4 August 2011

I'm not very good at doing clever things on here...

here's a song I like. I'm not very good at finding things on YouTube. It's the first one he sings. I'm teaching myself to play it on the guitar. YouTube is brilliant for that - being able to listen, over and over, picking out the sounds. I can't really read music very well, I've always done it this way. Far easier than having to put the needle back on the vinyl over and over, I tell you. Plus I can change the words to 'Pretty amazing Danger'.








Anyway, wanted to put something...nice on here. I can't say I'm a massive Neil Diamond fan, but anyone who wrote 'Solitary Man' has to have quite a few redeeming features, right?


This case is...oh, I don't know. Everything that I hate about cases. The sort of case I dislike the most, added to the lack of leads. I think...we might have to start running obbos on our suspects. Not that they're very good suspects. But I'm running out of ideas. And I just want to stop him. Every time he strikes again it bloody hurts. It's like an insult. A twist of the knife.


Tomorrow Danger and I are being put through our paces by Sally. Our first rugby practice. I asked her what we'd be doing, and she said 'Nothing much', with the most evil glint in her eye.


Still, looking forward to seeing Danger in his kit, and watching his ball handling skills.

We don't get issued with the official strip until the day. For now we're just going to be a jumble of different colours. Blood is so hard to get out of the official ones...

65 comments:

Becca said...

Right, I've googled, and I'm still stumped. Obbos?

I offer my own nice thing - I was reminded of it today and it's just as cool as I remember. Four people dancing in a skydiving simulator.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVvRWVoHDb8

John H. D. Watson said...

I don't think I've ever heard that one, or Solitary Man. You're sounding very good on the guitar these days.

Greg Lestrade said...

Becca - sorry, obbo = observation. Surveillance. As in..spending hours watching people, and when something happens and it wasnt them, know we've wasted our time. The sort of last-resort policing I hate.

Danger - You may not have heard of his Solitary Man (shame, given he wrote it), but you've heard Johnny Cash sing it, surely!!? And thanks. It's nice having a bit of time to practice, occasionally.

Greg Lestrade said...

Bloody hell! That's an amazing video, Becca!

I have a feeling Sherlock will be desperate to try to recreate that when he sees it tomorrow...

innie said...

I have a soft spot for Neil Diamond - not just "Solitary Man" and "Girl You'll Be a Woman" but also "Cherry Cherry" and "Red Red Wine." I'm sorry things aren't going well on your case, but glad you have Pretty Amazing Danger to tip the scales more in your favor.

(Becca, that was supercool, even if it had me reaching for the bonine. Hey, did you ever get your Brooklyn Blackout cupcake?)

Greg Lestrade said...

See, I really don't like Red, Red Wine. Mind you, that's partly UB40's fault.

Pretty amazing Danger is indeed saving me, and reclaiming my heart.

Becca said...

Innie, I haven't yet, it's somehow 45 minutes and three subway transfers away, despite being just around the park from me. I think it's going to have to wait till I'm up for that kind of trip.

John H. D. Watson said...

I wonder if they have those skydiving whatsits in London... Although if they do, they probably don't let five year olds in them. Poor Sherlock.

you've heard Johnny Cash sing it, surely!!?

Oh! Yeah, I have. I wasn't thinking of them being the same song I suppose. I didn't know Neil Diamond wrote it. It's so very...Johnny Cash, if you know what I mean.

Greg Lestrade said...

I wouldn't let Sherlock in one. We'd never get him back. He'd be stuck to the ceiling forever.

And yes, Neil Diamond wrote it...but Johnny Cash is my favourite version. Johnny Cash was rather good at taking a song and making it better! (Not that I'm biased, but 'Hurt' is amazing.)

Becca said...

Now you have me picturing that scene in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!

Anonymous said...

I love solitary man - covered by HIM, an amazing Finnish band. Same song but metallized!!

Kira
xoxo

Greg Lestrade said...

Becca - You've lost me again...

Kira - it's the quiet acoustics I like most about it!

Becca said...

There's a scene where there's a very tall room with a big fan at the top. Charlie (and his uncle, I think, it's been a while) drink this fizzy pop that makes them lighter and they float up, enjoying themselves, until they reach the ominous spinning fan at the very top.

In any case, thinking of Sherlock stuck to the ceiling made me think of it.

Greg Lestrade said...

Ah, okay. I haven't seen it. But yeah, that's sort of the image I get!

Anonymous said...

And yet, somehow, when people cover Cash they manage to make it suck. Detroit Social Club's cover of God's Gonna Cut You down is painful. I hope you catch your bad guy soon so you can hang out with your boys and eat ice cream!

