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Justin Lewis on Twitter informed me that it's 30 years since Lee and Herring's first broadcast material on Weekending. That's probably the first thing we got paid to write. It was a sketch about Lithuania and involved potatoes I think. We have probably got better since then.
It was my day to work and things went OK. I finished another 1000 word chapter (first draft) and now have over 3000 of the 20000 words. If I can get to 6000 by the end of this month then I think I am in with a shot of getting it in on time. It feels pretty good. Funny, but I am getting the complicated argument down OK too. It will shift and change a lot I am sure.
But I am enjoying the challenge and the limitations of time seem to be working out somehow. Focusing things at least. Though the crisis and the extra hassles of life are fairly unfocusing in general.
What I really like about the working days is that at lunch the working one gives the child-caring one an hour off. And in the middle of a working day, an hour playing with the kids is just the perfect distraction. It's not long enough for them to get annoying (usually) but it means you can clear your head of work.
Usually Phoebe would be at school and I'd probably just take my lunch upstairs to push on with work. But I might try and spend time with the kids (or with Ernie) at lunch when this is all over (on the days I am free to work). Because it's nice to have playtime when you're working. I should have learned that from school. I hope the government will institute playtime as a thing for everyone once this is over.
It was sunny so we went into the garden and Phoebe wanted me to draw round her shadow with chalk. Though my artistic skills are very limited (I don't have a mind's eye, so don't judge me or you are disablist) I found this OK. Phoebe was holding an ice lolly (she's not giving the finger) and somehow the silhouette really captured her spirit . Ernie wanted to do it too, but kept moving around, so it's a bit weirder looking, but still is somehow his essence in chalk.
There's something sad about it, maybe because its impermanent or maybe cos it is reminiscent of the shadows left behind by people evaporated by nuclear bombs, but even with that playing on my mind I found it all rather beautiful and fun. We can't keep the chalk for ever, but the photos will remind me of the sun and the fun and my fuzzy son and my funny daughter with melted lollipop running down her fingers.
Thanks to everyone who has subscribed to my Twitch channel (don't forget to resubscribe) mainly using Ian Twitch's money. Through this and the ad revenue from the AIOTM repeats we're going to be able to donate another £2000 to the comedians' fund at
Justgiving as well as having some saved to go towards more podcasts in the future.
There was a very exciting snooker match tonight - genuinely thrilling sport and an amazing 8 ball break and it involved Me19 who is the Me who was successful on telly. He was a fucking dick, I don't know who I modelled him on. You can still watch in the videos at
http://twitch.tv/rkherring to see if he triumphed over boring stamp collector Me14. Anyone know if his collection of presentation packs is worth anything?
Trying to nail down a guest for Wednesday's RHLSTP after having been dicked around a bit by a PR person. They are the worst people on earth.
