Morningstar - August 15 2002

07.02 am I was listening to AFI's Art of Drowning CD last night, and
one track I liked was Morningstar, it's a bit quiet and after a while
when it ends there is a hidden track. I am listening to 39/Smooth which
is a Green Day album. I think I have most of their albums now, but some
bands I am trying to track down are a bit difficult to find. I was
talking about music last night with Erin, and we found out we also like
other non-rock artistes.

Yesterday (14) I woke up around 6.40 or thereabouts and fed the cats.
Again they seem to dive straight in, except Longhair who wandered in
later on. I think he has his own secret agenda. I often wonder if in
the cat world they have friends and enemies and cats they like and
dislike, and things they just have to do.

I had a bath later on, after I had sweated away into the bright yellow
t shirt I had bought from the PDSA the day before, while playing
guitar. It was very hot, very quickly early on. I dropped the yellow
shirt in the wash basket and put on the blood red tshirt I had bought
yesterday (I later found out that it reeked of old ladies perfume like
parma violets, and maybe I should have washed it first).

My wife went to Leigh early on. I messaged Erin, then a little later
rang her, and we spoke for half an hour, and I walked into Leigh, and
Erin's mobile batteries ran out, but since she was at home she had the
mains charger with her. My wife rang me on the landline before I left
and told me that my mobile phone was ringing but not being answered. I
said I was on the phone.

I walked into Leigh and met my wife in Ugos and had a latte and a
chargrilled chicken baguette, she has been looking at furniture for the
dining room, but the big problem is all the stuff I have in there
already has to move out then it can be redecorated. However since this
is the room I spend a lot of time in, playing guitar, or online, or
writing its going to be awkward.

In Leigh I went in Fives again and bought the second Blink 182 album
"Dude Ranch", a new album by New Found Glory called "Sticks and Stones"
and a CD which I am taking back tomorrow as it is not original
recordings being more of a mish mash of re-recorded titles and live
recordings which are pants.

I also bought two pairs of shorts as the others I have are now too
stretched to fit.

I walked back in the sun sweating again. Then I spent most of the
afternoon in the garden, putting up the two man tent. I also excavated
a collection of old t shirts some of which smelt pretty bad having been
trapped in the drawer for several years. They are all in the wash
now.

The tent was very warm inside, and with the flap zipped up, it was like
sitting in a sauna, I said to myself that I really hoped I wouldnt have
to put the tent up in the rain.

I took the tent down after I had written and posted another story in a
series of stories. Then we drove to our friends, and had a look around
their new house. It needs a lot of work done on it, and the wallpaper
would look fine in a period film. It is truly hideous.

We went for a curry. The spanish place was too expensive. While eating,
I tried to tell them about my writing, but I dont think they were
interested. I mentioned Erin, but fortunately it was not the sort of
comment like somone blowing their nose very loudly during a quiet
moment. We talked about relationships, and I said out of the four
couples I knew (including us) they were the most normal, how wrong I
was.

I met this marmelade and white cat that was very keen to make friends
with me, or maybe since I like cats I make the point of chatting to
them when I can.

We drove home, and my wife went to in the front room to watch a tv
programme on Elvis, while I went online and chatted to Erin online. We
had a long chat, and I found out we liked other artistes apart from
rock-type ones. Which was pretty cool. My wife mentioned that my
friend's wife had turned my friend into a "Stepford Husband" by giving
him prozac daily, turning his fiery Mediterranean temper into something
altogether different. More docile and easily controlled. Apparently it
has destroyed his drive and made him like a tom cats that has had his
bits removed. Bizarre.

Erin mentioned another band I had seen in the shops and I may have a
look at their CDs sometime. I had had a bit to drink and made a
heartfelt statement which I am not sure were welcome, and I panicked
for a moment. Like it was going so well, then I open my mouth. Erin
sent me a story she had written for me to read. Her writing is like a
mountain stream, whereas mine is more like the spring water you buy
bottled in the shops. Or tap water.

Writing is an important form of self expression. I wish I was better at
it.