¦ dialling in from sky bunker ¦
05:06 GMT, Friday 30th Nov 2007, murky blackness above me, beyond the glass canopy, no starlight, no moonlight, if I stand up and look out across the city to the empty hills, I can see damp air caught in the sodium orange corona of street lights... Dundry is a black shape against all this, a sleeping giant with a sprinkling of lights across the top, very faint, very small. Life support is humming away by my feet, to my right, blowing warm air across my legs; one corner lamp throws soft light against the sloping cieling, and the lava lamp on my desk burns deep red and creates atmosphere. Dead Can Dance is playing by specific choice on my laptop, the album "A passage in time." As always it takes me back to the 2 years I spent living in Osborne Avenue.
I'm surprised I'm up. I was out with work last night, a lovely evening, which I left to then go to Matthias's pad and watch a film I've not seen for 20 years. "Sir Henry at Rawlinson End." I got home around 10, made food, lit a fire in the lounge (bliss), then made my way up here to the Sky Bunker, got cosy, and fell alseep on the floor with life support blowing on my back. Shuffled downstairs to bed at some point in the night and had a delish night's sleep, missing 2 calls from Jo at Midnight and 3.45 A.M.
This is the first time I've been up this early in ages. The routine I managed to establish, of waking up mega early and writing for 2 hours before work, got blown out the water past couple weeks, due I think to Stu (Boss) being away on annual leave and me picking up the responsibility and brain drain of keeping things rolling. This isn't a criticism or a complaint, just a statement; to be honest, I'm loving the challenge, but I'm looking forward to Stu getting back and being able to share the load.
Yesterday was particularly difficult for me. 29th November. 1 Year since Dad died. Me being the king of nostalgia and reflection, kept getting flashbacks to moments in time a year back, "10 Am, I would have been washing dishes in the kitchen after the phone call from mum saying Dad had gone critical..."; "Noon, I'd booked my flight up to Newcastle for that evening...I was sitting downstairs at the dinning room table, working on Shadows of Quantinex."; "3pm... Dad was going into a dying phase..."
Of course, all of this is happening whilst my critical projects that I've been defending all week (batting new work into next week) got trashed by even more critical projects (5 hour deadline, non negotiable), and there's a big floor meeting at 4pm... 15 minutes after I'm reliving the memory of 3.45 PM one year ago...the phone call from my sister... "Sorry David...he's gone."
So I had a few emotional moments...but I mainly held it together. I left work with Jason, brain numb, but 20 minutes later I had a pint in my hand and was bouncing back with vigour. Had a very enjoyable evening chatting with familiar (but unknown) faces from the floor where I work.
By 8pm I was at Matthias's pad. Sir Henry at Rawlinson End. This film had a massive effect on my mid to late teens, poignant memories of Ciaran dressed up as an Old Fogie, complete with Deer Stalker... however, it's now 20 years on, and I was curious to see if the film would still tickle me fancy. It did; I roared and chuckled, and guffawed, and grinned at the sheer surreal brilliance. Although Matthias had a pained-expression on his face most of the night... I admire his willingness to sit through it. At the end he said it was the most bizarre thing he'd watched since Erasure Head. I could see what he meant.
Getting home and being able to light a fire was a fantastic moment. The fire was installed at the start of this week and it's truly magical. I turned on the TV for the news headlines but everything else was shite, so I was able to spend some quality time just sitting on the floor, gazing at flickering flames as I fed the fire now and again. I think it's going to be a Godsend in a couple weeks when Winter finally starts to bite; the front of the house gets bitterly cold.
It was nice missing Jo, too. She's been away quite a few nights over the last few weeks... hotels with work; gigs in different cities; nights out with friends and crashing at mates. I always enjoy my own company, but I'm aware of her not being there...which is a good feeling.
05:36... time to make another mug of tea.
Djr