dual personalities

The DH and I are having a quiet weekend, which is to say that we aren’t doing anything much except sitting work. We did put the new desk in its place, but we have postponed the additional furniture moving (Tim’s old desk out and my parents’ desk to its new spot) because the old joints don’t feel up to it. When you get to be our age, it’s best to be cautious. You know how people say their body is a temple? It’s true but…

Moving on from our aches and pains, today is son #2’s birthday! I think the last time I baked him a birthday cake he turned 21!

This year, as he turns 28, we will have to celebrate via phone. Here’s hoping that the next year goes more smoothly than the last one! As for being 28, I recently came across an interview with Mark Knopfler in which he noted, “

 “I was 28 when Sultans [of Swing] broke, when that first album burst open all round the world. We were still living in Deptford, and with the record deals back then when you first signed, they wouldn’t give you any money for 18 months. I think they’re still like that today, actually.

“So it was No 1 all over the world, but I didn’t get any money from it for ages, and we were still living there for a good while. But I managed to move up the road after a few years. All those deals get renegotiated, in return for which you give them more albums, that’s how it works. And it slowly edges up to where you get a reasonable royalty.”

Mr. Knopfler says he’s grateful for the years of hard work because he learned a lot, especially about people. He went on to say, “I know plenty of musicians who have never unloaded a lorry and I think, I’m sorry for them, because if you’ve never really done anything like that then you don’t really know what it’s about. What people are thinking, all the rest of it.”*

Now we all know that Mark Knopfler is a brilliant musician and very perceptive guy. Clearly he worked hard and never felt that he was too good for the job at hand, but did everything to the best of his ability and learned from it.  This attitude reminds me of the birthday boy, so in his honor, here’s “Sultans of Swing”!

Happy Birthday, dear Christopher!!!

*You can read the whole article at musicradar.