under another sun

Nosebleeds morning, finding out about new bank accounts, and what I need to do business wise, now that I am folding the Ltd company down and reverting back to being a sole trader. I always think Soul Traders would make a good name for a band. Did  bit of poetry stuff, and sent assorted emails. Spoke to Anton about fixing walls, and had an alarming few moments when Sam came to tell me that the overflow pipe on the boiler was gushing water.   In the afternoon I strolled into town and met up with Chris Williams for a cup of coffee and a chat. He has been researching family history during the lockdown, and making stained glass. A bit of a walk about town, before I boofed into Clippers Barbers, where Stacey,  despite complaining that he didn't know where to start and that his arms ached, he managed to tame the bedraggled Kenny mane.  I snapped before and after pictures. Sauntered home through Preston Park and arrived home soon to be joined by an early Lorraine. We idled o...

The force not with me today. Faffed about editing podcasts this morning, chatted to Sonia who says Barry is looking dismally at the temperatures in Bulgaria, given that it is cold and rainy here. She had also taken a citizen test lately, and failed it much to her chagrin.  Late in the afternoon wandered into town to collect a prescription, and meet up with Chris Williams for a coffee. I felt unrelaxed. Walking along London Road (a.k.a. The Jeremy Kyle Mile) is at the best of times often an outlandish experience,  was an education. Quite a few people with masks, but about a third of them wearing them around their necks, with their noses hanging out, or in one case, as a nose-only covering.  I walked into Bond Street, and met Chris Williams sat outside Caffe Nero. I asked to move however, as the people were too near. It was better to sit inside near the open door with nobody coming close. Chris is full of interesting travel stories, and told me about seeing the dawn on top ...

Lorraine attracted to the idea of doing nothing this morning, and so I sauntered down to the park and met up with some of my glass homies, Adele, Sally, Kate, Ben, Chris and Rick. Cheerily sat in a ring on the grass, while the sky looked as if it were about to open at any point. It did not. Feeling sad looking at my lightning app on my iPhone which keeps pinging with nearby storms, but they never come here. Boo!

Walked off this morning to Hove, rather a long walk, but I was listening to my Ancient Egyptian lectures as I paced. There I met a circle of my glass amigos who were having a socially distanced circular doughnuts, outside Chris William's hut. Very sunny when I got there. Found Adele, Sally, Rick, Chris, Kate, Kate and Jane there, Ben arrived a little later. Lorraine joined us towards the end, but was blinking freezing. She and I mooched along the seafront back to the car. Amazing how this little group of folks has stuck together through the thick and thin of things over the last few months. A nice bunch of people. Ben offered me help restarting my window making, which I am keen to get on with. Just the best of Brighton. Lorraine and I drove home and had hot coffee afterwards, which was rather nice. Below Chris, with his beach hut, in a moment of sunshine, Chris wrapped against the cold and Ben, Lorraine and Adele.

Up and finally heard from my French clients. I had emailed them this morning, having had an anxious dream that they had gone out of business. They said they had been very busy, and would get back to me this morning with feedback. I got it at 6:05pm, and simply ignored it. Otherwise working on a my new updated track record document to send to potential new client. A few emails, then off to the park to day hello of a ring of glassmakers on the grass, chatting with Ben, and Chris Williams, Adele, Rick, Sally, Kate, Frances and Jane. They were eating donuts, and so I had one too.  Ben has lost lots of weight, and is eating lots of fruit. Then my first proper haircut since Valentine's day in my usual barbers called Clippers. However three of the five guys have left, two retired and one left for new pastures. I had my hair cut by the new woman, very chatty with tattoos and piercings and full face visor who charged me about six quid more than the last time I had it cut there. Stil...

