under another sun

Thank God for the weekend and not having to get up before dawn. Lorraine and I didn't spring out of bed till late. Worked on poems today, and had one or two excellent suggestions from Jane. Lorraine doing some work too. Rain all day outside. Spoke to Mum and Mase for a bit, had a pre-going out sleep and then set off in a taxi with Betty and Lorraine. A really fun night out. Off to the Hove Kitchen for drinks to celebrate Betty's birthday last week. Lots of all our friends, including Wayne and Matt, Jonathan, Rosie, Ross and Lene, and lots of Beth's pals too. Good to see Ross, who I'd not had a pointless beer with for a while.  Jonathan told me that he used to have a speciality juggling with seven or eight lemons. Much taken with this as I have always had the name of a story called "The Man Who Juggled With Lemons" for about 30 years without ever having the story itself. He told me that in the eighties he played classical guitar very well and was employed on ...

Sausages At my desk to do some agency work which was bumped at the last minute. After some general admin, oofed off to the gym for an intensive workout. I am definitely fitter than I have been but I remain a fat bloke. Poor Lorraine is still hoarse and coldy so I cooked for her and installed her on the sofa before I went in the evening off in the cold to see Ross in the Shakespeare's Head for a pointless beer. I like Ross. He is cheery and interested in all kinds of things. We availed ourselves of the Shakespeare's Head's sausage and mash menu and took advice from one of the chefs on the best sausages. We were recommended venison sausages, with garlic mash and a berry and wine gravy washed down with Tanglefoot Bitter. I learn from Wikipedia that the name for Badger Brewery's Tanglefoot came about when the Head Brewer drank "several tankards" and "fell on" a name for the beer. When buying a round I found myself asking for two Tanglefeet. Fond farewel...

Sausages with Ross Off in the evening to the Shakespeare's Head to have sausages with Ross my new 'bromance'. I like Ross, we don't have a good deal in common but we seem to have plenty to say to each other. Wide ranging bloke stuff like the nature of the universe, and the treacherous capacities of machines, and why not to explain to your close friends that have made enough money at the sperm donor bank to buy an iPod. There is an incredibly keen chef at the Shakey's Head who prowls around discussing the best combinations of the eight or nine sausage varieties, with the half dozen types of mash, and the four gravies and sides of things like cabbage or beans. Another nice night, and feel like I am normalising a bit, at least in mood if not in actual health.

A bloody day in the technology wars A rare earthquake under the English Channel at 8.00am today. Apparently buildings shook in Brighton, but I didn't notice it in the Twitten. No, for I was embroiled in technology wars. The Dell engineer called me to explain that, as he couldn't find a place to park, he was bumping the appointment to fix the computer. Sauron-voiced I encouraged him to change his mind, and he arrived with a new motherboard and a long magnetic screwdriver and, praise be, my computer now peforms perfectly. Calliope again investigating everything he was doing with great interest. However in the war against technology, one battle does not bring victory. For the knock I accidentally gave my metal-clad, Lacie external hard drive yesterday revealed itself as fatal. The data I'd been waiting to copy across to my PC is now toast. I have had the external hard drive for over four years, but the moment it is most needed, literally hours before reloading everything back...

Enjoyably pointless In the morning I had a note from a lady in Canada outlining a copy project. Anna had kindly tweeted me a note about her, and here I am a day later corresponding with someone in Halifax NS. Not sure anything will come of it, but the interconnectedness of everything is nice. Inching along with Betty the Spacegirl the end is in within sight, also working on poems. Feeling a bit antsy (unlike Lorraine who with Betty had got on top of the ant invasion) and did another, albeit fairly mild mannered, gym stint. In the evening went for a random beer with a new friend called Ross, I met at Kayleigh's 21st birthday the other week. Went to the St James pub and spent the whole night chatting enjoyably. I said I liked the idea of going for a pointless beer, with someone with no reason than to just hang out. A nice guy who makes me laugh. Had the distinct feeling that I knew him already, and had just bumped into him again, as opposed to being someone completely new to me.