under another sun

A quick meeting with Keith this morning, then off by train to Mill Hill to meet Mum and Mas in the Jolly Badger. Did some work on the podcast on the way up and had a chance to think. Have set up a podcast recording with Pete next week. There is something about being on a train which is quite conducive to thinking, in the way that being on a plane with its attendant existential terror doesn't quite match -- and even tinkered briefly with a poem. Looked at the BBC weather app before I went and it said there was no rain in London. Obviously it was raining but I managed to miss it when it rained hard while we were in the Jolly Badger gnawing on ribs. Good to see Mum and Mas. Their car is due its MOT and Maheena apparently offered to wash it, but it is only the complex life forms that are establishing themselves in the paintwork that are holding it together. Mas more mobile now, and clearly much better after his fall. He wandered about talking to people off and on, but he was having fun...

Almost there on the pitch now, one more day. Nanda and Nando great to work with. Very early starts, long exhausting hours with no time for lunch. After work, at about seven, on Lorraine's suggestion, I sauntered down to the Park View and found Sam there doing crosswords. I joined him for a pint of Neck Oil, and then a Cally Pale. We talked about lots of things, having got over the fact that Sam made the schoolboy error of asking me about the job and me then telling him. He is a good lad, and it was a small interlude of niceness. Also nice was returning for dinner with Lorraine. More cheery this evening and Lorraine and I watched an unlikely assortment of YouTube videos with Sam.

Friday the 13th. As a budding horror writer this should be an excellent day, and in a weird way it was. Up and off to the quack this morning, the last stop of my dedicated health week. It is now in a different building, and was not my normal doctor. A nice young doctor however. Apparently I have otitis externa aka swimmer's ear which I have had for a couple of months at least. I think I got it from wearing my earbuds all the time while exercising and walking.  For this he has given me a spray, combining mild steroids and antibiotics. From there to the nearby boots to get the spray, and the pharmacist told me that next month I won't have to pay for my prescription, which is astonishing. Home feeling rather pleased with myself, as I had completed my week of medical things and come through unscathed. Ambled home through the park, and felt curiously happy. Working on the new story today too, which was fun. The cover for Magnificent Grace also coming on well. Also feeling physi...

Beth staying with us at the moment, and in some need of a bacon sandwich and an extended watch of Bake Off this morning. I intermittently chatted with her, and worked steadily on the book cover for my kindle story. But having struggled with it all week, I am not happy with it. Lorraine thought it was not good enough either, so I will have to think again. Chatted to mum this morning too, who was double checking on a phishing email among other things. I was tired today, felt for Lorraine having to go into school after driving for hours last night. I went for a walk in the park this evening, then popped into The Park View where Beth and Lorraine joined me for food, and we played cards before repairing home. An earlyish night for all. The sky lovely this evening as I mooched through the park.

Lorraine off and out to work extra early as it was a big day for her school. She was waking up in the night and making notes. As a consequence I was at my desk a smidge before seven, and finished the major edits on my children's book. Very pleased with how much better going this extra mile has made the story. Next job is to go line by line through it with a fine tooth comb for fresh errors that may have slipped in during the reworking, using Charlotte's editing style as a template. I have decided on a name for it too, which is Magnificent Grace, with a subtitle T he Witch Grace Brown Adventures #1. Now all that's left to do is get the cover design sorted and I am ready to launch it, as a 'back to school' offering in September. So a big day for me too. This done by 1pm, I decided to not flog the horses this afternoon. Chatted to Sonia, and took two short walks which added up to 10k. My French clients also requested some of my time next week, which is pleasing. ...

So down to work today, on the job that had been in my spam file. Playing catch-up but pushed on with it fairly well. When Lorraine came home we mooched down to The Park View and had a bite to eat there and a beer and a long chat at the end of the week.

Lorraine up early and off, astonishingly, to the gym. I was up early too and began work on a sort of   horror essay for my other site, which I am hoping might be taken up by Horla. Writing it was helpful as it clarified a few ideas for me too. Tom arrived, at 8 am after his nightshift, and I had already been going for an hour. Spent all day writing or reading. Still entangled in sorting out the pub for the 16th. Feeling a bit hot and slightly under the weather, but I went for two walks one up to Hollingbury, the other around Preston Park to make sure I got to 10k -- listening to Rosemary's Baby , which is efficiently crafted and nicely unpleasant. Lorraine home and we simply went for an enjoyable fast drink at The Park View, and carried home a curry from Red Chillies. A bit of a brain dead TV for a while and then a fairly early night.

Hurrah, time to do a bit of my own work this morning, or at least start to make lists again. A bit of writing this morning, and then Ben called around at lunchtime as he asked me to help him install a window in a tricky site in a street close to mine for half an hour. Quite fascinating to see how this installation was done. The window was rather beautiful had many broken bits of glass, which Ben had not only replaced but cast himself, making dimpled glass by  baking the glass onto clay tiles he had made, adding dimples by rolling a marble on the clay, and then setting the melting glass on it, thus producing dimpled glass to match the probably victorian window. Slightly nerve-racking as for various reasons the window had to be installed from outside the house, and I had to lift it up to Ben on the ladder. A window of that size is quite heavy and there is a lot of give in it too. The window a bit big, requiring folding of the lead to make it fit. Mission accomplished, then inside...

