4543 - Something in the air

It's bloody cold, so it bloody well is!
Last day of January, a relief
Of sorts, the lighter afternoons are whiz!
My winter coat keeps me warm, hand up sleeve
I haven't noticed the steam as I breathe
But I see car exhaust fumes in the air
The thing we breathe in always but we leave
It to imagination to picture
Felt tired on the way home but yeah
Man, still did my vital exercises
Hoping to sort out the double act stuff
Tomorrow eve for the Fringe, Edinburgh
Then I may sink one or two big drinkies
After four nights' being good to lungs and teeth!

4542 - Light in the dark

The coldest night of the year is tonight
Certainly feels too cold to be outside
Felt good today, looked out, thought it seemed light
It was the streetlights reflecting the white
Snow covering the ground. Walking was quite
Tricky in places, nearly slipped over
By early evening it was not in sight
Where are the snows of today? Who knows where!
On the way home, spent my credit voucher
At Sports Direct, got a nice sports top - white
With a little black design on the side
Of the collar. Then on the bedroom floor -
Exercises, second time this week, might
Well meet the target of three - satisfied!

4541 - Wheel of misfortune

These Eurosceptics, what damage they've done
I'm beginning to warm to soft Brexit
Now, where previously, I felt, let's be gone
From the EU, that was the winning vote
And staying in the customs union's not
Fulfilling that, it's reneging in part
While some hope for another vote, to put
The Brexiteers on the losing side, but
Without considering the far deeper split
In society that would cause. We've spun
Ourselves into a daze, half and half split
Endless circles, whirlpools, the longest rut
Going nowhere, unless we all soften
I chose Remain, but soft Brexit would fit

4540 - Weather report

Listening to The Byrds, Notorious Brothers
Listened to the Idles just before that
What next? So many Spotify choices
Going through the albums I saved but not
Yet all listened to. Glad I got my coat
In time for this cold weather spell. Last year
It was the Beast From The East. Man's not hot
Never hot, not in January, not here
This cold's come from the west - America
So the cheerful TV weatherman says
Tomorrow - what joy - more snow is forecast!
Playtime if you're a furry cuddly bear!
It's great, the contrast with warmer weathers
Winter should have snow, boots, coats, gloves and hat!

4539 - Wind of strange

Just played uke well, Chan was here and she heard
While showering, drying hair, and cooking
Been out with Jo, cold wind, but sun. We fed
In the Living Room, Deansgate, while chatting
About modern music. Been listening
To the Arctic Monkeys, and indie stuff
I revealed that I have since been warming
To Alex Turner and the guys, and love
Hearing newish stuff, Giggs while on the move
To meet her at Piccadilly. The herd
In the Arndale walked round. She was searching
For pink semi-permanent dye, remove
Spray after one day, but she's not preferred
To buy it just yet. Next it's nose piercing...

4538 - Shop til you bop

A gloomy Saturday late afternoon
In January, though the sun shone before
For a while, and I went shopping for some
Underpants and trunks, got them, but oh lor!
When I tried on the Adidas trunks, Cor
Blimey! they were too tight, cannot wear those
In Morocco, or anywhere, so bore
Though it is, I went back and found Speedo's
That fitted OK around my Who Knows...
Got four new ties, a quid each, what a boon
From a new charity shop, bargain store
Over the road, with some real well-priced clothes
And DVDs, The In-Betweeners, soon
Will belatedly catch up and guffaw...

4537 - No fluke uke

I was knackered after a late night when
I should have had an early one, and woke
Early too, though no drink had been taken
So I was glad when my arrangements broke
Down and everyone pulled out or was sick
I would have managed with drinks to help cope
But glad it fell through, not even a Coke
Has had to be bought, no, now I just hope
I can last two or three more hours, then drop
Off happily in bed. This evening
Too tired to drink, just tryin' to stay awake
Watch the football soon, Arsenal v Man
United. Just played uke - and the room shook!
And my brilliant uke playing was no fluke!

4536 - Oh fuck no, not again

Felt OK this morning, but oh so tired
This afternoon, broken night, yes there were
Noises from next door when most have retired
Four-thirty til five, shrieks and gasps for air
But really I was already aware
And awake, listening to the radio
My eyes were aching after lunch, but fair
Day in terms of things done. I sent our show
Off to Alex Petty. Hope it's not no
Also before my lunchtime soup, enquired
At the doc's and at the tattoo parlour
Both in respect of appointments to go
Old office pals pulled out of drinks, expired
Funds or other reasons, bit of bummer...

