under another sun

Up early and off to Edgware. Lorraine back to Maureen and Pat's, to give Pat a shower. I reading Memories, Dreams, Reflections, an autobiography, of C. G. Jung , which I had started before, found it fascinating and then set it aside. Now I am powering through and I'm finding it a wonderful read. I am listening to it as an  audiobook, and reading the actual book depending on the circumstances. I was today reading the book. Chugging north quite happily, then just as we got into London my head began spinning as I read my book and I felt very odd. I then realised after a moment's panic that it was simple dehydration, having only a cup of coffee and a cup of tea from Lewes station. I had a bottle of water, gulped it down, and then got off still feeling a bit shaky at St Pancras. Having bought a bottle of water, drank it and a sandwich, I was soon back to normal. I tried to give the other part of the sandwich to a homeless man, who declined as he couldn't eat cheese.   Gettin...

To Edgware this morning. Feeling at a low ebb of energy, but hopping from crowded train to crowded train, reading a bit more of  A Memoir of my Former Self by Hilary Mantel. A rich, highly intelligent, and slightly cantankerous personality shows through. I enjoyed her Reith Lectures, contained in this volume. The spit of rain in Seaford got heavier the further north, and was full on pelting by Mill Hill.  To mum's had a cup of tea, then off in the rain to The Waggon and Horses. The pub quiet and post weekendish, but Steve and Paul frowning over a laptop in their corner of the bar.  We ate our usual foods, All day breakfast to share with the birds and foxes for Mum, and chicken shish for me. Home again, and a quiet couple of hours in which I looked at some SF books I had bought in the seventies, I even remembered where I'd bought one of them from. Then had some dinner and watched M*A*S*H, episodes I'd never seen and quite enjoyed. Mum creeping out after dark to feed the fo...

Patrick and Maureen here today. I lurked in my office doing some recording with Robin this morning. Just as Lorraine and Pat and Maureen were going off for a little trip into Seaford, Lorraine found evidence of more criminal behaviour -- in two varieties -- from Brian in the dining room. We thought he was on the straight and narrow, but it is starting again. Just after I finished cleaning this, Brian was getting under my feet and I ejected him with threats out of the cat flap. Felt like a monster afterwards, as he obviously had no idea what was up.  Off to Edgware then, for reasons there are only limited trains at the moment from Lewes to London, so had to go via Brighton. I ended up staying on the train and going to Victoria, then tubing it from there for a change. I felt strangely separated from the world of work, now looking at those folks commuting home after a day at work as an oddity. I have not had to commute to work since just before Covid. I miss it not a jot.  Bought...

Up early, and making ready to go to Edgware. Beth and James off early and cheerily off to their new house. Lorraine getting ready to go to her personal trainer. Later she temporarily locked herself out of the house, then couldn't find her car keys. I made off to Seaford station and caught the 9:24 and train hopped to Mill Hill Broadway and was at Mum's at around 12:20.  She was a bit stressed and feeling overwhelmed. I drew up a list of what needed be done, none of it particularly urgent, but she wanted to go to the pub instead.  Before we did that I went down to Paula the funeral director in Burnt Oak with the replacement cheque for the one she had written in the wrong payee in what she said was a menopausal moment. Helpfully, she had written in the amount on the stub of mum's chequebook. Mum copied this for the replacement cheque. Turns out the wrong amount had been written down in the stub. A wasted journey.  To the Waggon and Horses. People asking after her and being ...

Lorraine and I up to Edgware this morning. A relatively easy drive and we arrived in about two hours. Had a cup of tea and gave mum some birthday cards and presents, from us and from Pat and Maureen.  Then we got Mas into our car, and Lorraine drove us all off to The Waggon and Horses. Mum had booked a table by the fire, and we  had hoped that Robert would come too, but unfortunately he was unable. We did have an excellent time, the pub was weirdly empty while we were there, and it was as if we had done it deliberately. We had lots of attentive service from Harri and Wendy, Mum having a pint of cider given to her on arrival. And Harri also suggested a Guinness for me, seeing as I had drunk that last time I was there.  We had a pleasant meal, again Lorraine and I had falafel and more healthy options, and the staff came out with a piece of cake with candles in for Mum, and sang Happy Birthday.  This happened quite suddenly and the snap I took of the moment, was out of ...

Up just before eight when a man called Andy arrived, and set about installing shelves in a cupboard, and screwing another cupboard to the wall in the utility room, and going on later in the morning to make new bookshelves from adapting my other bookshelves into my study.  I left to go up to Edgware, before most of this was done, pausing only to help Andy move a bookshelf and banging my eye socket painfully.  Then the four trains to Edgware to see Mum and Mas. Caught the wrong Edgware bus at Mill Hill Broadway, and it took me through Burnt Oak, somewhere I'd not been for years. It had changed since I last was there, with the high street shops all changed reflecting changes in populace, with greengrocers with exotic veggies, and at least on grocery with Arabic script. Got off at the crossroads, and walked up Stonegrove and through the little alley onto Kings Drive.   Today the new car was signed over to Mum, the neighbour came and very kindly logged onto the government site...

