under another sun

A long list of things to do this morning, including the creation of a wee poster for the play (see below), and a smattering of Telltale correspondence. In the afternoon off to see Helen in Hove to work on the Centaur project. Helen has been having a bit of a purple patch and was full of enthusiasm and ideas.  A very good session and we listened to the opening half an hour of the opera which has now an excitingly organically connected feel. Sitting at her table, able to glimpse a fishpond out in the garden. Helen has had an idea which draws on some of the philosophy that is woven into this from Parmenides to Heidegger and Sartre. Having to reach back a lot to remember my philosophical reading. A feeling familiar to me from talking to Sam and Jade last week. As a by product of this, she came to a point that will provide great drama in the piece. It also incidentally managed to pin down why I have enjoyed writing about Minotaurs, doubles and so on, and was for me a bit of a eureka...

A sober day of restraint. Up late and off shopping, after eating a Quorn sausage sandwich with mustard in bed, brought to me by my lovely, and discussing plans for the wedding. Drove off, taking circuitous routes around the place to avoid the bulgy-calfed London to Brighton bicycle riders. I needed a new office chair, mine having spontaneously exploded a week or so ago while I was innocently sitting on it. We ended up at a place called Staples where I bought a chair called a Tweddle, which after assembling (and then reassembling it as I noticed it didn't look like the picture on the Chinese instructions) comfortable on the back, but a tad unforgiving on the rear. Perhaps my buns will steel themselves. Otherwise shopping with Lorraine. I always thought Lorraine and I were very happy together, but it seems that having become engaged has made us even closer. Pootling about shopping together great fun. Life is sweet. Eating salad this evening, and Lorraine went off to meet one of h...

Norman morning Up early and working on headlines for my French client before eight. A small part of what I was writing referred to the Festival of Impressionism in Normandy this summer. Looking at some Claude Monet, and drinking in the sunshine of another century for a few minutes. At noon I was all done with French copy, and I bolted outside. Still despicable underfoot, but made it as far as the supermarket where I panic bought three packs of Quorn sausages and some catfood. In the afternoon recorded myself reading the first bit of This concert will fall in love with you . Matt had gently nudged me by text. Despite the fact he only wanted a rough guide, it took twelve attempts and I was a bus ride away from being happy with the results. Downloaded Crazy Talk software, which Lorraine suggested to me. You can use it to animate paintings and so on. Investigating ways of bringing Skelton Yawngrave to life. But it seems to be a world of fun. A Twin Peaks fix tonight. Got to the point now w...

Undeck the halls of boughs and holly For many, today is the The Great Monday of the Year. But I just want to get stuck in again, and feel very grateful to have the opportunity to do so. But first... Spent the day on admin of all kinds: chasing freelance payments (my old agency again ), working through emails, hoovering, and taking down the tree and other fripperies of Christmas, with Calliope diving noisily into the bauble bag. Had a long chat with Matt about This concert will fall in love with you. Both very excited about it. Before the concert I need to start strutting about on stage again. But I feel rusty, and need to get back in the saddle somehow. Had a much needed quiet night sipping Japanese green tea. Very cold, so I sat on the sofa under a blanket (and a strategically placed Calliope) and started watching my all time favourite drama series Twin Peaks again. Poor Laura Palmer, wrapped in plastic.

Memory of a mule deer Out to lunch with the Gnome today for a Thai meal. There are going to be several farewells soon. I am having my leaving drinks on my last day next Wednesday, and as my friend Max the Mentor is leaving the agency too, we're going to have a joint party. If nobody turns up at least we can have a beer together. Otherwise I'm being kept busy by Al, with lots of work. On my way home was contacted by a headhunter, who had somehow got wind of me leaving. No idea who tipped them off... But whoever it was, it was a nice thought. Home and had a Twin Peaks festival. Series two is much better than I remember it. Twin Peaks is my favourite TV series. It manages to be funny, creepy, touching, gruesome, philosphical, and plain strange all at once. And despite all the murders going on in the town of Twin Peaks it is a place you'd love to visit. Years ago I visited the Rocky Mountains at Banff, and I can still remember the dry, pine scented air - and whenever I watch Tw...

A man cold I have one. A a severe one: and it makes me watch Twin Peaks. Odd isn't it?

My alter ego is taking over I have become obsessed with Skelly my alter ego. I have found the proper voice for him. He started off too posh and maudlin. And now Skelly's talking properly he seems to be wanting to share his opinions about everything. I have always hated people with opinions. But I have found myself making time late at night to laugh madly to myself and bark outlandish opinions in my study. Should I be worried? Otherwise the day was fine. Had to go off to my pharmaceuticals client from home, which actually meant a late start for me. Was early for the rendezvous with my colleagues and enjoyed an Agent Cooper from Twin Peaks moment, drinking a damn fine cappuccino in the sun outside an Italian cafe and felt a strong sense of everything being right with the world. Another yapfest, but really warming now to my client, which is nice. Then made my way back to the agency, where I caught up with the French Bloke who was back from his holiday. He has moved tantalizingly clos...

Muffins for breakfast Aroused from bed by Anton and Klaudia knocking on the door, and bearing some tasty home made muffins with blueberries. Klaudia had drawn a card too -- an abstract design with lots of purple and plenty of tasteful white space. Anton explaining how the blueberries were healthy and packed full of vitamin C, and the virtues of Internet radio. Feeling disconnected today. More coughing blood, and more telephone reassurances from doctors. And if anything I feel less lively today than yesterday. Spent the day on my gold sofa, watching DVDs on my laptop. The last of my Twin Peaks episodes and the film Don't Look Now by Nick Roeg, which is a wonderful film. Hungry for beautiful images at the moment, although they made off season Venice seem very washed out and sinister. My only positive activity of the day in between dozing and feeling wussy was writing a one hundred word short story for a competition run by BBC Radio 4's Front Row programme. The hundred words have...

It's not the coughing that carries you off Felt a smidge brighter and breezier this morning and bumped into my nice next door neighbour and her nippers who had just returned from Australia where they had seen kangaroos. Felt good to be out and went as far as the patisserie to buy some chewy brown loaf. As the day wore on my joire de vivre wore off still feeling very ill and hot with an intermittent but painful cough. In the evening when I came over all John Keats and coughed some blood I phoned the medical types. I have been that there is nothing to worry about, but I may like to pop into outpatients tomorrow. I'll see how I feel in the morning. Otherwise I quite naturally laid low. I hugely enjoyed watching more Twin Peaks and did next to nothing. Quick conversations with The French Bloke, and Anton and long IM chats with Sarah who was hard at it at work. And I now await Sarah who is going to skype me. Then I shall head for bed and wait to be wrapped up by the soft embalmer ...

Escaping into Twin Peaks Still very rough, but was able to stand up long enough to have a shower and lurched down the fifty yards to the shop with a spinny head to get a few provisions. Told work I wouldn't be in till next week. Migrated from bed to sofa this evening to watch the Twin Peaks DVDs. It is perfect feverish viewing because it is so easy to drift into the bizzare and beautiful scenes. It remains one of my all time favourite shows because there are scenes and an atmosphere about it that you have never seen anywhere else.