More delays

Yeah, although the Hydrasynth finally made it to the UK (shortly after Mars got its second shipment), it will still be next week before the review model gets here. Next week is the week I'm on grandpa duties too, frustratingly, so all I can do is read the manual over and over and prepare a space. I guess I can get the next scene of my novel sorted.

Still haven't turned on the modular for a LONG time and have no desire to do so. At this rate I'll give it to the end of the year then flog the lot. Except it's such a ball ache selling individual modules. Maybe I need a bonding session but I've turned down reviews of cool modules because I can't really write about things unless I'm engaged.

A different selection of photos from yesterday. Thursday now, gonna go get some beer and settle in for an afternoon of indulgence. Got all my walking gear sorted now except possibly a larger rucksack. Tony being retired is going to keep me fit!

Still no sign of the fecking JD-XA wheel. Can't be bothered keep chasing it.

Bogged down in geography

Alright, I should have done it sooner: draw a map. I've done one now, loosely based on the area surrounding Sellafield, although I've moved a few places around, erased most of the rest and added ghost towns and no-go areas to suit my narrative. I suspect I'll need to refined it later and make sure I haven't contradicted anything too badly.

The need came about when I was about to kill my first character and up the tempo generally. I realised it wouldn't make sense without some planning. Should be back on track soon but I might need to let it all stew for a day or so before I find the correct approach.

Recorded a track yesterday that Don might be able to turn into something.
Today I started another in the other room. Might blend together in some way as a catchy kind of thing. It's forming in my mind anyway.

A tale of two days. The nice shadows were followed today with a named storm, although I refuse to give it one. We just escaped but I've ordered more sandbags so we aren't caught out in future. Course one day the rain will just continue until it's in the house :(

I think I cracked my difficult scene. It didn't take major surgery either, just some gentle pushing and maneuvering, which is how I like it. In the next read-through I might add a tiny amount of detail and description but keep the main section to the fast and hopefully dramatic way it is now.

Tuesday, off to buy some outdoors clothes for the Scotland trek. I didn't go to the gym, just pottered with a few parts of the novel in preparation for the next section. May need to suspend though because I got the heads up that the Hydrasynth is coming. Rather looking forward to digging in to that.

Boing

Well, it feels like Spring and the birds in the garden seem to agree. I saw a little egret today, which was cool, while out with Jasper. He's full of life again, the wonder of antibiotics!

Tomorrow I'm out walking with Tony, Wednesday Dentist, Thursday John, Friday will be studio indulgence or novel. What larks!

Great walk, going to try and make it a regular thing.

Wednesday the dentist did his thing and charged me £86 for hurting and insulting me. Came home and moved Cirklon around a bit to make it better suited to my standing up vibe, putting it where the 101 used to be, the 101 where the Ody used to be, the Ody where the ER1 used to be, the ER1 where the YC used to be and the YC where the TT-78 used to be, meaning the TT went where the Eventide Timefactor used to be, allowing me to move the Blofeld to a better position where Cirklon used to be and joined by the TimeFactor which I like to tweak, putting the Space where the Blofeld used to be.
That possibly sounds more complicated than it was. It gave me chance to do some lead rationalisation, always good. Heh.

Tally ho! Onwards into the thing that doesn't exist, which we call the future!

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8MIa0GH3fJ/

Gig offer and indolence

For Ideation, so I needn't say no right away but wait for Pete. Sounds like a decent gig too but still not sure my heart's in it. Of course the longer I leave it the less likely it will be that I do anything much again. Really, I'd like to go to Ozora but it's depressing doing these things alone, like Billy No-Mates.

Occurred to me you can do a complete ambient set on something like a 1010Music Blackbox, if you're content to put most (or all) on a backing track. Streaming high quality audio direct from card in sync with loops and other samples seems better realised for simplicity than the Octatrack. Almost makes me wish I'd bothered to learn those modules that came that time, one of which was essentially the same thing. I think I dismissed it at the time as an iPhone in your Eurorack case. Must try and get over my dislike of touchscreens. ;)

This week was my last chance to get something together for Tim to film but it looks like I'll fail at that too. My mind is still full of novel stuff and I suspect that's where it will stay for a while. One day we're talking to the money man, so I'll watch out for phrases like 'recession soon', 'you're doomed' and 'we're spending the final remnants of your cash on our lovely new office and extra staff'.

Fecking sleeting this morning. Aqua aerobics tonight. We leave the EU on Friday and all the angry victors seem suspiciously quiet. I wonder if the next stage in their futile quest for happiness is to murder anyone who doesn't have their own flag pole?

Hmmm, Pete is keen on doing the gig. So it's miserable, dithering old me that has to decide. Maybe I should make myself. Update: phew but he can't cos it's Ade's wedding. Off the hook!

I reached the end of Mr Robot and much was familiar. It's about created identities taking over the host but I guess it isn't set in Preston so not a Future Art Factory ripoff! I do sometimes wonder though about intellectual property and whether any of my ideas, repackaged by someone more talented, could appear in some really successful series or film. Hey ho.

Good Wednesday. Jams with Tim, mid-week beers, some novel work and general lazing. All good.

Time has passed. It's Monday again, another month apparently. Novel still going well - coming up with some good solutions to things and it does suggest that having a plot, even if you don't stick rigidly to it, helps. I also listened back to my Synth Bathing album and think it might be rather good. I therefore updated it from free to £3. Not bad for something that's slightly longer than a double album.

This week I have things on the calendar. To an unwitting observer it might appear I have a life.