John Robertson

Shut up you tiny fool!

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Is something I should say way more often to my monkey mind; it’s also something I was singing last night at The Stand (along with the rest of the audience, it wasn’t just me doing a musical heckle, that would be weird). Yes, John Robertson was back in Edinburgh for one evening as part of his UK tour. It was a toss-up between him and some band playing at The Hive (it popped up on my Instagram and looked intriguing), I didn’t decide til early evening. Hey, one hundred minutes of manic glee? It had to be.

The Stand was packed but it’s not too difficult to find a single seat close to showtime. Being British I felt bad plonking myself on a stool that would ruin the view of the person behind me, on the otherhand, the stool was clearly visible, if not me then someone else would have most likely sat on it as the room was very full. Being me, seeing a Fringe show outside of the Fringe initially feels slightly wrong, a shake of the head and I’m rejigged.

Fringe shows are generally an hour long, so two hours with a twenty minute break is a real treat, and that long with John Robertson was almost overload. I have to mention his hair, it looked amazing last night, so fine, so silky, sorry, but it was. The show is called John Robertson Plays With The Audience, and yeah, that’s basically it, anyone, anywhere in the room is fair game, he scans the room for anything that tickles him and then pulls it into the narrative, weaving it in amongst the other threads. There was plenty for him last night, we were all howling with laughter (and a pinch of relief), no idea where he’ll go next (I’m not sure he did either); and of course, there was the raucous, fuzzed up ukulele tunes (not sure George Formby would make of them!)

If you’ve not heard of John Robertson before, are reading this thinking, oo, I’ll pop along to one of his shows, Brucie likes him, a few points for the uninitiated …. it’s adult content, I do mean, adult content, and not a show to take your parents or maiden aunt to, unless you intend to disappoint them (on the otherhand, a disgusted walkout always delights Robertson) or are prepared to be shocked when they roar with laughter. One thing though, he maybe shouty and manic and out there, but he’s also a lovely human being who knows when to back off and does so (there was a real bunny in the headlights moment last night but a skilful swerve and the show revved away from it).

I’ll leave you now, but just one thing, totally unrelated to the above. You know how I regularly check social media so that I don’t miss any music I like …. hmmm, this Saturday evening, who to see? There’s the Louis Crosland Trio at Stramash at seven o’clock or The Moanin’ Bones at Whistlebinkies at seven o’clock. I know these details to be correct at time of writing this, maybe I’ll catch a set of each? I am very intrigued to see who’ll playing guitar with The Moanin’ Bones!! Hahaha.

See! the Old Town Pub Co calendar

Can’t believe it’s that time already

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The end is nigh! Well, another twenty four hours of fizzle out. Tonight I’m off to the final ACMS though whether I’ll last until the end is debatable. I’m kinda shattered, physically and spiritually, and I haven’t written anything since Thursday.

Oh, The Elvis Dead was bloody brilliant! Plenty turned out to see it (pretty please, can we have a performance every Fringe?) and had a whale of a time. Kemp’s voice is much more suited to singing like Elvis than the Fab Four.

And I caught the final Beatlesjuice last night, so glad I bought a ticket in advance (it was a PWYC) the room was packed out (I spotted John-Luke Roberts was there). Rob Kemp‘s lyrics are so good and it’s as funny whether there’s a lamer line to fit in or an absolute gem. I look forward to how Beatlesjuice will look next year, but I’ve loved seeing these early ramshackle performances, what utter pleasure!! 💛

I’d just seen John-Luke Roberts: WIP that morning in the Monkey Barrel, another very busy show; really the man is so naturally hilarious, no one who’s seen him before would be put off by those initials W.I.P. it’s all a joy. No doubt he’ll show up at some point this evening at the ACMS.

Oo, maybe John Robertson will make an appearance tonight too! I saw him yesterday too, Playing with the Audience in the Counting House, manically gleeful as ever. It seems like having reached another of life’s milestones, he’s determined to show that he can still throw his body about and do dumb things – like climbing up onto narrow ledges, high ledges, next year it’ll be one of the chandeliers!! The picture – I know I’ve remarked how some Fringe stages are too low for anyone past the first couple of rows, but that’s a bit ridiculous!

