under another sun

I want to get all my own projects, business, admin, writing, submissions and so on sorted out and shipshape before doing some paid work. To do this sort of thing I usually make mind maps, but these have so many legs and branches that they look like ornate octopuses. It is telling me I need to simplify. Lorraine working from home this afternoon. In other news, Calliope is self harming. Lorraine drove her off to Top Cats this evening and it the mystery scabby patches on her face seem to be self-inflicted scratches, probably due to being stressed by the house moves, a bullying ginger tom next door and so on. While Lorraine and Calliope were doing this, I was at the chiropractor's again, for more clicky stretchy fun. My back is now improved to the point where it is merely painful from time to time. Giving Calliope soothing attention this evening. Later we stepped out to the nearby Park View pub in a gale, to join Beth and John for a quick and cheeky drink. John feeling like a milli...

Not quite the flying start I wanted, being more like the Wright Brothers than a jet plane. I was in constant pain all night and wide awake despite taking two sleeping pills. It was only at sometime after four did I drift off having wedged myself into a corner of the gold sofa. Nights are hell at the moment. Lorraine and Beth off early. Beth pausing for me to snap some shots of her for an extras application. I started work at 8 but had to slump for a half an hour at ten, but felt much better for it. The rest of the day was productive making large mindmaps of all the things that are to be done, and slowly beginning to catch up on my backlog of correspondence. It feels like I have been away for two months. Luckily I have a reading in the Poetry Cafe on Wednesday, which offers a bit of focus to this first week, and emails with Robin. In the afternoon off to see Janet, for a chat. Ken sleeping in his room. Poor Ken has had much to contend with in the last year and most of it unpleasant,...

Mindmapping Spent hours mind-mapping out all my activities this morning. Stepping back from it, it seems I have an astounding number of things to do, without including freelance work. Went for a walk this afternoon to photograph the Church. But on arrival, gallingly discovered that my camera's battery had run out. Went instead for a brief walk by the sea and did some shopping when I was called by Beth. She and Mark had discovered a chair in the street near me that is perfect prop for a play. They dropped it round, and I invited them in for some tea. It is a sort of leather office chair, which Lorraine will pick up at some point. Not long after they left Calliope sicked some cat biscuits down one of its deep puckered button holes. Otherwise a quiet day with lots to think about.

Mindmaps and La Gran'mère No-nonsense Monday, some rain and Calliope tetchy and causing trouble. Covered several sheets of yellow (it must be yellow) paper with mind maps. Trying to get a helicopter view of my next steps in world domination. This took time but I have a clear new action plan. To celebrate went to the gym. Later, working on a poem about La Gran'mère . Took this to the pub late in the evening and had a long slow pint and suddenly the poem began to fall into place. I was delighted. Just as this happened Jen and Alex my next door neighbours, along with Alex's sister Charlotte, appeared, and they invited me to join them too. Really nice people.