Journal Entries
Writing, Weddings and Minefields
Posted Feb 9, 2006
Just collected the wedding cake from Steven Kirby. It's a two tier cake with pale green variegated ivy leaves, mini catkins and snowdrops all done in sugar. Very seasonal - early spring colours - quite subtle, understated and very classy. Extremely pleased with it. 
Next job is a bath then off to writing group no.3 for a workshop. Never been to one their workshops before so we will see what happens. As long as we end up in the pub 
later I will survive.
Tomorrow we're away to Herefordshire for the wedding weekend. Utter madness, I am taking three suits, one for the daytime, DJ for the evening and one that S left at our house last time they visited. Normally I manage with what goes in a small rucsac.
This reminds me of a pal who is ex-army and is now a specialist in clearing minefields for the UN. He travels extremely light, everything needed for a six month trip in a tiny bag well under airline hand baggage rules. Despite this he will appear out of a tiny tent in the morning absolutely immaculate - shoes shiny, shirt and trousers neatly pressed with pin sharp creases, perfectly shaved and groomed. I suppose if you are clearing minefields it doesn't do to be sloppy or scruffy.
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Latest reply: Feb 9, 2006
Inside Lives
Posted Feb 8, 2006
Just had a call from Radio Stoke about doing another piece for the next series of Inside Lives. The website is at www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/insidelives/ The last one was great fun and I learnt a lot about writing, recording and editing for radio (free of charge too). The format was a two minute personal story which means being very, very brief and focussed.
They are widening the scope this time so maybe a piece on walking and landscape might work. Firm ideas needed for Thursday next week.
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Latest reply: Feb 8, 2006
Inside Lives
Posted Feb 8, 2006
Had a call from a guy at BBC Radio Stoke about doing another recording for the next series of Inside Lives. The website is at www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/insidelives/ The last series was great fun and I learnt a lot about radio, recording, editing and editing. Two days free tuition free of charge. Thanks BBC.
Must dream up some new ideas for next week. Perhaps a walking and landscape theme could work but keeping down to two minutes is hard, very hard.
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Latest reply: Feb 8, 2006
Fresh Eggs
Posted Feb 7, 2006
Thank [insert here whoever your preferred superior being may be] for the Women's Institute. They sell fresh eggs. Really fresh, less than a week old. It's all right for poncy TV chefs to go on about poaching eggs when they have their own hens or specialist supplier. The rest of us are stuck with the supermakets who just cannot turn over their stock quickly enough. Even if you buy the most expensive free range organic eggs they are always at least a fortnight old. You cannot see how old because they all use exotic date codes so you are stuck with a best before date which really means after this they are useless. So must close now and get out early tomorrow or Mary on the market will have sold out.
Evenin' all.
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Latest reply: Feb 7, 2006
The Truth Out There.
Posted Feb 7, 2006
So now I'm getting a feel for h2g2 and it's quite comfortable. I am clearly not the only person sitting at a computer watching the birds on the lawn, or who knows what an M6x25 pan head machine screw is. I've just been using a few of those to fix the light board on the trailer and have come in to warm up a bit.
I've also been told to tell the truth which is a problem for a writer of fiction.
The writing group was good fun last night. It's nice to have a few beers with other people who write stuff. I'm going to another group on Thursday and will report back next week.
Not much else going on (except No. 2 daughter's wedding on Saturday).
Must go, there's blue sky outside and it's almost sunny. Update - it is sunny.
Bye
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Latest reply: Feb 7, 2006
Phil Yabutz
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