Episode 33: Mission Accomplished

Episode 33 brings One Among the Sleepless to a close. It took ages to record, my sound files were so big they kept crashing during the recording and editing process as they ate up more and more drive space. The finished thing, though only about 45 minutes in length, took absolutely forever to record. And of course, it isn't perfect, but then could it ever be? Some little bit would always be not-quite-right, and if I went on tweaking it over and over again, I'd never get it up (pun unintentional but nevertheless making me smile).

I hope you enjoy it and that you'll keep in touch with my ongoing output. As I say on #33, that future output - for the time being at least, will be via The Bonus Track. I have many plans for this show, including - most importantly - my short story collection. So if you aren't subscribed to The Bonus Track yet, you can do so right here, right now, just click the iTunes icon if you have iTunes, if not copy the RSS feed into your podcatcher gizmo:



Of course there's always Podshow's own device 'get it', but I've had some emails from people who've been finding that a tad confusing. Basically, you need to start a Podshow profile for yourself and then click 'get it'.

If you go to my own Bonus Track page there's also a Podcast Alley option you might want to try.

I have no plans to do a 'Q and A' episode as some podcasters do. I prefer to live things as they are and not interfere with the reader / listener's perception of things. But if you have a non plot-related question about OAtS you'd like to ask me, please send it in to me via my homepage and I'll try and answer it on The Bonus Track.

For now though, I have to go. A man is coming to repair the toilet in our new flat (and not because of anything we put down it).

Cheers
Mike

P.S. Don't stop checking in on this blog, I will write more about OAtS #33 soon (post-plumbing problem) and of course, I'll be writing about what I'm doing with The Bonus Track.

Oh Joy! I've Got A Hernia!

Hey, you remember the Friends episode where Joey gets a hernia lifting weights? Funny wasn't it. Well, I just recorded episode 33 - and I wasn't laughing anymore. Can you remember recently - I moved flat? You remember I mentioned that the lift broke down? I didn't go into details, but I had to lug heavy boxes and a TV set down 8 flights of stairs. At the time I just thought: 'Fucking elevator! Fucking building management! Fucking hot day! Fuck!' Little did I know that all the time I was giving myself a hernia!!

First sign was the other weekend as we were walking around town: Ooooouch! My guts hurt like hell. I thought: 'Fucking wine last night! Fucking fried breakfast!' etc. and just got on with the day. Then it happened again. 'Fucking ???' I was stumped. Then again. I thought, 'Oh fuck! This isn't a fried breakfast gurgling unpleasantly; it isn't a hangover, and isn't too much black coffee! - oh bollocks! I'm ill!'

I went to the doctor. It cost me €50 to see her (ker-ching). She checked me out and said it was most likely a hernia. I was relieved that it wasn't cancer or Chron's disease or something and figured if I just take it easy I'll be fine.

Anyway, all that flap out of the way, today I got on with recording episode 33 - my last installment of One Among the Sleepless. I set up the microphone in the front room (less boxy than the spare room; I wasn't mad about the sound on last week's episode). And so there I am, giving it 100% when I feel this pain in my guts. I check it out - and it's just like the doctor said it would be: a little lump poking out of my guts. She told me to push it back in again and come back and see her for another appointment so she can set me up to see the surgeon. Then it'll be off to the hospital to have an operation. Oh joy.

Needless to say, push the offending protrusion back in I did. Then for the remainder of the episode, every time I had to shout or make wild gestures, I did so with my hand pressed onto my guts to stop my hernia popping out again.

Now you may say that I should've gone and had a lie down and left recording until some time after I've had my operation and I'm completely recovered... but of course, that could be weeks, or even months. So I carried on regardless and got it done (don't worry, it wasn't that painful - I held it in just fine). Tomorrow I start editing the episode down to a sensible length. Right now it's absolutely gigantic at 2.5 hours long. I'll hopefully cut that down to an hour, but I can't see it being much less than that.

So forgive me ladies and gentlemen, but it may take a while. I'm not going back to the doctors until #33 is finished and One Among the Sleepless is complete. So don't panic: it may not be until the weekend, but it's coming... just so long as my hernia doesn't come too, eh? ;-) Oooooooh

Episode 32 - Completed and Uploading Tomorrow afternoon (UK / Ireland Time)

Yes, 32 is done and dusted, unfortunately I can't upload from home because my connection is prone to cutting out. Therefore I'll have to take the laptop into work and upload from there tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully there'll be no problems with their connection (like there were today)(Gulp!)

Episode 32 - Update

When I started this project, Tuesday night was Upload Night. Then, as time and deadlines moved on, Tuesdays increasingly became Excuses on the Blog Night and Wednesday became Upload Night. Sometimes Thursday had the honour of being Upload Morning.
So, tonight must be Excuses on the Blog Night, right? Right.