John H. D. Watson said...

L - It's one of those he does so well...not exactly overtly depressing, but sort of mournful.

You're right. He'd need lead weights to get down again.

Desert Wanderer said...

Far easier than having to put the needle back on the vinyl

Put the what on the what?

Anon Without A Name said...

I do love Johnny Cash's version of "Hurt". I'm also rather partial to his version of "In My Life", which always sounds to me like an older person's song, you know?

And if you want slow, sad, acoustic versions of songs, there's a lovely version of Bruce Springsteen singing "Born In The USA" with just an acoustic guitar, somewhere on YouTube.

Anon Without A Name said...

Desert Wanderer: oh hush, young'un :-p

Greg Lestrade said...

Desert - I'm just going get John to help me to bed, put my teeth in a glass and my zimmer frame within reach...thanks for making me feel ancient! You will never know the joy of settling your brand new 45 on the turntable, placing the needle oh-so-carefully on it, listening to the hiss and crackle and then your new sing filling the room with rich, quality sound. Digital will never match it.

Nameless - I shall look that up, thanks.

Desert Wanderer said...

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

Does it make you feel better that I've heard coppers (and doctors, for that matter), like fine wines and cheeses, get better with age?

Just don't age like copper. I'm sure neither the Doc nor the boys would appreciate a green DI.

John H. D. Watson said...

I think we can lacquer him to prevent that, if necessary.

Greg Lestrade said...

You can buff me up regularly, anyway...

Desert - I'd threaten you with horrible things, but Matron here has tucked me in with my ovaltine, so you'll have to wait.

innie said...

Okay, I'll concede "Red Red Wine" (UB40, when will your reign of terror be over?!?) but I bet you could do a killer rendition of "Cherry Cherry."

By the way, isn't Neil famous for having panties flung at him? Does Danger reward your efforts appropriately?

Anonymous said...

Have fun tomorrow, gents! It sounds like when Sally's done no one is going to be up to flinging knickers at anyone.

Becca said...

Hee - you know, it was a book long before it was a movie. Several books, actually. They went on to have crazy adventures in a glass elevator, among other things.

Desert Wanderer said...

Becca, those adventures were where I learned "scram" as a wee Wanderer. Those gummy-type aliens creeped me out. I didn't know there were more than the two, though!

*scuttles off to Google*

Anon Without A Name said...

Lestrade - I just realised there's about a gazillion different versions of that Springsteen acoustic video, many of which aren't too sad and slow. I think this is one of my favourites though: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xjumi_springsteen-born-in-the-usa-acousti_music

Lawless said...

I am shocked that no one has remarked that you're probably plenty familiar with John's ball-handling skills already. Oh Internet, how I love thee.

I think what you call "running obbos" would be what we on the other side of the pond would call a stakeout, with surveillance being the more formal term for it. Thanks for asking, Becca; I was wondering the same thing.

Neil Diamond isn't one of my favorites, but his songs are good. I only remember his version of "Solitary Man," though, not Johnny Cash's.

Good luck with your practice. It sounds like you might need it.

John H. D. Watson said...

(And...thanks, for what you said, about the song. That's really... Well, just thanks.)

Greg Lestrade said...

Becca - I read both Charlie and the Cocolate Factory and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator years and years ago- but I don't remember them that well. Never seen the films.

Innie - Danger hides my shorts, rather than throws underwear at me, I'm afraid.

Nameless - I shall watch that when I'm at home, thanks.

Lawless - people do call them stakeouts here, sometimes, but I'd use that to mean being static, watching a building or other unmoving object. Obbo/observation I use more for the actual suspect, where we follow them everywhere they go.

Greg Lestrade said...

Danger - it's true. A lot of those lyrics are...well, how I feel. You and the boys are truly giving me something to live for, to enjoy, not just to exist for. And I'll never be able to thank you all enough for that.

Amy said...

Excuse me, I seem to have something in my eye...

Greg Lestrade said...

Hah, yeah, bit soppy for first thing Friday?

Danger, about practice...I won't really know many of the bloke there, necessarily. I mean, I'll know them to look at, but not...know them. And they'll all think you really are the new OT. And ..I don't know what I'm even trying to say. Basically, they obviously won't expect us to be a couple. That's all.

John H. D. Watson said...

All right. Good to know.

Greg Lestrade said...

Although given Sal has read my comment from last night she'll probably kill me before the end if the session anyway.
See you soon.

John H. D. Watson said...

