shizz 18 November 2009
I have come away from the the studio without my laptop charger so am on reserve/no juice now – will do proper blogette on the morrow (which starts yet again veh veh veh early). big news is 2 feather pillows have been purchased to aid sleep from here on out (it’s not too bad at the mo but could do with SOME improvement). am having hot food in the evenings and not just cold chicken ready-cooked from a supermarket. pilates tomorrow (sally carman is not to be trifled with). have located a 24 hour gym in manchesterford city centre and will join at weekend. work going oKAY but writing might have to be, wait for it, LONGHAND this evening* as battery on this about to die – eek *though not necessarily joindyuppy…
heater 17 November 2009
Learning the idiosyncrasies of the new flat – the bedroom heater not working is the major one and that’ll have to be put right before the frozen dark North’s winter truly sets in. As it is i bought the best bathrobe ever yesterday, hood and all, and am wrapped up in it so tight I am impervious to any coolness in the nest. Already it has earned its keep.
Long and busy days happening at work as always, I suppose, but heavy dialogue scenes for me happening these last few days and tomorrow. It’s good to have lots to say and do, though, and I prefer that to being too much on the periphery of the action.
I have taken to burning soothing candles in the flat and I think they’re helping relax me – am now gonna marry ‘em with a soothing body oil and take to the cot – another 5.45am rising for Yours Truly on the morrow* for the purposes of making televisual history m’dears.
*actually wondering what i have done to deserve 3 of those IN A ROW…must investigate when back on set…
this 16 November 2009
sorry for the seemingly ‘deep’ headings to the posts – i simply seem to have run out of words to announce them.
anyhow, was in great form from the get go today and i really do put it down to being in my own place. love it.
up SO early on the morrow must dash to the cot.
hope my guardian angel is in situ…
i know, i know, no capitals – not a SIGN of owt, just tired…TIRED
it 15 November 2009
The Angel is begun – turns out i have till December 1st to finish it so I started the work today and will get back to it weekend after next when I am next in Dublin. She’s gonna be a beaut I think…and I must call her a ‘she’ as She is Mrs Doyle. I tried the one and only Mrs Doyle wig on her today and it is tiny so will have to be adjusted – I guess that’s only to be expected as it was made for the head of a 5foot 4inch woman and not a 7foot 4inch GIANT. I’ve really enjoyed doing the initial painting and hope I can put enough swirling and busy (though tasteful!) interest into the ‘fabric’ design to make the whole package just lovely to behold (as any Angel worth his/her salt must surely be…?)
I am hearing many wonderful stories about angels from you all and they are pretty darn convincing a case for Angels in general I must say – only thing is, if I were to start believing I would feel I was being ‘watched’ and I kinda get enough of that in my life…what to do??
angel 14 November 2009
I am tackling a 7 ft 4 inches perspex angel for charity…daunting…that’s one big angel to paint up…but will make him/her/it lovely. Here’s a thing – what are angels, sexwise? Indeed what are angels, I wonder?
Home and have EATEN well today – when I was doing my hotel living stint (and we know I have escaped it now) I ate a lot of cold, cooked chicken…no more…and as I am visiting Himself tis dinners that’s on the agenda all round. Great. Though I don’t want to pack on any unnecessary pounds…tv is a cruel mistress and adds on bits you don’t have anyhow, so that’s why lots of people on telly are veh thin in ‘real life’.
Which brings me to my big Underwear Buying day today…as I have lost a bit of weight me boobs is lessenin and though I always thought I’d love that, maybe I don’t – kinda wanted a lot less of everything but those lovely ladies as it now comes to pass so am vowed to no more shrinkage in that area and have got the good new claddage for them which produces cleavage – got sets for both me and the character youse’ll all be seeing next year on tv and it was a great day’s retail therapy cos it looked after work mostly and me a little and was all good armiture/structural/valuable stuff…totally justified.
David Threlfall wins Best Actor at the Royal Television Awards in Manchester – he is a God! Hooray.
walking away 13 November 2009
The joy of walking away (early) this morning to work from MY OWN PLACE with just 2 small handheld bags, knowing I would return in 48 hours (probably less, actually) and that my Manc ‘life’ would be where I left it and not on the back of my arm ready to be decanted was a TOTAL joy! I am happier and feel that work was all the more so today also as a result (I don’t tend to let problems in ‘real life’ impinge on work if at all possible but it’s great not even to have them at all hanging over you!)
My amazingly wonderful goddaughter Terese Norman is doing a once a month course at college in Dublin and staying over this evening chez moi there AND collecting me at the airport when I land later, after she finishes her studies, and it’ll be so great to see her (and a handy lift home…) She is a credit to her mum (a love of mine since the day I set eyes on her at secondary school in my hometown and decided I hated her – it was mutual – so, ain’t love the crooked thing?)
