under another sun

A Sunday. Lorraine playing Star Dew Valley, I did some podcast editing and worked a little on a new poem, and read bits. Beth called around this afternoon, to hang out for a while before going off to London to see Shag Married Annoyed , a show that started with a podcast. Betty's new home buying seems to be progressing well.  Up to the hill fort this afternoon, listening to Bob Mortimer read his touching and funny book on my iPhone. Then home to collect Lorraine for another short stroll. Due to fuel supply chain problems, caused by Brexit, people have been panic buying petrol. Teachers are struggling to get into school tomorrow, and Lorraine will have to pick up one of them en route tomorrow. Luckily she filled her tank last week. Phoned Mum and Mas who had both their Covid booster and flu jabs yesterday. An hour before I called Mum had made Mas take his daily short constitutional, but his legs buckled and kindly neighbours a couple of doors down had to help him back. We went throu...

Happy to have a nice relaxed breakfast with Lorraine, and agreed to a de-frazzling day. Lorraine playing Star Dew Valley happily for much of the day. I prepped and conducted a podcast interview with a promising young poet, Ashanti Anderson from New Orleans, which we did at 4pm. I really enjoyed chatting to her -- her work has some extraordinary conceptual set-ups, such as words running though the mind of someone who has just been decapitated. Extraordinary.  Felt good to be interviewing again, and meeting someone under other circumstances I would have never have spoken to. Lorraine and I had a cheeky walk around Blaker's Park afterwards, and she made one of her exceptional fish pies. All well. Watched another episode of The Man in the High Castle, which is tense but good. Otherwise, not huge amounts to report. Enjoying more of the Bob Mortimer book, And Away . Plus Alireza Abiz's poetry collection. Getting Saturday emails from people in the US about the job I am not going to be...

Got up and wrote some of my own stuff for  a while -- a new poem in the my new 'unfinest hour' style -- where I write poems in a way that does me no credit as a human being, but are at least honest.  I wasn't working, today, but the day managed to be draining and busy. Talking to Keith, accepting next week's job (now a week and a half) via YunoJuno (a sort of portal some agencies like to work through) having to renew business insurance, meeting Robin and discussing the podcast and doing some recording, but also just chatting and generally sympathising with one another about the lot of the poet. A bit stressed as the people in the US I have been working for with Keith in the last two weeks, announced they wanted us to continue next week. I have taken another job, as they hadn't booked me, however.   A walk later in the afternoon, up to the hill fort listening to Bob Mortimer's memoir, called And Away , which is warm and amusing. Lorraine home reasonably early, an...

 Woke up at 5:30 drenched in sweat, convinced I had a temperature. However I took it and was actually a degree colder, i.e. the perfect temperature for someone waking up at 5:30. Felt much better as the day progressed, and began sniffing slightly this afternoon. I now believe I have had a slight coldly bug, but as the day wore on I became convinced the grim reaper was not lying in wait for me. Otherwise a Microsoft Teams meeting with Pat, Keith and Carolyn to get a briefing this morning. And spent the day chatting with Keith in a little window on my screen and coming up with concepts and having a bit of a laugh. Managed also to do several short walks too, so that I felt more alive and had reached 9k paces by the end of the day. Lorraine home late, but I had cooked. Watched some more of the Gone Fishing show with Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer. Beautiful TV shot in gorgeous places, little touching essays on friendship, and full of the philosophy of clowns.  

Something almost being said A beautiful summer's day. Up very early and working at home today - the briefing I was expecting didn't arrive, so I contented myself catching up with bits of admin, paying bills and other humdrummery and spreadsheets. Spoke to Anton this morning, who mysteriously burst a blood vessel in his eye during our walk and for reasons best know to himself is telling people that I punched him. I just cannot settle at the moment, and have a restless and self-important feeling that there is something significant about to happen, although I have no idea what. Wandering about today with the sense of something almost being said. Instead of hearing anything, I had an early afternoon swim, which helped with the restlessness. Then talked to a butcher about sustainability and plastic bags. Did nothing truly creative all day, all the while trying to remind myself that this is part of the ebb and flow of things, and spent some time looking idly out of my study window. S...