Time to desecrate a pristine notebook with self-indulgence. I’ve been doing Scribbles from the Brink of Inertia for over a decade. Today I made a big list of what I aim to achieve this year. Not wishes, as such – the last time a big wish came true I was told to socially distance and stay home. Not quite the sabbatical I intended. Mainly just watched TV today. Junior Bake Off then a documentary about ‘Dame’ actresses. Then a David Walliams programme about making Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! fly. A bit of The Chase and hilarious review of 2020 from Frankie Boyle then Taskmaster. Thanks to Naj for the curries. Jenni had hers for breakfast. I had mine for dinner. I’m going to get one more drink and a biscuit then I’ll get into bed and watch Corrie on iPlayer with Jenni. I’ve had too much chocolate. Drank a fair bit of Ribena. Feet are very cold tonight. I’m done for the day. Fingers crossed this year brings more creative successes. 10.53pm.
Saturday 2nd January 2021
“Ken wouldn’t employ someone who wanted a soft drink.” – Jenni Pascoe. While Jen was out working, I did a bit of washing up, had a shave, ate a veggie chilli and cakey tea, saw two and half episodes of Auf Wiedersehen Pet and discovered I quite like Rosemary and Thyme. Then I read The Writers Club by Maeve Binchy. Jen staggered in with takeaway supper and tales of being chatted up by some weirdo chippy man. Happy days – and it’s not even midnight yet. 11.16pm.
Sunday 3rd January 2021
Up by half nine. Porridge with hot chocolate for breakfast. Avoided Covid TV, watched Les Miserables in its entirety over eight hours, finished at twenty past seven. Jen had the heater on most of the day. Nice mushroom soup. Quite a few chocolates. Feel a bit tired but haven’t really done anything. 10.04pm.
Monday 4th January 2021
Up at half eight to another half-hearted set of morning pages. While the mobile device charged, I did the washing up. Had breakfast, chatted to Jenni. She left for work just after twelve. I rode the bike back to Consett. Some of the trails were covered in snow and ice. Annfield Plain was particularly difficult but I made it okay. No phone calls, no snail mail, no updates. I had a burger and chips and watched the Winter Walks programme. Didn’t know Selina Scott still worked for the BBC. I watched the PM’s speech about lockdown. Doubt workshops at Waddington Street Centre will go ahead. I did some prep for the first session, but it probably won’t get used now. I’m still aiming for a new bike when springtime comes. Fucking cold tonight. Might have a chicken sandwich. 11.40pm.
Tuesday 5th January 2021
Waddy said they’ll phone or email about the lockdown impact on education at the Centre. Website states closure till at least mid-February. I sat on the couch this morning and read more ‘Stay Fanatic!!! Vol 2’ in which Rollins says analog beats digital, hands down; there’s no music on CDs, just digital information; vinyl grooves carry far more musical content. I think streaming and CDs would reproduce the intended sound far better than the poor-quality turntables I used in my teens and twenties. And no-one needs ten copies of the same album coz of label or vinyl colour variants. Fucking cold. Only managed to type up half a dozen pages. I’m way behind. My feet are numb. My shoulder isn’t so bad at present. But my motivation is at rock bottom. Enjoyed the Lemn Sissay episode of ‘Winter Walks’ tonight. Calmed me down. Listened to much of Zeppelin’s ‘Physical Graffiti’ for the first time in years. 11.37pm.
Wednesday 6th January 2021
Out in town this morning for food supplies. Got some great bargains. Five 8p boxes of sweet mince pies. Three 10p jars of hazelnut chocolate spread. Also, WD40 for the Rockhopper. Grease for the chain. Chatted briefly to Shaun at Bits for Bikes. He says his suppliers have told him to put in orders now for 2022. He says it will take a couple of years before the bike industry gets back to normal. The college are paying me to stay home this winter. Had a bit of online chat with nephew Kyle this evening. Listened to some goth tracks whilst trying to type, but three late nights in a row and I’m knackered. I’ll stay up for Newsnight to get the latest on the Trump coup in DC. How John Lydon thinks that cunt is praiseworthy, I don’t know. Jesus, it’s all kicking off. 10.42pm.
Thursday 7th January 2021
Spoke to Mam on the phone and wished Ernie a happy birthday. Took time out this afternoon coz I didn’t get enough sleep last night. Listened to a 1997 three-hour Rollins spoken word show. He did his throat doctor story and a brilliant one about moving into a grotty NYC apartment. People on Newsnight going bankrupt coz of Covid. Fucking awful. Had enough for one day. 11.59pm.
Friday 8th January 2021
Finally sent feedback to Liv of Bad Pollyanna about her solo album. I listened to Tales from the Northern Quarter again this morning and wrote new notes at the same time and sent them snailmail in handwritten form coz I’m hating being at the keyboard so much. It’s fucking freezing and I don’t like trying to concentrate when there’s so many social media distractions. I suppose I could switch off the WiFi but I basically just hate typing up prose. And poems are thin on the ground these days. It was good to get out for some fresh air this afternoon. A nice walk in the snow. The cycle path has hard pack on it and should be okay to ride tomorrow. There have been misunderstandings about distances people can travel for exercise: Derbyshire police have apologized for issuing £200 fines to peeps who innocently engaged in socially distanced exercise. And it looks like Trump will be impeached next week. I’ve enjoyed all the Bowie stuff on BBC4 this evening. Wish I got to see him in concert. I know precious little about most things. 11.48pm.