And I have had a 7 foot 4 inch blank ceramic angel delivered that I am to transform for charity this weekend for Angels Quest – I am daunted, nay TERRIFIED, but done it has to be…
lights 12 November 2009
I love a bit of twinkly or LED lighting so I have treated myself to 2 sets for the new place. I must praise the ladies of Manchester City Lettings, by the by – not only are they wonderful, they are also good fun and totally brilliant at their jobs – what more could anyone ask for?! I would go for a drink with them in a heartbeat, so no greater praise can I give. And they have helped me SO much in the last 48 hours I can never repay them enough, so if you have rental needs (sounds odd put like that) in Manchester they are SO the people to talk to. Anyhow, as I have swirled in like a dervish to my new abode (immediate being IMMEDIATE and you all know why) a landlord’s inventory is imminent (I will leave them to it tomorrow) but I could NOT resist plugging in my lovelies. Lighting does so much doesn’t it? My fave architect Maria Kiernan (of Kiernan and Kearney, Dublin, doncha know) is devoted to getting such stuff right and she is, well, right. So, I am ACHING from the pilates class at the studio (Sally Carman who plays Kelly and who organised it is a dead woman…) and loving the look of my tiny lil ‘living room’. Hopefully the bath and bed will work as many charms…
And I am muchly looking forward to seeing Himself over the weekend.
So, at last I may be hauling myself up by the britches and getting on with it again – well, there ain’t no alternative, is there?
Not MUCH writing done today but some..enough, actually..
Here’s how it is – I am applying myself and trying to avoid the wall to lean against and whinge – besides, the opposite to that is so much more interesting, eh? exhausting, yeah, but hey you can’t have it all all the time, I suppose. And we only get one go at this (apologies to all of the Buddhists in the world – a lovely, gentle, joyous and necessary range of people)
move 11 November 2009
Well, I have stunned even myself with speed and decisiveness today – I was also a bit lucky and thanks to all involved. I had a lovely massage and pedicure and set off relaxed and ‘up’ to see an apartment I had high hopes for BUT it was basically part of a new and isolated set of high rise purpose-builts that aren’t really finished and have no facilities around them and quite near to one of the ring roads to the south of the city. Major panic for the P McLynn then, but a call to the great Judy at the office (she honestly played SUCH a blinder for me) and a change in my parameters led to viewing 2 nice places, the better of which was available immediately and immediate it is, amigos, as I move in tomorrow after noon when I sign all of the paperwork. I will be living 2 minutes from Harvey Nicks…nuff said…Then it’s off to work and a pilates class at the studio thereafter (no less). ‘Twill be another day of high highness and hopefully I’ll get to write in the new place tomorrow night and make it mine completely therefore (there is no television and so no excuse not to work).
Presently I am enveloped in a soothing oil purchased at the spa, with matching candle lit, and enjoying my last night of hotel life.
Quite excited…hope that knocks me out…rather than the opposite…
dante 10 November 2009
Was talking idly with 2 of the imps I work with while waiting for more Acting to be required (doing a Jockey (pub) scene on the show and those are long, strange and jazzy days) and it occurred to us that if there’s a 12 step programme to help those dealing with alcoholism surely there’s some use for Dante’s 9 circles of hell as some sort of 9 steps/circles therapy too? Kinda not sure what addiction it’d cure – being hooked on BADness?… or evil? (tseh, THAT old chestnut). Probably be a good cure for anyone wanting to go into television (no matter what the job) or the Arts.* Anyhow, in favour of the Dante Hell, it seems a shame to waste what’s a perfectly good and scary system… *before anyone gets all insulted I do mean this as a flippant joke and could I make an impassioned plea on behalf of all those involved in the Arts in Ireland to the government to protect all official grants and monies invested as the industry is a magnificent advert for the country worldwide and at home and produces extraordinary revenue for the country and pleasure for all who benefit from being involved, either practitioners or audiences and observers of all sorts
spa 9 November 2009
I got that most hated of words today – proactive (I just don’t like the sound of it and I am always vaguely convinced it’s makey-uppy in the wrong way and means absolutely nothing). I felt (and looked) so washed out after the weekend, even if I did have a rest and a bit of a detox then, that I needed to do things that would improve my lot. SO, on the suggestion of Missy Lash (regular of this site) I am going to indulge in a massage and pedicure in my time off on Wednesday. The office are looking for an apartment for me to rent so that I can walk away from my stuff whenever I am on the move to my other homes and not have to drag my life with me in a wheelie case – hotel living is grand but not forever. I am trying to get the gym and the writing ends of things into a regular routine type thing so that I’ll sleep better. And I am getting a bit happier again – at least the anticipation that some of these will turn out to be good is keeping me going. Also had lovely time at Acting work today. In the meantime I have to thank all of you who have been so good with suggestions and a big shout out to the pair of friends who had me (a little in tears) on the phone to them daily over the last while, and the lovely Himself who has been a rock.
And in order not to waste a thing, the meltdown has gone into the new novel…