under another sun

Up early after feeling a bit worried overnight that I had misplayed the politics on the new job. Began work at 7:30 and I  finished that job at noon. A big oui from the new clients in Paris, so all was well.  Planet Poetry upload day today, and I had to send an unfinished edit to Robin to compete this morning. She did and bounced it back, and I uploaded it this afternoon . Nice to be able to feature Rhona, who I first met in the 80s. Did a bit of work for Pat this afternoon too. He had said it would be a half day, but it ended up being a very small job. Chatted to Mum today, otherwise beginning to feel a big brain dead, as it has been quite a high pressure week. Not ideal as it was Lorraine's week off. Still I am making money, so that is good. Not that I have done much of the billing yet. More Wire tonight, and some cards too. We ate wings in woof woof sauce, or rather the original sauce which is slightly less growly than a traditional woof woof. It was good, although I as ha...

Anton round early this afternoon, having walked here in sweltering heat. he sat in the back garden drinking a few beers and playing one of his games, called Air, Land and Sea , which was quickly learnable and quite fun. Lorraine and I managed to win some of our games too. Lorraine, Anton and I played this, and then after a snack we played some Euchre, which was great fun, and gave me the opportunity to talk in grandiose terms about having played the game for fifty years, and offering Anton helpful advice, while he asked if the game had English instructions as well as German and so on. He bought with him a bottle of Woof Woof sauce, which he has tracked down from the people who used to serve woof woof wings in the Joker. Anton set off home again, and Lorraine and I had a little doze after the rigours of the day. A butterfly in the garden, which had pale blue wings when open. I think it is called a Small Blue butterfly. I like its stripy antennae.

Up early and working on poems. Back to the gym fairly early, then to Starbucks, but couldn't settle there to work. Home, via Sainsbury's. I also did more work and more scraping. In the evening I walked down to see Anton at the Joker, where we had woof woof wings to line our stomachs, and from there we decided to go off piste, to a pleasant time warp of a pub on Baker Street, called The Mitre , where I had a glass of mild and felt like I was drinking in a pub that had been untouched by time, apart from people looking at their phones and iPads. Then a hundred yards on to The Druid's Arms , where we left quickly as there was nothing to see there. Next we drank a beer in The Great Eastern, and then decided to go to The Green Door Store , which is a music venue under the railway arches which Anton has haunted quite a bit, and I never have. I followed Anton sidling into the stage room, all shiny brick and a solitary doorframe standing in the floor where a small room would have be...

A slow morning. I have discovered an enormous capacity for doing nothing. I have no thoughts and no ambitions at the moment, and I am liking it. Next week, will be the start of doing things again, as Lorraine is going back at school and I must pick up the threads. Loved being with Lorraine so much. It was Anton's birthday today. (And Bob's.) Lorraine and I walked down to The Joker, to meet Anton and Anne, and we sat in the railway carriage section. A bit later Anna and Klaudia and Oskar arrived, having been in France at Anna's parent's house. The kids swarming on Anton, clearly delighted to see him. They were bearing presents too including a book of second world war military campaign maps, for Anton is cheered by reading about icy slaughter on the Eastern Front. Everyone on woof woofs apart from Anne. I am always pleased to see my Godbairns, Oskar starts his senior school next week, he's quite positive about it. Nice to see Anna too, and hear how her parents we...

Woke up to the appalling news of a terrible fire in West London. Appalling scenes in a gorgeous hot sunny day. A news festival of course, and I watched some of the coverage on TV. Slick TV presenters uncomfortable with the dazed and traumatised people wandered about them. Lorraine avoiding coverage, due to her traumatic memories of treating people hurt at the Kings Cross fire as a young nurse. In my life all good. Worked on my novel, finalised things with the printer, having to correct the poster before it went to print. A sense of making progress. Also went to the gym. Hot and sweaty, and walking back home through the park looking at senior school children sitting about after school in the heat made me think how short life is. Can it really be 40 years since I was doing the same sort of thing? It seems like only yesterday, etc. etc. Time is not linear anyway. Chatted to Mum, who had been to meditation group the night before. It made her feel completely different about today, whi...

Cold this morning on the platform, and very reluctantly off to work today. Finished listening as an audiobook to  The Imaginary Girlfriend , a short memoir by John Irving today. Lots of stuff to do with wrestling in it. Then started listening to The Power, by Naomi Alderman, who is friends with Margaret Atwood and it is rather a good novel. Went into work this morning like I was entering a ring. Unexpectedly, however, the day was fine, and the vileness of yesterday abated, and Keith and I were simply allowed to get on with our work. I walked around in Russell Square at lunch and called Mum, who could hear as I was talking to her a strange cacophony of squeakers, a vuvuzela and drums from over the hedge when I was there, and it turned out to be a security guard's protest outside the university. Was able to leave work on time and meet Anton in the evening at The Joker for some beers and woof-woof wings and generally to put the world to rights. Great to see Anton, though much w...

My mood much better, and I felt more energetic and cheerful. I was also able to leave work a few minutes early so got the earlier train. Sadly almost finished the Julian Cope book now. Reading his humorous and honest account of general rock and roll madness was somehow weirdly refreshing. It is the first time I've read an actual book, other than poetry books, on the train for a while, usually preferring to listen to audiobooks. I will have to go back to Gogol again after this interlude. Spoke to Lorraine on the train, and Mum as I walked towards the Joker where I met Anton for a very overdue pint and bowls of woof woof wings and curly fries. Great to see him, and generally talk about several things that needed talking about. Sloped up the hill afterwards, after Anton caught a taxi home. Lorraine still awake after a slightly hideous day at work. The weekend is in sight now. A long time since the ticking of the days off in the week has seemed so important. No idea if I'll be ...

