| Sat 1 | A new year it may be, but why does everything else have to change? Spent the whole day reorganising the date-driven irritations of life. |
| Sun 2 | Oh bugger! The first time I eat a toffee in 6 months and what do I do? Yes, you guessed … detach one of my big gold crowns. Still my dentist will enjoy the £££. |
| Mon 3 | So it’s a bank holiday. And yet again I spend the day working, when I should have been doing family history. Gah! |
| Tue 4 | I don’t understand why it is that we sometimes have a dreadful night’s sleep. Last night I saw 03:30, but then slept until 11:00. Why? I can’t comprehend. |
| Wed 5 | What a wonderful bright but frosty morning. Why can’t all winter days be like this? |
| Thu 6 | Another wonderful bright, very frosty morning – a really hard frost too, possibly the hardest frost here for years. All clouded over and dull by lunchtime. Then at sunset there was a really odd light: at first peachy, then pinker, and finally a sort of violet/lavender, but with a pretty ordinary sunset. |
| Fri 7 | Another nice sunny morning, but another day feeling well below par, though improved. Done several LFT in the last few days, all negative. It feels like a sinus infection – made worse by the anxiety. |
| Sat 8 |
The cats definitely had the right idea today: curled up, comfy and sleeping. All the while there’s cold, grey rain outside.
|
| Sun 9 | Tonight yet another variant on Mary Berry’s Sausage Supper. This time with a couple of jointed poussin marinaded in lemon & brandy. I did plenty of veg so there’s leftover chicken & veg for cold, or risotto, or stuffed peppers. |
| Mon 10 | Dymo label printer is printing tape in pale grey; labels are OK. Software is up to date. Buy new printer. Same problem. Install different Dymo software. Problem fixed. Not the first time they’ve screwed their software. |
| Tue 11 | At lunchtime today I completed my 71st year. How did this happen? I thought I had a lifetime ahead. Arrggghhhhh! |
| Wed 12 | That tree branch is swaying about. Oh, there’s a tail. Good afternoon squirrel! |
| Thu 13 | What a lovely sunny day for a trip to the dentist! Until I’m told I need a new crown to replace the one that came off. Even more £££ for my dentist to enjoy. Can I get a mortgage on it? |
| Fri 14 | Amongst the little band of blue tits and great tits around our garden, there’s a female blackcap. They’ve now been joined by a handful of long-tailed tits, which are always a delight to see. And do they get through the nuts quickly! |
| Sat 15 | Someone stole Horsenden Hill. Awoke to a very foggy morning with visibility of about 100m. Horsenden Hill 1km away might just as well not have been there. They brought it back about lunchtime. |
| Sun 16 | Oh so nearly! Rosie cat came within a foot of getting that squirrel! Only minutes earlier I’d said to N that she was certainly fast enough. |
| Mon 17 | Went looking for my direct ancestors on the 1921 census. I think I found them all although two entries are somewhat doubtful and will need checking when it isn’t pay-per-view and many alternatives can be examined. |
| Tue 18 | Mist descending at 04:45 so I was surprised to awake to a bright, sunny morning. Although the mist drifted in and out until lunchtime. |
| Wed 19 | Hosted on Zoom the first of a (hopefully) monthly series of talks for the AP Soc. which replace our abandoned 2021 conference. Audience of 50+. Seemed to go well and pretty smoothly. |
| Thu 20 | We had a long discussion over dinner about our childhoods, our parents’ childhoods, and how this has affected us. Did we get the affection we needed as kids? No. And my parents and at least my father’s parents struggled financially which has contributed to the knock-on effects. What you see now is very much me having risen above my childhood and instincts. |
| Fri 21 | Escrow. It’s an odd word, meaning “a deposit held in trust or as security” [OED]. Derived from the Old Germanic skraudo- (whence English shred n.) via the Anglo-Norman escrowe. Although already known in Early Modern English it seems to have passed into more regular usage via the Americans. |
| Sat 22 | Dessert this evening: fresh strawberries with flaked white Toblerone and double cream. Yum. |
| Sun 23 | A day of best intentions being side-lined. Why? Just because. And because neither of us could be arsed. |
| Mon 24 |
We spent the day rejigging the box files on the top shelf over my desk. Lots of boxes archived and some new ones created for the overflows & expansion. Seeing the dust & muck which ended up on my desk I can quite see how poor souls can be swamped by volcano ash.
