House Sickness

Tuesday 8th September 2015

Currently enjoying Marilyn Manson's 'Guns, God and Government' Tour on YouTube. My ticket for the Docklands Arena show is still pinned to my notice board fourteen and a half years later. London was warm that January. It was a great gig. Wish he'd play Newcastle. Tickets for Manchester and Glasgow are ridiculously hiked prices now – fucking get-me-in-you-can-have-my-internal-organs-as-well-as-my-eyes.com

Long haul of proofreading today – anthology for Wishing Tree Writers. Tried to plan a workshop for tomorrow but no headspace at present. Bus to Durham will focus the mind. Could have done with another bike ride this morning. Crap weather kept me in all day. Anyway, pleased to be productive again. 10.26 pm.

Wednesday 9th September 2015

Good day. Almost completed work on a student solo pamphlet this afternoon. Came home and had the evening off. Still tonnes of stuff I need to do before new term begins week after next. But after a full day of writing and proofreading I needed time off. Was good to listen to Swans songs. The album ‘We Rose From Your Bed With the Sun in Our Head’ was originally a handmade limited edition but became an official release. It has live versions of some early material including Beautiful Child, Your Property and I Crawled. Posted a vignette / flash fiction on Facebook, reworked from January’s writing marathon. 261 words. That’s enough. Life is short, you don’t need The Stand or War and Peace. Bigly thanks to Peter from Waddington Street Centre for catching me on the bus and letting me know that I’d left my android tablet in the building. Also to Ernie for phoning to let me know that Mam’s operation went okay. It was meant to be an hour. She was in the theatre for nearly four. Ernie says when she came out she only asked if her hair was alright. I’m pleased that some of her perfectionism has rubbed off on me. Makes me a half decent editor, anyway. A good day.

11.30 pm.

Thursday 10th September 2015

Another good one. Consett Writers did six rounds in a writing half-marathon this morning. Some cracking pieces produced. Staff pleased to learn of writers’ attendance and participation in Poetry Jam last week. Stocked up on cakes and soups at Barry’s Bargain Store after workshop, had a quick lunch then out to Blackhill and Consett Park to carve the tarmac on my longboard. Sometimes sessions aren’t really challenging. I doubt I’ll ever learn to slide the board to a stop; I don’t get enough speed for that. But it’s good to be out in the sunshine rolling down the slopes and arcing round the paths – and there’s always the grass to jump onto if I do go too fast. Managed to do a few longer faster rides today without any accidents. Home for a couple of hours then out for the rest of my food shopping. 11.28 pm.

Friday 11th September 2015

Day at home. Worked a bit on the proofs for the Dark Matter pamphlet that editor P.A. Morbid of Black Light Engine Room Press sent through. Reformatted some lesson plans after lunch for the college. Still have a set of ten to go. Should get them done by next Friday, I reckon. Listened to some Toyah tracks. Going to see her play a full band show at the Arc in Stockton next Thursday. Jenni phoned; she wants to knock up a small pamphlet anthology for a project with Barrie West next week. Had a good laugh listening to Richie Allen tear strips off the royal family on his show this evening. Phoned Ernie. Mam is back from hospital, but can’t eat solids for quite some time after her stomach operation. Been working on Anomalies book a little bit this evening. Will do a mixture of tasks tomorrow. 11.44 pm.

Saturday 12th September 2015

Pulled some junk away from the back door. Can slide a large screwdriver though the hole where base of door frame had rotted away and see blade when checked from outside. A slug on its way in. Carpet wet with dirt. Back indoors, pulled up corner of kitchen carpet again - concrete sopping in middle of one big patch about two foot across, but with dry bits here and there; grey scum in the middle. I'm wondering if that slug-hole, after rain fall, where foliage was covering the doorstep, would be enough to do the damage - or is it something more? Hairdyer on full blast took surface water off a small patch, almost dry to the touch. But there's salty white powder on back of wet carpet - more skin rash as a consequence. Mouldy crumbling concrete skirting board. Bugger! How much is all this gonna cost?

Sunday 13th September 2015

Struggling to concentrate on work. Kitchen carpet starting to smell bad. Think I'm gonna have to cut a section of it off the width of the door in front of sink to let concrete dry out tomorrow. Might just take a sample to a shop and buy something a similar shade and just make a close fitting mat, gaffer tape the join when hole in doorframe is fixed. Don't care what it looks like; a black seam and two-tone is better than being stank out if it happens again. Tried to do lesson preps this evening but too distracted. Good to hear music later on: Dead Kennedys, Motorhead, Metallica and Queen. Hope I can still breathe tomorrow. 11.04 pm.