You shall be missed

Its been a while since my last update as i wanted to pay tribute to 2 regular customers before i did a blog update.
I thought it would be insensitive of me to post the tribute before Christmas as its a hard time for anyone in the first year of losing anyone but losing someone so close to Christmas must be terrible.

On 13th November i received an email From Steve with regards to his wife Jan to inform me that his wonderful wife had passed away.
6 days later i received another email from Melanie with regards to her husband Paul informing me that he had also passed away.
Both were such sad news to me as i had got on well with Jan & Paul and always had a good time around them with a laugh and a joke and just genuine lovely people. No.....and excuse the language here but No bullshit, what you saw is who they were, no fake front about them trying to be people they weren't and such wonderful people they were too.

Paul had become ill while on holiday at the end of the season and went to the doctors when Paul and Melanie got home. Paul was diagnosed with cancer and 51 days later he passed away. I could not imagine what that must be like.
Paul was such a laid back gentle giant of a guy and was always fun loving and great to converse with. I was in awe of Paul and Melanie as they had a canal boat, that i found amazing and would always talk to them about it. They even invited me to stay anytime i liked which was so kind. I never ever saw Paul miserable or moody he was always sat there with a smile and loved a joke. Such a shock.

Jan will be a total inspiration to me for the rest of my life. What illnesses this woman had battled against for so long if i told you you wouldn't believe me. When Steve and Jan told me Jan's story it shocked me as Jan looked so good, happy and always upbeat. She did love her Highway to Hell cocktails. How Jan , Steve and their family coped was truly amazing. Such great people and took it all in their stride, you have to be a real strong person to do that and that's why it will inspire me in the future.

You know, i may only see my customers maybe once or twice a year but some you just take to and feel so happy and glad to see them when they walk in to Oceanic. Paul and Jan would always be welcomed with open arms and they would put a smile on my face any night they came in an joined me.

They were the type of people that i think would prefer a celebration of their life than the sadness of their passing but it did sadden me greatly reading both the emails when i received them.
So i will celebrate the both of them Paul and Jan, i will raise a Highway to Hell to you Jan and a G&T to you Paul in the Oceanic before i open to the first customer of 2019 and will not dwell on the fact i will never see you again in the bar but will remember the joyous times we had when you were here instead.

You were both a pleasure to have in my bar and i feel honoured you enjoyed your time in there.

I shall miss you both but i will never forget you either.

My thoughts and prayers go out to both families. They were both genuinely lovely, great people.

Dear Diary.....13th November 2018

Dear Diary.....13th November 2018

just logged on to do the update on my blog in Costas and the Christmas songs are relentless in here so I'm going to now, on the spot come up with a poem, it may take some time and be rubbish.

"November means Christmas all over Wales

  Storms and rain being battered by gales

  that special time is 42 days away

  when father Christmas comes out to play

  But why so early with the crappy songs

  the festivities for Christmas last far to long

  we all must be jolly and become excited

  within side me anger and annoyance is ignited

  Christmas adverts make peoples tears drip

  I want to shout at them loudly "Get a F**king grip"

  Its just a advert to make you spend cash

  customers go crazy for that Black Friday dash

  One day is enough maybe a few hours at most

  just to eat turkey with a Christmas hat host

  Kids don't care about old St. Nick

  they just want that most expensive selfie stick

  So lets all forget the real meaning of this day

  as your credit cards get max'd at the prices you pay

  for presents you buy that aren't really needed

  just because little Johnny and Julie begged and pleaded

  Aren't you glad its only once a year

  but for 2 months "CHRISTMAS" is all you hear

  roll on Jan for a happy new year

  when Easter will start, oh joy, all cheer"

  BAH HUMBUG TO YOU ALL! Best thing about Christmas is Kevin the Carrot.

So what ya think Diary? I know I'm not in the league of Dylan Thomas, more like Pam Ayres at her worst but not bad for 15 Min's in a coffee shop eh?

Back on with the update.

WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL, GLORIOUS CARDIFF. I'm home.

Swansea was nice but there's no place like home. When i was living in Cardiff i didn't think much of it but now I've moved back i appreciate it more. 

Great to be back in the capital to watch Wales beat Australia at the Principality, to watch Cardiff Devils in action at the IAW, go out for some lovely food with my partner and just generally enjoy my life being happy with the one i love and my family.

Unfortunately since I've been back and been to Cardiff Devils games they haven't won, up until then they hadn't lost. I do apologies Cardiff Devils fans I'm sure it's not my fault.

The Cardiff Devils team and management have been very generous and given me a players ice hockey stick that has been signed by this seasons team so i can put it on display in the bar next year.