Saturday 9th January 2021
Seven hours sleep. Scrambled eggs on toast. Bag pack. Three-hour ride to Jen’s through snow. Some bits were great – well trodden hardpack, some ice, some snow too deep to pedal. My gears froze a bit. Got to Jen’s around twenty to three. She prepped Indian food for tea. I don’t know what much of it was, but it tasted nice. We watched the second series of Staged and some of The Voice. House had heating on. Good to be back in Bensham. 11.05pm.
Sunday 10th January 2021
Big lie in. Did stuff in morning pages but can’t remember much of it. Me and Jen watched Red Bull Soap Box and some adrenaline junkies climbing up buildings. Then a footie match between Spurs and Marine on a pitch flanked by houses with peeps in their gardens. Then an evening of David Bowie. The Serious Moonlight gig is nowhere near as good as the Reality Tour on now. Life on Mars. Great stuff. OK. 11.01pm.
Monday 11th January 2021
Stay at home. Enjoy a walk. It’s okay to bike round London if you’re PM. But you’ll get a £200 fine if you go to a park to meet a socially distanced friend with a Starbucks coffee. Sick of spending hour after hour, scrolling conflicting guidelines and bickering. No matter. Jenni was at work today. She brought chips back tonight. I watched the Masters snooker. The trailing player came back from 5-1 to 5-4 but Stuart Bingham won. Weather is forecast to be colder and drier tomorrow. Fingers crossed I get back to Consett okay. I got two emails from Waddy. They have offered me a paid Zoom workshop, but I don’t have a camera or online skills. 10.56 pm.
Tuesday 12th January 2021
Another lie in. Put my bike clothes on, ready to go before eleven. Good weather. Knee felt better. Wrote a letter to Waddy about work I’m unable to do due to lack of tech. Evening spent scrolling, watching bits and pieces. Looked at the new list of best 2021 bikepacking rigs. The Sonder Frontier is on there. I’m still hoping to get one. Virus getting stronger and spreading, more dying and restrictions getting tighter. I’m getting more tired by the day. Livelihood uncertain. Was hoping for clear advice on bike restrictions. But I have a good route to and from Jen’s and I’m in a bubble so I’m okay for now. 11.52pm.
Wednesday 13th January 2021
Think there was a band called Wednesday 13th. Think they were American. Today the President of the United States was impeached. But probably won’t go to jail. Pretty amazing if he did. Would he get special treatment? I’m sure there are millions of people all over the world, not just America, who would like to give him special treatment. I went out to buy food this afternoon. Not many people about. As is understandable. Some Tory or police minister has just said its okay to cycle fifty to seventy miles. How can that be classed as local? My trip is 20 miles and not every day. I am struggling big time to get anything done. I didn’t even want to do this journal entry. When the pandemic is over, I have no idea how I am going to earn money. I haven’t had a proper job since my late twenties. I’m fifty-one later this month. This evening I listened to Hanoi Rocks and tried to type. I’m not even halfway through December’s stuff. Losing the will to even try. Just scrolling shit and watching tv online. Eating too much and screaming at the News. I will try not to freeze to death in the coming months. Sick of this year already. 11.44pm.
Thursday 14th January 2021
Long day. Tried to work as best I could. But still miles behind. I sent money to Jenni to pay my half of the Windows 365 sub renewal. Read some bike stuff. Keyed in more journal. Went out for a walk tonight. The streets were super slippery. Some of the paths are hardpack. I took a torch and walked along Lydgetts Lane to the cycle path. It’s pretty hardpack there. Good to ride in really sub-zero temps when its firm. I went over the Gill bridge and continued up to Rowley. Enjoyed being out in the countryside in the dark. I was never more than a couple of miles from home. I only saw a couple of others walking out near the shop. When I got back, I messaged Jenni. She says best come over on Sunday coz she’s having a zoom party on Saturday night. I might still go out on the bike tomorrow just to see what it’s like. I read a load of cyclists’ comments about the new lockdown restrictions. Some were just doing loops of their village; some riding 40 kilometres. My ride is eighteen miles to my support bubble. If I have bike failure, I’m only nine miles from either house at most. Fuck it! 11.50pm.
Friday 15th January 2021
Good to have a day away from the desktop computer. I made a list after breakfast of stuff to do. It was good to get the kitchen looking half decent. I read another chapter of ‘Stay Fanatic!!! Volume 2’ by Henry Rollins. A great bid-by-bid account of an eBay auction. But still, why the fuck would anyone want so many versions of the same record? Or an acetate of an unreleased single that will deteriorate rapidly in sound quality with each play and selling at four thousand dollars? I washed some smalls in the sink and copied up the last week of worklog, little as it was. And my gratitude journal. I had fish fingers and chips for tea. Skipped the TV News tonight. Sick of it. They’re finally closing the UK border – only a fucking year too late. I read about fifteen pages of “For Fuck’s Sake – A lifetime Spent With One Foot On The Bottom Rung Of The Rock and Roll Ladder” by Robert Nelly Hunter. Then I reread some morning pages and watched a DVD of Stephen King’s MISERY. Brilliant film. OK. 11.31pm.
Saturday 16th January 2021
Enjoyed reading more ‘Stay Fanatic!!! Vol 2’ even though I’m not keen on the idea of sharing numerous images of record vinyl variants. Hank has a good page on Hanoi Rocks though. I typed up some notes. Jen was in touch; I’m not going to hers until mid-week coz she is busy. I watched ‘Mickybo and Me’ on DVD tonight. Enjoyable film set in 1970’s Northern Ireland starring two youngsters with nods to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Gina McKee and Julie Walters play the mothers. More Covid woe. Really cold. 11.20pm.
