under another sun

Sniffing this morning. I did a little writing, then went for a walk at lunchtime, to try to perk up. By the afternoon I was feel too meh sore throaty and lifeless to go to the Boot tonight to celebrate my own birthday. A bit of a drag, and also poorly timed as we are zooming off to Greece on Monday. However, was sent a recording by Chris of them singing happy birthday to me from the pub.  Some old scribbles and daubs on a wee instagram account here , as a sort of tidying up impulse.   I spoke to Mum this morning and called up the fire people to get a rough delivery date for her, which should be the week Lorraine and I get back. Sent Robert Hamberger the money for his book, and got a lovely note back from him. Also a meditative text from Brian. My new wallet arrived, which is a thing of beauty, and most importantly, green. Judging by the fact I have lost two train tickets on my last two journeys I certainly need it. Also texted the sweeps who cleaned Mum's chimney yesterday tha...

Maureen's birthday today. I got up early and began organising some notes towards another interview. Breakfast, with Maureen opening cards and presents. Lorraine had to rush off and be horribly sick, and spent the rest of the day and night in bed, probably with some kind of vomiting bug, or maybe food poisoning. Possibly from her home made kombucha we drank yesterday which was a bit pokey. I think it is a bug, and she was not at all well today.  Spoke to Mum who had been out to a neighbour's party last night. She'd also been to the pub in the afternoon, and chatted with some of her mates there. Love the idea that she had some fun. Rearranged the day, instead of us all going to Betty and James's place for cake and coffee, and having dinner here, Beth came around to collect the food we had bought, including lamb, and she cooked for Pat and Maureen at her place this afternoon. I stayed at home to monitor Lorraine, but instead fell asleep on the bed with her and woke up with...

Phoned by a cheery Tobster at four something in the morning... He was with Romy, Raine and Eitaro and if I remember correctly despite middle of the night bleariness, they were going to travel to Kyoto. Up a few hours later, to feed the cats, made two cups of roasted Japanese tea and put the oven as requested by Lorraine to make some bread. We were up and breakfasted cheerily, and ran about the house hoovering and cleaning up, and then sat down to have a top-level conference about finances. At this point Maureen called, and said she had been feeling unwell. We were worried about her, and Lorraine drove over to Ashford and took her to hospital when she got there. They spent the afternoon and evening there and Maureen is to be kept in overnight. Lorraine left the hospital late, and will stay with Pat. Everyone concerned for Maureen.  I've been keeping in touch by text mostly with Lorraine and it has been a difficult day for her. This took the wind out of my sails somewhat. Finish...

Monday. A grey rainy day, and cold. Working online with Keith and feeling cold in my study. We put on the heating in two or three one hour bursts to keep off the penguins. A meeting with Pat today too, meeting background kept making his long hair disappear and reappear as if flapping in a high wind   Happy to have Lorraine busying herself around the house, doing things with sourdough and sorting bits and pieces, it being her first morning home since Friday. Once done with work, Lorraine and I assembled a bathroom cabinet. Surprising how warming screwdrivers can be. Lorraine, not having been here for a couple of days, getting flashes of unreality about this being her home -- and it is not a holiday from which we will have to return. Cocooned on the gold sofa tonight, eating a warming chicken and vegetable stew and catching up with Deep Space 9.  Meanwhile in an alternative universe the football world cup started in the UAE. England won their first game 6-2, which was rather imp...

Up at dawn this morning, and a quick shower and then finishing the first edit of the podcast, which I then sent to Robin to review. Much to my delight we managed to get the podcast up on time today, with Robin doing a final edit. Then at 8:30 back with Keith slogging till an afternoon presentation and a later meeting. However, the work was done, and Pat released me gently back into the wild. Enjoyed working with Pat and Michel again but at the end of the day I was mightily relieved to be done, the job finished satisfactorily, the podcast up, and finally a bit of time just to be in Seaford in my new home. Chatting with Mum after work. Ben was round helping them set up the new television they bought today in Borehamwood to replace the lightning-fried one. All rather dramatic but they are both okay, luckily.  Rosie and Innis came around today. Sadly, as I was working, I was only able to spend a bit of time with them -- they were liking the new house lots, and brought me a late birthd...