The players stick is Josh Batch.

 Signed by the whole 2018/19 team.

The ice hockey stick at the moment is on display in my reading room that my partner has decorated for me and above my reading throne she has displayed one of my all time music idols, Mr Dave Gahan.

A rainbow. Not sure what else to say about this pic but we did walk to where it hit the land and there was no pot of gold. I did however get a sack thrown over my head and was asked for my lucky charms. Yes i am short but i ain't no leprechaun to be sure.

It does feel weird this winter not working at Toys R Us and playing with toys, after all i had been with them 17 years every winter and didn't have any time to myself.

This year now i have loads of time to myself and its been great. I'm going to lots of events, having a few nights out at our local and just having a laugh.

On Saturday we went to see Rock of Ages at the New Theatre in Cardiff after the Wales rugby game. That was a busy day i can tell you.

I have seen the show before in London and enjoyed it then but it was nowhere near as good as this version, just a shame the New Theatre stage is a bit small but the performance was amazing. 

The company was great as we both like that sort of music with seats smack bang at the front and centre, the audience were more involved than the London audience and Curly Watts from Coronation street played the bar owner Dennis (yes i know his real name is Kevin Kennedy but if i said that you'd be going "Who?") where as in London Dennis was played by verbal abuser/stalker Justin Lee Collins who isn't a actor and to be honest wasn't very good.

In all Saturday was a great day and night out.

Well apart from walking miles, drinking coffees, enjoying my weekends and loving life back in Cardiff there isn't much else to say. I do have a few rants that i need to get out when I'm not in a happy mood so i will leave that for another day when its wet and miserable outside but today its sunny and I'm hap-hap-hap-hap-happy.

So until the next rant filled update......

Serve All, Love All, Peace All Kevlar Out.

Dear Diary.....25th October 2018

Dear Diary.....25th October 2018

I'm Back.

After seeing my last sunset on the beautiful island, albeit a cloudy sunset.........

And being the last person to leave the departures hall............

It was time to head home.
As usually its champagne time. What the............only small bottles of prosecco. Who the hell wants a large bottle of champagne? There is no way I'm drinking prosecco as a celebration drink and i couldn't drink a whole bottle of champagne. Me, Kevin Orzabal Cassar Ormerod Wigbert Pinnell the third drinking prosecco, HOW DARE YOU INSULT ME!

Flew back in to Bristol and booked in to Mercure Hotel for 2 nights. Isn't it amazing, only an hour away from Cardiff and I've only been there twice in 50 years. First visit was Bristol Zoo in 1978 and second visit was Bristol Ice Rink in 1982.
So the last time i was there apart from passing through was 36 years ago and i have to say people of Bristol.........Bristol City centre ...........What a Dump!
This I'm sure is no reflection on the people of Bristol but local homeless people around every corner, graffiti on almost every wall, grubby looking and that lovely odour of stale urine almost everywhere. What the hell is going on in Bristol?
Such a shame as the waterfront area is quite nice but that's the only part that is.

Booked in for a special meal on the Monday evening at a restaurant on the waterfront, a fresh Crab and seafood platter.
It was amazing. So much stuff and freshly made in front of us so we could see them prepare every part of the dish and how to dissect a crab.

Our chefs killing and dismembering our huge Crab.

One side of the platter.......Main crab top shell under the green in middle.......

and the other side.

The crab claws were huge.

All together there was oysters, Scottish mussels and langoustines, crevettes, parlourde clams and 2 for 1 cocktails, we have a party folks lol.
Even though it was soooooo good I'm not the most tidy of eaters. Lets just say my side of the table looked like i had gone at it with a chainsaw not a crab fork.

It was a nice change for both of us but wouldn't fly back in to Bristol again. Fly from there yes as I'm leaving it behind lol.

Anyway, Nice weekend ahead now I'm back in Cardiff with cinema, ice hockey, a meal and afternoons in the pub. Great to be Home.

Serve All, Love All, Peace All, Kevlar Out!

Dear Diary.....21st October 2018

Dear Diary.....21st October 2018

Agggggghhhhhh, Diary why can't i sleep! Excitement, yep excited that today is the day i head off back to rainy, grey and cold Wales. Don't you just love it. 

When i tell people that i now look forward to going back when before i didn't they look at me like I'm mad. 

For one, my partner is there and love spending time with her even though i see her allot over the season there's nothing better than being in same country as her and secondly having to much sun and heat is just as bad as lots of rain and cold. It's true. I wake up sometimes in Oct and think "Bloody hell, not sun and blue sky again". 

This season when we've had bad weather its been really bad on that day but we've had less bad weather days than other seasons.