|
| Tue 25 | One of the guys I know from school (the head boy from the year above me) is writing about the old school days. Scanned and sent him quite a few pages from my press cuttings file, including play programmes and articles from the school magazine. |
| Wed 26 | News in the last couple of days of two friends having died around the turn of the year; one 84, the other nearer 94. They were two of life’s gentlemen. Let’s hope there won’t be a third. |
| Thu 27 | What was I saying earlier about not understanding sleep? Last night I was asleep soon after midnight and still slept until almost 11:00. So I’ve been playing catch-up all day. Anyone would think I was still a teenager! |
| Fri 28 |  A quick, unscientific tasting of three different Domaine Tariquet Armagnacs at the end of dinner. (Two from Wine Society, one from Waitrose; but two of three are now not available!) Need to taste again, more carefully. Oldest certainly smoothest, though maybe not quite as much character – but all have a lovely bouquet of church incense.
|
| Sat 29 | I’m told that today happened. But I couldn’t be at all sure. Nothing seems to have been achieved, except I cooked dinner. |
| Sun 30 | Why re there crows flying hither and yon at the front of the house? Ah, I see. A parliament of at least two dozen crows in yonder poplar trees. Apparently their annual Spring gathering for speed dating. |
| Mon 31 | Went for my annual diabetic eye scan this morning. Why is it always on a bright sunny day? But again this year I got away without drops to dilate my eyes. Definite result. Awaiting the results. |
Category Archives: personal
Birthday Meme 2022
Something a bit different and off the wall (well, hanging precariously anyway) for this year’s Birthday Meme.
- Describe your personality.
Lime green with spots; the spots start pink, then turn sky blue and fade out in golden yellow. All the while enhanced by wearing a purple stupidity. - You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up?
Oh so many choices! Boris Johnson has to be petty much at the top of the list, along with Michael Gove and David Cameron who combined got us right into this mess. Mind you the whole government are in the firing line. Bring back Guy Fawkes. - What shape is the sky?
A flat plane in an arbitrary, possibly fractional, number greater than 4 dimensions. You get to choose the number, ‘cos no-one else can agree. Personally I favour 7.43. - Where do all the daylight saving hours go?
They’re stored in a large warehouse in Outer Azerbaijan and used sparingly to give us sunny days during the winter. - If you were a type of tree, what would you be?
A yew. Sturdy; evergreen; long lived; green on the outside and threateningly dark inside; with poisonous berries. - What is your favourite place in the UK?
Dungeness (above). Closely followed by Forde Abbey (in Dorset); Rye; and Lyme Regis. - If you could make a rule for a day and everyone had to follow it, what would it be?
All clothes are banned and everyone must be nude at all times, and in all places. For ever, and ever. Amen. - If you had to replace your hands with something other than hands or claws, what would you put at the ends of your arms?
Octopus tentacles with eyes on the tip. Just so useful, and such fun! - What mythical creature would improve the world most if it existed?
Dragon. Think of all those unsuspecting twats it could toast. We could solve the population crisis overnight. - If you had a pet parrot, what would you teach it to say?
“It’s yer coons, innit.” (in similitude Alf Garnett). Well no-one said it had to be PC. - What crazy name would you give your kid if you were a celebrity?
Oh so many options. How about: Chardonnay-Madonna CherryPie or Coconut Bingo or Merkin Shaggy Cock. - If you won a trip to go anywhere on earth, where would you go?
Iceland or more likely Japan (Kyoto & Niigata, above, rather than Tokyo). - Do you believe in the paranormal and would you go ghost hunting?
My scientific head says “no”; but my heart says “yes” – There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, / Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
And of course I’d go ghost hunting; science is there to find out. - Do you talk to garden gnomes? What do you say to them?
We usually have a good gossip; they see most of what’s going on:
“Hello, Old Chap. What’s the latest on the grapevine?”
“I saw Mrs Jones had a visit from the coalman last Monday; he was there 2 hours. He left hurriedly ‘cos her husband was coming up the road. And he was ever so clean when he left.” - Pick one of your favourite quotes.
Granny grasped her broomstick purposefully. “Million-to-one chances,” she said, “crop up nine times out of ten.”
[Terry Pratchett; Equal Rites]
Things to do in 2022
Well now. At this point I normally make public the things I intend to try to achieve during the year. However, like several other things around here, it ain’t going to happen this year.
