Just a couple of days now before Xmas. Went into London this morning to get a couple of last minute things. Place looked fantastic in my eyes; December grey, cold and hundreds and hundreds of years old. Just how I like it. Ended up buying a copy of new Cale/Clapton cd for my dad for Xmas. Played it through once when I got home and it sounded pretty good. Also bought a copy of "Darkness on the Edge of Town" by the Boss. Gradually getting a little bit of Springsteen stuff together within the realms of my cd collection. Boy it has taken me a really long time to get into him. Think I have finally realised just what it is that I like about him and what I have come to value him for. He sings from the heart. Simple as that really. As with all things that appear simple it is in fact not so simple and he is one of a few artists who convincingly pulls it off. Just my thoughts anyway. The Boss. His voice.
Slept a little in the early evening today. Don't know why, just felt completely shattered. Guess I had been doing quite a bit of running around today and also had a late night last night after going over for dinner at Leigh's place. Didn't get back to Woodford till nearly 1 am, or just past 1 am in fact. Eating and talking. Then this morning the day went something like this -
Woken up about 7.30 by a phone call from Tamdin from India.
Got up and spoke to her.
Made coffee, drank it in front of the lap and read the Net papers.
Called my folks to see if my sister, husband and kid were coming down for Xmas to my folks...which led to me trying to sort all that out as there had been some doubt about whether they all could make it because of the weather and travelling conditions. Didn't fancy the prospect of them blowing out though and leaving just me with ma and pa for the festivities. A little bit of arse booting was what was required and it seemed to work.
Took a bunch of stuff to be washed at the launderette, stuff that our nearly clapped out washing machine just can't handle anymore. Arranged to collect it late afternoon.
Came back put a bunch of other stuff in the wachine machine, stuff that wouldn't screw it up. Stuck the machine on.
Toasted a couple of rolls for breakfast and had a cup of tea.
Walked down to the tube and went into town.
Got off at Bank. Put another 20 quid on my Oyester card. Walked through the City to the Museum of London. Bought a couple of squidgy toys from the museum shop to take to the kids in India when I go at the end of the week.
Walked through the Barbican and down into Smithfield where there were a lot of drunken people about who must have been partying all through the night and were now staggering around trying to find another club to go to. They were all out of it and some were getting agressive with each other. One of those strange sights that London can so effortlessly deliver from time to time. So many drunken people at just 11 in the morning. I have walked through Smithfield on many occasions before and never seen a sight like that. Then again sometime in the summer this year I remember walking through Smithfield one Saturday and there was a re-enactment of Bartholomew Fair going on which I thought was pretty cool.
Walked up Greville Street through Hatton Garden and across to Bloomsbury and then through Russell Square and onto the back of Tottenham Court Road. Cut through the back lanes north of Oxford Street and then dived into the HMV and bought the aforementioned CDs.
Made my way across to John Lewis. Bought a Timberland sweatshirt at 30% off. Bought a chopping board then walked back to Oxford Circus and got a tube out of there. Central Line eastbound. Got out at Liverpool Street and went up onto Bishopsgate and bought a large Cornish pasty which I ate in a semi-deserted square not far from the Gerkhin. Bought a pesto quiche kind of thing as a possible for dinner.
Bought some Xmas present tags.
Went back down to the tube and got back out to Woodford.
Got back home and dumped all the stuff I'd bought and had a cup of tea.
Dried the clothes I had put in the washing machine earlier.
Got money and passport together and walked up Snakes Lake West to the Western Union agent on the High Road. Sent a load of money across to India.
Came back and called Tamdin with the Western Union code for her to collect it tomorrow.
Went in the car to pick up the washing from the launderette. Drove down to South Woodford to buy a couple of things including some fish which I decided I would cook tonight with vegetables.
Came back and had a bath.
Had a cup of tea. Tried to watch TV for half and hour but felt wrecked and had to go and lie down. Slept from approx 6.40 - 7.55. Woke feeling out of it. Got myself together and came down and cooked dinner.
After eating sat down and wrote this. Time now nearly 9.30 and now will go and do some meditation.
Sat for about half an hour or so but focus was not great...never a good idea to meditate on a full stomach. Your body is preoccupied with other things. Guess I will have to say it turned out to be not much more than a token effort.
Now going to stop writing this for the day and will go and watch the football.
Post this first. Possibly my last piece of the year. Enjoyed it.
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