The news

The news at the moment is very odd. In fact it's not really news at all. There has been a whole run of famous 'personalities' dying one after the other. This is not news. It's a normal event in everybody's lives. People die one after the other every day. The press coverage gets very silly, luvvy-duvvy and hysterical. It does my head in.

Thinking

I've got a different sort of week this week. On Wednesday there's an early trip to the workhouse. Then on Thursday I've got my every-other-Thursday appointment. Later on this week I've got a very early appointment which will involve a fifteen mile bus journey there. Weeks like this are quite tedious. And on the subject of tedious, I've got to move my keyboard shortly.

This morning

I got up tired and a bit deflated, which is my normal Monday-morning mood. After the usual fags and coffee it was up to the library. I'm playing at an Irish wake next week, so I've been doing a bit of homework for it. I've found the music for a couple of well-known folk songs, plus about a dozen or so reels and jigs. The trouble with the reels and jigs is that they all look and sound pretty much the same. In every one of them it's all the same notes but in a different order. I've got a good week to learn them all.

Sleep

My sleep still remains disturbed and full of unpleasant dreams. I consequently wake up tired of a morning. I don't need many things. I live quite simply and that's how I like it. The only things I really need are good quality sleep, somewhere peaceful where I can rest, and an environment where I can use my intellectual capacities. At the moment all three things seem to elude me.

'Er upstairs

The people upstairs have been noticeably quieter for the past few days. They haven't exactly been quiet but there is a definite improvement. I don't trust her. She's done this before. I know she'll start up again sooner or later.
Last night, while I was on the second episode of Bleak House, I could hear her, hard at it in the front room. It was blood-curdling. Horrible. I wish she'd have the manners to wear a gag, or to get her place soundproofed or something.

Sunday

I took my time coming round in the morning. While I was on the fags and coffee I priced up some more cds, for sale in the historic building. I had a better sort of day there, which makes it all so much more worthwhile for me.
When I got home I tried to sleep but couldn't, so read a bit of Mozart, The Golden Years 1781-1791 by H Robbins Landon. I had the leftovers of Saturday's meal, and it was every bit as dull as it had been the first time round.
The pub was a bit of a dirge, but there were a couple of nice moments. When I got there the band was just clearing up. They got talking to me. I didn't recognize them but they'd been at one of my pub things in the past, and said how much they had enjoyed it. They sand for a bit when I kicked off but had to leave, as they live a considerable way from here. Otherwise it was quiet until later on, when a man asked me to play some Showpan. I played the usual but he enjoyed it.
I got home nice and early and had a fried supper (groan) and watched a couple more episodes of Bleak House. Bed at midnight.

Saturday night

I had a boring meal and got meself tarted up. I sat around for a bit but the usual stuff really got on my nerves, so I went out for a slow walk. Later on I met up with close friends in the pub where I played at Christmas. That made such a nice change. The landlord spoke to me, and I shall be playing there again in the near future. Afterwards it was home to a couple of Laurel & Hardy films, and then to bed.