For why? …
Basically it seems rather pointless. Unless the Covid situation eases up a lot, there’s not much prospect of going anywhere, or doing anything, exciting. Sure there are interesting things to do at home – like family history – but you don’t want to keep hearing about that. Yes the whole situation is extremely tedious and off pissing.
Beyond that, from most of what I’ve written down (and yes, I have written it all down) it might as well be Groundhog Day. Everything looks pretty much the same boring stuff I’ve been trying to do for the last couple of years – and failing mainly because of (a) Covid and (b) depression. Rinse and repeat, ad nauseam.
However what I will say is that the main thing I’ve decided is that this year we should take a serious look at our long-term (personal and family) safety and security. I doubt it is in a very bad state but an in depth look at where we are, what we have, and what ultimately should happen to it, would not be a bad idea. Of course, we may decide we don’t need to do anything. Then again we may feel the need to change everything. Or something in between. We shall see.
Hopefully the year will be better than I fear and we’ll all be here to report on our plans again in 12 months time.
Meanwhile, keep taking the tablets!
2021 in Summary
Traditionally at this time I look back at my achievements and engagement (or, more usually the lack of it) over the past year. However I’m not going to do so this year.
Why?
For the simple reason that the year has been such rubbish with the ongoing plague having shut down the ability to do much, or otherwise scuttled most of the things one had vaguely hoped to achieve.
Which means there is effectively nothing to say other than a big fat “Bah! Humbug!”.
Similarly I usually document how well I did against the predictions I made for 2021. Again, I’m not going to do it: partly because of the rubbish year but also as I just don’t have the stomach to plod through it all – that’s at least in part down to my depression.
However suffice it to say that I maintained my track record of getting the majority of my predictions wrong, with the exception of some of the Brexit fallout (and anyone could have foreseen that!).
Normal service may, or may not, resume next year.
Happy New Year
Sorry 2021 you didn’t deliver what we ordered,
so we’ve bought a brand new 2022!
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year.
May your 2022 be much better than 2021!
Unblogged December
| Wed 1 | What happened today? Not a clue. Spent the whole day doing admin-y stuff. Yawn! |
| Thu 2 | Spent a large chunk of the afternoon trying to work out what in my life I want to monitor and/or achieve next year. All somewhat depressing, but I know if I don’t do it I’ll get nowhere. |
| Fri 3 | Yay! The supermarket delivery actually got everything right this week, barring the handful of items that weren’t available. And the chatty, friendly driver was well on time. |
| Sat 4 | Surprised that it was quite foggy in the middle of the nght; enough that I couldn’t see the top of the road from the bedroom window. But it was clear by the time I got up at 9. |
| Sun 5 | I should have photographed my desk this morning: it was an absolute riot of of muddy paw marks. It’s an enigma to me how a cat can come in, cross the kitchen, hall, stairs, landing and study (all carpeted except the kitchen) and still have wet muddy feet! |
| Mon 6 | Actually managed to look at some family history stuff this afternoon. I was looking at Austens in Tenterden and hoping to find a (very distant) connexion to Jane Austen. But no luck so far. |
| Tue 7 | I’m a terrible correspondent, so no surprise that it has taken me weeks and even months to get round to writing some letters to friends and family. |
| Wed 8 | Ho! Ho! Ho! Welcome to the new Christmas lockdown. But phased in over a week. FFS. Yet again much too little, far too late. |
| Thu 9 | 04:30. Sounds of cat(s) playing with something. Ah yes. Small dead wood mouse at the foot of the bed. Both junior cats in attendance; I wonder which is the guilty party? Boy Cat looks the more likely. |
| Fri 10 | Waitrose are selling their usual Crément de Bourgogne for £10.99 (it’s normally £14.99). It’s as good as many Champagnes (well it’s the same method, but not the right district). Buy 6 and get another 5% off. Good everyday fizz. What’s not to like? |
| Sat 11 | That worked pretty well. No chance of the usual literary society London pre-Christmas lunch again this year, so I organised a sort of party tea over zoom. More overseas members (mostly US) than Brits, and it’s great to see them. Seemed to be enjoyed by all. |
| Sun 12 | Afternoon spent writing Christmas cards, letters and wrapping presents that have to be posted. Finished the cards, but not the packages. |
| Mon 13 | So today, between two GP patient group meetings, we managed to get all the Christmas cards & presents packed up and in the mail. |
