I'll Be Doggone - Marvin Gaye

I'll be doggone... it's finally happened.

I'm able to take voluntary redundancy following a two month recruitment process to find a suitable replacement from within the ranks of those 'under notice'.

That follows an eight month period of consultation... on cuts, and where the axe should fall.

There are a few hoops left to be jumped through but - I'm out!

From mid-August I will not spend four hours a day commuting to work; those four hours will be mine to do with as I wish.

I'm very, very happy.

And, we have a new puppy called Kenny; he is very lovely but he craps A LOT.


YNWA.

1991 Come in from the Cold - Joni Mitchell

I adore this track, it reminds me of the early nineties, my early twenties and my wonderful friend, Paul.

We shared a tiny bedsit in Bayswater and played each other vinyl and cassettes of the music we loved.

He bought this album for me on CD - and it wasn't even my birthday!

We were mostly skint; I was a student and he was a postie.

One time I convinced my bank to extend me £50 over my student overdraught, so that he and I could buy food.

I got destracted and spent it all in Tower Records.

"I can't eat those!" he exclaimed in mock indignation.

Then we settled in for the evening, listening.

He probably hated 50% of the selection but that was fun for both of us.

He could bemoan my lack of taste. I could ridicule his music snobbery.

That was 20 years ago.

And Joni singing "Come in from the Cold" in her smoke-rounded tones takes me back to that room full of love and warmth and laughing.

We are going to see My Morning Jacket together in a couple of weeks. I can't wait. I love being his friend.