Monday 29th January 2018
Much of today focused on getting a bunch of poems into shape for the Arch Remarks open mic at Station East in Gateshead tonight. Good to catch up with people not seen since before Christmas. Open mic poetry was good. Enjoyed watching Juli Watson’s set but was distracted by the roar of the dehumidifier. Wasn’t keen on much of the comedy, but Ken Brady was funny. Musician Molly McKay was good too. Headliner Rowan McCabe on form. Jenni stayed out with friends. I came back coz money is tight and I have my only paid session of the week tomorrow. 11.32 pm.
Tuesday 30th January 2018
Not enough sleep. But fairly painless journey from Gateshead to Durham this morning. Set up the workshop. Got Android files sorted so I can load up material on the move. Session was okay, but racket from workmen in the street made concentrating on writing in the second half nigh on impossible. Wanted to stay back and do book work but decided to go. Just as well – needed 90 min bus back to base, quick pit stop, then back out for much needed food supplies. Rang Mam and Ernie after that. Did a bit of computer work, read up on the latest Brexit nonsense. Wanted to watch Stephen King’s IT but got a headache. Not a good day really. Uptight about lack of paid work. Home for much of next month to get book stuff sorted. Must look for more jobs. 11.10 pm.
Full day at the office. blog post, Confessions of an Isolationist and 2018 prose then applied for sessions in Hexham. Three hours on application form. Tea at eight o’clock. Watched new version of Stephen King’s IT tonight. Jenni bought it for my birthday and said I’d have to watch it on my own. She hates clowns. Pennywise really creepy. Think it would have freaked her out. ‘We all float down here.’ Up early again tomorrow. 11.07 pm.
Thursday 1st February 2018
Business debit card expired and held me up in the bank so not at Waddy as early as I’d have liked. Did some type-ups and chatted to Ali about workshops. Went on the ‘Time to Talk’ mental health walk around Durham. Ate chocolate cake when I got back. Pleased to get job application sent off to Northumberland College. Booked a place on ‘Attracting New Business’ course. Read a horrendous article on American healthcare system; so many ways to screw the unfortunate. Poetry Jam was good. Janet Philo and hubby performed poems and music. Good open floor readings from various jam regulars. Ken Creen was funny with lots of clever wordplay, including Brexit piece. Diane Cockburn was mint; I bought her book Electric Mermaid. Matt Miller was on top form. Loved his river poem. He did a Louis MacNiece cover. Fergus gave me a lift home. 11.37 pm.
Friday 2nd February 2018
Computer really slow. It's eight years old. Needs a bigger memory. Almost time for some pro maintenance. Freezing cold today. Didn't do much except sort files on Android tablet. Veggie burger for lunch then mucked around getting Poetry Jam pix edited. Two hours – of which twenty-five minutes was waiting for fifty images to upload. Fingers crossed PC keeps going. Listened to The Milk of Michael Gira on Spotify tonight, watched two canny BBC4 documentaries on bands breaking up and reforming. No decent job searches today. Did I mention it's freezing fucking cold. Be good to make some headway. 11.51 pm.
Saturday 3rd February 2018
Usually I walk to Consett but fuck it: snowy start, got an all-zones ticket. Bought dark chocolate spread in Morrison's and display folder for Waddy course. Picked up Billy Collins and Dervla Murphy books from library. Veggie burger then stray pix into folders on hard drive. Bit of a ‘red wall of death’ moment. But thankfully PC rebooted OK. Read some Dervla Murphy (Ireland to India on bicycle in 1963) on bus to Jen's place. Surprisingly warm house this evening. Big chip butties and laughs at life for a while. Ok. 10.46 pm.
Sunday 4th February 2018
Lazy day. Morning Pages then chip butties for breakfast in bed. Watched Corrie omnibus then out to Tesco for supplies. Good to watch the ‘True Romance’ episode of Cracker on DVD. And a vintage Auf Wiedersehen Pet. Read some Billy Collins poems on the bus back from Jen’s. Very frosty in Consett. Watched Peston on TV. Cheese on toast and hot lemon squash. 11.05 pm.
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