The build-up:

I waited for weeks to get the pennies, I knew they were coming, I was
so excited.
It really made me think how lucky I am, and always have been.
I have my health, my amazing man Rik, a loving family that I am very
close to, and some great friends. My cat Fabio, (now called Babylon, we
dont know why we changed it, it just seemed fitting)
I have travelled the world, this is my passion. On my travels I met
some of the most amazing people that the earth has to offer. I have
seen beauty,clear seas, white sand, wild animals and people with the
utmost faith. I know what it feels like to be really free…..and what
a feeling!
I now live in Cornwall, the place that I consider to be Englands most
special place.
Rik and I have a beautiful hotel in St.Ives, that gets filled with
fantastic guests, that we talk to and laugh with. We smile every day,
and laugh all the time, we love our home, our work and most of all each
other… and we really love The Babylon!
I AM SO LUCKY!!!!

Friday 4th March 2005:

Very lucky day, an unexpected visitor announced himself so wasnt
unexpected. I needed this, it made my day!
I buzzed around all day humming and feeling very happy.
I worked hard but with pleasure.
Went to bed early and felt lucky…………

Saturday 5th March 2005:

Lucky I can walk everywhere now, and dont have to take a tube, bus and
train (my last job involved all three, and then a 15 min walk either
end) Lucky I dont get that stressful knot anymore in my belly. Unlucky
the belly is getting a bit bigger as I am now enjoying the finer things
in life, eating big home cooked meals with the amazing man, munching on
breakfast goodies in the morning.
Lucky I can see my husband all day everyday and not have to wait until
7.30pm

Sunday 6th March 2005:

Worked like a dog today, but needed to, the work had to be done, lucky
the deadline was met. Lucky we still found the time to chill with a big
glass of red………….

Monday 7th March 2005:

Lucky he came on time and lucky we got on so well….. it doesnt matter
who he is, but if we were in a film he would be a bit like superman, he
can save your world or crush it he is so very strong and powerful. He
decided to save ours today…. thankyou.
Went to our local bar, a bit like cheers, this time of year in our
small little harbour town, everybody knows you. Sat and drank Pimms ,
its not summer, but it felt like it should be today, we were
celebrating the coming of Superman.
Met two lovely people that came to stay. Lucky for us they were so nice
and chose to stay with us, they made us both smile.

Tuesday 8th March 2005:

Riks doing his other job, how lucky he managed to bring his work all
the way to the end of England.
I potter around the hotel, dreaming of all the things we are going to
do this year to make it even better than its ever been and feel
excited.
Sun still shining, but its cold. I love this time of year.

Wednesday 9th March 2005

Rik went out on a mission, so pottered around St.Ives. The sun shone
through the winter chill, and everybody found a smile. I wandered
without thinking and found myself at one of my fave shops, I was drawn
to a book, I read one page and knew I should buy it, it put me back in
touch with my spritual side that I had not worked on for a while. Lucky
for me as it made me happy and put a spring in my step.
Lucky to live so close to the ocean as I love it so much. I sat and
watched the crashing waves, smiling (like a bit of a loon) but didnt
care. Loving life!

Thursday 10th March 2005:

The last day of the penny…..really enjoyed it, made me think and
appreciate.
Lucky Nads chose me to send it to…thanks sweetpea.

I do believe in luck, I also believe you can make your own luck. I
think we make ours all the time.
Rik doesnt want to do the pennies, as he says he’s lucky already. ( and
he cant be bothered to write a diary!)

What a week, its been good, it probably would have happened as it did
anyhow, but i wouldnt have thought about it so much and wouldnt have
wrote it down.

This weekend we are fully booked and its March…… and
freezing………….. and its almost the end of the earth……..
bloody lucky or what!!!!!

Sending this to Embobo as she need a bit of luck right now…..Good
luck Em I love ya!

