Sion Barry's World

A RANDOM CONVERSATION

Here I am in a previous life, before gout severely limited my movements and I was able to avoid enforcement agencies across the Mediterranean eating pasta [but never as a main like here in the UK], cheerily accompanied by copious amounts of local white wines. Some journalist dubbed me the "Great Pasta Dictator" and even though I couldn't even control a cheese grater, while attempting to re-string my Spanish guitar at the same time, it kinda of stuck. The lady on my right is still on the run though and is believed to be en route to somewhere near the Spanish/French border with an Australian IT expert. Oh the humanity!

I often think of death and people who have passed on. Was thinking of my nan this evening, she lived into her eighties. She was a real character and I'm sure there is some video footage of her somewhere. Not a desire though to seek out and watch as I have all the memories I need. She was born in Grangetown in Cardiff and her father and her sisters once ran a sweet making business, which I am assuming was around in the 1920s and 1930s, before she was married. She really knew how to enjoy herself. Anyway I do remember back in the 1970s we all went on an extended family trip to Weston-Super-Mare in England. We went on the pier and had a great time in one particular show, which was the hall of mirrors. You know the sort of thing.... big head and tiny body, long body, mirrors that made you look really fat. When we got outside Nan was laughing and pointing to us to look at her in a mirror just passed the exit. "Look how fat I am," she called out. It turned out be to a norm...

Not at my venue of income generation this week. This morning was well mapped out, doctor's appointment for our daughter Isabella [above] then a dental appointment for Mrs B in Taffs Well.... we don't live there, but she has gone there since she was a toddler. Only downside was a call from the receptionist on Mrs B's mobile when he had nearly arrived home to say that I'd had left my mobile there. I will have to go back later, before going to Isabella's nursery for her Christmas Party. Lunchbox. Is doing really well and looking forward to Christmas. Will not be in service until the day after Boxing Day and I've no doubt it's looking forward to proudly containing some turkey sandwiches. Random Thought Do you have a girlfriend yet? Are you serious? When you getting engaged? When you getting married? Any plans for children? What about a second... third? Kids doing well in school? Going to university? Any grandchildren yet? What about a nursing home? [this ha...

IF I close my eyes I'm on an empty sandy beach in winter. It's a glorious day, the sun is happy to appear up high, but not for a few hours yet, and the wind is so refreshing. Do I have company, of course I do. It's my wife and Isabella and we're holding hands in a line and running towards the Atlantic waves. It's early in the morning... we are morning people. I guess it's around 8am. Isabella is a strong runner and she laughs as I fall head first into the sand. "Come on dad, keep up!" I am so happy I can't tell you. Mrs B is also laughing beautifully... and then we turn and wave to our imaginery friend, a kindly and wise soul.

THREE BARRYS and a MOTHER-in-LAW

BREAKFAST: Straight and to the point bowl of Weetabix with semi-skimmed cold organic milk. Then had two pieces of toast with Mrs B homemade blackcurrant jam - world class everytime! Walk to Work. Ding dong merrily on high down Cowbridge East Road I went. Buses, cars and pedestrians and the odd cyclist all focused on getting to various venues of income generation. Why do we do it? Don't really want to go there today. Lunchbox 4 smoked salmon sandwiches with a hint of lemon juice 1 Mint Club biscuit... first ever appearance on this blog 1 banana 1 apple Some blueberries too. Random Thought: WHAT has been the carbon footprint impact of Christianity? It started around 24AD, long before the creation of electricity and the combustion engine. But think of all those churches today and the energy that they use, the impact of parishioners travelling to and from etc etc.

