under another sun

Feeling stressed and a bit low. Not helped by the morning all being about blood pressure. I am now wearing my watch strap like bp monitor, and we had to initialise it by taking my readings. Being a nutcase, as soon as I start thinking about this I feel stressed. We had to recharge the arm cuff. Lorraine then played bank waiting music and messages till I felt like exploding, then took my readings. I will wear it for a couple of weeks so it should all balance out hopefully. They have stepped up my medication so this is to check to what extent this has worked. Off then to record with Robin, we were talking about Isobel Baafi who had read a couple of poems for us in her interview. Then I met Lorraine and Pat and Maureen in Morrisons, and we did everyone's shopping. Lorraine then took Pat off to the dentist.  Home and looking at my own poems for a while, then went for a walk, once or twice microdots of rain fell on the area of concern. I explored the little brickfield opposite the sea, ...

Cold nights, and beautiful sunny days. Wrote this morning, and having one of those days when I am feeling very positive about Gordon Road. Also sent off for Mason's death certificate, now finally available after the inquest, which took almost a year to get around to conducting. The registrar sent me a link for this after I wrote to them.  You have to pay for them: £12.50. Spoke to Mum this morning while I was finalising this. World news continues to be unutterably horrible, and I feel very pessimistic. The likelihood of Russia invading Europe, China invading Taiwan and Trump doing yet more evil seem more likely by the day. I am consciously reducing my news consumption, rather like I did at the beginning of Covid. Doomscrolling only makes you feel utterly impotent.   To the gym at lunchtime, where I pushed myself a bit. Walking home I was phoned by the doctor's office saying they needed to tweak my blood pressure pills as my latest readings were still high. This made me feel an...

Writing a bit morning. But not having not heard anything from Robin, who is on a death doula course, I followed up and found she had sent me the edited episode on Tuesday night, which I had somehow deleted unopened and unseen. I found it later in my mail bin. Robin had edited it, and found something I had to re-record. Going live is bumped till tomorrow. Having slogged all day on Tuesday to get it ready early, and then Robin having done the work on Tuesday night, irritated that I still managed to create a last minute frenzy.  Popped out at lunchtime for some light shopping. Am in the mood to get to grips with medical things: some toenail paint for a fungal toenail, and also I strapped on the blood pressure measuring wristband, and will keep it on for a few days to be able to send results into the doctor. Wearing the wristband is a good solution, as I get horrendous white coat syndrome. And I outsource looking at the app to Mrs Kenny, who sort it all out, and emails the results to t...

Lorraine off working with Beth at Churchill Square in Brighton for the morning. A day of getting things done. I chatted to Robin, wrote some poetry, sorted out some tiresome computer admin things quickly and easily.  Emma who I met on Rosie's birthday sent me a link to some of her art on Instagram -- she has an interesting mind. Also finally sorted out the blood pressure monitor thingy, hearing from their Helpdesk this morning with an apology that the confirmation email would not send over the weekend. Started wearing the contraption this evening. Obvs feelign anxious and hypochondriac, but I hope to get used to it. Spoke to Mum, and we agreed that the next time I come up we will meet in Hampstead, and have a drink in the flask perhaps. Lorraine back, and we ate the carrot cake she had made over the weekend. Delicious. All well.  Pouring most of the day. I had a short walk in the teeming rain, just to get some air, and I passed the  skate park, deserted and puddly in the...