19th – 25th November 2004

Day one – Friday.
Yoga and inspiration

The lucky pennies got tucked into my pocket before I left the flat this morning. I feel
as though I need all the luck I can get today ‘cos my husband Steve is away for the
weekend. I’m a bit sad about that – first weekend apart in over a year.
It is a beautiful day – chilly but very sunny and crisp. After a shaky, unfocused start, I
have a good Yoga practice. There’s lots of good energy in the room today. I feel
lucky that I have this practice in my life and I also feel lucky that I have nice people
to practice with.
Get home, stroke Peanut, make toast, computer on. I have a couple of projects to
get stuck into today. Our website is pretty much finished and has gone live today – v.
excited about that! Spend most of the day working on my projects. I’m happy ‘cos
things are coming together well – I have spent the best part of the week researching
and planning this stuff. Inspiration is flowing quite freely today – wow, that’s lucky!
I have lots of communication with people today; from chatting with Steve and mates
over the email to people I don’t know on the phone. I work on my own a lot so when
it comes to communicating I tend to be a bit full on. I get days when I don’t have the
opportunity to talk to anyone until Steve gets home and then I bombard him. My
Mum and Steve’s Mum call me too – that makes me happy.
Sunshine is streaming into the flat. Peanut is sitting on the TV and looking very shiny. I
bought a new CD yesterday so keep listening to that – feeling lucky that our
temperamental CD player is deciding to play it! I like this new CD (Boomclick –
Halfway Between Tomorrow and Yesterday).
I want to encounter luck and think that I need to go out for a bit. Venture down to
M+S for something for my dinner – I don’t really want to cook tonight. Very lazy,
decide to drive. I get onto Camden Road – looks busy, I groan. What luck! The right
lane is totally clear! No one is turning right. I fly past all the queuing traffic. Nice. I love
my van. Please let there be a space… lovely! Van sized space right outside M+S! Get
a nice dinner and buy some chocolate but when I get home realise that I left the
choc in the shop. Bugger. Not so lucky on that one.
Speed clean the flat, play with Peanut, have a bath, have my dinner and then log
onto the Forum for idle and entertaining banter. Someone has posted a link to Lemon
Jelly’s new tune and video. I watch that a couple of times and enjoy. It’s called “Stay
with you” - a very happy tune – I think of Steve.
Drink wine, watch a bit of TV and then wake up in the craziest position on the sofa. It’s
4am – TV still on, Peanut in her fleecy radiator cradle looking at me strangely. Now, I
don’t feel so lucky at this present moment. In fact I’m pretty cross with myself. I have
to get up at 7 and due to the crayyyyzeee sleeping position, my left hip hurts! I get
into bed, Peanut comes too. I sleep on Steve’s side of the bed so I can smell him.

Day two – Saturday
Free rides, pizza, friends and wine
Bit chilly today. Thermals on.

I wake up feeling a bit groggy due to randomness of sleeping arrangements. Go to
the flower market. I have planned my trip well and manage get all the things I need.
That makes me happy. Considering I am running a wee bit late, I manage to catch
all the stands I need to catch – “Bit late today, darling?” Get all the prices and
inspiration I need for my Christmas quotes. Good.
I have some market stylee banter with one of the suppliers. The general vibe in the
market is sometimes like a Carry On film or Only Fools and Horses. Cackling old boys
with sexist jokes that try to get you to giggle and blush. I have hardened to it over the
years. Mr Supplier (old enough to be my Dad) eyes me up and down and asks if I am
married. “Yes” (waggles finger, raises eyebrows). “Well, tell you what darlin’ – he’s a
lucky man.” I respond “I’m a lucky lady”.
Back home, get ready to go out and meet my gorgeous lady friend Penelope. I feel
very lucky to have such a wonderful friend I can be myself with. I decide to walk over
to Crouch End. Starts to rain, reach a bus stop, bus comes (now that’s luck!). I have
no change, only a Jacks. The driver says “ok stand there, I’ll give you some change
when I get some”. I have to stand next to the driver for the entire journey. Feel a bit of
a twat standing there. Maybe my fellow passengers think I am his mate. Anyway, get
to the destination, he says “It’s ok, don’t worry about it”. After I pick my jaw off the
floor I hop off the bus, I feel very lucky. I just had a free ride!
Meet Pen. Buy our mate a birthday pressie – we are meeting her later. Our plan to
walk through Ally Pally is thwarted due to the weather. We drive straight to the pub…
2pm – arrive at pub and set up tab. Nice bottle of vino.
Chat chat chat…natter, natter… cackle cackle…more vino
We scoff pizza and quaff more wine. Suddenly the pub is full of men! We are the only
ladies in there! Lucky or what? Pen is in her element – single girl and all. My back is to
the hoards of men, although I am really not interested for obvious reasons (honest).
Judging by the expression on Pen’s face though – it’s a good view. The luck must be
rubbing off on Pen.
7pm – leave pub. Back to Pens. Giggles, bubbly, smokes, music and dancing to the
blues commence.
We finally make it to Kate’s birthday drinks at 10pm. Have a good old laff and the
flame haired beauty that is Kate is having a lovely weekend. My idea to move on to
another bar is dampened by the voice of reason that is Pen. “C’mon, Nads – we
should go home…” I submit – she’s quite right. Cab home – I feel lucky that my cab
driver is a nice man. Peanut is VERY pleased to see me – she rolls around the hall
purring loudly. I hug her and stroke her little body.
Bed. Alone. Sob.