| Tue 14 | Someone left an unlabelled bag with tea bags & chocolate on our doorstep. Thing is one doesn’t like to assume it wasn’t left there by mistake, especially after several recent attempted deliveries of parcels not for us. But in this instance it turned out to be a friend playing “Secret Santa”. |
| Wed 15 | Did today exist? I suppose it must have done. But I’ve no way of telling as I seem to have done nothing – certainly nothing of any substance beyond a few minor website updates. |
| Thu 16 | Night was falling fast when N discovered a problem with the pond: it was nearly empty! Water drained down to ground level (top of the original tiny sunken pond). Water not spewing from hoses etc. so must be a hole in the liner. Too dark to do anything more than minimal damage limitation. |
| Fri 17 | A difficult day. Tom came round to help assess the pond situation. Tom & N rescued the fish; moved to cramped temporary accommodation – hopefully pending a better solution over the weekend. Didn’t like having Tom here, however necessary it was; I’m petrified of getting Omicron. |
| Sat 18 | A day spent waiting for a delivery that didn’t materialise. Gah! |
| Sun 19 | Up at 06:30 after a bad night and much too little sleep. No wonder I was cold, falling asleep, and good for nothing all day. |
| Mon 20 | It’s been a long day of bits & pieces; odd jobs; doorstep pressie swap with a friend. Couldn’t settle to doing anything. |
| Tue 21 | Trying to eat up the freezer to make room for Christmas meat. Tonight a couple of portions of frozen cooked chicken fragments; put together with leftover roast Mediterranean veg from Sunday and used to stuff some peppers. Tasty even if not fine dining. |
| Wed 22 | A day of two results. Goldfish finally moved to their new long-term temporary home. And tasty home made tomato soup for evening food; very thrifty using a quantity of over-ripe surplus tomatoes and stock from the freezer. |
| Thu 23 | An interesting day topped by a product recall on the goat butter we have in the fridge – all of it. So need to source more butter (goat or otherwise) PDQ. |
| Fri 24 | Christmas dinner part 1 this evening: roast pork, baked potatoes, red cabbage, sugar snap peas, rainbow carrots, leek sauce and apple sauce. Washed down with some good cider. |
| Sat 25 | It’s Christmas morning. The rest of the house is asleep. But what am I doing? Working, of course; rewriting a document. Festivities later. |
| Sun 26 | A grey and soggy Boxing Day, which meant a lie-in, lunch of cold meat with bubble & squeak, and not a lot else done – as it should be. |
| Mon 27 | Anthony Powell sums up today rather well: “It was that prolonged, flat, cheerless week that follows Christmas. Those interminable latter days of the dying year create an interval of moral suspension: one form of life already passed away before another has had time to assert some new, endemic characteristic.” |
| Tue 28 | The first of this year’s Royal Institution Christmas Lectures on BBC4 TV. Very topical; all about viruses, how they infect us and how we test for them. OK I followed along easily, but I suspect many of the kids struggled with some of the bits that were glossed over or assumed. |
| Wed 29 | Today is the Feast Day of Thomas Becket, St Thomas of Canterbury. Saint and martyr he’s venerated by the Catholic and Anglican Churches. Having found conflict with Henry II over the rights and privileges of the Church, Becket was murdered by followers of the king in Canterbury Cathedral on this day in 1170. He is my patronal guardian and we have much in common: not least being a pain in the posterior. |
| Thu 30 | Last of the RI Christmas Lectures. They’ve been quite good in an understated way; no dramatics; and quite a lot assumed/not explained. But it’s hard to know how to make virology fun for 12-year-olds, especially when constrained to just three lectures. |
| Fri 31 | This old year is ending as it began … with us swimming underwater: we close our eyes, hold our breath, and keep kicking in a vain attempt to resurface. Here’s hoping we can resurface in 2022. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! |
Happy Christmas
Happy, Healthy & Restful Christmas
and a
Calm & Prosperous New Year
to all our family, friends and followers
(watercolour, c.1980)
Click the image for a larger view
Advent Calendar 24
#0000ff; text-align: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Images by Japanese Cult Street Photographer
Nobuyoshi Araki
you should follow the link to each for further information
Advent Calendar 23
#0000ff; text-align: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Images by Japanese Cult Street Photographer
Nobuyoshi Araki
you should follow the link to each for further information
Advent Calendar 22
#0000ff; text-align: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Images by Japanese Cult Street Photographer
Nobuyoshi Araki
you should follow the link to each for further information