3280 - City dwellers, successful fellas

Not much to report today, except for
The changing British weather, now sunny
And warm, now raining, wonder what's in store
From one moment to next, can't wait to see
The front door's fixed, I got a brand new key
Got to do a copy for the lodger
Tomorrow a duplicate for Javi
Just remembered, tonight it's Manchester
City's first game, against West Brom, it's the
First chance to make a statement, Blues could soar
To top of table tonight, seem to be
Contenders for the title. And they were
Pleased no doubt at Chelsea's stumble, a poor
Draw at home to unfancied team, Swansea

3276 - Flagging interest

Tattoos - at last - these designs have waited
About 9 months since I chose them last year
The Cheshire Cat's clawgeous, the artist did
Well, well done Adam, you deserve a cheer
Although at times the needle was severe
Cool music playing, newish stuff unknown
Next up was the text from Hungaria
Script on my back, think that should be the zone
For more texts in different lingos. I'm goin'
To Croatia soon - Croat would look good
Next to the Magyar script. Finally, there
Is now a Swiss flag on my arm, wind blowing
In my mind anyway. New lock's fitted
On the outside door - couldn't get in there!!

3269 - Just give me money

I got home and there's no sign of Javi
But his phone and his other stuff's still here
So no need right now to start to worry
His disappearance is nothing to fear
Cos it hasn't happened, but just a mere
Concern for him especially has been a
Complete lack of cash, because it appears
He didn't give his sort code to the ware-
house, so hasn't been paid! I hope he's there
Like I advised, collecting his money
Until then how can he go for a beer
I hope that he quickly becomes aware
Of what he needs to do to stay happy
And number one's getting his spends, that's clear

3254 - Good day at the office and flat

So this is the first full day Javi's here
And all is well, it's looking pretty good
We're even both quite interested in beer
And football is something that we both should
Be able to watch and enjoy, and food
Is not a problem either, simple tastes
On both sides, useful because we sure would
Struggle to fit it in the fridge where space
Is limited. So we have a good base
For moving forward gradually this year
The new bed's good, and for that price it should
Be! But that money's certainly no waste
Because it'll be there for the future
I could use it myself in times ahead!

3253 - You better you bed

The exciting moment is drawing near
With the arrival of my first lodger
Within the hour. Had a moment of fear
When I made his bed and I discovered
I'd not bought sheets, so went straight out to the
Home store (I think it's Dunne's) to buy them (white)
Now hopefully he'll be happy on there
A nice new double bed and bedding, quite
Unused by anyone ever. A slight
Pang of jealousy from me with my dear
Creaky old second-hand bed, with cover
And sheets showing their age. But soon I might
Be able to upgrade flat and bed. We're
Enjoying the dawn of a new era

3245 - Rain rain, you won't go away

In between two viewings this second evening
Last night, the Polish girl, tonight, Javier
From Spain (with two mates). While here, heard the ring
Of my phone, someone else, she's called Eva
Is coming to view it in half an hour
It's very dark, rain-clouds grey and heavy
Not a great advert for British summer
And tomorrow night, for the comedy
The forecast's terrible, don't think I'll be
Taking my guitar, probably not doing
The song-based act I had planned, so I'll spare
Myself rehearsals of them, and maybe
Instead tonight I'll do some selecting
Of old jokes and write new ones to try there

3244 - Room with a view, and a boiler

I've finally advertised the flat. I took
Some good photos before the clouds appeared
And the skies opened. One girl came to look
As soon as the ad was placed. It looked good
She seemed keen, but saw the room, is afraid
Of boilers, and decided to say no
A Polish girl in leather, but she said
No.... Immediately she was keen to go
Oh well, this happens a lot, I don't know
Who'll say yes, hope they're not mad, and not fucked
Up in the head, and therefore not too weird
Tomorrow, a guy called Javier will show
Up at seven, no bed yet, but with luck
I can get one quickly from Old Trafford

3241 - Worry flurry

Now for today, what happened, not a lot
Back at work after one day off, and now
I'm feeling tired. I know that I should put
An advert up for the room, start to show
It off to potential renters, allow
Me to improve my lifestyle, get money
Although I admit I'm worried somehow
Who will it be, will we get on, will he
Or she be clean, well-behaved, trustworthy
However, I think probably I will not
Do that tonight. Energy-wise, I'm low
Might play guitar, Chevalier and Rossi
And then Serge G are next up, they are hot
Stuff to play along to (tu sais) you know

3230 - It'll be all-white on the night

I'm happy with my Father's Day alone
Been out plenty, Friday and Saturday
Had cards and prezzies, pictures on my phone
But felt a bit worn-out, late yesterday
So I decided I'd stay in today
Need to refresh, and also to rehearse
My comedy, which as usual, was way
Rushed, had a quick read of it while the noise
From the washing machine span round my ears
Yet more white paint on bedroom wall, it's done
Now more or less, the paint tin's near-empty
And at last the walls look white like they're s'posed
To, not so streaky and brownish. Backbone
Broken, poor Tania's in a ward today

3227 - Don't break the rules

It's hay fever season, almost mid-year
The summer solstice only days away
I love the late light evenings while they're here
Watching Big Brother, keeping blues at bay
Not drinking, my new plan is still okay
Which is to only drink two nights from three
At the weekend (from Friday to Sunday)
That's do-able, logical and thrifty
Must set rules that are realistic for me
Good advice in the office from Emma
Not to buy a new bed yet in case they
(The lodger) has their own, though it will be
Hard to get a heavy bed up the stairs
And into the flat. We'll see what they say

