4948 - Prague Day 2

Didn't get much sleep, neither did Helen
The flat was warm, kept throwing bedclothes off
Before long, Helen was checking her phone
The news was bad, borders were closing off
And Monday's flight home's prospects looking rough
I rang easyJet, they couldn't help us
Said we could switch flights for free, but too tough
To do that in such a rush. Hel had sussed
We had to get flights booked, paid in a rush
Before all seats were sold, and us marooned
She chose Luton, booked hotel rooms. Enough?
No - she even booked train back north. Goodness!
What a star! Let's hope we can get refunds
But at least we're not stranded and cut off

Fri 13 March

4946 - Czech mate

Last night at home before Prague with Helen
I had two bottles once home, then I ate
No main course, just four eggs in the fridge. Then
I added all the mushrooms I had left
That's filled me up enough. The weather's wet
But who cares, as long as tomorrow day
It doesn't rain on me walking to meet
Helen at Costa near Piccadilly
Packed bag, think I am now almost ready
Got tomorrow morning to think again
What more I need, preparation complete
Excitement building, feeling quite giddy
The best girl I could wish for to share an
Amazing trip with. Let's insist on fun

4934 - Intense suspense

I've had another intense day but it's
Friday and I did what was needed as
The weekend loomed, so I can now relax
And am doing so after a few beers
Second night of drinking as I type this
Tomorrow I'll try to resist doing
It a third night, that would be an addict's
Weakness, and I'm rehabilitating
In time for my trip to Prague that's looming
All good, except for coronavirus
Threatening a time that's good for us
Helen's had a blow, one that needs curing
I hope we can grab fun in both our mitts
And our trip provides us with memories

4927 - Lisbon Day 4

Another good night's rest in the hotel
Woke Jo withj music once again - The Ruts
Then searched Spotify for new tunes as well
Compiling a new playlist - Hate Their Guts! -
I've actually called it People, adding cuts
About what little shits people can be
They try to use us like we are puppets
An unreasonable thing to you and me
The rest of the day has been a journey
From Anjos to the airport, arrived well
On time, and while waiting, ate late breakfast
Flew to Munich, stuck in the airport three
And a half hours, so I'm drinking dunkel
Beer, might be merry by time of the flights!

Fri 21 February

4925 - Lisbon Day 2

Very late leaving our hotel room - she rises
So late it was 12 noon before we went
Caught Yellow Bus open top tour, which is
Also a ticket for a boat tour - can't
Wait for tomorrow! The bus drove inland
I thought it was the Modern Lisbon tour
But it was Lisbon and Belem. Unplanned
But brilliant. Saw Belem, but also saw
The Golden Gate style bridge just above our
Heads. So sunny. Next, we sat with slushies
And waffles at a pavement table. Planned
To see the castle. Just too late, the door
Was closing, but saw the cathedral. It's
Great in Barrio Alto. A day well spent!

Wed 19 February

4924 - Lisbon Day 1

No sleep at all. Watched Gone Girl on sofa
Then tried to sleep there, fully-clothed, waiting
For the taxi to the airport. Here's there
Early, I thought, at five to four, hearing
His email in my inbox. Josephine
Was ready when we called at 4:30
And got the plane after some breakfast in
Balzar Café, Manc Airport's top café
Changed at Munich, and left it dangerously
Late boarding our Lisbon plane, catching a
TRAIN to Gate K - that was rather shocking!
Found hotel, Turim Luxe, eventually
Then caught metro to seafront. The cold air
Was hard to bear, so hotel - we're coming!

Tue 18 Feb

4921 - Expecting to fly

Storm Dennis hits, though real rain's tomorrow
As half-term holiday week gets going
And family holiday flights cannot go
Ahead, ruining their hopes and plans, costing
An arm and a leg if organising
Replacement flights to their destinations
If not, all wasted time, disappointing
The kids and parents. Me and Jo's Lisbon
Trip's two days after the storm disruption
That was a close one. Even if we flew
Through the storm, at first, returning
To the start in peril of destruction
Would be a possibility, and so
Fingers crossed we'll get cool calm journeying

4920 - Untrue lies

Friday, rarely has it been so welcome!
I enjoy meeting my work challenges
I've done really well in this last hard month
Exemplary behaviour, I've no fears
That I can be criticised by my peers
With first-hand knowledge of failures by me
So it comes down to lies spread by others
In the end, truth will out and I'll be free
Meanwhile, the Lisbon trip imminently
With Jo, that'll be a welcome change from
Hard work handicapped by others' failures
And lack of fun for an eternity
Apart from the odd night out with Helen
Or music, films, podcasts and other biz

4901 - Going going going

Sunday, a bit of a failed day today
It's my crap phone and Dropbox both combined
Trouble uploading anything, all day
Kept trying, but it was a long, failed grind
I'll hope another day will be more kind
My only consolation, a booking
Of a holiday literally just round
The corner - mid-February, it's looming -
Me and Josephine then will be flying
To Lisbon for three or four days to stay
In the much-praised Portuguese stomping ground
Even before Prague with Helen, happening
Soon. Hope the office lets me go away
And hope my tech demons to hell confined!

4887 - It'll be all right on the Sprite

Still recovering from yesterday in more
Ways than one, but although I'm physically
And mentally drunk, I did recover
And went on to do quite a lot, really
Wrote a new Sprite sketch which is quite funny
Looked at Prague flights, went shopping, searched for nights
Out, planned the next few nights, so much to see
Comedy, films, and all stuff that excites
Think I'll go to the Frog and Bucket, might
See some acts I know from Worst Night take the floor
Will they survive, or raised cards will they see?
Was tired, but took a new song to Worst Night
Good response to Walking In Austria
A new video for YouTube, hopefully!