4535 - I can work IT out

A great day at work, and on the way there
Listening to the Arctic Monkeys, and back
Exercised, listened to Noel Gallagher
Ate, now I'm writing this, I mustn't slack
Next, I must work out the means of attack
Applying to Free Sisters. Is it now?
Or tomorrow, when I am back at work?
My limited ability allows
Limited means for this techie lowbrow
But our show could be way beyond compare
And I'm sobering up, so I can crack
This temporary problem. So no, how
Do I proceed? My mobile phone is here
I'll work out how to get this thing unstuck!

4534 - Plenty of sunshine Edin my way

It's gone cold, now it's the depths of winter
It snowed on my way in to work - such fun!
Listening to the ARCTIC Monkeys, yes sir
Appropriate! Now liaising with Tom
Over our joint Dead Daft Show which will run
For the whole Fringe, after my solo show
|That's two shows a day that I will have done
By the time August nears its end - oh no!
The Daft Show with Bony Tony will go
On at Surgeons' Hall about midday. There
Will be a couple of hours' break, and then
Up the road to my venue number two -
Hopefully the Free Sisters will say yeah
The best Free Fringe place for families to come

4533 - Free Binge

An intense day at work but memorable
My first manager's talk, lasted three hours
But that's cos I did all I was able
And groundwork has been laid for our futures
Respect on both sides, exchange of ideas
And that continued into the evening
When I met Tom in the King's Arms, two beers
And for him, two cokes, he don't do drinking
Our third show meeting, we did some thinking
Refining, almost ready now to sell
It to the venue, that's the Free Sisters
It's all now getting much more exciting
So now back home, Estrella on table
Need to quickly diminish my powers

4532 - Beer up love, it may never 'appen

Nice day out with Josie, Slug and Lettuce
Was checked out, but too empty, so we went
Again to Beastro, ate so much I was
Unable to finish, my punishment
Was pain in the stomach, soon after, spent
My guts in Sainsbury's loo, diarrhoea
Or just too much over this big weekend
Of cocktails and of big bottles of beer?
Spent a lot with P but nice to see her
On Friday, but this weekend was a buzz
Saturday stayed in but ,my time well spent
Ideas for my show with Tom, great ideas
We'll meet on Monday eve and then discuss
Edinburgh venues for merriment

4531 - Effing brilliant!

Yay, I've finished reading parlour games books
(The last one was a novel - that don't count!)
So I made notes about the games that look
The best ones for mine and Tom's show. We've found
A really good format that could astound
And delight, and it's so compatible
With my solo show too. I'll use our crowd
To publicise my solo show. Oh hell
This is looking so good, can't wait to tell
Tom my ideas, decide on our show, book
A venue, rehearse it out and about
In the run up to the Fringe. Effing hell
It's looking so good. This year really rocks!
Work, friends, hobbies (career?), all gaining ground!

4530 - Birthday smash

My biggest ever cocktail drinking spree
I must have spent at least a hundred pounds
Started off at The Alchemist, NY
Street. Pearl was late, she always is, I've found
If her class starts on time the kids are stunned
I had more than her, and still didn't feel
That drunk, but was. She has had to cut down
On booze because of meds, and yet she still
Had three glasses of wine and three cocktails
Mostly at Manahatta - a curry
Went down well too. Then the Nag's Head, the sound
Of noisy karaoke harsh and shrill
Decrepit dad and mum dancing, then we
Finished at the City Arms - homeward bound

Fri 18 Jan

4529 - Izzy wizzy, let's get busy

What a busy day, early start, got to
The office at 8:15, firefighting
With various things, but never feeling blue
Apart from Helen again cancelling
Our lunch, but she's busy and not feeling
Quite right yet with her shoulder. Lunchtime I
Popped out to post Louis' card, then getting
At last an email from Charles P about my
Show at Surgeons Hall, I had to apply
Speed to get signed stuff emailed and a few
Hundred quid down-payment, online banking
No delay, all sorted, then had to try
To book Manahatta for me and P
Tomorrow eve, then ate. Next, games reading!!!

