Nine Feet Underground

Q got up earlier than normal as she's heading off to the airport to pick up her mum who arrives from Australia, just after 8 this morning. When they return Q will be off to work, whilst I will already be working, as usual, though for the last day this week. At around 10:30, Q and her mum arrived here from the airport, midway through a project meeting. I stole away briefly for a 'Hello hug' and then returned to work. Q's daughter also arrived late in the morning after which Q went back to work. The three of us had lunch together, chatting and getting to know each other whilst Q was at work, after which I also returned to work. Q's mum and daughter went to Manchester for the afternoon which left me to work away until Q returned after 5 pm. It's been a day of comings and goings! Q is now out again at a work conference gala dinner and I'm typing this waiting for her mum and daughter to return when we'll have dinner together. Ships! We had a fun evening of ch...

Up early to finish packing and head to Liverpool. For a change, it won't be work that stops me from writing, but the fact I'll be driving for 3 to 4 hours. I arrive not long after midday, and despite having had one stop en route my back is really uncomfortable again. Q suggests I soak in a warm bath, so that's what I do. After the bath in Radox muscle relaxant bath gel, my back does indeed feel better. I have made a note to stop more frequently on the way home, assuming my back is not back to normal as opposed to back to front. After dinner, we spent a quiet evening. Just what the doctor ordered. Steve Hackett / 'The Virgin and the Gypsy' / 'Spectral Mornings' [[Live, this track was amazing, and it's still special in its studio form  ] ]

As there was nothing especially pressing today, I had a lie-in until about 10 to 7, in time for the first carer visit of the day at about 5 past.  That gives me enough time to greet her in something more than my birthday suit - which I save for special occasions, naturellement: after all, I don't want to get it creased or dirty, do I? After she'd left, with less of a smile on her face than if I had been sporting my birthday suit, I showered, got dressed and made my usual week day breakfast. At the weekend, all bets are off, now that Costa and Bertie's Bread stall have returned. After all that excitement, it was time to lash myself to the mast of my work laptop and get prepared for a stormy day ahead (not Daniels, but metaphorically meteorological!) And lo! He came among us, spreading his stories of good news across the land. Verily.  (In plain English, this just means I spent all bloody day lashed to the mast, but did have a successful client meeting, which allows me to ...

Last time I saw Genesis - at Knebworth in 1978 - Steve Hackett had already left the band and they'd just released the aptly titled, 'And Then There Were Three'.  Looking back at the albums Genesis released after Steve Hackett left  - and I include 'And Then There Were Three' in that number - it's clear that, whatever the song credits may suggest, he had a big influence on the sound and songwriting and his departure coincided with the end of my interest in their albums.  I'd go further and say, lyrically at least, losing Peter Gabriel also negatively affected the songwriting, though that's one for another day... From Hillage to Hackett in twenty-four hours - and, a fter the magnificence of Gong and Steve Hillage's performance in Aylesbury the previous night, this was going to have to be good, though several sources had suggested we'd not be disappointed. Friends met, drinks in hand, we took to our seats in the circle, front row ...