The constant packing is beginning to take its toll. Today I have a cold - loads of sneezing and coughing and blowing of nose. Maybe its the change in weather or maybe its breathing in years of dust. I cleared a bookshelf in my son's room that hasn't been touched in 7 years. Did I need to keep any book that hasn't been looked at in 7 years? There were a couple of novels I've put aside to read again (in another 7 years maybe). My son has outgrown most of his books and yet it was still hard to put them into the charity bag. I even found myself thinking I could save them for the grandchildren. No Predencia NO. Let go. If I ever do another HMO I'm sure it will take a fraction of the time because there wont be any of the emotional attachment to clearing rooms - no looking through past school reports; through music concert programmes; no reminiscing about the pride I felt when son number one was selected to play basketball for England, no welling up at the thought that it was all 10 years ago, no reflection on whether I've been a good enough parent. No doubt about whether I'm handling son number three's concerns that his home is being turned into a business. Sometimes if feels like this is more exhausing than the acutal work.

Today the application form to have the gas pipe in the kitchen moved came. Yesterday it took me 15 minutes and 5 calls to get through to the right department of Nationalgrid. I was even transferred to BT Glasgow by a Nationalgrid employee in the Midlands. It really pisses me off when this happens when I'm on an 0870 number. Not only are they charging an arm and a leg to do the pipework but they're making money out of my phone calls too. We're having second thoughts about paying over £1000.00 to move the meter. Does anyone know of a lightweight fridge/freezer that could sit on a plinth about two feet off the ground?

I've nearly done all the bedrooms now and the loft is looking pretty fat (where did all that space go?) Tomorrow I start on the bathroom - not only is there an airing cupboard to be emptied but there's a bit storage cupboard almost to the ceiling full of suitcases and travel bags. That wonderful week in La Tour de France just two weeks ago is beginning to feel like a distant memory.

I'm working my way round the bedrooms and already the loft is looking full - despite the mountain of paper I took to the recycle centre and the copiously filled black bags that went to various Charity shops. I like to give to Barnardos; not only because I believe in their cause but because it is on the corner of the High St in Erdington and if I get there early enough there're places to park.

The clearing is hard work physically, emotionally and spiritually. But much more challenging is getting workmen to give quotes or respond to phone messages and turn up when they say they are going to. I was under the impression that due to the down turn in the building trade that there were a fair few buildiers just waiting to jump at the chance to work. Why then have we got the only ones that seem too busy to return phone calls - or can't start till March? I would like to think it is because they are bloody good and have loads of work on despite the looming depression that we keep being told is on the way. We've finally got a start date from a builder we have been courting. Please dear God let him turn up on Saturday and please let him be good.

Work on my house to convert it from a family dwelling to a HMO (House of Multiple Occupancy) got underway properly today. It was a bit of a milestone and a huge relief after months of clearing and chucking out. It's amazing how much stuff a family can accumulate in 17 years.

It began in June with clearing the garden, some heavy pruning, lopping and digging to make the garden as low maintenence as possible. I suppose we could have just gone for concreting the lot (all 150 feet) but what with the current flooding problems being linked to the amount of land paved and unable to allow water to drain away - not to mention the expense - it seemed more sensible and cost effective to just get my head down and do it myself. It was great during those few weeks of sunshine we got in June to be out there doing battle with the ivy. I think I may have won a few battles where that is concerned but there is still a war on at the bottom of the garden. The shed is still partially clad in the damned thing and each time I ripped a chunk of ivy it took a chunk of the felt roof with it.

We have a plan. Clear out shed at bottom of garden, then out houses, loft, bedrooms 2,3 and lounge. Begin work on all of above then when complete tackle bedroom 4 and kitchen, and finally the biggie - the kitchen. Bedrooms 1 and 5 would be last as they needed least doing to them. I'll let you know in the next blog how the plan is working.

So....I've done my final bit for the Sex Education series C4 will be broadcasting next month. The first of six one hour episodes starts on Tuesday 9th September. Yesterday I joined about 80 other people at the Sunbeam Studio in Ladbroke Grove for a studio session with Anna Richardson. It was nice that they provided food throughout the day, lots of scrummy sandwiches, fruit (why was it behind the counter and had to be asked for?) and sweet chocolaty things.

I don't mind admitting that I was a bit disappointed with the day on a number of counts.
1. I think they tried to pack too much into the day for there to be any serious debate on the subjects they raised e.g why don't people use condoms, how many sexual partners are acceptable for men and for women, at what age should sex education begin, is porn on the internet making children more promiscuous, are people concerned enough about STIs given that Britain have the highest incidence in Europe? Of these issues I feel the only one that got any serious discussion was the STIs. The others simply skimmed the surface. The stuff on spicing up your sex life was amusing and I guess designed to bring some light relief to what could have been a heavy show - but in the end I think it was all a bit light.
2. I didn't like the way they used the stuff I filmed with the other parents. They made it look like we were all horrified at what our teenagers could be watching when in truth they used the only clip where I was shocked. Apparently there will be a more balanced view in the real programme. 3. Those people who attended in a professional capacity like the teachers and health workers were treated with little respect at times - no wonder so many of them left at lunch time. Come on C4, if you're going to ask people to bring their expertise at least take the trouble to listen to it. I loved the guy who talked about the work he did in schools around self esteem and teenagers loving themselves.

Of course there were pluses. Anna Richardson is very warm and friendly - no indication that she has any intention of disappearing up her own rear end. The crew too were helpful and friendly-and of course there is always the bonus of meeting new people. I came away clutching the details of the best burlesque dance classes in Birmingham and a greater understanding of the dance form. Will be checking out the Candy Box Burlesque school before the summer is out (maybe just to perform for my man).

Nearly a month since my last post. I read somewhere that when you're busy living life you don't have time to write about it. Maybe it's just an excuse but I have been very busy lately (even busier than usual). Apart from the thing at the Cinnamon Cafe I did a couple of open mikes last month, Poetry Bites at the Kitchen Garden Cafe and Pure and Good and Right at the Fox in Leamington where I saw the award winning Tony Walsh who can make you laugh and cry in equal measures. He invited me to post some of my stuff on the www.writeout loud.net website. I will do - just not had time yet. Check it out if you have time there are some good people on it. It also has UK wide listings of poetry events.

At the moment I've got my head down in research on how to turn my house into an HMO. If you have any experience of this I'd love to hear from you. I knew how far I was in when I woke up this morning and realized that I'd forgotton my belly dance class last night. I NEVER DO THAT. Especially after the brilliant workshop I attended on Sunday run my Melissa Abrahams. After 3 and a half hours every muscle in my body ached - especially my abs and glutes.

Its my son's birthday today, I've got to prepare for co-running a creative writing workshop with Writers Without Borders tomorrow (with the font of so much knowledge Sue Brown) and I can't wait to see my friend Michelle who is here from Canada and coming to spend the weekend with me.

I'll try and post things I'm in before I do them in future. Sorry Geoff for not letting you know what I was up to. Thanks for the text. A timely reminder.

It was worth the travel to Bridgnorth on Tuesday night. The first act - a fiddle and guitar band were great. Then we had a poet (Trevor) followed by a reading because the main music act couldn't make it due to illness. The music in the second act (by their own admission) was under rehearsed. Then it was me. I tested out some new poems and got a a really good response. I'll definitely use that set again and I got a good set of recordings too. The evening ended with a storyteller. Did I mention that they keep a good cellar?