under another sun

Anomaly Feeling vile. A bad night's sleep full of aches and sweats. As the day progressed, however, I began to feel somewhat more human. Naturally, as I am ill, I have work. Spent the morning editing long documents about strokes and AF. Because I was so brain dead I started it all wrong, and wasted a couple of hours. Meanwhile Max had come to Brighton to be on the beach with her bairns but I couldn't get free to share my bugs with them. Lorraine, however, made of stern stuff. She was off and out to work without complaint, and not back till 11 having attended a leaving party. In the late afternoon, having finished, I went for a coffee with Cath in the park cafe. I'm enjoying having a park so close, and to see trees and smell the rose garden, and watch the gangs of children happily eking out the last of summer. Lorraine's TV system allows you to watch all the stuff you've missed when you want to. Saw a documentary by Peter Ackroyd on the Romantics. And lat

Alone at last Feeling increasingly ill as the day progressed. Lorraine ill too, although less bad as mine is a Man Flu. Spent the day faffing about designing web pages, and being frustrated by an inexplicable technical glitch in Corel Draw. Lorraine working from home on the desk next to me, which was rather nice. Returned the costumes to Masquerade and was in luck: every alien and pirate item was there. Cats getting more fighty as the pheromones are wearing off. Lorraine and I had only our first night in alone together since I have moved in, but we spent it guzzling paracetamols on the sofa, and coughing off to an early bed.

Sam and Pat's Birthday Refreshed and up early. Drove to the Twitten to rescue various plants, including my vast tree-like jade plant, which I grew from a single leaf and must now be twenty years old. Then L and I to the gym. I noticed how Lorraine gets the same strangely noble expression while excersising that she does while singing. Then to The Sussex Yeoman to celebrate Sam's 21st and Pat's 78th birthdays. Sam was on excellent form and pleased with his presents. I got him a Gresham Blake token (Blake is a local tailor and very stylish). Sam, Mark and I all scoffed venison burgers which was rather fine.Sam joined shortly before he left by a friend called Penny teetering on high heels. Then home, via the Twitten where Dawn was working at decorating my house, and we gave her some of the sponge-free, chocolate free cake Lorraine had bought for Sam (which had been served with candles and mini Jolly Roger pirate flags). Home and I went to bed for two hours with C

Hangover Bad hangover. Very bad hangover. But no rest for the wicked. Into town to buy cards and presents for Sam and Pat who, grandfather and grandson, share a birthday tomorrow. Set off by bus in blazing sunlight, pausing in a charity shop run by a pleasant transgender person with bosoms. Sun turned rapidly into rain. Sodden, we dived into a cafe, then more shopping and Pat and I chatting outside, and listening to a street jazz band. Later Lorraine, Pat and I back to the theatre to collect the various alien and pirate costumes and props. I then lay down wanly having taken some headache pills. In the evening we all watched the Da Vinci Code, in which characters stand around explaining things to one another. It was entertaining enough, as was Match of the Day and Arsenal's massive 8-2 defeat at the hands of evil Manchester United. Pat, Lorraine and Maureen in the Laines. Note evil sky in the background.

Cavorting at the Marlborough After popping by Matt's place this morning to collect a turntable for Sam's birthday, off to the seafront this morning with Mum and Mas, where we had a big breakfast outside at the Meeting Place cafe between Brighton and Hove. Beautiful sea with white horses, and striations of darker blue under the clouds. An effect I was enjoying till Mason pointed at the darker horizon and said this is exactly what a tsunami would look like. Then to an art shop in Hove that Mum knew of. She floated happily about the aisles and I found myself buying some oil pastels, which I have never used before, imagining fondly that I would have time to use them. At lunchtime the changing of the guard, with Maureen and Pat arriving from Kent. And Lorraine and I took both sets of parents off to The Battle of Trafalgar and a jolly little drink before it was time for Mum and Mase to return to London. Shortly after I went to the theatre. Everyone more calm today. Beck

