22-01-28 - Friday I - Bess Atwell @ Patterns, Brighton (Thursday 27th Jan)

So last night I actually went "out out", into Brighton, to see a band! I'd heard Bess Atwell on Radio 6, and I have even added a couple of her songs to playlists on Spotify. I shared her song, Co-Op, with some friends on WhatsApp and one of them let me know that she was playing in Brighton. I looked into it and tickets were only £12, so I thought it was worth buying a ticket. 

This was my first time out in several months; I did go up to London to see PWEI last October, but then Omicron took over and I didn't see Cud at The Garage on Dec 4th or PWEI at Chalk in Brighton on Dec 11th. I took the train, wearing my mask, and feeling a bit trepidatious... 

I went straight to the venue and handed my coat in at the cloakroom. I wandered in to the main room and ordered myself a bottle of Brooklyn Lager Special Effects. I was debating whether to have an actual beer, but Special Effects is one of my favourite non-alcoholic beers, so I was happy drinking that. 

There were two support bands, Growing Boi and Almahata. They were on early, which suited me, and Bess herself was due to take to the stage at 9pm. They were both good acts, very much singer-songwriters, and Growing Boi had a great voice I thought, if the guitar playing was a bit dodgy. He then went on to support Almahata and Bess, so he must be a very accomplished musician. Almahata (which is actually a female solo act called Phoebe) was good too, and she had one particular song, What if Now We All Change, which I really liked. 

The two support bands were downtempo, acoustic (ish) and what I'd expect to see as support for an act like Bess Atwell. Bess herself came on at 9pm with a non-alcoholic beer and a camomile tea, which gives you some indication I suppose of her target audience. Patchouli incense sticks and ethically-crafted sandals didn't feel like they were too far away. The audience were enraptured. Although Bess and Chris were using microphones and amps, her songs are very intimate and there was a silence that took over the venue while she was singing. In between songs there were a lot of calls of "we love you, Bess!" and "Marry me!" She played the Co-Op song early on in her set, and there weren't any other songs which I was holding out for; there weren't many others that I knew, although I did enjoy Cherry Baby and Time Comes in Roses. 

It got to just after half past nine and thoughts started turning to bedtime. I'm such a middle-aged man. I knew that it would take me a while to get home, and while the music was great it wasn't energising and there weren't any specific songs I was waiting to hear Bess sing live. So I waited for a song to finish, and then I collected my coat and headed off to the station. 

It was a good enjoyable night, but it wasn't particularly what I was looking for last night. Maybe it was the first time for a while that I'd been in a busy venue, but I also think I've got quite a lot of other things going on, being Mum mostly but there is other stuff I'm worrying about too. I appreciated the performances, but I was glad to be heading home and I was pleased when I managed to get to bed at a comparatively reasonable time. I think I'd be happy to go and see any of these acts again, but I'd need to be in the right frame of mind to properly enjoy the experience. 

TTFN. 

22-01-20 - Thursday I - What To Do?

Well, this is weird. I'm now back at home and a professional carer is looking after Mum. Last time Mum had a carer, which was late August last year, the carer only lasted two or three days, so I am sitting here half expecting a phone call informing me that the situation is not sustainable and that the carer is leaving. In addition, for the last five months my primary concern has been Mum and her welfare, and it's a novel sensation  to sit here and realise that Mum doesn't have to be the first thing I think about any more. I can read a book, or browse Private Eye and not be distracted by worrying what Mum is up to or whether she is bored. 

The thing is, I'm not sure yet what I want to do. There are a number of back issues of PE that I need to catch up on, as well as a number of podcasts that I've neglected. I've been out for my first run of the year. I will probably take the dog for a walk later this afternoon. And I'd like to keep the house tidy, to an extent. I will also look to go to back to work earlier than expected - I had targeted April 1st, but I don't think I need that much time. It will be good to have *some time* to decompress and get used to life as it was and should be, but I won't need two and a half months, I think. Although we are planning to move house soon, so some time to manage / help out with that will be useful. 

If the carer works out she'll be staying with Mum for twelve weeks, which would take us up to 11th April or so. I am hoping that by then my staying here and Mum being looked after elsewhere will seem normal; I guess we'll have to wait and see how it goes. 

TTFN. 

22-01-05 - Wednesday I - A Glimmer

So today we had a call, one of the agencies we've been working with has a candidate to care for Mum. They say she's good, they've worked with her before, and they think she'd be a good fit for Mum. 

Sounds promising, and she can start soon as well. That might mean - well, it does mean - that respite care in a residential home is off the table, at least for the foreseeable. The carer can stay for 12 weeks, apparently, which is a good chunk of time and will hopefully allow Mum to get used to her. We'll see how that goes, as she will hopefully start in ten days or so...

TTFN.

22-01-04 - Tuesday I - Respite Care is Off

Today we received the unwelcome news that more people in the care home we wanted Mum to go to have tested positive for covid, and so Mum won't be going there any time soon. I'm a bit worried about what might happen at the weekend, but we have a couple of friends who may be able to help, so all is not lost.

 

It may be worth looking at other homes, and as TW pointed out, they are likely to be smaller, more independent operations and it may be quicker to get Mum placed. Especially if they are set up to offer respite. We'll have to see how that goes. Just when I thought we were beginning to see the wood for the trees...

TTFN. 

2022-01-03 - Monday I - Back to Mum's

So, that's the festive season over and the New Year well and truly seen in. Now the humdrum returns, and it's back to Mum's to make sure that she's okay. She was quite teary when I arrived; I think she's beginning to feel loss but doesn't quite know why. 

I brought her to my house for a while, to see TW and the girls, and to have a cuppa. Then we went to the big Tesco to shop, that takes an extra bit of time. And then home with some bulging bags. She spoke to a friend on the phone and then another called later, and that seemed to lift her spirits. 

We did have an argument about her elevating her foot (it's still swollen from the bunion operation), but that had seemed fade into inconsequence later in the evening.

Then it was Coronation Street and time for bed, and day one back at the ranch was done...

TTFN.

2022-01-02 - Sunday I - Slowly Does It

Yesterday we visited Level 1 and had a few drinks there and at the Rose and Crown. It was a nice afternoon and evening, but I should have stopped drinking earlier than I did and I am suffering now. I don't regret it, but I do wonder if it was worth it. I won't have a drink now for a while - that'll help to build up a nice run of yellow tea symbols on my Try Dry app. 

It's nice to drink for a change, but I don't want to go back to drinking as much as I used to - that was pointless. It's a way of relaxing that I haven't quite managed to replicate without drinking. A friend once said that a drinking session was like setting a mental "out of office" message, or absolving yourself of responsibility for a few hours, and I think he was right. If there was a way to achieve the same thing without drinking, I'd seriously consider whatever that was... Anyway, that's it for this morning. 

TTFN. 

22-01-01 - Saturday I - Happy New Year

My #newyearsresolution, as every year, is to blog more often. I was thinking that brief and dull might be the order of the day (order of the year?).

I saw the New Year in sober, which was nice. Hopefully more of that on the cards in 2022. And less time spent at Mum's - that'd be good. 

Anyway, just a short one to start with. 

TTFN.