under another sun

The van Gogh option Appalling night of ear agony, which led me to briefly consider the van Gogh option. Woke up from half an hour's fitful sleep in the morning and my ear was leaking noxiously, which this had relieved the pain a little. Walked to the quack in the morning through rain feeling weak as a kitten. He gave me antibiotics. Home, and sweating profusely from chesty flu decided to go back to bed and slept intermittently till 7 o'clock. Poor Lorraine snuffly and miserable too but working from home. Beth in the final stages of getting ready for college. Beth and Mark had Amy around, before they went out. Amy is going to Guernsey next weekend and I have given her a copy of The Guernsey Double, which has quietly been selling from Amazon too. Not in droves but at least in a trickle. Forgot to say that I was approached lately by Livia in Guernsey who wants to use some of my poems for an exhibition of Channel Islands poetry running from October till next year, which is fun. Was...

Alone at last Feeling increasingly ill as the day progressed. Lorraine ill too, although less bad as mine is a Man Flu. Spent the day faffing about designing web pages, and being frustrated by an inexplicable technical glitch in Corel Draw. Lorraine working from home on the desk next to me, which was rather nice. Returned the costumes to Masquerade and was in luck: every alien and pirate item was there. Cats getting more fighty as the pheromones are wearing off. Lorraine and I had only our first night in alone together since I have moved in, but we spent it guzzling paracetamols on the sofa, and coughing off to an early bed.

Permission to flop Snuffling on my way down from Anton's house the night before. Woke up disoriented and feverish in the middle of the night, and read for an hour and a half. Gave myself the day off, sitting on the sofa reading Alan Garner's first two books The Wierdstone of Brisingamen , and then half of The Moon of Gomrath . These children's books are rooted in Norse, Celtic and Arthurian legends, which creates a world that overlaps somewhat with Tolkien's. It has been decades since I read them, and they are nicely crafted. Garner's reputation deserves to be much greater: there are moments of great flair and real rootedness in Cheshire. Will re-read Elidor again next, I remember this one far more clearly as it is set largely in Manchester. The juxtaposition of things like bus conductors, iron railings, TVs with a disturbing magic from the past is wonderful. Normally a coldy bug corresponds with working in London, or having a surfeit of work, it was an absolute lux...