An action-packed programme today. First off, we were very late back from Liz & John's last night (after a very enjoyable evening, I have to say - so thank you, Liz) and only got to bed at about 1.45am. I'd planned to get up at about 7am in order to be awake and functioning in time for church, but the smoke alarm decided its battery was dead at 6am and started beeping for attention. Naturally, I sent Lord H to sort it out, but neither of us managed to get back to sleep afterwards, so we just got up.
I was dreading church, to be honest, but in the event it wasn't too bad - at least Lord H wasn't performing any duties and could actually sit with me this week. Mind you, we seem to have decided to ignore any hint of Advent or Christmas by having the hymns we'd normally have on an ordinary Sunday. Strange, but it suits me, sir. There'd also been many a rumour beforehand that our new priest, Paul Jenkins, was going to pay us a surprise visit to check us all out before he's installed in January - and indeed he did. However, I don't think he had much idea about travelling incognito as he arrived in full black gown with a red trim, and did more crossing and genuflecting than I've seen the Pope do at Easter. Suspect he might be high then (in church terms) - or perhaps just the Pope's love child? Now that wouldn't be entirely unexpected ... And I even managed to go up to Communion (which in itself managed to be okay for a moment or two, thank the Lord) and mumble my way through some of the hymns. So it might not be all doom and gloom on the holy front. You never know. Mind you, I left sharpish to avoid the chat.
We then played golf with Marian & Siegi at lunchtime. A game of two halves on the whole (as it were!) - we were crap at the start (except for my startingly brilliant putt on the first hole which nailed it for a 5 - hurrah), but warmed up after the first few holes. Our turn to do lunch today - Lord H did a magnificent slow-cooked game casserole, but unfortunately Marian doesn't like game. Ah well. The best laid plans ... etc, etc. The pudding went down well though.
Tonight I am planning some serious chilling and brainless TV viewing - with no more talking to anyone till tomorrow (apart from Lord H of course). I think we both deserve it.
This week's haiku (which came suddenly to me on my twilight walk to the station earlier this week) is:
Moonlight on water.
The bridge beckons me onward.
Step into the dark.
Today's nice things:
1. Laughing at the bizarre antics of our priest-to-be
2. Golf
3. A quiet evening.
Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk
ANNE BROOKE BOOKS: Independent writer of modern fiction
Showing posts with label social events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social events. Show all posts
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Haircut and black tie dinner
Never say I don't lead the high life on occasion. This morning was a lazy lie-in followed by a half-hearted cleaning session in preparation for doing lunch for friends tomorrow. But there is some good news! - cleaning is much nicer with an iPod. It's true - technology works. It does make our lives nicer. I feel much calmer if I'm listening to Mozart while scrubbing the kitchen, and Blondie's "Sunday Girl" is a wow for washing the floors to. You heard it here first. And how Blondie takes me back to my school days - ah happy memories (at least in terms of secondary school anyhow). The only trouble was the sing-along moments disturbing Lord H's efforts to do his theology essay (not that he complained, and before anyone asks, yes, he had done his share of the cleaning by then ...) - I'm not sure I have the range that Deborah Harry had. Ever. In any circumstance.
Managed to squeeze in one episode of the original "Star Trek" (ah, they don't make 'em like that any more, more's the pity) before my hairdresser turned up to get rid of the neck flicks and fringe which have crept up on me over the last couple of weeks or so. Thank God. I was beginning to think that the '40s had come again.
Lord H has gone to the shops to stock up for tomorrow's lunch and tonight's wine offerings, but has actually now come back as the queues to get into the ruddy Waitrose car park were so long he'd probably be there till the next millenium. The hell that is Christmas indeed ... Anyone for fish 'n' chips tomorrow?
Tonight we're at Liz & John's for Liz's annual black tie dinner. We went for the first time last year, and rather enjoyed it - there are only about 8 people and it's in her home, so it's manageable even for me. Surely. Last year, I was on something of a high though, and suspect I didn't stop talking for three hours. Though I don't think they minded. Still, I hope to be on a calmer roll this year and try to avoid my usual performance defence mechanism. Now that would be nice.
