under another sun

An email at 7:30 with a load of amends from the Germany job I thought was done and dusted. Felt fairly irritated by this, but my irritation focused itself into a tight beam of action, and I got the job done sent off in time to mooch down to Preston Park where I saw some of the glass folks. Adele, Sally, Frances, Deana, the two Kates, Rick around the corner and Ben. Weirdly warm this morning, and we sat outside drinking coffee and swapping cards and Secret Santa presents. I had a mad scramble to get this ready beforehand. It was my first Christmassy thing of the year. Cheery to see some friendly faces.  Back home and a few work bits to sort out, and then a bit of a walk taking me over ten thousand paces for the first time in quite a while.  Struggling a bit to feel at all Christmassy yet, which makes me feel a bit sad as I usually love this time of the year.  Lorraine's last day at school till the new term. She came back with bags of presents from the kids, as well as a Ch...

A cheerier afternoon, as Lorraine was at last able to stop her constant stream of communicating to parents, staff, govenors and so on. Next week looks somewhat more manageable. We went for a quick circuit of Blakers Park and nearby streets, tidied the last festive vestiges into boxes marked Christmas for another year.  A game of cards this evening, followed by a roast chicken with a lovely bottle of wine. Then we opened some chocolates left over from Christmas. Also a long chat with the Tobster -- safely bubbled up with Romy still. Romy had a big job interview on Saturday morning, after a many months process, and it went as well as could be expected. Weird to have to do stuff like that online.

I have given myself permission to be on holiday now, so of course I woke with some urgent ideas waiting to be written down. I got up and did so for an hour and then took Lorraine some tea, and simply went back to sleep for a bit. Later, Lorraine and I made off to see Dawn for a stroll along the seafront at Hove. Saw betty briefly beforehand to drop off a couple of things. Then we met Dawn, just as a truly dark cloud was gathering.  The light was beautiful, however, so I snapped a couple of shots with my phone beforehand. Moments after we met Dawn, rain started so we walked a bit then took shelter for a bit on the seafront. When it abated we walked again, and the sun began to shine as we had a coffee from a stall near Rockwater.  Dawn a bit upset as an aunt is very ill and her cousin phoned her in a bit of distress just before we arrived. Still once we had talked this out, it was very good to see her, and rain dodge.  As soon as it was clear from news outlets this morning ...

Vile rain. But luckily, other than venture to Sainsburys Lorraine and I stayed in, and put up the Christmas decorations and did other assorted pre-Christmas stuff. Sorting out our festive nest.  Lorraine particularly, powering through dozens of Christmas Cards. Just looking at the tree makes me feel happy. Nipped out into the damp and took this photo of Lorraine with xmas lights in our front windows.

Up and at em… Lorraine and I spending a small fortune in Sainsbury's this morning. The day taken up with various Christmassy chores. Lorraine wrapping presents in a patient methodical way, and then I cooked a large roast supper and then L and I gorged on it while being gripped by  Borgen  the Danish political thriller. We also booked Japanese rail tickets, and planned everything we needed to do before we take off, including coaches to Heathrow. I chatted with Janet who is awaiting a day for her stent implant, and naturally wants it done with.  I wrote a few Christmas cards and caught up with correspondence and generally enjoyed spending time with my lovely wife. Neither of us feeling keen nor eager for work tomorrow.  Lorraine now officially end of termish and a bit sick of it all.

Let go and Lego Rather a strange day, off into London to do my last day's work in the agency this year. Spent the day with Keith working on concepts to do with toothpast and tooth varnish. One rather top idea otherwise a bit like pulling hen's teeth. The building was empty of everyone except for cleaners, but still we worked on till the day's end. Keith curiously elated once the 'part timers' had gone. I decided to find all this quite fun, and had a pretty enjoyable day, Keith and I pausing to snack on a japanese style curry and wild rice for lunch in a juice bar for lunch. A quick and manly handshake with Keith and then I rushed off into the streets tired but happy. Passed a large Christmas tree made entirely of Lego at St Pancras station. Briefly entertained the notion that this really was just a neat comment about the commercialisation and artificiality of Christmas, but I suspect it really was just a Christmas tree made of Lego. Home at last to Lorraine and Bett...

Christmas starts (in Arundel) Morning spent on the line to BT and testing my computers. Broadband not working - although the tests they have done show it should be working, it simply isn't and my computers still cannot download anything beyond email. I gave up fiddling with them after about three hours, almost weeping with frustration having exhausted every possible reason. Instead Had a lovely afternoon doing Christmassy things. Put up my Christmas tree with Lorraine, and explaining to Calliope that this year it should not be used as a nest or climbing frame. Also went into the Twitten and pruned all my roses quite hard, with Lorriane stern faced when I tried just to shave the bushes. Finished, had hot miso soup and looked at the tree lights with satisfaction. Then off to Arundel, where tonight they have Arundel by candle light. The beautiful castle was not floodlit, and instead the old streets are illuminated only by the lights of Christmas decorations and the little shops in the...

Of parsnips and axe murderers Hmm. I'll have a parsnip with that roast Xmas lentil yet. I sent out my first invoice in my new freelance guise, and it felt good. And I have been working this week too, writing about cholesterol again for the last two days. And tomorrow too. Also I have a little work lined up for next week. More importantly, I think it is beginning to sink in that I will actually be okay, and life as a freelancer could be very big and clever in its own right - as well as giving me time for my own wheezes. It is, so far, a fairly painless transition. However I have been getting moments of cabin fever - especially as the work I have been doing is of the brain shrivelling variety - not only writing website copy but tweaking its architecture. It requires three dimensional thinking and makes want to turn into Jack Nicholson in The Shining , typing All work and no play makes Peter a dull boy , thousands of times. As a writer this was always the most frightening scene for me...