What a lovely story about your nephew.

Things are good with me at the moment.

I had a wonderful evening on Sunday, in the company of Steve Earle & the Dukes at the Barbican concert hall. I've been a fan for over 30 years, since Guitar Town. He was wonderful and I'm in full-on Steve Earle crush mode all week.

I'm going to San Diego in a week's time, for a family wedding. There's been a bit of drama over certain things, and my friend and I have put our foot down over arrangements we found unacceptable. Such as: would we allow another guest - a man, a total stranger - to sleep in our room at the hotel for two nights (which is costing us $800 a night - eep!). Hell, no! And can a random babysitter who nobody in the wedding party has even met use our room to babysit the two toddlers (family kids) who won't be at the wedding, while we are all down in the ballroom for the wedding. Again, hell, no!

But I'm just going to turn up and let people drive me around to various places, I'm going to enjoy the pre-wedding stuff and the celebration itself, go with the flow and leave the drama to other people, if they want it. But no random strangers of any kind in my room.

Before I go to California, I have to go up to Manchester on Friday, for my cousin Ken's funeral. He was 94, and I loved him to bits. He still lived independently, still drove, and, although he had hoarding tendencies, it tended towards a 'clean' hoard, mostly of internet or TV purchases. So although his house was very cluttered, it wasn't dirty. His daughters live nearby and made sure he was taking care of himself, and they did his housework for him (amid the hoard). He developed pneumonia a couple of weeks ago, and wasn't able to overcome the fluid on his lungs. I'll really miss him. He was the funniest, kindest, sweetest man you could ever meet. And a wonderful ballroom dancer. I'll never forget dancing with him at my wedding.

And in November I and a friend from work are going to Spain for a week, to a quiet coastal resort. We have a studio apartment on the beach, part of a vegan b&b which looks wonderful. A week of relaxation, reading, beach walks and lovely food. That'll be a nice little break just as winter arrives.

Well, I've already poured out the current state of my life here, so I'll just say things don't look as dark a they did a few days ago. I don't dare wish for a happy ending, but ...

Yay! dg... wishing for the very best for you.

Sorry about your loss Senyar but it sounds like Ken had a good life and people who loved him and that's nice to hear.

We had to replace our stove. The oven selector died months ago and there is no replacement part on this earth so it was beyond repair. We had it for the 18 years we have been in this house and it was over 20 years of age when we got here so it did it's duty.

We had to do a bit of looking to find a completely non digital one. The sales guy said it would cost an extra $25 to dispose of the old one but he said the delivery guys would put it in the alley at no cost. He said scrappers would pick it up before the week was out.

It was gone in less than half an hour. A guy down the street said when he put out a water heater last year it too was gone in less than an hour. In the last two days I have noticed scrapper trucks 3 times. They are always circling.

I have to write an update on the cats. We had a small incident when I was feeding them last week. Ginger bumped me just as I was putting a handful of food down and I dropped the small plastic box I carry it in on his head.

For the next two days he was a bit conflicted. The box that bopped him on the head is also the source of the precious foods.

Ahh, poor Ginger.

Ginger doesn't sound like a fraidy cat so all will be okay as long as food is provided.