under another sun

Up slowly, and had some breakfast, before Lorraine and I walked down to the Marwood where we met Sophie and Andros for a coffee and a good deal of talking too. Just really good fun to be hanging out with them again. Appropriately, we sat in the Naughty Corner. I drank three coffees. Good to hear about how Christof and Electra were doing, and talk to Andros about films and Sophie about life. Looking again at The Shining door they have there complete with a plastic Jack Nicholson face poking through it. Of course Andros worked on The Shining . Fond farewells, Sophie and Andros heading back off to London, and Lorraine and I went home by bus, and Lorraine worked on school things, and I did bits of my own work, cooked and so on.  Also did some sorting out of clothes, and our shared wardrobe. We threw out lots of my ratty teeshirts.

Another good day's work, interspersed with cat herding this morning, as Lorraine took the cats off to the vet (both fine), chatting with Sonia about Bulgarians, popping into the doctor to discuss ears and wussiness, and so on. Lorraine on a drive to retrieve Betty who has a strep throat and brought home. I finished, The Shining this evening. It was a short book but too creepy to listen to in huge chunks. Seeming to be working well, as long as I have a snooze in the afternoon.

Worked happily from eight till three, overcoming the latest pocket of nonsense in the book. At three o'clock I sloped off to the gym for a decent workout. It wasn't raining for once and my cheeriness is unabated. Walked home listening to The Shining audiobook. The main character Jack's struggle with alcoholism and madness is very well done. My baby had just got in from work when I got home, and Dawn came around for a chat, before Lorraine and I sprinted off to the Shahi. Much to the amazement of our friends there we went off piste and ordered different things to usual. A pumpkin dish was one. Home and an early night, with Betty calling just as we went to bed, on her way out for the evening. Makes you feel a bit old really.

My head retracted into the tortoise shell of work, but conscious how lucky I am to have time for this luxury. Also paid my taxes without it precipitating any kind of a crisis. The only dampener is a proper winter's sore throat and attendant lethargy. Only a quick saunter for half an hour or so rain dodging this afternoon. Listening to The Shining by Steven King as an audiobook. Not read any King before now and find it very well written. The Shining is my favourite horror film. Lorraine had a sore throat today too and so declined choir. We had a blameless night in.

Working really well on the book today. Broke off to have a haircut and then to Starbucks for a change of scene and a cinnamon swirl. I am writing this thing in a Japanese spirit of ganbatte  i.e. just bloody getting on with it and persisting, but today I allowed myself to feel positive about what I have written, even laughing aloud in the cafe when reviewing some sections I'd not read for months. But this of course may just be sign that I have finally lost the plot - next stop The Shining . Out with Anton this evening. Met him at Brighton station, and we walked over the hill via his house into Hove. Ducked into a pub just before a downpour started, and walked to the Brunswick Tavern but the food Anton wanted wasn't there so we had nothing instead. Ended up sipping a late beer in The Eddy. A cheerful night, however, and Anton pleased with himself after a splendid annual review at his work.

Birthday A cheerful birthday, with lots of texts, phonecalls, facebook messages, and even a few cards. Went off for a haircut, but the barbers was closed for refurbishment. Otherwise, after a spot of nice writing in the morning, spent the afternoon poring over my my books again. This involves filing away all my bills, receipts, and noting them down on spreadsheets. The only way to get through them is to focus in an obsessional Jack Nicholson in The Shining way. There is light at the end of the tunnel. In the evening went out with Lorraine who arrived with presents. Then off to scarf down some Japanese food at Murasaki's. We enjoyed glugs of warm sake, and getting into a splashy mess in our shared bowl failing to control long slithering udon noodles with chopsticks and spoons. All good fun.

Of parsnips and axe murderers Hmm. I'll have a parsnip with that roast Xmas lentil yet. I sent out my first invoice in my new freelance guise, and it felt good. And I have been working this week too, writing about cholesterol again for the last two days. And tomorrow too. Also I have a little work lined up for next week. More importantly, I think it is beginning to sink in that I will actually be okay, and life as a freelancer could be very big and clever in its own right - as well as giving me time for my own wheezes. It is, so far, a fairly painless transition. However I have been getting moments of cabin fever - especially as the work I have been doing is of the brain shrivelling variety - not only writing website copy but tweaking its architecture. It requires three dimensional thinking and makes want to turn into Jack Nicholson in The Shining , typing All work and no play makes Peter a dull boy , thousands of times. As a writer this was always the most frightening scene for me...