Spot my little joke here? That’s what I thought it said on glancing through the Fringe programme without my reading glasses on! Couldn’t resist! An excellent show, Alex Berr was very engaging as she told us how she came to work in science and with mice in order to cure cancer, only to find out later her mother had the same cancer that she’d been working on. Berr balanced sombre subjects with great humour, kinda matter-of-fact but with a quirkiness.

Oops, must dash. Toodle pip!

Music, murder and mind-reading

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It’s Sunday evening of the second Fringe week, I’m feeling somewhat peeved as I’ve just lost two days fringing to a lurgy! Oh, it’s my own personal lurgy that likes to pop up and lay me low at the most annoying times. It wasn’t going to stop me seeing Logan’s Close last evening though, oh no, an afternoon dozing on the couch sipping lemon and honey was just enough to pep an old moose up.

The lads along with two other acts were meant to be playing on a stage on an open area at the top of St James Quarter, but this is Edinburgh in August. Yeah, no, that wasn’t going to happen, of course the weather was not going to play ball! So the bands played on the third floor, but hey, it was grand, the Close were on top form; a lush intro going into Babestation and they were off. Previous LC drummer Alex was filling in for Gavin, busy elsewhere at the Fringe. What’s happening in the pic? Check it out on Instagram! What an utter joy, a mid Fringe dose of Elsie. A much-needed tonic 💛

I’ve done absolutely zilcharoony today, so now as my head is starting to clear, a few more Fringe musings…

First up The Grim a darkly comic piece of theatre. I really enjoyed it, the banter between the two undertakers, one a real geezer type and the other a more timid Irish Catholic lad, was great but one couldn’t help looking at the covered over corpse on the table and wondering… This is the second play I’ve seen by Edmund Morris, I very much look forward to his third. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Surreal: The Mind-Reading Show From Berlin! is something very different. Even as we sat waiting for the show to begin the animated vintage-style projections were incredibly beautiful and set the tone (at the end of the show we learnt that they were created by Vivian). Roman Von Thurau and Vivian Sommer are like creatures from another era, almost otherworldly, their storytelling pulled the audience in and their mind-reading kept us all enthralled. I like to think myself as open-minded with a healthy dose of cynicism; that was some show, quite unnerving ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Musical theatre, anyone? The Man Who Wouldn’t Be Murdered is performed in the round (or, more square in this case), and impressively without mics. Centre stage is the musical accompaniment, keyboards played by the writer/composer Lily Blundell who also plays a character too! She is Josephine, wife of Tony Morino, owners of a bar in 1930s America. Business is not good, Tony comes up with a plan to get some money, but Death has other ideas. A little different to my usual fare but again my Fringe-dar hit the mark, a deliciously dark, funny tale, brilliantly performed by all ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

It’s late, I need my bed. I’ll leave you with one last mention, John Robertson: The Human Hurricane quite simply, bloody awesome!! The last time he did free Fringe show he had an old guitarist to accompany him, this time he’s playing an electric ukulele himself. John is as brilliant and gleefully manic as ever. The evening I saw him there was a dog in the audience (he is all inclusive) and a gentleman who kept John supplied with shots of whisky – a fine, fine show for us, quite what The Dark Room would have been like after it is another matter! I’ll definitely go see The Human Hurricane again ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

He’s a big softie at heart

Just a wee catch up

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Another month almost gone and I’ve only been in Edinburgh for seven days of it; after only a few days back from my European wanderings, I was summoned down to Yorkshireland. Busy, busy, and two sick pooches as well. Oh, they’re both fully recovered now – now that I’ve left.

I’m still working through all the photos, videos and occasional scribbles from my trip. As a matter of curiosity, this afternoon I went quickly through which songs I’ve taken videos of, and surprisingly there are none of Babestation, I know! Really?! Hot Blondes and Lost In You have the most clips, followed by Merry-Go-Round, Mock Marble Linoleum and Dans Le Jardin. Some will pop up randomly on Instagram, but I do intend to put them in some semblance of order later (mind, good intentions can just stay that way).