Day three – Sunday
I feel your love running over me…like a wave (lyric stuck in my head today)
Hip still hurts.

D’you know what – it is so much easier to get out of bed in the morning when there is
no Steve keeping me there. That has its benefits and disadvantages. So, on the plus
side, I manage to drag my sorry, hung over ass out of bed at 8am in a huge effort to
get myself together to go and teach, yes teach. Disgusting behaviour really. On the
minus side, I have no Steve to snuggle, no chest rug to stick my nose into or bristly
head to sniff.
Now, how about this for a load of luck? I am a bit shaken by this. I get to the van this
morning and it is unlocked. I eye it with suspicion – anything nicked? I am so happy
that the van is still there and all the stock (at least £500 worth) is still on it. I feel like a
right dopey cow but, I am very lucky. In my neighbourhood, to still have a van and
stock after that is most fortunate.
I go to teach. It’s all good. Pen is not there though. The lightweight is still tucked up in
bed. Feel a wee bit self conscious as I have morning after guilt. Two classes – both
great – lovely energy which I feed off and it gets me going – shaking me out of my
post-party state.
Home. Continue with a big quote that has been one of my projects this week. Comes
together well. Finish it tomorrow.
For some reason I stick The Streets album on (second one – A Grand Don’t come for
Free). It is a raw and fierce album, like his first – I have been craving this album for
about a week now… never found the right opportunity to put it on. The urban poet
chats over beats and strings – and I realise – this album is all about luck and also
about Karma. He portrays a whole situation that spans over a period of time – it’s like
a film and you get to know all his characters. I feel lucky to have access to such
incredible music.
Bit of email chat with my friend Nick. Chat to my Mum and Dad. Steve’s Mum calls
me again to make sure I am ok. Bless. Play with the little Nut.
Steve will be home soon. I can’t wait to see him. I was getting worried… then he calls.
All is cool.
Steve returns home and his Dad pops over too. We spend a nice evening chatting
and hearing Steve’s tales of the weekend.

Day Four – Monday
Reindeer and sums

It’s a bit tough in the market this morning – I find it hard to get my head together. I get
some lovely flowers though. I get to one of my jobs, still dark outside. As I work the sun
comes up and the reception is filled with light. I feel lucky as I look at the view over
the river and rooftops. I have some nice spaces to work in.
On the way home, I am excited ‘cos Steve has a week off and he is at home. I’m
very lucky he is around – he can help me finish the quote! He has a much better
business head than me.
Ooh, good luck already! Post arrives and there is payment from one of our clients
whose debts date back to August. They’ve not paid everything but it’s a start!
Steve and I finish the quote and then another client gives me a call. We do bits and
pieces for them from time to time, usually for pitches and things. They now want us to
quote for a weekly flower contract! That is great news and more good luck!
I missed practice this morning so I go to the gym where I teach around 4pm to do my
own practice before my classes start. Practice felt good – my body felt quite light
and responsive. My mind felt clear. Good classes. I am very lucky to have such
wonderful, friendly and enthusiastic people to teach.
Steve and I chill for a bit and watch some really funny topical cartoon thing. We
giggle like a pair of kids.
We play with Peanut; Steve chases her around the flat. She loves that! He provides
the more rough and tumble aspect to her life. I give her the softer, more feminine
things she needs. I think she missed her Daddy over the weekend.

