under another sun

Slept very well and up for breakfast with Mum and Mas. At the table horrific tickling on the back of my neck and something rushing into my hair. A large spider which I brushed off myself with some alacrity onto the carpet. Mum yelling don't kill it , not that anyone was trying to, and chasing it under the table before taking it outside. Way too much excitement before a gentleman's first cup of tea. Mum gave me a lift to the station, then I went back to the Turnham Green office. Bumped into Matt briefly, who glows happily when talking about his new baby Harry. Meanwhile Stephen's dad died, (he was in his 90s) the same day as Matt's son was born. Even though it wasn't unexpected, he is still sad about it. I spent the day working with Jerry an art director I've worked with occasionally. Nice to catch up as we designed some old-school direct marketing mailpacks. Mooched cheerfully with Jerry at lunchtime, as he compared the virtues of Co-enzyme Q10 products and go...

To London spending the day in the Chiswick office with Matty and Stephen. Lunch with them in Andy's Kebabs, purveyors of fine kebabs I have visited with Anton among others. This time sat down and had some sort of chicken wrap with fries, salad, and a glass of wine. Lots of laughing as well as discussions about work. Matt off to Uganda, for discussions, on Saturday for a few days with the charity. Also talking about Chad. I suggested I might be able to get a girdle on expenses, as the current Kenny ventripotence must surely be in bad taste at the very least. Found out that I have to renew my passport as it expires in five months. Made an appointment for Friday to get urgent new one. Bucketloads of rain by home time. Decided to hop on a bus  to Chiswick station, and got stuck in traffic with a torrent falling from the sky, and remembering when Septembers where quite summery. Made it home and Beth and Lorraine both out. Had fish and chips from Jenny's round the corner. Not up to...

Up early in Stanmore and downstairs for a bleary eyed bagel and toast with Mum and Mas. Hadn't slept particularly well as I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about the pitch and various other matters. Walked to Stanmore chatting with Lorraine on my phone, then to office in Turnham Green, and then out to meet a local printer to look at the proofs for the adcepts we would be showing later. A purposeful and reasonably calm morning as we readied for the pitch, Yas and I rehearsing our double act for the creative presentation before joining the others for a few sandwiches and a run through. Bundling into the car, occasionally noisy with pre-pitch hysterial laughter and off to our potential client. I really like pitching. A wait in reception where I wasn't alone in feeling twitchy but Betty sent me a picture of Calliope looking weird, which prompted Matt to bring up a picture of his bizarre Gremlin who can out weird any cat I know. Then pitch itself. Everyone in our tea...

A poor night's sleep but up to London first thing, arriving in Chiswick at a reasonable time despite the train I catch being cancelled. Did a little work for my French client on the train where I could. Later I sent off what I had and this went down well. A day of preparation for tomorrow's pitch working closely with Matt, Stephen, Yas and April over the phone. A busy day, but an enjoyable one. A quick pint in the Tabard with Matt afterwards, it's really nice to be working with him again, then to Edgware to see Mum and Mas and consume spaghetti bolognase and chat for a few hours before sloping off to bed.

Up at six thirty and getting myself organised to zoom off to Chiswick. Nice morning, and Lorraine gave me a lift to near the station. Getting off the train at Chiswick station, having gone via Clapham, reflecting on how life returns you to the same place.  Spent the day with Matty boy, Stephen, and Yas working out creative and strategic responses to pitch brief. Working in a room upstairs in the City Barge, a pub I know of old, with the sun glinting on the river just outside. Nice to meet Yas again, who impressed me a good deal when I first met her, as she and her husband set up a charity in Sri Lanka which has now been running for several years. I'm finding that I'm noticing the people who actually make a difference these days, and find I'd like to be a bit more like that. A couple of beers with Matt and Stephen after work downstairs in the bar, then I trained up to Stanmore where I met Mum and Mase in the Man in the Moon. I was late, but they had secured a booth, one wi...

Off to Chiswick this morning, and to my dentist Lucinda, for a check up and to moan about a twinging tooth.  Settled back in the chair, and watched the tv screen above me as Lucinda investigated. On the screen was film of a whale corpse on the deep sea bed being grazed on by hagfish which bury their heads and raspy mouths in the rotting flesh. Nice. X-rays were taken and shortly after I was shown my teeth and their roots. The troublesome tooth okay for the time being, as I could see with my own eyes on the screen. Then downstream to The Bull's Head, now calling itself 'Bull's Head' for some reason, where I met Matty boy and Stephen for lunch and a chat about 11 London. Really nice to get to know Stephen a bit better. A very amiable man, despite having broken his leg a week ago which was still giving him some pain. Like Matt he is a listener as well as a broadcaster, which is refreshing. Stephen hobbled home, and I abandoned plans to do some research in the Natural His...