4528 - It's the autonomy, stupid

Life's short and art's long, so they say, it's true
That certainly seems the case every day
No shortcuts for true art, you have to do
The right thing, the true aim, and not obey
The dictates of the powerful, though they
Wish to ban you or control you. They can't
Actually stop you if your art's the way
You want to go, and not as they have planned
Nullify their parasitic diktat
Follow yourself only, hear only you
It makes you happy, that's the only way
If you indeed are a true artist, and
Not a careerist. Whether red or blue
Who cares, we don't, it's beauty we purvey

4527 - House of the rising fun

Madness, madness, madness, madness, madness
But it's entertaining as hell for sure
Theresa May's deal has failed the House test
And now we don't know what will transpire
Except it could be this or that or, or...
Oh well, so it goes, we will see I think
Strawberry Fields has come home to roost, you're
Caught between options, like swim or like sink
Instead of rational thought, we're on the blink
What do you expect? Too many choices
Put to the people and legislature
You may as well laugh or you could just wink
But where does that get us? We know far less
Than we did in '16, that's our future...

4526 - Bad deal or no deal?

A cold day but I had my new warm coat
While things are very heated in the House
Of Commons, during the Brexit debate
Theresa May is talking herself hoarse
But experts seem to think that she will lose
And heavily tomorrow, and her bad
Deal, not worse than no deal, they will choose
But only to throw in the bin, the lid
Slammed down hard on it, two years of talks dead
No surprise, but will the negative vote
Result in no deal, or will they refuse
This option, extending that too tight dead-
line to give more time to negotiate
A better outcome for the people's voice

4525 - Train not in vain

Visited mum with Josephine today
She's still full of beans, we had a good chat
Though J was often too keen to convey
Her thoughts on music and on this and that
Poor Grandma in danger of being left out
But we had Sunday roast down in Greasby
They had run out of most choices of meat
And we had extra helpings of gravy
We got home quick, mum paid for a taxi
To Merseyrail, then at Lime Street, delay
Was nil, caught a train, took me to Deansgate
And took her home to Wilmslow directly
Now it's Les Miserables, and then I may
Read 'Drinking Games' before the lights go out

4524 - Games people play

Today I stayed in, was wet anyway
Chan gave me my forgotten potato
Out of the microwave from last night, yay!
Finished the Roy McFarland book, hey ho!
Now for those games books, no time to read slow
I finished the first one tonight, I did
Next up, 'Drinking Games' - not right for our show
But adaptable without the liquid
Maybe, we'll see. Chan's gone to work, night shift
The neighbours, they have lots of night-time play
They shagged at 7am, then 9, woah!
But they've moved the mattress, it's more quiet!
So it doesn't wake me up the same way
Thank FUCK! Now time to relax and let go!

4523 - Golden years

Felt refreshed after a good nights' sleep and
Sober, even did my exercises
Read 80 pages on Roy McFarland
Ex-Derby player's reminiscences
Of the golden days of the 70s
It's been on the sofa by where I sit
For ages, now I've read it like a breeze
And can move on now to those books I bought
Yesterday, on party games. And I met
Tom and Rhiannon, to get our show planned
Not my solo show, our show. Free Sisters
Is my venue of choice, but we must get
Our 'act' together quickly and then send
Off to the chosen venue our ideas

Fri 11 Jan

4522 - Looking for books and a booking

It's gone very cold and it's all foggy
After work, went shopping, looking for books
Books on parlour games, quite specifically
There weren't many, no matter where I looked
But in the end I bought three, and good luck
Followed, two more were in my letterbox
Bought cheaply online, so I've got a stack
To go through, and learn about party tricks
Games for the family, games involving drinks
In preparation for the comedy
Show me and Tom are planning and must cook
Up pretty soon, the ticking of the clocks
Will mean that soon our venue won't be free
It's so competitive, we must be quick

4521 - Taxes and axes

A busy day at work, but rewarding
I sorted out the soft drinks sugar tax
Though I'm still new in this job and learning
I made decisions which the gathered hacks
Accepted at the Project Board. Relax
Tonight with a drink, mate, cos you've earned it
I also liaised with people re Brex-
it, sorry to bring that up! But to wit
Brexit is in the news again, and great
News. Theresa May's self-centred stalling
Of the vote in the House on her 'deal' lacks
Credibility now there's been a vote
And she must have Plan B for discussing
Three days of her deal being put to the axe!

