under another sun

Noticeable how much more I can focus than a week or so ago. The brain fog is abating I hope. I sent some questions to Will Harris ahead of next week's interview, and later did a little editing of the never ending Kansas story. Also made time to watch King Charles's speech to Congress. I'm not a royalist, but even I have to admit it was a good speech and he delivered it well. The speech cast things in historical perspectives, which seemed to suggest that the Trump idiocracy will soon be just another historical period.   Off this afternoon for an eye test. Fortunately my eye health is good. I've ordered a bifocal pair for intermediate and reading, and a longer distance pair for watching TV at night when my eyes are tired. After this, off for a walk, after no rain in April, the ground is cracking, which I find a bit shocking. When I was a young lad, April was a month of showers.   Home and a bit of time with Lorraine before she left for her class. I snuck off and got mysel...

Up early in Stanmore and downstairs for a bleary eyed bagel and toast with Mum and Mas. Hadn't slept particularly well as I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about the pitch and various other matters. Walked to Stanmore chatting with Lorraine on my phone, then to office in Turnham Green, and then out to meet a local printer to look at the proofs for the adcepts we would be showing later. A purposeful and reasonably calm morning as we readied for the pitch, Yas and I rehearsing our double act for the creative presentation before joining the others for a few sandwiches and a run through. Bundling into the car, occasionally noisy with pre-pitch hysterial laughter and off to our potential client. I really like pitching. A wait in reception where I wasn't alone in feeling twitchy but Betty sent me a picture of Calliope looking weird, which prompted Matt to bring up a picture of his bizarre Gremlin who can out weird any cat I know. Then pitch itself. Everyone in our tea...

A poor night's sleep but up to London first thing, arriving in Chiswick at a reasonable time despite the train I catch being cancelled. Did a little work for my French client on the train where I could. Later I sent off what I had and this went down well. A day of preparation for tomorrow's pitch working closely with Matt, Stephen, Yas and April over the phone. A busy day, but an enjoyable one. A quick pint in the Tabard with Matt afterwards, it's really nice to be working with him again, then to Edgware to see Mum and Mas and consume spaghetti bolognase and chat for a few hours before sloping off to bed.

Up at the crack of sparrows, feeling rather rough and hot. Lorraine's patented cure all of a cup of tea and two paracetamol seemed to fix this however and I made my way to Chiswick station without mishap, noticing Strand on the Green's subtle river smell which is so ingrained in me having lived there for years. A rather excellent day was then had. The work I'd been doing over the last few days went down very well, and the team led my Matty boy and Stephen worked really collaboratively. A luncheon in the City Barge of excellent fish and chips, then an afternoon of more work was followed by a swift beer with Matt, Stephen and First Matie in the Bull's Head. Good to see Katie down from Hull for a couple of days, and I'm really enjoying getting to know Stephen better. He is a genuinely ethical man, not something you encounter much in the agency world. Enjoyed working again with Yas and April too. April flourishing as a freelancer, and Yas is someone I took to right aw...