under another sun

We were both up shortly after 7. Lorraine drove off to Bolney to attend the leaver's service at the church, and say hello to some of the children and parents. Children running up to her and giving her a hug, and she met some old pals Jo and Sue there. I had a good day's writing and editing, being decisive and making cuts and decisions. Off at lunchtime to go to the gym, then a leisurely salad with Lorraine, who then lurked in the garden when it was a bit cooler while I made off to Brighton. I walked up Guildford Street (one of the steep streets of Brighton) and called on Anton. We sloped off to the Crescent for a couple of beers, then past St Michael and All Angels all the way down to Preston Street and played a game of bones in The Brick. Anton had brought his chess set too, but we stuck to the dominoes. Apparently Anton has been studying chess a bit and has an ambition to be good at it. Anton's knee much improved, but he has a knee replacement booked in a few weeks and is...

A night of vivid nightmares. I think my subconscious is still catching up with me not working, as they all seem to be nightmare work scenarios. Got to 'work' on my poems this morning, and fairly pleased at my productivity. Lorraine off to see Pat and Maureen this morning and then to spend time with Beth and Enzo this afternoon.  I made time to catch up on the football news, and it all rather astonishing. Chelsea had been part of the Club World Cup a four year competition being played in the US. I was rather shocked that they had made the final, but also philosophical as they were playing PSG of Paris, widely regarded as the best club in the world at the moment. Woke up to confusing news... Chelsea had thrashed them 3-0. Brilliant. Almost as good as the expression on Palmer's face as Trump inserted himself into the presentation ceremony. At noon I zoomed into the gym, and made amends for some of the excesses of the weekend. These days I listen to nothing while on the cross t...

Slept heavily after yesterday's massage. Another day on tenterhooks. Beth being induced and so on. Lorraine and I spent the day thinking she was going to go into labour at any moment. I can't really imagine what it will be like for Beth and James.  After doing some writing this morning, rather a good morning where I am having a few ahah moments. Pottered off the gym for a bit today, but having twinged my lower back earlier in the week I took it fairly easy on the cross trainer.  Very hot day and we are in a heatwave.  In the afternoon some work in the garage, and I built another of the metal shelving units. Only one more to go now. Pouring with sweat doing it. Then to meet Messrs H and H in the Evening Star. Telling them about the imminent birth. Lots of sagacious fatherly advice and a rather too graphic description of cutting the umbilical cord with a tiny pair of scissors from Peter.  We went to Fatto a Mano for a cheeky pizza, and went to the Green Dragon, a Brigh...

Monday and back to my desk. However a lot of stuff to be sorted out first, so didn't get down to anything that might be described as writing. Lorraine off to take Pat and Maureen to Eastbourne for medical stuff and a shopping trip.  Having cleared up my study, I took myself off to the gym at 11:30. Trundled on the cross trainer and did some of my normal mild mannered weights. Walking home thinking I need to put more time in at the gym, then at home, while eating a salad and chicken sarnie, I noticed my knee was a bit swollen and sore. I'd felt no twinges in the gym. However I can walk on it, and pushed off to see my dentist Coílín, friendly and lovely as ever. Lorraine, and Pat and Maureen use her and everyone likes her. Luckily my teeth just needed a short clean.  Home, and shortly after Steve came around to discuss Gordon Road over a cup of tea. Many of the things he said were spot on. He had been apprehensive about giving me feedback, but he did a considered and thoughtful ...

More editing this morning. I just didn't do a very good job in this interview. Sent it off to Robin anyway. Meanwhile Lorraine happily celebrating this morning, having finally mastered a tune from Les Misérables  on the piano she has been trying for weeks. She dropped me off at the gym, for an afternoon trundle, while she popped into the garden centre. I decided need to push myself harder. When I got onto the lat pull machine, I found the small boy before me had been pulling about three times as much as me. On the way back I bought some eyedrops for Lorraine's eye which has burst blood vessel. When I got home another small burst of activity, moving the big pots containing the fig (aka Little Miss Figgy) and the olive tree out of the porch where they have overwintered into the back. Also, when Lorraine was busy cooking a delicious meal, I put the shelves back up in the kitchen, now the kitchen has been fully painted. Have been haunted by a song I only heard a few days ago by De...

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...

Saturday, and a late breakfast. Early afternoon, while Lorraine went to see Beth to discuss baby clothes, I went back to the gym. I had some trepidation having evilled my stomach muscles lifting up the tumble dryer. However I was able to trundle happily on the cross trainer and do a few other bits on weight machines without alarms or re-injuring myself. I didn't do the much needed stomach crunches however, just in case. At half past five off to the Lewes Depot cinema to see Ghost Cat Anzu a Japanese film with beautiful backdrops and anime characters. All rather lovely. The story fun too, about a girl with a deadbeat dad, and a dead mother being left with her grandfather in a temple in the country. While staying there alone with her grandfather, she is looked after by a ghost cat, who can drive a moped, and uses a mobile phone, and walks upright (and works as a masseuse). They have many adventures, including going back to the land of the dead to talk to the mother. Lots of weird cha...