I am without tv to distract me – it says there’s no signal. It actually happened back halfway through April but as I had a lot to sort out I just left it. I’ve plenty to be getting on with now, so it can stay off, well the tv can, I do have a number of tv series on dvd that I can watch; there’s radio shows too. I’ve been listening to That Mitchell and Webb Sound on Spotify, still as funny and sharp as it was (on the Radio 4 early evening comedy slot between 2003 and 2013). I’m now on series 4, particular favourites are the Stargate sketches and the Old Lady Job Justification Hearings, so bitingly funny.

Missing watching tv at teatime, I dug out my old Coupling dvds, a tv comedy sitcom by Steven Moffat from about twenty years ago, loved it then and still do, especially Richard Coyle as Geoff. Some of the monologues would make brilliant set pieces in a stand-up routine. If anyone does snaffle the cushion speech by Steve, I’d know it from about six words in!

Last night I finally got round to watching Ash vs Evil Dead, it’s only been in a drawer unwatched for, oo, fifteen years?! OMG, it is so good! No, I don’t know why I never got round to watching it before, I think it was going very cheaply when the HMV store on Princes Street was closing down, I did buy a number of dvds at the time. I will definitely be looking for the second and third series at some point. Yeah, so no tv signal but I have plenty to entertain me.

There’ll be plenty to entertain this weekend, the first full weekend in June so it’s Meadows Festival time. The rain gods are being canny this year, rather than a wet weekend, there’s heavy rain everyday up until then, the ground will be pretty soggy and with all those feet traipsing everywhere – there will be mud. Saturday evening I’m off to see The Crow in the cinema, I’ve never seen it so grabbed a ticket for the 30th Anniversary Re-Release, better late than never, as they say.

It’s only two weeks until the full printed Edinburgh Fringe 2024 programme comes out, oh yay. Yes, I’m still being good and not peeking. Okay, so I know some shows that are up through social media, and ones that aren’t, like Aidan Goatley who’s not bringing his new show Looking For Edith, noooo!! If he’s doing it in your area, lucky you, bloody go see it and be thankful! The other Aidan, Aidan Sadler will be back, yay. And very exciting, just spotted this evening, John Robertson is finally doing another stand-up show at the Fringe, happy happy, joy joy!!!

It’s very late so I shall away to bed and leave you with, well, is it just a sign or sage advice?!….

On screen and stage

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I stayed up on Sunday night to watch the Oscars, it was on ordinary telly for the first time in the UK and I had a good feeling. And yay, Emma Stone picked up Best Leading Actress, totally deserved! I went to Poor Things for a third time earlier in the evening (as I’ve previously mentioned I would), there was a reasonable size audience for it, good to see (apart from the person who was eating out of a very noisy packet). I’m sure Stone will have a long, successful career but I reckon Bella Baxter will be one of her top performances. Oppenheimer picked up the most Oscars but Poor Things did also get the awards for Make-up & Hair Styling, Production Design and Costume Design, again all three richly deserved.

Oo, I went to see Wicked Little Letters a few evenings ago, what fun!! Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley are both on excellent form, well, the whole cast are a delight. The film is based on a true story that happened in a little English seaside town in the 1920s, but be warned, some of the language is very fruity, okay, there’s long strings of swearing and obscenities like you’ve never heard! Best leave that person behind again, maybe the next film will be nicer and proper. Wicked Little Letters is hilariously funny but there are dark sides around the events too, I thought the balance was played really well.

On the small screen I’ve just watched the final two episodes of Our Flag Means Death, man, that was brilliant telly! Just so many great elements to it, so of course it’s been cancelled, no series three, boo. Mind, this way it remains a beautiful gem, no overstaying and sinking into the mediocrity of weaker stories (though with Taika Waititi at the helm that could have taken quite a while).

In other news, the first batch of tickets for this year’s Edinburgh fringe are on sale, not that I’ve bothered to look, all in good time. What I have had a ganders at was the line-up at the Leicester Comedy Festival in February; good to see plenty of WIPs (Work In Progress), hopefully they’ll be all polished and sparkly by August. Grubby Little Mitts have yet another new show, yay, Luke Rollason too, two for my definites pile, well I assume they’ll be coming to Edinburgh. Very exciting, I see that John Robertson was trying out a new show, I really hope that makes it up here.

