Into the heat

For the first part of last week I was in recovery - just can't do 4 days in a row anymore (see Latitude). Actually, let me re-phrase that...I can party 4 days in a row, but my body takes another 4 days to get over it. So anyway, had Monday and Tuesday booked off and relaxed plus felt a bit guilty when my wife (who is younger, so technically doesn't need as much recovery time) went to work. I was greeted by the usual 120 emails on Wednesday and spent the rest of the week ploughing through them, so didn't actually get to any of my projects until Friday...when it was time for another weekend - Yay!

There was a bit of a family crisis (more a need for us to pull together to help an injured party), so we cruised up the A1 home to Harrogate after work. Mum and Dad were on really good form. We spent much of Saturday sat in their garden reading the papers, drinking lemonade and avoiding sunburn (I failed), popped in to see my Nan then a great night out with lots of old friends outside Blues Bar - just like old times. Brilliant. Sunday drove over to that there Knaresborough to see PM and the adorable Moo - drinks down by the river and nice walk in the sunshine. Also picked up the fantastic paintings he has done for us - so chuffed with them I can't tell you! Just need a flat big enough to do them justice now! Had a quick lunch with Jonn and Rhiannon (who are going on an epic travelling odyssey - lucky so and so's), then did record time back down to London with daylight to spare.

It's seriously hot down here now - so much so that the Northern Line is getting a little saunaesque and horrible. I really should be cycling to work or something, but the thought of getting knocked off and squashed by a bendy-bus is putting me off. Even the over-land option is a sweat-fest, so I just grin and bare it. Drinking lites of water a day though and feeling the detox. Managed to loose nearly 3/4 of a stone somewhere in the past 6 weeks too - not sure how, given I've eaten some right lardy feasts.

A cool weekend to come once this mentalist week of work is finished. C is away on another Hen (that's not the cool part I should add), but PM is coming down for a relaxing weekend in The Smoke...if such a thing exists. Really looking forward to spending some quality time with him and praying the weather stays good - expect much micro-blogging and Flickring to follow.

Both PM and MN mentioned feeling on the cusp of something in recent blogs - must be something in this heat because I've felt the same recently...just got to work out to what the cusp belongs...or what to do about it.

...and longitude.

Slap wrists VapourTrail - it's been a few weeks since my last post! 

Lots has happened, though I bet I will forget to mention quite a lot - some weaves and turns, ducks and dives, frights and reliefs, surprises and predictability etc. My Dad and Jaygo had birthdays so very 'appy days to them. Seen lots of friends - Heather, Chris M, Amelia, Giles. C and I got out in the sunshine for long walks int'nature and had lots of chill time, carpet picnics etc. Saw a few films - Hancock was pretty easy viewing and good fun. Started a great new book - The Pump House Gang by Tom Wolfe - fantastic and can't wait to read more of his stuff (thanks Sam). Was reading Piers Morgan's memoirs - got bored, not my scene at all. Some great new music - Another top album from Rod y Gab - Le Foc. Also Songs in A&E from the amazing Spritualized - superb and lovely listening.

My Flickr collection of stuff has been swelling nicely as well. Enjoying making the mini-movie clips and have got lots of ideas for new ones. Need to work on the image quality whilst keeping the file sizes down though - probably can't have one with the other, but I will investigate. Have sold a few more images and had requests for others to adorn walls of family and friends. There's even been a touch of freelance work come to light from a friend/past client which is a welcome thingy wotsit.

Main thing worthy of bloggage was Latitude last weekend - Been looking forward to it for ages. Situated just outside Southwold - A beautiful part of the world for a beautiful festie. We went with old friends Chris and Marianne from that there Yorkshire. This was a great event - highly eclectic in it's design, offerings and the demographic it is aimed at. There were loads of families with kids (of all ages) which gave the place a great vibe, plus people from all backgrounds and interests. There was the music stages, theatre, comedy, poetry, cabaret, performance art, installations, happenings - there was nothing left out. Even the food was organic, wildly varied and top-notch - result. A great size too - only 25,000 people and quite a small site. The whole weekend just flew which is always a sign of a good time and the weather was generally good. Can't recommend this festival highly enough, especially if you have kids but also want to option to party until sunrise. 

