Nine Feet Underground

I'm back up North after my latest visit down south.  I went to one of my shared reading groups yesterday, where we read a short story by Amy Tan called 'The Rules of The Game'.  I enjoyed it so much, I've decided I will read 'The Joy Luck Club' by her soon.  Once I'm through a bit more of my backlog.  Good conversations at the reading group and some new faces bringing new perspectives and youth, relatively speaking. My new, one-purpose blog is up and running now. We just recently watched an enjoyable comedy series, 'Small Prophets', which is both funny and warmhearted. If you haven't watched it, do! Small Prophets trailer Down to the serious business of music.  Today I've chosen something relatively recent by B C Camplight from the album 'The Last Rotation Of Earth'. One of my favourite tracks is 'I'm Ugly', a very amusing song lyrically speaking.

It's been a while since my last post, longer than I anticipated when I decided I didn't need to post daily. Since then, which was a little over a week ago, a lot has happened though quite a lot of it can't appear here. Work has been especially busy as my work on the project is coming to an end.  Unusually, design uncertainties are increasing rather than decreasing as things wind down, which means I am doubly busy with new stuff as well as trying to ensure I wrap up and tidy all my documentation. There's been lots of monitoring activity keeping me busy while I get to grips with the joys of SDR.  It's opened up a world of possibilities that inevitably come with new challenges including the need for better antenna or better-sited (higher, outdoor) antenna and RF filters on top of the RF amplifiers I've also required. The antenna issues are especially challenging when I'm in Liverpool, given the 'temporary' nature of my presence.  When I'm away I thi...

More of the same in prospect. The only unusual interruption came in the form of the man who normally cuts our hedges.  There's a lot to be done, as usual, including the trees out front (which are not yet in bloom so can be trimmed and shaped) as well as the sad demise of our cherry tree which is rotting at the base and roots.  Additionally he cleaned out our gutters and identified that some of the concrete on the roof gully is coming away.  I've arranged for a roof man to come and have a look next week. ££££ Aaagghh! Work has been very full-on today, so much so that I forgot to put my dry eye drops in.  Not a dry eye in the house. Work over, tonight is 'UFA' again with lecturer Laura Pelaschiar talking about 'Scylla and Charybdis'.  After questions, we entered the breakout rooms and I was randomly assigned to a room with three interesting people, all in the Republic.  A great discussion ensued and I ended being elected as spokesperson for the group when we...

Great start to the day! Not! Despite various stretching exercises over the weekend, I have not managed to shift my lower back pain.  I think I injured it a few days ago when I helped the early morning carer (when there is only one) move my wife and in the process broke two golden rules about lifting.  So now I pay the price - that'll teach me. The main consequence of the lower back pain, apart from the pain itself, is that I can't do yoga. I've tried a few forward folds and it ain't good. Damn!  I shall really miss it today, though hopefully I can take a class on another day in the week, assuming I keep up the stretches and exercises and get it better.  It's also put paid to my press ups and weight lifts as I don't want to aggravate it further.  Usually I try and ignore it and make it worse - one thing yoga has taught me is to be a bit more in touch with how my body feels, so I don't wreck it. (Apparently there are no spares as it's a discontinued model)...

I've done it again!  Only further and faster.  My second successive run (next one should be Tuesday, 'cos I'm doing yoga tomorrow  morning and I don't think I could fit a run in unless I get up really early (Tuesday will be a challenge as it's a working day. Nevertheless if I plan to do it, I'll do it.)) Spent about 10 minutes warming down after the run by walking and doing stretching exercises.  I was about to sit on the bench outside in the sun when I noticed it was filthy, so I ended up washing it down so I can sit on it later and maybe read the papers in the sun. Whilst getting ready post-run I was mulling over my current approach to re-reading 'Finnegans Wake' and came to a decision: I'm going to read to the 'end' (there is neither an end nor a beginning, strictly speaking) without referring back to explanations of the chapters after I've finished them. (The book is like the Circle Line used to be - you can (if you choose) just ...

Apparently not.  Not much more than that to say, other than I just discovered this album by BC Camplight, from earlier this year, and I'm liking it.  Also turns out a song I'd heard several times on the radio this year and liked - namely 'I'm Desperate' -  is from the same album as this (the album being 'Deportation Blues'). There's been good and bad as there always is, don't really feel the need to elaborate further. Jinx, and all that. All the shit there's been tends to consign rational thought to the bin. [Quote is from the poem 'To His Coy Mistress' by Andrew Marvel]