Day Five – Tuesday
Red lights and blue pine

Set the alarm for 4am and manage to get up for 4.30. Not bad going. I do a couple
of jobs but the cleaners are late at my last job so have to wait outside – unlucky. I get
a bit delayed and try my best to dash out of the Congestion Charge zone before
7am. Grrrrrrr… unlucky with the traffic lights. Keep getting stuck at red lights. I come
over the zone boundary at bang on 7am. Harrumph! Oh well, I’d better pay it – it’s
only a Jacks. It’s the principle though!
Come on coins! Work for me here, babies!
On a luckier note – I get home and Steve makes me coffee and brekkie. I really am a
lucky girl…
Hip is all good now – thank heavens!
Not going to practice today. I have too much work on, but also got my period which
is quite good timing really. I feel quite lucky that my body’s rhythms and my workload
have synchronised. Yep – no practice for the first three days of your period – “ladies
holiday”. I like ladies holiday – sometimes it comes at the best time ever – like when I
am feeling knackered. I then usually commence to spend the next two mornings
tucked up in bed guilt free. But, alas, due to work I have to actually get up!
Steve and I spend the day at the Workshop. It’s not far from where we live, round the
back of Steve’s Dads and Step mums house. We are lucky that they are home today
so we can go round at various intervals to nip to the loo and pinch biccies!
No overwhelming amount of good or bad luck today, although we are lucky that it is
dry. It’s no fun at the workshop when it rains. You can’t put stuff outside and it gets
too claustrophobic. I do feel very lucky that Steve is around this week. It is lovely to
work together, side by side in the workshop. I usually spend most of my time there
alone. It feels good. I feel warm inside, even though it is damn cold outside. We
spend the day getting organised for Thursday. This gives us an opportunity to chat
about things as we work – we address a few burning issues on the business side of
things. We learn from each other. It’s not all hard work though! We chat about how
we are going to bring up our kids. Steve tries to wind me up, to get a rise out of me.
He’s not succeeding today, though. Not bad on my part, all ladies issues and
hormones considered!
Back home, finish some paperwork and then soak in the bath. Eat, play with Peanut.
Curl up together in bed… zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Day six – Wednesday
Hallucinations and birdsong at sunset

Alarm set for 4am … rise by 4.45am. I am the world’s best snoozer. It used to do
Steve’s head in but I think he has turned deaf to it now. Poor bloke.
Market. Install job in the West End. Rush rush rush…
We spend the day back at the workshop. Steve makes lunch and a flask of coffee to
take with us. And then he lectures me on my caffeine intake (I am trying to cut
down)! I need all the help I can get today – less than 12 hours sleep in 3 nights. That is
not enough for me. I feel odd and have a few hallucinations. Nothing major – it
always happens when I’m shattered. I actually quite enjoy them, so long as they
happen at the right time and not when I’m driving, teaching or trying to be sensible.
Steve washes my van – I feel very lucky indeed ‘cos it’s filthy and I was dreading
doing it myself.
Our little Robin Redbreast friend spends a lot of his time with us today. He flies down
and perches himself on branches of Pussy Willow and Ilex berries. He starts scoffing
the berries. He is a bold little chap. Steve gives him some bread. I try to take photos of
him but he keeps flying off. I think he is teasing me.
I feel lucky that we have our workshop and such lovely things to work with. I love
flowers.
Good productive day! Pretty much everything done with minimum amount of
pressure. Steve leaves the workshop earlier to do things at home. I stay until sunset.
Steve’s Dad, Andreas, comes round with a pot of tea and biccies. How nice is that! I
am so lucky to have an amazing family.
Have to stop to buy some hair wax (very important Nadine survival item) on Holloway
Road. Parking space – at 430pm (!) – Now that’s lucky! I enjoy a moment walking
down the road. In amongst the traffic and sirens and people I tune into the most
beautiful evening birdsong. I feel as thought it is just me there. Maybe it’s the
hallucinations starting again! No, it’s just the beauty of nature. I feel lucky that I can
hear this and have time to stop and appreciate it.
We continue our work at home. I feel so sorry for Peanut sometimes. Here she is, all
chilled out and in we come with plants and moss and paper and … whatever! We
momentarily turn her world upside down whilst we take over the living room and
spare room. I spread out over the living room floor, cutting paper. Steve does the
online shop. First time for him, online shop, I mean and not shopping! We both marvel
at the slickness and sexiness of Ocado’s website. Boring? Sad? Us? Never!
Steve makes dinner. He has made brekkie, lunch and dinner today! And washed up!
Lucky me!
Got my cover teachers confirmed for tomorrow. I’m lucky I have managed to get
some cover – I was leaving it to the last minute before I decided what I wanted to do.
Better to get cover, though, I will be losing the powers of speech by tomorrow
evening.
We manage to chill for a bit and have a smoke.

