Performance
At the new open mic my first two songs were ok but the third one went badly. I couldn't get the pitch for the first few lines. I carried on and got it eventually.
-don't moan about it I told myself - don't play for sympathy - its unappealling
I felt so shit I wanted to run out of the place. He had gone to sit outside. Eventually I joined him - trying to talk about other things.
"That third sing - it's too long" he said, "You've got to cut it down".
"I know - I couldn't find the pitch so I made it longer",
"You've got to pitch it"
"I know - its never happened before with that song".
"Are you coming round to see the match tommorow?" I said.
"Yea - I think so" he said.
-Phew - I thought - that could have been worse.

The Wrong Film
"Can I sign in with you tonight", he said
"As long as its before six" I said "I'm seeing a film at six".
"Oh are you seeing the Bourne film?"
"No - the one with Maggie Gylenhaal as the drug addict"
"Oh...sounds cheerful" he said, "See you later".

Global Warming
(Its really stuffy in here - I expect thats what the problem is..)
Yesterday I got back from the hospital in Oswestry where I've been since monday. My son was having an operation there. It was a tough week for both of us. A strong reaction to the anaesthetic meant that wednesday seemed to go on for ever - both of us losing faith that the vomitting would ever stop. Thursday saw a remarkable turn around - with food being retained and the long journey to walking starting again with the first painful steps. I will share snippets as they come back to me.
(Don't you think he's a bit warm - take those blankets off)
Surgeon to son-
"How are you feeling today?"
"Not very good - I keep being sick"
"What's that you're watching?"
"Day After Tommorow - its about global warming and what will happen if we don't look after the planet..."
"I think I've seen some of it - its a bit gloomy don't you think - you shouldn't believe everything you here of the tv you know..."
(Shall I turn the fan on - then he'll feel better....)
"Did you know - that 600 years ago europe was really warm - they grew palm trees - nothing happened... far too gloomy" (Mutters as he walks off).
(Is there anything you need... shall I take that balnket off... you do look warm)

Review
I make my 11 year old son watch the weekly video podcast of Mark Kermode slaggin off the films he likes. This week it was Transformers. Kermode said it was
"Loud, incompreshensible, lacking in plot and character, pointless, just a bunch of alien robots fighting each other....etc, etc..."
I felt a slight pang of guilt about having put him through this.
"What did you think of that review?" I asked.
"alien robots fighting each other...cool!" he said.

End to End
I've been meaning to tell you about another blog. A frined of my partners is walking from John O'Groats to lands end. She is being sponsored by Festival Samaritans though that isn't her reason for doing it. She stayed with us a few weeks ago when she passed through Bristol. I was inspired by her quiet determination and the difficult simplicity of her task. I would like to do something like that some day - when I stop allowing work and children to tie me down.

Here is her blog. She welcomes comments.
http://marisa1000.blogspot.com/