Self-Inflicted Physical Decline and Other Adventures

Saturday 3rd May 2014

Wrote a canny bit about a dream in morning pages which might make a poem. Got some food in, bank transactions. Spent quite a bit of time writing up journal stuff, watched a few skate vids, did some writing marathon promotion. Over at Jen’s tonight. Watched Prey drama, quite compelling stuff. Watched a bit of Russell Howard’s Good News. 10.44 pm.

Sunday 4th May 2014

Jenni awake and relaying dreams at eight fifteen. Me, Sunday lazy as ever. We had baked potatoes with salmon, watched Columbo and some snooker. A bit of World’s Worst Roads and Pointless. Had a little walk out to get cherry pie and custard. Back in Moorside tonight. Watched Fargo, Rene Magritte documentary then Selby taking the final frame of this evening’s snooker. 11.17 pm.

Monday 5th May 2014

Pleased to get the grass cut in little over an hour today, even though it did use the last of my blades. Chuffed to get lesson plans typed up, have a whole bunch of exercises to try out this week. Jenni phoned earlier to say Ed Tudorpole gig in Gateshead was good. I would have been there but had too much to do here. Going to watch Prey at nine this evening then catch the end of the snooker on two. Last check Selby was leading Sullivan 12 frames to eleven. But anything can happen. Watched Brian May then skate expedition vids online, ordered Board Free book. Was a bit down on The Shock of the Fall in morning pages, will persevere with it though. Hoping tomorrow goes okay. Would like to bike. 8.38 pm.

Tuesday 6th May 2014

Awoke at six from a dream of a furnace in a restaurant. Did the morning pages then got sorted for Waddy. Took the booklet stapler to do some student journals. We made some A7 mini-booklets from single sheets of A4 and did some short exercises – journaling and adding texture to works in progress. I read a hundred pages of The Shock, a hundred to go, will finish by the weekend. Slept on the bus back. Tuna salad and baked potato for tea with the obligatory runny scrambled eggs. Had a good two hours on the 27speed bike tonight. My belly is the worst it’s ever been. Seriously need to get abdominal exercises into my routine. Listened to Tori Amos. Early night. 9.45 pm.

Wednesday 7th May 2014

Morning pages by seven. Easy bag-pack. Took the stuff from yesterday as well. Bus was late. Lucky I didn’t have much to photocopy. Session went well. Short exercises, lots of read-backs. As usual I bombed in the lunchtime quiz. A few flukes on films and music; general knowledge pretty dire. Afternoon was an informal session with Barbara and Paul. Finished at three then a quick run-through of Chris’ poems. Then prepping for evening session. Pretty much repeats of stuff done elsewhere in the last two weeks. Only annoying thing was the pain in right knee when I stood up at the end of session. Probably from too much too soon last night. Won’t be back on the bike till next week anyway. 10.56 pm.

Thursday 8th May 2014

Up at six this morning, got ready for MIND and Norwich. Rang Jenni a few times and sent a message for her to AJ McKenna by mistake. Session went okay. Finished the big cut-up poem. Got to Jen’s place around half one, accompanied her to town, food at Tesco then back to the house where I had baked potato with salmon and scrambled eggs. Trains to Norwich were fine, had a right laugh on the way, being very silly and chatty most of the time. Layover in Peterborough – absolutely teeming down, so I didn’t venture beyond the station. Took a while to reach the hotel but thanks to Jenni we made it by nine. Then back out for supper. My legs are a serious concern at present. Patellar sore. Doctor’s on Monday if no improvement in the next couple of days. Bed very soon. Thanks Apples and Snakes. 11.26 pm.

Friday 9th May 2014

Morning pages took ages. Pleased that my knee hasn’t given me any trouble today. We left the hotel at quarter past nine for live literature symposium and checked out shops en route. A long day of provocation speeches and discussions. My faves were Luke Wright and Francesca Beard. Weren’t allowed to video anything, so made notes instead. A lot of the collaborative stuff, although valid, isn’t my way of working. Saw a preview of new work in progress by Byron Vincent then Ross Sutherland’s Stand By For Tape Back Up. Tired now, just been out for food. Not sure how I’ll fair for the rest of the evening. Want to see Molly Naylor’s show but will be too exhausted for Art Club at half ten. Looking forward to seeing more of Norwich tomorrow. 8.00 pm.

