under another sun

An amazing electrical storm while it was still dark this morning. The lightning flashes every other second on average, the type of storm that belongs to Greece which created an ominous continuous rumble. The strange sight of persistent rain till around noon too, very welcome in this neck of the woods. Lorraine went downstairs during the storm to close a window in Sam's study, and had to clamber seminaked on a table gothically illuminated by flickers of lightning. Beth told Lorraine that a tree outside their flat had been struck.  Toast this morning -- with our plum jam, now a bit thick but delicious. Otherwise slipped the surly manacles back on for a day working with Keith for a new client. Most amusing part was that we did this initial stage as a giant mind map, for which I had the software. Fun to observe Keith writhing with pain when I selected the wrong sort of green and so on. The client's project at an early stage -- so we were mainly defining the strategy rather than doi...

Another beautiful day. No surging up to get on with things this morning, although Beth and John were up early basking by the pool. Huge amounts of food to be eaten at lunchtime, not eaten from the day before. Beautiful food. Simply spent the day hanging around chatting. So nice to talk to Romy at length again, having not seen her for ages before this holiday. In the afternoon Toby, Romy and John popped into Noto. I had a deep sleep in the afternoon, followed by a swim and a bob in the pool with Lorraine and Betty. Lorraine finished the second Montalbano book, and I started the Leopard by Lampedusa. I was offered some work for a couple of weeks starting next Monday in London, which I gladly accepted too. Seems that what I need to do to boost my writing career and freelance is go away on more holidays. We were here for Tina too, and were theatrically treated to ravioli of utter brilliance, a meaty stew of pork and sausages cooked with fennel in a rich tomato sauce, served with sala...

So girding our loins today for the arrival of 75 20kg bags of pebbles and cobbles. These arrived on palettes outside our house late in the morning, ferried across the road by a nice man with a powered pump truck. Lorraine and I carried a few bags through hugging them to ourselves like babies, I was feeling a bit weak and feeble having carried dozens of sacks of topsoil over the last couple of days. Luckily I evolved a technique of slaloming down through the house with a wheelbarrow and a sack in it, enabling me to steadily shiftbags without killing myself. More of a bonus was the arrival of Beth and John. John carrying bags through like a trooper,  he said this was just like being the drum at a gig. Both of them being extremely helpful. Huge volumes of stones emptied over what used to be our lawn. All quite dusty and white. John had to go to do a drum lesson and then a practice session. Betty stayed with us for dinner. I was very much relieved that we had got the bazillion cobb...

Up on my own, as Lorraine on a course in Hove today, so no need to spring from bed. Feeling more cheerful today, and up to London, listening to The Power , and enjoying it.  Also texting Sarah Barnsley about the Telltale Stand, texting Betty who was working near Kew Bridge and had sent me a photo of herself with a Shetland Pony, and Lorraine who kindly agreed to drop off the stand to Sarah's house. Work fine-ish for most of the day, then the creative director drifted by in the afternoon smelling of beer, and simply moved all the goalposts of the work Keith and I had been doing for much of the last week. Obviously this now has all to be done rather urgently. More digging holes and filling them in again. Absurd stuff. Working a little late as a consequence. Then tubed off to Stanmore, and walked to see Mum and Mas. Spent the evening chatting, and eating spaghetti, although I went to bed early as I was yawning my head off.  Both of them tired too. They have ordered a new bathro...

Up early because it seems that Christmas is here at last. Felt decidedly unChristmassy this year so far. Christmas is usually my favourite time of year. We drove off to drop Betty off at where she teaches drama to kids, and then plunging early into the business of Christmas shopping. I also bought some presents for myself, such as a pair of slippers and an amazing bargain in M&S. I don't normally go there for shoes, but I discovered a honey coloured pair of suede brogues that were suprisingly chic. Turns out they were end of the line, and I got them non-returnably for a mere £9. A bobby bargain. Later L & I stopped off at Foodilic and had a two small savoury tarts and shared a surprisingly delicious beetroot salad and a coffee, before re-engaging in the shops. I found myself enjoying it all somewhat. Home and rather tired several hours later. Luckily there was time to do a bit more shopping, so Lorraine and I sloped up to Fiveways. When we John came around, and after open...

