under another sun

Low key day, as Lorraine under the weather, and I felt curiously bushed too, and slept for an hour in the afternoon. Got up very late, and dug out some email addresses to send to Madeline for Ken's will. Out with Penny and Steve this evening to Indian Summer. I went with Steve to park the car, and Penny and Lorraine went into the restaurant. A bracing walk along the seafront with him. A jolly good meal and a good chat. I do like their Hyderabadi Chicken very much. Penny had read Magnificent Grace and had liked it too, saying it reminded her of Neil Gaiman's Coraline a bit. Praise indeed. I should read it. Steve giving us an insight into the tricky dealings with people in the gem trade. I'll happily stick to scribbling. A lift home and a bit of Match of the Day, although Chelsea lost today to West Ham.

Unseasonably warm day. When we eventually got up, Lorraine drove us to collect Beth from teaching and Lorraine drove us to Three Bridges as Beth had a casting this afternoon in London, passing a rail replacement bus broken down on the motorway, the passengers in a crowd on the motorway verge waiting to be collected. It was a day of quality time with Lorraine. In the evening we hopped on a bus, for a quick drink in the busy The Cricketer's pub, where Lorraine and I used to meet before we were married, and where we had our wedding reception getting on for five years ago. Then on to Indian Summer for a birthday meal. The starters are excellent, we shared Bhel Puri, and Onion, Carrot and Potato Pakodas and I had the Hyderabadi murgh, my favourite thing there, while Lorraine as usual had the Indian Summer Thali, which is served in lots of little containers. Lovely stuff. Home to watch the film  Seven Psychopaths on Netflix which, despite being a bit blood spattered, was fun.

Up and at 'em, at least for a Saturday. Phoned Janet, who was tired after a poor night. I will see her next week. Lorraine and I had what we indelicately call a house poo, where we took sacks of rubbish to the recycling plant in Hove, and boxes of things to go to a Hove charity shop. Quite satisfying to have a tidy dungeon, into which we can now neatly store garden stuff that had been kept in the rotting shed we got rid of. Then back to Brighton, where I bought Anton a card and pressie. A lovely afternoon, and Lorraine sat finally lounging on her sun lounger, whose purchase had been within fifteen minutes of bringing it home before we went on holiday, the signal for the end of the drought. A really nice evening. Off to the Bath Arms to meet Anton, where we sat outside for a bit. We went off to have bite to eat in Indian Summer. He was perky having been to his cardiologist, who told him his valve looks fine, and he is now officially in good shape, despite having a pe...

Up reasonably early for a Saturday. I sloped down the road to buy a chewy brown loaf and made Lorraine and I breakfast of egg and bacon sandwiches. Anton called around for coffee as we were finishing them, and to get some official documents witnessed. He has been to meditation and enjoyed it, and was generally in a good mood. While Anton was here Sarah called around with the young Zach, who briefly dazzled us with his mathematical skills, to drop off   Sin Cycle with her comments.  Zach a delightful boy, and was impressed that Lorraine was a headteacher apparently. Anton left soon after, with shopping to be done. He and I will go for a beer on Wednesday all being well. I had a look a bit later at Sarah's comments, she had put much work and thought into it, as she does everything, all in her very characteristic handwriting. Once you tune into it, it becomes legible and all the more exciting for having deciphered it. I then had another slightly manic bout of The Big Sort ...

Got up and went back to bed again several times this morning. I felt like Lorraine and I hadn't spoken much this week. And we didn't really embark on the world till the afternoon, when we went off into town and at four o'clock I was too late to get a haircut from my usual barbers. Instead Lorraine and I got a flu jab at Boots. We were ushered into the room together, which was quite companionable. I don't mind having a jab, but I didn't like seeing Lorraine having one. We were told to hang about for five minutes afterwards. I sat down and immediately began to picture the rapid death I was going to experience through anaphylactic shock. Lorraine went off to browse happily in Boots before returning to shepherd me out, grateful for life.  From there a short mooch to Indian Summer , a nice restaurant we've not been to before together. I think I went there once with Diane, Mum's old pal. Extremely tasty food, and a grown up atmosphere. We walked back, happy...