Sunday 17th January 2021
Good to get out on the bike this afternoon. But a bit low-key. Mainly just trundling over slush around Consett town centre. Olivia from Bad Pollyanna messaged thanks for the Joe Brainard Riff poetry monograph. I had a lush steak pie and veg dinner this evening. Read more ‘Stay Fanatic!!! Vol 2’ and some ‘Basic Paper Aeroplane’ by Joshua James Amberson and friends. I watched Lincoln on DVD. Online Covid and Universal Credit updates. But no TV News since Thursday. 10.40pm.
Monday 18th January 2021
Very warm in bed. Morning seemed to fly by. Didn’t get much done. Spoke to Mam and Ernie on the phone; they are okay. Ernie told me the story of a squirrel taking up the residence in the garage and snaffling the dogfood. We discussed ‘stay at home’ and distance allowed for exercise and financial work meetings. Keying in December journal has been a real fucking chore. I got the final six entries done today. Checked out magazine from National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE). Seems authors are doing zooms for schools. I don’t see that as an option for me with vulnerable adults. The Tories are divided over the upkeep of £20 weekly increase to Universal Credit. Looks like it will be extended but not made permanent. Anyway, tonight I got out to Tesco for food. Less than a tenner, and back in little over ninety minutes. Been pretty warm since then. No DVDs, but a canny day. OK. 11.30pm.
Tuesday 19th January 2021
Cold day, rain on and off. Luckily not torrential. Been listening to lots of Punk and Metal on Spotify. Good to hear Danzig, New York Dolls, Pistols, Clash, Damned, Television, Fugazi, Mercyful Fate, Kiss, Maiden, Diamond Head… I am keen to get back into some small press poetry activity. Been looking at Paper and Ink magazine and Analog Submission Press. I’m a bit cold and fighting a coldsore. It was good to hear from Jenni today. I’ve been enjoying the editing. It’s mainly just the keying in that pisses me off. When I look away from my page, I can’t find my place again. Still unsure how things can continue community arts wise. Maybe I’ll have to do more online stuff. I’m keen to do two little books this year in addition to Steve Achieves and the zines. I’m a bit snotty at the moment. Will be good when spring gets here. 11.17pm.
Wednesday 20th January 2021
Haven’t felt too cold today. The other night was almost four degrees and I was freezing. Tonight, I looked out the window; snow covering the ground. I checked the temperature online and it was one degree above zero. I haven’t refilled my hot water bottle all evening and I haven’t worn my top fleece. I have a bit of eyestrain from being at the computer. I have avoided TV News all day. I often watch Newsnight on iPlayer but today I’m tired. I reformatted ten lesson plans and a scheme of work for the college. We are being paid to stay at home but have been asked to provide lesson plans. I’ve selected ones I’d actually like to do this year but now I’ll probably just come up with new material if we get back to delivering courses in person after Easter. I read a long ‘Stay Fanatic!!! Vol 2’ chapter which had a good Bowie essay in it. I tried out a couple of the bands that were name checked. Thee Oh Sees are pretty good. Tonight, I read the first few pages of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier online. I might have to buy that book and read it cover to cover in one go. I’m aiming to be in bed three hours earlier than last night. Well, just under anyway. OK. 11.03pm.
Thursday 21st January 2021
Read quite a few articles from NAWE magazine. Good review of Anne Caldwell’s prose poem collection Alice and the North. Examples cited reminded me of my Piece of String prose poem. I read about RL Stevenson’s early career and the choices that informed his decision to take the ‘penny dreadful’ route for Treasure Island and share chapters with his family. I read more Paper and Ink magazine and checked out other works by the contributors, coz I’m keen to see where they publish. It will be a long research season before I find outlets that feel right to submit my work to this year. I’ve spat and cursed at certain political figures but I’m trying to take a step back. I’ve checked out some of Katie Kookaburra’s bike videos, including the one in which she talks about health issues fixed by taking up cycling. Good to hear from Jenni. We shared our favourite Bernie Saunders mittens pictures. I love the lunchbreak skyscraper girder and the Minor Threat porch step. Newsnight is on now. Mainly about the impact of Brexit on Northern Ireland’s supermarket shelves. 11.04pm.
Friday 22nd January 2021
Enjoyed scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast even though the eggs were a bit small and didn’t quite cover the two small slices of toast. Intended to ride to Jen’s early, but I stayed up late last night. Still a bit of snow and ice here and there. Some clear tarmac too and a bit of sludge. No hassles, no accidents. Jen was in bed when I arrived. Chatted for half an hour. Had a shower then watched a bit of classic Corrie and the Covid briefing. Social media informed us that three families were fined for having a barbeque in sub zero temperatures up on the moors in Weardale. Jen ordered pizzas and chips for tea, which were awesome. We watched more Corrie then switched to Sky Arts for the New Romantics followed by The Art of Drumming. Now watching first episode of It’s A Sin. We have polished off the rest of the epic pizza. 10.17pm.
Saturday 23rd January 2021
Read the first fifty pages of See Through Me by Kevin Brooks. A teen novel in which a girl wakes to find her skin has become transparent. Me and Jenni had lazy times. Big curry and rice tea; watched the Voice, Amazing Spaces, TV News; and now Vera. Pleased I’ve got my big furry fleece and lots of hot chocolate. I am staying put till at least Tuesday. 11.10pm.
