4480 - Comedy of terrors

Great episode of Berlin Station, the
Drama set in the German capital
Where me and Helen were in October
A story about the CIA, all
Geo-politics and geo-sex. Well,
What's Chan up to? No sign of her last night
Nor tonight either. But she doesn't tell
Me about her life. Seems quite dull. But quite
Out of character it may be, can't write
Off the chance of romance! Social media
Or work mate, someone she's met, who can tell?
It's quite exciting if she has! Tonight
I'm watching Question Time, Brexit, blah blah
Then a lie-in, off work, plan festival...

4479 - I'm drinking to that

I said to Helen, drinks were out until
Friday, but after two glasses of wine
At an evening motivation talk, I'll
Admit I've bought four cans, but I won't whine
I've worked and networked after work was done
All part of my new focused showbiz plan
A new age has dawned, and tonight I've gained
Both new contacts and a good tip, begun
To think about marketing, position
Myself to succeed, working not to fail
Nobody will give me my chance to shine
But nobody can stop me moving on
And up, if I commit and give it all
My passion, intellect, effort and time

4478 - With you I'm quorn again

It's eleven at night, and I'm cooking
But that's better than getting in the booze
I'm tired but hungry after enduring
A dash on foot to Piccadilly plus
A tense taxi ride, arriving there just
In time for my driving speed awareness
Course. I did one of these courses three years
Ago, so just eligible for this
Four hours it lasted. Had to catch the bus
Back to Manchester from Gorton, getting
Home real late. I needed these late night chews
I was hungry, despite the real lateness
Empty plate, twenty-five past eleven
Now it's straight to bed, there's no time to lose

4477 - Learning my kraft

There's so little time, but I've used it well
Today I bought blue trousers and can now
Plan my Kraftwerk uke open mic debacle
At the White Lion on Thursday. I don't know
If I'll do it or not, but I've allowed
Myself the chance. Listened to Autobahn
Four times to learn its twenty minute flow
Now to play along at home sitting down
Next task, to research what venues are shown
On the Ed Fringe site, find ten possible
Ones, and ask about terms and also how
They can help with sound and lights, and so on
If I do the whole month, the costs mean I'll
Need to find someone to share it somehow

4476 - No Deal Blues

A slow start to the day, a nice lie-in
Then watched all of the Brexit breaking news
Theresa May, her head is in a spin
From all the criticism, the abuse
Not so much in Brussels, she couldn't choose
Or cherry pick everything, of course not
And she didn't and couldn't, no excuse
Except the EU won't allow a rot
To set in by letting us have the lot
Labour seem to think still that they could win
More favourable terms. Are they on the booze?
The closer to Remain, the less Brexit
Yet still honouring the vote. Come again?
This is nonsense. Here come those No Deal Blues

4475 - There's no limit

Well here we are, and life feels good right now
Divested of Facebook and all that shit
I've got days off to come, weekend, and how
I intend to make the most of all it
Belated decision to revisit
What I learned from my course in France in June
So much to use, so many benefits
Great notes I made, tonight was a full moon
And I am making strides, using my own
Lessons learned, setting goals I must follow
Just like I do at work, why inhibit
My own potential? Now I have to hone
My act, got the whole weekend. Tomorrow
Is a whole day in which there's no limit

4474 - Bed head

Woken at quarter to four, think it was
By a loud party from the flat below
Took a while to get tired again because
I'd had to get out of bed to see who
Was making that racket even although
It was still a school night. I was quite tired
The rest of the day, and so not much more
Could be done, apart from the usual. Fired
Up my uke, played Aretha, so inspired
Her voice was, but her music was the blues
Easy to predict. Tired and feeling slow
But I've got through the day, come wind, come fire
It's half past ten, the weekend it is ours
I'm going to work on Edinburgh, you know

4473 - New year, new style, new everything

A day off, but I feel I used it well
Cleaned the flat thoroughly, all chores are done
Spent nowt, played uke, but I felt pointless til
I realised I should focus properly on
Something, and that meant procrastination
And fear should be vanquished, needed a goal
And that's Edinburgh Festival, even
If it costs time and money. As the old
Year nears its end, a year when I enrolled
In a comedy course in France, revealed
I had talent, got good advice, then Tom
Played host to me at this year's Fringe, I stole
The show, topped the bill, time to rise, not fall
So let's do a show in 2019!

