Mario's Mattress & Martin's Monkees...

Just like Pidgeys, Council Tax and British Weather, The Long and Winding Croad is still here!

So this week I've had a new mattress on my bed, and as much as people joke 'wahey what did u do to break the last one', it was overdue an upgrade. I decided on memory foam, mainly for the huge reason is was cheap as nuggets online, After repairing the slats underneath, again no jokes required, i looked forward to my first night on foam. I have to say, although i feel i'm now leaving an Amazon review here, it was really comfortable. Once you get past the fact you feel like your being sucked into the mattress like a clip from Pirates of The Caribbean when Jack Sparrow gets sucked in by The Kraken... point is it was a good nights rest finally.  When you get to the grey ages, you start clicking in your joints and cracking your bones so much, they need a good rest every so often. Oh no...I'm turning into a grumpy old man again arnt I..

As Pokemon Go continues to sweep the nation, its made me reflect on how far computer games in general have come. From side walking Mario, to the 3D spectacle of Grant Theft Auto, the detail has grown immensely in my time as a gamer. How many times did you ever hear someone go, 'Oh yeah Mario for the NES, completed that', the answer is none, because back then you didn't have the ability to save and come back to your game at a later date. You had to game yourself all the way through to the end, or when you met your eternal defeat, whichever came first. Being an Xbox gamer, i have spent the last few months deeply entangled in the world of The Rise of The Tomb Raider. Lara's modern day new look and captivating story lines (im turning into a reviewer again..) are just amazing, and im determined to get 100% completion on the game. It is so easy these days to look online and find cheats or 'tips' on how to get past certain points, which again is something which has evolved over the years with gaming. I'll keep you posted on mine and Lara's little quest, but we could quite well be still on an adventure for a long time yet.

The professional wrestling world is on its head, and as a new era has been embraced, new stars are being given the limelight to be the 'face' of the company. I'm really excited for the next few months, as both stars and fans are engaged in this resurgence, and continue to be excited by the momentum it is gathering. For those who have not watched any wrestling in years, the insurgence of independent talent and so called 'Indy' guys has turned the product into a masterpiece in terms of action. This is partly why i became a fan 16 years ago, and continue to follow the product with such a passion. You have to understand 'Attitude' has been and gone, and the business has had to evolve with the times and change accordingly. Now that social media is everywhere, the fans are much smarter, and the business is more synced in with what they want. Its a great time to be a fan.

Got a question, fire it over to me, and ill do my best to feature the best ones right here on the next blog.

Twitter: @PhoenixCroad - Use #TheLongandWindingCroad
ASK fm - @martincroad
Facebook me @ The Long and Winding Croad

In this weeks Q n A's:

If man evolved from monkeys, how come we still have monkeys? - I'm just impressed one of them was able to type this to me!

If you were to do karaoke tonight, what song would you sing?  - When i was in Benidorm years ago i did The Monkees - I'm a Believer....right now though....The Darkness - I Believe in a thing called Love. Full on air guitar is a must.

Do you collect anything? If so, what is it? -  I used to collect Pro-Wrestling figures, still have them in the hundreds. All mint on card as well which i hope to get money for one day. I'd buy exclusive ones not released in stores too, so there is some big value there. Dont collect them anymore though, occasionally I buy one... when you have your own place, you tend to not have that much free money to collect anymore.


'Thats all folks' as Porky Pg would say... Take care of yourself...as Martin would say

Martin :)

Standing the Heat, but Feeling the Draft

I may be sunburnt and i may look like a grilled tomato, but that wont stop me from slammin out another edition of The Long and Winding Croad.

Avoiding the obvious fact, much like many Pokemon Go has taken over my life, everything else seems to be on steady track to somewhere. Living in the UK, we cry for the smallest bit of sun, to part from our usual dull and dreary days, but when it appears, and the sunglasses are on, the first comment is 'phew its too hot isnt it'. With building work currently being done on my flats exterior, and unable to open any windows due to this, im contemplating a money making opportunity of turning my bathroom into a walk in Sauna. During such a heatwave however, the most common underlying problem is sleeping.  The many positions you try, small desk fans placed across the bedroom floor to circulate the little air in existence..and remembering times in your head is was much cooler and you were much more comfortable.  As i write this, i see an old friend in the distance... a grey cloud has appeared. As quickly as we have all been up to our necks in ice lollys and sun cream, it could soon disappear.

