Monday 17 January 2022

Happy New Year!

I think we can all agree that the last couple of years have been strange and scary. Two years after the scheduled date, I still haven't published "Blitzkrieg!". What could be stranger and scarier than that? 

I'm pretty sure I'll release it this year. After several years caged up, it's getting pretty angry. No, ugly angry. I'll be glad to see that back of the bastard. Preferably, as it mauls someone else.

I blame Alexei. Had he got his arse in gear and created the covers, Blitzkrieg would be gaily cavorting in a sunlit meadow. Rather than eating its own shit in a bed of filthy straw. Alexei had some pathetic excuse about needing to study. I never bothered when I was at university. Why should he?

Plague permitting, I've a few trips planned and a couple of others pencilled in. Corona is a real blessing to travellers. The internet had made travels far too simple. The virus adds a delightful randomness to the proceedings. Like planning a European tour in the summer of 1918. 

Every time I book a flight I wonder: "What are the chance of me actually taking it?" Nothing is more thrilling than checking the internet until the second before you leave for the airport that the flight hasn't been cancelled. Or wondering if you'll be let out of the country once you reach your destination. I love the Phineas Fogg feeling the uncertainty brings.

Maybe I'll be your way pushing my latest book. Which may or may not be "Blitzkrieg!". More likely, I'll be in Thailand/Aruba/Tenerife/Malaga/Malta/Folkestone with Mikey pushing as much bacon and booze down my throat as I can physically manage.

Happy New Year!

4 comments:

Michael Foster said...

If you end up in Thailand please let me know so I can treat you to a few rounds. The least I can do to repay for such a great blog.

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year and thanks for the numbers.

As an American, it's interesting to me that the travel wishlist doesn't include places like Barcelona, Verona, York, or even closer places to you like Aachen or Bruges.

Is it the case of Europeans get saturated with visits to historical places and the appeal wears off by the mid 20s? On the few trips I've made over there, I've always puzzled why the ratio of Americans (and Australians and Japanese) to Europeans at major attractions is so unrepresentative.

(I know part of the reason could be all of the Americans visiting those places, but I prefer to pretend that's not the reason.)

Ron Pattinson said...

Anonymous,

already visited the place you mention, other than Verona. Mostly, I'm going for new places and ones with good beer. Other than just pissing it up with my mate Mikey.

Hopefully, none of the trips will end with the Red Harvest experience like when we visited Hong Kong. Waking up with a pillow stained red with your own blood is never good. Especially when you've no idea how it happened.

A Brew Rat said...

For us Americans, another joy of international travel is the day before you fly home, getting a COVID test then waiting to see if you get to board the plane tomorrow, or if you will have to quarantine for 10 days in a hotel room before you get to fly home.