Ended the week on a pretty upbeat note. Managed to pay off the outstanding tax, and realise that what I thought were two payments to be made were really one. A small step forward, but it felt good. At least I am not going to have HMRC hammering on my door. Also I should have some work next week too from my pals in Chiswick. A note from Helen, liking what I had sent her for the Centaur project. Worked on the horror story this morning, along with other bits and pieces, and then mooched off to the gym in the afternoon, and then for a change of scene worked in the non-ideologically sound Starbucks. I have written more than ten thousand words this week of the new horror story. Home and really pleased to see Lorraine who had finished her half term. She was tired and grumpy, however a fast pint of beer in The Park View, while waiting for our curry from Red Chilli followed by some gold sofa time seemed to work wonders.

Friday, then and maintaining positivity. Up early, did some writing. Sent email off to my French agency pals, about my availability, and sent some more poems out for the Guernsey Literary Competition. A pleasant afternoon, and I went to the Jubilee Library and rejoined it, coming away with a horror book by John Ajvide Lindqvist. I went across the road to the Starbucks and sat there for much of the afternoon, continuing my survey of the horror genre, reading The Chalk Man , by C.J. Tudor another horror novel that has sold very well. I almost finished it. A mixed bag, tightly plotted and full of lot twists. On the other hand the language was a bit cliched, and I found the characters were unconvincing. But, while never actually horrified, I certainly found it an enjoyable page turner -- and it was her first published novel so really well done. I will read the Lindqvist next. I have been looking at lists of the greatest horror novels, and Let the right one in , which I have just borrowed...

Finishing the new ghost story today, almost five thousand words, quite creepy and based in Guernsey.   Quite nice to have a Friday without having to go to glass. Sore throat slightly better today. To the gym if to trundled on the cross trainer. I have to step things up if I am going to lose any weight. Chatted to Sonia when I got back, who said it has been really cold and snowy in Bulgaria last weekend. Brief chats with Mum and Toby. I was contacted by the agency in Chiswick about some work, and this is being confirmed on Monday. So that was a good end to the week. Nothing from accountants despite chasing, and I am close to sacking them. One rejection from an agent for the children's book. Lorraine home, and we went to The Park View for a cheeky burger and a beer, feeling a bit more positive about everything.

Shot up to that London today. Met Lynne for coffee and cake in the Paddington agency. She said her little girl was asked her for some waw'ah (water) the other day, like the little Londoner she is. Lynne is taking her back to Fiji in December, I suggested she needed to dunk her into the south seas to wash all that London out of her. Reading glasses exploded off my face on the tube, on the way home. One of the corner screws pinged out never to be seen again, and a lens dropping into my lap. Comedy gold for fellow passengers. But meant I couldn't read for all the journey home, a bit of a pain as I had carted lots of material with me. Lorraine brought me home a pile of children's books. Today I read was from the eighties, and called   Room 13, which was set in Whitby and reminded me of a holiday L and I spent there with Sam and Jade and Beth and John. Ended in the children putting a stake made of Whitby Rock through the heart of a vampire, which was good fun. Tom here th...

Monday and up with the sparrows and working on my French brief for two hours till 9:30 whereupon I began my day's work. However the Martlet's nurse was coming around to see Janet this morning, and I felt I had to be there, so I taxied off there to be there for 11:30. Janet seemed bright today, and was sitting up on her newly delivered tilting medical chair. When the nurse arrived Janet was somewhat downplaying her symptoms. Janet asked Hus to take Ken for a smoke in the back, and Heather and I filled in the gaps a bit. Ray and Sonia dropped in too. I had to leave after the meeting, but I was pleased I had been there. Janet just wanted to hold my hand, before I left, but I had to go after a bit as I was feeling stressed about work. Home again, and hard work till sixish. Interspersed with calls from a very stressed Hus and others about Janet and Ken. I managed to screw a couple of minor things up as I worked too, which is unlike me and made me feel bad. I am oppressed by work...

Annoyingly the agency in Paddington were expecting me to work for them today, till around 10am. They did not, so I was able to zoom over to the stained glass window class. Spent a couple of hours there picking up the pieces of my window, and cutting new bits of glass. Ben had a new influx of students, plus the four I had been with last time. Had a quick coffee afterwards with classmates, or should that be glassmates, Chris, Yvonne (she of the father with a pet crocodile) and her pal who has joined the class, called Adele. Loved escaping into thinking about glass. Then I went to Janet and Ken's house and I spent the afternoon there till early evening, running various errands for Janet and just generally doing what I could to help. Janet had been in bed all day. Lorraine came after work, and warmed up some food for Ken, then drove us home a bit later when Hus arrived. There was a night care organised by his daughter May for the evening. Once home Lorraine and I decided to buy a...