So due to the WWE draft, i once again pulled an all nighter, finally going to bed at 4am Tuesday morning. It's hard to explain to others my dedication to the wrestling cause, but with social media being so prominent these days its getting more and more harder to avoid spoilers. The concept of the draft is to split all the wrestlers across two shows, thus then having two separate brands. A lot of people seem underwhelmed by the overall conclusion, but with anything it obviously has to take time to get off the ground. Really excited that Finn Balor now has a chance on the main stage, and i expect huge things from him on Monday Night Raw.

The mailbag is always open, so feel free to drop me a line with any questions. Wrestling, Life, Work, Pokemon Go...anything! If your lucky, your question might even make a future blog. I haven't even scratched the surface on Mental Health issues yet, so watch this space.

Twitter: @PhoenixCroad - Use #TheLongandWindingCroad

ASK fm - @martincroad

Facebook me @ The Long and Winding Croad

What or who motivates you to get out of bed every morning? - First and foremost Money, because without it you can't do a lot. It's the sad fact of life it makes the world go around, and in this current climate you need a lot of it. Especially if your car has to go to two separate garages in one week! Secondly, im always out to prove my worth and be the best i can be. As the great CM Punk once said 'I will prove to you i am everything i say i am and more. If you dont think im worth it, if you dont think im living up to what i say i am, then get rid of me, because i sure as hell know what im worth.'

What is the secret to a happy life? - Not being torn up in the opinions of others, not worrying the sky will fall down, and having friends who see you as you see them. Imagine happiness as a line, sometimes you will fall under it, sometimes you will go over it, but its about as staying as damn close to the middle as you can all the time.

Do you believe in Karma? - As in Awesome Kong?  In the spiritual sense, absolutely. Everything happens for a reason. Everything catches up with you, and sooner or later the bad guys meet there end. You should only be worried about Karma catching up with you if you know you have done something wrong in the first place.

Until next time, Peace out monkeys

Martin

Thunderbolts of Lightning, Car becomes very very frightning

Much like Pokemon Go, its the craze sweeping the internet by storm, it's another edition of 'The Long and Winding Croad!'

Ok, so Pokemon is a thing again now. I admit, once upon a time i was an avid trainer, trailing through fictional Pallet Town with my Pikachu, searching for Pokemon. All of sudden, its back and cool to be hunting for Pokemon again on your smart phone. I now have to spend countless amounts of hours as a grown adult searching for a pink balloon Pokemon called Jigglypuff, because it's all as Pokemon fans we have ever wanted. I love the idea of making gaming more outdoors, and think this truly is a big step for the gaming market. With Virtual Reality set to be a big focus on the next generation of consoles, it's not going to be long before you can actually touch Pikachu. Here's a question to ask yourself, what would a Pikachu feel like?. I'd like to think a cross between PVC and rubber, but be careful he dosn't Thunderbolt you when you try. #BAGOS

