Friday, 05 December 2008

So it's been 10 days from my last post (and boy are some of you laying it on thick with me), so here's a brief update on the events:
I've slept, ate, written songs, done the school run, made lunches, went to the pool, had some coffee with friends, been to Oliver's bar twice on a Monday, once with Jon Bilborough and once with Steve Jones and Leo Abrahams, I went to Cockfosters on the train and thought about how it's name would have made me laugh at one stage in my life... I left a book on the train that I hadn't finished, went to a stag do in Belfast, took up smoking but just for a day, regretted it ever since, played in a pool championship, had a fight with a Russian taxi driver, refused a dinner date with Madonna and had an email response from the Pope... not a bad 10 days I'd say.

My daughter (5) told me that she and Tristan from her school were married, and very happy.  I said "You couldn't possibly be married darling.  When a boy wants to marry a girl, he has to ask the Daddy for permission.  And then the I would have to send him off to Africa to wrestle a Lion and if he comes back then I'd send him to Florida to fight and Alligator, then to Canada to kill a Grizzly Bear with nothing but a table spoon and a conker.  Now if he returned with teeth and claws as proof, then finally I'd send him to Australia for a great white shark and if he could figure out a way of getting it back here alive, then we'd look at where we stood....."

"really Daddy?"
"yes darlin', really really...now, where's Tristan!?"

On another note, I love this time of year.  I really think the whole capitalisation of Christmas is horrendous, but I do love the spirit which often enters people.  The way people seem to be more likely to give to charity or do something kind for someone.  Not that being nice once a year is the route to world peace or anything, but it does create a different vibe when you're around someone in a festive/giving mood.  I find it interesting.  what is it about this time of year that makes us be like that?  Years of watching endless repeats of 'Scrooge' have had a part to play I'd imagine...

I've written a new song for the Twisted Christmas gig I'm doing at the Barbican (with David Coulter, Jarvis Cocker, Sandy Dillon, Patrick Wolf...etc....) called 'No Jingle Bells ring out here in the snow', about a group of guys living on the street and "watching Christmas through the window of an old TV store".  It's no classic, but I like it.


I also like my bed at this time of year.  Warm weather is great but you never feel cosy!  I like feeling cosy.  So, I'm off to my cosy bed as I have a long hard day ahead of me tomorrow; I have an audience with the Pope.  He wants to learns the chords to Pretty Vacant by the Sex Pistols...the chords are easy, but the travelling is hard so I'd best get some shut eye....