Maybe Sherlock will distract her from your impending doom.

Greg Lestrade said...

Right folks, if you don't hear from us again we'll be in shallow graves under the posts, I expect...

I'm really not ready for this...

Anon Without A Name said...

Good luck guys :-)

*refrains from making jokes about rugger buggers*

Greg Lestrade said...

Now I'm wondering if you meant 'good to knnow' about the soppy stuff I said, or about the rest of the team not knowing about us...

Anyway, anyone who's interested, we're both still alive. But only just.

And...now I've got to go back to work, and I think John is going to give in and buy Sherlock ice cream, and if I had the energy I'd stamp my foot, because I want ice cream too...

John H. D. Watson said...

I only meant about the team, but it could probably go for both. I wasn't quite sure last night that you weren't joking, at least a bit, so, yeah...good to know. And I feel much the same way.

Ice cream, park, and then home so I can lie sweatily on the sofa. I mean shower and then accomplish...something. Yes.

Greg Lestrade said...

I wasn't joking! Just easier to express myself via slightly cheesy song, sometimes.

I think taking Sherlock to the park to practice his new rugby moves is enough accomplishment for anyone!

John H. D. Watson said...

Should've brought the dogs, he could practice on them instead...

Greg Lestrade said...

Did you enjoy it, though? All those sweaty bloke all over you? :) I did. But then I always have had slightly masochistic tendencies. ;)

That's probably why I do work with Sal.

John H. D. Watson said...

Well, naturally. Who doesn't like that?

Nice, healthy sport I mean, obviously. Running about in the fresh air and so on...

Tink said...

Yay for rugby! How did the rest of the team get on? Have any of them been training like you two have? Did any of them survive Sherlock?

Much love!

Greg Lestrade said...

We're a bunch of unfit sweaty coppers at the moment, but Sal will sort us out.

Danger - Sal said if you spent half as much time trying to score with the ball as you did rolling about in the mud trying to score with me you might be a decent player...

Sally said...

I said that about you!

All that this morning about still being half-in the closet, and then you're all over him!

John, I wish everyone did as well as you in practice. Next time I'm separating you two if he can't behave.

John H. D. Watson said...

Ha! You know, I had a small suspicion that might be the case...

Greg Lestrade said...

Is there anything easy to cook in the freezer? Or shall we just get take away? Think I'm too knackered for anything too elaborate tonight.

Sal, there's a stack of paperwork for you in my office.

John H. D. Watson said...

Oh don't worry about dinner. I've got it covered for tonight.

Greg Lestrade said...

Really? Well, I suppose there's only one thing I like from your Thai place, so it's not like I need to make a choice. :)

Sally said...

Boss, there are 50 extra shuttle runs for you next practice. You were lagging a bit today. Wouldn't want to show the side up, would you?

John H. D. Watson said...

Hey it could be peas and cheese toasties, you don't know.

Greg Lestrade said...

Ha, my favourite!

Sal - wasn't lagging! Just admiring the view...

Greg Lestrade said...

Danger - leaving early, for once! Be with you soon. Sure there's nothing we need?

Sherlock said...

John says he has everything under control.

innie said...

Sally, you might want to keep a firehose handy for the next practice.

Greg Lestrade said...

Oddly, Sherlock, you being the one to tell me that, instead of Johnny, fills me with the suspicion that it's not true.

If I get home to find him trusted up with dog leads, barricaded under the table or something you'll be...well, in some sort of trouble and due a punishment I shall invent.

Sherlock said...

I didn't say it was true, I only said he said to tell you that.

mazarin221b said...

Oh, that's never a good sign. Good luck with whatever you found when you got there, L!

Greg Lestrade said...

Mazarin - it was all good! There's a post up on John's blog. They're all incredibly sweet, lovely, generous people.

Cranky Bookwyrm said...

Happy Birthday, Greg!

mazarin221b said...

Yes, I see that now. Very sweet inded! Happy Birthday!

Tink said...

I know I've said happy birthday three times now (counting this one!) but I guess I wanted to mentally send snuggles on your own blog too.

You are such a strong, compassionate, brave, loving, thoughtful, wonderful guy. I hope this year brings you whatever you wish for and that the pain of getting there is as insignificant as ripping off a band-aid (plaster? I forget!). You've been such a strong inspirational force, not just to me, but to everyone (well, most everyone, as criminals and such don't count) in your life and I hope that you someday realise just how precious you are (and knowing you, you wouldn't let off go to your head... you'd just be bashful about it!).

Happy Birthday!

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