My last night in the bar was the 16th Oct. Very early i know. From 14th till 16th i had not one customer in to the bar.

I think the season died so quickly because many places closed so early. Just look at Jet2. 

They have 550 rooms over 11 hotels in Kalamaki and almost all closed first week of Oct. So at the least by 7th Oct the resort was without 1100 tourists due to Jet2, that's a hell of allot. 

So at 11pm on 16th i decided to close.

.

I had my tool kit ready to go and cracked on

The last customer to visit me was Bobby the Dog. He made himself comfortable, watched for a bit then fell asleep.

Unfortunately for Bobby as the bar was getting packed away i needed his chair but he was determined to stay with me till the very end so he moved to the Sofa.

I left Bobby there till the last and his sofa was the last to go in at the very end, he stayed with me for over 6 hours as i started to pack away at 11pm and finished 5.30am.

Couple of hours and few Jack Daniels later the bar was bare apart from a sign i left for any rumour mongers just to put them straight.

Now i know what your saying "But Kevin you've left the Oceanic letters up" Yes i have, that's because they have seen better days so need new for next year. There you go, there's a clue about what it says on the sign.
Even with me still being on the island, last night i was told that some tourists are going round telling people I'm not back next year, SERIOUSLY! UTTER, UTTER, RUBBISH!
So once and for all until i myself say out of my mouth "I'm not coming back" tell whoever says I'm not coming back these words, and please be specific with these words, tell them they're "Talking S**T and stop lying".

This season has been a first for many things. First time closed bar for Birthday, first time I've flown in to a airport other than Gatwick, first time i've not stayed over in London on return and first time I've had a few days holiday after closing as i usually close and fly home the next day.

Wednesday off to the beach i go. Within half an hour on my towel i had had multiple ants, flies, earwigs and a Caterpillar. That's it, I'm off, doing my head in. Not paying for a sunbed just for me.
On packing up i saw a very very rare sight, a woman, in active wear, actually being active, she was jogging. What a strange sight. Usually they are just having a coffee or doing shopping. Never ever thought active wear would be worn for a active purpose.
Perfect example, i was having my last frappe of the season yesterday and a woman came in for a coffee wearing full active wear gear and wedged shoes. So she ain't training is she.

Well done that woman.

Time to be a tourist and off to my old stomping ground, Bochali. Just a coffee here.

Over to Porto taverna for a cheeky beer, just the one mind.

My last date night and my favourite place to chill out and watch the world go by.

Then on my last visit to town at night back to the bar where it all started off back on 8th April this year with my partner, San Marco. (San Marco is the bar not my partner LOL)

Cheers folks a Mythos with a Jim Beam chaser.

Didn't eat out over the last few days here as had loads of food to get through in the house.

Who needs a gyros shop when you can make them yourself with proper pork gyros meat.

Kiss my ass Blumenthal, on your knees Ramsay, stick it Oliver you school cook.
This is real cooking, this is high end food. Scampi and pork gyros with beetroot salad, I've called this dish "The Great Beetroot Reef", get it. On one side the scampi and on other side the pork and a reef in between. Its a Greek surf & turf.

As for the winter, many people have asked about what I'm going to do now Toys R Us is closed. Simple answer, enjoy more time with my partner and do more things with the time i have.
After all, the winter seems to fly by and before i know it the summer season is upon me again. A few trips away maybe, lots of ice hockey, some gigs if possible and meet up with friends and family.
I have also relocated back to Cardiff when i get back so there is so much more to do there than Swansea but i will miss Swansea as my house there was only 5 Min's walk from a 4 mile beach which is lovely to walk along when the sun is out.

So as i bring season 2018's blog to a close what can i say. Its been a amazing season but glad for the rest. The bars getting busier with customers every year and more new customers then ever before with more newbies than regulars. The sad fact with life is we're all getting older and as I've got older the bars got busier but luckily for me i keep myself fit, if i hadn't i think i may have quit a few years ago but still healthy and can still cope, got a few years left in me yet so don't you worry about that.

Its now 8.30am as i finish this entry, been up since 6.30am and my flight isn't until this evening so time for a ride out to say my last goodbyes, have a few hours in sun if possible, have my last meal of egg & chips at my good friend Georges place "Kanalos", have a beer with Tassos & Demi and finish packing up the house before mike my house landlord drops me to airport.

Its been a fun, exciting, manic, crazy season but wouldn't have changed any of it.......well,,,,,,,apart from my bike breaking down at the very north LOL.

And finally, for all you doubters and gossips.................

See you 1st of May 2019



Serve All, Love All, Peace All, Kevlar Out!