First night Lorraine and I drove the props and costumes to the Marlborough, while the others taxied over. Once in I left Beth, Mark and Callum to cover boxes in foil, organise the lights and get themselves ready. Lorraine and I off to collect Mum and Mas from the train station, and taken home, before I left again for the theatre. The afternoon spent on rehearsals. A dire dress rehearsal ramped up the tension even more, with me rather tetchy. Not my finest hour. Ate some surprisingly great chicken burgers and then it was time to roll. Our sound and lighting person Becky arrived with an hour or so to spare. I sat nervously downstairs with Mum and Mase, Paul arrived with a lady friend Channa and then between about 7:15 and 7:45 not one person arrived. Then, thank goodness, several groups of people turned up at the last moment and suddenly there was an audience. I lurched upstairs with Tarik, and introduced Pack of Three show and off they went. First was Wrong , which had been perf

Bowling along Calling mortgage people this morning, gathering information about my next moves. Otherwise there seems loads to be done and for one reason or another I can do none of it and am feeling very frustrated. Lorraine working from home on the desk next to me which was nice though, despite me feeling I was sending out waves of tetchiness. In fact I was in a poor mood all day, although I had a pleasant interlude walking through Preston Park to Brighton bowls club, sat on a little bench by a sunken bowling green and watched as four highly-competitive games were in progress between the home team and a visiting one. Something almost zen-like about the bowls rolling gently up and down the green, and the sagacious nods and murmurs of the uniformly grey-haired players in their bowling whites. In the evening off to the Marlborough theatre, left the costumes there and Mark, Beth, Callum and Becky sorted the lighting out, with the stylish Tarik clambering up ladders to tweak the li

Scooby snacks Catflap malfunctioned in the night two bedraggled cats in the rain this morning. Clearing up this morning in preparation of the visitors we have coming over the next few days. Today Glynis, Beth's Grandmother, and Beth's Godparents Jean and Nigel arrived. Jean and Nigel who are now in their seventies met at a Sunday School teachers convention, and are a lovely couple. I liked Glynis too, and didn't feel any of the potential awkwardness of her being Lorraine's ex-husband's mother. She is greatly respected in the family and I could see why. After I had shopped in the nearby satisfyingly bourgeois deli, and we had constructed massive scooby -snack lunches (me thinking of my Great Dane loving former art director Nev) I left the family to it to head to the Twitten. There I had a chat with Dawn, and met John who is going to do the repairs and garden, and handed him an eyewatering cheque. Also went to the gym for another sweaty session. Called Anna

My life is a soap I decided today, that living at the Old Church Hall is currently like inhabiting a soap opera. There is the daily sporting of alien costumes and piratical roaring of the rehearsals. Regular visitors turn up to add colour to the story, such as Cath today returning an umbrella she borrowed yesterday and for a fast wee, and there are comedy moments with random pieces of machinery or IT malfunctioning every day, and cats gambolling about and having hissy fits. Lorraine and I popped up to the Twitten and saw Dawn hard at it. She has also liaised with the builder, and work will start shortly on the garden and kitchen. It is all costing a small fortune. Then off to the Marlborough Theatre with Beth, Mark and Callum to meet Tarik to discuss staging the show on Friday and Saturday. Very haphazard organisation, and the venue has added nothing to our marketing other than distributing the flyers I provided. Luckily Beth has been an absolute star in this respect, and we

Aliens, Lazarus technology and The Cloud Of Things That Must Be Done Vets again, to put a new chip in Calliope who bolted as soon as she saw the carrier and howled piteously there and back in the car. What a simple idea it seemed at first to put a catflap through the glass door. But of course the glaziers cut the flap hole in the wrong place so the generously-proportioned Basil becomes lodged in it. New glass is coming, so theoretically all three cats will now be able to use the flap. Now we need to get money back from the manufacturers of the cat flap which should have recognised Calliope's original chip. Multiply this small saga by about twenty and you have The Cloud Of Things That Must Be Done. On the positive side Dawny is already busy painting and decorating in my place. Meanwhile Betty, Mark and Callum returned from shopping sporting hilarious alien clothes. I'm feeling very optimistic about the show this week. Betty and I go to meet Tarik tomorrow to discuss pract

