this is a year not like any other

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it is the the 60th anniversary of john fahey's first recordings for joe bussard and  the 1000 incarnations of the rose festival is still occurring (in the parallel universe that is forever 2018). 

later this morning howard comes up to visit. he will drop off a rucksack of respectable looking clothing (jeans, t-shirts, shirts such like), suitable clothing for teachers in the modern age but perhaps a little too frayed to pass muster. they will be slightly too large for horsemouth (but he has a belt and is a fan of the baggy look anyway). seeing as horsemouth almost entirely clothes himself out of charity shops he doesn't think fit will be a big problem. 

the rucksack will also contain various drum parts and stands that horsemouth and howard used in the recording of volume four but howard no longer wants hanging round his flat (horsemouth entirely sees his point). there's a keyboard as well (but that's probably a separate trip). 

this is a year not like any other. 

big news...

rent is the major expense in horsemouth's life. 

horsemouth's life (in the seaside towns) is based on paying less than market rent (on continuing to be with the housing co-op he is in) and on having that money come in from work. his savings means he cannot receive state aid but they also mean he can afford to slack it out on not full wages (or indeed no wages) for ages and ages.

the question is can he afford to slack it out until pension age? a whole lamentable decade away (hopefully the government will not bat it further away). 

if he were to move to porto (which he could do for half the year in two 90 day tranches 90 days apart for example) he would be paying half the rent he does currently (for that half of the year). at one time (pre-brexit) he could just have moved there (but the great british public in their wisdom dot dot dot). 

normally (at this time of year) horsemouth faces the summer of boredom. work is over for the year (he works the student year) and then he sunbathes, reads, plays guitar, and (if he is lucky) goes on holidays.  this year he does not know. 

it's been a funny old year already. horsemouth has already spent 1/4 of it at his parents. the new dispensation means he can work from home.