4995 - Waterloo after sunset

Tonight I'm watching a film, Waterloo
Starring Rod Steiger as Napoleon
After three or four nights when sleep took too
Few hours, too tired to do much once again
Played devilish good uke though, glam rock once reigned
And returned to the throne here in my flat
Last night, couldn't sleep, got up, buried in
My excellent Stephen King book. I sat
On the sofa, half-dressed in the cold, but
Was engrossed in my reading, and when through
After reaching a good place for stopping
Was still wide awake, but the lack of heat
And the disappearing night forced me to
Try to sleep a while, until work began

4988 - The big (enforced) read

Another sunny day, but always there
Seems to be a cold wind around the place
Makes staying in easier. Hope when summer
Comes, we can go out, enjoy time and space
And enjoying not just a pretty face
My plan tonight - the mini-series 'Quiz'
Had rave reviews, so my plan is to base
Myself around my laptop and to lose
Myself in at least one episode. There's
Only three to watch in all. There's a fair
Chance if I'm hooked I'll watch it all. Replaced
My finished book with Louis' Christmas prez
To me, my first Stephen King book ever
And JFK's death date is when it's based

4983 - Quiz Night

Busy day at work, at home, Friday does
Often to seem to work out that way. Sunny
But a chilly wind as I joined the queues
Outside Sainsbury's at lunchtime with the
Intention of buying beer and stuff. Then re-
sumed work, coronavirus related
Emergency measures, but at four, we
That is, me and Helen, began our chat
With a quiz at seven in which I did
Okay but didn't win the blasted quiz
But last week I won one, my family
Quiz, on literature. I've now completed
Tomorrow's music quiz. Resumed the buzz
Of video chat with Helen, then sleepy....

Fri 17 April

4977 - I know my John Bunyans

Much more relaxed, though still no time to waste
Wrote song lyrics for a musical sketch
It wasn't hot enough to have sunbathed
Fifth exercise session this week - I stretched
And pulled my muscles taut. Ate. Then I fetched
The next Bony Tony t-shirt - it's pink
I knew then the Punk Panther would well match
My pink shirt and hair, and it matched a punk
Version of the Pink Panther tune, I thunk…
But had less than an hour til the quiz. Haste
Was then required. Listened a few times, checked
The chords to play on the uke, a quick plink
Then launched into it, in the best of taste
Then won the lit quiz, as they all expect...

4808 - Turning pages, waiting for wages

Brexit work's so intense it dominates
The days these days, I haven't much left once
I get home, so I relax with my thoughts
Might play some music, reading even comes
Into mind, which it hasn't done for months
But when I've done this, might pick up that book
I've struggled to get into, the doldrums
Of inactivity can't always look
At drink to get me through. Doesn't take pluck
To pick up a book, watch how time stagnates
Less than before, like a busy day comes
To an end sooner and you can head back
Home to freedom, so a good book puts skates
On a quiet evening, and it feeds your brains

4759 - Winehouse of Commons

Too tired to do dating websites tonight
Or networking on social media
Simply read a few pages, fairly light
Of a book on wine - quotes and trivia
Then History of Scotland (Neil Oliver)
On the TV, concluding that series
Strangely, with James VI becoming the
Heir to the English Tudor royal rulers
What about the rebellions, enclosures
Until Queen Anne it was still separate. Right
Up to date, back to Brexit bullshit. A
General election bid hits the buffers
As Labour abstain. They don't want to fight
For power until Brexit's killed or neutered

4652 - Exercising my imagination

Chan went on holiday early morning
Leaving the flat nice and empty and free
I was tired because of next door's humping
About 1 am, kind of disturbed me
Had hoped to exercise, but too weary
So, after some creative ideas, I
Watched Memoirs of a Geisha DVD
Having read the book (I was impressed by)
Halfway through, got some Corona beers. Why
Not? Excited at prospect of filming
With Jamal in Heaton Park. Hopefully
It will be sunny. I'm not gonna lie
The momentum's growing nicely, building
Towards the Fringe. Here comes Bony Tony!

Mon 20 May

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!