Saturday morning, and gradually got ourselves ready and headed off to Edgware, as the flooding that had caused travel misery to many yesterday flooding a train tunnel at Balcome and closing the M23 had subsided, and we were able to get to Edgware, although the M25 was very congested. Heroic driving from Lorraine, who had quite a bit more than normal to drink last night. To Edgware, and a cup of coffee at Mum's before we zoomed off to The Curry Centre for three o'clock. Mum and Mas used to go there a lot. They were very friendly there, and Mas was talking to them, and the business has stayed in the same family for decades. The food was surprisingly delicious too. I had a lovely Chicken Hyderabadi and Mas was briefly silenced by a chilli in his Jalfrezi. Had a long and leisurely meal, and then headed home, Mas enjoying talking to the staff there about the art in the restaurant. Once home, Lorraine had a much needed snooze, and Mas sleepy too. I sat with Mum in the back room c...

For some reason, a very poor night's sleep. More rain overnight, and drizzling again today. Had toast with Mum and Mas. Then walked down to Edgware with the intention of getting the tube to Mornington Crescent but there was a bus to Mill Hill instead, so I jumped on that and was able to get to work with no claustrophobia. Bought a cup of tea on the platform of Mill Hill, and had such cheery banter with the two women there that it got the day off to a good start. Contacted by mes amis in Paris, so I have work next week too now from home. Good news. Worked on stuff all day with Keith, and I went for another walk today, this time heading straight for Regents park. Seem to need these green glimpses. After work walked back to St Pancras thinking about Andros, as I am working close to the church where I attended his funeral service. The trains are much better than they have been for a year or so, more frequent and they stop at Preston Park again. Walked up the hill, but only as far ...

Up and off in the new car to Edgware. A speedy journey, able to listen to podcasts in a relaxed fashion. To Mum and Mason's house. The next door neighbours, those of the concrete dogs, artificial grass and leaf phobia have erected an ugly little fence between their door and Mum and Mason's. They have taken down their for sale sign, much to the gloom of neighbours nearby. Mum and Mas on good form, and after a cup of tea, and seeing John the carer, who came by and generally laughed and told Mason how good he was looking, we drove north to the Waggon and Horses pub in Elstree. This under new Irish management, and the craic there has definitely improved, along with the food. A Sunday lunch there. Mason ordered one of their good burgers, and Lorraine and I had roast chicken. Mum had fish and chips. Then as we left the silver tongued new owner telling Mas how much I looked like him, telling me how nice Mum and Mas were, and giving Mum a free bottle of wine to take home. Mason ...

Off to Edgware today. The sky blue and cheery. Morning trying together Lorraine's iPhone fixed, to no avail. Fond farewells to Pat and Maureen, who are going to stay overnight and feed the cats. We had to stop off at Bolney on the way north, to pick up Lorraine's old phone. Then had a fast journey to the M25 where traffic crawled. Eventually we arrived cups of tea and pistachio nuts and slices of the very lemony lemon tart Beth had made, which was extremely nice. Good chats with Mum and Mas, and we swapped a few presents. Mas pleased with the padded shirt I had bought him. Mum bought Lorraine a nice scarf and earrings. Mas telling Lorraine about Hugo Hamlin, his dad and we found one of the songs he had composed on the internet called I'm Going Back To Chattanooga Tennessee . We made off in the car up to Bushey, where I had booked a table at the Horse and Chains, to have a little festive celebration and also celebrate Mum's birthday too. Food not as good as I rem...

World book day. Lorraine off to school in a onesie and dressing gown, being a book at bedtime and looking sweet. I went up to London today, mercifully not in a onesie. Reading Peter and Wendy on the train however, (doing some background reading for the story I am writing). Surprised by the psychological and flirty undercurrent to the story published in 1913. I'd never read this before. And the setup is quite interesting. Some interesting imaginative leaps. Off to Strand on the Green to my dentist. She was a bit late, and then did x-rays, and found a filling to do. I had to book another appointment, luckily there was a cancellation in half an hour so I mooched about some of my old haunts for a few minutes, snapped the photos below from Kew Bridge, and then had the filling. Feeling a bit stressed lately, and found the whole process a bit more claustrophobic that usual. Luckily Lucinda is very pleasant and she has been my dentist for decades so all was well. A bill of £190. Relea...

Up early and off to London. I was late but I managed to bundle into the meeting I am supposed to attend all week. Room full of corporate blowhards from the US who barely spoke to me when they realised I was only a writer. I was trying to sift some nuggets and, glanced wistfully out of the window at the sunlight falling on London planes. After a long day's work off to see Mum and Mas. Unable to force myself down into the purgatorial crowds of the northern line, instead I made my way to Baker Street and was picked up by mum in her little red car at Stanmore. Spent a pleasant evening up in Edgware with Mum and Mas eating roast chicken and steamed vegetables, and drinking wine. Mas had experienced a trying day, with banker problems. Felix the cat limping about and because he does not have many teeth, had a strange expression, which they say is like Clint Eastwood, but I think it's a bit or an Elvis lip. I had to make off to bed pretty early, however, as it had been a tiring day...

Return Woke from a lavender-induced coma and sidled downstairs to have cups of tea with Mum and Mas. Snuck off to snap the cat factory pictures below. Mum and Mas then drove me to Edgware station and the dubious pleasures of the Northern Line (aka the Misery Line) train to Euston. Not over fond of the tube, and in the hot claustrophobic rush hour I soon felt twitchy. Spent the day getting to the root (arf) of the dental caries work. Had lunch with Slug, who was also freelancing there. Stood outside a pub lapping a cold cider and talking philosophically of life as an advertising creative. After work was done getting home proved straightforward as there was a 50% train service running, and I managed to clamber aboard a train and sink into an audiobook. In need of a shower when I got home, not least as I had been wearing the same clothes for two days in a row. Luckily my extreme moral virtue is reflected in not being the smelliest person in the world. Lorraine had been through a gym induc...