under another sun

Lorraine suggested we use up one of her visitor's passes and she took me to her gym. It is nice at Wickwoods, and when the sun shone it was pleasant. Had a workout there, which accelerated my return from post wake haze. Then we bobbed and bubbled in the jacuzzi pool, and nipped into the sauna. Disappointed to notice I am a tad more sumoesque than I have been lately. Feeling concerned about the breaking pandemic. As I noted on Friday, it is impossible to avoid. Then home again. I did some preparations for next week's school visit. Also heard from Jeremy with the welcome news that he wanted one of my old poems 'One Under' for a forthcoming anthology. Beth home tonight, and we ate roast chicken and played Exploding Kittens along with the expansion pack Beth had sent off for this evening. It features an imploding kitten card, and a cone of shame that you put around your neck like an injured cat or dog. Luckily nobody wore the cone of shame this time. It will come though...

Up and working hard on my French work this morning, before hurrying down to Preston Park in the rain, after a quick chat with Mum, off to Haywards Heath to be met by Lorraine in an unfamiliar car as her one was being serviced. We zoomed off to Bolney and spent a happy afternoon with eight children who were among the strongest writers in the school. Read them a little from Magnificent Grace and gave them task to use something they are familiar with and add something magical or unexpected. I am always impressed by children and how good they are. Lorraine working with me so it was quite fun to be calling her Mrs Kenny. The school staff always friendly to me there. One of the perks of being Mr Kenny. A quick book signing, which was great fun, and then off to the garage to pick up Lorraine's real car, and then back home. Beth at home, and we went to The Cleveland Arms where we had a bite to eat and a few beers. I was drinking old and bitter, which I find curiously delicious. After s...

Had a vivid dream about clarifying a brief, which was 'what separates people from each other?' I woke up, went downstairs fed the cats, made Lorraine and I some tea, and then wrote a chapter of my new story in bed on my laptop. It was a major breakthrough on Grace 2 some penny had dropped as I slept I think. Collected prescription today in the pouring rain obvs. In the evening Beth, Lorraine and I cabbed off to The Lion and Lobster, to meet Rosie and Innis for a fondue and fizz evening. Essentially we had a cheesy fondue to share with bits of food on prongs to dip in. A cheery evening. It was at six, so we were done by eight. We all walked along the seafront to Innis and Rosie's place, collecting Pippi from Eve's place en route. At Rosie and Innis's home we played Exploding Kittens again, while listening to a Betty playlist which includes a great deal of Lizzo, who she likes very much. Lizzo makes me think of Toby, who was listening to her songs when we were in Si...