Day seven – Thursday
Red sky in the morning…

Alarm for 5am. No hanging around today – even though I would love to. I have been
sleeping badly over the last few nights. Sleep is usually never a problem for me. So, a
combination of lack of sleep and broken sleep (anxiousness) has left me feeling
slightly jaded. Had some mad chaotic dreams too… you know, the kind that makes
you feel emotionally drained when you wake up?
We go down to this Christmas Fair thing in Knightsbridge in two vehicles. Steve and his
Dad in the van, I get to drive the car. We drive over Hampstead Heath – there is a
beautiful light over town today. Reddish/pinky sky and the skeletal look of the trees
on the Heath. It’s all very inspiring! On the radio, they play a New Order tune. You
know, the one that goes “I feel so extraordinary… something’s got a hold of me…” It
sets a nice pace to my drive, keeping Steve and Andreas in my sights in the rear view.
They both look so funny in my little van! I chuckle! Andreas drives the car home. We
are lucky he is around to do this or our parking bill would be £60.
The day itself is a strange one. We are on good form (surprisingly) which makes for
superb punter activity and schmoozing. Steve takes on the ladies and I handle the
men. Not literally, mind. I am a one man woman!
The whole event is very quiet. I don’t think they have marketed it very well. Anyway,
we don’t shift a great deal of gear. I’m not too worried about that as I can place
pretty much everything and we won’t be losing much money. On a marketing level it
is excellent! We do a good bit of networking and meet some interesting people. We
have also had very positive feedback on the standard and quality of our work.
The best bit of luck for the day … The client whose quote we were working on at the
beginning of the week have come back to us. They are going for pretty much
everything I have suggested which is superb!
Phone off all day – switch it on – messages – more work for the end of next week.
Good. It’s all good.
We get home – 8pm. Eat. Stroke the little Nut and play with her in a tired fashion. I feel
knackered. I start crashing on the sofa. Steve sends me to bed. He has his second
wind so stays up to smoke and watch a film. He tucks me in, then comes back to see
if I’m ok. I’m completely out of it by then. Sweet oblivion!
Moon day tomorrow, so no practice even though my ladies holiday is over! That is
lucky too, it means I can laze in bed happily and not wallow in guilt! I would be far to
tired to go to practice tomorrow.
The alarm is not set. My phone is off.

To sum this up…

I have been very lucky in life. I found out from my parents a number of years ago that
I shouldn’t really be here. No, not because of contraception problems – I did almost
die on 2 occasions in the first 2 years of my life. If I hadn’t died, I would have been
seriously handicapped. I don’t know what happened that made it all cool. My Mum
calls me “The Fighter”. In fact, my parents still, to this day, look at me and shake their
heads saying “If those doctors could see you now” (that usually occurs, traditionally
on my buffday). Bless the parents!
Since I learnt that I have tried to never take anything for granted. I appreciate all my
senses. I appreciate the fact that I can touch, smell, taste, see and hear all the
beautiful things in the world. I really appreciate the fact that I can do my physical
Yoga practice. This has made me a very positive and optimistic person.
I do believe, though, that the way your life pans out is down to how you interact with
others. I believe in Karma. I feel that if you send out appropriate positive energy to
others, be it humans or other animals, you get the same good vibes in return.
I am healthy and have work coming in. I have a wonderful family, amazing friends, a
nice comfy home, my Yoga practice, superb Yoga people to teach and hot wheels!
In case you haven’t noticed I have the most amazing husband! Steve and I met by
complete chance many many years ago. I was a very silly girl at the time and I am
lucky that Steve could see through that and hang on for me whilst I pissed around. I
am lucky he believed in me. I’m lucky he still does believe in me!
I think I was over analysing my levels of luck over the last seven days. It was interesting
to do. It was a bit of a funny time for this ‘cos we were so busy. I don’t usually work
such long hours – I’m usually managing to squeeze in more social interaction and
chilled times.
Good fun and interesting all the same. I have loved keeping a diary. And have
enjoyed reading some of the other entries. I haven’t kept a diary for years and years.
One of the main things I noticed is I have been a lot more aware of things in general
and a lot more appreciative of things. I have been paying more attention to the finer
details in life. I thank the coins for that.

Thank you, coins.

