Lately

I've done a huge amount of gardening lately, and have spent many hours running through the programme for next week's concert. That is getting very close now, but I think I'll be fine. I do feel very tired and am aching considerably. I really shouldn't be doing so much, but sometimes forget how much older I'm getting.
Early yesterday evening I was just getting ready to eat my dinner, and then the horrifically loud music started, and the overactive kid started screaming and shouting. I had to eat my dinner sat on my bed. I could still hear it all, but not so loudly.
After dinner I went back to the front room, had a fag and tried to stay calm, but I couldn't. I decided to treat them to some music, for a change. I started with Webern's Five Movements, op.5 and concluded with Rossini's aria Non Piu Mesta from La Cenerentola, all at full volume of course. All had become quiet downstairs. I can only conclude that the neighbours had ernjoyed my choice of music, and were eager to hear more. But that was enough of the music. I settled down watching documentaries instead.
I went to bed at half past nine. A few hours later I was awoken by very loud music. (I use the term 'music' very loosely. It mostly consisted of loud thuds, with an out-of-tune 'backing', and someone babbling at the top of their voice above it all. Horrible). It sounded like a party was in progress in the disused garage opposite to where I live. It took me ages to get back to sleep, and I eventually woke up feeling like crap. To cap it all, my landlord is now charging me a lot more for the privilege.

A long weekend

I have been working very hard in the garden, and parts of it are starting to look very nice indeed. Friday was fairly quiet at the historic building, but I managed to make myself useful by giving a guided tour in German to a woman and her son. They both said afterwards how much they enjoyed it. I did a lot of playing over the weekend, with very stiff hands and swollen fingers from all the weeding I'd done. I still feel very tired indeed. There's just over a week until my concert. The powers that be have been advertising it, so it looks like at least sixty people will be coming, rather than the twenty-odd that I'd been expecting. It really is all go. In the meanwhile I've contacted the letting agent to ask if they have any flats available. I can't wait to get out of where I'm living now. The neighbours and their progeny sound like something out of Jurassic Park.

Modern times

What times we live in. The worlds seems all aggression and hostility. Too many countries are at each other's throats. Some countries stir up other countries against some regime or other that they don't happen to like. And even within certain countries there is the most terrifying sectarian hatred, where people's lives come very cheap. For fuck sake, why can't people try to treat others more kindly, and with just an ounce of compassion and respect? There isn't enough kindness in the world, and more's the pity. Life doesn't need to be as horrible as this.
No, I'm not pointing the finger of blame elsewhere. Our government has picked of the weakest and most vulnerable members of the population, demonised them and forced many into poverty. Meanwhile the richest people, the government's main donors, have reaped huge amounts of money at the expense of the poor. Our government sneers indignantly at human rights abuses in foreign parts, while committing human rights abuses themselves (their treatment of the disabled), and consorting with some of the most horrific regimes in human history. The saddest thing is that the 'informed and educated' British electorate will probably vote for them again in the forthcoming general election. It really does make me want to cry.
Meanwhile I continue to work very hard on the historic building's garden, and am practicing relentlessly for my concert in a couple of weeks. And then there is the housing issue. And the tribunal, for which I'm still waiting to learn the date. And the noisy neighbours. There are times I feel I am going completely barmy (if I'm not already).

Since yesterday

I had a lovely peaceful evening. It felt very strange indeed. The neighbours were at home, but there was none of the antisocial stuff that I've been having to live with. My outburst of the previous evening, an expression of the frustration I was no longer able to contain, must have given them pause for thought. Let's see what this evening brings.
I've got a busy day today. I shall be doling some gardening very shortly. Then later on this morning I'm doing one of my mini lecture-recitals for a visiting group of Dutch students. Then I'll spend the rest of the day getting the historic building ready for our Easter event. All good stuff.

Since yesterday evening

I turned in at 10.15pm, exhausted and with a headache, and could still hear the neighbours quite clearly as I tried to settle down. I didn't sleep at all well. I dreamed about what I'd been through all evening. I dreamed about the housing situation. I dreamed about the garden I am working on. I dreamed about the concert I am practicing for. I woke up just after 4am, deep in thought, edgy, in a horrible mood and still with a headache. I've been ratty all day. The headache still hasn't gone and I do feel so very tired.

Life

I've really been having a funny old time of it lately. By 'funny' I don't mean hilarious. Far from it. I mean 'funny' in the sense of strange. Take my housing for example. Friday began with the belief that I would at some point be asked to vacate the flat. On Friday afternoon the letting agency warned me that prospective buyers would be coming to see the flat on Saturday lunchtime. On Saturday morning I received a further email from the letting agent, advising me that the viewing had been cancelled, as the owner no longer wanted to sell the property. On Saturday afternoon I received a letter from the letting agent, informing me that my rent will be increased substantially from next month.
Of course the first thing I did was to let my support worker know what was going on, and we met about it yesterday morning. Because I'm not going to be evicted, the first option we were going for (and much better than what I currently have) is no longer available. But it will be in due course, what with the supporting evidence from the Mental Health Team. It looks like I will need to move soon, but will go for the better thing after. My support worker has already referred me to the best agency to help deal with this.
All this has been happening against a background of appalling noise levels at home. One morning I was woken up by the neighbours at 4.45am, who were on their balcony and being very loud. They sounded as if they were blind drunk. Much more of this and I will be speaking fluent Bulgarian in a very short time. I really don't object to the language being Bulgarian. My autism leaves me hypersensitive to sound, and the fact that I can hear all this constant loud noise in a language I don't understand only adds to the distress of it. Last night the noise was more or less continuous from about 5pm. At 10pm the general cacophony was added to by football being broadcast too loudly, and the sound of Juventus football chants being played over and over again for ages. The same two or three bloody chants. I exploded into an outburst of the most inelegant kind. The people heard me. I could hear them repeating it, but it didn't stop them making a noise. Selfish cunts.

Lately

I've had quite a lot going on lately, what with the two ongoing tribunal appeals and the housing situation. So I've tried to channel my energy into doing something constructive, namely lots of practice and lots of gardening. It's got to the point where gardening and practice are my two current obsessions. All the issues and the activities swill round in my head day and night, and leave me very tired from lack of sleep. The most I can manage lately is six hours a night, but it is usually nearer to five and sometimes less than that. Yawn.