This week, as some of you may be aware, has been my week of moving house and all associated hassles. It’s also been my week of learning that I now have limited Internet access as our new flat is partially at basement level and, therefore, out of wireless broadband range. Consequently, all bets are off as to when Episode 32 is going to find its upload slot.

So, what’s been happening in my world since #31? Well, Thursday was moving day and a right nightmare it was too. We managed to get a van to take our stuff from one place to the other, but the lift (elevator)in our old building – the bastard - decided to break down on us, and so I had to lug our boxes, TV etc. down the stairwell. Oh, the muscle building that I endured. We went to bed early on Thursday, knackered, but thrilled by the fact that for the first time in 14 months, we were sleeping without the aid of ear plugs. Temple Bar (where we were) was convenient for our jobs, the city and all that it holds... but it’s a seriously noisy neighbourhood.

Saturday and Sunday were spent organising our stuff (still not finished doing that). Sunday afternoon was spent editing and re-writing the text of Episode 32. I could have just read what I wrote back in 2002 – the original text – but there were things I wanted to change, and so change them I did.

Then on Monday I recorded half of the episode only to realise that I didn’t like my changes and I needed to re-re-write them. This process has continued into today, and now, I’ve finally finished my first version of Episode 32.

So is it finished? Oh no: now I have to edit it for fluffs and gaffes and listen back to it and realise, yet again, that something doesn’t quite sit right with me and so I’ll do it again, and again and again until I like it.

Then I’ll record the intro / outro (and re-record it a few times too, no doubt), and then, finally, I’ll try to upload it – only to learn that my limited broadband access is making the upload impossible, and so I’ll need to bring the laptop into work and use their wi-fi connection.

By this reckoning, it’ll probably be Friday by the time I get the episode posted.

This is – I hasten to add – a worst case scenario. I want to post it ASAP, so keep an eye on your podcatchers, or whatever, for the buzzing download progress meter that brings my little bundle of goodness into your life.

Alternatively, you could just send a blank email (or even better, write something in it) to my mailing list. That way I’ll send you an email as soon as #32 goes live. Here’s the link, click it: Add Me to The Mike Bennett Mailing List

That way, even after One Among the Sleepless ends, you’ll still get updates from me about The Bonus Track which, post OAtS, will feature my short story collection, and also updates on my second podcast novel – which I just know you’re gonna love.

Episode 31: Uploaded

OK, Episode 31 is uploaded, click here for a direct hit. Now I really have to start packing boxes - the removal van gets here at 6pm and it's now 11.30 am. Good job we don't have much stuff.

Links from #31
I run a promo for the podcast novel Resurrecting Randi by David Shepherd
and talk about the Big O's Techno Fodder podcast

Episode 31: Done, Upload Tomorrow Morning.

How good am I? Honest to goodness, it's a good job I have a rich vein of stupidity running through me or I'd be busy packing boxes and getting ready for the move tomorrow. Instead I've spent some twenty-odd hours (8 today alone) putting together Episode 31. It would be uploaded too, but something mysterious went wrong with the process and it's now 12.23am and I'm shagged. I'm going to bed, but first thing in the morning I'll upload... And then I'll get on with moving apartment.

Episode 31: Delay Expected Due to Apartment Move

First of all, I'm going to try not to be late. But at the same time, I see a delay as unavoidable due to the fact that we're moving out of our apartment this week. Yes, we leave the city centre to move out to a quieter neighbourhood. I hadn't forgotten about this when I recorded Episode 30; the reason I didn't mention it was because I didn't think that moving house was going to be a problem. Of course, what I had forgotten is that moving house is nothing but problems. It's hard to record when you're packing up boxes and what have you.

As I say, I'll do my best to get episode 31 recorded and posted this week, but don't hold your breath: I don't even know if our new flat has wireless broadband reception yet. Gulp!

Still, let me leave you with a look at the lighter side of moving house with a PG Tips tea ad from 1971. Go, Mr Shifter!

Dr Who
I just watched the second part of the Doctor Who 2-parter, and as a life-long addict (excepting the 80's - that wasn't Dr Who, that was shite in a TARDIS), I can honestly say that I think it was the best story they've ever made. Congratulations to writer, Phil Cornell. I wanted to run behind the sofa for the first time since I was a kid for the most part, and blubbed like a sap for the rest. Admit it tough guy - you did too. If you missed it it's repeated on BBC3 tomorrow (I think).