Simply a desk day, starting early and going on late. The vast Kenny brain on good form this morning, however, and quickly sorted a thorny problem. I did however go for one walk to buy a small chocolate cake. Beth returned this morning from Barcelona having enjoyed her visit to stay with her bestie Olivia. Otherwise work all day till the evening. John around to see Betty and we celebrated his birthday tomorrow with sausages and mash, and the small chocolate cake with candles in it and a few pressies. Lorraine had a good day, however, as the school she is about to take over next month has an ofsted inspection. She spent some time with them today, but this means the school should be subject to an inspection again for a while, which means Lorraine can get going for a couple of years before another inspection. On a more exciting note I forgot to mention about Jane's latest Camila-alter ego shenanigans , this time for Costa Coffee. Here she is on the left. 

A glorious lie-in this morning, after I woke up early to feed the cats and have a hobbit's first breakfast of porridge and simply gone back to bed. Lorraine and I up again at noon and we had a hobbit's second breakfast of beans on toast and duck eggs that Beth had scored. Later eating lots of vegetables. I don't seem to have eaten many of the blighters for some time and that can't be good for you. A spot of work in the front garden this afternoon, cutting bushes back with Lorraine and both avoiding an enormous spider. I found I have little stamina and was soon tired. The Kenny bowels, which have experienced few worse weeks. Took some senna last night and again this morning, which resulted in a  joyful unblocking, half a dozen times. This gave way to diarrhoea by the end of the night and my stomach feeling like someone had kicked it. A chat with Mum this evening. We are looking forward to going to Guernsey next weekend. It will be brilliant. A happy time.

Begun work on my new French briefs (insert Frankie Howerd style titter). I also read something this morning about about breaking tasks down to things achievable in fifteen minutes, called fifteeners. I tried it this morning, with excellent results. Powered through lots of work today, and completed the rewriting of Defenders of Guernsey , which after a final proof read I will attempt to upload in the next few days. Just nice to be able to complete something. A nice chat with Mum this morning too. Sonia making me laugh by telling me that garlic was 'illegal' in her house, due to Barry's antipathy to it. She was also deriding English reaction to a bit of warm weather. Lorraine working from home this afternoon, although we spent some of the time looking at a local young fox snoozing through the afternoon in the back garden. Our cats, and Cactus the next door cat completely unbothered by it. In fact Cactus joined it in a snooze a few feet away. I ended the week feeling buo...

Lorraine out with Dawn, Jan and Helen this lunchtime for a birthday bite to eat. This allowed me a day of martyred quiet hobbling, and the opportunity to play some Miles Davis In A Silent Way . A cheery evening, however, to celebrate Lorraine's birthday on Wednesday. Off by taxi (me rather gingerly) to The Sussex Yeoman. We met Rosie, John and Anton there for a few drinks and to strap on the nosebag to celebrate Lorraine's birthday. I ate a venison burger and was greatly cheered to be milling about in the outside world drinking a few cheery beers and gossiping.

Lorraine and I had much careful discussion of houses, and have resolved to put an offer in on Monday. This a big decision. Beth in a lively mood at breakfast, and two of her pals Kayleigh and Becky slept over too, Kayleigh needing an icepack for her knee after a falling over during the evening. They all left early, and left Lorraine and I with the novelty of being on our own. A gorgeous day, and we went for a short stroll down to the Levels, past the soft smack of skateboarders hitting the ground, and along the planted gardens, past the Pavilion to the sea where thousands basked happily on the pebbles. A quiet evening. I am slowly feeling more human after a real health nadir. Lorraine cooked lovely food. She has also lost nine kilograms, there is definitely less of my wife than there was. Ominously, she made a graph for me too. I am nowhere near my heaviest but it would be good to lose weight - especially as drinking seems to be out of the question for a while. For none of those ...