After my week I gave them to Steve as he was interested in contributing. As it turns out he didn’t end up doing the journal – the time wasn’t right for him. I decided to ask my best mate, but that took me ages to get round to doing. The pennies then lived safely tucked in Steve’s briefcase for AGES. I was going to mail them to Jen yesterday so I took them out yesterday morning.

Now…

Yesterday Steve had the most stressful day at work (I guess that can be fairly normal for him), however… on the way home he had a little smack in the car (nothing serious – he’s ok but it’s just a pain in the arse for him). It is his first accident in, like, at least 6 years. He also does so much driving – on the motorway every day to Slough and back. He then realised that he had misplaced 2 of his credit cards. Called the card companies – looks as though they have been stolen as there were retail purchases made on them. Bless him – he looked so deflated last night.

I chatted with Jen before Steve got home and we decided that I deliver the pennies by hand when we visit her and Rick in two weeks time in Cornwall. This morning I tucked the pennies back into Steve’s briefcase whilst he was in the shower – he needs their good energy!

www.nadinecannon.com

Monday. start of british winter time.
Wow!
Today I realised that I had a second chance. This doesn’t happen very often, and so should always be taken.
Yesterday I was given the lucky coins back. The idea was that I should pass them on to my mum, but that isn’t possible right now, and this morning - bam! It hit me. I should have the coins this week and write the missing diary. So lucky!

The three c’s.
Okay. Lovely coffee and cake morning with my friend Carl. We haven’t seen each other for a few weeks, and it was really good to catch up. I recently discovered Illy coffee, which was good to share. I had got in some Turkish pastries, and Carl brought croissants.

Before he arrived I had just enough time to chase some outstanding invoices and catch-up with a few clients. Now this is a sore point. Two major clients are 3 months overdue with their payment. Grrr. After the lovely coffee and cakes I had two calls - both clients are going to pay up in the next two weeks!!! Unbelievable. I can breath, and feel much happier.
4 Cs: coffee. cake. Carl & cash!

Also able to do a favour for an old friend, making a dvd. Remembering how amazing it is that we can do this at home. Time it takes to burn the dvd is the time it takes to eat my tea. The dvd is wrong first time through, so the time it takes to burn the remade version is the time it takes to remember I am writing a lucky diary this week, and not forget, creating another missing lucky diary.
Now that is lucky!

Tuesday.
Teaching today, which means an early start - get to play with the cats when they are running about instead of having to try and ignore them after feeding to grab some extra kip. Makes a lovely start to the day. Enjoy playing too much and have to skip breakfast to catch the train. The journey is good, and manage a sleep without missing my stop.

Excited about today. Students are doing seminar presentations - I get to see if I have managed to help them learn anything. Also, finally get to meet with Emma, my course convenor. Morning seminars go well - some very interesting work: some telematics, some hypertext, some interactivity. All very engaged. Lunch with Emma (who is lovely), and we seem to agree about how I am running the course, which is a relief! Afternoon session also goes well, and we manage to pick up on the morning over-run, so I finish on time!! Have drink with Christie afterwards, who I haven’t seen for ages! Really good to catch-up.
Get a lift back down to the station, but don’t know when the next train is. This is fine though, as I have a warm hat.
Train comes two minutes later
Have nice chat with Mum on the way home, and we decide that she is coming to stay the weekend after next. Not seen her for an age, so this will be good. May be able to pass the coins on too….

Back home the cats are playful. We play fetch, and even after I’ve gone to bed Bix still brings up a ball of paper for me to throw, over and over.

Wednesday.
Am really surprised that the cats are coping so well with the change in clocks. They wake me up at about 6, and I thought I would have a terrible time convincing them that the new 6 o’clock was the right one, not 5 o’clock as it now is. A good nights sleep, and no very early morning wake-up show what lovely considerate boys they are! Bix wants to play fetch again! Half hour of paper throwing, and then a little kip! Woken by delivery of new card for PC which means I can play later.

(Alibi chooses to sit on my lap whilst I work. I think this is to do with it getting colder, but it makes me happy, and keeps me warm. Bargain.)

Very busy with a number of projects, all running together. This is good, but I miss lunch before having to go to a meeting in the afternoon. Luckily I have meeting with wonderful friends, and we eat home made soup together! Mmm! Exciting work prospects with Edward, and we plan the nutter.tv commission - I think this is going to be very powerful, with the combination of our skills. Really lovely that our friendship has lead to this strong collaboration.

