YES! Christmas is over. Should I be glad? Don’t really know. Anyway, I wish everyone a great New Year.
It wasn’t the worst Christmas ever… I’ve spent a lot of time (maybe too much) re-reading Lord of the Rings, which I had not experienced since… oh, maybe 1985. I figured I should do this if I plan to see the film sometime, as I don’t remember all that much about it and, if I have criticisms, I’d like them to be well informed.
Read More »Goodbye Chrimbo
What can I say? I’ve been stranded without a computer for a whole month, which is the longest I’ve gone offline/disconnected… for a few centuries. My computer died, poor old thing. And not gracefully. It belched and seethed and just kinda gave up the ghost. Poof! Bye-bye! Etc.
Actually, it was probably the CPU, which had apparently been running without a fan for a few months—so that was what those funny noises were! And odd how they stopped a while back. Erm, yes. Well, I can’t have looks and brains. Ahem. So, seeing as the thing was generally in a crummy old state anyway, I quickly lost interest in getting it patched up… and £250 I can by no means afford later, I now have a decidedly average but adequate refurbished thingy. It’ll do for a while, anyhoo.
Read More »After the Hiatus
Still working on getting rid of my flat. Moved a lot of stuff back home, but will need a van for bigger stuff. Feel a bit stupid to have wasted so much money on a move that never quite worked out, but still. When I finally do move to my own place, I think it basically has to be (a) when I’m more financially stable and independent and (b) somewhere else in the country, probably down South. Meantime, things should be okay-ish here, and at least money will be less tight.
Big decisions! Well, not really. I’m trying to decide if I should have something done with my crappy hair. I’ve been advised to have it shorter and maybe with a fringe. I’m not sure I like this idea…
Read More »Movin’ On
Okay, so ‘tomorrow’ was a long time coming. But I guess I’ve had a lot on my mind one way or another.
The bad news I mentioned is that our dog, Fred, who is only seven years old, was pronounced terminally ill by the vet. I was really shaken by the news, and on reflection not entirely convinced the vet wasn’t being overly fatalistic—but technically, Fred is mom’s dog, and she has accepted the diagnosis.
Read More »Bad News Explained
Argh. I have a few things to write on here, actually, if only to put it down somewhere. But I’m kinda pushed for time right… Read More »Bad News
Saturday was time to head down London way again. I was planning to go into Ilford while in town, to see my old pal Tim Bateman, but got caught in a rainfall and had to give it a miss. Although I had a nice, long chat with him on the phone, until he started worrying about his bill and rung off! Then I wandered round Waterstone’s for a while and bought a couple of books I couldn’t afford.
The train home was screwed. Surprise! The rail service has become shambolic. I had to get a train into Watford Junction and wait there for almost an hour to get another one into Brum. Then the train at Brum to take me back home was delayed. And since my feet were by then killing me (it was almost midnight), I decided to get a taxi from the station too. Costly, time-consuming and tiring.
Read More »Down in London
I’m still doing a fair bit of reading, and right now it’s still very much a Sherlock Holmes phase. If only the screen adaptations, which I’ve always found awfully dull, were this good…
Read More »Masque of Morbidity
Yup, almost two weeks since last entry, and I wish there was a lot to report, but it’s been mostly a time of thinking, along with a fair bit of reading. I’ve just read the first collection of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories, which are very entertaining. I’ll probably read the others when I have chance, but I have a lot of other stuff to read, too.
Read More »Reading
I did need a break. In theory. But I ended up feeling pretty miserable most of the weekend, and guess what? The main reason was about the old chestnut itself: money.
Many things revolve around it. I don’t have much of it. I’d like lots of it. But hell, wouldn’t we all. I suppose if nothing else it has put me into a frame of mind where I’m fumbling for money-making schemes, and who knows, something might take off.
Read More »Money Money Money
Well, trip to London tomorrow and weekend break. And I really do need it. This has been a slightly stressful week—and yesterday, I was almost copped!
It was innocent enough. I went into a local Superdrug to pick up some deodorant and whatever, and when I left a security guard nabbed me and accused me of shoplifting! (No, I hadn’t been!) So he took me back into the store and insisted on checking my bag and receipt, but that wasn’t enough for him. He said, ‘I’ll have to get a female assistant to…’ Suddenly, my mind raced with paranoia! I was thinking, ‘N-n-not a strip search?’ But he went on, ‘…search your pockets.’
Then I got annoyed, and emptied the pockets of my jacket myself, exclaiming the nature of each item aloud as I did so. Apparently, this still didn’t satisfy him. He asked, ‘Whose wallet is that?’ I was about to go apeshit at that point, but another security guard showed up and started apologising for the ‘mistake’ profusely. My accuser beat a hasty retreat, and I screamed, ‘So how do I complain about that asshole?’
Read More »Unfair Cop