Yaar! Toby's last morning in Brighton. A large breakfast to send him on his way. Toby, Lorraine and I went for a walkabout through Brighton before seeing him off at the station. It had been great to see him, and I was pleased at least we found some time to talk here and there. Sad as ever to see my brother leaving, and wished we could live in the same town. But at least I get to travel to Toronto to see him and Romy, which is a bonus. Home to a phone call from Mum wondering what day Toby was returning, and the manly business of screwing newly-waxed bookcases to the walls with L-shaped brackets to prevent one of those ghastly book crushing accidents you are always reading about. Then emptying boxes of books and placing them on the shelves: naturally my books filled these up in a trice and there are still several unopened boxes. Sam here too, helping Lorraine sort out an old computer. I gave him a thick philosophy encyclopedia, as he will probably get way more use from it, goi

Mock Turtles A slower start to the morning. Lorraine and I soon waxing our new scaffolding bookcases like furies. More rehearsals for Pack of 3 going on today too. Toby and I went out for a long walk around Brighton. It was thronging with tattooed pasty-faced Londoners spilling down onto the seafront. We popped, more properly, into the Mock Turtle for a traditional cream tea: stiff mountains of cream and jam, and four immense scones, and a pot of leaf tea. After a short spell jostling about on the seafront, we escaped into the Museum by the pavillon. Then to the Basketmakers in the hope of meeting Matt and his parents (we just missed them) and to gulp a much needed lime and soda, Toby a shandy. Wandered slowly home, really nice just to wander about with Toby slowly catching up. In the evening Lorraine Toby and I went to the Shahi, for a delicious meal. For example we ordered onion bhajis and they were splendid. For the first time we ordered from the house speciality menu, a

Costumes and tapas in the park Lorraine and I out to buy food and wood wax first thing this morning. The wax bought from a wood shop where there were several buckets and a rather morose man serving as water fell from the ceiling. Then home to eat a large breakfast with Toby, who had been watching The Jeremy Kyle show. Betty, Mark and Callum were there too, gathering to rehearse for Pack of 3 . Then Toby set off for a slow walkabout in Brighton. Lorraine went to the Twitten bearing doubloons to pay Dawn for the paint she has bought to do my house. Lorraine and Dawn also met a general builder who is going to fix my kitchen ceiling and the back yard. This all constitutes progress, but involves spending lots of cash. I was at the Masquerade costume shop, which is handily just around the corner from The Old Church Hall with Betty, Mark and Callum as they tried on various pirate and alien costumes. Betty has an excellent spacegirl outfit. Much laughter. Loads of clobber hired,

Charleston Forgot to mention yesterday that the front of the oven, which is glass, burst apart shortly after Lorraine had cooked. Lorraine thankfully insured, and mysterious glass explosions are covered amazingly enough. An atrocious night's sleep. There are two black cats who live locally who Basil and Brian have been warring with. They invaded at about 4pm and Lorraine and I started awake to the sound of a riot downstairs. Sam called Lorraine at 6:30am with the excellent news that his place at Leeds University had been secured, and called later having learned his A level grades. A fabulous two As three Bs at A level. Bookcases were delivered. These have been recycled by horny-handed gentlemen of Brighton from wood used by scaffolders. A late breakfast then with the Tobster and then off to Charleston House , home of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, and haunt of the Bloomsbury crowd, including Vanessa's sister Virginia Woolf, E.M. Forster, John Maynard Keynes and many o

Beeping Toby on the street A new day and more to sort out. The new cat flap admits cats by assessing the chips on their shoulders. Calliope's won't register. Lorraine and I pushed the unwilling cat into its travelling basket and it complained all the way to the vets and back again. Her chip registers so she may have to have a different chip added giving her two chips. Otherwise Calliope leaping up to the tabbies full of fun and mischief, batting the end of Brian's tail and creeping up on Basil and touching her with the lightest of touches while asleep. She appears to be alpha feline which is pretty fast work. This cat business done I sat down to catch up with my blogs only to find that there was some French work to be written. Happily working on this the sumptuous tastes of Southern France for a couple of hours while Lorraine was had her back cracked at the chiropractors. Off to the gym this afternoon, and as we were picking some things up from my old house we we