4880 - East was east

Wrote the second Saturday Sprite Fever
Sketch. I'll film them one night when Harry's out
Went out tonight, played new song, Anozzer
Brick In Ze Vall, wearing my army hat
A Soviet hat, but I was playing the part
Of an East German military man
Singing about the Berlin Wall and that
It must be built to keep restless kids in
Jamie Heath videoed it, and when I've seen
It, I'll decide if it's good and whether
To put it on YouTube, though I forgot
To do my planned intro gag, but thinkin'
I could write it under the title where
Viewers could see it and smile like a trout

4879 - Saturday Sprite Fever

So - must begin with so - what did I do
At home on Saturday. I exercised
(Fourth time this week), sat down and wrote some new
Comedy, more burping from drinking Sprites
Went to Sainsburys to buy some more, surprised
A big bottle costs the same as a small
Hopefully Sunday I'll record a nice
Little video, but if not, I've got all
Next week. I think it'd look best filmed well
After dark, since the sketch is set when you
Are out late in some bar with lonely eyes
Despite years passing, still missing your girl
Watched Atomic Blonde, Berlin cold war view
Any chance to see its familiar sights!

Saturday 4 January

4859 - The guy who came in from the cold

Last full day of this cold flat, I hope so
Slightly less cold than yesterday somehow
Thank goodness. Stayed in mostly, but did go
Out to Home Cinema, warmth was my vow
That's where I found it, Sons of Denmark now
The latest film I've seen, a potent tale
And pertinent, the rise of the right, how
It affects families on all sides and fails
To resolve or unite, luring young males
Against their own best interests. Some may sow
The seeds of hate but we mustn't allow
It to triumph, scapegoat innocents. Fail
And things could sink so much further below
A reminder to stay strong and not bow

4779 - Oh won't you stay....

Only about two to three hours' sleep last
Night, knackered, but worked hard in the office
Doing Brexit guidance, part of the cast
Of thousands here in the civil service
Working towards No Deal, but today this
Seems further than ever away from being
Realised by the poor beleaguered Boris
Who made as his promise we'd be leaving
The EU, Oct the 31st. Staying
A while longer. it seems. The judges passed
Their verdict, that Boris told the Queen lies
In order to prorogue Parliament in
The month it would have frustrated his dash
To get us out by hook or crook. (He is!)

4703 - Show 'nuff

A busy day, especially the morning
But did well, think I impressed the bosses
With my summarising and outlining
Of EU Exit Customs challenges
Seems to be a mix of sun and showers
But much warmer than yesterday evening
When I was out with Helen, and shivers
Aplenty with no coat. Exercising
Once back home from work today, messaging
And phoning people, such as the banking
People at Lloyds, my direct debiting
Arrangements cocked up by them, but it is
Sorted now, thanks to me. It gets tiring...
Now to choose which Fringe shows are the must-sees!!

4688 - The world of Boris

Boris, his real name is Alexander
His weird eyes transcend all our politics
Jeremy Hunt is the new pretender
But can he prevail over Boris' shtick?
Can anyone? But Brexit is a stick
With which to beat opponents with, and those
Who say nay are on shaky ground, they lick
Arses of status quo, fear change, propose
That leaving is racist, they see as foes
Their opponents, who want to preserve their
View of the world. And so let's not start sects
Let's put the world first, not be fooled by ghosts
Of political throwbacks, yesteryear
Ideals, let's try to be more pragmatic

4658 - Bullocks to Brexit

Shaved and cut my hair, did a good job too
Watched Andrew Marr Show politics circus
Brexit Brexit Brexit wall to wall stew
And now it's Euro election results
The Brexit Party forecast to exult
And Lib Dems the beneficiaries of the
Status quo. Tory voters in revolt
Likewise many traditional Labour
Voters, feeling that Labour has dithered
And sat on the fence, unclear what to do
Support Remain or Leave, when their voters
Are themselves in both camps. And I've made more
Progress on my social media sites. Phew -
It was hard work, but Vee helped that progress

4614 - Head, hands and feet

So tired but still I had a useful day
At work, then when home played ukulele
Devastatingly, starting with Roxy
Then Queen, Sparks and Smiths, played incredibly
Well, endorphins released, moving to me
As I play, nodding head and tapping feet
After that, watched a film from Germany
The Edukators, set on Berlin's streets
And then its second half made it complete
Set in Bavarian mountain scenery
Looking down on a lake - the Konigsee?
Dropped off immediately I hit the sheets
Got much-needed rest, and recovery
Was effective, next morning felt OK

Fri 12 April

4597 - Abs and absence

The penultimate workday before it -
It being Morocco! Concentrate, man!
Today, delivered a talk on Brexit
At the Midland Hotel this afternoon
Tomorrow should more laid back, with room
To tie up loose ends before my absence
Did exercises when I got home - boom!
I'll aim to do the same when Wednesday ends
Top up on my abs, deserve lying end
To end in the sun with Hell's Bells. Oh shit -
I hope we get enough sunshine, and moon-
light wandering, eating, drinking, good time spent
It could make both our happiness complete
To make it great, we'll do all that we can

4596 - Don't just lie there!

Woke at 5am, lay there for an hour
Had to get up and admit defeat, knew
I'd be tired all day and evening, would now
Not be doing my abs workout on my new
Exercise mat after work, and there's few
Chances left before Moroccan sunshine
Still, I'll get beer in now, drink one or two
And watch the game, see if England can climb
Another rung to the Euro's, align
The stars perhaps this time in our favour
It's Montenegro away tonight. Do
Us proud, it's good to pull on the Three Lions
Club teams all still in Europe too. Will our
Parliament still be in, May Twenty-Two?