Cross the bridge

I heard this track by Mint Royale last Sunday, which must be one of their latest.  The tingling bells at the start have featured heavily on BBC One's programme introductions since the new year, but what follows is an inspiring voice-over monologue from Willem Dafoe.

As well as being a decent tune, I'd say it speaks to us all.  I chose to cross the bridge today and then burned it down.  That is to say, I did something I hadn't done before and now there's no turning back.  I was fed up of all of the clutter - inside and out of the house.  Inside, I've got so much sensitive paperwork that it would take months to shred it all.  It's tempting to just put it in the bin for recycling, but you never know what can happen.  In the age of identity theft and fraud, it would most probably be a dumb move.  The thing is though, the amount that I've got would take months to shred.  I haven't got the time,  commitment or the tolerance to withstand the boredom threshold to do what's required.  I've found old, mouldy nets and curtains under the stairs that have been taking up valuable storage space for about ten years.  These things have to go.  Then, outside, there's the three dead Christmas trees that I haven't got rid of yet.  I would chop them up and put them out for the fortnightly garden waste collection, but the council don't offer this any more.

So, I bought a garden incinerator.  It's one of those steel bins with a hole to emit the smoke on top.  Yes, I'd prefer to dispose of my waste without the emissions, but I going to be considerate about which time I choose to burn stuff.  I'll make sure it's not a time when people are going to have stuff hanging out on their washing line and all that.  I could stuff the manky old curtains  into bin bags and leave them out for the rubbish men, but I think it's better to disintegrate them rather than have them taken to landfill.  It was a good start.  I've made some space and I've begun to get rid of some of the clutter.  It's the way forward - getting rid of what I don't need.

I'm also going to have to 'cross that bridge,' as the lyric goes, and do something I haven't done before once I've finished editing my new novel.  I don't know what that something is yet, but it's linked to marketing.  I'm close to having 'Disposition' ready for distribution and I'm hoping its going to reach further than 'The Ellroy Deflection' and 'Barren Endeavour' have.  It's a challenging marketplace, emphasised by an article I read this week.  Most writers earn less than £600 a year apparently.  CLICK HERE to read it.  Its not surprising.  Watch this space...