Ten Days

Friday 22nd January 2016

Pretty shit day. Discovered a tax return form in my drawer that I could have sworn I'd filled in and sent to HMRC. Fingers crossed I get an activation code from them via snail mail  to submit my self assessment online by  end of January or I'll be fined a hundred quid. Feel like I've got a cold coming on. Jenni was out much of the day for various meetings in Newcastle, home again around five. I have a mouth ulcer. I'm tired I'm fucking irritable and could do with just staying at home for the next year. Hope I start feeling a bit better soon.  11.20 pm.


Saturday 23rd January 2016

Aggravated, exhausted. Found much of the day too much to deal with, to be honest. Had a bad gig in Newton Aycliffe. Audience thought it was good but I'd prefer not to have read this evening. Still, nice to be invited. And Jenni was good. Nice to see Mam and Ernie. Wish I could have been in a better frame of mind but felt like shit. Slept most of the way back. 11.16 pm.


Sunday 24th January 2016

Ernie phoned at lunchtime. Said people were very pleased with performances by Jenni and me last night. Haven done much today. Didn't get out of bed till almost twelve. Big mince pie and veg dinner. Finally got the Poetry Jam event page online this afternoon. Watched Ninja Warrior and Gotham. Keyed in some morning pages while Jenni watched Deutschland 83. Good to not need heating on today. OK. 11.19 pm.


Monday 25th January 2016

Pretty lazy day. I'm out every evening from Tuesday to Friday, so for my birthday I just wanted to stay at home. Jenni got me Lincoln on dvd and The Things We Do in the Shadows, a load of gel pens, some spider man socks, a novel by Edward Bunker, a furry both water bottle, a lint remover, jelly babies, Attila the Stockbroker ticket and The Sound of Loneliness novel by Craig Wallworks. Got a cheque from Mam and Ernie. Me and Jenni ate pizza and lattice fries at lunchtime then watched the ‘The Things…’ vampire spoof, but I fell asleep. Bigly thanks to all on Facebook for the birthday wishes. Bangers and mash with veg followed by doughnuts with raspberry ripple ice cream. Watched Gotham and Dave Gorman on television this evening. I still want to ride bikes and longboard and rant at gigs and listen to both and dark rock music. I don't want to think about mortgages, credit cards, loft conversions or pension plans. It's good to just keep going. 11.06 pm.


Tuesday 26th January 2016

5.30 am morning pages. Jenni missed her appointment due to a cash flow error – tenner down back of couch, not in purse at bus stop – and had to leave an hour later for the ten past eight. I’m pleased to get an activation code for online tax return. Have till Saturday to get it done. Ali, from Waddy, says her boyfriend throws bigger techno hissy fits than I do and can manage it, so I should be okay. Colin Vearncombe, the guy known as Black who sang Wonderful Life, died today. I wasn't struck on that song when released but it grew on me over the years… Writing session this afternoon was okay. Evening went well. The bus back was direct and swift. Was chuffed to find some bits and pieces in my marathon book from earlier this month to my liking. Hope to get another event booked for March. I have till around four o’clock tomorrow afternoon to catch up on work at home. Pleased today was okay. Got a monologue draft down for the Mind workshop. 11.02 pm.


Wednesday 27th January 2016

Getting bit bored with fiction prompts. Only want to write autobiographical vignettes, poems and occasional character monologues. Plots are frustrating and hard won rarities. Tonight’s session was perhaps a bit dark for Colour your Life. The flash nonfiction examples were pretty hardcore, but were cited in the Dinty Moore (editor of Brevity e-zine) interview so I ran with them. Pleased to get my tax return in online today. Wasn't the few minutes I’d been led to believe, but its done and I don't have to think anymore about it. Watched a Bowie at Live Aid clip just before bed. 11.04 pm.


Thursday 28th January 2016

Tremendously enjoyable monologue and flash nonfiction workshop with Consett Writers this morning. Then along to the library to discuss possibility of doing a course there, but not many takers so far. Borrowed Dave Gorman's latest book ‘Too Much Information’ without having to order it in, so that was good. Read a chapter in the bus station coz the 16 to Moorside was ten minutes late – surprise, surprise! Had a double cheeseburger back home and polished off another bag of mixed fruit and nut; checked the emails then keyed in today's morning pages – lots of moaning and groaning about my economic situation, but hopefully things will pick up soon. Nipped into Consett to buy scorepads for tonight's SLAMalgamate at the Cumberland Arms.  Probably read Dave Gorman on the 45 to Newcastle, Eat4Less when  hit town. 5.00 pm.


Friday 29th January 2016

Didn't get back to Jen’s till about quarter past three this morning. Slam was great. 14 performers. 3 judges. Me scorekeeping, Jenni and Jeff hosting. Two guys filming. Finalists were Alix Alixandra, Sky Hawkins and overall winner Dave Jarman. Some stunningly good poems. Lay in bed for a long time this morning. Ate some of the Greggs sausage rolls we got free and froze last weekend. Watched Tim Minchin and the Heritage Orchestra dvd this afternoon. Versatile me – I can write a journal entry standing up. Jenni finds this highly irritating. And I'm using red ink. So she throws some trousers over my head. She says she doesn't like me using my android tablet standing up either. Tonight we're going out to see Attila the Stockbroker at the Butterfly Cabinet in Heaton. Need food first. Couldn’t find my two-for-one voucher for The Goose in emails via Jen's laptop so we'll go to eat4less instead. Really bastard windy out there today. 5.35 pm.


Saturday 30th January 2016

Attila the Stockbroker’s gig was brilliant last night. The third and best time I’ve seen him. Was good to see some of the Tyneside spoken worders there. Spent a couple of hours this afternoon in Newcastle Central Library keying in work. Freezing cold outside. Me and Jen waited ages for a bus to Consett. Been picking at bits of food and sweets all evening. Surfing the net and checking out zine writers. Magicians are currently robbing banks live onstage in ‘Now You See Me’. 11.08 pm.


Sunday 31st January 2016

Read the opening pages of Attila’s Arguments Yard. Fast paced – upbringing, school, left home and not even on chapter two yet. Cold day. Jenni quietly typing and gaming since lunchtime. TV has been on but not watched much. Keyed in morning pages and checked out perzines by Jessie Lynn McMains and ordered latest by Julia Eff. 11.00 pm.