4472 - Speaker freak

It's great catching up with such ease on all
The music I've missed, not bought on CD
Or not heard on the radio when a child
It shows how little I still know, really
Anyway, now my phone's playing Spotify
Playlists thru my new wi-fi speaker which
Although mono, has pretty good bass. I
Am enjoying listening to reggae licks
That said, it's UB40 now, oh shit
Why can you understand not a single
Word that geezer sings? Now I hear Funky
Kingston out of the speaker, it feels hot
Like I'm there myself sitting on a wall
Soaking up the smoking rays, so sunny

4471 - Tony Wilson Said

At work starting to gain some momentum
Got embroiled in an interesting query
Making new contacts as resolution
Draws nearer. It's fun learning things this way
But couldn't wait to play ukulele
On my new speaker once I got back home
Walked home listening to Hendrix and Queen, the
Aftermath of the film I'd watched at Home
Cinema, Tony Wilson Place, it's gone
On replaying in my head. No mushrooms
Again, keep forgetting at Sainsbury
To buy them! Is anything going on
Tonight? Don't think so. Chan's incense perfume
Permeated the flat - it smelled lovely!

4470 - Speaker's corner

OK chats at work, gradually getting
To know them better, some of them easy
Some of them not quite as, but I'm feeling
More at home. Like with my ukulele
Played along to my new speaker and the
Phone playlists, using Bluetooth, my first time
I feel more in touch now with the IT
Played Led Zep, Queen and Quo. Pleased to say I'm
Now able to play Brian May, it's fine
But one thing I can't face, should be doing
Is applying for Edinburgh. See,
To be a hit means being there the whole time
And I don't want to do that, that's the thing
It would be knackering and unhealthy

4469 - Lazy Sunday and the moon

Got up at 2pm this afternoon
Lovely to loll in bed after a late
One and recover slowly in my room
Listened to the England game - what a great
Comeback to beat Croatia against fate
Which seemed to be handing us a failure
Still with my orange hair left from last night
Amazingly the postman came with a
Parcel at 9:15 am, quicker
Than I expected, with my Amazon
Purchases of a calendar about
Great destinations, plus wi-fi speaker
Charged it, then went to see Bohemian
Rhapsody film, then watched football highlights

Sun 18 Nov

4468 - In town tonight

It's Saturday afternoon, and gearing
Up for a nice night out, first to a short
Comedy open mic where I'm doing
A 5 minute slot, then a few pints ought
To do the trick with Dermot, catch-up caught
We'll hopefully have laughs in Manchester
Maybe a few quid spent as much beer bought
But this long weekend's great, still time for more
Drunkenness and a lie-in, Sunday's a
Recovery day to which I am looking
Forward, listening to Spotify, a lot
Of new playlists, new material to hear
In a few minutes, time for practising
My 5 minute routine I'll do tonight

4467 - Chemistry professor

Day off, slept well, after my wine and beer
Real laid-back, I did not get dressed til two-
Thirty, after I'd had a shave and shower
Had been busy on Spotify, found new
Playlists, downloaded them to my phone so
I can hear them anytime when walking
Around. Exciting! Spoke to my mum too
And posted my brother's birthday card in
A postbox near me. Even phoned Triton
Shower company, but they can't fix the shower
Or send me a replacement part. Oh poo!
Watching reggae and David Rodigan
He looks like a chemistry professor
Chan's out late Friday night - what's she up to?

4466 - Eewwww exit

That completes my second week of the new
Job, I'm on leave tomorrow, cos I've got
A build-up of leave to take before New
Year. The autumn weather's been almost hot
As it often is these days, with climate
Change, and all that. The big story goes on
Looking worse each day, and that is Brexit
Ministers resign, backbenchers are in
Conspiracy talks. Nice people, all one
In their pursuit of power, so untrue
To each other, or to party or state
It's an auto-aphrodisiac demon
That takes over all else. They care for you
They say, to get your vote, but that's all rot...

4465 - Big deal

Today was a better day, much more talk
I feel I'm building my relationships
With new colleagues quite quickly. Had a walk
Down the aisle, talked to Sue, then had a trip
To Sian's desk, chatted to Nic, no more chip
On shoulder. Also getting to grips with
The new work area. Ready to put lip
To phone and chat to Laura, and forthwith
Learn from an expert, time to cut my teeth
Meanwhile, exercised back home, played uke, spoke
(Messaged) Helen, after her painful blip
She's doing OK. Next, there'll be some grief
Over the Brexit deal. Brexiters stalk
The corridors, Remainers defy the whip

4464 - They don't talk anymore

I thought this week there would be more talking
But my manager Steve's in just one day
So no chats even about work, something
That's hard to take coming immediately
After so many fun times recently
At the old place. Their goodbye card it said
End of an era, but it seems to be
The start of the ice age. I'm surrounded
By one grumpy bloke and by one real quiet
Another guy nearby, he likes chatting
But he's just talking to the women, they
Of course talk to each other, understood
They don't talk to a new bloke, he's sitting
There alone, friendly workmates far away

