under another sun

To the medical centre to get a shingles jab at 8:25. The woman said 'sorry' as the needle slid in. When I stood up I felt momentarily light headed. This alarmed her to the extent that she gave me a small bottle of sparkling water from her own bag, rather than risk leaving the room to get a glass. After a hypochondriacal self-check, I had a bit of water, and felt soon felt fine. Making a drama out of nothing as usual. Breakfast with Lorraine, then did some recording with Robin, mainly festive banter. I had to break off a couple of times as Brian was walking about the house several times miaowing with the catnip mouse in his mouth. As he is deaf this gets very loud indeed. His behaviour hasn't really changed since Calliope died. Hard to know if it has even registered, as Brian, though handsome is not the smartest of beings.  Attempted to pick up the threads of doing some writing on the Kenniad. I made a few tweaks, but couldn't get into a flow state. Went into town and bo...

Up feeling fresh and working with Keith from early on. Early afternoon, and possibly the worst brief I have ever been taken. Full of irrelevant information and no clarity at all about what they were asking us to do. Cue assorted creatives from both side of the pond trying to make sense of it, asking questions that were not able to be answered. I had to leave early today, so missed a subsequent meeting with the poor CD attempting to re-explain it.  Late afternoon a months-planned meet up with Robin, Charlotte, Sarah and Stephen at the Open House.  I had just escaped from work and it took me a moment or two to tune out of that drivel. But having a beer and putting the world to right about life, managing (or otherwise) the pandemic, the good the bad and the ugly of poetry. Robin, Charlotte and Stephen already there when I arrived and we were soon joined by SJB fresh from the hairdresser and very proud of it. Sarah also has her first collection in the pipeline, which we toasted. I...

A storm of wind and rain overnight. The job that was mooted for next week definitely not happening now. Working through a list of to dos for Friday.  Was finally sent the log on details to my new business bank account (it has taken about a month) only to find someone had already taken funds out of it with a cheque.  I don't have a chequebook and so had to phone up the bank, and be passed from person to person for almost half an hour. Eventually I got through to the fraud department. After twenty seconds of talking to this bloke I was cut off. Repeat the process and finally, after well over half an hour I was refunded the money. It seems like it was a bank error, rather than someone trying to defraud me.   A lunchtime treat. I sauntered back down to the Open House and met Reuben for a bite to eat.  I had a vegan club sandwich which was incredibly filling, we also had a Guinness and cup of coffee. Just lovely to catch up. I hadn't had a proper chat with him for ages. J...

Lay in bed this morning reading an essay on a picture of Bathsheba by Rembrandt, by Hélène Cixous which was utterly brilliant. It was so full of ideas it was hard to finish, because it made me want to go away and write things. Wonderful. Sauntered off through the streets to see Catherine and Tanya this afternoon. We met in the Open House, which is fairly well run, with booths outside, and minimal interaction. High quality chat about all manner of things. They were telling us about a place they stay in which is like a residential library just over the border of North Wales. They made a week of reading in a gorgeous library, and as Catherine said, opening your beak three times a day and being fed, they made it sound brilliant. Sadly they were unable to go this year.  A couple of beers here, and home again for an undemanding evening with my lovely wifey.  Below Lorraine spotted this tiny rubber person, on the road surface. Also flowers in our back garden.

Lorraine's last day of term, which ended with a passion play, a success apparently. Off to Lewes, after a stonking early morning's writing. Met Robin and had a great chat with her in Cafe Nero about the future of Telltale, and just a general catch up. We also went around town dropping of posters for the Telltale reading in Lewes next month, and knocking on doors of people who put posters in their windows. Also bumped into Jeremy Page, editor of the Frogmore Papers, and Catherine Smith. Showing that Lewes is a place where you can't move for writers. Trained back to London Road, and paused for a veggie burger in the Open House and a read of Charles Olsen poems, before going home. A bit later  Dawn collected me, and we drove off to Worthing Cemetery where we met Lorraine and Helen, to attend Jan's funeral. A good ceremony, and her son Matt is a writer and delivered a lovely speech. Her daughter Laura was there too with her partner, as was Jan's elderly mother.  A m...

Begun work on my new French briefs (insert Frankie Howerd style titter). I also read something this morning about about breaking tasks down to things achievable in fifteen minutes, called fifteeners. I tried it this morning, with excellent results. Powered through lots of work today, and completed the rewriting of Defenders of Guernsey , which after a final proof read I will attempt to upload in the next few days. Just nice to be able to complete something. A nice chat with Mum this morning too. Sonia making me laugh by telling me that garlic was 'illegal' in her house, due to Barry's antipathy to it. She was also deriding English reaction to a bit of warm weather. Lorraine working from home this afternoon, although we spent some of the time looking at a local young fox snoozing through the afternoon in the back garden. Our cats, and Cactus the next door cat completely unbothered by it. In fact Cactus joined it in a snooze a few feet away. I ended the week feeling buo...

Worked at home, then packed up and went to the gym for another workout. From there to the ideologically unsound Starbucks where I consumed a cinnamon swirl and a large cup of tea, and had another good session. I can't understand exactly why I work well in Starbucks when I have a perfectly good study. I can only put it down to a simple change of perspective, and perhaps that I had been exercising in the gym. Really making great strides with the book. In the afternoon contacted by the folks in Tavistock Square, to discover that I am wanted for freelance up in London next week. Only omnipotent God knows what the story will be on Monday. But the prospect of a bit of coffer top up definitely pleasing. Lorraine out with various ladies, and Anton, called around for me. He was only partially recovered from a lively night taken out by the agency he employs, which involved several shots called Jägerbombs. I had a few drinks as Anton supped glasses of water and the occasional half, in Th...

Figuring it all out Completed the Sisyphean task of doing my books for my accountant. Sacrificed a few goats etc. to celebrate. There is something aesthetically satisfying about seeing all the figures in rows and neatly arranged figures. But it is a dark and suspect art. I also did some billing for the smatters of work I have done in the last few weeks and arranged to work in Tavistock Square next week, increasing my confidence that the much-plundered Kenny coffers will eventually have doubloons in them again. I spent all my twenties worried about money, and I am not enjoying this squeaky episode. Broke off to get my 'good' ear cleaned out by the nurse. Nothing much emerged, so I was left wondering if had been successful. From there up to the Twitten where I worked in the garden cutting back the jasmine which was growing over the top of my fence to provide an aromatic roof for the midnight micturators. Home, and finished all my work by four, and lurked pleasantly in the house...