4520 - Uke a daisy

Listening to Gentle Giant albums on
Spotify, want to learn these tracks better
Then get my uke out and try to play 'em
Those parts guaranteed to make fingers stir
Long meeting today, first on management
Matters I've been to as a manager
Also two sociable emails were sent
One to new team-mates and one to older
I'll be fine if just four from each attend
I hope one thing, and that the night is fun
On my birthday, spent out in Manchester
True I ain't really got money to spend
But this was too good to miss, and so soon
Since top karaoke in December

4519 - Bank of me

Miserable wet day, not made much advance
On my Fringe except Ryan signed the sheet
As a witness to the Agreement - thanks
Mate. I've found a scanning place. When complete
I can email it off to Charles, and meet
The first of three payments - need bank details
To do that, and Charles wasn't in. Some sweet
Action by Helen, she booked our hotels
For Marrakesh and Agadir (not Wales)
(Sorry, that was an awful rhyme, it stank)
Tomorrow will be sunnier, they repeat
It may cheer me up after those big bills
Some outlay will be recovered if fans
Come to my show in droves with flocking feet

4518 - Leather weather

Sitting here in the January cold but
Although Chan's gone out, and could turn the heat
On if I wanted, my expense is cut
So much thanks to her hardiness, no need
For the radiators to be on, indeed
She wanders round in t-shirt and shorts in
December and January, so I'll meet
Her standards if I can, my gas bill's thin
More so than any other winter - win
For my over-indulged leather wallet!
Got holidays, theatres to pay, cash treats
For three kids' birthdays this month, I'm strugglin'
But who cares, it's all good and fun and great
This year's the peak, I do not sense defeat!

4517 - Rise up, people

Today is Saturday, so rest and smile
Got up real late, I was owed lots of rest
After three poor nights' sleep. Drinking may well
Have helped me sleep, though I recall some lost
Sleep as I lay there thinking in the best
Excited way of plans for Morocco
We've got flights, so accommodation's next
Got up at eleven - waking was slow
Kept trying to nod off again, but no
Not at first, eventually dozed a while
Between nine and eleven. Today just
Put 2017 pix in a row
In my album, and re-read a small pile
Of contract stuff from Space - a patience test!

4516 - Too much excitement, too little money!

Three nights of insufficient rest, but still
Went into work, but mainly my goals were
To liaise with Charles from Space UK til
My contract details were re-sent and made clear
Will look again this weekend and prepare
The first of three payments I'll have to make
In respect of reserving the theatre
The second big thing that I had to take
Some time over was Morocco, to check
With Helen when to fly, then book seats while
The sale prices were still low, just before
Sunshine Saturday, when the masses book
Their trips abroad, depressed by winter chill
Roll on late March - Marrakesh, Agadir!

Fri 4 Jan

4515 - When will I be blameless?

A busy day, with work and other things
Like my Edinburgh show, discussed the dates
And other practical issues. Waiting
To see the Agreement itself. Charles states
I've seen it, but I can't recall. Pearl lets
Me have it, blames me for uncertainty
She's coming up on the 8th of August
I'm doing a show that day (hopefully!!)
I went round, celebrated her birthday
With a card and wine. Also arranging
My birthday bash on the 18th with mates
From both old and new offices. Hope we
Can combine both for a good night's drinking
Also about to buy Marrakesh flights

4514 - First day back

Second day of the year, and this morning
While at work, a really useful email
Came from Charles at theSpaceUK. Reading
It answered many questions, and I feel
As though things are on track. But there's still real
Work to do on publicity. They won't
Do posters or flyers, I have to wield
My wallet once more, and creative bent
I'll also have to plug my show and hunt
For punters on the Royal Mile. Feeling
I'd much rather do it there though than flail
Around on Cowgate at night - that's defunct
And debunked. Back home from work, uploading
A hundred more photos from old travels

4513 - Head in burrow

It's New Year's Day, the new calendar's torn
When I hung it last night while I was drunk
It's January, shows pictures of London
It's places to visit before you slump
To the floor, dead. Costa Rica's next month
That's s'posed to be a great place to head to
Got Morocco and Edinburgh stuck
With pins in my mental map of the new
Year's confirmed trips, but there might be more, too
Let's hope so. Though this year's only just born
I feel real momentum, I feel the funk
Things are coalescing, strands turn into
A united whole, garment to be worn
It's called happiness, purpose, fear has sunk

4512 - Boozy-oozy-oozy

Went to Boots again collecting more photos
From Christmas last week, plus a few more best
Of 2018, miscellaneous
Images, and my Belgian trip from last
December, still not filled the album! Guess
What? I ordered more to fill it at last...
Will collect tomorrow when I'm working...:)
So then I worked on the music I must
Compose and record for my show, writing
The silly words, although not worrying
Too much about the tunes, cos I suppose
I can think 'em up later. And the rest
Of New Year's Eve I spent sitting watching
Films and TV programmes until the close
Of '18, washed down by a big booze-fest!!

Mon 31 December 2018