under another sun

Working all day on the French work, and Pat still hadn't got the email I sent him, so resent for the third time. Tricknology. Slogged quietly at my desk all day. Betty home and ill and keeping herself to herself. In the evening I made off around the corner to meet Ben at Rick's house. Rick who I had met during my stained glass course, lives literally just around the corner from me, and Ben was helping him with one of his stained glass window. I went there and Rick drove us down to park down along from the Shahi, weirdly though we went to the Eastern Eye, another Indian restaurant. When we got near the parking spot Rick removed his hands and the car started to park itself, which was an eye opener. It wasn't successful but the thought was there. Rick is a nice guy, who lost his wife a year or so ago, he amazed me by saying he had turned 75 recently. Had a bit of quite nice snap there, and then made our way to The Rose Hill for the 1930s Jazz night we go to 'On the s...

A rather glorious day, with all clients at bay, and time to think and read, and write a little of my own stuff. Woke up feeling lethargic and a bit rubbish, but decided to go to the gym early, and found I had gas in the tank and this perked me up lots. Read another story by Ligotti today, called Flowers of the Abyss , and started reading his philosophical work The Conspiracy Against the Human Race . Also researching horror podcasts. I am becoming increasingly interested by doing my own podcast in one form or another. In the evening, after cooking a rather spectacular chicken stew, and fed Lorraine leaving her about to watch The Great British Sewing Bee, I sloped down to the Rose Hill Tavern to watch a Jazz combo and meet Ben. Good to see him, and had lots of chats in between the music. He really is a lovely man. A strange night, with a troubled but talented saxophonist/clarinettist who kept complaining about his borrowed equipment, apologising for wrong notes that nobody could spot...

A rather raging throat today, but stayed in and did a bit of writing and sent another poetry manuscript out. Was pleasantly surprised by a note from Ben, who suggested an evening out to see some live music. I met him in The Rose Hill , a pub I have never noticed before. It is community owned and had weird plastic foliage hanging down over the bar, so that you felt you needed a machete to buy a beer. Most odd. The music however, on their Sunny Side swing jazz evening was excellent. It made me think a bit of the Hot Club de France, as they played standards with violin and guitar and bass, with a rather good pianist/clarinettist. Also a woman joined the boys later, playing a cello and singing sweetly. A great little scene there, with appreciative people of all ages some doing a bit of dancing and looking generally smart. I kept thinking how much Mum would like the place. Nice to chat with Ben outside the glass class. As I suspected we are on a similar wavelength, and have a fair few i...