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

4503 - Prangs for the memory

It's Saturday and I've got a hired car
I drove to Sheffield, we had no such plan
It's just where we went in the end through the
Clouds and rain of the Pennines near the end
Of the year when it gets dark early and
It did, but got back out of there in time
Got a guide to Marrakesh, got my hands
On new slippers (red) with strong soles, look fine
Pranged the hired car reversing, the bang signed
With yellow paint, need to remove that scar
Or I'll be paying extras the day when
I return the darn thing to Bolton town
Meeting Jo tomorrow also, wonder where
We'll drive? Can't be too far, but should be fun!

4404 - Having not yet read the book

Can't be arsed doing much now, but I could watch
A DVD of Superfly I bought
On Sunday, but I must start soon to catch
It all, allowing me an early night
Watching a film now I don't care about
So when I'm done writing this, I may read
Still re-reading Lady Chatterley. Ought
To crack on and finish it with all speed
Today we were wondering where we should feed
For our Christmas meal. Christmas food is such
Shit normally, turkey slices, some sort
Of winter vegetables, so I need
To try to pick somewhere less of a bitch
But persuading people's harder than thought...

4372 - Eddie Lizard

Woke early for a Sunday, mainly read
This daft David Icke conspiracy book
About ancient gods all being the same god
Religions, like wars, made up by the Black
Nobility (Phoenicians) and a pack
Of white Aryans, with lizards in control
Of course he believes that Shakespeare wrote fuck
All of his plays, the guy could barely spell
He suggests Francis Bacon wrote them all
When I was at school, they said Holinshed
(A historian) was the main source, he took
A lot from there. Today I ate my fill
Four or five meals were stuffed into my head
Did no comedy work, but played my uke

4370 - Lizard joint

Been a bit achey today, warding off
An infection I think, need to stay clean
Hard though that is on Friday night, yeah, bruv
But I must make it, remain determined
This David Icke book is proving a scream
The royal family is a lizard race
Not Diana though. That's why she was deemed
Fit to bump orf, I guess. Wills, Harry, they's
Lizards, I take it, Dave? All these theories
From Yank acid freaks do seem to derive
'UFO researchers' are his reading
Matter. Inaccuracy don't seem to faze
Our Dave. Must play uke soon, because I love
It and want to improve, keep improving...

4344 - Write on time

Humidity, humidity - they've all
Got humidity! Went out for a meal
With Carla. Ate three courses, feeling full
Back in time to watch the World Cup Final
France winning in the end, Croatia failed
The rains fell as the trophy was produced
Putin under a big brolly, but real
Soakings for Macron et al in their suits
Now I'm going to work at home, for I must
Work on my Creative Writing upskill
Workshop, just for an hour. I have a pile
Of six books with ideas, so best I use
This chance now, as tomorrow the day's filled
With other tasks (and with a lunchtime meal!)

4343 - Achy breaky eyes

My eyes are aching, cos I woke early
When Bart went out to work soon after six
I stayed awake, got up and read quickly
About a north-east woman sold to sex
Slavery in Amsterdam, turning tricks
In shabby rooms, earning nothing at all
When I went there I didn't see that sick
Scene, I'm glad to say, didn't have a ball
Instead, well never mind. Finally cancelled
My incorrect parking fine Saturday
Morning at Avis, then met Jo, a quick
Snack in the Football Café, watched people
Visiting the Italian Food Fair. Vee
Hosted us, lots of talk on politics

4322 - Check-up not check out

A useful day at home, trying to read
The Logan Murray comedy book while
Keeping one eye on the games as they played
Booked a private health check-up to which I'll
Go in July, get the verdict, the trial
Especially of my heart, that's the focus
There must be some reason for how I feel
Need to change things while there's still time I guess
But first I need to see if there's a mess
Are the arteries getting blocked? Please feed
Me the meds if they are, feed me in style
Heard today from some of the fun ladies
On the French comedy course - made me pleased
Some positive comments that made me smile

4309 - Vive la revolution!

Packing for my holiday now - Helen
Is already en France or almost la
This is when you need organisation
Please no disasters happening a moi!
The passport's in the bag. I've fitted the
Good uke into the soft red uke bag cos
The hard case is too big and heavy for
Transit. It's protected by clothes and books
I'm virtually ready to go to Toulouse
As for today, thought I was to meet Tom
To lend him my God wig, but he's not there
Then off for a film quiz - it's one of Lou's
Then bed, then the land of revolution
Of cheese and onions and the tricolour