Oh, and I've given up with my Handbook for Depressed Christians (or similar title - I can't be arsed to get off my ... well ... arse and check it, sorry) as it was getting on my nerves and was beginning to be so shallow I could have held it up and seen right through it. Not bad for 400 pages plus. Instead, I bought another book for non-religion specific depressed people last week - Tim Cantopher's "Depression: the Curse of the Strong" and ye gods, it's bloody good. Small, very readable and highly sane. Not bad for a psychiatrist author then. I'm getting more out of that than I did the other, for sure. Interestingly, Tim is actually a Consultant Psychiatrist at the University, though I've never actually met him - so at least I'm keeping it local.
And, for those of you keeping up with this kind of thing, did I get my copies of "A Dangerous Man" from Flame Books (http://www.flamebooks.com) this week as promised by them? Did I heck! I'm almost beginning to wonder if I did actually sign a contract with them last spring at all, or whether it's a figment of my overactive imagination. If the latter, this would explain their slight air of confusion when I call. Hmm. To be honest, if it is real, I don't mind the delay so much as the lack of communication. Even something saying: "we're sorry for the delay, there's no news but we thought you'd like to hear from us anyway to let you know we're still working on it" would be nice. And it can't cost much. Or am I asking the impossible from a small press? How I wish there was someone out there who could tell me. Till then, I'm stumbling on in the dark.
Today's nice things:
1. Haircut
2. Dinner tonight
3. Star Trek.
Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk
Managed to squeeze in one episode of the original "Star Trek" (ah, they don't make 'em like that any more, more's the pity) before my hairdresser turned up to get rid of the neck flicks and fringe which have crept up on me over the last couple of weeks or so. Thank God. I was beginning to think that the '40s had come again.
Lord H has gone to the shops to stock up for tomorrow's lunch and tonight's wine offerings, but has actually now come back as the queues to get into the ruddy Waitrose car park were so long he'd probably be there till the next millenium. The hell that is Christmas indeed ... Anyone for fish 'n' chips tomorrow?
Tonight we're at Liz & John's for Liz's annual black tie dinner. We went for the first time last year, and rather enjoyed it - there are only about 8 people and it's in her home, so it's manageable even for me. Surely. Last year, I was on something of a high though, and suspect I didn't stop talking for three hours. Though I don't think they minded. Still, I hope to be on a calmer roll this year and try to avoid my usual performance defence mechanism. Now that would be nice.
Oh, and I've given up with my Handbook for Depressed Christians (or similar title - I can't be arsed to get off my ... well ... arse and check it, sorry) as it was getting on my nerves and was beginning to be so shallow I could have held it up and seen right through it. Not bad for 400 pages plus. Instead, I bought another book for non-religion specific depressed people last week - Tim Cantopher's "Depression: the Curse of the Strong" and ye gods, it's bloody good. Small, very readable and highly sane. Not bad for a psychiatrist author then. I'm getting more out of that than I did the other, for sure. Interestingly, Tim is actually a Consultant Psychiatrist at the University, though I've never actually met him - so at least I'm keeping it local.
And, for those of you keeping up with this kind of thing, did I get my copies of "A Dangerous Man" from Flame Books (http://www.flamebooks.com) this week as promised by them? Did I heck! I'm almost beginning to wonder if I did actually sign a contract with them last spring at all, or whether it's a figment of my overactive imagination. If the latter, this would explain their slight air of confusion when I call. Hmm. To be honest, if it is real, I don't mind the delay so much as the lack of communication. Even something saying: "we're sorry for the delay, there's no news but we thought you'd like to hear from us anyway to let you know we're still working on it" would be nice. And it can't cost much. Or am I asking the impossible from a small press? How I wish there was someone out there who could tell me. Till then, I'm stumbling on in the dark.