4463 - The Moon and Manchester

Mainly a day spent at the cinema
Two films seen - first one I saw was First Man
Ryan Gosling could play Lee Harvey, a
Dead ringer, but no, Neil Armstrong who some
Believe in '69 trod on the moon
It was a moving film, but Gosling made
Him seem boring somehow, like Michael Sheen
Underplaying Cloughie, Damned United
The second film was Peterloo, afraid
The first half was quite tedious after
A good start, I felt like I was trapped in
A series of union meetings, so sad
But the build-up to that small massacre
Was great and worth the wait, and served to stun

4462 - Day trip to London

Went by train to London with Josephine
The weather forecast was for heavy rain
Yet the sky was blue as we walked within
Its streets and parks. But it started to change
When we crossed the river. The dark clouds came
And torrents fell. We sheltered and ate fish
And chips but it continued, couldn't drain
Anywhere, deep puddles, wet feet, hair wash
Free from the heavens. Brollies now brandished
We crossed to St Paul's, then to she gleaming
Lights of Oxford and Bond Street, on tube train
Also to wet Piccadilly Circus
An army of umbrellas bypassing
As the deluge showed no sign of refrain

4461 - Time to say goodbye

Well it's here, the date of my leaving do
But first, Mike's leaving do (lunchtime) at my
New office. I don't know him, but still you
Have to socialise ASAP, free
Yourself of shyness, aim to show that I
Am friendly and can chat, and new colleagues
Should talk to me. Ate quickly, had to fly
To my own do, popped into Ralli Quays
Spoke to people, then headed off for brews
Down The Dockyard pub. I had quite a few
But they seemed weak, didn't get drunk, but why
Worry about that, they could have accused
Me of acting stupid, spoiling my new
More sober image as I climb more high

Fri 9 Nov

4460 - Pictures of silly

It's gone a bit colder, quite Christmassy
Dark and cold, but at least Manchester is
Now full of lights, new flats ubiquity
Had a haircut, arranged some new tattoos
Some funny sayings, three new languages
They're Polish, Flemish, and Ukrainian
Want them to wind like snakes around the place
To reveal them anytime will be fun
Certainly different from most anyone
I've almost caught up now with history
Of travelling in recent years to places
Around and near Europe, in snow and sun
It'll be a shame if they cremate me
When I've spent so much on these images

4459 - Quiche, Lorraine?

Ate a quiche, made me sneesh, must be the cheesh
Ate beans like they do in the Queen's marines
Ate parsley, fastly, quite Planet Marsly
Ate rocket, took it, not from my pocket
That's my tea, might be nice to eat nightly
Want pudding, but suddenly got nuthin'
I'm hungry for dungarees from Hungary
Inland drunks in Finland call it Ginland
Needin' to go to Sweden, get wee'd on
In Australia they'll jail ya for failure
In Kazakhstan, smack Stan in his black van
Theresa May may sneeze a lot in May
Eat peas a lot in Pisa, dear Lisa
Ate a quiche, made me sneesh, must be the cheesh

4458 - Meetings and greetings

Second day at my new office and job
It's so interesting to have this at last
And I don't think about the extra bob
It's mainly the change that does you good, just
Doing something new, liking the difference
A long team meeting, learning more new names
It was a good thing that I'd not got pissed
The night before. I had to up my game
And concentrate hard, show mental staying
Power. Done two nights' exercises, up
And down with my press-ups, having a blast
Getting bored now, though, feel I need a dram
Keeping in touch with old office pals. Sob -
I miss old office pals - to them, a toast!!

4457 - New faces and opportunity knocks

Good first day at work, learned new names, faces
Not much help given so I've begun to read
The relevant guidance on penalties
(Tax, not football!) and other info. Feed
The brain with new stuff. Nonsense, but repeat
It enough, and it'll make sense, and they
Will be impressed hopefully at my speed
Of learning in this new job. Second day
(Tomorrow) is a meeting where they'll say
Lots of gobbledygook, but that way is
The quickest way to learn, to plant the seed
Of knowledge, and relationships to lay
The groundwork for, maybe for a few years
And more money too! Now, less of that greed!

4456 - Nice au revoir

Last day in France, and we weren't there for long
6:30 a.m. bus to the airport
Thank God it wasn't early, hadn't gone
Thank God also that it didn't leave late
A tiring journey. B-21 gate
Tried to sleep but couldn't quite pull it off
The flight was too short. Then, a 4 hour wait
At Heathrow, where we had a breakfast scoff
In the end, passing time wasn't so tough
Laughing at funny passengers among
The ever-flowing crowds that walked and talked
Then a more relaxing flight back up north
Unpacked, showered. ate tea, washed clothes, I'm done
Knackered, early night... New job! Chose my suit!

