Chillin' Out

I'm having a lovely evening just chilling out with some good food and a glass or two of Merlot.  I did my last evening working as a cleaner at the village school tonight.  It was a nice friendly school but I was ready to leave.  Obviously such a job has to have a routine and I was bored with that, I'm not a person for too much routine.  So no more smelly boys toilets, no more sand in every nook and cranny in the classroom with the sandpit, no more glitter everywhere, cotton wool that sticks like glue to the carpet, no more trying to get an impossible amount of work done in the time allowed.  It was a job that ideal me for a while, it was close to where I live, got me extra money for my travels, but now it's part of my past, and I have a new job that is much more suitable for me and what I am good at.  

Writing of my new job, I was visiting an 86 year old lady this morning and I asked her what kind of music she liked.  I expected her to say Bing Crosby, Glen Miller, something like that, but what does she say -Westlife!  These lovely old people never fail to surprise me!

When I was driving home from the school tonight a song came on the radio that took me back in time.  It was Always the Last to Know from the early 1990's by the Scottish band Del Amitri.  I used to really like them, loved Justin Currie's voice and many of their songs had meaningful lyrics.  It made me think about the early 90's and the music I liked then.  I liked a lot of Irish bands that were around then too, Something Happens, The Stunning, The Four of Us, The Saw Doctors are some that come to mind.  They showed a lot of promise but none became big in the music world.  Wonder what's become of them?

My U2 fandom was at its height then as well, and now looking back I realise it was also the a very creative, forward thinking era for them musically and in their live performances.  It was also the time I got to know many of the friends I have now via sharing a love for U2.  There was a big gang of us who used to have great fun and madness together during the Zoo days.   

I liked a lot of Irish bands that were around then too, Something Happens, The Stunning, The Four of Us, The Saw Doctors are some that come to mind.  They showed a lot of promise but none became big in the music world.  Wonder what's become of them? 

Dublin was like a second home to me then as well, I visited a few times a year.  I must say, the city has changed almost beyond recognition since then, it no longer feels like the small town city it felt like then. It has lost something, but it still is a wonderful place to visit.

And here's me 20 years later and still a U2 fan and still friends with most of those U2 people I got to know then - some are amongst the best friends I've ever had.  I still visit Dublin regularly, luckily I don't live far away so it's an easy trip, and the city does continue to feel like a second home to me.  The early 90's had a vibe about it that still gives me a warm feeling when I think back to it.  Good times.