I'm writing this post on my new Samsung Tablet, using the keyboard case. I am intending to use it for my forthcoming US trip, since hotels in the US don't have many PCs available. The typing is a bit slow due to the soft keys, but I hope that I'll become more proficient before I leave.
This trip will be my last US trip for a while and marks the point where I truly put my divorce behind me and move on with the next stage of my life. The last two years have been truly dreadful apart from my USA trips, and I'm far from happy about the financial settlement and some of the dishonesty from "the other side". The financial security I worked and planned so hard for has been denied me, and I will need to work full-time for as long as possible. But it's finally over, so following the trip I will be knuckling down and facing the future.
One real shaft of light is that I have a lovely new female companion named Jenny. She's 58, very capable and intelligent, a great conversationalist, and utterly gorgeous ! We talk so easily, have a lot of common interests, and enjoy meals, walks, and cultural activities. Early days but she has already been such a boon !
Life still has its problems. I'm working much harder and travelling far more than I'd like, especially if Jenny and I continue to become closer. IT as a career doesn't really do it for me as it's largely outsourced the creative bits. And I am alone an awful lot of the time. I have had some great supportive friends over the last couple of years but this year we're not in touch as much. But the nightmare is over and I can pick up the pieces now.
Musically 2013 hasn't been a patch on 2012, but there's still been some great stuff around. The new Bevis Frond album is incredible and Robyn Hitchock's "Love From London" grows on you. I have had a huge Bob Dylan phase and am now listening to a lot of Spirit's later work. I especially relish "Blues From The Soul", a double CD compilation of acoustic and electric blues. I also enjoyed Randy Newman's "Sail Away" when in London the other day. A very profound American album. I'm looking forward to some new sounds when I get to the States.
When I get back it will be the English winter and I'll have Xmas on my own to look forward to. I shall be ok but it's a very hard time for us disenfranchised types. But things are looking up and who knows 2014 could be very different !
