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As mentioned elsewhere by me and many others our favourite fictional librarian left us. Far too young imho. I've not seen anyone else mention how he plays the father in the wonderful film 'Imagine Me and You'.
Part of my surprise is that I've escaped close calls many times.
* Swept out to sea in a dinghy to middle of the Bristol Channel
* Knocked off a moped, unconscious and further back on the other side of the road, hospital saying I'd got a broken neck
* Rolled over and bounced around a car on the M1 in heavy traffic, crossing all four lines upside down and rolling down the side bank
* Getting disoriented while surfing in Cornwall so much that I swam down instead of up
* Having a stroke and going blind while driving around the Birmingham inner ring road in the Friday evening rush hour
* Being about 12 metres from an exploding bomb
* Sliding down wet grass towards a cliff edge (Littleton Down, above the former Ventnor station) stopping about two metres short
etc. and that's not getting into my mental health issues.
My birthday has rarely been memorable, when young it was always during the Easter holidays. I stopped 'celebrating' it in my 40s because it's never really been a happy time, indeed I've never had a birthday party in my life. A few have been memorable though. At 21 I was at the Covent Garden Proms and friends decided to give me the bumps. Twenty-one plus one for luck. Then before they put me down one, iirc Paul, pointed out that only the front of the queue in Bow Street had seen it so I got carried round to the market itself and got another 21 plus one! At 30 my then GF took me to a Japanese restaurant near Green Park for a wonderful meal. We were the only table of non-Japanese. And 31 was memorable for NSFW / TMI reasons 😊 I'm sure that some other years deserve to be recollected favourably but I've a terrible memory. It's all just a number though.
* Swept out to sea in a dinghy to middle of the Bristol Channel
* Knocked off a moped, unconscious and further back on the other side of the road, hospital saying I'd got a broken neck
* Rolled over and bounced around a car on the M1 in heavy traffic, crossing all four lines upside down and rolling down the side bank
* Getting disoriented while surfing in Cornwall so much that I swam down instead of up
* Having a stroke and going blind while driving around the Birmingham inner ring road in the Friday evening rush hour
* Being about 12 metres from an exploding bomb
* Sliding down wet grass towards a cliff edge (Littleton Down, above the former Ventnor station) stopping about two metres short
etc. and that's not getting into my mental health issues.
My birthday has rarely been memorable, when young it was always during the Easter holidays. I stopped 'celebrating' it in my 40s because it's never really been a happy time, indeed I've never had a birthday party in my life. A few have been memorable though. At 21 I was at the Covent Garden Proms and friends decided to give me the bumps. Twenty-one plus one for luck. Then before they put me down one, iirc Paul, pointed out that only the front of the queue in Bow Street had seen it so I got carried round to the market itself and got another 21 plus one! At 30 my then GF took me to a Japanese restaurant near Green Park for a wonderful meal. We were the only table of non-Japanese. And 31 was memorable for NSFW / TMI reasons 😊 I'm sure that some other years deserve to be recollected favourably but I've a terrible memory. It's all just a number though.
Second 'win' has just come through to my bank account and it's another £50. So two months after the previous one. If this keeps up then it will be a reasonable return of 3% tax-free for zero risk and immediate access without penalty.
Two weeks into the new year and I'm still doing the heavy breathing thing, especially when doing anything that isn't lying down (and sometimes then too). Decided to buy a laundry dryer as the historic method here has always been to put things on an airing rack and just wait. This works in summer or when the heating is left on 24/7 (like my mum did) but I (a) don't like it so warm, and (b) can't afford that (she could). This will enable me to do laundry more often too, so a win-win. Downside is needing to clear the former boiler/airing cupboard and the route from the front door.
Some days I feel like a lost little kid, not understanding what is happening. Other days I'm like ancient. It's one of those "ends in z zero" birthday years 😕
Some days I feel like a lost little kid, not understanding what is happening. Other days I'm like ancient. It's one of those "ends in z zero" birthday years 😕
I noticed a few weeks ago that Prime video had Northern Exposure available, a series I loved back in the day. Watched the opening ep and found it still enjoyable so have subsequently downloaded the full series.
Hhumm.. Well I'm still around though not sure why. The ups and downs of life are mostly the latter and, quite frankly, I'm not sure the few of the former are worth it; it's all so much pointlessness. I keep going but my heart isn't in it...
Have been buying and playing. Three LoRa clients installed, waiting to raise one up a pole.
May the bridges I burn light the way for those who come after me.
Yeah, well, boring life is still pretty boring. The weather, especially the temperature, has led to me deciding that I'm unlikely to take more caravan trips this year, and I'm pondering where I actually want to go next year.