Today's nice things:
1. Haircut
2. Dinner tonight
3. Star Trek.
Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
UniSWriters, Goldenford and questions of insanity
A strange day today: nothing much happened but I got more and more hyperactive. This afternoon I was really on edge – I suspect it’s the fear of my rather too sociable weekend coming up, and I’m now neck-deep in the fight-or-flight scenario. Heck, and it’s only Tuesday. Maybe it’s time for another calming pill?... And last weekend was just so wonderfully hermit-like or simply filled with good one-to-one conversations too. I’m going to have to learn to spread multi-type social engagements around so they don’t all come at once if I’m to maintain any sort of sanity. Or cancel Christmas. One of the two.
Talking of sanity (or not), UniSWriters was very lively today, in spite of the fact that there were only four of us there. 90% of this was due to me being on a manic roll and only 10% of it was due to Jennifer from the Library giggling. Still, in spite of all the obstacles, we managed to get some writing done and talk about current projects, which was good. I did wonder however if, in the knowledge that two of our writers are psychologists, I should have been talking about hearing my characters speak and having conversations with them. Hmm. Sometimes though the group works even when their quasi-leader is hitting the walls and rebounding. Thank God. By the way, I’d like to get 90,000 words of “The Gifting” done by the end of the year, but I’m not hopeful. I gave the group homework too – to write something about what they might like to do in their “dream year”, either for themselves, or as a poem or even from the point of view of one of their characters. If anything comes back, it should be interesting.
This evening, I’m off to do the Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk/) minutes, so I hope they’re not too onerous. Or I shall be so far up towards the ceiling that I’ll never come down. It will be good to discuss our next book though, which will be Jay Margrave’s “The Gawain Quest” – a humdinger of an historical fantasy and an all-round great read. Buy early, buy often, people! I’d like to have a definite publication date for that one decided upon at the meeting, but we’ll have to wait and see. Time to get our publication act together, Goldenford gals, I think …
Today’s nice things:
1. UniSWriters
2. Goldenford stuff
3. Talking about writing.
Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
Talking of sanity (or not), UniSWriters was very lively today, in spite of the fact that there were only four of us there. 90% of this was due to me being on a manic roll and only 10% of it was due to Jennifer from the Library giggling. Still, in spite of all the obstacles, we managed to get some writing done and talk about current projects, which was good. I did wonder however if, in the knowledge that two of our writers are psychologists, I should have been talking about hearing my characters speak and having conversations with them. Hmm. Sometimes though the group works even when their quasi-leader is hitting the walls and rebounding. Thank God. By the way, I’d like to get 90,000 words of “The Gifting” done by the end of the year, but I’m not hopeful. I gave the group homework too – to write something about what they might like to do in their “dream year”, either for themselves, or as a poem or even from the point of view of one of their characters. If anything comes back, it should be interesting.
This evening, I’m off to do the Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk/) minutes, so I hope they’re not too onerous. Or I shall be so far up towards the ceiling that I’ll never come down. It will be good to discuss our next book though, which will be Jay Margrave’s “The Gawain Quest” – a humdinger of an historical fantasy and an all-round great read. Buy early, buy often, people! I’d like to have a definite publication date for that one decided upon at the meeting, but we’ll have to wait and see. Time to get our publication act together, Goldenford gals, I think …
Today’s nice things:
1. UniSWriters
2. Goldenford stuff
3. Talking about writing.
Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Reflexology and the publishing game
Another quiet day. Still, I decided to ring the changes and make graphs out of some of my Excel info. Rediscovering old skills was quite jolly, and it means I’m now the expert should anyone ever ask how many students emailed our helpdesk in any particular month and for what purpose. I’ve even done a comparison graph! Hey, I’m just rocking.
Had another reflexology session at lunchtime – I probably needed it more today as I was feeling quite tense and I think I’ve the beginnings of yet another cold. Hurrah. Nobody told me when I married Lord H thirteen years ago that I would be agreeing to have all the illnesses for the both of us for evermore. Bummer, eh? … No wonder he’s so damn healthy – it’s like Dorian Grey (Gray?) all over again except with sickness rather than looks. Hmm.
