Grateful: Day 39 - Sauce

Given half a chance, people will shine.

I went into Pavarotti's deli/sandwich shop in Bank today. About three months ago, I had a sandwich there that made me weep humble tears of joy, so I went back for another round. It was about 2.30, maybe 3. The rush was over. The dry-faced man behind the counter started with a cold stare. Then I asked for my sandwich. I didn't remember which one it was, so I described it - salt beef, gherkins and this amazing sauce.

He softened - the salt beef special. He said he'd make me one. As he did, he started beaming. 'I make that sauce myself', he said. 'It's a special recipe.' He told me all about it as he piled inhuman amounts of salt beef onto a ciabatta, covered it in gherkins and all sorts of colourful things, and massive glops of the special sauce. 'My sister in law, when she was pregnant - totally addicted to this sauce.' Another grin.

As my sandwich was pinged in the microwave and then crisped up in the panini squasher, he gave me a little espresso pot full of said sauce, and a recipe for chicken escalopes that it went well with. All the while, beaming like an oscar-winner. He totally made my day. What a legend. And bugger me, the sauce was good. Oh, god!

Things I forgot from yesterday, or ran out of time for: voiceover. I did a v/o for a Belgian company. Standing in Gentbag's 'office' speaking into a mic as he sat and made zombie videos of me on his i-phone. When he says 'can you just...' you know he's going to come up with a whole list of things to do. It's like being 5, in the playground, and someone tells you exactly how you're going to play, just for his amusement. I love it.

In Edinburgh this summer, he had me running from room to room, shouting in whatever language he picked and then he'd punch me (stage-stylee, but quite convincing) and I'd have to carry on in another language.

I love that I get to do something like a voiceover, tomorrow language skills checking for a training company employing foreign language speakers, some Spanish/French/English proofing and some copywriting for a Scandinavian company. I love how varied my life is. I love that I get to choose.

Pondage was a gift today. Warmer than yesterday, noticeably. Raining bigly when I got the train, but it had stopped by the time I swam. A lovely chat with Catherine in a cafe, while I worked. A great meeting with Rob. More connections. Someone with a children's book who needs an illustrator... here's one in front of me. Someone who wants lovely venues to do classes in London. Here's a list. People who might like to check out The Hub Islington - here's a fundraising show/networking do happening on Thursday - come to that.

We had a rehearsal for that show today. It rocked. The cast is 6 experienced improvisers (Michael Brunstrom, Vicki Pipe, Jacky Wood, Simon Veal, Rob Grundel and me) and three hub players, delicious all, Anna Levy, Kate Andrews and Andy Hix. Only people with 'An' in their names are allowed. It will be a scream.

We rehearsed. Liora joined us, and Alecs, multilingual Alecs who pleases me so much in the Hub. He played along with our first round of Eastenders. Brilliant. I'm so glad he did.

The rehearsal was just ACE. They were all fantastic fun and really up for it. And then we did a structural rehearsal afterwards, to test the format again and just play. Great. Really excellent stuff. I was nervous about this show until this evening, because it's all so new, not polished, genuinely risky. After this, I'm just delighted. Can't wait. I know it's going to rock. Oh, and just in case, there are still tickets... £10 on the door, including wine and snacks and general networky stuff. Good times. Come!

And even better: we're going to do regular improv classes in the space - once a week, maybe, a drop-in, leading, of course, to shows. We'll split the profits - some will go to fundraising for the windows, some to cover costs. We'll start it soon. We'll get it in there. There is time. Cheaper for hubbers, of course. It will be great.

AND there's a chance I'll get to run a rehearsal with a brilliant new performance group, to try out stuff. And possibly another project in the offing, using movement, maybe mask, maybe dance. Fuuuuuccccckkk... I love this game.

Some very good news from beloved Sandison, and I get to see her this week too. I have to do my work before I do, so I can give her proper time and brain space. Have to do it. Oh yeah. I love her such a lot, and I've missed her.

Oh, another thing I forgot from yesterday - a poster advertising the portrait exhbition - massive Keira Knightly face, all beautiful, if very posed. And some inspired, or not so inspired, grafitter has given her a tippexed cocaine streak falling out of her nose. That simple. Basic vandalism of that kind always makes me very happy - like when someone's gone to the trouble to go round and round on the escalator to stick chewing gum eyeballs on a face. Or even better, if each eye was done by a random stranger - inspired to spit and stick on their way up. These little pleasures keep me happy.

I'm grateful for good friends, opportunities to play, and all the loving, real, brilliant sisters I have. My actual sisters - with both of whom I have changing, developing relationships, one easier and more fruitful than the other right now, one that sometimes floors me, though I can feel hopeful about it from time to time. But the others too... so many. Lilley, Kate, Pudding, J, Catherine, Sister Sandison, Sarah (of Good Egg Lonton fame), Heike, Kati, Sandra, Beata Bean and many, many more. And Ruth, my cousin, not my sister, but what a woman! How lucky am I? Well lucky.