under another sun

Up at an ungodly hour, which in my world is anything that starts with a six. Still greatly sluggish and feeling under the weather. Caught an earlier train to get into work for a nine thirty meeting, which did not happen. Enjoying the bus ride from Victoria however. Old friends Julie, and Max the Mentor appeared out of nowhere and hugged and kissed me, which was rather good if all too brief interruption from work. Not seen those ladies for some time, and we are hoping to make it out for lunch. Today, however, I only had time to go to the nearest food joint, an Eat, where I randomly bought a chicken and mushroom pie, which was strangely delicious. Afternoon more of the same, followed by a presentation at the end of the day, which went reasonably well. Today there was talk that they are wanting me to work next week too, and possibly the week after. A feat I am unsure I can manage without tearing off my shirt Hulk style and wreaking green skinned destruction. It is all good for the Ken...

Among school children again. Spent much of the day being Robin to Dawn's Batman at Downs school. I arrived at 9:30 for a day working with 'gifted and talented' children, who were sat around little tables in the school hall. Gifted and talented means they are the more able ones in their class, not necessarily that they were Mozartian prodigies. The children today were from several schools in the area and were between 10-12. Because they didn't know one another there was a certain amount of self-consciousness in the morning.  My function was to talk about writing and the imagination. An interesting day spent outside my comfort zone. One poor girl was colourfully sick on the floor at one point, and was taken away as a casualty. Beyond this it all went fairly smoothly. Although I am never sure in these encounters with children just how much use they get from my contribution -- but they all seemed to listen. Dawn had arranged for us to go down into the extensive air raid...

Up early and off in the rain to the smoke.When I arrived at the station L called to say the radio had said the trains were doomed. There only one train, mine, luckily enough as there had been a fatality at East Croydon.  Only ten minutes late for work, which was fine, and nice to be up in Tavistock Square again. Brain a little slow. Out at lunchtime in hard rain to post stuff off to the solicitors. Home in the rain from the office, and missed my train by about two seconds at St Pancras. Slow journey home. Lorraine out at her choir, and so I bought some fish and chips from the smiling man at Sing Li and took them home to eat in the company of Frasier. An early night once my lovely had returned and foraged food from the larder. Read poems (not mine) to Lorraine till she fell asleep.

L and I to the Twitten this morning, and met Sonia there who had agreed to do a deep clean on the house. Lorraine took the car home, and I sloped off to the obnoxious Budgens by the station, where I had to browbeat them into helping me find oven cleaner. I painted out a small gold tag scrawled on the green wood. But the green I painted on was the wrong green, so I will have to repaint the pesky thing when it isn't raining. D'oh. Met Hilary one of my old neighbours and had a chat with her while her dog, who has always disliked me, barked and strained malignantly at its leash. Unfathomable are the suspicions of hounds. Mooched around town town, where I encountered Adrian carrying a bag of fresh fish. Chatted about work, and photographing the contents of women's handbags. A brave man. Pressed on buying a plug adaptor and drain unblocker. Met Lorraine in the Laines and we snacked in the Délice before Lorraine left for an afternoon of song with Hullabaloo. Home to tinker wit...

Appalling dreams full of violence, except I was the one doing all the atrocious stuff. Woke up shaken and feeling slightly disturbed for several hours into waking. Lots of archetypal stuff going on, battling with my shadow. Appalled by the unspeakable violence latent in my dreams. Off to London again. This morning the train trailing through a foggy landscape, and I listened again to the biography of Dickens which I am greatly enjoying. He appears to have been obnoxious to his wife when be decided to leave her, and guilty of incredible hypocrisy with his pathos laden depictions of children, while he coldly farmed his sons off to a second rate school in France only seeing them in the summer. Had expected only to work half a day today, but in fact worked a full day, slinking out for a gossip with First Matie as we bought sandwiches for lunch. This spell in Tavistock Square excellent for catching up with folks, not to mention the boon to...

A shower at last Another soul sapping journey up to London. It was cold last night, and this did something to a rail which resulted in chaos for thousands of commuters south of London. Arrived at work a mere three hours and fifteen minutes after I set off. It really is astonishing how vile Southern Railways has been lately. I am looking forward to stopping the commute again soon. Once at work however, I had a reasonable day. Betsy as usual making me laugh. She was teasing me about the state of the desk I am using, and she help up some A4 and, showing it to me, said 'this is more than one piece of paper' to teach me that paper can be tidied into a block. The agency staff went for a meeting towards the end of the day and I as a freebooting freelancer was able to melt away early, capering with delight all the way to the tube. And the low orange sun still in the sky as the train crossed the Thames. Fish and chips from Sing Li, and a quick laser session with the cat (it's like c...