Best Laid Plans and Dodgy Bits

Monday 11th July 2016

Late rise to a damp day so no point trying to cut the grass. Made an effort to leave the desktop computer off. Tablet wasn’t charged till lunchtime so I just worked with pen and paper till one. After lunch I went into town for bank transactions. Sat in the library a while but couldn’t settle to work so got some food shopping and the next bus home. An evening meal of pork steak salad, caught up with the ludicrousness that is British politics via the oh so impartial mainstream news outlets, then keyed in more work. Listened to The Mission and Toyah, watched a few bike videos. Gonna take it easy this week. 11.20 pm.

Tuesday 12th July 2016

Bastard mouth ulcer. Bastard toothache! Hurt so much I even wrote a Rondelet about it. Didn't get far today. Just to the top of the back garden. Pleased to get grass cut. Another pork steak sorted for tea. Still can't find my Emilie Autumn cd. No idea where it could have got to. Been taking it slow today. Good to hear from poet Ron Dodd this afternoon with talk of a new spoken word night possibly starting in Stanley. More on that in due course. I’m on summer break from most of my workshops after tomorrow. Am saying yes to very little. I'm knackered and I need to look after my health. 10.45 pm.

Wednesday 13th July 2013

Both writing sessions produced some decent pieces and I got positive vibes that the courses will return and people are keen. Got feedback from an ex student on the bus between venues this afternoon. I'm sitting on my bed about eighteen inches from a six foot paper trail that I can't wait to scoop up and throw in the bin. Told Tracie at College I'm trashing it all and starting again over the summer. Would be good to read a novel a week and devise some new sessions. Right now I don't feel like going to bed. Just downed fried egg on toast for supper. People don't need to know that, but food is an event for me. A nightmare for my teeth. Must get to a dentist this summer. Checked out a band called Killswitch Engage this evening. They were OK but most metal sounds the same to me. Christ, I'm getting old. 11.42 pm.

Thursday 14th July 2016

Didn't go to bed till three coz I was too engrossed in videos by the ‘You Make It We Skate It’ team on YouTube. Hilarious antics – riding glass decked skateboards. Not fibreglass. Plate glass! Okay for a little flatland cruise, but once ramps entered he equation… Well, you can guess the rest. In one video eight wheels were attached to a full size external door used as a board and the guys tried to do street tricks on it.

Woke about seven this morning and managed to stay in bed till eight. Morning pages. Bit of Facebook action. Then fun and games over an omission of paperwork that it turns out I wasn't actually responsible for in the first place. I love communication, me.

I have just one session a week until mid September. The rest of the work time will be spent prepping for next term and putting books together. Leisure time will be boards, bikes and music.

Good day in Newcastle. Meal at the Goose with Jen's parents then we all went along to Alphabetti Theatre for Kirsten Luckins’ show ‘The Trouble With Compassion’ which was brilliant. Nice to talk to David O’Hanlon, Alix Alixandra and Tony Gadd.

No WiFi right now as this 45 bus home is a Blue Diamond not a Red Kite. 10.26 pm.

Friday 15th July 2016

Every couple of days a bastard cold tries to bring me down. Sniffles. Snot. Sick of it. Good to not have to go anywhere today. Spent much of my time keying in Morning pages then editing stuff from earlier in the year for a book project. Jenni rang at tea time. She's coming here this weekend. I tidied some of the clutter in my room, but still have a lot of papers to sort and dispose of. Listened to Queen, The Cure and New Order. Never had much time for New Order as a kid. Always seemed too upbeat and dance orientated for me, even Blue Monday. But I've enjoyed checking them out. Quite surprised at how certain aspects of Joy Division are apparent in their stuff. Keying in prose is a laborious task. Don't know how anyone can single-handedly bring a novel to fruition. Proofreading your own stuff is as nightmare. Not eaten much. A couple of cheese sandwiches, fried egg on toast, a few slices of pineapple. Must buy provisions sometime tomorrow. 11.27 pm.

Saturday 16th July 2016

Keyed in some pages then walked up to Consett to pick up the repaired Giant STP bike. Had fun doing some old school moves on it including rollbacks and rockwalks. Then home to a mushroom omelette and an evening of net surfing for a new freeride longboard accompanied by music from Swans. Jenni arrived around ten o'clock and we watched the Rack Pack film about eighties UK snooker. Good stuff but really tired now. 

11.43 pm.

Sunday 17th July 2016

Went out this afternoon. Me on the longboard, Jenni on my STP bike. Intended to ride at Blackhill and Consett Park, but there was a festival on so we went to Number One Industrial Estate instead. A good afternoon. Stayed out about three and a half hours. Jen fell off once. I bailed outside Consett Leisure Centre. Twanged my left wrist a bit. Sleepy Evening. Snotty nose. Nostalgia TV. 