Another day manacled to the desk looking at Keith in a window on my screen and trying to come up with ideas -- and then discussing them with Pat last thing in the afternoon.  Recording with Robin immediately work was done. Lorraine and I drove off to our nearest Sainsbury's, in Newhaven. Not terribly exciting in itself but fun to be away from my desk. Lorraine working hard but happily in the new house. She found the bulk of the cutlery today which had the words Garage and other incriminating things written on the box in my hand.   Shocking news from Mum: a lightning strike that hit Kings Drive and knocked out their TV, and did the same to Ben's TV too. Mum's wifi is fried too -- as is Maheena's I think. Mum okay but having to organise BT people for the wifi and think about new televisions.   Back to my desk, and I almost finished editing the podcast by nine. Enough, and I came downstairs and sipped a single bottle of beer and watched some TV with my lovely wifey. Befor...

I spelt fairly well again last night, sleeping most of the night for the first time in a couple of weeks. It is Friday... Keith and I finished one job with Pat and the French Bloke, and Perky today, and will be doing another next week. Everything went well however, and people pleased with what had been done. Lovely to be working with such old pals. Very drained by the end of the day.  After work Lorraine -- who had been heroically sorting stuff out in the house all day, and I hurried off to Trawlers to meet Yvonne and Brian where we had a meal of very nice fish and chips again, but this time with a bottle of beer. Really enjoyed seeing them, and after we paid (some confusion here as I paid for everything and Yvonne assumed I had just paid for Lorraine and I and gave the man some cash who gladly accepted it as a humongous tip.  We walked back to our place, with a woman opening a door of the pub to kiss Brian through it. Brian (and I) were quite tempted to go in, as it look...

Another day at the conceptual coalface with Keith. Began to work through some of the difficulties we had run into yesterday, and then presented them on at lunchtime. Turns out the client had moved the goalposts somewhat and this became a bit of a re-brief, which we worked at without cracking it for a few hours. Last thing another meeting with Pat and Michel and a long discussion from which we all emerged with a new direction, which Keith and I are going to progress tomorrow. Working all day on this, without going out or thinking about much else.  Heard from Katie that she was reading Bleak House too. A short fifteen minute walk in the cold at six, and then cooked and Lorraine came home, and we lounged on the gold sofa for a bit watching Sherlock, a series I had not really watched much the first time around. And so to bed. Reading a bit more of S.T. Joshi in bed. He seems to think being dismissive and savage makes him a good critic. It doesn't.

Working with Keith again. Took a morning brief from my chums the French Bloke and Pat on something that proved to be a bit tricky -- and it felt a bit of a slog and I was left with a feeling we hadn't quite cracked it yet. Told the old FB that my dream version of him had looked approvingly on my dream moped.  Happy to be gainfully employed, however. Talk of another job with Keith next week, and at one point we had been booked in for two days, which was then cancelled an hour later. Cue Keith raging about time wasters. In the evening wrote to the solicitor about Mum's neighbour issue, and crossed his palm with silver. Mum doesn't want to inflame relations with her neighbour so I have just asked for his legal opinion on the matter.  A short evening walk listening to a bit more of Bleak House as Lorraine was having a zoom meeting with governors. Dickens' plotting is amazing, considering he wrote the thing in chapters which were published as he wrote them. He began writing ...

Sauntered onto the scales to weigh myself, as Lorraine and I had a word with ourselves about snacking earlier in the week and have taken back control. I found, when weighing myself this Monday, that I wasn't as heavy as I thought. And since then I have lost another cheeky kilo. Later looked at an app where I have entered my weights and I find that in the last couple of years I have kept a steady 8kg under what I had been maintaining a couple of years ago. Just nudging down a bit now will stand me in good stead.  Up early and getting on with a bit of copy for the job with Keith, then looking at Keith's wee face in a square on my screen as we worked via GoToMeeting, his favoured way of connecting. We'd done the work by midday, and the clients seemed very pleased, and told us we'd work together again. Something pleasing to the ears of the creatures that live in the dark reaches of the Kenny coffers. Even more pleasingly, I was contacted by Pat today, with a smidge to do ne...