Episode 30 and Detox(ish)

First of all, no, it's not over. Some listeners expressed shock and concern that Episode 29 was the end of the novel. Not so; Episode 30 begins the final part of the book and, as happened with previous parts of the book, we begin quietly following the climax of the previous part. Next week (31) things rack-up a notch. Episode 32 tightens the nuts a little more. Then Episode 33 is... ahhh, now that would be telling.

In other news, I've been detoxing this week. No, nothing like what you read about in those mad books that tell you eat millet for a month. Mine's a simple affair: no alcohol, lots of water, cold showers, early nights, plenty of fruit and veg, no crap food like chocolate, frozen pizzas etc. I'm now on day five of this not-too-stressful regime and I feel... fine: nothing to wig-out over, just fine, thanks. I do notice my memory is quicker to respond though. So if you sometimes feel like you're starting to go prematurely senile. Try a light detox, it may help. It...

Er...

What was I saying?

Promo on the episode is for The Big O's Technofodder Podcast.

Episode 29: The Hardest So Far.

For many reasons, this has been the hardest episode to produce so far. In terms of writing, the original text had to be revised quite a lot; not only was I not happy with some of the original writing, but now that I have 'become' these people in a very real sense, I feel a much stronger connection with how they do and don't behave. The end result, I think, is stronger than the original. The original text is now looking more and more like a kind of prototype One Among the Sleepless, a kind of, white label version or an unedited proof.

On top of the re-edits, it's taken a long time to produce in terms of mic-hours. I don't want to bore you with the details, but if a blog is about the day to day stuff that makes up one's life, then outside of work - this is my life. Sad, isn't it? Oh well, not for much longer, eh? This probably took about 20 hours all told. Maybe you think I exaggerate? Ask my wife, she has to put up with it. She'd probably tell you it feels like longer.

When this is over, I'm sooooo going on holiday.

Oh, by the way, the picture that accompanies this posting is another from the original 'sunglasses' book cover shoot that Peter Pavement and I did in Brighton back in 2002. I might put a few more of these up online for you to have a look it. Maybe Flckr or something?

Episode 29: Recorded First Take

Phew! That's the first take done. It's going to sound quite strange as my voice gets worse as I go through the text. At the end I definitely sound different to how I sound at the start. Strangely, my singing voice has improved, so I'm going to spend the next ten minutes or so tormenting the neighbours with my version of Elvis's 'You Were Always on My Mind'. (And no, there's no connection between the song and the episode.)

It's my Birthday on Friday
Oh, and another thing. It's my birthday on Friday. I'll probably go to an 'old man's pub', get served quickly, sit down somewhere comfy and have a nice chat without the aid of an ear trumpet. Very nice.

Episode 28.2: Autumn Leaves
In a perfect world, Bert Kaempfert would be listening to One Among the Sleepless and he'd email me telling me how thrilled he was to know that I wanted to use his version of Autumn Leaves on Episode 28.2. He'd not only give me his full permission to use it, but he'd tell all his friends about the podcast as well and get them on board. Sadly, Bert is no longer with us, and even if he were, he probably wouldn't have heard of One Among the Sleepless, let alone be up to date with it.
Fortunately though, I have heard of him, and Bert's version of Autumn Leaves (Les Feuilles Mort) has found its way - albeit silently - onto Episode 28.2. Copyright law prevents me from using even a snatch of the track, which is a great shame because it is - to me at least - an integral part of the episode. Still, if they ever make a movie out of this book, hopefully the film company will have no problem wrangling the rights to the song.

Episode 28.2 has taken by far the longest amount of time to put together of any episode so far. The voices - the accents and vocal mannerisms etc have taken me ages to get right. It turns out I was right to post Episode 28.1 last week, as not only would the episode have been gigantic, but it would've been very late also.

The Black Pig, like Shenanigans and The Coach and Horses doesn't exist in Brighton or anywhere else. All these places are like Frankenpubs - the stitched together bits and pieces of both reality and imagination. I mean, if there were a real Shenanigans for example, I'd be in court right now trying to plead ignorance, stupidity or mental illness.

As for my own taste in pubs, I'm a trad-pub man. I think I've always preferred places where people go to drink beer, get themselves a nice comfortable seat and have a good conversation with friends.

My friends have always told me - all my pub going life - that I have the pub tastes of a little old man. I don't think I'm like an old man, I just like to be able to get served quickly, pay a reasonable price for a nice pint, sit down in a comfy seat and be able to hear the person I'm talking to without the aid of an ear trumpet. Does that make me old?

It does?

Oh.

(sighs)

Oh, well.

Speaking of movie versions of One Among the Sleepless, if you have any thoughts on who should play whom, I'd be very interested in hearing your ideas. Mine shall, of course, remain a secret - I don't want to spoil your own mental images of the characters.

