Almost

Toby's birthday. Felt sad I wasn't able to have a cheeky beer with him. Toronto seems like a long way away sometimes.

My crackberry buzzing and winking its red light all day. The main business however was to go to the printers. This a very stressful prospect, as I am out of my comfort zone here, and as this is such a personal project screwing everything up now would be a disaster. However Betsy zipped down from London to be a responsible adult with me. There were haggling and decisions about paper stock to be made. We have opted for laminated matt cover (the lamination prevents the paper cracking and revealing whitish bits underneath where the cover is folded).

They also claimed delivery to Guernsey wasn't in their estimate, despite me making this clear at the outset. Further discussion. Their final estimate when they resupplied it, was the same as the original, so all good.

Betsy's cover looks great. The double fronted thing is simply excellent.

Listening to Betsy's charming American accent sparked in me a burger hunger. So we went to the Gourmet Burger Kitchen scored burgers and cokes, and gossiped. Then a fond farewell to Betsy, who wandered happily into the Lanes with shopping on her mind, and I mooched back home to resupply the middle pages on pdf as they were falling into the gutter too much.

This also gave Richard a chance to alter the structure slightly of Vazon Shoreline so it fit more happily on the page. Then a crisis about the size of the barcode, was it too small? The printer was no help. Richard and I made our decisions, and next stop, God willing, is delivery to Guernsey in a week's time.

In the evening detained in the twitten by neighbours talking excitedly about two baby herring gulls which had been found in Wan's garden, and now were being looked after before being released back into the wild. Then off to an enjoyable relaunch of The Gallery Restaurant in Hove where Wayne now works, with pleasantly murmury live Jazz music. Lorraine and Beth came too, and we met Matt and John and Linda there. Photographs taken by someone from the press. Lots of free fizzy white and rose, and finger food. Nice to chat to folks, and to especially to Beth who is going through her what next? end of school moment. Matt working on a long pastoral brass band piece at the moment.

One person asked me what I did, and I explained I worked as a writer, and for the first time in my life, when I was asked if I had a book, I simply pulled out the proof copy which was in my bag, and said... Almost! From the restaurant to a pub garden, before Lorraine drove me home, and I watched a little footie before retiring gracefully and unhurt.

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