Hot as anything. Working outside this morning as well as in my office. Still on the short story, and some work on my new secret project with Robin. Strolled into town at lunchtime and met up with Chris Williams, we got a coffee (an iced coffee for me) and sat in New Road opposite the Theatre Royal chatting in a socially distanced way. Chris is a born traveller, and was telling me about some of his trips, such as walking on Indonesian Volcanoes, and a recent scary encounter with a rhino. Mooched home in the heat through Preston Park, lots of young folks there and a gleeful feeling of the end of lockdown. I noticed a girl wobbling on a tight rope (The French Bloke told me it was really called a slack line) and it seemed a fitting image for Blighty at present. Drank some beer outside in the heat tonight, having a nice chat with my lovey wifey. Below, park scenes. I'm all about the black and white at the moment.

Friday 13th. The day after the election and general wound licking and horror at the future abounding.  In my day to day life, things not quite joining up. Snufflingly back at work. An  email with an urgent job from my pals in Paris went astray this morning, resulting in a bit of a frenzy half way through the day. Then a letter from my accountant, with a steeper tax bill than I had hoped for. Looking again at the information I sent them I found an anomaly so I am hoping the figure will be revised downwards.  Another agency got in touch and told me that my reply about my availability had gone into their spam folder. Then there is the mystery double payment into my business account rumbles on, and the French agency says was a bank mistake.   Met Chris Williams for a coffee this afternoon, which was nice. A good chat with him, but then looked at my phone and some emails that needed action.  A smidge more work coming next week, however, which is go...

Woke up at around four thinking how unbelievably hard the rain was, and then hearing it double. A deluge, and the day muggy. The day spent, counting calories and trying not to feel too frustrated at how slowly I am progressing through the editing of this children's story. In my own mind, this was supposed to be a quick win, not a long slog. Still, I want it to be as best I can make it. An interlude this afternoon, walking into town this afternoon to have a coffee with Chris Williams. He had cycled to Paris found the journey beautiful, the landscape along the river north of Paris he described as jungly. I walked back via Boots and Sainsburys, and Blaker's Park to make sure I did my 10k paces. Felt a bit hangry tonight, before Lorraine and I ate.  Otherwise all good. I think this calorie counting malarkey suits me.  Lorraine is fully committed too. Below a complicated rose in Preston Park.

Up early. A heatwave induced pesky mosquito lurking around our heads all night. I biffed against the wall in the morning, and it exploded in a bright splash of blood. My blood as it turned out. Bastard. Lorraine cheerily off to school, looking forward to seeing the children's little faces. I started work early, but soon heard a knock on the door. To my surprise there was Ken, armed with a card from Lorraine, having recently driven a great dane over from Ireland. A swift cuppa before he had to set off for work. Resuming I was phoned by Anton for a chat, which I did while searching for my new ink pen. Thank God found it after ransacking the house in the pocket of my dressing gown. Somewhat put off my stroke by emails relating to Janet later. Good news is that Matthew the editor of Horla has been in touch and was very complementary about The Dark Fish,   which he had published last year, and wondered if I would write some stuff about horror on their site, an offer I am delighted t...

Slipped off the manacles at lunchtime and zoomed over to the Caffè Nero on Western Road to meet my glass buddies. They had reserved tables at the cafe. Nice to see them all, especially Ben, Chris, Yvonne and Adele. Lots of chat about glass, and Ben and I arranged to go for a cheeky jazz beer soon. Yvonne chiding me for not having got my glass work station ready yet. Jumped on the bus on the way home, and got back to thinking about multiple sclerosis and a touch of bovine diarrhoea. Finished listening to Horrorstör  tonight just before Lorraine came home. Although it was a horror story and had gore and a few bits, it mostly reminded me of a superior children's book. Chatted a bit with Sonia, as I mooched on. Eventually stopped work at tea time. Lorraine home quite early, and feeling shattered. I slipped out into the blustery night and got some takeaway food. Lorraine very pleased to be at home, and snuggled on the sofa. We watched a documentary called Three Identical Strangers , a...

