Tag: Dave

Something I Don’t Know – 11th May 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

I am a rational being
Though telling me I am able to control my emotions
Does not help me to control my emotions
Tell me something I don’t know

I am a rational being
Though you lead by example in the things that you do
Understand that I am not you
Tell me something I don’t know!

Submitted to RagTag Daily Prompt – Rational

Today I’m feeling:

A little tired this morning.

Tigger woke me up at 6am, he doesn’t understand weekends, telling me he will die if he doesn’t eat, so I wearily poured out some dried food, much to Cap’s disgust, fell back into bed and,  resetting my 7.30 alarm for 8.30 dived deep into a sexy, though not sexual, dream about Nong Fah!

When my alarm went off I forced myself up and now I’m at Utopia and struggling to focus my eyes properly on my book.

Today I’m grateful for:

A change of plans.  Today I was supposed to drive us all up to Doi Chang and here and there and all around but Mai’s family are all tired and/or sick with dodgy stomachs and even the backup plan of going to the Black House got cancelled and in the end everyone just came to our house and chilled in the air con.

The best thing about today was:

A whole load of mala sticks for dinner at a Chinese shop and even though I could’ve skipped dinner completely I ended up with a stack of vegetables and dug into the super spicy Sichuan sticks whilst sipping some soothing milk tea.  I’m not sure yet how my stomach is going to react overnight.

Something I learned today?

As we don’t have internet in the house I am perusing my hard drive full of TV shows and movies and watching some of Paul Merton’s travel series around Europe.  It’s maybe 20 or even 30 years old already but at that time there was a group of Germans who dressed a little to look like Nazis and carried flags with the same colours as the swastika symbol but with an apple shape instead. They would go outside known Nazi gathering spots in Berlin and chant things like ‘Drink more apple juice’ in a fun attempt to humiliate them.

Did you do something difficult or challenging today?

I happily drove Mai and family around this morning and afternoon, trying to keep Yaya occupied and happy.

Someone took this picture in Utopia and they used it on Facebook. I’m happy with my hair in this picture.

In Her Sleep – 8th May 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 10 Comments
Image credit; Marianna Smiley @ Unsplash “Thrive” by Danial Pooper a sculpture in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Under her ribs
(She spread them open
Pulled apart with the strength
Only a goddess can claim)

Under her ribs
Exposed for all to see
Grows the green heart
Life given, life giver

Her perfection cracked
Time-worn and serene
Her beauty unaffected
Welcome to her world

Welcome to thrive
Life sprouted on edges
Breathing in the goodness
Breathing out goodness
In her sleep

Shared with WDYS #237
16th Aug 2024 – Shared with Ragtag Daily Prompt – cracked

Today I’m feeling:

Good again.  Pretty peppy with an underlying exhaustion just from adjustment to this routine again.  

Mai, Dave and Yaya, along with Mai’s parents, arrive in Chiang Rai this morning and Amy will be busy with them for the next four days and I’ll be joining them after work this afternoon.

Today I’m grateful for:

Our step ladder so that I can try and organise our vine plant to grow over our entertainment area and perhaps stop a little of the rain in the future, though will undoubtedly block the gutters with dead leaves too.

The best thing about today was:

Getting on top of everything in preparation for being back in the classroom.  I think I have a fairly clear idea for each class now and can adapt as I go.  It was a good feeling to be back in the game so to speak.

I had felt pretty on the ball at the start of the holiday but then slacked off a lot for the last three weeks.  I put up a self imposed barrier in my mind though thankfully found it easy to overcome.  Though I’m damned tired right now!  Tired but feeling great and positive.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

I felt increasingly positive and happy as the day has gone on and nothing could stand in my way or bother me.

Something I learned today?

Mai’s husband Dave was so excited when he got to Thailand that he overindulged in smoking too much weed last night and had to spend the day sleeping today, so I haven’t actually seen him yet.

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

I drove Amy and I back into the city at 5 pm and the traffic is getting busy again after the holidays.  I picked up Mai and her family and took us to the restaurant for a really nice meal with Amy’s mum and dad joining too.

I took this picture because this is another Yaya that I know.

No Subjects – 16th October 2023

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

With no subjects, you are no king
Perhaps just the king of nothing
No one to serve and bring
To give your life the desired meaning

Addicted to looking on down
From the belltowers of the town
An arsenal of words to deploy
The superiority for one to enjoy
The minions though, now vacated
The unknowingly abdicated

Today I’m feeling:

I managed to sleep around midnight but kept waking up, eventually getting up at 9.30 but not really waking up until coffee and breakfast at 11. Even so, I think I could sleep again now. I miss the times of long good sleep, about two weeks ago!

I got a photo from Noey yesterday of her and Art in Utopia without me, where we all usually are on Sunday mornings.

Today I’m grateful for:

Dave and Mai to pick us up and pick up Amy’s things that she can’t bring back to Thailand, drive us into the city and enjoy breakfast together.