Saturday 10th May 2014

Checked out Norwich Cathedral for a while then back to Benedict Street. Substantial number of longboards from the Mindless range in Skatewise. Lovely mackerel and chips in the bunker of Grosvenor Fish bar. Sat outside The Birdcage then trawled various bookshops, toyshops, charity shops – Jenni bought some tiger glove puppets. Ross Sutherland was on the train back to Peterborough. The one to Newcastle is rather rowdy. Jen has her headphones on. I might try to read the end of The Shock of the Fall. We don’t get back until half eleven. 8.59 pm.

Sunday 11th May 2014

Up around nine. Morning pages then the last thirty pages of The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer. Jen slept till twelve. Checked out my facebook updates, had a chat about symposium then went out for food supplies. Baked potato with salmon. Jenni had a short-notice gig this evening so I was home by seven. Looked at Thrill longboard magazine and watched Fargo. House is fucking freezing. 10.50 pm.

Monday 12th May 2014

Typed up Norwich notes and sent them in to Kirsten. Copt of Board Free arrived this morning. Dave Cornthwaite rode his rollsrolls longboard 5823 km from Perth to Brisbane for charity. The book is a weighty travelogue and I’m forty pages in already. Got some Waddy stuff done this evening and watched the final part of Prey. Got the bedrooms back to normal and am looking forward to extra comfort after mattress on the floor. Listened to the new Swans album ‘To Be Kind’ today – fave tracks Just a Little Boy and She Loves Us – and a Michael Gira interview with Stuart Maconie on Radio 6 Freak Zone. Been reading about 40, 50, 60-something longboarders online this evening. Up early tomorrow to get prepped for the week. Notes done, just reminders and bag-pack really. 11.36 pm.

Tuesday 13th May 2014

Good to get back out on the bike tonight. Took it really easy, ensuring the gearing on hill climbs wasn’t putting too much pressure on the knees. Mainly rode urban cycle paths. Returned books to the library and checked out some new tarmac here and there. Pleased to get back before the bigly rain. Lots of Facebook response to the pix that Jenni took in Norwich last weekend. I uploaded a few of her tiger antics and the shot in the chip shop bunker of her tucking into a mackerel bun. Typed up lesson plan after a bath this evening. Watched a few longboard tutorials. Keen to see how my knees respond to physical exercise this week. Been keeping a low profile these last few days. Arrived at Waddy just before session and left just after. Enjoying the travel book Board Free. 10.24 pm.

Wednesday 14th May 2014

Moon above as I walk up Derby Drive tonight. A luxury to get the bus from Durham all the way to Moorside. Fourteen hours out the house, four writing sessions. They all went okay. Filled another work book in less than a month. Wrote some Lunes and a bit of memoir that surprised me. Dilation of moments in time with evening class. Been reading more Born Free – gruelling warm up from John o’Groats to Lands End. Be good to read how the blistered and wrecked Dave Cornthwaite coped with Australia. My knees have been a bit creaky today. But nowhere near as bad as last week. Going for Glucosamine again. Will order online tomorrow. Only MIND in the morning then four and a half days to do admin, domestics and exercise. 10.17pm.

Thursday 15th May 2014

Pleased the memoir workshop went well this morning. One of the new writers is putting a book together and found the group discussions very helpful. Afterwards, not having anywhere to be, I felt a bit adrift. Standing in Middle Street gazing at the church clock, wondering where to go first. Ended up spending a bit on nic-nacs – lawnmower blades, deep heat patches, glucosamine, gel pen. Got the food in then came home. Legs aching again. More a dull throb than shooting pains, bit tight round the back of right knee. Think I might pay the doc a visit next week. Will make appointment tomorrow. Anatomical drawings of knee-caps on line turn my stomach. The idea of a leg collapse isn’t worth thinking about. Nice to hear from Jenni tonight. I am staying at home all day tomorrow. Want to read and do admin. Another replacement writing marathon participant signed up this evening. I used ultrasonic pain relief on my legs and did exercises. 9.45 pm.

Friday 16th May 2014

Bit of an off-day. Didn’t get through much of what I intended to do. Keyed in a bit of journal but have been distracted. Pains in knees, numb legs. Hopefully a bit better tomorrow. Made an appointment for Monday with the doctor. I want to know what the fuck is wrong – tendonitis, muscle strain, arthritis? Had a steak today then discovered red meat causes inflammation. Fuck getting old. I watched some Steve Hughes comedy vids to cheers me up tonight. Tomorrow I’m going to crack on, take some ibuprofen, get to work. Ok, suppertime. 10.56 pm.