Sunday 24th January 2021
Me and Jen had another one of our Sunday morning political discussions. We watched The Simpsons – Homer formed a band with his mates and played bass. I washed the dishes then watched the Chase. Dancing on Ice. Had a veggie burger. Watched three episodes of ‘Finding Alice’ before supper. Bit warmer today. Last day of being fifty. 10.59pm.
Monday 25th January 2021
“Ken wouldn’t employ someone who wanted a soft drink.” – Jenni Pascoe. While Jen was out working, I did a bit of washing up, had a shave, ate a veggie chilli and cakey tea, saw two and half episodes of Auf Wiedersehen Pet and discovered I quite like Rosemary and Thyme. Then I read The Writers Club by Maeve Binchy. Jen staggered in with takeaway supper and tales of being chatted up by some weirdo chippy man. Happy days – and it’s not even midnight yet. 11.16pm.
Sunday 3rd January 2021
Up by half nine. Porridge with hot chocolate for breakfast. Avoided Covid TV, watched Les Miserables in its entirety over eight hours, finished at twenty past seven. Jen had the heater on most of the day. Nice mushroom soup. Quite a few chocolates. Feel a bit tired but haven’t really done anything. 10.04pm.
Monday 4th January 2021
Up at half eight to another half-hearted set of morning pages. While the mobile device charged, I did the washing up. Had breakfast, chatted to Jenni. She left for work just after twelve. I rode the bike back to Consett. Some of the trails were covered in snow and ice. Annfield Plain was particularly difficult but I made it okay. No phone calls, no snail mail, no updates. I had a burger and chips and watched the Winter Walks programme. Didn’t know Selina Scott still worked for the BBC. I watched the PM’s speech about lockdown. Doubt workshops at Waddington Street Centre will go ahead. I did some prep for the first session, but it probably won’t get used now. I’m still aiming for a new bike when springtime comes. Fucking cold tonight. Might have a chicken sandwich. 11.40pm.
Tuesday 5th January 2021
Waddy said they’ll phone or email about the lockdown impact on education at the Centre. Website states closure till at least mid-February. I sat on the couch this morning and read more ‘Stay Fanatic!!! Vol 2’ in which Rollins says analog beats digital, hands down; there’s no music on CDs, just digital information; vinyl grooves carry far more musical content. I think streaming and CDs would reproduce the intended sound far better than the poor-quality turntables I used in my teens and twenties. And no-one needs ten copies of the same album coz of label or vinyl colour variants. Fucking cold. Only managed to type up half a dozen pages. I’m way behind. My feet are numb. My shoulder isn’t so bad at present. But my motivation is at rock bottom. Enjoyed the Lemn Sissay episode of ‘Winter Walks’ tonight. Calmed me down. Listened to much of Zeppelin’s ‘Physical Graffiti’ for the first time in years. 11.37pm.
Wednesday 6th January 2021
Out in town this morning for food supplies. Got some great bargains. Five 8p boxes of sweet mince pies. Three 10p jars of hazelnut chocolate spread. Also, WD40 for the Rockhopper. Grease for the chain. Chatted briefly to Shaun at Bits for Bikes. He says his suppliers have told him to put in orders now for 2022. He says it will take a couple of years before the bike industry gets back to normal. The college are paying me to stay home this winter. Had a bit of online chat with nephew Kyle this evening. Listened to some goth tracks whilst trying to type, but three late nights in a row and I’m knackered. I’ll stay up for Newsnight to get the latest on the Trump coup in DC. How John Lydon thinks that cunt is praiseworthy, I don’t know. Jesus, it’s all kicking off. 10.42pm.
Thursday 7th January 2021
Spoke to Mam on the phone and wished Ernie a happy birthday. Took time out this afternoon coz I didn’t get enough sleep last night. Listened to a 1997 three-hour Rollins spoken word show. He did his throat doctor story and a brilliant one about moving into a grotty NYC apartment. People on Newsnight going bankrupt coz of Covid. Fucking awful. Had enough for one day. 11.59pm.
Friday 8th January 2021
Finally sent feedback to Liv of Bad Pollyanna about her solo album. I listened to Tales from the Northern Quarter again this morning and wrote new notes at the same time and sent them snailmail in handwritten form coz I’m hating being at the keyboard so much. It’s fucking freezing and I don’t like trying to concentrate when there’s so many social media distractions. I suppose I could switch off the WiFi but I basically just hate typing up prose. And poems are thin on the ground these days. It was good to get out for some fresh air this afternoon. A nice walk in the snow. The cycle path has hard pack on it and should be okay to ride tomorrow. There have been misunderstandings about distances people can travel for exercise: Derbyshire police have apologized for issuing £200 fines to peeps who innocently engaged in socially distanced exercise. And it looks like Trump will be impeached next week. I’ve enjoyed all the Bowie stuff on BBC4 this evening. Wish I got to see him in concert. I know precious little about most things. 11.48pm.
Saturday 9th January 2021
Seven hours sleep. Scrambled eggs on toast. Bag pack. Three-hour ride to Jen’s through snow. Some bits were great – well trodden hardpack, some ice, some snow too deep to pedal. My gears froze a bit. Got to Jen’s around twenty to three. She prepped Indian food for tea. I don’t know what much of it was, but it tasted nice. We watched the second series of Staged and some of The Voice. House had heating on. Good to be back in Bensham. 11.05pm.
