No Way To Be.

I have a Black Dog. It's not a canine. It's a bastard. The last few weeks have been tough. Some of it documented on here, some of it not. I've been good for a few years, now. Some great help, a loving wife and lots of resolute determination have helped me through. But the Dog came back whilst we were helping my friend. I'm not blaming my friend but.... Then, almost imperceptibly, this weekend felt like a turning point in the current overcast conditions. We had just the best day, yesterday. Separately, during the day, then together, last night. Some wonderful food, the best bottle of wine I've ever drunk and some epic Calvados to finish off. During the day I went to a great little exhibition by Morgan Howell, in London. He paints 3D recreations of classic 7” singles. I loved it. It lifted my spirits. I told Morgan on Twitter that it was thrilling, and it really was. After that it was off to The Intercontinental Hotel on Park Lane to meet up with Jan. she was at a Cookery Masterclass with Theo Randall at his gorgeous restaurant in the hotel. It overran so I nursed a £9 glass of wine for an hour and a half. She had a wonderful time and I couldn't have been more pleased. Then it was a cab back to our hotel, shower and change for dinner and a cab back for dinner in Theo's restaurant. It was fantastic, as usual. The bottle of wine, recommended by Jan as one of the ones they had tasted during the day, was sensational. After the main course, Theo came out of the kitchen and headed straight for Jan. He stayed chatting for 10 minutes and it completely made her day. This morning I saw her off on the train to Newport for a couple of days at one of our fave hotels with her oldest friend. I drove home, tired but happy. A lazy afternoon with the Test Match on the tv, the Sunday papers over the floor and copious mugs of tea made for a peaceful, restful day. So? What does it all mean? I have no idea. I've had this Black Dog, sniffing round my ankles, all my life. I'm terrified of dogs and I'm sure there is some deep-rooted significance in that link. So all I can say is that, tonight, I feel a million dollars. I feel on top of the world. Tomorrow? It's another day. There's a fantastic song by The Blue Nile called Everybody Else. It's singer and writer, Paul Buchanan has famously had his own Black Dog. The opening lines are " I woke up good this morning. And nothin' in my way." Sometimes, that's what it feels like. If you 'wake up good' it's fantastic. This song by Teddy Thompson has been my companion during the latest episode. I adore it. It was born out of a divorce but it speaks to my Black Dog and makes him a bit less terrifying.