Otis B. Driftwood: It's all right, tha-that's in every contract. Tha-that's what they call a sanity clause.
Fiorello: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ... you can't fool me. There ain't no sanity clause.

A Night at the Opera 1935

I have been back a few days now. I have finally got a good night's sleep. The last few weeks has been a blur: started with a camping holiday in West Wales, which was lovely in spite of the strange mist (low cloud) which occasionally enveloped the camp site, and the reminder that a man of 57 doesn't sleep on the ground as comfortably as the man of 52 did (back there in the circus touring days - as I was the one without a caravan - you can't have a carvan if you won't drive - so I used to sleep in the Big Top).

This was followed almost immediately by a holiday trip to Frankfurt (which was fun, but involved quite a few late nights, and drinking) - then a return to the UK to squeeze in a couple of days work (my boss was right, I should have used them as 'days of rest') and then back to Germany for the Dark Side Convention which was small, very friendly and involved (you've guessed it) long days, and then nights of drinking and talking). Is there a pattern here?

I then came back via Stanstead Airport, so that was a 9 hour journey (if you included the clock change) only to go to bed late and exhausted to get up and go to work all this week. I really must learn to build in some days off - using Days Off to extend 'holiday time' doesn't really work, especially when holidays are more strenuous than working.

Anyway, if a certain rueful tone is sneaking in here, it is because I have just finished reading Tony Hawk's "Round Ireland with a Fridge" a book recommended to me by someone in Germany - possibly relating it to how bizarre my life must sound - living serially as a juggler, film puppeteer, circus teacher, road crew and now computer network operator. And before you ask, no I didn't plan it, and yes it all surprised me too.

But now I have had my two hours of 'day off' in the sun with a book, and have to get on with the 'real world' - ie tidying up, house-cleaning, sorting out the plumbing and other delights of home-owning (not me personally, but I get involved. The joys of renting was always that landlords had to worry about this stuff. Although, if they didn't worry enough it was, I suppose, me who put up with it until they got round to fixing it. I used to put up with it by sitting out in the sun..........)

The library was attacked by a virus on September 11th (no, nobody came up with that theory), so public Internet access was down; and DVDs are being stolen systematically, so we are having trouble trying to check what should be there, and what isn't, etc. It's all pretty tiring.

I always knew show business was a soft option - even when standing in the wings in terror of 'dying' in public, or hanging around for weeks with no money waiting for the phone to ring.

Still, my friend Judith has found out about a boat that will bring her from Somerset to Cardiff next week. It's a one-day wonder, I am afraid, as car culture killed the ferry business years ago - so now everyone has to drive all the way around over the Severn Bridge - instead of crossing the channel in a straight line. On a clear day we can see each other on the beach (well, almost)...

And I have another crazy adventure to go on at the end of the month - off to Belgium. No doubt there is still some fun to be had before the winter sets in, and we all have to do our christmas shopping. I am sorry if that is the first time you heard it mentioned - I have already seen the word and the pictures, and it's still only September - and anyone who knows me knows that I hate that season with a will - which always causes grief with the people who still believe in Tooth Fairies and Santa Claus, when we Marx Brothers fans can't be fooled, we know "there ain't no sanity clause!"Shall I sit in the sun, or try to fix the plumbing leak? You can guess what I'd like to, and you know what I ought to, be doing.

No doubt duty will win out over self-indulgence. I have had enough fun......

Hey Ho.