Sunday 10th January 2021
Big lie in. Did stuff in morning pages but can’t remember much of it. Me and Jen watched Red Bull Soap Box and some adrenaline junkies climbing up buildings. Then a footie match between Spurs and Marine on a pitch flanked by houses with peeps in their gardens. Then an evening of David Bowie. The Serious Moonlight gig is nowhere near as good as the Reality Tour on now. Life on Mars. Great stuff. OK. 11.01pm.
Monday 11th January 2021
Stay at home. Enjoy a walk. It’s okay to bike round London if you’re PM. But you’ll get a £200 fine if you go to a park to meet a socially distanced friend with a Starbucks coffee. Sick of spending hour after hour, scrolling conflicting guidelines and bickering. No matter. Jenni was at work today. She brought chips back tonight. I watched the Masters snooker. The trailing player came back from 5-1 to 5-4 but Stuart Bingham won. Weather is forecast to be colder and drier tomorrow. Fingers crossed I get back to Consett okay. I got two emails from Waddy. They have offered me a paid Zoom workshop, but I don’t have a camera or online skills. 10.56 pm.
Tuesday 12th January 2021
Another lie in. Put my bike clothes on, ready to go before eleven. Good weather. Knee felt better. Wrote a letter to Waddy about work I’m unable to do due to lack of tech. Evening spent scrolling, watching bits and pieces. Looked at the new list of best 2021 bikepacking rigs. The Sonder Frontier is on there. I’m still hoping to get one. Virus getting stronger and spreading, more dying and restrictions getting tighter. I’m getting more tired by the day. Livelihood uncertain. Was hoping for clear advice on bike restrictions. But I have a good route to and from Jen’s and I’m in a bubble so I’m okay for now. 11.52pm.
Wednesday 13th January 2021
Think there was a band called Wednesday 13th. Think they were American. Today the President of the United States was impeached. But probably won’t go to jail. Pretty amazing if he did. Would he get special treatment? I’m sure there are millions of people all over the world, not just America, who would like to give him special treatment. I went out to buy food this afternoon. Not many people about. As is understandable. Some Tory or police minister has just said its okay to cycle fifty to seventy miles. How can that be classed as local? My trip is 20 miles and not every day. I am struggling big time to get anything done. I didn’t even want to do this journal entry. When the pandemic is over, I have no idea how I am going to earn money. I haven’t had a proper job since my late twenties. I’m fifty-one later this month. This evening I listened to Hanoi Rocks and tried to type. I’m not even halfway through December’s stuff. Losing the will to even try. Just scrolling shit and watching tv online. Eating too much and screaming at the News. I will try not to freeze to death in the coming months. Sick of this year already. 11.44pm.
Thursday 14th January 2021
Long day. Tried to work as best I could. But still miles behind. I sent money to Jenni to pay my half of the Windows 365 sub renewal. Read some bike stuff. Keyed in more journal. Went out for a walk tonight. The streets were super slippery. Some of the paths are hardpack. I took a torch and walked along Lydgetts Lane to the cycle path. It’s pretty hardpack there. Good to ride in really sub-zero temps when its firm. I went over the Gill bridge and continued up to Rowley. Enjoyed being out in the countryside in the dark. I was never more than a couple of miles from home. I only saw a couple of others walking out near the shop. When I got back, I messaged Jenni. She says best come over on Sunday coz she’s having a zoom party on Saturday night. I might still go out on the bike tomorrow just to see what it’s like. I read a load of cyclists’ comments about the new lockdown restrictions. Some were just doing loops of their village; some riding 40 kilometres. My ride is eighteen miles to my support bubble. If I have bike failure, I’m only nine miles from either house at most. Fuck it! 11.50pm.
Friday 15th January 2021
Good to have a day away from the desktop computer. I made a list after breakfast of stuff to do. It was good to get the kitchen looking half decent. I read another chapter of ‘Stay Fanatic!!! Volume 2’ by Henry Rollins. A great bid-by-bid account of an eBay auction. But still, why the fuck would anyone want so many versions of the same record? Or an acetate of an unreleased single that will deteriorate rapidly in sound quality with each play and selling at four thousand dollars? I washed some smalls in the sink and copied up the last week of worklog, little as it was. And my gratitude journal. I had fish fingers and chips for tea. Skipped the TV News tonight. Sick of it. They’re finally closing the UK border – only a fucking year too late. I read about fifteen pages of “For Fuck’s Sake – A lifetime Spent With One Foot On The Bottom Rung Of The Rock and Roll Ladder” by Robert Nelly Hunter. Then I reread some morning pages and watched a DVD of Stephen King’s MISERY. Brilliant film. OK. 11.31pm.
Saturday 16th January 2021
Enjoyed reading more ‘Stay Fanatic!!! Vol 2’ even though I’m not keen on the idea of sharing numerous images of record vinyl variants. Hank has a good page on Hanoi Rocks though. I typed up some notes. Jen was in touch; I’m not going to hers until mid-week coz she is busy. I watched ‘Mickybo and Me’ on DVD tonight. Enjoyable film set in 1970’s Northern Ireland starring two youngsters with nods to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Gina McKee and Julie Walters play the mothers. More Covid woe. Really cold. 11.20pm.
