work?

This is a pig I animated for my friend Mikey's website. (www.stytunes.co.uk). It is a good example of what you are reduced to, when your work opportunities are restricted by four walls and the need to put your foot on a cushion. I should be currently earning money by pretending to be a turn of the century aristocratic party-goer, moved into song by the excitements of Prince Orlovsky's party. I can sympathise with those who might consider this to be a job of work roughly comparable to animating pig pictures. However, singing is my chosen profession, and one that I have trained and sacrificied for. So there. And I animated the pig for love, not cash!

I know that my next opera contract is in February, so have some time to fill. Ideally, this would be in a way that paid my mortgage, as this is a growing consideration. Instead, I seem to have found myself doing things out of the goodness of my heart, as I can generally cobble something together on a computer, but those with cash to spend would generally choose to spend it elsewhere. Hence the pig. And the posters for the Brompton Fountain charity that Sarah directs. And their flyers. And their membership database. Well, at least it makes me feel a little less guilty about staying at her house...

I have been practising some singing - it is good for morale to know that the accident didn't wreck my voice, and it's important to keep everything working. However, I've had to wait for those few opportunities when I am on my own, and when I can stay upright for a while without too much discomfort. The neighbours, I'm afraid, just have to suffer it. However, most of the hours I could describe as 'working', are spent doodling around on my laptop. Which is creaking under the weight of various 'trial version' programs. It copes, just.

There is another limiting factor to my laptop-based activities. In fact, a menace that makes it impossible to do pretty much anything after lunchtime. Don't be fooled by the cherubic smile. William has now decided that my laptop is not my laptop at all. It is my 'Bubby Boog'. Tellytubby book. My fault of course. I should never have let him look at the BBC website. It is astonishing how much time he can happily spend playing 'Animal Parade'. And he insists that the book is shut when he is not playing with it. Leaving me twiddling my thumbs and watching CBEEBIES. Again.

In the meantime, I await orders from those requiring animated pigs. I have all morning to make them...