And then… they feed me again!!
We round of with some lovely drinks, and I set off home. Good train journey, but my bus looks very stopped (all the lights are off, and the engine isn’t even running), so I start walking. I normally walk, but this time I just fancied a lift. And then the bus starts up, and I run and catch it and am home to hungry kitties in no time.
Have to do some video encoding, which is a little dull, but take the opportunity to sneak a quick computer game, and discover that some friends are there too, so have a final goodnight on-line chat before turning in to the gentle hum of video compressing itself on my laptop in my bedroom (cats chew cables and so all power is off in the front of the house!).

Thursday.
Videos compressed well, the missing filofax was found not to be missing, and my 8 o’clock client call was 20 minutes late, so I have more restful start to the day.
The video is for a video-jockey thing I have made for a show in Liverpool. All the files work, and the whole thing looks good, and the live camera feature works on the mac (hadn’t had an opportunity to test this, so that was …).

I thought I was having some very bad luck. I discovered a video and mp3 player I am making for a client was broken! I have spent all week working on this, and when I tested this morning, it wasn’t working right! Fortunately, I had backups, so could step back, and work forwards to undo whatever I had done. After 2 hours of gently working through all the changes again, I realised what I had done. Very silly error which I could have fixed in (literally) 2 seconds. Arse. Still, feel glad to know what had happened, and the client didn’t notice, so except for the wasted time, no harm is done.

Cats are playful again. I love it when they want to play fetch. Seeing them take so much pleasure in this simple game gives a wonderful perspective to life.

Work all day, then have to rush as I am going to be late for yoga. Bix looks crest-fallen when I leave. I run to the gym, and get there just before quarter past. On time! “you’re early", they say. I am puzzled. Then realise - I am a whole hour early. Walk home again, and both cats curl up on me as I rest on the sofa.
I shudder awake, realising that I have dozed off, and I nearly am late! We have a stand-in teacher as it’s Nadine’s birthday. Nice gentle class, which suits me as I am really tired.
Home. Feed cats. Zombie with tv for a while, then bed. Cats jump all over me, ‘hunting mice’ under the duvet.

Friday. Fireworks night.
The cats miaow early, but just want to cuddle, so they crawl under the covers, and we have a lie-in. Dozing is broken by a text from Liverpool. The VJ worked perfectly, and looked fantastic. What an excellent start to the day.

Busy day, with meetings, calls, and not much time to do any proper making of work. Still, today is the main meeting for nutter.tv, and shared with Edward, which is really good. Edward hasn’t changed the time on his phone, and so is an hour early… so we go for lunch! mmm.

Very good meeting, although it is longer than anticipated. However, I get home before the fireworks start. Have had a low-level worry about the cats with the noise, but they don’t seem to mind. What a relief.

Now, here’s a thing. Walking to the meeting with Edward I mentioned, randomly and out of the blue, that I have been unsuccessfully looking for washing-up brushes - the sort with bristles, not the new-fangled pad type. I’ve been looking for ages. No luck. On the way back I pop into a random corner shop and lo! Pan brushes. I bought two (to be safe), and thanked my lucky coins!

Thank you lucky coins!

Saturday.
Not so much of good or bad luck today. Staying in to work.
But I did have the foresight to buy in some mince pies to go with cups of tea. Had nice lie-in and cat-cuddle. Alibi snuck into my top, and curled up with his head resting on my shoulder. So sweet!

Sunday.
A balanced good / bad luck day.
Have to stay in and work again.
This could be bad luck - I have to work on a Sunday.
But I shall see it as good luck - I have work!
Am disappointed, however, that this particular good luck means that I miss going for drinks with a friend, hence balance.

Overall.
I am generally disposed to look positively on life. I have my health, my sanity (most of the time), loving friends and family. I have my two beautiful cats, my yoga, and enough work to keep my freelancing afloat.
This week the exceptional points have been having the time to reflect on my friends company, and my cats cuddles! Mostly though, I am happy to have finally done the missing diary. Big burden lifted.
Oh. And one last thing - this morning the prints I ordered 3 months ago arrived! My faith in on-line ordering was beginning to suffer (they should have arrived after 10 days), but this has been fully restored. Check out tokyoplastic.com and say hi to Sam…
lots of love
Nicholas

LUCYLUCKYLUCKYLUCKYLUCYLUCKY.