Up early and off to Brighton station in a cab with Beth. I went there to meet Anton and go for a walk, Betty off to London to celebrate John's mum's birthday. We got there early, but Anton was earlier of course. Got the train up to Balcome, bemoaning Brexit and so on. You'd think a July walk would be sunlit and warm, but a low drizzling cloudy rain accompanied us for our walk of about three hours. A nice walk it was too, and only one incident when one our various phobias were triggered. This time it was Anton avoiding a field packed with fairly solid looking cows. We walked along the field next to it, but eventually had to return to the cow field. I simply walked through the gate and had to coax Anton through it who was already getting entangled in  barbed wire having sought an implausible route through a hedge. Rained finely but steadily durning the walk, which ended up around the Ardingly Reservoir, which was full. The last time we'd passed there I think was just ...

Heard from Mum today that Mason has been released back into the wild for a while, before he starts  his operations in a week or so. Must be great to be at home after being in a Kafkaesque limbo for so long. Up fairly early this morning as Lorraine had a hair appointment. I went off to the gym (pausing at the Brighton Tavern to hand back a Stars and Stripes that Lorraine borrowed for a Beth performance) where I did manly sweaty things for some time, and had a shower there. Then to the Starbucks to work for a bit. Starbucks is reprehensible for all kinds of reasons, but it is the place I find easiest to work in. Then I met up with a sleek haired Lorraine and soon we jumped on a bus to Fiveways where Lorraine was drawn like a bee to a flower to the shop called Preloved , a posh second hand shop full of designer ladies clothes. They sat me down and Lorraine ended up buying four items. Rather good stuff there. The rest of the afternoon rather slothful, before we roused ourselves to ...

Keeping in touch with Mum today as Mason is in hospital, Mum and Mas having phoned up 111 and being advised to go to accident and emergency. He seems reasonably relaxed about it all, and didn't want her to visit. Obviously a bit worrying, but he's in good hands at least. I went to the gym and spent the day working on things dictated by the great mind map of destiny. Speaking to Betty today about the play, and her pal Sarah apparently loved it, and wants to direct Beth in it. Things like this are making me feel good about the play. So pleased Beth and I got the ball rolling on this. In the afternoon a nice interlude with Anton in The Joker, eating our 3 for 2 deal on woof woof wings, and sinking a few beers and generally putting the world to rights. Anton showing me stages of the great coastal walk he is embarking on, and assuaging Mum's concerns that it won't all be walking. Fiery-mouthed we walked up to the Shakey Head for another quick beer, as we'd not be...

A happy day. Re-hanging pictures in the main room. L & I using calculations and precise measurements. Time to take in the carpet, which we are both well pleased with in terms of colour. It also makes the room noticeably warmer and larger seeming. A few other bits and pieces done, a much needed low-key day. In the evening Dawn came around and we sauntered down to the Joker to meet Anton. Feeling suddenly stressed and horrid when I got there, but a chat with Anton and a glass of beer soon rectified all this. Great to see Anton and Dawn although the Joker a bit elbowy and busy it being January payday Friday. Although Dawn assertively got a free round of drinks while we were waiting and also got the DJ to turn down the music. Takes some skill to be able to select only mediocre soul music from the 70s. After we had sufficiently burny mouths (Anton and I had Woof Woof Wings), back to the Preston Park Tavern for an final drink before going home.

A busy day on Lorraine business. We disposed of the waste and high tailed it to Bolney to see Lorraine's new school. There was one teacher doing some prep there, and the caretaker. I don't think I've walked about an empty school out of term before. Lorraine taking notes while walking about and looking in all the rooms and learning the layout of the place. Looking in store cupboards and so on. One had a direction post with Back of Beyond, and Front of Beyond on it. To Horsham to dispose of Mrs Kenny's confidential waste in her office. Strange being with Lorraine in a busy office.Then off to drop her laptop off at her boss Chris's house. We were invited in and had a nice chat with Chris and his wife and daughter. A bright cheery room, and very pleasant people. In the evening, Lorraine and I sauntered down to The Joker, where we met Anton, Anne and my Godbairns plus Christiane (Anton's cousin and also Goddaughter) over from Australia. Lovely to see Christiane a...

Working from early this morning on DRTV scripts, and pinging these off by midday. Loafed about a bit early afternoon before walking off to  pop a prescription into the quacks, where the friendly nurse there said she was pleased to see I'd survived Chad, and pop into see Janet and Ken. Nice to see them and be able to colourfully describe my recent adventures, as well as discuss the recent Canadian election. I suspect that in a few months, my exploits will have reached novel length and my heroic part in proceedings will loom large. As I was there consuming my own bodyweight in shortbread and biscuits their upholsterer arrived, and I ended up helping him carry in their sofa completely recovered and as good as new. Walked back home again, doing more walking than I have for some time. Then, in the evening, off to The Joker to have some Woof Woof Wings and a few cold beers with Anton, who came straight from work in London. The Woof Woof Wings provided a pleasant burning sensation, wi...