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Near May's End and close to finishing Yellow Dawn (2nd ed)

¦ dialling in from the Sky Bunker ¦

00:16 on a Friday night, or technically a Saturday morning. Blackness kisses the blister window; soft lights glow in two corners of this sloping roofed chamber, and a lava lamp casts dark red glow across my desk and laptop.

Recently returned from a fab night out; Oivind was exhibiting some of his artwork along with other creatives at the Centrespace gallery. One of the pieces for sale was an image I would love to buy, and it would have been something I could have easily done a year or so ago, but I no longer have the funds.

Interesting timing. As I reach the end of my funds, I'm reaching the end of Yellow Dawn. Am incredibly exciting period actually; like preparing to give birth. And also the curiosity about where this can and might take me. I've sacrificed much and risked even more to complete Yellow Dawn; it's been the hardest, most intense project I've ever worked on... let's just hope it's all been worth it.

So tonight was an art exhib, followed by Sushi with many familiar faces and a few not so familiar...at Budokan. When I first arrived at the exib I was in alien mood, my social functions on a software crash having spent x hours locked into Yellow Dawn and then abruptly finding myself wandering around a brightly lit space clutching a camera and a bottle of beer... talking to strangers felt awkward after the initial bright smile and hello... but then the night morphed and I found my brain cells re-booting and met some genuinely nice people. Hagen was there... he's like another Matthias (circa 1995)... in the sense that I feel like I know him so well, trust him and enjoy his company, despite knowing him for so little time. On the same vein, I suppose that make Matthias and Hagen like another Tony, or Simon... people who I met and within moments just sort of slotted into "these are now friends" mode. It's nice when that happens.

09:44 nine hours later. I went downstairs and zombied out in front of the flatscreen; flicking through a couple of films and a 6 hour-long Rock-athon with lots of Emo bands, young studs with black hair, smeared eye-liner and sprawling heavily inked tattoos. Finally went to bed around 2:30. Jo's twin sister wasn't snoring too badly, plus the couple glasses of wine and I dropped into very pleasant slumber.

So now I'm onto my 2nd mug of tea; the sky outside is cobalt blue, threaded with long strands of sirrus cloud and the vapour trails of a jet. I drank my first mug sitting on a sun drenched step outside the kitchen door; our garden gets the sun from morning to evening. I've got 2 hours to myself before I have to start getting ready: a wedding to go to. Would normally not go to such things but I've been asked to capture the special day on video. I'm going to write messages back to a few people on Myspace I've been getting to know recently; but I've gone radio silent on them because I've been so wrapped up in Yellow Dawn...and the time I spent in Newcastle is a period without easy internet access.

Newcastle was excellent, as usual. In one way strange to have only gone for 3 days, when I normally stay for at least a week, sometimes 6, sometimes 12 :o) but the time went by slowly and I savoured every moment; I had the laptop placed on the wide oak table in breakfast area, part of the large open plan extension that includes the kitchen and a comfortable lounge area; large French doors to my left, sky lights above letting in a flood of light; dense woodland beyond the glass, the garden, and beyond that the Dene and all its verdant mystery. Sitting there allowed me at least to feel a presence with my mum. I'd take breaks and play cards with her. Or stroll up to Kitsch'n cafe on Acorn Road for coffee and time with paper notepad and pen. But most hours I was there, at the breakfast table I spent part of my childhood using as a den, writing up Yellow Dawn.

Djr