Went to the gym again this morning, but as soon I got going on the cross trainer I had to stop. The mischief I'd done myself a few days ago struck again. I felt a sudden tightening band from hips to below my navel with the raising of my legs on the trainer. So I had to content myself with a little upper body stuff, but amazing how much seems to gripe those lower muscles. I seem to be fine with walking. Lifting things immediately in front of me, such as large drying machines, not so much. All a bit frustrating though, as the cross trainer is my favourite way to exercise and I still have lots of weight to lose.  Home and Lorraine was outside doing some weeding so we did a bit of this together, which was nice. Then a supermarket shop. Lorraine off to her book coven's Burns Night, Lorraine taking some chranachan. I popped off to the Cinque Ports for a quick beer with Steve, we also popped into Steamworks, which was at its best. Good to see Steve, not having seen him since Christmas...

Friday. Breakfast, then the gym, as Sylwia was here. Then to the Lanes Eatery, where I met Lorraine for coffee and a snack before she pushed off to take Pat and Maureen some fish and chips. An afternoon of fruitful writing for me, feeling energised.   Re-booting in the Old Boot Inn this evening, where we met Brian and Yvonne, Chris, Delores, Debbie and Carole. Yvonne's cataract operation done without seeming to leave a trace. Strapped on the nosebag there too and washed it down with a couple of pints of Harvey's Old Ale. Lorraine and I home to watch The Traitors. An excellent Friday. Below, blurry in the boot with Yvonne.   

Up early and writing quite productively for a bit. Then breakfast with Lorraine, doing the Wordle thing over toast and a boiled egg.  Lorraine off to do Rhymetime at the library, and then spend time with Pat and Maureen. I went to the health centre and had a pneumonia jab. Apparently it is single jab for life. I am all for this, and am delighted to be needled.  Thence to the gym, and waddled about in there for a bit on the cross trainer and a few bits and pieces. The lats machine is good for my back. There is a sort of stomach tightening one too, where you crunch forward on a chair with weights involved. A tiny man darted on to it, when I was literally two metres away, and I decided to wait, where he did a few bits, then looked at his phone for five minutes, and then did a few more this went on for twenty minutes and I left. I don't know what the etiquette for this sort of thing is but I felt like punching his head. Gym people are not my tribe.  Home and felt quite virtuo...

Rainy most of the day. Mum said this evening that she woke up to a carpet of white snow up in Edgware.  Lorraine and I got up fairly early pulled the curtains on a grey sky, and made a moderately early breakfast. To the gym in the rain, leaving Lorraine to pull out her mat and did some stretches, and played some piano. The gym, meanwhile, was full of what I think of as January wankers cluttering up the equipment. My fightback against festive plumpness began in earnest. By February gym attendance will thin out again, and hopefully I will have done too. Home and as we were doing a roast, Lorraine asked me to pull some veggies from our patch. Some lovely short but sausagey carrots, and some very thin but tasty parsnips. After I'd showered and helped Lorraine prepare, Beth and James arrived, having collected Pat and Maureen. Beth and James sat with us chatting, mainly about the baby, putting names down for a nursery and so on. A tasty roast chicken and pork with lots of vegetables and ...

Sian arrived today, Lorraine met her at the station and they enjoyed doing some shopping together -- and they popped in to see Pat and Maureen's flat. Meanwhile I did a few bits of my own writing, and went to the gym... where yay! I was able to reclaim my lost ear plug case, without which my earphones don't work. Felt good doing some exercise after the excesses of recent days. I seem to be in a very sociable phase. We all hung out in the afternoon chatting, and then I cooked dinner, a tasty chilli even if I say so myself. In the evening we watched a movie called Arbitrage together, starring Richard Gere as a morally dubious money driven guy in extremis. He was excellent in it.

Happy to be writing the Kenniad again this morning. Lorraine with her hands full helping Pat and Maureen after having to turn back from driving to her personal trainer due to road blockages Me happily writing, then off to the gym after a light lunch. A mild mannered trundle on the cross trainer for half an hour, but the weights covered in schoolboys, so I came home, wanting to press on with my stuff. Realised I had left the recharging case for my special earphones at the gym, so walked back and looked around and asked behind the desk. They were gone. Gah. This means my earphones will no longer work. Lorraine a bit drained this evening, but I enjoyed cooking a chicken stew tonight, and settling on the gold sofa with Mrs Kenny. All well. Did 15.5k paces today. Below Blatchington pond at 4:34 pm.

A pretty quiet, getting on with it sort of day. Lorraine's Uncle Steve with us for Breakfast, who shared a graphic account of his stroke a few years ago, which, as a hypochondriac I found a bit twitch inspiring. Lorraine and Steve made off to Pat and Maureen's place. I did a spot more recording with Robin, and later some editing. Also did more work on the Kenniad between things. Trying to not talk about this too much, just work.  Off to the gym, at lunchtime. First time in a while, which was pleasing. Then a few more bits till Uncle Steve and Lorraine came back having taken Pat and Maureen off to get their injections. A quiet night in, chatting with Steve and watching a spot of telly. Nice to get to know him a bit better.  The US election voting tomorrow. God help us if Trump wins.