Am within touching distance of finishing the book now. It is in 36 sections and I am working on the 36th. Woke up slightly gingerly ruing vodka at the Northern Lights with Anton, however a good amount of work done. Betty home this afternoon, and we spent some time sipping tea and discussing what happens next in the Betty project. When Mrs Kenny came home, the three of us went off to the Shahi, Dr Rahmen telling Lorraine about his next job offer in biogas technology. Lorraine and I went off, full of curry, to The Duke of York's Picturehouse to see  Under the Skin , was an everyday tale of a gorgeous alien driving about Glasgow picking up men to use them for her alien purposes, which involved them being sucked into a black oily death. A visual feast, and Johansson was splendid as the stranger in a strange world.

Up early and working, before going to the gym.  Really pleased that Friday had arrived principally because it meant Lorraine wouldn't be driving around the county for hours with jet lag. Contact today from Kev Holmes, an old University pal.  By coincidence one of his children just started Warwick this term, doing the same computer science course that Kev had done. In the afternoon, off to drink tea and eat tasty Japanese cookies given me by Hitomi with Janet and Ken. Both not feeling in the most robust of health, and Janet keen to get her medications properly balanced after her stents were put in. They were interested in hearing about Japan, and we had lots of good chats with them, including regulation beardy kisses from Ken on the way out. Back home to find Lorraine finished for the week, and having a light snooze. In the evening off to The Sussex Yeoman. Here Lorraine and I met Betty, Anton, Rosie and Cath and for drinks and some good pub grub. Matt came by later, to...

Overlooked by Lucy Up early to finish the haemophilia website, then off to the quack following their letter summons. As a hypochondriac the less time brooding about what could be wrong, the better. This meant I had to see the scary doctor as opposed to usual one. Pleased to discover there was nothing much to worry about. Meanwhile Mum had gone to the hospital to discuss her post operative pain with her surgeon, and they have just upped the strength of her painkillers, which is not entirely satisfactory. Slipped out to the gym for a brief go on the hulk legs machine. But had to break off to attend to some business matters, and line up another spot of work for next week. Then went with Matt this afternoon to check out the Marlborough pub theatre for the doppelganger project. The young theatre manager is in Matt's choir, and seemed keen for us to try out the mini-opera there. I looked even more fondly on Matt than usual, as he is my passport to success when it comes to knowing people ...

Time travelling An atrocious hangover this morning. Woke up at 7 feeling very poor indeed. Had a slow breakfast, concentrating on not choking on my food. Mum's cure was to walk for three hours or so. We headed up to the airport, and then back through all kinds of Ruette Tranquilles, waterlanes, paths and roads back. Many were new to me, despite having roamed this corner of the island all my life. Passed our old house on the way back to the hotel. Time has blunted the painfulness of seeing it out of the family. But everything that has been done to the house has made it uglier, such as putting tarmac over the front gardens, and erecting a small wall made of breeze blocks, which is a shame. It looks diminished and run down, and no longer like the 16th Century cottage that has loomed so large in my life. In the evening around the corner to have a late Sunday lunch with Betty and her mum Mavis, who will be 90 next year, and is still bright as a button although these days “me and stairs ...

Sunburnt and stargazing Down the lanes to Moulin Huet this morning, and took the cliffpath off to Jerbourg. I had brought my watercolours with me, and we stopped at a bench which overlooks Moulin Huet bay. It's a magnificent view, with craggy granite cliffs, and the paths there are lined with thick vegetation. It was a hot sunny day, and the horizon looking out to sea was a hazy blur. While Mum sketched the headland, I inexpertly daubed a picture of some rocks in the water. To look at something for twenty minutes or so, is like some kind of meditation in itself. Renoir did a few paintings lower down of Moulin Huet on the beach, which is where I learned to swim as a kid. Then on to Jerbourg, where we stopped by the kiosk and drank tea and water, and talked to the owner about the demise of the Idle Rocks hotel, whose burnt remains are still visible. Mum then zoomed off to town, and ambled back to the hotel. I'm taking lots of photos, which I'll upload on my return. Noticed wh...