under another sun

Up early today, and working on the job sent through by pals in Hampton, did this pausing only to phone and email my accountant. Suddenly realised it was 12:40 and that I had to be in Hove in twenty minutes for the Freelancer's Beano. Grabbed a cab and had a nice afternoon with Beth, Emily, Tim, Innis, Rosie, Tanya, Catherine and Julia in The Better Half . A few drinks and some fairly decent grub. All kinds of chat on everything from intersectionality to whale milk. Beth on funny form. A very hospitable barman/waiter who sat down at our table to take orders and chatted lots, with little freelance business being discussed, as it should be in a Beano. Beth and I went with Innis and Rosie back to their home, and Lorraine came from school, where there were Nativities today, and drove me home, which was great as the rain had started.

Up early and writing the poos and kidneys job I was doing. Looking at the Bristol Stool Scale first thing, is not my favourite way to start the day. I popped into the garden at one point to empty the compostables tin, and noticed lots of fungi growing on our soggy log bit. Only a few hours on this before I leapt aboard the 5b and headed off to Hove for the second Freelancer's Christmas Beano. Attendees were Innis, Rosie and Emily, Rosie's new pal Lucy from Nottingham, Catherine and Tanya. And very jolly it was too. There is something alarming about having a beer at 12:15, it reminded me of being as student. But nevertheless I soon got over that. Lovely group of people, and non-stop chat. We had a table in The Connaught Pub and Kitchen in Hove, which was not overcrowed, and did the job well. I had a sort of chicken burger with katsu sauce, which was fine. Eventually the Beano broke up but Innis and I lingered and had another drink and talked about films and then went to The ...

A few emails this morning then to Hove by bus. Feeling a mite less sore throaty and foggy headed, and relieved to receive confirmation on the bus that some of the doubloons owed me will tumble into the PK Ltd coffers tomorrow. In Hove I bought a box of cheap co-op crackers, and headed to The Bottom's Rest for the long-planned freelancer's beano.  An excitable Rosie giving me a big hug at the door. It was just 12:30 so the pub was empty, except for us. It filled up a small amount later.  We had planned the beano as a kind of works outing for freelancers, and it was a great success and I think we will do it again next year too. Sadly both Tanya and Innis were down with lurgies, so I was forced to soldier on with the beano surrounded with five amusing and interesting ladies (soon in paper hats and reading terrible jokes). They were Catherine, Rosie her lovely sister Emily plus their pal old friend The Original Rachel, and another friend called Julia. Catherine enjoyed meeting...