10.42 pm.

Monday 18th July 2016

Really fucking annoyed about damaging my left wrist whilst out on the longboard yesterday. I slept with a splint on in case I strain it further in my sleep. Oh if only I could muster some energy to work. I'm actually on holiday but hoped to get some of my own stuff done. Did a bit publicity for Haltwhistle Slam organised by James Oates. He is offering pick up for people in Newcastle by bus for the event. Me and Jenni have been invited to take part. Been looking for a freeride longboard  that I can learn to do slide stops on. If I can't stop my board then I can't really ride safely other than on flat ground or in the park. Jenni won't be home till after midnight. I listened to post-Jarboe SWANS today and still not convinced by the sprawling instrumentals. Don't think I'll be going to see them this year. OK. 10.57pm.

Tuesday 19th July 2016

Wrist isn’t so sore this morning. Don't think I've done it much damage. Just a bloody nuisance. Hopefully a few more days and it should be okay. Me and Jenni went out to Consett this afternoon. She bought some clothes and I did a bank transaction for a potentially great longboard purchase. Usually I hate the hot weather, but dressed in shorts and no satchel full of wood pulp and plastic, I found the blasts of warm air quite pleasant. This evening it was nice to rustle up a decent meal. Jenni posted a photo of her plateful on Facebook. I have a workshop tomorrow so spent much of the evening keying in participants' previous texts and doing edits. Printed their poems and other handouts whilst listening to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds albums ‘And No More Shall We Part’ and ‘The Boatman's Call’. Right now my room is a furnace. 10.50 pm.

Wednesday 20th July 2016

Up quite early this morning. Keyed in some pages. Wanted to go to work early but torrential downpour kept me at home until after eleven. Read some Journaling for Fiction on the bus to Durham. Paid Waddy room hire for recent Ways with Words sessions then had lunch. Cambian Appletree went well. Quite a roomful. Objects and lies. Conflicts for fiction. Monologue poems then journal prompts. Went back into Durham and paid money into business account. Waiting in the queue I picked up The Lovely Bones by Alice Seabold from the charity book table. Bought it. Got some reduced price food at Tesco then bus home. Toothache bad this evening. Wrist all pins and needles. Feels more like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome rather than a sprain. Watched some hilarious Victor Meldrew stuff this evening. Had pizza and ice cream with Jenni. Gonna go to dentist tomorrow if possible. 11.33 pm.

Thursday 21st July 2016

Got offered a fifteen minutes set for The Stanza so it was good to do a preliminary selection for that this morning. Ordered a new longboard today. A freerider with various wheel base options, kicktail and 85A durometer slide wheels – an end of line model at a third of the original retail price. Me and Jen went out this afternoon on bikes. A gentle ride on the cycle path to Annfield Plain. Jenni did well. Was good to see her tackling single track. Watched a bit of early evening television. Then two episodes of Breaking Bad Series Five. Looking forward to the new board. But will wait until wrist is a bit better before going out for slide attempts. Really tired now. Bed soon. 11.16 pm.

Friday 22nd July 2016

Less than twenty four hours after ordering, I'm removing a new toy from packaging. Got it from the excellent Vandem Longboard shop in Bristol for nearly a third of their original retail price. With ‘icy’ wheels designed for sliding, even an old duffer like me just might be able to learn essential stopping manoeuvres that my pintail board wouldn't allow me to master. Jen is out for a choir social evening. In Leadgate, of all places. “I'm in Royston Vasey!” she messaged a couple of hours ago. I got the Poetry Jam event page on Facebook, did a bit of typing but have been fighting a headache since half six. Gonna lie on the couch till Jenni gets back. 11.27 pm.

Saturday 23rd July 2016

A nice walk down to Allensford, taking in bike tracks and trials sites, was spoilt by my stepping in a rut on the dirt track five minutes from home. Twisted my sodding left ankle. Had to hop about the house and go upstairs on me backside to the toilet. Jenni has been making meals and getting me drinks. Hope my ankle isn't buggered. We'll see how tomorrow turns out. 11.24 pm.

Sunday 24th July 2016

Grip strength diminished these days and I can't see too far. Live in my head and won't drive a car. Marooned on the couch and clutching a magic screen. Low on work but living the dream. Jenni went on a mission, came back with my walking stick and a stack of provisions. Walter Mitty film on TV then Jen’s off to bed. Had to drain sour milk from my shredded wheat or I'd be sick. Tomorrow I'll try to see a doctor. Hope I can walk well again soon. 11.13 pm.