There ain't no cure for the Summer time blues- except free tapas

Ahhhh, at long last, the World Cup starts today over in Germany.
If like me you consider yourself a scholar of the beautiful game then the next month you will be submerged in your own personal utopia, however should you have no inkling towards Association Football, then I suggest that you find a darkened hole and hide away there until it’s over. I don’t want to go on about it too much, after all it’s already become apparent that there’s going to be somewhat of an overload in relation to the tournament, but watching the ‘World Cup greatest wonder goals’ on Channel 5 this week, really got my juices flowing.

I’ve also had some time to recently to ponder on a few of my little quirks, namely my newly diagnosed Summertime Blues. The last three days I’ve woken after a relatively sound night’s sleep feeling incredibly low and deflated. Granted, I’m never terribly excited to come into work, as just in case you didn’t get it; I hate this job with an unbridled passion, however recently it’s been more than that. It is possible for people to have an affiliation that makes them unhappy and depressed during the winter months, in fact many people I know claim to suffer from this seasonal mood swings. Surely it is plausible for me to hate the summer. There is something about the summer in a city such as Liverpool that just doesn’t feel right. Don’t get me wrong, there are of course many enjoyable activities to pursue in the sunshine, and often I’ll relish to opportunity to go a toss by boomerang about on the park, or a blowing the froth of a couple of ice cold beers. I really wish I could put my finger on why I get anxious in the summer, but alas, despite racking my worried and unhappy brain I can’t.

Of course, being of Ginger stock, sunshine is one of my main weaknesses. Many summer holidays I would remain in the shade with an oversized hat greased up in factor 50 sun block, whilst the remainder of my family and friends (most notably family friends and childhood holiday companions The Dysons) would laze about in the sun without a care in the world, browning themselves silly. I just watched the wretched freckles appear on my arms. These unsightly blemishes though served me well during those long and boring Science lessons where I used to join the dots, but it wasn’t exactly a fair exchange.

For those who know me well and are aware that I am a sun cream Nazi (embarrassingly I declared this at a loud and obnoxious voice whilst walking down a street in Dresden without realising my gaffe).
Too many occasions in my youth I had fallen foul to the sun’s heat. The worst occasion came on a hot day in late June ’89 during the school sports day. Sat on a grassy slope with my sports vest on with no hat or cream almost killed me. So afflicted by the sun that I spent the next two days in bed with sunstroke. Not a pleasant experience.

It’s more than the heat that annoys me, as I love going abroad and enjoying the good weather, or even out in the countryside in the UK, I think it’s the city. This coupled with my recent problems of couchpotatoeism. I have been particularly taken to watching TV rather than doing something of interest. This I feel, will be my downfall.
Hot cars don’t help. Neither does the fact that all the houses I’ve ever lived in have been designed for the purpose of keeping the heat in, and have done that job relatively well-with the exception of our current abode. However, as soon as the hot days kick in, you can’t open enough windows.

In our current flat, the windows are nice and big and opening them does provide some pleasant breezes, however as we don’t actually have a window in our front room that you can open it gets a tad sticky.

BBQ’s in terraced houses aren’t great either. Firstly there is absolutely no privacy in the back yard. Every alcohol-fuelled word can be heard reverberating down the street much to the local residents’ annoyance. There is also little shade and the concrete just reflects the heat, making it feel like an unpleasant urban kiln.

So one of the main reasons that I’m looking forward to the impending World Cup is that I have a plausible excuse to stay in and watch TV, or alternatively go to the pub, which by the way brings me to the exciting news that we have now found a deceent pub to go to this summer! Yey!

Last night, Lisa actually got back from work before 6.30 to find me sprawled on the sofa preparing myself to watch Holllyoaks for the first time in an age and declared that we shouldn’t waste the sun and go for a pint. As I was in the middle of a summer blues bought of depression,my face dropped and I mumbled words along the lines of “yeah, If you want.”. Lisa looked excited as she said it would be great to sit outside in the sun and enjoy a early evening ale. As the sun was scorching outside, I didn’t exactly have high hopes that there would be any space in any beer garden near by, and I flat out refused to go to the Inglenook. I admired Lisa’s optimism that we could enjoy the benefits of a beer garden. After dragging my heals, and smearing my body in the precautionary sun cream we heated out. At Lisa’s suggestion, we went to Que Pasa on lark Lane- you know the one that was a Mexican Restaurant, then wasn’t, then is again…sort of, as Lisa had heard they have a beer garden. Would you Adam and believe it, there was space. “hmmm” I thought, not band. It’s got shade and big tables. Lisa of course was looking to be sat ‘in the sun’ but I persuaded her to stay. She returned with the beers (I have no funds until the 15th, another reason why I wasn’t exactly chomping at the bit to visit the pub). My face lit up when I gazed upon the chosen beverages…Staropramen, my favourite beer on tap! Woot! Also Lisa’s favourite tipple; Hoegarden also on tap. We chinked glasses in happiness. Whilst we sat their enjoying the shade, we were presented with some tapas too…for free.(woot X2). Then Sweet Jonny, Eve-e-o and Kelly whom were on route to get some Frisbee action in the park soon joined us. T’was awfully pleasant. Perhaps, I mused, the summer won’t be so bad after all. After lamenting the closure of Lark lane 52, I think we can safely say that its replacement is a finer establishment, with it is worth noting, vastly superior toilets.

I arose this morning to a ridiculously bright room, sobriety, The Dock Road traffic and the inane banter of Chris Moyles soon put pay to that notion this morning and once more the summer blues set in. Roll on Autumn!

Anyway, a nice cheery song to keep one's spirit's up. Contain one of my favourite upbeat lyrics ever "That's why people O.D on pills, and throw themselves off the Golden Gate Bridge"

Handsome Family – Weightless Again