Bikes, Big Meals, NaPoWriMo - Where Did the Week Go?

Sunday 31st March 2013

Pleased to get a pretty decent warm-up piece for NaPoWriMo online. Lots of anxiety ahead of the challenge about being able to better my efforts. People leaving very kind comments. Watched The History Boys again and a documentary by Sheila Hancock about the Bronte sisters. It would be good to get out on the bike tomorrow. Hope I get some work done. 11.10pm.

Monday 1st April 2013

Managed to get three little poems from my morning pages for NaPoWrimo. I’m not too concerned about following the official prompts coz they aren’t updated until lunchtime due to time difference between UK and US. Got quite a bit of work done today despite it being a bank holiday. Jenni wrote and posted her poem then practised ukulele while I did a little bike ride. Bitter cold, thought my hands were going to drop off. Think my Rock Shock Tora forks are on the way out. Might take the bike in for service this week. Gonna watch Johnathon Creek and then probably early to bed – unless Jenni is up for watching Withnail and I. 8.55pm.

Tuesday 2nd April

Wrote a load of dross and a couple of good little passages which I managed to turn into a twelve-line poem called In the City of Indifference. The official prompt for today was to write a lie. I’ve noticed that I’ve been doing a lot of political finger-pointing of late. I don’t usually engage in political discussion outside of conversations with Jenni, usually stemming from some Facebook conspiracy theory or other. Jenni went to The Butterfly Cabinet open mic tonight. I did some editing. Hopefully the bike I bought off ebay will arrive before the weekend. 9.59pm.

Wednesday 3rd April 2013

Slept in till nine today coz I stayed up watching conspiracy stuff on YouTube. Nothing like a bit of apocalyptic shock to get the brain into overdrive. Although scaremonger poetry probably isn’t what NaPoWriMo calls for. Today they asked for Sea Shanties. Which I’ve got no interest in or hope of producing. Only one I know is Friggin’ in the Riggin’ by the Sex Pistols. I took the BBC’s class system test and apparently I’m traditional working class. The last full-time proper job I had lasted eleven years and sent me to the psychiatric unit at Shotley Bridge Hospital - sectioned and diagnosed as bi-polar. Got a notification from ebay this afternoon: my bike will be here between 5th and 8th April. Hope it’s in good condition. Never bought a second hand bike before. Worked on “Sunshine” again today. Reckon I could be ready to print a copy by Saturday. Too tired to do much this evening. No poem yet from Jenni today. Hope she’s okay. Early night for me. 10.50pm.

Thursday 4th April 2013

Up early doing NaPoWriMo morning pages but not the greatest material. Was out just after eight for food shopping then back to do type-ups. Did a bit of editing in Waddy computer suite this afternoon on two pieces for this evening’s Poetry Jam. Gig was good. Great turn-out. Jenni did new Napo stuff, as did Terry Dobson. Sylvian was pretty full on. Trudi’s poems a contrast to that. Loved having Kevin back at Waddy. Good of Sheila to give us a lift home. 11.04pm.

Friday 5th April 2013

Thought the bike might arrive today but it didn’t. No worry, not like I’d be able to ride it for a while, too busy. NaPoWriMo eats into a lot of the day. Got three wee short pieces from this morning’s pages. I’m happiest with these poems. Only written half-baked pieces since a promising warm-up on Sunday. Me and Jenni have been having lots of laughs lately. Funny watching her decimate a block of cheese. Managed to do some more editing this afternoon but haven’t put a dent in rehearsals for next weekend’s gig in Newcastle. I wanted to do all new stuff from the book but it’s impossible to memorize twelve minutes of material in a week. Took time out to watch tv with Jenni this evening. Booked two guests for future poetry jams. 10.38pm.

Saturday 6th April 2013

Bike won’t be here till Monday at the earliest. Still haven’t finished ‘So Much for the Sunshine’. People will understand the delay when they see it. Day has flown over. Almost bedtime and don’t seem to have got much done besides NaPoWriMo poem online and a bit more editing. Jenni wrote a poem inspired by our curry and rice with chips lunch. This evening she took great delight in posting a facebook status update about my piss-take of Barry Manilow. It’s okay, my fragile ego can cope with the public ridicule. I’ll get her back sometime – onstage. Listening to The Cruxshadows at present. They are playing Newcastle Legends on 5th August. Looking forward to it. Will be the third time I’ll have seen them. Cheers for reading. 10.06pm.