wicked and played as a good PRS always does, ie like a dream. The band is called MoJo, and I'll be giving you a full run down when i get half an hour to spare, but suffice to saying I'm buzzing about it.

Later!

Next acquisition was crap.....

Bummer, guitar arrived from Yamaha and it played like a dog, neck was horrible. So it went back. And in future I will look for another old one, far better than the new stuff they make now apparently!

However, this is coming on Monday, lets hope it's a good un! I've never played a bad PRS so I should be safe. Fingers crossed.

Next acquisition!

Well, what do you think? Yes I know I've had one before, but it was the best guitar I ever had, honest!?! Should be here by friday so I may gig it at the Tut, we'll see. Back to my Bill Nelson and Santana rip off solos then....

And yes I know its a picture of the one I used to have but I couldn't find a better one. Mmmm, can't wait. Sad b*stard I hear you cry....

God its been ages!

Just a quick post to keep this thing going. Haven't had much time of late to post on here, but a quick update on how things are.

Meg is doing great, a really happy bunny who has just celebrated her 4th birthday at home with a big party and lots of pressies, most of them pink! Same condition obviously, but she is avoiding major infections and is becoming more independent in so much as she wants to try and doing everything via a pen, a paint brush or a straw in her mouth. That includes combing Jills hair, putting her moisturiser on or opening her pressies! She also scribbles a mean abstract, Jackson Pollock, your days are numbered.... Carys is just as cute and precocious as ever too.

I'm doing ok now after a wee scare, ulcer has gone and I'm 95% there. Back on the beer, but no fish and chips or spicy stuff, no orange juice or citrusy drinks. Big loss obviously, as I much prefer them to alcohol ;) Eating healthier generally, and I've lost a few pounds, though I'm still a fat b*stard before you all scream!

New blues/rock/guitar band is in full rehearsal mode, as a long awaited (for me anyway) sideline, which I'll talk about in more detail in another post, but its ace, and tight as f*ck!

Laters!

A QUICKIE ON MY ILLNESS, SO'S YOU KNOW

Sorry about Boxing Day chaps, but I really was a bit poorly...

Basically I collapsed on Monday night, 11.50pm, passed out twice after feeling unwell for a couple of days. I actually stopped breathing at one point when I blocked my airway, and frightened poor Jill to death! I was take to the LGI where they eventually diagnosed a torn ulcer, which they fixed on Tuesday afternoon by endoscopy and laser. Not a process I would recommend as a recreational activity, pretty vile... I had lost a lot of blood, ie red blood count down from 12 to 8.3, even after two pints of blood!

The long and the short of it is that I have been told to lay off certain painkillers forever, cut down the drinking (no.....), cut down the stress (not quite as simple.....), and let my body and blood count recover over the next few weeks. I hopefully should be back to work in a couple of weeks, but as it stands the stomach is doing ok but I just feel knackered all the time. This is just down to my blood count, but a couple of weeks or so should return this to normal.

A big thank you to Jill, she finished the house on her own, whilst cooking 40 xmas dinners a day and working evenings too, and coming to see me, oh and seeing Meg too. No wonder she is utterly knackered now. And to all the band, mates, family, workmates, the guys from Styckleback and Splinter, and finally to the lads at Rock of the North for their kind words, cheers mateys!

BACK ONLINE AT LAST

It's been a while since I was surgically removed from my PC back in October, but I'm finally back online again. And what an eventful two months!!!

The house has gone from the above....




To...



This.

What a great feeling it is to see what was effectively a building site, with nearly every wall replastered, new kitchen, living room, furniture, doors, basically everything redone now looking like a proper home. We are 90% there now, with just a bit of decorating, tidying up, and lots of pictures to complete the set up. TFFT! Figure it out...;)

And finally, a word for Jill, who has handled the whole shebang like Challenge Anneka. I have no idea how she pulled it all together, (ooerr), but she did, and she deserves a couple of nights off the housework as a special reward for her efforts, or perhaps I'll buy her a nice pressie. An iron or a vac perhaps? I'm all heart, I'm too soft, I can hear you all now, but she deserves it, bless her ;) Only kidding Linda.....