I also had a peek at who’s been at the Adelaide Fringe Festival. Eric’s Tales of the Sea – A Submariner’s Yarn is still doing the rounds! I wonder if it’s still the same as when I saw it many years ago or has he tweaked it over time? Manbo and Yippee Ki Yay, two great shows paying homage to two classic 80s movies, popped over. The fabulous Aidan Sadler has been having a whale of a time out there, first time in Australia, first time in drag – I follow them on Instagram, very entertaining stories!

Starting this week and going on until the end of March is the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. I haven’t looked to see what’s on, hopefully plenty of shows being nicely honed for Edinburgh in August. Oh, I do know of one, Napoleon’s 100 Days on for two shows Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th, by the same chap who totally captivated me with the marvellous tale of Mark Twain’s The Stolen White Elephant last year. I’ll be away otherwise I may well have popped across, but hey, it’s going to be at the Edinburgh Fringe, I shall definitely see it then.

Well, my friend, its now very late, so I’ll bid you good night and sweet dreams.

It’s a tad windy today

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No rain today (so far), just 40mph winds instead. Yesterday was mainly fine but for a couple of downpours, one even had some hail mixed in! I’d just wandered into the Assembly George Square Gardens when the heavens opened, so quickly headed to the covered bar area. At least it didn’t last too long and the rain gods had been good enough to wait until after the Mardi Gras in the Grassmarket was over, not by much though.

Twas a lovely evening after that, so lovely I headed out for a stroll and some bat-spotting in Holyrood Park. Yay, plenty of bats skitting around and lovely lazy buzzing could be heard in the long grass. So peaceful, I didn’t see another soul all the way round, mind it was pretty dark!

Talking of dark, I’m finally going to John Robertson’s The Dark Room this year, yay. He’s only be doing it for the last ten years or so! Might as well go see what it’s all about, I’ve seen the queues afterwards in the refectory to buy merchandise and have a photo taken with him in his Dark Room regalia; the fans love him. Sadly Puffin books are not quite so in love with him, as yesterday John announced on social media that they’re not going forward with a sequel to his book The Little Town of Marrowville.

I’m actually in two minds about this news, as while we all love a sequel sometimes….. aargh. Marrowville is a cracking read, (yes, it’s a children book but some of the best are) and whilst the ending has the reader eager for more, it is a complete story. Sure, if someone had placed a second book in front of me straight after I finished the first, I know I would have had to read it despite any trepidation. I’m quite sure he could pull off a sequel to equal, but still, somehow I like the bittersweet of not knowing. Maybe in a few more years? I can wait, there’s plenty more reads left in this one.

The Fringe of ’22 is over

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Its all done for another year, everyone’s left town, so many venues already look like there’s not been anything happening at all, even the streets are looking cleaner (yes, the binmen went back to work yesterday – was it really a strike or a dirty protest against the Fringe?!). At least I was able to console myself watching the Scat Rats yesterday evening in Whistlebinkies, and at the reasonable time of half nine! It’s Scotty boy’s birthday today, I’m sure there’ll be shenanigans afoot; just as long as he’s recovered by Friday when there’s a double dose of Marah and Rough – at five in Binkies, then down in Stramash at seven, sweet!

Anyways, you probably popped in for some end of Fringe waffle, like, did Accordion Ryan do a new song? Yes, he did and very good it was too, all about him seemingly giving off long term relationship vibes when, well, sometimes it’s nice just to have a bit of fun! Another clever, funny, slightly bittersweet song. It was a brilliant last show, a total blast, it’s gotta be ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. As is the usual with these things venue staff came along for a final send-off, I’m sure Ryan brought plenty of sunshine into their lives this last month (mine too!)