Sunday 17th January 2021
Good to get out on the bike this afternoon. But a bit low-key. Mainly just trundling over slush around Consett town centre. Olivia from Bad Pollyanna messaged thanks for the Joe Brainard Riff poetry monograph. I had a lush steak pie and veg dinner this evening. Read more ‘Stay Fanatic!!! Vol 2’ and some ‘Basic Paper Aeroplane’ by Joshua James Amberson and friends. I watched Lincoln on DVD. Online Covid and Universal Credit updates. But no TV News since Thursday. 10.40pm.
Monday 18th January 2021
Very warm in bed. Morning seemed to fly by. Didn’t get much done. Spoke to Mam and Ernie on the phone; they are okay. Ernie told me the story of a squirrel taking up the residence in the garage and snaffling the dogfood. We discussed ‘stay at home’ and distance allowed for exercise and financial work meetings. Keying in December journal has been a real fucking chore. I got the final six entries done today. Checked out magazine from National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE). Seems authors are doing zooms for schools. I don’t see that as an option for me with vulnerable adults. The Tories are divided over the upkeep of £20 weekly increase to Universal Credit. Looks like it will be extended but not made permanent. Anyway, tonight I got out to Tesco for food. Less than a tenner, and back in little over ninety minutes. Been pretty warm since then. No DVDs, but a canny day. OK. 11.30pm.
Tuesday 19th January 2021
Cold day, rain on and off. Luckily not torrential. Been listening to lots of Punk and Metal on Spotify. Good to hear Danzig, New York Dolls, Pistols, Clash, Damned, Television, Fugazi, Mercyful Fate, Kiss, Maiden, Diamond Head… I am keen to get back into some small press poetry activity. Been looking at Paper and Ink magazine and Analog Submission Press. I’m a bit cold and fighting a coldsore. It was good to hear from Jenni today. I’ve been enjoying the editing. It’s mainly just the keying in that pisses me off. When I look away from my page, I can’t find my place again. Still unsure how things can continue community arts wise. Maybe I’ll have to do more online stuff. I’m keen to do two little books this year in addition to Steve Achieves and the zines. I’m a bit snotty at the moment. Will be good when spring gets here. 11.17pm.
Wednesday 20th January 2021
Haven’t felt too cold today. The other night was almost four degrees and I was freezing. Tonight, I looked out the window; snow covering the ground. I checked the temperature online and it was one degree above zero. I haven’t refilled my hot water bottle all evening and I haven’t worn my top fleece. I have a bit of eyestrain from being at the computer. I have avoided TV News all day. I often watch Newsnight on iPlayer but today I’m tired. I reformatted ten lesson plans and a scheme of work for the college. We are being paid to stay at home but have been asked to provide lesson plans. I’ve selected ones I’d actually like to do this year but now I’ll probably just come up with new material if we get back to delivering courses in person after Easter. I read a long ‘Stay Fanatic!!! Vol 2’ chapter which had a good Bowie essay in it. I tried out a couple of the bands that were name checked. Thee Oh Sees are pretty good. Tonight, I read the first few pages of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier online. I might have to buy that book and read it cover to cover in one go. I’m aiming to be in bed three hours earlier than last night. Well, just under anyway. OK. 11.03pm.
Thursday 21st January 2021
Read quite a few articles from NAWE magazine. Good review of Anne Caldwell’s prose poem collection Alice and the North. Examples cited reminded me of my Piece of String prose poem. I read about RL Stevenson’s early career and the choices that informed his decision to take the ‘penny dreadful’ route for Treasure Island and share chapters with his family. I read more Paper and Ink magazine and checked out other works by the contributors, coz I’m keen to see where they publish. It will be a long research season before I find outlets that feel right to submit my work to this year. I’ve spat and cursed at certain political figures but I’m trying to take a step back. I’ve checked out some of Katie Kookaburra’s bike videos, including the one in which she talks about health issues fixed by taking up cycling. Good to hear from Jenni. We shared our favourite Bernie Saunders mittens pictures. I love the lunchbreak skyscraper girder and the Minor Threat porch step. Newsnight is on now. Mainly about the impact of Brexit on Northern Ireland’s supermarket shelves. 11.04pm.
Friday 22nd January 2021
Enjoyed scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast even though the eggs were a bit small and didn’t quite cover the two small slices of toast. Intended to ride to Jen’s early, but I stayed up late last night. Still a bit of snow and ice here and there. Some clear tarmac too and a bit of sludge. No hassles, no accidents. Jen was in bed when I arrived. Chatted for half an hour. Had a shower then watched a bit of classic Corrie and the Covid briefing. Social media informed us that three families were fined for having a barbeque in sub zero temperatures up on the moors in Weardale. Jen ordered pizzas and chips for tea, which were awesome. We watched more Corrie then switched to Sky Arts for the New Romantics followed by The Art of Drumming. Now watching first episode of It’s A Sin. We have polished off the rest of the epic pizza. 10.17pm.
Saturday 23rd January 2021
Read the first fifty pages of See Through Me by Kevin Brooks. A teen novel in which a girl wakes to find her skin has become transparent. Me and Jenni had lazy times. Big curry and rice tea; watched the Voice, Amazing Spaces, TV News; and now Vera. Pleased I’ve got my big furry fleece and lots of hot chocolate. I am staying put till at least Tuesday. 11.10pm.
Sunday 24th January 2021
Me and Jen had another one of our Sunday morning political discussions. We watched The Simpsons – Homer formed a band with his mates and played bass. I washed the dishes then watched the Chase. Dancing on Ice. Had a veggie burger. Watched three episodes of ‘Finding Alice’ before supper. Bit warmer today. Last day of being fifty. 10.59pm.