My RedSox are taking it down to the wire as to whether they'll make postseason - with six games to go it's still not guaranteed.
Worryingly there is, aiui, a possibility that DreamWidth might get geoblocked in the UK because of the government's stupid 'child protection demands proof of age' stuff. Already it's blocked from one US State for such a reason.
My RedSox are taking it down to the wire as to whether they'll make postseason - with six games to go it's still not guaranteed.
Worryingly there is, aiui, a possibility that DreamWidth might get geoblocked in the UK because of the government's stupid 'child protection demands proof of age' stuff. Already it's blocked from one US State for such a reason.
People who need people ...
(I was watching a Barbra movie recently in fact... ) Anyway ...
Having not seen or talked with anyone in ages S came to visit on Thursday and stuffed lots of my mum's stuff into rubbish bags for chucking. Because I haven't been able to bring myself to do it, basically. It's all so final.
Then Friday evening I get a totally unexpected phone call from my former London neighbour so caught up on everything for well over an hour. Hopefully we will meet for lunch one day as she comes in this general direction to go horse riding.
I almost feel human again. *Almost*
(I was watching a Barbra movie recently in fact... ) Anyway ...
Having not seen or talked with anyone in ages S came to visit on Thursday and stuffed lots of my mum's stuff into rubbish bags for chucking. Because I haven't been able to bring myself to do it, basically. It's all so final.
Then Friday evening I get a totally unexpected phone call from my former London neighbour so caught up on everything for well over an hour. Hopefully we will meet for lunch one day as she comes in this general direction to go horse riding.
I almost feel human again. *Almost*
I'm finding life far too complicated. I want to schedule things but find doing so stressful so put it off then get stressed _because_ I've put things off.
I don't understand.
I don't understand.
I'm finding life far too complicated. I want to schedule things but find doing so stressful so put it off then get stressed _because_ I've put things off.
I don't understand.
I don't understand.
One of these days I'm going to keel over while trying to change the bed linen. Thankfully it turned out not to be today.
But it was a close thing.
But it was a close thing.
Still in Newark for UnityFest. It's very nice much a 'dyke' clientele rather than a lesbian or gay women one. Vast majority of attendees are couples, frequently wearing matching clothes and short greyish hair, but there are lots of interesting women too. I've been limited in what I could manage between the need to use my wheels and the need to breathe. Heavy rain so far today has trapped me in the van too.
Tomorrow I'm off to Sandringham for a week.
Tomorrow I'm off to Sandringham for a week.
I was planned to be away for the long weekend but now not happening because of infection and stuff. Actually read the leaflets this morning which came with the antibiotics, the one which warns strongly against alcohol notes that the restriction also applies for 48 hours after finishing the course. I'm not a heavy drinker but I do tend to have a glass of wine most days so this will be a week without any. It being a bank holiday means it will probably be awful weather anyway!
Planned to do things today.
Failed.
Will hope to try again tomorrow.
Failed.
Will hope to try again tomorrow.
Been longer since my previous post than I'd probably intended but nothing much doing. New inverter installed but only partially doing what I expected so needs investigation. Finally cleared the junk wood off the pod's trailer by judicious use of a circular saw, now waiting for Tuesday when that bin gets emptied so I can cut up the rest. It also means I could possibly try to mow the front grass..
New inverter arrived, a little larger than previous one but size acceptable. Now doing lots of pi.r² calculations to determine load capacity for cables to connect everything together.
Outside is very overcast but rain isn't forecast. Not sure which I believe though.
Outside is very overcast but rain isn't forecast. Not sure which I believe though.
Ordered new inverter but not the one I actually wanted because cost. The better one though had outputs easier to link to existing circuits whereas the one I've got coming doesn't so will get it's warranty voided within minutes of arrival tomorrow morning. I checked the power requirement for the coffee machine (not the only thing I'll be powering but the highest load item) which needs just under six amps (≈1400VA) so an 1800VA model gives me some headroom.
I have to wait until I can weigh the caravan before calculating if I can install a second battery though.
I have to wait until I can weigh the caravan before calculating if I can install a second battery though.
So the weekend in Market Harborough was 'off grid', without a mains power option, and I failed miserably. I'd miscalculated the fuse for the inverter and the inverter was slightly underpowered anyway to run the coffee machine if it hadn't blown its fuse, so I'm now speccing some replacement options.
One option would be a (petrol or LPG) generator, the other is to upgrade the solar and battery capacity. Both have positives and negatives (pun intended). Only going to sites with an electric hookup isn't a workable option.
One option would be a (petrol or LPG) generator, the other is to upgrade the solar and battery capacity. Both have positives and negatives (pun intended). Only going to sites with an electric hookup isn't a workable option.