So besides consdiering Pokemon Parties up Glastonbury Tor, this week I've had to take Silverback to get work done. For those unaware, Silverback is my prize Peaguot 206, which continues to defy the odds, and carries me around on my many travels. He'd been making some grinding and metal noises for a few weeks now. Having looked under the car for 20 seconds, and deciding it might time to get him checked out, i took him to the garage. The mechanic jumps in to take him for a test drive, with me riding shotgun. (Riding shotgun in your own car is weird). As we are driving, Silverback decides to behave and sounds like a well tuned piano, playing his musical engines as normal. I fear he isn't going to misbehave, or it's just been one really trippy dream the whole time. Just like a rejected England Football team, as i am about to give up all hope, he tunes into his hardcore metal noises i come to expect, and the mechanics face drops to mass concern. I am overjoyed he has performed on cue, but the mechanic is now driving scared, refusing to put his foot on the brake, and purely using the handbrake. I'm no driving expect, but i know this cant be good.  We arrive back at the garage, and i'm told to go inside and provide details, as the mechanic gets on his phone and slowly drives Silverback onto the racks to raise him up. I soon pop my head through to see him raised up high, with someone checking his underparts. The mechanic says 'give me a while and i'll give you a call'.  I wonder off down the road, unsure if i will ever see my prized Silverback again. An hour or so passes, i figure, that's it for the big guy, but low and behold, a call comes through 'You can come and pick him up now hes all ready'  Like a proud parent picking up a child, i went to collect him.  The mechanic meets me in the garage and tells me Silverback's front brake pads were basically non existent. If i had driven much further, much more damage could have been done, and i could have had no brakes at all. It was a lucky escape to say the least, telling him i'd been driving like this for two weeks, he wasn't sure if to laugh or cry. It turns out i'm actually lucky to be alive still. Good news is Silverback is now sounding and feeling a lot better, and awaits his next adventure. 

I aim to answer the hard hitting questions the Cro-alition has. Any questions you have can be kept anonymous, but send them to me in one of the following ways and i will do my best to feature and answer them:

Twitter: @PhoenixCroad - Use #TheLongandWindingCroad
ASK fm - @martincroad
Facebook me @ The Long and Winding Croad

In this weeks Mailbag:

Have you ever licked a Rabbit? - Can't say its ever crossed my mind. I have heard one fart once. I don't think you should be allowed to keep any pets, I'm phoning the RSPCA right now.

Would you rather have sex with a dog and no one ever knew about it, or not have sex with a dog but everyone thinks you did anyway? - Will someone please leave the poor animals alone!!!  In context though, you shouldn't care what people think if you know whats actually true. Be true to yourself not others. If you are too consumed with the opinions of others, you wont live your life to the full...so i believe thats Option B loosely speaking. 

Do you have any pets? PAP! - By now most of you will have gathered i struggle to look after myself, so no i dont have any pets currently. I was thinking about a Komodo Dragon recently, but cannot afford to keep one.  One day down the line, id like to think about getting a dog maybe. A Bulldog..called Davey.

Who is currently your favourite wrestler? -  I have a Top 5, in no particular order. Finn Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura, Sasha Banks, Dean Ambrose & Kevin Owens.

What have you learned this past week? -  Making CM Punk champion on my #2k16 game wasnt the best idea. I've learnt that my life has evolved from what it once was, and now i have more responsibility to be aware of. I have also learnt i am very lucky to have certain people around me. 

Peace out Monkeys, until next time

Martin :)

Negative Nancies and Catching up with Karma

Welcome once again to your weekly injection of all things Croad, please take a seat the Dr will be with you shortly.

Once again i find myself at my desk on a lunch break writing down my inner thoughts for you guys. By my side through this, a Beef & Tomato Pot Noodle and some Prawn Cocktail Walkers Crisps (other brands also available)  Eating this makes me feel like a college student again, lazy cooking not caring if half of my lunch is made up of body parts of animals you can only discuss when you are over 16! Why do all my blogs contain food?

I have had some strange jobs over the years, but all in all i've been focused on Customer Service for almsot 12 years now. Not only does that make me feel extremely old, i feel in Xbox terms i should have unlocked a special achievement by now or a new level...but no nothing. Working in this industry has pros and cons, obviously you will always have the 'negative nancies' who want to shout scream and make life all about them. Piece of advise from someone on the other side, this gets you no where faster, and in fact slows your inquiry down further. Be nice to those on the end of the phone, they are more likely to help you. This week for the first time in over 3 years, someone actually said 'Thanks for your help, your a superstar'. Sadly i wont be debuting as a WWE Smackdown Superstar any time soon, but the fact someone recognizes your help and appreciates it goes a long long way. I always pride myself on being polite and caring on the phone to companies, even if i'm answering or calling them. Sometimes if someone thinks you sound ok, you can be offered better deals, money off or knowledge others wont get. Anyone who works in the Customer industry my hats off to you, the unsung heroes.