Monday 25th January 2021
Jenni bought me a new toolbox for my bookmaking stuff – with new threads, bradawl, curved needles, straight needles, and bookmaker’s glue. I got UPRIGHT (Tim Minchin) DVD, new razor and blades, spoof HellFraiser t-shirt. I got a hat-mask combo off Jen’s Mam. We had lush sausage egg beans brunch then watched a load of skateboard videos – Toyota 2018 Skateboard Park championships from Minneapolis, then BIG AIR ramp champs from same event followed by the Street-riding competition. Naj made us pumpkin curry and later Jen surprised me with cherry tart and custard. Numerous hot chocolates and Ribena. Got loads of nice messages from Facebook friends. We watched an episode of Vera about a murder at The Bridge pub just up the road where we’ve gigged a few times. It’s been a cracking day. Bigly thanks to Jenni for a lovely time and to all the peeps online. Chuffed to be in Bensham on my birthday. 11.09pm.
Tuesday 26th January 2021
Stayed an extra day at Jen’s. Took a while to get out of bed coz we were up until three watching the hard-hitting series ‘It’s A Sin’ about the impact of AIDS in the eighties/nineties. I had jam on toast and stollen for breakfast. Jenni played with her disco lights whilst getting ready for work. Then she realised she didn’t need to be at work until after two o’clock. I had scrambled eggs in a wholemeal bun then shaved. I tried to read more of See Through Me but started falling asleep. I got up at half five and had veggie chilli and rice then watched TV News. Boris Johnson apologizes for 100,000 Covid deaths in the UK. Sorry, and did everything he could. Some people might beg to differ. Then I read seventy pages of See Through Me. Jenni returned just before ten, armed with chips and curry sauce. We ate and laughed at silly things. 10.42pm.
Wednesday 27th January 2021
Jenni prepared Fray Bentos veggie steak pie and boiled potatoes for lunch. Most of the snow is gone. Some slush here and there. I rode home in the drizzle. The worst bit was the cycle path from Consett to The Grove. Good to find the house still okay. Mam and Ernie sent a birthday card with a thirty quid cheque in it. I rang to thank them. Back at the desktop, I didn’t feel like working tonight. Watched a bunch of Katie Kookaburra bike vids instead. Then the computer froze, and I had to message Jenni on the small device to get service back. I have been looking at bash guard compatible Shimano crank sets for a new bike. I don’t know how people ride over rocks and logs without a bash guard. Still not sure if I’ll have sufficient funds for a new setup. Thanks to Jenni for all the meals and laughs and help with the computer. Two days till my hospital appointment for the right shoulder. Hope it’s going be okay this year to ride a bit harder. 11.28pm.
Thursday 28th January 2021
Bit of a lie in. Morning pages. Porridge. A chapter of ‘Stay Fanatic!!! Vol 2’ by Rollins – mainly about Joy Division bootlegs. Sent provisional lesson plans to the college along with pay-log for hours I would have put in at Waddy if we lived in the normal times. This afternoon I keyed in some stuff. Watched a few bike videos. Including the new one from Ali Clarkson on his Inspired Hex trials bike doing street moves in freezing cold Glasgow. Also, Danny MacAskill riding down mountain slabs on the Isle of Skye. Then Katie Kookaburra on not taking risks on winter rides due to having previously fallen on ice. I won’t be out on my bike again until Sunday at the earliest. This afternoon I opened the front door to find a brand-new retro microwave oven on the step – another birthday present from Jenni. Really pleased to have it. I’m going to get a couple more months out of my current blistered fuck-up before cutting down on the rice pouches and steam-bagged veg come springtime. I listened to The Idiot album by Iggy Pop. Newsnight had a feature on reluctance to take Covid vaccine. Jenni is going for her jab tomorrow. I’ll probably still be waiting this summer. 11.35pm.
Friday 29th January 2021
New Julia Eff zines arrived this morning. One, ‘Nebel’, is a photo collage sequence; and the other, ‘Zerstoren’, is a ‘holding down a gruelling day-job during Covid’ trauma narrative. Julia included a handwritten letter. I read ‘Zerstoren’ this morning and want to send a copy of Unruly Eyebrow in response with a letter but don’t want to rush it. My shoulder-scan this afternoon was over in a few minutes. Nothing torn, but I have a bit of arthritis and an inflamed tendon. Doc will send word in due course on what to do next. Good to hear that Jen’s Covid jab went okay. She had a slight ache in her arm but otherwise fine. I’m a bit dazed. I just woke up on the couch near the end of the film ‘Antichrist’ where Charlotte Gainsbourg genitally mutilates Willem Dafoe before turning the scissors on her own private parts. The film is a long, experimental, harrowing trip that focuses on a couple’s attempts to cope with trauma following the accidental death of their infant son. It’s the second time since the 2009 DVD release that I’ve failed to watch it all the way through. Director Lars von Trier got slated. Maybe I should have stuck with mountain bike vids and the Black Metal book for an easy night. Really tired. 11.38pm.
Saturday 30th January 2021
Read another chapter of ‘Stay Fanatic!!! Vol 2’ – mainly about the Damned and a Hawkwind side project. First full English brunch today. Microwave, toaster, George Foreman grill. Lush. Keyed in more words. Watched a Rat Scabies interview on YouTube. This evening I did the ‘concerts attended’ post that’s doing the rounds on Facebook. Watched Thurston Moore interview Jorn Stubberud about his ‘The Death Archives: Mayhem 1984-94’ book. 11.17pm.