So, where is it?
If you've come here looking for info on 28.2, it's looking increasingly like it's going to be next week's episode. I know, I know, I said I'd try to get it online by today, but my life keeps intervening (I do have a life you know). Yesterday I went out for a drink with some chums and today I have a hangover. I've put together a promo for the Bonus Track which I've just sent out to Seth Harwood and Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff, so hopefully you'll be able to hear that somewhere soon. In fact, if you're a podcaster and you'd be interested in doing a promo swap with me, either for One Among the Sleepless or The Bonus track, let me know and we can make devious plans together.
OK, now I'm going to have some a strong coffee and put in a couple of hours on the 28.2 edit.

Episode 28 - Parts One and Two

Yes, episode 28 was just taking too long, so I split it to keep the angry mob (Mr P. Chittings from Dudley and his cat, Tinkle) from breaking down my e-door and lynching me to cries of 'Grrrrr! Where's our episode?'

Part One, as you probably know by now, is a meeting between Mick and Sally and a prelude to things to come in Part Two. Part Two is the bit that's taking the time. I have many voices to do and all kinds of subtleties in those voices to boot. This being in a 'discreetly' gay pub, I have to create voices for gay men, but I want to avoid cliche or stereotype 'gay man' voices. I've also got a 'mature' woman, a wit and various sensitive human emotions in the mix too. So don't expect it tomorrow, listeners. However, my fingers are crossed for Saturday. Cross yours too and we may get lucky.

Episode 28: Last Orders at The Black Pig
If you've come here wondering where episode 28 is, I can tell you that I've nearly finished recording it. It's a big chapter, but it can't be split into two, so the whole thing is going into one big lump of an episode. The download will be like a snake swallowing a football (and I dread to imagine what the upload'll be like). It features new characters - and so new voices and is going to take me an age to edit together. So take a chill pill (as the youngsters say) and wait a few days. And when your iTunes starts looking like a snake swallowing a football, you know it's coming.

As Featured on Bonus Track #1

Download "This Night" (mp3)
from "Passion Leaves a Trace"
by Black Lab
Blacklabworld.com

• Buy at iTunes Music Store
• Buy at eMusic
• Stream from RealNetworks / Rhapsody
• Buy at RealNetworks / Rhapsody
• Buy at Napster
• Buy at Navio Download

More On This Album

The Bonus Track
So, complete with unremarkable but functionally tidy name, my new podcast 'The Bonus Track' is now live both in the Libsyn feed and at Podshow. The show will have its own dedicated site at Podshow for those who aren't listening to One Among the Sleepless; those good people who are, will get it automatically.

It features some insight into what motivated me to start writing One Among the Sleepless, plus the first part of a phone chat with Seth Harwood on the subject of Jack Wakes Up. It also features music from Fruitcake Superbeing, Black Lab and Lost Dog, plus my poem, Monster.

I hope you like it. To get it right now, click this link.

As a result of the labour that's gone into the new show, plus the fact that I spent the holiday weekend down in Wexford visiting friends, this week's episode of One Among the Sleepless will be late. It's a bigger-than-usual chapter too, so when it does arrive, it'll be a big one.

Episode 27. Recorded and Ready for Posting

I would've posted tonight, but on listening through once I'd finished it, I discovered 2 little mistakes. I'll fix them tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon and hopefully it'll be live by 6 p.m. (G.M.T.). Oh, and it's a good-un.
M

Indigestion - In More Ways Than One

So we went to the pub and had a good old chat about all sorts of stuff. Inevitably the subject of the new show came up and I aired some doubts about the new title. My wife agreed, and so now Clockwork Toy Box is also in the bin. After the pub we called in at Zaytoon, a Persian kebab house in Temple Bar. They do very nice kebabs and, like a fool, I bought one. If there's one lesson life has continually tried to teach me, it's 'don't eat kebabs before you go to bed'. When you're a young man, you can eat just about anything at any time of the day; but the more mature stomach is more discerning in what it's prepared to digest. I've spent most of the night tossing and turning and gulping down Milk of Magnesia.

And it's not just my stomach that's been working overtime; my brain keeps throwing words together and coming up with myriad name possibilities for the new show. It's a nightmare; it reminds me of when I was in bands in my youth and we'd spend hours trying to come up with a name for whatever new band we were forming; no sooner would one person suggest a name than another band member would shoot it down. This time however, I'm both the suggester and the shooter. Now, at five a.m., after three hours of raging insomnia, my brain is littered with the blasted debris of about two thousand possible show names. It's word carnage; all smouldering adjectives and buckshot blasted nouns. What I should really do is call it something simple, something light and unfettered, something with only one possible meaning. Something like, 'Mike Bennett's Other Podcast'. Hmmm, I'll think about it... probably for the remainder of the night and most of the day.