23 November 2007
Oh dear, oh dear. I am on a nightmare train journey. The idea was to get the first train out of Dublin to Cork which would have meant arriving not just in plenty of time but well early for a funeral today. Well, after a three quarter hour wait on one train we then transferred to another and eventually left as the 8 o’clock. If I had known I would have stayed in bed that extra precious hour. I now have that typical early-morning-after-not-enough-sleep-the-night-before headache…lovely…
21 November 2007
Attended the annual prizegiving at the nephew’s school tonight and he got a big award for his sailing activities. Hooray! He won the Nautical Institute Trophy for KS3 Seamanship, since you ask. His mother and myself were bursting with pride and I gave a whoop when he went up to collect his prize though we were under strict instructions not to…well, I felt it had to be done…he’s now at home with not one but two cups with his name engraved on them. Super.

19 November 2007
I am over the moon that Boyzone are to re-form. Having worked with the great, nay sublime, Keith Duffy (the fabulously successful stage play Dandelions by Fiona Looney) I intend to be in the front row of a lot of concerts (are they still called that anymore?) throwing sundry pairs of kinckers (why are they called a pair when there’s just one garment, however large?) at the stage…lovely…

19 November 2007
Top night out in London’s town – the Writers’ Guild Awards, hosted by Jeremy Hardy, at BAFTA. So a stroll down Piccadilly, in the rain and there in the heart of it all is the venue. Hooray. To be honest it was all the more great because it wasn’t the sheer pomp and pompus glitz of a lot of the others (though Tom Stoppard was there, and Joan Collins, et al, so it’s not like there wasn’t star quality or glitz – this was effortless stuff)). It’s the first time in 10 years it has been held and everyone WANTED to be there and to get a gong from their peers. Writers are often the forgotten on TV or in cinema work as the role (no pun intended) can get swamped under all of the other departments and NAMES. Tonight was extra poignant and damned intersting too because of the writers’ strike in America, which is wholeheartedly backed by the UK Writers’ Guild. Anyhow, great writers carried off awards and it was a wonderful event.

17 November 2007
Last night’s one involved snakes escaping from black plastic bags – what the hell is going on in my head?

17 November 2007
I had my worst anxiety dream in AGES last night. There are various reasons why that might be and all are to do with writing that fiendishly difficult 7th novel, so the wonder is that it was an acting dream. No idea why as I am not doing The Acting at the moment. Anyhow, i wasn’t made up or in my wig when the music on stage announced my cue so the show had to be stopped. Eventually we persuaded most of the audience not to take their money back but to sit through the rest of the show but I was winging it by then ie making it up as I had no idea what the show was or what my lines were and by the time (an unrecognisable) Brenda Blethyn came onstage I was unactable with, though she gave it her best shot before admitting defeat. I awoke in a terrible sweat…

15 November 2007
And yes, once again, the gremlins strike – I SO need a spellcheck, though don’t know what it could have done for me just there, as was looking to write the word Whatshername and got out Shatshername = EEEEK! Strong but WRONG…

15 November 2007
There is a point on a Thursday night in the Dublin house when things can get a bit fraught. Reason? I love BONES, the tv series, which is back on Sky for a new season and Richard doesn’t get it at all. Anything with the gorgeous Mr Boreanaz is cool with me (probably misspelled his name there but you know the Angel I speak of). One thing though – why is Emily Shatshername SO bunged up? – is there something I don’t know about or missed? I have stopped getting Enquirer as often as I used to and now wonder if that was a wrong move…

14 November 2007
We have been granted planning permission to build onto the side of the house. All very exciting. And expensive. And although this is the great time – looking at plans and checking out things to put in the new bit – it’ll surely be awful come the spring when we let the builders in…ARGH…are we MAD? Probably. Don’t think Herself the Queen O Cats will be too pleased either (can’t blame her – she is in her 90s now and doesn’t like upset).
A huge big fly has moved in with us. Seems very happy flying around and making noise. Surely he should be dead by now, mild weather or no? HErself is being stoic about the disturbance.
A black and white cat came creeping down through the garden today, wearing his invisibility cloak and pretending he didn;t see me watching him. He seemed intent on getting in – kept looking at the cat flap like he knew what it was for and had used it before. Very handsome lad. Herself would have gone nuts if she’d seen him but was too busy sleeping on the sofa nearest the heater at the time.

14 November 2007
Went mad on the culture and saw Uncle Vanya at The Gate in Dublin last night. Acting great and splendid version by Brian Friel. I love a bit of funny misery, which is when it’s most enjoyable I think, and the Russians are good at that and this version had it too.