Earlier that evening walking up Blair Street I noticed that the Alternative Comedy Memorial Society Awards 2022 were taking place that night, obviously I had to get a ticket, what better way to round off the Fringe (especially in case nothing turned up on Monday)? Needless to say it was very silly, rather anarchic and quite random, like any evening at the ACMS. Thom Tuck managed to keep some semblance of order (Professional), or did a good impression of doing so. Throughout the show various nominees for Best Song went up and performed, my favourite was definitely John Robertson’s, short and very much to the point BINS!! As this was ACMS Awards there wasn’t actually an award for Best Song, of course not. The whole thing was done and dusted by around two thirty, a very reasonable time, considering.

announcing the winner of the Least Likely award

Monday? The few flyerers left descended on the remaining Fringers, by god, they had one last show to flyer and they were determined to got some bums on those seats! They circled around us like seagulls going for discarded chips, saying you already had a show to go to almost felt mean. Oh, I wasn’t just saying it, I did, the chaps from Out To Lunch were quite engaging so I bought a ticket, and that was my final Fringe show, in the afternoon! No final night, didn’t even bother with Binkies Open Mic Night, this slow, wheezing demise of the Fringe is no fun. Just end everything on the Sunday night!!! The last Monday gets more tragic each year.

Out To Lunch was rather good, by the way. It’s a comedy-musical but there’s not too much singing in it. Indeed, when the first song started I’d forgotten that it was a musical it was a fair way into the play, oh and the two male actors weren’t particularly musical when they tried to sing but that just made it funnier. Emily Cairns playing Angie made up for them, she has an awesome voice. I was amused by the main protagonist Marcus Tuckwell, a failing food critic, when I realised he was coming across like the bastard love child of Bernard Black (Black Books) and Jack Whitehall! Yes, I had that going on in my head.

Must finish, I’m hungry. There may be a ranty post later, possibly; well, a Fringe round-up that may become ranty. I may even get round to some Bruce T Moose awards this year, I’m feeling a tad inspired by the ACMS, Best Song nominees welcome!

Thom took his MC duties very seriously

How to make a moose smile

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Bored now. Following random thoughts around Facebook at two in the morning after Buffy is not a good sign. My long walks have tailed off a tad too. When will life be normal again? Will it ever be normal again?

Its late July, the town should be plastered with show posters, the Pleasance should have it’s bar built by now, George Square Gardens should have a giant purple upsidedown cow being inflated in it, Bristo Square should be all cordoned off as this year’s creation is created, Charlotte Square is empty and locked up. I’m not bored – I’m down!

But then, sometimes in the wee small hours following Facebook trails can throw up wonderful things. Things like John Robertson talking about mental health stuff, the guy is just sooo brilliant. Yes, he’s scary too, and definitely not for everyone, but if you get him you love him (like marmite, or vegemite).

Quick scrolling through, he’s a pandad. What?! Yep, he’s a pandad in an inflatable panda outfit. This guy has not let a little thing like Covid19 slow him down, John Robertson seems to have slipped online with ease. He does a lot of stuff on something called Twitch, sigh, another new-fangled wotsit. Oo, and a mention of his book The Little Town of Marrowville, it’s doing rather well; apparently Amazon UK had run out again!! Of course, I’ve no idea how many that actually means but hey, it’s got to be good news (unless you have yet to get a copy).

It couldn’t happen to a nicer book! I notice there’s an audio version with Mr Robertson himself reading it, wow, that’s pretty tempting! I could quite hear him as I read it, I could actually hear him with the audiobook, hmmm. I was umm-ing and ahh-ing over getting the book last year, I was aware he’d written it and had brought copies to sell after his Fringe shows. I didn’t, but a good friend went along to Teviot to buy one and even got it signed for me. Hurrah! Best Christmas present last year!

2020-07-29 12.40.35

It’s one of those books that’s supposedly meant to be for kids, but there’s plenty like me who will love it. It’s funny, surreal, dark (as hell in places), sharp, and it has that great Aussie dryness and wit through it. I love how descriptive the writing is, painting vivid pictures of the characters and their surroundings; I’m guessing our author may be utilising some dungeon mastering techniques here? I would definitely place it up there with China Mieville’s Un Lun Dun and Clive Barker’s Abarat as books to expand and encourage young minds. All three are deliciously creative and slightly warped.

Oh, you’re wondering why Neil Gaiman wasn’t included there? These three share a certain type of dark surreality that I don’t find in Gaiman, his darkness is different. I would say, a child who loves The Little Town of Marrowville will go on to like the Abarat series but not necessarily Neverwhere (which is one of my favourite books). Un Lun Dun is from the mind that gave us Perdido Street Station, nuff said, it will open a young mind to all sorts of realms.