In the afternoon, and as there was no-one in the office but me for a couple of hours, I finally cracked and rang (yes, rang – and I soooo hate the ruddy phone!) Flame Books (http://www.flamebooks.com/) to try to find out if anything at all is happening to poor old “A Dangerous Man”. My editor seemed very preoccupied and not best pleased to have me squeaking desperately on the phone like a mouse on speed. Help! I’m obviously so low in the scale of things that I don’t even count as pond life. Still, I managed to ascertain that they hope that thirty copies will be available next week (as previews, I assume?) and they’ll let me know more later. Does the number thirty have some strange mystic significance of which I am sadly unaware? In any case, I was too terrified by then to ask anything else. Lord let it not be that they think there’s absolutely no market for it under any circumstances. Surely someone out there enjoys gay crime, art, sex and murder and will order vast quantities of the book from the safety of their PCs? One can only hope!! Either way, it’s all rather depressing and I am actually not enjoying this part of the process. I’d been thinking of arranging some kind of low-key launch party with the lovely Ottakar’s in Godalming (especially as no way am I going to darken the doors of the wretched “Surrey Bookshop” again …) but have rather lost heart for it at the moment …
However, the good new is that my agent (http://www.sff.net/people/john-jarrold/about.html) has sent “Thorn in the Flesh” out to lots of different publishers (what a hero!), so here’s hoping someone out there likes it. Please?...
This evening, Lord H is shopping (what an angel) and I’m out with the gals from my old firm for a Christmas dinner at Bel and the Dragon (http://www.belandthedragon-godalming.co.uk/) in Godalming. As I’m not drinking at the moment, it’s a shame I don’t live elsewhere as I could have given everyone lifts. Never mind. I’ll make up for it by eating like a pig. Ha! And as Jane H is also going, I can pick up my Nutrimetics (http://www.nutrimetics.co.uk/) stuff and start being a new woman. Hurrah indeed.
Today’s nice things:
1. Reflexology
2. Excel graphs
3. Hearing from John Jarrold.
Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk
Had another reflexology session at lunchtime – I probably needed it more today as I was feeling quite tense and I think I’ve the beginnings of yet another cold. Hurrah. Nobody told me when I married Lord H thirteen years ago that I would be agreeing to have all the illnesses for the both of us for evermore. Bummer, eh? … No wonder he’s so damn healthy – it’s like Dorian Grey (Gray?) all over again except with sickness rather than looks. Hmm.
In the afternoon, and as there was no-one in the office but me for a couple of hours, I finally cracked and rang (yes, rang – and I soooo hate the ruddy phone!) Flame Books (http://www.flamebooks.com/) to try to find out if anything at all is happening to poor old “A Dangerous Man”. My editor seemed very preoccupied and not best pleased to have me squeaking desperately on the phone like a mouse on speed. Help! I’m obviously so low in the scale of things that I don’t even count as pond life. Still, I managed to ascertain that they hope that thirty copies will be available next week (as previews, I assume?) and they’ll let me know more later. Does the number thirty have some strange mystic significance of which I am sadly unaware? In any case, I was too terrified by then to ask anything else. Lord let it not be that they think there’s absolutely no market for it under any circumstances. Surely someone out there enjoys gay crime, art, sex and murder and will order vast quantities of the book from the safety of their PCs? One can only hope!! Either way, it’s all rather depressing and I am actually not enjoying this part of the process. I’d been thinking of arranging some kind of low-key launch party with the lovely Ottakar’s in Godalming (especially as no way am I going to darken the doors of the wretched “Surrey Bookshop” again …) but have rather lost heart for it at the moment …
However, the good new is that my agent (http://www.sff.net/people/john-jarrold/about.html) has sent “Thorn in the Flesh” out to lots of different publishers (what a hero!), so here’s hoping someone out there likes it. Please?...
This evening, Lord H is shopping (what an angel) and I’m out with the gals from my old firm for a Christmas dinner at Bel and the Dragon (http://www.belandthedragon-godalming.co.uk/) in Godalming. As I’m not drinking at the moment, it’s a shame I don’t live elsewhere as I could have given everyone lifts. Never mind. I’ll make up for it by eating like a pig. Ha! And as Jane H is also going, I can pick up my Nutrimetics (http://www.nutrimetics.co.uk/) stuff and start being a new woman. Hurrah indeed.