Sunday 31st January 2021
Read the Sunday papers online after breakfast. Edited some prose after a big chicken and veg dinner. Watched a live set from Venom filmed at Hellfest in 2015. Made some cheese and mixed pepper open toasties with mushrooms. Then watched Thursday’s Question Time and some black metal documentaries. Checked out the Hanoi Rocks hardback biography at Cleopatra records but it’s way out of my price range. Think I’ll have an early night. 10.31pm.
Tuesday 26th January 2021
Stayed an extra day at Jen’s. Took a while to get out of bed coz we were up until three watching the hard-hitting series ‘It’s A Sin’ about the impact of AIDS in the eighties/nineties. I had jam on toast and stollen for breakfast. Jenni played with her disco lights whilst getting ready for work. Then she realised she didn’t need to be at work until after two o’clock. I had scrambled eggs in a wholemeal bun then shaved. I tried to read more of See Through Me but started falling asleep. I got up at half five and had veggie chilli and rice then watched TV News. Boris Johnson apologizes for 100,000 Covid deaths in the UK. Sorry, and did everything he could. Some people might beg to differ. Then I read seventy pages of See Through Me. Jenni returned just before ten, armed with chips and curry sauce. We ate and laughed at silly things. 10.42pm.
Wednesday 27th January 2021
Jenni prepared Fray Bentos veggie steak pie and boiled potatoes for lunch. Most of the snow is gone. Some slush here and there. I rode home in the drizzle. The worst bit was the cycle path from Consett to The Grove. Good to find the house still okay. Mam and Ernie sent a birthday card with a thirty quid cheque in it. I rang to thank them. Back at the desktop, I didn’t feel like working tonight. Watched a bunch of Katie Kookaburra bike vids instead. Then the computer froze, and I had to message Jenni on the small device to get service back. I have been looking at bash guard compatible Shimano crank sets for a new bike. I don’t know how people ride over rocks and logs without a bash guard. Still not sure if I’ll have sufficient funds for a new setup. Thanks to Jenni for all the meals and laughs and help with the computer. Two days till my hospital appointment for the right shoulder. Hope it’s going be okay this year to ride a bit harder. 11.28pm.
Thursday 28th January 2021
Bit of a lie in. Morning pages. Porridge. A chapter of ‘Stay Fanatic!!! Vol 2’ by Rollins – mainly about Joy Division bootlegs. Sent provisional lesson plans to the college along with pay-log for hours I would have put in at Waddy if we lived in the normal times. This afternoon I keyed in some stuff. Watched a few bike videos. Including the new one from Ali Clarkson on his Inspired Hex trials bike doing street moves in freezing cold Glasgow. Also, Danny MacAskill riding down mountain slabs on the Isle of Skye. Then Katie Kookaburra on not taking risks on winter rides due to having previously fallen on ice. I won’t be out on my bike again until Sunday at the earliest. This afternoon I opened the front door to find a brand-new retro microwave oven on the step – another birthday present from Jenni. Really pleased to have it. I’m going to get a couple more months out of my current blistered fuck-up before cutting down on the rice pouches and steam-bagged veg come springtime. I listened to The Idiot album by Iggy Pop. Newsnight had a feature on reluctance to take Covid vaccine. Jenni is going for her jab tomorrow. I’ll probably still be waiting this summer. 11.35pm.
Friday 29th January 2021
New Julia Eff zines arrived this morning. One, ‘Nebel’, is a photo collage sequence; and the other, ‘Zerstoren’, is a ‘holding down a gruelling day-job during Covid’ trauma narrative. Julia included a handwritten letter. I read ‘Zerstoren’ this morning and want to send a copy of Unruly Eyebrow in response with a letter but don’t want to rush it. My shoulder-scan this afternoon was over in a few minutes. Nothing torn, but I have a bit of arthritis and an inflamed tendon. Doc will send word in due course on what to do next. Good to hear that Jen’s Covid jab went okay. She had a slight ache in her arm but otherwise fine. I’m a bit dazed. I just woke up on the couch near the end of the film ‘Antichrist’ where Charlotte Gainsbourg genitally mutilates Willem Dafoe before turning the scissors on her own private parts. The film is a long, experimental, harrowing trip that focuses on a couple’s attempts to cope with trauma following the accidental death of their infant son. It’s the second time since the 2009 DVD release that I’ve failed to watch it all the way through. Director Lars von Trier got slated. Maybe I should have stuck with mountain bike vids and the Black Metal book for an easy night. Really tired. 11.38pm.
Saturday 30th January 2021
Read another chapter of ‘Stay Fanatic!!! Vol 2’ – mainly about the Damned and a Hawkwind side project. First full English brunch today. Microwave, toaster, George Foreman grill. Lush. Keyed in more words. Watched a Rat Scabies interview on YouTube. This evening I did the ‘concerts attended’ post that’s doing the rounds on Facebook. Watched Thurston Moore interview Jorn Stubberud about his ‘The Death Archives: Mayhem 1984-94’ book. 11.17pm.
Sunday 31st January 2021
Read the Sunday papers online after breakfast. Edited some prose after a big chicken and veg dinner. Watched a live set from Venom filmed at Hellfest in 2015. Made some cheese and mixed pepper open toasties with mushrooms. Then watched Thursday’s Question Time and some black metal documentaries. Checked out the Hanoi Rocks hardback biography at Cleopatra records but it’s way out of my price range. Think I’ll have an early night. 10.31pm.
No comments:
Post a Comment