Another chat with Pat and produced some more ideas to round out the concepts Keith and I had come up with. Also painted the ceiling of the bathroom. Still a tad patchy, so will have to repeat yet again. Infernal thing. Also reworked a poem.  Otherwise walked up to Hollingbury, and a couple of turns around Blakers Park listening to lectures on Mesopotamia, which I am finding a little confusing but nevertheless absorbing. The history of that region seems less clear cut than Egypt. John Lennon would have been 80 today. He was shot in 1980, when I was at University. I am not too affected by celebrity deaths as a rule, but his death and Bob Marley's death six months later, certainly registered with me. Lennon was certainly an interesting character. I think McCartney was more musical, but Lennon's creativity was more restless and interesting I think. They were great together. Lorraine pleased to be home. I rustled up some grub and we had a pleasant evening, with Lorraine and I  unwi...

Slightly perplexed by an absence of contact from Pat about the work I'd done for him yesterday, eventually we spoke and he'd not received my emails. The agency server again took it into its head not to deliver messages from my business email address. We had a long on-screen chat and I sent the email again and all was well. Pesky tricknology. Turns out I have a smidge more to do tomorrow.  Pat still donating plasma to the hospital, as he still has lots of C19 antibodies. Said howdy to Judith too. Despite seeming cheery, they had a bit of a horrid spring, both with the virus, then they've had a legal problems slowing the building work they are having done down to a snail's pace.  Not much other news. Reading M.R. James's ghost stories, although a tad creaky, the scary bits are imaginative.  Lots of rain off and on.  Blaker's Park is only five mins away, and thus a good place to stroll if I need to get back to my desk in a hurry.  The cat flap on the blink today. W...

Read a ghost story by M.R. James last night in bed, The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance,  which was rather good and hinted at a Satanic Punch and Judy. I had ghost story dreams and woke up horriblised at 1 AM. Soon to sleep again however...  Lorraine worked from home for the first few hours. This is a boon which means she can lie in a little bit before starting work. A good midweek tonic. I was closeted in my study, with Pat and Keith on the screen, then just Keith and I. Working the rest of the day. I liked the concepts we came up with. The day ended vaguely, with a lack of clarity about whether I had finished, was to continue tomorrow or if I was going to pick it up again next week. I suspect I've completed.  Lovely flowers delivered today from Jess and Andrew. Posted in a thin box that was able to slide through the letter flap. Spoke to Mum, she has had her eyes tested lately. Because her eyes are changing, she no longer needs them for driving, but for readi...

Up early working for an hour or so on the job I am doing with Keith and Pat, it only being 8:30 I took a quick turn around Blaker's park, before settling down to work, with an impish Keith in a window on my screen. Managed to nip out for few subsequent strolls around the park during the day, even if it were just ten minutes missing the extremely heavy rain in the afternoon. Really it is easier if anything, working like this. Keith and I discuss the concepts and work through them as if we were face to face, and once Keith starts mocking them up, we see the same screen as he's doing it and I can tweak lines etc. and grow the concept together in real time, just like you would if you were physically sitting next to one another.  It all helps. A virtual meeting with Carolyn, Pat and a pleasant planner in the US this afternoon, where Keith and I presented the work. In other news I received the lovely print of a pencil drawing of Bob Marley from Ellie. I was her guinea pig, to see if ...

 Woke up at 5:30 drenched in sweat, convinced I had a temperature. However I took it and was actually a degree colder, i.e. the perfect temperature for someone waking up at 5:30. Felt much better as the day progressed, and began sniffing slightly this afternoon. I now believe I have had a slight coldly bug, but as the day wore on I became convinced the grim reaper was not lying in wait for me. Otherwise a Microsoft Teams meeting with Pat, Keith and Carolyn to get a briefing this morning. And spent the day chatting with Keith in a little window on my screen and coming up with concepts and having a bit of a laugh. Managed also to do several short walks too, so that I felt more alive and had reached 9k paces by the end of the day. Lorraine home late, but I had cooked. Watched some more of the Gone Fishing show with Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer. Beautiful TV shot in gorgeous places, little touching essays on friendship, and full of the philosophy of clowns.  