Fish business and rehearsals Calliope tearing around the room like a mad thing in the night with her claws out. In the morning at last being able to get down to moving boxes around like fury. Lorraine and I dervishing about in the morning, as Betty and Mark sat quietly on the gold sofa. Then off to the Twitten to rescue the fishes. Lengthy business of draining the tank and bagging up all of the fish, pausing only to cope with a leaking bag, emptying gravel and stones into buckets. Then to transport cabinet and tank and fishes to the Old Church Hall. Everyone arrived safely, and we set up the tank and the fish all alive and accounted for a few hours later when released back into the water. Callum arrived and Beth Mark and Callum began a very noisy rehearsal upstairs. So Lorraine drove us up to the fish shop where I bought some new plants, and the tank looks well in its new environment. Fatty Basil one of the tabby cats, is a great fish fancier and is well pleased. Home and

Hand out of the grave Like the end of film Carrie, working on the job that refused to be die today even when buried and the last rites had been read over it. I had been booked to work remotely, which does not mean staring out of the window and not answering when people speak to you, but instead at home. Wrote the first draft of an advert about tooth decay and Lorraine used an iron and the power went. Fortunately this was a one off, but the job did not finish till gone five, having started at eight am. Feeling very frustrated at not being able to get on with all the stuff I need to do, such as unpack boxes, organise my life etc. not to mention my dimly-remembered life as a writer. Cat politics still fascinating. Calliope rising to the top of the league now. In the evening off to Matt and Wayne's place. It had been sunny all day, and hot and sweaty in the roof of the Old Church Hall, and they had arranged a barbecue. Naturally it began raining heavily minutes before it was

Wetshirt Breakfast of bacon sandwiches with Maureen and Pat. Lorraine and I went with them to the station, and to the gym. I had planned to stop of at my house first to pick up a shirt and a towel, and then have a shower there after the gym. I didn't have my keys, though, and nor did Lorraine. I went to the gym for a bit anyway, surging about on the hulk-legs machine and then having a shower. Having no shirt to change into, I simply took my gym shirt into the shower reasoning that it was one of the high tech quick drying variety. Standing about after trying not to look selfconscious drying myself and sodden teeshirt with a hairdryer. Gah. Off then to The Sussex Yeoman to meet John and Matt and Matt's great friend Ruth down from Edinburgh. A really nice Sunday Lunch, apart from the stupid wet shirt. Really liked Ruth, who studied composition with Matt and is a fantastic piano player (though sadly she hates performing) and arranges musical events in Scotland. Home an

Saturday of interludes Fantastic not to have to get up at an ungodly hour. Instead Lorraine and I saw Dawn at 12:30. For Dawn is going to paint my house for me, and we walked about with Dawn suggesting all the things that needed doing, and me agreeing. Although she repeated her earlier rudeness about the orange yellow highlight I have in my downstairs. I left Dawny and Lorraine to it, for I had business in the Battle of Trafalgar where I met Richard and Dipak, the Shakeseare Trio, to discuss their CD launch. I offered a degree of unwanted marketing advice and other suggestions. But mainly it was quite pleasant to be sat outside in the hot suntrap of the Batty's back garden for an hour or so. Lorraine joined us after a while too, although sat at another table for a while making phonecalls. Dipak talking about mastering of the tracks and other technical matters. Richard keen to keep gigging but resistant to thinking laterally about the venues they are involved in. After t

The Brighton oasis Gah. Dragging myself through Friday by my fingernails and gulping teas and even a diet coke to stave off the tiredness. Trying to be manically focused on completing things. A typical agency experience, the days becoming inreasingly frenzied as the week progressed. I was again working on tooth decay and kibbles, helping myself to the bowls of sweets and candies they leave here and there to celebrate Friday. A feeling of huge relief as I was at last released back into the wild. Tried to sleep on the slow trundle down to Brighton but didn't. Fed my fish, then strode manfully down to The Basketmakers to meet Lorraine, for this had been the oasis to which I had been crawling all day. There had a very cheery, if tired, drink with Lorraine, Dawn, Cath, Betty and Sam before sloping home, mumbling at a takeaway and slumping exhaustedly into bed.