Up and working early. Unnaturally hot blue day again, with our weather streaming up from the equator. Worked on the horror project somewhat, also a day of friends getting in touch, messages from Adele and Yvonne, Shaila, Chris Williams, and emailing Trace. After I went to the gym in the afternoon, I bumped into Neil Noon in Sainsbury's and had a half an hour chat about writing. He told me about a podcast that specialises in horror which was useful. Neil had a play on the BBC radio a couple of years ago, which I heard. He referred to his producer several times, which was impressive. After the gym, home in the sunshine to some more writing, then cooking, and chatting to Lorraine. We watched an episode of Endeavour, the TV series which is prequel to Morse, and is set in the sixties. I have a soft spot for this programme, which is completely targeted at people of my age and above which is rather worrying. In this episode, a complex story of murder, a girl's school and the histo...

Some settled snow this morning, although the day turned warmer and it was gone from the environs of Kenny Towers this evening. Up early and on with a few bits and pieces, including a futile search for my Power of Attorney document. Sigh. Then after a smidge of my own writing, I went into town. First for half an hour in the gym, and then onto the Caffè Nero at Western Road, where I saw some of my stained glass buddies, Chris, Adele, Sally, Kate and a newby called Jane. Ben popped in too, which was great as I wasn't able to see him the other night. Very friendly as ever. Nice chat and Ben had brought in his first ever piece, which showed clear talent right from the start. A man quite tall and solid sporting headphones and dancing outside the cafe in the road and pavement as we sat in the window. Stayed in Caffè Nero and met Innis, for a chat about our project and generally shoot the breeze about a variety of subjects. I bussed home, and spoke to Mum for a while.  Lorraine home at a...

No freelance this morning so spent time thinking about the waiting project, after Innis sent me a Brain Pickings article about the positive aspects waiting can have on human communications -- a message you have waited for can be more meaningful than one you have not. I am working on a foreword to the idea, as a way of condensing what it is in fact all about. A new book called Delayed Response, by Jason Farman, seems interesting, and the one of the quotes nutshells what I am interested in... 'Waiting can be a tool of the powerful to maintain the status quo by forcing people to invest their time in ways that inhibit their ability to transform their situation.'  Brain Pickings is excellent and I have bought books from reading articles on it. After lunch I went to the gym fro a half an hour's trundle and a shower, then walked to what is becoming my usual Caffè Nero to meet Chris. Among other things I learned from him that he is toying with abseiling from the Eyesore i360 a...

So a bit more work needed on poos and kidneys, this morning, but everyone seems happy with it, so that's pleasing. Said hello to Tom, arriving first thing to sleep off his nightshift at Gatwick. Lorraine's last day at work today, which is something to be very happy about. In the afternoon, I slipped out to meet one of my new friends Chris Williams for a coffee in town. Chris gave me an envelope with a short story he had written some time ago in it, and we were chatting for a couple of hours. I had to change a line of copy there which luckily I did on my iPhone. Then I did a spot of shopping, and rain dodging. Walked home as there were no buses for ages, and saw Lorraine before she headed off for her works party in the Kommedia tonight. I was strangely grateful for a night in, watching Larry Sanders, and eating fish and chips. Lorraine, top hat askew, left the work do her teacher's ambition of getting Lorraine a bit drunk achieved. I collected her at the bus stop and we ...

A full day for Lorraine today at school. Also Beth was being interviewed for a teaching assistant role there. She phoned me after to tell me how it went. By all accounts she did excellently, but after long debate in the school, (not involving Lorraine) and another candidate just edged it.  In the evening Lorraine and I  went to Hove to meet Beth and John, after collecting some pizzas and we had a couple of beers, pizza and salad down on the beach. A beautiful long and clear evening, although surprisingly cool down by the water. Beth very resilient about her disappointment today as usual. Otherwise, I had got up early and started work for a bit, before Clem came around at just after eight. I walked to Hove to meet Chris Williams, one of my new friends made doing Stained Glass. Interesting man, who has now just finally retired. Keeps himself very fit, and does vast walks and cycling rides. He is interested in geography, geology and history, and has been a teacher, and now he h...