under another sun

A garden day today. Lorraine and I eventually getting out of bed and working in the garden for a bit. This soon gave way to sitting in the garden, which then led to a game of scrabble in the sun, then this evolved into a game of scrabble and a jug of Pimms, which complicated the scrabble somewhat. Mystifyingly Lorraine beat me by two games to one. But then she is a gamer. Betty back from various travels up north and then to an engagement party in Essex. Very tired she was. I managed to send off some poems this evening. Introduced to boggling today by cousin Wendy in Canada. Wendy keeps rats and apparently when rats are really happy they boggle their eyes. She showed me a video of it, and told me about bruxing which is a happy noise they make prior to boggling. Later I found this video of rats boggling. Little weirdos.  

Calliope sitting on me as I lay in bed, started craning her head up like a meerkat. The sound of feet on the roof, but instead of a gull, I saw a rat through the velux windows. Lorraine and I lay in bed shuddering and vowing never to open the windows again. Another fit of poetry, and I am simply giving into it. Lorraine shopping, after one of her pals had called by in the morning. Some of what Lorraine is shopping for is birthday presents for me, an endevour only to be encouraged. Off to wildest Essex this evening listening to the new album by Lorraine-favourites Mumford and Sons as she drove. Through the Dartford tunnel (a long deep tunnel under the Thames full of hurtling metal cars - what's not to love?) to Lorraine's pals Leslie and Jeremy, who were having a party for Leslie's birthday. Both play in a brass band, and they have musical children too, with their son being an accomplished trombonist. Once in Essex (which I barely know other than it is the world capita...

The joy of rats and rain And on the first day the rain came. Mostly unrelenting rain, and a perfect day to stay indoors nursing a slight hangover and watching old movies, which is precisely what Lorraine and I did. A gentle pause before the onslaught of the year. I learned to play What becomes of the broken hearted on my guitar. Lorraine cooked a gorgeous roast pork, and I slumped on my butt for the whole day. Bliss. Particularly enjoyed the animated movie Ratatouille which Lorraine, Beth and I watched. Lorraine refusing to believe the well-known fact that rats can laugh, even when I showed her the evidence on a BBC site.

Meeting Mr Coombes Working on French stuff a little this morning, and other bits. Decided this afternoon, as it was bright and sunny, to go for a long walk. Walked for a couple of hours along the coast and back, and felt decidedly good for it. In the evening off to see a processionally staged adaptation of plays by Pinter, with Lorraine and Sam by Beth and Mark's college. Forgotten how bleakly funny Pinter can be. "If you tell me one of our dogs bit this woman without giving his name, I will have that dog shot," made me laugh in an excerpt from Mountain Language . Some of the acting done outside, with Beth flinging herself to the floor with great gusto in moves she choreographed herself. She also ended the show with a long solo song. Very good. After, and as it was Matt's birthday, Lorraine and Sam and I went to meet him in the Brighton Tavern for yet more drinking. He appeared with Linda and we gave him a dinosaur birthday card. Much chatting and we were joined by an...