oh we do like to be beside the seaside…
We have summer!
Or so it would appear (and bearing in mind it normally takes me a day or two to write these, the situation may have changed since). Even here in the usually frozen North (and as noted for posterity by the Huffington Post) the sun is shining and having walked along the periphery of the beach on my way home from the indoor market, it’s fair to say that the local (and not so local) folk are taking full advantage. Paddling may be on the menu next time, if I can remember not to wear my Doc Martens.
It has resolutely not been the ideal climate to be painting and decorating, much less throwing oak flooring about but thanks to a few open windows and some cooler days, progress is (if not quite forging ahead) definitely being made and the apartment is taking further shape, not least after a slightly later than usual spring clean including beeswaxing of furniture, replacing of all dead light bulbs and an enthusiastic clearout. Mega finds this time were a previously-unnoticed tenner in the envelope bag (yay), £50 worth of forgotten TopShop vouchers (Oxford Circus flagship store here I come) a beloved orange sundress bought from the Mind shop years ago for less than the price of a KFC and long feared lost to the charity bag by mistake, and best of all, my much-coveted-at-the-time Ericsson flip phone from 1998 (and see below!) Sadly, it doesn’t work; well it might, but I’ve no idea how I’d charge it up to find out.
And as promised, another few days and a bit of proper food, settee-rest and fresh air (with added sunshine) later, I will be available for limited incalls here in Scarborough from the 24th until the 30th of the month (further DIY jobs notwithstanding) before normal service is resumed in London on the 31st, and after practically crawling home from Ireland three weeks ago, back on top form after a lovely rest and uber-recharge – yay! It’s been a long time in the making, and marred slightly by the giant tax bill which was awaiting me when I got home, but it’s amazing what a switched-off work phone and an ideally-timed Adultwork outage can do to induce calm and serenity and general zen-ness.
In other news, my much-talked-but-little-done-about mission to get my pretty-but-tired tattoos spruced up for my fortieth birthday (I’m not a little embarrassed to admit that I’ve actually been talking about it since my thirtieth, as those who know me well are very much aware) is finally underway – as anybody who’s indulged especially on the ribcage region will know, there really isn’t any halfarsed way to do this and I am currently three painful hours into my newest art acquisition thanks to Gino at Diamond Jacks in Soho, master of the custom-drawn peony and plenty of other things too for anyone feeling like a bit of an overhaul. I know it’s a copout but since it’s just an outline at the moment I won’t post pictures, so you’ll have to come along and see for yourself – colour goes on in a month or so and I honestly don’t know whether it’s worse that this time I can remember how much it hurts, the previous twenty-five year gap having managed to wipe the memory completely. Ouch.
Since all holidays must come to an end eventually, I can now promise that the phone will be back on from Monday morning – as ever, same day appointments are not available and some slots are already gone, so please don’t hesitate to email if you’re feeling particularly keen! London is also filling up nicely, and if last month was anything to go by, a fine (and industrially air-conditioned) time will be had by all.
Until then, it’s back to it! Next up will be awaydays for the coming months plus the return of the New York page – watch this space…
Last but not least, anybody wanting a free Graze kids goody box as seen above (mine had flapjack; yes, I misappropriated and ate a child’s goody box) just follow the link, enter the code 6MZXNJFD and await the postman. Cancel it afterwards or they’ll keep a-coming, but pray for flapjack. It’s far too hot to cook anything.
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