Hear You Me - August 16 2002

08.41 am Despite setting the alarm for 6.15 am I fell asleep twice.
I dreamt of travelling on busses and trains again. Of making phone
calls and not being able to say anything, or opening windows to see the
grey sky. Still I am up now.

Yesterday (14) I fed the cats, the Longhair didnt go out all night, so
I think whatever business he had to attend to has been dealt with.
Tabby has gone back to being picky about his food. Both of them spend a
lot of time asleep. I am listening to Warning now, as I havent heard it
for some time.

I wrote up my diary and then a little later played the guitar. I tend
to play different stuff on different guitars. I use the Gretsch most of
the time, although the Bullet has a solid sound, unlike the Vintage SG
copy which sounds very bassy. I had to tune the strings right up to get
a decent sound (and this is with new strings).

My wife went to London.

I messaged Erin and then I rang her a couple of times, but got no
reply. I wondered if it was to do with anything I had said last night,
but then I spoke with her around 12.45 for a short while. I had two
bits of news, first was that I had been asked to put together a message
board for my nephew's band's website, and the second was that I had
started on the new project at last. I emailed her the biogs and the
first chapter so that she could have a read.

Then I walked into Leigh, in fact it looked quite dull, but by the time
I had walked into Leigh it was very hot, and I had to carry my leather
jacket about, rather than wear it.

I went in Ugos and had a latte and a chicken baguette and sat there
having a look at the people in the place. There seemed to be a lot of
girls in there with their friends. Of course I sat alone wearing my
Clash t shirt.

Then I went in Fives and listened to three CDs and decided that none
were really that great, apart from The Offspring new album which I
liked mostly.

Back home, I found out that Channel 5 doesnt tape so I couldnt tape the
Elvis documentary for my wife, so I rang her and said that Channel 5
was stuffed, and she said it didnt matter. Well, I am always careful
since I wiped her only copy of a series of programmes about Jean
Muir.

In Leigh Record Exchange I listened to a mammoth 8 CDs and didnt like
any of them, before I bought the Offspring album, Conspiracy Of One for
?6 which was less than half price.

I played guitar but I think it was too hot and I ended up quite
frustrated that it was so bad, and the songs I was trying out seemed
impossible to get together. I had a bath and went online, and I spoke
with Erin for a long time about music and writing. We had both been
drinking, but Erin had had slightly more. It was fun. I think I played
the first Green Day album two - three times. My wife got in, and didnt
moan about the time, so maybe it is all relative anyway.

It was warm tonight, when I went to bed eventually, I slept on top of
the covers. The cats were both in, although Longhair has taken to
sleeping in the sun lounger which I leave outside in the garden. In
fact tonight he was so sleepy I was able to pick him up and put him in
the wicker chair inside the back room and he fell asleep again. His fur
is a bit matted and full of grass seeds.

I was supposed to have tidied up the back room this week, and thrown
stuff away in a skip, but that didnt happen. I may do something about
it today. Or at least sort out the CDs I have bought recently.

I think Warning is a lot different from their early stuff, more like
indie pop than punk. It sounds fine, but then I have played all their
CDs (especially their early ones) several times.

I wore my shorts till about 2pm. Didnt seem to be much point in getting
dressed. In the evening it was good to be able to play my music loud. I
havent got really drunk so far this holiday, mainly because I haven't
but I think I may one evening just for the hell of it.

I wish I could write good songs.