under another sun

A day's holiday Spent hours wandering about in the sun with Lorraine. Across to Hove town hall to buy parking vouchers. Sauntering through parks and backstreets while I told the lucky Lorraine the entire story of The End of the Affair . Under my straw hat, found myself feeling as if I were on holiday, and more relaxed than I have been for weeks. The summer suck may be over. We went into the Gallery cafe where Wayne was working, and as they weren't too busy spent time chatting to him sipping coffee and elderflower and apple juice, and falling into conversation with a Hungarian woman who was showing Wayne her art photographs. Wayne is one of those people who makes you feel at home and welcome, and as the sun streamed through the windows the impression of being on holiday was magnified. Milled back into Brighton, via paint shops, to The Giggling Squid Thai restaurant, laughing it up over a cheap and tasty light lunch. Then returned to the Old Church Hall where I shall be moving ...

Chips on their shoulders Groggy this morning after yesterday's lively night. Soon off to Top Cats Vets at Patcham, where the pleasant cat-faced receptionist sold L and I some plug-in pheremones to smooth the nerves of cats, in what will be a challenging few weeks for them. I asked if they had them for people too. Lorraine also bought a catflap which works on the chips our cybercats have on their shoulders under their pelts. This will allowing them in and nobody else. I am apprehensive about how Calliope will get on with Basil and Brian. After the vet business Lorraine and I walked through Brighton for an hour or so, Lorraine pausing to buy a dishwasher, and me popping into the Basketmakers to retrieve the card I had left behind the bar from the night before. Funny, because I am known there, I had no qualms or worries about this. Then some shopping, popping into the bookshop, and feeling galled at the entire shelf of Skulduggery Pleasance books, and had a mild-mannered afternoon wa...

Sleep sponge Woke up at 5 o'clock thanks to that foul MSG. Got up and worked for an hour, cleverly fed Calliope and on returning to bed was rewarded with an untroubled sleep in till ten. Also slept in the afternoon for over an hour. I am a sleep sponge. Bumped Doctor's appointment to Monday: but my knee is swollen and hurting, other joints aching and I feel ancient. I want to plop into one of those science fiction tanks full of a greenish gel and be attached to a bioengineered umbilicus. A few weeks later your broken body is pulled out of the gloop, and you find yourself renewed and improbably muscular. Then you are sent off to battle a race of huge warlike insects, and end up having your face injected by some disgusting ovipositor from the insect's body. Some hours later your comrades salvage your half-dead remains and you are returned to the gloop, but not before eggs have been scooped out in the nick of time from your head. Maybe the gel tank isn't the answer. Erm......

Kneeds must Feeling flat and irritable today. Went shopping with Lorriane, bought some cushion covers. Had coffee with a tired-looking Mark and Beth. Stupid knee seizing up again, the ligaments all feel wrong and it is all slightly puffy and painful. Must take all this to the quack again once I've finished working in London next week. Was supposed to go to a party at Reuben's house tonight, but was 180˚away from a party mood and didn't feel like hobbling about. Yet another social event I have blown out lately. Instead watched watchably bleak Swedes on TV (Wallender).

Under rotten decking Much of the day spent in the garden, led and supervised by Lorraine, who likes this sort of thing, pulling up rotten decking to reveal an uneven concrete base with a water drain cover which had lain illegally concealed beneath the decking. At least there were no skeletons. Also cutting back rampant honeysuckle, full of ancient birdsnests, and which rained a fine sort of dust that inflamed my already coldy sinuses and sore throat. I just don't think I have the temperament for sustained labouring. A spot of shopping and then an evening spent blamelessly in front of the TV with Lorraine eating a roast, and watching the splendid Wallender with Kenneth Branagh, who I've always thought of as a bit of a tosser (technical critical term) being absolutely mesmerising as the conflicted Swedish sleuth, who radiates waves of aloneness. Also Match of the Day , with the mighty Chelsea winning and, even more enjoyably, Manchester United losing. Texted Anton with a humouro...