under another sun

Lorraine off to rhyme time. After some writing, I went into Brighton and saw Jewel for a massage at Sundial. I'd not seen Jewel for a few years. Lovely freewheeling chat with her while she sorted out areas of evil in my back. Much of it about babies at the moment.  Home, and feeling pleasantly roughed up, and strangely sleepy. Had a bit of a quiet afternoon and feel deeply asleep for ten minutes, and then felt strangely emotional. This always seems to happen to me after a massage.   A general feeling of unreality at the moment. Waiting for the big event ...  Often thinking about Beth and James. Lorraine went to be with Beth in hospital. Beth experienced cramping today but the baby's not ready for its curtain call quite yet. Beth still in good spirits however. 

So up with fewer yelps of pain and curses than of late, and reviewed some work for mes amis in Paris, and sent it off, then after some technology wrangling, Sarah and I managed to record a good interview. Delighted, after yesterday's mystery shenanigans.  Sarah, once into it, was a relaxed and impressive interviewee, and her book The Thoughts , is excellent.  Then a couple of tweaks back from the client, and barring another Parisian tweak should they need it, I am done with work till after the move.   Then Lorraine drove me off to town, where I had a massage from Jewel -- probing painfully at times, and bits that were very sore indeed. Afterwards I said to Jewel that I had been in a fight, and she asked me if I had won it. I had because for the first time for six days I am able to stand up something like straight again.  Jewel, as noted on this blog many times, is a lovely woman and excellent at her job.  She had massaged Lorraine recently too so knew all about ...

Lorraine went into school for a few hours for a meeting and to do some office work. A big psychological barrier, but she returned reasonably unscathed to make a fish pie of some excellence. I bashed the spuds.  Feeling better, I had a day to dream and write deathless poetry... ( insert record scratch SFX ). Nope. More absolute f*ckery from Natwest today: a letter about an unpaid cheque on the account that is now closed, and I have spent since April sorting out.  This made me feel murderous I wrote a very scary note to the complaints guy. The  Natwestisögur  goeth on forever. Otherwise admin and billing to do, as well as an abundance of filing, which was dull but improving.  The good part is things that a few days ago seemed utterly impossible, now seem doable. Spoke to the Tobster today, on the edge of a little Canadian lake, watching the Romy swim in it. He's planning to come over in October. I loped off at lunchtime like a diurnal Mr Hyde to see Jewel, who got...

A day of calm, no beers and no curries. Doing laundry and business admin bits this morning. A text from Mark with a photo of the poem I had written for his wedding in 1989. Working on poems this morning, and sent some of the newer ones to Robin and Sarah. Robin liked them, which was reassuring. Emailing the agency in Paddington about payment. The boards at the bottom of the Kenny coffers are bleakly visible, as the wheelbarrows of Paddington doubloons have yet to be tipped in. The prospect of a cashless Christmas is slightly worrying. To sundial where Jewel gave me a massage at midday, which made me feel pleasantly boneless and sleepy this afternoon, ironing out all the back evils that accumulated from commuting and sitting at a desk on a broken chair for weeks on end. Went to the post office on the way home in a curiously mellow way. Then home, where I had a deep post massage doze for 40 minutes. Then coffee, and popped outside in the pouring rain. Then cooked and when a frazzled ...

Lorraine off to school early, I spent much of the day thinking and making airy mind maps, taking a strategic view of my activities. Plunging in without much forethought which tends to be my modus operandi . I seem to have my fingers in lots of pies. Other than itemising what I had to do, when I felt in the mood. A weakness I have is that I'm not much of a joiner-in-er, which means that I simply get things done (a positive) but the negative is that I usually operate as an outlier. I would like to be more connected. I was able to make an appointment to see Jewel for a deep tissue massage at Sundial. I always feel so much better afterwards, though the prodding of lots of tender knots in your back can be quite painful. The last part of the massage is when Jewel asks you to flip over onto your back and she holds your head and rolls it about and stretches your neck. I find this incredibly relaxing. Felt a bit tender afterwards, but walked home through Preston Park and then got on wit...

Up not too late for a Saturday, and Lorraine and I walked up in the pleasant spring sunshine to Fiveways, and had breakfast in a little Italian cafe, a toasted breakfast ciabatta, which was rather nice. Really nice to be spending time together. We talked about summer holidays but arrived at no conclusion. The Labour party had set up a stand nearby about staying in the EU and pointing up the unfairness of how the Government is funding Green and Red Brighton and Hove, compared to the Tory blue swathes of Surrey beyond. In the afternoon Lorraine and I bought flowers for her friend Jan who is seriously ill, and Lorraine went to visit her with Dawn there too. More cheerily I saw Jewel  for a back massage, as my back has been rigid for some time now. Most of my back a zone of evil and sore and rigid. The massage helped loads, but I will need another session. If I was a millionaire I would have Jewell massage Lorraine and I at least once a week. Then off to rehearsals, where Beth, K...

Reading Lorraine bits of W.B. Yeats in bed this morning, lucky girl. Then L off to spend some time with Dawn and I sloped into town to receive a much needed massage from Jewel, who has massaged me off and on for a few years now. Always surprised by how a deep tissue massage releases strange knots of emotion and anxiety. It triggered fleeting edgy, panicked moments despite the sedative sounds and aromas in her room. As well as loose limbed and beaten up, the experience usually leaves me feeling weirdly vulnerable as if I am crab that's shed its shell. I flitted home sideways and found myself in need of sleep for half an hour or more. Got caught up in watching Rugby on TV with a hugely entertaining Le Crunch game against France which was exciting.  A cheery evening at home with Beth and Laura, who watched L and I drink a couple of glasses of wine, and provided us with endless entertainment playing with hair extensions and larking about in general.

Dawn bright as a button before leaving early this morning. Lorraine finding getting up more difficult and stayed in bed till around 1pm, having had breakfast in bed. I got up early being plagued by despicable cats. I was feeling queasy after last night's liveliness. Found a pile of cat sick in the bedroom, which I cleaned up. Fed the ungrateful weasels. Calliope guzzled her food as if she had been starved for many weeks, vomited it up twice, necessitating the cleaning of warm sick from two further locations. Queased off to see Jewel for a 12 o'clock appointment where I had an hour's massage, with hot stones. Never had hot stones before, but they were hot and slid nicely around all the evil bits of my back. Came out from my massage being able to stand up straight for the first time in what feels like weeks. Jewell does an excellent job and I left feeling like a new man. Even the queasiness had worn off. I sensibly made another appointment for a month's time. A nice...

Writing a storm of poetry this morning. The mad surge of poetry rarely comes across me, but when it does you have to go with it. So I parked my accounts, and did poems instead. Much more fun. Off at lunchtime to see Jewel, who is does massages, and is fantastic at it. Had a full hour of deep tissue work. Usually there are times when she does this that I experience some strong emotion, and this time an area of my back made me feel as if she had pressed an anxiety button. Once this was unknotted, however, all was well. Although there was almost no part of my body that didn't feel tender when she massaged it. Weirdly blissful feeling when she cupped the back of my head and rolled my head around. Afterwards I felt like I'd been in a fight, but in a very good way, and had a spine like a young grass snake. As usual, however, felt peculiar afterwards, a catharsis of emotions. I drank lots of water, and kept a blameless profile tonight, staying happily at home with Lorraine and cook...