Can we avoid the fact im becoming another year old this weekend? Gone are the days of jelly and ice cream, its more likely to be hay-fever meds and an early night. Imagine if every birthday  you had to sit a PDR or Personal Development Review. Maybe you get a 1 on 1 sit down with a higher power who decides your fate. 'So Martin, how do you think you have progressed this year'.... 'mmm not bad i guess, i got a cool new job which is helping, I've kept a relationship going so i must doing that right, however........ i don't talk to someone else anymore, so  all in all...i think i'm in the positive end of a year' 'Yes Martin well done, except you didn't help Crippled Old Edna in the supermarket reach the beans down from the top shelf on February 16th, so we have black marked you for that' Just imagine!!! It would almost be the equivalent of Karma catching up with you each year.

So i know peeps are reading this, because you've told me, but guess what you can be a part of this now! Any questions you have can be kept anonymous, but send them to me in one of the following ways and i will do my best to feature and answer them:

Twitter: @PhoenixCroad - Use #TheLongandWindingCroad
ASK fm - @martincroad
Facebook me @ The Long and Winding Croad

Lets see whats in the mailbag this week:

Would you ever be Vegan? - Never say Never. Highly doubtful though. Cant beat meat.

What food would you miss the most if you couldnt have it anymore? - Pizza, love a good meat feast. I have pizza every week!!!

What would the world be like without religion? - A less judgmental place

Name 5 things you love.. - Kaylie, Wrestling, Tomb Raider, Pizza and innuendo

What is your favourite movie soundtrack? - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Until next time, Stay Classy

Martin

Car Crash Salads & Historical Hookers

Come in, sit down, and relax...and welcome to another edition of The Long and Winding Croad.

Yet again, i sit on a lunch break eating my extremely bland ham salad made with absolutely no enthusiasm this morning. Making lunch in the morning whilst still barely open eyed is always a challenge, and can sometimes equate to disastrous results. None the less, i will continue to eat what can only be described as looking like a 'Car Crash Salad'

With the holiday buzz over, and work back in full force, normality has been restored.I think as i get older i take for granted that double PE lesson i used to have on a Friday morning all those years ago, and i think a good run around the cross country course this morning would have been just the job. School was always made out to be such an important time, a learning curve, a start to life....but can you tell me how much you have actually applied? How many times has Pythagoras therom been used in McDonalds? How many estate agents need the periodic table?  I'd have had  much more benefit in someone teaching me how to cook a cottage pie and how to manage my monthly direct debit bills than the latest hookup girl of King Henry the 8th. 

I think deep down inside i'm turning into a grumpy old man. I have the whole setup ready to go. Shades of grey hair...questionable facial hair, and the Marks & Sparks coloured jumpers. As next week approaches, i look to celebrate the fact anyone's attempts to kill me have been unsuccessful (including myself) and for yet another year, i'm still here. Gone are the days of Action Man figures for presents, now with his new available Moon outfit. You all remember that time Action Man went to the moon right?  I digress, the gifts as you grow older appear less and less interesting. I feel it was only a year or so ago i received Bed sheets and Towels. I'm not sure if i should have been offended, or pleasantly surprised, but this year i can only hope maybe Curtains or Blinds arn't being considered. I was only in discussions the other day with my mother how i needed a new mattress..... watch this space.

Friends are a lot like farts... some linger for a long time, and you know are yours.... some are gone so quick, you barely realise they are there...and others seem to pop up whenever theres a good takeaway involved!!!  Point is, people come and people go. I've finally got round to accepting the fact lifestyles and people change, and as everyone 'grows up' priorities change too. Some will stay in touch less, but still remain, others will just decide that you no longer form a part of the future for them. I've caught up this week with several old friends, and straight away its like you only saw each other yesterday. There are a lot of people now who have families and children...even if when we went to school i wouldn't have let them in charge of a hamster.....they somehow now have human beings to look after. Each to their own, people change, and my generation seems to be pretty much hanging up the party shoes, and putting on a good pair of slippers most Saturday nights.

Thats another edition in the can. I hope you have enjoyed the ride this time. Please dont forget to Share, Like and Comment.....The blog only... not STI's. 

Peace Out Monkeys

Martin