BREAKFAST: Oh yes a bowl of Cornflakes with semi-skimmed cold milk, which I was forced to share with my 19 month old daughter Isabella. Walk to Work: Gout attack has eased thanks to the wonders of chemicals. So it was down Cowbridge Road East [oh yes sing its name] and into the centre of Cardiff. Anything of note? Well my head was a little foggy on account of a few sherberts the previous evening. Lunchbox: Still on vacation , but it is coming back with a vengeance next week. Random Thought This is something new to me walk and sleep in harmony When I wake I do not know, where my steps have taken me So wake up sleepy head and get your forward motion It's a brand new day for you and I sense you're going to like it

BREAKFAST: Just a good old plain bowl of Shreddies with semi-skimmed organic cold milk. Walk to Work: This was not easy this fine morning. My right ankle was in much pain... I believe it is gout. Too much Port perhaps, or just a hereditary thing. My grandfather used to get terrible gout, so my mother tells me. He used to work at the docks in Cardiff. When I was a kid we used to refer to Butetown as the Docks. Kids from the docks we lived in fear of, especially when they decided to cross the bridge into Grangetown, where I resided until the age of 17 - although I did return for a two year spell in the early 1990s living in my late Nan's house in Penhaved Street. That house was seriously haunted - I kid you not. However, I believe the energy source was probably my great grandmother, so it didn't bother me. It I died tomorrow, I would have no intention of trying to freak out loved ones who were still doing their thing on planet earth. Not saying my great grandmother did. She ...

BREAKFAST: Didn't engage on this front this morning. My stomach is a place of great delicacy at present. Walk to Work: If it was an Olympic qualifying time attempt it would have been woeful. I opted to take the route of Cowbridge Road East [CRE] into the centre of Cardiff. Down Westage and a chap in front of me was clearly lost. I think he was French and I helped him out by giving him directions to the the river walk side of the Millennium Stadium, where a European conference on entrepreneurship is taking place. Lunch: Took the plunge and went to Boots across the road from my venue of income generation [voig] for a far from memorable Meal Deal. Random Thought Tree surgeon standing tall are your autumn leaves falling?

Mrs B took some images of Isabella on Sunday, while I was at my venue of income generation. Gee whizz is that the time? I fancy going for a walk... Dad you coming? Fine you stay here and watch that stupid rugby. I've just turned my Dad into the head of an Indian call centre! Dad it's a career move.

THIS will happen for me tomorrow. Yes way back on 16/11/65, I was born at Cardiff's Salvation Army Hospital. Apparently it was pretty cold that day.... it was snowing in fact. En route to the hospital in a taxi, my nearly dad to be, stopped off to buy some fags from a shop, which has also probably long since gone. He continued to smoke into the early 1990s, or was it the late 1980s? But he still enjoys the odd pint of Guinness. He was born back in 1938 and his father in 1899. Not sure he reads this silly blog Happy Birthday Sion. Thank you Sion Don't mention it Sion

Here is Mr Ian Courtney of Penarth deep in conversation with Mrs B on the topic of session border controllers! Breakfast: Delightful bowl of Cornflakes with semi-skimmed cold organic milk. Walk to Work: It was down Cowbridge Road East, which takes you into the centre of the Welsh universe. If Cardiff had the same liberal gun laws as the US there would nobody left alive. Random Thought "All froth and no underpants!" This is dedicated to TM Communications of Cardiff, run by the one and only Mr Ian Courtney. Ian's top five sayings: He's a decent cove. I have to say Siono he is a thoroughly decent member of the human race One for the gutter? All my love to Petra and the family. He's a complete jizzer !

Breakfast: Humbling bowl of Cornflakes with semi-skimmed cold organic milk. The Walk to Work: A coat no less was needed this morning. So it was down the legendary Taff Trail that I took myself with my breath visible on the riverside air. Chap wearing a beret, who often cycles pass me heading out of the city, was trying to pump air into a deflated tyre, while yards later I passed a chap pushing two bicycles. A note on the the River Taff : I was going to call an ambulance as it was hardly moving, but then a rather tubby Squirrel caught my eye. Lunchbox 2 ham and salad brown rolls 2 chocolate digestive biscuits 1 banana... which turned out to be too ripe to consume. 1 apple 1 satsuma. Random Thought : Cyril answer that phone Cyril answer that bloody phone! Cyril for the love of God answer that phone!!! Voice of Narrator: But Cyril is no longer working for the Inland Revenue, he didn't even leave a note with the milkman. He is somewhere in Peru right now and is learning to dance... ...