Today’s nice things:
1. Reflexology
2. Excel graphs
3. Hearing from John Jarrold.
Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Lunch with strangers and Radio 4 photos
Did more to the work website today and eked (eeked?!) out the time. It's been puzzling me recently that I've changed my earring routine (I think I have earrings on the brain at the moment). I usually change them each day and go for the dangly ones, but lately I've been going for studs 'n' pearls. And more lately still just keeping in the same old boring gold hoops I've had since I was 16. Hmm. Is this laziness, old age or depression? Or is it just that I can't be arsed? It's a mystery. Perhaps in the end I'll give up wearing them at all - much like I gave up wearing mascara last year - and my ears will heal over. This will please Lord H who had a Baptist upbringing and thinks any body piercing is the work of the devil.
Anyway, I had lunch with strangers - one of the gals in the Registry got wind of the fact that I used to work (many, many years ago) for Guildford College and organised a get-together for ex-Guildford College survivors at the University. However, I've been stressing for days that I don't actually know any of the names on the list and I would have to walk into the restaurant (packed full of curious students) and look lost and lonely. How I hate walking into anywhere on my own - it reminds me of always being picked last for whatever sport we happened to be doing in the games lesson at school. Hey, look, Billy-No-Mates - honestly, I should have it emblazoned on my t-shirt. Anyway, in the event, I recognised one of my lunch people after all and we had quite a good time. I do so like my social events to be small (there were only 6 of us) and time-constrained (a lunch-hour only). That constitutes my social inclusion fill for the week. Possibly the month.
This afternoon, I took part in the Radio 4 "PM" Window on Your World project - which involved taking a photo of whatever you happened to be looking at at 5pm and sending it to Radio 4 for collation. For me, this was my work collection of fluffy pens (hell, I have to have my soft side somewhere ...) and my Wuthering Heights mug. Hmm. Maybe I need to get a life? Though, actually, I thought the end result was quite charming and does indeed give a snapshot view into my psyche at 5pm on a work day. Swinging somewhere between ditzy and psychotic. Lovely.
Tonight, it's Guildford Writers (http://www.guildfordwriters.net) and I'm going to be brave and take something to read out this time. Probably. Oh God. Which means I'll need to go to the loo twice before the meeting starts and will feel sick until my part is over. If anyone out there has a confidence pill, please send a year's supply.
Today's nice things:
1. Lunch (surprisingly)
2. Taking my photo (sadly)
3. Guildford Writers (hopefully).
Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk
Anyway, I had lunch with strangers - one of the gals in the Registry got wind of the fact that I used to work (many, many years ago) for Guildford College and organised a get-together for ex-Guildford College survivors at the University. However, I've been stressing for days that I don't actually know any of the names on the list and I would have to walk into the restaurant (packed full of curious students) and look lost and lonely. How I hate walking into anywhere on my own - it reminds me of always being picked last for whatever sport we happened to be doing in the games lesson at school. Hey, look, Billy-No-Mates - honestly, I should have it emblazoned on my t-shirt. Anyway, in the event, I recognised one of my lunch people after all and we had quite a good time. I do so like my social events to be small (there were only 6 of us) and time-constrained (a lunch-hour only). That constitutes my social inclusion fill for the week. Possibly the month.
This afternoon, I took part in the Radio 4 "PM" Window on Your World project - which involved taking a photo of whatever you happened to be looking at at 5pm and sending it to Radio 4 for collation. For me, this was my work collection of fluffy pens (hell, I have to have my soft side somewhere ...) and my Wuthering Heights mug. Hmm. Maybe I need to get a life? Though, actually, I thought the end result was quite charming and does indeed give a snapshot view into my psyche at 5pm on a work day. Swinging somewhere between ditzy and psychotic. Lovely.
Tonight, it's Guildford Writers (http://www.guildfordwriters.net) and I'm going to be brave and take something to read out this time. Probably. Oh God. Which means I'll need to go to the loo twice before the meeting starts and will feel sick until my part is over. If anyone out there has a confidence pill, please send a year's supply.
Today's nice things:
1. Lunch (surprisingly)
2. Taking my photo (sadly)
3. Guildford Writers (hopefully).
Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk
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