3225 - The One Day Late Show

Oops, one day late, I did so much last night
I didn't post a sonnet, clean forgot
The main reason was painting the walls white
In the spare room (I didn't start til 8)
Then played guitar, watched Big Brother til late
And went to bed with 'Mrs Dalloway'
By Virginia Woolf, depression and fate
Of a gloomy end looming large each day
As borne out by Ginny's watery way
Of ending it all, fed up of her plight
In real life (and death). Well, now that I've put
This belated entry online, today
Will be covered shortly, when I shall write
About Wednesday - that's today - not as hot

Tue 16 June

3224 - The fun factor

Think I'll play some guitar soon tonight, not
Doing anything special. I won't paint
The spare room tonight. Its final white coat
Can wait a day or two, but what won't wait
Is guitar practice. My skill will grow faint
If I don't put in a shift frequently
So tonight, when this sonnet's done, a great
Time - some dance, some reggae and R and B
It's time to forget about jihadi
For a minute and produce western art
Decadent art maybe, not of the saint
But then it's a craft, so is comedy
Like fishing or carpentry, could be lost
If someone preserves not just the ancient

3222 - Buy Shitty Rollers

A fairly good day, painted the spare room
Having found some paint, well eventually
After Argos, despite web claims, had none
I bought a new doormat, and shirt from T.
K. Maxx, then walked up Regent Road to see
If I could buy some paint from a big store
Thought there might be one there near PMT
Music shop, and there was a Screwfix there
I listened to cassettes while everywhere
On the spare room walls tried to remove gloom
Finger marks, nasty stains that they won't be
Pleased to see if they view the room. I swear
It's still not right, one more time I must zoom
Over the walls with yet more paint, Monday

3220 - Get in!

I'll quickly write this, then play my guitar
Then watch Top of the Pops 1980
Not sure if I'll do much after that, for
It'll be getting late, and energy
And will-power running out. Still, I am free
To decide to do anything, nothing
That's not always a possibility
Want to stop drinks and smokes the remaining
Half of this month and beyond, and looking
For a new bed, but first task's buying a
Paint roller and white paint, brighten up the
Unused bedroom, then start advertising
For a tenant for it. Could be before
My September Balkan break, hopefully

3210 - Blow brother blow

The weather's disgusting, cold, such strong wind
The trees outside are waving like mad fans
At a concert, the sound of much moaning
Like banshees clinging on to every branch
I thought a tree might fall down with a crunch
Against my flat, crashing through the window
Knocking me over, unconscious til lunch
It's not an evening for somewhere to go
Count myself lucky that I'm inside, bro
I hope the spring leaves have fully strengthened
And can cling on despite the gale to clinch
Their place for the summer that's started. Oh
Yes it has, it's the First of June. Begin,
Season of warmth, sweaty nights and sun-tans

3208 - The colour of mud

Before buying a bed for the spare room
Thought it needed painting - the walls looked bad
Grimy and dirty, discoloured. The gloom
Would be dispelled by applying a tad
Of white paint over the bad patches, add
Some brightness, not that much paint was needed
There was only one pot left, so I grabbed
It in Poundstretcher. I prised off the lid
To my dismay it looked brown, but I stirred
Away with a spoon and it turned white. Spoon
Sacrificed for a good cause, time to pad
My tiny cheap brush on the wall and slide
It over those stains. But no whiteness bloomed
Instead a sort of pale brown darkly spread...

3207 - Blossoms in the spring

Been on a rare gig night out to see a
Young up and coming band called the Blossoms
It's probably just Blossoms, but who gives a...
Anyway, that aside, I touched some bums...
Oops, sorry, ha ha, no, really, sir, none
Were deliberately touched, couldn't not
Crowd was dense, I touched a boy's bum
Too, and deffo didn't mean to do that
It's payday, it's here again at long last
This month I must buy a bed for the spare
Room, but wait, first I should put some
Fresh white paint on the walls so that the flat
And that room is attractive to renter
Then maybe I'll be coining some big sums

3197 - Rug flats

Popped round after work to see V and P
Forgot to take V's big wheel fridge magnet
From Vienna, how forgetful of me
It's so hard remembering not to forget
At their place I picked up a rug, carpet
Isn't that common in my flat, which means
I don't need a vacuum cleaner in it
As brushing's enough to keep the floor clean
But this rug means I can no more be seen
With no hoover in the flat. It might be
Let to tenants soon, if I do a flit
Down to London, prove I'm not a has-been
(That's if I ever was), but nice to be
In bed reading. How could I get upset?

3161 - Kitchen sink drama

A quiet day after yesterday's extreme
No big occasions, no enormous crowd
A few of us at work, a pared-down team
The rest still on their Easter leave, no doubt
Felt a bit jaded, felt a bit washed-out
Anyway, now I feel like relaxing
I've recycled bottles and cans, that's good
Of me, and also cleaned the kitchen sink
I didn't realise that its colouring
Had turned a kind of brown stain over time
Having read an article all about
Germs in the kitchen, stung me to bleaching
Instead of just wiping it. Now it's clean
And shiny silver! The flat's looking proud!

3155 - Flat broke!

I'm enjoying the new flat floors today
Of course floors are flat - you know what I mean
The new floors in my flat, done yesterday
At lunchtime I went to the bank to clean
Out my account of £600. Mean
Old me does not like that, oh no
But it's a good price, three rooms looking mean
And modern! Got to save before I go
On holiday, or else I will have no
Spends for it! To do that I'll have to stay
In mostly; I can read and learn German
And practice guitar, practice for some shows
Mainly First Draft, but also comedy
At the King's Arms. It's still a happening scene