Breakfast: That's all I am going to write about in this entry. Have done something very domesticated with our Weetabix . We buy organic for Isabella and "normal" for me... Mrs B is not a great fan and has her own crunchy nut variety of cereal. Anyway the thing with Weetabix is that they can make a bit of a mess when taking them out of their white packaging and then putting them into a bowl. So both now reside in separate Tupperware ! RANDOM WEETABIX On the Great Western Service from Paddington to Cardiff Central yesterday evening an extremely eccentric woman , who has more money than sense, had reserved two first class seats next to each other... one was for her and yes, you've guessed it, the other for her Weetabix box which I think contained 48. No plans to host a Weetabix video on this blog... unless all 30 readers of you - the majority who are brought here through image searches [if you don't believe me just cick on the site metre below] - really want me...

BREAKFAST: Believe it or not I had a bowl of Weetabix with semi-skimmed organic milk.... wait a minute that's a complete fabrication as I actually didn't eat anything. Walk to Work Decide to re-frequent myself with the Taff Trail, which takes a small but consistent stream of pedestrians and cyclists into the centre of Cardiff, and it you are that way inclined right down to Cardiff [no more of which late]. A tremendous stillness in the air this morning, autumnal leaves were falling in straight lines. Lunchbox: No appearance today... as you might have noticed I didn't have breakfast either on account of an upset stomach - oh dear oh dear. Random Thought: Some of my best friends are not gay. A think on your feet poem please Sion? Okay here goes. Rushing to the cinema, broken glass and cigarette smoke Intimidation running wild as we try and take cover A shout of help muffled as I fall and boots unleashed on my body and skull. I am dead.

MUCH on my mind of late, not saying bad things, but just stuff whirling around Breakfast: Pretty decent bowl of Weetabix with semi-skimmed organic milk... Yes sometimes I do tire of writing this. Walk to Work: Felt the urge to walk out of my usual pace range, by increasing it. Before I knew it was at Canton Bridge, where the Marriott Hotel is no longer a terrible eyesore, after an external makeover. Only an half an hour at my venue of income generation and I was off again for a walk across the centre of Cardiff to the offices of KPMG on Newport Road, where senior partner Simon Jones still had his right arm in a sling. Lunchbox 2 chocolate digestive biscuits 4 ham sandwiches 1 apple. Random Thought: This is a letter just penned to the Pope. Dear Pope, My name is David Squire and I am editor of Pope Weekly. This is the 150 th time I have written to you requesting a one to one interview, with no cardinals present. I am getting a bit annoyed as I have never had a response and I interv...

Dear Dad, It was great that you and mum were around on Saturday to watch my first steps. I really enjoyed it and I am glad it made you both so happy. Now we have to take this new form of transport one step at a time [yeah my first gag too] but it's going to be a hoot.

BREAKFAST: Poetic bowl of Cornflakes with semi-skimmed cold organic milk. Was in the groove so then had two pieces of toast with blackcurrant jam. The Walk to Work. It was down the downbeat [but it can be upbeat depending on my mindset] Cowbridge Road East this morning, which is very purposeful in taking citizens of Cardiff into the the centre of the Welsh capital. Was kinda of raining, but nobody bothered to refer it to the television referee. Lunchbox 4 sausage sandwiches 1 apple 1 banana 1 Rachel's organic yoghurt Random Thought: When I was kid I would spend hours kicking a football against a wall [any wall I could find around my home in Grangetown Cardiff]. Then in the summer I would spend hours hitting a tennis ball with my aluminum racket against a wall. Somethings there would be a few of us taking it in turns to kick the ball against the wall, or two of us playing wall tennis. Have a particular wall in mind which has to be still there... Google Earth calling the mothersh...

Breakfast: Time pressing bowl of Weetabix with semi-skimmed organic milk. Walk To Work: It was back down the legendary Taff Trial this morning. A great deal of pedestrian and cyclist activity and a few dogs at ease with the world too. The immaculately groom white huskey dog also made an appearance with his owner. Lunchbox: 4 ham and salad sandwiches 2 chocolate digestive biscuits 1 apple 1 banana 1 plum Some grapes and strawberries. Random Thought: When life gets you in the pit of your stomach. Be brave and take a steady and firm foot forward . We interrupt this self-righteous nonsense to make an importance announcement. Over to you Mr Ali Khan: Oh yes thank you. The Earth will self destruct in five minutes!