Pleasantly busy. Up early reading a new brief from my pals in Paris, then prepping for a recording with Robin this morning, which we finished at 11:30. A text from Pat asking about my availability next week too, which was welcome. Off then for an early saunter over Hollingbury Hill.  Went into some woods I have only been in a couple of times, and snapped some burnt out car parts that had been dragged in there. I know where there are some others. I might take soon. Reached my 10k paces. All afternoon on a job for my pals in Paris about cat vaccinations, then a quick coat of mould-resistant paint on the ceiling of the bathroom, and started cooking when Lorraine returned home. She brought with her a thank you note from one of the parents, with two face mask gifts. Her son Dexter, is a Skelton Yawngrave fan, and chose a day of the dead themed pattern for me.  Below the field I saw the falcon over the other day. Down in the woods at the bottom of this pic, is the wreckage. On my w...

A poor night's sleep. Lorraine sleepless and the alarm went off at six, getting back into the old routine  at school, with year 6 now attending, as well as the children of key workers. It went well apparently, but Lorraine was tired when she got home, showering and putting all her school clothes to be washed at 60C. I am very proud of my wife, it has been a gruelling time with lots of responsibilities, and she has done very well. I spoke to Pat today for almost an hour. He was telling me about his brush with COVID-19 and being in hospital for a week. Luckily he didn't have to be intubated, but he was on the maximum dose of 10L of oxygen for a while. This was March, and he is still recovering slowly now. It was a bit of a brush with death, and he told me he had a conversation with one of the doctors who told him he was not out of the woods. Pat said, 'are we talking Wimbledon Common or the Amazon?' It was an ordeal, but he is resilient and now very pleased to be stea...

Was thinking about the via negativa and St John of the Cross on the way to work this morning. For it is only once you have given up any hope or expectation that a train to Hampton will arrive will a train to Hampton arrive, albeit slightly delayed. A fine end to the week. Arrived at the agency on time. Had another nice day, Keith was there, and Pat and the French Bloke and Perky and working with Carolyn, a very pleasant account person. It was in the afternoon that I had one of the best calls of my writing life, when I spoke to young Elijah  Max and the FB's exceptional son. He wanted to talk about Magnificent Grace, and we chatted for about twenty minutes. He loved the book, and I was tremendously cheered by his response. He found it funny, and loved the way it combined magic and politics and generally gave me feedback that made me feel that someone had read the book and completely got it. Wonderful feeling of vindication. Also spoke to Max, who it was lovely to chat to her too....

I was thinking about Zen Buddhism on the way to Hampton this morning. The Shepperton train to Hampton was again cancelled but instead of raging about it, I was suddenly aware of the Buddhist notion of the gateless gate.  It crystallised as: the way to reach Hampton is not to travel to Hampton. Armed with this clarity, I was able to reach Hampton by travelling to Hampton Court station on the other side of the river, and simply walk. Obviously the Hampton Court train was delayed too, as the trains were passing through quite thick fog.  However, I was only slightly late to arrive. A pleasant day today. Pat had brought in his Staffordshire terrier called Alice, it having had an operation recently removing something nasty from its face, and this thing barged happily about the office. At lunchtime I accompanied Pat as he walked about Hampton with Alice. At one point a charming young woman sitting on a bench fell on Alice, and chatted happily to Pat.  Afterwards I asked Pat ho...

Devil trains part two today. Lorraine dropped me near the station early today, and I was able to catch an even earlier train from Brighton. Arrived at Clapham to find it in chaos. Obviously the all the Shepperton trains I catch to Hampton were cancelled, but so were those to Kingston. Spent almost an hour there before being able to catch a train in the right direction. Arrived with exactly the same lateness as yesterday, but with the earlier start that was well over three hours. Work again fine. Pat there too today. Went to the pub at lunchtime with The FB, Pat, Keith and Joe, where we sat around the bar in the Jolly Coopers, and unlike yesteryear, I had a shandy and a fish finger sandwich, before repairing back to the agency. The FB bought a signed copy of Magnificent Grace from me which I signed for his boy Elijah.  Left with Pat and caught the train with him, and again was home easily. I had been briefed with lots of copy to write, so it was agreed I could work at home tomo...