17 November 2016
Well it’s now 5 days since the operation on my spine and I have to say despite a wee bit of an ache it hasn’t felt this good for many years. My posture has dramatically changed, my spine is bending inward not outward and I am standing a few inches higher these days. I’m still taking it easy although my lady would prefer if I took it easier and reminds me that I was always having a go at my Dad for exactly the same thing. It’s frustrating as there’s so much I can’t do just now. Sitting at the desk is limited to 20 minute stretches and I do spend quite a while as an elongated couch potato with an itchy finger on the satellite remote. I’ve watched the entire ‘Ray Donovan’ series 4 that’s been on the drive for months as well as some old classics like ‘Colditz’ and ‘Guns of Navarone’ when I have succumbed to the enforced rest and I’m always in search of a decent box set to while away the hours.
I have been walking about as between the limited seated position and the stretched out on sofa position getting around is the other designated exercise.It’s raising a smile as I am no longer walking like a penguin and can stride about the studio with ease now. As you can see it’s been a revelation to regain this new mobility .
The office duties are dealt with in intermittent phases and I was glad to get the ‘Moveable Feast’ and ‘Field of Crows’ projects sorted out with Mark, Calum and my production firm and get the albums on to schedules.Mark Wilkinson and his wife Julie are up here this weekend for a break and also for the first of our brain storming sessions on ‘Weltschmerz’. I’m sure it will be an interesting discussion over red wines while spinning vinyl into the wee hours.
John Reid and I have been discussing the website as we both agree we need to update it and prepare for the remaster offer and the next projects. We are throwing around ideas to make it more interesting and to fill the gaps that are obviously going to occur as we move into the writing schedules next year.
Preparing for the release of ‘Feast’ and ‘Crows’ with the free t shirt offer and getting everything in place for that is highest on the agenda just now.
Steve Vantsis is sifting through the ‘Farewell to Childhood’ material but we already know we have a multi-track recording from Warsaw in 2015 that Calum Malcolm will be mixing in the next month and a full show on DVD from Berlin already designated for that project. We hope to find another show from the Tony Turrell line up and there are a couple from Holland to choose from. The only disappointment was that all the shows from the summer of 2015 including ‘Loreley’ and ‘Das Fest’ which would have been obvious contenders were only recorded on MP3 and are not good enough quality to consider. I hope to have the ‘Childhood’ release ready for late January 2017.
I’ve had to relinquish all my gardening duties to Simone and Rab and had to watch on as they planted out the garlic, shallots and onions for overwintering in the front beds. I may just be able to stick broadbeans into one of the raised beds but all thought of lifting dahlias and pruning the orchard has to be put aside.
The only other garden project on the horizon is the extension of the ‘blue house’. The front of the building is rotten and has to be replaced.Last week when I was standing in the now cleared greenhouse the idea hit me that while I was replacing the front of it why not extend it? After the cost of the back operation it may not be feasible this year but the idea has got me excited as it would practically double my indoor growing space for next season.
The usual ‘spanners’ came my way with a septic tank sump pump having to be replaced and the pump in the underground rainwater tank deciding to pack in 4 months after the 2 year guarantee ran out.I have plastic pond pumps that have lasted longer at a third of the price.Thankfully there’s not much watering needed outside so it’s not urgent.
The firewood stack is visibly shrinking as the temperatures drop and it looks likely I’ll have to reorder sooner rather than later as we are getting through the wood at some pace. Normally I’d be on tour at this point in the calendar and the studio empty so it’s a really different experience aiming at Christmas with a clear run ahead and a fire in the hearth at home.
For now though I just have to concentrate on healing up and doing the physio, getting myself in shape and being careful not to overdo things.
Thanks again to one and all for the best wishes and positive posts in the last days, it sincerely meant a lot to us.
take care , stay alive
Fish x