So, what words of wisdom did Mr Robertson write in the front of my book?

2020-07-29 20.50.17                                                                I think he nailed it. The answer to life, the universe and everything maybe 42, but this is definitely the answer to, how do you make a moose smile? These words read like a big, warm, reassuring hug. Good man, that John Robertson!

Toodle pip!

A walk on the fringe side

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Last night walking through the Cowgate, Fringe posters everywhere, I got to pondering if someone was trying to remember a recommendation …. “I remember it’s John, yes definitely John, the surname was something like Roberts, or possibly Robertson? What’s that? John-Luke? Oo, not sure, the guy said he was very good. Huh? Roberts? No, I think it was Robertson. Well, they’re both comedians, how different will they be?” Well, sir, they are very different, just like porters and golden ales are both beers but one style is bogging whilst the other is rather nice; pick the wrong one and the result may leave a rather unpleasant taste! Personally, of course, I enjoy both Roberts and Robertson but I don’t like porters.

Earlier today after seeing Scary Story at Paradise in the Vault I headed home the roundabout way down the Royal Mile, now the last chance saloon for flyerers desperately trying to drum up one last audience. Also walking along was one of the silent disco walking tours, yeah right, silent?! They dance around singing loudly and badly to the amusement/annoyance of other pedestrians. Today I happened to catch their rendition of Sheena Easton’s 9 to 5, damn them, it’s still in my head! And I remember all the words, oh the shame!

Let’s make it a threesome, yesterday afternoon heading from the Gilded Balloon up the Royal Mile I happened upon a chap typing up instant poetry on the street. Ho, I thought, never had a poem written just for me, so I commissioned him to tap something out. Him was Ben, a lovely American chap who’d seen it done in New Orleans and decided to give it a whirl himself. We had a lovely chat, enjoying the late afternoon sun as the world passed by. Here’s his endeavours, a new treasure to add to my Fringe Box.

 

 

 

 

Guilty pleasures

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Yesterday afternoon I indulged myself with an hour of class, intelligence and charm – I went to Benet Brandreth’s show. Ye gads, he has charisma in spades, but, and this is a big but, he looks and sounds so like his father!! How can I have a moosecrush on someone who looks and sounds like Gyles Brandreth? I do find Brandreth Snr entertaining and amusing but Junior is something else. Bud and I went to his first Fringe show back in 2011 for a laugh, we came out swooning and disturbed, Gyles Brandreth’s son! So wrong it’s right. I shall be reminded of him every time I see a ramekin from now on.

Not quite such a guilty pleasure is Brendon Burns, this year Mansplainin’ at Heroes@Boteco, a Pay What You Want show though when I went most folk had bought tickets in advance to be sure of getting in. Why do I feel any guilt about Burnsy? It’s when people politely enquire how my Fringe is going (out of something to say and obviously not any genuine interest) I can say how bloody brilliant he is, what a great show, and then hope they’ll go along – I spoke the truth but omitted that he probably wouldn’t be their cup of tea! He’s definitely not for everyone, someone yelling “Anal!” repeatedly in your face, he’s an acquired taste. And I’d say Burnsy has mellowed out a bit, not so John Robertson.

John Robertson has been having a Sweaty, Sexy Party Party this year at Just the Tonic at The Tron, another PWYW show. This year he came aided and abetted by the stony-faced Dr Blue on guitar (when the good Doctor actually cracked a smile and laughed at something, JR was like all his christmases had come at once, obviously this was a rare occurrence). His opening number The Sadomasochism Blues set the scene, and boy, he can sing the blues rather well, even when improvising, which he does whenever an inspiration appears, like how polite we were about him just helping himself to other people’s drinks (he can really chug a beer down!)

I think what I find so appealing about JR is how I feel like I’m peeping into a world I find scary and alien, but it’s only a peep and afterwards it’s like an unnerving but hysterically funny dream. A dream that includes margerine-coated koalas sliding down trees!!

Toodle pip! Sweet dreams!