We three meet again Woke up at six, dragged off to London again, buying a cup of tea from a vendor outside the station who gave me a loyalty card. Read the newspaper cover to cover. Then a tiresome day at work, being give a series of small but complex briefs, and discussing work rather than having any time to do it. Lots of time devising a strategy for kibbles only to be exasperatingly told that it was far too creative. The evening in contrast was excellent. I hurried late to The Salisbury where I met Toby recently arrived from Canada and Mum enjoying a drink tucked into a curving seat in the old gin palace pub. Toby looking well and cheery, and Mum happy to be out in the wild and spending the day with him. Obviously much general family business to discuss: mad relatives, the doing of our Canadian family, and the airing of extreme opinions about things. Toby had a major assessment of his teaching this year, which he came through with flying colours after threatening his class wi

Cash for kibbles Up to London again reading about riots again in The Guardian , though things have quietened down in the capital, there was a strong police presence in St. Pancras Station this evening. Missing my iPod on the long homeward trips. A trouble free day, writing mainly about kibbles. It does make you shake your head in wonder when you have kibbles to thank for doubloons in the Kenny coffers. Happy as I am to be writing about kibbles, part of me would dearly like to tear myself away and work on the thousand other things I have to do. Leaving home at 7 and returning at 8:40 doesn't leave time for much else. Although I did sneak off during the afternoon with The FB for a chat. He's having a horrid time with his sister who is seriously ill with cancer. This rather put my own house moving stresses into sharp relief. Despite this we had a few laughs, with the FB fondly recalling his own juvenile outbreaks of public disorder. Returned to work and stayed a

Trouble and kibbles Up and off to London at 7:00, after some early hissing between Brian and Calliope over who had the right to be on the bed with us as we woke up. iPodless, I bought the Guardian and read this from cover to cover on the train. It was full of news about the riots in London. As the train stopped at Croydon station there was a strong smell of woodsmoke, which must have come from Reeves Furniture store which had been spectacularly burnt to the ground last night. Everybody talking about it at work on facebook and so on. The reactions have been confused and angry and in some cases fearful. The motivations of the rioters are so mixed, from an understandable frustration and feeling that there is no future for them, along with big doses of sheer devilment. The day peppered with rumour about where the next riot is going to be, including down the road in Brighton. Work up in Tavistock Square today. Disorganised and stressful start to the day, which proceeded to get a

Bad trip Monday and taking a brief for work to be done from home. Electrics holding up enough for this. After various tripping switches during the day, which of course knocked out my computer too wiping the work I was doing, a friendly electrician arrived. Of course when he was there we plugged and unplugged all the electrical applications, and of course everything worked while he was here. But within half an hour the whole thing was tripping again. The traffic controller being particularly dithering today at the agency and it was only in the evening that I learned that I'm needed in London tomorrow. Very frustrating not being able to plan ahead more than 48 hours. Meanwhile Lorraine worked like a Trojan while I faffed about writing about osteoporosis, and pet food. Both of us very tired, and as I had an early start to tomorrow we went to bed early. Not before my trusty iPod finally died. Have managed to destroy quite a bit of IT in the last few weeks. The news full of r

A bit of a shocker Calliope given the run of the house today, provoking growling and hissing from Basil, and staring matches with Brian. Despite this, they all rubbed along surprisingly well and were all seen in the same room from time to time without fighting. This is a great result as I had been dreading this part. Calliope not intimidated, which is makes me happy. Arduous unpacking of boxes, and Lorraine and I both felt very tired. Then as Lorraine was cooking a lovely Sunday lunch, the fuses tripped and precipitated hours of fiddling with electrics. This also meant that after futile attempts to light the oven, it had to be carried into our neighbours who kindly finished it off for us. Beth and Mark had Sunday roast with us, when it was eventually ready. But I felt so tired I could barely speak to them. Lorraine frustrated by not being able to get things straight, but spoke to her dad Pat about it who has been a Sparky. But there seemed little logic to how the electricity is

Moving the big things Up early, with Calliope noisily exporing her new environs of the bedroom. Lorraine and I back blearily early to the Twitten. Cath and Dawn very kindly arrived to help. Then Steve and Lance, the 'nice man big van' guys sparked ant-like ferrying along the twitten, past the talkative man waiting for his drugs, and into the back of the big van. Dawn seemingly able to carry her own bodyweight. Beyond, the centre of town unnusually lively around the station with Brighton football supporters, who played their first league game in their new ground up at Falmer. At the end, Lorraine reminded me to lock the back door of my house, and I walked in again, noticing my footfalls echoing, and I felt a moment's contentment. I've had a great time at that house, but I am ready and very happy to move in with Lorraine. I left the aquarium there to be collected in a day or so. At The Old Church Hall, a mere five minutes away, Betty and Mark were ready with te

