SEVEN YEARS

Monday 26th June 2017

Computer behaving itself this evening. No crunch, no grunting or overheating so no fear of frying the hard drive. Got the grass cut today. Rain forecast but didn’t happen. Got my case packed with over seventy books and pamphlets for final New College Durham evening class tomorrow. Seem to have prepped three sessions for Saint Cuthbert’s Hospice in advance. Booked two Poetry Jam guests. Made some lemonade. Hot water to dissolve the sugar. Back still aching. Sleeping in spare room on good bed tonight. 10.55 pm.

Tuesday 27th June 2017

The one where you feel a bit dizzy on the bus so you rummage in your bag and find a nutragrain bar, then a yoghurt bar, then come home to a massive cheese and pickle sandwich, then wonder why the button pops on your trousers. And why you can barely do ten abdominal crunches even with a roll bar device to help you. But hey, I finished another course tonight. Students weren’t happy about the first twenty minutes spent on college paperwork. Time that could have been devoted to more info on publishing. Still managed a good ninety minutes advice on submissions of poetry and fiction to small presses, plus DIY booklet making. Got stuff packed up in about ten mins afterwards. Over five hundred quid’s worth of books in the case. Probably too many titles, but handy as visual prompts for my talk. Pleased rain wasn’t too bad. Home is good, but after two workshops my head is about to crack. Late finishes and early starts taking their toll. Took ibuprofen, hope to be in bed before long. 10.22 pm.

Wednesday 28th June 2017

Woke with Blue Angel lyrics (Lavender reprise) from Misplaced Childhood in my head. The ones about the biblical black sky and Magdalene under the streetlight. Loved Marillion’s third album in my mid-teens. Sessions went well today. More surreal wordplay at Saint Cuthbert’s Hospice then poem title prompts, colour pieces plus cause and effect at Appletree. Went to Jen’s for a couple of hours this evening. Eat4less gave me the wrong stuff. Was in the attic before we realised. Went to Tesco for veggie food. Watched Ackley Bridge drama on C4. Bus from Newcastle really slow. Read some of Eddie Izzard’s new book, thumbed magazines and checked out DVDs in Consett Tesco till half ten. 11.34 pm.

Thursday 29th June 2017

Awake about half five this morning. Went on Facebook awhile and found that Jenni had put up a nice post and photo for our 7th anniversary. The shot was of us in matching sheep head woolly hats, taken by Jane Burn after a writing marathon in 2015. The hats were a present from Alan and Carol who live in the basement flat at Bensham. Session poorly attended this morning. Bad weather and prior engagements kept number of participants to just three. We did the Edward Hopper pix workshop anyway. Got a couple of drafts I like. Jenni came over this evening. Had a late evening meal. All the steamed veg and gravy. Pork steak for me; veggie sausages for Jen. Then I came up with a little lemonade song as I made up a fresh jug. Jenni bought me a new 320 page notebook and a little cuddly monkey. I got us M&M mugs, gave Jenni chocolates and a new purple notebook. Cherry pie and custard coming up for supper. 10.39 pm.

Friday 30th June 2017

Good to have a lie in. Lazy day really. Just reading bits and pieces on Facebook. Then out to Consett for some food supplies. Jenni gave my desktop PC a bit of a clean out and it’s a lot smoother running now. We watched an excellent episode of The Street tonight. The one in which Eddie buys a set of signed snooker balls in an auction to impress an old flame while his wife has panic attacks over a cancer scare. I saw it about ten years ago, but grateful for the repeat. Been a bit wheezy today. The house hasn’t had a spring clean this year. Will have to sort it when current workshops end. Read a few Hank Rollins vignettes from Eye Scream and checked out some perzines online. Spent all this week’s allowance on food. But got paid by college today so business account is okay. 10.52 pm.

Saturday 1st July 2017

Made up a new morning pages booklet. Keyed in some notes. Listened to Misplaced Childhood and watched some Fish videos. Considering going to his December Newcastle show. Been looking at zine options for a new volume of writings. Selected over one hundred pieces of poetry and prose for a future volume but heavy edits needed. Lovely ham salad for tea. Trying to watch a three-hour episode of Taggart but keep falling asleep. 10.41 pm.

Sunday 2nd July 2017

Read a few Jackie Kay stories from ‘Reality, Reality’ and made a dinner for me and Jenni. Watched lots of telly – Big Bang Theory, Dante’s Peak, Dragon’s Den, Life Swap Adventure and a George Best documentary. A few days of doing very little. Good to be approaching the end of term. Big week of paperwork ahead. 

11.16 pm.