Chris-San

This
Is Chris
Taiko drummer
Donko hummer
Whisky purveyor
Undoubted playah
I suspect

Taiko tonight, and by god did I need it after a day starting with the now obligatory 8.30am conference call at which I was given hassle for not having drafted something from scratch having been sent documents to review... At 4.30pm on Friday. The project manager can moan all she wants about coming in at the weekend. With her hourly rate. And timesheet to get paid extra for doing so. All easier to take if I didn't have that Damoclean sword hanging over the job itself. And so, while the second section of the piece we're learning has thus far completely eluded me I did at least get to take out a wee bit of frustration on the drums...

Chris is able assistant to Fi (who was playing at the Taiko concert we went to a week gone Friday at the Usher Hall) and both are patient as patient can be. Who knows when/if I'll pick this piece up.

Too tired for a rant abut anything else, I've got that aggression out after the drums and a cracking ride home from the office (I didn't realise the south road round Arthur's Seat was closed... to cars - sailed round in a convoy of three bikes, the chap in front clearly trying very hard to get rid of me and the bloke behind (a Frenchmen I chatted to at the interminable red at the Duddingston Crossroads roadworks), but when it came to the downhill his gearing was waaaaay too short and I cruised by - I resisted the temptation to sit up with the hands off the bars and doff my cap but by eck it took some willpower - can't be bothered with macho attempted shows of prowess, especially when they're so damned obvious as this guy was).

Oh! While I remember, did you see that Lloyd Grossman appears to be an evil genetic criminal mastermind? So he makes his sauces poisonous, but it appears he's able to target not only specific ages, but also specific nationalities. As reported by the Daily Record today, that fine upstanding bastion of journalistic empirical excellence, the tainted jars of sauce in this country have only affected young Scots...

Now, if you'll excuse me, my life is too exciting and I've got to go and fit a new lighting extravaganza to the bike (trust me, this'll be worth watching out for the blip tomorrow I reckon) and polish off that Bike Show TV pitch again and see if I can re-interest some production companies, and also see if someone will pay me to write my usual nonsense, ride bikes and take photos of wildlife and pet cats, all in case the worst case scenario hits with the job...

Our rather grand Taiko surroundings

p.s. shot at 1/20th this shows less my ability to hold the camera steady at that slow a shutter speed, and more Chris's ability to hold a bloody solid stance while thumping down both bachi - this was precisely the shot I had in mind as I sat down briefly on the stage, and he delivered.

p.p.s. I really must give you a link to Mugenkyo who are behind the course we're doing, and so much more. Seriously, if you get a chance, do it. I can't quite get across how much I love doing this - even if I can't remember what the hell I'm supposed to be playing...