under another sun

Appalling night due to sudden onset of the worst gout I have ever had. Quack said new meds might spark an attack at some point and sure enough I was assailed by whimper-inducing pain. Superstrength painkillers helped a little and I had some sleep after about 5am. My lovely wife brought me porridge and a flask of tea in bed and she left for work with strict instructions for me to stay there. Finished the  Hangover Hotel  novel in a blurry haze, a fantastic book in many ways. Soon summoned however by the No Rest for the Wicked Dept. and after a call from an estate agent was forced to drag myself out of bed to chase solicitors. House move appears to be going at full steam -- and the prospect of moving into our new house before the end of the month. This means I had to make a payment of the house deposit I hobbled painfully around the house getting dressed and organised. I needed my passport to make the payment at the local branch, but after searching every inch of the place I c...

Working obsessively on new poems for many hours on a particular submission I have in mind. Boosted too by some kind words about The Nightwork from Richard. Tremendously hot day here in sunny Brighton, and I was pleased to finally escape the study if only for another doctor's appointment this afternoon, which coincided with feeling better today than I have done for some weeks. He weighed me and adjusted his records to show me a over a stone lighter. Then I called in on Anton a refreshing glass of water in his back garden. Nice to shoot the breeze for a bit. He is relieved to have been released from jury duty. Aparently Oskar feels hard done-to because Klaudia had an afternoon with me, so I will have to sort something out with him. Amazing really that my Godchildren actually want to spend time with me. I'm very lucky. We also toyed with Oskar's One Ring on a chain, just like Frodo Baggins's, except that Oskar's had been through the washing machine a few times. Anto...