I’ve possibly done fewer LiveJournal entries in October 2007 than in any other month since I started this blog. This is mainly because I’m having to write around 1000 words a day on other blogs, and by the time I’ve done that all I want to do is stop thinking. This Radio Times one continues apace; I’m into my 9th week out of a total of 13 – I just wish that programmes as great as Gene Simmons Family Jewels cropped up more way more often than programmes as gruesome as Family Fat Surgeons. Then there’s this daily one about technology stuff for The Independent, with an RSS feed here. This is just in case you were wondering what on earth I was up to, not that I imagine you were.

But anyway,maybe because it’s a Monday and I’m full of optimism for the current week, I feel like thinking for an extra 30 minutes or so, so here’s a list of my extra-curricular activities for the previous fortnight:

19th October: In the morning I went to Brixton to play bass guitar on martylog‘s forthcoming EP thing. I’d not played bass guitar along with a proper drummer since the last Free French gig back in April 2005, so that was both unusual, memory-jogging and enjoyable. For all Martin’s playing of the fool, he’s actually a fantastically gifted tunesmith, and combined with reggie_c_king‘s words makes for a sumptuous all-round cultural experience, and if he doesn’t use that sentence on his press release, he’s an idiot.

In the evening I took Jenny out for a posh birthday dinner at Bibendum, which is in that impressive Michelin building near South Kensington. So rich was the food that we couldn’t get through it, and on leaving we decided to go for “a bit of a walk”. We were still walking when we got to Balham, still not convinced that we’d burned off even 1/4 of the calories we’d taken on board, but we were knackered, so we got on a bus for the rest of the journey. I later consulted the AA Route Planner which informed me that we’d done 4.5 miles. I felt disproportionately pleased with myself.

21st October: We went to the Lyric in Hammersmith to see a lineup of comedians compered by Richard Herring. Chris Addison was easily the stand-out. The punchline that made me cry with mirth was “Now, keep the tarpaulin tight, Jeremy, I’m lowering the gerbil down now.” Beforehand we had a bite at this place just behind Kensington Olympia. Tiny little Lebanese restaurant which we’d got a hot tip on. Portions: decent. Cost: low. Food: amazing. I mean, there are so many places that churn out half-arsed meze for uncomplaining, unsophisticated British people like myself, but this was really something. Highly recommended.

Then I got ill, so the next few days were wiped out, including Charlotte Hatherley’s acoustic gig at the Borderline, which was annoying. I mean, the fact I couldn’t go was annoying, not the gig itself.

26th October: To a funeral in Bristol of a much-loved family member, my mum’s cousin’s husband, who died last week at the age of 60. The huge turnout was testament to the affection in which he was held, I think.

27th October: To Alyssa’s house for dinner with Scritti people and Scritti spouses. A wonderfully pleasant evening which ended with everyone prancing around the room, while simultaneously winding the clocks back an hour. It seems that there may be a Scritti Xmas party during December at which we play a few tunes, our first proper gig for a year or so.

28th October: To Hackney, to play saw on Piney Gir’s forthcoming album, which was both pastoral and relaxing.

Forthcoming weeks will see me reading out loud about Fanny Cradock at a John Hegley-curated gig in Kings Cross, speaking at some Welsh music conference in Aberystwyth, and just writing endless reams of words to post on the blimmin’ internet. Back to work.