Citizen Calliope Lorraine and I packing like mad all day, after I had got up early and written some copy about strokes. Lorraine also trying to sort out the rent on Beth's college digs, while I fielded a few work things. And at the end of the day we had ferried some of the precious things, like computers, guitar and some paintings over to the Old Church Hall. Most precious of these of course was Calliope. She was busily involved in all the business of the day, until the moment when she found herself being stuffed into the cat carrier, holding onto the side with her claws, and she realised that she was the business of the day. I felt like a criminal abducting the Princess of the Twitten and smuggling her past Brian and Basil her new brother and sister into the Old Church Hall, where she will be just one among three: Citizen Calliope. Once she had arrived, she was instantly inquisitive and set about exploring. When we left her in the bedroom, she retreated to a hidey-hole under the

Packing A day of packing. Atrocious pouring rain this morning when the box delivery man arrived dripping. With Lorraine's supervision, I made decisions about packing and Lorraine and I gradually filled a dozens of boxes. Calliope persistently climbing in as we did so. Meanwhile the agency calling to squeeze some work out of me on Friday morning. It was ever thus: the times when you make it absolutely clear you can't work is when folks beg you most to do it. Tiring work, and dust from the more untroubled volumes of books making Lorraine sneeze. Calliope scratching at the boxes and climbing on everything. In the evening off to the gym with Lorraine, who is already 100 times friendlier with the people there than I have ever been. Another good session. Both slumped after on the gold sofa having done a decent day's work.

Exodus Playing Bob Marley's Exodus this morning, and it is time for the movement of I Jah Man Kenny. So I booked a self-styled nice man with a big van, to move the bulky bits to Lorraine's, known from now on as the The Old Church Hall in this blog, on Saturday. Calliope beings her new life on Friday when I take her and the other precious things over in the car. Then fielded calls from the agency. Ordered packing boxes, painted out graffiti on my green fence, collected my hard drive and other bits from the post office, backed up everything on it and tried ineffectually to catch up on the backlog of work. Then packing and sorting. When I decided the time had come to place my head into a doorframe and slam the door on it repeatedly, I chose instead to go to the gym where I became embroiled in a extra long workout. Emerged rather starving and was resting my bones when Lorraine came around. Probably prompted by seeing Mason yesterday, an appalling desire had grown in me for a Susse

Return Woke from a lavender-induced coma and sidled downstairs to have cups of tea with Mum and Mas. Snuck off to snap the cat factory pictures below. Mum and Mas then drove me to Edgware station and the dubious pleasures of the Northern Line (aka the Misery Line) train to Euston. Not over fond of the tube, and in the hot claustrophobic rush hour I soon felt twitchy. Spent the day getting to the root (arf) of the dental caries work. Had lunch with Slug, who was also freelancing there. Stood outside a pub lapping a cold cider and talking philosophically of life as an advertising creative. After work was done getting home proved straightforward as there was a 50% train service running, and I managed to clamber aboard a train and sink into an audiobook. In need of a shower when I got home, not least as I had been wearing the same clothes for two days in a row. Luckily my extreme moral virtue is reflected in not being the smelliest person in the world. Lorraine had been through a gym induc

Stranded in London So to London again to work in Tavistock Square. Feeling cheery this morning, as I was to work on some interesting stuff to do with dental caries (tooth decay). Made Pooterish observations about how the work was boring and the same old drill , though no one seemed to appreciate this. Hot sweaty day, and the office air conditioning seemingly at its last gasp. Sidled up to Marks and Sparks with Kate at lunchtime for a chat as we bought our lunches. Worked with Keith in the late afternoon. I find working with him quite exhilarating sometimes. Then shortly before I set off from home Lorraine texted me to say that as she was driving home the radio had said the trains between London and Brighton were doomed. A burst water main had created a small landslip onto the track which had made it impassable. Quick glance at all the websites showed that to get to Gatwick (half way home for me) add four hours onto your journey. Plan B was to leap into the sweaty sardine tin of the t