Freedom From The Mundane

Image: Woodley Wonderworks

I watched an excellent film from Lovefilm last night. Once is a “modern day musical” about an Irish busker and a Czech immigrant, who come together on the street and end up recording some music before going their separate ways. An excellent film; beautifully shot, a wonderful script and finely acted. I would [...]

March 6th, 2010 | Tags: coffee shop, computer, DVD, GDR's, Lovefilm, Microsoft, MS Office, Once, OpenOffice, PC, Ranfurly Review, Vista, Walking, Writing | Category: Writing | Comments (1)

Image: 13

Today is a special day in our house. It’s my daughter’s birthday—she’s 13 years old! That’s 13 I said; Thirteen; 1 decade and 3! Do I feel like an old fart? Well, yeah, kind of, which is why I’m still baffled about constantly being branded a big kid.
Anyway, we’re off out tonight to celebrate [...]

March 1st, 2010 | Tags: 13, birthday, Canada, Family, GDR's, Goals Dreams and Resolutions, Hockey, Ice Hockey, meal, seasons, spring, teenager, thirteen, USA, Vancouver, winter, Winter Olympics | Category: Family, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, Sport, Writing, Writing Process | Comments (3)

Fiction
* Write 20K words on BACCARA BURNING – part-done; 5k
* Write one new short/flash story per month – done
* Re-submit any rejected/recalled short stories – done
* Submit more fiction/poetry competitions – done
Poetry
* Write at least one poem per week – done (plus lots more)
* Complete MS for SILLY POEMS FOR WEE PEOPLE VOL.2 – done
* [...]

February 28th, 2010 | Tags: Books, Dreams and Resolutions, Editing, Fiction, Freelance, GDR's, Goals, Poetry, Publishing and Marketing, Reading, Writing | Category: Books, Fiction, Freelance, Poetry, Reading, Writing, Writing Process | Comments (1)

Image: The Hay Wain, John Constable (1821)

Lately I’ve been re-ordering albums I used to listen to when I was younger but only ever had on cassette tape. Vinyl is covered since I got my USB Turntable, which I use to convert singles and LPs into MP3 so I can listen on the iPod, but cassette [...]

February 17th, 2010 | Tags: 3 Feet High and Rising, Art, artist, beans on toast, chapbook, Day Job, De La Soul, dinner, Family, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, GDR's, I.T., John Constable, landscape painting, marriage, Music, Poetry, Publishing and Marketing, Silly Poems for Wee People Vol.2, Writing | Category: Art, Day Job, Family, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, I.T., Poetry, Publishing and Marketing, Writing | Comments (3)

Image: AHI

Suddenly, I am back up to full speed without even noticing. After my recent lay off I decided to concentrate on one project at a time and to clearing my outstanding GDRs from last year. Now, I find I have several projects all running at once—they kind of crept up on me—all these plates [...]

February 11th, 2010 | Tags: chapbooks, Day Job, Editing, Eternal Press, Fiction, GDR's, poems, Poetry, projects, Publishing and Marketing, royalties, sitcom, stageplay, Stella, Writing, writing competitions | Category: Books, Day Job, Fiction, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, Poetry, Publishing and Marketing, Writing, Writing Process | Comments (3)

Image: bized.co.uk

It’s Monday morning, it’s cold outside, I’m leaving for work and I’m sore from the weekend. But best of all, I’m happy.
The last three days had much of what we have come to love about a Diners’ trip; endless laughter, non-stop slagging, ridiculous behaviour and an aperitif or two to whet our whistles. Our [...]

February 1st, 2010 | Tags: alcohol, beano, beer, bevy, friends, GDR's, Glasgow, lad's trip, lager, Writing, Writing Process, York | Category: Food, Drink, and Bevvy, Travel, UK, Writing, Writing Process | Leave a comment

Image: Stephen Depolo

Oh, yes and it was a quite fruitful day. Lots achieved on all fronts and this morning, despite the rain and wind, I’m about to head out for some “me time”. Lovely.
Yesterday I caught up on all my mail and updated my website to bring it up to date for 2010. Mostly minor [...]

