What’s For You Wont Go Past You

The rain it raineth every day.
The sky is grey.
The dustmen have finally been and taken away most of 2009’s Christmas.
The fridge is bare.
The plumber has been to cast his eye over the bathroom. The heater blew the day after Boxing day. Having a shower is like breaking the ice in Alaska, and who wants a long, cold soak?
The cat is asleep on the bed.
Jim is recovering from a bronchial infection, giving up smoking has caused havoc in his poor old body. He’s having to spend time in bed and I’m working round him.

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Battersea this side and that

Yesterday was the Kings Road. Lunch in ‘Pauls’ hot milk with a dash of hazelnut syrup, a baguette and a shared pear flan. We bought gifts for some but not all. Today was Northcott Road. Lunch in an Italian. Earl Grey tea and a salad, an irish coffee and an Imperial mint. We bought gifts … Read more

The bland leading the bland.,

Dinner last night comprised four young people, two old people, one cat and several dead fishes.
The smoked cod and salmon were scorched in hot milk they shared the pan with one BIG onion, some garden carrots, celery, parsley and three bay leaves. Four eggs were hard boiled, tiger prawns, pink prawns and scallops, were thrown into a big bowl, the eggs added, a good sprinkling of chopped parsley, then the tossing of the capers. Muddy potatoes were peeled and boiled. They were mashed with butter and sour cream, a silky white bechamel sauce was tipped over the fish, the pescatorial piquancy was stirred gently then all poured into an earthenware pot and baked on high until the tips of the potatoes were nicely browned like the tops of the Himalayas.
Jessie and Laurie sat to my left. Deedle and Pj sat to my right, The Old Git sat the far end of the table, I sat down wind and the cat lay along the top of the sofa.
The evening started around 7.30’sh and ended around 1.30’sh.
I laughed so much that I nearly damaged the gusset of my dungarees.

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Twas the Twelth night before Christmas

Delia is making Christmas special with her hot oven and roasting pan, Jim’s looking for publicity pics for me on HIS computer, the cottage is 51 miles away and the last of the washing is in. The daughter stayed, slept and went East, leaving a trail of adolescent detritus behind her. I’m eating dried, white … Read more

2000 and Whine

Two weeks until Christmas and I feel about as festive as an undertaker in Ungava.
Dark when I wake up, dark when I get home. All my good intentions to walk in are dashed. I have a bucket full of excuses, the weather, my shoes, the time, when I get to Battersea Bridge and that number 19 is nudging its way into the traffic I’ve whipped out my Freedom Pass, negotiated the stairs and taken my seat at the front of the bus before the ding-ding of the bell has been dung.
The rain lashed the windows this morning. I could barely see the displays in Gucci, Fendhi and Louis Vuitton. Not that it mattered I can barely fit into my dungarees let alone a Chanel chemise.
LBC Towers was an adjustment as all my team are on holiday. Breaking in a new bunch requires patience and trust It’s as difficult for them as it is for me.
Today we pulled off teenage terminations, airport runways and climate change finishing off with hair loss from stress. All my co-workers were fab – WELL DONE US.
After the show I made a couple of calls declined dinner at The Ivy and a film at The Charlotte Street Hotel and set off home. I need a little time for my self as the rest of the week is chokka.

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Truss me I’m an agent.

Met up with the agent in Fiori Corner. I paid for two hot chocolates and tears. He left I sat and nursed my wounds.
Being chucked out into the big wide world again is not what I had anticipated for the end of 2009.
Then the rain came down, cats and dogs, poodles of puddles. I put up my hood, my Apple bag full of books strapped to my back. I made countless calls to the PR company that were sorting out tickets for CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF and finally arrived at THE NOVELLO THEATRE so wet the faux fur on my sleeves looked like little dead pussies.
Clarence, my nearasdamnit son met me and we went and had a very good coffee and tea cake in the DOUBLE SHOT COFFEE CO. in TAVISTOCK STREET.

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Agency Blues

Tuesday has been strangely long. It feels like I have packed an awful lot into a very short time. But Tuesday was the way of all my days starting at 7.00 and finishing a little time before 2.00.
I liked my walk to Leicester Square full of dogs and leaves. Cold air and smiles.
I had greetings from a cornucopia of canines. I had my sleeves rolled down over my fingers to keep them warm. It felt almost normal to have a frosty walk on the first of December.
I do not like the paranoia surrounding climate change. there is so much we/they could do if we/them wanted to. It feels less like climate control and more like people control. There are too many of us so they are frightening us to death.

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