Dear Diary.....15th October 2018

Dear Diary.....15th October 2018

Doomsday - Accountants appointment day.

Taxes, YAY, All Paid and clear.

Also

Landlord of bar, YAY, All paid and clear
Landlord of house, YAY, All paid and clear.
Suppliers, YAY, All Paid and clear.

I am at peace, as long as all those 4 are paid that's all that matters to me.

Strangest night last night, opened at 6pm closed at 11pm, not one single customer stepped in to bar.
In saying that it doesn't really matter as don't really need to stay open now all my bar finances are sorted, its just pocket money now no matter what. Feels so good.

Look what you've made me do. You have made me sink so low. You have led me to this as i have no other option, you are a vile creature and hope your proud of yourself for lying to people.

Heinz, Its not "Sandwich Cream" it is and always will be "SALAD CREAM", why are you lying? Because i refuse to purchase "Sandwich cream" i have sunk to as low as i can get " Lidl Salad Sauce". Its horrible, it tastes like watery wall paper paste, don't ask me how i know what wall paper paste tastes like, its a long story. No matter what i will never pay for your lies, i refuse to pay.
You should be ashamed of yourself, lying to people just to get money, GREED! Its a terrible thing and some people will do or say anything to get more money.

Still one proper diary entry to go folks.

Serve All, Love All, Peace All, Kevlar Out!

Dear Diary..... 12th Oct 2018

Dear Diary..... 12th Oct 2018

Well diary my day is almost done on the island and this is my penultimate entry from the rock.
What have i got to tell you this time.

What is going on, please in gods name what is going on, i can't take it anymore.
First Salad Cream being renamed as, it kills me to type this but........Sandwich Cream, please forgive for typing that.
Now "I can't believe its not butter" is called "I can't believe it's so good". What the ..........
Has the branding world gone mad? or is this a fake version of a fake version of butter.
Food has now clearly become a minefield.

Well my bike has been collected from the north of the island and fixed so that's brilliant even though i have the other bike i prefer the Virago.

Accountant on Monday, OH JOY!

The resort has gone from being busy to a ghost town. Never in the 11 years previous have i known it to drop off so quickly. I went from a full bar on the 10th of Oct to 8 people last night. Its not just me either. Many businesses have closed already and more close day by day. Last season i was still full around the 25th i think it was. Very strange end to season. Shops that would normally stay open till 10-11pm this time of season are shutting at 7-8pm. The season gets shorter every year what with flights starting later and finishing earlier. Never mind, still 10 days to go and lovely and cosy in bar at nights with heater on as its quite a bit chilly after 9pm.

7.15pm before 7.30pm opening time

9.30pm when the old road usually has people walking around it

And now Kevlars Kitchen. Today i unveil to you the Beetroot & Black pudding Quarter Pounder or for short the BBQ, see, I'm just a genius. Beetroot on the bottom, burger, then topped off with black pudding and tomato sauce. Mm, Mm, Mmmmmmmmm!

And that's about it, i'm just seeing out the final days doing nothing, weather is great and not doing much at all for bar since its gone so quiet. Ah well, same thing every year so no real surprise but i am looking forward to heading back to UK as this season has been a crazy manic roller coaster season unlike any other. I need the rest.

So until my final update next Saturday..........

Serve All, Love All, Peace All, Kevlar Out!

Oh, Just one more thing (I love Columbo) the answer to the quiz.......

Which hotel is this?

Answer: Kalamaki Beach Hotel.

Dear Diary.....3rd October 2018

Dear Diary.....3rd October 2018

I was thinking about other lifeforms. Surely we can't be the only living thing in this galaxy. We'd be stupid to think we are the only living planet. Also another thing, if there are other beings that can space travel they must be way more advanced than us, we can't even come up with a electric car that can travel more than 50 miles without having to be re-charged, which brings me to this conclusion.....why the hell would they want to visit us and study us, in effect we are their past. We are their version of our stone age man. As for them anal probing what they going to find of interest up there?

Birthday has come and gone and i almost got away with not celebrating it but at midnight of the 28th with a full bar that certain song was sang at me thanks to my wonderful beautiful partner, "THANKS HONEY!" lol. Thank you to all my friends and customers who gave me cards and for all the drinks bought for me. I will as the season goes on get through all the drinks i promise.

So as threatened i did close for my birthday and we went to my landlords million euro villa. We travelled up very early and got there for 9am just as the clouds cleared. I had been there before but my partner was blown away by it.
My landlord Makis said we could stay as long as we liked but travelling 38km each way every day to the bar i think would take the shine off our stay.

Guess who decided to join us?

Kevin said he would keep watch in case we were invaded by Persians. He's so behind the times.

