No Fake Flowers and Horrible Toothache.

Ordered a few fake flowers on press recommendation from an internet company called VeryNice 2.com. I ordered them and they said they would come in a week or two. I ordered them on 13 July, and looking at their website there's still no tracking number and they don't reply to emails, so beware.

The filling done recently seems to have played up - odd since my tooth didn't hurt before. I was told there was a root filling in the tooth already, but it has become horribly painful and my dentist doesn't work on a Friday. Julian has sent me the address of another dentist in Old Street, so may give them a ring in the morning to see if they can do a better job. It is aching all over one side, a bit like neuralgia. I googled it and there was a rather alarming article about how, despite a root filling, infection can get into this from the crown causing even more trouble. A credit card job I suspect. They are called Dental Arts in City Road and I have been given the name of one of their dentists. We shall see.

Even Worse Caricature of a Face

Day off today, but I need a signature from one of the Trustees, so will be slightly occupied. Must clear up the awful mess in the kitchen this morning, then maybe do a bit of painting before chasing after the Trustee.

Working lunch with Romy at Lye Torng. The green curries are definitely becoming much more fiery. We came back and had coffee in the garden. The weather was really quite warm and pleasant this morning.

Had a horrible time painting that awful last self portrait, which is now even worse. More hanks of hair hanging uselessly down and jowls more prominent. Oh dear. I must paint something nice soon. Another Kooky portrait calls. I fancy catching him when he lies on his back with his paws curved around.

Wednesday Morning Titter

Funny stories in today's Times:

Allegedly,from the obit for Major William Spowers, when a young man in the army in India, he went into the kitchen to find the servant responsible for making the governor's toast lying on the floor with his feet pointing at the hot stove and slices of bread between his toes. No electric toaster there, then.

Also, in 1969 he auctioned a collection of Napoleonica from the Emperor's confessor, who had attended the postmortem and acquired some mementoes from the house, including, among lot 182, a precious part of Bonaparte, thought to be the imperial member. Catalogued as a 'small, dried-up object and described as a'mummified tendon' it failed to reach the reserve, prompting a tabloid headline of 'Not tonight, Josephine.'

Also, apparently Conservative MP Nicholas Soames' ex wife said having sex with him was like 'having a wardrobe fall on you with the key still in'. Seems he was quite a heavy chap.

'End of Day Hangers'

These hangers have been painted with leftover paint at the end of the day. Quite folksy and fun to do, if a bit rough.

End of Day Paperweight

Very nice John Deacons paperweight. I really quite like his paperweights. I obtained it at a bargain basement price from Ebay. They are called 'end of day' because they use bits and pieces left at the end of the day, supposedly.

I may do a painting of some of the detail, or maybe the whole thing when I can get the energy.

Have slipped a little on the diet front at the weekend, but back on track now. I was 17st 1lb the other day so will have to keep an eye on this. Blood tests for diabetes and liver function tests next week. Have managed to be pretty well alcohol-free, apart from a tiny amount of St. Germain with sparkling water.

'......A Particularly Horrid Old Thing Tra la'

With a caricature of a face'. Sorry about this, yet another self portrait, but I started so I finished. Livid yellow and green feature somewhat here.

Madeleine pitched up yesterday. I made some bread and then some gazpacho for lunch. I roasted a hen but couldn't persuade her to have any. I pureed it with a cooked cabbage today into a kind of soup. Tastes OK if a bit chewy because of the chicken puree, but probably terribly healthy.

Decided to do some more work on the self portrait. Changed the lips and moved them up a bit. Then got sick of it.

First Kooky Portrait

Bit of a challenge this morning trying to paint Kooky. Well, here he is. I may make some more efforts at a future date. Actually his lighter fur was more blue and the background more green in the painting, but hard to reproduce.