DAY 1

Luck of placement
Interview for some funding. Every detail leading up to the interview is analysed by my fellow artist - Andrew - for its indication of potential luck or unluck. This begins when Andrew sneaks up behind me on the escalators at Euston. ‘What’s the probability of that?’ he exclaims. And we laugh. Feeling lucky that we met so easily. We bump into the third member of our group on the street. ‘That’s lucky’ he says. ‘I was just beginning to wonder where you were’. Our interview is just before lunch. Is that lucky – or would it have been better after lunch? Or first thing in the morning?

Day 2

Luck-you-make.
Early morning grumpiness results in an exchange of cross words between me and my flatmate, Nicholas. As a way out of the situation he asks me how it’s going with my lucky coin. I smile and say – ‘well yes, it seems to be having an effect’.

Day 3

Luck of timing.
Completely unprompted by me, my work colleagues, talk about luck all day. Jonathan feels unlucky because he didn’t manage to get to Sainsbury’s in time to get his favourite cheap sandwich (cheese and celery). Sangita feels lucky that her cousin works in Dickens and Jones – so she can get extra clothes discount, but when she returns from the sale – she feels unlucky because there was nothing there that she wanted to buy.

Day 4

Luck of weather
The heavy rain showers of the day, naturally turn the conversation once again to luck. ‘Were you lucky?’ asks Jonathan. I ponder a moment and wonder whether Britain’s unpredictable weather helps to create a cultural obsession with luck. When you start looking for it, it does seem that we’re a nation quite taken with the idea.

I tell Jonathan I’m moving and he tells me about the, ‘luckiest person he knows’ a friend who rents a flat on Wardour street in Soho. It is a housing association flat and apparently it’s possible to pass ha flats down through a family - his father lived there before him. He pays £50 a week rent. We look at each other for a moment and contemplate the hazards of finding somewhere to live in London. This prompts me to think that, like unpredictability, scarcity and difficulty also contribute to opinions about luck and unluck.

Day 5

Am I lucky?
Today I spend a lot of time on my own. So I have the chance to ask myself whether I think I’m lucky. And what do I think it means to be lucky. I think about Kylie Minogue and ishouldbesolucky – which is one of those songs that, if you’re feeling cheerful helps you to feel lucky and if you’re not feeling cheerful, makes you feel unlucky…..If I’m honest I feel neither lucky or unlucky. Or rather I think I’m in a kind of luckneutral state. I feel that good things have happened to me (some very good things – which I take to be lucky (these include – being born – the odds against which were becoming more and more unlikely; being able to spend at least some of my life creating things and sharing these things with other people; and being able to make a decent meal out of almost anything left over in a kitchen cupboard). I feel that these good things have been counterweighted by some quite spectacularly bad things (including my parents divorcing and my grandfather dying all in the same year, being hit by a car and therefore not training as a dancer, and being unable to remember people’s phone numbers unless I write them down). These bad things leave me with a slight aftertaste of ‘bad luck’. (which I don’t like admitting, but I will just this once). Having said this, one thing I feel completely certain about: I am supremely lucky in the friends I have.

Day 6

Luck as contentment
I thought about yesterday and then I thought about today. It occurred to me that sometimes I think about luckiness as isolated events and sometimes I think about it as just a general feeling of contentment. Today, I feel soothed by the gentle rhythm of a weekend of time - and therefore I feel lucky. I realise that if I could carry this sense of contentment through every minute of every day I would feel lucky regardless of whatever happened. Because I would of course be living in the moment and not seeing my life as a series of events or outcomes. I know somewhere in my bones that this would inevitably lead to more ‘examples’ of particular ‘good luck’ which would further reinforce my general sense of luckiness. This makes me think about another conversation I had on Day One of my lucky coin, which was that, apparently, muscles can grow minutely bigger just by the process of thinking about them – without actual usage.

Day 7

Luck is a muscle

Carrying on from yesterday’s thoughts, I think that perhaps I should imagine luck residing somewhere in my body. A kind of luck muscle. Or perhaps a whole organ? What would be the luckiest shaped organ? The kidneys?, the liver?, the lungs? (I ignore the heart – it’s already culturally overburdened). Then I realise the answer sort of invisibly there: it’s not actually a part of my body – it’s my name. If I add a ‘k’ to ‘lucy’ it becomes…’lucky’. There that’s what I’ll do. I’ll just remember that there’s an invisible ‘k’ in my name which noone but me can see. Thank you. I have now become Luc(k)y.