under another sun

A storm, Storm Katie, last night, very noisy up in our top bedroom. The storm uprooted trees and flattened fences in Brighton, one tree down about 100 metres from us. Another big one went very close to Janet and Ken. Lorraine and I had a lovely day today. Both of us feeling brighter and more healthy after a long sleep. Up and today's mission was creating a stumpery. Out of bits of stump and ferns. We've not anything in the garden this year, and it was warm enough to work happily. Off to Bolney first where we picked up some stumpy bits from a wind damaged garden centre, near Lorrafne's school. I'm sure we got a cheaper rate on our stumps when we told the man Lorraine was head of the local village school, and the man said head been there as a kid. Then to another garden centre for ferns. When we built it, we were so pleased with our stumpery, we are planning to extend it. It is excellent for the strip of the garden that gets little light. We have also added a wee barrel...

Working solidly on the play this morning, am pleased how it is coming along in leaps and bounds. Afternoon I went off to the gym again, despite wild and treacherous weather, horizontal showers of sleety snow and high winds.You get an amazing view of the weather rolling in over the downs from my study. Off to the gym this afternoon again, feeling it is doing me good psychologically as well as physically.  For the first time I felt like I was briefly enjoying myself there, which is a good sign.  Spoke to a slightly bleak Robin about Telltale while walking home. We are going to have a meeting about it next Monday. Home and I cooked a chicken stew and revelled in a hot shower. A big laugh this evening when Beth applied some bizarre face swap app, taking photos of all of us in different combinations with our faces weirdly superimposed on each other. Bizarre. I don't look good with long blonde hair. Below the weather approaching over the downs.

Monday and blearily awake early, the house rattling in the teeth of storm Imogen. I like the fact they have names. A house along the coast had its roof blown off. I went for several walks just around the block. I have a little circular route, through Blakers park and around the streets. A few small branches among the debris, and the rattle and boom of the area's empty wheeled rubbish bins falling over every now and then. I pulled one that had just blown into the centre of the road. Occasional stinging rain. If I'd had more time I would have ventured down to the sea.These circular walks interludes in a day of agency work. Listening to an interview with John Irving, author of A Prayer for Owen Meany which is a wonderful book. I cooked a curry, which we ate when Lorraine got home. Evening spent carrying things again, moving furniture about in the house, and trying and failing to fit bits Tetris-like into Beth's room. Watched the first of a brand new series of The X-Files ,...

Storming Up fairly early, and had a great morning's session reworking the monologues for the Concert. This proving a lot easier than I had anticipated, which is great news. Feeling less exhausted than of late. My mood changed somewhat when my emailed MS and carefully crafted letter etc. I sent to an agent last thing on Friday was summarily rejected by 12:15 today. Peeving, but decisive. I became convinced I could hear the sea from my study window today. Took myself down there this lunchtime, and the sea and wind were exhilaratingly fierce. I was literally almost blown off my feet at one point. The sea whiter than I have seen it. It all helped to put passing peeves about manuscripts in perspective. Walked on the pier and the waves looked huge and occasionally peaking not far underfoot. Home to hot soup. Not so focused this afternoon. And I broke off to watch Shaun the Sheep for ten minutes, on the recommendation of Lorraine's dad. Below stormy seas - towards the marina, with wa...

Dunkin' the doughnut Yippee. A really good session this morning, making big strides in getting my stuff together for my project with Richard. Also wrote to Edward Chaney who is (among other things) the literary executor of GB Edwards, and pushed on with the Anthology site. Received some photos of my late friend Tim Gallagher this morning. I'd been contacted by Mo, who was a friend of Tim's and had found my piece on the net about him. Broke off for a walk. Took myself down to the wild sea. Even at noon the sun was still quite low, and the waves were so big they cast shadows as they came in. Lovely to stand in the gale and blow the cobwebs away. Back home and pressed on with at last being able to add a bit more to the Anthology website. All making me feel less frustrated. Very tired this evening. Below the doughnut getting a dunking, and a couple of views from the pier.

Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky... Day started irritatingly with me missing my train by literally one second, and then the next London train breaking down in Brighton station. Sometimes I loathe commuting. Work was a pretty dire affair, with lots of directionless slog. I did have a swim at lunchtime which was good and skin not completely rebelling. This helped lower slightly my stress levels which are very high at the moment. Worked late then had a couple of cheeky beers with some work pals Andrew and John, and Paul a freelancer I am working with. Eventually the call of the seagull grew strong in me. Home and a Chinese takeaway. Below a mad storm today photographed from my office window. It whitened the streets of south London with a thick carpet of hailstones. Lots of thunder and lightning. All quite lively.