Queasy Gah! Ambushed by what I hope is a 24 hour nausea bug. Ankle throbby too. Not ideal, but better to get them out of the way now than on Saturday. Sent apologies to Matt with whom I was not able to celebrate his birthday and slept heavily this afternoon, with stomach surging. Sonia the cleaner around today, and I absented myself for a lurk in the park, where I sat in the cafe working on poems. Despite the nausea I felt suddenly famished. Found a small Cornish pastie, which I ate despite it being full of a despicable grey paste. I can't believe I ate it. Nice Cath Mattos came around from The Sussex Beacon at tea time brandishing a sealed bucket for donations to be made at the concert. A low profile evening whimpering piteously at Lorraine, before an early bed.
Posts
Cat in the doghouse Basil the fat cat in the doghouse this morning as it had pooped indoors for the last two nights. Basil won't or can't use the catflap and we have been poking her outside at regular intervals but this method seems not to be working. Lorraine not pleased to be coming downstairs to such a catastrophe. Nice to be sitting up on the mezzanine level with Lorraine, who was working from home this morning, as I laid out the programme, and other bits. Looking forwards to doing the concert and being able to fix some of the niggling things... like getting some more copywriting work so that Lorraine and I can have a holiday. In the afternoon I walked into town and spent a couple of happy hours tinkering with old poems in Marwood cafe. The work I did was stale but it is good to knock on the door again. I can work among hubbub or in silence or with ambient drifting music. Anything in between doesn't work. Lorraine home early and we went to Sainsbury's, where I tease...
What a difference a day makes Rain gouting from the sky I, however, was cheery. In the morning a thundering on the door heralded the arrival of a pallet of CDs. And not just any CD, my CD. They look as well as I could have hoped, and sound great. Matt called around in the afternoon for coffee and to take some. Both feeling quietly proud. Also I have been in touch with The Sussex Beacon an aids care charity, who will be doing a bucket shake at our concert. It is good to have an ethical dimension to things, and The Beacon took good care of my old pal Tim Gallagher in his last year or so, and I have never forgotten this. Lorraine home early, and after I had cooked, she drove me off to listen to the choir rehearsing at Matt's, and Lorraine popped in to see Rosie. There were a couple of new faces including a promising Polish singer called Peter, and Adam Swayne who fancied helping and singing. Adam, Matt and I went off to meet Wayne at The Brunswick where there was their regular Jazz...
Footfalls echo in the memory Up early and started a new poem. Quite amazing to have so much new stuff. Only time will tell if it is any good. Spoke at length to my old friend Al who was after some advice. Then off to The Sussex Beacon. Decided to walk, which involved two very steep hills so I was quite sweaty when I arrived. Lovely lunchtime meeting with a woman called Juley, about the CD project. But we also started talking about marketing and branding and we might do some work together in that way too. Really took to Juley, and after a salady bite to eat in the canteen, she showed me about the garden and the rooms. The Beacon is beautifully located, and looks out across the downs, and it brought some memories back of visiting Tim there in the mid-nineties. Now the emphasis is completely different, and is about helping people who are managing HIV to lead normal lives. There is a weird healing of hurts that I thought long scabbed over about this. After the meeting I and found myself on...
Karma and cat conmingling Another excellent start with poems, after walking home from Lorraine's place. I am devoting the first hour of every day to poetry and this morning I wrote one from scratch, and converted a never satisfactorily completed old one into a second poem. I have never had such a purple patch, and I am rapidly assembling a new body of work in what is a different, freer style for me. Felt as if I had done a day's work by 10.00am. However pushed on with Betty the Spacegirl and I am about two thirds of the way through it now. Spoke to Juley at The Sussex Beacon, who I'm going to meet on Monday and visit The Beacon for the first time in ages. In return for our donation they are happy to help publicise the CD and launch event (as it will result in increased money for them) so it is a win-win, and brings good karma. Also spoke to the vet about cat politics, and the conmingling of Calliope with Basil and Brian. Off to the Marlborough to try to finalise the days f...
A Beacon Up early thanks to Calliope. Felt run down, blocked up, and with a persistent sicky headache. Did however have another cracking hour or so on poems, which I am so pleased about I don't really want to say more in case I hex myself. Also pushed on slowly and surely with Betty the Spacegirl and have agreed with Di and Adrian Turner to take some photos of us for the CD - which is spendid as Adrian is a top photographer. Phoned The Sussex Beacon who Matt and I want to give a proportion of the earnings from the CD to. Not only is this good karma for the project, but it is also the place where my friend Tim Gallagher found some real respite in his last months. Spoke to Mum who was 'working on her head', another cat head as it transpires. Also to Matt to discuss various business things. The Barbarie's email newsletter, Barb Wire, mentions Defenders of Guernsey which is rather nice. In the evening off to Lorraine's house where we popped around the corner to pi...