January 16th, 2010 | Tags: Annoying Orange, Day Job, Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, Fiction, fruitful day, GDR's, I.T., Me Time, satisfaction, Saturday, Shopping, soul and system, Video, Walking, weekend, Writing, YouTube | Category: Day Job, Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, Fiction, I.T., Video, Writing, Writing Process | Comments (5)

Image: Metal Minnie

I felt much better yesterday morning. I‘d got a great sleep the night before and was into work bright and early. Working early means I seem to get more done; less distractions and people sapping my time.
My week is turning into an obsessive nightmare with all the technical problems at work pushing me [...]

January 15th, 2010 | Tags: creativity, CWA, Day Job, Fiction, GDR's, I.T., ideas, Poetry, Sleep, Val McDermid, Writing | Category: Day Job, Fiction, Freelance, I.T., Music, Poetry, Publishing and Marketing, Writing, Writing Process | Comments (1)

Image: Kassy Miller

Very slow day at work yesterday. Being so tired after such a relaxing time was always going to be tough to pick myself up from, but it was much harder than I envisaged. I struggled to remember things from before Christmas, forgot where keys on my keyboard were, and generally found it a [...]

January 5th, 2010 | Tags: Books, CDs, Christmas presents, cold, Day Job, GDR's, ice, Music, Reading, routine, snow, Weather, Writing | Category: Books, Day Job, Fiction, Music, Scotland, Writing, Writing Process | Comments (3)

Image: Mopsy 7 ½ Weeks Old

I really need to do something to cheer this blog up so I’ll begin with a short review of my recent trip away to Fuengirola in Spain. I went away with the determination to refresh myself and let my hair down and for the most part I achieved it.
I drank [...]

November 9th, 2009 | Tags: Animals, bunnies, death, fireworks, friends, Fuengirola, GDR's, pets, Rabbits, Reading, Scruffy Dog Review, Spain, The Diners, Travel, Writing | Category: Animals, Books, Film & TV, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, Reading, Travel, Writing | Comments (4)

Image: YtseJam Photography

‘Tis the eve of Halloween and all around mysterious things are happening. Work has pretty much taken over everything I’ve been doing, and there are things happening in the day job just now that I must attend to. I’ve not dropped the ball with absolutely everything though, and have managed to keep a [...]

October 30th, 2009 | Tags: Bevvy, Books, Day Job, drinking, friends, fun, GDR's, Halloween, Holiday, Kenneth Williams Diaries, Reading, Spain, Travel, Writing | Category: Books, Day Job, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, Reading, Travel, Writing | Comments (1)

Image: wikimedia.org

As I stretch my neck up and look back, I peer fondly over what was my birthday weekend. If you remember, my actual birthday was in September, but the gifts bought for me by my two sisters had been coordinated to fall on this weekend. And it worked into a most memorable occasion.
First up [...]

October 27th, 2009 | Tags: bevy, birthday weekend, Clockwork Pub, Comedy, Football, friends reunited, GDR's, Glasgow, Indian meal, Michael McIntyre, Mother India, Paisley, SECC, St Mirren | Category: Family, Film & TV, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, Glasgow, Scotland, Sport, Theatre | Comments (1)

Image: Raymond McCrae

I remember when I lived in Glasgow I would get the feeling every now and then that the city was angry at something. Walking home after work some nights, it was as though the city itself, a living breathing entity in its own right, had had a bad day and the frustration it [...]

September 30th, 2009 | Tags: birthday, competitions, deadlines, Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, GDR's, Glasgow, Mercury Retrograde, moon, Peacock Inn, Submissions, Writing | Category: Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, Editorial Comment, Family, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, Freelance, Glasgow, Internet, Publishing and Marketing, Writing, Writing Process | Comments (3)