Lorraine and I in the garden doing something of a tidy up, and discussing how the garden should be and sketching on pads and so on. Once we'd done a bit of digging and planting and potting, and a certain amount of taking a photo of a caterpillar, we had coffee in the garden fairly well pleased with our plans. Off in the afternoon, via Real Patisserie to Janet's, while Lorraine and Beth went to Lorraine's gym.  Good to see Janet and Ken and we shared some of the little Real Patisserie fancies, I had a chocolate macaroon which was rather nice, little strawberry tarts, and talk. Janet is being positive about managing her situation, and is showing her usual strength of character, although she is waking up at night. She said a mutual friend had offered her a joint last week. Janet said she never smoked joints, although in her younger days did enjoy them in cookies. Just good to talk with her, as usual. I'm going to call around next week. I caught the bus back hom...

Up fairly fresh, despite Calliope's best efforts. She managed to get out onto the roof in the night, and yowled through the velux windows till I got up and rescued her. As a thank you she went into he garden, and returned shortly after with a live frog which when I got out of bed to deal with it, it jumped wetly on my foot forcing me to yelp like the heroine of a Victorian melodrama. As the plumbing was coming to some kind of culmination. Toby and I suck to home for the morning and early afternoon. We sat outside drinking coffee and chatting. And when it was too sunny to sit outside, being the hottest day in recorded history, or something like it, we came inside where the plumber insisted on putting the radiators on to test the new radiator in the bathroom. Eventually the plumbing stopped with promises to actually finish it tomorrow. I till believe it when I see it. Toby and I free then to go for a walk, into Preston Park, and it was seriously warm. Mooching about chatting abou...

Gorgeous weather, and feeling unbelievably happy to just get up and work on my own stuff for a while, before walking through the park into town. I got a haircut, then some earrings for Lorraine, and returned back home, through the park again, picking up an excellent bunch of flowers, even the florist was impressed with her own work, she asked me if there was a special occasion and I said Friday, which seemed to win me brownie points. Then an afternoon doing bits of admin, billing, chatting to Sonia, and attacking the lawn with shears, as the pesky lawnmower won't work despite me spraying it with WD40. A backbreaking business. Clem from next door came around, armed with a beer to discuss the decking and the new stairs we want in the garden. He was full of good advice and the prospect of changing the garden was suddenly all doable, which was great. He is going to lend me a big iron spike to break up the old decking and in with the new. Apparently it is very therapeutic destroying...

Lorraine's birthday today. A happy day, up after Lorraine had opened her cards, we had breakfast in the back garden, and then we drove off to the bluebell wood and walked through the gorgeous place smelling the aromatic, peppery air. Also stumbled across some strange bee-like creatures that I learned later turned out to be bee-flys. After this we stopped off to have tea and scones, then drove back to Brighton. Got caught briefly in a traffic jam, people surging into Brighton due to the lovely sun. Soon after we got back, a cool sea mist started lurking in from the sea. Lorraine and I repaired to the Park View, where we had a decent Sunday lunch. Lorraine then had to go to Bolney for a parish meeting, and I decided to mow the lawn. The lawn mower however was rusted jammed, and however much WD40 I put on it, it refused to move. Quite pleased however to have a poem called War diary in 1/72 scale accepted in an anthology provisionally called an Outbreak of Peace due out to coincid...

Up early, phoned doctor and then tried some writing. Then walked to the stained glass class. Soldering and cutting bits of moss green glass, and wide heart lead. I am feeling increasingly relaxed in this class. But I had to leave early to go to the quacks. A new and slightly scary Greek doctor, with opinions. Various tests and was given pills but not antibiotics which are not needed in my case. Overuse of antibiotics is something for which I have invented campaigns f so I understood why.  Home and drank lots of water, and miraculously found I could pee normally again. A relief. Still coughing too. Sonia told me about her latest holiday, in Switzerland for a bit, then at two o'clock, I settled at my desk, only to be phoned by the people in Paddington wanted me to work all afternoon. An offer I declined, which was annoying and a bit worrying that I had reneged on something. A not terribly productive afternoon after this. In the end I gave up and watched Precinct 99. Lorraine ho...

Up and off to Bolney today. Once I was up and had a cup of coffee, I felt utterly brain dead and could hardly think for a while. Tiredness coming in waves, like it does with jet lag. Lorraine's school having its Christmas fair to raise money for the school, so lots of people setting up stands and parents and children zooming about. My part was to be Santa. I arrived early with Lorraine and then lurked in Lorraine's office, before changing into my Santa outfit. The clothes not too bad, but the beard, which had been bought separately was wild in a nylon way, with a odd rictus for a mouth. I was led by two elves around the school, ringing the school bell ho-ho-ho-ing it up, and then I was led to my grotto, and sat there for a couple of hours chatting to children in the character of Santa. This went remarkably well, and for the most part the children were chatty, one or two were dumbstruck by the large red apparition, but all went well. A couple of ontological debates around th...