Out to grass - aka Furlough.

Yep - I've been put out to grass.  Am I bothered?  Slightly, but to be honest, I could see it coming, as I have been trying to work from home, and with the best will the world, it's not been easy.

I'm one of those rare people that doesn't have broadband at home - in this bit of Darkest Warwickshire, we rely on a carrier snail.  And that met with an accident called a pot of salt.

So, until June 1st, I am officially on the payroll of HM Government, meaning that I don’t go near a computer (I’m posting this via the Blogger App on my phone), so it means an enforced break from the usual stuff that lands on my desk (ok – working from home, it’s been the dining table).

But, I can at least keep up with the training that I have been trying to complete, and may well be able to get some more bits done that I am interested in – mainly updating my excel skills.

They were good enough (just) to keep me afloat, but things have changed, and I admit that I am struggling with nasty things such as VLOOKUP, data validation and other functions (something that the powers that be have decided that I really should know about)…

So, I’ll be updating on things as they arise, and I can be bothered to type on a tiny keyboard on my phone.  Just hope the spell check is up to it!

Back whenever…

Karen

Hold on, there's a new way a-coming
Looks like it's arriving tonight
There's no more hiding or running
There's no more walking on ice

Damn, damn and damn.

Well, the best laid plans have a habit of going wrong, and I seem to be cursed every time I try to see Magnum at Birmingham town hall…  The last time they had to postpone a gig, we ended up going to see them at Symphony Hall – and I have the album that they recorded there…

This is the statement that Magnum sent to their fans:

“It is with a heavy heart that we must finally concede to the inevitable.

A combination of government measures in numerous countries, and liaising with promoters and our co-headliners Gotthard has meant that ultimately the decision has been taken out of our hands.

The Serpent Rings Tour will be postponed until later this year and early next.  Dates will be announced as soon as possible.

Those with tickets will be entitled to a refund or to attend rescheduled shows - information on this will be given as soon as we know more.

We're very sorry to all the loyal fans who were looking forward to coming to see us.  But even more than this we are sorry for those who will feel the financial impact of this for months and even years to come.  Our friends, the crew, who now have empty diaries and no immediate prospect of new shows of any kind.  Our support acts, promoters, venue staff, security, bar staff and the touring industry as a whole - all of whom face exceptionally hard times now.

It was never our intent to cause anger and hurt with our previous defiance.  With so much already paid for, contracts all in place and the band all rehearsed and ready to go we had very little choice but to try and carry on despite mounting pressure. We really wanted to play more than you can imagine. We held on as long as we could.

Good luck to everyone in these troubled times.  We'll see you on the other side...

Bob, Tony, Rick, Lee, Dennis and all the Magnum team”

But, at the end of the day, the band have to follow the advice from the various governments, and I cannot fault them.  I just hope that this damned virus clears up soon, and life can get back to some semblance of normality.

Ah well, time to call this quits - got to refuel the Monster today...

Back when I can.

Karen

It's another rainy day

Talk of freedom got away

Time to get the message right

It's never black or white

So I'm walking in the rain

Found a reason to explain

No excuses, no regret

We all deserve respect