Tales From The Crypt - Monday 8th November 2021

This will be a post about Monday, but in reality it's a continuation of Sunday, at least until early afternoon.

On Sunday night I went out for a meal with a friend, before re-routing some wine to the sea, via a fairly circuitous path, though a more direct route would, of course, be accompanied by considerably less pleasure.

After an unusually relaxed morning, I headed back for home feeling recharged.  It occurs to me that when I am home, I am never able to fully relax as I am always in a state of orange alert.  This probably has untold impacts, not least of all on my sleep (Sleep? What is that?)

After putting it off for several weeks, one of my first tasks on arriving home was to file the paperwork and letters that have arrived since I last did filing. I always have the good intention of filing things as they arrive, but somehow the reality and demands of everyday life get in the way and, several weeks later, I seem to find myself with a pile of paper to sort into the shred or file categories.  I think E's health and related communications generates paperwork in a two or three to one ratio to everything I receive. Thank God for my filing cabinet! (Actually it was OfficeWorld, but let's not split hairs!)

I'm due to go to Book Club tonight but, in the event, I still have this damn cold, I haven't read the book ('The Constant Rabbit' by Jasper Fforde, more on that in a moment), and I am rather tired, so as a consequence I've bailed.  The December meet is to review 'A Christmas Carol', which is mercifully short and is also the secret Santa, and so I really must attend.  I'm missing catching up with the critics.

'The Constant Rabbit', indeed! I have really struggled with this book. I've tried to get interested, but have found it deadly dull from the off. There have been other distractions in my life which I thought were perhaps impacting on my progress, but it's dawned on me that I just find it totally uninteresting, which is unusual.  I think it's meant to be an allegory about the way immigrants / outsiders are treated in the UK, and it tells this tale by making the outsiders rabbits - rabbits who talk and have created their own society and culture. On top of that it's been implied (I'm not that far in to the book) that one of the human male characters had an affair with a female rabbit at university, these rabbits obviously being larger and more upright than the ones we are used to seeing, otherwise, well, it doesn't bear thinking about.  Animals talking and taking on human characteristics doesn't do it for me and it's already been done by George Orwell and Disney, which seems to be the last word on the subject. I would rather have read a book about the treatment of immigrants / outsiders that was a realist novel, rather than an allegory with rabbits - even aliens would have worked better for me. Breathe. Rant over.

Early evening I called my mother-in-law for a chat - she is now home and gradually getting the support she needs after her week in hospital. Apparently she is on heart medication (beta blockers) amongst other things and is expecting her GP tomorrow to discuss what she's taking. She is noticeably weaker sounding on the phone and I do wonder to what extent she'll make a full recovery.

Another chat after that, this time with my younger sister, an overdue opportunity to catch up on what's happening in our lives.

Unusually tonight is curry night (deferred from Saturday) and son #2 and I watch the most recent HIGNFY whilst eating it.  After that it was time to clear up and retire for a catch up with a friend.

Gong / 'The Pothead Pixies' / 'Radio Gnome Invisible (Part 1)' 

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