Adrian Phelan

Post 21

Tony wins| 21 vision| Pancakes| Lent| Wee jobby bit| Paul McCartney| Irish passport| Helpline Awareness Day| Goodbye and thanks Links to previous posts

Welcome to this week’s blog  

Happy weekend everyone. This couple of days off have felt a long time coming so now it’s here, let’s make the most of it.  

Tony’s award  

First things first, congratulations to Tony Cockburn who won the £20 book token for answering last week’s 20 competition question correctly. Most have suggested the blog is best described as ‘Fairy tales of a right eejit’ but of course the original strapline was ‘Fairy tales of a job seeker’.  

As the entries started to come in, I thought, ‘I know all of these’ and of course I do as the blog currently stays within the borders of my own social media. But I’d love for you to share it with your own friends and if they do ask what I’m like, I’ve given you the line already, ‘He’s a right eejit.”  

If my maths is correct, in five weeks we hit six months, so I’ll do another competition then.  Well done again Tony. Happy reading.  

Key to the door  

We are 21 and can have that drink in America. I once spent a summer in New York (J1) when I was still 20 and had to grow a Forest Gump-style beard to get served. I looked ridiculous but had some great nights out. As much as the drinking was illegal the hangovers certainly weren’t. You learn what humidity is when you’re hungover in New York in June, I tell you.  

But you learn from your mistakes. I never get that drunk now. Really! 

Pancake Tuesday (Be warned I go down a rabbit hole) 

I called this section Pancake Tuesday because who actually knows what ‘shrove’ means. I’m nearly 50 and I didn’t until I looked it up. AI says: Shrove comes from the verb “to shrive,” which means to confess your sins and receive absolution from a priest. So Shrove Tuesday literally means “the Tuesday on which people were shriven.”  

So the link: Before Lent, people would go to confession (be “shriven”) and use up rich foods like eggs, butter, and sugar before the fasting period began. Hence pancakes; a practical, delicious clear‑out of the cupboards before 40 days of restraint. 

We had ours courtesy of Mrs P and I stuck to the traditional lemon and sugar. There was mixed success with the tossing, but they all tasted delicious.  

40 days and 40 nights  

But it means Lent has started and it was Ash Wednesday on, well Wednesday. When we were kids, respite from Lent was granted on St Patrick’s Day which is almost a whole month away. I’m not sure I would have the resilience to give up anything I enjoy now for that long, especially not sweets. Some of you will remember Trocaire Boxes. We never knew we were so rich until that was full at the end of lent and we completely resented handing it over to someone else, even if it was a starving child in Africa. Although now I am grateful we did.   

Talking of which, did anyone else have Geldoff thrown at them when they wouldn’t eat their dinner? He has a lot to answer for, although I think Midge Ure was the mastermind behind it.  

The job bit 

I put in a couple of applications this week so let’s see what happens. If I keep drinking from the glass that’s half full there’ll be nothing left. But I’ll keep filling it for as long as it takes. Again, here is my CV and continue to keep me in mind.  

The filim bit 

I saw Man on the Run, the Paul McCartney/Wings film and it was excellent. You could argue it’s one for the fans, but I think it is worth a watch whoever you are, when it comes out on Amazon Prime at the end of the month. You can relax into it, and you can forgive yourself for being lulled by Mull of Kintyre. There’s lots of previously unseen footage and we are respectfully given a deeper insight into the personality of Linda McCartney who was a lovely, lovely person. A definite thumbs up from me.  

Passports please  

I’m applying for my new passport. It’s one of those times when you think, ‘where has ten years gone?’ I will be taking the picture this evening, so I’ll be battering my hair with Pantene Pro V volume and body shampoo in advance. It looks quite thick on my picture from 2016. It’s not anymore.   

But it’s been some ten years. My then almost three and almost five-year-olds are now at secondary school, I have a new nephew and came out the other side of the coronavirus pandemic relatively unscathed. The big birthday is coming up as well, so I say here’s to the next ten years, passport or otherwise.  

Do Good Well – Helplines Awareness Day  

23 February is Helplines Awareness Day which has caught my eye. The website says: 

Helplines Awareness Day is a national campaign that shines a spotlight on the incredible work of helplines across the UK. Each year on 23 February, we celebrate the dedicated employees and volunteers who make a difference every day, and ensure their vital work is recognised, valued, and heard.  

So not looking for your cash this week but do spread awareness where you can.  

Goodbye and thanks 

Once again, thanks for sticking with me.  

See you next week   

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Past posts

14 February

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

7 February

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

1 February

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

23 January

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

16 January

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

9 January

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

2 January

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

26 December

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

20 December 

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

12 December 

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

5 December 

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

28 November 

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

21 November 

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a jobseeker  

14 November 

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a jobseeker  

7 November 

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a jobseeker  

31 October 

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a jobseeker  

24 October 

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a jobseeker  

17 October 

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a jobseeker  

10 October 

Adrian’s All – Fairy tales of a jobseeker

3 October 

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a jobseeker