Sun 4 Nov

4455 - Nice Day 7

Got up at eight to catch a train at nine
To Ventimiglia, Italian Riviera
First town out of France on the coastal line
And once there, weather couldn't have been fairer
Such warm sun. Late morning coffee, oh yeah
Not bad for November - twenty degrees
Maybe more. Corsica - storms in the air
Had pasta, Italian style, for lunch. She's
Chosen gnocchi, me ravioli. It pleased
But not as good as Pisa! An hour's time
And we were in lovely Villefranche-sur-mer
What a picturesque bay. Cruise ship at ease
Offloading American tourists. Wind
Our way around the bay, so nice to see...

Sat 3 Nov

4454 - Nice Day 6

Just could not decide where to go today
Wanted to see San Remo, Italy
But we'd missed the train, couldn't waste all day
Then tried to hire a car. It proved tricky
Avis was shut, then went to one by the
Railway station, where they told me the cost
Of hiring a car for one day would be
A hundred and seventy eight euros!!!
Sacked that idea. Just sat and ate some toast
(Sorry, panini!) - then, hotel to stay
Rest of the day and evening. Tomoz, we
Will go to Italy's Riviera coast
Ventimiglia, the first town on the bay
Only thirty euros. It's almost free!!!

Fri 2 Nov

4453 - Nice Day 5

The good weather ran out, but still lucky
The rain stopped when the train arrived in Cannes
We went on a train tour which meant that we
Didn't have to walk miles along the prom
Three kilometres long, 'twould be a pain
At one end, Palm Beach, other, the old town
The train took us to both. Movie stars' hands
We saw many of their prints on the ground
Outside the film festival hall. Then, Juan
Les Pins, very '60s, then Antibes, the
Amount of yachts staggering. Back on train.
Ate cheeseburgers for tea. Stomachs feel round
And full (of crap). We're watching French TV
A funny film in French, set in Britain!

Thur 1 Nov

4452 - Nice Day 4

Good night's sleep, refreshed, both looking forward
To a day out, but where? And the weather
Forecast predicted rain. But it was good
We bought train ticket to Menton, via
Monaco. First, Monte Carlo harbour
Then round the coastline to Monaco-Ville
Walked the parks and quaint narrow side streets there
Then headed back around and up the hill
To the Casino. Monte Carlo's real
Dense, all about property, overhead
Soar near skyscraper apartments. Further
Down the line, Menton. Hoped to eat a meal
There but restaurants closed! Back to Nice. Had
Tea there, Halloween night, kids dressed to scare!

Wed 31 Oct

4451 - Nice Day 3

Thankfully a sunny day. Thought we'd be
Too tired after some students disturbed us
All night, but we still found the energy
To enjoy the day. The boat trips have ceased
Until next spring, so instead did a bus
Tour, open top, through Nice, to Villefranche
And back, up Cimiez Hill, Musees Matisse
And Chagall, architecture was a bunch
Of huge Belle Epoque hotels and mansions
Photography Museum, then more sea-
Side walking, up to the castle, great views
P'raps given energy by a nice lunch
In the old town. Tourist train ride locally
Til sundown. Back to the hotel for rest!

Tue 30 Oct

4450 - Nice Day 2

First full day here, both had a good lie-in
But had to make breakfast, ending at ten
It had been raining cats and dogs, but in
The early hours. We ventured out with sun
Poking through the clouds. We'd had some warning
Today would be stormy, rainy and bad
On TV they forecast thunder, lightning
But it seemed OK, walked on the prom and
On the pebbly beach, the Mediterranean
Lapped my red boots, But later, a soaking
Befell me and Jo. Walked round the old town
Hunting umbrellas, but near hurricane
Conditions made brollies useless! Hid in
A brasserie, then headed 'home' again

Mon 29 Oct

4449 - Nice Day 1

Up at 5, bowl of cereal, then taxi
To Liverpool Airport, and no waiting
Straight on the plane, 2 hour flight, quiet, so we
Both got some rest, which we were both needing
At Nice Airport, caught bus, soon admiring
The Prom des Anglais, though the sky was grey
The sea was still partly blue. Alighting
At the main gare, we walked such a short way
Azurea Hotel, rue Paganini
Rested a while, then before dark began
Walked round the streets, mild evening, kids at play
Bought chocolate and pizza. First day OK
But rain's forecast for tomorrow, so the
Options are limited for sightseeing...

Sun 28 Oct

4448 - Nice Day -1

Had lie-in after final wine last night
Before a detox trip with Josephine
To Nice, although I can still drink there, right?
How much, probably not that much, will be seen
Washed bedding, cleaned up the flat, did shopping
Ate three meals before leaving the home scene
Met J at Picc station, coffee drinking
Got the train to Crewe, quick drink, then changing
Onto the Chester train, then taxi-ing
To Trafford Hall, chalet number 13
Luckily for us it turned out real quiet
Despite the fact it's around Halloween
With weirdly dressed youngsters all causing fright
Two to three hours' sleep, up early morning

Sat 27 Oct