The Peatster’s Dislexic Ramblings

Its been very quiet around here recently. sorry.

I have been pestered by a good friend to write some more posts in the forthcoming months…..

….until then….

This is the kind of thing can get very excited about! I have just purchased my first professional camera, the Nikon D200. Okay it wasn’t cheap, but i am hoping to start taking my hobby a bit more seriously in the coming years….

Watch this space..

After many years of struggling with grammar, using words in the right context, short term memory loss and…erm…the last one…which i have now forgotten - I was finally diagnosed with dyslexia. That was 3 years ago. Now I am older, grayer and much better at ‘hiding’, sorry coping, with my learning disability.

I have many funny stories to tell of my dyslexic experience. For me its nothing to be ashamed about, but something to be celebrated. Just last week i was talking to a colleague at work about a new member of staff that was starting and how i needed to plan her ‘inducement’.

Anyway i wanted to explain what DUR stood for. Basically its ‘Dyslexics Are Us’ and it will be the home of all my Dyslexic Moments. I need to thank the DUR group at work for the name… yes we have a group at work, great times!

For those who know me well will know my passion for photography. We visited the newly revamped Kelvingrove museum in Glasgow last week and this provided me with a chance to take some pics. This picture is not technically great (focal point and badly placed lights), but i love the subject matter. One of the highlights for me. A place worth visiting if you are over in Glasgow.

Embarrassing! That’s the best way for me to sum up what happened to me at the paintball yesterday. Here i am with all my extra padding, protectors and even my football shin pads on in an attempt to keep the pain to a very minimal and yet i still manage to make a fool of myself! I am sitting writing this with a very sore shoulder. Lets explain…

We get all our gear on and we are promptly taken to the first game arena. Each team is taken to opposite ends. The object is for your team to collect the flag, which is located in the centre and then take it too the opposite base. You see i enjoy the tactical element of paintball, it can be the most satisfying part of it all. So i decide that we need 2 people to run down the centre at the flag and for the rest to split up down each flank, creating covering/ cross fire.

I for some reason decide to be one of the runners, i prepare myself to run like Micheal Johnston. The whistle goes and I go to take a step. Unknown to me , the ground beneath my feet is wet and muddy. You can probably guess what happens next…I slip and land face first in the mud. In this embarrassing process i manage to hit my shoulder on a tree route that was strategically placed by the opposition. Before i even fire a paintball i lie injured behind a tree for 5 minutes.

Thankfully i recovered and was able to face defeat like a man in the next 5 rounds. The ironic thing is i don’t have any paintball injuries this time around… my shoulder on the other hand is killing me!

Switchfoot are one of the best live bands I have seen! Their energy on stage filters into the crowd, making for a really enjoyable night. They played a really solid set tonight with a mixture of tunes from old and new eras. I was delighted when I heard the chords to one of my favourite Switchfoot songs, company car. The lyrics are very cleverly written, as with most of Switchfoots songs. John Foreman - the lead singer/guitar player - stands out among his peers as a fresh and insightful songwriter. I just love the song Faust, Midas, Myself on the new album Oh Gravity!

Anyway, it was a great live performance and please please please come back soon!

(Unfortunately I didn’t take this picture on the night. All credit goes to the Switchfoot tour photographer.)

Paintball can be a cruel game. I remember the first time I ‘played’ the game a few years ago – the unexpected yelp as the paintball hit me on the leg for the first time was a real surprise. Insult was added to injury, well small circular bruise, when someone harshly commented ‘I didn’t realise the 4^th member of the Bee Gees was playing?!’ So this time I am ready to take the pain…..balaclava, padded trousers, ‘protector’ and gloves have all been purchased to keep the pain to a minimal.

You see, my friend Pete has decided to organise paintball as part of his 21st Birthday celebrations. Lets hope that this time around there will be no bruising tragedy!

What can happen if you dont wear the right clothing Pete!

After many years of putting blogging off, I have finally arrived thanks to some inspiration from my friend Pete. Pleas be patient as a get the layout for the site as i like it.