Could waffle on for ages, but here are the greatest hits of the festival from my point of view: The Burlesque Caberet Tent (that was bizarrely full of toddlers as well as adults most of the time); Ross Noble's impromptu 3,000 people strong conga train through the grounds who then proceeded ask every Vegan stall for sausage rolls for the rest of the festival; Bill Bailey's set; The Go-Team; Sea Sick Steve; Sigur Ros (that part I remember anyway); Elbow; Franz Ferdinand; Blondie (she was fan-bloody-tastic); Deathray Trebuchey (these guys were simply amazing - trippy brass based post modern ska madness); The pink sheep grazing by the lake; the floating orb flutist and light show; the Caribbean curried goat and dumplings; the lack of idiots and beer monsters; The Sunshine Stage high in the woods; Stewart Lee's comedy set; The mushroom risotto; having a blow up mattress to sleep on for the first time; 

Back to the daily grind now, but in lovely summer heat - makes even the crapest day seem bearable. I had a wee epiphany whilst at Latitude and this plus other events of the past few weeks have reaffirmed to me how precious our lives and consciousness are, and most importantly how these should be treasured and not treated flippantly. Life is not a rehearsal.

I promise not to leave it so long next time.

Weather permitting

Not too shabby a week all in all. C and I have appeared to do swappsies on the having of late nights. I finished 'on time' most of the week whilst she (being the socialite that she is) was out nearly every night. Had an impromptu after work drink on Wednesday, that turned into drinks which was a fun. Suffered the next day - I'm rubbish at work on hangovers...in fact my hangovers are generally pretty rubbish these days...listen to your body is the message there I think!

My old Harrogate friend Heather stayed over on Thursday which was great - the three of us had a right old catch up and made it to bed far too late and cidered for a school night - two in a row, doh! Luckily I was working from home on Friday (waiting in from 9-6 for the gasman) which saves having to endure the now summer heated tube with a sore head (not to mention the imminent lack of sympathy from colleagues)! Work have graciously given me a new IBM Thinkpad and a company mobile, so now I can work from home almost seamlessly (once I'd spent an hour on the phone to IT sort teething problems out). I was actually busier than if I had been in the office - I seemed to spend the whole day on the phone and answering emails. Also every workman in Wandsworth was working on our road, so it was pretty hard to concentrate above the sound of drills and stone blasting. Nice to sit around in shorts and t-shirt with the radio on and a decent cup of tea to sip on whilst I worked though.

C had driven to North Devon on Friday morning with the girls for Lucy's hen do - sounds like a right laugh. The plan was surfing, BBQs on the beach, games and liberal dose of pub time. I pitied the other people staying on the caravan site though! So I had another weekend to myself then. I'd arranged to meet Lou's boyfriend Chris and his mate Arthur for some drinks in town in the evening. We started at The Blue Posts, then as we were all a bit skint systematically searched out every Samuel Smiths pub we could in Soho (not hard, there's loads, plus the beer's amongst the cheapest and tastiest in the capital). Top night - talked the arse off every subject going and put the world to rights. Got kicked out of the last place (because it was closing, not because we were being naughty) and got home on auto-pilot. No more drinking for a good few days. Forgot to say - Banksy's latest piece was outside The Blue Post - the little tinker!

As per usual after a heavy night I woke up at the crack of dawn, so got up and after popping to buy the papers and polishing off brekky, I finished a bit of work that had been bugging me then carried on to enjoy my weekend with a 'clear' head. The sun was shining brightly and I fancied a good old hike so...got the train to Victoria, walked to Buckingham Palace then down The Mall; popped into the ICA; headed to Trafalgar Square, down Strand to Embankment; over the river to the South Bank (mooched around a bit), back over the river (watched a brass band near Charing Cross) walked through St.James' Park and back to Victoria. Train to Clapham Junction, bought pesto and herb plants at the Northcote Road farmers market then walked home though Wandsworth Common - great long walk and the sun shone on me all the way.

It poured down with rain most of today, so bar a quick visit to Kings Road I was flatbound. Did loads of experimenting with movie footage I had taken with iMovie - not bad for an entry level video app. Resisted the temptation to use most of the quirky 'filter' effects (as also resist with Photoshop). Can see the potential to do some great stuff, so watch out for more video on Flickr. Check out my latest photos also. Our TV died on Saturday morning and although it's been annoying not be able to watch Wimbledon I have listened to loads more radio than I usually would and really enjoyed it - Radio 2, 6, XFM and NME.

Top tune purchase this week has been The Bees - Sound Selection. An excellent album of covers inspired by the band's pre/post gig DJ sets. A band I only discovered a few years ago, but can thoroughly endorse their tripped out blues funk..er...stuff. Some choice versions on this album as well. Get it - it's great low slung summer music.

A fairly intense week ahead (during the day at least) - several deadlines to hit and a few lateys expected. Counting down the days to latitude - preying for some forgiving weather.

Pip pip.