under another sun

A lazy day today. Lorraine and I had little energy, and while we talked of doing lots of things, we only managed changing the batteries on the catflap. It was much needed down time for both of us though. In the evening Lorraine drove us out to the village of Laughton, on the other side of Lewes, where we had dinner with Mark and Carol. Even though Mark and I only see each other occasionally, there is something very comforting about talking to someone you have known since you were eleven. They live in a very nice house, if a little hard to find, in the grounds of a former psychiatric hospital. When they first moved into the house, the hospital was still extant, and they found patients wandering about in their back garden and even inside the house on one or two occasions. Also met their son David, who I have not seen since he was a child. A lovely intelligent young physics graduate who has a job to do with carbon and sustainability, and his girlfriend Aisha who helps people with anxi...

Seeking tranquility today and to get myself in the right frame of mind for The Nightwork pamphlet launch this evening. After running through what I had intended to read, I felt the Kenny pipes rasping somewhat as my throat has been sore for a few days. I drank loads of water, however, and this seemed to do the trick and it was much improved by the evening, and Beth suggested emergency remedies of steam baths etc. if it got serious. Like the literary Titan I am, I spent my afternoon waiting for a small roofer, who arrived late and sporting many tattoos of boxers and a humorous hinge in the crease of his arm. Making a meal of the work, he clambered about on the roof and hammered at the lead flashing and did other apparently helpful things 'for nothing'. These he described in tiresome detail. He relieved me of a decent chunk of cash, but did not receive the tip he also requested. Worse, he garbled and looked at his son when he was talking to me so I could only undersand part of...