Blimey, normality

 Yeah, the addition of oxygen plus our family chat has led to a normal phase - phew!

Good walk last week around Thirlmere. Sold one of the new Doepfer cases to Matt and used the cash to get an RD-8. I mean, why not? I like the RD-9 enough to justify having both but will probably sell the DRM-1 and Tanzbar, even though Tim will tell me not to. Why do I like drum machines so much?

Oh yeah, I got some new studio lights. And I liked the cup of water at my mum's with the light streaming in. 
Today I moved some holly I'd seen growing near the garage and put it in the corner where the fence is loose. Sent out four copies of the new book, or was it five? Will let it sit a while and try and sort a cover - can't keep paying people as makes no financial sense, then again can't not pay them. Must improve my own art. 

It's Friday and I'm keeping straight as we're going for a meal tonight. I do plan to tinker the the RD-8 though, which arrived yesterday. So what if Colin hates me? ;) First impressions - don't like any of the buttons (plastic or rubber) but it sounds great and comes with no patterns installed (yay). Think it'll do nicely and does sound different enough to the TT-78 so if that ever works again neither will be redundant. All good. 

Oh, this week's walk was good too - pix:

Well now, Saturday's recording sesh sounded good at the time but not sure it's up there with Lionel and Rupert. 

Some turbulent days (and more to come)

Warning, diary entries only - probably only of interest to me :(

 Lost a week due to mum's condition and going in and out of hospital and, after talking to doctor this morning, it's clear this is the start of an ongoing saga of no predicatable length. 

The novel is currently over 100,000 words, which is longer than I'd planned. It'll grow too as I go through adding clarifications and fleshing out the sketchy parts. Oh well. I dearly hope to get tomorrow (Friday) to myself but was quite angry that mum called Janet out of work this afternoon not long after I'd left. 

Saturday and we're having a family meeting to talk about what to do about mum. A curry though so that's something. Not sure if we'll go see her afterwards, all depends on what we feel I guess - Lisa has told her we're having a talk though so I dunno. Spent this morning on more novel sorting, quite enjoying myself sorting small issues and thinking about chapter running order. Long way to go but fun.

Monday and Tim and I had a top sesh recording Mantua. Two 20-min mixes to pore though, how neat!

Tuesday and Pat seems to have gone from very excited about gazebo to completely disinterested, not totally sure why. We went to look at a few, marvelled at the high prices of furniture but she pretty much breezed past it all as if she'd rather be doing something else. I presume I've upset her but struggling to see what I did this time. Anyway, I think we'll order the chairs and stuff she found on the Aldi website (when back in stock) and not really sure if it's worth getting a structure with optional roof. She's in a generally glum mood so hopefully I'll find out why at some point.

Still going through novel at a good pace, looking good, some lumps to maybe address but it's better than I dared hope so far. Oh, they cut the trees down on the field, not sure which the 'protected' ones were but I suspect it was all a lie, aided and abetted by the council. They were even shaving overhanding trees from the orchard, despite it being nesting season. Twats.

Just reached the point in the novel that I knew needed work and have had a flash of inspiration on how to tackle it. Should enable me to make it snappier and neater, so all good. Went to Longridge today to talk pensions - agreed to only go once a year from now on as the meetings are a bit pointless. Saw mum and will return tomorrow as doctor coming again and I'd like to sit in.  Pat still in some kind of mood but wouldn't say why, even though mum noticed and asked. 

Where are we? The week got shitter with visits to mum Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday/Sunday planned. Didn't get away free today though as she had a fall during the night and was feeling pretty miserable. Then Pat had this insistence I get stuff to put on the new fence she's got and paint it on even though it was raining. Rather than provoke her further I did it, was then told it was only meant to be along the top. Got some writing done but no Friday fun, at least Pat taking Broc to agility class so I'll get a few hours to do a little this evening. She seems slightly brighter, maybe cos I did a nice bolognese, I really have no idea any more. Next weekend it's easter which is traditionally when we get grandchild deposited, so next Friday's buggered already. Jeez this blog is starting to become a moan diary, good job it's only for me eh?

I should have something worthwhile to write but my mind is blank at the moment. 

Saturday we got most of the day as a bonus so went for a walk with Pat and Broc and it was lovely. Afternoon Tim came round and we recorded 'Dooish' which I'm listening to as I type and it's incredibly diverse and totally fab. I seem to recall I did one of my annoying melodic things that I'll grow to hate somewhere but not reached that yet ;) Afternoon marred by sudden urgent need to go set up mum's lifeline - even though the instructions were clear enough (or were once we found all the contents of the box it came in). It's now Sunday and I think I'll be at mum's all day - gonna take laptop so I can maybe work on novel, if she sleeps or something. 

Long saga of a decline which I won't actually write down, too raw yet. Mum requiring four visits a day at the moment, our and my sister's holidays are a month away. 

David Holme sent me these, and quite a lot more. From college days.