39 years ago and i was 20 years old, two years older than my youngest daughter Cissy who is now 18, its all about numbers. Numbers bind our lives into volumes of fasinating stories. In 1974 i was heavily into Lou Reed, and very sadly Lou has just passed away. I met him two months ago, we shook hands and had out picture taken, we exchanged smiles and words, it was the second time we had met. The first time was in a Chinese restaurant in New York, he had his leg in plaster from a skiing fall. He told me how much he liked my songs. Walking back down 5th Avenue i kicked my heels and tipped my head to one side, Gene Kelly happiness written about my swagger. At school his songs gave me the possibilities of life. I formed a band with my friends and we played ‘Sweet Jane’ for hours on end, i sang like Lou and i felt like Lou, but not as smashed. ‘White Light White Heat’, all night long. I could play, i could sing and i could pretend to be, thats all i needed, the heroin was never an option, i think i was too scared, but everything else, yes please. ‘Max’s Kansas City’, the live Velvets album, expressed my imagination into the club where i might one day live, and indeed it happned that way. I was so lucky to grow up when these great songs were being released, i wore his darkness well. I read all of the tributes, i read all of the blogs and listened to all of the albums and my love for Lou’s work never seems to fade. Life is quick to trip us up and take away the best things, life is gone before its even here. Today im 59 years old, i feel like me, no change there, i wake to the love of presents and smiles from a very different Lou. Lou who must be listened too and loved. Cissy is here at the house from Uni, its good to have her home too. A text from Riley and one from Natalie, a call from brother Lew, (who swims 4 miles a week), another Lew, a call from Grace. 7 cards, 15 FB messages and various tweets. Pyjamas and a jumper, a fantastic book and a killer speaker for the Barn. Birthdays and deaths, births and marriages, all marked out for us in the great walk through this forrest of life, our journey. I walked today with Louise in the yellow cold sunshine below the downs with the dog, i eat cake, i eat curry, and during the curry i received a phone call from Glenn, he was in Bristol playing a solo show. I could hear the audience singing Happy Birthday loud and clear, i love Glenn for being so thoughtful and thinking of me. Next year holds the key to our past and i hope it opens the door on our future. (see us both above on my diary) I look back at my life with the needle just hoovering above the first track, ‘Im Waiting For My Man’. The album ‘Max’s Kansas City’….’You’re aloud to dance, in case you don’t know’.