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My hearing has gone on one side. It's been a bit patchy for a week or more now, then last night it improved, then after my shower today it's worse again. So doctor's appointment ahoy! Clare booked me one for tomorrow.
I think it's probably wax, but then Harry also had this problem recently, and going back a few weeks Clare did too, both connected to bad colds. I've not had the cold, but maybe it is related.
I'm trying to blast it out with some heavy metal.
On a music related note I got my radio pi project scrobbling. It's not fitted into the car yet, but it is indexing, queueing, playing, and scrobbling. So that's good.
Paul Clarke :: Comment / reply
He went back to sleep again, but then was up pretty early. Could be a lot worse, but I'm puzzled why he does not seem to need much sleep. We thought it would get better when he started eating, and he's really started eating. He had porridge and a big chunk of mango for breakfast today, and water out of a cup.
Harry is being a super good boy right now, paying Tommy lots of attention and giving him cuddles, it's lovely.
Only a week to go until our house swap holiday! I don't mind talking about this holiday in advance, as our house will not be empty at any point (friends are moving in for the duration) so you're less likely to rob me.
Paul Clarke :: Comment / reply
As a vegan I'm really just being fussy and I won't die if they get it wrong, but for some people it is serious. This was at Jamie Oliver's Italian in Portsmouth (Gun Wharf I suppose).
Paul Clarke :: Comment / reply
Doesn't look as good as the lightwaverf hardware but here is another rival from Belkin (available from maplin.co.uk?C=135760& in this case).
Oh, it's not safe. Possibly my lightwaverf setup has a similar exploit, though possibly not, there may be a delay in how quickly you can turn them on or off...
Paul Clarke :: Comment / reply
Lots of colleagues are at Google I/O (the "extended" one in London, though one is in San Francisco). One of the things they've announced is a reboot of plus.google.com. Will it finally shut kosso up? Some new improved photo features. Likely to lead to more people from work using it. I have been using it as a resource, there is lots of arduino and raspberry pi diy electronics and other making stuff on there.
Time for bed. The boys have been particularly good today, I hope Tommy sleeps as well tonight.
Henning Wehn is going down very well on The Ten O'Clock Show. I wish I was going to Edinburgh again.
Paul Clarke :: Comment / reply
Hooray, I don't think he woke up in the night last night. If he did, he did not wake up much. We overslept a bit this morning because we have been so used to him waking us before 5am recently.
My day is a bit thrown today, I had a super early rushed lunch because I was meant to be interviewing someone from 12.30 - 2pm, but they just cancelled at no notice. Going to get straight back to work and then leave a bit early to make up the time.
Paul Clarke :: Comment / reply
Clare was working at the plant fair at the White Cliffs at the weekend, it's just about their biggest event of the year, so all hands to the pumps. So it was a boys day on Saturday. Was really nice to just hang around the house with them. I had sort of planned to walk into Sandgate with them in the afternoon (in between a complex schedule of all of Tommy's sleeps and feeds, that Clare had sensibly prepared for me), but could not find the buggy board. I didn't fancy having to carry Harry there or back, so instead we made a cafe in the back garden and went out there for hot chocolate and cake.
I did some gardening at the weekend, it's starting to look nice out there. Gave the lawn a bit more attention too, that is still not looking that great. One of the neighbours stopped by and said he had some lawn treatment he would give me. I have not met him before (as a neighbour, though he is familiar to me from somewhere) he's not a direct neighbour but is from down the street. Not sure if he offered me this because he saw me out raking and tending, and so I look like a lawn-interested type of chap, or just because my lawn looks so bad now it is letting down the street. His lawn looks like a billiard table. I gratefully accepted anyway, will have to wait and see what it is. If it's too similar to what I've already put down then I can't use it anyway I don't think.
Went to a great boot fair at the cricket club on Sunday morning. We were both up early, there were no lie-ins this weekend, so we all headed out. When it was time to feed Tommy and Harry was getting bored, Clare took them to Waitrose cafe and I continued round alone. It was a huge event, and a nice day, so lots of interesting stalls. I could have spent longer there but raced round a bit. I only ended up buying some books and jigsaws for Harry, one toy for Tommy, and a small set of meccanno for me, a smaller version of a kit like this. I'm not a super meccanno fan but I seem to think I had a need for some the other day. I was repairing or making something and thought "what I need here is a bit of meccanno". Can't remember what it was now, but at least I have it ready for when my brain returns.
Watched Parks and Recreation last night as we had no crime dramas lined up, a shocker! I also watched a film Girl Eats Boy. Surprisingly for an Irish zombie film starring Samantha Mumba it was not actually very good!
Paul Clarke :: Comment / reply
I wish we were going to Edinburgh again this year, Nick Helm is, he's brilliant. He was the best thing I saw at Edinburgh lsat year, possibly the best thing I have ever seen, ever. This is from him:
Right. If you are new to this mailing list and missed the first (and only) one way back in October 2012(?!?) then welcome to the Wonderful and Magical World of Helm, where all your dreams can come true and all my goings on will be updated regularly to keep you abreast of the latest gigs and events!
If you have been with me from the start then I am truly sorry to bombard you like this! How are the kids?
Anyway, I am currently in the midst of writing several things including my latest Edinburgh Show. As usual it will be a two month mad dash to the finish line littered with seemingly pointless, laughless and ultimately, let's face it, horrific previews. Yet we continue in the vain hope that the finished product will once again be the best thing that anyone has ever seen and heard with their eyes and ears.
So without further ado tickets for 2013's all new show NICK HELM: ONE MAN MEGA MYTH went on sale last week and here is the link: edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/nick-helm-one-man-mega-myth
For those of you that came to the Greatest Hits show at the Udderbelly on the South Bank this weekend, thanks for coming and making it a great night and rest assured the Edinburgh show (although also confusingly called One Man Mega Myth) will be a completely different show. Please come. The venue is massive.
And absolutely finally, the album I have been promising and working on for the last year is finally finished and available and can be downloaded from iTunes here... itunes.apple.com/gb/album/hot-n-heavy/id644503772
I hope you enjoy it. Just make sure you play it really, really loud. There should be actual CD's available by the time Edinburgh comes along too with a bonus track and a booklet for people that want them so keep that in mind.
I'm sure there is some other news, but really let's keep it simple. I guess I'll finish by saying I filmed a pilot for a studio comedy entertainment show for BBC3 at the end of March called NICK HELM: HEAVY ENTERTAINMENT and that should be available to watch online at some point in July so keep an eye out for that. In fact I'll send you a link nearer the time.
I think that is everything worth talking about for now. Thank you for the support. Thank you for signing up. Feel free to unsign if you want your inbox to stop getting swamped with all these bloody emails from me and hopefully see you in Edinburgh if not before and have a great day.
Paul Clarke :: Comment / reply
Paul Clarke's blog - I live and work in Hythe near Folkestone, Kent. Married to Clare and father to Harry and Tommy, I am a web dev, and I do js, node, php, and ruby. I like Folkestone Gerald, pubs, restaurants, home automation, history, genealogy, TV, popbitch, squirrels, pirates ☠, time travel, stained glass...