Kevin said he spotted a gorgon, unfortunately he had aimed the binoculars at the TV and clash of the titans was on. Idiot.

Time for a dip, sun is out, temp is just right, shame about the high winds but hey you can't have it all. I was told to go on down and get in and i would be joined shortly after.

Now i know why, i was spied on. At this point i must add even though my white pale body may be blinding you looking at this pic but not everything is as it seems. Seconds after me lazing on the edge of the infinity pool the temp was easily about 5 deg in that pool and i couldn't breath, in fact the water froze my shins. I promptly got out and ran to be hugged with a towel. My partner said i was being over dramatic. 2 steps down in to the pool she decided she had changed her mind about a swim and went back in to the villa. So it wasn't the fact the water was more suitable for penguins.

We lazed around the villa all day just enjoying the fact we could relax without thinking about work. Table was set at the local taverna for 7.30pm and all is good in the world.
Got to the taverna just before the rain came over.
The food was amazing Lahanodolmathes (Stuffed cabbage leaves in lemon sauce), fillet steak, black bean and beetroot hummus, stuffed grilled peppers and olive oil bread washed down with a bottle of rose wine, mmmmmmmmmm!
Forgot to take phone so couldn't get a pic of food, Bugger!

After we were fed, watered and stuffed it was time to head back to the villa. On arrival we noticed a faint blue light coming from the outdoor kitchen/dining area.
What a beautiful sight we saw when we got to the living room balcony. The outdoor dining area looked amazing all lit up from the staircase leading to it and all around the set seating area.
Looked like a 80's music video, so cool.

We cuddled up on sofa and just chilled for the rest of the evening in a cosy under floor heated living room with the rain falling outside.

I will say that i hate my birthdays, never enjoyed them but this was by far my best and most memorable thanks to my partner, friends, customers and last but not least my very generous landlord Makis for letting us have the villa and at no cost. It made our weekend.

"Weekend?" i hear you say, "but you said it was just Friday" i hear you cry. Yes diary it was meant to be just Friday but Saturday threw a few curve balls.
After a faultless birthday Friday it seems Saturday was set give me a few trials, like Odysseus and his trials as he was trying to make his way home to Ithaca after the Trojan war.
As it was the day to travel home it started with high winds and rain, which led to monsoon rain and gales. We waited and waited to see if the weather would ease, it didn't, i had to decide "Should i stay or should i go now" good title for a song. 2pm came and there was no let up so i made the call to stay. If i was alone i would have ridden down but i wasn't going to put my partner at risk. Couldn't think of a better place to be stranded though, in a luxury villa for free.
Next, we didn't have any food in as thought we were going home. I got on my bike and made my way down to St. Nicholas Port. 50m from the villa my drive went on my motorbike, brilliant! Pushed the bike back and parked it up. We needed food and milk. On foot the journey be.
From the house to the port the gradient is 30 deg straight down, that's bloody steep but there is a gravel track which winds back and forth across the hill so i decided to take that even though its longer. I ran the whole distance, i would say about 3km, how fit am i lol.
Got to the port and was soaked but boiling hot due to running so wasn't to bad.
Picked up the provisions for the night and then had to decide, do i go back the way i came or go the shorter route straight up? Straight up it is. Why did i decided that.

At the beginning it was a proper tarmac road and was feeling great but not to far along it turned to heavy loose gravel. This was not good. My calf's were screaming, my thighs were burning and my lungs were getting smaller and all this while i was getting wind swept and soaked. 

My head was getting brain freeze due to the expanding wasteland on top of my head. 

As i was getting to the half way point i noticed dog poop. Oh oh, are these wild dog poops? Are there a pack of strays roaming these them hills? That's all i needed, being attacked for my spinach and feta pies and i get left to rot half eaten because they prefer the taste of a yellow cheese pie than my sweet succulent skin.

As you can tell from this diary entry i survived, all be it out of breath and head feeling like it was going to explode.

Thankfully there was no more drama during the evening so it was back to chilling with the best company i could of wished for.

So to sum up, best weekend ever in my 18 years on this island.

Back to reality and back to a rant. Why are people so, so lazy over here?  I went to the supermarket the other day and a car had parked right in front of the doors where there are markings showing no parking but next to it are all empty parking spaces, ridiculous. This really does wind me up. To make it worse it wasn't a little old lady or someone disabled it was a woman of about 30 in active wear. ACTIVE WEAR! If she had parked any closer she would have been in the veg aisle.

Not sure why i took this pic but i think it was because when i saw the bike i thought "What the hell is that?". Looks like a bug.

So until my penultimate diary entry........

Serve All, Love All, Peace All, Kevlar Out!