The best thing about today was:

A general feeling of calm and well-being, noticed particularly when sitting in Three Wise Monkies as Amy drank a red wine and I looked out of the window as folks struggled with the sudden cold wind and rain.

Something I learned today?

Israel advised people to leave the North Gaza Strip before they would bomb there. That’s nice, isn’t it? Then, they bombed the people as they were out in the open leaving. There will be war forever in Israel. Even when Palestine has disappeared completely, the Zionist agenda has made too many victims.

I took this picture because I was quite impressed with this view from the top floor of Myer.
Fatman report

Aching Bone – 15th October 2023

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Everyone has got an aching bone
Something imperfect inside
The picture may be pretty
But there’s always something to hide

Flat feet, terrible teeth
The flaws remain concealed
There’s lipstick on the cover
In the morning the truth revealed

Bad breath and wrinkled eyes
The Botox is wearing off
The aching bone is constantly nagging
Unable to look pretty and cough

As I was waiting somewhere, my left foot aching from fallen arches, a pretty girl walked by, drawing my eyes. Perfect on the outside, what is her fallen arch? Her hidden aching bone?

Today I’m feeling:

(1.40 am) still awake with a headache.

(3pm) When I finally got to sleep it was deep and with no real morning planned for, I slept until 11am and headed off to coffee and Tom’s new shop on the bus. Even then I didn’t quite wake up until I started browsing the books in the shop, of which he had curated a good selection and I picked up about five. It was good to see Tom too, he looks like he’s doing well these days. 

I walked over to Newtown which was really nice to do, past old buildings and streets I used to drive through.

I got to Moshpit and met Bob and Julian and the band turned up and I caught up with everyone again. Nicely nostalgic and not too weird, even though it’s a Sunday afternoon and I have other places to go to soon.

Today I’m grateful for:

Tom and 19th Nervous Breakdown for buying me coffee, giving me CDs and only charging me 20 bucks for 5 books and a CD. Good man!

Also to Julian for covering the cost of my ticket to the show today. Good man! 

The best thing about today was:

Catching up with Shouwang and Carsick Cars again and talking about the good old days, I suppose. It seems like in Beijing these aren’t the good old days anymore.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

Apart from my sleep there was nothing much that couldn’t be easily handled. I didn’t even eat until 7 pm except a Snicker Bars which took off another piece of tooth after losing a bit last night whilst eating bread rolls. I guess that was out of my control but thankfully the filling is still intact so there’s no pain at the moment.

Something I learned today?

Thanks to Dave I learned too much about chickens and limestone. I’m somewhat jealous of people like Bronwyn and Dave who are just able to keep talking even if it’s not that interesting or relevant. I noticed Dave checking himself occasionally before he started wandering off into conspiracy land though he did end up getting into something but I can’t even remember what it was now because it was just so dumb.

Who do I need to spend time with?

I need to spend more time with Amy and to settle back into a comfortable routine that will work for me again. I know there will not be enough time to do all the things I’ve been used to and Amy will have me busy doing things.

I took this picture because it’s been a good while since I got my ears blasted at a show.

Rob writes – 1st March 1995

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Hey, more writing space! 

I went round Jon and Selina’s a few days ago to pick up the PA that Jon used for Thirst! They’re moving to a house just behind the Jackpot cafe, where Selina works in Portswood. I think it’s next week actually. 

Basically, Dave’s been a bit of a jerk sometimes (well, only when he gets drunk to be honest) – especially with bands staying at their place. There’s been occasions which I won’t bother to go into, where Selina’s been fuming and then so pissed off with everything, and Rich said he’s not going over there again until Dave leaves and sorts himself out. 

He just gets lonely sometimes I guess, and frustrated – well, he did throw a bottle at me down the Crown and Sceptre last week – I just stormed off….

Well, that’s all the scandal for now – apart from Selina having her hair cut shoulder length.
See ya
Rob

30th Jan 2024 – Dave was always ok when I met him but seemed to be a sad, bad drunk. Sadly he didn’t manage to sort himself out and I believe he committed suicide sometime in the next couple of years.

Atrox, Disciples of the Elder, (A poet), Other Side Of The Fence – Cornwall Hotel, Dorchester, Dorset, UK – 15th March 1985

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 3 Comments

28th Aug 2022 – Disciples of the Elder, I think was Andy Andersen’s band at the time. I had tried previously to get a band together with him called Violent Rubbish or possibly Satan’s Children (which I self-tattooed on my left wrist) along with Justin Butler on bass and Simon on drums. We had one practice at Justin’s school somewhere in Hamworthy but never got it together for another as we had few transport options and all lived in different towns.

This was my first show singing with Atrox, having finally begged my way into my favourite band and convincing them that having two singers wasn’t a bad thing. It was pretty unusual at the time. I say singer but I always correct myself to say, vocalist. I was so stoked to be up on stage with my new friends and in a band that I considered far superior to Andy’s.

Other Side Of The Fence was Rich Waitland’s band I believe and a couple of years later he would play a small part in my life in another band (Hate That Smile).

My attempt at a Pete Frame family tree, showing how I was connected with ‘real’ bands!