Up at seven. Fiddling more with my other website, trying to bring it into the 21st century.  Big news for me during the day was that I was sent the proofs of the Mariscat Sampler One. It looks rather lovely, and I am pleased with the selection that has been made. I read Helen and Marilyn's poems today (the two other poets in the collection) to Lorraine while we were sitting outside. We were really impressed with their work. I am so pleased with it. The poems the Editor Hamish Whyte chose from me are these: The House With Blue Curtains, Forgiveness:A Guided Meditation, The Door in the Wall, Thunderstruck, Black Kawasaki KH250, Jack Daniel's, Chrononaut, Relic and The House of Hidden Hope. They will appear in that order, and hang together nicely.  I went to the gym in the afternoon again. Trying to get back into a routine, and enjoying it. Already, after just three visits this week, I feel the positivity it gives you. Lurking a bit in the garden this afternoon with Lorraine, who...

Feeling happy and aware of my own luck and freedom this morning as I was up early making breakfast.     Lorraine zoomed off to her personal training early today. I went to my desk and did some decent writing first thing, Lorraine off to do her personal training. After a couple of hours I went to the gym, slinking from shadow to shadow as it was very hot. Some fairly gentle exercises, breaking back into it gradually and carefully. I did a decent 25 mins on the cross trainer, and played with some weights. The lats machine is particularly good for me as they tighten the back muscles and helps a chap stand up straighter.  Too hot to do much more than read some poetry books in the garden, and sort out a few bits of admin.  Took a walk following a fox along the street in a lovely cool breeze just before I climbed into bed. Lorraine and I are on The Horse and His Boy by C.S.Lewis and read a bit where they characters are cross the burning desert to escape Calormen. A hot nig...

After breakfast, Lorraine off to meet Dawn in Bolney. Afterwards she went to Brighton to hang out with Rosie. I spent till 1:30pm laboriously concluding my edit of the most recent podcast interview -- took ages for some reason. Sent it off to Robin. In the afternoon and when the rain abated, I went off to the gym for the first time since I had injured my back. A quarter of an hour only on the cross trainer, and my back began to clench up. But this a big improvement on where I had been. I did some of my trademark mild-mannered weights and left. Still it felt good to have walked to the gym and back, and done something at least. Saw on Facebook that a copywriter I worked with twenty odd years ago, Barry, had died. Lots of people leaving messages. Lorraine home early this evening, and changed immediately into her PJs. Later in the evening I popped out to the Boot at nine, and saw a band there for an hour.  The bassist and harmonica player Stuart also play with the Sumerian Kyngs, so St...

Some good writing this morning, focusing on one thing... The poetry MS. Dan and Greg back today, and working hard. Lovely to see the detested mushroom pinky green wallpaper disappearing. Then to the gym again this afternoon and eating healthily. Gull wars continue, this bugger has been standing on our skylight stamping his feet again, which sounds like a drum being hit. I snapped him from below. I am pleased with this photo of a herring gull's feet. 

Lorraine and I discussing colours this morning. Our chosen off white for the kitchen is coming out a bit mauve and nobody wants that. Irritable morning, disrupted by having to clear up for the brothers to continue their decorating, then having to go off for a blood test, where the medical assistant told me that he'd lived in Seaford as a child but hated it as a teenager as there was nothing to do. Greg and Dan did not return due to reasons and say the quote underestimated the amount of work, so we are adjusting our ask a bit.  Straight to the gym from the surgery, where I did a fairly (for me) substantial workout which got the grrrrs out. I am pressing the refresh button on my own health, as I am too fat at the moment, and would, on balance, prefer to continue living for a bit longer. Listening as I mooched to a BBC series of podcasts called Marianna in Conspiracyland where the BBC's misinformation correspondent talks to lots of lunatics about their conspiracies and their dang...

Lorraine off to her personal trainer this morning. I was up early and had a good morning's writing, stuff coming with pleasing fluency, until I texted Adele to find out when the glass meeting was. Turns out it had already started, then I spoke to Mum and to text to Keith.  As there are train strikes, Weds and Friday, Mum and agreed I shall come up again on Monday, which will be fun. Talking about Dave's propensity to throw plates and cups into the air. Felt bad about not going to the glass class. It seems one of the things makes me squirm most letting people I like down. Anyway, I returned to writing as I was on a bit of a roll until about two. Meditation at lunchtime with Lorraine, then I zoomed off to the gym where I lummoxed about for about 45  mins, and Morrisons, and on my return sat happily in the glasshouse with Lorraine, making up strange pots with big wholes and cutting out circles of water retentive fabric for the bottom as she repotted assorted plants. Our glasshous...